Jan. 2023 - California Leaf

CALIFORNIA

PHOTO by MICHAEL ROSATI @ROSATIPHOTOS for CALIFORNIA LEAF

TALKIN’ TERPS

STORY by KATHERINE WOLF

pg. 24 | How these Cannabis compounds influence everything from taste and scent to the effects and vibes of the strains we ingest.

ABOUT THE COVER

This month’s cover shoot for our 2nd-annual Weed and Wellness Issue embodies the heart of our edition: practicing self-care through the artful use of Cannabis consumption.

On set in Seattle, a dream team of photographer Keti Chikhladze, longtime Leaf Nation stylist

Malina Lopez, Creative Director Daniel Berman, and Cannabis and yoga enthusiast Kate Higby, collaborated to showcase how Cannabis can help us to become our very best. In this special issue, our contributors bring us heartfelt articles on women’s health, alternative Cannabinoids, thebestterpenes,andhowCannabiscanenhance yourcreativity.Sparkup,enjoy,andbewell!

WES ABNEY CEO & FOUNDER wes@leafmagazines.com

MIKE RICKER OPERATING PARTNER ricker@leafmagazines.com

TOM BOWERS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER tom@leafmagazines.com

DANIEL BERMAN CREATIVE DIRECTOR daniel@leafmagazines.com

BOBBY BLACK STATE CONTENT DIRECTOR bobbyblack@leafmagazines.com

NATE WILLIAMS SALES OPS & DISTRIBUTION nate@leafmagazines.com (415) 717-6985

O’HARA SHIPE ONLINE EDITOR ohara@leafmagazines.com

MEGHAN RIDLEY COPY EDITOR meghan@leafmagazines.com

CONTRIBUTORS

WES ABNEY, FEATURES

DANIEL BERMAN, PHOTOS

APRIL BLACK, FEATURES

BOBBY BLACK, DESIGN + FEATURES

JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION

TOM BOWERS, FEATURES

KETI CHIKHLADZE, PHOTOS

AMANDA DAY, FEATURES

STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS

KATE HIGBY, MODELING

MATT JACKSON, FEATURES

ALEXA JESSE, FEATURES

SARA MILLS-GAINES, SALES

MALINA LOPEZ, STYLING

JESSE RAMIREZ, DESIGN

MIKE RICKER, FEATURES

MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING

MIKE ROSATI, PHOTOS

NATE WILLIAMS, PHOTOS + REVIEWS

KATHERINE WOLF, FEATURES

Editor’s Note WES ABNEY

Thanks for picking up the Weed & Wellness Issue of the Leaf!

The classic saying that health is wealth is more poignant than ever as we find ourselves in a new year of uncertainty following a global pandemic – which is why we chose to focus our first issue of 2023 on all the ways that Cannabis can help add to a healthy lifestyle.

As a child of the DARE era I was told that Cannabis was bad for you, could cause cancer, and tons of other drug war propagandized lies. But from my first toke, I’ve known that Cannabis made me and others around me feel better! This is now evident with stories told in the Leaf from people all over the world whose lives have been improved by access to our favorite plant. And now we are finding new and interesting ways to integrate Cannabis into our lives…

From pre and post workout routines to our sexual lives, Cannabis can make fun activities even more enjoyable! And those struggling with addiction to substances like alcohol, pharmaceuticals or other drugs, can find relief in Cannabis and remove the negative input by replacing it with plant powered medicine. It’s truly amazing what the right dose of terpenes and cannabinoids can do, and I hope that this issue inspires you to think about Cannabis beyond getting high – and to explore how it can help your life or those of your loved ones.

Just as a joint should be shared to be fully enjoyed, so must be the information about how Cannabis helps improve lives. By now most of America knows that smoking weed isn’t really dangerous, and a lot of people have experienced the joy of picking out a strain at a dispensary and trying it legally. But what America and our global community need to wake up to is how many pills Cannabis can replace, and how many diseases, health issues and addiction problems can be solved with the plant that was once considered the most dangerous drug of all.

But after all, the most dangerous part of Cannabis is the fact that it disrupts the pharmaceutical industry agenda, is safer than alcohol, and opens minds instead of clouding them. The scariest thing about the pay-for-play healthcare system in America is the idea that a plant grown in the backyard can replace half the medicine cabinet. Growing your own medicine and having access to it from trusted sources in medicinally oriented products is the epitome of health autonomy, and we are all blessed to live in a time where Cannabis is once again leading the pharmacological movement towards natural, safer medicines.

So the next time you smoke weed for a headache, use a topical for back pain or have a friend complaining about sleep issues, suggest a specialized Cannabis product or a strain that has helped you. That’s how we plant seeds of change and help the people we love to embrace the plant we can all benefit from!

“JUST AS A JOINT SHOULD BE SHARED TO BE FULLY ENJOYED, SO MUST BE THE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW CANNABIS HELPS IMPROVE LIVES.”

Cover Photo by Keti Chikhladze @immigrantstoner Props, Wardrobe & Set by Malina Lopez @malinalopez Cannabis & Yoga Modeling by Kate Higby @mediiikate Art Direction by Daniel Berman @bermanphotos

ussia has finally released Brittney Griner, the WNBA player held for months on marijuana charges. Russian authorities released Griner in December in a one-for-one prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout.

President Joe Biden approved the one-for-one exchange agreement with Moscow, according to sources familiar with the deal. The swap took place in the United Arab Emirates.

Griner was convicted by Russian courts of possession of a small amount of hash oil in a medical marijuana vape cartridge she carried with her during a trip for a basketball game in Russia.

To secure Griner’s release, the president ordered Bout freed and returned to Russia. Biden signed the commutation order cutting short Bout’s 25-year federal prison sentence.

Griner told fans she will play in the upcoming WBNA season with her team, the Phoenix Mercury.

“Your letters helped me to not lose hope during a time where I was full of regret and vulnerable in ways I could have never imagined,” said Griner, who wrote a heartfelt note on her Instagram Dec. 21, 2022.

“Because of you I never lost hope,” she said.

”My family is whole and now... we are fortunate to get to spend the holidays together.”

COPS CLAIM RATS ATE HALF TON OF WEED

Police in India claim rats ate more than a half ton of seized Cannabis stored as evidence, reports CNN. The local cops admitted to a judge they can’t come up with the confiscated weed.

Police claimed the rampaging rodents ate 581 kilograms of marijuana stored at the Shergarh and Highway stations, reports India Today. Cops were responding to a court order asking them to cough up the marijuana they recovered in a case.

The prosecution said more than 700 kilograms of Cannabis stored in stations across Mathura could have been devoured by the stoned rodents.

This was (allegedly) not the first time the marauding party-rats had struck. The judge hearing the case noted Mathura police had already blamed the libertine rodents for destroying a total of more than 500 kilos of marijuana.

ADULT-USE SALES ENJOY BRISK FIRST WEEK IN RHODE ISLAND

RHODE ISLAND’S Cannabis shops saw brisk business during their first week of operation under adult-use legalization allowing retail sales, according to a state agency.

The state’s six licensed Cannabis dispensaries collectively sold more than $1.63 million worth of marijuana from Dec. 1 to Dec. 7, according to the Department of Business Regulation. About half of those sales were for adult-use marijuana, for an estimated $786,000, reports the Washington Examiner. The remaining $845,400 consisted of sales to medical Cannabis patients, the agency said.

The busy sales bode well for the state.

Rhode Island will take in an estimated $133,600 in taxes – about $23,500 of which will go to towns and cities where the weed stores are located.

The Rhode Island Office of Management and Budget is projecting $5.9 million in marijuana tax revenue in the current fiscal year, ending June 30, 2023.

KANSAS LAWMAKERS WILL INTRODUCE MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL

IT’S BEEN a long (and so far at least, fruitless) journey for medical marijuana advocates in Kansas. Now, state lawmakers say they’re ready to take yet another shot at legalizing medicinal Cannabis, reports KCUR.

