Jan. 2021 - California Leaf

THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE

#9 | JAN. 2021

CAL I F O R N I A

THE FUTURE ISSUE / where the Cannabis industry is growing /

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INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010

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#09

Stiiizy Founder Cindy de la Vega

14 HARLEE CASE

women in weed

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gear guide

Mission Cannabis Club

MIKE ROSATI

shop review

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The public relations guru has grown a following for helping Cannabis businesses find their market.

tannins & terpenes

The Dab Rite and more of our favorite high-tech tools.

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The art and science of pairing Cannabis and alcohol.

28 The Ganjier Program California Leaf’s Tom Bowers dives deep into the Ganjier Program which provides master class expert training on all things Cannabis, but getting into the exclusive program is no easy feat.

NATE WILLIAMS

18 Zoe Wilder

MORGAN DEMETER

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9 EDITOR NOTE 10 N AT I O N A L N E W S 11 L O C A L N E W S 12 B U D T E N D E R Q & A 14 E Q U I T Y E N T R E P R E N E U R 16 STONER OWNER 18 W O M E N I N W E E D 20 W U N D E R B E V E R A G E S 22 M I S S I O N C A N N A B I S C L U B 24 S T R A I N O F T H E M O N T H 26 D N A G E N E T I C S 28 G A N J I E R T R A I N I N G 30 S C A L I N G U P P R O D U C T I O N 32 H I G H -T E C H C O N S U M P T I O N 36 TA N N I N S & T E R P E N E S 37 E D I B L E O F T H E M O N T H 38 C O N C E N T R AT E O F T H E M O N T H 40 T O P I C A L O F T H E M O N T H 41 G L A S S A R T H I G H L I G H T 43 J O I N T / C O U N T E R J O I N T 44 C A N N T H R O P O L O G Y 46 S T O N E Y B A L O N E Y

///////// story by tom bowers photos by ganjier

JAN. 2021

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THE FUTURE ISSUE

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JANUARY 2021

CAL I F O R N I A

the FUTURe issue

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BELLO VAPOR TAP

The Future of Consumption

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JAN. 2021

STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

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 For The Future Issue and the first edition of the new year, we knew we needed a beautiful and iconic image to grace the cover. In came Leaf Contributor Danny Danko with a true ‘lightbulb moment,’ and a brilliant idea.

The fantastic concept was fully realized in the hands of the talented Portland, Oregon photographer Nicolle Clemetson, and Creative Director Daniel Berman, working from Seattle.

Utilizing a MAC 2 clone from Tao Gardens, real dirt, and an 18-inch tall lightbulb lamp, the Leaf team was able to craft the perfect message for our future: glowing bright, and built all around Cannabis.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

by NICOLLE CLEMETSON @NICOLLECLEMETSON CLONE by TAO GARDENS @TAOGARDENS

PUBLISHER

CONTRIBUTORS

WES ABNEY | FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

LINDA ANH, REVIEWS BOBBY BLACK, FEATURES JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION TOM BOWERS, FEATURES HARLEE CASE, PHOTOS NICOLLE CLEMETSON, PHOTOS EARLY, PRODUCTION MAX EARLY, FEATURES STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS JEFF PORTERFIELD, DESIGN MIKE RICKER, FEATURES MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING MIKE ROSATI, PHOTOS ZACK RUSKIN, FEATURES RICK THOMPSON, PHOTOS JAMIE VICTOR, ILLUSTRATION DAN VINKOVETSKY, PRODUCTION NATE WILLIAMS, PHOTOS+FEATURES

WES@NWLEAF.COM 206-235-6721

CREATIVE DIRECTOR DANIEL BERMAN | VISUALS & DESIGN

DANIEL@BERMANPHOTOS.COM

SALES DIRECTOR NATE WILLIAMS | ADVERTISING

NATE@CALIFORNIALEAF.COM 415-717-6985

CONTENT DIRECTOR TOM BOWERS | EDITORIAL

TOM@CALIFORNIALEAF.COM

CONNECT WITH CALIFORNIA LEAF Exclusive Cannabis Journalism @NWLEAF

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ABNEY

Editor’s Note 2021 is here, and while we may not have flying cars or world peace, Cannabis and psychedelic plants are a lot more accessible around the country – a trend sure to change our lives.

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THE FUTURE has always been a funny concept to me, in the sense that every moment that we share is the collective “future.” Which means we have been living in the future our entire lives, as it rolls out one second at a time. So predicting the future is akin to looking at where we’ve come from and where we are, by taking stock of reality. It’s not a nebulous concept like the ‘50s version of 2020 (hint, there was no pandemic), but an understanding of what’s next.

After the dumpster fire year we just had, it’s understandable if the thought of the future is a little cringe-worthy, but I for one am feeling very optimistic for what’s next. America has a new President-elect, vaccines are being distributed globally, and voters have overwhelmingly swung towards social justice and drug war reform around America.

Five new states voted to add legal or medicinal Cannabis in 2021, and Oregon decriminalized all drugs in a policy about-face that could be a shining example for the entire world. By removing criminal penalties for minor drug possession, Oregon defacto “defunded” the police and the criminal justice system from targeting non-violent drug users, choosing to direct those funds towards rehabilitation and social services. This is change in action – in part funded by Cannabis tax dollars – that will save lives and treat drug users and addicts as people to help, not lock up.

THIS IS THE FUTURE WE WANT TO LIVE IN: ONE WHERE THE POLICIES AND POLITICS OF THE PAST ARE BEING REPLACED...

This is the future we want to live in: One where the policies and politics of the past are being replaced by a desire for the collective good of the people. Which is why I’m not surprised to see plant-based medicine at the forefront of this conversation. It’s pretty hard to be a ‘Moscow’ Mitch McConnell level dick when you take regular bong hits and the occasional psychedelic reset, which he obviously isn’t doing. But with Washington D.C. even voting to decriminalize psilocybin, could it be heroic dose time in the Capital?

Something tells me ‘Mushroom’ Mitch would put people before partisan politics...

All joking aside, my point is that as America wakes up – and wakes and bakes more often – we are starting to see ourselves more as humans and less as stereotypes or political categories. We all have the same wants, needs and desires – which makes it high time for us to vote and live like we all deserve a comfortable life, with the freedom to pursue happiness however we find it. This is why the future looks so bright from our perspective, and why we brought to life the concept from Danny Danko of a Cannabis plant growing in a lightbulb. As more and more lightbulbs illuminate around the world, I truly believe we are going to see a future in which we can all vibe and thrive.

I hope you enjoy our Future Issue of the Leaf – and as always, thank you for reading!

-Wes Abney

Have a strain, product, or news tip that the California Leaf staff needs to know about? Contact us at tom@californialeaf.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

THE SOUTH

TAINTED VAPES RECALLED IN OREGON AS REGULATORS EYE WIDER BAN

LOUISIANA RELEASES MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR $20 WORTH OF CANNABIS

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regon Cannabis consumers are being advised to avoid legal vapes labeled with ingredients like “natural flavor” until at least April 2021, reports Leafly. The “natural flavor” could be skin moisturizer made from shark liver oil, also known as squalane. Burning it can reportedly result in lung damage. The Oregon Liquor Control Board in December moved to ban the cosmetics ingredients squalane and squalene, as well as a few more, from entering the legal Cannabis vape market and users’ lungs. The ban would be immediate.

It would be Oregon’s first big change in regulations since vaping-associated lung injuries killed 60 people and injured 2,711 more across the nation in the fall of 2019. That series of incidents exposed critical gaps in Oregon’s vape consumer safety rules.

northwest

POT TESTING LAB SELLS FAKE POTENCY RESULTS

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ne Washington Cannabis testing lab has had its license suspended after it was found to have falsified testing results and then tried to destroy evidence of the crime, according to the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, reports The Olympian.

Praxis Laboratory of Centralia, Wash., lied about THC levels in “LABELING CANNABIS WITH Cannabis in 1,200 samples of marijuana, according to a news release from FALSELY HIGH THC POTENCY the WSLCB. The lab labeled the products as having more THC than was LEVELS IS A FORM OF CONSUMER DECEPTION AND IS PROHIBITED actually present, the agency said.

UNDER WASHINGTON LAW,” THE “Labeling Cannabis with falsely high THC potency levels is a form of PRESS RELEASE SAID. consumer deception and is prohibited under Washington law,” the release said. “Because of this, Cannabis users seeking more pronounced psychoactive results may choose to buy levels with higher levels of THC.” Praxis was quick to clap back at the agency. “We are extremely disappointed in the agency’s obscene behavior,” Praxis told McClatchy News. “We would like to thank the LCB for attempting a death sentence on a small local business employing approximately 20 local people right before the holidays, during a recession ... not to mention a pandemic. This is a clear-cut case of agency overreach and libel, and we will be pursuing legal action immediately and have already started the appeal process in the interim.”

The agency suspended the lab’s certification for 180 days. After that time period is up, it “will seek permanent revocation of the ‘marijuana laboratory’ certification due to fraud and the subsequent investigation obstruction,” according to the LCB release.

EAST COAST

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ate Winslow has been released from Angola State Prison in Louisiana after serving 12 years for $20 worth of marijuana. Winslow, 53, said reuniting with his four children and three grandchildren — who thought they’d never see him again as a free man — is the most important thing to him.

“A life sentence for two bags of weed?

I never thought something like that could happen,” Winslow said.

Winslow was re-sentenced to time served after Innocence Project New Orleans Director and Lead Attorney, Jee Park, successfully appealed the case based on grounds of ineffective assistance of counsel.

“A LIFE SENTENCE FOR TWO BAGS OF WEED? I NEVER THOUGHT SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULD HAPPEN,” WINSLOW SAID.

THE WORLD

U.N. RECLASSIFIES CANNABIS AS A LESS DANGEROUS DRUG

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United Nations commission voted in December to remove medicinal Cannabis from a category of the world’s most dangerous drugs, reports The New York Times. The move is a highly anticipated and long-delayed one that could clear the way for expanded medical marijuana research and use.

The vote, by the U.N. Commission for Narcotic Drugs, removed Cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. It was listed there alongside dangerous and highly addictive substances like heroin.

The vote won’t have an immediate impact on loosening international controls, because governments will still enforce their own prohibitions on Cannabis. But many countries are influenced by global conventions, and the U.N. recognition is a big symbolic win for advocates.

caliFornialeaf.COM

MARYLAND DISPENSARY LAUNCHES MEDICAL MARIJUANA DRIVE-THRU

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uying medical Cannabis just got easier in Abington, Maryland.

Rev Canna, a dispensary in the town, launched a drive-thru lane in December to help protect patients, caregivers, and staff from the COVID virus and make shopping easier, reports The Daily Record.

The process, according to the shop, is a lot like picking up prescriptions at the pharmacy drive-thru window. Patients can order their products ahead of time through the Rev Canna website, then simply pull into the drive-thru once they’ve made their selections, according to the dispensary.

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years behind bars was the amount of time served by Richard DeLisi before his early release.

JAN. 2021

50

dollars is the price of hand-rolled joints in hip hop star Jay Z’s new line of products.

90

years was the sentence being served by Richard DeLisi before his early release in December 2020.

100

medical marijuana dispensaries were open in Pennsylvania as of December.

450 3,100 30k

pounds of Cannabis was seized at the Canadian border by officials in Michigan.

Cannabis plants were seized by the Olympia Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team.

pounds of medical marijuana has been sold in AR dispos since opening May 2019.

