Maine Cannabis CHRONICLE
SPRING 2019
$4.20
STRAIN: GHOST DAWG
207-572-1086
KINDAND.CO
@KINDAND.CO
15 HEATHWOOD DRIVE, WINDHAM, ME 04062
CONTENTS
Maine Cannabis CHRONICLE
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Straight to the Dome
B Y N I C K M U R R AY
Cannabis in Maine Politics
08
A Humble Review of Humble Farms of Maine
BY P U F F S E S S I O N S
P H O T O G R A P H Y S E A N PAV O N E / S H U T T E R S T O C K
P H OTO G R A P H Y M AT T H E W B O U RG E O I S
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Maine Product Review
BY C H R I S B L A K E
P H OTO G R A P H Y M AT T H E W B O U RG E O I S
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10
Faces in the Field: Kelly Benson of Mindful Earth
BY C A R I N A C L A I R E
P H OTO G R A P H Y C H E L S E A B E A N
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Humble Family Farms
BY JA K E R I P L E Y
P H OTO G R A P H Y JA K E R I PL E Y
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Root Cellar
BY M R . RO O T S
A Maine Caregiver’s Grow Practices
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CBD for Pets
BY A N D R E W D O O L I T T L E
Pot & Pan Kitchen
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Thought-y by Nature: Flora Puppets
BY S C O T T H I N K L E
A Maine Caregiver Philosophy
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An Interview With ESH Glass
BY C H R I S B L A K E
P H OTO G R A P H Y M R . RO OT S
ART WORK K. J. WILSON
P H OTO G R A P H Y S COT T H I N K L E
P H OTO G R A P H Y M AT T H E W B O U RG E O I S
C OV E R A RT WO R K J E S S E GE ORGI A TO P L E F T P H OTO M R . RO OT S B OT TO M L E F T P H OTO JA K E R I PL E Y
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Maine Cannabis CHRONICLE
PUBLISHER J A M AC H R I , L LC
FOUNDERS M AT T H E W B O U R G E O I S & C H R I S B L A K E EDITOR IN CHIEF R AC H E L F L E I S C H M A N A S S O C I AT E P U B L I S H E R S M AT T H E W B O U R G E O I S & C H R I S B L A K E A RT DI R ECTOR JESSE GEORGIA M A N AG I N G E D I T O R DAV I D B OY E R CHIEF DIRECTOR OF SALES S H AW N B A Z I N E T PRO D U C T I O N M A N AG E R SAR AH HARTFORD E D I T O R AT L A RG E K AT E L I C H T L E CONTRIBUTING EDITORS DIANE RUSSELL MARTHA THOMPSON PHOTO EDITOR JIM BUBBLES PHOTOGRAPHERS CHELSEA BEAN S H AW N B A Z I N E T S C OT T H I N K L E M AT T H E W B O U R G E O I S M R . R O OT S
JAMACHRI, LLC’s publication of Maine Cannabis Chronicle features content about cannabis, hemp, CBD, and cannabis-related products and information. In addition, the magazine features articles, political editorials, legal information and medical news relevant to the cannabis industry. All content within our publication and on our website is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered personal, legal, or medical advice. Both the printed publication and website are intended for those over the age of 21. In the state of Maine, cannabis is intended for use by those 21 and older, or 18 and older with a medical prescription. If consuming, please keep out of the reach of children. JAMACHRI, LLC assumes no responsibility for the the advertisements within this publication. We strive to ensure the accuracy of the information published. JAMACHRI, LLC cannot be held responsible for any consequences which arise due to error or omissions. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.
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MAINECANNABISCHRONICLE.COM
FOUNDER’S LETTER
Matt, Chris and Bruin play tourist for the day.
Welcome to the first issue of the Maine Cannabis Chronicle! MCC is a new magazine dedicated to covering both our state’s established medical marijuana community and the still unregulated and rapidly unfolding adult recreational industry. First of all, we would like to extend a thunderous ovation to all the good people who kept cannabis culture alive during the dark days of prohibition. We owe underground growers, caregivers, and retailers a profound debt. Countless people have had their lives and livelihoods ruined by years of nonsensical, racist, and classist laws. As the tide finally begins to turn, we stand on the shoulders of these pioneers with gratitude and respect. Second, thank you to everyone that contributed, advertised, advised, or otherwise supported MCC. There is an amazing amount of talent and energy in this state and in our industry, with the potential to revolutionize Maine’s entire economy.
So how does MCC fit in? Our goal is to provide something for everyone: practices and philosophies by Maine growers, profiles of businesses and individuals in the industry, relevant political analysis from Augusta and beyond, trustworthy product and device reviews, and space to address issues facing our community. We are eager to collaborate and learn: if you are interested in contributing, or have an idea for a feature, please don’t hesitate to reach out. In this inaugural issue, we have an interview with Kelly Benson, ESH Glass, and a Humble Family Farms article. Maine Cannabis Chronicle is a positive outlet, a helpful resource, and an expression of our unique and vibrant cannabis community. And this issue is just the beginning... Thanks for reading!
