Northern California Kush Magazine

4

5

kush 62

northern california’s premier cannabis lifestyle magazine

48

74

44 features

44 Patients Out of Time They gave up guns, booze, and nightmares, due in no small part to marijuana.

48 China Beach Chinese fisherman struck gold here during the Gold Rush and left the treasure behind for us all to enjoy.

62 IZip: The Electric Bike Apple’s newest product…not! But it is cool and revolutionary… the laziest bike in existence!

74 John Muir: High Sierra Badass Take a not-so-easy leisurely High Sierra stroll in the OG Park Ranger’s shoes.

94 Ziggy Marley A talk with Ziggy and the superstar crew behind his graphic novel, Marijuanaman.

6

94 inside

10 | The Vegan Cleanse by Healthy Eater 14 | Organics: Humidity by Tyler C. Davidson 18 | Hempful Hints: Dawgs by Bud Lee 24 | Neighborly Advice by James Dohnert

30 | This Month in Weed History: Bob Dylan by Josh Kaplan 38 | Steep Hill Lab by AnnaRae Grabstein, Eric Rosete & Wilson Linker 52 | Confessions of a BudTender by David Leggett 58 | Killer Weed on Broadway by Mike Marino 68 | Connoisseurs of Consciousness by Austin Hill Shaw 70 | Strain Review: White Widow by Lady Killer 72 | Raft The American River by Valerie Fernandez 78 | Ed Rosenthal Talks Carbon Dioxide by Ed Rosenthal 82 | Sex For Dummies: Seeds by Ben Holmes 86 | Pushing Buttons by Mike Marino 88 | Designer Drinks 90 | Growers Grove: The Rain Table Pt. I by Jade Kine 96 | NoCal Music Preview by Dillon Zachara 98 | Toking Heads by Mike Marino 100 | Mexican Recipes by Chef Herb 105 | Dailybuds.com Dispensary Directory

7

from the editors

m

northern california’s premier cannabis lifestyle magazine

ay - the transitional month between spring and summer, the month of Cinco de Mayo, college graduations and Mother’s Day. The month of Memorial Day, a salute to our soldiers who have fought, and continue to fight, for our FREEDOM – yes, I did emphasize FREEDOM – something that cities and States nationwide seem to ignore when it comes to the patient’s FREEDOM to have safe access to Medical Marijuana. In 1996, California became the first state to pass a medical marijuana ordinance. Fifteen years later, cities like San Jose are subject to scrutiny by city officials who have determined that all of the known medical marijuana dispensaries in town violate council guidelines, limiting them to commercial areas and requiring them to be at least 500 feet from homes, schools, libraries, daycare centers and each other. Yet irrespective of their “illegal classification,” a 7% tax has been approved on all medical marijuana sales. On May 10th, 73 collectives paid close to $290,000 in taxes for the month of March, effectively filling the empty bank account of a broke city. Wouldn’t you think the city would want to keep the dollars rolling in? But NOOOO! While on the one hand the city is deeming the collectives ‘illegal,’ and subjecting them to police raids and closures, they’re certainly not going to say no to taking their money. Go figure.

But there is still very encouraging hope. Down south in the city of San Diego, city council passed two city ordinances that amount to an effective ban on cannabis collectives. They are trying to refute that medical marijuana is a necessary medication that approximately 70,000 of its own citizens depend on to cure their ailments or get through their battles with cancer, PTSD, AIDS, fibromyalgia, migraines, insomnia, chronic pain and a myriad of other illnesses. Since this determination, voters and collective owners have banned together to get a referendum to stop the ban. To date, they are only a few thousand signatures short of accomplishing this.

In 2004, the voters of the State of Montana passed a medical marijuana ballot measure and a few weeks ago Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer let a repeal of that law voted on by the Montana State politicians pass without his signature. The Wall Street Journal referred to this as the “Wild Wild West” getting “tamer.” By July 1, 2011, about 28,000 Montanans will effectively become criminals, and the businesses that used to serve them in an open and regulated manner will now return to illegal clandestine operations that receive no control and return no benefit to the state. Montanans are fighting back by forming the Montana Cannabis Industry Association (MCIA) which has announced

Many patients, including members of our armed forces who have fought for our FREEDOM, need us to fight for the right of patients to have safe access to get their medicine. that it is moving forward on two fronts: It has hired an attorney to seek a temporary injunction blocking the law from going into effect, and it has begun a signature-gathering campaign to put the issue directly to the voters on the November 2012 ballot. “It’s about more than marijuana now, it’s about democracy, the Constitution, health care and the fulfillment of compassionate voter intent,” MCIA expresses.

I could go on, but essentially, voters by a majority vote in almost a 1/3 of our states have voted for the right to have medical cannabis, yet politicians continue to find ways to refute the will of the people.

But as an industry, working collectively to change the laws is the best way to proceed.

In Colorado for example, the state is working as an entity to regulate Medical Cannabis as a complete industry. While many might object to some of the parts of the Colorado Medical Marijuana law, at least Colorado is taking the bull by the horns, so to speak, and creating a regulated, profitable industry that creates new businesses and employment opportunities for the state and provides patients with safe access to medication.

Many patients, including members of our armed forces who have fought for our FREEDOM, need us to fight for the right of patients to have safe access to get their medicine. In many cases, their lives depend on it. Kush believes this is a battle worth fighting. Please be sure to read the article about one patient’s use of medical marijuana and how it saved him from a life of addiction to hard drugs and alcohol (p 44). As an industry, we should band together to accomplish one goal – to allow medical cannabis to be readily available to all patients who have received a medical recommendation.

On a lighter note, with spring in the air, and gasoline prices rising, be sure to check out the new electric hybrid bike manufactured by izipusa.com (p 62), or if you are planning on celebrating Cinco de Mayo all month like our own Chef Herb, he has created some delicious Mexican food recipes appropriate for anytime (p 100).

From the staff and Editors at Kush Magazine, stay informed, stay involved and medicate responsibly.

Kush Editorial Board, www.dailybuds.com

8

kush

T Ed Doctezz

A Division of Dbdotcom LLC Publishers | Dbdotcom LLC Editor in Chief | Lisa Selan Assistant Editor | Wasim Muklashy Chief Executive Officer | Bob Selan Business Development | JT Wiegman Art Director | Robb Friedman, Joe Redmond Director of International Marketing & Public Relations | Cheryl Shuman Director of No Cal Sales | Amanda Allen Advertising Sales Reps | Ed Docter, Denise Mickelson, Charlene Moran, Jason Moran Designers | Avel Culpa, Marvi Khero Traffic Managers | Alex Lamitie, Kevin Johnson Ryan Renkema, Jordan Selan, Rachel Selan Distribution Manager | Alex Lamitie Contributing Writers | Al Byrne, Chef Herb, Tyler C. Davidson, James Dohnert, Valerie Fernandez, AnnaRae Grabstein, John Green, Ben Holmes, Josh Kaplan, Jade Kine, Bud Lee, David Leggett, Wilson Linker, Mike Marino, Eric Rosete, Ed Rosenthal, Dr. Wacker Singbrou, Austin Hill Shaw, Mike Sonksen, Dillon Zachara Accounting | Dianna Bayhylle Internet Manager Dailybuds.com | Rachel Selan Dailybuds.com Team | JT Kilfoil & Houston Founder | Michael Lerner SUBSCRIPTIONS KUSH Magazine is also available by individual subscription at the following rates: in the United States, one year 12 issues $89.00 surface mail (US Dollars only). To Subscribe mail a check for $89.00 (include your mailing address) to : DB DOT COM 24011 Ventura Blvd. Suite 200 Calabasas, CA 91302 877-623-KUSH (5874) Fax 818-223-8088 KUSH Magazine and www.dailybuds.com are Tradenames of Dbdotcom LLC. Dbbotcom LLC 24011 Ventura Blvd. Suite 200 Calabasas, CA 91302 877-623-KUSH (5874) Fax 818-223-8088 To advertise or for more information Please contact info@dailybuds.com or call 877-623-5874 Printed in the United States of America. Copyright ©2011. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without the written written permission of Dbdotcom LLC.

round

a

month

ago I began to feel increasingly

sluggish

and cloudy headed. My body was a bit achy and honestly I felt like something was wrong. I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I went to my doctor, he ran some tests and the diagnosis came up negative – nothing diagnosable could indicate why I am feeling this way. So I did what anyone would do…I got online. That’s where I came across Oprah’s challenge to do a vegan cleanse…I mean, you have to admit…she’s doing something right.

most packaged and prepared foods. I found myself focusing on single ingredients such as loads of veggies and fruits, rice, nut butters, whole grain cereals such as oats and barley, beans such as chick peas and kidney beans, nuts and soy products including milk and tofu. I found

Oprah and other celebrities jumped on the vegan cleanse

delicious gluten free bread products, quinoa pasta, and sweet potatoes

bandwagon back in 2009 when Kathy Freston wrote the book, Quantum

to give natural sweetness to veggie dishes. I was even discovered the

Wellness: A Practical Guide To Health and Happiness. I ended up

idea of adding nutritional yeast for extra flavor.

purchasing the followup, Quantum Wellness Cleanse: The 21-Day Essential Guide to Healing Your Mind, Body and Spirit, which is more about “conscious eating,” basically, eliminating foods with all sugar, alcohol, caffeine, gluten, and animal products from your diet in order to detox your system and rebalance your body. The premise is to replace these foods with foods that contain more nutritional value with the hopes it will enhance physical, emotional and spiritual health.

First of all, I eat all types of protein, dairy and gluten. I drink caffeinated drinks and occasionally drink alcohol. So this was a radical choice for someone who has never had dietary restrictions. The only conscious eating I have done until now, is to look at fat content, carb content, sugar content, sodium content and then gauge portions based on caloric content. Sure, that might seem like a lot for most, but it was still a far cry from what this cleanse was asking me to do. In any case, I figured I’d give it a shot.

The first thing I did was create a shopping list. The website makes it extremely easy by including a great straightforward list to follow: www. kathyfreston.com/kathy_freston_shopping_lists.html. I also read labels on foods in my pantry to see which ones contain hidden wheat (soy sauce!) and sugar. At the local Whole Foods I also found myself reading every label since many foods that are labeled Vegan also contain gluten!

I instantly gained a new consciousness about what ingredients were in

10 10

While I truly missed my morning coffee and felt more than slightly deprived when I went to a club with friends and ordered a sparkling water with lime, I found my will power to avoid these items remarkable and it got easier as each day passed (not to mention, I was the one that had all the energy and was all smiles the next morning). However, one of the hardest foods for me to give up was cheese - a bit of parmesan on my pasta or a slice of cheese on the portabella mushroom burger sure would have been nice!

Despite all this, at the end of the three weeks I found I had so much energy, I was never hungry, I enjoyed working out and doing yoga more than ever and decided that I was going to try to use this lifestyle as a part of my regimen going forward (as a special treat, I wouldn’t feel bad about occasionally adding the foods I cut out and thought I couldn’t live without). My head is now clear and I actually enjoy food much more – especially since I now know what I am eating! So for a healthy jump start try a vegan cleanse! It may seem hard at first, but you’ll see, it’s worth it!

11

12

We all know what humidity is - it’s water vapor carried in the air.

We all know what relative humidity is, too - at least, we think we do!

Trouble is, humidity may be affecting your plants in ways you may not be aware of, and worse, might well be stunting the growth of your little green friends. This is an important consideration anywhere, especially so in the dry, arid western part of the country. So, grateful growers, when you implement these humidity-building tips you’ll see noticeable acceleration in the growth of your crops!

First, a few definitions: Relative humidity (RH) has nothing to do with uncle Ernie’s damp armpits- rather it’s a measure of the percentage of moisture currently in the air relative to its maximum carrying capacity at the current temperature. That last bit is the part that trips people up, since air’s carrying capacity for water changes drastically with temperature- 80% RH at 60 degrees might be only 25% RH at 80 degrees! Since your skin isn’t as sensitive to humidity as it is to temperature, it’s essential to put a thermometer/ hygrometer in your growroom to keep tabs on it. Spend a little money to get a good one with a memory function since you don’t want to be working with inaccurate information. Even better, get one with a remote sensor so you can check your growroom’s conditions even when you’re not in there- maybe not required but darn convenient, let me tell you!

Unless your address is in the middle of the lake, chances are you will have a nasty shock when your new unit tells you that your RH is 12%. Yep, that’s Colorado, all right- small wonder then, that you can get zapped with static electricity just walking across the carpet. Now, for the science; Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD) is the mechanism by which all land based plants transpire and breathe. If RH is too high, they won’t be able to transpire and won’t be able to move nutrients up the stem to your precious growth tips where the action is. If humidity is too low, then the plant becomes stressed because it must spend too much energy just trying to move enough water to keep from wilting! Suffice to say that if your humidity is much below 45%, your plants are spending too much energy moving water and not enough actually growing.

Now, how to get it up there? The answer, my friends, is blowin’ in the wind - from a swamp cooler. Of course you have a ventilation fan pulling warm, stale air out of your growroom, but unless you have a swamp cooler chances are it’s pulling all the humidity out, too. Go out and get one, and not the kind that hooks up to your furnace - they just don’t put enough moisture in the air. Also, don’t get a ‘hot air’ type as that will overheat things, and don’t use a spray mister type because that will atomize the dissolved minerals in the water. When they dry they’ll precipitate out of the air and stick to everything! The type that pulls air through damp matting is what you’re looking for. When you get it going, you will discover that it will cool off your growroom substantially, since evaporating water cools the air. Good news, since now you can reduce the amount of air being pulled through your growroom without worrying about

14 14

overheating! Playing with your swamp cooler and exhaust fan settings will enable you to balance temperature and humidity.

I can already hear you guys from Humboldt County saying, “Low humidity is NOT our problem around here!” Of course you’re right - different parts of the country have different issues, and getting your relative humidity down in damper areas is just as essential as raising it in drier parts. Dehumidifiers work by chilling air and thereby causing water to condense out, and thus ‘wring’ the excess moisture from your growroom’s air. You may also have noticed that your air conditioning unit does this pretty well, too.

Either way, the ideal relative humidity is somewhere in the neighborhood of 55% RH if you like to keep your temps in the 70s and if you want to run in the low to mid 80s for best CO2 absorption, go for RH settings in the 65-75% range, and about 10 points lower than these when in bloom stage. Now if anyone tells you that blooming plants need less humidity than that, don’t believe them!

The best way I know to reduce essential oils in the end product is to let the humidity fall too much during mid and late blooming phase.

We live in a time of increasing automation and this can be a very good thing, especially when it comes to keeping temps and such in your growing area stable. An environmental controller is like having someone who does nothing else all day and all night but manage the temperature, humidity - and for the better units, CO2 - keeping them all as close to optimal as possible. Using one of these in your setup will greatly reduce your workload and stress level and lead to better, more consistent results. Best of all, it works 24/7 without breaks and doesn’t even ask for pizza! My advice? Don’t skimp on quality gear here, get a good one and don’t skip the CO2 function. Even if you don’t use it now, you may in the future and the difference in price isn’t worth the brain damage to try and add it back in later.