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

Now Hiring: Pot Czar

Indoor Growers Warn New LED Mandate Could Be a Disaster

C

alifornia may get plenty of sunshine, but the state’s reputation for producing immaculate outdoor flower doesn’t negate the fact that world-class indoor is also being grown across the state. And now a number of those indoor growers are sounding the alarm over a regulation they worry will decimate their profession. The issue? Lighting.

11 LORI AJAX, STATE’S FIRST CANNABIS CZAR, L E AV E S J O B A F T E R N E A R LY F I V E - Y E A R T E N U R E Dictionary makers may wish to consider the tenure of Lori Ajax, California’s first Cannabis Czar, when updating their definitions of what constitutes a thankless task. As the person who primarily oversaw the rollout of California’s recreational market in 2018, Ajax’s time running California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) was largely marked by complaints on all sides. It could be argued that this is the sign of a job well done, though Ajax’s detractors include those who feel excessive regulations established under her purview have stifled the legal industry’s ability to thrive. For now, her role will be filled by Tamara Colson, who currently serves as Assistant Chief Counsel to the BCC. As for Ajax, it was recently announced that she’d accepted a position as the new Executive Director of the California Craft Brewers Association.

Whether Colson remains in her position or Gov. Gavin Newsom appoints someone else to fill it, remains to be seen.

San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rejects Effort to Ban Indoor Smoking Last month, Sup. Norman Yee’s hopes of passing an indoor smoking ban in San Francisco got burned. When the outgoing board president introduced his proposed legislation – which sought to ban the smoking of both tobacco and marijuana indoors in apartment buildings with at least three units – it was swiftly met with outrage from Cannabis reform advocates. Following a campaign spearheaded by the California chapter of NORML, on December 2 the board acquiesced to public pressure by adding an amendment exempting Cannabis from the ban, before voting 10-1 to approve the bill. A week later on December 8, in a secondary vote largely considered to be a formality, the Board reversed course. Once more, supervisors cited public commentary in opposition to the ban in informing their choice to do away with it altogether. “I think the unintended consequences may outweigh the benefits,” said Sup. Aaron Peskin during the meeting in which the ban was voted down.

STORIES by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for CALIFORNIA LEAF

caliFornialeaf.COM

Should it stick, a proposed change to California’s energy code will force the compliance of indoor growers and greenhouse horticultural operations of a certain size.

Essentially, this means that indoor Cannabis cultivators used to working with high pressure sodium lights (HPS) – the current gold standard from a growing perspective – would be forced to redesign everything they’ve built.

That’s because the code mandates LED lighting, which, while beneficial from a sustainability standpoint, would represent a drastic change (as well as a staggering expense) to a number of indoor Cannabis growers in California.

Hope remains that the California Energy Commission will modify the code to, at minimum, “grandfather” growers relying on HPS lights into future compliance.

THE CODE MANDATES LED LIGHTING, WHICH, WHILE BENEFICIAL FROM A SUSTAINABILITY STANDPOINT, WOULD REPRESENT A DRASTIC CHANGE.

local NEWS

CALIFORNIA

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

TRUMAN SMURR CALIFORNIA LEAF

Budtender of the Month YOU’RE FROM THE MIDWEST. HOW DID YOU LAND IN CALIFORNIA? I had a buddy in Los Angeles and also a buddy who was going to school in Tahoe. I went and visited my buddy in Los Angeles for about two weeks and did not want to move there. And then I just moved up here to Tahoe.

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WHAT LED TO YOU WORKING IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY? I worked at Tahoe Wellness Collective when they went recreational – they were needing a lot more workers and my buddy who was working over there got me a job.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING WITH TAHOE GREEN? I’ve been working with them for about three months, pretty much since they opened. I interviewed with them back in April, right as COVID shutdowns were starting – they weren’t sure when they were going to be opening, but said they’d be in touch. They hit me up and said, ‘We now have an opening date and we’d like to offer you a job.’

caliFornialeaf.COM

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT OF YOUR JOB? Educating the other budtenders. I feel I have a pretty decent attention to detail and I would really like to build a ‘Hash 101’ to share with the team. Right now, it’s a lot of self-training and giving people things to read up on, but I really enjoy the educational aspect of Cannabis.

“I LIKE TO SHOW CUSTOMERS A VARIETY OF PRODUCTS …

RATHER THAN JUST DIRECTING THEM TO MY FAVORITE OR WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE THE BEST.”

WHAT IS YOUR MANTRA ON DEALING WITH CUSTOMERS? Giving any and all customers an education.

If they don’t know what they’re after, I like to show them a variety of products, educate them on each one, and know they can make a short-term, educated decision for themselves. I like creating that sort of shopping experience for people, rather than just directing them to my favorite product or what I consider to be the best.

Truman Smurr is a passionate concentrate enthusiast, artist and lover of music.

He is also Tahoe Green’s relative dab expert and when he’s not budtending, can most likely be found enjoying some fine hash rosin or live resin while adventuring around Lake Tahoe with his Belgian Malinois mix, Maiev. Follow him @latticetech

WHAT IS A GOAL OR ASPIRATION OF YOURS FOR THE FUTURE? I would like to publish a video game. I went to college for 3D Modeling, Programming and Development – my degree is in Interactive Media.

If something like that was successful, I could then expand into further aspirations.

TAHOE GREEN 3930 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA | (530) 725-1555 | TahoeGreen.com @Tahoe_Green

JAN. 2021

INTERVIEW & PHOTO by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415/CALIFORNIA LEAF

equity entrepreneur

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CINDY DE LA VEGA O W N E R | STIIIZY

CINDY DE LA VEGA believes in the power of Cannabis to make lives better.

As the first Latina to own and operate a dispensary in San Francisco as part of an equity partnership, In addition to treating her physical pain, she hopes her story de la Vega noted that Cannabis also serves will soon inspire more as a preferable medpeople like her to ication for the anxiety and post-traumatic participate and stress she suffers as a survivor of domestic violence. keep faith in the Eventually, de la Vega would use her personal, positive experiences with Cannabis as evidence in convincequity program.

caliFornialeaf.COM

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hen she was a child living in a Palo Alto housing project, Cindy de la Vega’s Christian Pentecostal mother forbid even the mention of marijuana at home. But things have changed.

During an interview with California Leaf in December, the new pot shop proprietor shared how a back injury she suffered in early adulthood finally shifted her perspective on Cannabis, eventually leading to her current career.

“I didn’t like taking the opioids they gave me,” de la Vega explained. “And I realized that I was literally getting addicted to them. So, as soon as I was able to get a cortisone injection and I didn’t need Oxycodone anymore, I started medicating with Cannabis. That’s how I got into it.”

ing her mother, who had broken both of her ankles, to finally give the plant a try.

“I just started being really open with her,” de la Vega recalled. “It was, I feel, the hardest thing that I’ve ever had to do. She was taking Norco and she said it made her feel like a zombie, so I just had to find the guts to tell her that this other thing was out there, and that I used it, and that it could help her.”

Though hesitant at first, eventually the elder de la Vega agreed to try a tincture, with positive results. It was one of several recent victories for de la Vega, with another being the official opening of her dispensary, Stiiizy Union Square, on October 9.

Located in the center of one of San Francisco’s busiest shopping districts, the storefront was initially scheduled to open in March, before a burst pipe forced a delay to April 20. In the interim, the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, which meant another delay to October.

For de la Vega, who started the process of opening her dispensary back in 2017, the wait has been long, but nonetheless worthwhile.

As proof, she detailed the sights that greeted her when she arrived for her store’s opening day.

“I believe we can make a difference,

and change our neighborhoods and change our communities that were harmed really badly by the War on Drugs.”

JAN. 2021

“I was in disbelief,” she said. “People had gotten there the night before and the line went all up and around Powell Street. It was beautiful to see so many people supporting San Francisco’s first female, Latina, equity partner’s store opening. I didn’t know to expect that. I didn’t think it would be that big.”

Before there was a red ribbon to cut, however, there was Rudy Corpuz Jr. Founder of the violence prevention and youth development nonprofit United Playaz, Corpuz began his work by narrowing in on a classroom at San Francisco’s Balboa High School, where de la Vega happened to be a student.

“It was one of the toughest high schools to go to during that time,” she noted, “and sometimes I would go to his classroom.”

Many years later, de le Vega’s younger daughter asked if she could attend an afterschool program being offered by United Playaz. de la Vega confessed she was surprised to learn that Corpuz had expanded his operations to include assistance for younger students and, as a result, immediately began volunteering herself.

As a single mother to two daughters, de la Vega spoke glowingly of the organizations that have helped her in times of need, noting as well her desire to give back once fiscally possible.

“These are the types of programs and organizations that I want to fund if I’m ever in a position to do that,” she said. “I’ve had help before from La Casa de las Madres. I had help from Catholic Charities, I had help from Hamilton Families – so that’s a goal of mine if I ever make great money: I want to help these nonprofits, because I want them to continue to be able to help the people who need it.”

“I want to help these nonprofits, because I want them to continue to be able to help the people who need it.”

When Corpuz was offered the chance to helm a Stiiizy dispensary in Union Square in 2017, he immediately passed the opportunity onto de la Vega. She quickly agreed and three years later, the results are speaking for themselves.

But de la Vega isn’t one to leave things to chance.

That’s why she also wants to make her voice heard loud and clear when it comes to making sure that anyone working their way through the equity pipeline – or considering the effort – doesn’t give up hope.

“I believe that if every equity partner does the work, we can literally own our lives,” she said.

“I believe we can make a difference, and change our neighborhoods and change our communities that were harmed really badly by the War on Drugs.

Communities like the one that I grew up in. That’s the goal.”

STIIIZY.COM | @STIIIZY

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.

STORY by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by SHRYNE GROUP

stoner owner

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As the global Cannabis industry stretches like a sticky sativa to the sky, legacy cultivators continue to hone their craft in a shifting landscape. For an OG like Jesse Robertson – who spent his childhood traveling from the Bay Area to Mendocino following his family’s passion for the plant – the explosion of legal Cannabis smelled like opportunity.

For this month’s Stoner Owner column, we dig deep with Robertson about his past, present and future, as well as that of the California Cannabis community that gave his life purpose as the owner of Sticky Fields.

STICKY FIELDS

caliFornialeaf.COM

STICKYFIELDS.COM @STICKYFIELDS

JESSE ROBERTSON JAN. 2021

YOUR FAMILY HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY FOR QUITE SOME TIME. TELL US ABOUT YOUR HISTORY WITH THE PLANT.

I have been fascinated and completely in love with Cannabis since my first introduction to the plant at age 10 or 11. I grew my first Cannabis plant in my parents’ backyard at age 12. Someone in Oakland gave me some bammer seeds and I sprouted them. I’d sit in the backyard with those plants for hours, mesmerized. At 15-years-old, I would take the Greyhound bus up to Mendocino County to trim. I thought it was the most amazing way of life. I couldn’t get enough of the plant and the culture. One memory that I’ll never forget is one of my family members driving with their knee, rolling up a fat doobie of some of the skunkiest, most incredible weed – then passing it over to me. My grandma smoked, trimmed and had a strong belief in the medicinal properties of Cannabis. She had her 215 card for as long as I could remember, and her house always smelled like weed. My mom had her medical card as well. Going with her to the club was my first experience with legal Cannabis.

Fast forward to 2013 when I bought my property – I had already been growing Cannabis for medical use, and at that point I knew Cannabis was going to be my life. I knew legalization was coming. Everybody in town was talking about what the community should do, and how they should look at this new legalization from a business standpoint.

