Nov. 2021 - California Leaf

THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE

#19 | NOV. 2021

CAL I F O R N I A

THE HARVEST ISSUE Mom’s Weed

by Huckleberry Hill Farms

EXPLORING SUNGROWN CANNABIS ACROSS THE EMERALD TRIANGLE

F RE E / L E A F M AGA Z I N E S . COM

INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010

GAIA GARDENS GROW TOUR

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STICKY FIELDS GROW TOUR

44 The Sinsemilla Story

Way back before there was a Leaf Nation and even before there was a High Times magazine, the groundbreaking Cannabis publication Sinsemilla Tips provided aspiring Cannabis heads and growers with all the tips, tricks and news they needed to survive and thrive in the underground scene. ///////////// story by bobby black

NOV. 2021

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EDITOR’S NOTE NATIONAL NEWS LOCAL NEWS HUMBOLDT HERB AND MARKET REDWOOD ROOTS FAMILY FLOW CANNABIS CO. CONCENTRATE OTM STRAIN OF THE MONTH GAIA GARDENS STICKY FIELDS HUMBOLDT’S FINEST THE ART OF DRY FARMING HARVESTING FOR HASH CANNTHROPOLOGY STONEY BALONEY

NATE WILLIAMS

NATE WILLIAMS

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NATE WILLIAMS

SHOP REVIEW HUMBOLDT HERB AND MARKET

NATE WILLIAMS

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The Art of Dry Farming High Water Farms

NATE WILLIAMS

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Harvesting for hash is a time-honored tradition, and one that California Leaf had the opportunity to document at Huckleberry Hill Farms last month in the thick of their busiest season. Step onto the farm and see how the crew gets it done right.

COURTESY OF WORLD OF CANNABIS MUSEUM

the HARVEST issue

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NOVEMBER 2021

CAL I F O R N I A

@GREENDAWGCA

the HARVEST issue

HUMBOLDT’S FINEST

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California Leaf visits this stunning Cannabis farm located in Humboldt County to learn more about their signature strains and innovative growing practices.

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FEATURE NOV. 2021

STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415

E S TA B L I S H E D 2 0 1 0

T H E E N L I G H T E N E D VO I C E

N O RT H W E S T L E A F / O R EG O N L E A F / A L AS KA L E A F / M A RY L A N D L E A F / CA L I F O R N I A L E A F / N O RT H E AS T L E A F

A B O U T T H E C OV E R This Harvest Issue cover shot comes to us from Huckleberry Hill Farms, showcasing a closeup of their beautiful Mom’s Weed cultivar, which is a unique hybrid of Paradise Punch and Lemon OG bred in-house by Huckleberry Hill Farms’ owner Johnny Casali. We captured some incredible moments and unbelievably gorgeous flowers from farms in all three counties of the Emerald Triangle, but this particular still featuring Mom’s Weed in all her sparkling pre-harvest glory was our staff’s favorite.

PHOTO by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415

PUBLISHER

CONTRIBUTORS

WES ABNEY | FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

BOBBY BLACK, DESIGN + FEATURES JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION TOM BOWERS, FEATURES JACKIE BRYANT, FEATURES EARLY, PRODUCTION MAX EARLY, FEATURES WYATT EARLY, FEATURES STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS ALEXA JESSE, FEATURES BEN NEFF, PHOTOS BAXSEN PAINE. FEATURES JEFF PORTERFIELD, DESIGN MIKE RICKER, FEATURES MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING MICHAEL ROSATI, PHOTOS ZACK RUSKIN, FEATURES EMEHT SHERMAN, SALES DAN VINKOVETSKY, FEATURES

WES@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

CREATIVE DIRECTOR DANIEL BERMAN | VISUALS & DESIGN

DANIEL@BERMANPHOTOS.COM

SALES DIRECTOR NATE WILLIAMS | ADVERTISING

NATE@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM 415-717-6985

CONTENT DIRECTOR TOM BOWERS | EDITORIAL

TOM@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

CONNECT WITH CALIFORNIA LEAF

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ABNEY

Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up The Harvest Issue of the Leaf!

WE’VE BEEN publishing our harvest issues for many years now and it continues to be one of my favorites. There is something truly special about outdoor Cannabis – and the people who put their livelihoods or medicinal needs on the line to grow a plant for six or more months – with no guarantee of success. Welcome to farming! On top of the sacrifices and risks they face, they also face stigma about the quality of the product they have worked so hard on. But let me tell you this:

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Cannabis is a plant. And the natural expression of terpenes and flavors that the plant produces when exposed to sunlight can never be replicated in an indoor environment.

I encourage all of our readers to flip through our scenic harvest special, read the stories of true farm life and enjoy this magazine that we worked so hard on. But I also challenge you to purchase sungrown Cannabis and experience the plant in a natural form. Believe me when I say that while it may look different than indoor flower, it’s no less beautiful – and much more tasty than the mid-grade indoor Cannabis flooding the market.

“MY VOTE GOES TO ORGANIC FRUITS AND VEGGIES FOR OUR FAMILIES, AND AN AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM THAT GIVES BACK TO THE EARTH.”

On a sustainability note, our planet, societies and industries are all at a turning point, with our futures decided by us as enlightened consumers. Do we want synthetic, harmful products for our bodies? Do we want hothouse-grown and pesticide-sprayed vegetables or weed?

My vote goes to organic fruits and veggies for our families, and an agricultural system that gives back to the Earth. So, what impact do we want our favorite plant to have on our planet?

Society votes and decides its future with dollars, and I hope that everyone reading this gives outdoor Cannabis a try. It supports both the farmer and the environment. Not to mention, both your head and your heart will thank you for it!

As always, thank you for reading – and please enjoy our Harvest Issue while sampling the bounty of this year’s crop!

-Wes Abney

Have a strain, product, or news tip that the California Leaf staff needs to know about? Contact us at Tom@LeafMagazines.com!

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We are creators of targeted, independent Cannabis journalism. Please email us to discuss advertising in the next issue of California Leaf Magazine. We do not sell stories or coverage. We can offer design services and guidance on promoting your company’s medicinal, recreational, commercial or industrial Cannabis business, product or event within our magazine and on our website, leafmagazines.com. Email nate@leafmagazines.com for more info on supporting California Leaf!

WES

national news leafmagazines.com

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eattle in October became the largest U.S. city to allow adult cultivation and consumption of mushrooms and other psychedelics, as the Seattle City Council unanimously passed a resolution to decriminalize non-commercial use around natural psychedelic substances.

The Emerald City joins a handful of other enlightened cities in decriminalizing psilocybin and similar substances POLICE WILL since Denver MAKE IT AMONG kicked off a THEIR LOWEST wave of such PRIORITIES TO changes ARREST OR three years PROSECUTE ago.

ANYONE IN Police ACTIVITIES will make it RELATED TO among their “ENTHEOGENS,” lowest priorities to arrest or prosecute anyone in activities related to “entheogens,” reports Bloomberg. That category includes natural substances like psilocybin and ayahuasca, often used for spiritual or religious purposes.

Psilocybin, a mind-altering substance found in magic mushrooms, is a Schedule I drug, the most-restrictive category.

Seattle becomes at least the ninth U.S. city to take such landmark action in recent years. It joins Denver, Washington D.C. and Ann Arbor, Michigan, among other cities. In 2020, Oregon became the first state to legalize psilocybin for therapeutic use.

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suspects broke into a Norman, Oklahoma medical Cannabis dispensary in October and stole thousands of dollars worth of products.

NOV. 2021

politics

NBA AGREES TO END RANDOM DRUG TESTING

SEATTLE BECOMES LARGEST CITY TO DECRIMINALIZE PSYCHEDELICS

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SOUTHWEST

NORMALIZATION

northwest

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he NBA has agreed to not randomly test players for marijuana this season.

“We have agreed with the NBPA to extend the suspension of random testing for marijuana for the 2021-22 season and focus our random testing program on performance-enhancing products and drugs of abuse,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in October.

Marijuana remains prohibited in the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

But negotiations between the league and players’ association loosened restrictions, reports ESPN. “Usage was already fairly common among players,” writes Dan Feldman at NBC Sports. “As momentum moves one direction both nationally and within the league, the NBA seems unlikely to take what’d now become the drastic step of reimplementing random testing.”

ARKANSANS ARE EMBRACING MMJ

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ince that first dispensary opened in 2019 in May, Arkansans have spent about $430 million to purchase almost 64,000 pounds of medical marijuana,” said Scott Hardin, with the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission. “Which I think it’s safe to say, that exceeds our expectation, because you never know how many people will participate.”

Hardin said the medical Cannabis industry has thrived during the pandemic.

Medical marijuana is taxed 10.5% in Arkansas.

