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BY THE DEA. WHAT IT MEANS FOR PAIN. Pg. 20

EDIBLES

THREE TASTY RECIPES FOR A CANNABIS MEAL Pg. 36

HEALTH & SCIENCE

SIMONE FISCHER: HOW TO BEAT PARTY ANXIETY Pg. 42

GROWTECH

DR. SCANDERSON'S GUIDE TO THE BEST GARDEN PRODUCTS

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contents

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JAN. 2017

12 ALASKA NEWS Legal Cannabis stores opening

38 BOOK REVIEW True Living Organics by The Rev

50 DR. SCANDERSON Top products of 2017 to try

What meal would be complete without dessert? Learn how to prepare these dank treats.

RECIPES

4/JAN. 2017 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

PG.

36

Story by Laurie Wolf Photos by Bruce Wolf

07 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 28 32 36 38 42 46 50 52 54

E D I TO R ’S N OT E N AT I O N A L N E WS N AT I O N A L N E WS A L AS K A U P DAT E GREEN JOBS SLOW & STEADY H I G H LY L I K E LY D E A A T T A C K S C BD ALASKA FIREWEED THE EMERALD CUP CENTERFOLD A N OT H E R STAT E TASTY RECIPES BOOK REVIEW AVOIDING ANXIETY TA K E C A R E O F Y O U R S E L F GROWTECH PRODUCTS B U D S H OT S U B M I S S I O N S BEHIND THE STRAIN

C O V E R A RT

Space Rip is a Sativa Hybrid, grown by Greatland Ganja based in Kasilof. PHOTO BY OSCAR AVELLANEDA-CRUZ

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contents

OPEN SEASON Legal Cannabis stores unveiled to public

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Alaska News The second store to open was Alaska Fireweed in Anchorage PG.

22

Photo by Oscar Avellaneda-Cruz for Alaska Leaf

ALASKA LEAF

the truth about the plant you thought you knew, IN every issue.

editor’s note Contact editor Wes Abney to place an

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Daniel Berman

CONTRIBUTORS OSCAR AVELLANEDA-CRUZ, PHOTOS STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS SIMONE FISCHER, HEALTH & SCIENCE PAUL GRZELAK, EDITING ERIC KAYNE, PHOTOS SEAN O’NEILL, ILLUSTRATION DR. SCANDERSON, GROWTECH ESHOM REED, FEATURES DR. SCOTT D. ROSE, HEALTH ALIZA SHERMAN, FEATURES ERIC SKELTON, DESIGN PACER STACKTRAIN, FEATURES BRANDON VOSIKA, ILLUSTRATION LAURIE & BRUCE WOLF, RECIPES

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Department of Corrections

The profile on Fuzzy Budz in the December 2016 issue mislabeled the main photograph. We regret the error.

JAN. 2017 ISSUE #9

Cheers to a new year and new energy for the pot industry.

We’re going to need it.

2016 was a tough year for Cannabis in a lot of ways, especially here in

the Northwest. Washington ended a heritage MMJ program to enforce a cartel run by the state with the sole purpose of generating tax revenue.

Out of all the states dealing with Cannabis, Washington has been the most heartless, viewing patients as fakers and offering zero compassion for our plant or medicine.

But problems were not limited to the Evergreen State. Oregon has had a massive failure on almost every level of recreational Cannabis transitioning, with bottlenecks and downright inefficiency in licensing, testing and regulations. This has put hundreds of businesses, thousands of employees and millions in tax revenue at risk. Oregon disincentivized Editor Wes Abney last month the medical market and pushed patients and their growers into the black in San Francisco ahead of market. Not a winning model for healthcare by anyone’s imagination.

The Emerald Cup pg. 24 And then we have Alaska. 2016 started hopeful for legalization, but licensing delays and fear-based regulations have delayed the system for months. Alaska has had few failures, but nothing has really begun.

For anyone in this process, keep ya’ head up! We need you to grow, process and sell weed. Challenge accepted! 2016 also ended with a bang from the DEA, which declared CBD a Schedule I substance. For anyone scared of Trump (or blaming him), now might be the time to worry, because the CBD ban was carried out under Obama.

Who knows what the new administration will mean for pot laws. We must learn from the mistakes of the last year and make our industry a better place for business owners, employees, consumers and patients. This only happens with unity, compassion and lobbying. After seven years in this industry, I’m tired of partisan politics and lawmakers who take advantage of the splintered nature of the Cannabis industry. It is time for us to come together, find strength and common ground, and make a stand for better regulations and laws, on a local and national level. 2017 can be a great year of positive change, but it starts with a positive attitude and approach.

As we make our New Year’s resolutions, let’s start with resolve to fight for our plant, to have compassion for other businesses and users alike, and to have the strength to represent our industry at the highest level.

The new year will bring change and challenges, and we can in turn create positive change locally and for the world.

Here’s to 2017.

May your pipe and heart be full as we continue to shape this industry and world for the better.

national

STEVE ELLIOTT is the editor behind tokesignals.com, an independent blog of Cannabis news and opinion.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), reports U.S. News & World Report.

NIDA commissions the annual survey on teen usage.

“We had predicted based on the changes in legalization, culture in the U.S. as well as decreasing perceptions among teenagers that marijuana was harmful that [accessibility and use] would go up. But it hasn’t gone up,” Volkow said.

The survey also showed that there continues to be a higher rate of teen usage of marijuana among 12th graders in states with medical marijuana laws, compared to states without them. For example, in 2016, 38.3 percent of high school seniors in states with medical marijuana laws reported past year marijuana use, compared to 33.3 percent in nonmedical marijuana states. This reflects previous research suggesting that these differences precede enactment of medical marijuana laws.

“Every time a state considers rolling back marijuana prohibition, opponents predict it will result in more teen use,” said Mason Tvert, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). “Yet the data seems to tell a very different story. There has been a sea change in state marijuana laws over the past six years and teen usage rates have remained stable and even gone down in some cases.

“The best way to prevent teen marijuana use is education and regulation, not arresting responsible adult consumers and depriving sick people of medical marijuana,” Tvert said. “It is time to adopt marijuana policies that are based on evidence instead of fear.”

THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT TEEN MARIJUANA USE IS EDUCATION AND REGULATION, NOT ARRESTING RESPONSIBLE ADULT CONSUMERS”

Big Changes in Marijuana Laws, Little Difference in Teen UsagE As more states legalize marijuana, there have been no big increases in use among teens

The results of an annual survey of U.S. middle

retailers would actually make it harder for young and high school students released in December people to get,” said Tom Angell, chairman of invalidate claims that reforming marijuana laws Marijuana Majority. “The new data bear this out, and debating legalization will lead to increased and it’s just common sense. marijuana use among teens.

“Under legalization, businesses have “IT IS TIME The federally funded youth drug every incentive to follow the rules TO ADOPT use survey found that as more states and make sure their customers are of MARIJUANA legalize marijuana, youth use is actually POLICIES THAT legal age, lest they lose their lucrative dropping in some categories and ARE BASED ON licenses,” Angell told Toke Signals.

EVIDENCE holding steady in others. There have “Conversely, black market dealers don’t INSTEAD OF been no big increases, as opponents care about the IDs in their customers’ FEAR” have long feared. wallets; they only care about the money “We’ve always argued that taking marijuana in there.” out of the unregulated criminal market and “I don’t have an explanation. This is somewhat putting sales into the hands of responsible surprising,” said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the

8/JAN. 2017 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

“THERE HAS BEEN A SEA CHANGE IN STATE MARIJUANA LAWS OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS AND TEEN USAGE RATES HAVE REMAINED STABLE AND EVEN GONE DOWN IN SOME CASES.”

Quoted Trump Praises Philippine President Duterte’s Deadly War on Drugs U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in December

with human rights violations while carrying out held a telephone call with the president of the the executions. These extrajudicial killings have Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte said largely claimed the lives of the country’s most Trump praised his deadly War on Drugs and marginalized and vulnerable citizens, including invited him to visit the White House. Upon those who are unemployed or underemployed. assuming the presidency in June, Duterte The U.S. government had become more vocal made a public call for police and citizens alike in its opposition to the gross human rights to execute people who use or sell drugs, which violations associated with Duterte’s War on has resulted in the murder of more than 5,000 Drugs. State Department deputy spokesperson people suspected of being “involved with drugs.” Mark Toner said in a press briefing that “we’re After the phone call, Duterte said that very concerned — deeply concerned, I would Trump “was quite sensitive also to our worry say — about reports of extrajudicial killings of about drugs.” Trump apparently individuals suspected to have been “IT SOUNDS wished Duterte well in his antiinvolved in drug activity in the LIKE DONALD drug campaign and said that the Philippines.”

TRUMP JUST Philippines was “doing it as a After impassioned statements GAVE A GREEN sovereign nation, the right way.” by Senators Patrick Leahy and LIGHT TO “It sounds like Donald Trump just Benjamin Cardin about the gravity MURDER” gave a green light to murder,” said of the situation in the Philippines, the Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the State Department vowed to redirect $9 million Drug Policy Alliance. “By effectively giving his in aid away from Philippine counternarcotics blessing to Duterte’s murderous campaign, the training. president-elect has signaled to foreign leaders However, this opposition from the United his disregard for both due process of law and States looks set to change if Trump pursues his human rights — and raised the possibility that dangerous support for Duterte’s drug war. An he might one day treat U.S. law with the same advisor to Trump’s transition team on security contempt.” policy said that the president-elect would start Duterte has repeatedly shown complete a “clean slate” with Duterte “without being disregard for due process or human rights. In wedded to previous policy failures.” his call for the murder of people who use or To decipher Trump-speak for you, “previous sell drugs, he promised medals for citizens who policy failures,” in this instance means Obama’s comply, and pardons for police if they are charged objection to killing people for being on drugs.