I knew I had to get in on this and start my business for my future, the future of my family, the future of Cannabis in Mendocino County and the world. I am truly lucky to have gotten into the legal industry as early as I did. It is not easy; it changes and grows every single day. Being involved from the beginning has allowed me to observe every change, every step, and grow along with it. One major thing I’ve learned from this journey so far is being open, accepting, welcoming and OK with change. It’s an amazing thing to no longer be looked at as a ‘stupid stoner,’ but now as a highly respected businessman and owner.

WHAT DOES THE WORD “LEGACY” MEAN TO YOU AS IT PERTAINS TO THE CALIFORNIA CANNABIS COMMUNITY?

Legacy means generations before and generations after. I’m going to leave a legacy when my time is up. There have been people smoking it, growing it – and all about it in California since the ‘60s – maybe earlier. They passed on their knowledge to us, and we will pass on what we learn to future generations.

California is a legacy. California is Cannabis.

This state has generations of people who have been paving the way for other states. The best Cannabis in the world comes from the Emerald Triangle. As Cannabis continues to grow and become legal federally, the demand

for Cannabis from California is going to be the same, if not greater than, the demand for California wine.

HOW HAS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CANNABIS EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS?

“THIS STATE HAS GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN PAVING THE WAY FOR OTHER STATES. THE BEST CANNABIS IN THE WORLD COMES FROM THE EMERALD TRIANGLE.”

As Cannabis and I have more time together, we have more of an ability to grow together.

Being open and honest about Cannabis and my successes in Cannabis has made the most positive impact on my life. I’ve been able to evolve mentally and spiritually, because I can be honest about what I do and what I love. Before legalization, I was not open to sharing what I did with people because of the negative stigma surrounding it. Now I want to share it with everyone.

AT STICKY FIELDS, YOU DEDICATE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CANOPY SPACE AND EFFORT TO PHENOTYPE HUNTING. WHAT GOES INTO YOUR SELECTION PROCESS?

Selection can be really tough. The plant has to go through a whole season before I can make a general selection. I pick them based on various characteristics, such as structure, smell, bud-toleaf ratio, and susceptibility to diseases. Every detail matters. Even small things like breaking it down, grinding it up and rolling it up. I want the entire process to be enjoyable and memorable.

In the end, it’s all about a joint. I love joints.

If a plant ends up in a joint being something different, memorable, or something that makes me want to keep smoking it, then I know it is going to be the same experience for the consumer. All of my genetics have to go through my palate. I think it’s important for people in the Cannabis industry to actually smoke the herb, so they know what their consumer is smoking.

If you smoke something I grew, selected and smoked, then you’re going to have trust in me and my product.

As far as terpene profiles go, I’m a big fan of lemony-citrusy limonene, and gassy myrcene terps.

WHAT HAS CHANGED ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA CANNABIS COMMUNITY IN THE PAST 20 YEARS? WHERE DO YOU SEE IT GOING IN THE NEXT 20? The California

Cannabis community was great in the early 2000s under 215. It felt more stable for your

average mom-and-pop Cannabis farmer. Prop 64 (adult-use legalization) has done a lot for the Cannabis community as well. It has opened up new worlds for this industry. I do feel like it will put a lot of those mom-and-pops out of business though, as big industry normally does. For people like me, it is pushing me to be the absolute best at what I do. To have a craft product that is so perfected, so unique – and so good that it will always be something people seek and desire. In the next 20 years, I see the Cannabis industry heading in the direction of the wine and beer industry. As soon as it becomes federally legal, California Cannabis is going to be in extremely high demand from the rest of the country, and eventually the world. We will host Cannabis tasting competitions against other parts of the world, like they do with wine.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR PEOPLE ENTERING THE ADULT-USE MARKET?

Make sure you love what you do. It’s the simplest rule for anyone planning to spend a chunk of their life, or maybe even their whole life, doing anything. This is a 24/7 thing. You will have to adapt and change with it constantly.

Be intuitive and keep yourself educated. Do all of your homework and then some for extra credit. We are building the foundation for this industry. We need new people to bring in new processes and procedures, to engineer better ways of doing things. I welcome everyone with open arms and a joint to share.

Robertson with his mom.

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 STICKY FIELDS @STICKYFIELDS

profile

women in weed

ZOE WILDER Cannabis Entrepreneur | Public Relations Guru Behind the scenes of every Cannabis brand, every party and every conference, the inner workings of the Cannabis community spread like tangled roots beneath the surface of the soil.

One of the most integral players behind the scenes is the public relations expert, the matchmaker, the person who “knows someone.” For many working in the Cannabis community, Zoe Wilder is that person. Over the course of her career, she’s amplified Cannabis brands, worked with celebrities, curated events and currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Last Prisoner Project. For this month’s Women in Weed column, Wilder carved out a moment in her busy schedule to answer some questions about her time in the industry and her hopes for the future.

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What landmark events in your life led you to a career in Cannabis? Witnessing first-hand how

Cannabis can improve the quality of life in people who suffer from mental health and medical issues. … While working for the American Thoracic Society, a nonprofit organization responsible for the publication of some of the first favorable peerreviewed studies on Cannabis and lung health, I earned a master’s degree in social work from Fordham University. There, I studied harm reduction approaches for substance abuse and quickly became disenamored by the way in which our Western society has a tendency to pathologize and overprescribe – personality traits, phases and cycles in our lives, you name it – without looking at ourselves holistically. Turned off by elements of the allopathic system as I watched patients suffering, repeating the same old patterns and stuck in the same old routines, I was inspired to dedicate my life to finding alternative ways for us all to thrive. That’s where whole plant medicine comes in.

People who know you consider you to be one of the most well-connected people in the Cannabis industry. What goes into being you? Effective PR requires a

certain skillset. It’s one I find appeals to my sensibilities. I also derive satisfaction helping people tell their stories and display their hard work. I enjoy highlighting businesses and people I’m passionate about and helping them grow. I love meeting new people and making meaningful connections.

I enjoy highlighting businesses and people I’m passionate about and helping them grow.

JAN. 2021

What are the biggest challenges you face in your work? As an

advisor to the Last Prisoner Project – a coalition of Cannabis industry leaders, executives and artists dedicated to bringing restorative justice to the Cannabis industry – one of our biggest challenges is freeing the 40,000 people in prison for Cannabis offenses that are now legal in most states.

What has changed in the life of Zoe Wilder in the past five years? I’m more adept at keeping

plants alive … and I’ve taken a bigger interest in regenerative agriculture.

If you could tell one story about your time in the industry, what story would you tell? As a collective, we created the first truly equitable industry that became the model for global commerce. In the process, we freed the plant(s), we freed every last non-violent drug offender, and we nourished local economies to assist in the delivery of critical funding to marginalized communities, and communities disproportionately affected by the war on drugs.

@ZOEWILDER ZOEWILDER.COM

STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by HARLEE CASE/LADIES OF PARADISE

NOTHING COMPARES TO

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MammothLabs.com

For licensing opportunities, email info@mammothlabs.com

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company profile

Wunderful World

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WUNDER FOUNDER PHIL MCGARR KNOWS THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY ABOUT AS WELL AS ANYONE, AND HE BELIEVES PLANT-BASED DRINKS ARE THE FUTURE.

Phil McGarr was growing Cannabis before he’d ever even heard the term.

Growing up in Palo Alto, the future cultivator, investor and business owner first became interested in the plant through his older brother.

Following his sibling’s tragic death in 1989, McGarr was asked by some of his brother’s friends if he’d help them with their respective grows.

“I would help out with stuff like watering the plants,” McGarr told California Leaf during an interview in November. “Sometimes I’d even store plants on my parents’ roof.”

At the age of 15, on his family’s annual summer trip to Germany, McGarr booked a detour to Amsterdam – where he successfully arranged for a large crate of hydro equipment, seeds, books and other materials to be shipped back home to a friend.

From the moment that crate (somewhat miraculously) arrived safely in the U.S., McGarr’s fate as a lifelong student of Cannabis was sealed.

JAN. 2021

WHAT A SUNSET

What happens when a handful of extremely innovative cultivators all decide to rent houses in the (relatively) cheap Outer Sunset district of San Francisco at the same time? The Union.

This legendary grow collective, which formed in 1999, was another vital chapter in McGarr’s path. Further enticed by the Sunset’s ocean-adjacent grow conditions, McGarr calls the time he spent with legends like Cookies growfather Flux – tending to strains like J1 and Florida Kush – an “amazing time” for California Cannabis.

“That was when this breeding explosion took off,” he explained.

“San Francisco really became well known across the country for its genetics and high quality indoor growing. We were all learning from each other and helping each other. There was a real sense of camaraderie, like you were part of a crew that was really pushing the boundaries of what this plant could do.”

Pushing boundaries has subsequently become a major focus for McGarr, whose resume includes overseeing grow houses in San Francisco and Oakland, buying the Los Angeles dispensary Higher Path in 2013, and helping Eaze launch its services in Southern California.

Then, in 2019, a friend of McGarr’s put him in a room with former Zynga Vice President Alexi Chialtas, and one-time Man Crates Senior Director Christian Peterson.

Within a few months, Wunder was born.

CITRUS + CANNABIS

One of the elements they were looking at was how to create a Cannabis beverage with sessionability, known colloquially in the world of beer as something light enough to be sipped alongside snacks and conversation, but not at the expense of body or flavor.

SOMETHING TO SIP

When McGarr describes the concept behind Wunder – his new Cannabis beverage company with Chialtas and Peterson – he refers to a moment early in the brainstorming process when the three co-founders realized that alcohol was prime for disruption.

“We hit on this realization that alcohol had been this big disrupter of health and wellness in each of our personal journeys,” McGarr explained. “Basically, we’d all relied on it when we were stressed. At that time, there were already some Cannabis drinks out there, but none of them were really aimed at novice consumers.”

Far from wanting to compete with seltzers or other drinks offering the maximum allowable dose of THC per serving (10mg in California), the Wunder team instead focused on how to replicate other aspects of the alcohol consumption experience. That made deciding on the dosing quite tricky.

“We spent months and months and months doing trials on that,” McGarr said.

One of the elements they were looking at was how to create a Cannabis beverage with sessionability, known colloquially in the world of beer as something light enough to be sipped alongside snacks and conversation, but not at the expense of body or flavor.

Ultimately, it was decided that Wunder’s drinks would feature 2mg THC and 2mg CBD. However, both would be complemented by a third, more unique ingredient: 2mg of Delta-8.

EIGHT IS GREAT

While the THC we typically find in Cannabis products is known as Delta-9 THC, a less psychoactive, more mellow alternative also exists in the form of Delta-8.

Reputed for giving a comforting body high without as much cerebral psychoactivity, Delta-8 is a rarer cannabinoid, but one that’s proudly featured in every can of Wunder. Before it was ready for customers, the Wunder co-founders invited friends over for a series of “mock bars.”

The idea was to see if people, some strangers, gathering together after a workday would react to Wunder’s drinks like they might a brew or cocktail.

“We’d invite our friends to come over after work,” McGarr recalled. “But we’d tell them not to drink any alcohol or smoke anything first.

Of course, not everybody listened to us, but most people did.”

Those in attendance were invited to drink as few or as many servings of Wunder as desired.

Some had one drink, others five. Regardless, the result was unmistakable to McGarr: People were acting like they might at a bar.

“At one point,” he said, “I just remember walking up to Alexi and Christian and saying, ‘We’re onto something.’ I could see people engaging with each other. People were loose and laughing and engaged. It was a holy crap moment.”

A TOAST TO TOMORROW

It’s never easy to launch a new Cannabis company, but kicking one off during a pandemic? That, McGarr conceded, was the reality Wunder faced as a new business in 2020.

