Feb. 2018 — Alaska Leaf

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LIVE FROM THE NORTH Inter viewing the creative minds of this Anchorage hip hop collective

around the nation News 8-10 why ilana glazer avoids getting high on tv (now) Highly Likely 24 inked up for the plant they love Feature 38

ISSUE 22

CANNABIS ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, PARENTS, FARMERS AND MORE pg. 32-43

THE LIFESTYLE ISSUE

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FEBRUARY 2018

18 GREEN DEGREE

Reviewing the Wasilla Cannabis shop

42

SEX AND CANNABIS Reviewing sensual Bare Spray

50

GLASS ART Northwest artist Erik Anderson

THE STRAINS & GENETICS THE LIFESTYLEISSUE ISSUE Cannaflage Designs Founder Karen Averill

Features | Profiles | Reviews | pg. 32-43 Reviews by Alaska Leaf staf f | Photos by Daniel Berman

07 08 10 14 18 22 24 28 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 42 43 46 48 50 54

Editor’s Note National News Alaska Update Fairbanks Shop Review Wasilla Shop Review Live from the North Highly Likely Strain of the Month The Lifestyle Issue Cannaflage Designs Outside Artworks Functional Jewelry Pot for Parents Farmer Tom Lauerman Tattoos that Toke Musicians on weed Sex and Cannabis Indicasurance Tasty Recipes Concentrates Book Review Glass Art

ON THE COVER Photo by @NessePhoto

Live from the North hip hop collective.

See interview pg. 22

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TASTY RECIPES

Something sweet for your sweetie

By Laurie Wolf | Photos by Bruce Wolf

46

ALASKA LEAF

the truth about the plant you thought you knew, IN every issue.

editor’s note Contact editor Wes Abney to place an

advertisement or become a drop-off location to display our magazine. You can also feel free to just share feedback, send pitches, articles, story ideas and hot news tips. This is all our plant.

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FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Wes Abney

PHOTOGRAPHER & DESIGNER

Daniel Berman

CONTRIBUTORS STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS SIMONE FISCHER, HEALTH & SCIENCE NESSE PHOTO, PHOTOGRAPHY DR. SCANDERSON, GROWTECH DR. SCOTT D. ROSE, HEALTH ALIZA SHERMAN, FEATURES ERIC SKELTON, DESIGN PACER STACKTRAIN, FEATURES BRANDON VOSIKA, ILLUSTRATION LAURIE & BRUCE WOLF, RECIPES NATE WILLIAMS, PRODUCTION ANNIKA WOLTERS, EDITING

ADVERTISING Nate@ORLeaf.com // 415-717-6985 Please email or call us to discuss print and online advertising opportunities in an upcoming issue.

We do not sell stories or coverage. We are happy to offer design services with Kush Creative Group and can provide guidance on the best approaches for promoting any medical, recreational, commercial or industrial product and pursuit. We are targeted.

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Department of Corrections

Our Jan. 2018 story on Marijuasana, the yoga with Cannabis event, misspelled the name of the founder and instructor, Stacey Mulvey.

FEB. 2018 ISSUE #22

Thanks for picking up our first-ever lifestyle issue! to celebrate, I’m sharing a story about how Cannabis first entered my

lifestyle, and what a wake-up call it was, in a moment that I now get to laugh about. The first time I got caught smoking weed was my senior year of high school. I had just hotboxed my Jeep with three friends and two blunts, and it was reeking of pot.

As I pulled into my driveway I quickly realized my truck would be reeking for hours if I didn’t take action, so I carefully adjusted all four windows down exactly 3 inches and headed inside, ignoring the incessant Seattle rain.

About an hour later I was reading a book in bed when my Mom entered my room and asked for my keys. Being a (stoned) good son I tossed them to her, went back to reading, and completely forgot about my hotboxed truck. Like a scene from That 70’s Show, my parents took turns yelling at me, and I’ll never forget my Dad turning to my Mom and saying, “Look at him, he isn’t even listening, he’s stoned!”

In that moment two direct things went through my mind. The first, I was screwed and definitely losing my car access for a few weeks. But the second was more transcendental and changed my life and view on Cannabis permanently-- I was getting in trouble for smoking, coming home on time, and thoroughly enjoying a book.

It seemed ludicrous, to be causing no harm and still receiving major trouble, all over a little weed.

The reason I share this story is to spread the lesson I learned that day, many years before I ever thought about becoming a Cannabis activist. The “stoner” lifestyle is nothing more than a celebration of life and activities that people already enjoy, with a plant that enhances and helps, and causes no harm.

As I look back on all the bad decisions available to myself as a teenager, Cannabis was definitely on the least-harmful spectrum of possible choices. I’m thankful for that moment today, because I never again questioned if smoking weed was bad for me, or my lifestyle. Not surprisingly, I still love smoking a fatty and relaxing with a good book!

But there is so much more that people do with weed, and that’s what this issue celebrates.

All the different aspects of life, the amazing people, the wonderful creativity, all of which comes with a “stoner” label.

I am proud to help shift the paradigm surrounding Cannabis, and to celebrate all that Cannabis adds to life.

—Wes Abney fEB. 2018 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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national

STEVE ELLIOTT is the editor behind tokesignals.com, an independent blog of Cannabis news and opinion.

Vermont Governor Pardons 192 Marijuana Offenders

Colorado Lawmakers Want to Put a ‘Tracking Agent’ on Weed Marijuana advocates are concerned about a bill in the Colorado Legislature which would require all legal Cannabis in the state to be tracked, so that it can be differentiated from black market.

The biggest objection is that the tracking technology “must include an agent that is applied to a marijuana plant, marijuana product, industrial hemp, or industrial hemp products and then scanned by a device.” The question of whether that “agent” will be a sticker, a tag, a microchip, or some sort of chemical additive remains unanswered.

The fact that the bill specifies the “agent” be attached directly to the plant leaves open the possibility that lawmakers could approve some sort of chemical or tracking compound which is added directly to all legal Cannabis in the state.

This has both consumer advocates and

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dispensary owners up in arms, according to Cannabis Consumer Collective (CCC) Executive Director Larisa Bolivar.

According to Bolivar, few — if any — CCC members would knowingly smoke or consume Cannabis to which a chemical or biological “agent” had been applied.

“What a great way to increase black market sales, because I can tell you now that most Cannabis consumers aren’t going to like the thought of something being sprayed on their weed,” Bolivar said.

“This is going after individual rights, consumer rights and rights to even grow Cannabis.”

Bolivar worries the bill could protect bigmoney interests while squeezing out residential grows, medical Cannabis providers and even hemp farmers.

Almost 200 Vermonters will have their nonviolent marijuana offenses removed from their records following a sweeping pardon from the state’s outgoing governor.

Gov. Peter Shumlin announced the pardons on Tuesday for 192 people, all of whom had former convictions for Cannabis possession, and all but 15 of whom live in SHUMLIN’S PARDON Vermont. The state APPLIED ONLY TO decriminalized weed PEOPLE CONVICTED in 2013, and new Gov. OF POSSESSING LESS THAN AN OUNCE OF Phil Scott signed into WEED WHO HAD NO law a legalization bill VIOLENT CRIMINAL last month.

HISTORIES. “What he’s doing is, it’s almost unimaginably safe [from criticism] if you think in terms of 40 years ago,” P.S. Ruckman, Jr., a professor of political science at Rock Valley College in Illinois, told The Christian Science Monitor. “It’s highly significant. I think it’s likely we’ll see more of it.”

