INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010 #29 | SEPT. 2022THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE FREE / LEAFMAGAZINES.COM CALIFORNIA THE TANNINS & TERPENES ISSUE Celebrating the art and science of pairing Cannabis and fine beverages
07 EDITOR’S NOTE 08 NATIONAL NEWS 10 CALIFORNIA NEWS 12 REHASHED 14 SHOP REVIEW 16 PLANT PEOPLE 18 CANNABIS RECIPES 20 STRAIN OF THE MONTH 22 COLLABREWATIONS 24 PROFILES IN FLAVOR 26 ORIGIN STORY 28 CALIFORNIA PAIRING 29 OREGON PAIRING 30 MARYLAND PAIRING 31 NORTHEAST PAIRING 32 EDIBLE OF THE MONTH 34 CONCENTRATE OF THE MONTH 36 CANNTHROPOLOGY 38 STONEY BALONEY COMPANYBREWINGPOINTBLUECOURTESY LABSSCROSATIMIKE 1424 PROFILES IN FLAVOR INSIDE SC LABS’ TERPENE TESTING SHOP REVIEW THE HERBIVORE NAPA VALLEY MCCORMICKTODDCOURTESYCANNTHROPOLOGY THE POT PRINCE OF BEL-AIR 36 SEPT. 2022 leafmagazines.com CALIFORNIA 4 SEPT. 2022 [issue #29ISSUETERPENES&TANNINSTHE 26 ROSATIMIKE LANDRACE ORIGINS IS THE FIRST COFFEE BRAND THAT’S TOGETHER.COFFEECONSUMERSENCOURAGINGTOPAIRTHEIRANDCANNABIS 22 THE BEER INDUSTRY LOOKS TO THE WORLD OF CANNABIS FOR TASTY INSPIRATION COLLABREWATIONS
All Things Cannabis For All People leaflifepodcastrickerdjmaaryjwhitestashleylynnbeardedloraxPODCAST NBA AND CANNABIS #182 THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS #183 ROSIN #184 RUNNING AND CANNABIS #185 BLACK MARKET TRENDS WATCH ON LEAF LIFE PODCAST V2 LISTENEVERYWHERE Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 or older. This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit-forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of reach of children. THIS MONTH: WITH SHAWN KEMP
7leafMAGAZINES.com ESTABLISHED 2010 THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE NORTHWEST LEAF / OREGON LEAF / ALASKA LEAF / MARYLAND LEAF / CALIFORNIA LEAF / NORTHEAST LEAF TAG ORWHEREAND#CALIFORNIALEAFSHAREPIXOFYOU’REREADINGPICKINGUPTHEMAG! @NWLEAF | @CALIFORNIALEAFMAG | ISSUU.COM/NWLEAFREADPASTISSUESINOURFREEONLINEARCHIVE Exclusive Cannabis Journalism CONNECT CALIFORNIWITHALEAF Have a strain, product, or news tip that the California Leaf staff needs to know about? Email bobbyblack@LeafMagazines.com! CONTRIBUTORS 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 to start advertising with California Leaf! 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 STATE SALES DIRECTOR nate@leafmagazines.com (415) 717-6985 MEGHAN RIDLEY COPY EDITOR meghan@leafmagazines.com O’HARA SHIPE ONLINE EDITOR ohara@leafmagazines.com BOBBY BLACK, DESIGN + FEATURES JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION JACKIE BRYANT, FEATURES TOM BOWERS, FEATURES MARY CARREON, FEATURES AMANDA DAY, PHOTOS WYATT EARLY, REVIEWS STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS MATT JACKSON, FEATURES ALEXA JESSE, FEATURES GREG MALCOLM, PHOTOS JESSE RAMIREZ, DESIGN MIKE RICKER, FEATURES MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING MIKE ROSATI, PHOTOS ZACK RUSKIN, FEATURES O’HARA SHIPE, FEATURES JAMIE VICTOR, DESIGN DAN VINKOVETSKY, PHOTOS + FEATURES NATE WILLIAMS, FEATURES Editor’s Note WES ABNEYABOUT THE COVER LONG AWAITED as one of our readers’ favorite issues of the year, California Leaf’s annual Tannins and Terpenes edition features important information and tips and tricks on the art and science of pairing Cannabis beverages and edibles with alcoholic and nonalcoholic products. When paired intentionally, the result never fails to disappoint. For this month’s cover, Tom Bowers paired Defiance Vineyard Petite Sirah and Moon Rocket Fudge Dark Chocolate Bar, a luscious marriage of complementary flavors. Be sure to check out the rest of our national Leaf Magazine pairings, and see our past Tannins & Terpenes editions atissuu.com/nwleafandleafmagazines.com.
Thanks for picking up the Tannins & Terpenes issue of the Leaf!
“OUR TEAM HAS GATHERED A TASTETANTALIZETHATOFSELECTIONPAIRINGSSHOULDTHEBUDS.”
As we continue to look ahead for fun ways to celebrate, our team has gathered a selection of pairings that should tantalize the taste buds and hopefully inspire you to create your own pairings at home. We also have a great article on SC Labs who specializes in terpene testing and awareness, as well as an informative profile on Landrace Origins regarding the similarities between coffee and Cannabis – another classic beverage combination. Plus you’ll find all the normal news, reviews, and a classic Stoney Baloney entitled “Wetting the Bed” to close out another wonderful issue of the Leaf.
Thanks for reading and sharing – cheers to the last days of summer!
@CANNABOMBTOM/CALIFORNIA LEAF -Wes Abney
PHOTO by TOM BOWERS
While Cannabis is certainly the nectar of the Gods, there are few things more pleasurable than combining a tasty toke with a delicious beverage. From mocktails to cocktails to infused beverages at home using a tincture, there’s an endless array for combining the pleasures of smoking and drinking – which we celebrate with this issue each year.
We started publishing the T&T issue of the Leaf in 2013 to draw attention to the wide variety of Cannabis strains and flavor profiles, which is why we began pairing dank cuts with wine. Whether you are a wine connoisseur or would rather pass on the glass like me, it’s common knowledge that there are thousands of varieties of wines with flavor profiles, styles and experts who can taste a high-end bottle and proclaim not just tasting notes, but age and location of production. This level of knowledge has existed for decades in Cannabis, but lack of legalization and education kept it underground until the early 2000s. So, we began our journey of pairing Tannins & Terpenes, and over the last decade have expanded to highlight infused non-alcoholic wines, brewed our own terpene-infused beer with Labrewatory in Portland Ore., and thrown events to celebrate the coming together of these worlds. We’ve also published fun cocktail and mocktail recipes, paired non-alcoholic drinks, and given advice on terpene profiles – all of which can be found in our extensive archives at leafmagazines.com. Just look for the past T&T issues!
AS ACT 473 PROHIBITS POLICE FROM USING THE SMELL OF MARIJUANA COMING FROM A PERSON’S HOME AS PROBABLE CAUSE FOR A SEARCH WITHOUT A WARRANT. 2022
S “THE
PROGRESS LOUISIANA COPS CAN’T SEARCH ON BASIS OF POT SMELL of August 1, police in Louisiana are not allowed to use the odor of marijua na as probable cause to search a person’s home without a warrant. On the other side of the coin, smoking or vaping marijuana in a vehicle will be illegal. Those are just two of the laws passed in this year’s Louisiana Legislative session that went into effect the beginning of August related to the regulation of marijuana in the state. Lawmakers also included employment protections for state workers who are medical marijuana patients.
SEPT.
8nwlEAF.COMcannabisNEWS
STUDY: CANNABIS SMOKERS HAVE FEWER NASAL PROBLEMS moking marijuana could help keep sinus problems at bay, according to a new study. The study found people who use Cannabis may experience fewer bouts of congestion, sneezing and sinus pain than their nonsmoking peers do. But the reasons why, for now, remain cloudy. The study of nearly 2,300 U.S. adults found, as expected, tobacco smokers are often plagued by such symptoms. But the same just did not hold true for regular pot users. The findings, experts warned, don’t mean that people can simply chase away a runny nose by firing up a doob. It may not be that sim ple, and it’s not clear that the herb is actually protective. RESULTS OF THIS STUDY SUGGEST THAT A HIGHER FREQUENCY OF CANNABIS USE IS ASSOCIATED WITH A LOWER LIKELIHOOD OF SINONASAL SYMPTOMS,” ACCORDING TO THE AUTHORS.
STORIES by STEVE ELLIOTT, AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF MARIJUANA was spent in medical marijuana dispensaries in July by Arkansas patients. 5$23.3m states are in play to legalize in 2022: AR, MD, MO, ND and OK. And SD could possibly make it 6. of American adults support accordinglegalization,toGallup. of Weedmaps’ employees were laid off in August amidst declining Cannabis sales.
10 % 55 % 68 % of Texas voters say they favor marijuana legalization in a new poll. municipalities in Rhode Island will decide in November at the ballot box whether to allow legal marijuana sales.
31 HEALTH & SCIENCE
Study Suggests Link Between L.A.’s Active Cannabis Users, Lower Rates of ICU Admission When Hospitalization for Covid
Powering East Oakland Cannabis Grow Gets Heated Regional air regulators are locked in a dispute with Denver’s Green Sage over their refusal to stop running “massive” diesel generators without a permit at two San Leandro Street buildings in East Oakland.
