STONER OWNER

HASHMAKER

FRENCHY CANNOLI

DESPITE HIS GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY to the innovators of Silicon Valley, hashmaker Frenchy Cannoli prefers to look to the past. We spoke to the French-born, Northern California transplant about the appeal of hashish, the importance of terroir and affinage, and some of his favorite non-pot related ways of passing the time.

“IT IS LIKE A PROTECTIVE BUBBLE FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD, A MIND SPACE THAT MAKES YOU IF NOT IMPERVIOUS, AT LEAST MUCH LESS VULNERABLE.”

-FRENCHY CANNOLI, ON SMOKING HASH

WHAT’S YOUR PROCESS FOR MAKING HASH? I offer a workshop called “The Lost Art of the Hashishin” to teach everyone how they can make their own hashish using an inexpensive mini-washer and a set of sieving bags. The process, in a nutshell, is to collect Cannabis trichome glands using an ice water sieving methodology based on the traditional dry sieving technique and botanical science of glandular trichomes. Once the glands have been thoroughly dried, I press them with a source of heat into a mass of resin, which then goes through an aging process. The end product is hashish. I am very much like a winemaker who collects grapes to create wine.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR NICKNAME, ‘THE HUNTER OF THE MELT’? The melt is a U.S. term to define the amount of resin formed inside a trichome gland. Every one of us working with Cannabis resin is a hunter of the melt, whether it’s someone with a CO2 or BHO extractor in a cutting-edge lab or someone in the mountains of the Himalayas collecting resin on the palm of their hands.

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER TRIED HASHISH, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT? The effect will be somewhat different, depending on the cultivar and on the person smoking or consuming, but the experience is like being encompassed by a feeling of warmth and an energy of simple wellbeing. It is like a protective bubble from the outside world, a mind space that makes you if not impervious, at least much less vulnerable.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO OUTSIDE OF CANNABIS? Traveling would be on top of that list. I gave everything to be a nomad for 18 years of my life. There was nothing more magical than being in a place where everything was new, where your awareness is on constant overdrive from the daily novelty of living within a foreign culture. I am fascinated by ancient history, art and cultures, so I love libraries, museums and ancient ruins. My ultimate stress releaser is dancing. To dance and really get lost into the beat has been a favored pastime since forever. However, to tell the STUCK AT HOME AND WANNA MAKE HASH? truth in ‘normal times’ there is little CHECK OUT DIY VIDEOS I do that it is not connected to Cannabis. I have little time left and there is still so much to learn. AND WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS YOUTUBE.COM/FRENCHYCANNOLI FRENCHYCANNOLI.COM

WHAT IS THE CONCEPT OF TERROIRS AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR HASHMAKERS? Terroir is more than a concept - it represents respect and love for the land and its diversity. Terroir is a philosophy based on the combination of the land, the climate, the cultivars and the farmer. It is a dedication to quality and exclusivity exemplified in the culture of food and wine. The word expresses the uniqueness of every region and its products. It is the delicate symbiosis between the environment, the plant kingdom and the humans who nurture and enhance the characteristics of the land. Our planet is an abundance of terroirs that have been lost to a great extent due to agricultural industrialization and the globalization of the food industry.

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. Look for the Stoner Owner stamp when purchasing fine Cannabis, and let’s retake our culture and reshape a stigma by honoring those who grow, process and sell the best Cannabis possible.

W H O ’ S YOU R FAVO 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 AT I O N S T O N AT E @ C A L I F O R N I A L E A F . CO M Kaitlyn Isaac

CALIFORNIA LEAF Budtender of the Month

HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED AT THE SANCTUARY? WHAT SEPARATES THE SANCTUARY FROM OTHER DISPENSARIES OUT THERE? I’ve been with The Sanctuary for just over four months now. I think what really separates us most from others is our customer service. You can go to other dispensaries around and get in and out, but here we really try to make a personal connection with our patients to make them feel comfortable and welcomed.

THERE IS A TON OF AMAZING FEEDBACK ABOUT YOU ONLINE. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? I’m honestly so flattered! I give my all when it comes to helping others. The fact that these patients come in, and take the time out of their day to let both management and others looking for a new dispensary know what a great experience is waiting for them here, really makes me feel like I’m doing my job well.

WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB? WHAT DO YOU LOVE THE MOST? I’d have to say the best part of my job is getting to meet new people. I’m a very social person, and Cannabis is a big topic of discussion. I love helping patients find the best medicine that suits their specific “I LOVE HELPING PATIENTS FIND THE BEST situation. Everyone’s different, so when I connect with them, I can really get an understanding of their needs and can always get them exactly what they’re looking for. MEDICINE WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PRODUCT ON THE THAT SUITS THEIR SPECIFIC SITUATION.” MARKET RIGHT NOW AND WHY? I’d have to say my favorite product right now is going to be PB&J by Fire AF. They are a local brand here in Sacramento, which is awesome and they are all about clean, fresh meds. I love that moment when you first open the jar and the aroma just hits you; you can tell they take pride in their work and it definitely shows with the products they produce.