Shumlin’s pardon applied only to people convicted of possessing less than an ounce of weed who had no violent criminal histories, felony convictions or record of driving under the influence or reckless driving. In December he’d issued a call for former offenders who fit into that category to apply for a pardon. The 192 he pardoned came from a list of about 450; Shumlin said there are likely others eligible.

Quoted “WE HAVE TO FIGHT FOR HER RIGHT TO GO TO SCHOOL AND HAVE MEDICINE THERE, JUST LIKE THE NEXT KID HAS INSULIN AND AN EPIPEN AND TYLENOL.” — MAUREEN SMITH, on a Chicago elementary school’s decision to allow her 11-year-old daughter to use medical marijuana at school.

Oregon Leaders Vow to Fight Sessions’ March Backward Oregon’s governor said the state will fight Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ move to roll back lenient Obama-era policies on federal marijuana enforcement, to protect the state’s economic interests, according to AP News.

Gov. Kate Brown said Cannabis is an important part of Oregon’s economy, creating more than 19,000 jobs. Oregon was the first state to decriminalize personal possession in 1973. It legalized medicinal Cannabis in 1998 and recreational use in 2014.

“My state and agencies … will fight to continue Oregon’s commitment to a safe and prosperous recreational marijuana market,” Brown said.

Billy J. Williams, Oregon’s U.S. Attorney, indicated he would maintain the same limited level of enforcement in Oregon.

“We will continue working with our federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners to pursue shared public safety objectives, with an emphasis on stemming the overproduction of marijuana and the diversion of marijuana out of state,” he said.

At the same time, Williams claimed Oregon has an overproduction problem, when he said “overproduction creates a powerful profit incentive.”

Oregon Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer urged Oregonians to mobilize against Sessions’ decision. “Going against the majority of Americans—including a majority of Republican voters—who want the federal government to stay out of the way is perhaps one of the stupidest decisions the attorney general has made,” Blumenauer said.

Quick Hits!

4 60 100,000

of the seven Portland marijuana retailers tested by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission failed to check minors’ IDs, scoring lower than any city in the state.

percent of Americans support legalization of marijuana for adult use, according to a new NBC News and Wall Street Journal poll. This is up from 55 percent in 2014. dollars settlement was paid to a 19-year-old man after Phoenix police forced him to eat marijuana during a traffic stop.

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political update

By ALIZA SHERMAN for ALASKA LEAF | ILLUSTRATION by BRANDON VOSIKA

CANNABIS LEGALIZATION NEWS AROUND ALASKA AT T O R N E Y G E N E R A L S U N I T E B E H I N D C A N N A B I S B A N K I N G

Alaska Attorney General Jahna Lindemuth joined 19 other state attorneys general asking Congress to pass legislation to allow banks to serve Cannabis businesses that operate in compliance with individual state laws. One reason given for their joint request was better oversight of the money exchanging hands in the regulated industry.

Another reason why banking was stated as importAccording to ant for the industry was to protect public safety. Withstate officials, out proper access to banking, Cannabis companies the sales of Alaska Cannabis totaled are unable to safely manage their cash or obtain credit $57,562,728 card accounts, or conduct secure transactions. in 2017.

The letter discloses the financial potential of the Cannabis industry overall, citing national reports that sales of Cannabis grew to $6.7 billion in 2016 and is predicted exceed $20 billion by 2021. According to state officials, the sales of Alaska Cannabis totaled $57,562,728 in 2017.

Also signing on to the letter alongside Alaska were: California, Colorado, Connecticut, D.C., Guam, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington.

CANNABIS TESTING LAB SAGA CONTINUES

Two Anchorage Cannabis testing facilities, Steep Hill and CannTest, are being audited by the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Environmental Health Laboratory. The audit is part of a recommendation from Erika McConnell, the director of Alaska’s Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office, due to alleged vast differences between the two labs’ potency test results. Testing issues also led McConnell to call into question the safety of Cannabis concentrates during the Alaska Marijuana Control Board meeting in Juneau. An audit was scheduled for January but results were unavailable as of the Leaf’s press time.

A L A S K A L AW M A K E R S E M P H A S I Z E S TAT E R I G H T S O V E R F E D E R A L C A N N A B I S R E G U L AT I O N S

FEBRUARY SHAKE UP ON THE MARIJUANA CONTROL BOARD

The Alaska Marijuana Control Board (AMCB) lost its board chairman when Peter Mlynarik suddenly resigned following the announcement from Attorney General Jeff Sessions regarding rescinding the Cole Memorandum.

Mlynarik expressed concern for the legal standing Alaska has, regarding its Cannabis industry. While some owners of Alaska Cannabis businesses perceive the actions of Sessions to be a threat to their livelihood, others are hopeful that the state’s elected and appointed officials will continue to support this emerging industry.

Mlynarik cited the discrepancies in testing results between Alaska-based Cannabis testing labs as another reason for his resignation, drawing the conclusion that the divergent results means the public could be in danger.

Mark Springer of Bethel, who holds the rural public seat on the board, replaces Peter Mlynarik as chair, and Brandon Emmett, who holds an industry seat, was elected vice chair.

Governor Bill Walker selected Travis Welch, North Slope 9 a.m. April 3 Borough Police Chief, to fill the Public Safety seat. RoundThe Aurora Inn ing out the board is Loren Jones holding the health seat in Nome and Nick Miller holding a second industry seat.

AMCB MEETING

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Rep. Jason Grenn of Anchorage, Rep. David Guttenberg of Fairbanks, and Rep. Louise Stutes of Kodiak joined forces in January to rewrite a resolution about the separation of Alaska’s legal Cannabis industry and federal regulation. The representatives see the federal government’s policy as a threat to Alaska’s expanding legal Cannabis industry. The representatives cited a threat to tax revenue, the dangers of returning Cannabis sales to the black market and the denial of the will of Alaskans as reason for their efforts.

While Grenn stated that he did not support the legalization of Cannabis, he stands by his constituents including those who have made major investments in their legal Cannabis businesses.

A L A S K A M A R I J U A N A I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I AT I O N G R O W S

The Alaska Marijuana Control Board (AMCB) took a big step forward when members agreed to send a request to the Legislature to look at the tax structure for Cannabis sales. The Alaska Marijuana Industry Association (AMIA) will be sending a position statement on taxation to the AMCB with discussion points for changes to the current structure.

The AMIA will also help with guidelines for enforcement. The Legislative Audit made in December recommends that the board work with AMCO on a plan to direct its limited enforcement powers.

The AMIA will provide support in this process.

Cary Carrigan, executive director of Alaska Marijuana Industry Association points out that at the upcoming AMIA meeting, in Fairbanks on Feb. 21, the first discussion of veterans and Cannabis will take place. The AMIA will be inviting veterans in addition to regular membership to attend the meeting.

The AMIA has two new board members: Clark Cripps representing ancillary and John Banister representing cultivation. Nick Miller was elected after his initial appointment by the executive board, and Kim Kole retained her seat.

The AMIA now has a full slate of nine board members.

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This is a marijuana product. Marijuana has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming and addictive. Marijuana impairs concentration, coordination and judgement. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under its influence. There are health risks associated with consumption of marijuana. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of reach of children. Marijuana should not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

FEATURE

By WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by @BERMANPHOTOS

GRASS STATION 49 Family connection to Cannabis for healing at this Fairbanks Cannabis shop

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classic Fairbanks gas station is pumping out a new type of diesel under the vision and leadership of two local brothers.

Grass Station 49 is the creation of Mason and Gary Evans, whose journey into Cannabis began in an unexpected way. Neither were heavy pot smokers growing up, with a background in mining which meant both had to pass drug tests for employment. While they didn’t use Cannabis, they weren’t sure on whether it had medicinal values until a family illness changed their lives.