SEPT. 2022 10leafmagazines.comlocalnews STORIES by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for CALIFORNIA LEAF
COURTESY
Variety of Cannabis Bills Advance through California Congress
California lawmakers had drugs on the mind when they gathered last month to consider several potentially significant bills focused on Cannabis and psychedelics. They include SB 1326, which would (eventually) allow for interstate Cannabis commerce between California and other states; SB 1186, which would prevent local jurisdictions from banning medical Cannabis delivery services; and SB 2188, which would establish employ ment protections for individuals consuming Cannabis outside of the workplace. All three were approved to face their next hurdle: floor votes. Meanwhile, a high-profile bill from Sen. Scott Wiener – SB 519 –suffered a less successful fate. Intended to legalize possession of substances like psilocybin, LSD and MDMA for adults in California, the bill had previously passed through both the state Senate and two Assem bly committees before being placed on hold in 2021. Apparently, its date with the Assembly Appropriations Committee last month led to significant changes to the bill’s text, essentially limiting the scope of SB 519 to a policy study. Ever determined, Sen. Wiener (who also authored SB 1186) has stated he plans to reintroduce the legislation next year.
In the past few years, a mountain of research looking at what, if any, correlation might exist between COVID-19 and Cannabis has been fever ishly built by researchers. With such a short timeframe, it’s understandable that what we’ve learned thus far has come in dribs and drabs. Such is the case with a new study published last month in the “Journal of Cannabis Research.” Using two Los Angeles hospitals as their data source, researchers determined that “active Cannabis users hospitalized with COVID-19 had better clinical outcomes compared with non-users, including decreased need for ICU admission or mechanical ventilation.” Looking at the numbers, the study surveyed 1,831 COVID-19 patients overall. Of this group, 69 patients self-identified as active Cannabis users – the equivalent of 4% of the total patient subject pool. Thus, this notable finding was understandably followed by a caveat from the researchers: “While there was a trend toward improved survival in Cannabis users, this was not statistically significant.” But for those looking for the silver lining to take away from these findings, the study is suggestive of a positive correlation between chronic Cannabis use and less severe COVID-19 outcomes. How do we learn more? Researchers in this study are calling for additional, more robust studies to “better elucidate the effects of Cannabis use in COVID-19 patients.”
In July, an injunction request filed by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) revealed the agency’s goals include the enforcement of an abatement order issued against Green Sage, as well as penalties of up to $175,000 per day for contin ued violations of their abatement order and state air pollution laws. This move from BAAQMD was itself a response to Green Sage’s request for a court to block the abatement order, which they argue denies them the ability to have enough power to grow lucrative Cannabis crops. But the facilities housing the cultiva tions renting from Green Sage are not in an air district issued to run diesel generators. As local outlet KQED notes, the company has already failed to comply with “at least three other city and air district violation notic es related to the diesel generators since late last year.” To add to the chaos, the outlet also reports that Green Sage defaulted on its $54.5 million mortgage in 2021 and now faces “a possible foreclosure auction.”
Battle Over Diesel Generators
Fresh Complaints Allege Weedmaps is (Again) Allowing Advertising for Illegal Cannabis Goods and Retailers
“THE STUDY
CALIFORNIA
OUTCOMES.”SEVEREUSECANNABISCHRONICBETWEENCORRELATIONOFSUGGESTIVEISAPOSITIVEANDLESSCOVID-19
Sound familiar? If the alarming prospect of black-market activity proliferating on the platform of California Cannabis advertising giant Weedmaps rings a bell, that’s because this is not the first time they have dealt with such issues. In 2020, Weedmaps – which operates as a technology company and does not directly touch the plant as part of their business model – was forced to remove advertising for illegal Cannabis retailers and products. That move happened just before Weedmaps appeared on the Nasdaq via its parent company, suggesting there was perhaps a heightened concern for being above board before they were set to become a publicly traded commodity. Now, new complaints filed by executives at Canex Delivery, a licensed Los Angeles Cannabis company, say Weedmaps is not do ing enough to ensure advertisements for illegal goods and dispensaries remain off the platform. The allegations made by Canex include the suggestion that Weedmaps’ inaction to smoke out illegal ads has possibly cost just their specific business “tens of millions of dollars.” Should regulators find merit in these allegations, the company could be subject to hefty fines, which itself would likely be compound ed by Weedmaps being one of the few – and most prominent – Cannabis companies currently trading on a major stock exchange.
ATTRACTING PLENTY OF industry insiders and fresh faces alike, the conference floor of the Cannabis Drink Expo featured tables for everything from testing labs to infusion solutions to packaging firms offering cans with textured prints, eye-popping colors and more. One of the most popular stops was Tough Ma ma’s Yolo Shotz, which pack 100mg of THC into a liquid shot with rapid onset of five to 15Attractingminutes. patrons with their delightful logo of a gorilla smoking a blunt, many Expo visitors could be spotted sport ing the free hats and enamel pins being offered at the Tough Mama booth. There was an added premium on such items as the expo was a non-medi cated event, meaning no THCrich samples were provided.
12 STORY by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by MIKE ROSATI @ROSATIPHOTOSSEPT. 2022 leafmagazines.com
If you’re going to attend the Cannabis Drinks Expo, it helps to arrive thirsty.
Fortunately, as was the case for Milonga Yerba Mate, brewing tea with 25mg of CBD per serving to offer on-site was not against the rules.
For Priyanka Chand, Applications Engineer for Vacuum Barrier Corporation, getting a booth at the expo was about explaining what it is that their company does and how it might benefit Cannabis-minded beverage companies.
Satisfy
Asked to assess what her experience at the expo was like, Chand had positive things to say.
Joey Guerriero, Chief Product Officer, also shared that his brand’s label features a photo of his father as a child. According to Guerri ero, at Cry Baby, “The only thing we don’t make is the hemp.” New vintages from the company feature the minor cannabinoid CBG in addition to CBD.
Taking place at the South San Francisco Conference Center this past July, the day-long affair featured both a packed vendor floor and an adjoining series of lectures and topics on every facet of the growing drinkable Cannabis trade.
Other vendors participating at the Cannabis Drinks Expo in cluded companies unrelated to the Cannabis industry, but interested in possibly playing a role.
Other companies were there to talk snazzy packaging – think metal cans with textured prints that speak to a graphic theme, like raised stripes on an image of a tiger – or just about any other facet of the business you could imagine. As a sign of where the industry stands, it was unquestionably a glass half-full moment. Bottoms up! to All Palates
newslocal REHASHED SF Cannabis Drink Expo Strives
Indeed, the vibe of the event was one in which many people seemed to be riding high on strong doses of pure CBD. One place to acquire such a boost was at the booth for Cry Baby Wine – a family-owned operation out of Fresno since 1952 that is now making CBD wines in its third generation of vinting. Cry Baby’s de-alco holized CBD wines include a Cabernet, a Sangria, a Rose and a Chardonnay blend.
“At Vacuum Barrier,” Chand said, “we spe cialize in liquid nitrogen dosing systems that are often used for pressurizing flat, non-car bonated beverages such as juices and teas, and for nitrogenating beverages such as nitro coffees and beers. As of now there are Canna bis spritzers and seltzers in the market, and we at Vacuum Barrier would like to help expand that selection to include teas, juices and other non-carbonated beverages.”
“I had quality interactions with many attendees and fellow exhibitors,” she confirmed. “We are very excited and Vacuum Barrier also attended the Cannabis Drink Expo in Chicago as well!”
HERBIVORETHEHERBIVORETHE
Napa boutique highlights herbal excellence
HISTORY Napa Valley is California’s crown jewel of winemaking terroir, drawing in nearly 4 million visitors each year – a stark contrast to the city’s rela tively small permanent population of less than 80,000. The grapes, juice and finished wines coming out of the region are world-renowned, and in a state like California one might expect that upon the onset of adult-use Can nabis legalization, we’d begin to see rows of OG Kush and Gelato plants going up alongside the vineyards and see greenhouses popping up all over theHowever,valley. the city of Napa has been hesitant to welcome the industry and currently has a patchwork of legality that bans almost all commercial Cannabis business. In fact, it wasn’t until early 2022 that the city’s small number of medical dispensaries became permitted to operate as adult-use retailers and sell to anyone 21+ with valid ID. The Herbivore is one of those storefronts, but it operates differently from most retailers in today’s recreationally-focused market.
ENVIRONMENT
BUDTENDERS + MENU Where many are focused on margins, THC percent age and customer counts, The Herbivore operates as more of an apothecary-style dispensary with a limited, curated menu and a significant focus on customer service and consumer education. The staff is small and tight-knit, with only about half a dozen staff members running the store at any given time. All budtenders have a say in what goes on the menu, and they all QC and discuss every product before making a recommendation to the store’s owner on whether to put it on the shelf or not. This results in an extremely limited, finely-curated menu focused on local and medicinally functional products without any extraneous and repetitive SKUs. As a consumer, this style of product curation and menu creation is greatly appreciated as it’s much easier to navigate and less overwhelming to browse through compared to most stores that stock anything and everything with 50+ product options for every category.
education.”consumerservicecustomerfocussignificantmenucuratedlimited,withdispensarystyleapothecary-moreoperatesHerbivore“Theasofanaandaonand
The sales floor has a sim ple-yet-elegant layout that is con trasted by one of the most peculiar and interesting buildouts I’ve seen for a dispensary – anywhere, ever. Gucci wallpaper featuring a repeating pattern of Japanese tattoo-style panther heads adorns the waiting room walls. Vintage wooden farm equip ment is hung as art and used to dis play product. One wall is covered in a gold, fish-scale looking pattern and another is made of malachite. The feel is classy and chic, but the bougie flex of the design is softened by the staff’s personable and down-to-earth attitudes – ultimately providing the needed balance to make The Herbivore a standout in all the right ways. The buildout also includes an open-air consump tion lounge, located adjacent to the entrance of the retail space. Unfortunately, the city has yet to allow consumption lounges of any kind to exist, so the space serves as a location for vendor days and other events until regulations are in place to support the lounge’s original intention.