There’s a 6.5% sales tax on most retail items in the state. The 4% privilege tax goes to the University of Arkansas for Medical Science, to establish a national cancer institute.

“If you walk into a dispensary and spend $100, you’ll spend $10.50 additionally in state taxes,” Hardin said. “Those two taxes – we’ve collected just under $50,000,000, $49.6 million to be specific.”

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new licenses were issued in October by the New Jersey Medical Marijuana Commission.

770

pounds of “high-grade” marijuana were found in a storage locker in Florida, according to the BCSO.

The groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 6

FEDERAL CANNABIS GROW OPENS IN NEW MEXICO

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annabis has been in a cultural process of “mainstreaming” for awhile now, in New Mexico and nationwide. But the federal government has remained a stubborn roadblock to progress.

However, federal officials are finally allowing the plant to be researched.

The Bright Green Corporation has obtained a federal permit for a sanctioned marijuana grow in Grants, New Mexico, reports KOB 4.

“We are one of three, in the United States of America, that are federally legal to handle Schedule I drugs,” said Terry Rafih, chairman of Bright Green Corporation. “We chose Grants, New Mexico because of the climate.”

“If you look at the number of people that are dependent on opioids for many different pains and ailments that we deal with, the product that we are going “WE ARE ONE to be proOF THREE, IN ducing out of THE UNITED here and the patents that we STATES OF AMERICA, THAT have – hopeARE FEDERALLY fully – we’re LEGAL TO hoping it will HANDLE eliminate, SCHEDULE I eventually, DRUGS,” SAID opioids. That TERRY RAFIH, is our goal,” CHAIRMAN OF Rafih said.

BRIGHT GREEN The strucCORPORATION. ture of a greenhouse has already been erected at the New Mexico facility. The entire facility will soon be a 115-acre research and manufacturing Cannabis plant. With more than 100 employees, company officials say it’s worth more than $300 million in investments.

64k

marijuana distribution charges were sealed by Virginia in October along with 330,000 simple possession charges.

CRIST PROMISES LEGAL MARIJUANA IF ELECTED FL. GOV.

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lorida gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist announced in October that he would legalize marijuana if elected governor next year, reports the Tampa Bay Times.

Crist added he would also expunge misdemeanor or third-degree “IF I’M felony records ELECTED related to GOVERNOR Cannabis.

I WILL “Let me LEGALIZE be clear, if MARIJUANA I’m elected IN THE governor I will SUNSHINE legalize marSTATE.” ijuana in the Sunshine State,” Crist said in a video posted on his Twitter.

“This is the first part of the Crist contract with Florida,” the candidate said, reports The Hill.

“For too long we have focused on incarceration, when we should be focusing on rehabilitation,” he said.

“We know that people across racial and income levels use marijuana at the same rate. And yet, for decades, it’s been poor, Black, and/or Hispanic folks targeted for prison on marijuana charges,” Crist said in December 2020. “That tells me that marijuana has been legal now for a while, if you had the right skin tone or the right paycheck.”

$1b $2.1b

in legal marijuana sales were recorded in Nevada for the 2021 fiscal year.

deal makes Florida’s Trulieve the nation’s largest retailer of medical Cannabis, according to an October news release.

STORIES by STEVE ELLIOTT, AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF MARIJUANA

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local news

CALIFORNIA Governor Vetoes Billboard Legislation

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During his last weekend to decide the fate of dozens of bills ahead of a state deadline to sign or veto new legislation for the year, California Governor Gavin Newsom did not add his signature to a bill designed to allow Cannabis billboards on freeways and interstates.

The legislation, AB 1302, was sponsored by Assemblyman Bill Quirk and aimed to give state regulators the authority to modify rules concerning Cannabis advertising restrictions.

The bill was itself a response to a judge’s ruling in January that modifications previously made by state regulators in 2019 were in conflict with state law.

Despite the fact that AB 1302 included a provision that would have banned Cannabis billboard ads within a 15mile radius of the state border, Newsom vetoed the bill – citing voter precedent stemming back to Prop. 64 and sharing his concern that signing Despite the fact it “could expose young that AB 1302 passengers to Cannabis included a provision that advertising.” would have banned Conversely, Newsom Cannabis billboard did approve several ads within a 15-mile radius of the state other Cannabis-related border, Newsom bills during his busy vetoed the bill. weekend, including a bill legalizing retail sales of hempderived products (including CBD-infused foods, drinks and cosmetics), and another requiring hospitals to allow medical marijuana use for certain patients in their facilities.

For the time being, however, his veto on AB 1302 ensures that Cannabis billboards will not be seen on any of California’s freeways and interstates, though future efforts to achieve this goal are likely already in progress.

NOV. 2021

2022 California State Fair Will Offer Growing Awards

Drones to Thwart Illegal Grow Sites

Cotton candy and Cannabis will be together at last with news that the top Cannabis cultivators in the state are being invited to vie for an official medal at next year’s California State Fair.

Tired of doing right by the law while illegal Cannabis growers continue to profit, an alliance of cultivators in California’s Nevada County are hoping the use of drones will help them to weed out their unlicensed competition.

Announced last month, the competition will be open to all licensed Cannabis cultivators in California, with entries being accepted in three categories: indoor, mixed light and outdoor.

In total, 77 medals (encompassing bronze, silver, gold and double gold) will be issued, with judges evaluating submitted flower on seven unique Cannabis plant compounds and five terpenes.

Golden Bear trophies representing the “Best of California” will also be awarded, representing a bold new Golden Bear trophies step forward for the 166-year-old representing the state fair.

“Best of California” will also be awarded, To facilitate the competition, the representing a bold California State Fair has partnered new step forward for the 166-year-old with Cultivar Brands, a Californiastate fair. based Cannabis marketing firm, as well as with SC Labs, which will conduct all of the official flower testing.

Those looking to compete are invited to submit their plants from Nov. 1 to March 30, with winners expected to be announced in May. Sadly, on-site consumption will not be allowed when the 2022 California State Fair takes place July 15-31.

Bust of Illegal East Bay Cannabis Grows Possibly ‘Largest in Bay Area History’

Their ire isn’t unfounded – in 2020 alone, Nevada County’s Cannabis Compliance division received 167 complaints about local, illegal grows. Furthermore, various visual obstructions in place successfully ensured that 32% of the sites reported to the division remained unverifiable.

Now, in a pilot program set to get underway next spring, UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) will be utilized in efforts to find illegal grows hidden behind fences, locked gates, and other barriers that thwart attempts at easy visual identification.

Using drones for this purpose was also a consideration in a recent House Appropriations Committee report from July, suggesting that the cat-and-mouse game between illegal grow operations and the law enforcement officials seeking to stamp them out will continue to escalate as newer and more invasive technological options arise.

Funding for this effort will reportedly come from fees levied against illegal growers, while Nevada County Building Director Craig Griesbach noted that two of the previously reported grow sites were also thought to be the origin points of recent wildfires.

In late September, coordinated raids of illegal Cannabis grow operations across four East Bay cities yielded some truly staggering results. According to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, 37 tons of plants and tens of millions of dollars in Cannabis product – in addition to nearly 40 Rolex watches, a selection of designer handbags, and a number of $1,000 bottles of wine – were among the haul confiscated in the culminating efforts of an 18-month investigation.

18 separate During a post-raid press conference, Sheriff’s Sgt. Ray Kelly detailed how the grow sites number and size of the plants law enforcement officials were dealing with required necessitating deputies to employ gasoline-powered hedge trimmers to make the crops suitable for the use of transportation. Kelly further noted that those responsible for this operation (several 12 tractor arrests have been made but no information about the suspects has been released) may trailers extend across California, or beyond the state entirely.

Authorities raided locations in the Bay Area cities of San Leandro and Oakland, encompassing 18 separate grow sites and necessitating the use of 12 tractor trailers by the Sheriff’s Office to move the seized product to a Central Valley location where it was destroyed. Authorities also noted that these actions likely constitute the largest Cannabis-related bust in Bay Area history, while highlighting the loss of tax revenue and significant environmental concerns that illegal grow operations represent.

STORIES by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for CALIFORNIA LEAF

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HUMBOLDT HERB AND MARKET leafmagazines.com

SHOP review

NOV. 2021

Female owned and operated, highly intentional, and built in order to serve others – indeed a rare beast when talking about Cannabis retailers.

CUT FROM A DIFFERENT CLOTH

Retailers in Cannabis are, unfortunately, by and large not Cannabis farmers themselves. As a result, most retail spaces aren’t set up to really deliver a farm-forward experience to the customer. This is not the case at Humboldt Herb and Market, where owner Chrystal Ortiz – a seasoned cultivator herself with over 20 years in the game – has built a store designed to uplift local farmers and enhance the customer experience.