Fortunately, he reported that the company has managed to weather all storms thus far.

For now, he said his focus remains chiefly on that undetermined day when Cannabis consumers will again be permitted to safely congregate and socialize.

“I give a ton of credit to everyone who has fought to survive this year, because it has been a doozy,” McGarr added. “But with this recent vaccine news, our fingers are crossed that people will soon start to be able to gather again. I mean, that’s what we’re building for.”

There may be some understandable hesitancy to share joints at first, even once the coast is clear from a health standpoint. That’s why options like Wunder are poised to serve as a bridge from the bitter taste of 2020 to the better days that lie ahead.

WUNDER BEVERAGES in Blood Orange Bliss, Lemon Ginger Lift and Watermelon Wave varieties are available from select dispensaries in California.

Learn more about the products and see a list of locations on their website, findwunder.com | @findwunder

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

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SHOP review

SAN FRANCISCO

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Stylin’ Shop & Consumption Lounge JAN. 2021

MISSION CANNABIS CLUB SETTING & VIBE

Mission Cannabis Club is not the type of dispensary that blends into its surroundings.

Featuring a vibrant mural by way of a marquee, this staple of San Francisco’s historic Mission District offers an aesthetic that managing partner AJ Prasaguet describes as “a sense of edginess, but also playfulness.” Once safe to do so, Mission Cannabis Club is also eager to unveil a new consumption lounge featuring a ventilation system designed by the City of San Francisco, lockers where members can store their stashes, and a level of customer care akin to bottle service at a club. As a store focused primarily on flower, stylish display shelves behind the counter feature Mission Cannabis Club’s current inventory.

MISSION CANNABIS CLUB 2441 MISSION STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA OPEN 9AM-9PM DAILY MISSIONCANNABISCLUB.COM @MISSIONCANNACLUB

HISTORY & VALUES Before it was rebranded as Mission Cannabis Club, the store was known as the Shambhala Medical Cannabis Collective. Founded in 2010 by Khader “Al” Shawa, the Mission neighborhood Cannabis retailer faced cease-and-desist orders from then U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California, Melinda Haag. Shawa would close, only to reopen in 2012 and again be targeted by federal law enforcement agencies. Ultimately, in 2014, Shawa won his legal battle. One $400,000 renovation and a name change later, and Mission Cannabis Club was born. Naturally, the fight to protect patients’ rights has never left the business – which is revered for its legacy status and perseverance in the face of immense adversity.

PRODUCT SELECTION Make no mistake: Mission Cannabis Club is all about flower. With an emphasis on locally-grown strains and arguably as varied an inventory of flower as you’ll find in the entire Bay Area, old-school patients continue to return to Mission Cannabis Club for their consistently excellent product menu. When the store’s lounge is allowed to open, patrons will also be offered the chance to rent one of four rolling kits, order products delivered to their table via iPad, and hopefully enjoy an experience akin to a nice night out at a bar – minus the alcohol. “Our level of service is what’s going to separate us from everybody else,” advertised Prasaguet.

BUDTENDERS Have a question related to Cannabis flower? If there’s an answer for it, the budtenders at Mission Cannabis Club almost definitely have it. As knowledgeable as their inventory is expansive, the folks behind the counter at this dispensary have earned a reputation for offering an equal level of care to all manner of patients who walk through the door. A continuation of the Shambhala Medical Cannabis Collective spirit that first inspired the dispensary to open a decade ago, service and compassion are the twin pillars that guide this neighborhood staple in their daily mission.

QUICK HIT From the eye-popping visuals to their incredible selection of flower, there’s little to Mission Cannabis Club that is not worthy of being highlighted. The dispensary’s devotion to customer service also sets it apart. That element will take on even greater importance when their lounge is at last safe to open. With no permissible public places to consume Cannabis in California, Mission Cannabis Club’s plan to cater to those who’d like a place to socialize while they smoke will represent yet another way in which this store puts people first.

FROM THE EYE-POPPING VISUALS TO THEIR INCREDIBLE SELECTION OF FLOWER, THERE’S LITTLE TO MISSION CANNABIS CLUB NOT WORTHY OF BEING HIGHLIGHTED. STORY by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by MICHAEL ROSATI @ROSATIPHOTOS

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STRAIN OF THE MONTH

CAL I F O R N I A

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JAN. 2021

BAKLA

ONE OF THE LATEST OF THE DESSERT-THEMED STRAINS THAT HAVE BECOME SO POPULAR OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THE BAKLAVA IS AN INDICADOMINANT HYBRID THAT BEARS LITTLE IN COMMON WITH ITS NAMESAKE TREAT – OTHER THAN THE SWEET AND SAVORY SATISFACTION DERIVED FROM INGESTING IT.

AVA

grown by

ALIEN LABS (Kosher Kush x Gelato 41) SPACY & SPICY … LEAVING ME PINNED TO MY RECLINER AS MY MIND WENT SOARING.

A cross between the multiple-awardwinning classic Kosher Kush and their Gelato 41, the Baklava offers that gassy goodness we’ve come to expect from an OG – plus a sweet and spicy kick.

Baklava was developed by one of the better-known brands in the Los Angeles area, Alien Labs – a small-scale producer of premium indoor-grown flower. Founded in 2014 by old-school Sacramento grower (and former Golden State Wellness proprietor) Ted Lidie, Alien Labs rose to popularity after winning a few awards with their unique cut of Dosidos back in 2014-2015, and then again a year or two later with their take on The Jungle Boys’ sensation Wedding Cake.

Upon my initial probe of this Alien specimen, I observed some hefty dark green nugs with burnt orange hairs and a coating of crystalline stardust. A full autopsy of one of the buds reveals an incredibly dense inner structure and a musky aroma – no doubt due to its high levels of the terpenes caryophyllene and humulene (a traditional trait of the Cookies family, from which Gelato 41 is descended), which also gives it its spicy, forest-y flavor.

In addition, it’s also rich in linalool, contributing to its strong sedative and stressreducing effects. And with just over 27% THC, it delivers a heavy, heady high that’s out of this world; all it took was one big bong hit of the Baklava and I was blasting off like Major Tom. Within minutes, the couch-lock hit me like four Gs to the chest – pinning me back into my recliner while my mind went soaring into the stratosphere. That first rip was a bit harsh on my throat, but once the initial burn was over I found myself floating in a weed-induced weightless wonderland – the perfect mental and physical state to kick back, relax and space out on the latest episode of The Mandalorian.

So if you’re a heavyweight who’s looking for a stellar smoke with an earthy flavor – and can afford the “astronomical” price tag of $70-$90 an eighth – then why not treat yourself to some spacy, spicy Baklava.

ALIENLABS.CO | @ALIENLABS >27% THC / STRESS-REDUCING HIGH

REVIEW by BOBBY BLACK @BOBBYBLACK420 for CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTO by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415

the FUTURE issue

THE FUTURE OF

DNA GENETICS

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Since bursting onto the bud breeding scene with Cannabis Cup wins in 2004 and 2005 for their LA Confidential and Martian Mean Green, Don Morris and Aaron Yarkoni (The “D” and “A” in DNA) have been at the forefront of new, potent and stable genetics. At the time, they relocated from Los Angeles to Amsterdam in order to build their company and expand their genetic library under the relative freedom of Dutch pot policies.

DNA Genetics x Copperstate Kosher

Magic seeds

dnagenetics.com | @dnagenetics Holy Grail

JAN. 2021

T

LA Confidential

heir infusion of California’s finest varieties into the stagnant gene pool changed the game, and countless international victories over the ensuing few years led to me inducting them into the High Times Seed Bank Hall of Fame in 2009. Hundreds of award wins later, DNA Genetics is now established as one of the biggest seed brands in the world, looking into the future with strategic partnerships, new breeding technologies and legislative reform.

Behind it all is their abiding love for the Cannabis

D&A DNA Genetics is utilizing cutting-edge tissue culture techniques to bypass the old ways of cloning and propagation.

24k Gold

DNA Genetics Founders Don Morris and Aaron Yarkoni

plant and commitment to finding new flavors and sharing them with the entire planet. They’ve now moved back to their beloved Southern California and, working with friends and colleagues, the expansion of DNA Genetics is taking shape with their eyes on a legal landscape in which protecting intellectual property, genetic material and even their own likenesses, will be paramount to success.

While many brands were hampered by prohibitionist laws, operating as a Dutch seed company allowed them to ship genetics internationally with the proper paperwork and certificates of authenticity.

They also work with the Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce to push sensible legislative and banking changes at the federal and international level, as government activities behind the scenes everywhere prepare for a legal worldwide marketplace.

Speaking of the strategic partnerships, Aaron tells Leaf Magazines, “We’ve always looked at working with our friends as a plus. Even way back, we created Reserva Privada as a line of seeds from breeders we admired back home, and that’s how we teamed up with Crockett Family Farms. These new deals are an extension of that process.”

President of DNA Genetics, Rezwan Khan, echoed that philosophy when I asked about how the international expansions began. “It started in Canada with Canopy, which at the time was Tweed. At the time, the deal we made was unprecedented and allowed us to test out a new model for the industry in which we trade exclusive regional use of our genetic library in exchange for royalty payments or long-term partnership. This type of licensing model was unheard of for Cannabis brands and bringing professionalism to the table allowed us to prioritize IP protections of strain names, standard operating procedures for cultivation of our varieties, as well as analysis of sales, data and marketing.”

With the Canopy deal as their “beta,” DNA was able to expand their operations into newly legal state markets as well. Their 2019 strategic partnership with Copperstate Farms gave them a foothold in Arizona’s quickly emerging market. As Rezwan explains, “When we first met them, they were going through literal growing pains in their massive 40 acres of greenhouses, having inherited legacy tomato farmers who didn’t get Cannabis. We came in and identified that they needed new genetics and new techniques.

We brought in our team and revamped the operation, increased yields at lower production costs with higher-quality products. We also helped train the frontline budtenders so that the end user receives a consistent and accurate experience.”

In Oregon, Don and Aaron partnered with Halo Labs to bring their strains and concentrates to the legal marketplace, in a deal that makes Halo the only grower and manufacturer of DNA Genetics brand flowers and extractions in the state. Halo also features cutting-edge product forms such as their unique “Dab Tabs.” The DNA deal with Halo also positions them as the exclusive provider of genetics to Bophelo Bioscience & Wellness in the Kingdom of Lesotho, a country within the borders of South Africa.

DNA Genetics expansion into Michigan runs through SKYMINT Brands, a vertically integrated company and the largest medical and recreational license holder in the state. The collab features DNA strains sourced and pheno-hunted in the medical

market in Michigan, so they could hit the ground running with the right flavors launched in multiple recreational SKYMINT locations, plus select retail partners.

Don and Aaron are excited to be “going back to Cali” by collaborating with Dr. Greenthumb – their longtime friend B-Real of Cypress Hill – to launch DNA Genetics x Insane premium Cannabis flowers at select Dr. Greenthumb, Cookies and URBN Leaf dispensaries. Southern California is their backyard and having their strains available there has been a lifelong dream. As B-Real says, “We are excited to finally have flower from the DNA Genetics family at Dr. Greenthumb’s. They are one of the most revered genetics companies in the Cannabis industry and we can’t wait for people to experience the flavors.”

Another flag was planted back home with their newest deal with Natura Life + Science, based in Sacramento. Their amazing brand-new facility boasts 290,000-square-feet of space for cultivation, propagation, concentrate production, edible manufacturing, a showroom, an education center and much more. It’s a massive curated Cannabis campus – the first of its kind to feature state-of-theart laboratories for the research and development of new strains. Sid Gupta, VP of Strategy at Natura says, “Especially exciting to us will be our ability to offer state-of-the-art technology for the cultivation of DNA genetics and the breeding of the next hottest flavors.”

