Alaska Leaf — Issue #7

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NORTHWEST GROWING THE HARVEST ISSUE EXPLORES WASHINGTON AND OREGON GROWS

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FALL FLAVOR SHARING OUR FAVORITE COMFORT FOODS INFUSED WITH CANNABIS

P. 33

RAISE THE ROOF DR.SCANDERSON ON MANAGING VERTICAL HEIGHT IN YOUR GARDENS

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THE POWER OF BEING GRATEFUL

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GROWING

From the team behind Northwest Leaf and Oregon Leaf comes Alaska's only monthly Cannabis magazine...

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NOV. 2016

ARUGULA SALAD WITH AVOCADO & WARM BACON VINAIGRETTE

12 ALASKA NEWS November political update

36 BOOK REVIEW 40 delectable edibles to test out

48 DR. SCANDERSON Managing height in your grow

PG.

32

There’s nothing wrong with brownies, but these edibles are sure to make you comfy.

Story by Laurie Wolf Photos by Bruce Wolf

CANNABIS

RECIPES

07 08 10 12 14 16 28 32 36 40 44 48 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 ALASKA NEWS H I G H LY L I K E LY OUTDOOR GROWING C E N T E R FOL D TAS T Y R E C I P E S BOOK REVIEW CBN FOR SLEEPING B R E AT H I N G D E E P LY GROWTECH GUIDE BUDSHOT SECTION BEHIND THE STRAIN C O V E R S H OT Oscar Avellaneda-Cruz for Alaska Leaf

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contents

THE H A R V E S T I S S U E

10 pages exploring outdoor Cannabis grows across Washington and Oregon this season.

Head Grower Jerry Torcott stands amid Jack’s Girl produced by Marijuana Business Company, a licensed recreational Cannabis grow in the Central Washington town of Leavenworth, about 2 hours east of Seattle.

Photos by Daniel Berman/Alaska Leaf

16

ALASKA LEAF

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

editor’s note

NOV. 2016 ISSUE #7

The harvest is hitting across the West Coast, with beautiful plants growing in Washington, Oregon, California and beyond.

Last month’s issue

featured Alaska’s inaugural outdoor legal harvest from Greatland Ganja, and we are following it up this month with our traditional harvest issue. For nearly two weeks, we toured farms and learned from the salt-of-the-Earth people who run them about the techniques they use. It really is a special thing to see giant plants growing in different climates, all with the natural energy of the sun.

Our industry and consumers need to make a moral decision to support sun-grown Cannabis, especially in states like Arizona or Nevada, where growing indoors is extremely expensive, environmentally unsustainable, and locks plants away in an artificial environment.

Don’t get me wrong; I love fire indoor, and there will always be room for niche producers to create great indoor products. But some day, our federal government will stop butchering our civil liberties and legalize Cannabis, allowing inter-state transport of Cannabis, and that will be the day largescale indoor dies.

Just like we have a massive corn belt that runs through the heart of our country, we will some day have massive weed farms on a scale that doesn’t yet exist. Our harvest issue is a preview of pioneers developing these techniques and preparing for the future of Cannabis growing. I hope you enjoy our journey through these farms, and when recreational stores open in the Alaska market, give some local outdoor a try!

Contact editor Wes Abney to place an

advertisement or become a drop-off location to display our magazine. You can also feel free to just share feedback, send pitches, articles, story ideas and hot news tips. This is all our plant.

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Department of Corrections

No news is good news, but we want to hear from you if we didn’t get something accurate in a previous edition.

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/7

national

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

poll: 60% of Americans Support Legal Marijuana Legalization Brings fewer Arrests and No Increase in Youth Use or Traffic Fatalities Good news from the Drug Policy Alliance.

The results represent the most positive response in Gallup’s four-decade history of asking about Cannabis.

A new survey from Gallup finds that support for candidates included — would do themselves a big ending marijuana prohibition continues to grow favor to take note of the clear trend and then vocally nationally, with 60 percent of Americans now on support legislation catering to the growing majority board. The number is up from 58 percent last year, of Americans who support modernizing failed and 50 percent in 2011. marijuana policies.”

The news comes as voters in five states begin “Three out of five Americans are ready to end to vote on ballot initiatives to regulate and tax prohibition and adopt a more sensible marijuana Cannabis for adult use. Early voting began in policy,” said Mason Tvert, dir. of communications of October in Massachusetts, Nevada, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP).

Arizona, California and Maine.

“Support for making marijuana legal “THREE OUT OF The new survey result is a record increased among all age groups, from FIVE AMERICANS ARE READY TO high in Gallup’s 47-year history of college freshmen to senior citizens.

END PROHIBITION asking about Cannabis. It follows a “Over the past four years, this increase AND ADOPT A separate Pew poll in October that in public support nationwide has MORE SENSIBLE found 57 percent of Americans support manifested itself in major state-level MARIJUANA POLICY.” legalization, up from 53 percent last year. policy changes,” Tvert said. “Four states “The topline number obviously and our nation’s capital have voted to bodes well for the marijuana measures on state make marijuana legal for adults, and five more could do ballots next month,” said Tom Angell, chairman of the same in just a few weeks.” the pro-legalization group Marijuana Majority.

“In several states where ballot measures aren’t an “But what gives me even more hope are the option, legislatures are taking a closer look at this demographic breakdowns showing just how issue than ever before,” Tvert said. “When it comes strongly young people support ending prohibition. to ending marijuana prohibition, the writing is not “It’s more clear than ever that legalization is the just on the wall, but also on state ballots and bills future,” he said. “More politicians — presidential throughout the country.”

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In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first two U.S. states — and the first two jurisdictions in the world — to approve ending marijuana prohibition and start legally regulating marijuana production, distribution and sales. In the 2014 election, Alaska and Oregon followed suit, while Washington D.C. passed a more limited measure that legalized possession and home cultivation of marijuana (but did not address its taxation and sale due to D.C. law).

A new report by the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) brings good news for the states considering legalization at the ballot, and the broader marijuana legalization movement.

Since the adult possession of marijuana became legal, there has “MARIJUANA been a dramatic decrease PROHIBITION in marijuana arrests and HAS BEEN A COSTLY convictions, as well as FAILURE...” increased tax revenues.

During the same period, despite the dire predictions of alarmists, these states did not experience increases in youth marijuana use or traffic fatalities.

“Marijuana prohibition has been a costly failure — to individuals, communities, and the entire country,” said Joy Haviland, staff attorney at the DPA. “States that have chosen to legalize marijuana under state law should be praised for developing a smarter, more responsible approach to marijuana.”

Quoted

Punitive Approach to Drugs Fails to Protect Human Rights, Life, Health in Asia Phillipines President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs has resulted in the deaths of at least 4,000 people.

sanctioned murder, and an estimated 700,000 need for governments to promote and protect people have been required to surrender to the the right to life as ministers of the Association authorities for suspected drug involvement.

President Duterte’s flagrant disregard for of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Singapore in October to agree on a new regional ensuring the rule of law and due process has drawn international condemnation and a warning 10-year plan on drugs.

Drug control in many ASEAN countries from the chief prosecutor of the International has exacted a very high human cost through Criminal Court.

The escalating situation in the Philippines is of draconian measures that have blindly focused grave concern, and was the primary on eradicating the illicit drug focus of the ministerial meeting. trade. Such approaches have also DRUG CONTROL “For decades, ASEAN has failed to reduce the scale of the IN MANY ASEAN COUNTRIES HAS imposed a punitive and repressive drug market.