AN EXPERIENTIAL MARKETPL ACE

The original goal and inevitable destination for Herb and Market is to bring a farmers market type experience to the Cannabis space, in order to provide a platform for greater education via direct engagement between consumers and HUMBOLDT farms. Delayed by the pandemic, Ortiz HERB AND MARKET is hopeful that she can bring her farmers 427 H ST. ARCATA, CA market style activations to the heart of the OPEN 10AM-7PM DAILY Emerald Triangle in 2022. The space itself @HERBANDMARKET is a gorgeous, 3,000-square-foot showHERBANDMARKETHUMBOLDT.COM room, recently updated with large windows allowing for plenty of natural light, featuring high ceilings and complete with a coffee bar and beautiful hand-built wooden vendor area, plus space for a future on-site con17 sumption area.

EDUCATION FIRST

Designed to support local businesses, the majority of the brands found at Herb and Market are Emerald Triangle based. As a farmer herself, Ortiz is acutely aware of the struggles cultivators all too often have with those on the retail side, and as a result, she designed her store to include a center island that focuses on product education and terroir – helping to bolster consumer knowledge for a more informed buying experience. Ortiz herself often works shifts at the store, and regularly lends her expert knowledge to customers, many of whom she knows on a first name basis.

COMPASSIONATE APPROACH

The menu at Herb and Market is both highly curated and extremely intentional, and the pricing is also very compassionate. The menu is built to make all Cannabis products more accessible to your average consumer and costs on all product segments across the board were lower than the vast majority of other retailers, with most products between 10% and 20% less expensive than at other shops. Another standout element of Herb and Market’s menu is that tax is accounted for in the cost displayed, which makes shopping in a cash-only retail environment much easier.

THE TAKEAWAY

While there are hundreds of dispensaries in California, shopping at Herb and Market just feels good. Female owned and operated, highly intentional, and built in order to serve others – indeed a rare beast when talking about Cannabis retailers. Proudly displayed on the wall are the tenets of the shop, which leave no doubt as to the convictions of the ownership here – “We are local. We are stewards.

We believe in justice. We care.” – and give you sound reassurance that your hard earned dollars are going to support something truly good.

REVIEW by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by BEN NEFF @BNEFF420

the HARVEST issue leafmagazines.com

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CHRIS ANDERSON Redwood Roots Family NOV. 2021

A lifelong member of the Southern Humboldt community, Garberville-born Chris Anderson owns and operates Redwood Roots Family, a first-mile distributor that gathers small Northern California farmers under its banner and brings them to market statewide. We connected with Anderson, a true Stoner Owner, to discuss his history with the plant and his thoughts on the past, present and future of the community he loves.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR HISTORY WITH THE PL ANT. I’ve been surrounded by it my whole life, and spent a lot of time in this community. It was truly like being raised village style, where everybody’s parents were everybody’s parents. There was a lot of couch surfing … I spent a lot of time at friends’ houses, just completely immersed.

(Cannabis) was flying overhead at all times, flying over the school ballfields, being hung by helicopter nets and burnt on the airport runways about 100 yards from my bus stop as a third grader … entire runways of airports being covered in weed plants that were chopped down and eradicated by C.A.M.P. (Campaign Against Marijuana Planting), being lit on fire in broad daylight. It’s just been a part of my life for as long as I can remember on that level.

But my intimate, personal experience with Cannabis, and my desire to crack my first seed and smoke my first bowl of shake – because I stole some shake from my dad to smoke my first bowl – was at age 12, and I cracked my first seed at the age of 15. … It’s provided a livelihood and a massive abundance of relationships that are lifelong, whether they’re from childhood, or another farmer I met in 2016 at the Emerald Cup. It’s really been a conduit for relationships and spiritual health and wellbeing, and time with my friends camping, relaxing after work, relieving some pain from a ball game or a soccer game, or helping me sleep. … It’s always been a way of life, and a part of my DNA and this community’s DNA.

“ I still just love pot.

I love the herb.

I love smoking it.

I love sharing it.

I love giving it away.

I love growing it.”

WHAT DOES ‘LEGACY’ MEAN TO YOU? Legacy, to me, means people who have spent a life in Cannabis, or their family has spent a life in Cannabis. People who have experienced the rule of law, the War on Drugs, and have had trials and tribulations of hiding from helicopters or law enforcement, or lying about who they were and their livelihood.

People who have been passionate advocates.

Maybe not even necessarily cultivators, but who have used Cannabis, and have believed in the medicinal value and have advocated for that for a long time. … It’s about that dedication to the plant, dedication to the community, and truly living that life in Cannabis. Legacy farmers are people who grew up holding hoses, and learned how to grow guerilla weed from their parents. That’s legacy.

People who’ve spent time in prison, they’re legacy.

People who have had family members or loved ones incarcerated, injured physically, or murdered, for example – I have friends who have been murdered over the plant … that’s our legacy.

Giving back to the community, that’s our legacy.

Really, it’s people who have dedicated their lives to the plant.

HOW HAS YOUR REL ATIONSHIP WITH CANNABIS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS? Since the first time I smoked, I’ve enjoyed it recreationally and medicinally. My relationship with Cannabis has evolved. For me today, it’s as much about outward facing relationships as much as inward, and evolving and being present through

A Stoner Owner is a Cannabis business owner who has a relationship with the plant. We want to buy and smoke Cannabis from companies that care about their products, employees and the plant. You wouldn’t buy food from a restaurant where the cooks don’t eat in the kitchen, so why buy corporate weed grown by a company only concerned with profits? Stoner Owner approval means a company cares, and we love weed grown with care. Let’s retake our culture and reshape a stigma by honoring those who grow, process and sell the best Cannabis possible.

this era of regulated Cannabis, coming from the old ways. I still just love pot. I love the herb. I love smoking it. I love sharing it.

I love giving it away. I love growing it. I love packaging it and selling it. I love the fact that there’s newfound energy toward the science and medicinal value of it.

WHAT’S CHANGED ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA CANNABIS COMMUNITY SINCE YOU’VE BEEN A PART OF IT? Well, Prop 64 changed everything, for the worse, by far.

There’s a lot of new people who I think are just encroaching, and just trying to be culture vultures, and poach the identity of this community that has sacrificed its life and its livelihood for generations. … I feel like the herb is being exploited by this money machine that’s all about bottom line and margin, and not about the evolution of the medicine, perhaps, for a lot of people. That’s a tough pill to swallow. … I always wanted the herb to just be free. I didn’t want regulations, even to the detriment of my livelihood. I would prefer to be bussing tables, and have there be free herb everywhere. Deregulated. Not regulated. Completely legalized. That’s what I dreamt of when I was a kid. I didn’t dream of a regulated industry. … The plant itself has not changed. It’s still here, being its wild and free self.

WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY? I would go back to the Prop 215 era, and make sure Prop 64 never resurfaced, ever again. Prop 64 has sold legacy and small, rural communities down the stream. Small farmers have been the absolute backbone and breadwinners for small rural communities across Northern California for generations. The fact that Prop 64 was drafted by big money and lobbyists under the guise of giving small, legacy farmers the chance to establish themselves until 2023 – I saw right through that. It was written to be amended. And it wasn’t written to be amended for us. It was written to be amended by drafters, and the lobbyists for big businesses. So the first thing they axed was the one-acre cap. So now there’s a massive oversupply. If they would have limited it to one-acre farms or smaller, there would not be an oversupply today, and small farmers would have an opportunity to build their brands through 2023 – and have a strong foundation beneath them.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT CANNABIS AND WORKING IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY? I love the relationships that the herb has gifted me – by far, it’s the best part. Having conversations with likeminded people like yourself, who are just passionate about Cannabis and community, and seeing people faced with massive adversity rise to the challenge and continue to be resilient humans through this challenge. Sharing that ceremonial sacrament on camping trips in an intimate setting. Cracking open a bud with my fingers, not a grinder, and taking 15 minutes to break a bud apart, pod by pod – to roll a perfect joint, to share with my best friends for life, around the campfire with a bottle of tequila. REDWOODROOTSFAMILY.COM Best thing on the planet, by far. @REDWOODROOTS.FAMILY

STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSLULTANTS/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTO by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415

COMPANY PROFILE

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As legacy growers face an uncertain future, Flow Cannabis Company wants to spread the gospel of sungrown to California consumers.

GO WITH THE FLOW At Flow Cannabis Company, everything revolves around the sun. Located in Mendocino County’s Redwood Valley, the six-year-old business was founded on a desire to uplift cultivators of craft, sungrown Cannabis in California’s legendary Emerald Triangle. With its main brand, Flow Kana, as well as newer lines like Caldera and Roots, Flow Cannabis Co. serves as a one stop shop for everything these cultivators need to reach consumers.

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nnie Davis, VP of Marketing, touted how the range of services provided by Flow Cannabis Co. covers everything from the sales and marketing benefits of being carried under a market-established name to more practical needs like filling jars and designing labels.

