Maine Cannabis Chronicle Spring 2021: the Sprout Issue

Maine Cannabis CHRONICLE

THE MORE YOU GROW:

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CURE CANNABIS SPRING-SUMMER ‘21

32 RIVERSIDE DRIVE | AUBURN, MAINE curecannabis3.0

CONTENTS 06

Sowing the Seeds of Advocacy

BY K AT I E W E I T M A N

08

Hindsight is 20/20

B Y N I C K M U R R AY

10

Crypto Cannabis

BY E M M A S I M A R D

12

The Spectacular and Miraculous Cannabis Seed

BY C H A Z G I L

14

The More You Grow

BY K I M E M E R S O N

16

Is There a Cannabis - Cancer Connection?

BY K AT I E W E I T M A N

P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y M AT T H E W B O U RG E O I S

I L L U S T R AT E D B Y J E S S E G E O R G I A

I L L U S T R AT E D B Y D I A N A G O N Z E A U X

P H OTO G R A P H Y BY C H A R L I E GI L

I L L U S T R AT E D B Y K A T I E W E I T M A N

20 The Healing Pathways and Properties of CBD-A

B Y K A T H L E E N B R A D L E Y, PA - C

22

The Comeback IS Greater than the Setback

B Y AW P

P H OTO G R A P H Y BY RU BY J E A N

25 Maine’s Packing and Compliance Conundrum

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BY D O M I N I C D

P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y O F K NOT PL A ST IC

28

Her Highness: Seven Cannabis-Infused Reasons to Work Out with Weed

I L L U S T R AT E D B Y D I A N A G O N Z E A U X

31

Artist Interview: Abbeth Russel

BY D I A N A G O N Z E AU X

I M AG E S C O U RT E S Y O F A B B ET H RU S S E L

34

Songs of the Psyentists

BY D I A N A G O N Z E AU

P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y O F T H E P SY E N T I ST S

38

420 Minutes: South Portland

BY I A N S T UA RT

40

Cure Cannabis Presents: Squier’s Recipes

BY Z AC H S Q U I E R

42

Book Review: Cooking with Cannabis

BY K AT I E W E I T M A N

44

Maine Showcase

BY M C C T E A M

48

Strain Safari with The Strainger

BY I A N S T UA RT

50

Faces in the Field: King Bishop

BY I A N S T UA RT

P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y M AT T H E W B O U RG E O I S

52

Bongcloud Attack

BY G U Y F L A N D E R S A RT I N G

54

High Delights: Pothead Puzzles

B Y J E S S E G E O R G I A / D AW N L A N D D E S I G N

P H OTO G R A P H Y BY Z AC H S Q U I E R

I L L U S T R AT E D B Y S T I C K Y

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EDITOR’S LETTER

EDITOR’S LETTER Welcome to the Sprout Issue! We are now well into 2021, and while it hasn’t been all roses, things have certainly been improving—particularly in the cannabis industry. Sales are up, job growth is steady, and new states are jumping on the bandwagon with every election cycle. The industry itself is still one big startup, and at the Chronicle we have been tracking its growth.

In this issue, our policy writer ponders a world where adult-use sales started sooner and how that might have helped the precarious economic position we find ourselves in; our arts writers take a look at a couple of Maine-grown movers and shakers; our gaming guru covers chess and cannabis; and a couple of our in-house horticulturists help breakdown germination so you can sprout your own new crop. We also explore cannabis as a cancer treatment, talk with King Bishop, and our food section features a review of the new cookbook, The Art of Cooking With Cannabis. And, as always, we’ve included reviews of some of our favorite Maine-made marijuana products.

So roll yourself a fatty, kick up your feet, and enjoy our Sprout Issue!

Katie Weitman Managing Editor editor@mainecannabischronicle.com

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BUSINESS & POLITICS

SOWING THE SEEDS OF ADVOCACY B Y K AT I E W E I T M A N

At this point, I think it’s safe to say that just about everyone would admit that the legalization of cannabis is a foregone conclusion, whether or not they like it. But, obviously, this was not always the case. The fight for legalized cannabis began in earnest in the 1960s and ‘70s when hippie counterculture worked hard alongside civil rights activists. They argued that harsh laws against the use of marijuana were more strictly enforced against poor and minority communities while white, middle class offenses were largely ignored.

In 1970, Keith Stroup, a young attorney just two years out of Georgetown Law School, started the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and set up shop in Washington, D.C. to start lobbying for change. By the time he left NORML’s executive directorship—amidst some controversy after outing Jimmy Carter’s drug adviser, Peter Bourne, as a cocaine user because Bourne disagreed with Stroup over some policy issues—in 1979, 11 states had decriminalized minor marijuana offenses. Jimmy Carter himself told Congress in 1978 that, “penalties against drug use should not be more damaging to the individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against possession of marijuana in private for personal use.” And with that, the stage was set for wide-scale

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cannabis reforms throughout the United States.

In 1970, Keith Stroup was working for the Consumer Product Safety Commission. While there, Stroup met Ralph Nader, a famous consumer activist in his own right, and Nader inspired Stroup to start a consumer advocacy organization specifically for cannabis. With $5,000 from Hugh Hefner and his Playboy Foundation, Stroup set up an office in Washington, D.C. and began lobbying the federal government to remove cannabis from the Schedule I controlled substances list, as well as state legislatures for significant changes to their cannabis statutes.

The Playboy Foundation continued to give NORML hundreds of thousands of dollars, elevating them above other pro-cannabis lobbying groups like LeMar (Legalize Marijuana, which was founded at the end of 1964 and was the first group dedicated to ending cannabis prohibition in the U.S.) and Amorphia (the group known for Prop 19, a ballot initiative to legalize marijuana use in California in 1972). After merging with LeMar in 1971, Amorphia became the California chapter of NORML in 1974 due to funding issues. In 1976, Robert C. Randall, a glaucoma patient, got the first favorable legal ruling allowing him to legally use medical cannabis thanks in

large part to the guidance and contacts provided by Keith Stroup. And NORML has been working tirelessly to this end ever since.

Since its founding, NORML has been focused on educating the public and defending individuals who have been charged and/or convicted for low-level cannabis crimes. In 1972 (the same year as Amorphia’s Prop 19 struggle), NORML organized the first People’s Pot Conference in the nation’s capital. The conference was attended by over 300 surrogates—from private citizens to federal politicians—from 36 states, and NORML continues to host annual conferences to this day. NORML has expanded from that first D.C. office to include 135 chapters across the country, as well as sister groups in other countries such as Canada, Australia, France, and the UK. NORML has published several reports over the last two decades that address the harmful effects of harsh cannabis laws and now has over 550 affiliated lawyers dedicated to making impactful changes to the law and defending victims of our current system. Their mission statement declares their dedication “to move public opinion sufficiently to legalize the use of marijuana by adults, and to serve as an advocate for consumers to assure they have access to high quality marijuana that is safe, convenient and affordable.” The struggle is real, but NORML has been doing its very best to minimize that struggle for the last 50 years. And they’ve shown no sign they’ll let up before seeing it through to the end.

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BUSINESS & POLITICS

Hindsight is 20/20 B Y N I C K M U R R AY

I L L U S T R AT E D B Y J E S S E G E O R G I A

An old saying cautions us against playing with hypotheticals, that “hindsight is 20/20,” but it’s very difficult to look back on 2020 and not imagine what could have been. The idea is especially tantalizing considering the significant budget shortfall and economic recession staring Mainers—and their lawmakers—in the face.

Granted, it’s not as bad as what was initially projected. In August, prognosticators thought that the Maine state government would be short nearly half a billion dollars to cover the current budget, which ends June 30, 2021.

By December, the state was only projected to be short about a quarter-billion.

Could this shortfall have potentially been avoided with a quicker adultuse cannabis roll-out? What if the adult-use market had a couple more years to develop before the pandemic and lockdowns hit?

Instead of taking nearly four years from the legalization vote to see sales begin (the longest for any legal state in the nation), Maine should have been open for business by June 2019—ready to start collecting taxes. As I noted in a previous issue, the American cannabis industry has shown itself to be practically recessionproof. Add it to the list with cars, pet products, and booze. This was abundantly clear in mid-2020, as the average monthly cannabis consumer’s spending jumped, while spending on festivals, restaurants, and vacations fell by the wayside.

National forecasters still expect the cannabis industry to grow significantly. Data firm New Frontier projects a 16% annual growth rate through 2025, to more than $16 billion nationwide. State budget forecasters predict that in 2025, the Maine industry will gross $380 million and contribute more than $50 million in taxes to state coffers.

Maine’s adult-use market is taxed at a higher rate than medical cannabis. While patients are only subject to the 5.5% standard state sales tax, adult-use cannabis elicits an additional 10% tax on top of that. Of the total collected, 2-3% goes to local governments, and 12%

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goes to fund education programs and training for law enforcement. What’s left over can help to shore up other state spending lines. In the first month of adult-use sales, the handful of open stores brought in $1.4 million.

By December, that total exceeded $4.2 million, with $427,000 paid in taxes.

Maine’s medical cannabis market has had more time to mature and develop, bringing in an average of $20 million per month, January to October 2020. Many observers believe the industry sold over $260 million in 2020,meaning it was responsible for contributing more than $14 million in taxes last year.

While these numbers are nothing to sneeze at, Governor Mills and her administration faced a shortfall significantly larger than what cannabis could solely provide. After making up part of the difference in an emergency budget curtailment order in September, the administration recently proposed another supplemental budget to the newly sworn in legislature in Augusta to cover the rest of the fiscal year.

An aspect of that supplemental request from Mills’ office quickly raised the ire of business groups. In late January, the administration announced that they sought to tax payments made to Maine businesses through the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Under PPP, struggling businesses could apply for a loan and have the loan forgiven if they used it to keep employees on payroll during the pandemic.

These payments will not be taxed as income on employers’ federal taxes, but states may choose to differ from the federal tax code. Mills’ decided that the state could bring in nearly $100 million to shore up the current budget year by skimming off the top of thousands of pandemic- and lockdown-weary Maine business owners.

Within 48 hours of unveiling the plan, Mills backtracked, promising to “fix the PPP issue” by directing department heads to find other ways to funnel federal aid to state line items. The administration then revised its proposal

to instead exempt the first $1 million of each firm’s PPP receipts, bringing in less than $20 million for this year’s budget.

In an alternate universe (with cannabis-friendly governors, for one) where adult-use sales began in June 2019, instead of October 2020, the state could have brought in at least $50 million more in taxes for this budget cycle. To put it in perspective, $50 million in Maine taxes would mean that more than 800,000 ounces were sold in over nearly five million transactions.

That’s 50 tons of cannabis, equal to the weight of a snowplow, a charter bus, 11 ½ police cruisers, or 4.2(0) elephants. We’ll need a few of those buses after all, no doubt full of tourists from Massachusetts, seeking refuge in Vacationland from their notoriously high cannabis prices.

Unfortunately, even that would not have covered the budget shortfall, nor the amount that Mills needs— in this universe—to fully avoid taxing benefits to struggling businesses.

But that is why it is up to all of Maine’s cannabis community to support our fledgling industry and promote the best we have to offer to our New England neighbors. This is the mission of the Maine Cannabis Chronicle, and I’m asking for you to make it your mission too. Ask not what your state can do for you, but what your doobie can do for your state. We respectfully invite lawmakers and Governor Mills to work with the industry to meet its potential, for its own sake and for all of Maine.

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BUSINESS & POLITICS

CRYPTO CANNA IS

Could cryptocurrency be the answer to the cannabis industry’s digital payment roadblocks?

B Y E M M A S I M A R D I L L U S T R AT E D B Y D I A N A G O N Z E AU X What is cryptocurrency? By now, most people have heard of it and understand that it’s a digital money exchange, but for many that’s where their knowledge ends. For most people, it’s just a buzzword.