EXACTED A VERY approach that has only served The unrealistic ASEAN target HIGH HUMAN to increase the stigma and of creating a “drug-free” region COST THROUGH dehumanization of people who by 2015 was not met. ASEAN DRACONIAN MEASURES. use drugs, without improving needs to re-evaluate its approach the health and welfare of the and revise its response to drugrelated problems in ways that will improve, communities in the region,” said Anand and not undermine, the health, security and Chabungbam, coordinator of the Asian Network of People who Use Drugs. development of all members of society.

“This region has some of the world’s highest The most pressing situation in the region today is the Philippines. President Rodrigo rates of HIV and viral hepatitis amongst people Duterte’s war on drugs has led to the unlawful who inject drugs, and governments must support killings of more than 4,000 people in the the provision of harm reduction measures that campaign’s first three months in acts of state- have been emphatically proven to save lives.”

“PROPOSITION 64 WILL BRING LEGAL JUSTICE AND JOB TRAINING TO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR THAT HAVE BEEN CYNICALLY TARGETED

BY THE FAILED WAR ON MARIJUANA.” — ARTURO S. RODRIGUEZ (United Farm Workers of America president) officially endorsing Proposition 64, California’s Adult Use of Marijuana Act

civil society groups highlighted the urgent

Quick Hits!

2 160 500

million dollars were donated by billionaire casino owner Sheldon Adelson to fight against legalizing recreational marijuana in Nevada, making him the biggest donor to the “Protect Nevada’s Children” PAC. million dollars in recreational marijuana sales have been made in Oregon so far in 2016.

dollars is the average difference in price between a wholesale pound of medical marijuana in Washington and the less expensive recreational product.

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/9

national

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

Epilepsy Foundation Endorses Florida Medical Marijuana Amendment 2 In a first for either organization, the Epilepsy Foundation of Florida (EFOF) and National Epilepsy Foundation (NEF) have endorsed Amendment 2, “Use of Marijuana for Debilitating Medical Conditions.” NEF and EFOF have long called for expanded research on medical marijuana and access to it as a treatment option for epilepsy, but this is the first time EFOF has specifically endorsed a state medical marijuana initiative.

“Important medical decisions, such as treatments and medications, should be made by the licensed physicians who know their patients best,” said Karen Egozi, CEO of EFOF, which serves an estimated 400,000 Floridians suffering from epilepsy. “That’s why the Epilepsy Foundation of Florida, along with the National Epilepsy Foundation, supports Amendment 2.

“Florida’s epilepsy patients should have available whatever treatment options that their doctors recommend, including medical marijuana,” Egozi said.

In a letter to EFOF, Philip Gattone, president and CEO of the National Epilepsy Foundation, wrote that his foundation supports Amendment 2, “so Florida residents living with epilepsy and uncontrolled seizures can gain safe, legal access to medical [marijuana] as a treatment option.”

United for Care campaign manager Ben Pollara, responded by saying, “this campaign has always been THIS IS THE about the notion that medical decisions are best made FIRST TIME between doctors and patients — not politicians,” before adding that “the epilepsy foundations support Amendment EFOF HAS 2 for that same reason, and we are proud to stand with ENDORSED them and the 400,000 Floridians living with epilepsy and A STATE uncontrollable seizures. Medical marijuana may not be the MEDICAL right treatment for all with this condition, but doctors and MARIJUANA patients should have the option; after this election, they INITIATIVE. finally will.”

“IT’S INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING AND DISAPPOINTING THAT DESPITE BROAD BIPARTISAN, BICAMERAL SUPPORT, A HANDFUL OF OUT-OF-TOUCH LAWMAKERS PUT POLITICS OVER THE WELL-BEING OF AMERICA’S WOUNDED WARRIORS. OUR VETERANS DESERVE BETTER.”

10/NOV. 2016 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

Police Chief Accused of Stealing Pro-Marijuana Campaign Signs Upland, California has a ban in place on medical marijuana dispensaries. But a group in the

town is backing a petition that got more than 7,000 signatures in 90 days for Measure U, which would allow a few dispensaries in Upland. The only problem is, the city’s police chief was allegedly captured on video removing campaign signs supporting Measure U all over the city — and being assisted by his wife.

The advocates, members of Regulate Upland, a pro-dispensary group, say that the same day they put up their campaign signs in September, they were taken down by Police Chief Brian Johnson (not the AC/DC vocalist, mind you) and his wife.

“We look at the move, the maneuver, as his way of trying to help fight against it,” said Measure U advocate Stephen Dunn of the chief’s indefensible actions, reports Kacey Montoya at KTLA. The measure, which qualified for November’s ballot, would allow up to three medical Cannabis dispensaries to operate legally in the city.

The incident happened the weekend of Sept. 24, the first week political signs were allowed to be posted, Dunn said. He said Upland mayor Ray Musser admitted in a council meeting in October that 12 to 14 of the signs were removed; the mayor claimed the reason was they were on city property.

But Dunn said all the signs removed were definitely not on the public right of way. He said city officials actually removed more than 80 signs.

The video shows a woman get out of a dark sedan with a California Exempt license plate and remove a “Yes On Measure U” sign, then get back in the car. Volunteers said the driver was Chief Johnson.

“It’s a code enforcement infraction, and it’s odd for the chief himself to actually be out removing signs,” said Dunn, who used to be finance director and city manager of Upland. He said he knows they spent millions of dollars fighting to keep medical marijuana dispensaries out of town.

“There’s a certain belief by certain city leaders that they can eradicate marijuana from this community,” Dunn said, “and we’re simply saying, ‘no you can’t.’ ”

Quoted — CONGRESSMAN EARL BLUMENAUER in response to Congress blocking his Veterans Equal Access provision to make it easier for qualified veterans to access state-legal medical marijuana.

alaska

By ALIZA SHERMAN for ALASKA LEAF | ILLUSTRATION by BRANDON VOSIKA The Mat-Su Situation

Alaska’s Cannabis industry won a huge battle Oct. 4 when voters rejected the recreational marijuana ban initiative in the Mat-Su Borough — often called Alaska’s “Cannabis capital.”

Voters in Mat-Su also approved a 5 percent sales tax on the retail sale of marijuana and marijuana products, as did voters in the city of Fairbanks and the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Unalaska voters overturned a commercial marijuana ban with record turnout.

In contrast, voters in North Pole approved a ban on marijuana businesses. Voters in Fairbanks and the Kenai Peninsula Borough will decide whether to ban the Cannabis industry in 2017.

Who’s Calling?

The local Cannabis industry was abuzz after Campbell Elementary sent out a robocall using the Anchorage School District (ASD) message system to notify parents that marijuana businesses were going before the Anchorage Assembly. The next day, an ASD spokesperson issued an apology for the misuse of the service.

Despite the scuffle, three more marijuana business licenses were approved Oct 18: retailers Alaskabuds and Enlighten Alaska, and cultivation facility Raspberry Roots.

The Price of Pot

NOVEMBER

POLITICAL

UPDATE As temperatures cool, Alaskan Cannabis heats up

12/nov. 2016 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

According to Cannabis Benchmarks and New Leaf Data Services, as of mid-October, indoor flower prices around the country ranged from $1,000 to $3,000 per pound with a median price of $1,800.