Republican Sen. Rob Olson chairs the 2022 Special Committee on Medical Marijuana. Olson said he plans to introduce a bill at the beginning of the January legislative session. He said passing legislation out of committee would be too difficult – so he plans to introduce it in the Senate as an alternative approach.

He encouraged lawmakers in the House to introduce similar legislation.

“I think that’s probably the best way forward,” said Olson.

VIRAL TIKTOKER “DOGGFACE” ARRESTED IN

IDAHO

NATHAN APODACA, a TikToker who went viral for skateboarding videos that were set to iconic Fleetwood Mac tracks, was arrested by Idaho State Police in December on charges of possessing marijuana. Apodaca was driving with an expired registration tag when the police pulled him over. Officers ended up finding THC gummies in the vehicle and took Apodaca into custody. He was released on a $600 bond.

wo New Hampshire lawmakers, one Republican and the other Democrat, share a common interest: legalizing marijuana.

House Majority Leader Jason Osborne (R) and Minority Leader Matt Wilhelm (D) joined forces to file a bill to legalize adult-use Cannabis for the 2023 session.

The bipartisan measure would allow adults 21 and up to possess or give away up to four ounces of Cannabis, and also clear records of past weed possession offenses. In addition, it taxes marijuana sales at 8.5%. The bill would set up a new market with state-approved retailers to sell pot, reports Benzinga.

The new legislation allows cultivation of up to six plants, including three of which may be mature, and possession of marijuana produced at home.

NEW YORK GROWERS HAVE WEED BACKSTOCK

date hasn’t been announced yet for retail marijuana sales in New York. And that slow rollout is creating a Cannabis conundrum, reports NBC New York.

Local growers were awarded the first licenses. And they bet the farm on legal weed. But now they have half a billion dollars worth of marijuana, ready to sell, without any buyers.

The first harvest for the state’s pot pioneers came with high expectations. But now, excitement has turned to fear for the 200-plus licensed Cannabis growers in the Empire State.

“It’s terrifying, because we just don’t know,” said Colin Brogan, who also works for Hudson River Farms in Dutchess County.

Stuck inside a secure storage room for weeks now is almost 2,000 pounds of fragrant weed. And that’s just this one farm alone. Nonetheless, there’s just no place to sell it.

“Until we have that final piece of the supply chain – the dispensaries that can actually sell to a consumer –everybody’s kind of in the same boat, and we’re just sitting around, waiting to sell it to somebody,” said Hudson River Farms’ Alex Keenan.

“Stuck inside a secure storage room for weeks now is almost 2,000 pounds of fragrant weed.”

of Missouri’s 322 licensed

marijuana dispensaries applied for adult-use sales permits.

in fines were forgiven as part of Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s pardons of 45,000 marijuana convictions.

STORIES by STEVE ELLIOTT, AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK

east coast

east coast

states – Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota – rejected adult-use Cannabis in the November 2022 elections.

percent is the amount that Cannabis arrests decrease after legalization in states which have already decriminalized.

homes on one single block in Portland, Ore., were involved in untaxed marijuana cultivation.

debilitating medical conditions qualify patients in Mississippi for medical marijuana.

medical

“The bipartisan measure would allow adults 21 and up to possess or give away up to four ounces of Cannabis...”

THE EMERALD CUP HARVEST BALL

It was just after 4 o’clock in the morning, as a throng of saucer-eyed California Cannabis legends bathed in beats in a Santa Rosa warehouse, shaking it like they were trying to put out a four-alarm rump fire, when it hit me.

It feels like everything’s changed. But so many of the good things have stayed the same.

The Emerald Cup continues to be the cultural gathering of the year for the California Cannabis community, with this year’s Harvest Ball collecting cultivators, hash makers, artists, connoisseurs and creators from all over the world to revel in the power of the plant.

Tom and Ricker with fire flower breeders & cultivators @youknowwazgood_, @hummingbirdhills, @masonicsmoker4.0, @lordkushthefirst, @bradloethen and @insaneseeds

Emerald Cup founder Tim Blake with Legacy Award winner

Terrance Allen.

Bobby presents Jack Herer’s son Dan with the “420 Icons” certificate at the Leaf booth.

The late Frenchy Cannoli’s wife, Madame Cannoli (center), and protege Belle (right) hitting the hookah with Swami and Solventless Hash winner Alice Reis (left).

DEC. 10-11, 2022 | SONOMA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS | SANTA ROSA, CA

The vibe permeating this year’s Ball was one of respect and reverence for what came before, commingling with the hopeful anticipation of inevitable change on the horizon.

Whether it be the gathering of the legends in the Area 101 building, the sets from E40 and Channel Tres, the afterparty with Fleetmac Wood, the ceremonial lighting of Frenchy Cannoli’s hookah, or the dozens and dozens of beautifully built booths showing off the latest and greatest – the Leaf was there, soaking it all in.

Once again, we didn’t bring enough empty jars, and ended up walking around with handfuls of sticky, dank freshness from our farmer friends.

Once again, we pushed it until sunrise, engaging in energized conversation about the future of the community and what we all need to accomplish next year and beyond.

And, once again, we were blown away by the passion and power of our evolving community, as we all continue to build a culture and an industry powered by the plant that has impacted our lives so completely.

Thank you to Tim and Taylor Blake, the Emerald Cup team, and the California Cannabis family for another one for the books. We’re looking forward to measuring ourselves against the door jamb again next year.

STORY by TOM BOWERS @CANNABOMBTOM/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by MICHAEL ROSATI

“Once again, we didn’t bring enough empty jars, and ended up walking around with handfuls of sticky, dank freshness from our farmer friends.”

The annual “Cannabis elders” photo, organized by Hemp Museum founder Amy Fisher (bottom right).

Headliner E-40 delivered an electrifying performance.

Legendary activist Pebbles Trippet holds the Leaf. Art and performance was everywhere. The Emerald Cup team pulled off another impressive and community-building event.

Canna Country Farms’ co-owner Ted Blair holds up his Nov. 2022 Strain of the Month spread with Tom holding their Farm Profile.

The Cookies-sponsored DJ booth lights up the evening skies.

Rain and the elements did not dampen the bright enthusiasm of attendees.

Jason Gellman of Ridgeline Farms shows off his new flavors to Travis Williams, @taproot_travis.

EMBARC SACRAMENTO

THE ROOTS

Lauren Carpenter was born and raised in Sacramento. After years working her way up at some of the largest Cannabis retail operators in California, the Embarc CEO took a leap of faith and partnered with friend and entrepreneur Christy Wilson to open the first Embarc location in South Lake Tahoe in June of 2020.

Around the time they got the doors open, Sacramento had begun the conversation around equity licensure and how to address the imbalance in the current system. The issue was debated and during that time, Carpenter partnered with another friend and entrepreneur to open Embarc’s second location in Alameda.

Carpenter’s personal trainer, Rob Jackson, began to hear all about her growing business and, a seasoned businessman himself, initiated a conversation around partnership in a store in their mutual native city of Sacramento. Shortly thereafter it was decided that California’s capital city would pause awarding new retail licenses, and the next 10 licenses issued would go to minority owners to help diversify the space. With a great opportunity and their visions aligned, Carpenter and Jackson moved forward with the Sacramento location.

THE BASE

Carpenter’s time working in corporate Cannabis retail gave her invaluable experience and provided insight into the positive elements and benefits of corporate business structure, showing her what it’s capable of on a scaled level. However, instead of operating in a fashion that prioritizes profit margins for a handful of shareholders, the goal would be to build support for each store’s immediate community via jobs, education and money.

No, you didn’t read that wrong: 1% of gross sales from every store go back into the community. This is accomplished with the help of an advisory board that works with the team at Embarc to direct the funds to various groups and organizations within each store’s local community.