Cryptocurrency is a public accounting ledger that is accessible to anyone with an internet connection. It was created in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto, whose true identity remains anonymous. Because cryptocurrency is not controlled by any governments or banks, customers are able to use their money however they please—for buying and selling goods and services, just as they would with cash—for significantly smaller transaction fees. For example, sending money to another country usually takes one to four days and tends to cost between $35 to $45 in transaction fees, plus a cut of the exchange rate; with cryptocurrency, users can expect a fee of $5 or less, with a 1 to 1.5% cut of the exchange rate, and their money transfers in an hour or less.

Cryptocurrency exchanges happen directly between merchants and customers. It’s similar to using cash without the liabilities of cash. “A company that adopts cryptocurrency payments can just bypass the whole issue of, ‘How do I accept digital payments when Visa or Mastercard or my bank won’t work with me?,’” says Peter Wilkins,* a veteran of the crypto industry. The cannabis industry in particular is one that has struggled with digital payment roadblocks. Due to federal prohibition, cannabis businesses are not allowed to use banks for their transactions. Because the cannabis industry is already so comfortable operating on a cash-only basis, accepting cryptocurrency payments to reduce cash liabilities seems like a natural progression.

One major difference between cryptocurrency and cash is the ability to print or create more. Cash is printed by governments and, when an excess of what is already in circulation is printed, inflation happens, causing the value per dollar to decrease. Additionally, political unrest can make the value of the dollar more volatile.

Cryptocurrency largely combats these issues. Bitcoin, in particular, which was created as the original crypto token by Nakamoto in 2009, is resistant to inflation.

Bitcoin was printed in a finite amount (21 million tokens) and is slowly being released to the public for purchase.

More bitcoins will never be created, so the value per coin continues to go up. But not all cryptocurrencies are printed in a finite amount, so not all tokens are inflation-proof.

Understanding how cryptocurrency works can be somewhat complex. The digital tokens are stored on something called a blockchain, which is the operating platform and the digital registry of every transaction that takes place. But what makes it so valuable? “It’s run by the largest, most powerful computing project on the entire planet,” says Wilkins. It’s more powerful than all of the supercomputers from every government

and bank combined. And everything is enforced by math—there’s no cryptocurrency CEO. “It’s just hardcoded mathematical operations that control things like the supply and how the transactions are secured,” says Wilkins. The cryptocurrency CPU (central processing unit) can’t process anything besides cryptocurrency, but it does it so well that the ledger is virtually impossible to tamper with.

There are now thousands of cryptocurrencies being exchanged on the digital market today, and several of them cater specifically to the cannabis industry.

PotCoin and HempCoin are the top cannabis cryptocurrencies as of this writing, but it changes regularly. It’s a rapidly growing industry, and doing your research is crucial before making an investment.

“It’s important to educate yourself on why Bitcoin has forged this path,” Wilkins says. He suggests starting with reading the Bitcoin Whitepaper, which is essentially the constitution of cryptocurrency. “It just lays out the why and how—all these other cryptocurrencies that exist have basically drawn from what Bitcoin started in that whitepaper,” Wilkins says.

There are a number of pros and cons to consider before integrating cryptocurrency into a cannabusiness. For starters, it’s a legal and secure way to exchange digital currency with low transaction fees and complete privacy. Access to cryptocurrency is available anywhere that has an internet connection, and the funds are settled immediately with total transparency.

Cryptocurrency has yet to go mainstream, so there might not be enough crypto-customers to make implementing the payment method worth it. (It costs about $10,000 to $15,000 to have a cryptocurrency ATM installed.) Using cryptocurrency will also complicate doing your taxes, and since the industry is so new, it’s still somewhat volatile. Plus, with more and more states legalizing medical and recreational marijuana, federal legalization could happen in the relatively near future, meaning traditional banks could soon work with the cannabis industry.

For those who are interested in adopting cryptocurrency into their business, hosting a cryptocurrency ATM gives customers direct access to buying digital tokens. “An ATM is a great way to help your customers get [cryptocurrency], and in turn, the merchant can receive it for payments,” Wilkins says.

The trend, however, is to treat cryptocurrency as more of a savings account than a spending account because the value per token continues to grow. “Since 2009, there has been an undeniable level of success in the cryptocurrency industry, but it has yet to be used as a regular payment method,” says Wilkins. “When people start using it to buy a cup of coffee, or a joint, that’ll be a sign of its success.” *name changed to protect privacy MAINECANNABISCHRONICLE.COM

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HOMEGROWING

The Spectacular and Miraculous Cannabis Seed

BY CH AZ GIL

P H OTO G R A P H Y BY C H A R L I E G I L

As a commercial grower, I have always eagerly anticipated the beginning of Spring and the start of another growing cycle. From a small collection of seed packets, the most remarkable garden can be produced.

It is particularly special here in New England, where we have limited frost-free dates and often inconsistent weather patterns—outdoors that is. It is truly magical to take a dormant seed and with some water and heat encourage it to sprout and achieve its full potential.

There are not many businesses where you can take a single item—in this case a seed—and germinate it and through propagation achieve huge financial success.

This is especially true in the cannabis industry. A single seed from controlled or random pollination can result in a world-famous genetic. At $10/seed, a female plant can be very profitable. There is always room for genetic improvement, and we are far from having the perfect cannabis plant. Breeders can accelerate this process through careful selection, and Mother Nature will continue with natural selection in the natural world.

Someday we may have cannabis with no powdery mildew, shorter flowering times, larger yields, the list goes on. Right now, we are far away from the perfect plant. The potential of a seed is so tremendous it is worth learning more about them.

Seeds are produced as a survival mechanism. It is important to remember that this is really the purpose of a plant: to reproduce and improve overall survivability through the natural selection process. Every plant species has adapted in such a way as to continue its survival through this process. Most cannabis plants are dioecious, which means there are male plants and female plants. Seeds are the product of sexual reproduction, unlike cloning, which copies the parent plant. There are exceptions to this rule; at times, female plants produce male flowers as a result of stresses.

Cannabis seeds can be stored for many years. Some people claim to have stored seed for 10 years or more.

Freezing seeds is possible but not recommended.

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One thing is for sure: the fresher, the better. A seed is much like an animal in hibernation; once conditions are favorable, germination initiates. Heat is the number one influential factor. For the average grower, seed storage is best at 35 degrees F, very dry and dark. Jars and sealed bags stored in a refrigerator are suitable.

What do we look for when choosing seeds? Foremost would be to choose the freshest seeds. Short-term storage is fine, but the fresher the better. Although there is tremendous variation in cannabis seed, the outward appearance of a seed does not indicate future performance. Larger seeds do not indicate a larger and healthier plant. It could be possible to separate a mixed bag of seed based on appearance, but no genetic selection could be based solely on appearance. If you have a single strain selection of seeds, it makes sense that smaller seeds relative to the group can indicate a less mature seed and potential germination problems.

When we watch a seed germinate, what are we actually looking at? When seed is sown, it absorbs moisture and then cracks open. The seed contains enough stored energy to initiate growth until the true leaves emerge and begin photosynthesis. When a seed cracks, the first to emerge is the tap root. This root buries itself into the media and starts to absorb nutrients and water. This root also anchors the seedling. Opposite this root, the cotyledons unfurl and reach upward. Cotyledons are storage tissues and supply the seedling with enough energy to produce the first true sets of leaves. With the true leaves, the seedling has the ability to develop into its full potential through photosynthesis.

One last comment about cannabis seeds. Did you know that hemp seeds, which are commercially available, are a perfect food for humans? Cleaned hemp seeds, commonly known as hemp hearts, contain 30% fat, are rich in protein, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, Vitamin E, and many essential nutrients. They are a “super food” that should be enjoyed by all. And they taste good!

HOMEGROWING

THE MORE YOU GROW

BY KIM EMERSON

I L L U S T R AT E D B Y K AT I E W E I T M A N

Germination is the process of growing cannabis plants from seeds.

Germination can be a term that sounds very scary, and even impossible, to some people. While bringing seeds to fruition can be very rewarding, there is some risk involved. Here, we are going to go over a few different ways to propagate seeds to make sure that you learn about some viable options that are right for you.

Cannabis seeds can be acquired from many different places. To work through that process more clearly, check out the article this month on “Choosing your seeds.” Cannabis seeds require three things to germinate, which are water, heat, and air.

One method that works well is using paper towels. For this, you will need two clean plates, paper towels, and seeds: 1.

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Take four sheets of paper towels and soak them with distilled water. The sheets should be

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soaked but not have excess water running off of them. Some people will wet two of the four paper towels and then apply a dry towel to the top of each paper towel and allow the excess water to be absorbed into it to make sure there is not too much water.

2. Take two paper towels and place them on the plate at least an inch apart and then cover them with the remaining of the two water-soaked paper towels.

3. To create the dark necessary, take another plate and flip it over to cover the seeds (like a dome).

You also want to make sure that the seeds are kept between 70-90 degrees F. After this process, you wait, but if you find that there isn’t enough water still in the paper towels at any point when you check, you can apply a quick spritz with water in a spray bottle to dampen the paper towels again, but do not saturate more than the one time.

Another way of propagating seeds in a more formal method is by making sure you start with as sterile an environment as possible. One of the best ways to do this is to deep clean your bathroom with bleach and bring in an air purifier. You can use any room as long as you can create an “almost sterile or clean room environment.”

This second process is a little more complicated, so you will need some different items, including: One gallon of distilled water; peroxide 3% solution; ISO alcohol 91%; nutrient solution (calcium, magnesium, or calmag, general hydroponic flora microbe series, pH up or pH down, organic agave extract); a pH meter; test tubes; push rod (chopsticks work well too); yeast tube caps (available at places like Home Depot); feeding tube; coco coir; small plastic cups with lids; liquid waste containers; aluminum foil (pre cut to size, you will use these to wrap the tubes); plastic tube holder, and sterile plastic pipette.

Here are the 12 steps for this process to germinate seeds on a more wholesale experience (versus a homegrow experience): 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Clean the seeds and soak in distilled water for 48 hours.

Make your nutrient solution (research required for the specific nutrients you plan to use!).

Soak your seeds in the nutrient solution for 48 hours.

Prep your tools (make sure everything is sanitized and sterilized).

Prep yourself: don’t forget to sanitize your hands and wear a mask.

Prep your work area.

I cannot say this enough, to reduce contamination like mold, etc.: Sterilize, Sterilize, Sterilize!

Create the coco-plug: Take a pinch of coco coir and load it into the feeding tube. In this case, the feeding tube is used to keep the walls of the test tube clean while depositing the coir. You want about ¼ inch of coco coir in the bottom of the test tube.

Soak the seeds in peroxide for 15 SECONDS, no longer. (After removing the seed, clean the seed with nutrient solution or distilled water to neutralize the peroxide.)

Prepare the test tube.

Wrap the capped test tube.

Place seedlings under a light source.

Check these every other day for progress! Many people are discouraged from germination because of the prices of seeds, the time that it takes, and the risks.

However, you may find stronger and more potent plants grown from seeds. I hope this illuminates a couple of different ways to germinate seeds and how different each strategy can be. You can also adjust after seeing results and come up with what works best for you and your grow space!

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15

HEALTH

Is There a Cannabis Cancer Connection?

B Y K AT I E W E I T M A N P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y M AT T H E W B O U R G E O I S There’s been a lot of hype around cannabis use among cancer patients, and for good reason. As with many other diseases, such as Lyme Disease or Multiple Sclerosis, cancer patients use cannabis largely to treat symptoms like chemotherapy-induced pain and nausea.

But unlike many other disorders cannabis is used to treat, research shows cannabis may be able to not only treat cancer symptoms, but may also actually combat the disease. While many current cancer treatments, most notably chemotherapy and radiation therapies, are literally poisonous, cannabis may offer a safe, natural alternative that has minimal side effects.