Greenhouse flower ranged from $1,100 to $2,800 per pound with a median price of $1,500. In the A QUOTE OF Lower 48, it is a buyer’s market, but here in Alaska, $5,000 PER sellers are in control; the two licensed testing labs POUND FROM in Alaska — neither of which were online at press A GROWER ON time — bottleneck the availability of Cannabis for THE KENAI the soon-to-be-open retail stores.

For Arctic Herbery owner Bryant Thorp, the main things keeping him from opening with product on the shelves are the lack of availability of tested marijuana and the exorbitant prices from some cultivators. Thorp recently received a quote of $5,000 per pound from a grower on the Kenai, something he isn’t prepared to pay, but he has found better prices in other parts of the state with product that should be ready for purchase in early December.

Thorp says the path to opening the doors of his retail establishment is laden with hurdles and many steps that rely on others to help him complete the licensing and permitting processes.

“You can’t skip a step or get around them,” Thorp said, adding that everyone is on his side because he builds a rapport with them.

Despite all of the moving parts and delays, Thorp says he may still open his doors by early November even though he won’t have marijuana for sale. He is determined to hold on to his claim as the first marijuana retailer in Anchorage. Another retailer, The Remedy Shoppe, may open sooner but is in Skagway.

Rural Alaska

Several small cultivators on the Kenai are online or should be by the end of November, said Jeremiah Emmerson, executive director of Alaska Small Cultivators Association (ASCA). The limited cultivator licensees are Green Rush Gardens in Sterling, and Peace Frog Botanicals in the Kenai, while Alaska Bud Brothers Aerogardens in Kasilof falls under standard marijuana cultivation facility.

The ASCA is working on a “Micro Grown” program for products that originate from small mom-and-pop facilities and that provide voluntary pesticide testing on all products. The ASCA Board’s Micro Grown committee will verify the status and test results before granting the “Micro Grown” designation and stickers. The program should launch February 2017.

eoscreativemedia.com Travis Madden (907) 854-7547

A LA S KA’ S CA N N A B I S S E C U R I T Y LEADERS

highly likely

By PACER STACKTRAIN for ALASKA LEAF

Column # 6

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

Woody Harrelson A CANNABIS ADVOCATE, FOREVER IN THE SPOTLIGHT Woody Harrelson is one of the very lucky actors who have successfully made the transition from the small screen to cinema. He got his start on the award-winning ‘80s sitcom “Cheers” as Woody Boyd, a bar-back with a good-natured, naïve personality — affable, calm and laid back.

You know, some of the traits that make up a stereotypical Cannabis user.

While the ‘80s might not have been the right time to present a character on network television that openly enjoys the herb (especially on a show that glorified alcohol use), Woody Harrelson was the perfect fit to play a role that skirted around the issue. In real life, Harrelson has been a proponent and consumer of Cannabis. In 2001, he came out of the weed closet to a large crowd at Seattle’s Hempfest, saying, “I recently decided to stop smoking,

14/nov. 2016 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

but I thought more about it and decided I didn’t throughout his career for environmental issues, animal rights and other worthy causes. want to be a quitter!”

Harrelson currently serves on the advisory board From being arrested in Kentucky for planting hemp seeds, to collaborating with Ziggy Marley on for NORML. He’s gone on record saying that he’s the cultivation anthem “Wild and Free,” to appear- an avid Cannabis enthusiast, and he recently tried to open up one of the first medical dising in countless documentaries celein his current home state of brating normalization and legalization “I THINK I SHOULD pensaries Hawaii. Though Harrelson’s dispensa(2010’s “Hempsters: Plant the Seed” is HAVE THE FREEDOM ry failed, he is doing other great things a highlight) Woody has been outspoken for Hawaii through his Simple Organon Cannabis issues long before it TO DO WHATEVER THE ic Living organization, where one can was mainstream. find out more about eating a raw diet, In a 2008 interview with HELL I WANT TO DO...” better personal farming practices and Esquire magazine, Harrelson said, “marijuana’s about marijuana. how to live in a more environmentally sustainable That’s consensual, victimless crime. That’s way. For a primer on Harrelson’s philosophy, check saying, I think I should have the freedom to out the documentary “Go Further.”

From “True Detective” to “Natural Born Killers,” do whatever the hell I want to do if I’m living in a so-called free coun- Woody Harrelson has been an A-list American cetry, as long as I’m not hurting lebrity for most of his adult life. More importantly someone else. That’s free- for us, he’s also been a loud voice for legalization dom. If I’m gonna hit myself and normalization of a plant that can cause so in the head with a hammer, much healing in our world. Here’s to more peoso be it. That’s freedom.” ple listening to his words in this ever so important Harrelson has also fought election year.

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A C R O S S O R E G O N & W AS H I N G TO N

profiles by wes abney & northwest leaf staff Photos by Daniel Berman & Contributors Green Source Gardens (left) and Phoenix Rising Farms (above) are upholding the tradition of growing great Cannabis in the Applegate Valley region of stunning Southern Oregon, Be sure to Visit Issuu.com/nwleaf to see our full 20-page Harvest Issue in the Nov. 2016 Oregon Leaf

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THE HARVEST ISSUE Wild West Growers Eugene, OR

Photos by Daniel Berman The modern days of Cannabis production are alive and well in Eugene where just around the corner from an Autozone and Starbucks, a massive Cannabis growing and processing facility rests in the urban core. Turning into the facility that houses Wild West feels like any other corporate park inside the city.

But this place is special. The three large buildings house the more than 50 employees that it takes to keep the operation running, from seed to sale and everything in between.

The first building is all administration and business, but walking over to the second is all bud. A massive curing, trimming and packaging operation is taking place, with hundreds of pounds of herb hanging from giant racks in a room with 25-foot plus ceilings.

It is surreal walking through rows of drying Cannabis plants, gently wicking off moisture and developing the full terpene and smell profile that users will go crazy for in a matter of weeks.

All the trim and little buds are taken to the third building, which houses a full commercial kitchen and a processing lab. Wild West is known for their edibles, especially their CO2, which comes in delicious sap or the rare CO2 shatter.

The team makes dozens of products, all of which started with the plants in the dirt this spring.

“This whole property used to be a glue factory,” Jimbo Jensen said, showing us around the outdoor field. “We have done some improvements and taken this to the next level of production, clearing an entire field of trees and brush to do our outdoor this year.”

They have multiple licenses stacked on the property, allowing them to grow thousands of plants. One acre lot was purely full-term outdoor, with giant plants dancing in the sun. Across the lot were several light-deprived greenhouses.

With a bumper crop this year, the team at Wild West is ready to start taking products to hundreds of stores statewide!

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9 pound hammer

trainwreck sitting pretty

GM Fish Wynder chats with Emilio Rios

the crew trims up one of 40 strains

co-owner jim jensen

ryan martella working hard

del cautrell hangs blue widow

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THE HARVEST ISSUE Royal Ambrosia Hillsboro, OR

Photos by @resinated_lens The instant our car turned off the busy highway, we were hit with a warm and tingly smell of raw Cannabis.

Following a half-mile stretch of dirt road framed by giant golden trees, we turned a corner to find a bright red barn next to a fenced and secure section of property with Cannabis plants peeking over in places. The property is north and west of Portland in a microclimate that is known for golden sunshine and the occasional early October rain. We took a trip out just days before the harvest began to witness the teamwork and effort of growing by the Royal Ambrosia team.

This harvest is their first at the location, with a perfect square acre filled to the max with 1,400 plants that will total an estimated 3,400 pounds of flower.