M AT T B O U R G E O I S
CHRIS BLAKE
C o - Fo u n d e r
C o - Fo u n d e r
matt@mainecannabischronicle.com
chris@mainecannabischronicle.com
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POLITICS
Straight to the Dome B Y N I C K M U R R AY P H O T O G R A P H E D B Y S E A N PAVO N E
There is hope the state government will begin to deliver on its responsibilities to facilitate a legal, adult-use cannabis market this year. After all, this is what voters passed in 2016. In full disclosure, I worked for the “Yes on 1” campaign as deputy field director, based in Bangor during the general election season. I had thousands of conversations with folks about cannabis in 2015, gathering signatures to put legalization on the 2016 ballot, and thousands more once we made the ballot as Question 1. We worked really hard to make it happen over those years, and at some points it felt like Janet Mills was working against us. Late in October 2016, within two weeks of Election Day, then-Attorney General Janet Mills released a statement saying that Question 1 would make marijuana legal for children. Her office argued that since the juvenile code reflects the criminal code, in this regard, repealing the criminal statute would leave a legal gray area for minors to possess cannabis. Proponents saw this as a cynical “October surprise”—an 11th-hour attempt to sink the campaign. It nearly succeeded. The margin of victory on Election Day was within 0.5%, and after an extensive recount, the results were certified and cannabis was legal for adults to possess, grow at home, and give as a gift. Cannabis reformers were critical of the previous governor, Paul LePage, for dragging the process out as much as he could during his last two years in office. It’s hard to tell how much Gov. Mills will defer to Democratic leaders in the House and Senate on cannabis policy. She is a tough, shrewd politician but, like Democratic party leaders in D.C., she could have a tough time reining in a caucus much more progressive than she is and could be influenced to support opening up Maine’s new legal cannabis market sooner than later.
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By early 2017, it seemed that then-Attorney General Mills had accepted that Mainers want a regulated cannabis market. She called on Congress to allow banks to work with state-sanctioned cannabis businesses. This has been a notorious sticking point for many in the state-legal cannabis industry. From accepting credit card payments to opening bank accounts and paying bills, proprietors have been stonewalled by traditional financial institutions. Mills’ willingness to speak out on this issue showed she understood a crucial part of the struggle for cannabis entrepreneurs. During her campaign for governor, Mills was quoted as saying, “I’m not opposed to adult-use recreational marijuana...you’ve got to do three things with marijuana, cannabis: test it, track it and tax it.” In the same forum, she said that without moving quickly on implementing regulations, the black market would continue to prosper. In late January of this year, Gov. Mills mentioned to the news outlet WGME that she is paying attention to what is happening in Massachusetts. One can only imagine that the fat tax receipts are catching her eye. The structure of the adult-use cannabis market in Massachusetts is very different from what has been proposed in Maine, including a local sales tax option for towns that allow adult-use shops.
On Tuesday, November 20, 2018, the first day of legal cannabis sales in Massachusetts, customers spent $440,000 on cannabis products, contributing about $70,000 in taxes to state and town coffers. In the first week of sales, customers spent over $2 million. Keep in mind, this was the week of Thanksgiving, so the first week of sales numbers only covers five days.
DAFS initially granted the contract to a company from Los Angeles, but another applicant’s appeal forced the state to restart the process. They say that once a consultant is hired, it will take “no less than nine months to draft, finalize and fully implement the rulemaking process,” at which point they will offer another contract to develop the state’s seed-tosale system.
In the four weeks Massachusetts stores were open in 2018, legal cannabis retailers sold $9.3 million worth of product, the vast majority at only two stores, both located west of Worcester. At this pace, 2019 sales are expected to top $14 million, while more stores are likely to open. A third store opened in Salem on December 15, 2018 and more are slated for 2019.
This all but ensures that adult cannabis consumers will not be shopping in Maine this summer, or even before the end of the year.
Meanwhile in Maine, cannabis users live under limited legalization. Adults 21 and older can grow up to three flowering plants, 12 plants in vegetative state, and unlimited seedlings for their own personal use. The state requires that each plant for “personal adult use” is tagged with the person’s name and state ID number. Personal cultivation can take place outside of one’s residence, but requires permission from the property owner.
legal states instead of “Vacationland.” We will turn away thousands of new residents here to work for the industry. And we will forgo millions of dollars in wages and taxes from cannabis sales.
Adults can legally possess up to 2.5 ounces of flower or five grams of concentrates outside of the home and gift it to another adult. But, without a commercial sales permit, adults who sell or trade cannabis—outside of the medical program—are breaking the law. Multiple delays have plagued the process in deploying Maine’s commercial market. After the legislature’s Marijuana Legalization Implementation Committee spent the better part of a year holding hearings to draft rules around licensing, marketing, packaging, etc., the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS) began accepting bids for a consulting company to help write more regulations.
The economic cost of this drawn-out process is extraordinary. Of all the states that voted to legalize in 2016, Maine will be the last to market. We will lose out on thousands of new canna-tourists who will visit other
Great strides have been made, however. In Maine and in New England overall, cannabis use among adults is becoming more accepted. Ten years ago, no U.S. state allowed adults to possess or grow cannabis without participation in a medical program. Twenty years ago, just a few states permitted medical use or decriminalized possession. Maine was only the third state to decriminalize possession of cannabis—after Oregon and Alaska—in 1976. Although the industry is still developing here, it is starting to explode across the country. There is still time for the seasoned growers of the Pine Tree State to showcase their craft in the open. Eventually, the legal green rush will hit Maine, but it requires policymakers to pick up the pace.
N I C K M U R R AY lives in Auburn, Maine and works as a fundraiser in the non-profit world. He has been an activist for causes related to drug policy reform and individual liberty since he founded the first chapter of NORML at the University of New Hampshire in 2010. Views expressed in his writing are his alone.