Speaking of new technologies, DNA is utilizing cutting-edge tissue culture techniques to bypass the old ways of cloning and propagation. Using tissue culture – cloning on a molecular level under sterile conditions – allows them to streamline the breeding process and reinvigorate old strains that have suffered over time. “It’s not just about cleaning up the strains and relieving them of endemic stresses,” said Rezwan. “Gene mapping allows us to better understand our cultivars and their medicinal properties. And we can dispel the misinformation and expand knowledge on the terpenes, cannabinoids and flavinoids – that’s yet another goal for us.”

Rezwan continued, “If Bayer and Monsanto are doing it, we figure we need to do it based on what smokers want to smoke, for the right reasons with all the benefits of the science. Genetic marker identification can find PM resistance and higher yields, but not necessarily a better flavor. We’re still allowing Don and Aaron to guide the process by doing it the same way they’ve always done, but with more information. We’re about the flavors and telling the story better beyond just piney, gassy or fruity.”

With the future of Cannabis in the hands of larger and larger corporations, it’s important to maintain credibility at the top.

Having lifelong stoners like Don and Aaron and the rest of their team on board, companies like DNA and their partners can help to keep the industry honest to a set of ideals that favors the consumer.

As they develop markets throughout Europe, Africa, and North and South America, it’s reassuring to know that there are true believers at the helm. As Rezwan said, “We’re all about getting Don and Aaron’s genetics into grow rooms around the world. We want to continue to create amazing flavors and share them with the entire planet!”

INTERVIEW by DAN VINKOVETSKY @DANNYDANKOHT/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by DNA GENETICS | ICON by JAMIE VICTOR

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the FUTURE issue

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GANJIER &

THE COUNCIL OF ELDERS No culture or community can thrive without a common language. Tribes, countries, industries – they all agree upon a shared vocabulary and a baseline for communication.

L

ong before the dawn of the modern Cannabis industry, the vernacular of weed started to take shape. But now, as we progress toward a future with pot shops in every neighborhood, the culture awaits a leader for defining and formalizing the way we talk about Cannabis.

caliFornialeaf.COM

Ganjier intends to become that definitive source.

“The world has never developed a Cannabis palate before,” said Max Simon, CEO of The Ganjier Council, which this month will launch the Ganjier Certification Program, a robust curriculum geared toward training the next generation of Cannabis experts.

“In wine, they’ve developed a palate repertoire that’s been used for 100 years.

Nobody has ever done that in Cannabis.”

JAN. 2021

The Ganjier Council CEO Max Simon

1. MAX SIMON CEO, Ganjier

2. JUSTIN CALVINO Co-Founder Emerald Exchange and The Mendocino Appelations Project

3. FRENCHY CANNOLI Master Hashishin

4. DR. AMANDA REIMAN VP, Community Development, Flow Kana

5. DEREK GILMAN Managing Director, Ganjier

6. OMAR FIGUEROA Founding Member, National Cannabis Bar Association

7. NIKKI LASTRETO Co-Founder, Swami Select

8. JEFFREY RABER Organic Chemist | Founder, The Werc Shop

9. SWAMI CHAITANYA Co-Founder, Swami Select

10. WILLIAM PEDRO Friend of Kevin Jodrey, not on Council

11. PATRICK KING THE SOIL KING Founder, Soil King Garden

12. WENDY KORNBERG CEO, Sunnabis Farms

13. KEVIN JODREY Founder, Port Royal | Wonderland Nursery

14. NICK TANEM AKA NIKKA T Owner, Essential Extracts

FACULTY NOT PICTURED: Genine Colman, Origins Council Exec. Dir. Alec Dixon, SC Labs Co-Founder Mel Frank, Legendary Breeder/Cultivator Kimberly Hooks, Frenchy Cannoli Brand CEO Aaron Varney, Dockside Co-Founder Josh Wurzer, SC Labs President

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While many organizations and educators over the decades have toiled to define the dialogue, the industry

hasn’t accepted a broad certification program similar to the Master Sommelier designation for wine and the Master Cicerone program for Beer, whose graduates are considered to be certified experts in the field. The Ganjier program seeks to become that ballast.

We spoke with Simon over a video call in November to learn more about The Ganjier Council and its plan to revolutionize the future of Cannabis via standardization. Simon’s energy and excitement about the program was palpable, as he shared soaring stories about the process of collaborating with the rest of The Ganjier Council to build the program.

Assembling the Council

If you’re going to create a program to identify and train the future experts of an industry, you’re going to have to bring in some seriously heavy hitters. Simon, along with renowned cultivator, program co-founder and Ganjier Managing Director, Derek Gilman, did just that.

“What we decided from the very beginning was that we didn’t want to take any shortcuts,” Simon said. “We got Frenchy Cannoli to join, who is probably the most experienced hash maker on the planet right now. … He joined the council because he was really dedicated to the fact that The Ganjier Council would be something that would last for 1,000 years.”

After Frenchy joined on, the pieces started to fall into place. They sought out the most experienced in each Cannabis field – cultivation, botany, law, chemistry, sales, education – and started gathering the minds. “We really understood that one of the most important criteria levels here was experience,” said Simon.

“We were going to be doing things that require a level of experience to understand, and more importantly, to be able to define. We pulled the most experienced people we could find in each category.”

In the end, Ganjier ended up comprising 18 renowned names in the industry. Names like Swami Chaitanya, Kevin Jodrey and Mel Frank. “They (see sidebar for full list) collectively span about 600 years of Cannabis experience among those 18 people,” said Simon.

THE ONLINE PORTION WILL BE THE FIRST TO LAUNCH AND WILL CONSIST OF 10 COURSES FOR A TOTAL OF MORE THAN 30 HOURS OF ONLINE CURRICULUM. THE LEAF HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PREVIEW THESE COURSES, WHICH COME ACROSS LIKE INTIMATE, ONE-ON-ONE CLASSROOM LECTURES FROM PROFESSORS OF POT.

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Building a Common Language

With the team built, the Council could begin the real work.

Logging more than 8,000 hours over a span of two-and-a-half years, the Council’s Cannabis cognoscenti debated, deliberated and delivered the first level of the program: The Certified Ganjier.

The way Simon describes it, the process must have been an experience.

“You see Swami and Frenchy, face-to-face, debating vigorously with a piece of hash in Frenchy’s hand,” he said. “It’s the fucking best.”

Like the Sommelier and Cicerone programs that inspired it, the Ganjier program will consist of three levels: Certified Ganjier, Advanced Ganjier and Executive Ganjier.

The first level, Certified Ganjier, seeks to establish the green standard for knowledge for those operating on the Cannabis front lines – the budtenders, sales reps, consumption lounge sherpas.

The online portion will be the first to launch and will consist of 10 courses for a total of more than 30 hours of online curriculum. The Leaf had the opportunity to preview these courses, which come across like intimate, one-on-one classroom lectures from professors of pot.

Ganjier defined what they refer to as the “Systematic Assessment Protocol,” which sets a baseline against which all Cannabis products should be judged and discussed.

It considers four different factors which will be familiar to anyone who has spent time judging Cannabis competitions: Appearance, Aroma, Flavor and Effects.

The classes and coursework cover everything a budding Cannabis expert needs to know, from history, hash, cultivation, chemistry and science, to sales, law and everything in between. As the program materials state, the goal isn’t to teach people how to cultivate Cannabis, rather, it’s to teach them everything they need to know about cultivation.

“It’s putting all the Cannabis knowledge on the table that exists, and then defining what a Cannabis sommelier needs to know,” Simon said.

Kevin Jodrey | Wonderland Nursery The program culminates in an assessment that students must pass to earn their certification. If it’s anything like the programs in the wine and beer industries, this process will no doubt be rigorous. It has to be.

As Simon is quick to point out, if the industry is to grow, it must establish a baseline of trust and clear communication. “Everything in Cannabis comes down to customer service,” he said. “This is about serving consumers in the most effective way.

29 Frenchy Cannoli, Swami Chaitanya & Dr. Amanda Reiman.

Ganjier defined what they refer to as the “Systematic Assessment Protocol,” which sets a baseline against which all Cannabis products should be judged and discussed.

It considers four different factors which will be familiar to anyone who has spent time judging Cannabis competitions: Appearance, Aroma, Flavor and Effects.

Millions and millions of people are looking for trusted guidance about what to buy. … They haven’t been exposed to the diversity of what’s possible with Cannabis, and that’s because no one has broken it down.”

Get with the Program

As of now, Ganjier expects to launch with a suite of online courses this month, with the in-person portion rolling out in June, COVID-willing.

They plan to accept 156 hopefuls out of the first round of applicants.

According to Simon, they’ll likely have to increase that number fairly swiftly. Additionally, you will be able to take just the online portion of the curriculum as a standalone option.

“The demand is really high,” he said. “I’ve got some of the largest organizations in the country right now asking if they can bring 50 people in to be a Ganjier, and my answer is that I can’t service them that quickly.”

With the amount of experience and expertise on staff, Simon believes that demand will only increase as people realize the weight of the opportunity. “I can’t tell you the hundreds of times I would turn to Derek, and we would just look at each other, and think, we’re the luckiest people on planet Earth — to be in this room with these people, who are arguably the most knowledgeable people about Cannabis on planet Earth.”

STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by GANJIER | GANJIER.COM | ICON by JAMIE VICTOR

the FUTURE issue

It’s an iterative move - Zusman has the ability to scale

SCALING UP

CANNABIS 30

The Cannabis industry is ripping through the atmosphere, a half-built rocket to the stars. With every passing moment, every quarterly report, every election – everyone on board has the same question: What’s this going to look like once it’s finished?

A caliFornialeaf.COM

nd that leads to another question. Who’s going to survive?

Who’s going to be able to scale to meet future demand?

Who out there is building the Anheuser-Busch, the Sierra Nevada, the Lagunitas of Cannabis? For years, Brad Zusman has watched as would-be titans of industry begged and borrowed their way to vast, industrial-mega-scale manufacturing capabilities, only to be met with diminished demand and stifling legal and regulatory hurdles.

As the owner of Mellow Vibes, a multi-line confectionery company broadly distributed in Oregon and Nevada, Zusman has been watching – and all the while, he’s been building his own rocket. He and his company – run largely by family and friends Zusman gathered during his decades as a restaurant and Cannabis business operator in Portland – got a start in the medical days, building retail and then manufacturing from the ground up.

“We started with one induction burner, one pot, and one table, pouring jelly into a square mold and cutting it with guitar strings,” Zusman said.

At the first taste of success, Zusman didn’t immediately run out and jump on rounds of capital raises. He kept building the thing.

This month, Mellow Vibes is flipping the switch on a new setup in a facility south of Portland that should allow them to The Mellow Vibes crew, and Brad Zusman, center. manufacture 72,000 units per shift.

JAN. 2021

up much faster, but with the THC market for that facility confined to Oregon, he must be creative.

“I don’t see that there’s going to be a huge need for largescale production until we have interstate commerce,” he said.

“We can only scale up so much, so there’s only so many people and so many ways of indulging. I do see an explosion when interstate commerce comes around.”

It’s that pending explosion that makes scaling up tricky. Build too large now, and you run the risk of suffocating like a fire starved for oxygen. Wait too long, and when the regulatory curtain between the states disappears, so will your ability to compete with the scaled-up players.

Zusman’s company is approaching the issue from multiple angles, and not just by building to suit the CBD market – which he is doing.