SEPT. 2022 leafmagazines.com 14 reviewshop
QUICK HIT Napa is a unique community with a rich agricul tural history that is continuing to evolve with the addition of recreationally legal Cannabis. Whether you’re from out of town and are just weekend-ing in wine country, or you’re a local looking for a more hands-on, no-frills shopping experience, The Herbi vore is a fantastic option. With so many retailers and so many brands on the market, shopping at a dispensary today can feel like going to the grocery store. The Herbivore experi ence is not that, and it stands out and makes for a memorable visit as a result.
STORY by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW145/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by MIKE ROSATI @ROSATIPHOTOS THE HERBIVORE 709 California Blvd, Napa, CA theherbivorenapa.com | @theherbivorenapa_inc (844) 627-2283 | Open 12PM-8PM Tues-Sun
THE WINE AND WEED INDUSTRIES have a rivalry like Kurt Cobain and Axl Rose: The older one hates the new kid on the block, despite their commonalities. From cultivating a crop to aromatic flavors to pairings and terroir, wine and Cannabis revolve around crafting a product designed to stimulate multiple senses. Yet, a prohibitionist divide separates the two worlds – with one side largely forbidding collaboration with the other, despite the numerous crossovers. But there are always a few people who choose to rebel against the status quo, and the woman breaking those barriers in wine is Marisa Webster-Carrillo. As the adage goes, “Well behaved women seldom make history.” There isn’t a proverb that better encapsulates WebsterCarrillo’s spirit – it’s all a part of her flow and it seems to run in her family. Her father and uncle (who was a glass blower) opened one of the first headshops in Venice Beach in the late 1960s. Her dad also attended the legendary Altamont Free Concert in 1969—a 300,000-person music festival featuring Santana, Jefferson Airplane, and the Rolling Stones (among many others) where the Hells Angels served as security. (He later became a criminal defense attorney and represented many Cannabis growers, as well infamous California “toad venom” couple Bob and Connie Shepard).
CARRILLOWEBSTER-MARISA DE-ALC INFUSION SOLUTIONS
TURNING WINE INTO WEED WITH THE VITICULTURE EXPERT AND INFUSED BEVERAGE PIONEER
SEPT. 2022 16leafmagazines.comPLANTPEOPLE PASO ROBLES
THE DANK DE-ALCHEMIST
“HE WAS ALWAYS EXTREMELY OPEN and honest about Cannabis with me,” she says. “I can remember when I was young watching videos with him for his cases that were undercover cops basically recording the outdoor grows that belonged to his clients. He always told me from a very young age, ‘[Cannabis] is just a plant, and for a lot of people, it’s medicine. This is a waste of time, [the cops] should be focusing on people who make drugs that kill people.’”
STORY by MARY CARREON @MARYYYPRANKSTER for CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by MELISSA JEAN MATTSON @MELISSAJEANPHOTOGRAPHY DE-ALC INFUSION SOLUTIONS DE-ALCINFUSIONSOLUTIONS.COM @DEALCINFUSIONSOLUTIONS
A daily Cannabis consumer by the time she was a freshman at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Web ster-Carrillo graduated with a degree in nutrition and a minor in viticulture. She jumped into an internship in Healdsburg, Calif. and from there, maneuvered through the global wine industry ranks – traveling to New Zealand, Australia and other countries to gain an intimate understanding of the wine industry. A few years after returning to the states, she was hired by AEB USA, one of the biggest companies for winemaking/brewing ingre dients and cellar tools. She saw the trajectory of legal Cannabis moving toward infused beverages, two worlds she Webster-Carrillounderstood.triedtoget AEB interested in Cannabis drinks early on, especially after learning that some of AEB’s clients were using their prod ucts to develop new alcohol-removed beverages. She recognized that this was R&D for brands to begin experimenting with infused drinks. But AEB still wasn’t biting. So, she started researching and learning about the Cannabis beverage world independently from AEB. And, as a successful saleswoman does, she began making powerful connections in the sector. In 2019, Webster-Carrillo launched her own consulting company, De-Alc Infusion Solutions – offering clients the benefit of her expertise in a number of related areas, including vineyard and winery sustainability practices, Cannabis con sumables production, and of course, infused beverageBetweendevelopment.2019-2020, she was hired as a problem solver for several cannabis beverage brands under the umbrella of the alcohol removal company Bevzero, including Botanic Brews (which never made it to market), and non-alcoholic wine brands Viv and Oak and House of Saka. Webster-Carrillo put her career on the line because she knew the canna-bev sector was more than a fad – why else would Constellation Brands invest $4 billion into Canopy Growth? As a regular Cannabis consum er and someone whose friend circle has always included people working in both the unregulated and regulated markets, she knew weed drinks were inevitable. Unfortunately, her bosses at AEB didn’t agree—ultimately, they found out about her moonlight ing in the marijuana industry and terminated her. But by then it didn’t matter—she’d already established herself as an expert in the canna-bev biz, and her freelance consulting work soon led to one of Webster-Carrillo’s most passionate endeavors yet: joining the team of superstar women at House of Saka on an exclusive basis. Saka’s grapes are sourced from Napa Valley – a region that notoriously poo-poos Cannabis culture for its lack of sophistication. But the wine they produce is the oppo site of the weed stereotype—it’s elegant, brilliant and ahead of its time. It’s the measuring stick for luxury Cannabis beverages.
Webster-Carrillo—now based in Paso Robles—has since taken a step back from her role at the brand and is now working full time with Oregon Tilth, one of the longest-standing organic certifiers in the U.S. But she hasn’t lost her faith in the Cannabis beverage sector of the industry.
“I believe beverages will even tually be one of the most socially acceptable ways for people to consume Cannabis in the future,” she predicts.
“Every single one of us is consistently con suming drinks all day long. We start our day with water, juice and coffee, we enjoy bev erages at meals, and we use them at social functions. Eventually, maybe these liquids can even be used in feeding tubes or to help people too sick to eat a gummy and wait hours before they feel any relief or have an appetite. The fast-acting technology we see being used in Cannabis beverages – from emulsions like Vertosa, to other technologies such as quick liquids and Phenotech – will only get better as time, technology and research continue to advance.”
She ultimately built a small winery within a compact Can nabis co-packaging facility. It takes roughly 30 people to build and run a winery, but like most people running legal Cannabis businesses, she wore dozens of different hats to get the facility fully operational and producing a quality product.
Making Cannabis wine is not like making traditional wine. Removing the alcohol and infusing the remaining non-alcoholic liquid with Cannabis becomes an “entirely different chemical beast,” according to Webster-Carril lo. Here, you can’t just add things like yeast or tannins to fix an issue.
The pandemic and the burdensome Cannabis laws in California haven’t made the industry easy to navigate for any brand, House of Saka included.
“People always ask me, ‘Why would you remove the alcohol from wine and infuse it with Cannabis?’ And I always say, ‘We’re not making it for you! I’m not making it to change wine drinkers over to what I’m making,’” Webster-Carrillo says. “I’m making it as an alternative because I personally know a lot of people who could have benefitted from this and might still be alive today if they’d had something like this as an option. We have to have options.”
“I’ve tasted all of the Cannabis beverages on the market,” she says. “As a winemaker, I think some are really, really good and some are totally disjointed. They’re just throwing shit in there and calling it a Cannabis beverage and putting it on the market. And they’re totally selling.”
“I BELIEVE BEVERAGES WILL EVENTUALLY BE ONE OF THE MOST SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO CONSUME CANNABIS IN THE FUTURE,” SHE PREDICTS.
3 tablespoons honey or agave
SEPT. 2022 18leafmagazines.comCOOKINGWITHCANNABIS HIGH-DRATION TIME
12oz can frozen limeade
WATERMELON MOOD
3 tablespoons lime juice
MANGO COCONUT SUNSHINE MOM’S MOJITOS
Bunch of fresh mint
4. Pour the mixture into the pitcher, along with ice cubes. 5. Stir well.
4 cups watermelon chunks 4 teaspoons canna-oil, 5mg THC per teaspoon
Serves four | 5mg THC per glass
1. In a blender, combine all ingredients.
1 cup pineapple chunks
3. In a blender, combine the can of limeade, water and canna-oil.
These recipes are infused with coconut oil –each serving is 5mg thc. You can use whatever infusion method you prefer, just keep it to 5mg per serving, unless you know your comfortable, and safe, dose.
3 cups cold water
3 limes, thinly sliced
2 large, ripe mangoes, peeled and cut in chunks
RECIPES by LAURIE WOLF PHOTOS by BRUCE WOLF
Serves four | 5mg THC per glass Serves four | 5mg THC per glass
1 small banana, frozen, peeled and sliced
3 cups coconut milk, or milk of your choice
1. In a blender, combine all ingredients. 2. Blend untill smooth.
STAYING HYDRATED IS OF KEY IMPORTANCE, SO DRINKS HAVE BECOME MY FAVORITE WAY TO INFUSE. If it’s a day off work, I can have a little something with, or instead of, any meal. The mango coconut libation is filling, healthy, and as easy as it gets. It’s kind of perfect for any time of day. The watermelon slushie is essentially watermelon and cannabis, and though I like to add a whole lime (peel and all), it’s not required. It’s thirst-quenching and very tasty.
3. If desired, garnish with fresh cilantro.
1. In a large pitcher, combine the sliced limes and mint.
1 lime, cut in pieces ¼ cup simple syrup, or super fine sugar to your taste chopped fresh cilantro
4 teaspoons canna-oil, 5mg THC per teaspoon
4 teaspoons canna-oil, 5mg THC per teaspoon Ice cubes
2. With a wooden spoon, muddle them a bit.
2. Blend untill just smooth.
#EatLocally #HydrateYourself #HydrateOthers #BeKind #EveryonesMiserable #DontFearTheEdible
The cannabis-infused mojitos have fruit-filled ice cubes, which is a delightful touch. It’s tart and sweet, and if you make the ice cubes with limeade, the drink does not get watered down. Game changer? You can do that for iced coffee, too. I usually have coffee cubes and lemonade/ limeade cubes in the freezer all summer long.