“YET ANOTHER OLD-STYLE DRUG WAR CHARACTER FOR HOMELAND SECURITY. IT LOOKS LIKE DONALD TRUMP IS REVVING UP TO RE-LAUNCH THE FAILED DRUG WAR.” — ETHAN NADELMANN (executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance) on the news that President-elect Donald Trump will nominate “big-time drug war zealot” General John Kelly to head the Department of Homeland Security.

Quick Hits!

6 25 30 States have now eliminated criminal penalties specific to the adult possession and personal use of Cannabis, as Massachussetts ended its century-long prohibition on Dec. 15.

violations of misinformation about Cannabis on the DEA’s website are being cited by the Americans for Safe Access group under the rules of the Information Quality Act. Percent of Maine’s state vote was recounted before the “No On 1” campaign conceded and the state officially legalized marijuana.

JAN. 2017 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

/9

national

STEVE ELLIOTT is the editor behind tokesignals.com, an independent blog of Cannabis news and opinion.

Pesticide Warning Issued for Marijuana in North America The Association of Commercial Cannabis Laboratories have detected high levels of cultivating agents.

Pesticide residue on marijuana is a problem that

won’t go away any time soon. With the state of Washington, for instance, allowing more than 225 pesticides on commercial Cannabis — yet not routinely testing for levels of any of them — issues are bound to occur.

The Association of Commercial Cannabis Laboratories, Inc. (ACCL) on Dec. 7 released a statement offering information on the continuing concern of pesticide contamination on Cannabis.

ACCL members in several states have detected high levels of various cultivating agents that are used to combat numerous types of fungal and insect-

based assaults during cultivation, according to the organization.

“As member laboratories continue to advance their technical sophistication using state-of-the-art mass spectrometry-based approaches, we have broadened the ability to detect more of these cultivating agents and have come to understand that this problem is larger and more complex than anyone initially suspected,” ACCL announced.

“Our most recent assessment of the prevalence of pesticides and fungicides shows that around 50 percent or more of the commercially available flowers and concentrates may contain concerning levels

“THIS RULING ALLOWS DOCTORS TO DO THEIR JOBS AND THOUSANDS OF PATIENTS TO GET BACK ON THE PROGRAM. IT IS A VERY EXCITING DAY FOR ALL OF US.”

10/JAN. 2017 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

of these types of harmful chemical residues,” the watchdog organization’s prepared statement reads.

“It is the most important quality issue regarding medical and adult-use Cannabis today,” said ACCL executive director Dr. Robert Martin. “Pesticide residues are not known to break down by heat of process or by biodegradation and remain toxic in the plant or soil for lengthy periods of time.”

Fully recognizing this concern and aiming to best protect all Cannabis consumers — especially those who have compromised immune systems, impaired liver function, or are seeking consistent and constant uses of Cannabis — ACCL said its members are uniting nationwide to collaborate on establishing cultivating agent testing standards and methods.

The organization is hoping that will offer informed scientific leadership to the rapidly evolving Cannabis industry.

Laboratories like those that belong to the ACCL will benefit from mandated lab testing for pesticides and other contaminants, but they won’t be the only ones. Consumers, especially those with compromised immune systems or liver function, can do themselves a favor by avoiding contaminated Cannabis.

The effects of pesticide agents like myclobutanil, when burned, haven’t been studied. The antifungal agent has been approved for use on fruit crops (it’s commonly used on grapes).

Myclobutanil is commercially sold as Eagle 20, Rally, Quali-Pro, F-Stop, Boon and other brand names, and is often used by marijuana cultivators to stave off powdery mildew. Early tests indicate the myclobutanil can be converted into cyanide by the burning process, producing toxic fumes. It has also been found to affect the reproductive abilities of test animals.

Workers exposed to myclobutanil have reported symptoms such as skin rash, allergic dermatitis, itchiness, nausea, headache, diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, nosebleed and eye irritation (CDPR). In fact, it has been speculated (and convincingly so) that what is commonly misdiagnosed as “cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome” is in fact a form of low-level myclobutanil poisoning.

Quoted — RICHARD EGGERS, (owner of Montana Preferred Provider, a Montana medical marijuana provider) on the ruling that dispensaries in Montana can reopen immediately after they were closed due to an error in drafting Initiative 182.

alaska

By ALIZA SHERMAN for ALASKA LEAF | ILLUSTRATION by BRANDON VOSIKA STATEWIDE

The Alaska Cannabis industry was surprised in early December by the news that Cynthia Franklin, director of Alaska’s Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office, was resigning.

Franklin’s tenure at the helm of the Alaska Alcoholic Beverage Control Board saw the addition of marijuana to the duties in 2014, and did not see necessary increases in staff or funding to handle the increased demands. Franklin’s last day will be Jan. 6.

Kim Kole, current board member of the Alaska Marijuana Industry Association (AMIA) expressed gratitude from the industry.

“We’re excited to see who the next director will be,” Kole said.

Speaking of the AMIA, the statewide organization finished nominations for all nine of the organization’s board seats in December. All five incumbent board members are also up for voting. Ballots are being mailed in early January and must be postmarked by Jan. 28.

Every business that is a member of AMIA will have one vote for each of the nine seats.

The AMIA’s newest chapter in Fairbanks serves as an extension of the organization. Meetings take place every third Wednesday of the month and cover industry issues but are open to the public.

The Fairbanks chapter of the AMIA is planning a Cannabis and community event scheduled for April at Pioneer Park and will feature booths, speakers and activities to help dispel stereotypes and misinformation about marijuana.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

NEW YEAR

POLITICAL

UPDATE It’s all about supply, demand and getting organized

12/jan. 2017 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

Arctic Herbery opened its doors on Dec. 15, making it the first licensed marijuana retail store to open in Alaska’s largest city. The store enjoyed steady traffic throughout the day and into the evening, and business hasn’t let up since. Purchases were limited to one 2.5 gram canister of flower and two pre-rolls. Customers can also purchase two packs of clones at $70 + $3.50 tax per pack. Each pack contains three clones.

Arctic Herbery faced its share of challenges, including some scrutiny from the municipality and the state before the business officially opened their doors. All issues were cleared up in time for their grand opening and the event took place without incident.

The first customer was an 81-year-old woman who told reporters she would use the Cannabis flower for a topical ointment for leg pain.

Alaska Fireweed was the next to open on Dec. 17 with a 1,200 square foot sales floor located in downtown Anchorage. General manager Will Ingram said that they saw about 500 customers in the first three hours of business and had a steady flow of customers through opening day.

“We’re a pretty large store. We can hold 49 people. That’s about 30 customers at any time, plus employees. There are four budtenders working at any given time,” Ingram said, adding that he currently oversees a 10-person team including part-time security and budtenders.

Three retailers in Fairbanks are also going strong.

Frozen Budz was the first to open its doors on Halloween and products include edibles such as cookies, brownies and caramels. Pakalolo Supply Co. officially was next to open its doors to the public on Nov. 2 and GoodSinse opened in mid-December.

A lack of product is the main challenge that Arctic Herbery, Alaska Fireweed and other licensed marijuana retailers in the state are facing.

Arctic Herbery carried three strains from Black Rapids LLC out of North Pole while Alaska Fireweed carried five strains from Greatland Ganja.

Both stores anticipate getting restocked in the first part of January 2017.

ON THE KENAI

The Kenai is bustling with activity. Permafrost Distributors, a member of the Alaska Small Cultivators Association (ASCA), is coming online soon and awaiting their first inspection.

Peace Frog Botanicals, another limited cultivator, is harvesting their first batch of Cannabis that will be carried at High Bush Buds’ grand opening that, as of press time, was planned for late December.

Terra House Gardens LLC, a limited cultivation facility in Soldotna, has come online and undergone their initial inspection. Red Run Cannabis Co, an ASCA member and retailer and cultivator, recently offered the first legal edibles for sale on the Kenai Peninsula.

The ASCA will hold its first meeting (which is open to the public) on Feb. 1 in Soldotna.

ALASKA LEAF /NWLEAF @AKLEAFMAG

AK

LEAF

alaska

By ALIZA SHERMAN for ALASKA LEAF

HASHIFIED ADS FINDING WORK IN ALASKA’S NEW CANNABIS INDUSTRY

N

ewly legal and licensed Cannabis businesses are opening across Alaska and job creation is the buzz.

In terms of hiring criteria, the state requires that any marijuana establishment and every employee or agent of the business who sells, cultivates, manufactures, tests or transports marijuana or a marijuana product obtains a marijuana handler permit before beginning employment at a marijuana establishment.

This includes anyone checking the identification of customers or visitors to the business.

Kim Kole, the owner of Handle Alaska, one of the state's approved Handler Card courses, said the majority of her students reside in Fairbanks.

“More and more people in Anchorage and Juneau are signing up as well in preparation for facilities opening in these locations,” Kole said, adding that Fairbanks and the Kenai seem to be more canna-friendly since their local licensing and permitting processes are less arduous.

Kole is also the owner of Raspberry Roots, a fully integrated facility in midtown Anchorage that anticipates opening late January or early February.

She has already filled two cultivation specialist positions and a retail general manager position and has enough people to run her startup cultivation size but plans on expanding in the spring, so

will be hiring more cultivators at that time.