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PRODUCT REVIEW
A HUMBLE REVIEW of Humble Farms of Maine BY PU FF SESSIONS P H O T O G R A P H E D B Y M AT T H E W B O U R G E O I S
PURPLE PUNCH
Purple Punch
This pleasant hybrid is smooth and smoky, with a juicy flavor recalling Big League Chew, sparkly buds, and a gluey high. Overall she’s calming, with a solid body buzz (delivering relief to some stubborn neck pain), but I did note some tension as the strain worked its magic: my jaw was more active than usual as I plowed through a brief, muddled bout of dissociative self-interrogation. I raced through the usual regrets until it climaxed with a bittersweet release: crying at a credit card commercial.
MAC A stubborn, substantial tear-jerker, delivering a swirly, thirsty high. My lips were bony, my thoughts rambling and softly lit. I drifted into a curious head-space—secretive, slightly stuffy, thirsty (again)—while my skull grew hot and my yawns cracked from some mysterious depths. Overall, I was well-zoned, with rippling visions and indecisive but ultimately soothing impulses.
MAC
SHERB This creamy fruit basket delivers a cheerful high and pleasing “mouthfeel.” After just one
Sherb
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tilted tug, I plunged into a bowl of sweet, savory relief. I emerged with a heady optimism, distracted from—and frankly uninterested in— whatever issues had previously plagued my day. Swerves of color illuminated every scoop as stressors melted away like a drippy summer cone.
M AI N E P RO D U C T S P OTLI G HT
HUMBLE FAMILY FARMS
ROOTS2REMEDIES
PURPLE PUNCH APPLE SAUCE
Coconut Truffles • Two Truffles • 50 mg. each Dark Chocolate Orange Truffles • Two Truffles • 50 mg. each
WHITE ASH CANNABIS PRE ’98 BUBBA KUSH
ROOTS2REMEDIES
Literally pre ’98, the plant has been kept alive for over 20 years!
Herb Crackers • Garlic & Herb • 100 mg.
POT & PAN KITCHEN LYFTED EDIBLES
Hemp CBD Tincture
Medicated Chocolate Truffles
250 mg. 500 mg. 1000 mg.
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FAC E S I N T H E F I E L D K E L LY B E N S O N O F M I N D F U L E A RT H BY CARINA CLAIRE P H OTO G R A P H E D BY C H E L S E A B E A N
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FACE IN THE FIELD
We all knew it would happen - that moment when Groupon would get in on the CBD craze. What once was a hand-crafted product designed to heal pain has now become a product ready for mass commercialization. It’s only a matter of time before Monsanto corn farmers are going to be looking for ways to grow “Roundup Ready” cannabis. Even quick to card gas stations are happily offering bags of CBD gummy bears with 300mg for just $8. The 500mg of sugar, high-fructose corn syrup and tons of weird chemical dyes are free with purchase. Faced with Groupon and gas station CBD, I went in search for someone who cared as much as I do for the old school way of creating CBD-infused products. Is there anyone holding to the holistic approach for our most recent health panacea? Kelly Benson, founder and owner of Mindful Earth Wellness based in Raymond, Maine, is holding strong to the values we share in the local cannabis industry. When I told her about my gas station goodies, she exclaimed, “Gross! I’d never buy CBD oil from a gas station!” Right on, girlfriend. Gas stations are great for microwaved burritos and liquified dinosaur bones, but they ain’t so great for health supplements. Kelly explained that most companies’ products you’ll find in gas stations don’t adhere to the high moral, environmental, or quality standards of small producers, like herself. The owner of a unique business spearheading the cottage industry of hemp-based herbal medicine, Kelly doesn’t consider herself to be a pioneer. Instead she gives credit to her friend Ang and her husband Tucker for inspiring her full transition to plant medicine. Sitting on a trampoline, we chatted about Kelly’s passion for creating hand-crafted CBD-infused products to help her clients find healing. Like so many of us who seek alternative healing modalities, Kelly has enough life experience to really know (and care about) what she is producing.
with her spine straight despite the sag of the trampoline. Her quest for quality came from her own desire to heal and then to help others receive the same maximum benefits she did. In 2012, Kelly made her first tincture, “with lemon balm from my garden.” At first, she only worked to create products for her friends and family. When she saw how much of a difference her tincture was making, she started her own company. The same drive for high quality ingredients sourced locally is the backbone of her business today. Everything she can’t grow in her garden is sourced from a sustainable farm just 20 minutes away, supporting the earth, local farmers, and the health of her clients. There is definitely no high-fructose corn syrup in her tinctures and no tetrahydro glycol in her facial masks. Facial masks? Yes, ladies, listen up. CBD isn’t just about gummy bears and lollipops. It’s good for your skin, too. Really good. Kelly is pointing out her garden, on the right, with its stunning purple cabbages, and turns her head. I notice she doesn’t have makeup on, just clean, fresh, and healthy skin. To my delight, Kelly slipped a few samples into my bag as I left, including her Garden Goddess facial mask, which I of course tried as soon as I got home. After one application, the honey-based mask left my skin radiant and smooth. The Moontime Tincture also proved to alleviate cramping and discomfort during my cycle. The product line is designed for the countless women who are turning to CBD products for the health and wellness benefits now that it is becoming legal and accessible. Kelly herself has replaced the opiates of Western “medicine” with cannabis medicine and conscious self-care. Together, they are keeping the anxiety at bay and her mind focused and centered in the present. And that’s good news for women everywhere who want to channel their inner goddess.