To achieve this goal, Flow Cannabis Co. is currently housed on a spacious 300-acre campus that includes a 25,000-square-foot extraction facility and the only in-house, full service print shop in all of California Cannabis.

With each new addition – and Flow Cannabis Co. has some big plans in the works – the idea is to be a hub for Emerald Triangle Cannabis that in turn allows the growers the company works with to focus on what they do best.

“The mission,” Davis said, “from the start, has always been to bring visibility, to create opportunity, and hopefully to create some business pathways for the amazing craft cultivation techniques that these legacy farmers have been

NOV. 2021

using for decades in the Emerald Triangle. We want to scale that and to bring that quality of Cannabis flower to more consumers, initially throughout California but ideally and eventually, throughout the country.”

According to Davis, Flow Cannabis Co. was initially conceived with an expected timeline of federal legalization arriving within the next five years.

For a number of reasons, that reality has not yet come to pass, resulting in what Davis terms a “pivot” into a more diverse portfolio of offerings.

“Over the last three years,” she explained, “we’ve expanded from simply being the one brand, Flow Kana, to becoming a house of brands. In 2019 we launched

Roots, which is another brand of Cannabis flower, at a lower price point than Flow Kana flower. We also launched Caldera in 2019, which is a brand of extracts, concentrates and vapes. Both of those brands create more vehicles to put extracts and flower from craft Cannabis farmers into more products, which reach more consumers and build more economic opportunity.”

Essentially, for as long as interstate Cannabis commerce remains illegal, Flow Cannabis Co. has resolved to work within the confines of California to help consumers better appreciate the value and importance of supporting sungrown products.

Part of that comes in the form of expanding their product offerings,

“The mission, from the start, has always been to bring visibility, to create opportunity, and hopefully to create some business pathways for the amazing craft cultivation techniques that these legacy farmers have been using for decades in the Emerald Triangle.”

-Annie Davis, VP of Marketing

Flow Cannabis Company was at one point the second largest employer in Mendocino County, trailing behind only the hospital.

Michael Steinmetz, co-founder and chief servant officer, at the Flow Cannabis Institute, which provides regular tours of the brand’s processing, trimming and manufacturing operations.

21 but it has also taken the shape of partnering with like-minded brands and companies for the purposes of further spreading the good word about sungrown.

To that end, Davis reports that Flow Cannabis Co. has done contract manufacturing work for other outfits, including co-packing for Bloom Farms and filling vapes for Old Pal. “You name it and if it’s within the supply chain of Cannabis, that’s something that our company can do,” Davis said.

Another way that Flow Cannabis Co. has attempted to provide stability and resources to the Emerald Triangle is as an employer. At present, the company has 205 salaried employees in addition to dozens of contractors.

According to Davis, Flow Cannabis Co. was at one point the second largest employer in Mendocino County, trailing behind only the hospital. While the pandemic impacted staffing numbers, the eventual prospect of full-service Cannabis tourism entices Davis as a way to really bolster the local economy and support the community longterm, with substantial job creation not just within the fields of Cannabis production, but for the larger service industry (hotels, restaurants, tour buses) too.

“That’s something that I’m really hopeful about for this region,” Davis shared. “I live in Sonoma County, and obviously the wine industry is a massive employer in our community. For me, personally, that’s one of the reasons why I wanted to work in the Cannabis

industry — I just see it as critical to the economic survival of the region in which I live.”

In hopes of being ready for a massive Cannabis tourism boom, Flow Cannabis Co. is continuing work on a property located in nearby Hopland, dubbed the Solar Living Institute.

Previously the home to a company called Real Good Solar, its new owners envision the space as a fully-licensed retail business, as well as a Cannabis-friendly venue for relevant events, conferences and perhaps even weddings. Meanwhile, in Redwood Valley, the Flow Cannabis Institute provides regular tours of the brand’s processing, trimming and manufacturing operations.

U

ltimately, the goal is to be able to bring consumers and business partners up to Mendocino to spend time on both of the properties as a means of fully immersing them in the culture, history and heritage of the region. In the interim, Davis reiterated that ensuring legacy growers and their craft Cannabis farms are still around to enjoy that day is a top concern.

“The market is oversaturated right now,” she explained. “And as a result, there has been a downward price shift on this commodity that is causing a time of reckoning for these craft farmers. You’re voting for products when you purchase them but, in this industry, we’re just still in the really early stages of people realizing that there is any difference between what’s in one jar versus another. That’s why it’s incumbent upon the whole supply chain to be an active part of the

education process, and for us to be collaborative instead of competitive.

As part of that process, Davis is hoping to help enlighten consumers about what makes sungrown Cannabis so special.

“One of the biggest challenges is the fact that sungrown flower simply can’t command anywhere near as high a price point in the market as indoor flower,” Davis explained. “That’s based on a perception of quality that has developed over decades, but is not truly accurate.

For instance, sungrown Cannabis actually tends to have a much higher terpene percentage than indoor Cannabis. It has a higher percentage of minor cannabinoids in it. The market doesn’t value that right now, in the same way that it does for indoor, so we see our role at Flow Cannabis Co. as helping to build brand value not just for the region, but also for sungrown Cannabis.”

In pursuit of this goal, Davis sees the onetime playoff slogan of the Golden State Warriors – “strength in numbers” – as an apt motto for the work that lies ahead.

“Strength in numbers is exactly what we need.

Right now, we’re working on aligning with other like-minded brands and businesses that source from sungrown cultivators or are sungrown brands themselves, to create a sungrown ecosystem or a sungrown coalition, so that we can collaborate to collectively do something greater and bigger for the industry that any one of us can do ourselves.”

FLOWCANNABIS.CO | @FLOWCANNABISCO

STORY by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for CALIFORNIA LEAF

concentrate of the month

LUMA MELONS 90u ROSIN

Ahti Hash is the solventless processing arm of Ahti Farms, a Sonoma County-based, indoor living soil cultivator producing high grade, single source, full melt hash and rosin. Together, in collaboration with fellow Sonoma County sungrown cultivator Luma Farms, they’ve recently brought this gorgeous, funky and fruity rosin to market.

This Luma Melons 90u rosin has a stunningly beautiful clarity and is an enticing light gold hue, which is a telltale sign of what’s considered to be ‘fresh-pressed’ consistency. The term 90u refers to the size of the screen used to capture the trichome heads, which then get pressed into rosin – and the best of the best is found in the 90u-120u range. Fresh-pressed means the product was not whipped, blended or otherwise homogenized after being pressed.

The nose on this special hash is a sweet, fruity, floral, strawberry-esque aroma, but this fresh-pressed 90u’s special terps are largely encapsulated inside the oil, and will only be fully realized once dabbed.

Upon agitating the product, I was thrilled to discover a lovely sap-like, pull and snap consistency, which was easy to manipulate.

Fresh-pressed can often end up as a shatterlike consistency, especially when cold.

A low temp dab taken from clean quartz reveals a lightweight and minimally expansive vapor, packing a cacophony of funky honeydew melons, grape taffy, grassy earth, classic OG Kush, lemon and pine – one of the more interesting and layered expressions I’ve come across anywhere.

Both aesthetically appealing and full flavored, this rosin is a real treat, and offers a mashup of profiles that reflect both the beauty and diversity of Sonoma County’s distinctly unique terroir.

This Luma Melons 90u is an excellent representation of the quality one would expect to be coming out of Sonoma’s lush environment – checking all the boxes to be considered an A-grade solventless offering – and leaving me excited to sample more of Ahti and Luma’s masterful work.

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AHTI HASH X LUMA FARMS

“A mashup of profiles that reflect both the beauty and diversity of Sonoma County’s distinctly unique terroir.”

NOV. 2021

72.6% THC @AHTIHASH LUMACALIFORNIA.COM @LUMACALIFORNIA

REVIEW & PHOTO by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415/CALIFORNIA LEAF

23

STRAIN OF THE MONTH

CAL I F O R N I A

“The Tangled Roots label unites two strains from two independent, small farms in the same jar, separated by a labeled divider.”

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NOV. 2021

R EVI E W & P H OTO b y TO M B OW E R S @ P RO PAG AT ECO N SU L TAN TS / CAL I F O R N I A L E A F

Curated by

TANGLED ROOTS

BLUEBERRY GELATO GRAPES N’ CREAM

A

dventuring through the Emerald Triangle, meeting with legacy farmers and boutique producers among the Redwoods, one senses the mingling tendrils of a decades-old community ecosystem, its traditions, its connections, its alliances.

The Tangled Roots label seeks to lend a physical presence to the camaraderie felt by small-plot farmers facing the reality of a swiftly expanding mega-industry.

