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Sisters of the Valley were among the 28 experts participating in the sungrown Cannabis event.

The SunGrown Challenge

STORY BY BOBBY BLACK @THEBOBBYBLACK420

Our thanks to Flow Kana for including us in this fun experiment. Watch the video at flowkana.com/sungrown-challenge Willie Mack Co-founder, Think BIG Jason Pinsky Author, “Bong Appetit”

Bobby Black Leaf Contributor Laganja Estranja Industry Personality

Eric HissLoreda Journalist Michelle Lhooq Journalist

Kiana Anvaripour Sweet Flower CMO

Liz Rogan Exec.Dir, American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine

Ngaio Bealum Co-Host, Cannabis Planet

This April, I was invited to participate in a unique promotional event on behalf of the Leaf — a Pepsi Challenge-style blind taste test called the SunGrown Challenge. The concept was simple: gather a group of Cannabis influencers, insiders and journalists; blindfold them, give them samples of Cannabis to touch, smell and taste; then ask them which they preferred and see whether they could differentiate between those grown indoors and those grown outdoors.

AMONG THE 27 other “experts” taking part were Cannabis comedian Ngaio Bealum, Bong Appetit producer Jason Pinsky, Weed and Grub podcast hosts MaryJane Gibson and Mike Glazer, “Compton Cowboy” Stona Mane, and stoner drag queen Laganja Estranja. Each of us was led ACCORDING TO EVENT in one or two at SPONSOR FLOW a time and had KANA, THE PURPOSE our eyes covered OF THE CHALLENGE WAS TO DEBUNK THE PERCEPTION THAT INDOOR-GROWN by a cushy, pot leaf-emblazoned blindfold. We FLOWER (WHICH were then handed CREATES A SIZABLE different jars of CARBON FOOTPRINT) IS SOMEHOW MORE POTENT OR FLAVORFUL THAN MORE Cannabis to touch and smell, followed by a joint of each SUSTAINABLY GROWN, to smoke and OUTDOOR FLOWER. assess.

THESE SAMPLES were allegedly some of the best-selling strains in California, with similar terpene and cannabinoid profiles – the only major difference was whether they were indoor or outdoor.

Of the three strains I was offered, my top two both turned out to be sungrown. The final results of the challenge were revealed a month later in the form of a video released on social media (videos of the individual participants’ experiences are reportedly forthcoming). In the end, the majority of my peers were in line with my choices: 68% of them picked the sungrown as their favorite.

According to event sponsor Flow Kana, the purpose of the challenge was to debunk the perception that indoorgrown flower (which creates a sizable carbon footprint) is somehow more potent or flavorful than more sustainably grown, outdoor flower.

A 2018 study by New Frontier Data found that indoor Cannabis cultivation produces nearly 25 times more carbon and requires 18 times more energy per gram of bud than outdoor cultivation.

To help address this environmental concern, Flow Kana is putting their money where their marijuana is by donating five dollars for every share of the video (up to $10,000) to Planting Justice – an Oakland nonprofit dedicated to sustainable gardening and social food equity.

STORY BY JACKIE BRYANT @JACQBRY

JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, most Cannabis markets in the United States were completely illegal. Now, not only are states legalizing adult-use at a rapid clip, but employees in the licensed industry are beginning to organize and form unions. The latest effort comes from San Diego, where employees at Southern California EMPLOYEES AT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DISPENSARY CHAIN dispensary chain March and Ash have formed a union with UFCW Local 135, ratifying the region’s first locally-formed MARCH AND ASH HAVE Collective Bargaining Agreement. While not the first Cannabis FORMED A UNION WITH union contract in California, its broad support from employees UFCW LOCAL 135 signals a greater tide of unionization to come in the industry.

Around 150 workers are included in the agreement, which covers three of the chain’s four locations. The organizing effort and subsequent contract, which took over two years to organize and was spearheaded by management, is intended to “serve as a blueprint for the industry,” says March and Ash general counsel and partner, Bret Peace.

Included in the contract – and notable for employees who, up until not long ago, were more worried about getting raided by the police than 401ks – is subsidized childcare, paid vacation, education funding, compassionate disciplinary procedures, guaranteed wage increase and merit bonuses, and other bells and whistles.

Interestingly, the chain’s original location in the Mission Valley area of San Diego isn’t included. When asked, management, workers and union representatives all credited the unique culture in the Cannabis industry for creating skepticism, along with the fact that the effort was management-led.

“We’re not even necessarily coming from a point where people even know what a union is,” says Peace. “[The employees] are still just getting used to working in a legal industry.” Those factors caused the Mission Valley staff to hold off, but it is expected that the location will eventually join the contract down the line.

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