When asked about how she got started with herbal healing, she pointedly quipped, “I’m crazy!” “I’ve been on something since I was 10,” she says, recounting how her strong emotions and anxiety level have always been seen as “something wrong with [me].”
C A R I N A C L A I R E is a traveling Bikram Yoga teacher, dividing her time between Indonesia and New England.
Western medicine claimed there’d be a pill to fix her ills. Instead, that same Western medicine that was supposed to cure her led her down the path to opiate addiction. Kelly overcame her addiction and became a yoga teacher. She sits cross legged just like you’d expect a yoga teacher to sit,
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CAREGIVER SPOTLIGHT
Humble Family Farms BY JA K E R I PL E Y P H OTO G R A P H E D BY JA K E R I PL E Y
Nestled in the foothills of western Maine, lies Humble Family Farms, a blossoming regenerative farm and home to one of Maine’s most well known medical cannabis brands. Doc, who leads the farm, has been a caregiver in the medical cannabis industry for four years, cultivating cannabis for patients and using his platform to bring awareness to the healing properties of the plant.
O P P O S I T E PA G E : Not just plants on this farm. T O P L E F T: A sun-grown canopy over a trellis. B O T T O M L E F T: A final product after months of cultivation.
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Doc is a seasoned gardener, with roots going back to organic farming with his grandmother on the coast of Maine, and a food lover, since his humble beginnings growing up around his family’s bakery. It’s no mistake that family is the namesake of the farm; Doc, his wife and their three daughters have worked together to build out the farm to provide a healthy environment for their family to grow and flourish. Doc’s passions for farming, food, and family spread throughout the farm and its employees as core values — work hard, eat well, and provide for those you call family. After working on large-scale mechanical projects throughout his twenties, Doc returned to his childhood love of farming and got back into the fields later in his life. Most recently, he has moved his vision onto 25 acres of harshly logged land to pursue a regenerative farming lifestyle of manicuring the rough land into selectively grown forest while returning nutrients to the soil. Humble Family Farms’ new venture began with Doc’s design, dubbed on the farm as “food forests.” It’s a design that has been translated into a free flowing composition of meandering paths and flower beds connecting fruit trees with plots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers, which intermingle just as nature intended. To add to his holistic approach to farming, Doc raises poultry and laying hens, which he also uses to turn over the topsoil and fertilize the land after his herd of angora goats cleans up the overgrown areas of brush and small trees. The angoras are sheared twice a year for their wool-like fibers called mohair. Doc is also trying his hand at aquaponics. This past year, he raised a school of 500 tilapia that started out the size of a grain of rice and have grown to the size of a soda can. Some of the fish are paired up for breeding stock, and the rest are harvested for food when they reach a weight of three to five pounds. The wastewater from the system is used as fertilizer for in-line hydroponic beds as well as feeds for other crops around the garden. The future goal of Humble Family Farms is to integrate Doc’s passion for delivering the highest quality medicine to his patients with his love for food and interest in overall wellbeing. His vision is to not only create a healthy place for people to find their food and medicine, but to also create a space where knowledge can be exchanged and displayed for the betterment of the community as a whole, a truly holistic approach to regenerative farming. Maine’s new laws have allowed Humble Family Farms to expand greatly into the marketplace with a web-based delivery system where different regions of the state will be serviced throughout the week. This is Maine’s only current source for Humble Family Farms’ premium in-house products. We had the pleasure of tasting some of their flower. Check out our strain reviews on page 8. T O P L E F T: HHF is home to an array of farm animals. M I D D L E L E F T: HFF Terp Sauce B O T T O M L E F T: HFF’s first shipment of tilapia for aquaponics.
hff207.com
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GROW PRACTICES
Root Cellar B Y M R . R O O T S O F A L I G H T FA R M S
Is “Bag Appeal” all that Appealing? An area where growers are experiencing increased pressure is the need to make their product assimilate to a certain aesthetic via the relatively modern standard of “bag appeal.” This has many positive aspects and has raised current trimming standards. We are seeing less sugar trim shag, less leaf petioles, and little to no ducks feet on flowers for sale. “Bag appeal” can change from region to region, but it largely refers to buds that are dense, trichome covered, tightly trimmed, and relatively uniform in structure, with an absence of smaller “popcorn” buds, or those that are pinky nail sized, in the package. While “bag appeal” is purely superficial, many times it can drive a sale before the consumer even smells or samples the product. Unfortunately, the way a cannabis flower looks has relatively nothing to do with how it can affect you, how it can taste, how cleanly it will combust, or how well it was grown.
Sun-Grown vs. Indoor-Grown Cannabis The modern cannabis landscape is steadily evolving. Medical and adult-use legislation are spurring constant change. Growers, like me, are being affected in production and are seeing changes in the ways consumers view cannabis. These changes are bringing about a need for cannabis growers to examine the market in ways that we have not previously needed to. Due to a steady stream of new personal-use, at-home growers and commercial scale investors, profit and loss, shrinking margins, and increased overhead are of greater concern. Higher market saturation is leaving growers wondering how we will make a name for ourselves. Do we want to rely on “bag appeal” alone or is there a way to grow quality product while also considering the larger environmental impact of the cannabis industry? The changes are largely driven by consumers, who have succeeded in making the market very fickle here in Maine. If the product does not speak for itself—or, if it is not what someone wants—consumers have the ability to go elsewhere to find what they are after. This is very evident with the presentation and aesthetics of modern day cannabis flowers.
