THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE
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#47 | MAR. 2020
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the psychedelia issue
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FEATURES 10 on the cover 11 editor note 12 national news 14 FUTURE OF HEMP 16 HIGHLY LIKELY 18 BUDTENDER Q&A 20 HIGHER SHOP REVIEW 24 strain of the month 28 PSYCHEDELIA 101 30 JOHNS HOPKINS’ PSYCHONAUTS 34 paul stamets profile 36 psychedelic art exchange 38 dosed movie review 40 coffee & cannabis 42 cannabis recipes 44 stoney baloney ISSUU.COM/NWLEAF
MAR. 2020
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LEAF NATION INTERVIEWS THE INTREPID RESEARCHERS EXPLORING PSYCHEDELICS AND CONSCIOUSNESS AT THE JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER.
PHOTO by ERIC KAYNE @PHOTOKAYNE
the PSYCHEDELIA issue
THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE
#47 | MAR. 2020
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OVERALL COVER DESIGN: Inspired by the psychedelic experience, I wanted to capture the visual creative essence of it while still honoring the cannabis plant. I envisioned the cover being a new door to the subject and the concept of “looking in” for the medicine and for the inner journey. Colour wise I wanted to go with a modern take on the patterned neon coloured visuals and integrate them into a storytelling theme of a quick history of LSD.
4) EXPANSION: A glowing diamond represents the feeling one can have while experiencing LSD. It also represents “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”
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1) TEMPLE DOORWAYS: In the center is an illustration of temple doors within temple doors, each with its own scene. This represents oneself going within and taking the psychedelic journey and discovering. On each column is 3 sets of icons representing various aspects from historical to beneficial. The bottom corner bases feature the THC and LSD-25 molecule respectively. On top of the columns are a sphere of the globe and the space. 2) ERGOT: Featuring a few loaves of bread, representing Ergot the mold and how it grew. 3) RESEARCH: A book of knowledge represents the scientific foundations of the chemical and the continued study.
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5) SPIRIT: A golden sacred sun representing the spirit and how it can align oneself with a spiritual understanding and glowing. 6) MEDICINE: A sacred geometrical shape represents the cellular structure and the research of medicinal connections of LSD. 7) CREATIVITY: 2 golden keys representing the unlocking of the the 2 hemispheres of the brain for new creative downloads and insight. 8) ALBERT HOFFMAN: The scientist that first discovered the psychedelic aspects of LSD-25, years after creation. 9) HIPPY LOVE: A crow chain of Daisies with a rainbow and sun representing the Hippy Culture and Era and the proliferation of LSD during the 60s-70s. 10) COSMIC BALANCE: Represents the cosmic consciousness and the facilitation of this mind heart state on proper LSD doses. 11) TIMOTHY LEARY: American psychologist that worked on the Harvard
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INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010
Psilocybin Projct during 1960-62 which led to his strong advocacy of hullicinogenic drugs for therapeutic use in psychiatry. Coined popular phrase “turn on, tune in, drop out”
18) LOVE: Love is the ultimate technology and opens one up to receive and give loving kindness and relations.
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12) DOORWAY 2: Featuring a jungle like environment represent plant life, this scene features 2 neon jellyfish with a young lady looking through onto the next doorway. She looks up the rabbit as a representation of “going into the rabbit hole”
19) DOORWAY 3: An island paradise in the shape of a head when viewed vertically, this area represents the inner paradise of happiness and love that LSD easily bridges into. A peacock stands happily in the middle representing the psychedelic pattern and inner revealing of ones mind.
13) SANDOZ: A Swiss flag banner represents the home of Sandoz Laboratory, origin of LSD-25.
20) BICYCLE DAY: A man flying off his bike represents April 19, 1943 as the first day Albert Hofmann dosed himself with LSD.
14) CIA: The US CIA logo represents the usage and study of LSD through the government via the CIA, with multiple covert and hidden experiments held on the public on various aspects.
21) FEED YOUR HEAD: Based off 60’s psychedelic song “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane, this represents going into the rabbit hole and the Hippy era.
15) MIND: A phrenology mind map represents the study and focus of mental abilities, control, and expansion and LSD. 16) TRUTH: 2 swords representing cutting to the core of the truth of experience. 17) HEALING: a wreath representing healing and the insight LSD can give into opening up to those areas that still need acknowledgement.
22) SACRED VISIONS: A close up of divine feminine representing the visual stimulus of LSD. 23) SAN FRANCISCO: The Golden Gate Bridge is represented here as a shoutout to Haight & Ashbury, home of Hippie culture and cannabis & LSD counter culture movements. - Brandon Palma, 8th Day Create Mar 2020
ART by BRANDON PALMA for ALASKA LEAF
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T H E E N L I G H T E N E D VO I C E
THE ENL IGHTENED VOICE
#47 | MAR. 2020
ABOUT THE COVER
This month’s cover is a surreal and inspired depiction of a wonderful trip, the kind you hope for, the kind they describe in poetry and in fine films. Our first-ever Psychedelia Issue focuses on all the ways that humans interact with these miracle substances, and the cover reflects that beautiful, moving experience, for all to see. Cover Art by Brandon Palma @8thDayCreate FREE / AKLEAF.COM
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CONTRIBUTORS
PUBLISHER
Boom Media Photos Tom Bowers Features Steve Elliott National News Simone Fischer Features Brandon Palma Illustration Jeff Porterfield Design Eshom Reed Reviews Meghan Ridley Editing Pacer Stacktrain Features Laurie & Bruce Wolf Recipes
WES ABNEY | founder & editor-in-chief Wes@nwleaf.com 206-235-6721
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Daniel bermaN | photography & design daniel@bermanphotos.com
STATE DIRECTOR AND ADVERTISING joshua stahle | ADVERTISING SALES Josh@AKLeaf.com | 907-317-2536
We do not sell stories or coverage. We are happy to offer design services and guidance on promoting your company’s recreational, commercial or industrial Cannabis product or upcoming event. We are targeted and independent Cannabis journalism. Email or call to discuss advertising.
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ABNEY
Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up the first-ever Psychedelia Issue of Alaska Leaf! WHEN I FIRST BEGAN working with medical Cannabis in 2009, the idea of pot having value beyond getting stoned was both laughable and criminal to many. It was with great hope that I ventured into the world of medical Cannabis to prove the value of our plant, and today I feel the same way about the healing potential of psychedelics. To say we have a lot to fight for still with Cannabis is an understatement, and while it may seem funny for a decade old pot magazine to be dropping into psychedelics, I promise that we aren’t tripping balls over here. At least not right now! Psychedelics have been treated in the same vein as early Cannabis use, with fear and superstition leading the way instead of science, compassion and PSYCHEDELICS understanding. An entire class of drugs have been criminalized and locked HAVE BEEN TREATED IN out of society and science for the last 75 years! This has allowed modern THE SAME medicine to make major advances in the human body while completely VEIN AS EARLY ignoring the most fundamental part of our earthly experience - consciousness. CANNABIS USE, Modern science does not have an accurate definition of consciousness, WITH FEAR AND cannot tell us definitively where our spirit goes when put under anesthesia or SUPERSTITION during the dying experience, and the toolkit for exploring this realm has been LEADING THE hidden away. Let me make one thing clear: I believe we are spiritual beings WAY INSTEAD living in physical form. Whether Christian or Buddhist or Agnostic, to deny OF SCIENCE. consciousness is to deny life itself. And a life of unexplored consciousness is one not truly lived. Terence McKenna, an early and vocal proponent of Cannabis and psychedelia said, “Life lived in the absence of the psychedelic experience that primordial shamanism is based on is life trivialized, life denied, life enslaved to the ego.” Whether you have had a psychedelic experience or don’t ever intend to, there is research being conducted all over the world - both professionally and on an individual basis - pointing to the benefits of these drugs. Johns Hopkins Research Facility in Maryland recently restarted their psilocybin studies after a 30 year break over legality and funding, which we cover in this issue, alongside Time Magazine and mainstream media. In Switzerland, terminal patients and those seeking end of life therapy are using LSD to find peace with their existence ending on this plane, while ketamine and DMT are being used to help treat traumas and addiction from the jungles of Peru to laboratories in the United States. To say that there is potential for these substances is an understatement, and it all begins with perception. Humans fear what they don’t understand, and perhaps that is why we are all so fearful of death, the dogma of religion and our fundamental existence. My own psychedelic experiences have led me to find peace in all these areas - to open my spirit beyond my earthly flesh and ego to look forward positively to my journey - which will simply be taking a new path when I leave this body. But most of all, psychedelics have helped me to appreciate the moment, to see the natural beauty of the world around me, and to realize that everything can become a mandala if you are high enough. Thank you for picking up this issue, and I hope our stories help to open your mind to psychedelics. Remember that even if they aren’t for you, they are helping others, and nobody should be denied access to a medicine that makes life, or death, easier.