“We took our bumps and bruises this year, but we did this without outside money or help. It’s been our team of only seven for this whole project. We are family, pulling seven days a week since June to make this happen,” owner Dale Merriott said. “I want to thank our team; kudos to them. Without all our effort this wouldn’t have happened!”

Due to a license delay, the plants when in the dirt on June 13 as 12-inch clones.

They chose 36 strains to run (with a few testers), and used Pura Vida nutrients to bring the program together. Strains like Dogwalker OG and Obamacare #4 were this year’s flagship strains, and they loved the combination of climate, good nutrients and lots of love. They also grew Violet Delight, Bruce Banner #3, Gorilla Glue, Yeager and lots of Sour Tsunami.

Now that the harvesting has begun, the team’s work is only continuing, with thousands of pounds to trim or process into live resin and high-end BHO. The plants for live resin are cured and fresh frozen before being processed into light, sappy and flavorful oil.

The company also has a line of premium pre-rolls coming to market this winter, and an all-natural vegan juice for recreational users. Overall, the harvest has been a major success for the team, although they could all probably use some much-earned rest from the farm.

“It’s been quite the adventure,” said Darryl Stewart, a key team member and helper. “All of this experience has been my favorite, and we really got to show what you can do with an acre this season!”

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blueberry cookies

obama care

the farm in a suburb of portland

violet delight

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THE HARVEST ISSUE

East Fork Cultivars Illinois Valley, OR

Set against the backdrop of incredible wilderness, and snug against the Oregon-California border is the beautiful farm of East Fork Cultivars. EFC is building its reputation cultivating highCBD strains like OG 78 and Harle-Tsu. Business partners Joe Perkins and Aaron Howard, along with head grower Ben Cooper, and Joel and Nathan on the business side, form a tight-knit team who hope their hard work this year (their first on the property) will pay off with their 27 strains ultimately carried in retail shops around the state.

“Part of our mission is to emphasize the importance of making ecological choices and showing they work as well as the high-impact, resource-intensive methods that are often the norm within this industry,” Aaron said.

Ben and Aaron have a background in organic agriculture and they place a strong emphasis on using what’s on-site — think native soil, cover cropping and compost teas. The three full-time growers expect to produce 700 pounds of Cannabis this year and 2,000 to 3,000 pounds next year. The Illinois Valley where they grow is known for this kind of thing.

“Growing here has been a major part of the culture and the economy for a long time,” Howard said, walking down the long rows of nearly cropready plants like Ringo’s Gift.

Fog began to roll over the farm.

Not soon after, we heard gun shots.

The neighbors we had been warned about made it clear it was time for our drone to come back down to Earth.

jo, aaron and ben keep the farm running

specializing in high-cbd strains like pineapple-tsu

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Photos by Daniel Berman | Drone photo by Michael Dyrland

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THE HARVEST ISSUE Marijuana Business Company Leavenworth, WA Photos by Daniel Berman Driving through winding highways is breathtakingly beautiful during the harvest season, when trees burst with color and the promise of fresh Cannabis plants reach peak maturity just over the horizon in the Wenatchee fork.

Marijuana Business Company utilizes every possible bit of their acre parcel, caretaking over 2,000 plants beautifully arranged in neatly organized rows. The moisture in the air magnified the sweet aroma of the field, tingling the nose with different terpene profiles for every row walked past.

The pride in each individual strain by head grower Jerry is evident. He grew Cannabis for decades and now finally has the chance to produce top quality outdoor bud without fear of prosecution.

“It’s all very liberating, to be standing in my field [of legal weed] and have a helicopter fly over and not have a worry in the world they are coming to lock me up,” he explained, noting previous run-ins with law enforcement. “This is Cannabis paradise!”

With flagship strain Jack’s Girl, the farm has produced well this harvest.

Jack’s Girl clearly likes the outdoor environment, testing at 30 percent THC. “We were excited to see the outcome of the plants in this valley, and the sun hits the field just right throughout the day, it really worked perfectly” said Joe, the CEO of the company. “After all we went through to finally open this farm, and still battling permits at the county level, harvesting this Cannabis is a major victory for our team!”

All the strains produced this season have done well, without mold or bug issues that have plagued Western Washington outdoor growers. Big bushes of Jack’s Dragon Girl, Blue Ghost and Chocolate Covered Strawberry add splashes of bright purples, reds and orange to the field of Cannabis.

joey, joe, jerry, Chris and alisON

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black haze

head grower jerry turcott with jack’s girl and jack’s dragon girl

chocolate covered strawberries

joey trimming up some plum

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SMOKING THIS FLOWER IS A EUPHORIC AND HEADY EXPERIENCE, DEFINITELY A REAL CALENDAR CLEARER.

DENALI

ALASKA LEAF

GROWN by MTF JEFF

22.04%

THC 0.25%

CBD

I OG

STRAIN OF THE MONTH

By WES ABNEY | PHOTO by OSCAR AVELLANEDA-CRUZ THIS FRUITY AND TANGY SATIVA STRAIN

is the result of a decade of breeding experience, passion and love that represents the best of what the Alaskan Cannabis industry has to offer.

Over the last 10 years, Jeff has meticulously worked to create this strain and others, making crosses and blends to find the best attributes possible. This also protected the original pure sativa Matanuska Thunderfuck line, ensuring that the original genetics were allowed to prosper while also using them to create new strains for the future like the Denali OG. The lanky sativa has a sour-sweet smell even in veg, a rare attribute for Cannabis plants. She takes between 90 and 110 days from seed or clone to finish properly. Even when vegged 25-30 days, she is still looking at 65 days in a 10-gallon pot.

This plant was grown in a container with a soilless medium, with an expected yield of five or so ounces.

Grown in 100-gallon containers with Veganic Kelp and worm meal, she will get 14 feet tall and can yield nearly five pounds of tops.

We got to sit down with the small batch grown from Alaska and give the flower a true smoke and taste test. The first thing we noticed was the sticky layer of frosty trichomes that cover the flower.

The lightly yellow and amber colored leaves mix with the bright green body of the bud and every inch of surface area is liberally coated in a tangy resin that sticks to the fingers and lingers in the nose. The raw smell of the flower is sharp and fruity, but also complex with layers of earth and a pungent mineral taste that finishes with a slight mint and eucalyptus on exhale when smoked.

Smoking this flower is a euphoric and heady experience, definitely a real calendar clearer.

The high hits the body and the mind hard and fast, and can be positively overwhelming. A small bowl will leave just enough functionality to float through a normal day without pain or anxiety, but taking down a couple joints of this will leave you locked on the couch. Effects last two to four hours, leaving the user in a blissful state of sativa high.

Look for more on this strain and the breeding Jeff has done in future issues of the Leaf, and his soonto=publish book on the MTF legend!

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Comfort Food

recipes

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

Fall is the time for comfort food, and the local harvest brings foods that pair beautifully with the rustic earthy hint of Cannabis. The fall bounty is a perfect time to check out your local farmer’s market.

“Cooking with Cannabis” was a joy to write.

As I became increasingly familiar with this amazing herb, I found that Cannabis acts as a flavoring agent, mood enhancer and medicine.

You can always adjust the amount of Cannabis in your dish to either increase or decrease its strength. The potency of the plant will vary, so you need to keep that in mind when you are infusing.

In many of the recipes in the book, you can use oil or butter.

EASY CHOCOLATE PUDDING 1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together milk and canna-butter until cannabutter is melted and milk is warmed.

2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt.