She has someone to create topicals and insertables and is still accepting resumes for an edibles maker as well as extraction specialists.

On the retail side, she is looking to hire budtenders and a receptionist who will check IDs at the door and answer phones. Once her business is large enough, she will need a full-time bookkeeper and general office manager.

Enlighten Alaska, a retail marijuana store in Anchorage looking to open in January have already filled several budtender positions in addition to a customer coordinator and cashier.

Peace Frog, a small cultivator on the Kenai providing THC and CBD strains, recently harvested their first batch and hires part-time trimmers bi-monthly. “Harvest will come every two weeks and product has been spoken for across the state well into next year,” explains co-owner Dollynda Phelps, who says applicants should have trimming experience as well as a Handler’s Card.

At Raspberry Roots, the company will train their budtenders in-house so no specific knowledge is necessary, but Kole said candidates must have excellent people and communication skills.

“They need to be able to guide customers who are new to Cannabis to products that are appropriate for their needs, while holding conversations

with Cannabis connoisseurs who already know about different consumption options, but want to know the difference between new strains. These budtenders are the face of the brand, so enthusiasm and passion for the products are a must,” Kole said.

Business owners in the industry agree there is going to be a lot of job creation popping up.

“Not only can black market cultivators, processors, and dealers come into the legal market to retain legitimate employment, but there are so many ancillary businesses that will also be supported [such as] testing facilities, lawyers, packaging, marketing, security, point of sale systems, garden shops, electricians, carpenters and other services for build out and maintenance,” Kole said.

The Alaskan Cannabis industry is optimistic but going for slow and steady growth. It’s the most reasonable approach for many business owners.

“Legal Cannabis is just one more reason for people to want to visit Alaska, so we can expect to see a rise in cannatourism as well, which will support other aspects of the economy like shops, restaurants, transportation and hotels,” Kole said.

“I don't want to hire people and then only be able to provide intermittent work for them. They need to be able to pay their bills and live their lives, and stable employment is key to those goals. It's also why I haven't hired many people yet.”

NOT ONLY CAN BLACK MARKET CULTIVATORS, PROCESSORS, AND DEALERS COME INTO THE LEGAL MARKET TO RETAIN LEGITIMATE EMPLOYMENT, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY ANCILLARY BUSINESSES THAT WILL ALSO BE SUPPORTED. A marijuana establishment and each licensee, employee, or agent of the marijuana establishment who sells, cultivates, manufactures, tests, or transports marijuana or a marijuana product, or who checks the identification of a consumer or visitor, must obtain a marijuana handler permit from the board before being licensed or beginning employment at a marijuana establishment. To obtain a marijuana handler permit, a person must first complete one of the following approved courses:

Alaska Marijuana Handler Certification Course

by Alaska Green Resources (907) 252-8026 AKMJhandler.com

Cannabis Handler and Marijuana Professional Certification Course by Serious Circus, LLC (907) 888-8436 ChampCertification.org

Alaska Marijuana Handler Online Certification Training

by Marijuana Handlers (907) 301-1365 MarijuanaHandlers.com

Marijuana Handler Permit Instruction

by R. L. Marcy (907) 631-9518 AlaskaCannabisIndustries.com

For more information on the permitting process, visit the Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office website: Tinyurl.com/MarijuanaHandlers

Alaska Marijuana Institute Online Certification Course

by Good Enterprises (907) 202-6328 MarijuanaInstitute.net

Marijuana Handler's Card Class

by Kimberly Kole (907) 727-6584 HandleAlaska.com

14/JAN. 2017 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

By ALASKA LEAF STAFF

SLOW & STEADYWINS THE RACE A

laska’s grand experiment with legal, recreational Cannabis is starting out slow, ungainly and all together a lot like Washington’s foray into the legal recreational marijuana business.

Flickr/N@ncyN@nce

opinion

sors and retailers of Cannabis are all needed, asap. these issues will be a major part of the Alaska But for many, the long process has taken … longer.

Cannabis industry for the near future.

The most ironic part about the green rush is Supply and demand issues are just beginning that there is almost no rush, and all wait. Whether to make themselves known.

When demand is as

waiting for licensing, permits, approval or simply heavy as it is currently, producers carry the weight for plants to grow and cure, the most necessary of the industry in their hands. In Washington, Which is really quite a compliment, given that virtue a potrepreneur can have is patience. this led to pot auctions and bidding wars, driving Washington has sold over a billion dollars in prodBeyond patience, my biggest recommendation prices 5-10 times higher than they would be in a ucts. But the beginning wasn’t easy. I remember is for hope. The hardest part of starting a new stable market. Anyone in the market for $7,500 the headlines when our market first came online. business is having the environment change, and pounds of outdoor?

Stores with hours-long lines that ran out of prodnothing is worse than timelines when it comes to The economic reality is that the Alaska market uct left the nation bewildered, as everyone asked, business environments. Many compawill be unbalanced for one to two “where is the weed?” nies built out business plans and modyears as producers come online and Why is Cannabis At the time of print, there are at least 10 licensed prices stabilize along with supply and important to you? els based on the September starting Email 150-300 words and operating dispensaries statewide in Alaska, demand. The good news for consum- to nwleaf@gmail.com date for the industry, and all have had and most of them have at least a few products on to push that back by months. For some, ers is that the first easing on prices the shelves day to day. Hours are still funny, sethe delays could be up to a year. It is excruciating will happen this spring and summer, along with lection is short, but what matters is the frame of for those who have already endured the Mat-Su a boom of new strains, edibles, concentrates and reference. Compared to illegal states like Texas or Valley vote — certainly the delays will take out various other products as more and more producNebraska, having access to even a limited selection businesses that otherwise could have succeeded. ers come online. Lower prices and better selection of $20 grams is a major win. But for Alaskans, the will also ease the pressure on the legal market to shock is understandable. compete with the black market, and help ensure Alaska has had a booming personal use (read: the success of the recreational system. In othSo take this with a nice toke from someone who black) market that has thrived as people share has seen new markets develop. The beginning is er words, if you are worried about buying pot in Cannabis with one another, usually around $10 a never perfect and often not pretty, but just like a 2017, don’t. gram or less. Reading comments on the new pot freight train, this movement has motion that will While most of this opinion has focused on the stores, there are a lot of complaints about price build into something wonderful. Patronize local consumer portion of the market, there is an imand a few about quality. But these are simple speed mense amount of pressure and potential for the recreational stores if you already have one, buy bumps as the system heads towards maturity, and some Cannabis (for history or pleasure) and know license holders in the industry. Producers, procesthat by supporting the fledgling industry now, the THE ALASKA MARKET WILL BE UNBALANCED FOR A MINIMUM OF ONE TO TWO YEARS end result will be a massive, robust Cannabis marAS PRODUCERS COME ONLINE AND PRICES STABILIZE ALONG WITH SUPPLY & DEMAND. ketplace with the best fire Alaskans can grow!

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By PACER STACKTRAIN for ALASKA LEAF

Column # 8

Highlighting amazing Cannabis pioneers who helped pave the way to greater herbal acceptance.

SUSAN Sarandon OPENING UP ABOUT HER LIFELONG CANNABIS USE Appearing in some of the most beloved films of the last four decades, Susan Sarandon needs no real introduction. Through her career, she’s won or been nominated for multiple Emmys, Oscars, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild awards.

Like many top-tier Hollywood celebrities, Susan Sarandon is more than just an actress. She’s been involved in humanitarian causes for most of her professional career, serving as a UNICEF world ambassador and was awarded the Action Against Hunger Humanitarian Award in 2006 for her work as an advocate for victims of hunger and HIV/AIDS. She is a social and political activist who frequently utilizes her celebrity to bring attention to diverse issues people are facing around the world, including poverty, the environment, social justice issues and — since the ‘90s — the legalization of Cannabis.

She’s been open about her almost lifelong Cannabis use, saying she started in college and

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found it suited her personal preferences more than alcohol. On Andy Cohen’s “Watch What Happens: Live” program, Sarandon famously talked about smoking with David Bowie during their three-year relationship in the ‘80s. She also has noted that she smoked herb before almost every one of her award show acceptance speeches. And, upon further inspection on YouTube, they’re some really great speeches! In 2013, she told The Huffington Post, “I would like to see everyone be able to smoke pot,” lending her voice to support the legalization of Cannabis in Colorado.

She’s been outspoken about her views and experiences, noting that while Cannabis does have medical benefits, recreationally it’s “more of a lifestyle choice,

like yoga or meditation.” Sarandon is one of the few celebrities that speaks about Cannabis like a real person.

In a 2015 interview with High Times, she talked about how smoking benefits her lifestyle, saying, “that’s the great thing about smoking weed: if you lead a very, very busy life, for me, it really makes the most of the weekend. It, like, triples your weekends. If you only have certain windows to get high, it allows you to slow down and really be there … smoking helps you to connect again — to be present and conscious.”

This sort of responsible, but reasonable approach to the consumption of Cannabis is what will ultimately set us on the true path of mainstream acceptance. Once the taboo is removed, we’ll all enjoy better access and less of a stigma attached to what we all know is a beneficial plant for humanity. Slowly but surely, people in the public eye like Susan Sarandon are helping to turn the tide on national prohibition. And for that, we can all be thankful as we begin 2017.

“SMOKING HELPS YOU TO CONNECT AGAIN, TO BE PRESENT AND CONSCIOUS.”

