Feb. 2021 — CA Leaf by Northwest Leaf / Oregon Leaf / Alaska Leaf / Maryland Leaf / California Leaf / Northeast Leaf

THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE

#10 | FEB. 2021

CAL I F O R N I A

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INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010

#10

equity entrepreneur

feature

Farmacy Berkeley Founder Mama Sue Taylor

14 ERIC KAYNE

shop review

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[

CHRIS VICARI

edibles

3 BROS

stoner owner

NATE WILLIAMS

28 Connor Sheffield

Teenage NASCAR hopeful driven to fight for widespread access to Cannabis medicine.

44 Eddy Lepp | Cannthropology California Leaf chats with Cannabis growing legend Eddy Lepp on the early days of his career, befriending Jack Herer, and founding The Multi-Denominational Ministry of Cannabis and Rastafari.

///////// story by bobby black photo by mg imaging

feb. 2021

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FARMACY BERKELEY

THE ESSENTIAL ISSUE

issue

[

FEBRUARY 2021

CAL I F O R N I A

EDITOR NOTE N AT I O N A L N E W S LOCAL NEWS BUDTENDER Q&A EQUITY ENTREPRENEUR SHOP REVIEW 3 BROS STONER OWNER THE SOIL KING WOMEN IN WEED ALIA VOLZ GREENSTONE DISTRIBUTOR STRAIN OF THE MONTH CONNOR SHEFFIELD, RACER U P R O O T E D P O T M I G R AT I O N C A N N A B I S L O U N G E S E V O LV E JOINT/COUNTERJOINT K I K O K O P O S I T I V I -T E A FULL-SPECTRUM CBD DROPS O F F -T H E - S H E L F E D I B L E S ICE CREAM CAKE LIVE ROSIN SUNSET CONNECT TOPICAL GEL CANNABIS RECIPES CANNTHROPOLOGY STONEY BALONEY

READ & SHARE THE FULL DIGITAL EDITION AND SEE ONLINE EXCLUSIVE FEATURES ON OUR NEW WEBSITE! >> LEAFMAGAZINES.COM ISSUU.COM/NWLEAF

THE ESSENTIAL ISSUE

TA N N I N S & T E R P E N E S

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feb. 2021

Kikoko delivers with the essential combination of infused tea and honey.

STORY & PHOTO by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415/CALIFORNIA LEAF

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 What is more essential than Cannabis? At the heart of our magazine this month is the utility knife-like nature of this miracle medicine. We looked to Massachusettsbased illustrator Mike Curato to bring to life our concept for a Swiss Army amalgamation of tools one might need for their Cannabis world. Curato is an illustrator and author of children’s books and is most well known for his Little Elliot series. “The cover artwork,” says Curato, “was drawn with pencil and paper and colored digitally (while perhaps having an edible).” His recently released debut young adult graphic novel “Flamer” has been met with critical acclaim. Learn more at mikecurato.com.

ART by MIKE CURATO @MIKE_CURATO

PUBLISHER

CONTRIBUTORS

WES ABNEY | FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

KELLY BJORK, ILLUSTRATION BOBBY BLACK, FEATURES JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION TOM BOWERS, FEATURES MIKE CURATO, ILLUSTRATION EARLY, PRODUCTION STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS DENNIS HEARNE, PHOTOS ERIC KAYNE, PHOTOS DANIEL KIM, PHOTOS MIKE RICKER, FEATURES MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING ZACK RUSKIN, FEATURES O’HARA SHIPE, FEATURES CHRIS VICARI, PHOTOS JAMIE VICTOR, ILLUSTRATION DAN VINKOVETSKY, PRODUCTION NATE WILLIAMS, PHOTOS+FEATURES BRUCE & LAURIE WOLF, RECIPES

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 Exclusive Cannabis Journalism @NWLEAF

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ABNEY

Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up our first Essential Issue of the Leaf! 2020 WILL go down in history for a lot of reasons, but one shining moment is the day that San Francisco declared Cannabis as essential business during the first COVID shutdown. Out of all the highs and lows in my decade of Cannabis publishing, that was the first moment I truly believed Cannabis would become completely legal in my lifetime.

To understand this sentiment, let me unpack the statement: Being deemed essential means that Cannabis is necessary for tax revenue, jobs, medicine and recreation. It also paves the way for the right to grow Cannabis as a constitutionally protected liberty – the right to pursue happiness and health, as intended by our forefaFROM MY DESK thers who crafted the laws that govern our great country. IN SEATTLE, POT IS STILL

ILLEGAL From my desk in Seattle, pot is still illegal to grow without a TO GROW commercial license. It’s also a felony to have more than 40 grams of flower in Washington state, and there are no protections for pa- WITHOUT A COMMERCIAL tients, parents, employees or drivers who choose to use Cannabis LICENSE. safely. To me, that is not legal – it’s simply regulated and taxed for the purpose of control, not part of an essential liberty that citizens intended when they voted for “legalization” without reading the fine print.

Having lived under the shadow of fake legalization for years, hearing that pot was being declared essential gave me hope that it would lead to people standing up for their rights – and working together to free our plant for all purposes and backyards. And since that sunny day in the Bay when dispensaries were allowed to reopen the Cannabis industry, we’ve seen huge growth and newfound acceptance, as well as five new states joining the recreational and medicinal movement to bring much needed relief to their citizens in the 2020 elections. Cannabis is essential to so many lives, in so many ways, that it really is the Swiss Army knife of plants. Even if you aren’t in pain or struggling, go smoke a fatty and you will likely feel better. And feeling better is essential to us emerging from the pandemic as a more grateful, connected and stoned society. I hope you enjoy our exploration of how Cannabis is essential, and how we see change that brings it closer to legal with each passing day. Thank you for reading and sharing our special plant!

-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, nwleaf.com. Email nate@californialeaf.com for more info on supporting and advertising with CA Leaf!

WES

NATIONAL NEWS

northwest

OREGON SALES TOP $1 BILLION IN 2020

regon adult-use Cannabis sales soared in 2020, peaking despite a challenging summer of COVID-19 lockdowns and racial justice protests, reports the AP. The state’s marijuana merchants logged a record year of business, according to numbers from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which oversees Cannabis sales in the state. Total marijuana sales in Oregon jumped from $795 million to more than $1 billion – $1,110,520,723, to be precise – for the year 2020. Adult-use Cannabis sales skyrocketed in March when Gov. Kate Brown instituted a pandemic-related stay-at-home order and other restrictions. Sales numbers spiked 20 percent that month and stayed robust all year. In May, Cannabis sales in Oregon topped $100 million for the first time ever. Sales then topped $100 million in each of the three months that followed as well, peaking at $106 million in July. west coast

CALIFORNIA SEES NO RISE IN FREQUENCY OF CANNABIS USE BY YOUNG ADULTS POST-LEGALIZATION

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dult-use legalization in California isn’t associated with any increase in the frequency of Cannabis use by young adults, according to data published in the scientific journal Addictive Behaviors, reports NORML. Researchers with the University of California at San Diego examined Cannabis use patterns among 563 young adults (18-24) in California in the years immediately prior to and following enactment of legalization. “Contrary to our expectations, frequency of marijuana use did not change significantly after legalization and was stable throughout three years of observation,” the study’s authors wrote.

years passed between the federal legalization of hemp and the finalized federal regulations on the crop.

feb. 2021

medical marijuana bills were introduced by Neb. lawmakers in the January session.

east coast

MARYLAND CANNABIS WORKERS WILL RECEIVE COVID-19 VACCINE PRIORITY GOV. CUOMO

LEGALIZATION

NEW YORK EYES LEGAL CANNABIS

ov. Andrew Cuomo has announced a proposal to legalize Cannabis for adult use in New York as part of the 2021 State of the State address he began on January 11. “IT WOULD HAVE A BIGGER New York would join 15 other states to IMPACT ON THE UPSTATE legalize adult-use marijuana, including ECONOMY THAN THE neighbors Massachusetts and New Jersey, CRAFT BEER INDUSTRY DOES,” and Vermont in the Northeast. “It would have a bigger impact on the upstate economy than the craft beer industry does,” said Allan Gandelman, president of the New York Cannabis Growers and Processors Association. “If this is done correctly, we will see a billion dollars in total revenue for the adult-use program in the first full year of operating in New York state.” According to Gandelman, the biggest factors will be the types and number of licenses was added, acreages allowed for cultivation and taxation levels.

sports

UFC’S KNOCKOUT BLOW FOR POSITIVE CANNABIS TESTS

percent more Cannabis was bought by Americans in 2020 than in 2019.

east coast

NEW HAMPSHIRE ADVOCATES CONTINUE LEGALIZATION EFFORT

FC announced on January 14 a formal change to its anti-doping policy, making Cannabis OK for in-competition fighters, reports CBS Sports. The only time athletes would be punished for using Cannabis or cannabinoids would be if “additional evidence exists that an athlete used it intentionally for performanceenhancing purposes.” “While we want to continue to prevent athletes from competing under the influence of marijuana, we have learned that urinary levels of carboxy-THC are highly variable after out-of-competition use and have poor scientific correlation to in-competition impairment,” said UFC Senior Vice President Jeff Novitzky. “The bottom line is that in regard to marijuana, we care about what an athlete consumed the day of a fight, not days or weeks before a fight, which has often been the case in our historic positive THC cases,” Novizky said.

percent of all drug arrests between 2010 and 2018 in Indiana were for Cannabis possession.

annabis workers in Maryland will be placed at the top of the list for COVID-19 vaccinations, alongside healthcare providers, reports Ganjapreneur. The move further underlines the “essential” designation that Cannabis businesses and employees received when the pandemic began last year. The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission alerted the more than 130 licensed Cannabis companies across the state that their workers will be eligible for Phase 1A of the state’s tiered vaccine distribution plan, reports the Baltimore Business Journal.

annabis advocates are continuing their push to legalize adult-use marijuana in New Hampshire, but the effort faces a forbidding path in the GOP-controlled Legislature, reports The Center Square. A bipartisan bill filed in the N.H. House of Representatives in January would, if approved, legalize adult-use Cannabis for those 21-and-older and set up a system of regulation and taxation that would allow retail sales. “The battle continues,” said Rep. Rebecca McWilliams, a Democrat from Concord who is a primary sponsor of the bill. “We keep refining it and negotiating it and trying to come up with something that could potentially get to the two-thirds vote needed to override the governor’s veto.” Republican Gov. Chris Sununu is a firm opponent of legalization.

2,392 new Cannabis cultivation permits were issued by Oklahoma, surpassing California by 88 licenses.

$18.4m was the amount of money paid to Irwin Simon of Aphria, the highest-paid Cannabis CEO in Canada, in 2019.

By STEVE ELLIOTT, AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF MARIJUANA

local NEWS

CALIFORNIA

P65 health warning labels now required on Cannabis products

AS IF REGULATIONS on Cannabis packaging in California weren’t stringent enough already, manufacturers are now dealing with an entirely new headache in the form of new health warning labels.

Cannabis Advisory Committee recommends relaxing of rules THE STATE’S Cannabis Advisory Committee has recommended that the Bureau of Cannabis Control temporarily ease certain restrictions on the industry in an effort to boost struggling Cannabis businesses amidst the ongoing COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.

Cannacraft launches recycling program ONE OF THE PRIMARY TENETS of California’s legal Cannabis regulatory system is the mandating of child-resistant product packaging. Unfortunately, the result of this requirement has been a deluge of single-use plastic waste that’s historically been destined for our oceans and landfills. Thankfully though,

some companies are beginning to step up to address this environmental imperative. Cannacraft has recently teamed up with Joshua Tree-based recycling company Resynergi to launch a new recycling program for the Cannabis industry that will collect and convert those millions of used joint tubes and jar lids into usable fuel. Using a proprietary, low-emission process, Resynergi breaks down the non-recyclable plastics at a molecular level and transforms them into diesel fuel that will then be reused by Cannacraft’s own fleet of delivery trucks. The used packaging will be collected via “exit bags” that will be supplied to customers along with their purchases, as well as a number of collection bins placed in participating dispensaries and other convenient locations. The discarded packaging will then be picked up and transported to Resynergi’s Santa Rosa facility for processing. San Jose’s Airfield Supply, the first dispensary to sign on for the pilot program, has already had the protocols in place since mid-December. Be sure to keep an eye out for one of Resynergi’s black and white bins at your local dispensary in the months to come.