Created and curated by Humboldt farmers John Casali of Huckleberry Hill Farms and Jason Gellman of Ridgeline Farms, the Tangled Roots label unites two strains from two independent, small farms in the same jar, separated by a labeled divider.

For the Harvest Issue, we had the chance to preview the upcoming release featuring flower from Nik Erickson and his crew at Full Moon Farms, and Tina Gordon’s Moon Made Farms.

FULL MOON FARMS BLUEBERRY GELATO

Nearly half a decade ago, Nik Erickson and his team took a number of batches of beans from Humboldt Seed Company to run a pheno hunt. Out of everything, this particular pheno of Humboldt Seed’s Blueberry Muffin crossed with Gelato 41 from Happy Dreams Genetics, stood out among the pack.

“We pheno hunted it over the last few years in different varying microclimates to find our winner,” Erickson said. As of right now, this BBxGelato is a house exclusive cut for Full Moon.

Strong, chunky calyxes protrude from the nugs like stubby, frosty, orange-haired thumbs. Vibrant fruit with earthy vegetal notes carry through to the palate, as you find yourself awash in a brain-cradling, euphoric relaxation.

MOON MADE FARMS GRAPES N’ CREAM

This substantial strain, with its impressively frosty, bright green, sticky nugs, came to Tina Gordon’s capable Moon Made team via Phinest. A cross between Grape Pie and Cookies and Cream, Gordon sees this strain as proof that traditionally indoor strains can thrive and produce unbelievable flowers under the big light in the sky.

Notes of pastry dough, fruit, pepper and petrichor mingle with the namesake grape overtones. Roll this up and take a couple of cold draws before sparking to appreciate the fresh complexity – then get ready for heavy relaxation to loosen the muscles at the end of the day. @ F UL L M O O N FAR M S @ M O O N M ADE FAR M S @ TANG LE D RO OTS _ CO M M UN I T Y

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gaia gardens

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NOV. 2021

THE APPROACH

W

inding down the twisting roads of Highway 36, my cell reception dwindling, I became increasingly

anxious the further we drove.

The last time I’d visited Hayfork, our hosts had recommended avoiding 36 alltogether and to instead take Highway 299, which also traverses the east-west passage from Humboldt County through Trinity to I-5, California’s main interstate highway.

They’d made this recommendation because Highway 36 is notoriously hairy to drive, and is hailed as one of the most dangerous highways in the state. The road also passes by Post Mountain, which is one of the most heavily saturated areas for traditional market cultivation in the world – just search it in Google Maps for a pretty astonishing satellite view.

My nerves calmed as we turned onto Highway 3 and began making our way north towards the town of Hayfork. After passing through town and working our way towards the foothills for a while, we finally arrived at Gaia Gardens.

We were greeted at the gate by a young hound dog, who eagerly announced our arrival with a few expectant barks, and as we popped in the gate code, another pup approached and joined in on inspecting the visitors. By the time we parked about 150 feet or so up the gravel road at the top of the property, there was a full pack of six dogs – bouncing around excitedly as we exited our vehicle and began to greet our hosts.

TRINITY COUNTY THE CONCEPTION

Patrick and Natalie McNamara are Co-Founders of Gaia Gardens, as well as life partners and high-grade hash enthusiasts. Patrick, a Pennsylvania native, made his way to California after deciding to step away from the family construction business to pursue higher education at Whittier College.

It was there he met Natalie, who was born and raised in China and had chosen to broaden her horizons by attending school on the other side of the world in California.

Whittier College is in East Los Angeles, and the greater Los Angeles area provided an exposure to Cannabis, legal and otherwise, the likes of which neither had ever experienced. With exposure came access, and Patrick quickly fell headfirst into the world of weed.

He began getting into the heady glass game, and decided to start moving weight from the Triangle to LA to fund his new passion for glass. As he got deeper into the glass scene, he began to subscribe to that particular community’s obsession with solventless concentrates – and thus his passion for hash was born.

Through his trips to various parts of the Triangle to pick up, he began to notice a trend: The best herb he could find always came from farmers in Trinity County, so he began gravitating towards the area to pick up his weight.

Upon graduating, Patrick decided to utilize his construction background and his new degree in business to jump into the cultivation side of things. Together with then girlfriend Natalie, they moved to the Santa Cruz foothills and began growing weed under California’s Prop 215 medical Cannabis program, then turning it into single source hash and hash rosin.

With adult use on the horizon, the couple were excited to level up and launch into the newly legal market with a couple years worth of experience under their belt, as well as a couple seasons worth of infrastructure to lean on as they navigated the newly forming industry.

Then, suddenly, it all went sideways when one day their grow was raided by local sheriffs and all their hard work disappeared in the blink of an eye, along with their hopes of getting into California’s brand new adult-use industry.

While no charges were filed, they had to pay significant fines and were banned from getting an adult-use Cannabis cultivation license in Santa Cruz County for three years.

It was then that they decided to go all in on their dreams of owning and operating their own legal Cannabis business, and together with the help of some family and a friend in real estate, Patrick and Natalie made the jump to Trinity County – acquiring Gaia Gardens in January of 2020.

CONTINUES NEXT PAGE >>

STORY & PHOTOS by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415/CALIFORNIA LEAF

the HARVEST issue

gaia gardens Continued from previous page T H E M A N I F E STAT I O N

We’re standing in a field of 650 plants, 500 of which are planted directly in the ground. The other 150 plants are in breathable fabric pots, each containing 400 gallons of soil and a single plant. While growing in native soil is surprisingly rare given the added cost of purchasing soil, what’s even more rare is the fact that 100% of this field will be turned into full melt hash and live rosin.

Every one of the 650 plants at Gaia Gardens this year will end up fresh frozen and then handed off to solventless processors Kalya Extracts – who quite possibly produce the best fresh press live rosin available in California’s adultuse market – and Mendocino County’s Real Deal Resin. The duo is also in discussion with True Hash Company and Papa’s Select, so it’s possible we’ll see up to four different hasheries bringing Gaia Gardens flavors to market this year and next.

Most farmers have a flower-first mindset, and only send a modest to moderate amount of their crop to processors to be turned into extract and concentrate.

Interestingly enough, thanks to their hashfirst mentality, the team at Gaia Gardens has a leg up on other fullterm outdoor farmers.

“The field at Gaia Not only do they know is filled with a where 100% of their jaw-dropping array product is going, it of flavors from doesn’t require the a variety of top labor to maneuver thousands of pounds breeders, all with of plants into a safe the goal of finding space to dry, nor the new, hash-friendly time it takes to do so strains that provide – and also negates the expensive overhead of an excellent yield, a trimming once dried unique terp profile and cured. and potent effects.”

The field at Gaia is filled with a jaw-dropping array of flavors from a variety of top breeders, all with the goal of finding amazing new, hash-friendly strains that provide an excellent yield, a unique terp profile and potent effects.

As we wandered, Patrick rattled off the cultivars: “Tongue Buckler, Rainbow Chip, Gouda Berry, Dirty Little Secret, Papaya Melonz…” The list went on and on and totaled 23 different strains, leaving me salivating and eager to try the amazing hashes and live rosins these flowers will be turned into.

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nOV. 2021

STORY & PHOTOS by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415/CALIFORNIA LEAF

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sticky fields

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32

MENDOCINO COUNTY

W

e’re letting our legs dangle from the rafters of Jesse Robertson’s barn, and his dog Moxie starts to whine up at us from the edge of the ganja grove below.

Robertson pauses in the middle of making an impassioned

point, arms up in the air. “Oh, now she’s getting nervous,” Robertson laughs. “It’s OK girl, Daddy’s just getting excited.”

NOV. 2021

As the legacy owner of Sticky Fields, the 41-yearold Mendocino farmer tends to get passionate when talking about his farm and the Cannabis community.

In the waning daylight of October, California Leaf Magazine ascended Little Darby Hill outside of Willits, winding our way to Robertson’s unbelievably gorgeous 80-acre property. We spent a long, memorable morning walking among the tall trees there – discussing his life, his thoughts on cultivation and his philosophy.

A L I F E LO N G PA S S I O N

Robertson started cultivating early in life, following in the footsteps of his grandmother and his aunt, who established roots in Mendocino when Robertson’s grandmother – also a Cannabis farmer – moved to the area in the 1960s “I’ve been in love with this since I was 12,” he said. “I was 12 years old when I grew my first plant.

I put it in a Solo cup in the window, and then I hid it in the yard.”

As a teenager, he started traveling from his home in the Bay up to Mendocino, where his mom and aunt had their farm. From there, he went medical when Proposition 215 came about, and took the difficult leap to the recreational adult-use market under Proposition 64.

It’s that choice that gets him so passionate that it worries his dog Moxie. The recreational industry hasn’t been easy on small farmers, as the industry continues to grow under regulations that favor large, well-funded companies.

