HIGHLY LIKELY

The argument could be made that Bob Marley was one of the most important driving forces in creating our modern Cannabis culture and ideals. And for that we should all be thankful, because Marley is possibly the best role model a culture like ours could ever hold up. That’s because he was as close to a pure musician and human being that we’ve seen in the modern era - with much of that owed to his spiritual practice.

There’s the age-old joke about stoners having ‘deep conversations about meaningless subjects,’ BOB MARLEY but this actually speaks to something intrinsic to Cannabis’ effects on the human body, emotions and mind. That’s because alcohol and other drugs don’t necessarily cause one to introspect, to look inside, in the way that Cannabis does. So often, we tend to disregard this important sensation that could be called ‘religious’ - because B EFORE WE BEGIN, we must acknowledge that much of Marley’s image and religious philosophy have been perverted. There’s the cliched scene of his posters hanging in the Spirituality is often divorced from the zeitgeist surrounding Cannabis. Considering what this herb can do for us as people, this is a mistake - and Marley in many ways exemplified that. THE FACT THAT MARLEY CONSUMED AND WAS SOMEWHAT OUTSPOKEN ABOUT HIS OWN LOVE that term falls woefully short and carries along with it all sorts of inappropriate connotations. And yet, there’s that dorm rooms of college freshmen, a large joint Because he imbued such a heavy FOR CANNABIS, LIKELY special something in in hand and smoke wafting through the air. dose of soul and such a potent LED MORE PEOPLE TO the music of Marley His name has been exploited by opportunistic message into his unique reggae WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT that even people who capitalists in countless ways, marketing products sound, Marley helped to popularize IT WAS ALL ABOUT IN THE don’t use Cannabis to make money off of his image. Not to mention, the ideas and religious concepts of FIRST PLACE. have felt, perhaps the famous ‘greatest hits’ album LEGEND is the Rastafarianism in the world. And helping them to butt of many a music snob’s jokes. he accomplished this in sometimes understand on an Taking a look a little under the surface hidden, metaphoric ways through song. abstract level some of the feelings or sensations and we see that Marley was in many ways a In Rasta culture, Cannabis is considered to that Cannabis users achieve when they consume once-in-a-lifetime phenomena - an artist who be a sacrament - something that is used as a the herb. single handedly embodied a nation, a musical holy tool in ceremonies to bring people closer And, while there’s no concrete evidence of it, genre and a religion at the same time. More to God. The purpose for consuming the herb the fact that Marley consumed and was somewhat importantly for our purposes in this column, isn’t to have fun, relax or party, but rather to outspoken about his own love for Cannabis, likely he helped to define a different cultural mindset concentrate one’s attention on higher things. led more people to want to find out what it was all around consuming Cannabis. It could be said that real Rastas do not about in the first place. In the West, because of the clandestine nature believe in using Cannabis for recreation, For these and many other reasons, today we of consuming and producing Cannabis, our way considering it to be a superficial purpose. still regard Marley as a pure artist and someone of thinking about this simple herb has evolved This is an interesting concept that we can all integral to our eventual acceptance of Cannabis as to mirror the way we think about alcohol. One explore. For example, many of us have likely the holistic healer we see today. I hope you agree, consumes for fun, personal pleasure, to get felt this gravitation toward thinking on higher but even if you don’t - it’s probably not a bad ‘messed up’ in an (often vain) attempt to avoid things in both subtle and overt ways when idea to listen to his music the next time you light thinking about life. we’ve been under the influence of Cannabis. something up.

The iconic musician stands out in Cannabis history as a global beacon of positive Cannabis use

HASHMAKER

FRENCHY CANNOLI

DESPITE HIS GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY to the innovators of Silicon Valley, hashmaker Frenchy Cannoli prefers to look to the past. We spoke to the French-born, Northern California transplant about the appeal of hashish, the importance of terroir and affinage, and some of his favorite non-pot related ways of passing the time.

“IT IS LIKE A PROTECTIVE BUBBLE FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD, A MIND SPACE THAT MAKES YOU IF NOT IMPERVIOUS, AT LEAST MUCH LESS VULNERABLE.”

-FRENCHY CANNOLI, ON SMOKING HASH

WHAT’S YOUR PROCESS FOR MAKING HASH? I offer a workshop called “The Lost Art of the Hashishin” to teach everyone how they can make their own hashish using an inexpensive mini-washer and a set of sieving bags. The process, in a nutshell, is to collect Cannabis trichome glands using an ice water sieving methodology based on the traditional dry sieving technique and botanical science of glandular trichomes. Once the glands have been thoroughly dried, I press them with a source of heat into a mass of resin, which then goes through an aging process. The end product is hashish. I am very much like a winemaker who collects grapes to create wine.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR NICKNAME, ‘THE HUNTER OF THE MELT’? The melt is a U.S. term to define the amount of resin formed inside a trichome gland. Every one of us working with Cannabis resin is a hunter of the melt, whether it’s someone with a CO2 or BHO extractor in a cutting-edge lab or someone in the mountains of the Himalayas collecting resin on the palm of their hands.

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER TRIED HASHISH, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT? The effect will be somewhat different, depending on the cultivar and on the person smoking or consuming, but the experience is like being encompassed by a feeling of warmth and an energy of simple wellbeing. It is like a protective bubble from the outside world, a mind space that makes you if not impervious, at least much less vulnerable.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO OUTSIDE OF CANNABIS? Traveling would be on top of that list. I gave everything to be a nomad for 18 years of my life. There was nothing more magical than being in a place where everything was new, where your awareness is on constant overdrive from the daily novelty of living within a foreign culture. I am fascinated by ancient history, art and cultures, so I love libraries, museums and ancient ruins. My ultimate stress releaser is dancing. To dance and really get lost into the beat has been a favored pastime since forever. However, to tell the STUCK AT HOME AND WANNA MAKE HASH? truth in ‘normal times’ there is little CHECK OUT DIY VIDEOS I do that it is not connected to Cannabis. I have little time left and there is still so much to learn. AND WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS YOUTUBE.COM/FRENCHYCANNOLI FRENCHYCANNOLI.COM

WHAT IS THE CONCEPT OF TERROIRS AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR HASHMAKERS? Terroir is more than a concept - it represents respect and love for the land and its diversity. Terroir is a philosophy based on the combination of the land, the climate, the cultivars and the farmer. It is a dedication to quality and exclusivity exemplified in the culture of food and wine. The word expresses the uniqueness of every region and its products. It is the delicate symbiosis between the environment, the plant kingdom and the humans who nurture and enhance the characteristics of the land. Our planet is an abundance of terroirs that have been lost to a great extent due to agricultural industrialization and the globalization of the food industry.

A Stoner Owner is a Cannabis business owner who has a relationship with the plant. We want to buy and smoke Cannabis from companies that care about their products, employees and the plant. You wouldn’t buy food from a restaurant where the cooks don’t eat in the kitchen, so why buy corporate weed grown by a company only concerned with profits? Stoner Owner approval means a company cares, and we love weed grown with care. Look for the Stoner Owner stamp when purchasing fine Cannabis, and let’s retake our culture and reshape a stigma by honoring those who grow, process and sell the best Cannabis possible.