“We were really introduced to Cannabis when both our grandmother and mother were diagnosed with cancer. Grandma had stage two colon and stage four liver cancer, and our mom had stage three colon cancer,” Mason said. “They started using edibles and we watched it begin to help, but then our mom began chemo and started having seizures.”

The seizures culminated when their mom, who works with animals, was kicked in the head by a horse. She called to report that she was fine and driving to the hospital, but she was found a half hour later, fully seizing in a complete grand mal seizure.

“We’d seen her have 100 seizures before, but this was worse, she was completely unresponsive. They told us the major seizing caused part of brain to disconnect, got in a state of no emotion,” Mason said emotionally. “She knew she was supposed to know us but didn’t remember her sons, her husband, she talked like a toddler and this went on for 17 days. They say after two weeks it’s permanent. And on that day she snapped out of it.”

Over time she was able to recover, through a narcotic-free treatment method. The proof was enough for the brothers to fully believe in the values of medical Cannabis.

“We started her out light, CBD in the morning with vapor pens, and she got to the point where she was using so much CBD we were having to travel to pick up product by the suitcase. I wrote a letter to the Daily Miner about how much it helped during the No Vote, today she is fully functional and back at work, it’s amazing.”

Gary pitched the idea of a Cannabis retail operation to Mason a short while later, who had a nest egg from a previous staffing business, and the two began working to open the store.

“We came from a world where, my god, if you fail a piss test you are a horrible person,” Gary said. “They even told our father they would kick him off the mines if he went into our weed store.”

They found the location through their grandmother, a commercial real estate agent, who had managed the property for years, and Grass Station 49 was born. The first of three stores coming under the name in Fairbanks, Grass Station 49 is run differently than the vertically integrated model that is common in Alaska.

“We carry a ton of cultivators, they’re the reason we do business and exist. We focus on their brands first, and we are just the middle men connecting consumers to the best products available.

By being selective about the farms, and building personal relationships with cultivators, the brothers plan to have a future based on mutual respect and prosperity.

“We won’t carry a brand if we haven’t visited the farm, and we want to connect with our farmers at least once a month. Take them to lunch, shake their hand and tell them thanks for producing quality Cannabis,” Mason said. “If we have happy clients and happy employees and a great reception, then our customers will be happy and we will all succeed and be happy. People coming in say it’s the best part of their day, and we don’t take that lightly.”

Inside Grass Station 49 are shelves full of Cannabis, all with brand identity facing outward to make it easy for customers to pick a farm and strain. It’s part of the strategy to put brands first. The store packages all its own product, buying in bulk from producers and creating custom branded packaging that is transparent but displays the farm brand first.

“These farms need to be recognized! You walk into our store and you see their logos and nothing else. We want to help cultivators make their brand, help them become the next Coca Cola.”

Mason & Gary Evans, at right, with the team

“WE WON’T CARRY A BRAND IF WE HAVEN’T VISITED THE FARM, AND WE WANT TO CONNECT WITH OUR FARMERS AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH.”

GRASS STATION 49 1326 Cushman St, Fairbanks, AK (907) 374-4420 GrassStation49.com Open 9a to midnight daily

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This is a marijuana product. Marijuana has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming and addictive. Marijuana impairs concentration, coordination and judgement. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under its influence. There are health risks associated with consumption of marijuana. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of reach of children. Marijuana should not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

FEATURE

By WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by @BERMANPHOTOS

GREEN DEGREE

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This beautiful Wasilla Cannabis shop offers a peak at growing plants and plenty of good deals

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azing through the tall window inside Green Degree’s bud room offers a view of dancing, happy plants glistening with fresh THC crystals and waiting for harvest.

It’s a beautiful experience to be able to see plants growing and offered deli style in the same environment, where consumers can choose their exact bud from a full jar of sticky dank flowers. Think wine tours and vines but swap in green plants waving under artificial lights, where a friendly budtender will even grind up a purchase and create a custom pre-roll.

“We really like to let the customer pick the bud they want, letting them smell and look closely at the flower before purchasing. I want to stand behind what we produce, and we want our customers to be happy,” Owner and Operator Kerby Coman said. “There’s a lot of issues with prepackaged flower and low-quality product, so we choose to let people always see what they buy.”

This is the environment at Green Degree, and it’s a must-see destination for a local or tourist that loves Cannabis. The building houses three separate Cannabis businesses. Past the front information and check-in section, Green Degree is the retail store, with two identical budtending stations and dozens of Cannabis products.

The window that sits behind the right station is actually looking into a complete separate business, a limited cultivation license that is also owned by Coman. Inside, the team grows in-house strains such as Medical Mass CBD, one of the sweetest tasting and best smelling CBD flowers on the Alaskan market, Super Skunk, Durban Poison and Old Time Moonshine.

With a lot of love and effort, the limited grow helps provide a selection of in-house strains and regular customers share in the experience of watching the plants grow before harvest.

“We just renovated the grow and it’s set us at a new standard for cultivation, and we have new genetics that are really exciting,” Coman said. “[It] feels excellent, every day I go back and see buds a little further puts a smile on my face, knowing we are only a few weeks at any time from bringing new strains to harvest.”

By staging the harvest schedule, the garden keeps a consistent supply of flower for shelves. All the pre-rolls are made with in-house flower, with clones available of popular strains, and trim heads to Good Titrations for processing into concentrates. There are also flower options from other growers, such as the High Tide Farms’ Cherry Pie, Green Life’s Nine Pound Hammer or Fruit Salad and Euphoria CBD Live Resin from Good Titrations. Fans of the Medical Mass CBD will also find the strain in pens when available.

“We like to keep our selection revolving, to keep it interesting,” Coman said. “We also have a $40 eighth ‘black market special’ with a different strain up each day.”

There’s a full selection of MoMo’s edibles as well, rounding out a solid selection of Cannabis products. The budtenders are all passionate about the products, putting education first when helping customers. It takes a team of 15 to run the whole operation, and most were friends or family before joining Green Degree.

“The most enjoyable part is hearing stories about how we make a difference, so we are always trying to give back and do more,” Coman said. “It feels really good, I believe in this plant with all my heart. It’s nice to do something on a daily basis that I enjoy, and to share it with our family of customers and employees.”

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WITH A LOT OF LOVE AND EFFORT, THE LIMITED GROW HELPS PROVIDE A SELECTION OF IN-HOUSE STRAINS AND REGULAR CUSTOMERS SHARE IN THE EXPERIENCE OF WATCHING THE PLANTS GROW BEFORE HARVEST.

Next door to Green Degree is an all new CBD shop called Hempire Co. Featuring more than 50 different CBD products, the location offers education and access to hemp-based products. From CBD-infused water to tinctures and terpenes, there’s a whole world of hemp CBD only steps from the Cannabis store!

Green Degree 2301 S Knik-Goose Bay Rd #1, Wasilla, AK (907) 376-3155 GreenDegree.net Open 9a-9p M-F | 9a-5p Tues. | Closed Sun.

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FEATURE

By WES ABNEY | PHOTO by @NESSEPHOTO

KEVIN THE BRAIN Kevin Deboord

YOUNG CAASI Isaac Melvin

REFLECTOR Daniel Harder

CHESHIRE Kaitlin Rose

IR1 Irwin Torralba

DJ MYERS David Myers

Chatting with the creative minds behind this independent Anchorage music collective

LIVE FROM THE NORTH

This passionate group of music creators are working to redefine Alaska's hip hop scene and put the state on the music map nationally. Each musician plays a different role creating and producing music, allowing the collective to grow and inspire with many voices and styles represented as one. Cannabis plays a big part for many of the members, acting as inspiration and a relaxation tool to help the music flow and bringing words to life. We profiled each member to ask how Cannabis helps their music and what making hip hop in Alaska means to them!