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-Wes Abney mar. 2020
AKLEAF.COM
AL AS KA L E A F / N O RT H W E S T L E A F / O R EG O N L E A F / M A RY L AN D L E A F
WES
national news
2.5 15.6 20 ounces is the limit for Cannabis carried in cars under Michigan’s new legalization implementation.
dispensaries per 100,00 residents gives Oklahoma the second highest number of pot shops per capita.
BILL TO ADDRESS RACIAL INEQUITY IN CANNABIS LICENSING APPROVED BY WA HOUSE ashington state lawmakers in February passed a bill intended to address racial inequalities within the marijuana industry. The bill would issue previously forfeited, canceled and revoked retail licenses to applicants of a new social equity program. House Bill 2870 would require the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) to prioritize applicants who represent communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs. The agency would consider factors including the applicant’s race, gender, history of marijuana convictions during prohibition, and plans to employ people of color. Also considered would be the impact the war on drugs had on the applicant’s neighborhood.
WASHINGTON CANNABIS FARM ACCUSED IN $4.85 MILLION PONZI SCHEME
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pounds of THC-infused vaporizer cartridges were found in an Iowa woman’s car during a routine traffic stop, along with a reported 130 pounds of raw marijuana.
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percent of Alabama newspaper readers favored legalization in a February online poll hosted by AL.com, in which more than 2,000 people backed legalizing medical & rec marijuana.
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Cannabis plants were found inside a Mocksville, NC, man’s home in February, as part of what was described as a “sophisticated operation” where police found 127 pounds of pot and seven firearms.
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grams or less of marijuana have been decriminalized in Hillsborough County, Florida, home to nearly 1.5m people.
he owner of a Cannabis farm near Anacortes, Washington, is accused of using Green Acre Pharms in a complicated Ponzi scheme that allegedly took $4.85 million from 2015 to 2017. According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, it included at least two dozen investors in Washington, Arizona, California and Texas, reports The Seattle Times. Many investors used retirement funds or family loans, having been lured by promises of huge profits from Russell’s Cannabis farm, according to an SEC complaint filed in federal court in Santa Ana, California. Green Acre Pharms - which closed shop in December - was never profitable, according to the SEC. Meanwhile, owner Robert W. Russell, 60, and his partner, smalltime California film executive Guy Scott Griffithe, spent $3.5 million of investors’ money on a 65-foot yacht, luxury vehicles, and other “extravagant luxuries, inappropriate personal expenditures, and unrelated business ventures,” according to the SEC complaint. Russell and Griffithe have been charged with civil violations of federal securities law and seeks the return of “all ill-gotten gains.” No criminal charges have been filed.
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economy
NORTHWEST STATES RANK HIGH FOR CANNABIS JOBS Washington state ranks third in the nation in Cannabis industry jobs, with Oregon coming in fourth, according to online weed guide Leafly’s fourth annual national report. California, with 39,804 jobs, and Colorado, with 34,705, nailed down the number one and two spots. Those numbers don’t include hemp jobs, which are also rapidly growing, particularly in Oregon.
DISCRIMINATION
UTAH BILL SAYS EMPLOYERS CAN BAN MEDICINAL USE
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roposed changes to Utah’s medical marijuana law would clarify that private employers aren’t required to accommodate workers who use Cannabis, nor are they barred from having policies restricting it. Some medical Cannabis advocates, pointing to what they say is the importance of Utah allowing businesses to run the way they choose, say they’re OK with that. But other advocates question why marijuana will be treated differently than any prescribed medication. ADVOCATES “It’s still private employers’ business,” said Desiree Hennessy, executive director of Utah QUESTION WHY Patients Coalition. She said Utah doesn’t want to “step on the toes of private employers.” MARIJUANA WILL BE TREATED But Christine Stenquist, president of Together for Responsible Use and Cannabis EducaDIFFERENTLY tion, or TRUCE, said her group “absolutely opposes” the bill not requiring private employTHAN ANY ers to allow use. “What other medication or medical treatment is subject to employers’ PRESCRIBED MEDICATION. scrutiny?” Stenquist asked.
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FORMER TOP MARYLAND MEDICAL MARIJUANA OFFICIAL JOINS CANNABIS COMPANY Joy Strand resigned as executive director of the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission last Fall. The former top regulator of Maryland’s medical Cannabis industry has joined a Frederick, Maryland-based marijuana company as executive vice president, reports The Baltimore Sun. Strand now works for Green Leaf Medical, the company announced in January. Strand is in charge of coordinating Green Leaf’s government relations in multiple states, according to Kevin Goldberg, president and general counsel of the company. “She brings a wealth of knowledge about the Cannabis industry and compliance,” Goldberg said. “We’re really looking forward to her input for all aspects of our operations.” health & safety
PITTSBURGH GRANDMA GIVES JOINTS TO GRANDKIDS
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Pittsburgh woman is being charged after allegedly allowing her grandchildren to smoke Cannabis while recorded on social media. Tonika Averytt is charged with two cases of endangering the welfare of children and two cases of corruption of minors, reports CBS Pittsburgh. According to a criminal complaint filed by Pittsburgh Police, Averytt allowed her grandsons, 11 and 12, to smoke marijuana under her supervision. According to police, both juveniles were supplied with a joint, which they smoked while recording the incident on social media.
AVERYTT ALLOWED HER GRANDSONS, 11 AND 12, TO SMOKE MARIJUANA UNDER HER SUPERVISION.
By STEVE ELLIOTT, AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF MARIJUANA
SMALL BATCH CRAFT CANNABIS
AVAILABLE IN SELECT STORES IN FAIRBANKS AND ANCHORAGE
expert OPINION
BY JERRY WHITING L e B l a n c C N E . c o m / N WL e a f
THE HEMP INDUSTRY 1. Farmer’s Markets
If you sell at one or more farmer’s markets, start a conversation with your market’s organizers. Bring all of your paperwork (hemp license, pre-harvest inspection, lab results showing that it’s below the legal limit for THC, your Fit For Commerce, etc.). Sell simple hemp salves and lotions, and even bulk hemp if you can. Have handouts about the various cultivars you grow, as well as telling your own personal story. Listen as well as speak.
2. Christmas Trees
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Hemp is legal. What’s next?
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T HE G O OD N E W S I S T HAT HE M P I S LEGAL , F I NAL LY . T HE N OT S O G O OD N E W S I S T HAT M OST O F T HE HE M P B E I NG G ROWN I S F O R C B D E X T RAC T IO N . I N T HE SU M M E R O F 2019, 85% O F WHAT FAR M E R S G R E W WAS F O R C B D - T HE M AR K E T G OT SAT U RATE D , P RIC E S C RAS HE D AN D N OW N O O N E K N OW S WHAT WI L L HAP P E N N E X T. HEMP ACTIVISTS have toiled for years to liberate hemp. In the old days hemp was touted as a sustainable source of food, fuel and fiber. Hemp as medicine grabbed the spotlight after Sanjay Gupta introduced the world to Charlotte’s Web. Have we all forgotten what else hemp can do in the midst of the current Green Rush? It all begins with the plant and farmers are the ones who grow hemp. We need them to guide hemp into the mainstream marketplace. I’m sorry, but their job doesn’t end when the crop comes in. Hemp farmers need to become hemp activists too. Farmers can integrate hemp into things they already do, though that won’t be easy. Sometimes it will require educating those unfamiliar with hemp, being politely persistent in the face of resistance. Be ready to persevere when you hear “no” yet again. There’s a lot to be said for buying local, supporting small family farms and insisting on sustainable organic practices. Hemp farmers, if you’re really committed to making hemp work, try creative ways to bring your crop to the market. Remember: It all begins with the plant and no, hemp isn’t a fad. Farmers, we’re behind you!