At Sekaya Wellness we thoughtfully formulate homeopathic products for each of your needs. Easing your body, mind, and soul is at the heart of everything we do. SeKaya ellness Scan Me! Follow us on IG @sekayawellness Please contact us for wholesale opportunities Junior Solis - 208-610-8565 Featuring CBD * CBG * CBN * CBDa * CBGa Hand Formulated * 3rd Party Tested * All Organic Ingredients
sept, 2022 MONTHTHEOFSTRAINLEAFMAGAZINES.COM GRAPES ‘N’ GRAMS 20
CALIFORNIA REVIEW & PHOTO by TOM BOWERS @CANNABOMBTOM/CALIFORNIA LEAF HAVE A LEAD ON SOME SERIOUS FIRE? EMAIL BOBBYBLACK@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM BRED BY @REALLYCANNARADOCANNARADO @FROSTEDFLAVORSMERCH1@FROSTEDFLAVORZ916@FROSTEDFLAVORS.CO CULTIVATED BY FROSTED FLAVORS “Chunky, dense, dark crackers.”andjammyaromaemitglitteringgreen,nugsastrongoffruitgraham
31.6%
33.9%
DOMINANT IN D-LIMONENE, LINALOOL, B-CARYOPHYLLENE, AND B-MYRCENE.
FROSTED FLAVORS’ OWNER AND HEAD GROWER XAVIER MOSS-DAVIS LIVES THE HUSTLE. THC | TOTAL CANNABINOIDS
The Sacramento-born-and-bred legacy grower took 10 years of traditional market expertise and built his equity recreational market brand from the ground up – leveling up with each iteration of his operation as he works to earn status for the flower brand while simultaneously building out a street fashion and lifestyle label. His non-stop grind has been working. The Frosted Flavors lineup features a tight group of fire cultivars, leaning toward the fruit and gas side of the spectrum. For the Tannins and Terpenes issue, we decided to showcase the Grapes ‘n’ Grams – the Frosted Flavors cut of Garanimals bred by Cannarado. It’s a cross of Grape Pie (Cherry Pie x Grape Stomper) and Animal Cookies (GSC x Fire OG Bx3), which Moss-Davis’ team renamed in part due to trademark issues with the former name’s con nection to the childrens’ clothing company of the same name. The rebrand is apt: These chunky, dense, dark green, glittering nugs emit a strong aroma of jammy fruit and graham crackers when you break off a crumb and rub it between your hands. The buds break up and roll easy, drawing smoothly and evenly, stacking white ash. The effect seeps in with a strong body relaxation – perfect for putting on a movie at the end of a long day. We look forward to seeing where Moss-Davis and the Frosted Fla vors crew ends up. For the time being, they’ll be hand-watering their plants, popping new seeds, and bringing their love for Cannabis and its culture to the California market.
@SHERBINSKIS
The craft beer and Cannabis communities share more than merely overlapping fan groups, so much so that the primary flavor and aroma ingredient in many beers –hops – are a genetic cousin to pot.
Ever since legalization hit Colorado, Washington, Oregon and California – unsurprisingly, four states famous for their robust craft beer communities – brewers and cider makers have experimented with strain-inspired recipes, infusing a little bit of that Cannabis character into their craft.
Prior to the Covid pandemic, we at Leaf Magazines even paired this annual Tannins and Terpenes issue with a party featuring Cannabis-inspired, terpene-infused craft beers. What started as a curiosity has become a winning market strategy, to the point where world-renowned breeders and Cannabis brands are crossing the continent to collaborate on tasty projects and gain exposure to each other’s fanbases. @BLUEPOINTBREWING SHERBINSKIS.COM
SEPT. 2022 22leafmagazines.comTHETANNINS&TERPENESISSUE COLLABREWATIONSTHEBEERINDUSTRYLOOKSTOTHEWORLDOFCANNABISFORTASTYINSPIRATIONIT’SNOCOINCIDENCETHATEARLYSLANGFOR“STONER”WAS“HOPHEAD.”
BLUEPOINTBREWING.COM
BREWING A BRIDGE
It seems like a fitting turn of events, considering that Anheuser-Busch was one of the breweries that led the charge for the beer community on the heels of alcohol prohibition.
“Being on the East Coast at a brewery, and having that collabora tion, was a pretty epic moment for me,” Guz man said, recalling the feeling of standing on the stage at the Blue Point 4/20 party with brewery founder Mark Burford. “That’s how you push culture forward.”
Now, with the prevalence and proliferation of companies founded to formulate Cannabis strain profiles from botanically derived terpenes, intrepid inno vators are also laser focusing on specific strains in a more straightforward fashion.
A TERPENE-PACKED TREAT SHERBINSKI’S MARIO GUZMAN, GELATO BREEDER STORY by TOM BOWERS @CANNABOMBTOM/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by BLUE POINT BREWING COMPANY & SHERBINSKIS GUZMAN & BLUE POINT BREWING COMPANY’S ADRIAN HOT GELATO DRIP IS A HIT
Blue Point’s Brewery Experience Manager, Shelby Poole, couldn’t be more excited about the co operative vibe between the craft beer and craft Cannabis com munities. A long-time Cannabis advocate and consumer, she sees this as the natural progression of a long-standing relationship. “It’s part of our heritage,” Poole said of the con nection between Blue Point’s staff and the Cannabis community. “It’s very much part of our history. Our founders are proud Cannabis supporters. Jam music and the whole hippie scene has been part of our blood, so this is really just leaning into who we are.”
EVOLVING THE GAME
“I’m excited to be able to facilitate it, honestly,” Poole said. “It’s a dream … I imagine that this is how it felt at the end of Prohibition for brewers. It feels extra close to home as a result.”
One notable early pioneer was a collaboration between TJ’s Gardens and Claim 52 Brewing from Eugene, Ore., who teamed up to release their mouthwatering Durban Poison IPA – using a combination of citrus zest, grapefruit puree, Sim coe and Citra hops to approximate the cultivar. Earlier this year, legendary legacy brand Doja Exclusive joined forces with 450 North Brewing Company out of Columbus, Ind., to release Slushy XL RS-11 – building co-branded hype with a smoothie beer conditioned on raspberry, orange, pineapple, and lime/orange/pineapple sherbet.
“We’re not at a point where a company like An heuser-Busch is going to have Cannabis products in their distribution,” Guzman said, referring to the importance of using terpenes extracted from non-Cannabis sources. The collab with Abstrax provided the magic sauce, so to speak.
“Cannabis and beer, we’re going to borrow so much from each other through this whole process,” Poole said. “It’s not going to be just Can nabis taking notes from beer. I think more substantially, it’s going to be beer taking notes off of Cannabis, because it’s this industry that’s been authentically growing, instead of these marketing teams building up what it’s going to be. Cannabis has just been this underground existence for all these years, so I think we actually have a lot to learn about selling your goods in an authentic way.”
Mario Guzman, owner of Sherbinskis and the legendary breeder behind the Gelato cultivar, recently jumped into the mash“I’vetun.been doing research on the Gelato terpene profiles, identifying what makes Gelato special,” Guzman said. He partnered with terpene extraction and profile formulation compa ny Abstrax to craft a facsimile of the Gelato terpene profile using non-Cannabis-derived terpenes, in order to make a non-psychoactive, universally consumable recreation of his canonical cultivar. That led to his ability to collaborate with Blue Point Brewing Company out of Long Island, NY, whose Innovation Manager, Adrian Hot, had already started toying with terpene formulations.
For the release of Gelato Drip, the Sherbinskis and Abstrax teams traveled to NYC for an infused dinner launch, which led into a huge 4/20 celebra tion, Shakedown on Main Street, at the brewpub. The excitement in the air was palpable. Or maybe that was the weed smoke. The entire lot was packed, with people en joying Guzman’s flower, hitting the event’s dab bar, and chatting each other up – with a Gelato Drip in one hand and a joint in the other.
But it’s bigger than Blue Point. This is a tale of two craft communities, long intertwined and now operating in the regulated goods space, side-by-side.
Many of these collaborations simply use tradi tional beer ingredients to approximate the com plex terpene profiles of specific Cannabis strains.
The brewery joined forces with Sherbinskis and Abstrax to release Gelato Drip – a dank, sticky IPA formulated using Abstrax’s Gelato terpene profile. Without Abstrax’s botanically-derived formula tion, Guzman may not have been able to make a collab work with Blue Point, a community-driven, pot-friendly brewery purchased in 2014 by the world’s largest beer company, AB-InBev, which also owns Anheuser-Busch.
It’s been such a wild success, Poole said, that they’ve positioned their flagship Toasted Lager as a “session” beer designed to pair perfectly with a puff. They even do Toasted Tuesdays on the patio, with a complimentary dab bar (no Cannabis is ever for sale at the brewery).
“This is happening, and (Anheuser-Busch) is certainly not unaware that it’s happening,” Poole said. “We are not asking to put Cannabis in any products, we’re not asking to break any laws –we’re asking to talk about laws that are new in New York that are a reality.”
BELIEVE THE HYPE
We’ve tested hundreds of thousands of samples for over 43 different terpenes, and what we’ve learned from sorting that data is that every one we’ve ever tested sorts into six primary classes. These are like the Merlots, the Cabernets, the Chardonnays, etc., of Cannabis. Then, each of these primary classes has two to three subgroupings based on the secondary and tertiary terpenes present. On the terpene spectrum, you have myrcene on one end (“indica”) and terpinolene on the other (“sativa”). Both of these archetype classes are primarily one dominant terpene with low everything else – all other profiles in the middle feature two or three terpenes in codominance.