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What does Live From The North stand for and what brought you guys together?

DJ MYERS Hip-hop and Cannabis go

hand in hand like a PB&J. Hip-hop has a way of expressing oneself no other genre can offer, it’s music and it should reach the soul. There’s nothing better than a knocking kick and a grooving bass line. I am so passionate about it now because I’m part of a group that keeps each other going, always positive and collaborating. Without them I probably wouldn’t be making beats or stepping in a studio.

My favorite way to smoke is taking hits from my 5-foot bong but I enjoy many ways to smoke. I would have to say my favorite strain would be between Green Crack and Blue Dream or both grinded into a wrap.

CHESHIRE Cannabis and music have both been forms of healing and cathartic release for me. I've been using marijuana to aid with subsiding PTSD that I've had since childhood, and I am very glad to be able to use marijuana instead of harder pharmaceutical chemicals.

I'm so proud that Alaska is leading the way regarding freedom of marijuana use, because people like me no longer have to feel labelled as a criminal for using this incredible plant.

I use marijuana to aid in my healing and I use rap to release the feelings. That rhymes.

There are certain things you cannot say and do in everyday life, so I zip that shit up and save it for the beat. What first got me into hip-hop were a few dope emcees who weren't just rapping about the same whack shit that everyone is spouting, they were bringing some real, conscious truths and empowering people through their music while bringing some mad flows, and that really moved me; I wanted to do that too. The Live From The North (LFTN) fam inspired me to test what I thought were my limits. This means of expression has been extremely fulfilling exactly when I needed it, which for me gives deeper meaning to the group's motto about living in the moment: "We live." Music has brought me another medium to make art as well as healing, and fire and love. I hope that's how people feel when they hear my music, too.

IR1 Cannabis and hip-hop have helped me with self-expression and finding myself. The two went hand in hand. I began to dabble in hip-hop shortly after my first Cannabis experience.

Creating music gives me a voice. Back in high school I was one of the shy quiet kids but after I discovered the Illmatic album by Nas, it inspired me to start writing myself. I started out just typing out random eight-line raps in class on my iPod touch and later on I began to actually rap for my friends. Creating music helped me grow out of my own insecurities and gave me confidence. I have to thank hip-hop for making me who I am today.

I’m a sativa guy so Golden Goat is my personal favorite, however if I were to mix it up and choose an sndica, God’s Gift has become another go-to recently.

Ir1: Live From The North brings a few different meanings to us. I mean obviously the “North” has to do with our geographic location, but we’re also Live and that’s stems from our enthusiastic performances, the energy we bring when we all kick it together and just feeling alive pursuing what we love. The phrase “We live” is actually one of our catch phrases we’ve been using and it’s a team motto that fits the group.

This group came together very organically actually. I remember first running into Reflector (Daniel) at a poetry slam at UAA years ago. I saw him perform a rap, and quickly after his set I asked if I could rap over the instrumental he produced. I really dug the style of his music, so we began to collaborate and the whole collective kind of just snowballed.

How does being a collective change your music making process?

Reflector: Being in a collective means that everybody brings a particular vibe or energy to the party. I like it because it brings different perspectives together. It's not about comparisons, but the unique shine of each member. If I'm feeling low, meeting up with the group alleviates stress and helps me focus on positive vibes.

We're there for each other like family. That's the best part about being in a musical collective, in my opinion. Making music with people reminds me that my own imperfections are natural in the whole process.

It's really easy to get lost in the stress of getting everything to sound perfect. Overthinking is the worst.

How does Cannabis influence your music making process?

DJ Myers: Cannabis has an influence on my music creativity. It really helps when I smoke before I do some work on the keyboard for some sweet melodies. Makes me feel one with the music I am creating. I like to get lost in the song and just let myself be one with the groove. It’s an automatic unlock to creating anything you want and really good for creating what you feel.

What is it like building your music brand in Alaska?

particular that brings sub consciousness to the surface. Writing lyrics is a great way to learn about yourself and pick apart what you believe. Music and life are inseparable. The natural world wouldn't exist without rhythm; a pulse. Cannabis is the resource of the future (and the past). I think hemp will be at the forefront of renewable resources. I appreciate its recreational use, but I think Cannabis goes far deeper than just getting high.

I just really love the feeling of connecting with people. The look on someone's face when they're bobbing their head to your verse and are just really feeling it. I never feel more connected with people or more like myself than when I'm spitting a raw verse on stage and have people telling me they could feel what I was saying. I occasionally have a hard time getting people to understand something I'm trying to get out, but you throw a beat on and put a flow over it and people really start to listen. It's like real life magic.

Kevin The Brain: I lived in LA for a short period of time to pursue a career in entertainment. One thing I couldn't get over about LA's art scene was how saturated it is. You didn't even feel like an artist anymore, you felt like a kid in a toddler beauty pageant waiting to get judged.

Building a brand in Alaska comes with many opportunities. We're nowhere near as crowded, but the art scene in Alaska is just starting to get momentum and is on its way to thriving.

Being an artist trying to start a brand here is like getting in on the ground level of a Fortune 500 company. Less ground covered just means more trails to blaze, and as far as I'm concerned there's just as many if not more opportunities here than anywhere else. Plus, hip-hop in Alaska is a Cinderella story. No one really thinks of hip-hop when they think of Alaska, so we're automatically counted out a lot of the time. I mean Kanye refused to do a concert here because he said no one would come. But in my experience the underdogs are the hungriest, most passionate artists you'll meet. And that's something you'll see in the Live From The North brand.

KEVIN THE BRAIN You bring yourself to a dark place to get all your art out and you can

Do you think that rap and Cannabis have a natural pairing?

REFLECTOR Making music is cathartic for me. There's something about hip hop and rap in

really drive yourself insane. Cannabis has helped me relieve stress occasionally throughout the years when I've brought myself to that dark place. Writing about it and coming down with the occasional joint has been very therapeutic. It means maintaining sanity for me.

Indicas knock me right out, like I turn into a brain-dead zombie frozen on my friend’s couch until I pass out 15 minutes later. My preference is sativa, but even then I've had episodes of paranoia where I think a moose is following me in a forest in Portland. It was a tree. It never moved. Blue Dream has that perfect combo of just the right amount of sativa and indica so I can kick back, relax and still enjoy myself. I tried it after Childish Gambino name dropped it in one of his songs and it's been my strain of choice ever since.

YOUNG CAASI Cannabis and hip-hop mean inspiration to me, both together and separately.

I’m passionate about creating music because music has been in my life since a toddler via church choir and my love for poetry in grade school. Music seems to be a part of my family legacy. My favorite way to smoke is bongs because they get the job done and bongs can be artsy so that's also inspiring on some level.

Young Caasi: Cannabis is a direct line to creativity for artists so I do think for most, Cannabis and music in general have a natural pairing.

What does the future hold for the collective?

Cheshire: LFTN is organizing a show on March 31 at Van's Dive Bar. Free admission. We're all really stoked about it because, aside from the members of LFTN, there's going to be some amazing talent from other local artists. We wanted to focus specifically on Alaskan artists for this show, so the lineup is nothing but. We also plan to have a few more shows later in the year. All the members are putting in a lot of work to get out a mixtape by mid-2018. LFTN's motto is "We Live" and magic just seems to happen when we create Live from the North together in the moment. We hope we can make it to touring within the next year or so L i ve f ro m t h e N o r t h .c o m and keep on making music with the homies @LivefromtheNorth for a long time, of course.