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Grow hemp trees in five gallon pots pruned like you would a Christmas tree. Market them as a fun and renewable alternative to traditional wood trees. Include a handout with care instructions, as well as how to compost your hemp tree. Encourage people to take selfies for their holiday cards showing off their new holiday tradition. Consider a simple cardboard tree ornament with your logo and social media contacts.
3. U-pick hemp farms with hemp mazes
Farm stands are a popular weekend excursion from late summer through the holiday season. Introduce shoppers to your new crop. Offer fresh or dried hemp along with products you make, including simple lotions and salves. Want publicity for your hemp maze? Post drone video flying over a maze like no other. Visitors will be overwhelmed - not just by the sight but the smell as well. Hang a banner above a scarecrow and invite people to take photos of themselves. It might be wise to notify local law enforcement to avoid misunderstandings.
4. Florists Befriend a florist and provide them with fresh hemp leaves and flowers to incorporate into bouquets, centerpieces and other custom arrangements. Then alert local wedding planners. Provide small place cards so guests know who you are and how to contact you.
5. Hemp at the State Fair Farmers grow crops. Those crops are featured at state fairs. Shouldn’t your favorite state fair have a hemp category too? Approach other hemp farmers and join in talking with them well in advance. It’s a legal agricultural crop grown by local farmers. The worse they can say is “no” - and either way you get to engage in an educational conversation that just might open some minds. You won’t be the first - Oregon had Cannabis entries at their state fair.
6. Tours, Terroir & Appellations Think like a winery. Are you in a unique location with its own weather and soil that makes your farm stand out? Is your farm close to wineries? And if so, are they part of an established appellation? Market your hemp as something intimately tied to your terroir. If there are other hemp farms near you, consider working together to co-market your hemp appellation. It may be a strong brand-building exercise for everyone.
PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
highly likely
H i g h l y L i ke l y h i g h l i g h t s Ca n n a b i s p i o n e e rs w h o p a ve d t h e wa y t o g re a t e r h e r b a l a c c e p ta n ce .
RAMDASS
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WHEN RAM DASS passed away in December of last year, a collective wave of grief moved across spiritual communities around the world.
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hat’s because Dass was revered throughout A year later, he was an assistant professor many of the world’s spiritual traditions. But at Harvard, teaching clinical psychology. how did he come to spirituality? The answer In 1961, he met fellow Harvard profeslies in the molecules that make up the compound sor Timothy Leary, devoting himself to the known as lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD. study of the therapeutic effects of psilocybin Dass was born Richard Alpert in 1931, raised (found in mushrooms) and LSD. in a Jewish family in Boston, and said that he felt One of the most notorious trials of halthat his religious upbringing lucinogenic compounds DASS ASKED IF HE was hollow. Dass said he on individuals at Harvard SHOULD CONTINUE THE “didn’t have one whiff of God took place in 1962. EXPERIMENTS WITH LSD Dubbed the ‘Good until taking psychedelics.” In AND THE YOGI REPLIED, college, he studied psycholFriday Experiment’ Leary “YES, BUT ONLY IF ogy – eventually earning and Alpert (along with his Doctorate in 1957 from graduate student Walter YOUR MIND IS TURNED Stanford University. Pahnke) conducted a TOWARD GOD.”
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double-blind experiment that administered psilocybin to theology students prior to the Good Friday mass. Almost every member of the group that received the hallucinogenic dose reported having a profound religious or mystical experience. While this experiment was revelatory, it also had the effect of getting both Leary and Alpert dismissed from Harvard. From there, the two founded the International Federation for Internal Freedom (IFIF) in upstate New York. In this location, known as Millbrook, Leary and Alpert set up a sort of communal setting for “seeking the divinity within each person” and rapidly changed the substance for seeking from psilocybin to LSD. In the late 60s, Alpert journeyed to India where he met the person who would change his life and name forever. It was Neem Karoli Baba - whom Alpert referred to as ‘Maharaji’ - who gave Alpert the name ‘Ram Dass’ meaning ‘servant of God,’ and set him on the spiritual path that would define the second half of his life. Dass told a poignant story of one of his first meetings with Maharaji, where the guru asked Dass, “Have you got any of that yogi medicine?” Dass figured out that what he was asking for was, indeed, LSD. From there he gave the Maharaji capsules that were 300 micrograms each (the guru asked for 3, which in Dass’s opinion was a massive dose). From there, Dass recalled, “Well this will probably be very interesting, but then – absolutely nothing happened.” Dass went back to the United States and told the foundation members the story of the LSD having no effect on the guru. He started to believe that the wise sage had fooled him and done a slightof-hand, not actually consuming the LSD. Upon returning to India two years later, the Maharaji asked, “Did you give me some medicine last time you were here?” Dass replied, “Yes, I did.” The guru then asked, “Do you have any more?” He then proceeded to take 400 more micrograms from Dass, carefully placing each dose on his tongue so that he would observe that he did, indeed, eat the acid. After about an hour, the Maharaji (still seemingly unaffected) looked back at Dass and said, “These were known about thousands of years ago,” but went on to explain that yogis don’t do the proper preparation anymore to prepare for the experience. Dass asked if he should continue the experiments with LSD and the yogi replied, “Yes, but only if your mind is turned toward God.” After these experiences, Ram Dass began work on what would become his most famous work, “Be Here Now” - the 416-page illustrated book and manual for conscious being that is still in print today. This is but a simple overview of the life of a very important human being who spent time on this planet. Dass’s contributions to society are far greater than his work with psychedelic drugs. For example, his work with end-of-life care is some of the most inspiring - but we only have so much time and space in this article. The reader is encouraged to go and explore more of his ideas in independent study.
By PACER STACKTRAIN for LEAF NATION
(1) "Marijuana has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming and addictive;” (2) "Marijuana impairs concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under its influence;” (3) "There are health risks associated with consumption of marijuana” (4) "For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children;” and (5) "Marijuana should not be used by women who are pregnant or breast feeding;”
interview
W H O ’ S YOU R FAVO R I T E B U D T E N D E R ? T E L L U S W H Y ! E M A I L N O M I N AT I O N S T O J O S H @ A K L E A F . CO M
JacksonUrsin
ALASKA LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH E N L IG H TE N ALAS KA 2600 S P E NAR D R D , AN C HO RAG E / (907) 290-8559 / E N L IG H TE NAK . N E T
WHEN DID CANNABIS FIRST COME INTO YOUR LIFE?
Cannabis first came into my life close to the end of my senior year of high school. My first experiences with it were much earlier, around middle school, but not frequently until later in high school. I fell in love with the culture that went along with the plant. I also started to grow a little bit around this time as well! I was really into the biology of the plant. I was into the artists making glass. I really immersed myself in the culture of it all. I grew for a few years, but am not growing at the moment.
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HOW DID YOU BECOME A BUDTENDER? Well, I graduated
college with a degree in education, and I really didn’t want to get into a job where I would be locked into a contract. I still had aspirations for traveling and stuff along those lines. So, I initially got into budtending because of that. I had worked as a barista in school, and I feel that type of skillset translated very well to what I am doing now! I have loved it since day one, and still love it today.
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WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF BEING A BUDTENDER?
Probably educating people on Cannabis. I really like explaining concentrates with customers. What the process that goes into it is, what the differences are between a shatter or a wax, what is in a cartridge, what are diamonds? I really like being able to help people understand them more. FAVORITE WAY TO CONSUME?
JACKSON URSIN is closing in on two years over at Enlighten Alaska on Spenard Road in Anchorage. Always upbeat and eager to assist with first time users as well as seasoned veterans of consuming, we had the chance to chat about why he loves doing what he does.
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A nice clean bong rip. You can’t go wrong with that - will always be one of my favorites. But I am also really into concentrates, so I will never say no to a good dab. It’s almost a 50/50 toss up on which one sounds better. I go through my phases.
“I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE CULTURE THAT WENT ALONG WITH THE PLANT.”
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE STRAINS AND PRODUCERS?
