THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE
#76 | AUG. 2022
THE PSYCHEDELIA ISSUE COVER ART BY ALEX GREY & ALLYSON GREY EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW INSIDE F RE E / L E A F M AGA Z I N E S . COM
INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010
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THE PSYCHEDELIA ISSUE
#76
[
AUG. 2022
issue
32
O U T S I D E A RT W O R K
STONED APE THEORY DID HUMANS EVOLVE THROUGH CONSUMPTION OF PSYCHEDELICS?
EDIBLE OF THE MONTH HEMP BOMBS' LOLLY BOMBS
38 CONCENTRATES REVIEW
CLEAR CUT CANNABIS
CANNTHROPOLOGY TIMOTHY LEARY AL MY
COLD CREEK EXTRACTS' MARS OG
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O' H A R S H I P E
20 SHOP REVIEW
“FLE S H O F T HE GOD S” BY ALE X G R E,Y2021
THE LEAF’S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH VISIONARY ART POWER COUPLE ALEX GREY & ALLYSON GREY
O' H A R S H I P E
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EDITOR’S NOTE NATIONAL NEWS HEMP INDUSTRY BUDTENDER Q&A SHOP REVIEW STRAIN OF THE MONTH TRANSCENDENT ART STONED APE THEORY END OF LIFE PSYCHEDELICS EDIBLES CONCENTRATES HIGH EATS CANNTHROPOLOGY STONEY BALONEY
O' H A R S H I P E
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E S TA B L I S H E D 2 0 1 0
T H E E N L I G H T E N E D VO I C E
N O RT H W E S T L E A F / O R EG O N L E A F / AL AS KA L E A F / M A RY L AN D L E A F / CAL I F O R N I A L E A F /
A B O U T T H E C OV E R EVER SINCE THE LEAF first started doing a Psychedelia Issue, whenever we discussed who should be interviewed or featured on the cover, one name has always topped our wish list: Alex Grey. Alex and his wife Allyson are, in our minds, the greatest visionary artists alive today—and anyone who’s seen their work up close (especially under the influence of entheogens!) knows why. The custom image the Greys crafted for our cover is actually a mash-up of two works of art: Alex’s “CannaFist” and Allyson’s “New Order 2.” We are honored to have their sensational art gracing our cover and to have an exclusive interview with them inside. Thanks to Alex, Allyson, and their entire team for sharing their genius with us.
ART by ALEX GREY & ALLYSON GREY @ALEXGREYCOSM | @ALLYSONGREYCOSM
WES ABNEY C E O & F O U N D E R
CONTRIBUTORS
wes@leafmagazines.com
MIKE RICKER OPERATING PARTNER + AD SALES ricker@leafmagazines.com
TOM BOWERS C H I E F O P E R AT I N G O F F I C E R tom@leafmagazines.com DANIEL BERMAN C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R daniel@leafmagazines.com O'HARA SHIPE C O N T E N T D I R E C T O R + W E B ohara@leafmagazines.com MEGHAN RIDLEY C O PY E D I T O R meghan@leafmagazines.com
OSCAR AVELLANEDA-CRUZ, PHOTOS BOBBY BLACK, DESIGN + FEATURES JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION TOM BOWERS, FEATURES EARLY, PRODUCTION STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS DAN LANKFORD, SALES MALINA LOPEZ, PROPS + STYLING KELLY PINNELL, FEATURES JEFF PORTERFIELD DESIGN MIKE RICKER, FEATURES MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING O’HARA SHIPE, FEATURES JAMIE VICTOR, DESIGN JERRY WHITING, FEATURES
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EDITOR'S NOTE PHOTO by OSCAR AVELLANEDA-CRUZ @OKIAVE
Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up the Psychedelia Issue of the Leaf! While I didn’t listen to my DARE instructors about Cannabis, or a few other fun substances in college, one warning I always believed in through my college years was to beware of psychedelics. We had all heard the stories of the friend who took 10 hits of acid and wasn’t the same, or the horror stories of eating the wrong mushroom and dying. To be fair, these are true warnings – and I took them seriously until one fateful winter night. I’d finally decided to indulge in magic mushrooms, and unknowingly ate about three grams of blue-tinged caps (this was before identification of mushrooms or weed strains was common) and proceeded to have an epic melt at a house party. I don’t remember much, except for walking around a house with a container of Quaker Oatmeal, repeatedly asking people, “Why is the Quaker Oats man so happy?” I also reportedly ate a lot of raw oats.
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Needless to say, this wasn’t my idea of a typical college party night and I went back to my weed smoking ways for nearly a decade, with the memory of eating too many mushrooms burned into my brain as a powerful warning against psychedelics. Fast forward to my 29th birthday and I had tickets to see the Terracotta Warriors Exhibit at the Seattle Science Center on Friday, and chose to indulge in a little LSD at the suggestion of close friends. Standing in the immersive Augmented Reality exhibit with amazing color-changing, motion-triggered exhibits while in the presence of the 2,250-plus-year-old warriors gave me a feeling of connection unlike anything I’d ever felt. It was transcendental, and I knew in that moment I would have a new relationship with psychedelics. I felt connected to the past and present in a whole new way, which was heightened by the presence of ancient talismans meant to protect the Chinese Emperor in the afterlife. The experience changed my frame of reference in many ways, especially in regards to opening my mind and consciousness to new experiences.
I HOPE MY WORDS CAN INSPIRE THOSE WITH FEAR ABOUT PSYCHEDELICS (OR LIFE ITSELF) TO EXPLORE, LEARN AND LIVE IN THE MOMENT.
Since that fateful trip I’ve had the pleasure of unlearning the DARE propaganda, and also ignoring the wooks at festivals offering drugs – instead finding a happy medium between research and controlled experiences, with much intention into the set, setting and those around me as I opened my mind with psilocybin, LSD and DMT in ceremonies that have had major benefit in my life. I went from scared to take a substance (for many good reasons) to being scared not to challenge my own frame of reference while confronting the issue of consciousness and my place in the universe. Today, that fear is what drives me to explore the final frontier of psychedelic therapies and substances. Over 2,000 years ago, Socrates famously said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” I believe that wholeheartedly, and that the use of entheogenic plants is a way to explore one’s life in a way that should be part of everyone’s life experience. We have but a short time on this planet, and finding peace and meaning within the journey will help us to find peace when we reach the destination. While I don’t plan to go out like Aldous Huxley, I have learned from his writings and plan to be in a happy place when my brain releases DMT for the final time, as I pass into the great beyond. On that note, check out Dan Vinkovetsky’s piece on the use of psychedelics for easing fears at the end of one’s life, page 40-41. I hope my words can inspire those with fear about psychedelics (or life itself) to explore, learn and live in the moment – and that this amazing Psychedelia Issue put together by our amazing Leaf team can be an inspiration and guide to your future experiences. Thanks for reading, and please share the Leaf!
-Wes Abney AUG. 2022
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N O RT H E AS T L E A F
national news
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POLITICS
HEALTH & SCIENCE
SENATE DEMS TO INTRODUCE FEDERAL LEGALIZATION BILL
TRUCKING STUDY: LEGAL MARIJUANA MEANS SAFER ROADS
S
enate Democrats plan to introduce a bill to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. The legislation faces long odds in the evenly divided chamber due to the opposition of Senate Republicans. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer worked with Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon on the measure. The senators circulated a draft of the bill last year and made tweaks after feedback from Senate committees. The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act would remove marijuana from the list of drugs covered by the federal Controlled Substances Act. States, unfortunately, can still maintain and create prohibitions on the production and distribution of marijuana. The Cannabis Administration and The legislation Opportunity Act would remove faces a steep marijuana from the list of drugs. climb in the Senate, where 60 votes are required to pass most meaningful bills. Most Republicans and a few Democrats, including Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Jon Tester, have opposed decriminalizing marijuana.