FEATURE

By STEVE ELLIOTT Editor, Tokesignals.com

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH CBD? A new rule from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies all marijuana extracts, including cannabidiol oil, as Schedule I controlled substances, which the government says have no medicinal value.

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T

he perceived gray area when it comes to CBD has resulted in a thriving industry. Nonpsychoactive, but medically effective, cannabidiol is currently sold in tinctures, gum, edibles, oil and other forms. That industry, unfortunately, appears to have been destroyed with the stroke of a pen.

Under the new designation, marijuana extracts will have a new identification number. This is to allow the DEA and other federal agencies to track shipment of the products separately from Cannabis itself, reports Justin Worland at Time magazine. The rule also clears up the legal consequences for dealers of CBD extract.

“For practical purposes, all extracts that contain CBD will also contain at least small amounts of other cannabinoids,” the DEA’s new rule states.

“However, if it were possible to produce from the Cannabis plant an extract that contained only CBD and no other cannabinoids, such an extract would fall within the new drug code.”

In announcing the change, acting DEA administrator Chuck Rosenberg said the new code was necessary to comply with treaty provisions and “track quantities of this material separately from quantities of marihuana.” A new code, 7350, was added specifically for “marihuana extracts,” joining 7360, the code Cannabis had already been assigned. According to the DEA, a “marihuana extract” is described as “an extract containing one or more cannabinoids that has been derived from any plant of the genus Cannabis, other than the separated resin (whether crude or purified) obtained from the plant.”

Companies affected have just 30 days from Dec. 14 to do their initial paperwork. If they miss that deadline, their registration will be in violation.

The Cannabis Business Alliance (CBA) on Dec. 15 released a statement on the rescheduling.

The organization, which advocates for Cannabis business owners, called on the federal government to reconsider this unprecedented move that will prohibit access for patients in need across the country.

“Scientific research has shown time and time again that cannabidiol, or CBD oil, is therapeutic for treating countless medical conditions,” said Mark Malone, executive director of

the CBA. “This is an unwarranted and erroneous move by the DEA who has proven yet again it has not kept pace with the findings of modern science.

“To put any cannabinoid, which is proven to treat ailments including seizures, epilepsy, PTSD, Crohn’s disease and fibromyalgia, on the same level as heroin is irrational and irresponsible,” Malone said.

“Once again, the federal government has shown that it has not caught up with modern science,” said Nate Bradley, executive director of the California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA). “It’s common knowledge that CBD has numerous medical uses, including curbing the effects of epilepsy and reducing muscle inflammation from injuries. To deny that shows a complete disregard for the facts.”

The DEA is asking that all Cannabis extract companies re-establish their paperwork for the newly labeled “illegal” substance by Jan. 13, 2017, including any CBDspecific companies and products.

“This action is beyond the DEA’s authority,” said Colorado Cannabis attorney Robert Hoban, adjunct professor of law at the University of Denver, reports Leafly. “The DEA can only carry out the law, they cannot create it.

“Here they’re purporting to create an entirely new category called ‘marijuana extracts,’ and by doing so, wrest control over all cannabinoids,” Hoban said. “They want to call all cannabinoids illegal. But they don’t have the authority to do that.”

“This is a huge step backwards for Cannabis prohibition and especially for patients who live in states without established medical Cannabis laws,” said the CBA’s Malone. “Now is the time to come together and voice our concerns loud enough for the DEA to reconsider.”

But, according to the folks at Medical Marijuana Inc., “the media has been misreporting the story.” That company is sticking

with a previous court decision rather than the new DEA rule. They clearly feel that the DEA has overreached its authority, because they’re going to keep selling CBD. “Medical Marijuana Inc. is pleased to announce that the DEA federal registry amendment to create a new code for ‘marihuana extracts’ in no way affects the company’s hemp oil, containing naturally occurring cannabinoids, including CBD, or its operations,” said Dr. Stuart Titus, CEO of Medical Marijuana Inc. “In the past, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has conclusively held that hemp products, such as those marketed by the company, which are derived from the part of the Cannabis plant which is exempt from the Controlled Substances Act, is legal for import from Europe,” Dr. Titus said. “In the 9th Circuit case that served to uphold the legality of the company’s products, the Court struck rules that had been promulgated by the DEA that would have made the company’s products a scheduled substance and the Court permanently enjoined the DEA from enforcing the stricken rules.

“There has been no superseding ruling since the 9th Circuit’s decision,” Dr. Titus said. “Therefore, the company’s products continue to be legal and are not controlled substances. Accordingly, the legality of Medical Marijuana Inc.’s products remains unchanged in light of this new federal registry.”

“It’s unclear to what extent the DEA will follow through on its threat to move against businesses that manufacture Cannabis oil products,” according to Project CBD. “For the moment, it would appear that Cannabis oil companies that operate in compliance with state medical marijuana laws will stand a better chance of withstanding a federal assault — at least initially. The Rohrabacher Amendment, which must be renewed by Congress in April 2017, explicitly prohibits the Justice Department from using federal funds to undermine state medical marijuana laws.”

Under the incoming Trump Administration, especially considering attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions, no fan of marijuana, all bets are off at that point.

UNDER THE NEW DESIGNATION, “MARIHUANA EXTRACTS” WILL HAVE A NEW IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. THIS IS TO ALLOW THE DEA AND OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES TO TRACK SHIPMENT OF THE PRODUCTS SEPARATELY FROM CANNABIS ITSELF.

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FEATURE

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Visiting one of the state's first legal Cannabis shops: Alaska Fireweed

By WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by OSCAR AVELLANEDA-CRUZ for ALASKA LEAF

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A n c h o r a g e ’s f i r s t d o w n t o w n d i s p e n s a r y

opened its doors on Dec. 17 to lines, news coverage, fanfare and lots of happy customers. After what has been for many consumers and industry folks a long wait, the presence of an open Cannabis store in downtown Anchorage was a major moment in Alaskan weed history.

For store general manager Will Ingram, the experience was as exciting as it was rewarding.

“It was nuts! We opened to a line of 40-plus people and everyone was super happy,” Ingram said with a laugh. “We had guys with inflatable joints and pot leaves, the news and bloggers were taking videos, and because we have a big storefront, we got everyone in the door and had multiple budtenders running to make sure everyone got helped!”

The team had a soft opening two days before that helped to work out the kinks heading into the grand opening, which brought a wave of consumers that hasn’t died down a week into business.

People of all ages, backgrounds and demographics have come out to try the legal weed system, and to make their own inaugural first purchase of pot.

Many were surprised at the size of the building and the professionalism in the environment, which the team at Fireweed has worked hard to cultivate.

“We want to set a standard and an example with a high-end and boutique shopping experience here downtown. This spring and summer we will be exposed to several thousand tourists a day dropping off to experience Alaska, and we want to give them a positive and unique Cannabis experience before they head out on their adventures,” Ingram said.

ALASKA FIREWEED

715 W 4th Ave Anchorage, AK 99501 907-258-9333 www.AK-Fireweed.com

White Widow, a indica dominant hybrid, This cross between a Brazilian sativa landrace and a resin-heavy South Indian Indica was grown by Greatland Ganja in Kasilof.

While there are still supply and demand issues that have Ingram and the rest of the team concerned about keeping product available, they are already looking ahead to the future of where the industry will be.

“We want to show cultivators this is where you want to put your bud; this is the premium store for Cannabis in legal weed. We hope to maintain that consistency and have cultivators keep their products in here,” Ingram explained.

With five strains initially on the shelf and more coming in weekly, the Fireweed team’s biggest goal is to ensure that they always have products on the shelf through the lean times, an issue that has plagued other dispensaries across the state.

Locations in Valdez and Fairbanks have intermittently opened and closed as supply arrived and sold, which makes grabbing market share from the black market and helping the brand difficult.

The day that our team visited Alaska Fireweed, five strains from Greatland Ganja were available on the shelves, like White Widow testing at 7.15% THC, Northern Lights at 9.8% THC, Jack the Ripper at 13.27% THC, Space Rip at 16.22% THC and Pineapple Express at 13.57% THC. Product from Budding Alaska was in back, waiting to be packaged.

Co-owner Susan Nowland said having good strains and access for the consumers has been a joy and a reward for the two years of hard work

she has put into opening the store.

A retired registered nurse who is passionate about the medical aspects of Cannabis, Nowland hopes to help both recreational consumers and medical users get access to quality products in the store in a safe and professional environment.

“I wanted to create a place that somebody my age or younger feels comfortable walking into. When I first started visiting Cannabis stores in Oregon, I couldn't do it!

I’m an old ‘60s hippy; it’s not like I didn't know what weed was, but I felt intimidated,” she said.

“What we are trying to do is make it fun, inviting and comfortable to come in, and with staff that are friendly, passionate and knowledgeable about the product and the industry.”

Nowland attributed some success to the Anchorage Cannabis Business Association (ACBA), which provided support and information in an open sharing environment. Nowland is excited to serve consumers and to help any other members of the ACBA or those trying to start doing what the Fireweed team has just begun.

“It’s like every day I went to work as a nurse, I did it because I wanted to; there was never a day that I didn't love going to work, and same with this,” Nowland said.

“We are selling smiles, providing pain relief and bringing joy to somebody's life, and that's what I get excited about.”

PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, BACKGROUNDS AND DEMOGRAPHICS HAVE COME OUT TO TRY THE LEGAL WEED SYSTEM, AND TO MAKE THEIR OWN INAUGURAL FIRST PURCHASE OF POT.

General Manager Will Ingram displays some of his great astrophotography in the shop.