I am a huge fan of Mercy Fruit Haze by Mercy Tree. It is a crazy good high throughout the day. It’s a very clean smoke. A lot of sativa plants tend to make me cloudy, but this one, my head stays so clear and alert. For concentrates, I have to say almost any hash rosin from Cold Creek. Their products are always top notch. I also want to give a shout out to AKO. They have been putting out fire. HOW DO YOU FIND THE RIGHT CANNABIS FOR A CUSTOMER?
If they are unsure, we just get to chatting about what they plan on doing. Are they trying to melt into the couch or remain on the go and alert? I try to stay as informed as I can on all the products that we have coming into the store, so I can really help give my two cents about everything we carry. My approach is very customer driven. WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT BEING AT ENLIGHTEN?
We are all basically family and hang out outside of work. The owners are always doing things with us as well. It’s nice to know that they have our backs. We have so many repeat customers, where they know us all by name, and of course we know them by name. I love working here. H O B B I E S O F F T H E C LOC K ?
I’ve been rock climbing for three years now. It started as a casual thing, but I am getting seriously into it. I just got a puppy (a blue heeler/lab mix). She is a very active dog, so I can take her into the mountains with me. I get to visit some beautiful places and love to have my camera with me. And finally, I love spending time with my wonderful fiancé!
INTERVIEW by JOSHUA STAHLE/ALASKA LEAF | PHOTO by BOOM MEDIA
SHOP REVIEW
HIGHER * * Opening in winter 2019, Higher is the newest store to open in the Valley! From the creators of Bad Gramm3r, Higher is another fantastic location that offers a wide variety of bud - all while keeping the high end customer service that Bad Gramm3r has been known for. And what a store it is! Between the unique exterior and the gorgeous interior, Higher is a must see!
ENVIRONMENT & VIBE
5/5
Go and take a look at this shop. It is absolutely beautiful. The exterior is a reflective surface that the sun beautifully reflects off of. I have to imagine this will look even more amazing in the middle of the summertime, later in the day. Inside the entry, the store opens up into a wide area that just screams Alaskan to the everyday person. Between the hand carved wooden sculptures of salmon, to the wooden wolf up in the corner, this store blew me away. And believe me, my descriptions don’t do it enough justice.
PRODUCTS
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5/5
With a vast selection of flower constantly in stock, Higher has something to suit every consumer’s palate. I was hoping that this would be a feature that carried over from Bad Gramm3r, and it has. Definitely browse through everything and find the bud that tickles your nose. On the concentrate side of things, the selection of products once again performs. Carrying products from manufacturers such as Good Titrations, Frog Mountain, Refine Alaska, Canamo, Cold Creek, Good AK, Cosmic Seaweed, AKO and Herban Extracts, they should definitely have something to your liking. For edibles, expect to find products from Northern Delights, Kreative Konfections, Good AK, Lady Gray, Arctic Bakery, Fire Eater and Red Run.
HISTORY
5/5
Higher is from the wonderful folks who brought you Bad Gramm3r, one of the first stores in Wasilla. Owners Peter and Teri Zell have once again poured their hearts into opening up a second store. Between their community outreach and dedication to providing a top end experience while in their stores, I have nothing but high hopes for Higher.
BUDTENDERS
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5/5
No surprises here at all. Aside from recognizing faces from behind the counter from over at Bad Gramm3r, each budtender that I had the opportunity to talk with was absolutely on top of their game. Able to go into fine details about the vast array of products carried in store, these guys and gals are very well educated on the products they are carrying. On top of that, everyone is always very friendly in the store. You truly feel welcome while on location. 1204 N HYER SPUR ROAD | PALMER, ALASKA (907) 450-0420 | BADGRAMM3R.COM NOON TO 8PM DAILY
mar. 2020
DEFINITELY BROWSE THROUGH EVERYTHING AND FIND THE BUD THAT TICKLES YOUR NOSE.
REVIEW by JOSHUA STAHLE / ALASKA LEAF | PHOTOS by BOOM MEDIA
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STRAIN OF THE MONTH aklEAF.COM
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MATANUSKA THUNDERFUCK GROWN BY MATANUSKA BUDS
MAR. 2020
YOU CREEP INTO A VERY UPLIFTED STATE, ALMOST EUPHORIC. ORIGINALLY CULTIVATED in the Matanuska Valley in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Matanuska Thunderfuck has become a legendary strain to not only Alaskans, but connoisseurs worldwide. While the original cut may have been lost to time due to law enforcement, several cuts have emerged with the intent of recreating the fabled strain. One cut that hold its own is the cut shared by two cultivators in the state. We got a chance to try out some from Matanuska Buds. An incredibly well balanced hybrid, the cut has genetics that trace back to a traditional Northern Lights, an indica, and Skunk #1 - a prominent sativa strain, with smaller relations to several others mixed in, including Afghani. Matanuska Buds would also like to shout out VanGeer as well, as they share the same exact strain! Opening the jar, you are greeted with a smell of skunk and pine, with a little tidbit of an almost vanilla cream smell chilling in the background. The smoke is incredibly smooth - on inhale, you pick up on an almost fruity and earthy toke. The burn of the bowl is also incredibly clean. But the effect of the strain is what most fascinates me. You creep into a very uplifted state, almost euphoric. Don’t be surprised if you feel a bit spacey (22.25% THC). I felt energized and ready to take on the day, unfortunate for 8:00 in the evening as the day was winding to a close. You slowly melt into a relaxed state that while not inducing sleep, is perfect for a relaxing night of gaming or binge watching a favorite show. Along the journey, you may wander into a few giggles or even a slight sensual arousal, as the strain tickles your many senses.
Don’t forget: Have the snacks ready.
REVIEW by JOSHUA STAHLE/ALASKA LEAF | PHOTO by BOOM MEDIA
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the PSYCHEDELIA issue
PSYCHEDELICS 101 Psilocybin LSD DMT Ibogaine Ketamine
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There are more than 180 species of mushrooms that contain the psychedelic chemical psilocybin or psilocin. They have a long history of use in Mexico and are currently one of the most popular and commonly available naturally-occurring psychedelics. In recent studies at Johns Hopkins, psilocybin has been found to have beneficial therapeutic results when administered in a proper setting. Family Strophariaceae Genus Psilocybe Species Cubensis, Cyanescens, Semilanceata effects last 8 hours
LSD was discovered in 1938 by a Swiss chemist better known as Albert Hofmann. LSD was originally synthesized to treat respiratory depression. In 1943, Hofmann accidentally discovered its hallucinogenic properties after absorbing some through his skin. Over the next 15 years, LSD was used as an anesthetic and to support psychoanalysis. The counterculture of the 1960s led to it being used for recreational purposes.
dmt is a powerful, visual psychedelic which produces short-acting effects when smoked. It is also used orally in combination with an MAOI, as in ayahuasca brews. DMT is naturally produced in the human body, as well as many plants.
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chemical name d-lysergic acid diethylamide effects last 12-16 hours
ibogaine is the active chemical found in the African Tabernanthe Iboga root, as well as several other plant species. It is a strong, longlasting psychedelic used traditionally in a coming of age ritual - but also known for its modern use in treating drug addiction and working through traumatic childhood events.
chemical name N,N-dimethyltryptamine effects last 15-30 minutes (smoked) 8-12 hours (orally)
chemical name 12-methoxyibogamine effects last 12-18 hours
Ketamine is a dissociative psychedelic used medically as an anesthetic. In recent studies, it has been shown that ketamine could have the potential to be a newer and faster path to treating depression. Ketamine may also have potential for treating other mental illnesses, as a preliminary clinical trial reported that ketamine reduced the severity of symptoms in patients with PTSD.
chemical name 2-(2-chlorophenyl)2-(methylamino)-cyclohexanone effects last 45-60 minutes
SOURCES: EROWID.ORG/PSYCHOACTIVES | MEDICALNEWSTODAY.COM
MAR. 2020
STORY by MAX EARLY @LIFTED_STARDUST for LEAF NATION
the PSYCHEDELIA issue
PSYCHONAUTS
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how the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research
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is evolving our knowledge on the beneficial uses of psychedelics
THE MIND is a universe unto itself. At once nebulous and ordered. Chaotic and principled. Bordered and seemingly infinite. Those who attempt to traverse and map the universe of the mind via psychedelics go by an informal name: psychonauts. If those who experiment with psychedelics are astronauts of the psyche, then the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research is the NASA of innerspace. In the year 2000, this small but dedicated group of scientists - led by Dr. Roland Griffiths at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland - became the first group to gain regulatory approval from the federal government to conduct psychedelic experiments on volunteers. Since then, they have administered hundreds of doses of psilocybin - yes, the ‘magic’ in magic mushrooms - to willing subjects in order to measure the therapeutic efficacy of hallucinogens in treating several disorders and issues faced by patients. We connected with Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu and Dr. Matthew Johnson with Johns Hopkins’ Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit in February to learn what life is like on the leading edge of psychedelic psychotherapy.
