Nov. 2022 - Alaska Leaf

ROSIE CREEK FARM OWNER MIKE EMERS FAIRBANKS, ALASKA

ABOUT

In 1997, Mike Emers

Tanana

the

WES ABNEY

Editor’s Note

Thanks for picking up the Harvest Issue of the Leaf!

The harvest season is one of reflection and gratitude for the bounties provided by Mother Nature, and there’s no better crop to be dankful for than Cannabis.

and our free online archive at Issuu.com/nwleaf.

PHOTO by O'HARA SHIPE @SHIPESHOTS

A century of prohibition put Americans out of touch with Cannabis as a plant, relegating it to the “dangerous drugs” pamphlets – complete with a simple leaf translating to a symbol as feared as Mr. Yuck. It’s easy to be scared of an idea – like a symbol for a harmful drug – but it’s a lot harder to be in fear of a plant. Seeing ganja growing in the sun takes away the stigma, for there’s nothing more natural or beautiful than leaves and chunky colas dancing in the wind to an invisible beat.

Cannabis is an agricultural product, grown on farms – with the same salt of the earth, soulful types who would otherwise be growing corn or soy – if only those plants had terpenes. My favorite part of the Harvest Issue is sharing the pride and hard work it takes to grow plants from spring until fall. There are few experiences more magical than standing amongst head-high Cannabis plants glistening with THC crystals and filling the air with a pot-pourri of terpenes which serenade the senses.

No wonder one of the neighbors to Washington state’s Treehawk Farms is trying to get the county to “Stop the Stink” each harvest season. We can only hope somebody gets that person a joint…

WITH ALASKA LEAF

I hope that you enjoy this issue of the Leaf, and invite you to visit leafmagazines.com to check out all of our amazing issues. From an outdoor crop in Fairbanks, Alaska to the rolling hills of green in Southern Oregon and Northern California, and stretching all the way to the Northeast where outdoor crops race to beat the first frost, we have wonderful photos and stories of the farmers and the plants we all love. It’s like a nature special you can smoke!

And please do support an outdoor farm by purchasing sungrown Cannabis this winter – you’ll be surprised how the natural environment creates a unique and potent high that is perfect for the holidaze.

“MY FAVORITE PART OF THE HARVEST ISSUE IS SHARING THE PRIDE AND HARD WORK IT TAKES TO GROW PLANTS FROM SPRING UNTIL FALL.”

Black Rose

President Joe Biden in October pardoned all prior federal offenses of “simple possession” of marijuana. Biden also wants the government to look at rescheduling or descheduling weed.

Biden requested a review of how marijuana is scheduled under federal law from Attorney General Merrick Garland. The president also included Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in that request.

“As I often said during my campaign for President, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana,” Biden wrote. “Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit.

“Criminal records for marijuana possession have also imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” the President wrote. “And while white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people have been arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at disproportionate rates.”

MARIJUANA POURS

BUCKS INTO

HOUSE GOP OPPOSES LEGALIZATION

A MAJOR GOP HOUSE CAUCUS in October released a “Family Policy Agenda” opposing federal marijuana legalization. The agenda tries to link pot use to suicide and violence. But the strident Cannabis criticism is leading to pushback even within the group, as staff for two members of the caucus said the lawmakers disagree with the prohibitionist rhetoric.

The 156-member Republican Study Committee (RSC) unveiled the agenda. It details 10 ideological principles and more than 80 legislative recommendations as its agenda. The stated goal is “to guide conservatives’ work to restore the American family.”

The committee includes nearly three-quarters of House GOP members.

VERMONT STARTS

21 + MARIJUANA SALES

VERMONT DISPENSARIES began selling Cannabis for adult use on October 1. But only three shops were ready to do so on opening weekend, reports the Associated Press.

Flora Cannabis in Middlebury, Mountain Girl Cannabis in Rutland and CeresMed in Burlington all opened to adult-use customers. The state licensed a fourth business to sell adult-use weed, but that shop wasn’t ready to do so yet.

A total of about 50 retailers prequalified for licensing.

This comes about two years after legalization took effect without the governor’s signature. At that time, Vermont was the 11th state to legalize. But it was just the second state to legalize through the Legislature, rather than through popular vote.

HEALTH PANEL SAYS JAPAN SHOULD ALLOW MEDICAL CANNABIS

A HEALTH MINISTRY PANEL in October recommended Japan allow the importation and use of medical marijuana products.