3. Gradually stir the hot milk mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring constantly until smooth.

4. Allow the mixture to simmer gently until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Chill before serving.

INGREDIENTS 1 cup sugar 2/3 cup cocoa ¼ cup cornstarch ¼ teaspoon salt 4 cups milk 2 tablespoons canna-butter 1 tablespoon vanilla

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Serves 6

*

ARUGULA SALAD with

Serves 6

AVOCADO & WARM BACON VINAIGRETTE A bacon vinaigrette is a great way to enhance a salad. The flavor enrobes the whole thing. So good, you can drizzle this dressing on fish or chicken. Bacon is so good.

1.

2.

Cook the bacon until crisp and remove to paper towels to drain.

Chop bacon and set aside. Do not clean the pan; you need that bacon fat!

3. Heat the pan over medium heat and add the shallots and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the sugar and cook until it dissolves, a minute or 2.

4. Scrape the contents of the pan into the blender along with the balsamic vinegar, orange juice, mustard and oils. Blend well.

5. In a small bowl, toss the greens with the shrimp, onion, tomatoes and avocado. Add the dressing and toss again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

INGREDIENTS

4 strips bacon 1 large shallot, peeled and minced 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons brown sugar 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons orange juice 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2/3 cup olive oil Salt and pepper

4 teaspoons canna-olive oil 8 large handfuls mixed fall greens, with arugula, rinsed & patted dry 18 large cooked shrimp, cut in pieces if desired 1 red onion, peeled/sliced 20 grape tomatoes, sliced 1 avocado, peeled and cut, tossed with lemon juice

ROAST CHICKEN Once I tasted the combination of chicken and smoked paprika, I was hooked. The earthy notes from the Cannabis and smoked paprika are also great together. So this chicken with paprika and Cannabis proves to be a fantastic combination.

1. Place the chicken on your work surface. Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper all over. Place in a roasting pan.

2. Place half the carrot, onion and orange inside of the cavity and place the rest in the pan with the head of garlic.

3. Roast the chicken for 90 minutes, or until the juices from the thigh area run clear. Place the chicken on a serving plate.

4. Heat canna-butter in the pan on the stove over medium heat. When hot, add the flour, stirring constantly. After 2 minutes, add the chicken stock and smoked paprika and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

5. Taste for salt and pepper. Pour into gravy boat or serving vessel of choice.

6. Carve the chicken into serving pieces.

INGREDIENTS

*

1 roasting chicken 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced in pieces 1 medium onion, peeled and cut in pieces 1 orange, cut in wedges 1 head garlic, top removed 2 tablespoons canna-butter 2 tablespoons flour 2 cups chicken stock Smoked paprika Salt and pepper

CHEF’S NOTES:

Roast chicken is one of the foods you really need to know how to cook.

It’s versatile, provides great leftover options and has such great taste.

And when the meat is all gone, let there be soup. Save the bones to make a wonderful stock.

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Reviews

By STEVE ELLIOTT Editor, Tokesignals.com

MARIJUANA EDIBLES 40 EASY AND DELICIOUS CANNABIS-INFUSED DESSERTS

If

By L AURIE & MARYJANE, 2016 // 127 PAGES, $14.95

you’re ready to put the baked back into baked goods, this slim (but fattening) volume is a fun place to get your sugar high on with 40 tantalizing recipes. It allows you to go beyond the basics by mastering the most popular infusion methods.

Once you have quality extracts, this book contains helpful tips for quick ways to ingest them and for controlling dosages, especially important if you aren’t accustomed to the effects of edibles, which tend to be deeper and of longer duration than smoking highs. When you eat anything infused with Cannabis, the cannabinoids must first be digested in the stomach and then enter the liver before they are metabolized and absorbed into the bloodstream.

This dazzling variety of delectable desserts, tasty treats and candy confections neatly demystifies the process of cooking with Cannabis. I can’t decide on my favorite recipe, but I’ve narrowed it down to chocolate malt cookies, coconut almond macaroons, salted caramel cashew bars and brown butter elephant ears. I know!!

As the book points out, cooking with Cannabis can be a very gratifying thing, especially when done with care and attention to detail. And they’re correct; you’ll be the hit of the next party when you show up with a batch of delicious, sweet edibles.

In addition to writing for this magazine, Laurie & Mary Jane is a Cannabis edibles maker based in Oregon with a great recipe blog to check out: “Don’t Fear the Edible.”

THIS DAZZLING VARIETY OF DELECTABLE DESSERTS, TASTY TREATS AND CANDY CONFECTIONS NEATLY DEMYSTIFIES THE PROCESS OF COOKING WITH CANNABIS.

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ALASKA LEAF @AKLEAFMAG #ALASKALEAF

/NWLEAF @AKLEAFMAG

AKLeaf.com

AK

LEAF

health & science

BY ALASKA LEAF CONTRIBUTOR SIMONE FISCHER

Sleep is one of the most important facets of our health. It’s the time when our bodies can heal themselves, and regain our strength spent throughout busy days. When we do not give ourselves an adequate amount of sleep, our health and immune systems begin to deteriorate.

The constant use of handheld electronics further inflames the problem because they don’t allow your brain to adequately turn off. As a person looking for a natural way to achieve sleep, I turned to herbs. I would drink chamomile and

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“sleepy time” tea to induce relaxation. At one point, I tried using melatonin.

It worked in the beginning, but I quickly grew a tolerance. After a while, melatonin became useless and expensive.

Luckily, Cannabis exists. When I first began using Cannabis as a sleep aid, I was told to gravitate towards indicas. But what does that mean?

Previously, I would look for aesthetic clues such as looks, smell or taste.

Indicas are historically known for their body highs, versus their cerebral sativa counterparts. Being couchlocked is a typical effect from indicas. They are extremely helpful for those experiencing pain or dealing with chronic pain.

Indicas have a reputation to help you sleep. Although I could certainly feel the effects of a solid indica, I wanted to know more beyond anecdotal

Photo courtesy of Nils Weymann

CBN:

The Natural Sleep Aid

CHOOSE AN INDICA-DOMINANT STRAIN WITH LOTS OF CBN FOR A BETTER NIGHT'S REST. evidence. Cannabinol, or CBN, is a weak psychogenic cannabinoid known to help induce drowsiness. Finding strains high in CBN will be ideal for those looking to get a good night’s sleep.

When it comes to growing, CBN is usually higher in strains harvested late. The overripening of the Cannabis plant raises CBN amounts. The longer a cultivator waits to cut down her/his crop, the higher the CBN ratio will be. With that said, looking for an indica-dominant strain high in CBN would be the most ideal for sound sleep.

Indica or CBN edibles are an excellent way to ingest cannabinoids without having to smoke.

Unfortunately, Oregon recreational users are limited to flower, seed and clone sales for now. The purchase of edibles, concentrates and topicals is prohibited at this point in time. Companies are beginning to create indica- and strain-specific edibles for the medical marijuana market, until it is legal to sell to those over 21.

Instead of addictive sleep aids like Ambien, Cannabis capsules are a viable option for those looking for smokeless forms of medicating. It seems like more people prefer ingesting Cannabis because they are used to being prescribed pills by doctors. Overall, Cannabis capsules and other edibles are more discreet than loading a bowl or torching a dab.

Without a healthy amount of sleep, our body’s ability to fight off pathogens is at risk. If you suffer from an autoimmune disease, not getting enough sleep could land you in the hospital. Americans are some of the most overworked people in the world.