MAR. 2020
Following Osmond, the science around psychedelic therapy took a radical turn, with the teachings and experiments of Dr. Richard Alpert (Ram Dass) and Dr. Timothy Leary, who became To understand exactly what the team at Johns Hopkins icons for the psychedelic movement in the 1960s. hopes to accomplish, it’s important to first understand the “In the broader culture, you have all of this counterculture roots of the psychedelic therapy movement. stuff going on,” Garcia-Romeu said. “You start to see a different shift as some of these psychedelics started to come out of the The journey began decades ago, many say with the introduclab and find more recreational usage.” tion of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), first synthesized in 1938 The effect of what many considered to be a mental and spiriand experienced by Dr. Albert Hofmann in 1943. tual awakening started to change American culture. “One of the ways that he did that was accidentally ingesting “I think it kind of came to a crescendo, where you have all of a very tiny amount, and noticing these effects,” Garcia-Romeu this turbulence going on, where you have this 1950s, suburban said. “Most drugs we take in milligrams, and LSD we take in housewife, conservative culture, and then you have the anti-war, (significantly smaller) micrograms. That all of a sudden becivil rights and women’s rights movements starting to emerge,” comes a very interesting compound.” Garcia-Romeu said. In those early days, the term to deThe movement was forced under“Guiding people scribe LSD and similar compounds was ground in 1970, with Nixon and the through these types ‘psychotomimetic,’ which refers to the Controlled Substances Act - which crepotential to mimic symptoms commonly ated the scheduling system which drugs of sessions is a associated with psychosis - such as seecontinue to be classified under today. unique and intimate ing things that aren’t there. This broadly Nixon’s policies were built specifically experience.” accepted term was eventually challenged to stamp out the radical, free thought DR. ALBERT GARCIA-ROMEU by Humphrey Osmond, whose studies led momentum in the anti-war and civil him to believe that while LSD and similar rights movements, “by getting the public compounds possess the potential to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, to inspire actions that resemble and then criminalizing both heavily,” as Nixon’s domestic policy psychotic behavior, these effects chief, John Ehrlichman, famously admitted in 1994. Mary P. Cosimano, are secondary at best. That was kind of the beginning of the end of the research that MSW, left, and “Psychoanalysis resembles was going on. It wasn’t necessarily because there were huge Albert GarciaGalileo’s telescope, which lets one risks that were going on with these drugs. It was because of the Romeu, Ph.D., right, see a somewhat magnified image social climate at the time.” reenact a psilocybin of an object the wrong way round Sanctioned research into psychedelic research came to a therapy session at and upside down,” Osmond wrote grinding halt in the United States. No one would touch it. the Department in his 1957 research paper, A That is, until scientists like Griffiths and his colof Psychiatry and Review of the Clinical Effects of leagues at Johns Hopkins reopened the doors of Behavioral Sciences Psychotomimetic Agents. “The perception in 2000. at Johns Hopkins telescope changed our whole idea “I think that our generation is much more excited Medicine, Feb. 14, of the solar system and revolutionand open to the possibility of psychedelics as med2020 in Baltimore. ized navigation.” ical treatments, or even as spiritual sacraments,” Psilocybin, LSD and other simGarcia-Romeu said. ilarly classified agents, Osmond said, “are more like the radar “If you go back in history, the original uses of telescopes now being built to scan the deeps of outer, invisible psychedelics were in indigenous cultures.” space. They are not convenient. One cannot go bird watching At the time of this writing, the Johns Hopkins team with them. They explore a tiny portion of an enormous void. has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles They raise more questions than answers, and to understand on its findings and has helped volunteer subjects those answers we must invent new languages. What we learn tackle an array of psychological issues. >> is not reassuring or even always comprehensible. Like astronomers, however, we must change our thinking to use the potentialities of our new instruments.” These early findings led Osmond to coin the term ‘psychedelic,’ which began to replace psychotomimetic as the accepted term for these hallucinogenic compounds. “That shifted the whole classification of the drug class,” Garcia-Romeu said of this redefinition. “This was all happening because of these strait-laced, nerdy scientists.”
T H E H I G H H U R D L E O F H I S TO R Y
Researchers believe Psilocybin offers patients the ability to open up and confront themselves.
STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS | PHOTOS by ERIC KAYNE @PHOTOKAYNE
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Continued from pg. 31
PSYCHONAUTS B E YO N D T H E V E I L Relegated to the underground without legal, peer-reviewed scientific research to temper public opinion, psychedelics fell prey to Nixon and Reagan era propaganda campaigns which set the tone for how the mainstream viewed the compounds - setting them up as dangerous, unhinged, kaleidoscopic party drugs in the minds of the inexperienced. Recreational use will always be around, but the researchers at Johns Hopkins won’t be taking volunteers to a sunrise EDM show anytime soon. They aim for a well-controlled, clinical approach designed to elicit empirically measurable, therapeutically beneficial results. “Guiding people through these types of sessions is a unique and intimate experience,” Garcia-Romeu said, speaking to his participation in guiding more than 90 sessions to date. “Much of the crucial groundwork takes place in the weeks before the session. During that time, it’s important to form a solid working relationship that allows people to feel safe and comfortable diving into the experience and fully letting go. This includes a period of life review, so that we are aware of the major formative events, key relationships, life values and overall worldview of the person we’re working with - which hopefully helps them to feel seen and understood in a way that facilitates deeper explorations of these themes that may occur in the altered state that psilocybin can induce.” After laying this groundwork, the team sets the scene for the subject, Professor Matthew W. though it’s less about creating an Johnson, Ph.D., above, and external setting, and more about Albert Garcia-Romeu, Ph.D., creating a comfortable environment right, at the Department of for an internal scene to unfold in the Psychiatry and Behavioral mind. Sciences at Johns Hopkins “During the sessions we don’t do Medicine, Feb. 14, 2020 in much ‘guiding’ really, we take a Baltimore, Maryland. largely non-directive approach that involves the person lying on a couch with eyes covered ... and listening to a program of music,” Garcia-Romeu said. “We check in to make sure the person is doing okay and that their vitals are within normal range, but if that’s all fine, we typically just sit back and let the experience unfold, which can be a pretty intense inner journey that the person then fills us in on when the drug effects begin wearing off.” Sessions can range from psychologically challenging experiences such as fear, anxiety, and the unearthing of uncomfortable thoughts and memories - to profound feelings of love, gratitude, and interconnectedness with all existence, Garcia-Romeu says. “Not only are all these possibilities, but someone can have an experience that encompasses many or all of these flavors in a single session, and it’s hard to tell beforehand how this will unfold,” he said. “For that reason, we really emphasize going into the session with a sense of openness and acceptance for whatever comes up.” Sometimes, experiences can grow too intense for subjects, and they begin to manifest what’s commonly referred to as a ‘bad trip.’ Here, Johns Hopkins developed ways to bring subjects back to safe mental spaces within the clinical setting. “In the minority of cases where we do see strong fear or anxiety,” Garcia-Romeu said, “we would take a more hands on approach to reassure the person they are safe, that what they are experiencing is only temporary and will be over soon, and help them to feel more grounded and centered - for instance by adjusting the music volume, removing the eyeshades, bringing some water, doing breathing exercises, or providing physical reas-
MAR. 2020
surance like a hand on the shoulder or a hand to hold.” Volunteers usually experience some sort of revelation or positive changebecause of this process, though it often comes after the trip itself. In the weeks after the session day, the staff reviews the experience with subjects, in order to unearth lessons and longer term positive changes. “I find it can be helpful to think of this as a process similar to renovating a house,” Garcia-Romeu said. “There’s a lot of careful planning leading up to this, where people take stock of their lives, identify what’s of value to them, and make sure it’s packed up safely ahead of any major demolition. The drug session days can be like that demolition day, where in a relatively short duration, dramatic changes occur, walls come down, hidden passages are revealed, and new doorways can appear. Then afterward comes the laborious process of picking up the pieces and putting things in their right place.” According to Garcia-Romeu, volunteer psychonauts find themselves letting go of grudges, forgiving themselves for past transgressions, and unchaining themselves from damaging belief patterns. The experiment administrators often have their own moments, as well. “In witnessing and facilitating this process I often have my own ‘a-ha’ moments, like, ‘I should really make an effort to spend more time with and be nicer to my parents or siblings,’ or, ‘I’ve been harboring anger about X for a long time and should really do something to express this appropriately and work through it, rather than letting it fester,’” Garcia-Romeu said. “Some of the other more cosmic revelations seem oddly trite in comparison. A big feeling that people often come away with is this ‘All is One’ theme, which I wholeheartedly embrace as part of my own spiritual life as a mystic. But I think the messy human questions around how to live that out is usually where the rubber meets the road and a lot of the work takes place.” Johnson, a professor with the team whom Garcia-Romeu describes as
his mentor, feels the same way. “It’s more common for folks to have benefits related to topics they have already been struggling with - that they have known to be issues lurking in the basement, but just seem to never fully address them in the day-to-day grind of life,” Johnson said. “I think the ‘nature of reality’ stuff comes along for the ride, but my strong impression is that folks more or less come out of sessions with the same overall worldview they came in with - with maybe some minor modifications around the edges in some cases. I’m talking about belief in God or religion, belief in an afterlife, etc. But this doesn’t seem to be what’s driving the bus. It’s the day-to-day lessons about their life that make the difference.” It’s revelations of this psychological and interpersonal nature that the Johns Hopkins team focuses on with its research into the effect of psilocybin on depression, self-destructive habits and other real-world human challenges. “If the data continues to look promising, I anticipate psychedelics to be a game changer in psychiatry with efficacy across a number of disorders,” Johnson said. “Compared to traditional psychiatric medications, these treatments prompt psychotherapeutic process, which can in some cases constitute cures rather than just symptom reduction. And I anticipate that beyond therapeutics, they will be incredibly powerful tools for understanding the interface between brain and psychology.”