The recommendation is based on medical needs, and to modernize Japan’s drug laws to conform with international standards, according to the committee. The panel wants to change the policy for Cannabis medicines when safety and effectiveness are confirmed.

Japan has harsh laws against non-medicinal use of marijuana. It should consider approving the import, manufacture and use of Cannabis medicines, subject to the same approval process as pharmaceuticals, the health ministry panel said.

MARIJUANA CULTURE IS QUICKLY BECOMING MAINSTREAM CULTURE

Americans broadly agree that the country’s marijuana laws need an update.

to polling conducted by Morning Consult/Politico just days before President Biden’s Oct. 6 marijuana pardons, 6 in 10 American voters said weed should be legal in the U.S.

That number rises to about 7 in 10 among voters under 45 (70 percent), Democrats (71 percent) and Black voters (72 percent). Even among the groups least likely to support legalizing marijuana – Republicans (47 percent) and voters 65 or over (45 percent) – almost half of respondents agreed. There’s no real divide across regions, either.

Public opinion has changed drastically on this issue in the past two decades. But getting skittish lawmakers to catch up with national savvy has not been easy when it comes to marijuana culture.

“Current laws ... do not reflect this sweeping bipartisan, universal support,” Five Thirty Eight reports. ”The legalization of marijuana puts a spotlight on the divide between Americans and politicians, namely Republican members of Congress.”

coAST

NEW YORK ALLOWS PATIENTS TO GROW

Starting in October, New York medical marijuana patients are legally able to grow their own Cannabis at home. Lawmakers approved the legislation in late September. Advocates say it allows more access to those who have chronic conditions or other ailments that qualify – especially low-income patients.

Patients can legally grow up to three mature female plants and three immature female plants. But the rules allow no more than 12 total plants per household.

“It is a big step forward for medical patients,” said Lyla Hunt. Hunt is the deputy director of public health for the New York State Office of Cannabis Management. ”We’ve seen real extreme interest from patients and designated caregivers to have the ability to cultivate Cannabis at home.”

STEVE ELLIOTT,

Sights seen from the road

ANCHORAGE TO HOMER

June 1st-Aug 31st

Monday – Friday

Departs Anchorage

Arctic & International – 724 W. International - Garrett’s Tesoro

Cooper Landing Wild- man’s 300pm

Soldotna Chamber of Commerce 500pm

All times are approx. Stage Line Summer Schedule

HOMER TO ANCHORAGE

June 1st-Aug 31st

Monday – Friday Departs Homer 830am

1242 Ocean Dr

Soldotna Chamber of Commerce 1015am

Cooper Landing Wildman’s 1115am

VISITING ALASKA

Locally owned and operated by a lifelong Alaskan, Stage Line offers passenger transportation, freight, parcel, and courier service, between Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula. Our schedule includes, Anchorage to Homer, Cooper Landing, Soldotna, Kasilof, Ninilchik, Anchor Point. Homer to Seward, Soldotna, Cooper Landing. And any points in between! MP flag stops available! Private party charters available! Reasonable rates, saves time and money for travelling or your shipping needs.

One of the top 10 most scenic highways.

SEWARD TO HOMER

June 1st – August 31st

Mon Wed Fri

Departs Seward 100pm call ahead for pick up point

Cooper Landing Wild- man’s 200pm Soldotna 300pm

All times are approx

HOMER TO SEWARD

June 1st - August 31st

Mon Wed Fri

Departs Homer 1242 Ocean Dr 900am

Soldotna Chamber of Commerce 1030am

Cooper Landing Wildman’s 1130

The Stage Line PO Box 353 Anchor Point, AK

The Stage Line 1242 Ocean Dr Homer, Ak 724 W International Anchorage, Ak Staging points only 907-868-3914 907-235-2252

E-mail: stage.line@yahoo.com www.stagelineinhomer.com

“Why fly? When you can enjoy the most beautiful ride on earth”

ENLIGHTEN ENLIGHTEN

ENVIRONMENT & VIBE

THE ENLIGHTEN EXPERIENCE begins the second you park your car on the corner of Spenard and 26th. The side of the building sports a large, vibrant mural that conveys one of the company’s ideals: feel well, live well. As you turn the corner to the store’s entrance, you are greeted by a stunning array of foliage and hanging baskets. Although the greenery won’t make it through the winter, the sleek, modern exterior of the building more than makes up for it. Inside the dispensary, warm-toned wood, low lighting and an impeccably clean environment make you want to linger – doubly so in the cold winter months.

