EDITOR’S NOTE

THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE

NORTHWEST LEAF / OREGON LEAF / ALASKA LEAF / MARYLAND LEAF / CALIFORNIA LEAF / NORTHEAST LEAF

ABOUT THE COVER

For our first-ever Weed & Wellness Issue, Creative Director Daniel Berman looked to the Austin, Texas-based illustrator Angela Southern to bring the concepts and stories of this wide-ranging edition to life. Southern, a fourth-generation artist specializing in hand lettering, has worked with an impressive list of clients such as The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, American Greetings and Converse. “This cover was exciting to put together because I created all the lettering by hand with a brush!” says Southern. “There’s an energy and element of surprise that comes with brush lettering, and I’m obsessed with it.”

ART by ANGELA SOUTHERN @SOUTHERNANGELA

PUBLISHER

WES ABNEY | FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

WES@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

DANIEL BERMAN | VISUALS & DESIGN DANIEL@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

STATE DIRECTOR

JOSHUA STAHLE | AD SALES

JOSH@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM 907-317-2536

CONTENT DIRECTOR

O'HARA SHIPE | EDITORIAL

OHARA@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM CONTRIBUTORS

OSCAR AVELLANEDA-CRUZ, PHOTOS DANIEL BERMAN, PHOTOS BOBBY BLACK, FEATURES JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION TOM BOWERS, FEATURES CABIN 7 ORIGINALS, ILLUSTRATIONS MAX EARLY, FEATURES STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS JEFF PORTERFIELD, DESIGN JESSE RAMIREZ, ILLUSTRATION MIKE RICKER, FEATURES MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING O'HARA SHIPE, FEATURES + PHOTOS JAMIE VICTOR, DESIGN DAN VINKOVETSKY, FEATURES NATE WILLIAMS, FEATURES BRUCE & LAURIE WOLF, RECIPES

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WES ABNEY Editor’s Note

Thanks for picking up The Weed & Wellness Issue of the Leaf!

THE CLASSIC SAYING that health is wealth is more poignant than ever as we find ourselves in a new year of uncertainty during a global pandemic – which is why we chose to focus our first issue of 2022 on all the ways that Cannabis can help add to a healthy lifestyle.

As a child of the DARE era I was told that Cannabis was bad for you, could cause cancer, and tons of other drug war propagandized lies. But from my first toke, I’ve known that Cannabis made me and others around me feel better! This is now evident with stories told in the Leaf from people all over the world whose lives have been improved by access to our favorite plant. And now we are finding new and interesting ways to integrate Cannabis into our lives…

From pre and post workout routines to our sexual lives, Cannabis can make fun activities even more enjoyable! And those struggling with addiction to substances like alcohol, pharmaceuticals or other drugs, can find relief in Cannabis and remove the negative input by replacing it with plant powered medicine. It’s truly amazing what the right dose of terpenes and cannabinoids can do, and I hope that this issue inspires you to think about Cannabis beyond getting high – and to explore how it can help your life or those of your loved ones.

Just as a joint should be shared to be fully enjoyed, so must be the information about how Cannabis helps improve lives. By now most of America knows that smoking weed isn’t really dangerous, and a lot of people have experienced the joy of picking out a strain at a dispensary and trying it legally.

But what America and our global community need to wake up to is how many pills Cannabis can replace, and how many diseases, health issues and addiction problems can be solved with the plant that was once considered the most dangerous drug.

After all, the most dangerous part of Cannabis is the fact that it disrupts the pharmaceutical industry agenda, is safer than alcohol, and opens minds instead of clouding them. The scariest thing about the pay-for-play healthcare system in America is the idea that a plant grown in the backyard can replace half the medicine cabinet. Growing your own medicine and having access to it from trusted sources in medicinally oriented products is the epitome of health autonomy, and we are all blessed to live in a time where Cannabis is once again leading the pharmacological movement towards natural, safer medicines.

So the next time you smoke weed for a headache, use a topical for back pain or have a friend complaining about sleep issues, suggest a specialized Cannabis product or a strain that has helped you. That’s how we plant seeds of change and help the people we love to embrace the plant we can all benefit from! JUST AS A JOINT SHOULD BE SHARED TO BE FULLY ENJOYED, SO MUST BE THE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW CANNABIS HELPS IMPROVE LIVES.

PHOTO BY @SONDERFELTLLC FOR LEAF NATION

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Marijuana has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming and addictive. Marijuana impairs concentration, coordination, and judgment. 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 or older. Marijuana should not be used by women who are pregnant or breast feeding. License #3A-12437