Lastly, with higher RH comes the possibility of fungal problems like powdery mildew, but don’t be concerned - use a natural antifungal such as neem oil, and be sure the air doesn’t stagnate around your plants by keeping the lower parts of them trimmed up and by circulating air through the understory of your grow. And since most coins have two sides, you will enjoy the benefits of higher humidity on discouraging spidermites and aphids as well! Other benefits include better temperature stability, thus making for smaller swings in temps when conditions change. You may also notice your plants will be asking for a lot less water, which helps reduce the danger of nutrient burn.

Well, that’s it for this month, so keep up the good work and happy growing. I love hearing from everyone out there, so keep those emails coming! Feel free to send any comments or questions to me at indoorcultivationconsulting@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to answer them!

Feel free to send any comments or questions to me at indoorcultivationconsulting@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to answer them!

15

16

17

Hempful Hints

by Bud Lee

Nothin’ But The

It’s a ruff world out there…the other day I’m chillin’ by this tree, and Charlie comes over and just starts barking up a storm about Big Moe and that crazy redhead he’s been chasin’.

Apparently, they were seen around the backside of the park rollin’ around - who knows what they were up to: probably burying some bones or something - no really, she’s one scary bitch. So anyway, then Princess herself prances over like her shit don’t stink, and starts barking at me just for sniffin’ the hydrant on the way in – I didn’t even claim it with a shpritz…I tell ya, these high maintenance bitches are the worst. So she’s mad-doggin’ me at this point and I’m just staring back at her, like a standoff. And she starts kinda perking her lip up in what’s trying to be like a sexy come hither way, and the sunlight was hitting her just right. I was really taken aback, and I’m thinking the only way to really warm up to this bitch is to just be the Alpha-male, you know? Just then, she let’s out this huge fart, and it stunk up the entire place! She cleared the whole area around the tree. It was a disaster… even the humans were running…it was hilarious! We were rolling around for a while. That’s when she prances off denying it was her. Can you believe that dogshit? So, hey we’re getting together later for poker…you in?

If you, or anyone in your dog walking group has ever seen, heard, or experienced this scenario, or one close to it, then, well…get some help (or you really need to share your medicine with the rest of the group). But all joking aside, as animal owners, we must take care or our furry friends and remember how much joy they bring to our lives. In doing so (as humans), we are lucky enough to have the resources to share such info with other animal lovers: the ability to spread the news about medical advances, breeding techniques, feeding and domesticating tips, training of animals, and, of course, general habits within each breed. These are the types of things that our animals depend on us for, and in return they look at us funny, like they understand us. And they do. They know when we need to cuddle with them, or when to run around and wrestle, or when we might just need that unconditional love they offer. These are the reasons that dogs in particular have become human’s domesticated animal of choice. Yes, there are cat people, and all the great farm animals that are somewhat domestic, but this is not about them. This one’s for the dogs…

KUSH magazine continues to find new and exciting hemp products for you to use, and now your dogs can benefit from your eco-friendly ways, and support of hemp. With three new product lines and respective websites, we’ll let you and your pooch decide.

EarthDog.com www.EarthDog.com, you will find an array of cool animal products, including solid hemp line leashes, beds & blankets, hemp chew toys, and designer Pewter medallions and key chains. There are also great items for us humans, like funny t-shirts, holiday ornaments, charity bracelets, posters and stickers. These make really unique gifts for the animal lovers in your life, and gift certificates are available. Maybe Fido’s birthday is coming up?

HempBasics.com www.HempBasics.com have always had a huge line of hemp products for us humans like clothing, rope, oils, etc. Now they also offer a line specifically for dogs, with their Tug-AHemp rope chew and pull toys, made from dry-spun Hemp yarn, which is grown without any harmful pesticides, bleaches, chemicals or toxins. In fact they are 100% biodegradable.

Fairly priced between $4.50 -$13.50, these eco-friendly items will bring you and Fido joy for numerous hours. Look into using their Hemp Seed Oil for your dogs too. It’s great for their coats, joint health, and also prevents chaffing of their paws.

NaturalWoof.com Last but not least, check out www.NaturalWoof.com, where you’ll find an eco-friendly array of different leashes, muzzles, and harnesses, all made from strong hemp fibers and designed with earthy, vibrant colors. Along with eye and ear care products, dental products, balms, salves and sprays, Natural Woof offers a variety of dog shampoos for all types of skins and coats. Whether Fido runs a little itchy at times, has odor problems, or just has a mangy coat that’s hard to manage, there’s a solution here for you. With all organic ingredients, both you and Fido will find a spring in your step. Check out their toys, beds, bowls and treats too.

So remember…who’s there for you day after day, week after week, month after month, through thick and thin, offering unconditional devotion to you, at all times? KUSH magazine! Just kidding (sorta). It’s your beloved dog! He or she deserves a little love this Spring, so check out these sites, and then you can tell all your dog park friends about them too (or, depending on your medication, perhaps your dog will take care of that for you…)

18

Dawg In Me….

19

20

21

22

by James Dohnert

What California’s Medical Marijuana Industry Can Learn

From Other Legal States California may have been the first state to legalize medical marijuana but that doesn’t mean it can’t learn from other states that followed suit. As the industry grows and attempts to build more legitimacy nationwide it will be up to each state to learn what works from each other. Here are just a few state laws that California can learn from.

Making the Case for Profits

Last year saw a string of raids on medical marijuana dispensaries in San Jose. The Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement in the South Bay began focusing on shutting down clubs that were operating under the banner of a for-profit company in late 2010 and by the end of the year had taken down many stores they felt weren’t abiding the rules. You see, in California medical marijuana dispensaries are required to operate as non-profit “collectives” run by medical marijuana patients who simply cover the costs of distributing the products they make. But some dispensaries, like the ones raided, went against the grain and decided to blaze their own path in spite of California codes. Citing vague laws that do not clearly define proper procedures for dispensaries these businesses decided to sell medicinal marijuana without the proper moniker. And if only these clubs were based in Colorado they wouldn’t have been raided.

Colorado is the only state to allow dispensaries to run as for-profit companies. Because of this the state has seen one of the largest MMJ booms in the country. By allowing dispensaries to run as something other than a non-profit, Colorado has begun to take the appropriate steps towards a sustainable future for the industry. Their current model prevents raids for anything other than the unlawful selling of their products to unlicensed individuals. It lets companies flourish while allowing more strict guidelines for the selling of medical marijuana. And justifies, what for many are, preexisting business practices.

Go into any medical marijuana dispensary without the word “cooperative” in the title and you’re bound to see a type of foot traffic rarely seen at a non-profit. The industry has become big business in California and just as a pharmaceutical company is able to rake in profits for their services so too should MMJ clubs in California. The creation of a for-profit model is the first step towards legitimizing an industry that needs legitimization.

Arizona allow for reciprocity as long as the card-holder stays within the law of the state they are visiting. This allowance gives patients the opportunity to receive their medication in a state which is not their own without having to go outside of the law.

It’s a regulation that makes sense and allows for growth of the medical marijuana industry nationwide. For example, a dispensary in California could open up a sister store in Maine, then, keep records of patients so they can frequent both locations without a redundant registration process. There by, allowing national brand awareness for companies. It would be a step towards a client-customer relationship that would put people on the fence about medical marijuana at ease.

Sharing Across Boarders

Evolution through Cooperation

A Californian on vacation in Arizona can buy their medication in Arizona but an Arizonian on vacation in California can’t get anything in California.

Make sense?

As it currently stands Montana, Rhode Island, Michigan, Maine, and

24

More is Better

Today in California the max a number of plants an individual can have is twelve. The law currently stands in the middle in comparison with other states. Oregon, on one hand allows for the growth of up to 24 plants while New Jersey has made it unlawful for individuals to grow their own supply.

The case for the allowance of the cultivation of more planets in California is simple…more medication means happier patients.

The ability to grow your own personal cannabis plants has always been a great option for those suffering from debilitating aliments. For those unable to go to a dispensary every month it offered an affordable and time saving opportunity. So while the fear of individuals illegally selling private supplies is certainly relatable, it isn’t without faults.

As a measure that was passed to help the ill it only makes sense that California follows the precedent created by Oregon and increases the amount one is allowed to grow. By doing so you can begin to create a standard for the industry and allow it to do what it was made for, help those who need it.

The medical marijuana industry has no template or national precursor. Our currents times require the sort of trailblazing rarely found in new industries.

But by learning from each other, states can create the kind of sustainable environment that medical marijuana can thrive in.

25

26

kush 27

28

29

On my recent travels through Europe, I found my iPod stuck on Rancid and their jackhammer gutter-punk riffs and beats, which led me back through The Clash’s catalog and the analysis of their shared influences of Ska, Dub, Reggae, Rock, and Punk, as well as their general stiff-upper-lipped viewpoint on the world. It seemed like a strange jump at the time, but I started “Jones”-ing for some Bob Dylan, and consequently, my entire trip was spent listening to these three artists. The more I listened, the more similarities I found: rebellious ideas through stories of protest and strife, with interesting combinations of strangely accented vocals and unconventional sounds. This really came full circle, and is an homage to one of the greatest singer-songwriters in American pop history: This Month In Weed History’s birthday boy, Bob Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 21, 1941.

Dylan always wrote as a regular man with common everyday concerns.

Rancid’s approach displays this same gritty work ethic, and also speaks to the common man. Their songs of left-wing political and social stances are sung with a whole lot of street cred and the mish-moshed drawl of a lower east-sider who’s lived in London too long - with a very wet bottom lip. This unabated notion of not giving a fuck, combined with really great songwriting has earned Rancid their stripes. And I’m pretty sure they are aware of how much they owe to The Clash, and Bob Dylan.

While Dylan may have never thrown a Molotov cocktail, or smashed his equipment in a musical rage, his going “electric” at the worlds biggest Folk Festival (Newport 1965) can now be considered as “punk-rock” a move as any - a whole decade before anyone knew who The Clash were. Bob Dylan may just be the most punk of them all. With the moniker of the “best” or “most famous” American singer-songwriter of our time, Dylan could have hung his flat-brimmed cowboy hat up long ago, but turning seventy this year, he remains a slave to the road, touring the world like some mystical Hobo, ever in pursuit of a fresh sound (having re-worked all of his old favorites countless times over).

What’s more “punk” than never going home?

Dylan’s vagrant ways have become his norm. His Never Ending Tour (as it’s known) has been traipsing around the world playing nearly everywhere since 1980. Dylan’s song list is a cornerstone to Folk music, and he has fearlessly stepped into multiple other genres such as Blues, Country, Gospel, Rockabilly, Rock and Roll, Jazz, Swing, and even English, Scottish, and Irish Folk Music. Popularizing the acoustic guitar, as well as the keyboards and harmonica, Dylan has forged his sound far ahead of most of his contemporaries. His recognizable, and often mimicked nasal vocal quality is also a drawl of unique world travels - somewhere between Cowboy, Gypsy, and Creole medicine man, with the syllabic rhythms of someone new to the language, talking with marbles in his mouth.

This undeniable sound created by his voice, guitar, and harmonica is not for everyone, and some find it un-listenable. I, on the other hand have learned to really embrace his quirky styles. As Dylan gets older, and continues to tour, his live shows remain very interesting, and his counter-culture influences ever so evident. You want to see, and hear what he’s going to do next, vocally or through a new arrangement. This keeps his fans, and his band, on the edge of their seats. His vast set-lists leave the reigns in his hands, and all in the venue chomping at the bit to see which direction the stone will choose to roll next…

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

by AnnaRae Grabstein, Eric Rosete and Wilson Linker

Steep Hill Lab Cannabidiol: The Non-Psychoactive Cannabinoid Medical cannabis is now widely recognized as an effective alternative treatment to a number of conditions, but its reputation of causing adverse, mood altering and psychoactive effects make many potential medical cannabis patients skeptical as to whether the benefits outweigh the side effects. What many people do not know is that cannabis is made up of many different compounds called cannabinoids, and they are not all created equal.

Cannabidiol, often referred to as CBD, is a compound prevalent in some strains of cannabis that is not psychoactive and provides many medicinal benefits. The intoxicating effects of cannabis are most closely connected to tetrahydrocannabinol, most commonly known as the cannabinoid THC. CBD is thought to counter the intoxicating and sometimes sedating properties THC. The realization that CBD-rich cannabis products provide relief to patients without experiencing the effects of “being high” is a tremendously important development.

CBD has been a hot topic within the industry for a while but there are still a great number of people who are unfamiliar with the benefits of CBD-rich cannabis. ProjectCBD, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the medical utility of CBD, expresses that “the reduced psychoactivity of CBD-rich Cannabis may make it an appealing treatment option for patients seeking anti-inflammatory, anti-pain, anti-anxiety and/or anti-spasm effects without disconcerting euphoria or lethargy.”

Recently at the national NORML Conference in Denver, Doctor David Bearman of the American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine suggested that CBD is an antidepressant that

38

(continued on page 40)

39

Steep Hill Lab can have fewer side effects than pharmaceutical depression medications. He also claims that CBD can reduce the invasiveness of cancer cells and credits it as a therapy for epilepsy, inflammation, pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosis.

Most strains of cannabis currently available to patients are high in THC as opposed to CBD, but due to increased cannabinoid analysis by laboratories, CBD-rich cannabis is being more frequently identified. As a result, breeders and growers are seeking out CBD and breeding strains specifically for this compound. Also, through their potency-testing programs,

40 40

dispensaries are helping to discover new CBD-rich strains every day. The fact remains that CBD-rich strains are rare, but are becoming more available as word travels about the benefits of this unique cannabinoid. If you are interested in the benefits of medical cannabis but are not seeking the psychoactive effects associated with “being high,� it may be time to search out some CBD-rich cannabis.

We would like to offer some interesting data from Steep Hill Lab about the CBD they have seen in some 10,000 samples of cannabis tested at their lab.

41

42

43

Patients Out of Time:

y n n Joh

Between 1987 and 1992, I became involved with a Veterans Health Administration and Agent Orange Class Assistance Program that funded Vets, acting as peer counselors, to search out and offer aid to fellow Veterans.

All the counselors who did the fieldwork fought in Vietnam, as did almost all of the clients or patients.

There were a small number of women in the group, all nurses of the Army and Navy. The majority of the guys were Army or Marine enlisted, a smaller number of Navy “brown water” sailors and a few from the Air Force. The closer you came to death every day, and there were many ways to observe that act, the likelier a Vet was to be diagnosed with post traumatic stress (PTS).

44 44

I was the only counselor to have served as a Commissioned Officer and I doubled as the Contract Administrator for the multi thousand dollar grants we used to help Vets in the Appalachian region of Virginia and West Virginia. I had about 200 guys I worked with over those years. Johnny was one of those guys.

Johnny worked at a wood yard, as did his son. His boss had called us one day looking for someone to talk to Johnny…get him some help. I showed up late one afternoon and met the boss, who was younger than Johnny and I by a dozen years. Johnny was his friend as well as an employee and he was drinking himself to death. Johnny’s boss was sure it had something to do with Vietnam.

(continued on page 46)

45

Johnny and I saw each other every week for months.

He was on parole for pistol-whipping a bar patron who thought the little guy in the corner of the room could be bullied. Johnny took that bar patron for a ride of terror before knocking him in the head and dumping him and his car in a big ditch. I took Johnny for rides through the tree-lined roads of the county, away from the saws, the noise. He was angry and drinking incessantly, doing lines of coke whenever he could get his hands on it.