ON THE SHELVES

VERTICALLY INTEGRATED, Enlighten carries house strains such as Blue Dream, Carbon Fiber, Forbidden Fruit, Georgia Pie and our personal favorite, Strawberry Fields. In addition to their garden’s offerings, Enlighten also carries Worner Borthers Horticulture, Scorpion Grass, GOOD Cannabis, Tanana Herb Co. and High North. Those looking for concentrates will delight at Enlighten’s offerings from AKO Farms, Choice Extracts and Enlighten Extracts. Edible consumers can pick from Lady Gray chocolates and drinkables, Tundra Brewing spritzers, Higher Altitude baked goods and of course, Enlighten’s own line of cookies. While you’re picking up product, make sure to peruse Enlighten’s accessory wall. You can score some great deals on glass, rolling papers, trays and a whole lot more!

BUDTENDERS & STAFF

CONTINUING ITS FOCUS on creating a wonderful shopping experience, Enlighten has a team of seven passionate budtenders ready to serve you. Lead budtenders Charles, Javier and Gino have done their due diligence when training the store’s up-and-coming budtenders, so you are guaranteed to encounter a knowledgeable, friendly budtender any day of the week. Interested in learning more about blunts? Ask for Charles. Want to try dabbing for the first time? Javier and Gino can help you select the right product and consumption method for your individual needs.

SPECIALS & DISCOUNTS

AS IF ENLIGHTEN needed to be any more special, they have some of the best daily deals around. Mondays will get you 20% off of Enlighten branded product. Tasty Tuesday was made for edible lovers with 15% off of all edible purchases. Beat hump day with two grams of Enlighten sugar wax for $80 or save 15% on all CBD products. Thursday patrons can pick up a half-ounce of Enlighten flower for $140 and Friday shoppers will receive a 15% discount on all flower. Looking to get lit? Visit the dispensary on Saturday for 15% off of all concentrates. Finally, on Sunday enjoy double loyalty points on all purchases, or bring your over-60 family members to score 15% off their purchase.

Enlighten is a family-owned and operated dispensary that has the distinction of being one of the first Anchorage stores to open its doors. Now five years into the business, Enlighten is not only a Spenard staple – it is one of the best places to buy Cannabis in the state.

Classic apple pie, apple chips, hot apple cider, applesauce … no matter how you enjoy them, it’s officially apple season!

But if you’ve never subscribed to the old adage about an apple a day keeping the doctor away, there’s a new, quite possibly more exciting way to enjoy apples. May we present Five Star Flower’s Apple Sherbet.

These sexy, dense nugs are covered in red pistils and frosty trichomes, making interactions with this plant an amazing tactile experience. After packing a bowl, our fingers were covered in sticky, bubble gum-scented kief that left us salivating. Once lit, the smoke tasted exactly like we’d hoped – sweet and sour apples mixed with cheese. On the exhale, we picked up some light notes of earthy nuttiness that rounded out the robust flavor profile. The only downside to the exhale was the harshness of the smoke. If you’re anything like us and a sneeze can throw out your back, best to tread carefully until you know how your lungs are going to respond because we collapsed into a massive coughing fit after a big toke.

An overachiever, Apple Sherbet is a rare strain from breeders Cannarado Genetics that crosses Apple Juice x Sunset Sherbet. Combining the effects of Apple Juice’s pinene and caryophyllene with Sunset Sherbet’s limonene, Apple Sherbet gives tokers the best of both worlds. In particular, we noted a distinct body high that eased our aches and pains while giving us a delightful kick of creative energy. However, as the high matured, the intensely sedating effects of this indica-dominant hybrid kicked into overdrive. Simply put, the instant we sat down on the couch to play Mario Kart, it was lights out.

All things considered, this strain is likely best left to the seasoned smoker. Not only is the 18.86% THC fairly high, the effects pack quite the potent punch.