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The market has evolved to a point where natural sun-grown cannabis is being sold next to flowers that have essentially been grown in lab-like conditions. This indoor-grown flower has, in just 25 years, changed nature’s choice flower to second fiddle status, largely due to appearance. I have sampled so many dense, frosty buds over the years that have had little to no noticeable effects on me. Some had very little taste and some tasted flat-out awful. Choosing cannabis based solely on bag appeal is akin to grocery shopping while hungry; you are likely to be drawn to what first catches your eye, with some level of impulsivity. There is no other aspect of the industry where this is more pronounced than with the “sun-grown vs. indoor” debate. At a recent cannabis community sesh, Alight For Health/Alight Farms showed up to vend with several cultivars grown both indoors and in a greenhouse. Over the course of the evening, most consumers would check out the sun-grown greenhouse flowers in our jars, realize that they were not indoor, and promptly step over toward the jars that were grown indoors. Both flower examples were veganically grown in no-till soil, without anything different about them apart from the fact that one of them was grown in a greenhouse under Maine sun, direct into Maine soil. These flowers are not your Uncle John’s leafy, hay-smelling home stone. Our greenhouse flowers are fairly dense, trichome-covered, well trimmed, lab-tested (with surprisingly positive results for cannabinoids and terpenes), and smell amazing. Despite these factors, they were largely passed on in lieu of our indoor-grown flowers.
Siding with Sun-Grown Consumers and growers alike should realize that with the upcoming recreational laws, modern cannabis as we know it is about to reinvent itself. Indoor-grown flowers may largely become a thing of the past within the next 10 years. This reinvention has already begun, as oils and rosins are becoming the primary choice of a large and growing group of consumers. Many growers are turning their whole crops into oil, and aesthetically pleasing flowers are not even a consideration. The price of cannabis goods is dropping as the market becomes more saturated and sun-grown cannabis eliminates an incredible amount of electrical operating costs. LED lights are helping to make energy bills lower, but sun-grown production is still far more cost effective and has a vastly lower carbon footprint. There are greater environmental concerns at play with indoor cannabis that should not be overlooked, especially as our beloved plant continues to track toward a larger agricultural scale.
A Biofuel & Reggae powered roots music festival, now in its 5th season. Held this year on August 9th11th in Brunswick, Maine at Thomas Point Beach & Campground. Celebrating One Love & sharing in the Irie summer vibes of New England, infused with sounds & flavors of the Caribbean. Showcasing some of Maine’s finest craft cannabis, beer, fermented goods & locally grown/prepared foods. ROOTS Like the roots of a plant can be tangled and intertwined so are the musical roots of Reggae and Americana… all coming from one source, one heartbeat. CULTURE The Latin root cult means “grow.” From this root comes culture, cultivate, horticulture & permaculture. Find your Roots & Culture this summer on the oceanside
Renowned breeder DJ Short stated, on the cannabis breeding podcast, The Pot Cast, “Something like eighty pounds of coal goes into one pound of indoor flower.” Not to mention, the carbon footprint of one joint of indoor grown flower is 5,000 times its dry weight, and three percent of the United States’ total power feeds the cannabis industry. These figures are absolutely staggering when you consider that you can grow the same plants outdoors and harvest some really nice flower while virtually eliminating the carbon footprint associated with its production. While it is my hope that these words will incite more discussion, the real take-home is this: The next time you have the option to try some professionally cultivated cannabis grown directly in Maine soil under Maine sunshine, I hope you will not overlook it based on aesthetics alone. Some of the best flower you may ever smoke will not look dense like indoor-grown buds often do. Let’s celebrate the herb that is grown in fields that have grown it far longer than the factories that are installed to grow it today. I hope it will not be long before cannabis has once again reached a sustainable agricultural scale under the sun— right here in Maine. M R . R O O T S is usually in the canopy or in the soil, breathing deep the salty air in his small island community. Feel free to reach out on Instagram @alightforhealth or Facebook: Alight For Health, for correspondence and/or witty quips. Respect and Love Maine cannabis community!
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MAINE CBD
ANXIETY
CBD for Pets BY A NDREW DOOLITLE I L L U S T R AT E D B Y K J W I L S O N P O T & PA N K I T C H E N
We love our pets. Whether they are a six-month-old Golden Retriever or a 14-year-old Maine Coon, our furry friends bring us joy, companionship, and love. We care about our pets’ mood, health, and well-being. Most of us would do almost anything to make our pets happy and healthy and introducing CBD into their lives may be of great benefit. CBD is being used to alleviate a large array of ailments, including but not limited to, pain and anxiety. Millions of Americans are using CBD on a daily basis, and there are millions of pets out there that could also benefit from the effects of CBD.