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rehashed

By WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by ERIC KAYNE for The San Francisco Chronicle

Dec. 10-11, 2016 / Santa Rosa, CA / TheEmeraldCup.com

THE EMERALD CUP

returned to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds with about 30,000 attendees smoking, ingesting and sharing Cannabis in a massive display of the California pot industry. The cup is the largest Cannabis gathering to offer up sanctioned Cannabis consumption in the United States, showcasing all of the top brands from California and the rest of the world for legitimate crowds of people to celebrate freedom and a love for the plant. Ranging over the entire fairgrounds are hundreds of booths, venues for music, trade shows, and a thick haze of smoke that was present from Dec. 9 night till late Dec. 10.

This year’s event broke attendance records, with some credit going to the passing of Amendment 64, which (legalized!)

Cannabis in the state of California. While the consumption/ sampling areas were for patients only, the smell of marijuana smoke covered the entirety of the fairgrounds. Everywhere and every corner had a session, dab rig or joint being lit. For many attendees, the WINNING event is the last great Cannabis festival TheEmeraldCup. of the year, and a great way to cap the com/2016-winners win of legalization.

Inside the sampling areas, over 150 booths were handing out as much weed as they could pack into the event. Many of the booths had trays of giveaways, edibles, soda fountains or lines for dabs. One highlight was the booth from Guild Extracts, which handed out fire dabs of live resin along with THC-A for anyone willing to give it a taste. That booth alone gave out an estimated $25,000 in oil! The sharing and enjoyment of consumers and patients is what drives the Emerald Cup to success.

One of the biggest draws this year was the music lineup (Damian Marley, Dirty Heads, Stick Figure, The California Honeydrops and Tribal Seeds, to name a few). Essentially a world-class Cannabis event mixed with a high-end music festival; it’s easy to see why the Emerald Cup draws the crowds it pulls each year.

Another repeat hit was the Hall of Flowers, stashed away in a non-smoking building featuring Cannabis brands and all the entries for the cup. Stacked in an octagon glass display were hundreds of flower samples, all entered faithfully into the cup, hoping to bring home an award.

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ALASKA LEAF

STRAIN OF THE MONTH

By ESHOM REED | PHOTO by OSCAR AVELLANEDA-CRUZ

O

ur first legal Strain of the Month is a born and bred Alaskan cultivar called Rick’s Original, an indica-dominant strain known for a hard-hitting couchlock and an amazing body high. Developed over the last decade in Seward on the personal use market, the strain has gained notoriety and a dedicated following of consumers that have been excited to try the strain out in the rec market.

The fluffy buds are oozing with a sour citrus smell that carries some extra funk with it. The taste has spicy floral notes on the inhale and a sharp cheesy funk on the exhale from a big toke. Like most Alaskans, we are happy the product made it to market!

The effects of the high are multi-layered and fun, with a strong body high that covers the extremities and imparts the classic couchlock feeling. Along with the body, the flower delivers euphoric waves along with a light auditory distortion and a bit of a mind and body tingle. This is a strain that can have you drooling and giggling at the same time, and forgetting everything you planned to do in a day except locating junk food and easily accessible entertainment.

Overall effects are great for pain and end of day relaxation, with a quick onset that is perfect for fast pain relief or entering into chill mode. You can expect to be a little productive after the first bowl or two, but beyond that, plan to carve out some good relaxation time if you are going to smoke this indica hybrid.

Look for this and more strains by Budding Alaska on the shelves of Alaska Fireweed in the coming months.

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RICK'S

FLUFFY BUDS OOZING WITH A SOUR CITRUS SMELL THAT CARRIES SOME EXTRA FUNK GROWN BY BUDDING ALASKA // SEWARD, ALASKA

ORIGINAL THC 15.35%

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profile

By WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN

MyUrbanGreenhouse.com

GROW YOUR OWN WAY

CO-OWNERS All the kits come with options on size and wattage of the LED light.

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STEPHEN LEWIS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER BRANDON CASSENS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER ANDREW BROCK CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER

MY URBAN GREENHOUSE

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CEO OF A SCALABLE HOME GROW SYSTEM

When did you guys start working with greenhouses?

Was it difficult to transition over from peppers to pot?

Why do growers like deep water culture production?

The company actually started about three and a half years ago. Originally, it was centered around small-scale horticulture to help people with their home garden. It was focused on herbs, fruits or veggies, anything like that. Our big question was: How do we make it easier for anyone to be a successful grower, to grow their own food sustainably, and to provide for their family and community?

Our whole goal from the get-go has been to enable anyone to be a successful grower no matter what they are trying to grow. We spent a lot of time developing our systems to ensure a hands-free approach that you won't find with other kits or companies.

Everything from the LED system to our nutrients is designed for simplicity, to enable anyone to be successful whether they have growing experience or not and to maximize the potential of the plant.

The biggest benefit is that the plant’s roots are constantly exposed to nutrient-rich water hanging in the cycling water, maximizing the grow potential of the plant. Another nice feature is that it takes half as much nutrients as a normal hydro or dirt system. At the end of the cycle, there’s a hose connection to the pump and you can flush the whole system and keep it real simplified. Our systems typically require less maintenance than other grows systems — it’s a hands-free grow style. People can expect 10 to 20 minutes a week in general maintenance, topping off water and topping off nutes, but the rest of the function is automated.

How did you start experimenting with aquaponics?

Why do you want to help people grow their own pot?

We made a giant greenhouse in Brandon's backyard and made an all-encompassing aquaponics system! Basically we put in a 60 by 20 greenhouse, dug out a 5-foot-deep trench that was 10 feet long and wide for the fish and a retaining reservoir for the water. The whole idea with aquaponics is to harvest beneficial nutrients from fish waste to feed the plants, and to let the plants in turn feed the fish in a constantly cycling and circulating system.

Basically the fish waste is caught in a filter and grows beneficial bacteria for the plants that act as the plant food.

That is awesome! What type of fish and plants?

We had tilapia, big mouth bass and some catfish.

They technically are edible but we didn't eat them; we actually turn the fish into compost. Towards end of year it gets cold, so we would do something with the fish — instead of letting them die we bring them out and turn them into compost and use that for outdoor plants. We primarily now grow peppers, but in the past we grew a bunch of exotic fruits like bananas, mangos, exotic peppers, all in the Hillsboro [Portland, Oregon] area.

Bananas in the PNW. Awesome! When did you decide to flip to Cannabis? Have you guys grown pot before?

We started out as small medical growers for personal use and transferred when the laws started changing. We saw an opportunity for people to grow weed effectively and we didn't see a good system out there to help people do that as an all-inone package. That's how we started with the home grow system that we currently have today.

There's nothing as satisfying as growing your own, and you know what is in the plants. You can hope the growers and dispensaries meet and comply with testing, but you can't ever be sure or know what's been in the plants. The potential for bad weed being out there in the industry is high, and home growing allows successful growing with knowing what has been in the plant and what's going into your body.

Today you have a few different types of systems.

What are the differences and benefits?

There are three different tiers of grow styles that depend on the space available to a residential or small grower. The first is our sea of green (SOG) style tent, with an aeroponic grow system. The second is our SOG hydro tents, which can be set up for two plants or larger flood and drain systems. All the kits come with options on size and wattage of the LED light. Our newest product is oriented towards larger-scale medical or residential growers: an undercurrent deep water culture system that is modular and can be scaled from small to large, all while maintaining a single water system. That is our best system to grow the biggest, baddest plants in the quickest amount of time!

What do you say to the people considering investing in the My Urban Greenhouse systems?

We offer full support throughout the whole process. We provide lifetime support and can help remotely with these plants. We came out for those people who are nervous — people who believe they have a black thumb. We’ve yet to have a single return or dissatisfied customer and today everyone who has gotten a system is a successful grower!

JAN. 2017 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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recipes

By LAURIE WOLF for ALASKA LEAF | PHOTOS by BRUCE WOLF for ALASKA LEAF

ARUGULA & PESTO

SPAGHETTI This pasta totally rocks. The sauce is earthy and tangy and the uncooked arugula adds a freshness that you will adore. I like to keep a jar of the pesto on hand for a spread on sandwiches and bruschetta.

1. In a food processor or blender, combine the arugula, walnuts, garlic, salt and pepper.

2. Drizzle in the olive oils.

3. Pour pesto into a serving bowl and stir in cheese.

4. In a large saucepot, bring salted water to a boil.

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.

5. Drain the pasta, return to saucepot off heat, and toss with the pesto and the remaining bunch of arugula.

6. Divide pasta between the four plates, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with additional grated Parmesan.

INGREDIENTS

6 cups arugula, packed ½ cup walnuts 4 garlic cloves, peeled ½ cup olive oil 4 teaspoons canna-olive oil ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese Salt Pepper 1 pound pasta 1 bunch arugula, rinsed & dried on paper towel 2 tablespoons olive oil Small chunk Parmesan for grating

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Feel free to substitute spinach for the arugula.

This dish would also be wonderful with the addition of shrimp, scallops or chicken.

BRUSCHETTA 1. Heat oven to 325° F. 2. Place the bread on your work surface.

Rub one side of the bread with the garlic cloves.

Drizzle or brush your bread with the canna-oil.

3. On a baking sheet, toss the olive oil with the tomatoes, garlic, and scallion. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes have lost their shape and the scallions have started to turn golden brown.

4. Divide the tomato mixture between the bread slices and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Makes four servings at 2 pieces per person.