I
t’s the first study ever on the impact of Cannabis legalization upon the trucking industry. And, guess what? It’s good news. A group of researchers from the University of Tennessee, University of Arkansas and Iowa State University found adult-use marijuana legalization actually reduced heavy truck accidents by 11% in the eight states studied. Six of the eight saw a decrease in truck accidents; just two saw increases. (The study is a preprint, meaning it hasn’t undergone peer review yet.) “We’re not saying definitively that legalization will reduce trucking accidents, but there is some evidence that legalization across the board doesn’t necessarily increase accidents,” said Iowa State University Assistant Professor Jonathan Phares. “There are reasons why accidents could decrease as a result of legalization.”
LEGALIZATION
MIDWEST
NORTH DAKOTA ACTIVISTS SUBMIT LEGALIZATION SIGNATURES
THC EDIBLES AND DRINKS BECOME LEGAL IN MINNESOTA
T
he group behind a North Dakota marijuana legalization initiative reported submitting 25,672 signatures on July 11, to qualify for the November 2022 ballot. For the initiative to qualify, 15,582 of the signatures must be valid, reports Ballotpedia. “This signature drive showed us that, from Williston to Grand Forks, people all across our state are ready for responsible Cannabis policy reform,” said New Approach North Dakota Chairman Dave Owen. “We’re looking forward to all of our hard work paying off when we receive the official word that we’re on the ballot.” Along with North Dakota, campaigns also submitted signatures for legalization initiatives on the November ballot in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
M
innesota is a real oddity in the world of Cannabis. The North Star State on July 1 became the only state to allow adult-use THC-infused edibles and drinks – without legalizing marijuana itself. State residents 21 and older are now able to legally purchase edibles and beverages that contain THC, with the new law permitting the products to contain up to 5mg of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) per serving and 50mg per package. A 5mg THC edible can cause a high feeling for first-time users, but people accustomed to marijuana often require a larger State residents 21 dose to feel the effect. and older are now In most states where adult-use marijuana is legal, able to legally 10mg is considered a ”serving.” Weed devotees purchase edibles and medical marijuana patients, however, often and beverages that prefer much higher doses – even measured in the contain THC. hundreds of milligrams. THC products in Minnesota must be derived from legally-certified hemp, which contains trace amounts of the psychoactive compound, according to the law. But THC will produce the same effect whether it’s derived from hemp or marijuana.
WEIRD
LEAFMAGAZINES.COM
MAN LEAVES COURTHOUSE AFTER WEED CHARGES, GETS BUSTED AGAIN WITH 70 LBS
Y
ves Duboc tried leaving a Massachusetts courthouse in July with 70 pounds of marijuana after appearing in court for Cannabis offenses. Duboc, 43, of Biddeford, Maine, appeared in Newburyport District Court for driving without a license and illegal marijuana possession on June 29. Authorities released Yves under the condition that he didn’t drive until he got his Maine driver’s license. That license was already suspended. As he left the courthouse, a Massachusetts State Police trooper watched him get into a Toyota SUV with a Florida license plate and drive off.
1.5 AUG. 2022
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85%
4k
The trooper promptly pulled Duboc over and arrested him for driving without a license, according to state police. After handcuffing Duboc and putting Troopers him in the back of the police cruiser, reportedly found the trooper searched the SUV. While 70 pounds of searching, the trooper found a total of 70 marijuana and pounds of marijuana and 20 pounds of 20 pounds of marijuana extract. extract in the car.
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STORIES by STEVE ELLIOTT, AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF MARIJUANA
All Things Cannabis For All People beardedlorax rickerdj stashleylynn maaryjwhite
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Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 or older. This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit-forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of reach of children.
WATCH ON LEAF LIFE PODCAST V2
EXPERT OPINION
HEMP INDUSTRY
I cringe when I hear the phrase “minor cannabinoids.” I truly believe that all of the cannabinoids matter. Their influence may not be equal to CBD, but many of the chemicals the plant makes are bioactive in very small amounts. Consider this: The standard lab test measures only 12 cannabinoids and 9 terpenes. These 21 components are but a fraction of what we know hemp makes. We don’t even know what “minor cannabinoids” are in a given sample. BTW, the standard lab test doesn’t measure other chemicals like flavonoids, anthocyanins, fatty acids, esthers, etc. Don’t forget, these chemicals contribute to the Entourage Effect too. If different plants make different mixtures of chemicals, there must be a plant or two that works for you but not for me. The more you know about which products work or don’t work for you, the more precise your shopping choices will be. Taking it a step further, you want as many choices as possible. This means hemp farmers need to grow unique crops with one-of-a-kind chemical profiles. They don’t need to grow a lot of it (quantity), but rather, grow something the market doesn’t offer but consumers want/need (quality). Farmers are you listening? Don’t grow bulk biomass of Cherry Wine, Elektra or Special Sauce. If your neighbor is growing it, think twice before planting any yourself. Heard about a new “minor cannabinoid” that sounds promising? Search for seeds or clones and read the COA from the breeder or distributor. Do your homework and plant several outliers. Pheno hunt, breed, and keep fastidious notes. As more chemovars (combinations of cannabinoids and terpenes) If Product A and Product I CRINGE WHEN I HEAR become available, low B both have 11% CBD, quality biomass will THE PHRASE “MINOR that doesn’t mean they continue to lose market deliver the same benefits CANNABINOIDS.” I TRULY value. Outliers have value if one has more terpenes they’re rare with BELIEVE THAT ALL OF THE because than the other. Don’t forget untapped potential. My CANNABINOIDS MATTER. hunch is that successful the Entourage Effect: the principle that all of the farms will be the ones chemical compounds act together to deliver a that grow unique cultivars. In the not more nuanced effect. too distant future, some patients and If terpenes like linalool and myrcene color retail outlets will resemble compounding the effect of CBD, let’s talk about the other herbalists. It all begins with hemp farmers cannabinoids produced by the plant. Legally, and the plants they grow. hemp can’t have more than 0.3% THC – but Growing smaller amounts of quality if Product B has 0.25% THC, it will have a cultivars that have unique chemical different effect from Product A that’s all CBD composition will help you to stand out and nothing else. The Entourage Effect at work from the crowd. Small family farms, are again. you listening?
HEMP:
12
THE CHEMICAL FACTORY If I SAY “HEMP,” you might immediately think “CBD.” Am I right? Over the last few years, CBD made from hemp has made its way into countless products used by millions of Americans. We can all agree that hemp has gone mainstream. True, but what we’re seeing and buying is only the tip of the iceberg. Why? Because hemp has the potential to make different kinds of plant-based medicine.
PHOTO Y B ADOBE
LEAFMAGAZINES.COM
Jerry Whiting
Please don’t get me wrong: Lots of people have found relief from pain and other disorders by using CBD. People are beginning to make their buying decisions based on more than just how much CBD a particular product has. Terpenes are a prime example.
AUG. 2022
EXCLUSIVE COLUMN by JERRY WHITING for LEAF NATION // LeBlancCNE.com/podcast
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Locally owned and operated by a Departs Seward 100pm lifelong Alaskan, Stage Line offers call ahead for pick up point passenger transportation, freight, parcel, and courier service, between Cooper Landing Wild- man’s 200pm Anchorage and the Kenai Soldotna 300pm Peninsula. Our schedule includes, All times are approx Anchorage to Homer, Cooper Landing, Soldotna, Kasilof, Ninilchik, HOMER TO SEWARD Anchor Point. Homer to Seward, June 1st - August 31st Soldotna, Cooper Landing. And any The Stage Line PO Box 353 Anchor Point, Mon Wed Fri points in between! MP flag stops AK available! Private party charters Departs Homer 1242 Ocean Dr 900am The Stage Line 1242 Ocean Dr Homer, Ak available! Reasonable rates, saves 724 W International Anchorage, Ak of Commerce time and money for travelling or your Soldotna Chamber Staging points only 1030am 907-868-3914 907-235-2252 shipping needs. Cooper Landing Wildman’s 1130 E-mail: stage.line@yahoo.com One of the top 10 most scenic www.stagelineinhomer.com highways.