This is not accomplished without a high degree of engagement. Carpenter and her team are doing something truly special – completing the real leg-work and taking the time to have the tough discussions that are needed to understand how their community feels. This allows them to address folks’ worries and issues with high degrees of both patience and respect – a unique approach building bridges in a hands-on fashion that’s incredibly rare amongst Cannabis retailers.

THE TRUNK

For all of Embarc’s locations, they have started with a brand new license. This means they didn’t come in and acquire an existing retailer, slap their name on the wall, and begin doing business their way. Instead, they’ve worked closely with local government and community leadership to obtain a brand new license from scratch, in a way that’s as beneficial as possible, and minimizes negative impact. Embarc’s newest store is no exception: Found in South Sacramento, miles away from the hustle and bustle of the capital and the glam of East Sac’s Fab 40s, this location serves a historically diverse community.

Beyond being ambitious, the methodology Carpenter and her team are utilizing to build the Embarc empire is, quite frankly, what’s been missing in Cannabis retail: purpose. It is abundantly apparent that the leadership is here for more than just money and the goal is to create an authentic, people and community-forward business – not just another chain of pot shops.

THE BRANCHES

The wonderful intentionality the crew at Embarc brings to California’s Cannabis retail space extends into each shop’s menu as well. Beyond the industry staples like Wyld and STIIIZY, each shop strives to maintain a healthy stock of local brands – not to mention 50% of shelf space is held by women, minority and LGBTQ+ owned brands, with a goal of diverse shelves that offer something for everybody. They do not allow pay-forplay, meaning that Embarc isn’t taking money from brands to “own” shelf space (which is rumored to be a common practice amongst many other dispensaries). Rather, they’re letting their actions speak louder than their words – abandoning flash and glitz in favor of connectedness, honesty and intent. It’s a welcome and refreshing departure from today’s norm that we hope other retailers adopt, en masse.

“50% of shelf space is held by women, minority and LGBTQ+ owned brands, with a goal of diverse shelves that offer something for everybody.”

PHOTO BY NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415

PHOTO BY NATE WILLIAMS

When I worked in a restaurant in New York years ago, this soup was the most popular. It’s creamy, rustic and quite hearty.

BROCCOLI & CHEESE SOUP

ALL RECIPES SERVE 6

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons canna-butter

1 small onion, chopped

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups vegetable stock

1 large head broccoli, cut into florets

2 cups milk

1 cup half-and-half

3 cups freshly-shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus extra for garnish Salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a large pot, melt the butter and cannabutter over medium-low heat.

2. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 4-5 minutes.

3. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes to eliminate the raw-flour taste, not letting it brown.

4. Add the stock and broccoli and cook for 9 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the soup cool slightly.

5. Working in two batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Or, if you have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup directly in the pot.

6. Return the blended soup to the pot. Over medium-low heat, add the milk, half-and-half, and cheddar, stirring until the cheese melts.

7. Season the soup with salt and pepper, and garnish with more cheddar before serving.

SOUL WARMING SOUPS

IT’S THE START OF A NEW YEAR. Hey, let’s try to make it a good one! My goal is to be nice, do a tiny bit of exercise at least monthly, talk my husband into letting me get a squirrel, and do a little book ab out soup. I love making soup … and these three are soul-warming and will give you a delightful buzz. Because everyone has a different tolerance, I keep the soups lightly infused. However, I make infused croutons so people can dose their soup to the perfect potency. Just cut up some crusty bread and saute it in canna butter or oil, maybe with a little garlic.

JANUARY HASHTAGS | #perfectpotency #happynewyear #bekind #Oliver #Dontfeartheedible #infusedcroutons

LENTIL SOUP

2 tablespoons canna-olive oil

1⁄2 medium onion, diced

1 medium carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes

1 1/4 cups yellow or red lentils, rinsed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

4 strips cooked bacon, chopped, for garnish

1 cup croutons, for garnish

1. In a large pot, heat the canna-olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic, and sauté until tender, 7-9 minutes.

2. Add the stock, tomatoes, lentils and cumin, and simmer for 45 minutes.

3. Stir in the vinegar and serve garnished with the bacon and croutons.

CIOPPINO

Cioppino is an Italian-American stew that originated in San Francisco in the late 1800s. It was originally made by fishermen to use up their catch of the day … we recommend you use whatever fish and shellfish looks best at the market. Serve with pita or bagel chips or croutons, and pass the hot sauce!

1 tablespoon canna-oil

1 medium onion, cut into wedges

3 garlic cloves, mashed

1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 (8oz) jar clam juice

1⁄4 cup red wine, such as a cabernet or pinot noir

1 pound fish of your choosing, skinned, cut into chunks

1⁄2 cup shucked mussels

1. In a large saucepan, heat the canna-oil over medium-low heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until translucent, 4-6 minutes.

2. Reduce the heat to low. Add the tomatoes, clam juice and wine, and simmer until hot – 12-15 minutes.

3. Add the fish and mussels, and simmer until the fish is cooked through – 5-7 minutes. Serve hot.

RIDDLEZ is Huckleberry Hill Farms’ cup-winning Whitethorn Rose crossed with everyone’s new favorite, the Z. This mashup of terp-forward cultivars – bred and grown in-house by Huckleberry Hill Farms and hashed and mashed by the legendary team at Heritage Hash Co – took 1st Place at the 2022 Ego Clash in the hotly contested rosin category out of over 40 entries.

RIDDLEZ LIVE ROSIN BADDER

The nose on this one is incredibly complex, with far less fruit punch from the Whitethorn Rose than you’d expect. Instead, you’re met with a diverse lineup of aromatics ranging from peach to guava to sour earth to barnyard funk. The rosin itself has a light pink hue and is sweating terpenes only minutes out of the fridge.

A low-temp dab reveals a tapestry of flavor so unique, it’s immediately apparent why this special rosin was awarded the top spot from a jury of its hashy peers.

Upon exhale, fruit punch kombucha, lemon candy, lychee, OG Kush gas and a subtle, wet-horse-blanket-funk explode on the palate in a complex cacophony of terps. A second, extra-low-temp dab ramps up and amplifies the fruit punch, lemon and OG notes – providing an even wilder, richer experience.

It’s truly a beautiful expression of the Cannabis plant, brought to life by a number of extremely talented and passionate individuals, all lending their expertise, time and energy to create something that reflects the artistry and the heart that goes into a product as exceptional as this.

Most modern-day consumers aren’t aware that rosin like this is the result of decades of effort. That’s OK. All that needs to be known is that this is a matchup of some of the industry’s best, and anything these two collab on stands a high chance of being something you’ll want in your head stash.

“A low-temp dab reveals a tapestry of flavor so unique, it’s immediately apparent why this special rosin was awarded the top spot from a jury of its hashy peers.”

For those who choose to stand out, be di erent, and create their own path

AS WE RIDE OUT the hectic, hedonistic holiday high into the new year, it’s essential that we begin focusing more on self-care. For me, there are few fragrances as calming to my mood as the smell of burning white sage. And though the Mountain Sage from Cannabiotix doesn’t actually smell like white sage, its smoke did have a similar effect on my mental state.

CBX’s Mountain Sage is a cross between their exclusive, award-winning Kush Mountains cultivar and an heirloom classic, Lemon Sage #50. CBX is a SoCal-based Cannabis brand that produces boutique flower and concentrates for the California and Nevada markets. All of their product is PGR-free and handled with the utmost respect for the terps throughout the process: hung to dry/cure in total darkness, vacuum sealed between stages, hand-trimmed (using the “revolve the stem” technique), then sorted and packaged to ensure maximum trichome preservation.

That attention to detail is evident here: With their diamond shape, dark green color and multitude of dark reddish pistils, these plump and frosty buds twinkle like tiny tinsel-covered tannenbaums.