STORIES by BOBBY BLACK @BOBBYBLACK420 for CALIFORNIA LEAF

caliFornialeaf.COM

These temporary measures include: waiving the $5,000 limit on the amount of product that delivery vehicles are allowed to carry; allowing non-infused food and non-alcoholic MANY RETAILERS beverages at cafes and HAVE BEEN FORCED TO lounges that are currently LIMIT THEIR SALES TO licensed to serve Cannabis; CURBSIDE PICKUP AND HAVE FACED INCREASED rescinding a restriction to COMPETITION FROM allow testing labs to test nonUNLICENSED SELLERS... Cannabis products; expanding activities allowed by companies operating under a microbusiness license; and allowing companies with more than one cultivation license to share facilities. Classified as “essential businesses” by the state, marijuana shops have been permitted to remain open during the lockdowns … but due to COVID restrictions, many retailers have been forced to limit their sales to curbside pickup and have faced increased competition from unlicensed sellers from the traditional market. No word yet as to whether the BCC intends to implement these recommendations or how soon they might take effect. Stay tuned…

Starting January 3, all Cannabis products that contain THC or produce some kind of smoke (both considered “reproductive toxins” under our overarching Proposition 65 law) sold in the state now require a warning label designed to inform consumers about the possible health risks of what they’re ingesting. This new regulation affects nearly every Cannabis product on the market – even many hemp and CBD products, whose trace amounts THESE CHANGES of THC might trigger the law. AFFECT NEARLY EVERY There are two different variations of the label being implemented: CANNABIS PRODUCT ON THE MARKET – EVEN A standard or long-form label that explicitly details the possible MANY HEMP AND CBD reproductive and cancer risks; and a short-form label simply reading PRODUCTS, WHOSE “WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm – www.P65Warnings. TRACE AMOUNTS OF ca.gov” – for use on smaller products that can’t accommodate the THC MIGHT TRIGGER wordier version. THE LAW. Cannabis companies are concerned that this new regulation will open them up to a slew of lawsuits from “bounty hunter” lawyers who will actively seek out products that are not yet in compliance in an effort to procure monetary settlements. This practice has happened with other, non-Cannabis Prop 65 cases – 90% of which have been settled out of court to the tune of $35 million in payments. And it’s not just the manufacturers that may be at risk – some retailers could face legal action as well if their contracts with suppliers don’t include an indemnity clause. So if you’re in the California Cannabis game, be sure to protect yourself by getting in compliance as soon as possible.

interview

W H O ’ S Y O U R FAV O R I T E B U D T E N D E R ? T E L L U S W H Y ! E M A I L N O M I N A T I O N S T O T O M @ C A L I F O R N I A L E A F . C O M

“THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT BEING A BUDTENDER, IN MY OPINION, IS TO PUT YOURSELF IN OTHER PEOPLE’S SHOES.”

WHAT IMPACT HAS CANNABIS HAD ON YOUR LIFE?

Cannabis has changed my life in so many ways! It’s brought a few of my family members closer together, whether they’re using it recreationally or medicinally. I’ve been able to educate most of them on things that they never would have known due to lack of medicinal information being shared in the media. Personally, it’s refrained me from turning to pharmaceuticals to help with my anxiety/stomach issues that I’ve had since I was a child. Cannabis is a single solution to multiple problems, instead of taking pharmaceuticals that find multiple solutions for one problem. HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE THE BUDTENDER/ CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP? WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT BEING A BUDTENDER?

The budtender/customer relationship is everything to a dispensary. Personal connections are a huge part of why customers come back and show so much appreciation to the employees. There are some customers who will wait for specific budtenders because they’re so satisfied with their customer service, each and every time. Consistency is key! The most important thing about being a budtender, in my opinion, is to put yourself in other people’s shoes. You never know what people are going through, or what they’re dealing with mentally. Sometimes going into the dispensary is the only part of someone’s day – make it a memorable/ fun experience if you can.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BUDTENDING AT MAINSTAGE? Teamwork is what makes the dream work!

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The budtenders have friendly competitions between each other every month and it makes the work environment totally fun! Everyone is constantly learning new things/products, but we’re all willing to help each other when we have questions – we’re all very patient and understanding. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better crew all the way from the owner/managers to the budtenders to our marketing team, everyone is super dope!

RACHEL VASQUEZ CALIFORNIA LEAF

Budtender of the Month Rachel Vasquez takes product knowledge seriously and showcases a breadth and depth of expertise while helping customers at Mainstage in Sacramento. We connected with her regarding some of her favorite products and got her take on the industry for this edition of Budtender of the Month.

WHERE DO YOU GO FOR CANNABIS KNOWLEDGE? My Cannabis knowledge has been accumulated throughout the six years of me being in the Cannabis industry, but I’m still learning every day! If I can go directly to a brand to get information on a product, I’ll send messages on Instagram or email the brand. If all else fails, I’ll do a deep dive search online of a product – how/why it was made and the benefits of it. WHAT ARE YOU SMOKING RIGHT NOW? I’m currently dabbin’ on some rosin by 710 Labs and Papa Select, and smokin’ a few different flower strains from Fig Farms. I definitely dab more than I smoke flower, but I always try to mix things up because my tolerance fluctuates so often! WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WANTING TO GET INTO THE INDUSTRY? Be persistent! Never stop

reaching out to people/places for opportunities and be flexible with what you’re willing to do, because starting from the bottom can get you very far. I’ve worn many hats in this industry and all of those experiences have led me to working for such an amazing company.

M A I N S T A G E 2 3 2 0 B R O A D W AY S A C R A M E N T O , C A | ( 9 1 6 ) 5 1 2 - 1 2 5 2 | M A I N S T A G E 9 1 6 . C O M @ M A I N S T A G E S A C 9 1 6

feb. 2021

INTERVIEW by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTO by DANIEL KIM @DKIMREPORTS

INTRODUCING

NEW Cannabis-Infused Nourishing Muscle + Joint Salve Grown, manufactured, and packaged in Santa Barbara County. 400mg of full-spectrum, estate-grown cannabis (ratio 1:7 THC rich) offers lavish amounts of Terpenes and Cannabinoids. Anti-inďŹ&#x201A;ammatory CBD pairs with magnesium and arnica to reduce swelling, irritation, and bruising, while THC offers targeted pain relief. Rich mineral magnesium also naturally helps to calm muscles, relieving stress for an improved sense of calm and rest. A proprietary blend of essential oils from Carpinteriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Grapeseed Company offers a light and refreshing scent to uplift.

equity entrepreneur

The 73-year-old founder of Farmacy Berkeley tells California Leaf about her mission to help seniors better understand Cannabis.

MAMA SUE TAYLOR F O U N D E R | FARMACY BE RK E LE Y TWELVE YEARS AGO, Sue Taylor’s son called her with some distressing news. He said he’d been attending classes at Oakland’s Oaksterdam University and was considering a career in Cannabis. Taylor, now 73, recalls reacting to what her son was telling her with grave concern. “I came home to save him from drugs,” she told California Leaf during a Zoom interview, “not to get into the Cannabis industry.”

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Our new monthly Equity Entrepreneur feature highlights business operators and thought leaders who seek to build this industry in a way that sheds the prejudices of the past while reflecting on the rich diversity of the plant and the people who use it. Know someone who would be a great interview? Email tom@californialeaf.com.

he story of how Sue Taylor – a grandmother and former Catholic school principal – came to be the face of Berkeley’s first dispensary to be owned by a Black woman is one largely of determination. That’s because, in total, it was a 12-year process for The Farmacy Berkeley to open its doors. Long before Taylor had her own business, however, she was working at Oakland’s Harborside as a wellness consultant. It was there that she saw, first-hand, just what a difference Cannabis had the potential to make. “It wasn’t so much what I read as what I witnessed,” Taylor explained. “It was all the healing I saw when I was at Harborside that inspired me to pull all of my money out of my savings – every dime I had – and start a Cannabis business.” And there’s another, extremely personal, motivation that drives Taylor’s current efforts to educate and empower seniors about Cannabis. “I’ve never told this story before,” Taylor said. “But one of the major reasons why I continue to do this work, especially with elders, is because of my friend Sonia.” A close friend since childhood, Taylor shared that on Christmas morning seven or eight years ago, she found herself at Sonia’s hospital bedside. Distraught at seeing her dear friend connected to so many tubes and machines – as Sonia was in the late stages of pancreatic cancer – Taylor suggested that she might find relief in Cannabis. “She had all kinds of stuff dripping from IVs into her,” Taylor recalled. “And she looked at me and said, ‘No, Sue. I don’t want those drugs in my body.’ She had a morphine drip going into her when she said that. Then shortly after that, we lost her. She made a transition. I‘ve thought a lot about that, and how, if I had only known what I know now, she might still be here.” In honor of her late friend, Taylor has placed education at the

forefront of all her Cannabis-related efforts. Before health restrictions made such gatherings impossible, Taylor regularly hosted free educational seminars on Cannabis at The Farmacy – open to the entire community. While Taylor eagerly awaits the day when she can resume such in-person informational events, she continues to embrace her new identity as a public face in the legal Cannabis world. “My mission is to help to eliminate the stigma surrounding Cannabis,” she said. “And what better person than me? I’m the right demographic and I genuinely care. I don’t want to lose another person like my friend, Sonia, if there’s something I can do about it.” In a year marked by a health crisis, severe wildfires, and unprecedented political upheaval, somehow Taylor and Farmacy Berkeley were also forced to deal with a string of robberies that began over Memorial Day weekend, hitting a number of Cannabis establishments across the Bay Area and throughout California. Though Farmacy Berkeley – which features an upscale, Nordstrom’s-meets-Cannabis aesthetic – suffered substantial damages, the generous spirit which so clearly lives within Taylor was gifted back to her in the form of community members reaching out to offer support. “We were hit twice in one night,” Taylor said. “But do you know what the community did? They sent us their stimulus checks. People were giving us their stimulus checks

“I want to leave a legacy that’s not about money, but about compassion and inspiration and making a difference.”

feb. 2021

with notes saying they were sorry and apologizing for what happened.” According to Taylor, those who couldn’t afford to donate sent cards or asked if they could assist with any clean-up efforts. “That show of support was amazing,” she said. “And I can honestly say that we are now thriving.” In addition to her role with The Farmacy, Taylor is also the namesake behind the Mama Sue tincture line now available from Glass House Farms. Available from select dispensaries in California, Mama Sue’s low-potency formulas were initially conceived with older consumers in mind. Tailored to address specific ailments like sleep and pain, the line has apparently become a cross-generational hit with customers of all ages. Taylor says she’s excited by the prospects of where the Mama Sue line may go next, but as she continues to forge ahead, she’s reiterated that she’s always thinking about the reasons – and the people – that have placed her in this unique position. “I want to leave a legacy that’s not about money, but about compassion and inspiration and making a difference,” Taylor said. “I don’t care how old you are – I’m 73-years-old. I started a new business and I’m going to do more. I want to give inspiration to other people who will pick up my legacy and continue to carry this torch. If you see injustice, if you see something that needs to be corrected, well, Sue Taylor did it. I decided a long time ago to make this world a better place because I live, not just exist.”

FARMACYBERKELEY.COM

STORY by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by FARMACY BERKELEY | FARMACYBERKELEY.COM

SHOP review

SANTA CRUZ

caliFornialeaf.COM

Through the looking glass

Owner Tyler Smith

feb. 2021

Flower Galore

3BROS

How many dispensaries have you been to that have a grow room in them? The OG Santa Cruz owned and operated 3 Bros does, and if you haven’t been, it’s high time you made the trip.

SETTING & VIBE

Having a fully operational grow room visible through a window on the sales floor of your dispensary might be the most unique retail asset we’ve ever come across. It is truly aweinspiring to look at live plants and realize that the weed you’re looking at will eventually make its way to the other side of that window and into a jar for you, the customer, to purchase. Seed to sale in a matter of feet. The rest of the retail space is decked out with beautiful, custom-built stained wood and glass cases, hand-painted art done by local artist Mckella Jo and a massive 35-foot wall mural of a photo of Santa Cruz’s West Cliff, as taken by surf photographer Dave Nelson. The feel is modern and clean, while simultaneously cultured and full of character.