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highly likely

By PACER STACKTRAIN for ALASKA LEAF

Column # 22

Highlighting amazing Cannabis pioneers who helped pave the way to greater herbal acceptance.

ILANA GLAZER ACTRESS AND COMEDY WRITER

“I hadn’t been high on camera in a long time.

I was like, ‘Right, right. This is why I never do this!’ ” Readers will recognize Ilana Glazer from her role on the hit Comedy Central series Broad City, in which she co-writes and stars in with her friend Abbi Jacobson.

Even though they use their real names on the show, Glazer and Jacobson are quick to point out that their characters are fictional versions of themselves, with some similarities. If you’ve ever seen the program before, you know that the two of them like smoking Cannabis, especially Glazer. Nearly every episode features a different take on the Cannabis culture.

But, for those of us who care about these things, that begs the question. Do they actually consume Cannabis in real life? I’m happy to report that the answer is yes.

Glazer admitted to the New Yorker during an interview that she smokes Cannabis daily, but seldom drinks alcohol. The same article refers to a 4/20 party she threw, which her parents attended.

On Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2016, Glazer proudly talked about her Cannabis shopping regimen in ultra-behind-the-times New York City where she buys from a clandestine delivery service.

“I get it from a full-on business man, like a restaurateur—it’s a whole market!

This guy is so successful, and he’s got garbage bags of weed.” The statement was met with rousing applause from the audience. Glazer is GLAZER PROUDLY TALKED a deliberate normalizer for Cannabis—and that’s desperately needed now.

ABOUT HER CANNABIS One sad thing is that the Cannabis they’re consumSHOPPING REGIMEN IN ing on the show is fake. Standards and practices at the ULTRA-BEHIND-THE-TIMES network prevent them from consuming the real thing NEW YORK CITY WHERE SHE on camera—instead they consume a fake herbal blend Glazer and Jacobson describe as “harsh.”

BUYS FROM A CLANDESTINE thatIn both different interviews, Glazer admits freely that she’s DELIVERY SERVICE. a daily Cannabis user, and that her favorite method is smoking, not vaping. But when it comes to smoking on camera she told the Verge in an interview that “During shooting, I cannot blaze. Like, last week I did Snoop Dogg’s [online] talk show. First of all, he was smoking a blunt in the morning [so] I was like, ‘I must.’ But it scares me to look down the barrel of a lens and be blazed.

I hadn’t been high on camera in a long time. I was like, ‘Right, right. This is why I never do this!’ So never with shooting, because it freaks me out.”

As to how Cannabis inspires her for her profession—she notes that she has started to smoke in some capacity with Broad City.

“But with editing this year, I’ve gotten more into it. Earlier with Broad City, I was like, ‘I can’t! I can’t! It’s bad!’ even though I’m this face of weed and I represent some section of stonerdom. I even have my own stigma against it. But I’ve been getting a little more high. I guess it’s a hit here and there for writing. Usually 80 percent of the day I’m straight, and then by the end of the day I could use a ‘mind plane change.’ I’ll take a little hit after lunch or something out the window of this midtown editing office. It’s so banal. It’s interesting,” she said.

“It feels silly to say, but I like the idea that women carry their own weed and buy their own weed. I like that, because it’s me.”

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Thepacerstacktrain@gmail.com Instagram: @ThePacerStackTrain

ALASKA Leaf

This strain is great for use any time of day and THOSE WITH heavy pain will appreciate the mellow effects in the morning.

Grown by

PAKALOLO SUPPLY CO.

ALASKAN BLUEBERRY

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STRAIN OF THE MONTH REVIEW by WES ABNEY | PHOTO by

B

10.77%

CBD 8.2% THC 0.34% CBG

@BERMANPHOTOS

reak out of the winter blues with a little mahalo and a big rip of high CBD Alaskan Blueberry from the team at Pakalolo Supply Company.

The Pakalolo team grows Cannabis in the most organic way possible, using a notill soil method, LED lighting and Korean natural farming practices. This means the soil is literally alive, never changed from crop to crop and fed through naturally derived nutrients with no synthetic chemicals or pesticides. It takes a ton of work and even more passion, but the end result is absolutely beautiful in every aspect.

Smoking any flower produced by Pakalolo delivers truly top shelf flavor and bag presence, and the Alaskan Blueberry doesn’t disappoint. The strain has been in the family for many years, but it wasn’t until recreational Cannabis testing that they realized it had a high CBD content.

Much more special than a normal high THC Blueberry, this Alaskan Blueberry blends the best of both worlds. A nearly 1:1 ratio of CBD to THC, incredible flavor and a relaxing high make this strain a great choice.

The flower is completely coated in crystals by the time it hits shelves, liberally frosted and well cured for a perfect snap. With a light stickiness and a rich strong smell, cracking into a nugget is pure heaven. Alaskan Blueberry leads with musky and earthy tones punctuated by a sharp, bright fuel reminiscent of Chem or a true OG. Hiding behind those dominant smells is a perfect blueberry note, sweet and creamy, with a warming terpene profile that tickles the nose.

Smoking a bowl ignites richer blueberry flavors along with a general sweetness to the smoke that comes from the organic growing methods. Burning extremely clean with white ash, tokes of the Alaskan Blueberry are mild on cough and lightly expansive, filling the lungs and body with an amazing and uplifting high. The first effects are immediately calming, with pakalolo a quick rush of body high that supply co. feels relaxing and amazing.

1851 Fox Avenue After a few tokes and a few Fairbanks minutes, a pleasant euphoria fills the mind melding well with a body high for a pain and anxiety free hybrid experience that leans slightly toward indica.

This strain is great for use any time of day and those with heavy pain will appreciate the mellow effects in the morning. Purely recreational users will find this strain works best in the afternoon or evening, a perfect nightcap that frees the mind and relaxes the body after a full day.

Check out this strain and more from Pakalolo Supply Co. and experience these unique growing methods for yourself!

This is a marijuana product. Marijuana has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming and addictive. Marijuana impairs concentration, coordination and judgement. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under its influence.

There are health risks associated with consumption of marijuana. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of reach of children. Marijuana should not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

This is a marijuana product. Marijuana has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming and addictive. Marijuana impairs concentration, coordination and judgement. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under its influence. There are health risks associated with consumption of marijuana. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of reach of children. Marijuana should not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

ALASKA LEAF

THE LIFESTYLE ISSUE WE’VE ALL HEARD THE BAD JOKES, faced stereotypes and

even lost jobs or freedom over a plant we choose to enjoy. So how does one equate a lifestyle around something that has been illegal for nearly 100 years? It’s not easy! For the majority of Americans, possession of a single gram of Cannabis can mean jail, loss of job, housing, children and more. For them, Cannabis as a lifestyle means only one thing: orange jumpsuits. When identifying your lifestyle means jail and social stigma, the cautious stoner retreats back into the Cannabis closet, peacefully toking and waiting for the day when green pride We need to take back could be shown. the term stoner and We are here to proclaim, now is that time! wear it with pride!

We need to take back the term stoner and wear We should embrace it, it with pride! We need to embrace it, redefine it redefine it and twist and twist it back on the powers that have hidden it back on the powers our community under waves of prohibition and that have hidden our militarized police. I am personally proud to help community under waves of prohibition shift the paradigm surrounding Cannabis, and to and militarized police. celebrate all that Cannabis adds to life.