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interview
ALASKA LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH
SHEREE FLORENCE YOU CAME TO BUDTENDING A BIT LATER IN LIFE – WAS IT A HUGE LEAP TO STEP INTO A ROLE IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY? When I grew up, we’d get weed by going behind a building and telling a dealer, ‘give me whatever you have that isn’t full of seeds.’ And then you’d hope to not get arrested in the process (laughs). So, it didn’t feel like too big of a leap jumping into budtending. But it was a new challenge taking orders from my son – sometimes he would call me mom, and other times it was Sheree (laughs). NICE! NOW THAT K BEACH REEF IS UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT, DO YOU PLAN ON STAYING IN THE INDUSTRY? Oh yeah, as long as they will have me! I really love what I do.
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WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT BUDTENDING? I like it when the older folks come in. I think a lot of us thought we’d never see the day when we could openly talk about Cannabis and buy it safely. The industry has changed a lot and some of our customers haven’t smoked since they were kids, so it's fun introducing this new weed to them. HOW HAS “I LIKE IT WHEN CANNABIS THE OLDER FOLKS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS? We COME IN. I THINK used to think that A LOT OF US there was only THOUGHT WE’D indica and sativa and that’s what NEVER SEE THE we based all of DAY WHEN WE our decisionmaking on. But COULD OPENLY now we know that TALK ABOUT it’s really all about the terpenes. So, CANNABIS AND I’ll always start by BUY IT SAFELY.” asking customers what kind of high they are hoping for and then we go from there. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TOKE RIGHT NOW? Well, I am old-school and really like [traditional] flower. Right now, I am really enjoying Cotton Candy Kush and Agent Carter from our sister company, Red Run Cannabis Co.
W
hen Sheree Florence’s children fell in love with Alaska, she knew relocating from California was in the cards for her family. What she didn’t anticipate was becoming the manager and part-time budtender for her son’s Soldotna-based dispensary. Although K Beach Reef is changing ownership, Florence says she has no intentions of moving on from the dispensary she has fallen in love with.
AUG. 2022
K BEACH REEF
42106 K BEACH RD, SOLDOTNA, AK KBEACHREEF.COM @KBEACHREEF (907) 335-0016
STORY by ALASKA LEAF STAFF @AKLEAFMAG | PHOTO by O’HARA SHIPE @SHIPESHOTS
shop review
CLEAR CUT CANNABIS ENVIRONMENT & VIBE
One of the first things you’ll notice walking into Clear Cut Cannabis is the shop’s mascot, Oreo. A little sausage of a dog, Oreo loves to greet customers and is always angling for a treat and some snuggles. Adorable shop dog aside, Clear Cut Cannabis is a clean, open-concept dispensary with beautiful wood accents and a PNW vibe. There aren’t many bells and whistles, which makes the dispensary a great choice for anyone with anxiety or sensory disorders. You won’t find loud music or long lines but you will find kind, caring staff who have extensive knowledge of all forms of the plant.
PRODUCTS 20
Clear Cut Cannabis puts a lot of emphasis on carrying smaller, craft brands like Happy Harvest Farms, Flower Mountain Farms and Moon Forest Garden. In fact, at the time of print, they were the only ones in Anchorage to carry Happy Harvest’s Chiquita Banana H3 – a personal favorite of the dispensary. For concentrates, you’ll find a selection of Babylon Company and Midnight Sun Manufacturing carts, hash, sugar wax and crumble. Edible fans can snag Fire Eater Sodas, GOOD gummies and a small selection of their chocolate bars. They also stock snacks, drinks and the cheapest cartons of cigarettes in the city.
LEAFMAGAZINES.COM
BUDTENDERS When you walk into Clear Cut Cannabis, you will likely be greeted by lead budtender Sean Kloos. An industry veteran, Kloos has a palpable enthusiasm for the plant. Kloos is well-versed in terpene profiles and loves to help customers get the most bang for their buck by educating them on the benefits of each terp. He’s also an avid consumer and samples each product that comes through the door to ensure he can give up-to-date, accurate advice.
QUICK HIT Anchorage’s newest dispensary, Clear Cut Cannabis, may be hamstrung by unending construction on Dowling Road – but those brave enough to follow the detour signs will be delighted by this petit store. Opened just a month ago, Clear Cut Cannabis is honing its products and deals, so early birds can reap the benefits of well-priced deli flower and great specials.
AUG. 2022
CLEAR CUT CANNABIS 1133 E 68TH AVE, ANCHORAGE OPEN 8AM-8PM DAILY CLEARCUTCANNABIS907.COM @CLEARCUTCANNABIS907 (907) 245-0044
G NIN O H IS IS S, SO B A NN DEAL E A C UT S AND EAP TH C R D R A CT CLE RODU S CAN L-PRICE ITS P LY BIRD F WEL GREAT EAR EFITS OER AND BEN I FLOW DEL CIALS. SPE
Clear Cut Cannabis' shop dog, Oreo.
REVIEW by ALASKA LEAF STAFF @AKLEAFMAG | PHOTOS by O'HARA SHIPE @SHIPESHOTS
@greenjar_ak
4901 E. Blue Lupine Dr. Ste. E Wasilla, AK 99654 907-631-3800 Open 7 days a week 9am-9pm MARIJUANA HAS INTOXICATING EFFECTS AND MAY BE HABIT FORMING. MARIJUANA IMPAIRS CONCENTRATION, COORDINATION, AND JUDGEMENT. DO NOT OPERATE A VEHICLE OR MACHINERY UNDER ITS INFLUENCE. FOR USE BY ADULTS TWENTY-ONE AND OLDER. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. THERE ARE HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONSUMPTION OF MARIJUANA. MARIJUANA SHOULD NOT BE USED BY WOMEN WHO ARE PREGNANT OR BREASTFEEDING. #10008
SUNDAYS 15% Off Cartridges TUESDAYS Two for Tuesdays Two Grams of Concentrates for $90 (Exclusions Apply)
WEDNESDAYS $40 1/8ths on All Strains THURSDAYS 1/2gm Pre-Rolls for $5 + All CBD & Merchandise 25% off FRIDAYS Buy 3 Edibles, Get a 4th for a Penny SATURDAYS 10% Off All Silver Plate Concentrates
Now Open at TWO
Anchorage Locations!
Southside
9900 Old Seward Hwy
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317 Muldoon Rd
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24
VINO
AUG. 2022
STRAIN OF THE MONTH
A
G R OW N BY
ARCTIC HERBERY "A SAVORY BLEND OF SPICY HOPS, EARTH, AND A HINT OF CITRUS."
laska’s original herbery, Arctic Herbery, has done it again with their Wino strain of flower. This tasty sativa will have you filling your ‘glass’ again and again as you enjoy the effects and flavors of this robust cultivar. The label of this fine offering shows one of those yellow warning signs with a stick figure of a person crawling across a road with the words ‘Wino Xing’ written underneath. The packaging made us laugh and had us wondering just how hard this flower was going to hit. While we didn’t end up scuttling across the street at any point, we definitely found reason to make a habit out of smoking this strain. This sativa comes in at a very respectable 24.08% THC and 2.51% terps packing it with flavor. The flower is a mid-green color with shades of purple and golden-tinged red hairs in abundance. The buds feature a fluffier consistency throughout, breaking apart and crumbling easily – leaving no need for a grinder. The nugs are also the perfect size for filling up a half-gram bowl. The initial aromas upon opening the dram are a mixture of spice and herb that reminds us of the scents alpine tundra gives off after a light rain. Flavor-wise, Wino is a savory blend of spicy hops, earth, and a hint of citrus – with an exhale that mirrors those same elements to a slightly stronger degree. Bringing a smooth hit that’s easy on the lungs, little-to-no coughing allows one to savor the flavor. The aftertaste highlights the citrus component and brings a light tingle to the tongue. With an almost immediate high, Wino has a nice ability to increase focus, but won’t get you too amped up if you’re trying to chill out. It’s extremely pleasant and truly balanced, so if you’re in search of a middle-of-the-road hybrid that's great for any occasion, consider filling your glass with this exceptional flower.