He’s taking measures to ensure that his farm survives the difficult As we stroll times he sees on the horizon, and beneath the canopy he knows it’s going to be a hardof 12-foot-tall, fought battle.

KEEPING IT TIGHT

Dahvi, Irie and Jesse

15-pound-yielding plants in his seed field, breathing in the terpene breeze, he points out some of the contenders.

Robertson keeps his operation manageable and focused on quality, of both life and product.

Sticky Fields balances a seed stock and a clone program, keeping strain releases fairly tight.

As we stroll beneath the canopy of 12-foot-tall, 15-pound-yielding plants in his seed field, breathing in the terpene breeze, he points out some of the contenders. Mendo Mint x Red Fire Cherry Tangerine. Mandarin Tart x All Gas OG (a cross of two of his most sought-after strains). An F2 cross of Mandarin Tart x Mandarin Tart.

Sticky undergoes a rigorous selection process for what actually makes it into jars, culminating in the final test, where Robertson makes sure he enjoys smoking an entire joint all the way down to the nub.

Only then is it worthy of release.

Though Sticky has to be picky, Robertson obviously loves his plants.

“I save a cut of everything,” he said. “I love everything. I save all the plants, because it’s something special, man, and you might never see it again.”

This year, he’s releasing a mix of seed plants and his own picks from his clone program, for a total of 12 flavors. CONTINUES NEXT PAGE >>

STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415

PHOTO BY TOM BOWERS

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“I love everything. I save all the plants, because it’s something special, man, and you might never see it again.”

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sticky fields Continued from previous page

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FINDING BALANCE

Robertson describes himself as someone who had a tough streak in him as a young buck coming up in the community, but you wouldn’t know it from talking with him now.

He talks passionately about his family, contending with a rough and tumble past, and finding solace and spiritual connection in the field.

“I walk around here mostly barefoot,” he said. “This plant has brought me closer to my real self. To my ancestors. I have a connection to this earth.”

Harvest time is his favorite time of year. He loves the flowers, the smells, and the sunrises and sunsets in the field beneath the watchful Buddha statue he has gazing at the plants.

“I like hanging out and watching it grow,” he

nOV. 2021

said of his Cannabis. “You only get to watch the flowering part for so long. … You only have a moment with this flower. This bud. And you wait all year for this moment. All of these plants, with Buddha looking down on you, and I’ll just sit here in the middle.

It’s like you’re sitting in a forest.”

STEWARDSHIP OF THE EARTH

Guiding us around the property, Robertson shows off the full breadth and diversity of his garden, from the asparagus he planted immediately after moving in, to the pile of clippings and trimmings from the prior year, sprouting “volunteer” plants – what the gardening community calls unplanned growth from the previous year’s composted seeds.

We even enjoyed some “volunteer” Cannabis,

which he’d let blossom to full term because he simply loves different expressions of the plant.

(For the record, we guessed it was some unknown cross with his Mandarin Tart, which I’ve since dubbed the Mandarin Mystery.)

Robertson’s love is for all living things, whether it be his dogs, his plants and trees, or his new baby daughter, Irie, and his partner, Dahvi.

He dreams of retiring from the Cannabis industry to cultivate fruit trees, and to leave them behind to feed generations to come.

“When I die, I want to leave fruit trees that will fruit for 100 years,” he said. “If there are thousands of people like me, then you’d have all of these fruitful areas everywhere. Like rebuilding an Eden. Because it’s been taken.”

Until then, Robertson’s tens of thousands of followers and fans of his flower will get to enjoy the fruits of his Sticky Fields.

STICKYFIELDS.COM @STICKYFIELDSCALIFORNIA

STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415 & TOM BOWERS

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humboldt’s finest

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HUMBOLDT COUNTY NOV. 2021

M

any people talk about legacy in the Cannabis community, so it’s easy to assume they’re discussing what came before – something left behind by predecessors whose legend looms large like towering Redwoods. But when Trent Sanders talks

about legacy, it’s obvious that he’s talking about a torch to be carried.

A foundation to be built upon.

A COMPOUND VISION

Standing in his full-term Cannabis field, nestled on a particularly picturesque sliver of a 280-acre span outside of Garberville that he owns with his partners, Sanders lays out his plan for the Humboldt’s Finest property.

It won’t be a facility. It will be a compound – complete with a pool, yoga room and recreational trails throughout the property for employees.

“Brand the buildings, create a good work environment, benefits, a place to mountain bike – and people will be happy,” Sanders says, thoughtfully surveying the land as his staff works to pull down his full-term strains: Wakanda, Legend OG, Peanut Butter Breath, Ice Cream Cake, Fatso, Mochi, GMO, Pancake and Modified Grape.

“Look at that one,” he says, gesturing to Wakanda. “Dude, that thing’s exploding out of the side, with white hairs, just dripping with resin. … Wakanda’s my favorite one, as far as smell goes. It’s just got such an amazing smell.”

As he spills the details of the buildout in progress, he speaks with swiftness, almost as if his mouth is racing to keep In the coming years, up with his brain. In the coming years, this site will feature a this site will feature 36,000-square-foot greenhouse, a 13,000-square-foot nursery, a 36,000-squarea 1-million-gallon rain catchment pond, 4,000 square feet of foot greenhouse, a drying and processing space, and 4,000 square feet for offices 13,000-square-foot and propagation.

UNDER THE SUN

nursery, a 1-milliongallon rain catchment pond, 4,000 square feet of drying and processing space, and 4,000 square feet for offices and propagation.

“Look at it, it looks like a vineyard,” Sanders says, gesturing down the rows of kolas reaching toward the SoHum sun.

It’s obvious that he loves the full-term field. There’s romance, and a rich tradition of growing under the sun. But Sanders also displays a straightforward, businesslike pragmatism about whether he’ll continue with outdoor in the future. In the end, it’s about survival – and that comes down to giving consumers what they want.

“It’s market driven,” he said. “It’s great to be as environmentally responsible as you can, but if you can’t have a viable business model, you may as well be a hobby grower.”

The Garberville property is one corner of a large panorama that comprises Sanders’ holdings, which include, not exclusively, Big Leaf Ranch in nearby Redway, a building in Garberville that he’s turning into a Humboldt history museum, and a plot where he plans to build a hotel and tourist destination for revelers wanting a taste of Cannabis country. He also partnered up to take over the Garberville Theater, which they’re going to turn into a community event space. CONTINUES NEXT PAGE >>

STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415

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PHOTO BY TOM BOWERS

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Humboldt’s finest Continued from previous page

PHOTO BY NATE WILLIAMS

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

FINDING A BROADER VIEW

nOV. 2021

We embark on a flying tour of Southern Humboldt, with Sanders at ease behind the sticks as the valley winds jostle the small craft. From the air, you can truly appreciate the vast wilderness.

Sanders’ vision is so huge that it takes an aerial perspective to appreciate the scope. He hops in his truck and has us follow him to the nearby airstrip, where he introduces us to a vintage Cessna he lovingly refers to as his “jalopy.”

We embark on a flying tour of Southern Humboldt, with Sanders at ease behind the sticks as the valley winds jostle the small craft. From the air, you can truly appreciate the vast wilderness. Considering how hugely the region’s reputation is tied to the Cannabis community, it’s striking that it isn’t more obvious from the air. It’s mostly forest, narrow dirt roads, and the occasional row of hoop houses tucked into the trees.

Flying over King Peak, down the coast and over Whitethorn Valley, Sanders discusses his love of the region, and his rich history within the Cannabis community.

“I started growing with my mom when I was 10,” he said. “I only got 5%, and room and board. It was kind of hand-to-mouth living back then.”

After nearly 40 years of cultivation, Sanders has come a long, long way from those early hard-fought days with

his mom. He’s been smart with his money. He’s invested in the community and diversified his interests. He is playing the long, big-picture game – and it’s one that culminates in turning Southern Humboldt into the country’s premier Cannabis tourist destination, much like Napa is for the wine industry.

To that end, he co-founded the Southern Humboldt Business and Visitors Bureau, which focuses significant effort toward branding Southern Humboldt as America’s Cannabis Heartland. It’s a vision that he hopes his fellow farmers are ready for.

Sanders brings the Cessna in like a leaf on the wind for a butter-smooth landing. On the ground, he’s back in business mode, with a brief goodbye before hopping in his truck to get back to work running harvest for multiple properties. We follow out the gate, back to the narrow roads winding under the canopy of the vast Southern Humboldt wilderness, reflecting on the view from above.