Researchers and medical providers initially became interested in the potential for using cannabis to treat cancer patients after seeing how HIV/AIDS patients responded. The success rates of cannabis in treating cachexia (or wasting syndrome) led many to believe that cannabis could be used to help treat the side effects of chemotherapy. Researchers have since found that cannabis not only treats the side effects of chemo, but that it also seems to increase its efficacy when treating certain kinds of cancer. There is also some data to suggest that cannabinoids can also increase the efficacy of radiation treatment, but there is less research into radiation than chemotherapy.

In addition to the dozens of anecdotal success stories, recent research shows great promise in using cannabinoids to treat cancer patients. Studies dating back to the 1970s have shown THC slows tumor growth.

Subsequent studies have shown that cannabinoids— THC as well as others—not only slow tumor growth, but also promote apoptosis (cell death) in certain cancer cell lines and interfere with neovascularization (that is, it limits blood supply to tumors). This helps prevent migration, adhesion, and matastization—i.e., the spread of cancer to different parts of the body. And, it seems cannabinoids do this in a targeted manner so that only cancerous cells are destroyed. There even seems to be some evidence that as cannabinoids kill diseased cells they simultaneously fortify healthy ones.

Interestingly, cannabis seems to treat certain types of cancer better than others. Research has shown that cannabis has high success rates in killing skin and bladder cancer cells and seems to be effective at preventing the spread of breast cancer and shrinking tumor size in patients with glioblastoma.

Cancer Research UK has helped fund Dr. Chris Paraskeva’s research into the potential benefits of

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endocannabinoids and THC in treating bowel cancer, and a review done by the California Men’s Health Study found lower rates of bladder cancer in cannabis users.

There has been more research into the effects of cannabis on certain types of cancers than others.

Several studies have been done to assess the viability of cannabis as a potential therapy for breast cancer, for instance. There have also been a number of studies done on the effects of cannabinoids on gliomas (brain cancer) and leukemia. Researchers have also looked into the effects of cannabinoids on glioblastomas, astrocytomas, and neuroblastoma (all forms of brain cancer), prostate cancer, testicular cancer, colon cancer, uterine cancer, thyroid and lymphoid cancer and tumors, lung cancer, and skin cancer.

While cannabis seems to be an effective treatment for certain types of cancer, it also seems to increase tumor growth in some cell lines. A notable example is breast cancer, where cannabinoids seem to be very effective in treating certain cell lines, but seems to accelerate tumor growth in other models. A new report out of the University of California San Diego School of Medicine shows that THC actually accelerates head and neck cancer in patients with HPV. Another very famous study done in Sweden, which surveyed almost 50,000 men, found higher rates of testicular cancer in heavy cannabis users. The results of this survey appear to be validated by other recent studies. So not all cancers are created equal when it comes to cannabis treatments.

One reason that certain types of cancer may be more receptive to cannabis treatments is that certain types of cancer cells have higher than normal levels of cannabinoid receptors. Some argue that this shows cannabinoids don’t just happen to kill cancer cells, but that the human body is programmed to respond this way. Supporting this assumption is research that shows endogenous cannabinoids like anandamide, an endocannabinoid structurally similar to THC, kill cancer cells in a similar way to their phytocannabinoid counterparts. There is ample evidence available to support the idea that patients with stronger endocannabinoid systems have better success rates, and several case reports have shown a dose-dependent relationship between cancer cell levels and the amount of concentrate used. There is also some evidence that cannabis users are at decreased risk for certain types of cancer, like lung cancer.

There are many methods of consumption utilized by cancer patients, but perhaps the most common is hemp oil. Generally speaking, cancer treatment calls for high doses of cannabis, making concentrated forms of cannabis especially useful. Full-spectrum methods are also often preferred so that various therapeutic molecules can work synergistically to attack cancer from multiple angles—for instance, THC appears to reduce tumor size, whereas CBD seems to prevent the proliferation of new cancer cells (CBG has also been shown to have an effect on the spread of cancer).

One product that’s received a lot of press in recent years is Rick Simpson Oil (RSO). In 1997, Rick Simpson, a Canadian engineer, suffered a serious head injury that resulted in unbearable tinnitus. Vaguely familiar with the concept of medical cannabis, and unable to control his symptoms with medications prescribed by his doctor, Rick decided (against his doctor’s advice) to check it out and see if it was really the ‘miracle drug’ that many contemporary researchers were proclaiming it to be. Rick found that using cannabis greatly reduced his symptoms without any notable side effects. Then, in MAINECANNABISCHRONICLE.COM

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2003, Rick was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer. He had come across a study done in the ‘70s that seemed to show THC actually killed cancer cells in mice. Having personally experienced significant relief himself when using cannabis to treat other maladies, Rick decided to see if cannabis could really work to treat his cancer. He made a concentrated oil and applied that topically to the cancerous spots on his arm and bandaged them. Within a week, the spots were gone, and Rick was convinced that cannabis didn’t just treat but could actually cure cancer. So he started spreading the word of his success and sharing his cannabis concoction with over 5,000 others suffering from debilitating diseases free of charge. He was met with resistance by the Canadian authorities and has had 2,600 plants confiscated and been convicted on criminal charges.

RSO is now considered a standard treatment by many cannabis providers looking to help patients with cancer.

Not only has there been a strong correlation between RSO use and reduced tumor size and remission rates, but it also appears that THC and CBD increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Because of its high potency RSO can have more side effects than other forms of cannabis, the most frequent being increased drowsiness. Patients who are looking to treat side effects of other therapies might prefer vaporizing (which acts much more quickly) or edibles (which come in much lower doses). There

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have also been several studies on the effectiveness of synthetic cannabinoids, such as Drabinol (synthetic THC) and Nabiximols (synthetic 1:1 THC:CBD), but they don’t seem to work as well as their natural cannabinoid counterparts.

Although there have only been a small number of controlled experiments involving humans, there are a plethora of studies that have been done using cancer cell lines and mice. Of course, more research needs to be done, but the results of these in-vitro and animal studies show great promise and have researchers and medical providers hopeful about the treatment potential of cannabis. The biggest concern most providers report when it comes to the use of cannabis as a treatment option in cancer patients is their lack of knowledge on the subject. While they are familiar with many of the potential benefits, they are unaware of which products might work best and what the potential drug interactions might be. Concerns relating to lung damage or minor cognitive impairment may not matter as much to terminal patients, so the issue seems to be less about the long-term effects and more about basic education on medical cannabis.

SCIENCE

The Healing Pathways and Properties of CBDa B Y K AT H L E E N B R A D L E Y, PA - C

CBDa, or cannabidiolic acid, is the cannabinoid precursor to the more commonly known compound cannabidiol, or CBD. CBDa is a truly remarkable cannabinoid given its ability to exert therapeutic effects at low doses. CBDa has been shown to be a potent neuroprotectant, antidepressant, anti-anxiety, antiinflammatory, and anti-nausea agent. Due to the surge in popularity of CBD, CBDa has taken a back seat; the majority of the studies use rodent models at this time,

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and research on CBDa is still in its infancy. However, we can still extrapolate a few potential areas where CBDa can be used therapeutically in humans. Here, we will discuss CBDa’s unique pharmacological properties, potential applications, and current research.

CBDa occurs naturally in the cannabis and hemp plant as a raw, unheated cannabinoid. When CBDa is heated or exposed to sunlight, it undergoes a

chemical process known as decarboxylation. During decarboxylation, CBDa loses the acid (a) group and becomes CBD. Some may be familiar with this process, as it is commonly used to turn THCa into THC. Although both the raw acid forms of cannabinoids as well as the decarboxylated forms have significant therapeutic benefits, CBDa has its own unique pharmacological healing properties that could potentially provide additional relief for patients.

When compared to other cannabinoids, one aspect that makes CBDa unique is its pharmacokinetics.

Pharmacokinetics (“pharmaco” meaning drug and “kinetics” meaning movement in Greek) is how a drug moves through, or is processed, in the body. A substance’s pharmacokinetics describes how it is adsorbed, metabolized, distributed, and removed from the body. CBDa’s unique pharmacokinetics include: high bioavailability, quick absorption into the bloodstream, and a strong affinity for the COX-2 enzyme and 5-HT1A receptor.

CBDa has been shown to have a high bioavailability, or the amount of a substance that enters the circulation once it has been consumed. For example, a drug that goes directly into the circulation, also known as an intravenous drug, has a bioavailability of 100%. The higher a substance’s bioavailability, the smaller the amount of that substance is needed to achieve the desired effect. Smoked THC has an average of 30% bioavailability, whereas ingested THC (edibles) has a bioavailability that ranges from 4-20%. Recent computer simulation model studies have predicted that CBDa has a bioavailability of up to 90%! When compared with most other cannabinoids, CBDa is extremely bioavailable, allowing patients to use a smaller amount to achieve a therapeutic effect.

CBDa also demonstrates the unique ability to be a strong selective COX-2 inhibitor. The COX enzyme is responsible for signaling painful inflammatory responses. CBDa has been shown to inhibit the COX2 enzyme, therefore blocking pain and inflammation pathways in the body. NSAIDs (or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), like ibuprofen, naproxen, and celecoxib, help with pain by inhibiting the COX enzyme as well. Common concerns when using most NSAIDS are gastrointestinal upset and increased occurrence of cardiovascular-related events, such as heart attack or stroke. CBDa has not been shown to cause gastrointestinal upset, but rather can aid in relieving many gastrointestinal issues. To date, no research has been done to see if CBDa has any negative cardiovascular effects associated with a COX-2 blockade. The ability of CBDa to selectively block the COX-2 enzyme could potentially prove to be a therapeutically superior anti-inflammatory when compared to traditional NSAIDs, although more research is still needed at this time.

CBDa, like CBD, is non-impairing and has been shown to have anti-anxiety and antidepressant properties.

These effects can be partially attributed to activating the 5HT1A receptors, a subtype of serotonin receptors.

Both CBD and CBDa activate these receptors; however,

CBDa has been shown to have 100 times greater affinity for the 5HT1A receptor. In mice, it has been shown that the doses of CBDa needed to aid with anxiety are 10,000 times lower than those for CBD. It has also been demonstrated that CBDa works remarkably well in relieving anxiety in mice under conditions of high stress. Due to these factors, CBDa may offer anxiolytic and mood elevating properties at doses much smaller than CBD. In addition to helping with mood and pain, CBDa has also been shown to be very effective at treating nausea at very low doses. Using the 5HT1A receptor, CBDa appears significantly better at preventing toxin nausea, motion-induced nausea, and anticipatory nausea (also known as psychological or conditioned nausea and vomiting) when compared to CBD. Up to one-third of chemotherapy patients experience anticipatory nausea, which can present several hours before receiving treatment, and to date no pharmaceuticals exist that significantly help relieve this kind of nausea. Sublingual, or under the tongue, administration of CBDa appears to be an amenable treatment option for nausea, due to the small dose needed and CBDa’s high bioavailability.

CBDa also has some unique properties unrelated to its pharmacokinetics that could prove to be helpful in treating patients. Unlike other cannabinoids, CBDa does not interact with the CB1 or CB2 cannabinoid receptors. CB1 receptors are located in the brain and spinal cord, and when activated are responsible for the psychoactive effects of THC. CB2 receptors are primarily associated with immune response. CBD weakens THC’s ability to bind to the CB1 receptor, therefore decreasing the psychoactive effects of THC. Given that CBDa does not interact with CB1 receptors, the psychoactive effects of THC will not be inhibited by CBDa if given concurrently.

Finally, CBDa has demonstrated the ability to be a strong neuroprotectant, potentially aiding in the treatment of neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases. In conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Alzheimer’s, a significant amount of inflammation and damage is caused to the brain and nervous system. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, or PPARs, play a role in decreasing inflamed nerve cells as well as managing the malfunctioning units within the diseased cells. CBDa has been shown to activate PPARs more effectively than CBD, again meaning smaller doses can be used by patients.