A R CT I C H E R B E RY.C O M @ A R CT I C H E R B E RYA L A S K A 24.08% THC | 2.51% TERPS | SATIVA
REVIEW by ALASKA LEAF STAFF | PHOTO by O'HARA SHIPE @SHIPESHOTS
Ask Your Budtender for that
Award-Winning Cannabis Wonder Woman
Black Rose
2020 Great Alaskan Cannabis Bowl WINNER!
ShnozBerry
Best Sativa Best Terps
SweetMatanuskaGreen@Gmail.com | SweetMatanuskaGreen.com Marijuana has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming and addictive. Marijuana impairs concentration, coordination, and judgement. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under its influence. There are health risks associated with consumption of marijuana. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children. Marijuana should not be used by women who are pregnant or breast feeding.
THE psychedelia ISSUE
THEARTOF TRANSCENDENCE The Leaf gets inside the heads of visionary art power couple Alex Grey & Allyson Grey to find out what effects Cannabis and psychedelics have had on their art, spiritual beliefs, and lives. INTERVIEW by BOBBY BLACK @BOBBYBLACK420/LEAF NATION
leafmagazines.com
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S
ince its emergence in the late 1960s, psychedelic culture has continued to grow, evolve and express itself – primarily through music and art. And over the past few decades, no psychedelic artists have achieved higher notoriety or had a more meaningful impact on our culture than Alex Grey & Allyson Grey.
BEST KNOWN to many through his collaborations with the progressive metal band Tool, Alex’s art is a spectacular synthesis of love, light, birth, death, rebirth and beyond. His imagery penetrates the psycho-spiritual strata of existence – peeling back the superficial surfaces and exposing the auras and energies that surround us, vibrating and pulsating when viewed through one’s third eye. The same is true of his soulmate, Allyson. In contrast to Alex’s anatomical style, Allyson’s art is abstract – tapping into the sacred geometry of the cosmos to utilize fractals, symbols and mathematical patterns to develALEX & ALLYSON AT THE CHAPEL OF SACRED MIRRORS - HUDSON VALLEY, NY. op her own secret, sacred language. Together, they comprise a psychedelic power couple regarded by many as spiritual leaders with an almost cult-like status. I first met the Greys at the Cannabis Cup in 1998, and our paths have continued to cross ever since. I attended one of their earliest Full Moon gatherings at their apartment in Brooklyn, blazed with them in Amsterdam, tripped out in their tent at Burning Man, and visited the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, or CoSM – their temple/art gallery in NYC – countless times. Yet, I’d never had the pleasure of interviewing them … until now. “CANNABIS SUTRA” BY ALEX GREY, 2007
aug. 2022
“CHAOS, ORDER, & SECRET WRITING” BY ALLYSON GREY, 2009
Was your desire to become an artist innate, or did something happen in your life that made you consciously decide to become an artist? Allyson:
Teachers and peers recognized both of us, at an early age, as artists. That foundational encouragement gave us our artistic identities. Growing up, we both won awards for our art, exhibited our work, and were leaders in school. Alex: My father introduced me to drawing as an infant. I would watch faces and creatures emerge from the tip of his pencil, and I’d dance in amazement. He activated something that may have been part of my past lives.
How did you meet and fall in love? Alex: We met in
art school in 1974, in a class on Performance Art, Mixed Media and Conceptual Art. Throughout art school, we continued to create performance installations and paint collaboratively.
Your work has inspired a great many people … but who inspired you? Allyson: As early as high school,
abstract expressionists Jackson Pollack and Helen Frankenthaler influenced me, as well as minimalist Sol Lewitt and mixed media creator Lucas Samaras. Alex: Michelangelo was always my favorite artist. After taking LSD, I discovered visionary artists who drew inspiration from psychedelic experience, like Ernst Fuchs, Mati Klarwein, William Blake and Jean Delville. But Allyson has been the most inspiring and influential artist in my life.
It’s often said that the best art arises from suffering … does that adage hold any truth for you?
Alex: Buddhism teaches that life is suffering. Everyone suffers. We love our life – the highs and the lows. My art has embraced hopefulness as well as depression and difficult challenges, both personal and global. Allyson: My art reflects an inner world – a spectral psychedelic vision and an essentialized worldview that is both bright and dark.
Alex — your work has reached a broader audience thanks to your collaborations with Tool. Tell us a little about that relationship. Alex: Adam Jones came to
my 1999 exhibit in a Santa Monica gallery, and we became friends. Adam invited my work to be part of three amazing albums: Lateralus, 10,000 Days, and the astonishingly prescient Fear Inoculum. Over the past 21 years, I’ve designed stage sets, music video collaborations, posters and merchandise to accompany their tours … I even painted a drum set for Danny Carey. The members of Tool and their fans have been some of the greatest forces in supporting CoSM. Inside Entheon is a Tool shrine with some cool relics, including a bronze sculpture by Adam, samples of Maynard’s wines, a wrap of the drum design and many photos, posters and preliminary drawings for the art that became associated with Tool. They are masterful musicians and it’s been an inspiration to work with them.
Describe your first experience with Cannabis. Allyson: My sister and her friend got me stoned just before I went off to college at age 17. It was unpleasant, and I had to sleep it off. Almost as soon as I left home, I moved out of my dorm room and into an
apartment with hash dealers. We smoked every day, and I remember laughing my ass off listening to Firesign Theater. Alex: At 18, on my way to my first music festival featuring Mountain and Traffic.
How often do you use Cannabis? Is it a part of your creative process? Alex: Until Covid, we used it daily
and often. It has been part of our creative process, but we’ve also created art stone-cold sober for years at a time.
When did you first try psychedelics and what was your experience like? Allyson: My first trip was at
age 17 on the campus of NYU with my high school boyfriend. It was supposedly mescaline in pill form, but I suspect it was actually LSD. We walked about 70 blocks down 5th Avenue talking about our experiences and life. After that, I was privileged to experience LSD regularly and often for about three years – Orange Sunshine, Purple Haze, Owsley acid, and others. Alex: My first trip was in Allyson’s apartment in 1975. Wary of my mental health, I waited until I was 21. That day I had asked God to give me a sign that I should go on living. That evening on the way to Allyson’s party, I was offered LSD mixed into a bottle of Kahlua. I drank half the bottle and when Allyson met us at the door, I handed her the other half of the bottle. I sat for hours, not speaking to anyone, envisioning a pearlescent spinning tunnel. I was in the dark, spiraling toward the light. The light was God, and that became my path. It was my first night with Allyson – that has lasted all these years. INTERVIEW CONTINUES >>
ARTWORK & PHOTOS courtesy ALEX GREY & ALLYSON GREY
THE psychedelia ISSUE
ARTISTS ALEX GREY & ALLYSON GREY
INTERVIEW CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
THEARTOFTRANSCENDENCE
“THE LIZARD KING” BY ALLYSON GREY, 2011
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How would your art and lives be different if you’d never taken psychedelics? Alex: It cured my
suicidal ideation. Without meeting spirit, I don’t know if I’d be alive today. Allyson: For three years, I took LSD with friends and alone – climbing a mountain, people watching, and on bicycle excursions. Every journey was evolutionary and self-revelatory. In 1971, I read the book “Be Here Now” by Ram Dass and tried taking LSD solo in a dark room. In that journey, I saw Secret Writing – the cryptic language of the divine. It transformed me and my artwork. Until I met Alex three years after, I dared not share the meaning of my secret body of art.
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Allyson — can your “secret writing” be translated and comprehended, or is it purely an abstract expression of imagination? Allyson: Secret
Language in my art is an ineffable and untranslatable language of creative expression coming directly from my personal vision. They were made visible to me in the psychedelic state. Their meaning comes from the divine, the force some call God.
What does “God” mean to you? Allyson: God is faceless. God is
ineffable, beyond physicality or description – a force in all beings and things. Any guru will tell you that God is within. Alex: God is an experience that, once known, cannot be unknown. God is beyond conceptions. The divine
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is a transcendental force animating all life and the creative intelligence that birthed the cosmos.
Is there one religious tradition you relate to most, and why? Alex: Born
into a family of Methodists, I saw Christ as my first spiritual friend. After meeting Allyson, I began studying Tibetan Buddhism in the late ‘70s – a connection that has strengthened for decades. Having studied the mystic traditions, I find connections between them all. Allyson: Since Alex began studying Buddhism, I’ve learned and appreciated a great deal in the wisdom of that tradition. Decades ago, we had the privilege of studying with the Dalai Lama at Harvard Divinity School. It is our regular practice to read to each other from Tibetan Buddhist texts each morning after yoga and meditation. But I grew up in the Jewish tradition, which most resonates with my psychedelic experience. God’s message is transferred through writing in all the major religions, and in Judaism – where graven imagery of God is prohibited – the Torah and libraries of commentary are the most revered works of influence.