ROSIE

ON AUGUST 19, the rain pounded against the windows of a small regional jet as it readied for takeoff. Under cloud cover, the plane shook relentlessly during the 45-minute flight from Anchorage to Fairbanks. Then, just as Mike Emers had said it would, the clouds rolled away on the airplane’s sharp descent and a lush, green landscape appeared. As the plane followed the elegant curvature of the Tanana River, a small break in the trees revealed an unobstructed aerial view of Emers’ legacy – Rosie Creek Farm.

helped sustain Emers’ family since the 1980s.

“Did you remember to look out the window during the descent?” Emers excitedly asked as I swung open the door to his well-worn car. Before a single syllable could be uttered in response, Emers was already on to the next subject. “With only a few hours things are going to be tight, but let’s see what we can cover in the car before we get to the farm,” he added before launching into a story about his favorite teenage pastime – getting stoned in his hometown of Providence, Rhode Island and giving Brown University stu dents wrong directions.

“I can say that I smoked so much weed in high school that I didn’t want to have anything to do with it until I was farming up here, but that’s a long story in and of itself,” explained Emers over the nearly deafening sound of wind rushing past his rolled-down window.

After decades of living in Alaska, Emers’ New England accent has all but left him. However, his innate predilection for efficiency and pragmatism has not. In fairness, it is those qualities that have

“I was looking for adventure and became a park ranger in the Brooks Range right out of college,” explained Emers. “Then, I got interest ed in resource management and decided to get a master’s degree in botany and plant ecology from the University of Washington.”

His passion for botany led to a job studying rare Alaskan plants and caribou habitats for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. While Emers enjoyed being surrounded by breathtaking, remote Alaskan landscapes in the summer, each fall a return to his Fairbanks home left him dismayed.

“I’d start a garden every year and instruct people how to water and care for the plants. But they wouldn’t do it, so I’d be out in the field all summer and come back in August or September to find nothing alive in the garden. I really longed to be gardening, so after being in the field for over 20 years, I finally quit and started a farm – which probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do,” said Emers.

Rosie Creek Farm was erected on the fertile soil near the banks of the Tanana River. The farm’s proximity to the river and the long, hot summer days made it the ideal place to grow cut flow ers and a variety of vegetables.

“I was actually the first person to grow peonies, you know, before the whole peony craze took off,” explained Emers.

With Alaska’s growing season several months behind the Lower-48, Alaskan peony farmers had a unique stranglehold on the market for the most sought-after ornamental flowers in the world. Still, Emers discovered that growing premium cut flow ers and vegetables wasn’t paying the dividends that he had anticipated.

“I ran the numbers with my wife and found out that in my most successful year, I grossed a little over $22,000. To put it another way, when we factored in the amount of time I spent tending the garden, I was averaging just over $1.73 an hour. So, I was killing myself, but for what?” explained Emers.

STORY & PHOTOS by O'HARA SHIPE @SHIPESHOTS/ALASKA LEAF

THE JOURNEY TO THE LAST FRONTIER

OWNER MIKE EMERS

FAIRBANKS, ALASKA

“When you’re growing 400 plants of the same variety, you have a lot of opportunities to pick and choose the best females to breed. When you keep doing that year after year, you can create premium flower,” owner mike emers

A NEW KIND OF FLOWER

Not wanting to abandon the soil he had spent years tilling, Emers began to look for another way forward. He just didn’t anticipate that the way forward was to actually return to his roots in Providence.

“I look at things in terms of how much money I can make per a row and per foot. Hands down, the biggest crop in the U.S. has been Cannabis and so I thought to myself, ‘I’ll do that,’” said Emers.

When he shared his intentions with his farming friends around the state, he was met with skepticism. Even his attorney advised him against the proposition.

“I didn’t know that most Cannabis was grown under lights in warehouses. Nobody told me that when I was working on my license,” said Emers. “Obviously, I had smoked in high school and had grown plants in my room. I knew

how to grow other plants outside, so I figured, ‘How hard could it be?’ I was optimistic about my plan, but my first attorney had told me, ‘OK, you can try that, but just know that it’s never been done,’” said Emers.

Despite the warnings, Emers pressed on with his plans – but he soon found that when it comes to pioneering a new way of growing Cannabis in the Arctic, it helps to have support.

BREAKING THE MOLD

“When I got started, I refused to be a part of ‘pot culture.’ I just didn’t like it and so I didn’t wear my hat the right way or have the right handshake,” recalled Emers. “I didn’t party with other growers. I didn’t surround myself with the people who knew the business. Looking back, I see now how arrogant that was, and frankly, it was the wrong thing to do. I had no idea what I was doing, and it showed.”

