EDITOR’S NOTE

THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE

NORTHWEST LEAF / OREGON LEAF / ALASKA LEAF / MARYLAND LEAF / CALIFORNIA LEAF / NORTHEAST LEAF

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, the best terpenes, and how Cannabis can enhance your creativity. Spark up, enjoy, and be well!

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

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

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WES ABNEY Editor’s Note

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.” -Wes Abney leafMAGAZINES.com