HOW MANY DIFFERENT TERPENES ARE THERE? There are hundreds of different terpenes found in nature, but only five to nine primary and secondary terpenes are typically found in Cannabis.
JUDGES AT THIS YEAR’S EMERALD CUP were presented a new tool along with their judges’ kits: a pack of 11 terpene flashcards explaining the new color-coded flavor categories under which their samples were grouped. These cards, and the information they contained, were essentially co-developed by Napro Research (creators of Phytofacts chemo metric reports) and Santa Cruz-based Cannabis testing and analysis leaders SC Labs.
HOW DID YOU DEVELOP YOUR CLASSIFICATIONS?TERPENE
SEPT. 2022 24leafmagazines.comTHETANNINS&TERPENESISSUE
Though SC Labs was founded in 2009, it wasn’t until 2013 that they began testing for terpene content. Since then, they’ve collected lab test data on nearly 300,000 strains from across California and Oregon, and over the past few years, they’ve been working with Napro and other leading analytic companies, using state-of-the-art technologies to aggregate, sort and study all of that data. Based on their analysis, they’ve developed a scientific terpene profile classification system for Cannabis – one that was not only adopted by both the Emerald Cup and California State Fair earlier this year, but helped establish the new standard that all future Cannabis –are(includingcompetitionsourLeafBowls)suretofollow.WespokewithAlecDixononeofSCLabs’founding
WHICH TERPENES ARE FOUND IN CANNABIS?
SC LABS CO-FOUNDER ALEC DIXON.
In addition to giving a strain its smell and flavor, they also contribute significantly to the various medicinal effects. When terpenes work with cannabinoids, they actually influence the plant to be more like what we historically would describe as “indica” or “sativa.”
BASED ON YOUR ANALYSIS, HAVE THE TERMS “SATIVA” AND “INDICA” BECOME OBSOLETE? AND IF SO, WHY?
The appropriate way to use the taxonomic classifications of indica and sativa is when describing various morphological growth characteristics –whether it’s a wide or narrow leaf type, differences in how the plant flowers, and whether it’s from closer or further away from the equator. But if we really want to get into how certain unique, nuanced effects are possible, we need to understand more about the ratios and synergies between cannabinoids and terpenes … because it’s those ratios and synergies that create the entourage or ensemble effect that influence the plant to be what we would historically describe as sativa or indica. So yes, the old ideas of indica and sativa have become obsolete because they limit us from exploring the full range and diversity of what this infinitely complex plant has to offer.
PROFILES IN FLAVOR
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF CANNABIS IS COMPRISED OF TERPENES? By dry weight, Cannabis plants can produce up to 30-40% cannabinoid content and 3-5% terpene content, as well as up to another percent or so of other trace aromatic and flavor compounds – including flavonoids, alcohol esters and thiols.
WHAT EXACTLY ARE TERPENES? Terpenes are basically scent particles – a class of chemical compounds found in most plants that give them their aroma.
WHAT IS THEIR PURPOSE? Plants produce terpenes to deter or repel predators and lure in pollinators. I heard somebody once describe terpenes as “the universal love language of nature.”
WHAT ROLE DO TERPENES PLAY WHENCANNABIS?CONSUMING
The primary terpenes in Cannabis include myrcene, caryophyllene, alphapinene, limonene, terpinolene and ocimene, while the secondary ones are humulene, linalool and beta-pinene.
partners – to get the inside scoop on how this revolutionary new classification system was developed and why it essentially renders the old labels of “indica” and “sativa” obsolete.
MODERN TERPENE
HOW ANALYSIS IS LEADING TO A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF CANNABIS AND A MORE SOPHISTICATED CULTIVAR CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM.
WHAT IS A THIOL, AND WHAT ROLE DOES IT PLAY IN CANNABIS? Thiol is a volatile sulfuric compound found in some Cannabis plants that can determine whether they have a skunky and gassy smell, as opposed to being fruity or dessert-like. The human nose is one of the most sensitive scientific instruments on the planet – it can pick up scents on levels that are almost undetectable to modern chemistry instruments, particularly that “gas” smell (which it can detect in part per trillion amounts). So even though the terpenes are present in much greater concentrations than these trace thiol compounds, their presence completely changes the entire profile and can completely steamroll how a strain smells.
DominantTerpenes:Varied(Ocimene,Terpinolene,Pinene)|Effects/Flavors:Varied “WE’VE TESTED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF SAMPLES FOR OVER 43 DIFFERENT TERPENES, AND WHAT WE’VE LEARNED FROM SORTING THAT DATA IS THAT EVERY ONE WE’VE EVER TESTED SORTS INTO SIX PRIMARY CLASSES. THESE ARE LIKE THE MERLOTS, THE CABERNETS, THE CHARDONNAYS, ETC., OF CANNABIS. THEN, EACH OF THESE PRIMARY CLASSES HAS TWO TO THREE SUBGROUPINGS BASED ON THE SECONDARY AND TERTIARY TERPENES PRESENT.” -SC LABS’ ALEC DIXON
STORY by BOBBY BLACK @BOBBYBLACK420/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS & GRAPHICS by SC LABS SCLABS.COM @SCLABS_US SC LABS’ TERPENE DOMINANCE CHART. ONE OF THE EMERALD CUP’S TERPENE FLASHCARDS.CLASSIFICATION PHYTOFACTSSAMPLE REPORT.METRICSCHEMO
|Effects:Stimulating,Uplifting,Comforting(hybrid)
DominantTerpenes:Terpinolene,Myrcene,Caryophyllene|Effects:Energizing,Creative(sativa) Flavors:Fruity,Hazey,Herbaceous
DominantTerpenes:Myrcene,Limonene,Caryophyllene |Effects:Uplifting,Relaxing (hybrid) Flavors:Fuel,Pepper,Sweet TROPICAL & FLORAL // This class has essentially two subgroups: the ocimene-dom inant varieties and the myrcene-dominant varieties. Tropical Sleigh Ride or Passion Orange Guava, those are examples of strains that are ocimene dominant. Super Skunk or Green Crack or Dream Queen, they’re high in myrcene with just a little bit of ocimene. But you smell the ocimene so much because ocimene – if it’s there, even if it’s not the pure primary terpene, even if it’s a secondary or tertiary terpene – the smell is so present that it would naturally group together with ocimene-dominant strains.
THE 6
OFFLAVORPRIMARYCLASSESCANNABISSWEETS&DREAMS//
All of the myrcene-dominant strains, that's the archetype of what we called in the Emerald Cup the “Sweets and Dreams” category. Everything from Panama Red, Cherry AK, Sweet Tooth and strains like that. High myrcene with low everything else, that's like Tangie, Forbidden Fruit, Cali O, Agent Orange. High myrcene with a little bit of caryophyllene, that's all the purples – Granddaddy Purps, Grape Ape. High myrcene with a little bit of pinene, that's like Blue Dream and such. High myrcene with a little bit of ocimene, that's like Super Skunk, Dream Queen, Green Crack and Pineapple.
Flavors:Sweet,Spicy,Citrusy OGS & GASSES // Gassy strains are typically defined by a codominance of three terpenes: limonene, myrcene and caryophyllene. Certain phenos will be higher in limonene, other phenos will be higher in caryophyllene, and other phenos will be higher in myrcene – it can shift within these few subgroups, which just shows how much range there is within the gas spectrum. If you look at classic OG or most gassy strains, they’re generally equal parts limonene, myrcene and caryophyllene. If you look at classic Sour Diesel, Chemdog or Gorilla Glue, they’re higher in caryophyllene – while certain types of couch-lock OGs, they’ll be way higher in myrcene.
DominantTerpenes:Limonene,Caryophyllene
EXOTICS // This class encompasses the rarest of profiles and all of the diverse outliers that don’t fall into one of the other major categories – including strains dominant in linalool, a-pinene, and b-pinene or ocimene without myrcene present. Better-known “exotic” cultivars include Strawberry Cough, Sour Carmelo, Juicy Gushy and Laffy Taffy.
DominantTerpenes:Myrcene,Pinene,Caryophyllene |Effects:Relaxing,Couch-Lock(indica) Flavors:Fruity,Hoppy,Herbaceous DESSERTS // Most “Dessert” strains are defined by a codominance of limonene and caryophyllene. Gelato, Wedding Cake, Sundae Driver, Wedding Crasher … you look at all those strain profiles, they’re all equal amounts of limonene and caryophyllene. To me, that’s a really good representation of a hybrid because caryophyllene is that comforting feeling from the “indica” side of the spectrum, and limonene’s uplifting and anti-depressive from the “sativa” side of the spectrum – and they’re there in equal amounts. Sometimes cultivars are higher in caryophyllene, like Girl Scout Cookies and Cherry Pie ... other times, they’re higher in limonene, those are like the Berry White, Banana OG, Strawberry Banana and Ice Cream Cake.
DominantTerpenes:OcimeneandMyrcene|Effects:Relaxing,Soothing(indica) Flavors:Sweet,Floral,Tropical JACKS & HAZES // Cultivars in this class are largely terpinolene dominant and are what has historically been described as straight “sativa.” These strains are highly energetic, cerebral, artistically inspiring, and can be a bit overwhelming for new or first-time users. Common strains in this category include Jack Herer, Trainwreck, Durban Poison, Original Haze and Super Lemon Haze.