My job was to find a way to get him to talk out his pain, the emotional scars he carried along with their live-in demons. Talk we did - about his homecoming, a day late he said to me, because if he had been there when the flood came, he could have saved his family; father, mother, two sisters and younger brother. He was convinced that he could have saved them (or at least died with them), but the Marines had him in a stockade for acting up when he came to the states, for refusing to get a “getting out” haircut, for telling a sergeant to go to hell. Guilt is a primary factor in PTS and Johnny had more than enough because he had not been at home when he could have been.

This was on top of a tour of duty that young 19-year old Marines like him endured in the endless jungles of danger.

He was a gunner on an armored vehicle. Four fifty-caliber machine guns fired at his command with the power to blow an engine block to pieces. One night he and his friends found themselves under attack. The next morning, in front of his guns, he found over 400 dead men…but he was untouched. It was 20 months of talk before he remembered that morning, that night, and when he did… he cried for a long, long time.

It had not taken the counselors long to determine a trend among the Vets. Some drank to excess and, like Johnny, took any other intoxicating drug they could find.

Then there were those who did not drink or do coke or take pills. They used cannabis instead.

Johnny told me he could not sleep more than a couple of hours at a time - an exhausted rest at best. He told me he could not relax, his appetite was reserved strictly for alcohol and being unconscious. I urged him to use cannabis and he did. He stopped the coke cold. His alcohol intake decreased to only a few beers a day. And he slept. He slept.

A cannabis researcher in Italy has coined a phrase about the endocannabinoid system. It helps us eat, sleep, relax, protect, and forget. Cannabis is the only plant that has phyto-cannabinoids (made within the plant) that are similar to the endogenous cannabinoids (made within the body) recently discovered in the human body. When I use cannabis I do not dream and I told Johnny that and I told him that he could sleep again too if he used cannabis. It

46

would help him eat again…real food. It would help him relax for a while, and concentrate on good thoughts and forget the painful images he carried in his head and while these positives were replacing the negatives, his body would enjoy a return to homeostasis from feeding his system with cannabis compounds.

Johnny called me a couple of years later, after I no longer worked as a counselor. He wanted me to know that he was fine now. “You helped me man,” he said. Straight up. He then proceeded to tell me that he stopped drinking, was married now, his son was with him, and he still used cannabis every day.

Surprisingly, especially after hearing a story like this, it may be hard to believe that in the US, military Veterans like Johnny are denied the use of cannabis for any purpose in 34 states. Furthermore, in the 15 states with medical marijuana laws, an illogical and ignorant law-enforcement–and-lawyer-generated medical protocol for medical cannabis use is in place. These “medical marijuana” programs are morally unjustified, medically unsound and designed by men and women with no medical training at all. Johnny and I use cannabis illegally in Virginia to help us cope with the trauma we endured, for what we did for our country…things that these politicans and lawyers could never imagine in the worst of their worst nightmares.

That is not right.

So I’ve got a suggestion for the citizens of the US. A suggestion that I feel is fairly decent and not out of line.

Please support your troops by allowing doctors and nurses, rather than lawyers and politicians, to take care of Johnny and me and the other Vets. He and I and they have had enough of what this country has not done for us, especially after what we have done for this country, and allowing Veterans the use of clinical cannabis would be a great start on remedying that situation. Is that really too much to ask?

Take care, Al Byrne for Patients Out Of Time Patients Out of Time is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to educating health care professionals and the public about the therapeutic use of cannabis.

I choose to drop the “D” for disorder, making it PTS rather than PTSD. The symptoms of post traumatic stress are a NORMAL response to an ABNORMAL stress. It is an insult or added stress to diagnose someone who has undergone severe trauma with a disorder. Some choose to call it post traumatic stress syndrome.

47

TRAVEL NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Here we are…another month of spring is history, which just brings us one more month closer to summer. And one month closer to summer means one month closer to more beach time…prime sunny and spectacularly sandy beach time. While you’ve been hiding in less-frequented and not so public tanning salons, fenced backyards, and walled balconies and rooftops working on your tans and the bellies you didn’t collect over the fall and winter months, the Bay Area’s prime beaches have been patiently waiting to offer you a stage to show off your hard work. While we have our fair share of wave-watching locales to pick from, there is one that stands out as perhaps one of the best places for ocean swimming in the San Francisco area… and perhaps one with the richest history of our coastal cadences...

China Beach.

The beach got it’s name from the Chinese fisherman that used to camp out on its shores dating back to the Gold Rush days…and while they were providing food for many of the prospectors in the region, they knew perhaps better than anyone that they were sitting on gold themselves.

Lucky for us, they had no problem sharing their riches.

Also known as East Beach, this stretch of sand is located at Seacliff and 28th Avenue and happens to be the closest beach to the Golden Gate Bridge on the bay side.

Once you get to El Camino del Mar in the Seacliff neighborhood, you’ll start to see small brown signs that read ‘Public Beach.’ A tip is to get here early…for there are only about 40 spots available, and parking in the adjacent Seacliff neighborhood is prohibited. You can save yourself the trouble (and gas money) however, by taking the Muni.

48

You can either get off the 29 bus at Lincoln/Camino del Mar and 25th and walk the remaining 5 blocks, or the 1 bus to California and 30th and head north about the same distance. Make your way down the steep staircase, drop your towel on the sand, and let your staycation begin.

As soon as you arrive, you’ll notice that the surf is much calmer than most of the other beaches you may be used to, such as Ocean or Baker beach. The shallow waters are perfect for kids to play in, and lifeguards are on duty during the summer months. However, this is still Mother Nature, so while the protected cove may be one of the safest to swim, beware of sudden riptides and currents.

As far as amenities are concerned, China Beach has you pretty much covered. There are restrooms and showers for your convenience, and although there is no food nearby, bring a cooler with some dogs and burgers because there are picnic areas with barbecue pits that are designed to be taken advantage of.

The nature of the location of this beach, and the fact that it’s usually uncrowded makes it feel like your own private beach on the bay. The views of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge are nothing short of spectacular, and if you’re with the family, you’re close enough to make side trips through the day to Crissy Field and the Exploratorium, billed as San Francisco’s “museum of science, art and human perception.”

So grab the kids and the Frisbee and the hot dogs and the towels and meet me at China Beach.

(Don’t forget the lotion…)

49

50

51

As medical marijuana dispensaries continue to pop up all over the country, from California to Michigan, a new profession has emerged that is taking the medical marijuana community by storm - “Bud Tending”. Paraphrased from the age old Bartending moniker, Bud Tenders act very much in the same way, but instead of serving alcohol they serve you up with a fat bud of your choice. Not only is this literally a dream job for many medical marijuana advocates looking to meet and interact with many like-minded people in the community, but also an excellent way to make an living in this struggling economy.

Bud Tenders are required to have a good knowledge of different strains and types of medical marijuana as well as being able to effectively communicate with their patients and help them find the best type of marijuana to suit their specific needs.

Bud Tenders also need to understand the correct weights and measurements of cannabis, how it is priced and how to effectively display the inventory to ensure maximum customer interest. But most of all, one of the most important qualities a Bud Tender needs to have are excellent customer service skills.

But to really understand what Bud Tending is all about, as well as what it takes to become a Bud Tender, is to actually interview one. And when it

52

comes to Bud Tending, there are few in the industry more knowledgeable and experienced than Bud Tender Dan from G3 Holistic Inc. in Moreno Valley, California. Here is my interview with Bud Tender Dan Dave: Without feeling you have to go too in depth, what is your take on the sweet leaf? What do you feel it does for you personally?

Bud Tender Dan: I have been using medical marijuana for years for a range of issues including bleeding ulcers (can’t take pain meds), insomnia (can’t take pills), and relief from skeletal/muscular pain (again, no pills!). The Marijuana Plant has enormous medical value (aspirin comes from tree bark!) and potential but the federal government must remove cannabis from the schedule 1 drug list to allow for proper research and clinical trials. There is new Cannabinoid (THC, CBD, etc.) research with a host of implications including the destruction of cancer cells without harming the healthy tissue (not only symptom treatment but an anti-tumor effect, according to a report by the National Cancer Institute, cancer.gov).

Dave: How long have you been a Bud Tender, what establishment do you work at, and what made you decide to get into this profession?

Bud Tender Dan: I have been the Senior Patient

(continued on page 54)

53

Consultant/Bud Tender at G3 Holistic, Inc. since it’s inception in 2009. A few patient friends and I exceeded our med needs with our gardens and decided to form a collective, ‘by the patients, for the patients…’ I have 30 years of restaurant/bar management experience, 30 years of product knowledge, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a Pre-Med/Science curriculum from The Ohio State University, and a father who is an oncologist specializing in geriatrics and hospice/ palliative care. The combination of these factors created a kind of perfect storm career for me as a patient consultant in the Medical Marijuana field.

Dave: What kind of training does a Bud Tender need? Do you need to go to school to be a Bud Tender?

Bud Tender Dan: More training than there is currently available, but new schools and classes are constantly sprouting up! I attended The Oaksterdam University, (www.oaksterdamuniversity. com), completing as Valedictorian a 13-week semester course covering a wide range of topics including civics, law, patient consulting, methods of ingestion, and, of course, cultivation. Continuing education is a must as medical marijuana laws are constantly changing. Classes and workshops are available, the best being provided by Americans for Safe Access, or ASA (www.safeaccessnow.com). I just completed their Marijuana Activist Bootcamp last month.

Dave: What are a few crazy, inspirational, funny, etc stories you have during your time as being a Bud Tender?

Bud Tender Dan: Regarding crazy and funny, there is never a dull moment. We had a night janitor stuck in our magnetic doors and the police

thought he was breaking in. Our landlord assumed our grow (house) was illegal and SWAT showed up at the house and ended up threatening the landlord. A patient with a glass eye took it out, polished it up, and played marbles on the bar with it - pretty disgusting!

As far as inspirational? That’s easy. Our collective is located minutes from a major hospital and every time a patient stops by after chemo/radiation treatment it’s extremely rewarding to make them smile by providing safe effective meds for their pain and suffering. Product knowledge is key and essential when recommending a strain for a specific condition/ailment.

Dave: What is your advice for someone who is thinking about becoming a Bud Tender?

Bud Tender Dan: Bud tending is an experience that requires a combination of knowledge, skill, care, compassion, and customer service that is unlike any other career position. Part bartender, part patient consultant, caregiver, friend, and risktaker/target, the Bud Tender has an enormous responsibility to his/her patients, coworkers, and collective.

Get active in the medical marijuana community!

Attend a marijuana school; there are a few of them now. The State of Colorado even accredited a cannabis college! Join Americans For Safe Access, NORML, and any other local ‘grassroots’ campaign that will keep you informed and involved in this rapidly growing industry. It is definitely a budding industry! Remember that not all share your views, so the best defense is information. Almost every marijuana myth has been discredited over the last 20 years; we just need to reeducate ourselves with some actual facts.

54

55

56

57

by Mike Marino

Killer Weed on Broadway:

Fishnets and High Kicks!

Sex...Drugs...and Show Tunes?

The left over baggy of the generation of seeds and stems of Haight Ashbury’s purple hazed daze and the tie-dyed Summer of Love have long since gone up in smoke. It was a dimebag time of rolling papers, roach clips, and badda-bing, baddabong pipes. Tim Leary, the High Priest of The United Psychedelic States of America, told us it was high-time to turn on, tune in and drop out. If you had some spare time, along with your spare change, you could also Kick Out The Jams, Brothers and Sisters! Pot, protest and politics combined to create a strange violently sexy menage a’ trois, and the cast of cannabis characters is the stuff of killer weed legend.

Hemp, Hemp, Hooray!

Our story begins in a grassy bowl galaxy, far, far away in time.. to a place inhabited by the evil troll Harry Anslinger who lived under the bridge with his head up his ass, and was the trail blazing pathfinder of getting marijuana declared “illegal” and out of bounds, warning America of the deranged conditions it produced, turning clean cut collegians into hairy hungry werewolves in disguise, and defiling the virginal vaginal purity of the youth of America. Gasp!! Negros for Christ sake smoke this jazzed up shit in Harlem, and those strange brown migrants from some alien planet south of the border are bringing their filthy weed onto American soil. It wouldn’t be long before the cream of our youth would be turned into turned on voodoo zombies ready to mass murder mom and dad in the beds where they slept.

Anslinger had an idea...let’s teach the children about the evils of the green leafy substance through moving pictures, graphic photographs that move in a thin strip and fill a movie palace theater’s big screen with enough mayhem and screams.

Referred to and referenced to as Reefer Madness, a film was produced in 1936 called Teach Your Children, sort of a high school hygiene class film documentary that showed American youth engaged in wild abandon and debauchery (nothing like a little debauchery to set the hipsters apart from the oldsters).

(continued on page 60) 58

59

Of course, it was all anti-pot political bullshit, as is most information that spills out of the government cavity. It backfired however, as Anslinger’s slingshot did not dissuade “youth” from the evil weed, in fact, the film became an iconic cult classic in the altered state Sixties as the doobie darling of the midnight marijuana madness movies. Of course, one had to be stoned to truly appreciate the childlike presentation of the film. It packed the houses like a well rolled joint and laughter filled the theater thicker than all the weed that was going up in smoke.

It opened on the Left Coast at the Hudson Theater, then this off beat beast headed east for the off Broadway production that high kicked in campy fish nets in September of 2001. It was the roar of the roar of the crowd and the smell of the green leafy greasepaint on the move. The curtain went up and the crowd was wowed.

It was a “hit” so to speak, no pun intended. It has now taken its pot pedestal stance on the shelf along with other camp favorites such as Rocky Horror Picture Show, Young Frankenstein and San Francisco’s outrageous Beach Blanket Babylon. Crank up the camp!

The Wasp-like youth of American, pure and virginal in the dirty Thirties, unlike those of color, black, brown, red, are the target of the corrupt dope dealers who want to strip them of their virginity, their respect for the red, white and blue and mom and apple pie.

(The pie would be replaced with brownies from the kitchen of Alice B. Toklas in short order!) The storyline involves innocent Bill and Mary, high schoolers played by actors in their late 20s or early 30s, so much for credibility Harry! Bill and Mary for the most part don’t smoke tea, they drink it after a few rounds on the tennis courts, but then again, every clean cut person has a looming Eddie Haskell in their lives - just ask Wally and Beaver, yes, Beaver and don’t get me going in that direction! This Eddie is named Jack, and he invites the wholesome delicious looking couple up to this apartment where dopers and stoners while away the hours in oblivious abandon.

They have fiendish laughs and dance wildly to the crazed piano player who does more than tickle his ivories...he fucks them with pounding motion until they orgasm.

The stage play was not My Fair Lady, or West Side Story but a faithful, lyrical representation of the original black and white celluloid incarnation on the silver screen. Unlike the filmatic by the fanatic Anslinger, this one has a voice, or many voices, and tunes, show tunes, toke tunes, reefer references, and cannibus camp with such songs as Jimmy Takes a Hit, The Dead Old Man, Jimmy on the Lam, the Brownie Song, Little Mary Sunshine and the Finale: Reefer Madness.