CBDa shows great promise as an anti-inflammatory, anti-nausea, anti-anxiety, and antidepressant. Its high bioavailability, rapid absorption in the bloodstream, and high affinity for 5HT1A receptors, as well as the COX-2 enzyme, make it a uniquely powerful cannabinoid at low doses. Ultimately, this could translate to huge cost savings for patients. We have only begun to scratch the surface of the myriad of therapeutic potential of CBDa, and more research is needed to elucidate the full range of healing effects that CBDa has to offer.

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CANNABIS COMMUNITY

The Comeback IS Greater than the Setback B Y AW P P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y R U B Y J E A N P H O T O G R A P H Y There is no question: each person walking the Earth has known someone affected by the disease that has plagued us for centuries – cancer. For the bravest few who have been affected by cancer, the journey back to health may be filled with hills, mountains, curves, and bends, but as Sonja Lang and many like her have demonstrated, there are also meadows, valleys, and mountaintops through the journey, and wellness wins!

As a nursing assistant for 20 years, Sonja spent her days helping patients while they underwent their healing process. Along with her training, she gave her patients the encouragement they needed, accompanying it with the compassion necessary in a time where a smile, however simple it may seem, has the potential to be the light in someone’s darkest day. Nursing is an occupation that requires not only professional training, but also a high level of selflessness and a boat load of compassion and empathy, characteristics embedded in Sonja Lang, a 37-year-old wife and mother, who in an instant had to abruptly put aside her love for caring and helping others to focus on her own journey to healing.

Born in Oklahoma City on the Tinker air base, Sonja and her younger sister by two years, Lindsay, and their parents made the nearly 2000-mile trek across the country to make Concord, New Hampshire their new home. While in high school she met Ryan, and the high school sweethearts were married after high school.

Nearly 23 years later, the Langs have created a home built upon friendship, supporting each other through growth, surrounded by love and family, and providing a home that gives a safety blanket of love to their fiveyear-old daughter Penni, a blanket that wraps tighter through the most turbulent of times.

On September 27, 2018, after a routine checkup, Sonja received devastating news from her doctor. She had an aggressive form of breast cancer, and it was at stage 3, which required immediate treatment. Sonja had to stop working, an added weight that was not needed at the time. Within the same month, her husband Ryan, a senior master automotive technician, had severe cervical stenosis and also required surgery, putting him out of work as well. Sonja joked lightheartedly that the two became one, her right side had been impaired and his left side had been impaired. So, the two operated as one, becoming the part their partner needed. The Langs took this time of change in stride, allowing it to draw them together instead of fighting it. Previously expert planners with everything in its place, the Langs found in this time to let each day present itself and they would show up as their best selves.

With aggressive stage 3 breast cancer, Sonja had to have a port placed, undergoing four surgeries and having 14 lymph nodes in her right breast removed, as well as having to make the very tough decision of having her ovaries removed. Sonja also received 35 rounds of aggressive radiation, 30 rounds of Herceptin

and Perjeta (breast cancer targeted medications), and 16 rounds of aggressive chemotherapy over a period of 19 months. One of the treatments used is known as “AC,” or as patients call it, “the white devil,” a chemotherapy treatment that is extremely potent. Sonja recalls the nausea, hair loss, and feelings of debilitation after undergoing rounds, her body feeling the side effects as well as having to emotionally process what she was experiencing.

It took strength Sonja drew from her deepest parts, never missing a step to care for her husband and daughter. Most cancer treatments are aggressive and take a toll on a patient’s body; the side effects vary, yet each one takes its respective toll. Sonja found that cannabis medicine eased and reduced the effects of her aggressive treatments, cannabis bridging the gap created by the cancer medication. After treatments, Sonja would be weak and unable to move, finding herself laid out “flat on the ground.” Once taking hash rosin capsules or a flower form of cannabis medicine, within minutes she was able to get up and spend time with her daughter and husband.

Sonja received her cannabis medical patient card in New Hampshire, but even as a veteran, medical cannabis was overpriced. After Sonja began sharing her story on social media, friends reached out, and Sonja started coming up to Maine where she not only found affordable medicine, but also a community of caregivers who care about their patients and the importance of those patients receiving chemicalfree medicine.

After trying RSO (Rick Simpson Oil), Sonja turned toward using hash rosin capsules organically grown and made by RoxiGrey, a medical cannabis farm located in Maine. Hash rosin capsules have proven to be a form of medicine that is most effective for Sonja. Taking a trip to Sanford, Maine to a dispensary called Vetted Cannabis, Sonja encountered not only friendly service but also people who care about veterans. Maine has a wealth of quality medical cannabis caregivers, and allowing patient reciprocity has given more patients the opportunity to receive medicine that is grown chemicalfree with the potential to improve their day-to-day well-being. When that medicine is also incorporated with the correct dietary and habit changes, within time, a patient is able to bring about the restoration of the body’s defense system.

Sonja serves as a witness to cannabis medicine.

According to Sonja, cannabis saved her life. Although undergoing treatments is now behind her, for the next 10 years, Sonja will be on Tamoxifen, which has side effects. For the last 13 months, Sonja has been in remission, each day taking in moments to heal her body, mind, emotions, and spirit — all of which, over 19 months, supported her, prevailed, and remained strong.

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Sonja’s emotional and spiritual healing path brought her to sharing her story and experiences — the good, the bad, and the grey. By boldly sharing her story, Sonja has helped countless patients find their voices amidst the noise to share their stories, freeing them from the shadows of the unknown. Educating many who want to help but don’t know how, filling the void, and creating a safe space for all to share and learn, as well as understand how life changes after cancer, Sonja hosts a podcast twice a month where she brings cancer survivors and patients together to share their stories. Her podcast is called Sonja’s Saviors and is available on Youtube. Creating an NGO under the same name and taking time while she heals and prepares for nursing school in the Spring, Sonja has handcrafted and personally packaged more than 218 cancer care packages for patients over the last 13 months. When she is able, she even personally delivers these packages!

With a diagnosis that could have left Sonja preparing for anything, it instead catapulted her to a position where she can not only help patients in hospital beds, but also bring comfort to those who receive her personally crafted packages, those who read her inspirational and motivational posts on social media, and everyone who listens to her podcasts. Sonja encourages those who may feel like giving up to hang in as each day is different, educates people about cancer and its effects and side effects, and helps those who wish to learn more about alternative medication, like cannabis, and how it changed her life. Sonja is an example to anyone that your comeback is greater than your setbacks .

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SCIENCE

M A I N E ’ S PAC K AG I N G A N D C O M P L I A N C E C O N U N D RU M

BY DOMINIC D

P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F K N O T PL A S T I C

This isn’t going away anytime soon…

That’s a bold statement, but so true in today’s booming Maine cannabis scene…the demand doesn’t seem to be going away, and the supply is doing its best to gain ground.

That being said, there’s a whole lot of herb to wrap.

We’ve come a long way from the roll and lick baggie days, friends. With the increasing regulation of state government and its complex requirements, along with the growing competition requiring more marketing, there are only more layers to come—such are the demands of creating and maintaining a high-quality and caliber of flower, concentrates, edibles, and more.

That’s a big pile we’re starting to create here. Sure, we are looking at livelihoods for the hard-working people of our fair state, alongside friends from beyond. But at what cost to the Earth, our home and provider for the plants?

What can we do to assure that the plant we all admire, respect, and learn from will not create the next mountains of trash from Babylon? This plant, along with its expansive healing properties, teaches us to respect nature and its beings and not to create a waste stream that rivals big beer and tobacco.

Canna-trash blowing down the side of roadways…like fast food wrappers leaving trails of cheap consumption and excess in their wake…

Are there any options to counter that surge? As we increase our foothold in the mainstream wellness industry, will cannabis be an innovative leader and continue to pioneer forward against all odds?

Many believe it can. There are caregivers in Maine taking all of this into account and are each, in their own ways, standing behind their beliefs and contributing to conservation and sustainability.

Companies such as Kind & Co. prefer glass jars both for displaying and retaining the quality of the bud through an extended cure and for the reusability/ recyclability of the packaging. Some manufacturers are expanding their horizons (or foundations) into the realm of bio-friendly packaging, like remotely based design agency Scarlet Fire. Good for your dome and good for your home.

So far, there is only one in-state manufacturer that we know of, Knot Plastic, based in Saco, which will soon be introducing child-resistant, pre-roll tubes and 19-dram

K NOT PL A S T IC P OP TOP PR E - ROL L JOI N T T U B E

pop-top containers. Their containers are made of their Knot Plastic,™plant-based alternative products that are 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable. You can check them out at knotplastic.com.

For the time being, you will need to seek solutions from other cannabis-friendly hotspots around the country. Here’s a short list of our favorite producers and distributors, utilizing a variety of eco-minded approaches to the challenges that lie ahead for this growing industry. These great folks can help you find your way. calyxcontainers.com Calyx Containers: They create protective packaging as purposeful, sustainable, and beautiful as that found in nature. Premium-quality recycled/recyclable concentrate and flower containers, pre-roll tubes, and inventory systems. Based in Massachusetts.

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sanapackaging.com Sana Packaging: Designs and develops cannabis packaging for a circular economy using 100% plantbased hemp plastic, 100% reclaimed ocean plastic, and other sustainable materials. A Colorado company. sungrownpackaging.com Sun Grown Packaging: Eco-friendly cannabis packaging made from recyclable and compostable materials. Their printing process uses water-based coatings and soy-based inks, and they source their materials domestically. Founded in Oakland, California.

We’ve got a lot of work to do before this issue is resolved. But you know what else is not going away?

The perseverance of the cannabis community and our adaptability to the times. The demand for the incredible product being generated here and the need for a solution will drive us where we need to go. Maine will continue to protect its vast beauty and high-quality cannabis for the future to enjoy, as we have, much like the generations before us who started this movement— with their box of baggies and a dream.

hemp.press Hemp Press: The first and only all hemp paper, printing, and packaging company; built from the ground up with sustainability in mind. Based in Washington. damadistributing.com Dama Distributing: They are pioneering the development of sustainable and home-compostable compliant packaging for the cannabis and hemp industries. Based in Colorado. hisierra.com HISIERRA®: The only certified child-resistant exit bag made from renewable and sustainable plant-based (sugarcane) raw materials. Manufactured in a clean and green, renewable energy, wind-powered, LEED™ certified factory located in the heartland of America.

K N O T P L A S T I C RY R U S S E L L , F O U N D E R

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HER HIGHNESS

st s, grab the neare k ic k ld o se o th p So lace u in e up some Kesha cu d n a s, g in g g pair of le d! t’s get stonercize Le . st li y la p fy ti your Spo

I

t’s time to bring one of our greatest cultural secrets into the light: a lot of people work out high.

There’s still a social stigma around marijuana, particularly in the health and wellness industries. But using weed and working up a sweat are natural bedfellows, and here at Your Highness’ Royal Headquarters, I refuse to allow you, my fellow Weed-Lovin’ Mainers, to be shamed into avoiding cannabis-enhanced workouts!

But listen, don’t take my word for it.

For you, loyal subjects, I have done the very scientific work of compiling all of the best anecdotal evidence and pop culture references to

A 2019 study [...] reported that those who incorporated pot into their workout routines exercised an average of 43 minutes more per week than those who didn’t

demonstrate — nay, prove — to you that you can get up off that couch and get yer butt moving. Even if you’re usually high all day, ya big old stoner.

So lace up those old kicks, grab the nearest pair of leggings, and cue up some Kesha in your Spotify playlist.

Let’s get stonercized!

Weed Is a Mean Green Motivation Machine A 2019 study of cannabis-using exercise enthusiasts published in the journal Frontiers of Public Health reported that those who incorporated pot into their workout routines exercised an average of 43 minutes more per week than those who didn’t.