Pets experience anxiety the same way humans do. Although they can’t voice how they feel, it can be easy to tell when your pet is tense or uneasy. Separation anxiety is very common in dogs. Whether you leave your dog at home while you go to work, or in the backseat of your car as you run into the grocery store, the anxiety it causes can lead to frantic pacing, excessive barking, indoor accidents, and destructive tendencies, such as chewing and scratching. Loud, abrupt noises, like thunder and fireworks, can also trigger anxiety in dogs, leading them to run around in circles, bark incessantly, or cower in the corner or the bathtub. While these behaviors can be annoying, we can’t blame our pets for acting up. Fortunately, CBD may be able to help alleviate some of these anxious tendencies. Quinndellynn, or Quinnie for short, is an eight-year-old purebred, tricolor, short-haired Chihuahua. Her favorite activities are cuddling, laying on the beach, and giving kisses. She was born in Maine, but now lives in Miami Beach with her owner Kristy. Quinnie has always been afraid of thunder, but when she moved to Miami, the storms were more frequent and far more intense. Day after day, Kristy would come home during a thunderstorm to find Quinnie shaking and whimpering in the bathroom. Kristy began to treat Quinnie’s anxiety with CBD, giving her 2.5mg of CBD an hour before a thunderstorm, and immediately noticed results. Quinnie no longer cowers in the bathroom during storms. In fact, she acts as if there was no storm outside, cuddling, bringing over toys to play with, and giving kisses. Quinnie is a picky eater, and it was difficult to get her to eat CBD dog treats, so Kristy uses a CBD pet tincture that she drops onto a piece of ham or cheese. Now Quinnie gets excited when she sees the bottle of tincture come out. It may be because she is no longer afraid of thunder or because she loves ham and cheese, but either way, CBD keeps her calm during storms.
H Y P E R AC T I V I T Y Meet McQuade, a one-year-old Black Lab/Greyhound mix. McQuade had what his owner, Bobby, likes to call “a bad case of puppy ADHD.” He was wild, jumpy, overexcited, impulsive, and sometimes had trouble focusing and listening. Although all of these symptoms seem like normal puppy behavior, Bobby insists that McQuade had a particularly strong case of hyperactivity. Bobby started McQuade on a CBD dog treat regimen six months ago—giving him one 10mg biscuit daily—hoping it would quell the hyperactivity, but mainly hoping it would help McQuade sleep through the night. After starting McQuade’s CBD regimen, Bobby immediately noticed a positive behavioral change. With CBD, McQuade is a whole new dog. It mellows him out so that he is calm, not jumpy or overexcited. He listens and follows commands better. And, most importantly, McQuade now sleeps through the night. MAINECANNABISCHRONICLE.COM
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PA I N As dogs grow older they experience joint and muscle pain that may present as limping, decreased movement, or difficulty climbing stairs or into the car. Natural pain management using CBD is a healthy method for symptom relief and bettering your pet’s quality of life. CBD can also be effective in relieving pain caused by injuries, as evidenced by Bruin who has been given CBD for pain management for the past year and a half. Bruin, an eight-yearold Bullmastiff/Rottweiler mix, injured his knee while chasing down a soccer ball on a rainy autumn day in 2017. Immediately, he started to limp and was clearly in pain. Bruin has a large frame—he weighs 100 pounds—and his weight was putting a lot of stress on his knee. His owner, Chris, thought that the veterinarian would just put him on some sort of pain medication, so he saved himself the visit and decided to treat Bruin himself. Chris began putting CBD tincture in Bruin’s food, giving him 10mg of CBD in the morning and another 10mg in the evening. After a couple days of rest and a steady dosage of CBD, Bruin started to make a recovery. He was still in pain, but his limp improved over the next few days, and in one week he was back to running around like nothing ever happened.
Kiba is a three-year-old purebred Husky, born in Colorado and raised hiking the hills around Denver. When he moved to Maine with his owners Kristin and Tim, he quickly adjusted to his new life playing in green grass, lush forests, and on ocean shores. Shortly after the family moved to Maine, Kiba had his first seizure and was diagnosed with epilepsy. He was 18 months old at the time. Epilepsy is not rare in dogs and is more common in Huskies than in other breeds.
Chris was so pleased with the results from the CBD that he decided continue the same daily regimen. If Bruin does not get his daily CBD, he sometimes will not even want to get out of bed, but with CBD he runs around like a puppy and shows no sign of injury or pain.
The veterinarian prescribed Keppra, which helped reduce the frequency of the seizures for awhile. When Kiba had his next seizure, the vet increased the dose of Keppra, which worked for a few weeks, and then Kiba had another seizure. This cycle continued for some time until it got to the point where Kiba was having seizures every two weeks.
SEIZURE PREVENTION
It was Kiba’s veterinarian who recommended using CBD in conjunction with his regular medication. Kiba, who weighs 45 pounds, started with half of a 10mg CBD dog treat each day and has been seizure-free ever since. Now Kiba gets 8mg of CBD pet tincture, dropped right into his mouth, every afternoon at the same time he takes his seizure medication. Though CBD can be a very effective natural alternative to conventional pharmaceuticals, it is not always a replacement, and best results may be seen when using both in conjunction.
Many studies have been conducted examining the effectiveness of CBD as an anticonvulsant used to prevent seizures in those affected by epilepsy. Findings have shown that CBD is effective in preventing seizures in both humans and animals. Brian Gallant, a Maine resident originally from Augusta but now living in Portland, recalls how CBD changed his parents’ dog’s life. Shadow, a silver Labrador Retriever, is 12 years old and has been dealing with seizures since he was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2013. His veterinarian prescribed an anticonvulsant medication called Levetiracetam, also known by the brand name Keppra. Shadow took 250mg of Keppra daily, which cost his owners $76 each month. While on Keppra, the frequency of Shadow’s seizures decreased but were still occurring two to four times a month. Over the next few years, Shadow’s prescribed dosage gradually increased to 750mg per day and was costing more than $200 each month. Even at his maximum dose of anticonvulsant medication, Shadow was still having multiple seizures a month. Shadow’s owners, Elaine and John, are not marijuana users and not the biggest advocates of cannabis in general, but their son Brian suggested that CBD might be a helpful natural
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alternative for Shadow’s condition. In March 2016, Elaine and John began treating Shadow with CBD daily and started to wean him off of his seizure medication. Since his introduction to CBD three years ago, Shadow has not had a single seizure.