Bill becomes hooked on the evil weed after one joint. If only he knew he could say “I never inhaled” and the story would have gone down a different road. Mary also tries one and after it begins to giggle as Ralph the Addict cops feel after feel of fresh flesh like a garden of Hedon at his fingertips. Bill, hearing and not believing his eyes, bursts out of the bedroom to mix it up with Ralph, and in the fray, Mary is accidentally shot...followed more shootings, courtroom drama and the inevitable sentencing to a mental institution...the film ends with a voice from on Hollywood high, godlike, says “The dread marijuana may be reaching forth next for your son...or daughter...or yours...or YOURS!!”

Everybody now..sing along!

A film version was made for Showtime on TV in 2005. Since then local theater groups have undertaken to daunting task of producing this little gem in theaters from London to Sydney to Seattle. When Showtime aired the premier of the film, someone at programming was actually paying attention and played it back to back with the original film that was the inspiration for the musical interpretation. It became available on DVD just before Christmas in 2005. Mary-wanna Emmy? No problemo, it won in 2005 for music and lyrics, and garnered Emmy nominations for choreography and make-up.

So there is our tale as it was told to us by the Wise Ones who were there. Anslinger, fortunately, is deader than a doornail, Medical Marijuana is making “headway,” and decriminalization is looming somewhere near the horizon. So no matter what they say about the green leafy matter...There’s no business like dope business..sing it loud...sing it proud!

It was a black and white propaganda extravaganza that morphed into a marijuana-meets-Ethel-Merman-show-tunefilled-lollapalooza in 1998 in the City of Angels. Satire? Reefer Madness...the musical? You bet your ass!

It’s showtime girls...get ready to high kick in those fishnets!

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.. .

60 60

61

The market for electric bicycles has been rapidly increasing over the last few years and is expected to continue growing for the next decade across the globe.

With millions of e-bikes already being sold in China and Europe, the US can look for a surge of e-bikes as consumers begin to see them as a cheap, reliable, eco-friendly and efficient means of transportation.

From socially conscious techies in San Francisco’s Silicon Valley and progressive epicenters of the Northwest business, to pleasure beach riders of Southern California’s coast, hipster desert dwellers in Phoenix and other Green-friendly cities and college towns across the country, throngs of environmentally-minded folks have already jumped on the bandwagon. Currie Technologies is eagerly eyeing this market for their IZip line of electric bikes.

The IZip Zuma is their excellent mid-level e-bike built with the purpose of capturing this wide demographic that includes young professionals, baby boomers with active lifestyles, students, the weekend bike rider on an outdoor daytrip or the daily commuter. Heavy on design and boasting a grip of useful features, the Zuma handles all the cruiser’s bike riding needs.

The frame is built in the shape of a standard retro-style beach cruiser you see a countless number of zipping around college campuses or the boardwalk at Venice Beach. However, a quick glance at the bike reveals the

62

added components, which makes it leaps and bounds beyond a normal bike riding experience. While each IZip e-bike model varies to some degree on the design and placement of the battery, on the Zuma, the battery is mounted on a rack over the rear wheel and yields enough juice for a range of 16 to 22 miles.

For riders who wish to move completely by the exertion of their own force, the bike can be used with the electric motor turned off and still provides a greater deal of enjoyment over a regular cruiser with its beefed-up aluminum frame, 7-speed gear shifter, front and rear suspension system, and alloy disc breaks. However, the true benefit of the Zuma, as with any IZip e-bike, is when the rider pushes the little red power button conveniently located within thumb’s reach on the handlebars. After a few pedals to build moment there is a sudden but subtle jolt as the 500watt motor kicks in and takes over the work of the geared hub. Hills with a decent incline are handled as if riding on flat ground. A pull of the throttle located on the handlebars quickly gets the bike zooming up to its 20 mph top speed.

Overall the Zuma is an awesome bike and a bunch of fun to ride. It’s well made from tires to wires to seat cushion, and whether going to class, commuting for work, or just trekking around on an afternoon jaunt, the Zuma provides an eco-friendly and energy efficient transportation solution.

Check out www.izipusa.com for more info!

63

64

65

66

67

exploring the origins of consciousness, pondering its mysterious beginnings some several hundred thousand years ago. Take a moment to put yourself in that unknown creature’s shoes. Imagine what it would have been like to go to sleep one evening with only your senses and instincts to guide you and wake up with the awareness of being aware. Imagine what it would have been like for all your sensorial experience—your ability to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel—to be suddenly met with a new capacity that utilized the senses, but was no longer tied to them in quite the same way. It gives me chills just thinking about it.

We can never know for certain what actually happened. Did consciousness emerge all at once like a bolt of lightning, or did it come about erratically, starting and stopping through a series of fortuitous mishaps over thousands of years? Was it primarily genetic mutations driving the process or stresses in the environment, or some fateful combination of the two? No one can say for certain. But it happened, and a key ingredient underlying all of human innovation in art, culture, science, and religion was sprung upon the world.

Let’s further our exploration of consciousness, this time focusing in on how to better access it. How do we begin to befriend the dynamic lens through which we see the world when we are looking through it all the

68 68

time? How can we get any real perspective on consciousness when we are dependent upon if for perspective in the first place? These are huge challenges but well worth the effort. Drawing from my own experience and from the experience of innumerable others, what follows are various timetested practices that can help us on our journey.

Creating intimacy with our own consciousness begins by setting intentions. Setting intentions reminds us to keep paying attention to consciousness itself, and not be entirely distracted by the objects of consciousness.

For example, you can say to yourself, “for the next hour I will pay attention to the movements of my mind.” or “This month I commit to befriending my consciousness.” Setting intentions doesn’t mean that you notice your consciousness at all times. That is impossible. But setting intentions does help consciousness move from the background, where it’s busy coordinating the whole show, to the foreground, where you can begin to see it more clearly. Think of how you might ask a shy, but extremely competent stagehand to come out and take bow. Do the same with consciousness.

Next, record your observations as a way of keeping both consciousness and your commitment to observe it present in you awareness. Since consciousness itself is the ever present, umbrella awareness governing your experience, when it changes, you do too. Recording your observations will allow you to compare and contrast your various states of consciousness when you’re in the middle of them.

Engage in fasts of various sorts, removing certain objects or activities from your routine for a pre-determined length of time. For example you can do a food and water fast for a 24-hour period, experiencing what it is like to not get your basic caloric needs met for a day. Or you can engage in a media fast, experiencing your minds craving for information and entertainment by avoiding all newspapers, magazines, television programs, movies, and internet usage. Or take a vow of silence for a day or two, and see how you react to restrictions on your own self-expression. Be realistic about what you can and cannot do, choose a length of time, and then…commit. By creating holes in your normal activity, and watching how your sensations, thoughts, and emotions change as a result, fasts allow you rare glimpse of your own umbrella awareness at work. Like an archaeologist removing the dirt and debris covering the foundations of an ancient ruin, fasts uncover what is always there but which we’re normally too distracted to notice.

Like fasting, regular meditation similarly affects the mind. Meditation is to the mind what enemas are to the bowels. Far from being a sedative, it flushes your mind of unnecessary and distracting mental chatter. When practiced on a regular basis, it provides space, clarity, and contrast from your daily life that helps you to see the working of consciousness directly.

A close companion of meditation, and often-used in conjunction with meditation and other practices are breathing exercises, which bring

awareness to our most basic, ongoing exchange with the world around us.

By either increasing the rate of our respirations or slowing them down, we alter consciousness itself. Furthermore, by simply noticing our breath we can begin to use it as a tool for expanded awareness. With the breath as a focal object, when we inhale, we can circulate both the breath and our awareness throughout our body, bringing attention to places in our body, maybe the back of our knees or the lobes of our ears, that usually go unnoticed. Breathing out, we rejoin both our breath and our awareness with the world at large.

With deep, cross cultural roots in the human experience, drumming and dancing decentralizes the heady, often overused awareness of the intellect through sound, sensation, and movement, extending your awareness throughout the body and beyond, leaving you with an expanded sense of consciousness. Drumming and dancing have been used ritualistically in all corners of the world for thousands of years, allowing one’s sense of individual identity to set sail upon the waves of sound and rhythm,

ultimately surrendering to a broader, more interconnected collective.

Older still, as early humans forged for viable food stuffs, they discovered, quite by accident, that certain psychoactive substances have the capacity to alter consciousness directly, their molecules interacting in ways that changed their perceptions of themselves and their relation to the world that surrounded them. These unique substances have not only been one of the driving forces underlying early art, religious experiences, and human innovation, some speculate they have played, and continue to play, a vital role in the emergence and reshaping of consciousness itself. But they are not to be taken lightly. In contrast to all the other practices I’ve mentioned thus far, these substances should only be used with great humility and even greater restraint. When used sparingly, they make valuable signposts along the road to wisdom. When used in excess, they can destroy the road altogether.

Finally, as intensely social creatures, it’s important that we invite others to support, reflect, and help us in our explorations of consciousness. One way of doing this through a process called circling. The idea of circling is simple: you gathering a group of people around you, tell them what you’re up to, and ask for honest feedback. The feedback of the other participants is not to come from their heads in the form of judgment or criticism, but from their hearts and bodies, making present time observations such as, “when you said you were tired, what I felt was resentment” or “when you said you wanted to relax, I sensed you wanted to escape.” All of us have shadows and blind spots, areas that are part of our consciousness, yet difficult for us to see, sometimes because they’re painful or because they don’t match the values of the prevailing culture. The reflections we receive through circling, however, along with the insights gained from the other

practices I’ve already mentioned, are a powerful way of gaining access to those hidden areas of our own consciousness. Circling also has the added benefit of building healthy relationships based on honest reflection.

Despite its challenges, it is my heartfelt opinion that becoming a connoisseur of consciousness is probably the most useful thing you can do with your time. Here are just some of the benefits: Since consciousness processes all your experiences, the knowledge and clarity you gain by befriending it, and the limiting habits and prejudices you often overcome, affects all aspects of your life. Like wiping clean a blackboard before beginning use the chalk, becoming a connoisseur of consciousness allows your sensorial experiences to be more vivid, your thinking clearer, and your heart more open.

Next, your consciousness ceases to behave like some disembodied puppeteer ruling you from a distance and begins to walk beside you like a dear friend. In other words, your consciousness becomes accessible, and something you can begin to engage directly.

Finally, the combination of 1) paying attention to what you’re doing while you’re doing it, along with 2) maintaining connection to consciousness itself, leads to bliss; and not just any bliss, not the bliss off flopping down on a comfortable couch at the end of a long day, but an enlivening bliss, an energized ecstatic bliss that allows you to engage the world with ever increasing levels of clarity, empathy, and vitality. Joining what you are doing with your awareness of doing it, simple as though it may sound, is as challenging as it is rare, yet celebrated across all disciplines. In sports it’s known as “the zone.” In art, it’s the mindset (and bodyset) that produces masterpieces. In science, it’s the experience of insight that leads to more exacting explanations of the natural world. In religion, it’s the quintessence of the mystical experience that reveals all things as sacred.

In short, consciousness is not only our single most defining quality as human beings; it makes possible our very humanity.

With all this in mind, let’s return once again to the mysterious dawn of consciousness, not as something that happened long ago but as something fresh, something that is happening right now. In this moment, as the future becomes the present and the present become the past, the dawn of consciousness is underway. In every moment, like the morning’s breathtaking changes of light and color painted across the eastern sky, consciousness keeps dawning again and again, refreshing our sensations, layering new emotions, illuminating new perspectives, unveiling new insights, and giving us new opportunities to appreciate and to love. In an immense universe that is mostly black empty space, on a planet that is neither boiling hot nor frozen solid, the coming together of our agile bodies with our self-aware consciousness is incredibly rare and unfathomably precious.

All of which begs the question, what are you going to do to get to know yours better?

Austin Hill Shaw is a writer, architectural designer, and mapmaker of creativity across art, science, and religion. He specializes in helping others tap into and utilize the creative life force in everything they do. He can be reached at austin@austinhillshaw.com

69

by

LADY KILLER

White Widow is one killer strain! Introduced in 1995,

this potent hybrid originated and can still be found in every coffee house in Amsterdam. It has won many Cannabis Cups and still maintains its status at the top of the list for both seeds and strains due to its premium pricing. Known for its smell, flavor and great high, it acquires its name from the white trichomes that essentially cover the bud, creating a white frosted look, hence “White” Widow.

Mostly grown indoors, White Widow was developed by crossing an Indian indica strain with a Brazilian sativa strain, giving it a 60% sativa 40% indica ratio. The cone shaped nugs I picked up are compact, light green with bright orange hairs and have a thick coating of amber resin (this coating of resin is what makes this strain legendary) with a fragrant pinecone aroma.

A few friends came over to hang out and watch the game, so I packed a bowl in my bubbler and the taste when smoked, was very smooth with a slightly citrus and fruity flavor and a dank flower/resin aftertaste. The smoke was so flavorful, it didn’t make any of us cough. I immediately began to feel a warm mellow high both in my body and head, and had a slight trippy sensation.

I would definitely rate this as a strong high with an energetic and social quality, which definitely would be attributed to the cross of the sativa and indica in the strain. While I was definitely relaxed, the effect forgoes the usual lethargic ‘couch-lock’ associated with an indica in favor of the more aware and motivated feel. I must say, it was good to be around friends...we all got the forehead fuzzy feeling, slight euphoria and had incredible munchies.

I figured I didn’t want to pigeonhole my opinion based on one experience in one situation, so the next day I took a few hits and decided to head into the hills for a hike. I definitely had energy and was clear minded, even though I had a great buzz for the entirety of the almost 2 hour hike. I would rate this as a long lasting high, with strong mood elevating and creative properties.

White Widow is one of the more potent strains available and a few hits will give you a long lasting, amazing high. While it might be a top shelf top price strain, the White Widow has a heck of a potent bite, so you definitely get what you pay for.

70 70

71

by VALERIE FERNANDEZ

There are few things better than unplugging from the rat race for a day or two. No cell phones or computers or traffic lights or speed traps, just beautiful Mother Nature. Getting away, if even for just a weekend, can be beneficial to one’s general health and psyche. Spending that time with family and friends, surrounded by the beautiful Californian elements is even better. If the outdoors and physical activities are part of your normal path, than we have a fun and affordable suggestion for you. If they’re not part of your normal regimen, well, we have the same fun an affordable suggestion: whitewater rafting down the American River.

For those of you who aren’t extreme athletes, let us talk you off the ledge. These well developed tours down the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains offer guided whitewater rafting trips, with levels from complete novice to expert, and allow ages from six to over eighty-six to participate. With three different rivers: South Fork, Middle Fork, and North Fork, ranging in pace, there is a comfortable flow for everyone.

Whether it’s your first time in a raft, or you’re a seasoned veteran who knows every twist, turn, and splash of the whitewater - these one or two day trips will get your heart pumping, and cause your inner outdoorsman to scream at the top of his or her lungs. Once the raft starts moving, the water gets flowing, and the boat starts rockin, there’s truly no other feeling like it. It is exciting, invigorating, empowering, and mostly - fun!