Having read that autoflowering Cannabis didn’t require light ma nipulation, he decided to purchase several seed packs. What he soon discovered was that while autoflowering plants were somewhat developed for outdoor growers, they were more geared to the home grower who wanted to grow in their closet without much hassle.

“Let’s just say this: Autoflowering Cannabis wasn’t developed for agriculture in the far north. It just wasn’t,” said Emers.

As Emers struggled to find consistency in his early crops, he began to suspect that the inconsistent genetics of his seeds were to blame.

“If I planted a hybrid Cannabis seed devel oped by an autoflower ing Cannabis operation that sells their products from a broker on a website, I would get ge netic profiles that were all over the map. They weren’t stabilized. So, I learned that just like anything else you grow, you have to find some thing that looks good from the seed stock we originally ordered and then continue to cull the plants until you get the absolute best version of it,” said Emers.

No longer relying on third-party genetics, Emers spent the last seven growing seasons breeding his own plants.

“When you’re growing 400 plants of the same variety, you have a lot of opportunities to pick and choose the best females to breed. When you keep doing that year after year, you can create premium flower,” said Emers.

Now, Rosie Creek is home to seven strains that were genetically developed on the farm.

“I am not planning on selling my genetics be cause they are what makes our farm unique. But also, I don't know if the strains would grow as well if planted somewhere else. They have worked for me, but that comes with 30 years of working this land and really understanding the soil. Truthfully, farming is 90% knowing the land,” said Emers.

THE ROSIE CREEK DIFFERENCE

Although Emers often emphasizes the financial aspects of farming, when he parks his car in front of his makeshift of fice building and begins walking towards the entrance of Rosie Creek, his demeanor noticeably changes.

Suddenly, in his element, Emers is relaxed and it becomes clear that his connection to the land is spiritual.

“I hear all of these people talking about their living soil or putting this or that acid into the soil to increase its yield and that’s great. But what people are trying to do in a warehouse with hydroponics, is just them trying to recreate what we have naturally,” said Emers as he overlooked his 50-acre property.

For Emers, proper stewardship of the land is what separates Rosie Creek from its competition.

Not only is the farm USDA-certified organic, but it is also certified by the Real Organic Project. Stricter than the USDA, the Real Organic Project was started by farmers to protect the meaning of organic.

“The whole point of the program is that you feed the soil and the soil will feed the plants. If you treat the soil with respect, it will feed and sustain the plants,” explained Emers.

As part of his certification, Emers takes half an acre out of production each year and plants cover crops to add nitrogen and organic matter back into the soil. The cover crops also provide vital honey bee habitats.

“We’re not required to do many of the things we do to protect and nourish the land but for me, it is one of the most important aspects of farming. Marijuana is a very easy plant to grow – there’s a reason it’s called weed. But it’s very hard to responsibly grow good weed. There are a lot of subtleties, and I am contin ually learning how to do it better. I think continuing to learn and improve is the mark of success,” explained Emers with a satisfied smile.

“If you treat the soil with respect, it will feed and sustain the plants,"

worry if the wedges are not exactly the same size. Brush each scone with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until the scones are light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Cranberries, tasty and tart, are also super healthy – rich in both anti-inflammatory properties and considerable vitamins and minerals. They are a fruit native to this country and are quite versatile, making their appearance in salads, dips, stuffings, drinks and desserts. And occasionally, they make an appearance in a jello mold … although I am not sure anybody actually eats them. This season, I am infusing food and drink with Applegate Valley Oregon’s Cherry Pie. It’s a delightful strain that I puff a bit when recipe testing – a hybrid with notes of pine and fruit, cherry in particular. It’s kind of a sweet and sour cherry pie vibe, and I love it.

PUMPKIN BREAD

by LAURIE

by BRUCE WOLF

YOUR MILK!

There’s something about chocolate milk that transports you back to fond childhood memories of pouring half a bottle of Hershey’s syrup into a crisp, cold glass of whole milk. Sure, the sugar-laden result of such indulgences caused a surge of hyperactive energy before a major crash where you slept for hours –but it was totally worth it! Stoney Moose Kitchen’s Chocolate Moose Milk won’t leave you bouncing off of the walls, but it will help you enjoy a blissful night of sleep.