And the similarities don’t end there … upon popping the seal on the jar, the sweet, piney smell has me thinking I just walked onto a Christmas tree lot. Behind that pine, though, I’m also picking up notes of floral and citrus as I grind up a few buds to roll up. A dry toke from the joint tastes sweet and lemony, but once lit, the sweetness gives way to spicy – with powerful pine dominating my taste buds and sending a burning tingle up my nasal cavity. It’s only after I exhale, in the aftertaste, that the sweet and sour citrus reemerges once again. That hint of lemony citrus is due, naturally, to the presence of limonene.

Being so pine-forward, you might expect this cultivar to be pinene-dominant, but that isn’t actually the case. Instead, its woodsy, herbaceous aroma and flavor come from its two other dominant terpenes: terpinolene (found naturally in sage and pine trees) and ocimene. While this rare terpene profile places Mountain Sage more in the “Exotics” flavor category than the “Jacks and Hazes” group, make no mistake – Jack is still very much in the house.

Though it’s labeled a hybrid with a ratio of 80/20, it breaks decidedly on the sativa side –offering an uplifting and energizing high, offset nicely by the terpinolene’s subtle sedative effect. I found its high both stimulating and soothing, even evoking an emotional response: By the end of the joint, I’d broken out into a fit of giggles, followed by a healthy dose of nostalgia, as I found myself “pining” (excuse the pun) for the old days when I’d smoke those original Jack Herer and Super Lemon Haze joints over in Amsterdam every winter.

As refreshing and relaxing as a crisp breeze through an evergreen forest, Mountain Sage offers a soothing segue from the seasonal stresses of the holidays into the fresh start of your New Year’s wellness resolutions.

REVIEW & PHOTO by BOBBY BLACK @THEBOBBYBLACK/CALIFORNIA LEAF

Find Your Flow

When it comes to Yoga and Cannabis, inhale the future and exhale the past.

you’re someone who wants to stay fit and focused without having to leave the comfort of your home, then yoga may be the option for you. Practicing yoga regularly not only increases flexibility and builds strength – it also helps manage stress by quieting the chatter of the mind, allowing us to be more present, and deepening our mind-body connection, which can improve sleep and overall mental health. Yoga can also help reduce chronic pain, which is what initially got me onto the mat and, eventually, into becoming a teacher: I have slight scoliosis and two herniated discs in my spine, and yoga has definitely helped ease that pain and strengthen my body.

Over the years, I’ve seen an array of funky yoga trends: goat, nude, aerial, underwater, and even paddleboard yoga. One trend that’s not so funky, though, is Cannabis-infused yoga. Now, I’ve been a certified yoga instructor since 2004, but I’ve been a certified stoner my entire life, so you can believe me when I tell you that Cannabis and yoga are a very complimentary combination. In the past several years, tons of online and in-person classes, teacher trainings and wellness retreats offering Cannabis-enhanced yoga have popped up – including a few of my own (I provide yoga at all of my Higher Way Travel retreats and events, and often offer my yoga clients a Cannabis option before classes).

There are several ways to incorporate Cannabis into your yoga practice. A great place to start is to apply a topical to areas on your body that might need some extra love before starting your session. You can try one with a 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD or even a CBD-only topical if you prefer. You can always take a few hits from a joint before you hit the mat as well. Or you could enjoy an edible or infused beverage beforehand … that way, the high will kick in gradually as

your practice progresses – making your savasana (the meditative relaxation time at the end of the session) extra sweet.

And if you’re feeling the burn after your practice, an infused bath bomb is always a great way to soothe sore muscles.

Does some stoney yoga sound like an enjoyable experience to you? Consider the following for getting comfortable and further enhancing your time on the mat:

– If you want to see how you feel first, try an online ganja yoga class in the comfort of your own home before attending one in person.

– You may want to adjust the type and amount of Cannabis product you use, depending on what kind of yoga you choose to do. For beginners, I recommend sticking to basic classes like Hatha or Yin yoga –two styles where you move slowly and deliberately. Think lots of floor asanas (poses), hip openers, twists and stretches. A more vigorous vinyasa (flow) style class while high could result in dizziness, a racy heart, or feeling lightheaded (so dabs and Sun Salutations may not be the best combo!).

– Remember: It all depends on the person and their individual tolerance and fitness level – everyone is different. But regardless of what/how you choose to imbibe, always follow the classic rule of thumb to go low and slow. You can always add more, but you can’t add less.

While not for everyone, a regular regimen of Cannabis and yoga can help us deal with life’s problems, make better choices in what we consume (such as news, food, negativity, mids, etc.), and lead to a better relationship with yourself, your loved ones, and the Earth. Most importantly, though, combining yoga and Cannabis should be fun – so don’t take yourself too seriously and just go with your flow.

STORY by APRIL BLACK @HIGHERWAYTRAVEL for LEAF NATION | PHOTO by KETI CHIKHLADZE

Seattle, WA-based model and Cannabis yoga enthusiast Kate Higby @mediiikate demonstrates the lotus pose. Props, Wardrobe and Set Design by Malina Lopez @artbymalina. | Art direction by Daniel Berman @bermanphotos

“There are several ways to incorporate Cannabis into your yoga practice. A great place to start is to apply a topical to areas on your body that might need some extra love before starting your session.”

Talkin’Terps

ASresearch advances and the Cannabis market matures, more brands are ditching broad decades-old classification terms like “indica vs. sativa.” Instead, today’s packaging comes with two more important words: dominant terpenes.

While more seasoned smokers may understand these scientific terms and their meaning, talking terpenes isn’t always an easy language to become fluent in. This type of higher education takes expert help and can quickly overwhelm rookie rollers or the newly canna-curious.

To get advice on how consumers can conquer these complexities, we linked up with Jamila Owens-Todd – a Naturopathic Doctor, Adjunct Professor of Cannabis Pharmacology, and Chief Science Officer of a medical Cannabis manufacturer.

The answer involves using aromatherapy to experience the wellness benefits of terpenes, and you only need one tool: your nose.

Aromatherapy is the practice of using chemical compounds called aromatics for therapeutic benefit. This link between scent and mood explains why a fresh pot of coffee brewing can wake you up in the morning or how the soothing smell

MYRCENE

Aroma: musky and earthy

Feels: soothing and sedative Found in: Granddaddy Purple, Grape Ape, OG Kush

LIMONENE

Aroma: citrusy and clean

Feels: uplifting and euphoric Found in: Do-Si-Dos, MAC, Sundae Driver

of lavender before bed makes you sleepy.

In the Cannabis plant, terpenes are one of the elements that impact not only a strain’s fragrance and flavor, but also the way it makes you feel.

“Terpenes are essential oils. They’re aromatic, volatile molecules, and the way we receive many of their benefits is through inhalation,” explains Jamila. “So I would just start there and let the nose lead you. The fact that you’re able to inhale, ignite those nasal passageways, and get the nervous system engaged simply from smelling the flower is really all you need. If you have five different types of strains in front of you, smell each one. The one that resonates with you the most, that is your flower.”

But what if you live in a state or shop at a dispensary that doesn’t allow you to smell the product before purchasing it? Jamila went on to explain how you can take the power of scent a step further to elevate your smoking experience once you’ve taken your haul home. By understanding the connection between scent and terpenes, you can actually guide your Cannabis consumption throughout the day based on mood, environment and desired effects.

Let’s say you wake up with a long list of tasks looming over

your head. You may want to start the day with a strain that immediately makes you feel uplifted and euphoric after taking a big whiff – this likely tingles the nostrils and is high in limonene. After powering through a few productive hours of work, you take another smoke break, this time with a cultivar high in pinene such as OG Kush. It smells fresh and crisp, and in turn helps you feel focused, cerebral and ready to crush the afternoon – much like a mental walk through the woods. After you finally look up from the laptop, the day has already turned to dusk and it’s time to unwind with a high-linalool strain like Lavender Diesel that is soothing, herbaceous and gentle on the exhale before hitting the hay.