3 BROS 1100B FAIR AVENUE SANTA CRUZ, CA OPEN 9AM-9PM DAILY 3BROSSANTACRUZ.COM @3BROSSANTACRUZ @3BROSGROW

HISTORY & VALUES The 3 Bros, Tyler, Russ and Mark, have been lifelong friends for more than 30 years. All three grew up riding the waves in Santa Cruz and became professional surfers with legitimate, world-traveling, contest-winning careers. As their careers in the surf world began to draw to a close, they began realizing that their side hustle of growing to fund their surf trips could become a full-time business. With Prop 215 coming into place, the three began investing into a proper, scaled cultivation facility and, by the time adult-use Cannabis came around in 2016, the team was connected, experienced and capitalized enough to go all in and get licensed. The shop first opened doors to the public in 2018 and has been a major contributor to the revitalization of the neighborhood, which was formerly almost exclusively industrial use, and is now a bustling beachside sprawl with coffee shops, wineries and health food stores.

PRODUCT SELECTION Beyond the obvious benefit of getting the best selection of 3 Bros top shelf indoor you can find anywhere, the menu here has a solid selection of local brands like Big Pete’s Treats, Caring Kind and Santa Cruz Roots. They back that up with a curation of mostly middle-to-high-end products from across the state like Humboldt’s Honeydew Farms, Sonoma County’s Beezle Extracts and San Luis Obispo’s Lowell Herb Co. That said, there are still plenty of value-driven options for those looking to stretch their dollar. Part of their mission statement reads, “We believe it is our responsibility to offer only the highest quality products at an approachable price,” and there is no question they’re living up to this standard. We couldn’t find an eighth over $50 or a gram of concentrate over $70 on their menu, where many shops top out at $85 and $130, respectively.

BUDTENDERS

Award-winning shop & staff

This Santa Cruz area favorite is staffed by a crew of 15 stellar budtenders with a variety of backgrounds and levels of experience. The one thing they all have in common, though, are their standout abilities in customer service. VP of Operations Alida Lehman explained, “You can teach anyone about Cannabis, but you can’t necessarily teach customer service.” Each budtender we chatted with was engaging and excited to be there, and demonstrated well above average product knowledge. The staff is quizzed regularly by management so that they stay up-to-date on new products and brands, and also on the evolving science behind the plant. Another aspect of 3 Bros we really liked was the low turnover rate for their budtending staff – a good indicator that the company takes care of all of their employees, not just their shareholders and managers.

QUICK HIT There’s just something about the combination of a highly knowledgeable and affable staff, a sales floor grow room with real live Cannabis plants, and top quality Cannabis products available at compassionate prices – all just steps from the beach in Santa Cruz. 3 Bros’ motto – The Vibes are Real – is something the team has taken to heart and has woven into the fabric of their business via their space, their team and their products – with seemingly effortless execution.

Lead Budtender Sean Flynn posts up at the Dab Counter

This Cannabis will eventaually make its way to the store’s shelves.

THE SHOP FIRST OPENED DOORS TO THE PUBLIC IN 2018 AND HAS BEEN A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO THE REVITALIZATION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

STORY by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415 CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by 3 BROS @3BROSSANTACRUZ @3BROSGROW

stoner owner

THE SOILKING

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THEY CALL HIM THE SOIL KING. A true Stoner Owner, Patrick King has felt a deep-rooted connection to Cannabis and cultivation since his youth. In addition to providing the soil, picks and shovels for the industry through his legendary Soil King Garden Center, King holds nearly every license type available in the California market, breeds his own genetics, sits on the Ganjier Council (featured in Januaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Future Issue of California Leaf), and has launched his own web TV channel, Soil King TV. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a chance he started a new company while you were reading this. The King took a moment out of his busy schedule to share stories of his life in Cannabis and his thoughts on the industry.

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PATRICK KING

YOU’VE SAID AGRICULTURE IS NOT ONLY A CALLING, IT’S IN YOUR BLOOD. WILL YOU SHARE A BIT ABOUT YOUR FAMILY HISTORY AND THE CONNECTION YOU FEEL TO THE SOIL?

Ever since my first memories when my hand hit the soil, touching the essence of Mother Earth, there was a spiritual connection that happened that I carried through my entire life. I always wondered why I was different ... I couldn’t figure it out until my family tree was exposed to me, laying me in the bloodline of John Chapman, AKA Johnny Appleseed. When I found this bit of information out, I felt like I belonged, had a calling, knew why my feet fit the shoes I was wearing. ... Before I knew about this bloodline, I was asked on many occasions, “If you could be one person in history, who would that person be?” I always said, “Johnny Appleseed!” His monetary contribution to the world was better than anyone’s. He touched the heart of children all over the world through his teachings. My legacy was laid generations before me to follow. Because of my openminded willingness, I was able to see the path and take the journey of a thousand miles with a single step. WHEN WE FIRST SPOKE, YOU TOLD ME THAT THE FIRST TIME YOU WERE IN HANDCUFFS WAS AT THE AGE OF 11, FOR GROWING WEED IN A PINE TREE IN YOUR BACKYARD. WHAT PATH LED YOU FROM THERE TO HERE? WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THAT 11-YEAR-OLD SOIL PRINCE TODAY? The struggles were real in my life

from childhood until now. From living alone, homeless under a house at the age of 12 and 13, dropping out of school, supporting myself, relying on myself, and being the only one to believe in myself ... I can tell you this, that 11-year-old boy believed in me from then till now, as my biggest supporter, fan, and the one to push me when I just wasn’t able to do it myself. I always talk about the relationship now that I have with that 11-year-old boy. He is so proud of me – doing backflips, smiling, while knowing we have accomplished something great on our journey so far. (Through) the years of the world being against us, we never gave up ... We are a team, and we are not done with the journey yet. SOIL, EQUIPMENT, PROCESSING, DISTRIBUTION – YOU HAVE A STAKE IN NEARLY EVERY SEGMENT OF THE INDUSTRY. WHERE DOES YOUR PASSION THRIVE? My mission statement is, “Changing

the world one plant at a time!” My fight has always been for clean, tested products that are human consumable. The Cannabis industry, and all of agriculture, has been poisoning us for many, many generations – selling us products while claiming they’re safe for consumption, knowing that it’s a lie. Even certifications like OMRI are a complete joke!

“WE MIGHT BE SMALL AS INDIVIDUALS, BUT WE ARE MASSIVE TOGETHER IN UNITY! WE ARE AN ARMY OF LOVING, CARING, GIVING PEOPLE WHO WILL FIGHT TO THE END FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE.”

Through the (Prop 215 medical) era, I fought for the testing of products, both in Cannabis and all other agriculture. How can you spray avid or harmful pesticides on your plant, then sell it as medicine? Not going to happen in my world – I’m going to call you out every time. Though I loved the 215 moment, it gave way for the manipulation of the words ‘medicinal patient.’ That label was thrown around too freely. People didn’t care. They only ran after the money and used all the hard work that movement did just to fill their pockets ... I knew that I was somewhat alone in my thinking, but I wasn’t willing to give up the fight, the mission, the will to do right and advocacy, pioneering and changing the world one plant at a time. Being a steward of Mother Earth is an honor and privilege that should be felt and respected by all. YOU HOLD NEARLY EVERY TYPE OF CANNABIS LICENSE AVAILABLE IN CALIFORNIA. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE LEGAL MARKET AND WHERE IT IS HEADED? I play a part in and I

own just about every license in California, yes. I also own a slice of just about every part of the picks and shovels, from an international soil company, garden centers, genetics, fertilizers and amendments, processing tools, Cannabis distribution, manufacturing, sales, nursery, retail, remediation, cultivation and even events. I live and die for this industry. The most important and my favorite part of my life is storytelling – the culture of the small farmer is the last of the dying breed and their stories need to be told ... When legal Cannabis in California became a thing in 2018, it was a complete fiasco of corporate funny money flowing into our industry, raping and pillaging, greed, Ponzi schemes, liars and cheats … Valuations were through the roof. Small farmers knew that we had a race in front of us, and that if we just held on, we’d still be standing when they collapsed … Pioneers are resilient! We’ve been through things that no

other industry or people of industry in the world have ever experienced! Army helicopters chasing us through the mountains of the Emerald Triangle, dropping from ropes onto our patches, chasing us through the mountains with M16s, stripping our children and families away from us while throwing us in federal prisons with their drug war mentality! Even they can’t take us down! We are resilient! We are this industry! … We might be small as individuals, but we are massive together in unity! We are an army of loving, caring, giving people who will fight to the end for what we believe. Corporate Cannabis was set to fail, and it did ... their monopoly money valuations collapsed, and guess who’s still standing? The small farmers! Now that they realize they made that mistake of not keeping us as brand ambassadors, and (instead tried) to put us out of business, they are knocking on our doors trying to work with us today. My answer is always the same: You had your opportunity, and you shit all over it. WHAT DOES THE WORD INTEGRITY MEAN TO YOU AS IT PERTAINS TO CANNABIS?

I still believe in looking into somebody’s eyes, asking them a question, and believing in what they say. Their eyes can tell a lot. I believe in a handshake and a written agreement to back it up. In this world, you’re only as good as your word. Integrity means all that and more. It’s about team. It’s about community. It’s about culture. It’s about carrying your people when they’re not strong enough to carry themselves, and knowing that when you’re not strong enough, they carry you as well. I talk about integrity often. Integrity also comes with knowing how to raise your hand when you’re wrong and ask forgiveness. None of us get it right all the time, but if we don’t acknowledge our deficits, we repeat the action. I’ve made mistakes in my life and I own them – I’m responsible for them and I apologize for them. All that is integrity! IG: @THESOILKING | YOUTUBE: @THESOILKING

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.

INTERVIEW by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by CHRIS VICARI

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women in weed

ALIAVOLZ The history of the medical marijuana movement is paved with untold stories like the one author Alia Volz has now brought to light with her new memoir, “Home Baked.”

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In the book (out in paperback on April 20, 2021), Volz reveals and celebrates the work of her mother, Meridy, who for decades ran a beloved Bay Area brownie operation known as Sticky Fingers. Defying capture, Meridy and Volz’s father were also instrumental in providing Cannabis to HIV/AIDS patients and satiated their artistic tendencies by decorating each week’s brownie bag with a unique illustration. “Home Baked” serves as a worthy tribute to Volz’s parents, who are still with us, as well as to the larger bravery of those who risked prison to help others in need. feb. 2021

What is your book about and what inspired you to write it? My folks had the first high-volume Cannabis

edibles business in San Francisco – probably the first in California – to operate at that size. It started in the 1970s. By the time I was born in 1977, they were distributing upwards of 10,000 brownies per month throughout the city, to all of these different subcultures and various neighborhoods in San Francisco. Then, when the AIDS crisis hit at the beginning of the 1980s, Sticky Fingers transitioned into being part of the dawn of the medical marijuana movement. In writing “Home Baked,” I had the opportunity to tell the story of the progression from party drug to palliative medicine, as we think of Cannabis now, through this very personal lens and through the AIDS crisis.

Now that we’re a few years into adult-use sales, we’re at risk of forgetting about the risky, largely untold story of Cannabis as it existed prior to Prop 215, and later, Prop 64. Was that part of your inspiration for writing this book? To ensure your mother’s legacy and work was recognized? To a

certain extent. I decided to bring this project to light in the lead up to the passing of Proposition 64, which legalized adult recreational use in California. One thing that I noticed was that in the conversations that were being had about Cannabis, at that time, there

in the group would design original packaging and it became like this underground comic. It was always some social commentary or a reflection on the politics of the day, or whatever was going on astrologically.

“Home Baked” is also in the process of being adapted for the screen. What can you say about the project?

The story has been optioned by [J.J. Abrams’ production company] Bad Robot for a television series. I’m actually working on developing the show with a co-writer that Bad Robot hired. I’m involved, though to what extent still remains to be seen as there are many people involved and so many variables. It hasn’t been sold to a network yet, but we’re getting ready to pitch.

What are some of the elements of your memoir you hope this potential series is able to capture? I feel

like there hasn’t really been a film or television series that encompasses both the wholesomeness and the community strength that is so evident – and always has been – in Cannabis culture with the seriousness of mind that it takes to run a successful cannabusiness. Especially in the days when it was illegal and involved extreme risk. We’ve had shows like “Weeds” and “High Maintenance” and a few others, but they all tend to focus on the silliness of the culture. Basically, the Cheech and Chong stoner stereotype: people who are so spaced out that they can barely tie their shoes and hilarity ensues. There is certainly an aspect of Cannabis culture that is fun-loving like that, sure, but in my experience, having grown up in that world, it took a lot of savvy and courage and determination – and a really keen business sense – to pull off a significant underground cannabusiness like the one that my folks had. My parents were hippies, but they were not space cadets. So, having grown up steeped in Cannabis culture, I’m really eager to see a show that acknowledges that people who are successful in this world have skills and talents that would also translate successfully to anything else. It’s a real business that takes real, serious-minded people to accomplish it, especially when it was new and it was trailblazing. That’s really important to me.