The same study also reported increased enjoyment of exercise, more motivation, and reduced workout recovery time. Kinda makes you wonder how us stoners got the bad reputation of sitting on the couch eating chips all day.

The HIGH TIMES Bonghitters’ Legacy of Championships Think stoners can’t be great at team sports? Wrong! Just ask The Bonghitters, HIGH TIMES magazine’s New York Publishing League softball team, who in 2015 earned the moniker of “the Yankees of New York Media Softball” from Bloomberg News. In other words, they win. A lot.

If you google your way through interviews with team members, it’s

pretty clear though never confirmed (weed is still illegal in New York) that many of the Bonghitters get high before games. Whether they’re hitting the bong to reduce pre-game anxiety, improve their focus, or just have more dang fun out on the field, the team’s synergy with weed keeps adding up to newsworthy championships year after year.

Sore Muscles Have Met Their Match in CBD CBD has been thoroughly studied for its anti-inflammatory effects, making it the archnemesis of a sore, inflamed muscle. There are some outstanding full-spectrum CBD and 1:1 CBD/THC salves made here in Maine, like Crystal Spring Healing’s 100mg (CBD/ THC) Healing Salve or 400mg CBD salve from the folks at Royal River Botanicals’. Slathering some topical CBD onto sore joints and muscles works wonders to keep you moving after a tough workout.

But don’t limit your topical CBD ritual to just after your workouts. Topicals of any kind can be used before your workout to minimize minor muscle pain, too. Experiment with this affordable, natural remedy to find the pain-reducing combo that works best for you.

Arnold’s Big-Ass Muscles Dig That Sweet Cheeba Before he ever became the Governator, gifted us with the iconic and oft-quoted line “it’s not a tumor,” or went head-to-head with James Earl Jones as the barbarous gladiator Conan, Arnold Schwarzenegger was a championship bodybuilder. He was also a self-proclaimed, unabashed cannabis user.

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At the age of 30, Arnold appeared in the bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron, in which he famously smokes a joint at fellow muscleman Lou Ferrigno’s birthday party.

He later discouraged the director from cutting the scene in a theatrical re-release because it wouldn’t be “truthful.” One thing Arnold doesn’t tell us in the film, though? How to deal with the munchies so we can get hella baked and also have those totally ripped abs.

Weed Can Make Boot Camp Feel More Like Summer Camp Not everyone exercises because they love it — some of us do it to lose weight, remediate a health issue, or because we feel it’s something we “should” do (note: starting an exercise regimen if you haven’t been active warrants a check-in with your medical advisors to make sure you can exercise safely).

But weed opens up the opportunity to turn our workout vibe from dread to shred.

In an interview with the Daily Star, cyclist and outspoken potadvocate Roger Boyd recounts his two-year, 19,000-mile bike ride, for which he got stoned on the daily simply to get more enjoyment out of the ride.

Anecdotally, weed can help you have more fun exercising, and some athletes report being able to push through fatigue or minor pain when high. So if you’d rather be home on the couch hitting your vape instead of working up a sweat, why not see if that vape can make your workout more fun?

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Weed Will Help You Find That Flow, Jo! It’s no secret to marijuana aficionados that a nice hit of a heady strain will send your mind blasting off to all sorts of cool mental destinations.

Your Highness recently enjoyed a pleasantly potent sativa-dominant strain grown by Ripple Wellness called Triangle Mints, which paired perfectly with an evening yoga class.

When we asked a local yoga instructor why she thinks responsible

Weed opens up the opportunity to turn our workout vibe from dread to shred.

adult cannabis use prior to attending (not teaching) a yoga class is a good thing, she replied, “the mind-body connection is really complex, and weed can help you relax into the flow of things and stay present.” Some gyms embrace their weed-lovin’ members. Before the pandemic, Hustle & Flow Movement Studio in Portland offered a yoga class called High Vibes, for which students were welcome to imbibe (before coming to class) and vibe on the mat.

That “flow” is an often talked about

but little studied phenomenon for which we have a lot of slang: feelin’ it; vibing; in the zone. But whatever you call it, try a sativa, known for its “heady” effects, to boost focus and tap into that flow.

Weed Pumps Up Your Runner’s High If you’re just getting started with exercise, it probably sucks. It hurts, you feel out of breath and frustrated that you can’t go faster, do more reps, or keep up with the rest of your enviably fit fellow barre class students.

Even in those early stages, exercise offers a pretty cool perk — the “runner’s high,” that feeling that sets in after vigorous exercise. Scientists reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America that the neurotransmitter that strenuous exercise produces is the same one triggered by smoking weed. A great opportunity to double your fun!

Additionally, the THC stored in the fat cells of cannabis users may enter the bloodstream as fat is converted to energy during a workout. So even pot pros will want to be careful here — work out safely, and if you feel too high, take a water break. And maybe reserve the gravity bong hits for times when you’re not about to run a marathon.

So there you have it, loyal subjects.

Feeling motivated? Great! Give some of the above suggestions a try and get moving. Chances are, the gal sweating on the treadmill next to you is high too.

ART & CULTURE

A RT I S T P RO F I L E : A B B E T H RU S S E L L B Y D I A N A G O N Z E AU

A R T WO R K C O U R T E S Y O F A B B E T H RU S S E L L

A B B ET H RU S S E L L , U N PLU G G E D I N T H E E L E C T R I C O C E A N

Snow falls softly on the western prom this Tuesday afternoon, drawing the world close, white and grey.

From over the hill a shock of pink bobs just into view and dances between the tree trunks. The pink shock shifts into a head of hair. This is Abbeth Russell, who has graciously agreed to sit for an interview. Abbeth has been a notable member of the Portland art and music scene for many years since moving to town to finish her education in painting at the Maine College of Art. Her work has appeared in over 65 shows in the greater Portland area since 2010, and in 2012, Abbeth began the Hidden Ladder Collective alongside cofounder Will Hessian. In addition to her work in the visual arts and organizing in the art community, Abbeth performs in The Bumbling Woohas, a touring band since 2013.

(Interview has been edited for length and clarity.)

MCC: Where would you say your creative practice began? What’s your earliest memory of a creative-type project?

Abbeth: When I was a really little kid, even before I knew how to write, I was keeping notebooks and journals. I was really inspired by Harriet the Spy, so I was really into hiding out and drawing people and drawing situations, and then when I could write, filling notebooks and journals with my thoughts. And I was really into bugs when I was a kid, so a lot of the content of my journals were weird bugs and stuff, and I feel like over time that kinda shifted into those bugs being more like

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A B B ET H RU S S E L L , W H E N W E R E A L I Z E D W H E R E W E C A M E F RO M I I

imaginary realm creatures. But yeah, I grew up just like in the woods without cable and stuff, so my brother and I were always making stuff and building stuff. I lived in a pretty creative house; my mom’s a weaver and my dad’s always building stuff out of wood. And I lived with my grandma too growing up, and she did rug weaving. So there was just a lot of building stuff and like the general concept of, y’know, if I had gone to my grandma and asked, “what should I do today?,” she’d always be like, “draw me a pretty picture.”

MCC: When you start a painting, do you usually think of a story you’re trying to tell first? Or is it more like a feeling that you want to evoke?

Abbeth: Um, I would say more of a feeling. I kind of have two approaches to working on paintings. One of the approaches is I just go to the panel and start putting paint down and it just builds from there. I definitely don’t have any writer’s, I mean painter’s, block.

I just go for it and stuff just comes out. But the other approach that I take sometimes if I wanna be more directed is, I still keep a ton of sketchbooks and just like fill them up with drawings, and so a lot of times if I’m going to start a series of paintings, I’ll flip through the sketchbooks, and I’ll scan in the drawings I feel excited

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about and print those off because I know I’m going to get paint all over them, and I don’t want to use my originals, and then use those as kind of like a jumping off point. And so yeah, I’d say the storyline often develops as I go. Like I kind of react to what I put down.

MCC: Do you feel your paintings are ever finished?

Abbeth: Yeah, yeah definitely. When they’re done I feel like they kinda — this sounds weird — but I feel like they kinda glow a little bit. I just kinda like, know, they feel like they’re alive. I very much believe in art having a soul, and I know it’s done when I feel like it has that soul.

MCC: Is that soul something you’re giving to it, or something else, something you meet along the way?

Abbeth: Um, I feel like it’s a collaboration between something deep inside me and something far outside me. And when those things come together, that’s what gives [the paintings] life.

MCC: So since I’m here from the Maine Cannabis Chronicle, do you consider smoking part of your practice, is that something that you regularly do?

Abbeth: No! That’s funny because when Michael was like, “do you want to do an interview with the cannabis chronicle?,” I was like, “well I really don’t really smoke weed that much.” Like, I can’t really handle smoking weed. I’d say I smoke weed a few times a year, and when I do, it’s more like a serious experience. I feel like I almost use it in the way that some people use psychedelic drugs because it affects me really strongly.

MCC: What kind of recreational activities do you find help you creatively, like in your time off?

Abbeth: Wow, I struggle with the concept of time off because my life and my work are so intertwined. That’s been something I’ve been trying to work on during the pandemic, like to not be in constant high-stress work mode like, produce, produce, produce! One of the things I’ve been trying to do during the pandemic is do yoga and meditate and go for a walk everyday, in addition to playing music and painting everyday. But I guess those aren’t really recreational. Oh! Playing games too, I love playing games. If you saw some of the stuff about Hidden Ladder Collective, you might have seen that my friends made a board game, which I was the lead playtester for, PBL ROBOTS, so that game is really important to me, and games in general.

ART & CULTURE

SONGS OF THE PSYENTISTS B Y D I A N A G O N Z E AU

P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F T H E P S Y E N T I S T S

An upside of this past year has been the ability to stay in and maybe let things get a little weird, wouldn’t you say? That seems to be the case for Psyentists, a genredefying musical duo of self-described psychedelic astronauts comprised of John Sargent Patterson and Jephirsun Danger, who have been in their respective labs and focused on leveling up. If you’re interested in the avant-garde, the experimental, jam sessions, visionary art, or you just want something to listen to while you do some mental traveling of your own, these are the guys for you.

Jephirsun was born in Hyannis, Massachusetts and raised here in Maine, where he met John—or Sargent Dingo, if you prefer—a native Mainer hailing from Winterport. After taking a couple of classes together at NESCOM in Bangor, the two truly connected at the Germination Music Festival in Harmony in 2017. After spending the day running an art tent, Jephirsun had set his gear up and started playing a renegade set, which attracted Dingo’s attention, and they ended up making a lot of cool noise. That was the inception of the Psyentists.

Their genesis at a music festival has served as a solid foundation for the music they create together, as did

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their shared curiosity when it comes to sound. They both cite a wide range of influences—punk, hip hop, EDM, jazz, lounge, dub reggae, techno, grime, trap. As Danger put it, “a musical stew that we create each time we get together. Never exactly the same thing twice.”

They aim to have a little something for everyone, it seems, and welcome any attempts to genre them.

We touched base via video chat so I could pick the brains of the mad scientists in their natural setting.

How would you describe the music you create?

DINGO: Psychedelic dub trap improv? Livetronica is a years-ago term.

DANGER: Slash. Electrock. Someone’s even called it reggaestep. You don’t pick the genre, the genre picks you.

DINGO: We’ll have a contest.Poll the crowd, winner gets to name our genre.

DANGER: It’s a jumble juxtaposition, influenced by a wide variety of genres from growing up as 90s kids.

We’re not writing it with any necessary intent, it’s so improv, we’ve never rehearsed a set. We have a few songs we’ve written that we both are familiar with that we’ll throw into the mix, but that’s the most we have as a rehearsal.

What first got you into music?

DINGO: I was brought up in a very musical household, learned piano at a young age, took classical lessons, was in the church choir. Steeped in all of that, by the time I was a teenager, I wanted to learn as many instruments as I could. I was also experimenting with computers and making music on MIDI and other rudimentary sequencing software. My love of both things coalesced into a love of making music with computers. My main instrument has always been trumpet. I will bring a lot of electric trumpet into our live sessions.