A T R I P B Y A N Y OT H E R N A M E At this point, the team at Johns Hopkins mainly works with psilocybin for its psychotherapy trials. There are a few reasons for this, some of which are societal, and some logistical. “It’s not spelled LSD, that’s one of the main reasons,” Garcia-Romeu
said when asked why their team focuses on psilocybin. “With LSD, there’s all this additional baggage of the counterculture of the 1960s. But you still get similar effects to LSD, and what’s better, you get them in an 8-hour window, not a 12-hour window.” That time factor plays a major role in choosing mushrooms as the starting point. Considering that the subjects must be monitored leading up to and through the trip, all the way through the comedown phase, it simply makes less sense, logistically, to experiment with LSD. A psilocybin trip means an 8-hour workday, whereas it would take up to16 hours for a researcher to properly guide an LSD experience. Contrary to popular misconception, both compounds are physiologically safe, and have no physical danger of lethal overdose, Garcia-Romeu reports, though they can have intense psychological effects. “You can take too much, and that will have temporarily mind-altering effects, but those will go away over time,” he said. “You’d have to eat an enormous amount of mushrooms in order to reach a toxicity level that might be harmful, physically.” They’ve done basic research into other hallucinogenic substances, such as salvia and dextromethorphan, but haven’t ventured into psychotherapy with those compounds. “We give it to people and see what it does to their heart rate, and see what it does to their brain state,” Garcia-Romeu said. “We’re not necessarily looking into the efficacy of those compounds yet.” Considering their successes with psilocybin, Johnson says the team at Johns Hopkins plans to experiment with the psychotherapeutic efficacy of other psychedelics in the future. Next on the list are LSD, DMT and 5-MeODMT, the latter two of which Garcia-Romeu says offers considerable effect in a comparably brief timespan when administered properly. The way Garcia-Romeu sees it, the work they are doing will hopefully lead to more effective, more humane treatments for mental health conditions. “They’ll shock your brain,” he said, referring to traditional treatments. “They’ll give people medications. They’ll put you in electroshock therapy. That’s how far they’ll go if their medicines won’t work…So why not try giving someone MDMA to get over their post-traumatic stress? What if it works?” Johnson sees another challenge of a more personal nature facing psychedelic psychotherapists: Staying grounded. “People have many philosophical ideas about what these experiences are, whether a glimpse into the nature of reality, something supernatural or religious, a materialist tinkering of the nervous system that can nonetheless be helpful in some cases,” Johnson said. “To stay grounded, we need to be agnostic about this and let patients make their own interpretations … There is a great gravity for folks to get sucked into playing guru, shaman, or priest ... but for mental health professionals, we need to stay grounded, be flexible, and not impose our personal non-empirical beliefs on the process.”
VOLUNTEER FOR THE FLIGHT CREW With growing political force behind the legalization of psychedelics - particularly psilocybin mushrooms - further peer reviewed, placebo controlled research into the subject is of paramount importance. If this interests you, Johns Hopkins is currently accepting volunteers through its website, www.HopkinsPsychedelic.org. They can also be found at Facebook.com/JHPsychedelics and on Twitter @JHPsychedelics. “We are recruiting locally for studies on quitting smoking, depressed mood in early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, and anorexia,” Johnson said. “We’ll have more studies to come in the next year or two, including treatment of psychological aspects of post-treatment Lyme disease, opioid addiction, PTSD and alcoholism.” If someone’s struggling with mental obstacles or destructive behavior, they want to help. In turn, volunteer psychonauts can help Johns Hopkins forge the path to help more people in the future. Who knows? On a long enough timeline, FDA approval of psychedelics may be on the table. “I won’t hold my breath until it happens,” Garcia-Romeu said, “but things are looking really good right now. For the first time since the Controlled Substances Act, you have clinical trials to test whether MDMA or psilocybin have medical value. These are the last hurdles before the FDA approves something for medical usage. … We hope this [will] turn the tide. With the data we’re going to collect and publish in the next five years, we believe we believe we’ll be able to find out how and in what conditions psychedelics can be medically useful.”
STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS | PHOTOS by ERIC KAYNE @PHOTOKAYNE
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the PSYCHEDELIA issue
PAUL STAMETS STAMETS’ “Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World” is the go-to reference guide for anyone looking for mushrooms with mind-altering properties in the wild.
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Mycological Evangelist
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Just a few years ago, the name Paul Stamets was known only amongst an insular group of scientists known as mycologists, or those who study mushrooms. Now, he’s arguably the most famous ‘mushroom person’ on the planet, thanks to the West’s increased interest in mushrooms as medicine. I SAY THE WEST because in eastern cultures mushrooms have always been a source of medicinal benefit, but in Europe in the middle ages (thanks to a lot of bad science and medicine) the idea of mushrooms as anything other than a vegetable decreased significantly. Now, thanks to Stamets, all of that is changing. Paul Stamets is a Pacific Northwesterner. Born in Salem, Ohio, his Fungi Perfecti business - which cultivates and sells a variety of medicinal mushrooms - is located in Olympia, Washington. Stamets is far more than just an entrepreneur, though. He’s also a leading researcher of mushroom habitat, production and medicinal use. And yes, that medicinal use does include the use of psychedelic mushrooms for the benefit of human sanity and altered consciousness.
MAR. 2020
In 1996, Stamets published the first guide to finding psychedelic mushrooms in the modern world. His “Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World” is the go-to reference guide for anyone looking for mushrooms with mind-altering properties in the wild. In 2017, Stamets made a now-famous appearance on the Joe Rogan show where he described one of his more interesting instances of finding psilocybin mushrooms in an urban environment. Much to his surprise, they were growing in mulch at a police substation at the University of Washington in Seattle. He and a friend discovered them and collected them patiently (while waiting for periods in-between for police cruisers to leave). Taking these mushrooms had a heavy effect on Stamets - one where he had a vision of dead cattle. And weeks later he would experience the same scene: dead cattle due to extreme flooding near his cabin east of Seattle. Stamets believes that this experience was an immersion in the multiverse due to the psychedelic experience. But psychedelia isn’t the end-all-be-all of Stamets’ research, far from it. Stamets is somewhat of a ‘mycological evangelist,’ sharing with the
world his ideas and research of how fungi can help save humanity from itself. He’s been credited with discovering four new mushroom species and holds eight patents. Stamets still works as somewhat of an outsider, where he funds his own research and often shares views that are far flung and outside of the scientific establishment - but surprisingly often, correct. According to Stamets, mushrooms have a myriad of more applications beyond being used for altered states of consciousness. Indeed, they can help humans and the planet we live on in diverse ways. From helping with mental health issues, to supporting our immune system, to helping to cure specific auto-immune disorders, and even cancer.