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Above all, we must remember that we have a collective voice, and a collective demographic that knows no race, creed, age or orientation boundaries. Stoners are all people who choose Cannabis, and we have tremendous power as a collective voice. When we begin to think and act like a group, we will truly realize our power, politically and socially, as we strive to change the world. Who would have thought all that strength could come from a plant? Through activism we can plant change, one seed at a time.

So how do we define the stoner lifestyle? That’s our question at the start of our first ever lifestyle issue. From musicians to athletes, artists to teachers, parents and even in the bedroom, Cannabis helps a foster a healthy lifestyle.

Over the next 19 pages we will introduce you to amazing people and businesses doing positive things with the presence and help of Cannabis. We are excited to share these stories, the amazing people and the wonderful creativity, all of which comes with a “stoner” label. Thanks for picking up our special issue, and I hope you enjoy and wear your stoner label with pride!

-WES ABNEY | EDITOR

Averill crafts everything from umbrellas to formalwear, all covered in her unique geometric Cannabis prints.

Karen’s niece, Mel Steward, left, wears the pocket purse skirt ($145) manufactured in southern Oregon. Karen, center, wears the patchwork tanktop ($75). Friend Johanna Williamson, right, models harem pants ($125)

CANNAFLAGE DESIGNS KAREN AVERILL | FOUNDER

Cannabis-inspired clothing & gifts

Cannaflage Designs is a unique Oregon business founded by Karen Averill. Created as a “gag” gift, Averill was asked to create wallpaper from one of her photographs of her and her husband’s Cannabis garden. Little did she know, this would begin her on the path to entrepreneurship and now heads the small family business based in the Applegate Valley.

Now, Averill crafts everything from umbrellas to formalwear, all covered in her unique geometric Cannabis print.

“Images are fashioned into living art and fractal illuminations that are dripping with crystals and color,” Averill said.

Her recognizable work and smiling face can be seen at most industry trade shows, where she vends her wares with her niece.

Ten percent of Cannaflage’s monthly sales are donated in support of veterans, while all scraps and misprints from creating her clothing and accessories are used to make free “Bud-dy Bears” for sick children receiving Cannabis medicine.

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ALASKA LEAF

THE LIFESTYLE ISSUE

CANNABIS ARTIST & GRAPHIC DESIGNER JAKE CORMENY Eugene

STORY BY NATE WILLIAMS | PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

OUTSIDE ARTWORK

@OutsideArtwork

Jake Cormeny, better known as @OutsideArtwork, is the young artist behind TJ’s memorable handmade art, which accompanies every strain and product at their retail dispensaries in Eugene and soon in Portland. Cormeny’s work adds a colorful dynamic to an otherwise monotonous retail experience. Expect to see more retailers exploring similar concepts to better connect with customers.

WHERE DO YOU DRAW YOUR INSPIRATION FROM?

DO YOU ALWAYS CONSUME THE PRODUCT OR FLOWER THAT YOU’RE CREATING THE ARTWORK FOR?

WERE YOU CLASSICALLY TRAINED OR SELF-TAUGHT?

I wish it happened that way, sometimes we get enough product in at once that it takes me a few days to create signs and so I have time to try the product. But, I try to have the sign completed before we get the product so everything looks the best when we put it out.

I’ve always been inspired by people who create whether it be musicians, architects or any type of artist; so being a part of the world of creation is my driving inspiration.

I started drawing when I was in elementary school, basically trying to copy my cousin; but, once I entered middle school and beyond, I took every art class I could to expand my creative skills. In 2015, I graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in Graphic Design.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEDIUM TO WORK WITH AND WHY?

I don’t know if I have a favorite medium, but most commonly I work on the computer using my drawing tablet to create anything from design work to illustrations and posters.

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HOW DOES YOUR ART DIFFER FOR WORK VERSUS WHEN YOU’RE CREATING WORK FOR YOURSELF?

The main difference is that I basically have to detach myself emotionally from my professional work, because it will go through so many changes and revisions based on the client’s needs. I have to be able to accept criticism while maintaining the confidence that I can improve and finish the job.

WORKING ON ANY COOL LARGE SCALE/LONG TERM PROJECTS? I’ve been working with Greg Levine of Nelson & Co. on a potential rebranding project, as well as creating a farm poster for Love Life Farms. Additionally, In the future I hope to continue working with my friends at Willamette Valley Alchemy and Urban Canna. It’s been a great experience working with different people in the Oregon industry.

“Being a part of the world of creation is my driving inspiration”

ARTIST ERIN COLVIN

STORY & PHOTOS BY SIMONE FISCHER

FOUNDER | HIGH SOCIETY COLLECTION

Functional Jewelry Line

WHEN DID YOU START MAKING JEWELRY?

I started making jewelry 15 years ago. I graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in metal smithing in 2007. Back then, I was making jewelry under my own name. But in December 2013, I made a trial run of thirty different roach clips and I ended up selling all of them.

In 2014, High Society Collection was birthed from that trial test. It started as an art project, but it spun off and became my own brand.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE FUNCTIONAL JEWELRY WITH THE CANNABIS SMOKER IN MIND?

It all started because my mom had a roach clip she was gifted from my aunt. She always kept it in a plant as “decoration” for the unassuming eye.

But when my parents divorced, I kept the roach clip from the planter. Naturally, I lost the original roach clip within two hours of taking it. After I got my degree, I contacted the original creator of Squirken Works—an old roach clip brand from the 1970s. He helped me with the function action of the roach clips. High Society Collection aesthetically looks nothing like the clips from Squirken, but their help on the jigs was crucial to make sure my work was actually functional. My collection embodies minimalism with Art Deco details. Most of all, I wanted to be clever about my design.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE PIECES FROM YOUR COLLECTION?

My favorite piece from High Society Collection is the Sunburst handheld joint clip. The necklaces are really popular because of the look and function—plus they are always around your neck for convenience. I have handheld clips, key chains and even my earrings are functional too! I make other pieces like rings and earrings without function, but I love making clever jewelry for those who partake.

Sunburst Lux Clip,$129

Highsocietycollection.com @Highsocietycollection

Artist and creator Erin Colvin is a seasoned jewelry designer who pulls her inspiration from a roach clip her mother used to keep in a houseplant. Her minimal, art deco-style jewelry is meticulously handcrafted with a hammer and anvil in Portland.

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ALASKA LEAF

THE LIFESTYLE ISSUE

CANNABIS CAN HELP US RAISE THE GENERATION THE WORLD NEEDS

POT FOR PARENTS

BY JENN LAUDER & CHAD DEAN // SPLIMM.COM | POT AND PARENTING

WE STARTED TALKING with our daughter

that felt digestible to a young child and empowered her to discover new solutions.

The Cannabis plant is as complex as the about Cannabis because it was important to us circumstances surrounding its prohibition. When to be honest with her. To build a foundation of you talk to your children about marijuana, you can’t trust that she would rely on as she grows, and avoid science—biology, medicine, genetics and not to hide a part of our identities from her. We sustainability among other disciplines. wanted her to know the truth before she was fed If you even mention the endocannabinoid system, propaganda. your kid will actually know Real educators teach children more than many doctors! not what to think, but how to When you talk to your have the opportunity think. They encourage children children about marijuana, withWeCannabis to reframe to engage critically with the you can’t avoid science— “self-medicating” to mean world around them and not to reproduce the same paradigm biology, medicine, genetics knowing how to care for our own bodies, and we must pass but to innovate, evolve, progress. and sustainability among along the deep wisdom of We believe children should be plant medicine to our children. equipped with the language they other disciplines.