8 thick slices crusty bread, toasted 2 whole garlic cloves, peeled 4 teaspoons canna-olive oil 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups cherry tomatoes 1 garlic clove, minced 3 scallions, cut in 1-inch pieces Coarse salt and pepper, to taste

THESE THREE TASTY RECIPES WOULD MAKE FOR A GREAT DINNER! I’m bringing back a few recipes from my cookbook “Herb: Mastering the Art of Cooking with Cannabis.”

This project allowed me to delve into the entertaining world of eating Cannabis, from tasty appetizers to a medicated dinner to the lemony goodness of this dank dessert.

Use high quality bread and olive oil, it makes all the difference. For a classic version, use fresh tomatoes with basil and mozzarella.

LEMON BARS 1. Heat oven to 340° F. 2. Spray 9-inch pan w/ cooking spray.

3. In a small bowl, combine the flour,

butters and confectioners’ sugar.

4. Press into prepared pan. Bake 20 min.

5. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and beat till fluffy.

6. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and beat till fluffy.

7. Bake until filling is set, 25-30 minutes.

8. Let bars cool before cutting. Serves 12.

Cooking spray 1 cup flour ¼ cup butter ¼ cup canna-butter ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel 2 tablespoons lemon juice ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 2 eggs

These lemon bars are pretty tangy and really suited for lemon lovers.

They get their slightly greenish hue from the tasty canna-butter.

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Reviews

By STEVE ELLIOTT Editor, Tokesignals.com

TRUE LIVING ORGANICS

By THE REV, 2016, 284 PAGES, $25

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO GROWING ALL-NATURAL MARIJUANA INDOORS

T

2ND EDITION

“Soil made for Cannabis in containers has to be his is an update of one of the most popular organic Cannabis much different than soil(s) made for other plants, cultivation guides in the world, due to Cannabis’ voracious appetite and growth and it features lots of new and rates, especially under typical high-performance revised information, including all- grow room conditions,” The Rev writes.

“The rules are different for high-temp high-menew photos, to help indoor gardentabolism soil and the amount of life ers perfect their craft. you will be feeding (the microbeasties); The burgeoning market for marijuana AS A BONUS, means consumers are more informed and hells yes TLO soil mixes are strong; THERE’S DETAILED so there’s a lot of life besides the plant more demanding than ever before. And INFORMATION chowing down (consuming nutrients).” many (or most!) consumers, especially medical patients, prefer the clean taste As a bonus, there’s detailed informaABOUT ORGANIC tion about organic hash making, and a and soaring high of organic Cannabis.

HASH MAKING, guide to solvent-free extraction.

What separates the best organic growAND A GUIDE TO The accessible writing style has won ers from the rest? “True Living OrganSOLVENT-FREE The Rev a lot of followers. The book sifts ics” can help you achieve excellence with revised and advanced soil-mixing recipes, through the insider jargon surrounding EXTRACTION. the organic Cannabis cultivation comthe importance of using “true living water,” new tea and spike recipes, and easy-to-follow munity, and shows you how to produce top-quality, step-by-step instructions. chemical-free marijuana flowers in your home at The comprehensive troubleshooting section is a minimal cost.

If you’re looking for one indispensable handbook great help, especially to novices. If you just want to grow fine organic weed but don’t have time to mix for growing truly natural and organic marijuana, your own soils and teas, you guessed it! Ready-made entirely free of chemicals, “True Living Organics” TLO (True Living Organics) soils are available. is a good choice.

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THIS BOOK HELPS YOU SIFT THROUGH THE INSIDER JARGON SURROUNDING THE ORGANIC CANNABIS CULTIVATION COMMUNITY

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health & science

By SIMONE FISCHER | Special Contributor

Cannabis is a wonderful aid during anxiety-provoking and stressful situations.

So to beat the bad vibes, rehash this stoner etiquette lesson and follow some mostly unspoken rules!

1)Whether Knowyou’reyour limit staring down a Cannabis-laced

edible, dab or joint, know your limit. Imagine if you never set standards for your drunken self: You would eventually be dubbed a “sloppy drunk” and invitations might begin to drop off. The same goes for Cannabis — don’t be a fool. The highest maturity is required with any mind-altering substance. Go slow, and say no. There is no real shame in turning down a puff; the real regret comes later when you pass out on the couch and miss the entire party.

2) Designated driver or call a cab Do not put yourself or other people’s lives at risk.

Before any party, you should either designate a sober driver or plan on calling a cab. Technology has made it easier than ever to find a safe ride home.

Do not give Cannabis a bad reputation. Know your limits and take a taxi. The cost of a DUI in Oregon is over $10,000. Don’t be a cheap-ass: use Uber. Pay 30 bucks and save nearly $10,000. Safety pays off.

3) Have multiple Cannabis options Last year, I hosted a holiday party at my place in December. I invited people from within the Cannabis industry and non-stoner friends. At the time, I was almost exclusively smoking oil (BHO) and rosin. Most of my friends who arrived were heavy dabbers, but I really alienated my friends who only needed a few tokes off a joint to achieve an adequate high. The point is, don’t make the same mistake I did. Buy flower for the party if you don’t have any on hand, and pick up sharable (low-dose, no more than 15mg) edibles for those who opt for a smokeless form of Cannabis. I usually provide flower, dabs and edibles for friends, and it allows everyone to reach their desired level of comfort.

It’s not about what you alone want to smoke — reserve some consideration for your guests.

I personally prefer oil, but I won’t turn down high quality flower if I attend a gathering without dabs.

4) Remember the party supplies While on the subject of flower, have these supplies handy: a grinder, rolling papers, roll board, matches or a lighter. For dabbers who entertain: oil rig, enail, multiple dab tools, silicone mats, -tips and

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alcohol wipes to clean the mouthpiece. Vape pens are a hit, so keep one around. To avoid any dab overdoses, I recommend guests should avoid dab and use a vape pen instead. I suggest keeping a couple of packs of pre-made cones for people who cannot (and should not) roll joints. They come in a variety of sizes complete with a filter. I keep a bong and pipe out for guests too. Or charge up your PAX for easy consumption. The PAX is super easy to use, and many of my “casual” Cannabis smokers love it. I keep all of my stoner supplies on a large wooden serving tray. It keeps everything together and looks cute when presenting to guests.

5) Protect the environment If someone was kind enough to invite you to their

home, don’t be an asshole and ash on their furniture or floor. Ask for an ashtray, or a cup to ash in.

You will look so classy and considerate. Both items seem to be in short supply these days. If you partake outside, don’t haphazardly throw away your roach — not only is it a fire hazard, you’ll look like a prick. Be mindful and properly dispose of your roach. I certainly do not want stoners to be labeled as serial litterers. If you’re smoking out of a pipe or bong, ash in a designated place or ask your host.

DO NOT ash into a garbage because the hot cherry could start a fire if not properly extinguished.

6) Swab your surface Much like fine China, many dabbers bring out their

fancy nails, bangers and glass to showcase and dab off of with friends and family. I personally have paid upwards of $130 for a quartz nail I naturally ended up breaking (R.I.P.). With that said, after you take a dab, swab the surface of the nail with a Q-tip to remove any remaining oil. Throw the Q-tip away in its designated spot once finished. This keeps the quartz nail looking pristine, while being able to taste nuances between each dab.

7) Keep hydrated No matter your tolerance, always drink water.

One of the most common side effects of Cannabis is cotton mouth. Nothing worse than trying to carry out a conversation while you secretly die inside as

your lips begin to chap and peel. Plus, your breath is more inclined to stink because of the lack of moisture. Just make sure you have water nearby for all issues listed above.

8) Have a safe space If you are new to Cannabis, or have a lower toler-

ance, find a place you can sit down and relax before you get too high. If you smoke weed and it starts to become uncomfortable, find your safe space. Hang out (with a glass of water) on the couch for a while and ride it out. Odds are, after an initial 30 minutes or so, you should come back down to Earth and probably snack on holiday treats and refreshments.

9) Use CBD to calm nerves Heading to a holiday party where you don’t know

anybody? Calm the mounting bout of social anxiety with a touch of CBD. CBD, or cannabidiol, is the non-psychoactive cannabinoid responsible for reducing inflammation, strengthening the immune system and calming anxiety. Roll up a high-CBD strain in a joint, or use a high CBD vape cartridge intermittently before or during the event. It should take the edge off without numbing your entire experience.

One of my favorite aspects of parties that include Cannabis is the lack of physical altercations.

Alcohol consumption has a funny way of escalating into unwanted violence, which is a total buzzkill.

Cannabis keeps those demons at bay. The worst thing that may happen is you have absolutely no leftovers to snack on the next day because all of your friends are stoners. I speak from experience.

Simone Fischer is a Portland OMMP patient and Cannabis advocate. She is a contributing editor at Ladybud Magazine and a graduate of women’s and gender studies from Portland State University.

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HOW FULL IS YOUR CUP?

TREAT YOURSELF FIRST SO YOU CAN HELP OTHERS

“Rest & self care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow.

You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”

- Eleanor Brownn

qi-reducing lifestyle.” In other words, fill up your cup.