How did you first conceive of the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors? Allyson:
The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (CoSM) was inspired by a 1978 collaborative performance called Life Energy that included Alex’s life-sized ink drawings
“NET OF BEING” BY ALEX GREY, 2007
of the human anatomy. After noticing the popularity of these charts within the performance, I suggested painting an entire series of life-sized paintings that would include the systems of the human body, mind and spirit. Alex: In 1984, a collector who was interested in purchasing the series gifted us two doses of MDMA, then legal. Three days later, we took MDMA for the first time and envisioned the series as an installation that included sculpted pictorial frames in a public psychedelic space. Within months we began sculpting and casting the 21, 10.5-foot frames for the paintings that became the Sacred Mirrors.
When did the “Chapel” part enter the picture? Alex: CoSM became a
nonprofit organization in 1996 with the following mission: ‘To build an enduring sanctuary of visionary art to uplift a global community.’ In 2002, a shaman advised us to begin hosting Full Moon ceremonies and pray with friends for the advancement of that mission. The first CoSM Full Moon ceremony was held in our Brooklyn loft in January 2003. There has since been an unbroken chain of 244 Full Moon ceremonies to date. Allyson: On Easter Sunday, April 20th, 2003, a landlord offered us a raw industrial space on 27th Street in New York to hold ceremonies and events. By August 2004, the CoSM spiritual creative center was open – offering exhibition space for the
“LSD HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR FAVORITE. IT OFFERS THE LONGEST AND MOST VISUAL JOURNEY. WE’VE ENJOYED MANY PSILOCYBIN EXPERIENCES AND HAVE PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS AYAHUASCA CEREMONIES IN THE PAST FEW DECADES.” -ALEX GREY
“FLESH OF THE GODS” BY ALEX GREY, 2021
An artist rendering of the soon-to-be-completed ENTHEON—the Greys’ 12,000-square-foot temple/gallery, which will host the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (below), galleries of both of their artwork, and rotating art from the International Visionary Art movement.
Sacred Mirrors and ary art, Entheon – many of our other which is set to open works, a rotating exsoon – will host the hibit of works by other Chapel of Sacred visionary artists, a Mirrors, galleries of dance studio, an event both our art, and space, offices and an annually rotating a gift shop. But five exhibit of the Interyears into our lease, a national Visionary new landlord threatArt movement. ened to quadruple our rent. We realized In recent years, that our ‘enduring it feels like dark “SECRET WALLS #1” BY ALLYSON GREY, 1976 sanctuary’ needed forces have been a secure home and ascendant in this would be better suited to a tranquil country and around the world. environment in nature. Fortunately, What, if anything, can we do to Alex found the perfect location – a reverse this tide and move things small retreat on 40 wooded acres, back toward the light? Allyson: As 65 miles up the Hudson River from darkness gets darker, light appears Manhattan in Wappinger, New York. brighter. That’s what we can do – be Alex: The property features eight a beacon of light. Creativity and restored buildings, including a compassion can make our tiny corner 10-bedroom house to accommoof the universe a better place by date guests and an old carriage being the best we can be, through house that’s been transformed into a eco-consciousness and our acceptance 12,000-square-foot exhibition space of differences. Be kind, and if only for called Entheon. A sanctuary of visionyour own benefit, love everyone.
“CANNABACCHUS” BY ALEX GREY, 2006
IN 1971, I READ THE BOOK “BE HERE NOW” BY RAM DASS AND TRIED TAKING LSD SOLO IN A DARK ROOM. IN THAT JOURNEY, I SAW SECRET WRITING – THE CRYPTIC LANGUAGE OF THE DIVINE. IT TRANSFORMED ME AND MY ARTWORK.” -ALLYSON GREY
ALEXGREY.COM @ALEXGREYCOSM ALLYSONGREY.COM @ALLYSONGREYCOSM COSM.ORG @CHAPELOFSACREDMIRRORS Read our full, unabridged interview with the Greys and see more of their artwork on our website | leafmagazines.com/greys-interview
INTERVIEW by BOBBY BLACK @BOBBYBLACK420/LEAF NATION | ARTWORK & PHOTOS courtesy ALEX GREY & ALLYSON GREY
THE psychedelia ISSUE
Did eating psychedelic mushrooms play a role in early primates’ ascendance to higher consciousness?
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IT ALL STARTED in 1992 when McKenna broke the world’s collective brain with his book “Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge: A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution.” In it, he proposed a radical evolutionary theory: that psilocybin mushrooms were responsible for catalyzing our evolution from Homo Erectus into Homo Sapiens. In other words, our bodies and brains function as they do today because our ancestors tripped out on psychedelic mushrooms. The psychoactive effects of these mushrooms, he argued, essentially reorganized the information processing center of the primitive primate brain – sparking the evolution of consciousness, cognition and language – by prompting hominids to engage in experiences like community, spirituality and self-reflection. Psilocybin, McKenna wrote, brought us “out of the animal mind and into the world of articulated speech and imagination.” This theory would eventually come to be known as the Stoned Ape Hypothesis (though McKenna himself never actually used that term). Since its publication, people haven’t stopped talking about the Stoned Ape Hypothesis – despite the fact that traditional scientists have consistently dismissed it as “simplistic” and nothing more than a “high thought” (albeit the most elaborate high thought ever, articulated in over 300 pages). But recent developments in psychedelic science have greatly expanded what we know about the impact of entheogens (particularly psychedelic fungi) on the brain, and some believe these new findings bolster the validity of the theory.
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FROMAPETOGREAT
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he internet is both a blessing and a social curse. However, one of its better contributions to society is that it has kept the spirit of late ethnobotanist and psychedelic pundit Terence McKenna alive. Though he died in April of 2000, McKenna’s ideas and philosophies still soar through the interwebs, thanks to Reddit, podcasts and numerous social media platforms. One theory in particular that has continued to gain steam is the so-called “Stoned Ape Hypothesis.”