It’s our chance to bring need to describe their internal ourselves back into balance, both internally and with and external lives as well as age appropriate our external world. information about what’s going on around them.

If you go further to examine the social structures But within these conversations about a and policies that have kept Cannabis illegal, you’ll demonized plant that her parents enjoyed, our have to discuss the legislative process. Your kids family touched on issues that transcend “drugs.” will learn not only how a bill becomes law, but also We began dialogues about some of the most how to question policies that are irrational, unfair or significant problems facing our world, in ways

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oppressive. Citizen activism has toppled misguided drug war policies—what a beautiful example of the power of the people!

Children will understand why their vote matters and how to be an effective advocate.

Of course, when you open up this kind of dialogue, your savvy kids will likely notice that the science of Cannabis doesn’t exactly correspond with the laws around Cannabis.

This will likely lead to conversations about the racial and political motivations behind prohibition, how the government wanted to vilify people of color and suppress dissent. The War on Drugs has solidified institutional racism in our country like no other force, and if it’s up to our children to dismantle it, we must give them the resources to do the job. While you’re teaching your kids about weed, you are, in fact, preparing them to be informed and contributing members of a democratic society. This is what our world vitally needs more than anything—a generation of young people who can think for themselves and who have the intelligence, tools and passion to make change.

We need a generation that returns us to our source and our purpose by reconnecting us to ourselves, each other and our earth. Cannabis can help us achieve that, whether you consume it or not. It can be a vehicle through which we teach the most important lessons.

STORY BY SIMONE FISCHER PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

FARMER TOM LAUERMAN CANNABIS EDUCATOR, GROWER & ACTIVIST

Federally Recognized Cannabis Grower HOW DID YOU GET THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN YOUR BACKYARD? HOW DID THIS RESEARCH KICK OFF IN 2015?

I would like to think it started back in 1999 when our collective was raided and I was arrested. Back then patients breathed a sigh of relief when the ‘Compassionate Use Act of 1996’ was passed into law, and I was involved with the first medical cooperative in San Diego to develop from that legislation. We were a private cooperative with no public access or storefront, and yet we were unfairly targeted and dismantled by the vice squad. The resulting negative media attention this circumstance received caused for ‘no charges’ to be filed by the District Attorney’s office. It also opened the way for the first ‘Medical Marijuana Task Force’ to be formed as an interface with the Mayor’s office giving Patients a voice within city government. This task force was originally headed by my quadriplegic friend who was deprived of his medicine and his rights after the raid.

I met my wife at this cooperative as well, and even though we left San Diego in 2002 for the Pacific Northwest to become organic farmers, as patients we always had MMJ in our hearts and minds. We found and began working with a small group of Patients in Vancouver while also growing organic fruits and vegetables. After Cannabis legalization I hit the road between Portland and Seattle to attend as many MMJ Farmer’s Markets and Conferences as possible to establish a voice for organics and safe access that so many Patients don’t have on their own. And I broke the silence and began working heavily with the media to get in front of the issue and start educating and normalizing Cannabis.

Over the years I’ve made a lot of contacts. Back in 2014, people were still blowing themselves up making BHO and giving extracts in general a bad rap in the State. KOMO news called one day and asked if I could arrange for them to see an ‘open-blast’ for a story they were doing. We all knew it was possible to create Cannabis extracts in a safe manner, so rather than just give them the open-blast demonstration they wanted to see, I brought a few other specialists along to give the group an overall Cannabis extract symposium. It lasted more than four hours and we also showed them everything else from bubble hash and RSO, to tinctures and closed-loop BHO. It was a great success.

Communications with the local cannabis union came into the picture later that year and they also had ongoing concerns about injuries from unsafe BHO production within legal Cannabis operations. They had been trying to involve the federal government in the creation of industry regulation and I was put in contact with scientific federal agents from the CDC’s National Institute Of Safety and Health (NIOSH) to get the ball rolling. My activeness in MMJ and with the media proved I was vested in my community, but before any agents could come to my farm, I had to be vetted by the Department of Justice. And I was thrilled at the time because we have nothing to hide.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE VETTED BY THE FEDS WHEN YOU’RE WORKING WITH A SCHEDULE I SUBSTANCE?

I was on the phone with ten federal agents from the Center of Disease Control (CDC) in May of 2015. I didn’t know what they knew about Cannabis, so I asked if they had any handson education. The Lead Industrial Hygienist told me they were watching YouTube videos to learn about Cannabis production and BHO extraction. They had no clue what was actually happening on the ground floor, so I told them they should first come to the farm for a few Cannabis workshops. I would have plants in the ground and they could tour the farm and learn

@FarmerTomLauerman Farmer Tom Lauerman is a local Cannabis grower based in southwest Washington. Lauerman’s roots run deep as he began growing and using medical cannabis in 1977 in San Diego, eventually culminating in his arrest in 1999 during a raid on his legal medical cooperative there. After relocating north, he again became a medical grower in the Pacific Northwest.

Lauerman is heavily involved in the community and currently co-teaches Cannabis health and horticulture classes at Clark College in Vancouver, WA. Back in 2015, seven federal agents ventured to Washington on two different occasions to learn about Cannabis production and processing, and to conduct worker safety studies on Lauerman’s organic Cannabis farm.

The data collected from Lauerman’s farm was published on the Center for Disease Control website in a 2017 report.

more about Cannabis from local people working in different areas of the industry. And they thought this was a great idea.

The CDC wanted to make sure our farm was a secure and safe place for their employees and, of course, ran a background check. Once we passed inspection arrangements were made for the first group to visit in August. When they arrived I had my lawyer and other groups of specialists scheduled to speak over the next two days, and together we got to educate scientific federal agents for the first time on the producing, processing, and testing of Cannabis. We smoked around them, rolled joints and took dabs. It was finally our chance to normalize Cannabis use face-to-face with them and I wanted to use this one chance to really educate them in every way. None of the agents indulged, of course, but we did all go and get beer and pizza together on the last day.

WHAT WERE THE FEDS HOPING TO LEARN FROM YOUR FARM?

The agents came back again to perform what is called an industry ‘Health Hazard Evaluation’ (HHE) and we wanted to give them systematic real-time data to collect.

If you remember, 2015 was the year of all years for Cannabis farmers. There was no rush to finish the plants, so it really worked to everyone’s benefit.

I broke down their visit into three days: on the first day, we harvested and de-leafed fresh plant material. The second day was ‘bucking’ buds from plants that were already dry; and the on the third day we performed time trials for both hand and machine trimming protocols.

They hooked us up to scientific gear to collect data on employee movements and exposures through the various harvest processes. We had these special air sniffer machines attached to us to detect levels of bacteria, molds, and dust

in the different work areas, and stationary air sampling devices collected data in three different high-traffic areas as well. During the hand trimming sessions, we wore these “cyber gloves” that track and record repetitive motion while we worked.

All of this data culminated in an official report that was finally published in April of 2017, and in August 2017 this report progressed into a searchable CDC.gov webpage dedicated to the findings of the study.

This ground breaking HHE established baseline standards and information which is now readily available to individual organizations and states nationwide desiring to set workplace health and safety standards for their own workers. Cal OSHA is just one organization we know of currently using our report in this way.

My farm is the first Cannabis farm to work with any federal agency – ever as far as records show. The reason the CDC felt comfortable diving into Cannabis from a federal standpoint at this time, was because workers in this country are the most valuable asset America has. They knew they had to eventually look into the Cannabis industry to study safety and protect the growing workforce.