Listening to our nose is a huge part of connecting your mind, body and spirit through Cannabis. This approach gives us a deeper relationship with the plant, allowing us to welcome all the wellness benefits it can provide. As Jamila put it, “Before you even start to spark up your flower, just take a good whiff. … Let the nose lead you … is the plant selecting you, or are you selecting the plant? If you allow yourself to be vulnerable in that way and just take that smell in, you’ve already engaged in terpene medicine. And then, once you ignite the flower, you get even more benefits of that aroma and those terpenes.”

LINALOOL

Aroma: floral and fresh Feels: relaxing and restful Found in: Lavender Kush, Amnesia Haze, Tropicanna Punch

CARYOPHYLLENE

Aroma: black pepper, cinnamon

Feels: calming and tranquil Found in: GG#4, Sour Diesel, Slurricane

PINENE

Aroma: sharp and woodsy

Feels: energizing and focused Found in: Critical Mass, Dutch Treat, Larry OG

STORY by KATHERINE WOLF

OCIMENE

Aroma: minty and zesty

Feels: refreshing and creative Found in: Green Crack, Golden Goat, Strawberry Cough

“In the Cannabis plant, terpenes are one of the elements that impact not only a strain’s fragrance and flavor, but also the way it makes you feel.”

Unlocking the Wellness Benefits of Terpenes Through Aromatherapy

On Your Grind

The unique terpenoids, terpenes and cannabinoids in Cannabis genetics impact how they will taste, smell and make us feel. Strains with bright, uplifting aromas such as lemon or mint have energizing effects that can help refresh the brain in between tasks on your to-do list. On the flip side, smoking a strain that is heavy and gassy on the nose will likely have you dozing off during your next meeting.

We sat down with the “Beerded Krakin,” co-founder of Krakin Seeds and partner at the legendary Washington brand PNW Roots, to get more insight into how particular Cannabis genetics can be used throughout the workday to give your brain a boost. “I smoke morning, noon and night,” he tells us. “On the farm, we work for about two or three hours, then will take a smoke break. That’s definitely part of my regimen.”

When asked if there are any particular genetic profiles or traits of certain Cannabis strains that lend themselves to creativity, he had this to say:

Using Cannabis to Infuse Your Workday With Creativity

MARY JANE HAS BEEN A MUSE

to a whole slew of creative geniuses –from Paul McCartney admitting “Got to Get You Into My Life” was written about weed rather than a woman, to Seth Rogen saying he smokes during script writing, to Steve Jobs claiming that hashish made him feel more “relaxed and creative” in the ’70s.

While Cannabis has had a reputation for being a creative juicer amongst musicians, artists and inventors since basically the beginning of time, modern professionals in a variety of roles and industries are now using weed to get through the everyday workday.

Move on over, software platforms and high-tech devices – ganja is the latest gadget to hit the workplace. This mainstream movement of working with weed can be attributed to changes in both how we work and how Cannabis is perceived. The physical office went digital and this shift to remote work

also shifted our mindsets about work/life balance, giving us more flexibility and freedom throughout our workdays. Paired with the fact that nearly half of Americans now live in a state where Cannabis is legal in some capacity, more people than ever are exploring its relationship to their careers.

Whether you’re trying to bust through a case of writer’s block, come up with an attention-grabbing marketing campaign, or find an out-of-the-box solution to an old problem, getting a little stoned has been known to help get the ideas flowing.

So, can Cannabis actually boost your creativity? Well, research shows that employees who take frequent breaks are consistently more productive than those who don’t. This is because the human brain works in bursts of high activity before switching to low activity to rest and recoup for a while.

This is when it’s the best time to take a break and toke up … but it’s important to be strategic about which strain you’re choosing.

“You don’t want anything too heavy, so something on the fruit side, say with a tangerine, lemon or blueberry flavor profile. That has always helped me with my creative juices, whether it’s work or play. Our Tangelo Sno (Tangerine Power x Sno Cap) is my go-to strain in the morning. It’s got this great haziness and strong citrus flavor, which really wakes me up and is perfect for getting the workday going.”

There’s another hazy hitter in the Beerded Krakin’s creative lineup that their team has been smoking a lot of lately: Ghost Train Haze.

“It really keeps everyone awake and not burned out at all,” he explains.“

So I would say that’s my number one pick right now for getting the creative juices flowing versus a more couchlock effect. I would definitely go for anything on the Haze route if I was looking for motivation or creativity.”

“Ganja is the latest gadget to hit the workplace.”

ADOBE STOCK

Mary Jane, Medicine Woman

Exploring the ancient relationship between weed and women’s health with Dr. Celeste Saenz.

What inspired you to specialize in holistic women’s health care? My great grandmother was a midwife and a healer from Mexico City. She got her gynecology medical degree, but in Mexican culture it’s all about what I would call ‘kitchen medicine,’ because there’s not very much money or access. She would babysit me until I was about 10 or 12, and I was exposed to her way. She did the kind of midwifery thing: birthing children and stuff in her home, which is really cool. I know it was just a blessing to be exposed there. She would see her patients and always had food going … After seeing to their needs, she would sit her patients down and they would have a meal. She would take a couple of notes, and so it would almost just look like a traditional visit.

What gaps in women’s healthcare do you see in conventional or mainstream medicine? I think the most fundamental gap is the time that we spend with our patients. In women’s health especially, it is kind of detective work and very individualized care … every woman’s body is uniquely experiencing her hormonal shifts, or things like sleep and diet.

Have you had experience with pregnant patients using Cannabis? Most of my pregnant patients – I would say those that are Cannabis users – continue to use throughout their pregnancy in different ways and forms, especially CBD topicals. When I prescribe something to my pregnant patients, it’s mostly CBD topicals used on their hips, knees or back, or something to help them sleep. I have a lot of colleagues that are CBD advocates or marijuana advocates – and have been pregnant – and they use marijuana all the time throughout pregnancy.

WOMEN’S HEALTH holds a host of wonder and woe. You can wash these words down with a glass of confidence, knowing they’ve been penned by a person of the uterus-possessing persuasion – one writer that (ripening into her 30s and the pressures of modern society) is increasingly surrounded by the mysteries of Mary Jane and the female body. So, we sat down with Dr. Celeste Saenz of Vitalis Naturopathic Centre in Seattle – a primary care physician and naturopath with a doctorate from Seattle’s renowned Bastyr University and 15 years of experience – for a little perspective.

For the last five years, Dr. Saenz has seen 20-40 patients per week at her clinic Vitalis. While she welcomes all clients, her specialty is in women’s health with a focus on “foundational medicine like food, sleep, nutrition and counseling.” Her day-to-day practice involves bloodwork, functional analysis, homeopathic and energetic medicine, but as we learned quickly, Dr. Saenz draws from a rich history of holistic and matriarchal medicine.

VITALIS NATUROPATHIC CENTRE, INC.

5020 MERIDIAN AVE N SEATTLE, WA VITALISINC.COM | @SHELLESTE

What women’s wellness issue needs more attention? I think the sleep issue is getting pretty bad these days: sleep, detox and stress management. Rounding out stress needs to be addressed on a kind of spiritual and personal level. I think women have, in some ways, lost the artform of de-stressing. I think the rounding out of the stress, or the lack of valuing that, has really made a huge difference in women’s PMS, menstrual cycles, sleep and weight. It changes the rhythm of a woman’s body. Sleep is the first thing that a lot of my new patients are coming in to talk about. They come in like, ‘How do I get to sleep? I’m so stressed out!’ It’s sort of common right now. Biochemically, their cortisol levels are too high.