Zusman is currently working to license the Mellow Vibes brand in multiple markets around the country. He will manufacture all of the non-medicated materials – the confectionery slurries, syrups, and other pre-made ingredients – in his own facilities and ship them along with packaging to licensees.

“We want to be His company also will offer able to produce a line of pre-made confecup to 2 million tionery ingredients, along with recipes and SOPs that they gummies per day.” will distribute to companies -Brad Zusman, across the country in the Mellow Vibes Owner THC, CBD and nutraceutical industries.

Between those plans, manmellowvibes.com ufacturing his own brands, @mellowvibesedibles and contract “white label” manufacturing brands for companies without their own facilities, Zusman’s growth is starting to pick up speed.

“I have a 3,500-square-foot THC kitchen, and a 3,000-square-foot CBD ingredients kitchen, and we’ve already grown out of both buildings,” he said. “And that’s just doing our brands and a few other white label brands.”

Next, Zusman plans to build a 40,000-square-foot-plus nutraceutical manufacturing plant. And then another. Both will serve the CBD and vitamin markets until THC becomes federally legal. “We want to be able to produce up to 2 million gummies per day,” he said, in addition to tinctures and raw ingredients for confectioners who want to be able to replicate their product.

“Just like Sysco Foods has ready-made muffin mixes, we want to have ready-made ingredients and mixes for jellies, for people to mix however they want, and add their own CBD or THC. Anyone who wants to do small to mid-level manufacturing, we’ll have a ready-made product. The beauty about this model right here is that any white label manufacturer on the market that makes dry mixes, can make this product for you.”

For Zusman, it’s about building the supply chain to meet future demand for a federal THC market that doesn’t yet exist.

Get the machines up and running, get the processes in place and when the time comes, flip the switch.

“The reason these big companies aren’t coming in is that we don’t have the supply chains completely set up,” he said.

“Once it’s all set up, and they have large-scale supply chains built from field to cupboard, then the large global companies will come in and buy them up.”

Either that, or the smartly-scaled Cannabis companies will be the ones doing the buying.

STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by MELLOW VIBES | ICON by JAMIE VICTOR

All Things Cannabis For All People

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Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 or older. This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgement.

Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the innuence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of reach of children.

the FUTURE issue

“Utilizing science and ingenuity, the Dab Rite has taken all of the guesswork out of dabbing. With adaptive goose neck design, the unit is universally capable of reading the temperature of any style of rig.”

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FUTURE OF caliFornialeaf.COM

CONSUMPTION Make hot dabs a thing of the past with the most modern, versatile and inventive digital IR thermometer to be found: the Dab Rite.

dabrite.com | @thedabrite

JAN. 2021

I

ndustry experts, glass collectors and owners Dr. Seuscio, Dan Wynick, Cody Johnson and Bryan Berc joined forces in January of 2020 to bring this revolutionary commodity to market.

After an intensive year of research and development, their team turned the Dab Rite from a concept to prototypes, ultimately helping their product become the gold standard in the industry.

Utilizing science and ingenuity, the Dab Rite has taken all of the guesswork out of dabbing. With adaptive goose neck design, the unit is universally capable of reading the temperature of any style of rig.

Unlike other companies that have products that are only useful for banger hanger style rigs, users can bend the flexible neck in any direction to accurately read the heat of the quartz nail on their unique piece of glass art.

After getting the goose neck dialed in, users can set the temperature anywhere from 200 to 800 degrees fahrenheit. We would recommend 500600 degrees, depending on your nail. Dabbing your favorite concentrates at lower temperatures results in the most pronounced terpene expression achievable.

You will never miss another dab again, as the Dab Rite lights up, flashes and beeps whenever it has reached the set temperature, making this an ideal product for those hard of hearing. This fabulous feature will save you a ton of butane in the long run. With replaceable silicone guards on the temperature gauge and above the screen, users can mix and match silicone inserts to customize their Dab Rite units.

With over 50 years of combined industry experience, their company’s goal is quite simple: To provide a high-quality product that lives up to its own high standards and expectations – something that their entire team can confidently stand behind.

They believe that whether or not you are dabbing top shelf concentrates and extracts out of a higher-end piece, that the experience should be as tasty and enjoyable as possible. The Dab Rite is here to help take your sesh to the next level and the creators are honored to have their products included in your dab shrines, or as Dr. Seuscio calls them, “The Terpification Station.”

As a philanthropic group of individuals, their ownership stepped up last year and found creative ways to give back to our community. After the horrendous forest fires in Oregon, the Dab Rite team offered their second drop of product to the public with a necessary donation of at least $15 to $50, ultimately raising $4,000 so far for a great cause.

Keep an eye out for their recent collaboration with 710 Labs, as well as their official launch party later this month at Lifted Veil Gallery on January 30 with Toro Glass. Make sure to grab yourself a Dab Rite ASAP – your future seshes will thank you!

High Tech continues next page

STORY by MAX EARLY @LIFTED_STARDUST/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by MORGAN DEMETER @MOOGANPHOTO | ICON by JAMIE VICTOR

the FUTURE issue

FUTURE OF

CONSUMPTION

H

ailed as “the future of vaping” by 2Chainz, whose Most Expensivist show has covered a lot of Cannabis related products, we couldn’t agree more. The Bello is the most unique way to get a group of people high, period. Called the Vapor Tap, the Bello works by loading a cartridge of your favorite concentrate into the center. A vapor-sipping glass gets placed over the cart, and when lightly pressed the internal mechanics cause a hit to fill up the cup.

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THE BELLO The future of Cannabis is vapor being sipped at your favorite Cannabis lounge, and it’s closer than you think to reality. While Cannabis lounges aren’t yet legal in every state, anyone can enjoy the experience of passing a glass of tasty Cannabis vapor around a room with the innovative and sexy Bello. B Y W E S A B N E Y @ B E A R D E D L O R A X bello.love | @bellotogether

JAN. 2021

The vapor swirls around as it fills and holds within the cup for easy passing – or the ability to hold it for a short time before consuming the vapor. You sip it like a drink from a glass or with a straw, filling the lungs with Cannabis goodness that takes vaping to a whole new level.

The effects of consuming Cannabis vapor in this way are different from a typical puff of a cartridge, and the vapor is less expansive while retaining full flavor, making it easy to take several glassfulls.

We enjoyed high end solventless rosin carts through the Bello, but any cartridge will work easily.

This includes CBD-only or e-cig carts in the 510 thread format, which are perfect for the upscale hookah user. Bello is also working to release cartridges with herbal formulas that can deliver energy or help with sleep – and it’s worth noting that the possibilities are really endless in terms of what you can vape from a cartridge.

We found ourselves clinking glasses and feeling quite classy as we sipped vapor from straws, sharing the glasses around a room, trying different cartridge flavors and enjoying the sensation of sharing weed in a super literal form.

Perfect for at home, a cocktail party or your future favorite dab lounge, we expect to see Bello all over the world LISTEN TO LEAF LIFE PODCAST as people EPISODE #98 “THE WIDE WORLD embrace the OF CANNABIS TECH,” AVAILABLE opportunity ON ALL MAJOR PLATFORMS to cheers with AND LEAFLIFEPODCAST.COM Cannabis.

“We found ourselves clinking glasses and feeling quite classy as we sipped vapor from straws, sharing the glasses around a room, trying different cartridge flavors and enjoying the sensation of sharing weed in a super literal form. “

F

rom concept to design, to production and marketing, Indux Labs aims to provide the most advanced and modular concentrate vaporization hardware in the world to those who are looking to get the most out of their resin. “The inspiration for the project came from the desire to produce the highest quality of vapor using the precision and purity of electromagnetic heating,” explained Indux Labs Founder, who wishes to remain anonymous.

INDUX LABS

The world of concentrate vaporizers is not lacking in competition. There are hundreds of brands all over the world that are all clamoring to get to the top of the pile with the best hardware. For the past several years, brands like Puffco and PAX have dominated the market by gearing their products towards the mainstream. But, what’s available for the more invested enthusiast?

Enter the Indux Labs Reflux vaporizer. B Y N A T E W I L L I A M S @ N A T E W4 1 5

REFLUX

induxlabs.com | @induxlabs

The Reflux vaporizer is hands-down the most impressive piece of consumption paraphernalia we have come across to date. Each unit is hand-built with incredible attention to detail in Austin, Texas.

The Reflux is the world’s first Slow-Temp™ vaporizer, which slowly builds the temperature and intensity of the vapor to reveal layers of flavor in your concentrate previously undiscovered. The Reflux is designed to deliver a range of control unavailable with other units on the market, and definitely delivers.

The oil is loaded into a borosilicate glass vial along with the user’s choice of titanium heating element.

It comes with a variety of designs for the user to experiment with, including both larger, thicker, single elements, as well as thinner ones, which Indux Labs suggests you use multiples of.

The larger elements heat faster while the smaller ones get to temp more slowly, which is just one of the uniquely modular aspects of the Reflux. As one might suspect, the smaller elements produce a thinner, wispier vapor and the larger, thicker ones produce a more robust and expansive vapor. In addition, there is a “key” that is used to control airflow, further allowing the user to dial in exactly how they like their concentrate vaporized.

The dial on the left of the unit controls how long the heating cycle is, and the buttons on the right turn the coil inside of the unit on and off. The combination of heating element(s), airflow and cycle time results in complete user control. This allows the user to slowly ramp up the temperature, dissecting the concentrate and exposing layers of flavor you’d just flat out miss from the same concentrate in dab form.

Both the look and function have a simultaneously new wave, yet classic feel – like a throwback to the future. The analog manipulation of the unit provides a nostalgic kick as you sit back and enjoy a next-level terpene experience. It does take a little dialing in to fully master, but it is fairly intuitive and once understood, becomes second nature.

Comparatively speaking, if a traditional dab taken off a quartz nail is like doing a shot, consuming concentrate out of the Reflux is like pouring yourself a high-end whiskey and allowing yourself to sit and enjoy every nuance of flavor that develops as the spirit opens up and oxygenates.

Between the flavors achievable with this unit, the efficiency it offers and the complete modulation (I can even run it through my dab rig for a smoother, water-filtered hit), my quartz nail, terp pearl and spinner cap will be riding the bench for the foreseeable future.

STORIES by LEAF NATION CONTRIBUTORS | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS | ICON by JAMIE VICTOR

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tannins & terpenes

T H E A RT OF PA I R I NG C A N N A BI S TANNINS | SMOOJ STRAWBERRY BANANA HARD SELTZER SMOOTHIE 5% ABV

SMOOJ STRAWBERRY BANANA HARD SELTZER SMOOTHIE & CALDERA EXTRACTS SUPER LEMON OG LAVA DIAMONDS

If you’ve got your thumb on the pulse of the craft beer scene, you’re well aware of the heavily fruited sour craze that’s currently sweeping the nation. Also sweeping the nation, but trending more with macro-level breweries, is hard seltzer. So, what has Ann Arbor-based HOMES Brewery done? Taken both and put them together, of course! Enter Smooj, the world’s first hard seltzer smoothie.

On one hand it’s only 5% ABV and is gluten and dairy free, and on the other hand it’s absolutely loaded with strawberry and banana puree, making this ‘seltzer’ look, feel and taste more like a smoothie you made as a kid than an adult beverage. Divisive, ironic and delicious, this beverage is utterly ridiculous in both concept and execution – but at the same time, a treat for your taste buds and something you just can’t help but like.