Self-care refers to the care and cultivation of self, focusing in particular on the soul and the knowledge of self. There are a numBY ALASKA LEAF ber of self-care fundamental determinants of health. For example, SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR DR. SCOTT D. ROSE humans need sufficient air, water, food, and sanitary elimination of excrement. There must be a balance between rest and activity as well as between solitude and social activities. Self-care includes keeping safe and participating in social groups. The self-directed pers your cup full or empty? Well, fill it up and fill it up first, so formance and mastery of self-care activities and choices are a requirement that your cup may runneth over and you may offer the surplus of maturity. to others. This is not the same lesson of the glass that may be Each action taken to nourish yourself and meet your own needs pours a half empty or half full; that is more a matter of perspective. This little love into your cup. If you do not fill your cup or keep it full, who will? is filling up your cup of self-care, and making choices to do so as And if someone deposits into your cup with no a priority. But our society teaches us that taking care of ourselves return, then they run the risk of running deplete, first is selfish and a negative. When someone is trying to give of making you an energy sucker. themselves and they are depleted, they just can’t pour from their empty cup.

With the new year upon us, and many vowTaking care of your self first is a novel concept. The most important time in ing to hold themselves to some resolutions, it is the world is the time you make for yourself. time to focus on improving your life and thereRest and self-care are essential, especially in our fast-paced, stressful times. by others’. Fill your cup first, and you will create Many people do not get adequate rest to restore and replenish their bodies an abundance in your life from which to give to on a routine basis. The immune system declines in its ability to fight inthose around you. This is a practice in mindfulfections effectively without adequate rest. The hormonal system is deranged ness and a choice to change a mindset to one of with increased cortisol production, leading to weight gain and increased ingrowth, where you can change and adapt beyond flammation. Diets low in fiber and nutrients but high in unhealthy fats, a lack your current capabilities. of routine exercise, and use of alcohol, nicotine, and prescribed/illicit drugs Some do a good job of filling their cup; others are all examples of unhealthy self-care lifestyle choices. A saying in Chinese do not. Some individuals and professions such philosophy states, “lead a qi (universal life force) producing lifestyle, not a

I

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“IT’S NOT SELFISH TO LOVE YOURSELF, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, AND TO MAKE YOUR HAPPINESS A PRIORITY.

as caregivers, doctors, social workers, teachers and parents tend to give of themselves with little expectation. These people can benefit most by filling up their cup and keeping their cups full.

When the cup is empty and the giving continues, they end up taking with negativity, or sharp words or by putting up a wall that feels impenetrable to those around them. These individuals, yourself or anybody can continue to make payouts to others more easily and sustainably by investing in themselves first.

Get past the unwritten law that taking care of yourself is selfish, and put yourself first once in a while. It may actually be selfish to not take time for yourself, because doing so denies your own importance. Fortunately, there are many ways to fill your own cup and there are no membership fees involved.

Physical self-care consists of eating a nutritious diet, drinking plenty of clean water daily, achieving adequate sleep, and engaging in regular exercise. Add good hygiene to the list for an increase in self-confidence when one has a well-kept appearance and better overall health.

Aside from the aforementioned physical attributes of self-care, the emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of our self need to be cared for as well.

For emotional self-care, surround yourself with individuals who build you up, not bring you down.

It is tough to soar with eagles when you flock with turkeys. Just being able to tune into and be aware of your emotions is important, and being able to experience them and working with tools like breathing techniques for emotional regulation and balancing is key to good emotional health.

For mental self-care, you must ask yourself if you are stimulating and challenging yourself enough mentally. Writing, Scrabble, intellectual conversation, etc., all challenge your brain to grow and fill up your cup.

For spiritual self-care, recognizing and feeling a part of a greater something outside of your self helps to fill your cup. A belonging, and giving back to community is imperative. Finding meaning and purpose to life can lead to finding your reason for being on this Earth. Operating with an attitude of gratitude, or being happy for what we have and not focusing on what we don’t, helps to fill our cup.

There are many ways that you can fill your cup, but the idea is that you must fill it and keep it full on a regular basis. One way is to slow down and take time for yourself. Nobody is going to give you this time; you must carve it out — even if only 10 minutes a day to start, it is the regularity and what you do with that time that counts.

(Meditation is a regular practice that nurtures all four aspects of self-care for filling your cup.) You are worthy of being able to spend time as you choose. You deserve it. You don’t need to meet any expectations before allowing yourself to take a breather. You don’t need a reason or an excuse.

Make it a priority. Find balance by taking time out.

“I don’t have time for a time out, there is too much to do.” Do you truly lack time or do you carry around an unrealistic, self-imposed standard of perfection that won’t allow you to relax? (“Life gives you plenty of time to do whatever you want to do if you stay in the present moment.” – Deepak Chopra) The to-do list will always eat away at you every waking moment if you let it. Before you can “take” your time out, you need to be comfortable letting your standards of perfection slide a little.

An empty cup is a step toward burnout. Fill up your cup with things that light you up inside. Most of us know we need to do this, we either just choose not to, or end up not making our happiness a priority. This is not good. You have to live with you for the rest

IF YOU DON’T FILL YOUR CUP OR KEEP IT FULL, WHO WILL?

of your life. Why would you choose to allow your happiness to fall low on the priority list? Negativity is quick to follow, and no one wants to be around a negative person all the time.

In contrast, a cup that runneth over gives us a positive outlook and renewed energy. When your cup is overflowing, you experience an intense happiness that can spread to those around you. You feel more confident, your thoughts are more positive, and you expect positive results. You are able to extend yourself to others and not feel depleted after doing so.

When you take personal time to do things for yourself, you are filling up your cup and “recharging your battery.” Give yourself permission to take those few mindful minutes each day to be peaceful … you can worry for the other 23 hours and 50 minutes. Taking care of yourself equals keeping your cup full. If you don’t do things to keep your cup full, you have nothing left to give or share with others. By consciously focusing on our own self-care, we choose a richer life for ourselves and those around us. Bring yourself back into focus for this new year.

“It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary.” - Mandy Hale

Dr. Scott D. Rose is a Naturopathic Acupuncturist in the Seattle, Washington area.

JAN. 2017 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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OG Bio War

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MICROBIAL INOCULATE OGBioWar.com

Product Guide 2017

Garden your way to the top

BY ALASKA LEAF SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR DR. SCANDERSON

IT’S THE TIME OF YEAR AGAIN when a new beginning marks yet another chance to adopt new formulas, techniques and devices all designed to assist growers to produce better Cannabis plants. With the continued number of walls being shattered as a new age of legal, recreational Cannabis production and distribution is ushered in, so too the ancillary services and products that support Cannabis production are becoming more prolific. We growers have seen a slew of new products both good and bad. In this month’s column, I want to review a couple innovative products with significant traction or market penetration, and highlight some of the best products this brave new world has created.

50/JAN. 2017 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

Although Capulator has made OG Bio War since well before 2015, his feverish pursuit of excellence over the years has lead to the continued refinement of the formula to include the most effective strains of bacterium. I have used OG Bio War for almost three years and can report truly astonishing results in creating plants seemingly immune to the pathogens and diseases most common in my style of gardening.

But I’m not alone. Quite literally everyone I know who has tried the product and applies it correctly reports the same or with similar results.

A truly all-inclusive line, most growers will never need to add additional inoculates as this formula is a cure-all. Regardless if you are preventing against or treating for powdery and downy mildew, botrytis, damping off, fusarium wilt, pythium, root aphids or much more, OG Bio War has you covered.

When used in container environments as a root drench, the medium is inoculated with a robust population of microbes that will create powerful symbiotic relationships with the plants in ideal conditions and allow superior nutrient uptake and drought resistance.

It’s important when applying the product as foliar spray (which works great) that you apply the AACT correctly. This is not specific to OG Bio War but rather a guideline for effectively applying any compost tea. Generally, growers will spray their plants during the dark cycle to avoid burning leaves from the proximately to the light source. Many farmers also dial their conditions in to minimize humidity during this period. It’s important to adjust your garden during the time you apply a live compost tea as well as for the several hours immediately following the application.

To account for the fact that most microbes thrive at high humidity levels, it’s critical that you minimize, if not eliminate, all fans and set humidity levels to allow for 65 percent or 70 percent. This allows the microbes that you spray to stay alive long enough to interact with the plant through its phyllosphere. While this will make conditions more ideal for harmful pathogens to attack, you will easily outcompete them during the application. I like to spray around half way through the dark period, allowing humidity levels to climb to 70 percent for five hours or so then bringing humidity down into a lower range and bringing the fans/air circulation back up for the last approximate hour of the dark period.

It’s also helpful to filter the tea through a stocking as the product is suspended in pharmaceutical-grade talc. While totally benign to plants, it can leave behind a white powdery residue that is unsightly and looks far too much like powdery mildew, not to give you a heart attack after every application.

Vegamatrix

NUTRIENT LINE AND MICROBIAL INOCULATE PureLifeVeganix.com Kyle Kushman, already a Cannabis celebrity and award-winning grower, assembled his complete, easy-to-apply, 100 percent veganic recipe for growing Cannabis he reports using and refining throughout his career with results that speak for themselves. Practicing a completely animal-free nutrient application, enthusiastic veganic farmers report this feeding schedule results in consistently lower residual metals, healthier growth and vigor along with the cleanest,

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons / flickr.com/scubabrett22

most flavorful herb on the planet. Bold claims, true, but it’s no surprise that utilizing soil food web principles would yield such results.

Like most high-quality nutrient lines, you won’t find 300 different additives, each of which claims to offer still a larger, frostier, more flavorful flower. A base, camp, a few boosters and enzyme is all that comprises the line. When combined with an ideal environment created using the full line of vegamatrix microbial tea inoculates, this formula is a high-quality, fully vegan nutrient application line that would take a very firm understanding of veganic farming to piece together independently, thereby dramatically shortening the learning curve for anyone interested in converting to veganic farming practices. While the cost for the full line is anything but low, it certainly isn’t the most expensive nutrient on the market. Having said that, I find that providing an all-in-one, nutritionally complete, vegan recipe for effectively farming Cannabis to be a generous and beneficial tool for the growing community. Specifically made for container gardening and drain to waste setups, don’t try using this formula in a recirculating system.