Scholar and activist Audre Lorde reminds us: “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”

Taking the time to let our minds and body heal is a crucial part of self-care. Adequate sleep and a balanced diet are vital keys to the quality of our health. Looking for strains high in CBN to use at night will help you achieve routine sleeping

hours. Turning off smart devices at least an hour before you go to bed will help you fall asleep faster.

The brightness of smart device screens causes our minds to feel awake when we are trying to fall asleep. Instead, try puffing on high-CBN Cannabis and read from a book (not a tablet!) before bed.

As a woman who suffers from an autoimmune disease, getting enough sleep is vital to make sure I can work full-time, write and still manage to enjoy my life. I have always favored indica-dominant strains, but I wanted to know how exactly they helped me sleep.

CBN is derived from Tetrahydrocannbinol (or THC) oxidation, meaning the more THC breaks down in its finished flower form, the higher the CBN count will be. Overripe or poorly cured Cannabis is usually a telltale sign of high CBN. When dispensary buyers purchase Cannabis, high CBN usually means it’s been sitting on the shelf for a while. CBN code: The older the bud, the higher the CBN. According to Steephill Labs, 5mg of CBN is equivalent to 10mg of diazepam, a common antianxiety medication. For people who use diazepam

for chronic pain or anxiety, CBN could be as effective, or better. Unfortunately, no CBN-specific Cannabis has been cultivated yet. But I’m sure it won’t be long until we can purchase cannabinoidspecific weed, edibles and concentrates.

Luckily for insomniacs like myself, CBN serves an important purpose beyond THC degradation.

The best avenue to find high-CBN Cannabis is asking your local budtenders what strains they carry test highest in CBN. A word of caution: CBN also stimulates appetite. If you smoke something higher in CBN and choose to stay up, expect the munchies to kick in. CBN is a great choice for those who need to increase their appetite, and you’ll sleep like a baby to boot.

One of the best ways to preserve your health is achieving adequate sleep. This goes double for those suffering from autoimmune diseases or compromised immune systems. Sleep is the best way to let your body heal itself, and sleep deprivation is one of the first steps to poor health.

Start taking your sleep seriously and feel the difference in your performance. Your body and mind will thank you!

CBN IS DERIVED FROM THC OXIDATION. OVERRIPE OR POORLY CURED CANNABIS IS USUALLY A TELLTALE SIGN OF HIGH CBN.

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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health & science

INHALE & EXHALE YOUR PAIN AWAY Pain, particularly chronic pain, is rampant in America. One in 10

A basic definition of mindfulness is to accept who we are and what we are experiencing in any given moment. When in pain, we just adults experiences “a lot” of pain. Nearly 56 percent of individuals want the pain to go away! Right away. And that’s understandable. reported some pain in the preceding three months, and more

BY ALASKA LEAF Chronic pain is frustrating, debilitating and affects so many inthan 25 million adults — 11 percent — suffer from pain on a SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR dividuals on so many levels that it may seem counterintuitive to daily basis. These estimates are based on the responses of nearly DR. SCOTT D. ROSE pay more attention to our pain.

9,000 adults who took part in the 2012 National Health InterInstead of focusing on how badly we want the pain to stop, view Survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in being mindful, one pays attention to their pain with curiosity and Prevention and reported in Aug. 2015. The survey also asked and without judgment. This is why mindfulness is so helpful. This about alternatives in place of prescription painkillers and found approach is very different from what the brain ordinarily does when many people are turning to yoga, massage, exercise, acupuncture and experiencing the sensation of pain. The mind typically forms judgments mindful practices including breathing meditation to relieve pain. and negative thoughts, and these judgments and negative thoughts fuel the It seems that deep, slow breathing — techniques used in Zen meditation emotions of anxiety and depression. (Take another deep breath and this and other mindful pursuits (such as yoga, and qi gong) might help ease pain. time exhale more slowly.)

Being mindful of pain can make it better, it appears. Take a deep breath.

How to reduce stress, live longer and feel better with steady deep, full breaths.

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Pain affecting the mood is a classic example of the pain cycle. Pain, costly membership fees. All that is needed is a comfortable place in Adults at rest especially chronic pain, typically leads to feelings of depression, anyour home or garden where you can sit, stand or lie comfortably for breathe an ger and anxiety. These feelings often come due to the limitations that average of 12- five to 45 minutes. (Maybe you start with 30 seconds — it is a pracchronic pain creates. These feelings also make coping with pain all the 16x/minute and tice!) Mindfulness practice is generally an individual practice that anymore difficult. Limitations, coupled with a lack of energy due to the one can do. The best way to get started is to choose a place and time live to be 70-80+ taxing nature of coping with chronic pain, lead to decreased activity to practice where you will be undisturbed for your desired amount of levels. A lack of exercise and ability to stay in shape worsens the pain. years old. There time. The goal is to practice daily for a few weeks — two to four is Pain and anxiety make sleeping difficult, and this lack of sleep in- does seem to be good, with eight being ideal — before asking objectively what it may a correlation creases pain and decreases energy. For you see, this is a vicious cycle. be doing for you.

Pain, anxiety and lack of sleep are all stress-inducing and drive the between slower Mindfulness is also continued throughout the day, always coming sympathetic branch of the nervous system responsible for the fight- respiration and back to the senses. Observing the way the belly moves in and out with or-flight response. Part of the pain cycle is linked to breathing. The each breath, mindful of the way the weight shifts from one foot to the an increased stress-induced state causes very rapid and shallow breathing. A perother with each step, taking note of pain. Moving in to, instead of out lifespan. son having a panic attack or high anxiety, for instance, breathes very of, to curiously explore the pain in a nonjudgmental way. Moving toshallowly and rapidly. Shallow, rapid breathing sends signals to the ward the pain instead of away, with acceptance and maybe consciously brain that there are problems going on in the body, whereas (now take turning the pain up a little in a controlled fashion. Then turning it back TORTOISE this next breath) a long, slow, deep breath sends signals to the brain down. Having the ability to reframe the pain through this new per100+ yrs. that everything is going to be alright. spective of mindful practice and turning the mindset around the pain 4x A rapidly expanding body of research is showing that practicing pattern is helpful to experience mindful breathing can be immensely helpful for people stuck in the the pain in a different way. pain cycle. Actually, your very next breath may bring you relief; just Just by starting with five minWHALE take that breatth slower and more deeply and with the intention of utes a day, you will find that your 30-60 yrs. just being. (In through the nose for a four count, and out the mouth ability to focus your attention 4x for eight.) People report less distress and can tolerate more acute pain for longer periods of time imin the research laboratory when they are practicing mindfulness, comproves. Lay on your back with pared to people who are not. Scientists have also used brain imagyour knees bent and your feet HORSE ing to show that we process the emotional aspects of pain differently on the floor; support your head 25-30 yrs. during mindfulness so that it is less distressing. with a pillow if needed. Rest your hands on your stomach and notice 8-15x In the foreword of “The Mindfulness Solution to Pain” by Dr. J. your breath. Imagine that you have a balloon in your stomach. ConGardner-Nix, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., writes, “from the perspective centrate on your stomach rising/inflating with each inhale and falling/ of mindfulness, nothing needs fixing. Nothing needs to be forced to deflating with each exhale. All the while, keep your awareness present CHIMPS stop, or change, or go away.” Kabat-Zinn actually founded an effective with each breath.

40 yrs. program called mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in 1979.