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C B D F O R C AT S The use of CBD for cats is less common than for dogs, but it can be very effective at treating the same symptoms. I have personal experience treating my cat Ray Ray with CBD. A few months ago, I moved from the house I lived in for the past six years to an apartment in downtown Portland. Ray Ray, my seven-year-old perma-kitten, moved with me. As soon as he took his first steps out of the cat carrier and into his new living room, I could tell something was wrong. He was extremely anxious, immediately went and hid under the bed, and began to cry. He cried off and on all night, and even when I held him, I could tell he was unhappy. I assumed his initial shock would pass in a few days and he would be back to his spunky, curious self, but after a week he was still anxious and barely eating.
After that first week in the new apartment, I decided to treat Ray Ray’s anxiety with CBD. The only pet product Pot and Pan Kitchen offered was CBD dog biscuits, and I knew Ray Ray would never eat them, so instead I used a tincture. Ray Ray weighs eight pounds, so I gave him a very low, 2mg dose of CBD. I cannot say he loved me putting the tincture in his mouth, but after a little squirming and head shaking he was over it. Thirty minutes after giving Ray Ray his first dose of CBD tincture, he jumped into my lap and began purring and nuzzling me. That night, he slept in my bed and did not cry. The next morning I was happy to see that he was eating his food again. I gave Ray Ray CBD every evening for the next week. His behavior was back to normal as was his appetite. I went out of town the following week and was worried that without his dose of CBD he would return to hiding and crying. However, when I returned, I was pleased that he was very excited to see me and was not anxious at all. Ray Ray has been off CBD for two months and has remained his cute, happy, loving self. I have asked myself, “Would Ray Ray have overcome his anxiety on his own, without CBD?” Probably, but maybe not in such a short period of time.
A N D R E W D O O L I T T L E is co-owner and K.J. WILSON is co-owner and kitchen manager of Pot & Pan Kitchen in Portland.
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THOUGHTY BY NATURE
Flora Puppets BY SCOTT HINKLE P H OTO G R A P H E D BY S C O T T H I N K L E
I almost cannot remember a time in my life where cultivating cannabis was not my central focus. For years and years, I was to believe that my reasons for doing so were in fact my own. Not until my 80 millionth scissor cut into a freshly dried cola of my own personal favorite strain, Dynamite, did I realize, I had no free will. My life was but a carefully orchestrated illusion my plants were kind enough to give me. Control, it seems, must be written into their genetic code. Through the glory of evolution, they have devised ways to manipulate us to spend our money, our time, and our well being to make sure, above all else, their lives are fulfilled. Sure they reward us, but this is not their ultimate goal. No, reward is a mere afterthought to them; if it even registers at all. Make no mistake: it is control they are after, and they have succeeded. Maybe this seems like a stretch. I mean, come on, how could a human being be controlled by a plant? I’ve simply gone mad from the years in the trenches, you think. Well, maybe you’re right, but why do I keep doing it? Why can’t I stop? It seems to me my plants have trained me well. I feed them daily, monitor their environment, keep them safe. The plants well being trumps everything else in my life, hands down. They don’t care about my schedule. They could give a damn if I’m tired or dead.
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They, like you, have one focus in their life; the difference being, they know what that is. This is inherent in them and they are born with it. They never waver from their goal, even up until their death. How do I know this? Why do I believe we are controlled by these magnificent plants? Because I do all of this, all the work, the sleepless nights, the endless waterings, the even more endless trim sessions, the missed human interactions, family events, and everything else in my life, I do for them. Not for me obviously. In a world dominated by countless distractions, it can be difficult to focus on what matters in your life. Even if you are lucky enough to block it all out and find that one thing that drives you, there may just be no road to drive on. For those of us who have pushed and pushed to pursue our passions and, dare I say, our dreams, there is no end. There is no finish line nor trophy. There is just a fire, a glimmer of hope, if you will: through our hard times, our dark times, we will survive. The plants will make sure of that. Free will you say? We have a choice? Grow or don’t grow? Sorry gotta go to the garden now. We can talk later...
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Sesh With ESH An Interview With the Maine Glass Artist
MAINE GLASS ARTIST
Matt and Chris from MCC sat down with ESH to pick his brain about his process, his expertise, and his cannabis preferences.
MCC: Why did you get into blowing glass? ESH: It kinda just happened. I was in Florida at Eckerd College, and I finished all my general requirements and wanted to do something interesting. I talked to the owner of a glass studio down there and started an independent study and kind of went from there. I took two independent studies with Zen Glass studios, then started making pipes after that.
MCC: What specific moment made you realize you wanted to blow glass? ESH: I think after I made my first spoon it really clicked with me that I could make something out of nothing and work for myself and that opened my eyes to the possibilities of what I want to do for the rest of my life. Like, if I wanted to continue with the degree I was getting in environmental science…I finished my degree, but I didn’t know if I wanted to continue doing something in the environmental field or if I wanted to totally switch over and try to do something with glassblowing so that was the hard decision I had to make after college.
year I was just getting comfortable on the torch. I feel that everyone has to go through that phase so they can build the muscle memory of working with the torch.
MCC: Which glass artist has the most influence on you? ESH: I would say from the start it would be Eusheen. He was one of the first glassblowers I saw. I saw a video of him making a wig wag bubbler and that changed my idea of what was possible with pipe making.