Each of the company’s first four releases is designed to be paired with different landrace strains of Cannabis, chosen based on combinations of taste and effect. The term “Landrace” refers to a plant that, over time, has adapted to its environ ment and become a natural part of the landscape. These landrace cultivars can be hard to find – often requiring more care, time and optimal conditions to grow. They’ve largely fallen out of favor as big greenhouses fill the landscape. Through this partnership, Landrace Origins hopes to open the door for more interest in LANDRACE ORIGINS is the first coffee brand that’s encouraging consumers to pair their coffee and Cannabis together. The company believes that just as we tell customers about regions famous for their beans, we should also tell them about their strains of Cannabis and how these flavors interact together – even going so far as to create a set of examples to start with. Their tagline – Tell The Origin Story – refers to the overarching plan to give consumers the information to make an educated choice by buying products that support farms and farmers instead of corporations.
The two talked about the similarities between their industries, the importance of knowing where your products come from, and how no one was designing a pairing experience between different types of coffees and the Cannabis that grows native to those areas.
LANDRACE ORiGiNS AiMS TO EDUCATE ABOUT THE SUPPLY CHAiN SiMiLARiTiES BETWEEN COFFEE AND CANNABiS. SEPT. 2022 26leafmagazines.comTHETANNINS&TERPENESISSUE
The first brand backed by Oakland-based company MAKR House, Landrace Origins is the brainchild of well-known cannabis entrepreneur Amber Senter who enlisted her cousin Black Stallion Coffee owner/head roaster Scott Johnson to help create a program for pairing beans with buds, as well as tell the story of how these products get to the shelves.
ORIGIN STORY
“The thing that’s going to help the small farmer the most is the same thing that helps the small retailer – a reduced excise tax,” Senter explains.
Another important part of telling this story, according to Senter, is sourcing as much infor mation as possible from the people who live there. “These wonderful strains, most of them come from Africa,” she points out. “Often, Black people aren’t seen as Cannabis experts, and we need to start changing the role Black people play in Cannabis history. We brought these things to light, to the market, so it’s really important to highlight the people who’ve been cultivating these strains for centuries.”
@ACTIONMATTJACKSON for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS
@ROSATIPHOTOS
Being part of both industries, John son and Senter are uniquely qualified to identify which other protections coffee farmers fought for that could benefit Cannabis producers.
TELLTHEORIGINSTORY.COM @LANDRACEORIGINS
Working with small importers, geneticists, cultivators and coffee farmers, Landrace Origins has created an educational experience that can be shared from coast to coast. While not always on your local menu, landrace strains like Durban Poison are becoming more widely avail able. Meaning that you, your sister in Arizona and your cousin in Connecticut can all discover the freshly-roasted Yir gacheffe as you get roasted off some Lamb’s Bread. Their whole line is a love letter to the supply chain, but two varieties in particular stand out: the Majestic and the Congolese.Majesticis
Cannabis fans already hold coffee in such high regard … isn’t it time coffee lovers were given the same opportunity to know where it all originates?
One of the more exciting things about this project is that it can take this story of who, where and why to a new crowd of consumers. Landrace Origins is Cannabis-adjacent, not Cannabis-infused – which means they can attend food and beverage trade shows across the country, sparking a conversation about sustainable smoking along the way.
landrace strains amongst retailers and consum ers – showcasing their history, as well as the cof fees that grow nearby in these particular regions.
STORY by MATT JACKSON by MIKE ROSATI
opportunities, they’ve developed this program to promote women’s rep resentation and business education, raising the standard of living for their communities.Ifanyofthat sounds familiar to the Cannabis industry, it’s just the beginning. There’s so much Canna bis can learn from the journey coffee has taken over the last 20 years. In a business dominated by big players like Folgers and Columbia House, retailers in the coffee industry began promoting the impressive works of specific areas and farms – spreading not only their family histories, but also the reasons why the combina tion of soil, elevation and intention produces some of the best coffees on earth.While brands like Starbucks have promoted elevated coffee experienc es, new blood like Blue Bottle, Coava and Philz have helped people open their wallets and palates for specialty blends that feature more subtle notes – and support a living wage for their producers. Over time, the domi nant attitude shifted to responsibility through purchase. Now, each halfpound you grab at the store equals more than just the flavor notes on the bag, but also the success story of a roaster, a farmer and a supply chain.
mixing three specific kinds of beans. It’s a perfect chance to tell the story of how genetics trav el by pairing it with a blended landrace strain like Happy Day Farms’ Orange Durban. Just like finding coffee farmers with stories to tell, looking for the right Cannabis farmers with landrace cultivars is equally important for telling how far these genetics have traveled and who is caring for them now. For their Congolese single-origin, this was perhapsimportant.most The group they found to collaborate with, Rebuild Women’s Hope, is a collective of farmers from a large remote island in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.Anarea that has mainly survived through their coffee trade, for years they had only smugglers to sell to and were held hostage by illegal trade prices. Now, with so many new regulations and Just like finding coffee farmers with stories to tell, looking for the right Cannabis farmers with landrace blends is equally important for telling how far these genetics have traveled and who is caring for them now.
“But there’s also the idea of a fair trade movement for Cannabis –ensuring farmers are properly paid. Small farmers are putting weed in the chipper because it’s easier to destroy than sell, while corporate interest farms are selling at a loss so they can outlive everyone. So much is due to [Cannabis] leaning on people’s inclination to compare THC numbers to run sales, instead of teaching consumers to shop by who their money supports.”
Amber Senter explains tasting notes A match made in heaven.
Landra ce Origin’s signature blend, created by
CALIFORNIA
THE TANNINS Defiance Vineyard Petite Sirah defiancevineyard.com Family-owned winery Defiance Vineyard has crafted bold-yetbalanced reds from robust varietals in the rolling hills of the pastoral Paso Robles countryside for the past decade. The Faulkner family’s experience and passion for the craft shows through in their 2018 Petite Sirah, which offers a stellar expression of the fruit and the region’s character. Rich, full-bodied notes of berry and dried tobacco rest atop a foundation laid by an assertive – but not aggressive – tannic backbone that lingers on the palate.
SEPT. 2022 28leafmagazines.comTHETANNINS&TERPENESISSUE
BAR REVIEW &
A GREAT PAIRING FOR A FESTIVAL AT ONORSUNSET,ANEVENINGTHELAKE. ROCKET CHOCOLATE
THE TERPENES Moon Rocket Fudge Dark Chocolate Bar 100mg THC/bar | 10mg THC/serving moonmegadose.com @moonedibles
@CANNABOMBTOM/CALIFORNIA LEAF
DEFIANCE VINEYARD PETITE SIRAH X MOON
FUDGE DARK
The unpretentious, playful branding behind the Moon line of chocolate bars says it all: These effective bars will take you to the moon. The Rocket Fudge Dark Chocolate bar breaks with a tantalizing snap and offers a slightly bitter cacao character with a subtle creamy sweetness. Each piece breaks the dosage up into 10mg chunks, so you know the drill … just be careful not to eat the whole thing.
THE PAIRING It’s almost too easy, pairing dark chocolate with a bold red like Defiance Vineyard’s Petite Sirah – but it’s a cliche for a reason. Still, we couldn’t help ourselves. The dark chocolate, dried berry, and chewy tobacco character of the wine melded perfectly with the rich fudge in the Moon Rocket Fudge bar. This would be a great pairing for a music festival at sunset, or an evening next to a lake – as the lights dim and the stars take the stage for their nightly performance.
PHOTO by TOM BOWERS
THE TERPENES Happy Daddy Captain Couch 25.4% Total Cannabinoids 2.1% @happydaddygardenshappydaddygardens.comTerpenes
LEAF |
@art_science_cider_wineartandsciencenw.com
The “singular feral pear tree” harvested for this bottle hails from Perrydale, Ore., and its fruit is transformed in the nearby hills of Sheridan. This cider (also known as “Perry”) by Art + Science offers a complete expression of the pear. There’s nothing else added besides the luck of natural yeast. Once the Perry goes in the bottle, the process and pears take over. Half of the fun is popping the top and seeing what’s inside. After a quick swirl to stir up the fruit sediment, the cap releases with a healthy pop and a honeyed aroma fills the space. Dry, with notes of toasted sugar and soft Golden Delicious apples, finishing with a pleasing malic acid tartness. Supremely fizzy with luxe and tiny bubbles, this crisp beverage would fit in easily at a celebration.
OREGON
PHOTO by AMANDA DAY @TERPODACTYL_MEDIA
When Happy Daddy stopped making titanium dab tools and pivoted to growing herb, we wondered if the community had lost a key piece of Cannabis culture. Thankfully, that’s not the case – the crew here is still tending the fire and this Captain Couch flower is all the proof we needed. The lid isn’t even off the jar before I’m walloped with a pleasing funk. The scent on this plant is everything you could expect from its infamous parents, Legend Og and Tropicana Cookies f2 … and then some. Even better, this flower has top-tier jar appeal. Chunky buds the length of a pack of king-size papers are ready to take a spin in the grinder – too resinous to break down by hand. Up close, every bract on the stem is packed with trichomes, catching and casting light atop purple candy stripes.
THE TANNINS Art + Science Twilight Perry
THE PAIRING Big and bouncy, complex citrus notes are at the forefront of this flower. They’re followed by fresh melon, peaches, plums and pears – flavors that are fit for a fruit-forward pairing. With a light 7.5% ABV and refreshing effervescence, Art + Science’s Twilight Perry makes an excellent partner.
ART + CAPTAINXTWILIGHTSCIENCEPERRYHAPPYDADDYCOUCH
FRESH FORWARDFITFLAVORSANDPEACHES,MELON,PLUMSPEARS–THATAREFORAFRUIT-PAIRING. by RYAN HERRON @THELOUD100/OREGON
29 REVIE
GT’S RUNTZANDXKOMBUCHATRILOGYKINGSQUEENSSHATTER SEPT. 2022 30leafmagazines.comTHETANNINS&TERPENESISSUE REVIEW by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT/MARYLAND LEAF | PHOTO by GREG MALCOM @MARYLAND.CONNOISSEUR
THE TANNINS GT’s Trilogy @synergykombuchagtslivingfoods.comKombucha
FRUITY PROFILE
Synergy raw kombucha from GT’s comes in several flavors, all of which are made with a base kombucha that is fully fermented for 30 days in small batches. Containing both black and green tea, this beverage is doubling down on the tannins and their antioxidant properties. Trilogy is the flavor used in this pairing, which has a dominant raspberry taste including notes of lemon and ginger. The essence can be described as fruity and citrusy, with that classic kombucha fermented sensation on the finish. GT’s Kombucha is available nationwide everywhere from gas stations to grocery stores.