Moose Milk is crafted with four simple ingredients: organic whole milk, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa powder, and THC-infused MCT oil. You might be wondering why the ingredient list is important. Well, run-of-the-mill chocolate milk contains lactase enzyme, dipotassium phosphate, salt, acesulfame potassium, carrageenan, natural and artificial flavors, sucralose, and a whole host of other unpronounceable ingredients. But the real litmus test is the taste, not the label. And trust us, the quality of the smooth, chocolatey flavor of Moose Milk is unparalleled.

In truth, there are only two downsides to this great product. The first is that the dosage is relatively low for seasoned edible consumers. At 40mg per bottle, those with high tolerances will find it difficult to feel the sedating effects of the milk. However, if you are new to edibles or are lucky enough to have a low tolerance, Moose Milk is a perfect option. The second downside is that you can’t buy a non-infused gallon version to chug while watching Saturday morning cartoons.

BY REFINE ALASKA

SCORPION GRASS

Earlier this year we reviewed Scorpion Grass’ Deathstar Cherry Pie Rozay bud and were blown away by the mash-up of floral and tongue-coating diesel flavors. Couple that with the bud’s highly potent nature and it was clear that Deathstar Cherry Pie Rozay was a winner. In truth, we couldn’t think of a single thing that would make this strain more enjoyable – until we discovered Refine Alaska’s collaboration with Scorpion Grass. The two Alaskan powerhouse companies have now brought Deathstar Cherry Pie to a loud resin insta-cart, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.

Both convenient and discreet, Refine’s cart offers a smooth, impossibly easy draw. You won’t find any confusing buttons to push and when you’re super baked, that’s a major plus. We also found that the insta-cart perfectly heated the resin to produce a billowy cloud of smoke that really heightened our enjoyment. After all, who doesn’t want to live out their lifelong dream of transforming into a dragon?

On second thought, maybe that’s just the creative high we’ve come to expect from the strain hitting us.

In addition to Deathstar’s potency, this loud resin is also incredibly flavorful. With a whopping 22.2% terpenes, the cart abounds with sweet and peppery notes. Initially, the smoke is earthy but the longer it sits in the mouth, the sweeter it becomes. So, if spiced earth isn’t your go-to flavor profile, wait a few seconds and you will be delighted with a sweet, lingering aftertaste. Heck, even if Deathstar’s flavor profile isn’t your palate’s favorite, the resulting high is well worth learning to love one of Cannabis’ most natural terpene profiles.

The Guru of Ganja

PLANTING THE SEEDS

Born in the Bronx on December 2, 1944, Edward Rosenthal had a “very unhappy” childhood growing up in a “typical dysfunctional family of the ‘50s era.” As an escape, he developed a passion for horticulture that would later become his life’s work.

Though he doesn’t specifically recall the first time he smoked marijuana, he knows he was around 21.

“I first started in 1966,” he said in a 1984 interview with High Times. “I bought a lid and smoked it with my college roommate … and I remember thinking, ‘This is the greatest thing that’s ever happened in my life.’”

Soon after, he bought some fluorescent lights, planted a few seeds he found in some Mexican weed, and started growing his own smoke in a spare room of his apartment.

THE YIPPIES

In 1967, Rosenthal dropped out of college and moved to the East Village to become a hippie and immerse himself in the city’s thriving counterculture.

“I went to a ‘Be-In’ in Central Park, and Abbie Hoffman was onstage. He jumped down, started handing out acid. He put a tab on my tongue, and I swallowed it and went through a really powerful, horrible experience,” Rosenthal recounted to HT. “After that, I never suffered from serious dysfunctional depression again.”

Around the same time, he fatefully encountered another soon-to-be Yippie activist icon.

“One day, I walked out of my apartment and noticed there was a march going on. I said, ‘What’s it about?’

And they said, ‘This guy has been arrested for selling acid and taken to the federal building.’ I thought, ‘Well, that’s a good thing to march for.’”

The person who’d been arrested was Dana Beal. After his release, Beal befriended Rosenthal and recruited him into the Yippies. It was through Dana and the Yippies that Rosenthal met pot smuggler

Tom Forcade in 1971. The two quickly sparked a friendship, and one day while getting high together, they came up with a brilliant idea.