Do you incorporate Cannabis into any of your practices or treatments? Most people, especially in Seattle, come in and Cannabis is a part of their repertoire, so I’ll sort of help to tweak that or communicate to optimize their experience. And the old school treatments of putting marijuana in some alcohol and using it as muscle rub is something I used to prescribe for many years. But now we’ve got so many amazing local topical products, it’s incredible!

Cannabis use and pregnancy still stir up some controversy, but the plant has been a tool in ‘kitchen medicine’ kits like your great grandmother’s for ages. Why do you think that is? It’s the most ancient medicine. This is an old herb. This is a female ovary plant and we’re using this medicine with lots of oils – it’s almost like a milk (laughs) and we’ve been using it as pain relief and emotional support for so long. It’s old and so is mothering! They’ve been evolving together for a while and go hand in hand. My great grandmother was using that [Cannabis] topically, and I’m pretty sure she would use some of it internally when necessary with nausea or even psychosis. Pregnancy can bring a lot of emotional components out. So a little bit of internal use is valid when necessary. Again, it’s so individualized but I’m not shy about that. It’s a taboo topic for some, so I don’t start there unless the patient is already there. Then I help triage that further.

“When I prescribe something to my pregnant patients, it’s mostly CBD topicals used on their hips, knees or back, or something to help them sleep.”

Beyond THC

Diving into the wonderful world of alternative compounds in Cannabis.

While this Cannabinoid might be the most famous in health circles, there’s a reason for the positive press that this compound receives. Originally found in THC flower as a minor Cannabinoid, this wonder drug is now extracted from hemp – making it much more accessible to the world, as it’s time consuming to grow CBD-rich Cannabis. But if you have the chance to smoke true CBD-rich weed (not hemp flower), we recommend it for a relaxing feel-good buzz.

Today you can find CBD in almost everything from tinctures to creams to lubes, with varying effects depending on dosage and the product. Generally speaking, CBD is fantastic for anxiety and depression, as well as for minimizing pain and inflammation, and for stopping seizure disorders. It also helps regulate mood and memory, and may be helpful in the fight against Alzheimer’s (which THC has also shown to reduce symptoms of in studies on rats). CBD should be a part of any Cannabis user’s regular diet, and we recommend at least 25mg per serving to get your endocannabinoid system flush with this helpful compound.

CBD CBC

CBC is an often overlooked Cannabinoid that has major potential benefits and no psychoactive effects, which is likely why the weed industry has largely ignored it. CBC is known to work synergistically with other Cannabinoids (the aforementioned Entourage Effect), helping the body as it battles ailments ranging from cancer to inflammation. CBC has shown in mouse studies to slow tumor growth by stopping new cancer cells from generating, and could hold the key to stopping certain types of the disease altogether. CBC is also good for the brain – helping to regulate homeostasis, and

could help to prevent neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s. It’s also great for acne, so look for CBC in a topical form for happy skin.

CBG

CBG is really the wonder Cannabinoid that is helpful and doesn’t get you “high” – although we always find getting a good buzz to be beneficial! CBG binds to both the CB1 and CB2 receptors in the brain, which are the gateways to the endocannabinoid system – delivering a wide range of benefits, including fighting cancer cells, combating inflammation, treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease, helping with nausea and even acting as a powerful anti-bacterial. While CBG is known to actually counteract the effects of heavy-THC doses (meaning it can calm a high down), we found a mild euphoria accompanied the wonderful medicinal effects that we now refer to as the CBG giggles.

Delta 8 THC | Over the last few years, Delta 8 THC products have exploded across the country, with edibles and vapes filling head shop shelves. Delta 8 THC can be found naturally in Cannabis, although the extracted version is a hemp-derived isomer of CBD, which converts the CBD into a more playful Cannabinoid. Generally viewed as both safe and delivering a less psychoactive high, many users report happy effects when vaping or eating Delta 8 THC. As with all alternative Cannabinoid products, the brand matters when it comes to product safety and testing – so look to a trusted brand that’s already in the THC game to find your Delta 8 buzz.

THC-O & HHC | With weed still illegal in many places, those with a love for science and pot are working to find new ways to get high that don’t come from traditional Delta 9 THC, and can be questionably sold at gas stations and smoke shops. THC-O is considered three times more potent than normal THC, and is made in a lab by adding Acetic Anhydride (an ingredient in Aspirin) to produce this not-found-in-nature Cannabinoid. Users report heady euphoria and a strong body high.

HHC is a similar lab-created Cannabinoid that adds a hydrogen molecule to hemp-derived THC (which makes it technically legal), and has very similar effects to traditional THC. With questionable testing and no regulation, there’s no replacing good ol’ THC from mother nature.

A Word to the Weed Wise

While we don’t recommend trying gas station synthetic weed, or any gas station energy or sexual potency pills, a world of Cannabis products does exist that you might not find at your regular weed shop. The best advice for finding quality alternative Cannabinoids is to start at your dispensary and ask the staff for a specific Cannabinoid like CBD or CBG, and inquire as to which brands that make THC products might have other options. Many have full online stores with CBD and other infused products that you can mail to your house legally.

So as we head into the unknown of 2023 and beyond, look to Cannabis for new ways to help you and your friends and family. We all have health issues that could benefit from this amazing plant

in

“The best advice for finding quality alternative Cannabinoids is to start at your dispensary and ask the staff for a specific compound like CBD or CBG.”

… and

that sense, it really is a wonderful new world we live in.

THE NEW YEAR/NEW YOU FAD IS IN FULL GEAR, and while major lifestyle changes can be elusive, working alternative Cannabinoids into your wellness protocol can be easier than quitting your favorite vice. Although there are over 100 minor Cannabinoids that researchers have yet to study, we’ve put together a primer on the ones most commonly found in products today. Together with terpenes and THC, these lesser-known chemicals work in concert to achieve what’s known as the Entourage Effect – where the elements of the plant work in harmony to create wellness. While none of this should be read as medical advice, our modern world offers plenty of emerging research on these Cannabinoids and surrounding topics, and we encourage everyone interested in integrating Cannabis into their health and wellness routines to explore the world of alternative Cannabinoids!

Replacing The Ritual

How Cannabis can be a healthier alternative to regularly consuming alcohol.

For many people, Cannabis helps with everyday issues. It can ease social anxiety, spark creativity, fight pain, calm nausea. For others, Cannabis can be a literal life saver. Sean Scott is in the latter camp.

A few years back, the New York-based photographer found himself facing a tough truth about his lifestyle. While working at a tech company, what started with casual drinks after work developed into a self-destructive spiral.

“It was a great social lubricant,” Scott said. “It wasn’t a problem until it was. I always showed up to work, I didn’t drink on the job, I didn’t get into a fistfight. There were all these things that made me actually believe that it isn’t as bad as it actually is.”

He started experiencing blackouts. Still, he continued to tell himself that he was fine, and that he was able to maintain. Then a roommate showed him a video of himself that changed his life.

“I’d gone down to the bar, had about five or six cocktails, cashed out, came home, fell asleep on the couch,” he said. “I remember being really proud of myself [for not drinking that much].”

Later, he found out he’d woken up, blacked out.

“My roommate caught video of me screaming my head off, about what I have no idea, because I had a great week. … Then I take a right turn and try to launch myself out of a 40-story window like an Avenger. No memory of it. … Luckily the windows are hurricane proof.”

Seeing that video woke Scott up to the stark realization that he needed to change his habits. He adopted a lifestyle that an increasingly large number of people are calling “California sober” – utilizing Cannabis and microdoses of psilocybin to help reprogram his mind, leaving alcohol behind.

“It’s not enough to create a psychedelic effect, but what it did do, was that it allowed me to deal with the issues of alcohol addiction in real time, rather than becoming a victim to this state of despair,” he said. “Alcohol really trains the brain to look at all the negatives. … Poor me, poor me, pour me another drink. [Psilocybin] especially allowed me to peel back the onion layers of what was going on with me internally that was driving me to go and drink. I’m talking about the ritual of going down to the bar to have just one.”