HUMBOLDTSFINESTFARMS.COM @HUMBOLDTSFINESTFARMS SHBVB.ORG/ABOUT

STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415 & TOM BOWERS

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the art of dry farming

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PHOTO BY TOM BOWERS

40

W

e’re cruising between the Redwoods on the famed Avenue of the Giants, a stretch of road that paces Highway 101 along the Eel River in Southern

Humboldt. If you’ve ever wanted to visit Endor, this is it. “Take a left up here, and be careful, or you might miss it,” says Chrystal Ortiz from the backseat. She’s not lying – dwarfed between the vast trunks, the narrow road may as well have been a secret portal to Narnia. We turn.

“This is a summer road,” says Ortiz. “They close

Owner Jane VanderLinden

NOV. 2021

it when the water gets too high.”

As the owner of High Water Farm and Humboldt Herb and Market dispensary in the famed heartland of America’s Cannabis cultivation community, Ortiz is a specifically qualified guide.

Especially where we’re going.

We steer down onto the banks of the Eel River, following a road that in other seasons would be riverbed.

We cross a makeshift bridge barely wide enough to fit our car, and continue on our river rock paved path.

Ortiz is taking us on a guided tour of the Eel River Valley appellation – a cultivation region where specific conditions combine to create a bioregion that allows Cannabis farmers to practice the traditional art of dry farming.

In the early 20th century,

the timber industry in the region used to float inals, a farm run by Jane VanderLinden and logs down the Eel River for ease of transport. her friends and family. VanderLinden has been Sometimes, a logjam would block the river practicing dry farming in the region for 25 flow. Then, at one point, a major logjam years, and for 14 years on her own plot of land brought about catastrophe.

– peppered with tall, narrow buildings built to “In 1964, a flood came through, and withstand flood conditions. Her farm won the washed away all the houses, Regenerative Cannabis Farm everything just washed out to Award at the 2019 Emerald “We feel like it is the ocean,” Ortiz narrated as our responsibility to Cup. we rumbled along the river. “It VanderLinden ushers us into honor the land we washed out all the buildings, her vast field of Cannabis, have been blessed to and immediately scoops up a and deposited a bunch more grow on,” Ortiz said. handful of silt from the allusilt. … The water was all the way up on the highway.” vial floodplain and lets it run Those farmers who resettled the area disthrough her fingers. covered wispy, soft soil – up to 20 feet of new She exudes earthen exuberance and groundstratum. The result was akin to the conditions ed grace as she takes us, barefoot, through the of the fertile crescent of ancient Mesopotamia, field, explaining the art of dry farming. which inspired the dawn of agrarian civilizaNo irrigation. No fertilizers or amendments. tion.

No interference. Just nestle the plants into the We veer back off the riverbed, and hit a soft soil, and let nature take its course. Her paved road, taking us past a number of farms. field is lush with vibrant, healthy shades of We pass a new hoophouse cultivator growing green. in pots. Chrystal comments that the newcomers Dry Farmed Organic Medicinals is in the must have no idea what land they’re building middle of harvesting 6,000 plants, all grown on. from seed. They have six employees year We arrive at Dry Farmed Organic Medicround.

PHOTO BY TOM BOWERS

HUMBOLDT COUNTY “About one per 1,000 plants,” VanderLinden grins.

That’s the thing about dry farming. It’s not something that can be done by anyone, anywhere. But if you can do it, it makes no sense not to. You simply need patience, faith, land and plants. Nature does the rest.

VanderLinden makes sure to pick out a couChrystal Ortiz ple of melons from her food crop for us to take with us before we move on to Ortiz’s High Water Farm (named in honor of the flood of 1964).

When we arrive there, Ortiz takes us on a tour of her upcoming strains, with greasy bangers like Modified Grapes (GMO x Purple Punch), Ice Cream Cake, Forum Cut Cookies, Lava Cake from Cannarado, and Zushers from Crane City Cannabis.

We catch some of the sunset from the top floor of the big red drying barn she built with her dad. Her philosophy is one Ortiz shares with the other farmers in the Humboldt Dry Farmed Cannabis Alliance she helped form.

“We feel like it is our responsibility to honor the land we have been blessed to grow on,” Ortiz said. “To honor this land is to not bring outside inputs, to trust the cycles of nature and to do less. What we don’t make in multiple runs of (light dep) and heavily fed plants, we make up for in quiet peacefulness and not buying anything or importing soils and fertilizers.” @HIGH_WATER_FARM HUMBOLDTDRYFARMEDCANNABISALLIANCE.COM

STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415

the HARVEST issue

harvesting for hash

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or decades, the song and dance of the full term outdoor harvest shuffle looked relatively the same. Farmers would push their crops as long as they could go – maximizing yield, terpenes and THC – and then ahead of any wet fall weather, they’d chop, transport and hang their entire harvest up for the product to dry. After a week or two, the crops are then taken down, transferred to curing vessels, and then systematically trimmed up and sent to market as quickly as possible.

This cycle would result in a glut of high quality sungrown flowers hitting the market all at once, which would get snatched up and sold through usually by summertime – leaving sparse availability and an increased ticket on the per pound price across the board, regardless of the method the flower was cultivated in.

Today, things look a little different, and more and more farmers are harvesting for hash.

With the development of the ‘live’ resin and rosin product categories, consumers have begun to recognize these forms of concentrate as superior to extracts derived from fully dried and cured flower. This is thanks to their ability to preserve terpenes, which are largely responsible for a plant’s smell and taste – thus creating an end product with incredible flavors similar to that of the fresh, living plant.

As a result, the demand for fresh frozen material has skyrocketed and continues to climb, as more and more consumers become familiar with and are asking for ‘live’ resin and rosin products.

Even edibles manufacturers have The demand jumped on board, and are infusing for fresh frozen their products with fresh frozen material has derived Cannabis oil, utilizing this skyrocketed and differentiating factor to market and continues to climb. sell their products.

nOV. 2021

While stopping by Huckleberry Hill Farms to pick up our Strain of the Month, we caught the team from Mendocino County’s Heritage Hash Company in action harvesting flowers to turn into full melt bubble hash and live hash rosin.

The process is a touch more involved up front, but also removes a lot of work on the back end for the farmers, who often spend many months managing trim crews and the flow of their product as it gets manicured, lab tested, packaged and prepared for sale.

Plants are harvested with great care, so as not to disturb the precious trichomes that will ultimately become separated from the plant and turned into luscious concentrates.

Branches are then removed, fan leaves are cut off, and the flowers are trimmed down into thumb-sized buds, which are collected loosely in plastic turkey bags. Several pounds are collected in each bag, and are then placed in chest freezers with dry ice, deep freezers or cryogenic freezers.

All of this is done with as much haste as possible, in order to minimize the degradation of the plant and preserve the incredible terpenes farmers work so hard to cultivate.

Keep an eye out for Huckleberry Hill x Heritage Hash Co. collaborations at your local dispensary this winter.

Who knows? You could be smoking on trichomes from the flower featured on this issue’s cover! @HUCKLEBERRYHILLFARMS @HERITAGEHASH_CO

STORY & PHOTOS by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415/CALIFORNIA LEAF

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PRESENTS

a l l i m Sinse Sto r y As Cannabis culture began shifting away from smuggling towards the “grow your own” philosophy at the end of the 1970s, a demand arose for more in-depth grow advice than what High Times offered at the time. From that vacuum, a new underground magazine emerged that would revolutionize Cannabis cultivation in America: Sinsemilla Tips.

RAID & REVENGE

leafmagazines.com

An assortment of Sinsemilla Tips issues over a “sea of green” garden— a technique that they covered first.

Billed as “the nation’s only technical journal for the marijuana industry,” Sinsemilla Tips was created in 1980 by a grower named Tom Alexander as a sort of revenge fantasy against the establishment. Alexander had been living on a primitive 160-acre homestead in the backwoods of Corvallis, Oregon, where he planted around half an acre of quality Hawaiian genetics. But before he could harvest his first crop, a timber scout spotted his garden and reported it to the sheriff.

On Sept. 27, 1979, 16 officers with semi-automatic rifles raided his homestead – confiscating his 1,200-plus plants and arresting him and his wife.

Fortunately for them, the charges were ultimately dismissed due to an error on the search warrant regarding the location of his property. The authorities still kept his weed though, of course … and weeks later, three of the sheriffs involved were arrested by state police for attempting to sell it themselves. Unlike Alexander, however, who’d faced a $100,000 fine and possible 20 years in prison, the crooked cops were sentenced to just three years of probation.

Incensed by this blatant injustice, the outraged outlaw set out to exact his revenge on the establishment through the written word. He decided to write a book about Cannabis cultivation, but was quickly persuaded by his grower friends to publish an ongoing journal instead. Without a lick of experience in journalism or publishing, Alexander sat down

NOV. 2021 nov.

with a typewriter, a kerosene lantern (he had no electricity), and some rubber cement and got to work. The result was a 16-page, typo-ridden newsletter that he christened Sinsemilla Tips.