“Tom, a fellow by the name of Ron Lichty and myself were all living in a collective down on 11th Street,” he recounts. “We were all part of the Underground Press Syndicate, and we had a bit of money in that organization, so we decided to start a magazine, and that magazine became High Times.”

Unfortunately though, Rosenthal was never credited as a cofounder, because shortly after coming up with the idea, a questionable acquaintance convinced Forcade to threaten Rosenthal and throw him out.

“There was a friend of Tom’s that was working undercover for the government,” Ed alleges. “He tried to destroy the magazine, and he’s the one who split us apart.”

LIZZY COZZI

Ed Rosenthal has authored (or co-authored) nearly 20 books on Cannabis which have collectively sold over 2 million copies. The eccentric cultivator, activist and educator is also credited with discovering Durban Poison and cofounding both High Times magazine and Amsterdam’s Hash, Marihuana and Hemp Museum. It’s no wonder he’s come to be known as “the guru of ganja.”

Rosenthal speaking at a rally in Madison, Wisc. during the 1990s.

THE GROWERS GUIDE

Thankfully, Rosenthal didn’t need HT to establish himself as an expert in Cannabis cultivation.

In 1971, he began building and selling small greenhouses, and in an attempt to get free promotion in their “New York Flyer” supplement, pitched Rolling Stone an article about growing pot. As it happens, another cultivator named Mel Frank had beat him to the punch. After Rolling Stones’ editors arranged a meeting with Frank, Rosenthal suggested that they collaborate on a book. Though reluctant at first, Rosenthal’s persistence eventually persuaded Frank.

As part of their research, they met with Dr. Carlton Turner of the University of Mississippi’s Marijuana Research Project – the only legally-sanctioned Cannabis farm in America. Turner provided them access to recently-published scientific papers on pot, which they then used – along with their own knowledge of horticulture – to produce the first comprehensive textbook on Cannabis cultivation: “The Marijuana Growers’ Guide.”

The first edition of their groundbreaking grow manual was published in 1974, and by 1978 an updated edition of the book was reviewed by the New York Times. Thanks to that review, the book sold over 1 million copies – informing and inspiring a generation of ganja growers, and establishing Frank and Rosenthal as America’s leading authorities on Cannabis cultivation.

HIGH TIMES

That same year, Rosenthal helped organize and judge the first-ever Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam. After Forcade’s suicide in 1978, Rosenthal had been welcomed back into the HT family as a regular contributor. In 1983, he premiered his monthly grow advice column “Ask Ed,” which became the longest-running column in the magazine’s history – that is, until 2000, when it was discontinued due to a legal dispute between Rosenthal and the magazine’s owners.

The trust Forcade had set up to fund the magazine stipulated that in the year 2000, ownership of the magazine would be passed to “loyal employees” who’d been with the company for 10 years or more (Rosenthal claims it was five years, but other accounts say 10). Rosenthal believed he qualified to receive shares in the company, but the trustees disagreed – claiming that he was merely a freelancer, rather than an employee. As a result, he filed a lawsuit against the company to obtain the shares he felt he was owed—a suit which he ultimately lost.

UNITED STATES v. ROSENTHAL Unfortunately, Rosenthal would end up back in court a couple of years later: like many other Cannabis cultivators and activists, he found himself in the crosshairs of the DEA when, on February 12, 2002, federal agents raided his home and nursery in Oakland.

Recognizing that the trial was a farce, Ed employed classic Yippie theatrics by wearing a “wizard of weed” costume into court. These tactics helped draw national media attention and sway public opinion about medical marijuana. Nevertheless, without a viable medical defense, he was convicted in 2003. After the trial, when the jurors learned about the mitigating circumstances, most of them recanted their verdict and begged for his forgiveness.

“They felt terrible,” Rosenthal says. “At my sentencing, 10 of the jurors gave a news conference saying that they were duped by the judge. That was the first time in American history that ever happened, to my knowledge.”

Capitulating to social pressure, Judge Charles Breyer sentenced Rosenthal to just one day in jail, time served. Three years later, after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned his conviction on a technicality, the U.S. Attorney’s office decided to re-indict him – instigating a second trial in May 2007, presided over by the same judge. Once again, he was prohibited from mounting a medical defense and was convicted.

“I was found guilty again, but I had already done my time, so after the verdict I just walked out. They’d given me a day, and I had done 36 hours, so they still owe me 12 hours,” he jokes.