As your mind wanders, keep bringing your thoughts back to your 14x While today it helps individuals with all sorts of concerns, it was origbreath, then refocus your attention to the present moment. Conceninally created to help chronic pain patients. trate on how this creates a feeling of calmness. Don’t allow yourself to Mindful breathing practices are steeped in the ancient traditions be distracted by thoughts, feelings or sounds. After two weeks, you can DOGS of Zen meditation, yoga, qi gong and more. The benefits of mindful expect to see improvements in your overall pain level, well-being and 10-20 yrs. breathing and concentration have long been realized. Modern science stress levels.

20-30x is only catching up, confirming and validating these health benefits.

Mindfulness is an effective practice for approaching chronic pain. It There seem to be a few necessary ingredients in the recipe of a teaches individuals to observe their pain and be curious about it. And, mindful practice, the first of which is relaxation. Relaxation is very while counterintuitive, it’s this very act of paying attention that can SHREW helpful in calming down the nervous system, which often becomes help with pain. Deaths from prescription painkillers have also qua1 year overactive when pain persists for a long time. Relaxation also boosts drupled since 1999, killing more than 16,000 people in the U.S. in 140x your body’s natural pain modifiers, such as endogenous endorphins — 2013, and deaths from nonprescription over-the-counter nonsteroidal the feel-good hormones. anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS) like ibuprofen and acetaminophen are many The second ingredient is acceptance. Acceptance of the here and now, as more than that annually. It stands to reason that people are looking for alternabest we can, including pain. Rather than being engaged in a fierce battle with tive measures to help them live a better life dealing with chronic pain. People pain and just wanting to get rid of it, there is a shift in mindset of acceptance. in search of a pain plan may need to mix it up a bit and try different things.

This helps to increase receptivity to what may come next, positive or negative, Mindful practices, like mindful breathing, may be one piece to the puzzle of and help to solidify the shift in mindset away from one resigned to live the making pain more bearable, or even mitigating it entirely. rest of one’s life in pain to a mindset that is more positive and hopeful.

Mindful breathing works on many levels, from increasing oxygenation of the The third ingredient is mental flexibility. Thinking very negatively about blood and the tissues to rerouting and reprogramming the brain’s experience pain is one of the strongest predictors that short-term acute pain will become of pain. The latter is key to mindful breathing’s effectiveness. So, go ahead and longer-term persistent pain. Through the mindful practice, mental flexibiltake another deep breath and your mindfulness will clear your “mind fullness.” ity is gained, where one starts to see thoughts as just mental events rather than facts, which lessens their impact. This is especially important in treating Dr. Scott D. Rose has written about Cannabis and health for years the emotional impacts of disability and pain such as depression and anxiety. in the Northwest Leaf. He is an acupuncturist with a pain resolution clinic (Take another deep breath.)

Getting started is quite easy as there is no special equipment to buy or in the Crown Hill area of Seattle.

icons via creative commons

A long, slow, deep breath sends signals to the brain that everything is going to be alright.

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RAISE THE ROOF

Exploring basic and advanced techniques to manage vertical height in plants maximize the size and amount of essential oil production of the Creating effective systems in the garden requires flowers, which is, from many perspectives, counterintuitive to the plant’s “natural” or genetically imprinted goals.

BY ALASKA LEAF managing two limiting factors or characteristics SPECIAL For these and as well as many other reasons, learning to CONTRIBUTOR manage the vertical growth and mitigate as well as redirect DR. SCANDERSON about the grow that are intrinsically permanent the height of the plant can be one of the most valuable skills in a grower’s arsenal. and unalterable. In the indoor environment, 1) CULTIVAR SELECTION One of the easiest ways to ensure available height is one of those factors that are your plants have enough height in your garden is to simply select plants that are known to grow only to the height that you have available. Many varieties of Cannabis, especially those in the indica and most difficult to work around when farming Cannabis.

Many new gardeners are working in tents, closets, cabinets and other self-contained environments, which can be ideal for cultivating a small amount of medicine while still allowing for a large amount of concealment. One of the few deficits with these environments is that ceiling height is often limited. Either due to the physical restrictions of the environment itself or the priority of creating efficiency by stacking two separate grow environments on top of one another, it’s often the case that after hanging the light and running any necessary ducting, the overhead canopy space available to the plant is limited in a meaningful way.

Many varieties of Cannabis thrive under high amounts of light but are badly damaged when exposed to the high levels of heat that often gather under the lights in the “hot spots.” As a result, without assistance from the gardener, many plants will stretch right into the hottest, brightest part of the light and then proceed to burn for the remaining 6+ weeks left in the flower cycle.

The first 2-4 weeks after the plant’s light cycle has been transitioned to increase the dark period for long enough to initiate a bloom response, the plant’s first priority is to grow as full and tall as possible to ensure the best chance for pollination. Our goal as gardeners is to prevent any pollination and direct the plant’s growth patterns to

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indica-dominant family have very little stretch to them when transitioning to flower. Look for those strains with Bubba Kush, Cinderella 99 and Blueberry as well as many, many others. Breeders are aware of the value of producing seed variety dominated by plants with an easy-to-manage growth structure so that very little training or interference by the gardener is necessary. As anyone continues to work with a particular plant and learn its habits, it’s possible to achieve an even higher level of genetic potential through pruning, thinning and modest training.

2) VEG TIME Another easy way to accommodate those types of Cannabis that are known to have a massive stretch is to dramatically decrease the vegetation time by placing very small plants into bloom.

Some of the tallest and stretchiest plants are also very vigorous in veg. One can take advantage of these two unique char-

Bubba Kush, Cinderella 99 and Blueberry and other indicadominant strains are good for growing in small spaces.

PHOTO BY FLICKR/BLAZENHOFF

growtech

acteristics with varieties like Sour Diesel by placing the plants into bloom after only a week or two after transplant from hardened clone. By transitioning the plant to bloom at what may seem like a very early point, you are able to take advantage of the wildly vigorous stretch. What starts as very small 4- and 5-node plants will stretch into a manageable medium-height plant after reaching its full stretch without significant interference.

and unruly characteristics but also have much more sensitive growth characteristics and are significantly slower to repair super cropped sites or may even go into a state of shock, (read: just about all yer favorite cuts of OG Kush) it can be very helpful to do the majority of the training and structure building during the vegetative state. Upon transition, the plant’s structure will already be more established, allowing less physical manipulation during the all-important flowering period where, should you super crop too aggressively, you may create setbacks in the plant’s development that cannot be made up after transition is initiated.

3) SUPER CROPPING Very often, the tallest, stretchiest plants are also some of the most vigorous, with the exception of many of the OGs. For plants like Sour Diesel, Gorilla Glue, Blue Dream crosses and the like, 4) LOW-STRESS TRAINING (LST) If you super cropping is a technique that allows the consider super cropping a way of imparting gardener to redirect the plant’s energy to suit high amounts of stress to the plant in order to the environment it’s growing in. Super cropwork with its intrinsic growth charping is the technique of bending, smashing, acteristics to achieve an ideal strucor breaking the upper bloom sites on the ture, the opposite of super cropping plant in order to redirect the hormones from would be low-stress training. In this the apical growing tips to lower bloom sites technique, you begin shaping and on the plant. Super cropping creates a physmanipulating the plant from a very ical trauma for the plant, which essentially young age in veg by tying or anchorredirects the plant’s energy from stretching ing each and every branch when it out each node as much as possible, to simply becomes appropriate to encourage a repairing the broken parts of the bloom site. lateral growing pattern rather than Those plants that are most often a vertical one. As Drop me a line the tallest, stretchiest and most mentioned, growunruly in the garden very often thegreengardengroup@gmail.com ing a bush is very respond best to this type of techmuch in contrast nique, repairing full 180 degree with the programed Follow along stem breaks in 24 hours or fewer. genetic growth Instagram @DrScanderson_gT This provides the benefit of dipatterns of many recting the plant’s energy towards repairCannabis plants. Consequently, LST ing the super cropped area, which it does in requires much diligence and time on place of stretching up to another 2-3 inches. the gardener’s part as daily or every Crushing the apical growing tip and creating other day training is most helpful to a bend so other top sites in the canopy can ensure that new growth sites are being properly receive equal lighting, directs growth toward directed to the intended space in the canopy lower sections of the plant, encouraging a and that older sites are staying on a level plane. bushier growth pattern.