TERPENES | CALDERA EXTRACTS SUPER LEMON OG LAVA DIAMONDS 73.4% THC, .16% CBD, 8.8% TERPENES

Caldera Extracts is a new line of concentrates from the sungrown-focused team at Flow Cannabis. Each gram comes packaged with heat seal plastic wrap, as well as a unique seal between the lid and the jar that keeps precious terps from escaping. The aroma on these Super Lemon OG Lava Diamonds is insane – sweet, candied Meyer lemon, exotic mango and papaya, and undertones of deeply complex and classic OG Kush notes spring from the jar before even removing the terp-seal. The jar is filled with large, beautifully faceted hunks of THCA that are marinating in a pool of golden terpenes. A low-temp dab from clean quartz reveals a beautiful translation of the aromatics to the palate and within moments, I felt a calming and relaxing high working its way from the back of my neck through my whole body.

Delicious and effective – what more could you want from your dab?

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caliFornialeaf.COM

THE PAIRING

This pairing is a full-throttle, no-holds-barred, one-way ticket to flavor town. drinksmooj.com calderaextracts.com

JAN. 2021

*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.

This pairing is a full-throttle, no-holds-barred, one-way ticket to flavor town. Featuring a mash-up of strawberry, banana, lemon, mango, papaya, chem and fuel, there’s a lot going on flavor-wise. It’s like a mud wrestling match, but instead of mud it’s fruit puree mixed with a touch of gasoline. The Smooj is a nostalgia inducing throwback to childhood and a real world example of how innovative, albeit ridiculous, the brewing world can be.

Paired with a dab of Caldera Extracts’ terpy and tropical Super Lemon OG, your palate will be left dancing with an array of flavors that will have you reminiscing back to simpler times. Truly a beautifully ironic complement to one another, the oil brings forth a relaxing and calm vibe — allowing you to fully enjoy the trip down memory lane you’re sure to be taking as you sip on one of the most futuristic beverages in existence today.

REVIEW & PHOTO by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415/CALIFORNIA LEAF

MIMOSA

ROSIN

CAPSULES

Presenting a slightly new take on the classic Cannabis capsules, Oakland-based Blue River uses a patented mechanical extraction method to create the full-spectrum solventless concentrates used in all of their products — winning over 50 awards in the past six years from nearly every major Cannabis competition.

BLUERIVERTERPS.COM

foray into the edibles market – are available in three strain-specific varieties: Strawberry Banana, Peanut Butter Cup and Mimosa.

All three varieties are vegan, organic and 100% natural, and contain the standard dose of 10mg of THC per capsule.

Aside from the mechanically-extracted cannabinoids and Cannabis-derived terpenes, these Mimosa caps also contain 100 percent pure orange oil, annatto seeds (a natural food coloring that has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties) and inositol – a natural carbohydrate that helps relieve anxiety and depression.

Each bottle contains 30 capsules and is made from amber glass – a plus since plastic would not only be bad for the environment, but could possibly leech if it came in contact with the citric acid in the orange oil.

Since the capsules are flavored S i m p l e, with strain-specific terps and essential fruit s a f e, oil, we wanted to taste their contents rather s t e a l t hy than just swallowing them whole.

Wanting to taste the strain-specific terps a n d h e a l t hy. and essential fruit oil inside, I pulled one open and stirred the powder into a half glass of water rather than just swallowing it whole. Like the bubbly brunch cocktail after which it’s named, the Mimosa mixture was orange-yellow in color, had a subtle and refreshing orange flavor, and provided a mellow morning buzz that lasted for a few hours.

The label says to expect 30 minutes for the onset of effects, but we took it on a practically empty stomach and it didn’t really hit until around 45 minutes in.

The verdict? These rosin capsules are a simple, safe, stealthy and healthy way to get medicated. And after sampling the Mimosa caps, I honestly can’t wait to try their other flavors – especially that Peanut Butter Cup – which I’m guessing will be even more delicious. Find these and other Blue River products at dozens of dispensaries all across Northern and Southern California.

REVIEW & PHOTO by BOBBY BLACK @BOBBYBLACK420 for CALIFORNIA LEAF

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caliFornialeaf.COM

10MG THC PER CAPSULE / 30PK

These rosin capsules – which are their first

edible OF THE MONTH

BLUE RIVER TERPENES AND EXTRACTS

concentratE OF THE MONTH

NFUZED

NFUZED.COM | @FUZEDBRANDS

What if getting high was as simple as taking a nice, deep breath?

That’s the promise realized by the Nfuzed Cannabis Inhaler.

caliFornialeaf.COM

38

CANNABIS

INHALER

Yes, this product looks exactly like it sounds, making it ideal as a discretionary option for the stoner on-the-go. Packaged as a translucent, pocket-sized inhaler, the labeling is the only giveaway that what you’re holding isn’t intended to dispense asthma medicine. Instead, each Nfuzed puff features a metered dose of 5mg THC. Designed to deliver the goods without any of the potential respiratory irritation or damage that can come from smoking or vaping, these inhalers require nothing more than a shake of your wrist and the push of a button (hold for five seconds) to release a measured hit of THC-rich aerosolized mist.

The simplicity of the experience is, quite honestly, astounding.

By eliminating the need for literally all paraphernalia – which in turn means no cleaning to do later – the Nfuzed Cannabis Inhaler can be used practically anywhere your heart desires. Couple that benefit with the fact that this mist, which is citrusy in flavor, offers no hint of the THC contained within, and the convenience truly cannot be beat.

When first experimenting with an Nfuzed Inhaler, be aware that a learning curve will likely be in play. Those who have previous experience with an inhaler will find the Nfuzed model no different, but for novices, finding that sweet spot between dispensing the mist and starting to inhale can take a few puffs to get right.

Fortunately, Nfuzed stocks each inhaler with 50 doses, meaning you’ll have plenty of time to familiarize yourself with the best breathing approach to get the most from every hit you take.

Another major plus is the consistent pleasure measured out, thanks to the device’s metered dosing. With a consistent amount of THC hitting your system hit after hit, it thus becomes a breeze to narrow in on exactly how many puffs are perfect for your personal pot bliss.

5MG THC PER PUFF / 50 SERVINGS

D e s i g n e d t o d e l i ve r t h e g o o d s w i t h o u t a n y o f the potential respiratory irritation or damage.

JAN. 2021

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

MARY’S MEDICINALS

topical OF THE MONTH

THC-SATIVA TRANSDERMAL PATCH Enough THC to be noticeable, but not enough to be a distraction.

caliFornialeaf.COM

40

Mary’s Medicinals is no stranger to the topicals game. Born in 2013, the company began crafting their wellness oriented product line for the Colorado market and has since brought their brand and products to several other regions, including California.

I applied the THC-Sativa patch first thing in the morning and did not use any other Cannabis before or while using the product, aiming to truly test the efficacy.

The packaging recommends placing the patch on a venous part of the body like the inside of the wrist or top of the foot. I went with the inside of the wrist and went about my daily routine. About 20 minutes later, the clear-headed and pillowy effects began to settle in. There is enough THC to be noticeable, but not enough to be a distraction – allowing me to go about my day feeling focused and calm.

The transdermal delivery method is effective, discreet and long-lasting, with efficacy up to 12 hours. If you’re looking to switch up consumption methods or for something you can use at work without raising any eyebrows, you can’t go wrong with these transdermal patches from Mary’s Medicinals.

JAN. 2021

REVIEW & PHOTO by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415/CALIFORNIA LEAF

@MARYS_MEDICINALS 19.81MG THC 19MG CBN .82MG CBG

glass art

HYPERLOOP How do you draw inspiration from nature?

It’s difficult not to – nature has done so many things exquisitely. Whether it’s the connection point flowing together for two pieces of glass or a larger, more powerful concept being translated, there are so many examples of highly refined processes and shapes. It’s incredible to see what natural selection has determined after all those years. While most of my work doesn’t literally translate or attempt to mimic nature, I think that there are many subtle cues taken from it. I’ve always loved the way nature handles its color and transitions or contrasts between them. Most recently and perhaps most noticeable within my work, I saw geysers first-hand for the first time in my life. Their raw power and the display they put on is magnificent! Since then I’ve been playing with similar effects and the potential for displaying that power within my functional work.

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What pushes you to create new mind-melting designs? What’s the point

@maxxswell.ca

“All the designs I make seem to come from seed questions, and the finished pieces are in their own way an answer to the question asked. The answers are always evolving – I don’t feel constrained by the way I’ve done things in the past.

Next time I make that style I can mix things up.“

STORY by MAX EARLY @LIFTED_STARDUST/LEAF NATION | PHOTO by SHERLOCKS GLASS GALLERY @SHERLOCKSGLASS

caliFornialeaf.COM

Art by MAX CASWELL

of creating if you just make the same thing as everybody else? I wasn’t drawn by or interested in the ability to remake things that have already been made – I much prefer to attempt to make things in a different light. I was drawn by the potential to put my own spin on things. All the designs I make seem to come from seed questions, and the finished pieces are in their own way an answer to the question asked. The answers are always evolving – I don’t feel constrained by the way I’ve done things in the past. Next time I make that style I can mix things up. That freedom is one of my favorite things about glass – it’s incredibly easy to try out new proportions or shapes within designs. Nothing has to be like it was before, I don’t have to remake a mold or rewrite a program to get different shapes for new parts. There’s an amazing amount of freedom within this medium.

JOINT/COUNTERJOINT

PERSPECTIVES

THE TOPIC THIS MONTH, THE LEAF DEBATES...FEDERAL LEGALIZATION

JOINT BY TOM BOWERS Counterjoint?

Are you with Joint or alization is leg l era fed nk Do you thi are we in or just over the horizon, ting for figh of ade dec for another rjoint freedom? #JointCointe

It’s easy to be pessimistic about the state of federalized Cannabis, when we came of age in a time when even saying the word “bong” in a head shop would get you kicked out for fear of the owners landing in murky water.

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But let me spell out exactly why decriminalization – if not a complete and abrupt end to prohibition – is due before 2025: Look at the outcome of the 2020 election cycle.

As an opener, you have President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Even if it gets shot down in the Kamala Harris, who eschewed their Senate, that certainly doesn’t feel like previous unfriendly Cannabis stances a “wait and see” attitude. for progressive decriminalization and You may say that this will come expungement rhetoric, which they’ll down to states’ rights, but I don’t behave to live up to in order to reenerlieve that means that the federal govgize the voter base for a reelection ernment will extend prohibition and bid in 2024. leave the states to choose. That’s just That’s not even the big typeface on bad business, especially the marquee. For that, when there are billions look to conservative upon billions of dollars strongholds Arizona and You may say that in tax revenue – not to South Dakota – both this will come down mention millions of jobs – joined New Jersey and to states’ rights, waiting in the wings for a Montana in voting for but I don’t believe that means that the population staring down full legalization starting federal government the barrel of an unprecein 2021. Add to that will extend prohibition the fact that Missisand leave the states to dented economic crisis.