In my experience, Runtz is a strain that can be gassy, can be fruity, or a nice blend of the two. This batch was on the citrusy and fruity side of the flavor spectrum, with limonene dominating the flavor profile in a lemony slew of goodness. Accompanied by caryophyllene, the element of gas is added back into the mix but remains on the back end of the smell and taste when dabbing. The color of this shatter was bright gold and the gram was transparent with no cloudiness. Coming in see-through packaging allows you to inspect your medicine without holding the shatter out of its typical parchment paper.
THE OVERTONECITRUSYON THE SHATTER PERFECTLYMIXESWITH THE OF THE KOMBUCHA.
THE TERPENES Kings and Queens Runtz Shatter 89.60% Total Cannabinoids 4.78% Total vireohealth.comTerpenes@vireohealth
MARYLAND
THE PAIRING We wanted citrus to be the star of this pairing, and for citrus to be accompanied by fruits that accentuate each element’s compatibility. Here, the raspberry and lemon go together like peanut butter and jelly – giving off a flavor similar to sweet and sour gummy worms. The classic smell of the kombucha blends with the gassy smell on the back end of the Runtz, while the citrusy overtone on the shatter mixes perfectly with the fruity profile on the kombucha. Both of these elements give me a boost of energy, making this pairing most useful during early mornings when I need a kickstart to my day.
It’s no surprise that their flagship – Toasted Lager, clocking in at 5.5% ABV and 28 IBU, and brewed using a blend of six specialty malts – won two World Beer Cup gold medals. This classic American Amber Lager starts with a creamy head with average lacing due to fairly low carbonation. Notes of warm caramel, coffee and chocolate follow, with the toasted malts shining through, noticeably lacking the bitterness of more hoppy brews.
Cryo Cure uses proprietary, patented freeze-drying technology to dry and cure Cannabis flowers in as little as 12 hours – instead of the usual two weeks or longer. This leaves the buds spongy, bright green and free of any mold, while preserving the trichomes and essential oils (cannabinoids, flavonoids and terpenoids) within. This East Coast Sour Diesel flower was grown by a medicinal caregiver, but Cryo Cured bud is available as “Live Cured” in Massachusetts at Sanctuary Medicinals in Brookline, Gardner, Danvers and Woburn. The dominant terpenes are caryophyllene, limonene and myrcene – giving this strain the telltale gassy-fuel flavor. Cryo Cured Cannabis is available at limited dispensaries in Ohio, Michigan, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Colorado, with planned rollouts in Rhode Island, Washington state and California by the end of 2022. COAST
For over two decades, the kind folks at Blue Point on New York’s Long Island have been crafting some of the most distinctive and unique beers in the region – including some brewed with local oyster shells, beach plums and seaweed!
BLUE POINT TOASTED LAGER X CRYO CURE EAST
T HE T ERPENES Cryo Cure East Coast Sour Diesel cryocure.com | sanctuarymed.com@cryocuremachines|@sanctuarymedicinals
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THE LIGHT CITRUS SWEETNESS OF THE LAGER FOLLOWED BY THE PINE, SKUNKINESS AND MENTHOL OF THE REAL DEAL SOUR D COMMINGLE TO CREATE A SPICY SENSATION ON THE PALATE. REVIEW & PHOTO by DAN VINKOVETSKY @DANNYDANKOHT/NORTHEAST LEAF
THE TANNINS Blue Point Brewing Company Toasted Lager bluepointbrewing.com | @bluepointbrewing
SOUR DIESEL
THE PAIRING Together, Toasted Lager and Sour Diesel combine for a classic pairing of two unique scent and flavor profiles. The light citrus sweetness of the lager followed by the pine, skunkiness and menthol of the real deal Sour D commingle to create a spicy sensation on the palate. The very drinkable beer goes down smooth until the end of the pint and just a few puffs in, a heady and strong electric buzz sets in. The combination inspires energetic activity and lively conversation, followed by an uplifting feeling of joy and satisfaction. Learn more about Blue Point Brewing Company’s groundbreaking Cannabis collaborations pg. 28-29.
Everything Bagel Seasoned Dark Chocolate
As a born and bred Brooklyn boy, few foods are as high on my culinary comfort list as a fresh-baked everything bagel. So when I heard that Kiva were collaborating with L.A.’s own Yeastie Boys Bagel shop on a limited-edition everything bagel seasoned dark chocolate bar, I couldn’t wait to taste it – and let me tell you, it didn’t disappoint. Though it may sound like an unlikely combo, the rich, deep, bittersweet dark chocolate flavor is beautifully complemented by the salty, savory sprinkling of sesame and poppy seeds, sea salt, onion and garlic. kivaconfections.com | yeastieboysbagels.com@madebykiva|@yeastieboysbagels
THE CHOCOLATE Kiva Confections & Yeastie Boys Bagels
THE PAIRING Choosing what to pair with this unique edible bar was a no-brainer. I mean, what goes better with an everything bagel than a good cup of coffee? Grinding up the beans, I got notes of cherry, caramel and chocolate on the nose, but not so with the flavor. After the addition of a teaspoon of raw sugar, Delti na’s Poppy blend had a bittersweet taste with notes of honey suckle, nuttiness and a hint of citrus. Sipping it while nibbling the bittersweet chocolate produced a salivating synergy of sweet, savory and salty unlike anything I’d experienced before. And being a light roast, the Poppy blend has higher caffeine content – providing an added kick to counterbalance any potential zone-out effects from the edible. This unique twist on the classic “hippie speedball” provided me with the perfect breakfast buzz – offering all the flavor of my favorite bagel without all those carbs (and with no schmear required).
“This unique twist on the buzz.”breakfastperfectwithprovidedspeedball”“hippieclassicmethe
California Poppy Blend
PERFECT BLEND &CONFECTIONSKIVAYEASTIEBOYSBAGELS
REVIEW &
LEAF
Located on the fabled Pacific Coast Highway just blocks from the Oceano dunes in Cali’s Central Coast, Deltina coffee roasters are a family-run outfit with some of the freshest, most flavorful coffees this side of Seattle. Deltina offers five varieties of small-batch organic coffee, all of which are mindfully sourced from sustainable farms. For this pairing, I selected their California Poppy blend –a light roast named after our state flower that’s available deltinacoffeeroasters.comyear-round.|@deltinacoffee WITH DELTINA
ROASTERSCOFFEE
SEPT. 2022
32leafmagazines.com PHOTO by BOBBY BLACK @BOBBYBLACK420/CALIFORNIA
THE COFFEE Deltina Coffee Roasters
monththeofedible
@CANNABOMBTOM monththeofconcentrate SEPT. 2022 leafmagazines.com whiskey.”aaanswerstoner’s“Thetocigarandglassof PEACHY
THE PAIRING Pairing these two together results in the ultimate highclass ‘cannightcap.’ Umami Butter’s floral sweetness and the sweet flash on the tonic meet in the taste buds and mysteriously cancel each other out. What’s left is a shifting mix of pine, herbs and sour stone fruit. Balanced yet still complex, they seem to temper each other into an experience that keeps you guessing. The stoner’s answer to a cigar and a glass of whiskey, this pairing is best suited for long, slow sips on hot summer nights.
THE TERPS Maven Umami Butter Ice Water Hash Born from crossing Gelatti with Maven’s Black Diamond X, Umami Butter takes the first part of its name from the Japanese word for “deliciousness.” This 90u ice water hash has a gorgeous golden raisin color that shines when it catches the light. After it warms up, the nose has robust floral notes and a backend with straight OG. As it starts to burn, you get a blossoming flower sweetness overtaken by a savory funk and a hint of something like spoiled vegetables. The flavor makes this hard to put down –flowery but savory and maybe even tangy, you can understand why Maven named this for what many call “the fifth taste.”
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JACKSON @ACTIONMATTJACKSON for
MAVEN UMAMI BUTTER ICE WATER HASH + MAVEN & LEHUA BRANDS PEACH CREME GELATO LIVE RESIN TERP TONIC
THE TANNINS Maven & Lehua Brands Peach Creme Gelato Live Resin Terp Tonic Made in partnership with Lehua, Maven TerpTonic is California’s first single-strain live resin Canna bis-infused beverage. Light, refreshing and 10mg, it’s formulated with a simple recipe of pure min eral water from the Salinas Valley, terpene-infused CO2, and fresh Peach Crème Gelato live resin. First, you’ll notice an iridescent color that’s a lot like grapefruit soda. Then, a blast of terpene gas lets you know this pleasant smell is unmistakably Cannabis. The flavor is like terpy sparkling water and as the piney notes make their way over your tongue, you pick up that peach with a flash of sweetness. The combination makes for an intriguing take on the quinine flavor of traditional tonic waters. mavenmvn.com lehuabrands.com by MATT CALIFORNIA by TOM BOWERS KEEN
LEAF | PHOTO
Todd with his mentor, legendary Cannabis activist Jack Herer.
cannthropology
Todd dropped everything and drove up to Van Nuys to volunteer, where Jack himself warmly welcomed him.
“When he opened the doors and I saw the Cannabis growing, it was like “The Wizard of Oz” scene where the movie goes from black and white to color,” says McCormick. “I immediately traded a $20 bag of pot for the book, went home, and started growing.”