“When Terrence wrote [Food of the Gods], While we still don’t fully understand the most people dismissed it, saying he’s a nature of consciousness or how it evolved, crazy druggie trying to come out with this scientists generally agree that it was more idea,” said Terence’s younger brother Dennis complicated than simply eating psychedelic McKenna (who helped him shape the theory) mushrooms. on the “Conversation with Kais” podcast last Consequently, many Stoned Ape haters year. “Some of the more thoughtful critics scoff at the simplicity of the McKenna theory said it was plausible, but now because of the – such as paleontologist Martin Lockley, discoveries about [mushrooms’ impact on] Ph.D., who explained to Inverse in 2017 that neurogenesis, epigenetics and neuroplastithe Stoned Ape Hypothesis hinges on concity, Stoned Ape has gone from plausible to sciousness sprouting from a singular source. probable.” But the McKennas never actually claimed McKenna was undoubtedly a man ahead that mushrooms were the sole cause for the of his time. Unlike today, he didn’t have a rise of consciousness; in fact, Dennis has library of scientific research to cite showing publicly stated that the media has oversimthat psychedelic mushplified the theory and that he RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN rooms stimulate the believes psilocybin mushPSYCHEDELIC SCIENCE HAVE rooms were only a factor in growth of new neurons, GREATLY EXPANDED reorganize synaptic conthe emergence of consciousWHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE nections or impact gene ness and the mind – a sort of IMPACT OF ENTHEOGENS expression – concepts evolutionary catalyst. on which the Stoned Ape “It’s not so simple to say (PARTICULARLY PSYCHEDELIC Hypothesis is essentially that [hominids] ate psilocybin FUNGI) ON THE BRAIN, AND predicated. Anthropomushrooms and suddenly the SOME BELIEVE THESE NEW logical evidence indibrain mutated,” he explains in FINDINGS BOLSTER THE cates that the brain size the film “Fantastic Fungi.” “I VALIDITY OF THE THEORY. of Homo Erectus roughly think it’s more complex than doubled between 2 million and 700,000 that, but I think [mushrooms] were a factor. It years ago. What’s more, it’s estimated that was like software to program neurologically the brain volume of Homo Sapiens grew modern hardware to think, have cognition, three times larger between 500,000 and and to have language.” 100,000 years ago. Though mainWhile most scientists get hung up on this stream scientists remain flummoxed single-source-for-consciousness notion, about how and why this occurred, there are some who agree with the McKenthe Stoned Ape Hypothesis offers nas. While admitting that the Stoned Ape a potential answer. Hypothesis is technically unprovable, iconic “The fossil remains we’ve mycologist Paul Stamets nevertheless advofound show that hominids and cates for it. cattle lived in the same environment,” “I suggest to you that Dennis and TerDennis McKenna explains. “If you have ence were right on,” Stamets proclaimed in these two elements in the ecology – espethe keynote address he gave at the 2017 cially cattle, because where there are cows, Psychedelic Science conference entitled there’s cow shit – mushrooms had to be “Psilocybin Mushrooms and the Mycology there. There is no fossil evidence showing of Consciousness.” “I want you or anyone this because mushrooms don’t hold up well, listening, or seeing this, to suspend your disbut mushrooms grow on cow dung. If you belief,” he advised. “I think this is a very, very go to any similar ecology in modern times – plausible hypothesis for the sudden evolution tropical pastures with cattle – the world over, of Homo Sapiens from our primate relatives.” you will find these mushrooms.” Apparently, the crowd agreed – as evidenced According to science, a state of consciousby the roaring ovation they can be seen giving ness is an effect of receiving and processing him in the YouTube video of the discussion. information through multiple qualitative Regardless of what modern science says, experiences, including sensations and anyone who’s done a deep dive into the feelings, the nuances of sensory qualmushroom realm understands how the ities, and cognitive processes (i.e., Stoned Ape Hypothesis could be true. And if evaluative thinking and memory). there’s one nugget of wisdom we can take Essentially, our hominid ancestors’ away from this discussion, it’s that humans warm, almost tropical environhave always been fascinated with psychements allowed for a symbiotic delics – particularly when it comes to the trifecta between cattle, existential ponderings of how we got here mushrooms and people – and the story of humankind. theoretically creating the “If I could sum it up, I would say the ideal conditions for exmushrooms taught us how to think,” Dennis ponential brain growth McKenna asserts. “They gave us the tools of and the emergence of the imagination, and from that, everything such consciousness. else proceeds.”
STORY by MARY CARREON @MARYYYPRANKSTER for LEAF NATION | ILLUSTRATION by OUTSIDE ARTWORK @OUTSIDEARTWORK
THE psychedelia ISSUE
SURRENDERING TOTHEVOID
Psychedelics for the End of Life Experience
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“Turn off your mind Relax and float down stream It is not dying It is not dying Lay down all thoughts Surrender to the void It is shining It is shining” “Tomorrow Never Knows” - The Beatles written by Paul McCartney & John Lennon
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IN
1963, WRITER ALDOUS HUXLEY was on his deathbed suffering from terminal cancer when he asked his wife to inject him with 100 micrograms of LSD. In a letter to friends, Laura Huxley wrote that she consulted Sidney Cohen, a psychiatrist who had pioneered the use of LSD. “I had asked him if he had ever given LSD to a man in this condition. He said he had only done it twice, actually,” wrote Laura, “and in one case it had brought up a sort of reconciliation with death.” After the author of “The Doors of Perception” and “Brave New World” passed away, Laura wrote, “All five people in the room said that this was the most serene, the most beautiful death. Both doctors and the nurse said they had never seen a person in similar physical condition going off so completely without pain and without struggle.” Three years later, LSD was officially banned in California.
MUCH HAS BEEN recently distress many terminally discussed on the use of psycheill Americans face in their delics for the treatment of many last days, sabotaging conditions, including its theratheir quality of life and peutic administration for PTSD, time with family and depression, alcohol or hard friends. FDA has granted drug abuse, couples’ therapy, “breakthrough status” to anxiety and more. The focus is psilocybin therapy for deon healing and recovery from pression, in light of safety traumas and unresolved grief. and promising signs of Less is known about utilizing efficacy in stage 2 FDA these same entheogens for trials, especially for end those with terminal illnesses – of life patents. Congress for palliative care during the passed the national end of life experience. Right to Try Act in 2018 I spoke with Dr. Alison to allow Americans with Draisin PsyD, LMHC, lead life-threatening condipsychotherapist and Director tions to access promising of Ketamine Assisted Psychomedicines that have therapy Provider Training at passed phase I trials, the AIMS Institute, to discover without having to wait for “WE’RE STILL FIGHTING more about her knowledge of completion of the new AND WE NEED Cannabis and psychedelics as drug approval process. a tool in psychotherapy, and in However DEA is blockMORE PEOPLE TO particular, for patients who are ing access to psilocybin BECOME ACTIVISTS AND preparing for their deaths. “End therapy, even as Canada BE PUBLIC ABOUT THEIR of life therapy using these plant is now allowing it north and fungal medicines isn’t of the border.” SUPPORT FOR THESE about healing and recovery, In a recent opinion END-OF-LIFE THERAPIES but instead about acceptance, piece in the New York pain management and feeling Times, health and science … PEOPLE WHO ARE peace within themselves,” writer and former psycholDYING DESERVE THE explains Dr. Draisin. “The spirogy researcher Dr. Dana RIGHT TO DO WHATEVER itual awakenings can be quite G. Smith writes about cathartic for the patients and Nick Fernandez, who was THEY WANT WITH THEIR observing their experiences has administered “a large BODIES AND MINDS.” brought me peace as well. It’s dose of psilocybin as part so lovely and powerful to bear of a clinical trial at New -Dr. Alison Draisin PsyD, LMHC witness to people’s journeys to York University for people discover death with peace.” dealing with anxiety and Dr. Draisin also tells me depression following a that The AIMS Institute, short cancer diagnosis.” Mr. for Advanced Integrative Medical Science, employs Fernandez wrote about his experience in a Medium post, ketamine for patients in palliative care and recently describing what many would consider to be a miracle. sued the DEA in order for them to allow psilocybin “This psilocybin journey was the single most transformatreatments for those in hospice. Lawyer Kathryn Tucker tive experience of my life,” he explained. “It forced me to of the Emerge Law Group filed a motion on behalf of reconcile with the mortality of being human. It alleviated AIMS clients pushing for rescheduling, but the judge my anxiety and gave meaning to my life.” came back and said the DEA has no precedent. How do we get to a future in which dying human “It’s a catch-22 because without the right to use beings are able to choose for themselves the treatmushrooms for patients, there’s no studies to show efments they wish to employ? Does “Death with Dignity” ficacy – and the DEA can just point to that and contininclude the right to use psychedelics to help come ue to stonewall any rescheduling by citing the fact that to terms with the end of our lives in a truly “Brave New there’s no evidence.” After the lawsuit was rejected, World?” As Dr. Draisin sees it, the answers are obvious. the company Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps sponsored a “We’re still fighting and we need more people to protest on behalf of Right to Try at the DEA building in become activists and be public about their support Arlington to raise awareness of the fact that the agenfor these end-of-life therapies,” she says. “It’s hard cy was blocking the implementation of the Right to Try because the people who need this the most aren’t able Act passed and signed into law in 2018. to keep up the fight but their loved ones – and anyone The organization addressed the issue in the followwho believes in this right – need to step up. People ing statement: “Psilocybin therapy has shown incredwho are dying deserve the right to do whatever they ible promise alleviating the debilitating existential want with their bodies and minds.”
PSILOCYBIN THERAPY has shown incredible promise alleviating the debilitating existential distress many terminally ill Americans face in their last days, sabotaging their quality of life and time with family and friends. The FDA has granted “breakthrough status” to psilocybin therapy for depression, in light of safety and promising signs of efficacy in stage 2 FDA trials, especially for end of life patents. — Statement from the Right to Try Act, signed into law in 2018.