I believe it’s more sippi voted to legalize choose. likely that the federal medical Cannabis, government will legalize and tax, and Oregon voted to decriminalize all leave it up to the states to choose drugs and Washington D.C. voted to whether or not they want to contindecriminalize psilocybin, and what ue with prohibition. That’s how the we have sure looks a whole lot like U.S. alcohol industry ended up as a boulder-sized snowball picking up a patchwork of states and counties momentum. with differing laws after the passage You might say that a sea change in of the 21st Amendment putting an the attitudes of the voting population end to Prohibition. There may be dry doesn’t necessarily telegraph a bold, counties here and there, and maybe sweeping action on the horizon. But even a lagging state or two, but there look at the MORE Act – the legislaare too many positives for the leaders tion calling for decriminalization and in Washington D.C. to hold out any expungement brought before the longer. They’re going to open the House of Representatives – introfloodgates and leave it to the individduced by a bipartisan coalition and ual communities to choose to reject passing by an overwhelming majority the resulting windfall. last November.

caliFornialeaf.COM

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JAN. 2021

Our entire criminal justice system needs a reset, from how we treat non-violent offenses and drug addiction to the heinous three strikes system that President-elect Joe Biden helped orchestrate – and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris used to prosecute and ruin countless lives. That same criminal justice system lets killer cops walk free, hands out lesser penalties for sex offenders than drug users, and prioritizes COUNTERJOINT BY WES ABNEY the locking away of lives instead of rehabilitating Our government banks on keeping and empowering those caught in the snare of justice Cannabis (and drugs) illegal. Smoke a to return to society as better adjusted people. joint? Land in the joint – that has been Our tax codes also punish “legal” Cannabis our reality for the last 50 years of the war on drugs, and I don’t see that magically businesses in states that have regulated systems, ending anytime soon. denying businesses their ability to write off general While I personally hope this is not the expenses – which will net the Feds billions in revecase, and will be very pleasantly surprised nue this decade – while allowing them to continue to if I am wrong, I believe it push the war on drugs forward. is going to take the entire If this is making your stomach decade to get Cannabis sour at the thought of corruption, Our entire criminal legalized across our country. that’s the feeling of knowing somejustice system needs a It all comes down to one one has been arrested for pot in the reset, from how we treat simple concept: Having your time it took you to read this opinion. non-violent offenses and cake and eating it too – which Simply put, our country has drug addiction to the is exactly what our federal, heinous three strikes massive flaws in how we view system that Presistate and local governments crime, punishment, taxation, states dent-elect Joe Biden get to do every time they rights, and the ability of Americans helped orchestrate. collect tax dollars from to pursue happiness and freedom Cannabis – while simultaneously receiving as our Founding Fathers directed. And while many funding for law enforcement and the criminal of these problems could be solved by our country justice system to continue the war on drugs. smoking a joint and choosing to put humanity before The drug war has funded the growth and mass media talking points, the ‘America Gets Baked militarization of our police, created private Sesh’ is still a ways out. We have 100 years of prisons with guaranteed capacity contracts regressive policies and damage to undo from the that are subsidized by taxpayer money if war on drugs, and it can’t be fixed by waving a magic quotas aren’t met, and continues to be a tool wand of legalization. of the largely racist system that oppresses America needs to look inward, to see the cancer and arrests BIPOC individuals at much higher that has rotted our police forces, prosecutors and rates than whites for petty drug crimes. politicians, and commit to a plant-based healing And there are a lot of cops, politicians and regimen to heal the rot. But I think it’s going to take unenlightened Americans who support these more than an establishment president, or Oregon policies, just as they supported an openly decriminalizing all drugs, for our country to wake up racist president who attacked everything from and realize that Cannabis is safer than the laws that our environment to our sense of decency. regulate it.

‘‘

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

cannthropology

WORLD OF CANNABIS PRESENTS

44

Adam “Mr. Hash Bash” Brook

The History of Hash Bash

The origins and evolution of Ann Arbor’s annual reefer rally

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This is the story of how a small Midwestern college town became the home of America’s longest-running Cannabis event and a legendary legalization location.

It all began in December 1966, when prominent poet, pot activist, and White Panther John Sinclair unknowingly gave two joints to an undercover policewoman from the Detroit Narcotics Bureau. A month later he was arrested, tried, and in 1969, sentenced to a shocking 10 years in prison.

This disproportionately draconian penalty (no doubt intended to make an example of Sinclair), drew widespread outrage among the counterculture community—particularly with the Youth International Party, or “Yippies.”

In December 1971, they helped organize a massive rally on Sinclair’s behalf at the University of Michigan’s Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor. Known as the “John Sinclair Freedom Rally,” it included Yippie activists Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Peel and future High Times founder Tom Forcade, as well as beatnik poet Allen Ginsberg and NORML founder Keith Stroup. More importantly, though, it featured performances by top musical acts like Bob Seger, Stevie Wonder and most impressively, former Beatle John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono. Just three days after that concert, Michigan’s Supreme Court ordered

JAN. 2021

Sinclair’s release on bond pending appeal after serving only two-and-a-half years of his sentence. At the appeal hearing, that same court dismissed his case—ruling that he’d been entrapped and that his sentence was “cruel and unusual.” Moreover, the court declared that the 1952 state law used to convict him—which classified Cannabis as a “narcotic”—was inaccurate and therefore unconstitutional, and overturned it.

The state legislature quickly drafted and passed a replacement, but enforcement of that new law didn’t take effect until April 1. This meant that for about three weeks, marijuana was technically legal in the State of Michigan.

Taking full advantage of this unique window—and inspired by the action that had set Sinclair free months earlier—local activists organized a pro-pot political rally on the very day the new law was set to take effect. And that, my friends, is how Hash Bash was born. Held at high noon on Saturday, April 1, 1972, at “The Diag” (the central Diagonal Green) on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, the original event—called simply “Hash Festival”—was reportedly attended by somewhere between 150-500 people and had no arrests.

The Democrat-led city council in Ann Arbor had already debated downgrading marijuana possession from a felony to a misdemeanor in 1971. In May 1972—just a month after the rally—they passed an ordinance reducing the penalty for possession to a mere five dollar fine, followed by another in September allowing those fines to be paid through the mail, rather than

For the first decade and a half of its existence, Hash Bash was little more than a gathering of people smoking pot in public.

However, from the early ‘90s on, it became a platform for some of the most prominent voices in the marijuana movement.

having offenders appear in court. This gave Ann Arbor the dubious distinction of being the city with the most liberal pot laws in America.

When April Fool’s Day rolled around again the following year, so did Hash Bash—this time drawing 3,000-5,000 attendees. Outraged, conservatives fought back—repealing the lenient law in 1973. But less than a year later, the quarrelsome issue made it onto the ballot as a voter referendum and was voted back into law in April 1974 — just in time for Hash Bash number three, which was now officially an annual event.

Thanks to the “Just Say No” Reagan era, attendance and interest in Hash Bash saw a steep decline in the 1980s— leading some local officials and newspapers to prematurely celebrate its seeming demise. But all that changed in 1988 with the arrival of High Times; then Editor-in-Chief Steve Hager and his Freedom Fighters (including columnists Ed Rosenthal and Chef Ra, among others) rolled into Ann Arbor sporting Colonial tricorn hats and musical instruments— drawing a crowd of nearly 2,000 and reinvigorating the faltering festival.

A further effort was made to increase attendance in 1991, when the annual date of the event was changed from the first of April to the first Saturday in April. In the years that followed, the University made several attempts to shut the rally down by denying permits and such, prompting five lawsuits from Hash Bash organizers, NORML and the ACLU—all of which the University lost.

For the first decade and a half of its existence, Hash Bash was little more than a gathering of people smoking pot in public. However, from the early ‘90s on, it became a platform for some of the most just heard the police had 200 officers waiting in prominent voices in the marijuana moveriot gear,” Brook recounts. “Every April Fool’s Day ment, including Tommy Chong, authors we’d publish some sort of claim … Bill Clinton was Jack Herer and Gatewood Galbraith, showing up, Sasha Obama … and sure enough, hippie icon Stephen Gaskin, Yippie Dana the media shows up.” Though no longer serving as Beal, and of course, John Sinclair, who its emcee, Brook still attends each year and hosts a returned to the event (and to Michigan) private event called the Hash Bash Cup the weekend in 1996 after an almost 20-year absence of the rally. living in New Orleans.

The new millennium brought many changes to Other than Sinclair, no one has become Michigan’s marijuana laws. In November 2008, votmore associated with the event than ers passed Proposal 1 legalizing medical marijuana.

Sinclair’s personal manager, Adam Brook.

In 2016, State Representative Jeff Irwin (D) attended Legalization Icon John Sinclair Nicknamed “Mr. Hash Bash,” Brook Hash Bash and announced that he was sponsoring started hosting the rally in 1993 and cona bill to legalize marijuana for adult use. That September, medical tinued to do so for almost two decades, until 2011 when he topicals, edibles and dispensaries were legalized. passed the mic on to other prominent Wolverine State weed In 2018, gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer (D) came to warriors. Brook’s specialty was getting media coverage of the speak at the rally and on Election Day that November, voters approved event by playing the press. another Proposal 1—this time called The Michigan Regulation and “In order to get the TV cameras to show up at Hash Taxation of Marihuana Act—which finally legalized Cannabis use for Bash, I’d call them on Saturday morning and tell them we’d adults statewide.

“In order to get the TV cameras to show up at Hash Bash, I’d call them on Saturday morning and tell them we’d just heard the police had 200 officers waiting in riot gear."

-A DA M B RO OK

The following April, Ann Arbor celebrated that monumental victory with their biggest Bash ever—boasting well over 10,000 attendees and zero arrests.

“Welcome to legalization in the state of Michigan!” Sinclair announced to the cheering crowd in 2019. “You haven’t been here before unless you were here in 1972 when we started it. We went three weeks without any marijuana law, and believe me we took full advantage of every minute of it. Then when the Michigan law went into effect on April Fool’s Day, we said, ‘Fuck you—we’re going to go into the Diag to smoke some weed!’ That’s how it started and I’m proud to see it continuing in full force.”

Last year, due to COVID-19, organizers were forced to replace the rally with a virtual Zoom event. Hopefully, Hash Bash will be able to return to The Diag this April to celebrate its milestone 50th anniversary.

Tommy Chong

For more on Hash Bash, listen to Episode #6 of our podcast at worldofcannabis.museum/ podcast or visit hashbash.com.

Published originally on worldofcannabis.museum and reprinted with permission.

STORY by BOBBY BLACK @CANNTHROPOLOGY for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by RICK THOMPSON | ART COURTESY WORLD OF CANNABIS MUSEUM @WORLDOFCANNABIS.MUSEUM

YOUR GPS LIED TO YOU he tragic miscalculation of digital driving directions can be the cause of great stress. Because when you’re lost, everything appears foreign. Your surroundings are unfamiliar, you find yourself flustered and exposed. This is a dark and confusing place where suddenly every turn, every sidewalk and every streetlight looks identical. Your sense of security vanishes, leaving you vulnerable and frightened, the anxiety heightened.

You feel betrayed by the soothing, relatable personality inside of your electronic device, as their lack of sound decision-making seemed almost purposeful. The voice you once believed is now a clueless idiot and you are determined to get even with a brazen scolding. You will belittle it, call her a bitch or him an asshole, condemning their actions with caustic flare while detailing the irreparable hassle and embarrassment you’ll endure due to their lack of focus. At some point you may forgive them, but now is not the time. You are lost and late – and the world is in a state of utter peril that may take years to repair.

However, although it doesn’t feel like it, this is no one’s fault.

You do feel a sense of responsibility, though, for having blindly trusted what used to be a credible source. So, to rectify the blunder of placing your faith in this digital confidante, you will take uncharacteristic chances in the attempt to absolve yourself of any further regret.

There is no time to waste in getting to the original course. So, you will make illegal U-turns across center-dividers and irresponsibly hit the brakes on a busy thoroughfare. You will knowingly break the law, nervously cursing while backing up on a one-way street to return to the exit passed.

Ninety-five percent of the time, however, this device is correct. Therefore, you should reward your GPS system.

I recommend a digital blow job.

You take a puff from a vape pen and exhale it into the screen.

T

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by Mike Ricker

jan. 2021

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