“In writing “Home Baked,” I had the opportunity to tell the story of the progression from party drug to palliative medicine, as we think of Cannabis now, through this very personal lens and through the AIDS crisis.” wasn’t a lot of attention being paid to the role of AIDS activism in bringing us the access that we now have to Cannabis. For me, that was really the incentive. I came into the project knowing that my family had a deep involvement in that history, but to be completely honest with you, I hadn’t realized when I began working on this book just how much of a pioneer my mom was. I had this great window into the Cannabis culture of the ‘70s and ‘80s, and the evolution of Cannabis culture and medical marijuana, and I knew that my mom played an important role. But I didn’t realize just how pioneering and how original the work she was doing was. Once I dug into the material and got into the research, I realized that nobody was really operating on the scale that she was back then. It’s interesting because my mom didn’t really think of herself as a pioneer. She was making her decisions on a daily basis and trying to do what she thought was right while also avoiding the law. I think she was just happy to get away with it, to be honest with you.

Tell me about the legacy of Sticky Fingers’ brownie bags! People actually collected them, right? Almost

all of the people involved with Sticky Fingers brownies back in the ‘70s, including my parents, were artists – so it became like an arts collective. Every week, somebody

I also want to emphasize that at least as far as Northern California Cannabis culture goes, or at least the culture that I’ve known – it’s always been very driven by strong, business-minded women. I feel like there is a stereotype or misconception that Cannabis is a man’s world that women are just starting to break into. We focus on new women in weed and how to empower women in cannabusiness, but in my experience, the growers and dealers have always largely been women. It goes back to the plants themselves, of course – we’re talking about a female plant, after all. I’d also emphasize that, because this business started during the 1970s, which was a time when it was not so easy for women to gain a foothold and to be taken seriously as businesswomen, Cannabis was an avenue for female-driven businesses. That’s important to look at as well. Then, of course, always with this story, to explore the gravity, the strength and the intense community power that revealed itself during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. I feel like that has yet to be represented in its fullness, in the context of a mass market television show.

The story of Sticky Fingers brownies and the Volz family’s adventures have been chronicled in newspapers and magazines around the world, and in spellbinding longform radio broadcasts on NPR’s Fresh Air and Snap Judgement. Meridy Volz

“I came into the project knowing that my family had a deep involvement in that history, but to be completely honest with you, I hadn’t realized when I began working on this book just how much of a pioneer my mom was.” @ALIAVOLZZZ ALIAVOLZ.COM

“Home Baked: My Mom, Marijuana, and the Stoning of San Francisco” by Alia Volz | $16.99; Mariner Books indiebound.org/book/9780358505020

STORY by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for CALIFORNIA LEAF | PORTRAIT by DENNIS HEARNE @MRLUCKYSF, PHOTO COURTESY MERIDY VOLZ

company profile

GREENSTONE

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The Distributor GREENSTONE FOUNDER RYA N R I V E R A O N H O W HIS COMPANY IS SET TING THE TONE FOR WHAT A CALIFORNIA CANNABIS DISTRIBUTOR CAN BE.

feb. 2021

WHEN IT COMES TO making the most of a building, Ryan Rivera is the man you want. Before he began running Greenstone — one of California’s premiere Cannabis distribution companies — Rivera was working in real estate in Orange County. That’s when his Uncle (and veteran of the Vietnam War) suggested that they get into the weed business.

means to take care of it in-house. That’s where Greenstone stepped in. As one of only a few operations that delivers across all of California, Greenstone was able to get Honeydew products into additional markets to truly become a statewide brand. The range of where Greenstone delivers, Rivera points out, is another way in which the Los Angeles company stands apart from the competition. “We’re one of only a handful of companies that does that,” he adds. “Most are hyperlocal or only serving a four-hour radius.”

IX YEARS LATER, and Greenstone is an in-demand distribution company with a range of services not offered by many of their industry peers. Part of the reason for Rivera’s success is rooted in the way he entered the industry – by scouting and fixing buildings for other prospective Cannabis companies.

When Rivera’s brother-in-law, a chiropractor practicing in Costa Mesa, got wind of his new focus, he introduced Rivera to a doctor in the field who recommended applying for permits in the city of Adelanto, one of the early adopters when it came to licensing. After being approved for four permits, Rivera tells California Leaf, his initial plan was cultivation. “I was the only person with a permit back in 2015,” he explains. “So I met up with some folks in Humboldt who suggested I think about distribution instead of growing. I saw the farms they had going, and just knew I wasn’t going to grow more weed than these guys.” Rivera decided to apply for distribution licenses in the city of Lynwood, closer to home. “That’s how Greenstone was born,” he explains. CREATIVE SOLUTIONS

WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS

At Greenstone, internal capabilities allow them to do everything from creating swag to designing billboards for their small, but tight-knit, roster of clients.

During a video tour of Greenstone’s spacious Lynwood facilities, Rivera frequently prefaced each room he entered with words of genuine excitement and pride. There’s good reason for his giddiness: Greenstone in action is a sight to behold. “Oh, you’re going to love this,” Rivera says, walking into a new room. “This is our creative studio.” To be clear: Most distributors do not have creative studios. Greenstone’s investment in such a department speaks to the importance they place on doing all they can for the brands they take on. At present, the burden of marketing a Cannabis brand falls almost entirely on the brand itself. “With regular distros,” Rivera observes, “they want you to show up with boxes all done. Most distros claim to have sales teams, but they really don’t.” But at Greenstone, internal capabilities allow them to do everything from creating swag to designing billboards for their small, but tight-knit, roster of clients. Impressive machinery – be it one that can roll upwards of 10,000 joints a day or a $20,000 label printer – speaks to the quality of service Greenstone seeks to provide to any brand they take on. And Rivera is absolutely careful about which

ones he works with as well. “If we say yes to everyone,” he explains, “and we go out and get 50 brands, we’re going to piss 40 of them off because you can’t have redundancies.” As a result, Greenstone is now working with a select few (but nonetheless notable) companies - among them Honeydew Farms, Top Shelf Cultivation, and Ball Family Farms. LIGHTING THE FUSE

Things are bustling these days at Greenstone. As an essential business, they’ve largely been able to carry on as normal despite the onset of COVID-19. However, back when the company first got going in 2018, they faced one initial, rather massive obstacle. “The first six months of legal sales were f**ked because no one was required to use a legal distributor,” Rivera explains. “Then, on July 1, the state required everyone to use legal distros and we were in business. The phone started ringing and it hasn’t really stopped.” The first brand Greenstone linked with was Honeydew Farms, famed as Humboldt County’s first permitted Cannabis farm. According to Rivera, the team at Honeydew needed state distribution, but didn’t have the

To take a (virtual) tour of Greenstone is to see former joint rollers who now hold positions in upper-level management. It’s a sneak peek at a recently finished batch of embroidered jackets for Ball Family Farms or a glimpse at some of the systems innovated in-house by Greenstone staff to fill the gaps left by conventional software. At first, Rivera was making what he terms “custom pizzas.” “It was custom, custom, custom,” he recalls in reference to Greenstone’s earlier days receiving small orders with unique specifications. “Now we’re doing bulk.” Greenstone’s success has even caught the eye of some potential buyers. Rivera, CEO and founder of Greenstone, says he fielded an offer from a company planning to go public on Canada’s stock market last year, but opted to turn it down. “It just would’ve been such a major identity loss,” he explains of his choice not to sell. “All the people you see here were here on day one.” And now, says Rivera, those people have become not only his colleagues, but trusted friends as well. “I had to get into the weed business to find my best friends,” he laughs. “That’s crazy to say as a 40-year-old, but it’s true.” Imbued in his gratitude is a knowledge that, were Rivera to try and start his company from scratch today, it would likely prove impossible. “We got to make a lot of mistakes early,” he observes. “We could not do it again. I would not want to be starting a distro now.” Fortunately, Greenstone is well on its way to becoming one of California’s premiere distributors. For Rivera, the secret ingredient in their recipe is no secret at all. “We’re all about our team and we’re all about our brands,” he says. “We’re all about our farmers who overachieve, which just makes you want to work all the harder for them. We bleed for our brands.” GREENSTONE.US | @ GREENSTONEUS | (844) 420-4733

STORY by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by GREENSTONE

STRAIN OF THE MONTH

CBD BLUE DREAM

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CAL I F O R N I A

feb. 2021

CONSIDERING THAT THIS IS THE ESSENTIAL ISSUE, FOR THIS EDITION OF STRAIN OF THE MONTH WE WANTED TO HUNT DOWN A CULTIVAR THAT OFFERED BALANCE AND RELIEF FROM THE STRESS OF DAY-TO-DAY MODERN LIVING.

grown by

AUTUMN BRANDS 13% THC | 9% CBD

(TOTAL CANNABINOIDS 25%)

THESE TIGHT NUGS GIVE OFF AN AROMA OF PITHY ORANGE PEEL, BLACK PEPPER AND PINE – ESPECIALLY PUNGENT IF YOU TAKE A SMALL CRUMB OR TWO AND RUB THEM BETWEEN YOUR PALMS. REVIEW by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTO by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415

You know, something to quiet the crushing anxiety of beginning a new year in a world still plagued by sociopolitical unrest and, well, a literal plague. We found exactly what we were looking for in the CBD Blue Dream from Autumn Brands – a family-owned cultivator out of Santa Barbara County. Part of Autumn’s line of “Glass Jar Strains,” it comes packed in a stash-worthy glass jar with a faux-wooden top and complete with a humidity control pack, leaving the buds dialed to the perfect consistency and moisture level. The flower within comes from a Humboldt Seed Organization cross of the classic Blue Dream and California Orange CBD, sporting rich orange hairs against a dark green backdrop. These tight nugs give off an aroma of pithy orange peel, black pepper and pine – especially pungent if you take a small crumb or two and rub them between your palms. We love the CBD Blue Dream because it doesn’t share the same cherry character that is the hallmark of so many CBD-rich strains. In fact, it doesn’t come across like a CBD-heavy strain at all, until you feel the effects. The smooth smoke is almost too easy, with no hint or threat of a cough, ushering you into a euphoric realm of bodily relaxation coupled with an alert mental state. It’s an excellent strain for those nights where you need to chill out and leave the day behind, but want to stay awake long enough to catch a few more episodes of “Cobra Kai” before drifting off to dream.

A U T U M N B R A N DS .CO M @ A U T U M N B R A N DS

Essential!

the ESSENTIAL issue

ABOUT THE SPECIAL

Shortly after the COVID crisis careened into our lives like a flaming truck packed with irradiated skunk carcasses, something happened that no one could have predicted: Our fearful leaders declared the Cannabis industry essential to the survival of our society. Essential. That word carries weight. It shoulders everything it touches with necessary gravity.

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For those whose lives are impacted by the plant, it can be a matter of the quality of life, and even the difference between life and death. feb. 2021

But what does it mean to be essential? And why does the Cannabis community – until recent years the green-clad parolee at the family dinner table – suddenly merit the classification from the same governmental bodies that once sought to destroy it? Let’s start with easily measurable metrics. In 2020, the estimated employment statistic for the adult-use Cannabis industry neared 300,000, according to a July report by MJ Biz Daily. That’s up from 211,000 in 2019. That same report models those stats to hit more than half a million legally employed, tax-paying workers in the Cannabis sector by 2024. It’s a staggering figure, when you consider it only accounts for legal-market states, and doesn’t take into account employment in the unregulated Cannabis market, which is exponentially greater, but much harder to track. That’s a lot of bills paid and people fed – something this country needs, desperately. For more easily identifiable proof of the indispensability of indica, look at the money. In its first year of adult-use, Cannabis hit $1billion in combined sales in Illinois, according to figures from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. And that’s on a base of only 82 licensed dispensaries. If that seems like a huge number, look at California during the same timespan. The state clocked more than $1 billion in Cannabis tax revenue alone, according to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, from total sales estimated to exceed $5 billion. That’s a lot of cabbage. But the concept of essentialism goes beyond mere money. For those whose lives are impacted by the plant, it can be a matter of the quality of life, and even the difference between life and death. In the following pages, we explore the concept of Cannabis essentialism by taking a close look at fine details in the fabric of the grand tapestry. We speak with a teenage racecar driver and NASCAR hopeful from Maryland whose life was literally saved by Cannabis, and who pushed for legislation that improved the lives of patients all over his home state. We share the stories of individuals and families pulling up stakes and moving across the country for the promise of a career and a paycheck in the legal market. We explore the past, present and future of public consumption and the concept of cannabinoids as medicine. In this, our first Essential Issue, we attempt to identify and define some of the ways in which Cannabis has become indispensable in all of our lives.

STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/LEAF NATION | PHOTO by ADOBE/WOLLERTZ

the ESSENTIAL issue

Connor’s Courage Three years ago, teenage racecar driver Connor Sheffield was in a sprint for his life. Plagued since early childhood with a progressive disease that rendered him unable to digest food, Sheffield approached his 13th birthday at a withered 74 pounds.

But his is not a tragic story. The tale of 16-year-old Sheffield is one of a young man driven to win against overwhelming opposition. It’s a story of survival, of the strength of family, and of beating the odds. It has racecars, heroic budtenders, inspiring speeches – and more racecars. And at the center of it all is Cannabis.

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DRIVEN BY A DIAGNOSIS

Sheffield and his family spent his childhood struggling with the fact that he simply couldn’t eat. “We thought it was just normal,” said Tricia Sheffield, Connor’s mom. “You know, like someone has acid reflux or something. But as Connor got older, things just kept getting progressively worse.” Connor wasn’t thriving and despite their best efforts, the experts at esteemed medical facilities couldn’t offer hope. The doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital diagnosed him with Gastrointestinal Motility Pseudo Obstruction and Dysphagia, a progressive disease that has no cure or treatment plan. In and out of the hospital, he underwent several procedures and had to have portions of his bowels removed. He had to be put on a feeding tube and when that stopped working, he had to be fed intravenously. Sheffield couldn’t find hope. Then, at the age of nine, his parents suggested racing. “When I was younger, I played baseball, I played football, I was going to get into lacrosse,” Sheffield said.

feb. 2021

“But because my medical conditions were getting worse and worse, I couldn’t perform. I couldn’t participate. We didn’t know that racing required a lot of strength and endurance – so we got into it, and then we found out.” In a life marked by fatigue and struggle, racing drove Sheffield forward. “I love the speed, the competition, the people you meet – everything,” said Sheffield. “I even love the stress that comes with it … There’s something about going to the track.” LIFE-SAVING MEDICINE

Though driving a racecar helped, hope sustains the mind, not the body. Racing, which was far more physically demanding than the Sheffields predicted it would be, started to take its toll. Connor considered quitting. “We thought that if he gave up on racing, that he would give up on himself,” Tricia said. It was then that a friend named Bobby Windsor directed them to his medical Cannabis dispensary in Perryville, Maryland – aptly named Nature’s Care and Wellness. “She had come to her wits end,” Windsor said of Tricia. “I just said, ‘You have to come in. You have to give it a try.’”

The Sheffields were doubtful. “At first I was against it,” Tricia said. “I didn’t think it was medicine – I thought it was a way to get high.” After Windsor’s urging and a little research, they paid a visit to the dispensary. “Connor was so sick that day, he could barely keep his head up,” Tricia said. “He was falling asleep at the table. They had someone who worked at the dispensary who also used Cannabis for (gastrointestinal) issues. They told me, ‘This is going to help him, and he’s going to get better.’ And I was like, ‘You can’t tell me that. Because he’s dying on me, and you can’t tell me that. We’ve been to hospitals and doctors all over, and they couldn’t help us. So how can you help us?’” The budtender answered their questions and the Sheffields procured a Cannabis tincture from Windsor’s shop. To hear the Sheffields and Windsor tell it, the change was miraculous. “After about 25 minutes of him taking it, he started pepping up,” Tricia said. “He was like a wilting flower and he just started coming to life. He told me he was hungry and wanted to eat.” Sheffield’s first solid meal in years was a cheeseburger. “I don’t want to say we saved his life, but it’s a good feeling,” Windsor said. “I cry every once in a while, thinking about it.”

Off the track, Connor strapped in for another contest. This time, he was fighting to allow Cannabis medicine in schools.

SURPASSING THE STIGMA

For the first month of Cannabis treatment, the Sheffields kept Connor’s medication a secret from everyone – including his doctors, for fear of backlash. “At 30 days, we brought him in and they were like, ‘Wow, he’s doing great,’” Tricia said. “And that’s when we decided to tell them that he was using medical Cannabis. They said, ‘Wow! Really? Well, whatever it is that you’re doing, we’re going to tell you to keep doing it.’” It was a turning point. “For the first three months or so, I didn’t want to believe that it was working,” Connor said. “But I felt the improvements and I saw the weight gain. And I went and saw my doctors, and then I saw them less and less, and now I only see them every six or seven months if I have issues.”

After a while, people stopped giving him sideeye at the track. The crowds and other racers have even been supportive, and Sheffield’s Crew Chief, Kris Reardon, says Connor has never been stronger. “People even secretly ask me about Cannabis and ask me how they can use it to help their medical condition,” Connor said. KEEPING CANNABIS IN THE SCHOOLS

Off the track, Connor strapped in for another contest. This time, he was fighting to allow Cannabis medicine in schools. “Whenever I felt as though I needed my medication, I would text my parents,” Connor said. “They would drive to school, take me out of class, and I’d need to walk off of school property completely, down the street, take my medication, walk back to the school, and walk back to class. It was a lot to THE WRECK THAT NEVER CAME do. It’s even a mouthful to explain.” After years of racing dirt sprint cars, Connor The situation was untenable. The Sheffields came on as a developmental driver on the CMI connected with Maryland State Senator Brian FeldMotorsports team in the NASCAR Advance Auto man, a former lawyer for the Department of Justice Part Weekly Series (late model cars). who sits on the Marijuana One would think that Cannabis could Legalization Work Group complicate Connor’s NASCAR dreams. for the State General Early on, the Sheffields recall a race Assembly. Sen. Feldman in Texas where they were forced to tape started working on MD over all of the logos for their primary HB331, a bill nicknamed sponsor, a dispensary. “Connor’s Courage,” “We just felt like people were just which would allow the waiting for Connor to wreck,” Tricia staff at public schools in said. “All eyes were on Connor that Maryland to adminisShown here racing for Mindbuzz ter Cannabis medicine weekend.” at Hickory Motor Speedway in Sept. Connor laughs, “I actually ended during the schoolday, as 2020, Connor was recently named up doing pretty well. They didn’t know they would with any other Cannabis Patient Advocate of the what to expect. They thought I was legal medicine. Year by Explore Maryland Cannabis. going to wreck people. They thought I “Finding a way to help was going to be high.” these kids out was the Ever since starting with Cannabis, Sheffield’s primary motive for getting into it,” Sen. Feldman strength and skills have improved significantly. said. “Connor is one of the kids to beat in the dirt Sen. Feldman introduced the Sheffields to Gil series,” Tricia said. “They come to try to beat ConGenn, a lobbyist whose office is covered with picnor. To have people look at him and think, ‘I hope tures of him rubbing elbows with the most powerful I can beat him tonight,’ that’s a great feeling.” U.S. politicians of the past 50 years.

“So I got the call from Tricia,” Genn said, “and she described Connor’s Courage, Connor’s Law, and she said, ‘We need help.’ I said, ‘It would be my honor.’” At the outset, school officials opposed the bill because they worried it would endanger their federal funding. They came up with excuses. “They said, ‘Aside from all of the Connor and Lobbyist liability issues … We have no idea Gil Genn helped pass and no training on how to give this Connor’s Law. medicine,’” Genn said. “They needed to have a task force to train on how to give drops of a tincture.” Genn said that during the hearing, he provided a list of the various medications school staffers were permitted to administer on school grounds. Then, Genn finished with a flourish – he brought in a bottle of simulated Cannabis tincture and stood there, cheekily explaining to a roomful of adults how to use a dropper. “I had people slapping their desks and laughing. It just blew them out of the water. That was the turning point, I think.” Sen. Feldman recalls another tide-shifting moment during the hearing, when a young epileptic Cannabis patient started having a seizure. “His mother put something under the child’s tongue and he calmed,” Sen. Feldman said. “It wasn’t about smoking, or pulling out a bong.” In the end, the bill passed both the House and Senate with nearly unanimous bipartisan support. “At heart, these kids had severe ailments,” Sen. Feldman said. “There was a way to help them go to school. And why would we not allow them access to something that was legal in our state?” Now, Connor and patients like him in Maryland have safe access to their essential medicine during school hours. And to think it all started with a family taking the advice of a budtender. “I am so glad that we did,” Tricia said. “I don’t know what would have happened to Connor, if I didn’t just forget what I’d been taught my whole life about Cannabis being horrible, and just try it. Because now, Connor’s surviving – and he’s thriving.”

STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by ERIC KAYNE @PHOTOKAYNE & COURTESY SHEFFIELD FAMILY

the ESSENTIAL issue

uprooted ON THE MOVE FOR THE PLANT

caliFornialeaf.COM

Whether searching for compassionate policy, seeking industry opportunity or fleeing persecution, Cannabis has people pulling up roots and planting new seeds all over the country. ORIGINALLY FROM Salt Lake City, Jenn Doe fled the archaic and prohibitive Cannabis laws of Utah to Washington to ply her trade as a grower and hash-maker. She thrived under the medical marijuana program and eventually won the High Times NorCal Cannabis Cup in 2014, becoming the only woman to win the award for solventless hash – made by her from plants she grew herself. The offers should have rolled in for a “The amount of money champion extract artist, and yet she felt it takes to have a stifled by the restrictions that had been business there, versus imposed on caregivers after recreational being a functioning legalization passed in 2012. caregiver business Jenn promptly moved to Massachuhere in Maine is setts for a year to grow and wash her changing significant, and it’s not flowers in peace, until the laws there policies nearly as saturated of changed as well. A business opportunity a market.” arose and once again, she wound up back in Washington working for Gavita Lighting. Upon their acquisition and the subsequent restructuring of the company, Utah to Washington she decided to again relocate – this time to the state of Maine. to Massachusetts to Why Maine? Jenn tells me, “I couldn’t do anything in the Washington to Maine Pacific Northwest without serious investment, due to the laws, or I would have to work for someone else – which I’d rather by Dan Vinkovetsky @dannydankoht not. The amount of money it takes to have a business there, versus being a functioning caregiver business here in Maine is significant, and it’s not nearly as saturated of a market.” As recreational legalization sometimes guts medical patient protections, Jenn finds the caregiver laws to be more reasonable for the mom n’ pops and small businesses, and the irony doesn’t escape her. She laughs as she tells me, “Each of my moves corresponds to the shift from medical to recreational. … All I know is I will continue to seek favorable conditions for farming and hashmaking on a boutique scale, because that’s who I am and that’s what I want to do!”