For Scott, it wasn’t only about consumption of Cannabis and psilocybin and the physical effects they provided. It was about transference of attention. It was about replacing the ritual.

“If you’re doing the ritual of going to the bar after work, and you’re drinking, over a period of time the neurons in your brain – that whole pathway – is getting stronger,” he said. “It’s like building a bicep. What will eventually happen is that you will find yourself saying, ‘I don’t want to go to the bar, and I don’t want to drink.’ But then five o’clock on Friday comes around, and now I have the pull of that ritual, because it’s five o’clock on Friday, that’s where everybody is. … Having a ritual to come home to – cleaning out the bowl, washing the bong – that’s a way to interrupt that whole cycle of going out to the bars.”

Because the Alcoholics Anonymous program would not allow for Cannabis consumption – they only allow for sugar, caffeine and nicotine – Scott turned to Instagram, posting his “Days Count” and started building a support network there.

Scott also took his interest in the bar life and poured it into a love for Cannabis photography and cultivation.

“For Scott, it wasn’t only about the consumption of Cannabis and psilocybin, and the physical effects they provided. It was about transference of attention. It was about replacing the ritual. ”

“Growing Cannabis was the thing that kept me sober,” he said. “Hand in soil.”

The act of caring for plants kept him steady. So did the fear of blacking out while caring for Cannabis plants then waking up in a holding cell.

Now, more than three years later, Scott is more than three years sober. He’s rediscovered a profound love for the plant that has only deepened after decades of being a Cannabis consumer. His love for life has been renewed. He’s able to go to bars with his friends without considering a drink. He’s found a Cannabis-assisted sobriety community online.

“There have been hundreds of Cannabis cultivators from around the country who have reached out to me and said, ‘You know what? I had a problem with alcohol, too. Cannabis helped me stay sober, and I’m celebrating 25 years this month,’” he said. “Hundreds. I don’t know what it is about growing the plant. I don’t know. All I know, from my personal experience, is that maybe it’s plant therapy. Maybe it’s keeping something alive. Maybe it’s the routine. Maybe it’s a combination of all of that. All I can say is that it’s made me a better person.”

Sean Scott, left, and one of the detailed bud shots he’s known for, right.

Clear The Chaos

In a University of Chicago study in May of 2022, scientists tested brain function while under the influence of Cannabis and it showed that there was increased activity of alpha and theta waves after consuming THC. So, when you’re meditating on Cannabis, you’re activating both of those brain waves simultaneously, heightening the experience.

Motion. Can you hear it? It’s everywhere. Everything we know is in constant movement … and movement creates noise. This is part of modern living, and without it, you become suspicious.

If you ask just about anyone, their Shangri La is somewhere quiet, devoid of distraction – a place where they can escape the rigors of life’s constant activity. At home, even if you turn off the television, draw the curtains and attempt to remove anything in your immediate vicinity that makes a sound, the HVAC unit will unexpectedly break the moment.

As you stay on point with the daily patterns that equate to your survival and growth, the basic human need for serenity, on some level – a place to center your existence – gets lost in the shuffle.

There is a solution. As much as your activities equate to a lifestyle that is filled with distractions demanding your attention, it’s not as much about relocating to somewhere you can hide from it all. It’s about a change in mindset. It’s about identifying your sanctuary, a place where you can recalibrate and begin again with a fresh outlook.

Because when it’s finally “me” time, you want to maximize the reward you’ve earned that equates to healing and improving your overall mental health. It’s not necessarily about entirely changing your vibration – it’s about tapping into a different frequency.

According to Nina Wasankari – a Certified Meditation Teacher, in addition to being Marketing Director at Canna West Seattle retail shop – the best way of getting to that place where you can clear the chaos starts with improving your ethos. And that begins with finding a way to create balance in your hectic life: balance within yourself and the over stimulation, tapping into a personal sense of calm.

“It’s about achieving stillness,” she says, “we all want it, and we all need it.”

For many it is so difficult to shut out the racing thoughts. So how can Cannabis be a factor in finding your own little sliver of nirvana?

“The word meditation is a Latin word that means ‘to ponder,’” says Wasankari. “And the practice of meditation goes back 6,000 years. The purpose was and still is, to alleviate suffering and to attain spiritual enlightenment. Cannabis has been around for 12,000 years for medicinal and spiritual purposes. The two combined can be a very effective combination.”

Coincidentally, when you’re meditating, alpha and theta brain waves are increased. The alpha waves put you in a mentally and physically relaxed state. Theta waves bring about inner concentration, awareness and focus, like daydreaming.

“There was a point where I didn’t feel like I was achieving the deep meditative state I wanted to get to,” says Wasankari. “After practicing for a while, I found that it was improving my mental and physical health. At the same time, I had been learning about high level meditation, but still, that deeper experience seemed to be eluding me. Then I tried combining the two and experienced something remarkable.”

She certainly wasn’t the first person to attempt this wonderful feat, but like with anything to do with Cannabis, the effects may vary depending on the person.

“It allowed me to achieve stillness,” she gleams, eager to further validate this discovery. “There’s this yoga/meditation called Kaya Sthairyam, which means body stillness. It’s being able to remain still for at least 30 minutes without moving the body. Well, Cannabis helped me achieve just that. After I ate an edible, I ended up in a very deep spiritual meditation for over an hour. I totally lost track of time. Since then, I’ve incorporated it into my practice.”

So, what about the beginner who loves the idea of disappearing into the ether for a quick reboot, but has difficulty even getting started? Begin by sitting still for at least five minutes a day. As you get more comfortable with the routine, you will gradually move forward to higher meditation levels. In fact, there are wonderful, guided meditations online that will direct you through the process, helping you to become the peaceful, calm, enlightened person the world wants to see. And if you need some help getting in the mood, you should begin “to ponder” the perfect strain to usher you into the right headspace.

STORY by MIKE RICKER

Photo by Nina Wasankari @guiltyartmusic

“It’s about achieving stillness. We all want it, we all need it.”

Over the past century, science has made enormous strides in identifying and understanding the hundreds of chemical compounds in the Cannabis plant and how they affect our physiology. And no man has done more to advance that noble cause than the internationally recognized “Father of Cannabis Research,” Israeli chemist Dr. Raphael Mechoulam.

THE CHEMISTRY OF CANNABINOIDS

EARLY CANNABIS RESEARCH

During the birth of modern medicine in the 19th century, scientific study of the chemical composition of Cannabis began to take off.

In the 1840s, researchers like French pharmacist (and Club de Hashischin affiliate) Edmond DeCourtive began making Cannabis extracts using ethanol – a concentrate he dubbed cannabin. From these kinds of extracts, chemists began identifying the molecules that would later come to be known as cannabinoids. In 1895, researchers Thomas Wood, W.T. Spivey, and Thomas Easterfield discovered and isolated the first cannabinoid, cannabinol (CBN) – publishing a paper about it in the Journal of Chemical Society in 1899 (though its chemical structure wasn’t fully identified until the 1930s, by British chemist Robert S. Cahn).

Unfortunately, the enactment of America’s Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 stymied Cannabis research for decades, with one notable exception: A Harvard-trained chemist named Roger Adams, who, in 1939, was actually tasked by the newly-formed Bureau of Narcotics with exploring the plant’s composition. In 1940, using the wild Minnesota hemp supplied by the Bureau, he became the first person to identify, isolate and synthesize cannabidiol, or CBD. Adams – who published 27 studies on Cannabis in the American Journal of Chemistry throughout the 1940s – also synthesized CBN and even identified tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), though he lacked the technology or technique to isolate it. It would be 20 years before another scientist would grab Adams’ academic baton and run with it: That scientist was Dr. Raphael Mechoulam.