DANGER: I was always around my mom playing a lot of rock and pop. I saw rock stars on TV, and it was something that left an impression. Dressing as Bruce Springsteen as a kid, with a red bandana and a mic stand, wanting to be a rockstar. Michael Jackson was a huge influence. My mom listened to a lot of pop and classic rock—Aerosmith, Boston, Fleetwood Mac. I got into a lot of rock early on, but around 13 years old, I started getting into my own music. My dad lived in Massachusetts, which was more urban, so my cousins listened to hip hop. I started playing drums in middle school, that was all we could afford at the time, but that was one of the most essential moments in music for me, learning percussion, which taught me rhythm. I got a guitar for my 13th birthday. It was hard being in a rural area and wanting to start a band. The computer programs that evolved into what we have now were more accessible. I really took to it because I could write all these components and just become the band. The programs made up for not having the other members to make a proper band. Then it became a solo thing, and I realized, “oh, I’m a producer now.” After college, I joined the military and stopped all that, but when I got out, I went to NESCOM and met John, and I got into the newer versions of DJing. I had turntables when I was 15, which really amplified wanting to DJ and produce. More recently, I saw Tash Sultana, who is a one-person band, does looping like John, and writes a beat, then will layer them, etc., and do it all live. Imagine having a band of DJs. Who are your main inspirations?

DINGO: A wide range. Big fan of Phish and the way they play together and improvise and how they’ve developed their own musical language. Dave Tipper.

He’s a mad scientist like no other with his sound production. Watching his live shows along with the live visuals by Android Jones is one of the things that really brought this thing together. It’s a little bit of emulation, but I wear my influences on my sleeve. Beardyman is another great one; he’s not as well known, but he is a beatboxer out of England, and over the years he developed a live looping system, at first using a series of chaos pads and then eventually inventing an entire bespoke live-looping system. This guy does livestreams on a very regular basis, and his deal is that he creates music all from his mouth, all of the sounds that come out of his system are initially from his mouth that he samples himself, and the effects go on top of it.

DANGER: I’m really into synth music. For older music: Pink Floyd, Gary Numan, Junkie XL does symphony scores, he’s a good synth DJ. As far as what we’re doing,

our style, one of my biggest influences is Emancipator.

He kind of does what we’re doing but with other influences. Flows and waves. I like Soohan and Antten-aye. These are newer DJs that do a lot of psy-dub meshing of tribal world sounds with deep bass. But also Miles Davis. Bob Marley. That’s what makes our sound... what’s critical to our sound is that we are influenced by musical minds, a certain aesthetic of sound that we like, there’s a science to it, and we know the science behind it and put it to the test.

What has your creative process been during the pandemic?

DINGO: We have managed to get together a number of times, but the majority of our output has been on an individual basis. We’ve both been trying to figure out our best personal individual voices and methodology so we can level up.

DANGER: We have been learning new equipment. It’s essential to sit back away from each other and master our gear and how we can best go through workflow or set up new ways of mapping. There’s so many different ways to reconfigure setting it up. A lot of the process is troubleshooting through that, trial and error, bored of this setup, etc. Lots of discovery processes. When we do get together, it’s magic because we have all these new ways to interface with each other.

Let’s experiment. All of a sudden beautiful music starts pouring out of us. We kind of have a digital language that is based on timing and tones. We have a certain understanding of how music works.

How does cannabis influence your creative process?

DINGO: It factors in in a major way. I tend to use cannabis to open up my neural pathways and let my emotions spill out through the equipment and the instruments I’m using. It allows me to become one with the music. It’s always brought us together as well, it’s unifying.

DANGER: It has many factors. As far as medicinally, I have a lot of pain, both from the military, as well as from being pretty wild growing up. Having a neck pinch injury, it helps ground me. It adds a synchronicity between the music and your own personal vibe. Bob Marley said smoking weed helps you find yourself. It helps me get into that mindset. A lot of anxiety builds up as well, like when you are going to perform. It helps open you up to the dream state, daydream state.

DINGO: Curiosity.

DANGER: Sometimes it keeps you from getting stuck in loops, keeps you moving forward and progressive.

Sometimes it does help me feel hyper-focused; I can notice things I need to change or that are just right.

Favorite strains?

DANGER: He’s the doctor over here.

DINGO: I do a little bit of growing myself. Citron Cookies. Right now, I’m smoking on Groot, a nice sativadominant, as well as Mac and Mac Punch. Those are my jams. I work at New England Reserve, which puts me right in the nexus of where everything’s happening.

DANGER: I lean towards the gassier, cheesier strains.

Right now, I have been smoking Do-si-do, Don Mega.

Indica strains, I like the couch lock, the wind down. I’m MAINECANNABISCHRONICLE.COM

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kind of a hyper guy, so it helps take that and level it out.

Makes me not so Danger, more Jephirsun.

DINGO: Ratios and science.

DANGER: Glitches get switches. Crossfader action.

Funniest story?

DANGER: We had a really interesting set in my backyard one summer. This was back when it was a larger group. We had a guitarist with us as well; he did a lot of noodling, jam-band style. He had effects and would play an electric guitar. We set up in the backyard with my PA. I’m right in the middle of Brewer. There’s a stoplight right next to my yard, which has a natural stage due to the terrain. We set up a tent and were jamming up there with a lightship and projector. We started around 2:00 in the afternoon and went on and on and on. It was like a nonstop progressive jam. I have about two and a half hours on video, which comes to an abrupt end at 10:20 p.m. The cops showed up after someone made a noise complaint. They felt bad…they had been driving by repeatedly because they were interested and liked it, but we had to shut it down.

DINGO: “Wow you guys have quite the setup going here…How does it work?”

What’s next?

DINGO: Expand our audience. If that means starting out small, playing festivals, playing small gigs, I’m great with that, but eventually, I would like to get more of our material recorded. I did go to NESCOM for audio

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engineering. So I have the skills to put it all together. I’d like to get it out there on Spotify and pump it out to everyone.

DANGER: Big picture down the road, we’ve talked about the visual side. I’d like to add more of an avantgarde theatrical element, like Shpongle. Imagine something Cirque du Soleil-ish on stage while we are doing these improv sessions. I think It would be really fun to get into concept stuff, like Peter and the Wolf was a song that was turned into a play…We could do something like that with our digital format. For me, I would like to get to a point where we are avant-garde, have other people involved with theatrics, dancers, something to that degree, and if not, the same thing, adding textures of light shows, 3D projections, creating a visual accent that impacts the music. I want you to see sound, hear color.

DINGO: Force some synthesis.

DANGER: Think Hendrix before he died. He wanted to go to Berklee and learn classical music, learn how to read it, learn a little more about theory.

It seems the Psyentists are on a quest to discover all they can about the science of sound. In fact, they made one important discovery during our conversation—a shared childhood of dressing up as Bruce Springsteen.

If you find yourself intrigued and want to play Name the Genre, check them out on Facebook and Soundcloud.

Enjoy your trip!

! ng o l A ow l l Fo

Support Local Growers.

SNOWBLIND

Snowblind Cannabis Fairfield, Maine

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FOOD & TRAVEL

420 Minutes: South Portland B Y I A N S T UA R T

PH O T O G R A H BY J O S E PH S O H M I M AG E U S E D U N D E R L I C E N S E F RO M S H U T T E R S T O C K .C O M

South Portland is a great town if you like being pulled over for minor vehicle violations and shopping at poorly lit retail stores. It’s a joke, the lighting in most retail stores is brighter than prison spotlights during an Alaskan jailbreak. That’s a joke too; I love South Portland, from shopping to dog parks, I spend the majority of my time as a Portlander, in SoPo. South Portland has had a variety of pot shops open recently, and I felt it was time to make the rounds and visit as

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many as I could while taking in the local fare. So I set out to South Portland with a list of dispensaries and the intent to grab breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Pre-breakfast, pre-anything for that matter, is coffee. I did not go to a fancy coffee shop or a well-established chain. I went to a gas station that makes coffee for vagabonds without taste buds. Cheap, hot, and filled with more sugar than a chubby kid on Halloween, it

does the trick. Due to a hastily placed lid and a quick stop, I wore most of the coffee I planned on drinking.

Wet, but determined, I made my way to the first stop of the day, The Maine Cannabis Exchange.

force a shop vac cleans up sawdust on a concrete floor.

Covered in barbeque sauce, I take my car out of park and head towards a place sure to have a dab or two for me, The House of Hash.

I friggin’ love this place. Jillian and Mike, the budtenders, were fun and informative, offering insight into each product I asked about. The shop offers a potent collection of in-house strains and products as well as a fantastic array of top-shelf items from many of the industry leaders in Maine. I picked up some in-house edibles: juicy gummies and a heroic 300mg milk chocolate bar, on top of some insanely delicious peanut butter brownies from Buzzed Bakery and a couple of mighty effective lemonades from Highbrow. They had many standout strains available, almost all in-house, and with such a serious array, it was hard for a wook to choose. I picked up some slices of Blue Nana, Tart Pops, and their Sunny D Mac, which tastes and smells like pungent orange peels that your old-school stoner uncle used to add moisture to a dry bag of chronic. It’s one of my favorites in all of Southern Maine. If you haven’t tried MCE’s Sunny D Mac, you are doing yourself a disservice; go treat yourself! Leaving the store with a bag big enough to fit a whole bale of ganja, I head out in search of a proper breakfast.

The place looks like a bank in a Two Chains music video.

It was hard not to be impressed with how sleek and modern the space was; regardless of how many times I asked, they wouldn’t let me open a checking account.

Cody and Patrick showed me around the futuristic room, landing on the wall of hash. And, as I was at the House of Hash, I thought it appropriate to grab some here. Looking for something that was unique to them, I was referred to their False Teeth concentrates. With a powerful citrus and rose tea bouquet, I was thankful to have a handheld vape in the car. The rose tea flavor was so strong when taking a hit I started looking around for a small stone statue in my shop bag. No statue, but I did find a couple complimentary gifts to help redden the whites of my eyes.

Heidi’s had been recommended to me, and after perusing their menu online, I called in an order for pick-up. I went with a bacon breakfast burrito, for my health. Crunchy, greasy, and cheesy, it paired with my Slurricane preroll with the same strength in bond that “fuck” pairs with “yeah.” I like eating in my car, I have a place to sit and put my stuff, plus few people get the chance to watch me eat like an overzealous bear with a cooler full of hotdogs. I polish off the burrito, sound out the drum solo to a Peter Gabriel song, and I’m on my way to the next dispensary.

Highly was right next door. Alex and Wayne helped me pick out a couple house prerolls, Mr. Nasty and Punch Breath. The Mr. Nasty was a wonderful tasting hybrid that was physically relaxing and euphoric, perfect for a post-coffee blaze. The hippie highball was in full effect.

Looking for something that was unique to the area, I was sad to hear that they were out of slices of their inhouse strains. They had a phenomenal selection from other gardens and directed me towards a strain grown in living soil by Maine Grown, Erez from Tukon. Wayne said it was a great strain for people suffering with digestive issues, like ya boy, and noted it was a strain that saw many repeat customers, so I had to pick it up.

In high spirits, I head out to peruse the local salvage store and grab a light lunch.

The salvage store was a bust. I almost bought a samurai sword, but while I was waiting in line, I had enough time to snap out of my white trash knife hypnosis and run from the store, thank god. Looking for something smokey and sweet, I head to Moe’s for some barbeque.

I order the pulled pork sandwich, again, for my health.

Moe’s is decorated like a deadhead’s freshman dorm, so I felt completely at home. I take the sandwich to my car and unwrap it the way a villian unwraps a dirty bomb in a movie. I inhale meat and bread with the same

Thai food had been the dinner plan from the beginning.