JENN DOE

feb. 2021

industry opportunity

GIDDYUP Oklahoma to Colorado to California to Nevada to Oklahoma

by Bobby Black @bobbyblack420

AS THE founder of Emotek, Jayson “Giddyup” Emo is the mohawked marijuana mogul behind 2012’s groundbreaking OBE-DOS closed-loop butane extraction system that immediately became the industry standard. He’s also the co-creator of live resin – the wildly popular style of concentrate that has taken the market by storm (and that his machine made possible). Giddy originally hails from Oklahoma – a state that, just a few years ago, had some of the strictest pot laws in the nation. Over the past decade, Giddyup “When you move has moved from state to state to a new state with several times, always for reasons big plans, all that shit related to Cannabis. First, in 2010, typically goes out the he moved from Oklahoma City to window when you get Longmont, Colorado with the idea there,” he chuckles. of growing weed for dispensaries, but that plan didn’t quite pan out. “When you move to a new state with big plans, all that shit typically goes out the window when you get there,” he chuckles. Building on the success of his extractors, in 2015 he launched his own brand of concentrates: Giddyup Extracts. After having established himself as an industry leader in Colorado, Giddy set out to bring his equipment and expertise to other legal states. First, he spent a few years in Nevada setting up licensing deals and selling to that market. Then in 2017, he moved to Hollywood to consult in the California market, which he described as a nightmare. In 2018, Giddy moved back to Oklahoma and established a 20,000-square-foot greenhouse grow, followed by his own dispensary named Giddy’s OKC, which opened in January 2019. According to Giddy, states that are new to legalization are a smarter move for those seeking employment in the Cannabis industry.

industry opportunity

RYAN SMITH

CHECK OUT LEAF LIFE EPISODE #97 Cannabis MIGRATION ON ALL MAJOR PLATFORMS AND LEAFLIFEPODCAST.COM

California to Alaska by O’Hara Shipe @shipeshots

fleeing persecution

THE STADLERS Texas to Colorado

by Bobby Black @bobbyblack420

MIKE STADLER used to live in the small town of After returning home from Copperas Cove, Texas with his wife Sheena and the Denver Cannabis Cup their five-year-old son Kayden. An HVAC tech by in April 2014, they learned trade, Stadler sold weed on the side, as well as plainclothes police had growing a few plants for personal medicinal use. been snooping around Stadler also made an effort to set a good example their property. and help his community by starting a community vegetable garden in a vacant lot he called Grow Your Own. The garden was a hit around the neighborhood, but ended up drawing scrutiny from law enforcement. First, City Hall changed local ordinances forcing them to shut down the garden. Next, after returning home from the Denver Cannabis Cup in April 2014, they learned plainclothes police had been snooping around their property. Then police tried bullying Sheena into letting them search their home without a warrant. A few days later, eight cop cars returned, accompanied by Child Protective Services. Luckily, she was out shopping at the time. After being advised by their lawyer that they could likely lose custody of their son, the couple made a fast and fateful decision: They hurriedly packed a few bags, got in their car, and fled to Greely, Colorado. “I don’t regret it at all,” says Stadler of the move. “I don’t have sleepless nights anymore, where I’m worried about whether a noise I hear is the police at my door, or if I get pulled over that I’m going to go to jail.” Though CPS in Colorado was obligated to pay them a follow-up visit, Stadler had no trouble getting the accusations dismissed. “I told them the whole story and they said, ‘We’ve had other families move here for the same situation … if anybody calls from Texas with any more complaints, we’ll tell them to screw off because you live in Colorado now.”

FORMER PRO-SNOWBOARDER Ryan Smith has had his fair share of adversity to overcome. Whether it was the end of his athletic career or a tragic accident while firefighting, he has found ways to exemplify the Japanese proverb, “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.” But Cannabis has challenged the California-native in ways he never anticipated. “I am completely self-taught and I have made a lot of mistakes over the years,” says Smith. “You know, it’s kind of been just trial and error – and Nothing could have screwing up a lot.” prepared Smith His dedication to his craft paid off for what he would when he relocated in 2018 to take encounter on June 16, over the position of Lead Cultivator 2019, when a devasat Wasilla-based grow Scorpion tating fire engulfed Grass. “I always wanted to live in the farm in flames. Alaska, so when the opportunity came up, I jumped and haven’t looked back,” says Smith. But nothing could have prepared Smith for what he would encounter on June 16, 2019, when a devastating fire engulfed the farm in flames. With nothing left to do but watch as his hard work went up in a cloud of smoke, Smith says he felt the pangs of despair. The next day, the flames extinguished, Smith walked through the gardens to see if anything could be saved. It was in this devastation that Smith saw a small glimmer of hope. “I had to walk through [the garden] and take cuttings of some of the plants so we could save the genetics. And then I saw a piece of my favorite strain – Ice Cream Cake – literally growing out from underneath these old burned trusses from the roof. It was this real sentimental moment when I took that clone,” says Smith. The clone has since developed into one of Scorpion Grass’ signature strains, Attic Fire, and is the living representation of Smith’s moxie.

STORY by LEAF NATION CONTRIBUTORS | ICONS by THE NOUN PROJECT Air travel Olena Panasovska | Moving Luis Prado | Cannabis KonKapp | Fire Vladimir Belochkin

the ESSENTIAL issue

The evolution of socializing will include consumption in public meeting places.

caliFornialeaf.COM

LOUNGING AROUNd T

he moment is seared into my memory. It was the mid-’90s and I was a bright-eyed 25-year-old in Amsterdam for the first time. I stepped into a “coffeeshop” and was immediately transported to a magical realm – one where I could order Cannabis from a menu and be treated like a customer instead of a criminal. Compared to what we went through back home to “score weed,” it all felt so … civilized.

feb. 2021

I SAT DOWN and rolled myself a joint while watching people ride by on their bicycles outside, and I knew that things would never be the same. I couldn’t go back to the way things were in the United States without doing everything I could to change it. I vowed that one day we would see consumption lounges all over the world, so that everyone could know the true feeling of freedom. The first social consumption of Cannabis dates back to ancient times. Shamans of various tribes in Central Asia, India and the Middle East burned the flowers in rituals meant to induce a trancelike state. Hashish lounges have been a staple of Nepal and Afghanistan, as well as throughout the Middle East for centuries.

haring a pipe, bong or joint with others has been a natural way to mix and mingle for as long as people have been getting together in groups. There were even “tea pads” for legal smokers established in the United States during alcohol prohibition. Soon however, worldwide crackdowns on Cannabis put a serious damper on social use. Fear of arrest and prosecution drove users and providers underground, and for many years, anyone wishing to share their stash with others measured the risks and proceeded with extreme caution. It wasn’t until the early 1970s, when Dutch hippies tested their country’s newfound “tolerance” to soft drugs, did a scene emerge in which Cannabis was openly sold and smoked in designated areas. The coffeeshop culture thrived in Holland and over time, Amsterdam became a destination for anyone seeking to sample a new way of Cannabis and hashish consumption. In the ‘90s, the scene spread to Spain under the guise of nonprofit In late 2019, three members private social clubs deigned for of the The Leaf team had members only. Inevitably, as laws in the opportunity to visit the U.S. and Canada were reformed, Amsterdam and enjoy in lounges sprang up in North America, the historic Cannabis coffeshop culture. including the New Amsterdam Cafe Check out the rehashed trip down in Vancouver and the HotBox Lounge memory lane in the Dec. 2019 issue: & Shop in Toronto.

Cannabis consumption lounges have flourished around the world.

The HotBox Lounge & Shop in Toronto

tinyurl.com/leafgoestoamsterdam

The New Amsterdam Cafe in Vancouver, BC

The Summit Lounge in Worchester, Mass. ADAM GLANZMAN

Though how we share Cannabis has certainly changed due to COVID-19, our desire to socialize amongst like-minded compatriots will only increase over time.

IN 2009, The World Famous Cannabis Cafe, run by Executive Director of Oregon NORML Madeline Martinez, opened up in Portland, Ore. as the first state-authorized lounge for medical cardholders. Sadly, they closed their doors in 2016, but places like Flight Lounge and Kaleafa Social Club continue the tradition, welcoming private members to consume flowers and dabs to their hearts’ delight. Longtime California activist Richard Lee launched Coffeeshop Blue Sky in Oakland, even enduring a raid by Federal law enforcement in 2012, but which opened the door for places like Moe Greens, Bloom Room and Barbary Coast Dispensary. The passage of Colorado’s Amendment 64, also in 2012, brought about clubs such as iBAKE Denver and The Speakeasy Vape Lounge, which allow members to consume Cannabis but do not permit sales. Since then, many other spots nationwide have opened their doors to patients and customers yearning for connection. In Michigan, places like Vehicle City Social in Flint and D’Mirage in Detroit create safe spaces for Cannabis consumers to relax and enjoy their buds with friends. New England staples like Tetra Hydro Club in Wakefield, R.I. and Summit Lounge in Worcester, Mass. provide a respite from the bars and nightclubs. I even visited a unique spot in Las Vegas called NuWu on Native land, which is a dispensary with a smoking lounge attached. In states where Cannabis remains illegal, lounges tend to be movable “seshes” that shift from location to location and provide makeshift booths with Cannabis products, entertainment and consumption on site. Worldwide, along with the Netherlands and Spain, there are now social clubs in New Zealand, South Africa, France, Germany and elsewhere. They are all under attack in one form or another from authorities, and the precariousness of their existence is fragile. Though how we share Cannabis has certainly changed due to COVID-19, our desire to socialize amongst like-minded compatriots will only increase over time. As responsible Cannabis consumers, it’s our obligation to continue to change the laws and push to legalize social use and consumption lounges so that we can get together and enjoy our pot in peace.

STORY by DAN VINKOVETSKY @DANNYDANKOHT/LEAF NATION | ILLUSTRATION by KELLY BJORK @KELLY_BJORK

JOINT/COUNTERJOINT

the ESSENTIAL issue

THIS MONTH, THE LEAF DEBATES...PHARMACEUTICAL POT

Counterjoint? Are you with Joint or the issue of on Where do you stand and style ale -sc cal pharmaceuti methods? d an g win gro s Cannabi #JointCointerjoint

Each month, we task two Leaf Nation contributors to debate both sides of a controversial subject. As with all debates, these are assigned positions that are being defended for the sake of an argument and education, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the writer, our staff, or our organization.

‘‘

caliFornialeaf.COM

While the average stoner is drooling over the Weedmaps menu in legal states, big pharma has been plotting their profit-driven takeover of pot for the last 20 years.

Should we turn our natural plant over to the same big JOINT BY WES ABNEY pharma companies that poisoned our country for profit with opiates and massive overprescription of pills? I say no!

The future of Cannabis medicines will certainly involve science – so don’t take me for a “whole plant and nothing but the plant” type of activist. After all, I love getting scientifically processed and purged concentrates that are tested for harmful pesticides and chemicals, which produces a much tastier product than the open-blasted BHO of my Cannabis youth. But we must not let our quest for safer products lead to handing control of our plant over to either government regulators or big pharma. Cannabis has been consumed by humans for thousands of years, and many states are still fighting to have access to Cannabis medicine, let alone getting baked recreationally. While the average stoner is drooling over the Weedmaps menu in legal states, big pharma has been plotting their profit-driven takeover of pot for the last 20 years. Need proof? Google Sativex – GW Pharmaceuticals’ attempt to patent and control Cannabis medicine in the UK and beyond, with a terrible synthetic version of a tincture that can be made in any home kitchen. There’s also the Phylos BioScience betrayal of thousands of growers – who submitted their genetics to learn about their plants’ lineage – but later learned Phylos was harvesting information to submit patents and had ties to big pharma money. Their goal? To create genetically modified plants that can be grown with minimal human contact. Personally, I want to smoke GMO (Grandpa’s Mouth Odor) flower, not genetically modified garbage from a mega-grow. We’ve proven in the last decade that Cannabis provides incredible benefits naturally, whether by smoking the flower, vaporizing concentrates, eating edibles or extracts like FECO, or through topicals and transdermals. There are thousands of high-end products that are produced naturally, with love, by a human being paid to get their hands dirty as they grow our favorite plant. Do we need big pharma to change this? Absolutely not. We should free the plant for all people to grow and share, not regulate it further and take it out of the soil and the hands of farmers. You can make nearly every product necessary for a medicinal treatment in your kitchen, and anything you can’t is readily available from a focused, local craft producer. That is freedom – choosing our own medicine, who makes it, and with an intention to heal – not just profit.

feb. 2021

COUNTERJOINT BY TOM BOWERS There’s a simple beauty in being able to plant a seed and grow your own medicine.

As homegrown, plant-based therapy, Cannabis provides safe, clean relief for millions of people. But not everyone can grow their own Cannabis plants. In fact, most people can’t – and those people rely on increasingly larger companies to produce their medicine. Cannabis continues to transform from homegrown medicine into large-scale industry, and as more and more consumers come to rely on its benefits for their lives, it’s a foregone conclusion that the modern pharmaceutical and medical industry will play a role in this growth. It’s already happening. While this development will bring its share of complicated downsides – these are the same people accountable for the opioid crisis, after all – there are upsides to the situation. When it comes to When it comes to medicine, a few indispensable traits come to medicine, a few mind: It needs to be clean. It needs to be consistent. It needs to be indispensable traits precisely dosed. It needs to be widely available. come to mind: It needs to The modern pharmaceutical industry already has the infrabe clean. It needs to be consistent. It needs to be structure, distribution channels, standards and processes to meet precisely dosed. It needs these criteria. Their labs are among the most clean, controlled to be widely available. environments on the planet – and they are accustomed to producing and distributing billions of precisely dialed doses of their medicines globally, with an efficiency so ingrained that it almost seems effortless. Imagine what that level of organization could do for bringing Cannabis medicine to people all over the globe... Sure, there are glaring downsides. In a bloodthirsty quest for shareholder value, the pharmaceutical industry will attempt to patent genetics and processes, seek to outlaw home cultivation, and will no doubt try to force their own, proprietary synthetic cannabinoid blends on the public. It’s like that person you work with who’s amazing at their job, but is also a complete asshole. We will have to learn to work with the modern medical industry before we get to where we’re going – that’s unavoidable. We need to be creative and unwavering in our fight for the plant and the rights of the people who rely on it, and at the same time, try to reap the benefits of infrastructure provided by a monolithic global capitalistic behemoth – without being destroyed in the process. Easy-peasy.