Getting out and trying something new, especially something physically challenging like whitewater rafting, can be uniquely rewarding. Unlike some other extreme activities that will have you 72

plummeting to the earth from a bouncy cord or dropping from a plane or running off a cliff with a large flying apparatus attached to your back, whitewater rafting is far less life-threatening, and has multiple safety precautions to insure this. Between the top level safety equipment, the brand new gear, and the thirty plus years of guiding experience, you just can’t get off course on the American River. It takes experts to guide you, but let me assure you…you can do this!!!!

With competent tour guides, and over thirty years of tour experience, the trips run smoothly all season. With tent camping, as well as cabins available onsite, the trip is not limited to the water.

Enjoying the mountains can be a twenty-four hour experience.

There are hikes to take, land sports to take part in, and, for when you inevitably find yourself jonesing for the water, swimming pools to splash around in. There are also gourmet chefs working all day to keep you charged up with delicious food and energy for the day, allowing you to focus on the fun.

1-2 day trips through American Whitewater Expeditions can run between $75-259, depending on length of stay and age groups. For more information, check out their website at AmericanWhitewater. com or call 800-825-3205.

WhitewaterExcitement.com is another reputable outfit that offers the same tours on the American River as well as the Merced River. Their website has great footage of actual rafting trips, so go get a real viewpoint on the whole experience. This firsthand look may just cause you to call them for a booking at 800-750-2386.

See ya on the river!!!!

73

John Muir

The Bad Ass of the High Sierra

by Mike Marino

Hollywood’s history of cinematic badasses, on and off screen include Bad Boy Hall-of-Famers Erroll “In Like Flynn” Flynn; Bogie, from his onscreen persona as Sam Spade to his real life role as founding father of the Rat Pack in Hollywood; big bad Bob Mitchum who would just as soon lay you out with a punch as he would give a stunning performance - and make it seem one in the same. Then there’s the wild one himself, Marlon Brando - the self-made man of machismo and bravado who flipped off Hollywood, adding to his legend in the process.

However, Hollywood isn’t the only place where bad boys reign supreme. The world of conservation has bad boys who bear scrutiny such as Teddy Roosevelt, the roughest riding Bullmoose of them all, brandishing his big stick.

One name, not thought of in this context, is the biggest badass of them all - John Muir. He let his voice be heard, loud and strong, plaid and proud, and don’t you dare get his Scot dander up. He is known today as the “Father of the National Park Service” and co-founder of the Sierra Club, but he’s also the one who leveraged his infectious love of nature to influence Teddy of the Big Stick to protect what today is Yosemite Valley and the Grand Canyon, among others.

Muir was born a bonnie Scot in 1838, immigrating to the United States with family at age 11, to the land we know as the realm of cheeseheads and the Packers...Wisconsin. Farming was the way for immigrants to strike it rich and to provide a living for their families. Young Muir spent those formative farming years bending Mother Nature’s forests and natural ways into unnatural transformations that would deplete the soils, as forests and prairies morphed into nutrient sucking farmland. In fact, all this negative agri-practice was responsible for his curiosity regarding the mechanics of the natural world, and its population of all living things. He was also a

74

photography by wasim muklashy

youthful inveterate inventor developing highly sensitive thermometers and, most curiously, an alarm clock that when it set itself off would tip his bed and dump him on the floor - in typical understated Muir fashion, he referred to it as the “early rising machine.”

The internal mechanical esoteric erotica created by the creation of these machines, and a father that resembled a massive midwestern storm cloud, made Muir take flight to the university at Madison, Wisconsin. He was admitted to the boola boola ivy halls of academia, having spent only a few months in school after the age of 11.

His studies were heavy on Natural Science, but he headed north during the Civil War in 1863, making Muir one of the first “draft dodgers” as he made his way to maple leaf infested Canada.

At war’s end, Muir returned, but in 1867, an accident changed his life. He was adjusting some machinery with a file when his hand slipped and a point of the file pierced one eye, blinding it. The other went dark in sympathy. He was not amused.

As his sight returned, John decided to spend his life drowning in the sights of the forests, fields, lakes and mountains, and the glory of unspoiled nature. His first wild trek was a thousand mile walk from Louisville, Kentucky to Savannah, Georgia, and eventually ending up in San Francisco in 1868. He asked about the nearest way out of town ‘to any place that is wild.”

John ended up in Yosemite, working as a shepherd and running a sawmill near Yosemite Falls. In 1880, Cupid struck and Muir married and moved to Martinez, California, 35 miles from San Francisco where Muir’s wife’s family lived. Here he applied his love of plants by raising Bartlett pears and Tokay grapes. He became fairly wealthy, but missed the “wild life” of the wilderness. Each trip to the mountains presented him with proof that, unless something were done, the wilderness he had found earlier would be only a memory for future generations. It was this

attitude that inspired President Teddy Roosevelt’s conservation programs, including establishing the first National Monuments and Yosemite National Park. In 1892, John Muir and others formed the Sierra Club with Muir as the Club’s first president, an office he held until his pnueumonia-induced death in 1914.

John Muir’s burial site is in a quiet, tree-shaded spot near the banks of Alhambra Creek. In the spring, the sounds of the flowing water fill the air. This historic gravesite lies approximately one mile south of the Muir homestead, and is privately owned. John Muir was buried here beside his wife, on Sunday, December 27, 1914. The Muir Site preserves the Victorian residence and a part of the fruit ranch where visitors can tour the home, and stroll the orchards. The recentlyadded Mount Wanda area, where Muir used to take frequent walks with his daughters, includes the John Muir Nature Trail and features wild flowers, bird life, and scenic vistas of the Carquinez straits.

As a side note when I was living in San Francisco, two of my favorite hideaways that I would frequent on occasion to get away from the city, were the Muir Home and Marin County’s fantastic madefor-Birkenstocks-and-hiking-sticks Muir Woods. In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt established Muir Woods National Monument.

William and Elizabeth Kent had donated the woods to save the trees, and asked that it be named after John Muir. Upon learning of its dedication, Mr. Muir declared, “This is the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world.”

Muir Woods is located 11 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, and the National Monument contains 6 miles of trails, all of which afford views of thousands of old-growth coast redwoods, the tallest living things in the world. If you look carefully you can escape the crowds at the wood by hiking up Boot Jack Trail…it winds up the hill, with a small creek running along side of it and when you emerge at the top of the trail you end up on the road to Mt. Tamalpais and, to borrow from John Muir: “The Glorious Wonders of Nature laid out below you, including the city of San Francisco!”

75

76

77

Ed Rosenthal talks…

Excerpted from Marijuana Grower’s Handbook © Ed Rosenthal

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a gas which comprises about 0.038% or 380 parts per million (PPM) of the earth’s atmosphere.

CO2 is one of the two raw materials required for plant photosynthesis.

(Water is the other.)

Cannabis uses CO2 only in the presence of light Photosynthesis occurs immediately after the plant receives light.

The plant starts mining CO2 from the air by opening its stomata, tiny organs found on the leaf surface, primarily on the underside.

They function much like pores in the skin. They regulate the absorption of water and the gasses O2 and CO2 into the plant, as well as the output of water and O2 from the plant.

Once CO2 is absorbed into the plant, it is directed to the chloroplasts—the plant organelles that contain light-absorbing chlorophylls—where photosynthesis takes place.

Photosynthesis consists of a complex series of reactions in which light energy is used to convert carbon dioxide and water to sugar, releasing oxygen as a byproduct.

The amount of CO2 in the air has a profound effect on the rate of photosynthesis and plant growth. Photosynthesis speeds up as the amount of CO2 in the air increases, as long as there is enough light to power it. Conversely, as the CO2 content of the air falls, photosynthesis slows to a crawl and virtually stops at a CO2 concentration of around 200 PPM, no matter what the other conditions. Lacking CO2, plants continue respiration and growth for a short time, until their sugars are used up; then they slow down their metabolism to conserve energy. Only when more CO2 is available can the plant processes continue.

Outdoors, breezes and the exchange of gasses in the air constantly replace the CO2 that plants consume. This provides enough CO2 for vigorous growth, and outdoor growers rarely think of the gas as a limiting factor, even though growth of some plants, including cannabis, is not maximized in the Earth’s present atmosphere. In fact, the 380 PPM of CO2 found in earth’s atmosphere is on the low end of the continuum of most plants’ ability to use it as fuel for photosynthesis.

Outdoor plants growing in the bright light of summer grow heavier and faster when supplemented with CO2. Raising the level of CO2 up to 0.15% (1500 PPM), or a little more than four times the amount usually found in the atmosphere, increases plant growth rate significantly. Enhancing growth outdoors using increased CO2 is discussed in the

78

(continued on page 80)

79

supplementation section.

When plants are growing in an enclosed area, there is a limited amount of CO2 for them to use. Under bright lights, CO2 is used up quickly. Enclosed gardens with no ventilation are also rapidly depleted to the point where the photosynthesis rate slows to a virtual stop (200 PPM). Only when more CO2 is added to the mix will photosynthesis resume.

A closed closet or other small gardening space can be recharged with CO2 simply by opening the door or curtain to let in fresh air. This increases the CO2 content of the closet passively, as air naturally equalizes the concentrations of oxygen (O2) and CO2 inside and outside the growing space, exchanging the higher O2 levels with CO2. Adding a small fan expedites the air exchange.

The rate of photosynthesis has the greatest increase as the CO2 level climbs from 0-200. Under low-light conditions (150mols or 1150f) (12,330 LUX), the rate of photosynthesis increases as CO2 rises to 400 PPM. Increasing the CO2 concentration beyond that without increasing light intensity does not result in a higher rate of photosynthesis. The plant cannot take advantage of higher CO2 levels until the light intensity increases.

COMMON MYTHS ABOUT CO2 DEBUNKED • CO2 enrichment is like chocolate cake for your

plants—do not give it to them all the time.

• Your plant can overdose on CO2 • All you need is good ventilation—extra CO2 will not help.

• Plants need fresh air, keeping them in a closed system

is imprisonment.

• The only time plants need CO2 is when other conditions

aren't right.

• Plants grow immune to CO2

ALL FALSE!

CO2 is not dangerous. It is a non-flammable gas.

It is non-toxic at the low levels growers employ.

CO2 can pose health risks in extreme concentrations (above 50,000 PPM), but this level is more than 30 times the maximum plants find useful.

80

At a light intensity of 600 mol (4600fc)(49,310 LUX), the photosynthesis rate increases more as CO2 concentrations are increased to 400 PPM. The rate of increase declines a bit after that, but the photosynthesis rate continues to increase as CO2 levels reach 600PPM. Above 600 PPM of CO2, the photosynthesis rate continues to climb but at an even slower rate, until the rate increase levels off at about 1200 PPM. By increasing the light intensity, you encourage your plants to absorb even more CO2 increasing growth and yield. When the plants receive between 4500-5500fc (58,960 LUX) of light, they can utilize between 1200-1300 PPM of CO2. While very few gardens are supplied with more than 7500fc (80,400 LUX) of light, at that intensity the plants can use up to 1500 PPM of CO2, the enrichment rate recommended by some manufacturers.

You can supply CO2 to your plants easily and cheaply. The most convenient way to do this is by using a meter, regulator, and tank kit. There are other ways, too. Instead of using a tank, you can use a meter that regulates a CO2 generator that burns propane or natural gas. You can also use metabolic and chemical processes to produce CO2, or obtain dry ice, which sheds CO2 as it evaporates.

PHOTOSYNTHESIS BRIEFLY Chlorophyll pigments absorb light and convert it to electro-chemical energy. This energy is used to cleave water and combine the H with CO2 to form suger and release oxygen.

6(H2O) + 6(CO2) + LIGHT=> 6C12H6O + 6O

1 pound of CO2 = 8.7 cubic feet You can calculate how much CO2 is needed to bring a growing area to 1000 ppm by multiplying the cubic area of the growing room (length x width x height) by .001. The total represents the number of square feet of gas required to reach optimum CO2 range. For instance, a room 13’ x 18’ x 12’ contains 2808 cubic feet: 2808 x .001 equals 2.8 cubic feet of CO2 required. (A room 3 x 4 x 3 meters contains 36 cubic meters and would require .36 cubic meters of CO2. )

81

: s e i m m u D r Sex fo

t how u b , s ll a b e v a he boys h t t a h t w o n k lady?� e u r t a “We all g in k you’re pic e r u s e b u o y can

by Ben Holmes for Centennial Seeds

Female

Most flowering and fruiting plants are monoecious, meaning that both male and female flowers occur on the same plant.

Cannabis Sativa is different in that there may exist plants with only male flowers or plants with only female flowers (diecious plants).

Alternatively, there may exist plants with both male and female flowers (monoecious). Monoecious plants are commonly referred to as hermaphrodites.

It is important to understand the differences in male and female cannabis plants. Male plants are best used for producing fiber or pollen to make seed. There is very little cannabinoid content in male plants. Males in the garden will pollinate the female plants, and produce seeds. This will in turn lower the yield of smokable product and reduce the value of the crop.

Female plants, however, are rich in cannabinoids which are expressed in tiny glandular trichomes on the surfaces of the female flowers and associated leaves. It is these cannabinoids that deliver the desired effects of cannabis to the user.

For these reasons it is desirable to produce an all female garden of cannabis plants. The importance of identifying male plants so they can be removed is critical to this goal. Learning to visually recognize both male and female plants in the early stages of development is an essential basic skill for the cannabis gardener.

Sexing Cannabis Plants Using Preflowers Most cannabis plants if grown under 18 hours of light will express sex in the form of premordia (preflowers) along the main stem at the nodes.

These preflowers begin to develop at about the 5th or 6th node, usually by the 4th or 5th week of growth. A node holds a bud that turns into another stem, leaf, or flower(see photo). Nodes are counted starting from the bottom-up.

Identifying Female Cannabis Plants Female plants can be identified by flowers that appear as two fuzzy white hairs of roughly equal length protruding from tiny, green, figshaped organs called calyxes.

Identifying Male Cannabis Plants Male plants can be identified by the appearance of small, round ballshaped clusters that develop at the nodes. The first appearance of male flowers should not alarm you. There is typically a 2-3 week interval between the first sign of male flowers and the first release of pollen.

This gives you plenty of time to allow the earliest flowers to develop so that a more certain identification can be made.

Male

82

Centennial Seeds is 100% locally owned and operated cannabis seed company. Our goal is to make high-quality, viable seed stock for the registered medical gardener. You can find more useful information on cultivating cannabis on our blog. Get growing, Colorado! centennialseeds.com

83

NCIAkushad3_v.4 3/18/11 4:30 PM Page 1

Cannabis industry leaders from across the country have recently come together to form the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), the first cannabis trade association in the U.S. NCIA is already working in Congress to address problems facing the cannabis businesses community – from banking to reforming unfair tax laws to eliminating unreasonable Drug Paraphernalia statutes.

NCIA is the only organization representing the cannabis industry on the national stage and we need your help.

For as little as $100 a month or $1,000 a year, your business can be part of the growing list of industry leaders that make up the National Cannabis Industry Association. Membership also includes member discounts, access to exclusive industry events, and a listing in our industry directory. Contact us to join or receive more information today.