Stamets believes that mushrooms can help to restore bee populations, and to help in restoring our planet’s damaged biodiversity. And then there’s perhaps one of the most important for our world today the idea that mushrooms can clean up industrial waste and oil spills. Much of the details on these ideas can be found and summarized nicely in his famous TED Talk “Six Ways Mushrooms Can Save the World,” which has been viewed more than three million times. STORY by PACER STACKTRAIN for LEAF NATION
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the PSYCHEDELIA issue
PSYCHEDELIC
ART EXCHANGE
Q&A | Founder Glen Trosch What makes psychedelic art different from contemporary art? Psychedelic art is art that was created to evoke, communicate or enhance the psychedelic experience. The imagery is generally influenced by that experience, rather than created under the influence of it, but not exclusively. What we specialize in at PAE are psychedelic concert posters that were being produced during the years 1965 to1971. This is the time when the social experiment that began in San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury neighborhood became a nationwide youth movement. Where does your love for psychedelic art come from, and what does it mean to you? I was born in 1963. I couldn’t avoid psychedelic imagery. Having grown up in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, I saw the ‘hippie scene’ of the ‘60s influence mainstream pop culture in a big way. My family was in the magazine distribution business, so my first exposures were most likely through Mad Magazine, Playboy and National Lampoon. When I started buying records as a young teen, the album cover art really turned me on. Artists like Rick Griffin, Victor Moscoso and Greg Irons were some of the best album cover artists. When I started buying underground comix, I realized those same artists were dominant in that genre as well. I then found out that they also crossed over into the concert posters. My first concert poster purchase was at a record store I frequented when I was a kid. I bought a mirror that was superimposed over a Bill Graham Fillmore poster. That hung on my wall for years, but it wasn’t until I first traveled to San Francisco to see the Grateful Dead that I bought my first original psychedelic concert poster. It was all over then, I was hooked.
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do art and music go hand in hand? Yes, they are two sides of the same coin. They only differ in the sensory receptors that receive the stimuli. Where do you source the art in the gallery? We are at the center of a worldwide two-way market. We primarily buy from the public, but occasionally we will buy at auction. We advertise heavily on the web to find the posters our customers are looking for. We also take consignments for our online auction. We are currently auctioning 200-400 lots per month.
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Have you ever met or interacted with any of the artists whose work you sell? Yes, I have had the honor of meeting many of the originators of 1960s concert poster art. I met Rick Griffin in San Francisco in the ‘80s. I have had the opportunity to speak with Mouse Moscoso and Wes Wilson in recent years because of PAE.
“Having grown up in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, I saw the ‘hippie scene’ of the ‘60s influence mainstream pop culture in a big way.”
mar. 2020
What is the most historic / iconic piece of psychedelic art that has ever been sold by you or others? The most iconic would have to be the FD-26 - (Skull and Roses) that was created for a 1966 Grateful Dead concert at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco. We sold a copy in May of 2019 for $56,000 and Heritage Auctions sold one last November for $118,000. The most historic would be the Grateful Dead Troopers Club poster that was the only poster ever created by Owsley. It’s at the heart of the birth of the Grateful Dead - it’s an incredibly important poster. INTERVIEW by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT | CONCERTPOSTERGALLERY.COM
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the PSYCHEDELIA issue aklEAF.COM
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DOSED “Dosed,” a new documentary by Golden Teacher Films, follows a young Canadian woman, Adrianne, as she seeks recovery from depression and opioid addiction through psychedelic plant medicine. Through the lens of Adrianne’s friend and film director Tyler Chandler, “Dosed” gives us an in-depth view of what many go through while fighting opioid addiction - from the risks of fentanyl poisoning to the crippling self-image that keeps many from successfully finding recovery after addiction.
The film follows Adrianne after her decision to explore psychedelics as a possible path to recovery. Adrianne undergoes various psychedelic treatments, including psilocybin mushrooms and later ibogaine - a root sourced from Africa that produces a profound psychedelic experience. This story highlights the reality that the lives of addicts do not always fit the typical stereotypes in our heads. Adrianne’s well-manicured appearance and stylish ensembles do not fit the disordered physical appearance that many people associate with heavy addiction. Adrianne, who has lived in both rehabilitation centers and her parents’ separate houses over the course of her recovery, explains that the only difference between her and the addicts slumped over in alleys is that she has a family who continues to make sacrifices to keep her off the streets. This film also showcases the sheer humanity and ugliness associated with deep addiction. The film spares nothing, as there are scenes of Adrianne having tumultuous emotional episodes and even vomiting up methadone pills to collect and save for later. Peppered throughout the film are a few interviews from respected leaders in the field of psychedelic medicine, including world-renowned mycologist Paul Stamets. Stamets shared a poignant comment about “Dosed” at a recent screening in Olympia, saying, “A lot of us see the problem with opioid addiction on the streets of Olympia. You can’t avoid it. And the movie touches a lot of our own receptors in our community, because I think PTSD is something that ramifies not only with the addicts, but through the families and the communities. I think we all are suffering from that.” This film leaves viewers with a profound understanding of the inconspicuous but ever-pervasive corruption that is opioid addiction, highlighting that this epidemic goes much deeper than simply impacting the troubled individuals we see on the streets. This movie is highly recommended to those seeking a deeper understanding of addiction and an awareness of some of the natural, out-of-the-box remedies that exist. During a time where our society is grappling with the substantial impact of opioid addiction, “Dosed” provides us with an awareness that this crippling addiction can be treated through natural means. “Dosed” has not yet been officially released for purchase or streaming, but the filmmakers have been on a global screening tour for the past several months. Screenings have been held in the Pacific Northwest as recently as February 2020. Stay tuned for more screenings and release details at DosedMovie.com or follow along on Instagram @DosedMovie.
“During a time where our society is grappling with the substantial impact of opioid addiction, “Dosed” provides us with an awareness that this crippling addiction can be treated through natural means.”
H E A T H E R D A G L E Y is a Cannabis writer who writes about the benefits of intentional Cannabis use on her blog, Bud & Blossom. Heather shares how she has used Cannabis and selfcare to achieve optimal self-connection, health, and happiness - and how you can, too! You can find Heather’s blog at budandblossom.blog and follow her on Instagram @bud_n_blossom
mar. 2020
REVIEW by HEATHER DAGLEY for LEAF NATION
“Why fly? When you can enjoy the most beautiful ride on earth”
ANCHORAGE TO HOMER June 1st-Aug 31st Monday – Friday Departs Anchorage Arctic & International – 724 W. International - Garrett’s Tesoro Cooper Landing Wild- man’s 300pm Soldotna Chamber of Commerce 500pm All times are approx. Stage Line Summer Schedule HOMER TO ANCHORAGE June 1st-Aug 31st Monday – Friday Departs Homer 830am 1242 Ocean Dr Soldotna Chamber of Commerce 1015am Cooper Landing Wildman’s 1115am
VISITING ALASKA
Sights seen from the road
SEWARD TO HOMER June 1st – August 31st Mon Wed Fri
Locally owned and operated by a Departs Seward 100pm lifelong Alaskan, Stage Line offers call ahead for pick up point passenger transportation, freight, parcel, and courier service, between Cooper Landing Wild- man’s 200pm Anchorage and the Kenai Soldotna 300pm Peninsula. Our schedule includes, All times are approx Anchorage to Homer, Cooper Landing, Soldotna, Kasilof, Ninilchik, HOMER TO SEWARD Anchor Point. Homer to Seward, June 1st - August 31st Soldotna, Cooper Landing. And any The Stage Line PO Box 353 Anchor Point, Mon Wed Fri points in between! MP flag stops AK available! Private party charters Departs Homer 1242 Ocean Dr 900am The Stage Line 1242 Ocean Dr Homer, Ak available! Reasonable rates, saves 724 W International Anchorage, Ak of Commerce time and money for travelling or your Soldotna Chamber Staging points only 1030am 907-868-3914 907-235-2252 shipping needs. Cooper Landing Wildman’s 1130 E-mail: stage.line@yahoo.com One of the top 10 most scenic www.stagelineinhomer.com highways.