Resources for Activists and Patients AIMS Institute aimsinstitute.net
End Well Project endwellproject.org
Right to Try Psilocybin righttotrypsilocybin.com
Dr. Bronner’s
drbronner.com/blogs/ our-community/heal-soul
WAMM (Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana) wammphytotherapies.org
End of Life Washington endoflifewa.org
The Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research hopkinspsychedelic.org
Nushama (Ketamine Assisted Therapy Clinics) nushama.com
The Heffter Research Institute heffter.org
TheraPsil (Canada) therapsil.ca
Center to Advance Palliative Care capc.org
STORY by DAN VINKOVETSKY @DANNYDANKOHT/LEAF NATION | ILLUSTRATION by OUTSIDE ARTWORK @OUTSIDEARTWORK | PHOTO by @DAVID_GOODMAN_PHOTOS
edible of the month
HEMP BOMBS
LOLLY BOMBS
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AFTER ALMOST a full month of rain, we could all use a little bit of levity. And what elicits a smile faster than a saccharine, boldly-flavored lollipop? Although Hemp Bombs won’t get you high, they will help intensify the effects of a big bong rip, while also staving off any residual cotton mouth. Lolly Bombs come in a four-pack featuring a delicious mixture of watermelon, green apple, cherry and pink lemonade. All of the flavors pack a nice punch but admittedly, watermelon was our hands-down
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favorite. We can’t tell you how many licks it will take to get to the center, but we can say that each lollipop lasted about 10 minutes before we decided to chomp down and finish it off. We paired our lollipop with a nice indica and the effects were decidedly drowsy with a hint of creativity. Sadly, we were too couch-locked to indulge our creative energy, but we did giddily enjoy a few reruns of “Married at First Sight” a little more than we care to admit.
"We paired our lollipop with a nice indica and the effects were decidedly drowsy with a hint of creativity." HEMPBOMBS.COM @HEMPBOMBS 25MG/PER LOLLIPOP 100MG/PACKAGE
REVIEW by ALASKA LEAF STAFF | PHOTO by O'HARA SHIPE @SHIPESHOTS
COLD CREEK EXTRACTS
CONCENTRATE of the month
MARS OG
VAPE CART
SOMETIMES WE ALL JUST WANT TO GET AWAY. And with a little assistance from Cold Creek Extracts’ Mars OG vape cartridge, you can get galactic with it. At almost 80% THC, puffing on this will lift you onto a soothing flight path, exploring the nether regions of your mind. This Mars OG is sure to send you on a tranquil trip to some far-off destination. It’s like rocket fuel – packing enough boost to blast you through the atmosphere and into outer space, while the ample 4.65% terpenes act as your navigational guide. It features a pleasing taste and aroma that is distinctly evergreen, with blends of wood and pungent earth mixed in to deepen the flavors. That combination brings a very settling essence and will begin to ease your body and mind almost immediately. As the effects grow over the next 15 to
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20 minutes, gravity becomes less of a law and more of a suggestion. If you’re anything like us, you’ll probably spend a few long minutes staring at your vape pen and marveling at how much it actually looks like a rocket – with the battery as the engine and the cart as the command module. You might even start to fly a mission before you notice your friend waiting patiently for their turn at the captain’s seat. Once you find yourself on course, you’ll want to spend some time staring through the windows of your mind – taking in the sights and marveling at whatever happens to drift by. With the autopilot fully engaged, you may find the urge to put yourself in a suspended animation pod and drift off to sleep. In any event, you will be happy that you took the ride and will undoubtedly sign up for future missions. Go boldly!
"Distinctly evergreen, with blends of wood and pungent earth mixed in to deepen the flavors." COLDCREEKEXTR ACTS.COM @AK_COLDCREEKEXTRACTS 79.47% THC | 4.65% TERPS
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REVIEW by ALASKA LEAF STAFF | PHOTO by O'HARA SHIPE @SHIPESHOTS
high eats
LADY GRAY FLOWER J’S
& HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
WE HAVE A LOT of fancy ways to consume Cannabis these days, from edibles to vape carts to dab rigs and beyond. While all these methods have their advantages, going old school and simply smoking a joint can still be very satisfying (and likely, very muchie-inducing). Again, our snack options seem infinite – which is why we decided to keep it classic and bake up a batch of chocolate chip cookies using grandma’s favorite recipe. The joints we selected were a four-pack of Lady Gray Kief Kissed Flower J's. The first was a half gram Skywalker OG that came in at 20% THC with 2.5% terps. This joint hit smoothly and had a spicy/herbal flavor with just a hint of diesel. We found the high to be as relaxing as one would expect from an indica. The second joint, Wedding Cake, was a little stronger at 22% THC and 2% terpenes. We loved the smooth smoke
and pleasant flavors of lemon and vanilla. Soon the combined aromas of the two joints wafting around the room were overpowered by the scent of fresh cookies baking in the oven. We waited a little impatiently while they finished baking, but that only gave us time to increase our munchie factor. The cookies were delicious and added to the smiles already plastered on our faces. It was a very enjoyable evening and a relaxing alternative to the way we tend to overcomplicate things in our lives. So do yourself a favor, call grandma and get her recipe before heading out to find your own four-pack of Lady Gray Flower J's. Then hit up a friend or two and sit back and enjoy a night of old-school simplicity that will have you wondering why we ever decided to add technology to our THC consumption.
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SOON THE COMBINED AROMAS OF THE TWO JOINTS WAFTING AROUND THE ROOM WERE OVERPOWERED BY THE SCENT OF FRESH COOKIES BAKING IN THE OVEN.
L ADYGR AYMED IB @ L A DY GRAYME LES.COM DIBLES
SKYWALKER 20% THC | 2.5% TERPS WEDDING CAKE 22% THC | 2% TERPS
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REVIEW by ALASKA LEAF STAFF | PHOTO by O'HARA SHIPE @SHIPESHOTS
cannthropology
PRESENTS
High Priest of LSD The
After experimenting with psychedelics in the early 1960s, Harvard psychology professor Timothy Leary experienced a spiritual awakening and became an unlikely icon of the counterculture. Preaching to the nation’s youth to “tune in, turn on, and drop out,” he became America’s poster boy for LSD — and “the most dangerous man in America,” according to President Richard Nixon. But it wasn’t acid that led to the controversial guru’s eventual imprisonment—it was Cannabis.
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INTRO TO PSYCH The year was 1960, and a 40-year-old clinical psychologist from Massachusetts named Timothy Leary had recently begun lecturing at the prestigious Harvard University. There, he learned from a colleague about a sacred ceremony involving hallucinogenic mushrooms he’d recently experienced in Mexico. Intrigued, he traveled down to Cuernavaca that August, where he had his first psychedelic experience on psilocybin mushrooms, which forever changed his life trajectory. After returning to Harvard that fall, he partnered with assistant professor Richard Alpert to found the Harvard Psilocybin Project: A research program to study psilocybin’s effects on human consciousness using a synthetic version of the compound created by Swiss chemist Albert Hofman Leary with Richard Alpert at of Sandoz Labs – the same Harvard, circa 1961. chemist who discovered LSD. Leary’s introduction to acid came in October 1961 through a mysterious British “rascal” named Michael Hollingshead, who reportedly showed up in Cambridge with a mayonnaise jar of sugar paste laced with it. Two months later, Leary finally agreed to try it – allegedly swallowing a heaping tablespoon of the stuff, then proceeding to experience an epic death-and-rebirth level trip that literally blew his mind.
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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
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Timothy Leary with partner Richard Alpert (in the background) at an event at Harvard University in the early 1960s.