National Cannabis Industry Association Phone: (202) 379-4861 E-mail: info@TheCannabisIndustry.org P.O. Box 78062 Washington, DC 20013

84

NCIA Board of Directors: Tristan Blackett

Wanda James

420 Science, HI

Simply Pure Medicinal Edibles, CO

Cheryl Brown

Dale Sky Jones

MMBA, CO

Oaksterdam University, CA

Brian Cook

Rob Kampia

Altitude Organics Corporation, CO

Marijuana Policy Project, DC

Troy Dayton

Ken Kulow

The ArcView Group, CA

Chameleon Glass, AZ

Steve DeAngelo

Jill Lamoureux

Harborside Health Center, CA

Colorado Dispensary Services, CO

Becky DeKeuster

Michael McAuliffe

Northeast Patients Group, ME

Sensible Nevada, NV

Adam Eidinger

Erich Pearson

Capitol Hemp, DC

SPARC, CA

Etienne Fontan

Bob Selan

Berkeley Patients Group, CA

Kush Magazine, CA

Jim Gingery

Brian Vicente

Montana Medical Growers Assoc., MT

Sensible Colorado, CO

Len Goodman

Bob Winnicki

New MexiCann Natural Medicine, NM

Full Spectrum Labs

Justin Hartfield

Joe Yuhas

Weedmaps.com, CA

Arizona Medical Marijuana Assoc., AZ

85

Double-dazed and purple-hazed, he had journeyed from the cheap wine and endless row of topless bars that formed a phallic phalanx along the fog drenched streets of San Francisco’s wet dream North Beach...caressed the Golden State’s left coast as though fondling an asphalt breast...whoopin’ and hollerin’ and campin’ and campin’ it up and down on the Pacific shores at Big Sur with love. Then, Death Valley with its shimmer, dunes and mountain hues, purple and copper in color, and then crossed the border into Old Mexico looking for a new life among old Mexicans and even older Indians who held the secrets of peyote.

He was already high when he walked into the dusty hot sun baked village, himself as dusty and tired as the old siesta men already asleep against adobe buildings. Holographic mandalas appeared as the mescaline hit he had taken just an hour before began to take effect, causing them to swirl in the air to the strains of a marching band, bold as brass. He marvelled too at the hallucinatory batons that were silver, tossed high, higher than he had ever seen, high into the bosom of the sky by young zen cheerleaders in revealing skirts of catholic plaid. Haiku visions followed him down the streets and into the cantina, visions of poets and hemp happy hipsters spinning out of orbit with a post-beat cadence, swimming and sailing as great Ahab whaling ships in search of a great white whale in a kaleidoscopic sea of murals filled with mermaids. Beastly large frescoes, obscenely obese as magneto generators deep inside the industrial vagina of old Henry the Ford’s not enough eyeliner, yet, too much Rouge Plant, downriver, back home, years back, eons ago, in Detroit. Now he was well beyond home, and far past the exhaust of a creative blaze orange blue-collar sunset.

The mescaline massaged him with gentle fingers of hallucination as the dust swirled at his feet as he entered the cantina and ordered a drink. Soon he could see only the dilated vacant alley eye socket stares of the institutional disabled and he could now eavesdrop on those

86 86

silent screaming voices in the victim’s head. Victims imprisoned in wheelchairs, straightjackets and hopped up on narco midnight pills while interjecting injections of sweet dreamy morphine. Drug induced circumnavigating their own private Polar Ice Caps, past giant icebergs, round and round the Cape we go, circular explorations they were, easy to negotiate, except for those 90 degree corners of fleeting reality that appeared only as more hallucinations obscuring what they really were. Those recesses, the corners, the 90 degree forks in the road, were illuminated in deep shadow by electric currents, pulsating and twitching in orgasmic release as the tequila he was now drinking in the cantina, had wormed it’s way home to the grand nerve central station, exposing the masks of drunkards with tankards, comedians and dexadrinians. The broken mirror in the men’s room fired back olfactory warning shots over the head and as he ducked he could see the pile of neon lipstick tubes lying in the bottom of an empty William Holden swimming pool, empty except for Holden floating on top with a bullet in his back, on the fading estate of old Sunset Boulevard. The drugs finally shielded him from the visions of bright lights emanating from a very secretive Left Bank French underground, thick with homosexual transsexual mascara that penetrated deep into the bowels of the cabaret underworld of a bereft Berlin. A socialista workers paradise appeared in it’s glitzy place, forewarning of a possible fornication as he sat down on the floor of the bar to watch Tom Joad and the False Maria getting it on, electing eventually to erect monstrous and preposterous monuments to Karl Marx, Frederich Engles and Papa Ooo Mao Mao! The subliminal droning of the Industrial assembly lines hummed a tune that was a delightful color, and as colorfully imposing as Diego Rivera’s blue-collar steel-grey Soviet Stalin hues. I looked around, my head spinning around and then...I stumbled, I tumbled and swore as I fell, face down, ass up onto the cantina’s jukebox floor – passed out and

pissed off in Ciudad de Juarez in 1966. Dreaming drunk, vivid and vibrant, I walked the dog of Chihuahua through the desert of the same name.

The desert, now deserted except for techno-color fragrance of nighttime, dreamtime nightshade and bella donna blooms. I could have been snorin’ in Sonora with a senora or senorita or two, dos, passos, pesos, but instead travelled in suspended cartoonic and catatonic animation through fully phallic fields of the cactian cosmos astride a fully loaded, fuel injected heavy metal steely dan saguaro…locked and loaded.

I found buttons in the surrounding hillsides, and ate one only to feed a hunger and to quench and squash a thirst. Soon I was assailed by the sounds of laughter and unfamiliar dialects, not chinee but mex me thinks, with the dust swirling like little dustbowl tornados created by little brown feet belonging to the little brown kids of the little brown mestizo village who danced delirious in the dormant dirt of the dusty catholic plaza…

Saint San Shit or something or other.

A lone tree, stood, still, silent, leafless, but flashed on and off with liquid-light, bright with Robert Johnson hues of blues and the hot reds of deep south negroid rhythms, bumps and grinds, bullfrogs, gators, bayou crickets, and big invisible swampy snakes with blank faces.

The mescaline band, mucho mariachis in hand, performed a flaming tight pants’d flamenco with a flamingo of dubious gender on the table, tanked up on too much tequila. Then the trumpets, blaring out festive fiesta fandagos with a serape serenade for sweet scheherazades, with wave after wave of music, like lyrical tsunamis crashing to shore, deep inland and further yet to reach the lagoons and Indonesian caves. In my dream, or someone’s dream, can’t remember now, I stood alone, with all the others, fixed in place fixated on all the empty eye sockets of the other prisoners of Zen, in the Jesuit jail, white stucco’d, caucasion calked and adobe’d, surrounded again like Saturn confined to rings of debris, by anxious urchins, begging, imploring to fill the piñata with more peyote and tequila dreams.

I lowered the mache of paper to the dusty ground below, filled it, packed it like a pirates cannon full of shrapnel words, not in any particular or peculiar order of sentence or structure of any kind. Then it was raised by the numerous Pablitos by its frayed rope high above the blindfolded assemblage who couldn’t wait to swing a stick at it like Mussilini hanging upside down in the square like a slab of fascist meat.

Sticks swang and swung and swinged, wildly, no hits, no runs, no errors until ol’ Number Seven connected with a direct hit. As the ball flew out of the stadium, words, so many of them, fell from the punctured piñata complete with punctuation, like so many pieces of pretty candy flying out without wings in every direction. It was an explosive array of metaphors, verbs, nouns, some were renowned nouns while others merely unknown nouns. The cascade of the english language fell not to the ground but found sanctuary on the linen pages of a book waiting for them in illiterate alleys, for their very arrival, survival and grammatical revival. The children, the smart ones, not the adults, gathered up the little candy like words together, and together they spent the morning forming sentences and paragraphs until the no-sense finally made sense, mainly socialista mumbo jumbo about a lady named Frida, Che Guevara and the flats of tortilla.

Soon the words became sentences, the sentences paragraphs, and soon it was a book, a tome, that I read a little of. Soon in my dream my eyes became heavy with drink and mescaline and I had to rest. I laid the invisible book on the invisible table next me and was glad to sleep. The alcohol and peyote were wearing off as the plaza and the piñata began to fade from view and my reach. Voices disappeared too, decibel by decibel until there was only a loud silence. I had some tea in a cup and it smiled back at me, a weird Cheshire cat got your tongue grin, and then I doubled over and threw up…

Next day…the sun rose in the east as I suppose it feels it has to, that is what we hired it for after all. It warmed my face as I sat up, refreshed in spirit with a hollow stomach. Sitting in the corner, quiet as a saint was the mysterious Doc Yucatan, a haiku hobo of recent acquaintance from Denver. “Damn Doc, I had the weirdest dream last night, or I think it was my dream and not someone else’s. It was one long string of dream beads or shells strung together.”

Doc motioned for me to get up as it was time to head out, so we both got up to leave old Mexico after I had splashed rancid brown water on my face and grabbed by backpack by the bedstead. Doc and I walked through the sleepy village and down the sleepy road where even the dogs were to goddamn lazy to bark at us, we lit a joint and walked out into the desert… the Haiku Hobo and the Dharmabum in search of the Peyote Coyote in the kingdom of cactus…

8787

In the ever-growing arena of cannabis beverages,

2 new drinks have emerged that are providing a great experience in a small, handy bottle - TIVA™ Energy Shot and INDI™ Insomnia Shot. Both drinks were developed and are produced by Sensi Herbal Care. Sensi has been exploring cannabis’ effect when combined with other natural ingredients for specific desired effects in addition to the pain reduction, muscle relaxation, and the general calming of the green herb. The research led them to develop “designer” drinks to deliver targeted relief and results. TIVA, short for Sativa, a marijuana strain that contains an upbeat effect, and INDI, short for Indica, a strain that provides a lazy effect, are extracted in a proprietary process to provide a potent liquid that works. Both TIVA and INDI come in 2 flavors - strawberry and tangerine. Each 2oz bottle contains 120mg of cannabis, and is convenient for travel in a purse or pocket.

TIVA™ for Day – Energize your creative juices For daytime use, a 2oz TIVA Energy Shot packs a lasting effect over 5+ hours. Who doesn’t want to be productive and enjoy what they’re doing - whether it be simple things around the house, hobbies to enjoy, or even big projects? Being able to ‘gitter-done’ and enjoy doing it is one of life’s pleasures - except when we have no energy. At times our energy level is low or we’re dealing with physical ailments that make being active and productive difficult.

TIVA to the rescue!

TIVA contains 100mg of natural caffeine, equivalent to a strong cup of coffee to get you up, moving, and alert. It also contains 120mg of top grade cannabis to reduce pain and relax muscles while opening your creative mind. The physical effects of TIVA are energizing and pleasant.

The feeling is focused, intense, and upbeat. You’ll find the high to be manageable, so you can be productive and enjoy what you’re doing, and you’ll feel the pain relief too. Be creative with an art project, do research on the internet, write a report, cook a gourmet meal, visit a museum, go shopping - pretty much anything you’ll be doing will be pleasantly enhanced.

Note: Different people have different tolerances, so its best to test and learn which amount is right for you. TIVA and INDI are very potent and it’s recommended to use only a half bottle for your first use. TIVA and INDO are best absorbed on an empty stomach, so take 1 hour before or after a meal for best results. Because TIVA contains caffeine and cannabis, both known to increase heart rate, do not consume more than 2 bottles of TIVA per day and be careful with any additional caffeine intake. Because INDI contains melatonin and cannabis, which are known to induce a relaxed state, you should not consume more than 2 bottles of INDI per night and do not take with any additional sleep aid.

88 88

INDI™ for Night - Sleep like a baby and wake up refreshed.

For nighttime use, a 2oz INDI Insomnia Shot provides a lasting restful effect so you can sleep. There are many reasons why our sleep suffers - maybe your internal clock is off due to travel and changing time zones, or you work erratic hours, or you have physical ailments or injuries, or you’re just getting older and find it hard to sleep (which is very common).

INDI contains 4mg of natural melatonin, the suggested dose for most adults. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone produced by the pineal gland, which is located in the center of your brain. At night, or in the dark, the pineal gland releases Melatonin to help regulate your body’s sleep cycle. Studies show that taking Melatonin 30 minutes before bed is an effective sleep aid. Add to that the relaxing effects of 120mg of top grade cannabis and you’ve got an amazing sleep miracle.

The physical effects of INDI are restful, uninterrupted sleep.

Within 30-45 minutes of taking INDI you’ll feel your eyelids getting droopy and your body heavy. It will put you into a deep sleep and you may encounter vivid dreams. You’ll wake up refreshed and ready to start the day. A good night’s sleep will boost your daytime alertness and may even help prevent you from feeling sleepy again until bedtime.

What’s the Word on the Street?

“TIVA gave me just the right boost. I feel relaxed and pain-free for several hours and able to focus on a project at the same time. I enjoy the feeling too. It works!”

“I suffer from insomnia and have tried everything and have to deal with weird side effects. INDI has made me feel normal again! I’ve been able to get a full night sleep which I haven’t had in years.”

How to Get Some Sensi completed a thorough market testing of their designer cannabis drinks over the past year with their own members and received excellent feedback and rave reviews. California dispensaries can order TIVA and INDI through Sensi’s sales reps and be able to offer the drinks to their own members.

Call (408) 483-7131 or visit www.sensiherbalcare.com

89 89

Growers Grove

Part 1:

A Biomimicry Approach to Hydroponics When it comes to watering plants, there’s really nothing like the rain. Water gently saturates the soil evenly over the entire surface area and nutrients that have collected on top of the soil are slowly dissolved into the soil for uptake by the plants. Modern hydroponic methods of crop irrigation have tried to take their cues from nature, but in many cases have fallen short of the real deal. Two of the most common forms of hydroponic irrigation are “drip” systems and “flood and drain” systems. Each of these systems has it’s pros and cons, but the way to harmonize the benefits of both systems while eliminating the disadvantages may lie in a more careful examination of nature through a process called biomimicry. From Wikipedia.org:

“ Biomimicry or biomimetrics is the examination of nature, its models, systems, processes, and elements to emulate or take inspiration from in order to solve human problems. The term biomimicry and biomimetrics come from the Greek words bios, meaning life, and mimensis, meaning to imitate.”

90

(continued on page 92)

91

In addition to having grown Cannabis for many years, I’m an avid gardener and horticulturalist of “regular” plants, especially citrus, gardenias, orchids, peppers and roses. While installing an irrigation manifold on a rose garden a few years ago, I started thinking about the way that certain irrigation sprayers imitated the action of rain. As the idea evolved, I imagined a new style of hydroponics that would imitate the rain, while still incorporating recirculating hydroponic principles.

Traditional drip systems typically use ¼ inch tubing to irrigate plant sites. These “spaghetti” tubes are run to the base of each plant site. Smart gardeners use two lines for each plant site, as drip systems are prone to clogging failures. But even when two drippers per plant are used, there is still the problem that the water from these tubes only waters a small portion of the medium. This can create a situation where the roots in the pots will gather in the area where the drippers water, but not elsewhere in the medium. Flood-andDrain tables (also called Ebb and Flood) water plants from the bottom by intermittently flooding a tray with nutrient solution and letting the plants soak up the solution before the water level recedes back into the reservoir. When using rockwool, this is very easy, as rockwool will “wick” up any moisture that touches it.