coffee & cannabis
Brewed by The Reef
COLD BREW & 9 POUND HAMMER
When it comes to both coffee and Cannabis, most people are only mindful of the end results. They want their coffee to get them energized, their weed to get them stoned. Here, the average coffee consumer might think they only have quintuple or octuple espresso shot drinks to get them where they want to be. Likewise, stoners end up looking for the strains they know to work, or that they’ve had a great time with in the past. But as we proceed further down the paths of legal pot and baristas looking to reenergize their craft, a plethora of new options emerge. And just because something is newer to the scene shouldn’t minimize the legitimacy of its effect or potency. SINCE ITS EMERGENCE a few years ago, 9 Pound Hammer has been a quintessential Pacific Northwest strain. One of the beauties of this Cannabis strain is just how hybridized it is, though it does lean more on the heavy indica side of things. As a combination of Gooberry, Jack the Ripper and Hell’s OG, 9 Pound doesn’t really exemplify any aspects of its parents’ strains - instead becoming its own beast and its own experience. Named after the 9 Pound Hammer that John Henry wielded while taking on the steam engine, this strain gets the job done just like he did. After four or five tokes you’ll feel like you’ve been kicked in the head, and shortly after, your body will melt into a euphoric, stoney haze. Like wildfire, cold brew has spread through the coffee scene and has shown no signs of slowing down. Once only offered by third-wave coffee shops, cold brew can now be found in corner stores, bodegas, or branded with a certain local siren at your nearest supermarket. People gulp it down with vigor and there are plenty of reasons why. Brewed at room temperature for at least 12 hours (though usually longer), cold brew has a higher caffeine content than almost any of its other coffee counterparts. Additionally, the long, low temperature extraction makes for a smoother beverage - generally well-known for having sweet, bright or caramel notes. As a combination, this pair may not be for the faint of heart. Even the daily consumer can be put through the wringer, riding the waves of both a stimulating and relaxing rollercoaster ride. You’ll assuredly be lifted up by your iced coffee deliciousness and pounded right back down by the 9 Pound Hammer. Don’t let that deter you though - this is for people looking to actually experience something significant out of their coffee and Cannabis. There are no subtleties here and no doubt that these two are doing exactly what they should be. Meanwhile, the Even the daily consumer can be flavor pairing of these two hits the nail on the put through the wringer, riding head (pun intended). the waves of both a stimulating While the myrcene and pinene rich 9 Pound and relaxing rollercoaster ride. Hammer provides hints of sour grapes, berries and herbaceous pine, the cold brew complements with those tart and syrupy flavors. While consuming these, one might consider creative but stationery pursuits like compulsively editing something on photoshop for way too long, or working on that ‘tight five’ for the neighborhood comedy open-mic. Should you find those options still too high energy for you, try distractedly daydreaming out the window. You’ll stay entertained for hours. Conclusively, 9 Pound Hammer and cold brew, though perhaps not for novices, makes for quite the fun combo. Give it a try on your next day off.
aklEAF.COM
40
mar. 2020
STORY by TJ GAGNIER | PHOTO by JESSE CODLING | MARKETING
& CREATIVE DIRECTOR, THE REEF SEATTLE
RECIPES
HAPPY & HIGH
DRINKS
42
MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE SERVES 2
1½ TABLESPOONS CHOCOLATE SYRUP 1-2 TEASPOONS CANNA-BUTTER, ROOM TEMP ¼ CUP + 2 TABLESPOONS INSTANT DARK HOT CHOCOLATE MIX 2 SMALL PINCHES CHILI POWDER (OPTIONAL) ½ CUP WHOLE MILK, HEATED UNTIL WARM TO THE TOUCH 1½ CUPS WATER, HEATED UNTIL WARM TO THE TOUCH 2 WHOLE CINNAMON STICKS (OR 1 TSP. GROUND CINNAMON)
aklEAF.COM
WHIPPED CREAM INSTRUCTIONS 1. In a saucepot, over low-medium heat, combine chocolate syrup, canna-butter, dark chocolate hot chocolate mix, and chili powder. 2. Pour warmed milk over top and mix until well combined. 3. Slowly pour warmed water into milk chocolate and whisk to combine. 4. Once completely combined, warm over low heat, for two to three minutes. 5. Evenly pour into two mugs, top with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon or cayenne.
What a fabulous indulgence. Hot chocolate is not just for cold kids anymore.
mar. 2020
DATE MARTINI SERVES 2
2 CUPS ALMOND MILK 12 PITTED DATES 1 BANANA, PEELED AND SLICED ½ CUP ALMOND BUTTER 2 TEASPOONS CANNA-BUTTER OR CANNA-OIL 4 TABLESPOONS HONEY OR MAPLE SYRUP, DIVIDED ¼ CUP SLICED ALMONDS, FINELY CHOPPED INSTRUCTIONS 1. Place the first five ingredients and half the sweetener in the blender. 2. Place the remaining sweetener on a small flat plate. 3. Place the finely chopped almonds on a separate plate. 4. Take the first glass and run the rim through the sweetener, followed by the almonds. If uneven repeat the process. 5. Blend the smoothie and carefully pour into the glasses.
THESE THREE DRINKS
If you have not tried Golden Milk, now is the time. You won’t be sorry and you will be high.
will keep you high and happy while waiting for Spring. Well, waiting for 4/20. It can be
GOLDEN DELIGHT SMOOTHIE
a long wait - may these recipes
SERVES 2
2 ½ CUPS COCONUT MILK
help pass the time.
3 TABLESPOONS HONEY 1-2 TEASPOONS CURRY POWDER ½ TEASPOON TURMERIC ¼ TEASPOON CINNAMON 2 TEASPOONS CANNA-BUTTER INSTRUCTIONS 1. Combine ingredients in a blender and process.
I’ve become quite attached to garnishing drinks with a cool rim job. Lol. I love the flavors as an introduction to the flavor palate of the drink. And it looks so good - although looks don’t matter - it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the mixture from the blender, stirring until very warm but not simmering - about 5-7 minutes. 3. Divide the mixture between two mugs. 4. Place a teaspoon of butter on top of each serving. Serve immediately.
RECIPES by LAURIE WOLF | PHOTOS by BRUCE WOLF
44
by Mike Ricker What We Learned From Slugworth Ever yone has seen “ Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factor y,” right? Well Slugworth, in case you have the memor y of Dori the Fish, is the creepy, long-faced fucker who scares kids straight. Kind of like that sinister, spider-like pervert in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” who smells children better than his own farts, but that’s an entirely different thesis. These guys are good old-fashioned villains. Stories need them. They play a vital role, which is to initially cause you discomfort so that when there is a release of tension, your happy ending is a reward - leaving you with an accomplished sensation of satisfaction. It’s what keeps us buying movie tickets. And this earned relief is imperative in society today, because badly needed is a reinforced belief in the determination of humans. You see, real life used to mean having to overcome pestilence and armed invaders, but now we just live vicariously through film that does the work for us. Even “WALL-E,” a picture about how lazy and worthless people have become in the future because of the advancement of technology, has a conflict and resolution with a happy ending that leaves us with the positivity of goodwill. Which goes to prove that in cinema, even a society with no purpose other than to sit on their ass all day in a spaceship and drink Big Gulps is capable of redeeming value.
Mar.2020
Anyway, Slugworth was the x-factor Wonka’s inside double agent, the mole. It was his job to test the moral compass of these neurotic little rascals. So, what we learned from Slugworth, even though he led a misleading guise himself, is that honesty is the best policy. And if your values outshine your greed, the redemption is as inextinguishable as the Everlasting Gobstopper. And what we learned from Willy Wonka is that with simple imagination, flavored wallpaper, chewing gum meals, and fizzy lifting drinks are conceivable if you just believe in your dreams. And even more wonderful: They can all be weed-infused.
Get the audio version and every episode at Stoney-Baloney.com
@RickerDJ
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