GIVING BACK

MARIJUANA MUSEUM

In 1985, Rosenthal flew out to Amsterdam to connect with other leading breeders and growers – including Wernard Bruining, Old Ed Holloway, Skunkman Sam and Nevil Schoenmakers. While there, he was contracted by two coffeeshop-owning Dutch brothers to curate the first international Cannabis museum.

“They’d put together this whole museum – it was only missing one thing: the exhibits. They needed somebody who could fill it in three weeks, so I put together a team, worked 16 hours a day, and got it done.”

In 1987, Rosenthal’s friend Ben Dronkers purchased that project, rebranding it as Sensi Seeds’ Hash, Marijuana, and Hemp Museum. (A few years later, Dronkers also bought the Holland Seed Bank from Schoenmakers, who Rosenthal had introduced him to.)

“It was six in the morning, and there was banging at the door. Since I sleep naked, I went down naked to see what was happening … so they knew I was unarmed,” he jokes.

Rosenthal was charged with the cultivation of over 100 plants, but the irony was that the city had legally permitted his garden; in 1999, he’d been appointed an “Officer of the City of Oakland” – deputized to grow those plants for various medical marijuana clubs around the Bay Area. Although it was a nonprofit grow that had the blessing of the city and was legal under Prop 215, his lawyers were prohibited from presenting any of that information to the jury because the case was federal – and therefore state law didn’t apply.

At age 77, Rosenthal is at the peak of his prestige. He’s won numerous lifetime achievement awards and continues to make appearances at Cannabis events around the world. His latest project is the Million Marijuana Seed Giveaway – doling out free seeds of different cultivars he and his friends have bred in an effort to encourage his fans to become pheno hunters. Some of those free seeds are included in the “Prisoners of Weed” book packs for sale on his website, with 10 percent of the proceeds going to the Last Prisoner Project. So far, the packs have raised over $6,000 for pot POWs.

Prepping some seeds to include in one of his Prisoner of Weed book bundles.

“I didn’t have to do time after I was raided … but there are still people out there doing time for a plant many are profiting on now, and that’s wrong,” Rosenthal recently told HT. “We need to change that – yesterday.”

To read the full, unabridged version of this story and listen to the interview on our podcast, visit worldofcannabis.museum/cannthropology.

With attorneys in his “wizard of weed” robe outside the courthouse (2007).

PHOTOS

ED

HT family as a regular

“The Marijuana Grower’s Guide” informed and inspired a generation of ganja growers, and established Frank and Rosenthal as America’s leading authorities on Cannabis cultivation.

Ed (right) with fellow growers Soma, Wernard Bruining, and Old Ed Holloway in Amsterdam circa 1985.

Ed (right) with fellow growers Soma, Wernard Bruining, and Old Ed Holloway in Amsterdam circa 1985.

THE MOMENT YOUR AUTOMOBILE DOORS are shut with the driveshaft engaged, the contest is underway. Regardless of who is behind the wheel of other vehicles competing for space on the road, your primary objective is to circumvent them to save precious minutes while en route to your destination. And although the unidentified drivers against whom you jockey for position are often good people in your own neighborhood, they have now become faceless adversaries crowding the track.

Like the butts of cigarettes, courtesies are flicked out the window.

And there’s no surprise that this daily race causes tension. Because traffic is a drain on your fragile psyche. And you are not proud of who you become in these moments of frustration when it turns you into a triggered bitch.

You see, we all have a threshold of tolerance that, when crossed, causes a discomforting level of anxiety and stress –fueling the impatience and adding to life’s pressures. And because there is no immediate resolve, you learn to live with the strangulation while building a resentment that weighs on you like an addict’s regret.

You blame the other drivers. “Oh, if only those idiots hadn’t dug themselves into that inescapable cavern of debt like I did.” There’s the mortgage, the auto loan, the kids, the boob job – all the shit you have on autopay that prevents you from turning right out of the driveway instead of left. It’s the right turn that leaves the city toward a tropical paradise … far, far away from the giant magnet that tugs you into the grind.

Fortunately, Cannabis improves your perception. One small toke from a vape pen makes the speakers speak, the seat heaters glow, and the engine vibrate comfort ably for the most optimal enjoyment during your relaxed commute.

You are quite aware that it is against the law to drive stoned.

Thank God for Visine.