I knew I was going to be in the area of my favorite Thai spot, Pom’s. I am addicted to their drunken chicken; if I ate any more of it, I’d need an intervention. I call to make my order — “30-40 minutes” — damn, Pom’s is hot tonight! With some time to kill, I head out to the Beach Boys dispensary on the outskirts of SoPo. I get switched and turned around on my way out there and accidently land in front of a sign that reads “Maine Vintage Toys.” I friggin’ love toys from the 80s and 90s.

I pop in and find an astonishing collection of all the toys I pined and fawned over as a young kid. I met the owner, Jesse, who couldn’t have been nicer. He offered me two for one on some Spawn action figures. I wasn’t planning on picking up toys on my little weed trip, but hey, Spawn action figures rule, and it was nice to support such a cool local business. Plus, he didn’t seem to care that I smelled like Peaks Island skunk on Phish Lot. With new toys and Thai food waiting, I hustle over to Beach Boys.

Beach Boys is another dispensary that reminds me of a bank, but a bank that also sells skate shoes and wakeboards. A friendly young staff helped me pick out a slice. Looking for something I could only find at Beach Boys, I went with their Galactic Glue, a fluffy earthy strain that was a nice mellow daytime smoke.

I make my way to Pom’s to pick up my food. I grab my bag from the pick-up table just as the restaurant is closing, jump in my car, and open the bag to start devouring my meal. Across the parking lot, I see the sign for Grass Monkey, about to close. Might as well stop in and grab a last minute dessert joint. I quickly make my way into the exoticly decorated store and grab a preroll of their Pute Breath, which was recommended to me by the staff.

Feeling accomplished, I settle back into my vehicle, open the bag of Thai food, and take out my meal. I immediately realized I was too high to remember to grab utensils before the restaurant closed and suddenly felt a whole lot less accomplished.

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FOOD & TRAVEL

Book Review:

The Art of Cooking with Cannabis B Y K AT I E W E I T M A N

Cannabis has been moving towards the mainstream for over a decade now, and this means broader inclusion in mainstream media. Marijuana is not just relegated to cult classics like Up In Smoke anymore, and the archetypal lazy stoner is no longer the norm. Everyone from your best friend’s grandmother to your next door neighbor is probably familiar with the basic arguments being made by outspoken activists—it cures cancer, it’s safer than alcohol, etc.

Chef and author Tracey Medeiros is doing her part to spread the cannabis gospel. Her fifth cookbook, The Art of Cooking With Cannabis, has been described by Esquire Magazine as, “less of a whoa, weed approach to cannabis cuisine and more like a traditional cookbook your [really cool] gran would keep on her bookshelf.”

Tracey told me that the motivation behind this project was born of her growing intrigue in the reported health benefits of cannabis. She found herself frequently

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coming across articles purporting the wellness properties of cannabis and thought “why not write a cookbook that would showcase cannabis and all the wonders of it and the food community throughout our country?” Tracey herself uses a variety of CBD products and has become very interested in the potential of cannabis to improve the health and wellness of many in these trying times.

So Tracey began ‘seeking out folks that looked at cannabis as an art form, who really took pride in looking at this plant and wanting to elevate it as a serious ingredient.’ The project showcases the important work being done by hemp and cannabis farmers across the country. In The Art of Cooking With Cannabis, Tracey introduces her reader to chefs, hemp farmers, cannabis activists, and entrepreneurs, who each provided her with key information to share with her audience.

Tracey’s first four cookbooks, The Vermont Farm Table

Cookbook, Dishing up Vermont, The Vermont Non-GMO Cookbook, and The Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook showcase the connection between locally sourced food and innovative chefs. A fierce advocate of the farm-to-table movement, Tracey feels it is important for the reader to see the relationship between chefs and farmers. It is her goal to ‘help farmers stay on the land and continue what they’re doing’ so they can inspire the next generation. It is Tracey’s belief that for cannabis to become as mainstream as possible it is critical for these farmers to stay on their land and feel supported. “These farmers are like rock stars to me,” she says.

The book is broken down into three chapters: CBD Cannabidiol; Hemp; and THC - Tetrahydrocannabinol, which are further broken down by region. Tracey says the decision to break the book down this way wasn’t made until she had compiled the majority of her included recipes. Once she looked at all the included submissions, she thought, “Wouldn’t it be interesting to divide the book by regions, thereby enabling folks to see what each of these areas were doing with cannabis and how they were incorporating this plant into their local cuisines?”

During our interview, Tracey explained to me a little about her process. “I like to hear the stories from the folks that I feature in my books; they guide the direction of the project. These heartfelt interviews also influence each of their profiles. For this particular book, which focuses on cannabis, it was important to understand how the plant is being utilized and to include contributors that look at cannabis as a serious culinary ingredient.” Tracey told me she first asked all contributors to nominate an organization that they felt was worthy of a portion of the proceeds, as it is very important to her to give something back to the community. (A portion of the proceeds from Cooking with Cannabis will be donated to Open for Good, a campaign by the James Beard Foundation that is seeking to help independent restaurants survive the COVID crisis and rebuild and thrive for the long term.)

“I want [my contributors] to be both happy and proud of this project,” Tracey explains. The finished book was sent back to her contributors for their approval because she wanted to give them final say. She remained open to new information or changes they wanted to see up until the very end. “I wanted to be mindful and thoughtful of how they wanted to see this book unfold […] It’s like a symphony, these people are artists, I don’t want to stifle their creativity.”

Cooking with Cannabis is meant to appeal to amateurs and experts alike. Recipes vary in difficulty, and the cannabis facts range from the basic differences between hemp (a non-psychoactive variety of Cannabis sativa containing less than 0.5% THC) and cannabis (the psychoactive variety of the plant) to a more detailed breakdown of the secondary compounds found in cannabis plants. Whether you know cannabis or cooking well, or know nothing of either at all, there is something in this book for you.

“Writing this book was a unique experience,” Tracey told me. “I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity to create a cookbook of this nature. You really don’t know how this type of project will turn out until the very end.

The best way for me to describe my writing process is through this analogy: Initially, it is like being in a dark room. As I continue to develop my ideas, the room starts to become a tad brighter. With each successive step, the project becomes clearer. Upon the book’s completion, the room becomes as bright and sunny as a warm summer’s day.”

Tracey then asked her participants to contribute a recipe or two that best showcased their skillset or best showcased what they grow, though she hesitates to ask for any specific type of recipe. “I’ll give them little hints and support them,” but she really likes to encourage their own creativity. Each recipe is then tested by Tracey or one of her associates. “For these folks, their recipes are more than a creation, they are a passion.

They represent something that deeply energizes and gives these contributors’ a purpose – this is their love,” she says. She sees her project as ‘a community cookbook where everyone has a voice.’

Finally, she asked her contributors what they wanted to see in the book and if they had any information they’d like to include with their submissions. Tracey asked all of her ‘experts’, as she likes to call them, what they most wanted to see in the book and let them provide facts, pose questions, share information, and guide the research. She included sidebars—or little snippets of information about cannabis—that were submitted or inspired by her recipe contributors.

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SHOWCASE

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Garlic Stars Blended Hash Rosin Wisely products are available at Wisely Cannabis in Sanford, ME and at quality medical storefronts. Follow them on Instagram @wiselyhash.

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Stir Fry - BHO Badder

PB Studly

Green Truck products are available at Green Truck Farms in North Berwick, ME, Green Truck CBD in Kittery, ME, and at quality medical storefronts. Follow them on Instagram @greentruck3.0.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry, Dark Chocolate Maine Sea Salt, Cookie & Cream, Dark Chocolate Pretzel, White Chocolate Pretzel, Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut, White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Toasted Almond, and White Chocolate Raspberry 120mg bars.

Caniba products are available at Caniba Naturals in Farmington, ME. Follow them on Instagram @canibanaturalsofficial.

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CULTURE

Strain Safari with The Strainger B Y I A N S T UA R T

Absolute Chronic Farms I rolled up to the Absolute Chronic Farms office in Gorham with a buddy. It was supposed to be a quick stop as we were headed out to Highland Lake to spend the afternoon clambaking our buddies’ ice shanty.

Before I even say “hello,” Jason from ACF presents me with four jars stuffed with expertly cured buds.

“Everyone is looking for that Bubblegum,” he laughs as I pop open the container and take a massive whiff of candied vanilla and pine. “We are always out of that Banner too.” I get hints of leather and dark fruit, the visualization of a study filled with books and overripe apples and red grapes. The last two jars could be in a produce aisle — Grape Tape and Planet of the Grapes. As a total sucker for a good strain name, I immediately throw a nug of the Planet into my handy pocket bowl. I am taken by how smooth and flavorful the hit is. A potent mix of fresh clove and grape-flavored hard candy. I finish the bowl and promptly pack up the Grape Tape, which has a rich savory quality to it like a homemade pie filled with late autumn fruits prepared with a recipe calling for extra sugar and spice. The two different strains paired perfectly; relaxed and happy, head high with a body buzz. After a great conversation, my buddy mentions the ice shanty and how late we were running. As we make our way out the door, Jason throws us an infused pre-roll, and I thank him for his generous hospitality. We jump in the car and head towards the lake as I take out the pre-roll. “Flower, live resin, and kief,” I say out loud. My buddy quickly shoots me an eye as he’s driving, “Should we wait and smoke the preroll with everyone on the lake?” I pull a lighter from my pocket, light the giant joint, and laugh, “What pre-roll?” Needless to say, we got lost on the way to the lake. I’m pretty sure it was karma for not sharing that giant joint.

Cheeba Hawk Cheeba Hawk, a local Portland delivery company, was nice enough to drop me off a little care package on a Saturday night. They stopped by as I was about to make nachos, a dish that I have perfected over my many years of being a fat stoner with a ravaging addiction to cheese and foods that “crunch.” I decide my creativity as a chef will only be heightened if I allow myself a quick safety break before hammering together my nacho ingredients. Cheeba Hawk was nice enough to line me up with a variety of strains. Tropicana Punch and Pineapple Express both had fruity/earthy fragrances. I dug the dark, piney smell from the Purple Cindy, one of those strains that could sit you on the couch with just

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its aroma, but I landed on the fourth strain I was sent, the Blue Widow—bright and bold notes of overgrown fir and evergreen combined with honeyed citrus. I grind a nug the size of a small cellphone and roll it into a joint that dwarfs my index finger. I decided that my plan of action should be to make the nachos and throw them in the oven, head out back and spark the jibbah, and come back inside to perfectly timed finished nachos. I throw my hurried dish into the oven and head to my back porch with a canon hanging from my mouth. If the first hit had been any cleaner, it could’ve been hired as a janitor at a mop store. The citrus came through with each puff, and the herb was hitting about as smooth as a bass line in a neo-soul hip hop track. I had planned to smoke half the joint, but got lost in the sauce, smoking it all. My cheeks were warm and elevated while the high sat atop my head like a paper crown. I was baked. I went inside to a timer going off and smoke billowing out of my oven. The nachos! You know the weed’s good when you make two meals; most times, I get to eat the first one too.

K. Family Farms A friend recommended I try K. Family Farms, and I’m glad they did. I got a few strains and some pre-rolls delivered to my house by the well dressed manager, Joey. As someone who has a vast collection of Jordans and Nike SBs, I could completely appreciate the dunks he was rocking, and in the snow no less! After a pleasant conversation about our mutual love of shoes, I was presented a neatly packed bag of jars containing beautifully cured herb. The packaging was clean and professional like upscale salt water taffy targeted to the mucky-mucks visiting gift shops in coastal Maine. I was excited with the strains they had selected: Motorbreath #15, Cheesy Rider, Animal Mintz, and Goji OG. The Motorbreath was sharp with an aroma of fresh-tilled earth and peach blossoms. The Goji OG was impressive both in its buttery aroma and in how crystalised the bud was; if the trichomes had been any bigger, I would have been able to see my own reflection. The Animal Mintz was fruity and light; the jar smelled like an open box of diabetes-inducing children’s cereal filled with marshmallows and sugared fruit rings, but better. They were all killer strains, but my favorite was the Cheesy Rider. Well manicured nuggets of dark green sparkling like a goth’s costume jewelry at an industrial metal concert. It was as if pine tree sap had been boiled down with Mountain Dew, and as a white trash dude from Maine, I can’t tell you how much I appreciated

and adored both the smell and taste of the bud. With a potent and uplifting high, after ripping a gorilla finger on my back porch, I decide I should try to organize my shoe collection. My motivation quickly dies as I stand in front of a closet brimming with retro basketball shoes and see the real task ahead of me. I choose to head back outside and smoke another gorilla finger while looking up the availability of Joey’s dunks online.