‘‘

A DEBATE by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX & TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/LEAF NATION

Search the good stuff Visit weedmaps.com or download the app

tannins & terpenes

T H E A RT OF PA I R I NG C A N N A BI S

KIKOKO POSITIVI-TEA PAIRED WITH BUZZ HONEY SHOT

TANNINS | KIKOKO POSITIVI-TEA MINT GREEN TEA 10MG THC, 5MG CBD

Both mint and green teas are historically some of the most widely consumed varietals worldwide, and Kikoko has brought these two powerhouses together in one convenient single-use tea bag. Kikoko’s version of this blend is bolstered by the addition of 10mg of THC and 5mg of CBD. This tea has interesting wood, earth and mushroom flavors occurring as a result of the interplay between the mint and the green tea, which adds a nice subtle complexity to the brew. TERPENES | KIKOKO BUZZ NEW ZEALAND MANUKA HONEY SHOT 10MG THC

The New Zealand Manuka Honey Shot provides a respectable 10mg of THC and adds an enjoyable sweetness to the tea. I did my best to homogenize the beverage after adding the honey, so it didn’t congeal into a blob of sugary goo in the bottom of my cup. To get a sense of the honey on its own, I tried a tiny dab off my fingertip and was presented with a delicate, floral, almost honeydew melonesque profile, which I really enjoyed. The honey itself is almost like a wet sand mixed with glue consistency – clearly Kikoko isn’t skimping on the quality of the honey they infuse.

caliFornialeaf.COM

THE PAIRING

What’s more classic, more essential, than tea and honey? Kikoko.com @kikoko_hq

feb. 2021

What’s more classic, more essential, than tea and honey? The effects of both the caffeine and the THC were felt quickly and after about half of my 12-ounce cup, a nice buzz consisting of uplifting, energizing vibes settled in. As someone sensitive to caffeine, this tea provided just enough zip without making me uncomfortable or jittery. Despite trying this pairing out on a Saturday morning, I found myself turning the music up and dancing around as I cleaned the kitchen, and was even suddenly motivated to tackle chores I’d been avoiding – thoroughly cleaning every room of my apartment, all with a smile and a pep in my step. Greater than the sum of their parts, these two are good on their own, but are exceptional when brought together.

*California Leaf Warning* Anytime you combine two substances of any kind, you have to be extra vigilant of the effects. We strongly recommend conducting pairings in a safe and private space, in small quantities with friends. Always use a designated driver or have a plan to get home safely.

REVIEW & PHOTO by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415/CALIFORNIA LEAF

Smoothing out the anxious edges and ushering in an even keel

FULL-SPECTRUM

CBD DROPS

It’s safe to say the pharmaceutical industry hasn’t always done a great job with the transparency bit, and despite all of its positive attributes, the Cannabis industry up to this point hasn’t been known for its overwhelming dedication to transparency, either. That’s why it’s so refreshing that companies like Care by Design exist. Founded in 2014, CbD counts as one of the veteran companies in the legal Cannabis wellness space. As such, CbD has learned to do it right. Not only is CbD upfront about the lab’s supercritical CO2 extraction processes, but the company proves the purity and precision of every single batch by furnishing a downloadable Certificate of Analysis (COA) from a third-party analytical lab, available on the company’s website. We were pleasantly surprised when we visited their site and were able to obtain the COA from Sonoma Labworks for the batch that produced the exact bottle of 2:1 Full Spectrum CBD Drops we were holding. Not everyone is going to care, but this extra touch adds value for those patients who want to know more about what they’re ingesting. As we kicked off the new year, we found a number of uses for CbD’s 2:1 tincture. Packed with a decent amount of THC and twice as much CBD, this tincture was helpful in larger doses for winding down in the late evening. It also helped in microdoses throughout the day, smoothing out the anxious edges and ushering in an even keel. In smaller doses, it’s soothing without being drowsy, so it helps before and after a workout. Those looking for a tasty treat or a tropical-flavored elixir will want to look elsewhere, or simply mix this tincture into a beverage. The tincture itself tastes mildly like exactly what it is – a blend of MCT and Cannabis oils. But it’s not at all offensive, and works well for sublingual administration. We recommend holding it under your tongue for at least 20-30 seconds to expedite uptake. Those looking for less THC with their CBD might do well with Care by Design’s 18:1 or 40:1 CBD:THC tinctures. But if you’re looking for transparently clean medicine and aren’t afraid of a little euphoria, this tincture is right on the money. CBD.ORG

REVIEW by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTO by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415

caliFornialeaf.COM

CARE BY DESIGN

If the history of modern medicine has taught us anything, it has taught us that medicine should be clean, it should be effective, and, in a perfect world, those tasked with its manufacture should be transparent and honest about their practices.

edible OF THE MONTH

2:1 FULL SPECTRUM CBD DROPS CBD: 240MG/BOTTLE, 16MG/SERVING CBDA: 60MG/BOTTLE, 4MG/SERVING THC: 120MG/BOTTLE, 8MG/SERVING THCA: 30MG/BOTTLE, 2MG/SERVING

OFF THE SHELF

Edibles TEN BUCKS A R O U N D

MOON

Blasted Toffee Milk Chocolate Bar

Next time NASA wants to plant a flag, they should get in touch with these folks. Moon isn’t just a clever name – this single 100mg THC confection (molded into clearly demarcated 10mg THC segments) blasts you past the atmosphere at an affordable price point. It’s perfect for custom dosing, so those looking to dial in their intake can start small, while seasoned consumers and medical patients can opt for a stronger effect. Plus, the creamy, melty milk chocolate offers a nice toffee flavor without a tooth-sticking toffee crunch. 100mg THC/bar, 10mg THC/dose moonmegadose.com | available from All About Wellness, Sacramento.

DR. NORM’S

Snickerdoodle Cookie

It’s so easy to put some hurt on a batch of Snickerdoodles. The cinnamon-sugary goodness, the melt-in-your-mouth buttery texture – it’s one of the world’s perfect cookies. Of course, with Dr. Norm’s, you’ll want to limit yourself to a tiny taste (at least to start). This 100mg THC cookie is no wider than a silver dollar, but thankfully it comes with a cut-guide card so you can determine how strong of a dose you’ll be getting. Another upside: While those newer to edibles will want to start off with a sliver, seekers searching for an in-depth experience can get there in just a couple of small bites.100mg THC/bar, 10mg THC/dose | doctornorms.com available from Mainstage, Sacramento.

caliFornialeaf.COM

OASIS CANNABIS CO.

Dark Chocolate, Caramel, Almond, Nougat Mini Looking like something Forrest Gump might

ometimes, pull out of his box of chocolates, this beauty from the vertically integrated edibles company Oasis raises the stakes for the singleyou walk into dose conversation. Beautifully textured with a glossy exterior sheen a shop ready to on its well-tempered exterior, this elevated take on a Snickers has a drop heavy cash nice snap to its shell – giving way to silky caramel, a thin layer of firm on a tasty gram nougat and finely crushed almonds. If you’re looking for a decadent and discrete path to 10mg THC, this is your bet. of full-melt hash. Other 10mg THC | oasisCannabis.co | available from All About days, you walk in with a Wellness, Sacramento. ten spot, looking for a good time or a little relief. That’s where we come through in the clutch, with the inaugural edition of our newest feature, Off the Shelf. The concept is simple: We walk into a shop with a category in mind and walk out with recommendations from the esteemed experts behind the counter. We then filter through our finds and select a handful to share with you. For this first foray, we decided to round up a trio of delectable, dynamite edibles for around 10 bucks – because everybody needs a little affordable joy sometimes.

feb. 2021

REVIEW by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTO by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415

ESSENTIAL EXTRACTS / DOC GREEN’S

ESSENTIALEXTR ACTS.CA | DOCGREENS.ORG

and overwhelmingly sweet, with hints of vanilla and slight notes of lemon and flora.

CONCENTRATE OF THE MONTH

The aroma is complex

ICE CREAMCAKE LIVE ROSIN There could hardly be a more appropriate concentrate for us to feature in our Essential Issue than one from the award-winning pioneers of modern solventless extraction: Essential Extracts.

REVIEW & PHOTO by BOBBY BLACK @BOBBYBLACK420 for CALIFORNIA LEAF

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The brand was founded in 2009 by solventless hash master, reggae DJ, and all-around mensch Nick “Nikka T” Tanem, whose patented, freezedrying extraction method changed the game by transmogrifying traditional water/bubble hash into waxes, butters, shatters and crumbles that were dabbable – and that nearly all solventless extractors use today. Originally from the Bay Area, Nikka T spent over a decade in Colorado – first, earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Boulder in 2007, and then establishing the first licensed, non-solvent extraction facility in the country. In 2017, he returned home to open a West Coast office in Marin County and has since collaborated with like-minded companies to build out two extraction labs in the Bay Area. One of those companies is Berkeley’s Doc Greens, whose owners Tanem vibes with – not only on a professional level, but also through their shared Jewish heritage. This Ice Cream Cake live rosin is the second drop in their new collab line (the first being last year’s Frittles). Bred by Seed Junky Genetics, Ice Cream Cake is an indica-dominant hybrid created by crossing Wedding Cake and Gelato 33 (not to be confused with the “other” Ice Cream Cake strain by Mad Scientist Genetics, which is a cross between Cheesecake and Dream Cookie). According to Tanem, it’s a cultivar that performs especially well for solventless extraction and this particular phenotype – which he personally

sourced from North Fork Farms in San Andreas – leans more toward the floral notes found in Gelato 33. After harvest, the plants are fresh frozen and transported to a near-freezing room at their facility in Berkeley, where Nikka T himself washes and processes it, then dry-cold cures it for about a week – allowing the terpenes to separate to the top, then homogenizing and pressing it all back together to create the beautiful budder we see here today. And unlike fresh-pressed rosins, which can begin to change structure within an hour, this freeze-dried, cold-cured budder has a much longer shelf life – retaining its stability without requiring refrigeration. In contrast to its namesake, this Ice Cream Cake won’t start melting on you until you decide to turn up the heat. The elegant purple and metallic gold box is easy to read and open … my only criticism would be that there’s no information provided about the cannabinoid profile/percentages. This tantalizing rosin is so light in color and creamy in consistency that it looks good enough to eat – and smells even better! The aroma is complex and overwhelmingly sweet, with hints of vanilla and slight notes of lemon and flora. To truly savor the flavors, I hit it first on my Peak’s lowest heat setting (blue), allowing all of those fragrant terps to really shine through. The flavor is scrumptiously sugary and buttery – like a bite of cheesecake or a sip of sweet cream, with a subtle honey-lemon aftertaste. Dab after dab on various heat settings, the hits kept coming smooth and soothing, with the subsequent high being balanced and somewhat cerebral, leaving me with an overall sense of clarity and tranquility. This perfect combination of handselected genetics, superior quality control and expert extraction artistry results in a deliciously dank dessert dab that’s hard to top.

topical OF THE MONTH

CANNABIS-INFUSED

TOPICAL GEL SUNSET CONNECT One of the major challenges when it comes to shopping for topicals is distinguishing items one might consider a luxury from those that are best classified as essential. To say nothing negative of today’s offerings of bath bombs, infused soaking salts and items of that nature, they are, it must be noted, unlikely to be utilized on an everyday basis.

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1:1 RATIO; 450-500MG CANNABINOIDS TOTAL

Like a bolt of healing light shot straight into your skin.