TWO MOONS RISING

COURTESY OF TOM ALEXANDER

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After printing around 1,000 copies, Alexander drove up and down the coast from Mendocino to Seattle selling the newsletters for 50 cents apiece at grow stores, on street corners, or Sinsemilla Tips founder Tom Alexander. wherever he could. It was while visiting those horticulture shops in Humboldt and Seattle that he noticed all of the growers with wads of hundreds buying fertilizers and grow lights, that he had another bright idea. One month after starting the journal, he opened Oregon’s first hybrid indoor/outdoor grow shop: Full Moon Farm Products.

“It was a 5,000-square-foot grow shop on Main Street in downtown Corvallis, right in front of everybody,” Alexander boasts. “It had windows that were 12 feet high, and we put grow rooms with 10foot tomato plants in those two front windows to show what could be done with those lights.”

Upstairs from the Full Moon shop became the offices of New

Issue #3 - Fall 1980

Moon Publishing, where he produced the magazine. Though unsophisticated in its design, Sinsemilla Tips began providing a wealth of groundbreaking cultivation information from the world’s top Cannabis experts, including Robert Connell Clark, Ed Rosenthal, Skunkman Sam, Michael Wolf Segal (originator of the now-legendary “sea of green” gardening method), and Jorge Cervantes.

“Jorge came into my store in 1983 and said, ‘I’m going to write a book Alexander entered through the back door, called his lawyer, on marijuana,’” Alexander recalls. “I and waited. When he opened his doors at 10:30 a.m., agents said, ‘Well, come back when you finish rushed in, followed by TV cameras, threw down a search warit.’ Six months later, he comes back in rant and began seizing his entire stock. and throws this book down, and I said, “They backed a U-Haul up to the store and just started tak‘Great – let’s go out back and smoke a ing out inventory,” Alexander laments. joint,’ and we became best friends.”

Thanks to partnerships with Last Gasp OPERATION GREEN MERCHANT publishing in San Francisco and HomeThe basis for these raids was a statute added stead Books in Seattle, the magazine’s to the Controlled Substances Act in the early reach soon expanded nationwide.

1980s that allowed for certain grow equip“Me, Jorge, David [Tatelman] of ment to be classified as drug paraphernalia Best buds: Murphy Stevens, Ed Rosenthal, David Tatelman, Homestead, Ron Turner at Last Gasp … alongside bongs and pipes, provided that Tom Alexander, and Jorge Cervates. we all became close-knit friends. They they were “intended” to be used to manufachelped distribute the mag, and it just took ture an illegal substance (marijuana). To establish that off.” illicit intent, the DEA had conducted a two-year-long entrapment scheme codenamed Operation Green Operation Green SINSE SENSATION Merchant.

Merchant patch.

On Dec. 26, 1985, the New York Times Starting in late ‘87, the DEA sent undercover published an article about Sinsemilla Tips agents to dozens of grow stores – particularly, those who adverentitled “Magazine for tised in Sinse Tips and High Times – and asked workers there for NY Times article about Sinse Tips, 1985.

Ambitious Marijuana Growers.” That information about growing marijuana. Aware of this possible legal article led to more press, including appearjeopardy, most shop owners (Alexander included) gave explicit instrucances on Geraldo, Phil Donohue, Nightline and the tions to never discuss marijuana in their stores for any reason, and even to eject any Today show – thrusting Alexander into the spotlight customers who spoke of it. Unfortunately, employees at some shops failed to heed as an outspoken new celebrity activist. that warning; in the case of Full Moon Farm, the agents had posed as Vietnam vets “In all those TV shows, I would be on stage with with PTSD and persuaded some veterans working there into selling them equipment.

Charles Rangel and the head of the California DEA, These interactions provided the DEA with the legal justification needed to secure and they would put forth totally ludicrous arguments, wiretaps, subpoena shipping records from UPS, and confiscate millions in merwhile I would be in a suit and tie looking presentable chandise. and making credible arguments. That really pissed In the case of Full Moon, authorities seized around $75,000 in merchandise them off.”

– which, under the civil forfeiture laws, they were never required to return even The publicity generated by the media coverage though Alexander was never actually charged with a crime. Instead, the Feds helped Sinse Tips go from an underground paper to offered him a simple ultimatum: sign an agreement relinquishing all rights to the a legitimate commercial magazine. Soon, Alexander merchandise and agreeing to never sell grow equipment again, or be charged with was able to buy a new Mac, hire a staff, and up the criminal conspiracy. Under advice from his lawyer – and pressure from his wife – he publishing frequency from quarterly to bimonthly. By accepted the deal and closed the store. the late 1980s, the magazine was up to 72 pages, printing 10,000 copies, and grossing around AFTER THE FALL $100,000 a year. With both his businesses booming, Of course, Operation Green Merchant didn’t end after the busts of Black Thursday Tom Alexander seemed to be riding high … but – the investigation soon expanded, attempting to link the shop owners in a criminal sadly, his fortunes were about to change. conspiracy with a prominent seed company in the Netherlands (that’s another story) and the marijuana mags in which they all advertised. Since the First Amendment BLACK THURSDAY prevented the Justice Department from targeting the publications directly, they simply On Oct. 27, 1989, DEA agents raided dozens shut down or scared off all of their advertisers in an attempt to starve them out inof horticultural supply stores across 46 states and stead. High Times managed to survive by eking ​​ out issues on a shoestring budget for arrested over 100 people – a day of infamy in the Cana while, but sadly Sinse Tips was forced to fold – publishing their final issue in early 1990. nabis community that became known as Black Thursday.

Luckily for him, Alexander had seen the writing on the wall: A year before Green Merchant, “I was getting calls all morning from people on the East he’d started a separate, Cannabis-free magazine called Growing Edge, which was able to Coast saying, ‘I got the DEA here … my store’s being raided!’” scoop up most of Sensi Tips’ former advertisers. He ran Growing Edge until retiring from pubAlexander remembers. “I got to the store about 8:00 a.m. and lishing in 2009, then spent another decade serving as an expert witness for Cannabis cases and saw three unmarked cars in the parking lot with people sitting speaking at various conferences before finally leaving the world of weed behind. in them, and I said to myself, ‘Shit – they’re gonna hit me “I’m out of the Cannabis industry now,” Alexander admits. “I don’t smoke anymore … I had next!’” a heart attack a year ago, and the smoke in my lungs cuts my oxygen, so my doctor told me to stick to tinctures and edibles. I had a good 45-year run, but now I’m done.”

For more about Tom & Sinsemilla Tips, listen to Episode #16 of our podcast at worldofCannabis.museum/cannthropology.

STO RY b y B O B BY B LAC K @ CAN N T H RO PO LO G Y for LEA F NAT IO N

Story and photos originally published on worldofCannabis.museum and reprinted with permission.

MAGAZINES & PATCH FROM WORLD OF CANNABIS MUSEUM COLLECTION

“I saw three unmarked cars in the parking lot with people sitting in them, and I said to myself, ‘Shit—they’re gonna hit me next!”

I SHARE THAT SEDIMENT

W

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by Mike Ricker

e all know the 10-second rule. When you drop a piece of food, if you pick it up within 10 seconds, you have beaten the decomposition clock – essentially rescuing the item from the armies of crazed little germs that lie in waiting for food fumbles. In your mind’s eye, these microscopic creatures are blood thirsty vampires, lurching, smothering it with toxic juices and dripping fangs, rendering your Funyun a potential risk to your body’s wellness.

Your taste buds, however, may not excuse your blunder. There is not a moment to waste for the fast action determination that will either land that flavor into your mouth, or sadly, litter the ground with another dead soldier. This is a decision factored on the intensity of your saliva, painfully anticipating the explosive zest while the impatient clock races to the point of no return.

You grow weary of your surroundings, weighing the risks of irreparable illness, or judgement from any onlooker within eyeshot. Do you forego the hazards and redeem the gaffe, or exponentially enhance the chance that a frenzy of multiplying bacteria could foster an unpronounceable condition?

Tick, tick, tick. You’re down to 007.

You stare upon it, frazzled by the dilemma. This is an exceptional, onion-flavored ring, and you are not one to waste tasty salt. The forehead begins to bead. Slow motion ensues. There is a finite number of Funyuns in existence and this one is yours. You put the fun in Funyun.

You reach down and pinch the item with two fingers, brush any dirt across your jeans, inspect it momentarily, then hammer into the crunchiness with a shear jaw clamp. You chew and finish. You do not lick your fingers this time, but wipe the hand on your jeans and go about your extremely busy day.

In this unpredictable world where the strong survive, acquiring good food comes with challenges, and you are not one to be wasteful.

Besides, those little critters are pure protein. Kind of like a ladybug on a blooming nug of weed.

Not that you would ever eat one. Unless of course, it came after your Funyun.

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OFF THE

FA R M Photo taken at Sticky Farms in Mendocino County

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