FROM REFUGEE TO RESEARCHER

Raphael Mechoulam was born in 1930 in Sofia, Bulgaria, where his physician father was the head of the Jewish hospital. At the start of World War II, his family was forced to flee and move from village to village to escape the Nazis (his father later spent time in a concentration camp but survived) until emigrating to Israel in 1949. A student of organic chemistry, Mechoulam got his first experience with scientific research while studying insecticides during his stint in the Israeli Defense Forces.

After his service, Mechoulam earned a Master of Science in biochemistry from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1952), followed by a Ph.D. from the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot (near Tel Aviv), and postdoctoral studies at the Rockefeller Institute in New York before returning to Israel to begin what would become his life’s work: the exploration of Cannabis chemistry.

CANNABIS CURIOSITY

Why Cannabis? According to Mechoulam, it was simply the lack of existing information on the topic that drew him to it. As he explained in a 2016 interview with Vice: “I realized the scarce chemical knowledge about the compounds in Cannabis. I found it very surprising: While morphine had been isolated from opium and cocaine from the coca leaf, no one had studied the chemistry of the marijuana plant. It was very odd.”

Due to prohibition, academics couldn’t get research grants involving Cannabis

The scientists who first discovered and studied cannabinoids.

and even feared prosecution for studying it. Luckily, that didn’t deter Mechoulam – despite the fact that Cannabis was illegal in Israel, he came up with an idea on how to get some. In 1962, he asked the director at the Weizmann Institute – where he was working as a junior faculty member – if he knew of any police who could supply hashish for research. As it turned out, the head of investigations at the national police happened to be one of the director’s old army buddies … and after vouching for the young scientist, the officer agreed.

Mechoulam hopped on a bus to a police station in Tel Aviv, where he was given five kilos of Moroccan hashish that had been intercepted while being smuggled in from Lebanon. He thanked the officers, put the hash in his bag, and got back on the bus. Of course, his parcel made for an interesting bus ride home, as he amusedly recalls in the award-winning 2015 documentary about him – “The Scientist” – saying, “People on the bus after 15, 20 minutes started asking, ‘What the hell is this very unusual smell?’”

Soon after, Mechoulam and the police learned that any requests for illegal substances required a permit from the Ministry of Health and that their transaction could actually land them all in prison. Nevertheless, after apologies were made, the matter was forgiven and Mechoulam continued to obtain hashish from the police (with a permit) for decades thereafter.

CBD, THC & THE NIH

After procuring the hash, the next step was to secure some funding. Mechoulam applied for a research grant from the National Institutes of Health in America but was rejected out of hand.

“They told me, ‘It’s not relevant. Nobody smokes marijuana in the U.S. – people do it in Mexico,’” he recalls.

Nevertheless, Mechoulam and his colleagues (Dr. Yehiel Gaoni and Dr. Haviv Edery) began their in-depth study of the hash’s various compounds and cannabinoids (a term which Mechoulam coined). First, in 1963, they isolated CBD and mapped its molecular structure. Then, the following year, using a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, they were able for the first time to isolate and map the structure of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, better known as THC – which, as their experimentation on monkeys soon revealed, was the only compound that produced a psychoactive effect.

To be sure, though, they’d need to test it on humans. So Mechoulam took a bunch of pure THC powder home and invited a group of friends over for cake – dosing some of the slices with 10mg of THC. While the effects on each individual differed, there was little doubt that they’d identified the correct compound.

On April 1, 1964, they revealed their findings in a paper entitled “Isolation, Structure, and Partial Synthesis of an Active Constituent of Hashish,” published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. After that, the NIH was suddenly very interested in their “irrelevant” research – sending representatives to Israel to meet with them, observe their work, and take 10 grams of pure THC back to the U.S. with them (which fueled most of the organization’s early research).

comprised a complex, pervasive, and previously unknown network within human anatomy that Mechoulam’s team aplty named the endocannabinoid system, which is believed to be responsible for maintaining homeostasis (regulating the stability of all of the body’s other systems).

“The endocannabinoid system is very important,” Mechoulam told Vice. “Almost all illnesses we have are linked to it in some way or another. And that is very strange. We don’t have many systems which get involved with every illness.”

Mechoulam was also the first to propose the concept of the “entourage effect” in 1998 – the hypothesis that the combination of various cannabinoids and terpenes act synergistically to provide benefits they wouldn’t necessarily offer alone.

FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE

THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM & THE ENTOURAGE EFFECT

In the following decades, Mechoulam and his team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem continued to make groundbreaking discoveries about Cannabis – identifying and synthesizing over 100 compounds, including cannabinoids like cannabigerol (CBG) and cannabichromene (CBC), as well as Delta 8 and 10 THC.

In the early 1980s, they conducted the first experiments with CBD oil for epilepsy. In the mid‘80s, their research led to the discovery of two cannabinoid receptors in the human body (dubbed CB1 and CB2) by neuroscientist Dr. Allyn Howlett … which, in turn, led to their discovery of the first endocannabinoid (a cannabinoid-like chemical produced internally by the human body) in December 1992, which they named anandamide (aka the “bliss molecule”).

These discoveries eventually led to the game-changing realization that those receptors

Thanks to Mechoulam’s work, Israel has become the global leader in medical Cannabis research. In the early 1990s, their Ministry of Health began offering medical marijuana to patients suffering from certain debilitating ailments. And in 2004, they launched an experimental program to study the effectiveness of Cannabis on veterans suffering from PTSD.

Dr. Mechoulam has now published nearly 400 scientific articles and has been awarded several honorary degrees. He’s a founding member of the International Cannabinoid Research Society and the International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines. He’s been nominated for over 25 academic awards, several of which he won – including two lifetime achievement awards and the esteemed Harvey Prize –widely considered a precursor to the Nobel Prize, for which he’s rumored to be in consideration.

Still, the legacy that the now 92-year-old “father of Cannabis research” seems most concerned with is ensuring that Cannabis is fully accepted and integrated into traditional Western medicine.

“I have spent the better part of my life decoding the mysteries that lie within this incredible plant,” Mechoulam has said. “I believe that cannabinoids represent a medicinal treasure trove which waits to be discovered.”

For our podcast & more Cannabis history content visit worldofcannabis.museum/cannthropology.

Mechoulam hopped on a bus to a police station ... where he was given five kilos of Moroccan hashish. He thanked the officers, put the hash in his bag, and got back on the bus.

Dr. Mechoulam & colleague Dr. Gaoni examining some data.

Illustration of Mechoulam observing the various reactions of his guests after eating THC-laced cake.

Speaking at a medical Cannabis conference in Israel in 2018.

VOLCANI CENTER

SINCE THE FIRST Caribbean pirate washed down his minnow stew with peppercorn spiced rum, the mouth mane has stood as a solid sign of masculinity. However, as hair trends wane and wax, the last 30 years or so have not been friendly to the man stache. Like, if you donned a thick one and a person caught a glimpse in their periphery, they might do a double-take, curiously considering if they’d just witnessed a caterpillar nesting under a stranger’s nose.

But the moustache is cool again.

Now, this is not to be confused with the molestache. A dude rocking a confident, purposefully maintained lip wig has nothing to hide. But when a dandruff filter protrudes over the orifice like a warning label to hide anything that’s pretty, you wonder if twisted thoughts may be at play.

This also does not include the Saddam Hussein. That’s the abundantly flourishing frown fur that seconds as a push broom.

A good example is the wiry-haired Baby Boomer whose peach fuzz began emerging in the 6th grade, eventually blossoming into a thick black pipe cleaner that is as much a part of his appearance as the brown teeth.

We’re talking about guys who draw attention with intention, celebrating the bro-grow as a statement. Be it in defiance to conformity or absolute ownership of his gender identification, he boldly brandishes his face flag as a male human recognizing gallantry as a virtue. It is proudly presented as part of his personal brand.

It’s different this time. Call it a comeback.

The stigma is ending, and we are entering a new era of acceptance. Kinda like Cannabis.