MCC: What and who are your influences? ESH: I’d say all the glassblowers I have taken classes with are huge influences on me. The biggest influence for me growing up would be my dad; he always supported me in my art. He’s an artist himself so he pushed me to create things with my hands.
MCC: How would you describe your style of glass and what techniques do you use? ESH: My style of glass is, less is more. I don’t put a lot of attachments on my glass. I keep it simple, I keep it clean. It is a pipe, and I try to make sure it functions well. I put the function of the pipe before I put art.
MCC: Who taught you how to blow glass? ESH: So Josh Poll and Dave Walker own Zen Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida, and they taught me the fundamentals of blowing glass. They got me first on the torch, taught me some soft glass, and then my buddy, JB, who was working at Zen Glass at the time took me under his wing and taught me how to make my first pipe and brought me in to work at his studio after we left Zen Glass. He taught me a lot.
MCC: What type of torch do you use and why? ESH: I use a GTT Mirage torch because I first learned on a GTT and my buddy that taught me, JB, was on a GTT, so it kind of made sense for me to purchase one, and I love it.
MCC: Do you experiment on the torch? MCC: What advice would you give to someone who is starting to blow glass? ESH: Don’t give up. Don’t be afraid to break things. Learn from your mistakes. I feel the only way you get comfortable blowing glass is just putting the hours in on the torch; the first
ESH: Yes. I experiment when I’m feeling bored or I’ve done so many orders on the same style pipe and I need to get out of my comfort zone. I really like coming up with designs in my head and making clear prototypes and seeing if they function or not.
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Sesh With ESH MCC: What is your favorite glass color? MCC: Who is your favorite artist outside of glass? ESH: Gold ruby, just because of the way it looks under different lighting.
MCC: Who is your favorite artist to collaborate with? ESH: Chaka. He’s the artist I’ve had the most collaborations with and for some reason it always seems to work out nicely. It’s really nice to have his theme and my design and mesh the two. It becomes a really clean, seamless piece of art.
ESH: M.C. Escher. He’s a G. When I first called myself ESH, it was partially because of M.C. Escher, I really liked his work. Esh also means fire in Hebrew. I found that out years after using it; my cousins were all hyped about it when they found out. MCC: What are your goals as an artist over the next few years? ESH: I definitely want to get into as many shops as I can around the country. I want to continue to go to Glass Vegas and those trade shows. I want to travel more and collab with different people.
MCC: How do you design your pieces? MCC: Favorite grower? ESH: It’s all different. Some designs come to me in my sleep, and I’ll wake up and doodle. Some of them come when I’m on the torch. I tend to have shapes that I like making, then I mesh all those shapes together in different ways to either make a new design or make a new function.
ESH: That’s hard. There are so many growers. I would say Royal River Botanicals, because everything I’ve had from them is amazing. Jordan is nice. You can tell when somebody cares about their product. You can tell when somebody cares about what they put out there, so I try to support people that really work hard.
MCC: What is in your personal glass collection?
MCC: What is your daily driver glass pipe?
ESH: I have a lot of pendants and smaller items from homies. I try to collect and support my friends that blow glass.
ESH: I have dozens of prototypes at my house, but I’ve been seshing off this prototype that I made about a month ago for this new design for a recycler that I might be making soon. MCC: Do you have any interest in growing in the future?
MCC: What’s your favorite quartz nail brand and design? A: Highly Educated, Gavel, because I really like the beveled edge on the inside. It really fits the bubble caps perfectly. It has an opaque bottom that is porous so it allows the oil to vaporize.
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ESH: Yes, I would love to grow for personal use. Hopefully soon when I get my own place and I can do that. I would 100%.
E S H is a 25-year-old glass artist based in Portland, Maine where he was born and raised. He has been blowing glass for five years and making pipes for four of those years. He hones his craft at Royal River Art & Glass at 34 Portland Street.
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QUICK HITS
Quick Hits
First off, we would like to thank all of our advertisers who
for being so supportive during this startup period. Thanks to
everyone that worked on or contributed to the first issue.
everyone that came out to the last Maine Cannabis Industry
Shout out to our great writers, Carina Claire, Randall “Mr.
Mixer, including people like Larry “LarDawg” McWilliams
Roots”, Puff Sessions, Nick Murray, Andrew Doolittle and
of PotLuck Joint Relief LLC, Ted Keleher of Drummond
Jake Ripley. Also shout out to Hayden Peterson, Chelsea
Woodsum, Maine Cannabis Exchange, and Jennifer Whetzel
Bean, K.J. Wilson for the photography and art work. We
and Susan Albair of Ladyjane Branding. We don’t want to
could not have made it to where we are without the efforts
forget friends from way back like IPK, Mega Raw Melts,
of David Boyer, Dianne Russell, Jesse Georgia, Scott Hajduk,
Mellty. Shout out to Jules Haugen, Cleif Jårvinen, and Horst
Martha Thompson, Dominic D’Alessio III, and David and
and Georg Guomundurson of the Scandinavian prog rock
Kelly of Puelle Design. We couldn’t of pulled this all together
band Kasvot Växt. You will always be remembered.
without the efforts of Rachel Fleischman and Jesse Georgia, a special thanks to you two. Thank you to everyone that allowed us to feature them, like Doc and family, Kelly Benson, and ESH.
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We also want to give a big thanks to our friends and family
made this first issue possible. Secondly, a big thank you to
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