However, when flood-and-drain irrigation techniques are applied to soils and soilless mixes, the medium often times will not absorb moisture above the water line of the flooding level and roots will only grow in the area that gets saturated with water. In flood-anddrain situations, plants need occasional rinsing from the top down to avoid an accumulation of nutrients at the water line.

In order to blend the best of both systems while avoiding their downsides, I developed what I call the “Rain Table”. This system is based on replicating a natural rain effect over the root zone of the plants in order to water the plants evenly from the top down without relying on individualized emitters for each plant site. The design of this table is quite simple. Using acrylic glue (called acrylic welder), a short wall of plastic is glued around the edges of the tray as a backboard for spraying water. Then, a simple irrigation manifold of ½ inch soft pipe and compression fittings is made around the inside edge of the tray. Into this soft pipe, I’ve placed an overlapping series of “micro spray” emitters. These micro sprayers

92

are the core of the system – they make small rain sized drops in various flat spray patterns. In this case, they are all 180-degree sprayers spraying laterally across the tops of the root zone. While some micro sprayer emitters will spray with an upward arc to the spray pattern, these Rain Bird emitters spray an almost perfectly flat spray. This allows the grower to create a layer of rain just inches above the tops of the pots.

Each sprayer has an adjustable flow valve, which makes evening out the pressure a snap, even if you build an odd shaped manifold. If a sprayer ever does clog, simply opening up the valve fully will clear most blockages.

This first prototype of the Rain Table is the display garden inside MedMar Healing Center in San Jose, CA (more pictures available at SJMedMar.com). The simple irrigation manifold is on its second crop and is performing every bit as well as I’d hoped. Air pots made of fabric have been incorporated in the system to allow the root zone to obtain more oxygen while irrigating more frequently. Because many redundant sprayers overlap across the top of the pots, clogging of an emitter won’t leave any plants dry. Just like in an ebb and flood system, if you see the system turn on, then every plant got watered. There is no need to check individual plant sites like with traditional drip systems and the plants are watered more evenly as well. This system also retains the advantage of a small reservoir to tray ratio, unlike ebb and flood systems that typically require twice as much water (and nutrients) per square foot of tray. In this case, a reservoir that holds 10 – 15 gallons easily sustains a 3 x 3 tray worth of space and would probably suffice for a 4 x 4 if topped off regularly.

The most important benefit of this system is how efficient it is with water and fertilizer resources.

Plus, it makes hydro-organic gardening much more user friendly and inexpensive by reducing reliance on liquid organic fertilizers. By mimicking nature’s irrigation style of rain, it is also possible to mimic the way that nature fertilizes plants. With each rain, Mother Nature dissolves accumulated organic fertilizers (decomposed debris and animal litter) and washes them into the soil where (if it’s a healthy soil) the nutrients will be broken down and made available to the plants. With the Rain Table, small amounts of highly soluble, dry organic fertilizers can be applied

as top dressings in the same manner that outdoor growers might do for their larger plants. Because the Rain Table is a recirculating hydroponic system, the nutrients that leach through the pots are recovered in the solution. By checking the solution regularly with an EC meter, the grower can have precise control over how much fertilizer is applied even when using top dressing applications.

Overall, the Rain Table is simple yet high performance, cheap, easily adaptable to various mediums and makes hydroorganics cheaper and easier than ever. The materials required for the Rain Table are readily available at any hardware store or garden center and it’s very easy to build which is something else I like about this design. The plastic used here is from Tap Plastics, which is also online (TapPlastics.com) if you don’t have one in your area. In any case, my use of acrylic was a personal preference and I’m sure many materials could serve the same purpose as a backboard (although acrylic does look hella cool). The medium inside the fabric pot is a heavily drained soilless mix of perlite, rockwool croutons, and peat.

A layer of pea gravel on top prevents both algae growth and fungus gnats. Although the medium filters out almost all debris, I still recommend wrapping a filter around the pump for extra protection. Here I used ordinary window screen secured in place by the ever-so-handy zip tie. The water can also be filtered again as it re-enters the reservoir by attaching a fish tank net below the discharge outlet.

In next month’s Grower’s Grove, we’ll look more closely at the hydro-organic principles and fertilizers used in the Rain Table garden. Also, using cheap, widely available hardware store materials, we’ll construct a super oxygenated reservoir so you can transform your ordinary reservoir into a veritable compost tea brewer – constantly digesting wholesome organic fertilizers into available plant nutrients. Plus, this exercise in nature-inspired simplicity also meets up with some advanced hydroponic technology for automatic pH control. My full review and notes on the Milwaukee SMS122 coming up next month right here in the Grower’s Grove.

—Jade Kine (Growers Grove writer Jade Kine is a former greenhouse manager for the medical Cannabis industry with over a million plants worth of experience. He is also the founder of CannAcademy, a trade school dedicated solely to horticultural training for growers. Got a grow question for Jade? Drop him a line at JadeKine@gmail.com Complete bio at JadeKine.com Facebook/Twitter: @JadeKine)

93

“Ziggy Marley’s Marijuanaman ” is the new 48-page oversized full-color hardcover graphic novel conceived by Ziggy Marley, illustrated by Jim Mahfood (Clerks, Spiderman) and written by Joe Casey (G.I.Joe, Superman, Iron Man).

Published in conjunction by Tuff Gong Worldwide and Image Comics, the work goes beyond the obvious title and is loaded with political and financial implications.

“We knew that the initial reaction to a book named Marijuanaman would be this: people would perceive it as a silly stoner comic, a Cheech & Chong, ‘Half-Baked’ kind of thing; those type of weed and stoner stereotypes,” says Jim Mahfood.

“So we went out of our way to make it a more weird and mystical thing. It has a bit of a dark edge to it.”

“The book represents a conflict, a spiritual war of sorts, between the crusaders of Exodus representing the natural world, the plant and the positive,” explains Mahfood, “versus the artificial, synthetic world represented by the evil and sinister Pharma-Con.” “The main character doesn’t even smoke,” Mahfood continues. “He is THC. He is the living embodiment of the plant and represents the positive sides of its healing and spiritual properties.”

Ziggy Marley, a committed environmental and social activist, sees Marijuanaman as “a metaphor for what marijuana can be. This is a new perspective,” he tells us. “You know, they’ve villianized and demonized and criminalized this plant so much throughout history that we wanted to bring to people a new perspective.

“A superhero character is a great metaphor for what the plant can do for the planet.”

On the flip-side of the superhero coin, we have Cash Money, Pharma-Con’s Terminator-like Weapon of War and the antagonistic villain battling Marijuanaman . The juxtaposition of organic vs. synthetic, man vs. machine, peace vs. violence, defines this project. One of Cash Money’s angry rampages in the book is noted by a caption, “The synthetic cocktail pumping through its pipes urges more violence.”

As can be expected, the dialogue and storyline are pregnant with multiple meanings. “We didn’t want to be overly preachy to the reader, this is a comic book and we still wanted it to be fun and entertaining,” explains Mahfood. “But, at the same time, if you read between the lines, there is a message in there.” Take this sentence for example: 94 94

“Meanwhile Pharma-Con continues to traffic in all things that involve the unnatural world.”

“It’s a money game,” elaborates Ziggy. “It’s a big hypocrisy because there’s alcohol, there’s tobacco, there’s pharmaceutical drugs that hurt people every day. If this plant is to fulfill it’s potential, it will compete with a pretty established and powerful institution in society, the pharmaceutical industry.

It’s not easy for some guy who is making billions of dollars to give way to something that will make him make less.”

“They’d rather people get drunk I guess.”

“This book was a complete and equal collaboration between Ziggy Marley, Joe Casey, and I,” says Mahfood. “We all got along extremely well, there were no egos involved here. I was really proud to work with these guys and I think our different sensibilities came together quite nicely to make something new and offbeat.”

No undertaking like this can be carried out without an Executive Producer, and just like most things in Marley’s life, finding the right EP for “MarijuanaMan” was a deliberately organic process. Tom Martin, best known for his work on hundreds of film posters through the 70s and 80s, happened to be a neighbor of Ziggy’s, and it was they who created the original idea together. Once they brought Joe Casey on and, being that he had already written several comics with Mahfood, all it took was a quick glance at Mahfood’s work online for the team to agree he was the right man to illustrate the project.

Mahfood’s signature style has made him a fixture in the LA Art scene. Many know him by his moniker “Food One,” and for his collaborations with DJ Z-Trip. He has worked for every major comic book company and his illustrations have appeared in Playboy, Spin, URB, Heavy Metal, among countless others. He illustrated director Kevin Smith’s “Clerks” comics, several Spiderman projects for Marvel Comics and has performed live art at countless underground hip-hop events (as a matter of fact, it was through the late great DJ Dusk that I first met Mahfood over seven years ago). ”MarijuanaMan” represents the culmination of his many years of illustrating.

“My approach to the art was to do it my way, to do it like I normally would if this was my own creation and my own book,” says Mahfood. “Luckily, Ziggy was cool with that and understood my direction. He gets the vibe of what I am going after with my visuals. And Joe and I have been friends for a really long time and he definitely knows how to cater his writing towards my drawing and art style, so I really feel like I got away with a lot here. I was able to do my thing and not be restricted, and in the end, as a creative person, that’s all you can really ask for.”

The public confirmed Mahfood’s excitement at the book release party on Four Twenty. A constant stream of more than a few hundred people zig zagged through Golden Apple Comics in Hollywood for the book release party. Ziggy Marley, Mahfood and Joe Casey sat at a table together signing books and answering questions. The back patio served fish tacos,

rice & beans, chile relleno, micro brews, exquisite medicated smoothies and other assorted edibles. L.A. musical legend Lonnie Marshall and Leimert Park Muralist Michael Massenburg were also in the mix while up-and-coming mixmaster, DJ Expo, rocked the turntables with a steady stream of reggae, hip-hop, funk & soul. Ziggy Marley’s electric smile lit up the room up, for celebrations like this are what keep him going.

And with that, “Ziggy Marley’s Marijuanaman,” accomplishes it’s objective. It resists the urge to simply glorify marijuana while finding an inventively appropriate way of properly celebrating its advantages. Mahfood’s playful illustration style is matched by a storyline that addresses several current issues of these times. The entertaining narrative and embedded symbolism within makes “Marijuanaman” a graphic novel especially relevant to our era.

Pithy statements are found sprinkled throughout. Statements like, “Humanity is a curious mix, equal parts beauty and violence, love and hate. And the cures your planet provides naturally are not taken advantage of.”

“When it’s coming from the people, the common people, they have a problem with that because it’s a control issue… they want to control everything you know? It’s a big hypocrisy because there’s alcohol, there’s tobacco, there’s pharmaceutical drugs that hurt people every day,” Marley tells Kush.

“But once a big corporation finds out how to make money, then the politicians will get some bravery inside them and get on board,” he hypothesizes. “Once the FDA and these guys get together and say ‘how can we control this and make sure the right people make money from it?’ then that’s when you’ll kind of see them ease up the pressure.”

A means to an end? You decide.

In the meantime, pick up your copy of Ziggy Marley’s Marijuanaman and stick it to Big-Pharma while you still have the chance.

-Mike the PoeT aka Mike Sonksen is a Spoken Word Artist, Tourguide, Educator, Journalist, & Historian based in The City of Angels. mikethepoetla.tumblr.com/ youtube.com/user/MikeThePoet1 Photography by William Thoren 95 95

Kush Concert Calendar Northern California’s

Live Music Preview: May/June

Lykke Li

5.30.11 @ The Regency Ballroom (SF)

One of my favorite little artists, Lykke Li, released her debut album back in 2008, but it just feels like she’s been around far longer than that. Relatively unknown to much of the world, her voice is wonderful, powerful, and refreshingly friendly.

The Swedish indie, electropop darling recently released her album Wounded Rhymes, with a potential breakout single in ‘I Follow Rivers.’ It’s a fantastic little tune that’s already seen the release of an acoustic version, and has been remixed by The Magician. Go enjoy this show with a good friend or loved one, it should be a concert you won’t forget! lykkeli.com

Adele

6.04.11 @ Greek Theatre (UC Berkeley) 6.04.11 @ The Fillmore (SF)

Coming from a traditionally un-musical family, Adele broke the mold and is now breaking into the mainstream charts.

So where did her aural spirit come from? “It all comes from impersonating The Spice Girls and Gabrielle,” she explains cheerfully. “I did little concerts in my room for my mum and her friends. My mum’s quite arty; she’d get all these lamps and shine them up to make one big spotlight. They’d all sit on the bed.” Later on in childhood, her dad’s best friend, a dance producer, declared Adele’s voice “wicked,” and invited her to

record a cover of ‘Heart Of Glass.’ It was the first time she really got a microphone in her hand, and she quickly realized it was her calling.

She comes rolling in to the Bay for two shows in one night this June, and it will be a fantastic concert from a voice that will undoubtedly give you chills all night long. adele.tv

U2

6.07.11 @ Overstock.com Coliseum (Oakland)

Ireland’s rock phenoms, U2 come to Oakland’s Coliseum (Overstock. com?) for an event that could border on epic proportions. Formed in 1976, the group still consists of original members Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen, Jr. They have always maintained that recognizable sound built upon melodic instrumentals, and highlighted by Edge’s textural guitar with Bono’s expressive vocals.

Hearing songs like “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “Beautiful Day,” “I Will Follow,” “New Year’s Day,” “One,” “With Or Without You,” and countless others is a priceless experience that will be sure spring a bit of extra inspiration into your attitude. They’ve won 22 Grammy Awards, and in 2005, their first year of eligibility, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Aside from being tremendous musicians, the men of U2 are good people, giving so much back through world humanitarian causes. Get over to the website/arena in late June for a classic concert to remember for years. u2.com

Bruno Mars + Janelle Monáe

6.08.11 @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium (SF)

As successful of an artist and singer as he is, Bruno Mars’ short career has also already seen him shine as a great songwriter as well, lending a hand to his own hits, Cee-Lo’s ‘Fuck You,’ and Travie McCoy’s ‘Billionaire’... just to name a few. Unsure of how great his live performance is, but this should be an interesting one with Janelle Monáe getting in on the fun at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.

Another artist who’s had her hand in a lot of projects, Janelle Monáe already has a respectable collection of award nominations and wins at her ripe/prime age of 25. Two artists that will do big things in their careers, this is a genuine pop powerhouse tour from the future. brunosmars.com; jmonae.com

Death Cab For Cutie

6.09.11 @ The Fillmore (SF)

Hailing from the Great Pacific Northwest, Death Cab for Cutie is led by the musical mastermind and lyrical genius, Ben Gibbard. His first album, You Can Play These Songs with Chords, was released as a demo, and led to a record deal with Barsuk Records. After that, Gibbard decided to expand his project into a complete band, and recruited members to join him. Death Cab for Cutie was born, and Gibbard has never looked back. They’ve released six studio albums, five EPs, and one demo to date. Their last album, Narrow Stairs, was released in May 2008 and produced several pretty successful singles.