The Sanctuary

2500 Grand Avenue, Sacramento CA | (916) 254-3287 | TheSanctuarySac.com

While still somewhat of an industry newbie, Kaitlyn Isaac recently began employing her naturally gifted talent of taking care of those around her at The Sanctuary, a medical and adult-use licensed dispensary in Sacramento’s Del Paso Heights neighborhood. While new to working in Cannabis, she’s no stranger to providing outstanding customer service. HOW HAS CANNABIS IMPACTED YOUR LIFE? I can say that Cannabis has had an unquestionably positive impact in all aspects of my life. I have dealt with some traumatic experiences, which has left me with really bad anxiety and causes some extreme attacks, so the fact that I’m able to help manage that with Cannabis - instead of some heavy prescriptions - is amazing. It’s opened up my mindset and understanding of who I am, and has allowed me to experience new parts of life I may not have been able to before.

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Definitely the stigma that’s behind it. I think if people really took the time to educate themselves more and research all the benefits of Cannabis, it would change the negative connotation some have about it. It would make more people feel comfortable making their own decisions towards it, to try it and benefit from it firsthand.

lead botanist & co-founder

the clear

COURTNEY MALTAIS

FOR THIS MONTH’S CONCENTRATES ISSUE, I had the absolute What advice would you give to your younger self privilege of interviewing Courtney Maltais of The Clear. Not only is knowing what you know now? she the lead botanist and co-founder of this legendary extract comTrust your gut - intuition may not feel practical or calculated, but in time pany, but she is also the founder and biologist at her own consulting will help in leading you towards the kind of individuals and companies that firm - CM Botanical - which is “dedicated to educating the public align with your ethos. By following my passion for the plant, I have met so on Cannabis, as well as advising business owners on manufacturing, many profound people in my life; educators, researchers, entrepreneurs, micro-propagation practices, and product formulation.” and warriors of the war on drugs. At the same time, the industry is still How did you get started in the Cannabis industry? there is still a lot of work to be done to refine industry practice and respect

My relationship with Cannabis stems back to when I was a teenager - it the plant, and most importantly respect the people that have suffered from was a way to connect with my peers and create intimacy with friends that prohibition. Don’t let that overwhelm you, this is a movement bigger than may not have expressed themselves without encouragement from conwe can comprehend and you have all of the determination and heart to suming Cannabis. I was always a sensitive and curious kid, and Cannabis carve out a space there. only enhanced that within me. Exploring the natural world through the Love your Cannabis sisters fiercely and support them all. The network of scientific lens was that much more fulfilling when Cannabis was involved. femme Cannabis business owners and professionals I have found myself I think the mind has such a deeper capacity for empathy and making in has been so rewarding for me both on a personal and career level. In connections you never considered before experiencing Cannabis. an ever-changing space, with regulatory changes, and all the ebbs and

Cannabis also played a major role in my healing process after getting flows of the newly legalized system - you need to surround yourself with diagnosed with an immune disease when I was in my early twenties. At hardworking, accountable, and creative individuals who have each other’s the time there were few options for relief, and Cannabis helped in reshapbacks. Cannabis is a catalyst for change, and it’s crucial to honor that by ing both my perspective and physical health. reshaping corporate and workplace culture into something that protects the

In 2013, after graduating, I picked up and moved from New Hampdisadvantaged, and empowers us all to do better, and be better. shire to California. I had been discussing loose plans with my friends and blooming and there are a lot of shifts to come as it matures. This means business partners, Chris Barone and Brian Maltais. Greatest challenges & success you’ve faced in your career?

We fused our skills in science and engineering with our love for the One of my greatest successes is my ability to inspire others about the Cannabis plant. That Spring, The Clear™ was debuted biology of the plant - and the limitless applications for April 20, 2019 at Hempcon in Northern California. I had never imagined I would have the opportunity to work with this plant - still to this day, I am so grateful for the opportunity to be part of an industry with such a large cultural, political, and ecological shift. “I HAD NEVER IMAGINED I WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THIS the plant, from roots to resin. Since I was little, I have always had a sort-of romance with science, and to be able to apply that to the Cannabis plant is humbling. Without our curiosity, the plant would remain in the brush, fruiting and living on in the wild without us. It What was your mission and vision in PLANT - STILL TO is with the human touch that we discover the true pofounding The Clear™? How has it changed over the years? At the time we started producing distillate oil, concentrates on the market were questionable at best, with little to no testing regulations. We wanted to create a product that offered accuracy in dosing, potency, but most imTHIS DAY, I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF AN INDUSTRY WITH SUCH tential of our relationship with flora and fauna. Which brings me to the greatest challenge of my career - helping to shift stigmas, empower the people, and give back to the earth. We have the power to structure how we grow, process, infuse, and sell this plant, as well as who sells portantly a clean alternative for Cannabis patients (now A LARGE CULTURAL, it, and the efficacy of all of those processes. We have patients and consumers). One thing that has remained through all of the changes, is our collective obsession with innovation and POLITICAL, AND ECOLOGICAL SHIFT. ” the ability to choose the companies and investors we partner with, the products we consume, the products we choose not to consume. technology in the Cannabis space. Whether its in manThe choices we make now will play a role in the ufacturing, cultivation, or product formulation - we are always looking to grander landscape. It’s almost like I’ve made it my duty to protect the plant refine methods and connect with scientists and industry leaders to push like my queen, her subjects like my people. It is my responsibility to reach boundaries and find exciting new ways to offer the highest quality CBD out to business owners and consumers to educate and give them the tools and Cannabis to the world. to think critically about these choices.