High as Hell with High Striker It’s five in the morning, and I’m wide awake. I’m stinging with a chronic insomnia that hangs over me like a broken backboard holding onto an old rusting basketball rim without a net. I’m outside the front of my house smoking a bowl of the Tropicana Cookies from High Striker Farm in sweatpants, Jordan 4s, and a fur-trimmed down jacket. The Tropicana Cookies couldn’t be nicer. Perfectly cured and trimmed, the dark purple bud is hard to miss.

It’s purple-purple, so purple it would make the Joker’s suit look light blue in comparison. With a distinct aroma of citrus rinds and Lava soap, it’s a clean-tasting flower that will remind you of orange-flavored hard candies.

As I take a second healthy hit off my bowl, I notice my neighbor open his front door, light a cigarette, and nod sheepishly in my direction from across the street. He takes a few steps down his front walkway, “No rest for the working man, huh?” I can hear him address me as he unlocks and starts his ice-cold truck sitting idle in his frozen driveway. I take another hit of the sugary citronflavored flower. He hops out of his truck and flicks his cigarette butt into the street. “Only a few of us have the privilege of working this early!” His vocal tone is bright but has a false level of enthusiasm only a T-ball coach could truly muster. I realize he thinks I’m starting my day, readying myself for eight hours of hard work. “Haven’t gone to bed yet, bro!” I shout back to him as I hold up my bowl like it’s a crucial piece of evidence at a crime scene. His expression shifts as his feelings about me change in real time. He realizes I am not an early rising member of the work force like himself. I am just some weird, grown-ass man getting high at five o’clock in the morning in the middle of a suburban neighborhood dressed like every drug dealer from every indie film from 10 years ago. He went from thinking we were brothers in arms to “fuck this hippie” almost immediately. As he drove off to work, he gave me a short, formal wave without looking in my direction. I’m almost positive that what he actually wanted to do was flip me off with both of his hands like he was Stone Cold Steve Austin in the ring with Vince McMahon. I waved him off and took another hit. Insomnia might suck, my neighbor might hate me, but g’damn can High Striker can grow some fantastic marijuana.

just sitting in my cupboard waiting for a night like this. There wasn’t much information on the packaging, and I had gotten it from my editor after a meeting. It had the name of the company, a graphic, and a list of ingredients, but I did not spot a THC amount. Based on my previous experiences with most edibles, this treat could be anywhere from 10 mg to 1,000 mg. Rolling the dice, I heat some milk on the stove and place the cocoa bomb in a large pink unicorn mug. Pouring the steaming milk over the bomb, I watch it transform from something that looks like a bar of decorative soap into a hot cup of cocoa that includes marshmallows, fruity pebbles, and sprinkles. My pink unicorn mug had truly come to life! I start to inhale the deliciously decadent drink in a similar fashion to a dry-vac inhaling a light spill on a tile floor. I’m a fat kid, let’s be honest: I drank the cocoa faster than an athlete chugging bright food dyes on a Gatorade commercial. I had made a mistake in my haste, however. The sugar and milk hit my stomach harder than a gut punch from a coked-up kangaroo. After a few moments, the feeling passed, and I waited to see how strong this treat was going to be. It was strong, and the high was thick and dense, much like the cocoa. I sank into my couch and felt a warmth spread across my face like I had just come in from shoveling sheets of ice off a frozen driveway in a sleet storm. I was incredibly relaxed and cozy, stoned to the gills. I noticed my television remote was only three feet away on the coffee table.

“Time to watch some mindless shit and zone out,” I say to myself as I start to get up. Nope. Too high. My arms are useless, and the couch begins to pull me back like a lover who isn’t satisfied and looking for more. I look at the remote longingly, I reach my hand out, so close yet so far. I figure the mindless shit on television can wait, and I’ll just do the second best thing and zone out for 40 minutes looking at the remote instead.

Lit Girl Goodies and the Remote A few nights ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing Lit Girl Goodies’ Medicated Vanilla Cocoa Bomb. It was an evening about as icy as a snowman with a diamond Rolex, perfect for a hot cup of cocoa. I had been eyeing the rose-shaped treat for the better part of a week, MAINECANNABISCHRONICLE.COM

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FACES IN THE FIELD

FACES IN THE FIELD: King Bishop

B Y I A N S T UA R T P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y M AT T H E W B O U R G E O I S

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King Bishop was born in South Portland, and moved up to Mid-Coast, Maine at 17, as he had family in Belfast. His first experience with cannabis was in the summer of ‘76.

When asked about his first experience with mariuana, King said, “It was enjoyable. It’s always been enjoyable.

I’ve never had a bad experience...well maybe last week when I had too many edibles from Mojo,” he laughs.

King became a caregiver in 2010 after seeing Paul McCarrier at the Common Ground Fair with a jar of weed and a joint behind his ear. From there, King learned how to grow cannabis from his friend, the late Jake McClure. Jake always kept the patients’ needs first, noting that they wouldn’t have an industry without them.

“He was always willing to help. Always helping,” King said of his friend.

King’s first harvest was with Jake’s help, running some of his original Dice, Royal, and Church strains. “Jake was swingin’ by the house every week,” King said “He joked that there was ‘no learning curve there.’” King prefers sun-grown cannabis, which he feels is a better-tasting product with highs that are deeper and longer lasting.

“Strains are important,” King says, “With how short our season is, it can be a hard time growing sativas in Maine.” King reflects on past grows, “We grow a lot of indica strains, indica-dominant strains.” When asked if he had advice for people thinking of growing their own cannabis, King said, “Get your hands in the dirt, grow your own. I haven’t seen a garden full of cannabis that didn’t change somebody’s life.”

Not only does King Bishop farm cannabis, he also farms livestock—beef, to be specific. King got into raising beef six years ago. He had the space and desire to grow and nurture more than just cannabis. “The two go hand in hand,” he said. “Beef has to be cared for everyday.

Doesn’t matter the weather, you have to feed and water the cows. It teaches you not to procrastinate. It’s the same with your garden.” King always made his own beef jerky and beef sticks on a small scale as a hobby. One year, King wanted to enter an edibles contest in the famed Hoe Down on Harry’s Hill. He wanted to enter something unique and came up with medicated slim jims and beef jerky. He won first place at the Hoe Down, as well as receiving the “Best of Fest” award at the end of the season. Unfortunately, because beef is regulated by the USDA and cannabis is not listed as one of the approved grasses, King had to halt production on his delectably popular medicated beef sticks and jerky.

King also ran a medical marijuana university on his farm, teaching people how to grow and cultivate their own medicine. Due to backlash from the state, King started a fundraiser featuring four different coins. Each coin featured the Portland Head Light, with four different federal eagles adorning the backs of the different coins in the set. They were a limited run, with only 800 coins printed, and they were very popular among growers and caregivers in the state, trading at a much higher resale value after they sold out.

King sees the landscape of the cannabis industry changing here in Maine. “It’s important to be active in Augusta. We used to be able to fill halls with caregivers and patients, but people are getting comfortable. Now we see only 20 or 30 people at a rally. Once the folks stopped showing up, we started losing ground, and the lobbyists took over. When we’re not in the fight, the lobbyists are able to destroy years of hard work.” King talks about over-regulation and misconceptions on the lawmakers’ parts. “It’s still farming. They think we’re out here growing ATM machines,” he laughs, before getting serious. “But when you lose your crop, everything is gone. The legislators forget about that. It’s the small guys trying to make a living with one or two employees.

I know people who are worried about paying their electric bill every single month.”

King started to see the market change among his patients who were beginning to favor pot shops over deliveries and wanted to continue to be relevant in the cannabis industry. So he decided to open a brick and mortar location on the historic dock of Belfast. King opened Your Coastal Connection on New Year’s Eve last year. “We have over 50 strains, 20 of which are only $25 a quarter ounce. One of the best selections of edibles you’ll find anywhere.” Dank Commander, Star Dawg, and Strawberry Cough are all popular strains in his shop, where he also has his own King’s Kush, a kush cross he’s been working on for three seasons. King said he has a very strong relationship with his returning patients and gets new patients everyday as well. “I’m usually in the store by myself, which I prefer. I get to know the patients, what they like and want.”

It was a privilege to talk with King Bishop, a contender for the real life title of “the most-interesting-man-in-theworld” and a true living legend in the Maine cannabis industry. Do yourself a favor and go visit King Bishop in Belfast. He will most likely have what you’re looking for.

Find Us @

Portland Me

Lewiston ME

@White_Mt_Canna

Westbrook ME We MAINECANNABISCHRONICLE.COM

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GAMING

Bongcloud Attack B Y G U Y F L A N D E R S A R T I N G I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y S T I C K Y

2021 is starting pretty alright. Phil Spector is dead, and the former president is lucky enough to have been impeached twice. That being said, I think literally everyone agrees that 2020 was a cursed abomination of a year and thanks the Lord Jesus Himself that it

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is gone and buried. Just to give you an idea of how backwards 2020 was, we lost: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, MF Doom, John Prine, Eddie Van Halen, Alex fucking Trebek, and Chadwick Boseman, just to name some famous ones.

But while plague and government incompetence ravaged our usual social order, chess experienced a boom in popularity. You can regularly find Grandmasters like Hikaru Nakamura, basically the American Magnus Carlsen, streaming on Twitch. To placate his viewers, and probably because chess would be boring to him otherwise, Hikaru regularly performs challenges like playing blindfolded, pre-moving each of his pieces (playing by guessing what his opponent’s next move will be), or by using the bongcloud attack.

Now I can almost hear you scream, “But what, praytell, is the bongcloud attack!?” The attack is one of, if not the, worst openings in all of chess. The origins are hard to find, but the name was likely the result of a 2010 satirical paper attributed to BM (Bongcloud Master) Andrew Fabbro. In the paper, he talks about it being the secret weapon of Ruy Lopez, a Spanish priest for whom one of the most popular chess openings is named. This is largely indicative of the hilarious material contained in the article. Andrew’s number one argument for playing the bongcloud attack? You’re high as a kite.

The opening itself is simple enough, pawn to e4 followed by pawn to e5. This is the most common opening move, for both black and white, in all of chess. Where things get interesting is white’s second move, which is to push the king forward to e2. This

does a number of unique things, least of which is the “whaaaattttt?” you’ll get from your opponent. It prevents you from castling, the only time you get to move two pieces at once in chess, and a move built into basically every sensible opening. And your king is immediately exposed on two diagonals, which allows black to both develop their bishops AND attack your king.

Ok, so it has some downsides, but if someone as good as a Grandmaster plays it, it must have some good qualities, right? I mean, you’ll get more views on Twitch, and maybe confuse your opponent, but that’s a generous read of it. By now, even if you don’t play chess, you can imagine why using the bongcloud attack is a bad idea.

So, why actually do it? Well, if you’re Hikaru Nakamura, the restraint makes things more interesting—not more fair, as he still crushes people with this actively bad strategy, but more interesting, nonetheless. Think of it less as playing with an arm tied behind your back and more like having your legs bound in a foot race.

Wouldn’t you pay to see Usain Bolt hop with his legs bound together faster than most could sprint?

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