This Page: U2 Right From Top: Adele, Matt & Kim, Florence and the Machine, My Morning Jacket, Death Cab for Cutie 96

They are now set to release Codes and Keys on May 31st, with the single ‘You Are a Tourist’ already flooding the radio airwaves. deathcabforcutie.com

Florence and the Machine

6.12.11 @ Greek Theatre (UC Berkeley)

London’s soulful baroque pop-rockers, Florence and the Machine come to Berkeley for a show at the beautiful Greek Theatre in June. You can bet the Greek will be packed, with tickets hard to come by, so get on this one asap! Lead singer Florence Welch and company have been active since 2007, but are only recently seeing mainstream success in the US, and it seems about damn time. They performed on MTVs VMA award show last September, and are surely going to follow up 2009’s debut album Lungs with something delicious in 2011. Keep an eye on this group, and go see them at the Greek Theatre on the 12th of June! florenceandthemachine.net

Matt & Kim

6.18.11 @ Fox Theater (Oakland)

Matt & Kim come from Brooklyn just as advertised, a guy named Matt and a girl named Kim who make upbeat poppunk tunes that will make you want to dance with everyone in sight. Kim plays drums, Matt plays keys, and both sing.

Songs like “Daylight,” “Yea Yeah,” and “Good Old Fashioned Nightmare” have gained them widespread recognition in the indie community since forming in 2006. And while they seem destined to expand and grow into a more mainstream success, for now their simplicity and independent spirit seems to be one of the more charming aspects of the pair. This Saturday night show at Fox Theater should be the perfect way to top off and highlight a wonderful summer weekend. www.mattandkimmusic.com

My Morning Jacket

6.24.11 @ Fox Theater (Oakland)

My Morning Jacket have been spreading their Kentucky psychedelic rock seeds since 1998. Well know for their jam band live performance, this will be a super relaxing show to wrap up the week on Friday, perfect for a couple joints and reflection on how awesome this summer has been and will continue to be.

Check out their DVD & CD “Okonokos” to get familiar, if you aren’t already a certified fan. Think a more bluesy Pink Floyd concert, or a modern day Phish and you’ll be on the right track for this one. mymorningjacket.com

More Great Shows!

DJ Quik : 4.25.11 @ Senator Theater (Chico); Yeasayer : 5.25.11; 5.26.11 @ The Fillmore (SF) Usher + Akon : 5.28.11 @ Power Balance Pavilion (Sacramento), 5.29.11 @ HP Pavilion (San Jose) Iron & Wine : 6.01.11 @ The Warfield Brett Dennen : 6.17.11 @ El Rey Theatre (Chico); 6.25.11 @ Fox Theater (Oakland) Britney Spears + Nicki Minaj : 6.18.11 @ HP Pavilion (San Jose) Kid Cudi : 6.19.11 @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium (SF)

97

Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have passed laws in support of medical marijuana and the subject of legalization is manna for reality-makers. Compassionate, rational, sexy or sinister —the spin is in the eye of the talking head. What’s surprising about the conversation is that both sides seem to agree.

“I think it’s about time we legalized marijuana,” Glenn Beck said during a broadcast of his recently defunct Fox network show.

“We have to make a choice in this country. We either put people who are smoking marijuana behind bars, or we legalize it. But this little game we’re playing in the middle is not helping us...” The self-professed libertarian may have given some viewers whiplash with his declaration, but this is hardly the first time reefer has been rolled out for debate. The difference now is that whatever path they follow, the purveyors of opinion have converged at the same thumbs-up destination. The consensus is…Legalize it.

With indisputable verification regarding the benefits of medical marijuana, it may be that the argument against legalization has become untenable. So much so that in October, on ABC’s “This Week,” conservative Washington Post columnist George Will conceded: “We have legalized gambling, which used to be considered a sin and a crime, with no national debate – No decision moment —We just did it,” he said. “We’ve legalized prostitution, as anyone who opens a telephone book and looks under ‘escort’ can tell you, and… We’re probably in the process now of legalizing marijuana.” Not exactly a rousing endorsement, but coming from Will - a man so buttoned-down, he has been known to rail against blue jeans – it is significant.

After a decade of belt-tightening, is the sturm und drang over cannabis waning? Escalating percentages favor decriminalization, and considering the projected revenue from regulation and taxation, legalization is just good business. The cavalry loping over the hill to rescue the economy is flying the freak flag.

Wait. Lick your finger and hold it in the air. You know which way the wind is blowing.

Occasionally, a half-hearted skirmish is waged to make a case for the insupportable. Bill O’Reilly parried his pointed shtick and thrust forth the supposition that hardcore drug addicts will procure prescriptions for medical marijuana, only to finance heroin habits by selling the buds to children. The problems with his premise are

98

multitudinous and even he can’t say it without blinking.

Arguably the meanest girl on the block, Ann Coulter, is not swayed by anything so spurious as human suffering. Puh-lease. When Barbie’s evil twin pops a press-on nail, she sucks it up. A nasty piece of work disguised as an Amazon goddess, Coulter takes a position that could be summed up as “Let them eat FDA approved morphine. But not on my dime.” As a matter of fact, in an essay published in the September 2000 edition of Jewish World Review, Coulter wrote: “Like everyone else in America, I had never really listened to the arguments of the drug legalization crowd because...it’s not going to happen. These people are like scholars whose area of expertise is an obscure bug in a Third World country. Their theories could be completely insane, but no one cares enough to bother listening to them.”

Eleven years later, Coulter is still flipping her mane dismissively — albeit with less conviction - but no one really cares enough to listen.

Another politico with pulchritude, Sarah Palin has weighed in on the subject. “I think we need to prioritize our law-enforcement efforts,” Palin said. “And if somebody’s gonna smoke a joint in their house and not do anybody else harm, then perhaps there are other things our cops should be looking at to engage in and try to clean up some of the other problems that we have in society.”

Publically distinguishing marijuana from addictive and destructive substances (including alcohol and many prescription drugs) has been arduous. But as anyone in know-biz will attest, it’s beginning to smell like team spirit. Because in America it really is about whether you win or lose.

And everyone wants to be on the side that’s winning.

99

Celebrate Cinco De Mayo

All Month with Great Mexican Treats A true sign that summer is almost here.

To learn more about

Asparagus Salsa

cook with herb

Ingredients • 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces • 1 cup chopped seeded tomatoes • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion • 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped • 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro • 1 garlic clove, minced • ¼ cup THC olive oil • 1 teaspoon cider vinegar • 1/4 teaspoon salt • Tortilla chips

Chef Herb &

go to www.cookwithherb.com

Avocado Fruit Salad Ingredients • 3 medium ripe avocados, pitted and peeled • 2 tablespoons lemon juice • 1/2 cup plain yogurt • 2 tablespoons honey • 1/8 cup THC olive oil • 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel • 1 medium apple, chopped • 1 medium firm banana, cut into 1/4-inch slices • 1 cup halved seedless grapes • 1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained

Directions Place asparagus in a large saucepan; add 1/2 in. of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.

In a large bowl, combine the asparagus, tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, THC olive oil, vinegar and salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, stirring several times. Serve with tortilla chips.

Calico cheese dip

Ingredients Directions • 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese Cut avocados into chunks; Place in a large bowl; drizzle with lemon juice • 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies and toss to coat. Drain, reserving the lemon juice; set avocados aside.

• 1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained • 4 green onions, sliced For dressing, in a small bowl, combine the yogurt, honey, THC olive oil, lemon peel and reserved lemon juice. In another large bowl, toss the • 3 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced • 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley apple, banana, grapes, oranges and avocados. Serve with dressing.

• ¼ cup THC olive oil • ¼ cup white vinegar • Tortilla chips Directions

100

In a large bowl, beat together the cheese, chilies, olives, onions, tomatoes and parsley until blended.

Prepare salad dressing mix THC olive oil and white vinegar; pour over cheese mixture and mix well. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.

Corn bread Ingredients • 1 cup THC butter, melted • 1 cup white sugar • 4 eggs • 1 (15 ounce) can cream-style corn • 1/2 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers, drained • 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese • 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese • 1 cup all-purpose flour • 1 cup yellow cornmeal • 4 teaspoons baking powder • ¼ teaspoon salt Directions Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, beat together THC butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in cream corn, chiles, Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to corn mixture; stir until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.

lime juice. Chill the lime juice and scallops all day or overnight until scallops are opaque (you cannot see through them).

Empty 1/2 of the lime juice from the bowl. Add tomatoes, green onions, celery, green bell pepper, parsley, black pepper, THC olive oil, and cilantro to the scallop mixture. Stir gently. Serve this dish in fancy glasses with a slice of lime hanging over the rim for effect.

Elote

(Mexican Corn-on-the-Cob) Ingredients • 4 ears corn, shucked • ¼ cup melted THC butter • ¼ cup mayonnaise • 1/2 cup grated cotija cheese • 4 wedges lime (optional) Directions Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.

Grill corn until hot and lightly charred all over, 7 to 10 minutes, depending on the temperature of the grill. Roll the ears in melted THC butter, then spread evenly with mayonnaise. Sprinkle with cotija cheese and serve with a lime wedge.

Mexican rice

Ingredients • 1 pound bay scallops • 8 limes, juiced • 2 tomatoes, diced • 5 green onions, minced • 2 stalks celery, sliced • 1/2 green bell pepper, minced • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley • freshly ground black pepper • 1/8 cup THC olive oil • 1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Ingredients • 5 tablespoon THC olive oil • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric • 1 teaspoon garlic powder • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed • 2 teaspoons paprika • 1 pinch red pepper flakes • 1 pinch cayenne pepper • 3 green onions • 1 green bell pepper, chopped • 1 cup pre-cooked corn kernels • 2 small tomatoes, diced • ¼ cup ketchup • 2 cups cooked rice • salt to taste

Directions Rinse scallops and place in a medium sized bowl. Pour lime juice over the scallops. The scallops should be completely immersed in the

Directions Heat THC olive oil in a wok-style pan with turmeric, garlic powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, chili flakes, and cayenne pepper. Add

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into center of the pan comes out clean.

Scallop Ceviche

101 101

the green onions and the green peppers; saute 1 to 2 minutes over medium-high heat.

• 1 cup chopped almonds • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Add corn and tomatoes and saute until tomatoes release their juices.

Add ketchup and stir until mixed.

Directions In a medium bowl, cream the THC butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and water. Add the flour and almonds, mix until blended. Cover and chill for 3 hours.

Add rice and stir until heated thoroughly. Salt to taste.

Baja Couscous Ingredients • 1 cup couscous • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste • 1 ¼ cups boiling water • 1 clove unpeeled garlic • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained • 1 cup canned whole kernel corn, drained • 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro • 1 jalapeno pepper, minced • 1/3 cup THC olive oil • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste Directions Combine the couscous, cumin, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the boiling water and seal with plastic wrap. Set aside for 10 minutes.

While waiting for the couscous, cook the unpeeled garlic clove in a small skillet over medium-high heat until toasted and the skin has turned golden-brown. Peel the garlic and mince. Stir the garlic into the couscous along with the black beans, corn, onion, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, THC olive oil, and lime juice. Serve warm or allow to cool.

Simple South-of-the-Border Cookies Ingredients • 1 cup THC butter • 1/2 cup white sugar • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • 2 teaspoons water • 2 cups all-purpose flour

102

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Shape dough into balls or crescents. Place on an unprepared cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven.

Remove from pan to cool on wire racks. When cookies are cool, roll in confectioners’ sugar. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Cinnamon cookies Ingredients • 1 cup THC butter • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon • ¼ teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

In a medium bowl, cream together 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar and THC butter until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture to form a stiff dough. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Mix together 1 cup confectioners’ sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; roll balls in cinnamon mixture.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in preheated oven, or until nicely browned. Cool cookies on wire racks.

103

104

Dispensary Listing

"Is your listing here? For new listings or corrections please contact us at: info@dailybuds.com� brought to you by dailybuds.com 105

Dispensary Listing

"Is your listing here? For new listings or corrections please contact us at: info@dailybuds.com� brought to you by dailybuds.com 106

Dispensary Listing

"Is your listing here? For new listings or corrections please contact us at: info@dailybuds.com� brought to you by dailybuds.com 107

Dispensary Listing

"Is your listing here? For new listings or corrections please contact us at: info@dailybuds.com� brought to you by dailybuds.com 108

Dispensary Listing

"Is your listing here? For new listings or corrections please contact us at: info@dailybuds.com� brought to you by dailybuds.com 109

List of Advertisers 101 North p 49

Magnolia Wellness p 26 & 27

408 Collective p 23

Mary Jane’s Wellness p 28

420 Evaluations p 13 A2C2 p 20

McGee & Thielen Insurance Brokers Inc p 83

A Better Way Collective p 20

Medicinal Gardens Wellness Clinic p 16

A Therapeutic Alternative p 36

Med Ex p 67

All About Wellness p 41 All Bay CoOp p 22 All Natural p 16 American’s for Safe Access p 103 Alternative Medical Center p 104

Med Mar Healing Center p 19 Natural Herbal Pain Relief p 5 NCIA p 84

Alternative Medical Source p 37

Nor Cal Bail Bonds p 77

Americone p 21

Nor Cali Creations p 36

Arc Healing Center p 11

P St. Wellness Health Care Group p 55

Auburn Health & Organics p 59

Palliative Health Center p 2

Bay Area Safe Alternatives p 45

Paradigm Compassionate Care p 12

Bhang Chocolates p 34 Blue Heaven Collective Corporation p 110

Priceless Evaluations p 111 Pure Analytics p 20

Blue Sky Care Center p 28

Red Dog Green p 15 & 83

California Collective Care p 9

Remedy Living Solutions p 63

California Holistic Collective p 7

River City Wellness Collective p 65

CannAcademy p 91

Sanctuary Health Center p 47

Canna Care p 32 & 85

Sacramento 420 Evaluations p 43

Cann- Medical p 73 Chef Herb p 84 Choice Health Mutual p 81 Citizen p 35

SBCPA p 29 SCVCS p 36 Shambhala Healing Center p 16

Collective 50 p 113

SJ Patients Group p 42

East Bay Custom Collective p 112

Solace Wellness Collective p 42

Ed Rosenthal p 76

South Bay CRC p 51

El Camino Wellness Center p 3

South Bay Healing Center p 33

Elemental Wellness p 49

Steep Hill Lab p 50

Elixir p 53

Sticky Guide p 56

First in Packaging p 65 Florin Wellness Center p 25 Fruitridge Health & Wellness Collective p 31

Sunny Fields p 39 The Green Door p 57 The Green Temple p 4

Garden House Remedies p 65

The Hemp Center p 12

Green Harmony p 73

The Portal Herbal Health Collective p 45

Greenwell p 71

The Reserve p 114

Happy lil Trees p 17 High Standards Medical p 77 Holistic Herbal Healers p 61 Hugs Alternative Care LLC p 51 Igzactly 420 (centerfold)

110

MEDRxc p 83

Tiva-Indi p 89 Triple C Collective p 22 Tri Valley Wellness p 79 Unity Non-Profit Collective p 66

Kush Con p 64

Valley Health Options p 53

Law Offices of Omar Figueroa p 110

Vapor Room Co op (backcover)

Leaf Lab Inc p 45

Yerba Buena Collective p 115

111

112

113

115