Microbe Life

MICROBIAL INOCULATES MicrobeLifeHydro.com Following the trend of using what we already know works most effectively, Microbe Life provides yet another high-quality line of microbial inoculates, making it easier still for any grower to harness the power of the soil food web.

One of the features of this line that makes it unique is that they have specifically formulated the inoculates to complement the growth stage the plant is in. Providing more of the strains of bacterium that fix and digest the nutrients in highest demand allows farmers to get more out of their organic additives. Again, decreasing the learning curve by organizing the microbes you are inoculating your plants with to account for the stage of growth they are in allows for a more efficient and productive rhizosphere. Even if you are using all mineral-based nutrients, the Photosynthesis Plus foliar spray is an excellent microbial spray that creates a noticeable difference in the garden. While this product isn’t OMRI-rated, it falls into the category of so many high-quality products that, in my honest

opinion, are in all practical ways organic. In the case of Microbe Life, the sulphur suspension they use in the Photosynthesis Plus reportedly isn’t organic, but it doesn’t have any of the toxic effects that spraying a mineral-based nutrient would have on an organic environment.

Heavy 16 Foliar Spray

MICRONUTRIENT FOLIAR SUPPLEMENT Heavy16.com If I were to select just one foliar-only product that has made the strongest difference in my garden, the award would have to go to Heavy 16 Professional Foliar Nutrient. It’s a foliar that contains a reasonably wide spectrum of macronutrients and trace elements and some low macro in carb base that creates a protective film on the leaves for a few days.

Used weekly, a wide variety of plants in accelerated growth environments show improved rates of health and vigor.

This formula corrects any potential deficiencies quickly and efficiently and ensures rapid growth rates. It also coats the leaf with a film that provides added protection against pathogens and improves photosynthesis rates. Like many of the most effective products, this one isn’t a low-cost item, however, I’ve had great success applying at half to two-thirds the rate as directed on the label, increasing as plant maturity improves. At this application rate, the cost per application is very reasonable and the results are noticeable within a few weeks.

OSA­/28

Osa28.com

I heard it’s a good idea to save the best for last and so I’ve done exactly that for you. Finally, a company has brought to market a plant-available silicon formula.

Gone are the days of applying potassium silicate in the hopes that enough of this element build in the medium and conditions are ideal enough to be broken down into a form of silica readily available for the plant uptake. Silica is the second most abundant element in the Earth’s surface behind oxygen.

Without going off on a biochemical tangent, from

OSA /28 CONTINUED a high-altitude view, one might estimate that when you attempt to grow something found in nature in an environment devoid of the second most abundant element it’s accustomed to growing in, something might be different. Said another way, if you have grown indoors in an environment devoid of this element and you add it, what do you think could happen? It’s not often that I can add one single additive to my nutrient formula and notice significant improvements without changing anything else.

Well, this one actually is as awesome as I’ve seen.

You don’t need to take my word for it either. They give samples of their product away on the website for the cost of shipping — not a special promo shipping rate: the lowest rate a retail customer pays for any purchase. It’s not a huge sample, but that’s sorta what makes it special.

The very first week, I noticed a huge improvement that continued on into the second. The health the plants displayed were absolutely off the charts. Where I usually see early signs of stress or mild deficiency running supercharged DWC, I saw none. This lead to the fastest rates of growth and flower development I’ve experienced, combined with a utilization of nutrients that increased nutrient uptake approximately 35 percent, which is almost unfathomable in my system.

Stronger side branching and earlier conversion to bloom phase produced extra-stalky, wider plants that prayed 18­to 20 hours a day. I saw the hype. I purchased the sample, ready to rant on about the uselessness of another rip-off magic formula and, after the second application, was back on the website and purchasing enough for the rest of the round.

Behind all these amazing results is an equally amazing company. The laboratory facility the product is produced in is run by practicing and teaching biochemists who boast five PhDs between them.

Entirely sourced, produced and manufactured in the U.S., OSA/28’s unbridled commitment to excellence and rigorous quality standards ensures purity and consistency in each batch of what can be a volatile and difficult chemical manufacturing process.

Most impressive to me however, is that unlike some other more advanced companies, they don’t lead with the world-class staff or manufacturing facility.

Instead, the company leads with unmatched results reported consistently by countless growers using all different types of nutrient brands, growing methods and environments. That’s worth counting on.

Although a virtual and literal sea of new products have come to market as Cannabis continues to gain acceptance, these are slices of the few that I have either worked directly or very closely with and can personally attest to their results and quality. All of the items selected are also, at least in some way, completely compatible with existing programs. So get out there and grow something amazing, and as always, Happy Gardening!

JAN. 2017 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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budshot

PHOTO by @SPURSBROKEN | ROBERT R. SANDERS | PORTLAND

GREEN DRAGON FARMS

This potent hybrid with a sweet and skunky aroma was originally engineered to combat fibromyalgia.

Got sweet garden/bud photos?

Share them with us and they might appear here next month! Email your top 2-3 not-taken-witha-phone-unless-they-were-superduper-steady high-resolution images to nwleaf@gmail.com along with the usual details on what’s being grown and who to credit (please see corner for the information to include with your email).

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MEDICINE WOMAN

BEHIND THE STRAIN

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STAR DAWG

DegaussPress.com

BAG APPEAL & SMOKE REPORT Unlike most varieties I’ve worked with, the particular selection of Stardawg I was able to run has a unique quality of finishing with a medium lavender sheen and some darker pockets at the waist, setting off “high bag” alarms across the state. While much of the Stardawg is commonly minty green with orange hairs, smothered in trichomes and the “bang bang, pow pow” smell, this cut delivers the same giant spearshaped flowers, coated handsomely in crystals but with noticeable veins of lavender and burgundy.

Nothing holds a candle to the weapons-grade terp punch these blooms produce. Deep and penetrating smells of freshly greased rubber tires and tennis balls consume the senses when cracking the jars. It takes a second and third sniff to begin to decipher the acrid, Windex/ammonia smells of Chemdawg 4 when cultivated long enough to produce a sharp, yet comparatively appropriate background bedding for rubbery, nutty, gassy, almost overbearing opening scents. The flower’s smoke is refreshingly delicious.

Where my palate expected lots of sour, chemical, lung-expanding smoke, Stardawg delivers a warm, nutty smoke on inhale with mild lung expansion, making large single-point consummation points dangerously comfortable. While the inhale may be reminiscent of freshly laid asphalt, the grand performance is saved for the exhale, where nearly 100 percent of the almost fruity tennis balls and floor stripper flavor — that washes through your inner cheeks

BY ALASKA LEAF and tongue with a speed and ferocity — is unmatched by any SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR other cultivar I’ve experienced.

Sounds become more intense, scents provide new facets to their character

BREEDER: Top Dawg Seeds, JJ Edwards GENETICS: Chemdawg 4 x Tres Dawg LINEAGE: Perhaps one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of

DR. SCANDERSON

Cannabis breeding, Stardawg was a project that took years of selection to create.

In an effort to create the ultimate Chem line in seed form, JJ took and worked his Chemdawg D, backing it and stabilizing it into seed form, known as Tres Dawg. Remiss off the common intersexual traits, this line was an accomplishment in and of itself, but when worked into the Chemdawg 4 over the next several years, a genuine legendary seed form of Chemdawg was born, often being touted as some of the greatest Cannabis seeds ever made: Stardawg.

HOW IT GROWS

Flowers in 68-78 days

Not the fastest starter — but not the OGKB crawl pace in veg either — Stardawg takes an extra week or so to really get going, throwing dark three- and five-finger leaf sets as she goes. Responding very well to topping and training techniques, Stardawg has elongated full power side branches that are easily guided into the main canopy. She definitely appreciates some medium to heavy branch selection to clean out all the powerful side branches and focus development where the most abundant resources exist.

Stardawg is an absolute monster when given the proper training, feeding schedule and enough time to develop. She will transition into flower in 10-12 days, but even running her the full 78 days, I felt she could have been taken into the next week with ease. As such, plan your bloom round accordingly with the longest period of regenerative development being the hardening and ripening phases. A very sturdy support system will be needed as this lady is a beast when it comes to yield. Absolute chemical baby arms is what this lady wants to produce, so be sure you have the support to handle it or suffer from floppy buds and stem snaps.

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EFFECTS This variety is not for the faint of heart, you must have at least your intermediate or better yet advanced Cannabis registration completed prior to sampling this medicine. Like slipping into a warm bath, a deep feeling of calm and relaxation washes over me almost instantly after exhale. An excited anticipation guides me through what often would be a heavy sleeper experience, keeping some functionality.

Sounds become more intense, scents provide new facets to their character, thoughts begin presenting themselves as an invitation for consideration while the true nature of the human spirit is allowed to fully arise. It’s that strong, long, amazing Chem you always wanted.

SUMMARY One of the best packs of seeds around, Stardawg reached legendary status some time ago and continues to ride the wave of years of intentional selection and breeding efforts right to the upper echelons of Cannabis folklore where it belongs. With many well-known phenotypes emerging from these packs (Corey Haim, Guava), Stardawg, for better or worse, has literally been the cornerstone of many other breeder’s projects and many of we farmers’ most elite grows.