MILLBROOK Over the next few years, the Harvard Psilocybin Project conducted several studies, including the Concord Prison Experiment (evaluating the effects of psilocybin on the rehabilitation of paroled prisoners) and the Marsh Chapel Experiment (testing its ability to trigger religious experiences). But the Project’s unorthodox methods, lack of objectivity and cavalier attitude soon lead to their dismissal from Harvard. Luckily for them, their work had attracted the attention of millionaire siblings Peggy, Billy and Tommy Hitchcock, who in late 1963 offered the duo their 64-room mansion in Millbrook, New York to continue their research. At Millbrook, Leary and Alpert founded the Castalia Foundation and continued their entheogenic experiments – attracting visits from beatnik icons Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs, Ken Kesey’s Merry Pranksters, jazz musician Charles Mingus and others. But within a few years, Millbrook had devolved from a research project into a hippie commune/party house. That party ended in 1966 when the estate was raided multiple times – first by the Dutchess County
Sheriff’s Department (led by future Watergate mastermind G. Gordon Liddy) in April, then several more times by the FBI. After Millbrook’s implosion, Alpert took off for India (later reinventing himself as Ram Dass), while Leary headed to California to connect with the burgeoning new hippie movement. LEGEND OF A MIND By this time, Leary was quickly became an icon of the new counterculture – embarking on college speaking tours, being interviewed by Playboy, and even having a song written about him by The Moody Blues. In January 1967, Leary and Alpert were invited to speak at the Human Be-In – a seminal hippie gathering in Golden Gate Park featuring performances by Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead, among others. It was here that he first coined his infamous mantra: “Tune in, Turn on, Drop out.”
“The Human Be-In” poster.
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Recording “Give Peace a Chance” at John & Yoko’s Montreal “Bed-In For Peace” (1969).
It was also during this time that he became friends with John Lennon. Having been inspired to write the Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows” after reading Leary’s book “The Psychedelic Experience,” John and Yoko invited Leary and his new wife Rosemary to their “Bed-In For Peace” at Montreal’s Queen ElizaLeary for Governor beth Hotel, where they famously recorded poster (1970). “Give Peace a Chance.” Lennon also offered to help Leary in his newly-announced gubernatorial race against Ronald Reagan in California by penning him a song based on his campaign slogan: “Come together, join the party.” Unfortunately, a pot arrest that December killed Leary’s political aspirations; “Come Together,” however, lives on. BROTHERHOOD BUST At the end of 1967, Leary moved to Laguna Beach, where he became one of the spiritual leaders of notorious hash smugglers/ LSD evangelists Brotherhood of Eternal Love. On December 26, Tim and wife Rosemary with 1968, a rookie cop named Brotherhood of Eternal Love Neil Purcell – who had been leader Johnny Griggs (1967). casing the Brotherhood’s neighborhood (nicknamed “Dodge City”) – noticed Leary’s car parked suspiciously and decided to investigate. After recognizing the driver and claiming to smell burnt marijuana, Purcell searched the vehicle and discovered two roaches in the ashtray. Further exploration allegedly uncovered four pounds of marijuana and hashish, as well as a few tabs of LSD (all of which Leary claimed were planted). Leary, his wife and son Jack were all arrested and charged with suspicion of possession with intent to sell. Leary was later tried and convicted and on January 21, 1970, was sentenced to 10 years. LEARY V. THE UNITED STATES But that wasn’t the first time Leary had been busted for weed – a year earlier, he was arrested in Laredo, Tex. while he and his family were returning from vacation in Mexico. At the border, a Customs agent reportedly noticed small bits of marijuana and seeds on the vehicle’s floor. Upon searching the car, they
to bust him out. On the discovered a quantity of night of September 14, weed (initially reported Leary climbed a teleas three ounces but later phone pole, shimmied revealed at trial to be along the wire across the around half an ounce), yard, then dropped down including 11 grams over the fence, where hidden in his daughter the Weathermen were Susan’s underwear. waiting nearby to spirit Though Leary took him away. After that, The full responsibility for the Leary’s mugshot Black Panthers providweed, he and his daugh(1970). ed him and Rosemary ter were both arrested. with fake passports and Leary was charged on three counts: the smuggled them to their smuggling and unlawful transportation of safe haven in Algeria. marijuana into the U.S., and not paying Soon after, they moved federal tax on said marijuana (as required Top: Leary’s Calif. Dept. of to Switzerland and by the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937). Corrections escape bulletin. remained on the Leary’s initial defense Above: Tim & Rosemary’s lam until 1973 – was a religious one, fake passport photos. when they were claiming that the marijuarecaptured by the na was for sacramental Bureau of Narcotics at Kabul airport use and invoking his right and extradited back to the U.S. to use it under the Free Leary spent the next three years Exercise Clause of the First in Folsom Prison, during which he Amendment. Unfortunately, apparently cooperated with the FBI that defense failed and the and informed on all of his associates jury took just 45 minutes to in exchange for a reduced sentence. find him guilty on both counts. Though he claimed he only gave the On March 11, 1966, the Feds info that was outdated or that judge fined him $30,000 and Poster for fund to they already knew, most of his friends sentenced him to a staggering raise money for Leary’s legal defense. disowned him as a rat. 30 years in prison. Facing what amounted to DESIGN FOR DYING life behind bars, Leary hired a crack team of Leary was released from lawyers to defend him. His attorneys appealed prison by Gov. Jerry the ruling on the basis that the Marihuana Tax Brown in April 1976, Act was unconstitutional, arguing that to obey “Nice Dreams” after which he spent the federal law, he would’ve been forced to cameo. a short time in witincriminate himself under state law – a clear ness protection before violation of the Fifth Amendment. returning to public life. He spent the next two His case, Leary v. United States, eventually decades lecturing as a “stand-up philosopher” reached the Supreme Court. On May 19, – appearing in movies and TV shows (including 1969, the Court ruled unanimously in his favor the famous cameo in Cheech & Chong’s “Nice – declaring the Marihuana Tax Act unconstituDreams”) and writing books on “far out” topics tional, thus overturning his conviction and nelike space colonization, near-death and out-ofgating America’s federal Cannabis prohibition. (Unfortunately, Congress passed the Controlled body experiences, and the afterlife. Upon learning that he had inoperable prosSubstances Act months later, re-criminalizing it along with most other drugs). Despite this victo- tate cancer in January 1995, the ever-eccentric iconoclast said he was “thrilled” – celebrating ry, he was still found guilty of the other charges his imminent demise by hosting a “death day” and on March 2, 1970, was sentenced to 10 party, consuming multiple drugs, and recording years. Combined with the Texas conviction, he the whole thing to broadcast online. He died in nevertheless faced 20 years in prison. his sleep just after midnight on May 31, 1996, at the age of 75. A year later, a portion of his THE FUGITIVE PHILOSOPHER ashes were sent up in the Pegasus rocket – fulOn May 13, 1970, Leary was remanded to filling his dream of becoming an “ashtronaut” the California Men’s Colony – a minimum-seand proving to the world one last time how curity prison in San Luis Obispo. After his final “spaced out” he truly was. appeal was rejected in June, Leary arranged (allegedly through his lawyer Michael Kennedy) to have the Brotherhood pay the radical leftist For our podcast & more Cannabis history content group the Weather Underground $20,000 visit worldofcannabis.museum/cannthropology.
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IF IT WEREN’T FOR THE BUBONIC PLAGUE, rats could easily be man’s best friend. And the rat-infested movie “Willard” didn’t help their reputation, either. You snicker … but what we’re talking about is pretty much just an oversized mouse, right? I mean, if you really put tangible reasoning to our fearful rationale, the rat has never done anything wrong. Like people, they’re hungry, crafty varmints who are scouring the planet in search of leftovers. The biggest difference between us and them is that we have thumbs and bigger melons – making it a helluva lot easier to find food. Without this enormous advantage, you’d see people crawling wherever necessary to scour up however many bites as it takes to fill that nagging tummy, too! Hunger will drive you to do the unthinkable. And OK, they multiply quickly – but so do we. Now, I’m not advocating for new leash laws for these sniffy scavengers, but if you think about it, they’re docile and furry with cute little mouths who pretty much just want to nuzzle up for a good cuddle (if you’re down to have a pink potbelly warming the nape of your neck). Sure, that tail is thick, but a dog’s is bigger and whippier. And so are their farts. You know, every story needs a villain, so it could be said that the negative light shed on these feral friends has painted them as something to fear – when in reality, they could make pleasant companions for us all after a good snipping of the reproductive organs. Rats seem like happy creatures – red eyes and all! And by the way, there is nothing wrong with red eyes. I see them in the mirror every day after a fat bong rip. And then I nibble on some cheese.
aug. 2022
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