The advantage to LST is that the plant is Much like the way a broken bone in a hunever in shock or a recovering state, as all the man will repair itself stronger and harder imparted stress is done so at such low levels with large deposits of thick calcium in and that the plant has no adverse reaction. LST is around the break to ensure it’s properly prosimply done with a high degree of frequency, tected, many Cannabis plants respond in a in very small increments. Over a long enough similar way to damaged and broken stems. period of time, each of those small adjustments The damaged site will usually heal into a begin to exceed the sum total of each of their thicker, harder knuckle-like bulge in the impacts and exponential leverage is reached. By plant that supports larger flowers and may continuing to tie and/or anchor plant branches open up zylem and phloem tissues for more and growth sites straight through the end of efficient nutrient uptake. stretch, you can train a plant to grow into an For varieties that have the same stretchy almost perfectly symmetrical structure that al-

lows equal and adequate light to each of the evenly spaced and leveled flower sites within the depth range of the canopy that light is effectively penetrating. Also, by training the plant without creating stress, transitions often happen faster, allowing for longer periods of bud swelling and ripening, which allows us to more effectively assist the plant in creating more desirable results to enjoy.

While each of these techniques are effective, the amount of skill and experience needed to master each increases as you add more plants. For this reason, I recommend running your gardens using the earlier suggestions and employing the later two on a very small number of plants. That way, you can have the freedom to learn where the thresholds for too much and too little stress exist and how to manage both without having your learning affect your supply of medication to a major degree.

Lastly, the sculpting of the trees is by far some of my favorite and most personally rewarding work. I find it’s one of the few areas where the gardener and the plant are able to create a strong bond through the massive amount of communication between the two during the training periods. There are few areas where one can learn a plant’s tendencies with greater ease than during the training and pruning. The time frame to accomplish the training is limited and its nature is final. The results of your efforts might not be fully revealed for a month or more after the training is complete.

From there, you can make adjustments, try again and wait another few months to see if you improved or moved backward and then try again. Said another way, “bliss for those of us whom the garden has chosen as their calling.”

While each of these techniques are effective, the amount of skill and experience needed to master each increases as you add more plants.

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BUDSHOT

PHOTO by @RESINATED_LENS

GROWN BY TIGARD FARMS

IRENE KUSH The Purps x Bubba Kush

Got sweet garden/bud photos?

Share them with us and they might appear here next month!

Email your top 3-5 not-taken-with-a-phoneunless-they-were-superduper-steady highresolution images to nwleaf@gmail.com along with details on what’s being grown, what effects it is known for, how it helps and why you like to grow it, plus any photo credits.

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BEHIND THE STRAIN

Drop me a line

thegreengardengroup@gmail.com

Watch a video

YouTube.com/DrScandersonGt

KUSH DREAMS BAG APPEAL & SMOKE REPORT It’s no surprise that the prettiest plant I run also has the best bag appeal. Deep purple buds with streaks of bright orange hairs and the indication of a lime green fade towards the inner bloom make a nearly flawless canvas for resin glands that are unusually short and stocky with swollen heads. The shape of these glands provide both the unmistakable look of the frostiest of strains while still allowing the colors to be visible rather than displaying an overall “sandy” look. All of this in bulbous blooms usually reserved only for the most indica-influenced varieties.

The sweet smell of dark red currants and caramel twisted with an unmistakable tart and carbonated tingle gives these finished blooms the smell of Dr Pepper soda.

The smoke is earthier than expected on the inhale, showing a bit more of the OG influence but with almost no lung expansion, making thunder-lungin’ half-gram bong rips delightfully comfortable. All the berry flavor smacks your mouth up on the exhale providing an array of red wine and berries interrupted by a spicy dank incense experience that carries through and finishes the flavor.

BREEDER: DNA Genetics GENETICS: Captain Krypt OG x Blue Dream

LINEAGE: One of the first branded offshoots that now make up the full DNA family, the DNA “Limited” line represented a reasonably small number of crosses that DNA released for the first time as a limited edition release, never to be remade again.

Most of the crosses included a male Captain Krypt OG Kush plant. At the time,

BY ALASKA LEAF there was very little to no information about this particular OG so it was a real test SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR If there was any mistake about the parents of the cultivar, of the market niche these two breeders have carved out for themselves.

DR. SCANDERSON it is demonstrated perhaps most clearly in its uppy, nearly Like just about everything that DNA releases, those that missed the opportunity bouncy effects it imparts. Kush Dreams brings a clear, smiley, to acquire these seeds are left fending for the cuts that produced some amazing good feels sorta medicine to the table. To coin a phrase from varieties of Cannabis. Kush Dreams is no exception and has remained a staple in my Cornbread Ricky when commenting on this selection, “what’s lineup since its discovery. Everyone I’ve shared her with has overwhelmingly amazing wrong with being happy?” experiences growing her as well.

The Blue Dream used is definitely not the Santa Cruz Blue Dream cut that I most typically see but rather one I believe to have Afghan influence that goes fade-to-blackpurple in just about any temperature.

EFFECTS

HOW IT GROWS

Flowers in 63-70 days

A healthy rooter, Kush Dreams is pretty easy to grow and establishes a well-balanced structure with minimal topping and training. She continues to add lateral branching almost in perfect proportion to her height with just a slight lean towards vertical growth. A flexible feeder, she drinks often and does well with medium to heavier feeding schedules. Her structure sets up a manageable stretch where she will improve by 50-75 percent while setting up copious flower sites and growing some of longest petioles I have ever seen on a plant.

Complete flower and those long petioles offer a nice guide on which leaves to remove.

A moderate to strong hand at thinning and site pruning will focus her energies to produce what are still the prettiest blooms I grow. Starting her purple fade as early as the late 20s in temps as high as 80 at night, a fireworks display of color and resin gland development begins early and aggressively. As frosted white hairs turn bright orange against deep purple leaves and rainbow calyxes, Kush Dreams swells into a heavy producer developing thick, dense, elongated, golf ball-shaped kolas reminiscent of an oversized Bubba OG.

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The sweet smell of dark red currants and caramel twisted with an unmistakable tart and carbonated tingle gives these finished blooms the smell of Dr Pepper soda.

SUMMARY Absolutely one of the most beautiful selections of Cannabis I have ever had the pleasure of growing, Kush Dreams is a very special plant. A newer, perhaps more refined, absolutely more designer looking take on the ever so popular Blue Dream, this is a cut I have shared liberally with the Cannabis community in hopes that many growers can enjoy her results and many patients may benefit from her values.