FEB. 2021

The same cannot be said for Sunset Connect’s new fast-acting, Cannabis-infused gel. Far from being a treat to be savored on a special occasion, this potent new offering from the San Francisco equity-owned operation is an item you’ll want to work into your normal routine in a hurry. So, what’s the appeal? First off, Sunset Connect knows the value of not skimping on THC. Whereas some topicals tend to favor a more balanced recipe, this gel strives for high potency with a 1:1 THC to CBD ratio. Packed with 450 to 500mg of cannabinoids in each can, this gel features a formula that ensures you are getting your money’s worth. And on top of that, your money is also going to a great cause. As an equity-owned business, Sunset Connect and its founder, Ali Jamalian, are all about helping others and giving back to their local San Francisco community. Naturally, a great backstory only goes so far if the product doesn’t shine. Fortunately, Sunset Connect’s fast-acting gel is like a bolt of healing light shot straight into your skin. Ingenuously dispersed via what can be best described as a shaving cream can, the substance is likewise the consistency and color of a blue shaving gel. Utilizing a base formula that includes organic aloe vera, arnica and menthol crystals, the soothing aroma and effects felt from rubbing a generous dab of this gel onto a forearm or cranky neck are instantly noticeable. As an added bonus, Sunset Connect’s gel also relies on meadowfoam seed oil, which results in speedy absorption through the skin without the delays of a lipid-based solution. A topical you’ll want in your kitbag at all times, this gel makes a case for the title of “cream of the crop.”

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REVIEW by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for CALIFORNIA LEAF| PHOTO by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415

cooking with Cannabis

R EC I P E S b y LAU RIE WOLF | P HOTOS b y B RUC E WOLF

hEARTS & flOWERS two servings

LOVEBERRY SMOOTHIE 2 cups strawberries, sliced, fresh or frozen 1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen 1 small banana, peeled, sliced and frozen

¼ cup orange juice concentrate 1 ½ cups coconut milk 2 teaspoons canna-coconut oil Strawberries for garnish

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Let ‘er rip. 2. Garnish with a strawberry. (Feel free to try using blueberries and peaches instead of strawberries and raspberries. You may use yogurt in exchange for some or all of the coconut milk).

nine servings

CANNABIS CHOCOLATE BARK

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½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes 2 cups dark chocolate chips 3 tablespoons canna-butter or oil ½ cup chopped pecans ¼ cup chopped dried apricots

1. Place the coconut flakes in a small dry skillet over medium heat and toast until light golden brown. 2. In the top of a double boiler, over simmering water, melt the chips with the canna-butter or oil. Stir occasionally. 3. Place a piece of parchment on your work surface. Pour the chocolate onto the parchment, spreading it out to a 5x7-inch rectangle. 4. Sprinkle with the pecans, coconut and apricots. 5. Allow the chocolate to set. Store in an airtight container for up to one month.

edible of the month

nine servings

WHITE CHOC. BARK 2 cups white chocolate chips or melts 3 tablespoons canna-butter or oil 1 cup granola ½ cup dried chopped cherries 1. In the top of a double boiler, over simmering water, melt the white chocolate with the canna-butter. Stir occasionally. 2. Place a piece of parchment on your work surface. Pour the chocolate onto the parchment, spreading it out to a 5x7-inch rectangle. Sprinkle with the granola and cherries. 3. Allow the chocolate to set. Store in an airtight container for up to one month.

feb. 2021

Well — it’s about to be Valentine’s Day. If you are not a chocolate fan, the smoothie recipe for two, or just you, is healthy and healing. I like to make my smoothies with THC and CBD. Currently, I need all the help I can get. If you are a chocolate fan and want to give some love to friends you can’t hang out with now, these two barks are fire. And with a bark there are no rules – add whatever toppings you like. The bark police have bigger fish to fry. Check out our link at recipes.laurieandmaryjane.com/lauries-famous-canna-butter, and know that the same rules apply for producing CBD.

#We a rA Ma sk #Dont FearT heEdi ble #EatYourCannabi s #CallYourParents # Comf orting Ca nna b is # WeWillSurvive

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cannthropology

WORLD OF Cannabis PRESENTS

Lepp’s legendary garden circa 2003.

Eddy Lepp is a medical marijuana POW whose courage and compassion have secured him a place in Cannabis history.

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Reverence for the Reverend Born in Illinois in 1952, Charles “Eddy” Lepp was the son of a soldier who spent his childhood moving around before eventually settling in Reno. In 1968, he enlisted in the Army alongside his brother, and was shipped off to Vietnam. After returning home, he spent the next two decades struggling with addiction, depression and PTSD – self-medicating with drugs and alcohol and engaging in self-destructive behavior. But when his father got cancer in the 1980s, he decided to get clean; the only intoxicant he didn’t give up was Cannabis. “I used marijuana for years to keep from killing myself,” confesses Lepp. “I was using Cannabis to treat myself, but I didn’t realize that I was medicating because we didn’t have the information.” That information came after Lepp met Dennis Peron and his future hero/ mentor Jack Herer, and his life changed forever. “Back in the ‘80s I met Dennis and Jack, was very interested in what they were talking about, and got to be friends with them,” he recalls. “After that, I

feb. 2021

was kinda fucked, because you can’t be best friends with Dennis Peron and Jack Herer and not devote your life to marijuana.” After his father died in 1988, Lepp checked himself into the National Center for PTSD in Palo Alto, Calif. It was there that he met his future wife – a young woman named Linda Senti. With the help of Linda, the Center and Cannabis, he was finally able to get sober and begin to heal. “Cannabis was critically important in shaping my recovery and the man that I was going to become,” Lepp attests. “It allowed me to heal myself physically and mentally, and get back in touch with God as I understood him.” CALLED TO ACTION Eddy and Linda got married and eventually settled in Lake County, Calif. They became heavily involved in the legalization movement – helping to gather signatures for the Compassionate Use Act, then setting out to fulfill its promise by supplying medicine to patients … starting with Linda herself who, like Eddy’s father, had contracted cancer. In 1996, with Peron’s help, Lepp planted a garden of 132 plants for her – which he was arrested for later that year. When his case got to trial in 1998, he cited Prop 215 as his medical marijuana defense, and it worked – making him the first person ever acquitted under the aegis of the new law. At the time, few doctors were willing to recommend Cannabis, so the

Lepps began shuttling patients down to Dr. Tod Mikuriya’s office in San Francisco each week for recommendations. Then in 1999, they purchased a 25-acre farm in Upper Lake and began hosting mobile clinics – bringing doctors and patients together for consultations on their property. Within a year, the Lepps had registered a third of the approximately 100,000 legal Cannabis patients in the state. But many patients were unable to procure, afford or grow medicine for themselves, so once again the Lepps stepped up – offering to grow some plants for a few patients they knew. Over the next few years, it became six patients, then a dozen, then 30. That’s how Eddy’s Medicinal Gardens came to be.

In addition to the garden, Lepp also founded a religious ministry: The Multi-Denominational Ministry of Cannabis and Rastafari. Lepp with his late wife Linda, Dennis Peron, and Jack Herer.

CRAIG LEMIRE

JASON DUNLAP

THE HEALING FIELDS It was a simple idea: create a haven where patients could all grow their medicine in one secure, well-tended garden – reducing costs and avoiding countless possible thefts, busts and other calamities. Lepp charged $500 per 10-foot plot, from which patients received all of the Cannabis harvested. And for those who couldn’t afford a plot, medicine was often provided free of charge. In addition to the garden, Lepp also founded a religious ministry: The Multi-Denominational Ministry of Cannabis and Rastafari. Identifying strongly with both the Native American and Rastafari religions, he became an ordained minister in 2000, adopted the title of Reverend, and began providing spiritual support. Until that point, the farm had operated with relative impunity thanks to an understanding between Lepp Eddy’s Medicinal and the Sheriff’s Department. But that accord ended Gardens sign. one afternoon in 2002, when the Lake County Narcotics Task Force raided the farm – confiscating around 400 plants and arresting She started crying and said, ‘We can’t say no to any of them.’ four people. Surprisingly, they ended And we never did.” up being released the next day and The DEA raided the farm again on February 16, 2005 – “You can’t be best friends no charges were ever pursued. seizing another 6000 plants, re-arresting Lepp, and charging By 2003, the Ministry was servicing him with cultivation and possession with intent to distribute. with Dennis Peron and 100 patients and growing nearly He wasn’t released until two months later, on a $500,000 Jack Herer and not devote 10,000 plants. Lepp made no atbond (thanks in part to a $10,000 donation from comedian tempt to hide what he was doing – in Joe Rogan). your life to marijuana." fact, he actually sent a letter stating His lawyers planned a two-pronged For more on Eddie Lepp, listen - E D DY L E P P his intentions to local and state medical and religious use defense, both to Episode #9 of our podcast officials, but never received a reply. of which were ultimately rejected by at worldofCannabis.museum/ Emboldened by the lack of legal repercussions, they doubled the judge. Lepp was convicted in 2007, and after several unsuccessful podcast. down on their efforts – purchasing property across the road appeals, returned for sentencing in May 2008. and expanding their gardens up to 40 acres, which soon With the total charges against him, Lepp was facing an incredible contained nearly 4,000 plots and 30,000 plants. four life sentences, plus 40 years and $17 million in fines. Luckily, the Published originally on Unlike other outdoor grows, which were typically small and judge sentenced him to only the mandatory minimum of 10 years. worldofCannabis.museum secret, Eddy’s Gardens could be seen (and smelled) while He served eight and a half of those years before being released on and reprinted with permission. cruising down Highway 20, which now ran straight through parole in December 2016. While he was behind bars, both his beloved the middle of his farm. That summer, Lepp even invited High Linda and best friend Jack Herer passed away. Times magazine out, who then recognized the garden as the largest medical marijuana grow in the world – and Eddy RELEASE AND REVERENCE himself as their Freedom Fighter of the Year. Since his release, Lepp has mostly tried to stay out of trouble: spending his time creating art, hosting a podcast, and attending Cannabis events in CONVICTED FOR HIS CONVICTIONS California. Sadly, in October 2020, he announced that he too is now batUnfortunately, though, all of that attention brought about tling cancer, which has metastasized into his lungs and brain; his new wife their undoing. On August 18, 2004, the DEA swarmed their Sandra has created a GoFundMe page to help cover his medical costs. property, arresting Lepp and 14 residents and workers at Eddy Lepp is a modern-day marijuana martyr whose bravery, conviction gunpoint. It reportedly took authorities two days to chainsaw and sacrifices helped pave the way for the freedoms we enjoy today. down the 32,524 plants, which they valued at around $80 Regardless of whether he chooses to use the title or not, our reverence million. It was the largest medical crop seizure from an inditoward the reverend remains. vidual in U.S. history. “Linda said to me, ‘I just wish sometimes it wasn’t so overwhelming,’” Lepp remembers. “And I replied, “Well, I’ll do Eddy and his wife, Sandra. Donate to Eddy’s medical fund at GoFundMe.com/eddyleppneedsyou. whatever you want … you pick the first person we say no to.”

STORY by BOBBY BLACK @CANNTHROPOLOGY for LEAF NATION | MAIN PHOTO by MG IMAGING

SOCCER MOMS ARE THE BESTEST

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by Mike Ricker

et’s all raise our flutes of infused lemonade for a big cheer to those intrepid Dodge Caravanners who make up the backbone of America! You do it all, ladies. You keep the whole tribe in order like the Chief Executive Organizer of the Taylor family, bringing home the bacon, frying it up in a pan, and never letting dad forget he’s the man. You captain the crew with equestrian hands, directing the grocery-getter through the avenues and lanes, school zones and sports practices, rattling cat calls from the stands that urge the victories while softening the losses. And all with impeccable punctuality. You value the respect this earns amongst the other mothers with whom you chronicle scenes inside the home, reporting the events with an omniscient eye, desperately aware that these days will evaporate as quickly as your own youth. You are a conductor, orchestrating the chaos into a seamless symphony with the patience of a glacier – through teen shouting matches over clothes swapping and philosophical differences in social image managing. Then, when the evening wanes and the flurry settles into a mindful moment on the couch, a good glass of red and the guilty pleasure of a naughty reality show are a great way to calm the nerves while rubbing the aching dogs. “How do you do it all?” The audience insists to know your secret as these words echo in your thoughts. The purse lies before you on the coffee table. You unfasten the hinge that conceals your essentials. Where there used to be a prescription bottle that rattled like the tail of a diamondback, there is now a vape pen in its place. You push the button, sneak a toke, and the voices of the madding crowd saunter into oblivion, creating open space that will soon again be filled with the sunrise.

feb. 2021

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