PRESCRIPTION PIONEER While in Amsterdam, McCormick heard about a physician named Dr. Trossel, who was the first in the Netherlands to prescribe Cannabis. Todd traveled to Rotterdam to meet with him and by the end of the appointment, had a pre-
Bel-Air
“He invited me to his apartment and we sat up all night talking,” McCormick reminisces. “We became best friends that night and were inseparable after that.” Through Herer, Todd soon grew close with other prominent activists like Dennis Peron, Brownie Mary and Dr. Tod Mikuriya. In November 1994, he accompanied Jack to the High Times Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam, where he met international Cannabis luminaries such as Skunkman Sam, Robert Connell Clarke and Nevil Schoenmakers, and attended the first public tour of Cannabis Castle – during which Sensi Seeds premiered their new strain named after Jack.
“She handed me a joint on the way home from a therapy session and by the time we got home, I was feeling better,” McCormick recalls. “From then on, we started using Cannabis around my treatments.”Byage13, McCormick had been secretly using and researching Cannabis for a few years. Then in 1984 he visited a friend’s house, where his friend’s older brother showed him the “Marijuana Grower’s Guide” by Mel Frank and Ed Rosenthal, and the grow box it taught him to build.
Then when he was nine, his mother read in Good Housekeeping magazine that marijuana could be used to treat the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy – and after getting unofficial approval from their doctor – decided to try it.
ENTER THE HEMPEROR In 1993, McCormick – now 22 – moved to Pacific Beach, Calif. It was there while browsing at a bookshop that he discovered “The Emperor Wears No Clothes” by Jack Herer and was blown away. Inspired to get involved, he called the number on the back of the book and learned that Herer’s organization – Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) – was gathering signatures for the California Hemp Initiative.
FROM CANCER TO CANNABIS
Many medical marijuana patients have ended up behind bars simply for using their medicine… but there are few whose struggles have been as publicized or consequential as those of activist, author, and cultivator Todd McCormick. Todd McCormick receiving a lifetime achievement award from Marijuana Policy Project at the Playboy Mansion in 2009. Toddler Todd in a body cast. of 36
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As a toddler, Todd McCormick was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer that attacked his spine, causing his first five vertebrae to be fused together by age two. In the years that followed, he developed nine tumors throughout his body.
R.DANIELBYPHOTO The Pot Prince
But it would be another book about Cannabis, discovered almost a decade later, which would truly change the trajectory of his life.
PRESENTS
POST-PRISON PROMINENCE
Unfortunately, in 1997, Herer’s pride in his protégé unintentionally led to tragic results. While selling herb to the LA Cannabis Buyers Club, Jack reportedly bragged about Todd’s medical grow op. When Todd refused a request to sell them clones, the Club’s director ratted him out. On July 23, the DEA raided the Marijuana Mansion –seizing 4,116 plants and charging him (and later McWilliams and others) with multiple offenses. Todd’s was the first cultivation bust since the passage of Prop 215, making him an instant cause célèbre for medical marijuana. But since the charges against him were federal, California’s protections didn’t apply. So when his case went to trial, the judge denied him the right to mount a “medical necessity” defense – meaning his lawyers weren’t allowed to mention his medical history or Prop 215. McCormick had three options: to go to trial without the benefit of his medical defense, meaning he’d face a quarter million dollars in legal expenses and a mandatory minimum of 10 years; to grovel for leniency and lose the chance to appeal; or to accept a plea deal that carried a five-year mandatory minimum. So in November 1999, McCormick pled guilty to a lesser charge and was sentenced to five years. He self-surrendered to prison on January 3, 2000.
Nowadays, McCormick is as busy as ever –writing features for Grow magazine, as well as two new books: a guide to the endocannabinoid system entitled “From Cancer to Cannabis” and a free online cultivation book with OG grow writer Bill Drake (author of the first grow manual, “The Cultivator’s Handbook of Marijuana”). And in 2019, he launched Authentic Genetics – the exclusive source for the original heirloom genetics from some of the legendary breeders he’d developed friendships with, including Skunkman Sam and Mel Frank (coauthor of the book that initially set him down the path of Cannabis cultivation 35 years earlier).
To read the full, unabridged version of this story and listen to the interview on our podcast, worldofcannabis.museum/cannthropology.visit
MCCORMICKTODDOFCOURTESYPHOTOSALL
After his release in May 2004, McCormick dove right back into Cannabis activism. He helped produce two documentaries, “The Union: The Business Behind Getting High” and then its sequel, “The Culture High.” He organized a series of fundraising parties for Marijuana Policy Project at the Playboy Mansion. He launched the massive THC Expo at the LA Convention Center. And after Herer’s death in 2010, he edited the 12th edition of “The Emperor Wears No Clothes” featuring a special tribute to Jack. Todd has also been honored with a lifetime achievement award from MPP in 2009 and a Cannabis Culture Award from Sensi Seeds in May 2012.
“How to Grow Medical Marijuana” – resulting in a quarter-million dollar payday for him. McCormick used his newfound wealth to rent a huge house in Bel-Air, where he set up multiple grow rooms and began researching various strains’ medicinal effectiveness in treating AIDS, cancer and chronic pain – a project that earned his home the nickname “Marijuana Mansion.”
HOLLYWOOD HIGH After Prop 215’s passage in November 1996, McCormick returned to California to help implement the law and to accept a lucrative book deal. Partnering with best-selling author Peter McWilliams, he published
BEL-AIR BUST
“I was like, ‘No, you can’t take my Cannabis – I have a prescription. I’m not going to acknowledge your law unless you acknowledge the international law that supersedes it. So either arrest me, or give it back.” Remarkably, they ended up giving most of his stash back. After some further research, McCormick confirmed that an American who’s prescribed a Schedule I substance in Europe is indeed allowed to bring back up to a 90-day supply. So in March 1995 he returned to Rotterdam, bought some medical Cannabis, then flew home with it. Surprisingly, security not only let him keep it, they even let him smoke some on the plane! (Back then, airplanes actually had smoking sections.) It was this legal revelation that helped inspire his fellow activists back in Cali to craft PropositionFollowing215.inPeron’s footsteps, McCormick started a compassion club in San Diego, then another in his old home state of Rhode Island. That summer, he was arrested in Ohio while transporting 33 pounds of weed and once again asserted a medical defense – this time, in court. After hearing Todd’s story and reading testimonials from prominent doctors (including Mikuriya and Lester Grinspoon), the judge lowered his bond and eventually dismissed the case. He even granted Todd permission to return to Amsterdam to attend the 1995 Cannabis Cup, where he accompanied tele-journalist Morley Safer around the event for a story on “60 Minutes.”
Since he basically lived Hollywood and always had plenty of great herb, McCormick soon befriended several pro-pot celebrities – including Woody Harrelson, Larry Flynt, Hugh Hefner and Bill Maher, who invited both Woody and Todd to be on his show “Politically Incorrect.”
Todd and Woody also participated in a college speaking tour organized by members of Rage Against The Machine and Nirvana called Spitfire – a gig that landed him an opening slot on stage at Woodstock 99.
“To think that I was once a little 13-year-old kid reading his book and being inspired, and now I’m one of his best friends and the only person in the world he lets sell his genetics, it’s quite an honor.”
Accepting the 2012 Cannabis Culture Award at Sensi’s Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum in Barcelona. with, including Skunkman Sam With Mel Frank. Showing his Dutch Cannabis prescription (1995). Harrelson & McCormick on Bill Maher’s old show Politically Incorrect. In front of his “Marijuana Mansion” in Bel-Air. With celebrity friends Woody Harrelson and Bill Maher.
STORY by BOBBY BLACK @CANNTHROPOLOGY for LEAF NATION scription for 10 grams of Cannabis per day to treat his chronic pain – making him the first-ever legal international Cannabis patient. Weeks later, that legality was tested at an immigration checkpoint near San Diego when authorities found weed in his vehicle and tried to confiscate it.
During this visit, he also accepted the position of editor-in-chief at Hemp Life magazine and spent the next year living in Amsterdam – teaching cultivation alongside legendary growers “Old Ed” Holloway and Wernard Bruining, and working at Serious Seeds and Positronics.
I KNOW, YOU’RE WONDERING IF THIS IS A TOPIC THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED – or can we just bundle it up and toss it in the washing machine, pretending it never happened? My response is that it does need to be discussed, and requires so for two reasons: The first being because it’s good to create healthy discourse about things you are normally embar rassed to bring into public view. And two, because we’ve all peed the sheets. No one is ever proud of this unfortunate mishap, but it’s OK – everyone knows you didn’t do it purposefully, it was just an ac cident that occurred more than once. And the reasons will vary … maybe you were a child traumatized by your divorcing parents, or you simply have an old lady’s bladder. Or you blacked the fuck out. Listen, I’ve had a few hard-drinking friends who should’ve had a plastic wrap around their mattress. But can you picture the look on a person’s face when you’re getting romantic and the first sound is that of lying on top of an unopened Amazon package? Talk about a buzz kill. No one wants to feel like they’re about to get busy on a hospital bed. I mean, putting on a condom is awkward enough. I’m gonna come clean here: I was a bedwetter until the age of 10. In fact, I soaked my pants during recess in the 4th grade, terrified to re-enter the classroom. Hiding the wet leg wasn’t so difficult in the self-imposed solitary confinement of the boys restroom, but passing through the gauntlet to my desk in the back of the room after the bell rang was a different mission. And sure enough, Reggie the class clown caught me dead in my tracks. “YOU PEED!” he yelped, pointing directly to the massacre. Wetting the bed at that age was humiliating, but peeing your pants was a scarlet letter. But it’s OK – I came to terms with it, and it made me a stronger person. Maybe this is why my favorite weed strain today is Cat Piss.
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