We urged to them to use the word “Cannabis” instead of “marijuana”. I mean, look. These people are some of the most renowned research scientists in the world and they wanted to get it right, and they did. And the HHE from our farm can also be found in the Library of Congress.

The last time we talked with our friends from NIOSH was in the Fall of 2017. They said that they would like to do another visit and follow-up of the report bringing different scientists with them this trip, but they didn’t know if their department was going to receive funding for 2018. We haven’t spoken with them this year yet, but we do intend to.

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THE LIFESTYLE ISSUE

Chad Roberts Tattoo by Jerry Ware @AtlasTattoo His incredible hand and arm tattoo was created over an eight-hour session.

Megan Bauer Tattoo by Alice Carrier @AliceRules who specializes in botanical tattoo art.

The tattoo took over a year of work.

TATTOOS THAT TOKE

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Tyler Allen Tattoo by @SamuelBockelman Tyler’s stunning tattoo of a lion surrounded by Cannabis leaves required 22 hours in the chair.

STORY BY NATE WILLIAMS | PHOTOS BY DANIEL BERMAN Cannabis has been taboo for about as long as tattoos have, and we searched low and high to find unique expressions of love for this plant. We found some amazing examples and interviewed a tattoo artist who relies on the plant to continue his craft.

BLACKLIST TATTOO TIM “LINUS” O’MALLEY | Owner & Founder The northeast Portland shop was founded in 2009 and moved to its current home on Broadway a year later.

O’malley said he has been growing for personal use since the early 2000s and uses Cannabis topicals regularly to combat carpal tunnel and the stress on his hands and fingers from his work. When not tattooing or tending to his garden, Linus spends time with his girlfriend and four dogs.

Russ & Lori Belville Tattoos by Thomas Barrington @LuckyHorseshoeTattoo The Ft. Worth, TX-based artist created their linking THC and CBD chemical sequence tattoos.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN CONSUMING CANNABIS AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE TATTOO INDUSTRY? I have been tattooing since 2003. I have used Cannabis since I was 17 or 18 years old, so almost 20 years now.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE METHOD OF CONSUMPTION? I’m pretty old fashion and still prefer to smoke a joint.

HAVE YOU BEEN ASKED TO TATTOO THE PLANT MORE FREQUENTLY SINCE LEGALIZATION? I wouldn’t say more frequently, but I would say that most people who are getting Cannabis-related tattoos aren’t too concerned with hiding them.

HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT A PATRON CONSUMING CANNABIS BEFORE BEING TATTOOED? I don’t mind if people use Cannabis before getting tattooed. My advice is to know your own body, clearly stay within your tolerance and maybe plan accordingly to select something that’s going to set your mood right.

I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE BEEN GROWING YOUR OWN CANNABIS? It is a nice little Zen hobby to get away from the chaos of the tattoo shop. I have just a little garden that I run a no-till, living soil set up, so it’s all 100 percent organic and I know what’s being put into it. I work in an instant gratification driven industry so it’s nice to have something to keep me grounded and remind me to be patient.

WHO ARE SOME OTHER ARTISTS THAT INSPIRE YOU?

Emma Chasen

I’m inspired by a lot of different artists. Robert Crumb, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Bert Grimm, Percy Waters are big visual inspirations. Nina Simone, Duke Ellington are always on my musical rotation. The energy from real Jazz music is super inspiring for me.

Tattoo by Pony Reinhardt @FreeOrgy The owner of Tenderfood Studios created her tattoo over 12 hours.

Blacklist Tattoo | (503) 796-0086 Almostalwayssometimesnever.com

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ALASKA LEAF

THE LIFESTYLE ISSUE

TOM BOWERS

STORY BY NATE WILLIAMS | PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR INTRODUCTION TO CANNABIS?

It all started years ago because I had a crush on a girl. We were into the same music, and she was super cool. She and her friends were going to hang out after school with one of my buddies who’d scored a dime bag from a guy with purple hair. They invited me along. We smoked out of a converted elbow pipe joint from the hardware store, as you did back then. I didn’t feel it.

The next time, later that evening, I felt it. And broke my toe on a hearth. I didn’t get the girl.

HOW HAS CANNABIS INFLUENCED YOUR MUSIC?

The first time I noticed the strong relationship between Cannabis and music, my friend busted out a mixtape he’d gotten from his buddy in Austin, Texas. The song “Dramamine,” by a new band called Modest Mouse was the first song. The second that bendy, woozy harmonic guitar line swayed into the room, my musical life was changed. Cannabis helped my brain break apart the elements of compositions by bands like Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, Duster, Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh and Polvo, and they became my biggest influences.

DO YOU OR YOUR BAND MATES CONSUME BEFORE PLAYING A SHOW? HOW ABOUT FOR REHEARSAL, STUDIO TIME, ETC.?

When songwriting, a stimulating strain like Durban Poison helps with focus and creativity. For rehearsal and studio time, we’re locked in and dedicated to tightening everything up, so we generally don’t smoke or drink much. Though for creative, freeflowing jam sessions, anything goes.

IF YOU COULD SMOKE WITH ONE MUSICIAN, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD IT BE?

In all truth, my buddy Chris—the one with the mixtape. We came up together, played in our first bands together, and have a great time with a creative strain, a couple of guitars and the effects pedals he builds. But if we’re talking about well-known people...

Brett Netson (Caustic Resin, Built to Spill) or J. Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.). As long as we could jam afterward.

WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED METHOD OF CONSUMPTION? Depends on what I’m going to do. Pre-rolls are perfect for concerts and hikes, but my Toko vape pen is my go-to for a night out. At home when playing guitar, I love flower in my old-school soft-glass bong.

WHICH IS BETTER? A DRUNK AUDIENCE OR A STONED AUDIENCE? ROCK AND ROLL MUSICIAN

Cannabis Enthusiast Tom Bowers is the friendly figurehead for Sweet Cannabis’ sales department. When not managing his sales team or assisting in other departments of the venture, Bowers is either spending time with his wife and two children or rocking out your local dive with his band Apology Calls. He’s been making music for nearly two decades and these days he pairs late-night song writing sessions with a cup of green tea and a bowl of energizing and creative ganja.

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I have no preference here, since people have to do their own experimentation on how to unlock their minds, slough-off their daily worries, and get lost in the moment. To each his or her own; just don’t get so wasted you ruin your time and everyone else’s.

The second that bendy, woozy harmonic guitar line swayed into the room, my musical life was changed.

JEN BERNARD

STORY & PHOTOS BY NATE WILLIAMS

SIGNAL BATH

OWNER & MUSICIAN | House of Cards Music

Jen Bernard is a multi-talented musician who plays everything from Yacht Rock to Classical music in a string quartet, and she uses Cannabis to help enhance her connectivity as a musician.

She is the owner of House of Cards Music, acting as a talent buyer and booking agent in Portland. She shared her thoughts on Cannabis and music and how both can change our perspectives on the way we engage with sound.

BY WES ABNEY | PHOTO BY NATE WILLIAMS

HOW WERE YOU FIRST INTRODUCED TO MUSIC?

“Some sativa-dominant hybrids are perfect for getting into the zone or performance.

I was always immersed in music since early childhood, both my parents came from musical families. They sang a lot around the house, always doing Peter, Paul and Mary or Simon and Garfunkel, and I was absorbing all that as I grew up. I started singing along with them and they figured out that I could switch harmony parts and thought ‘Hey, this kid has an ear,’ and pushed me into music. They gave me my first guitar as a teen, I played flute in band, and learned quite a few instruments along the way.

WHEN DID YOU KNOW MUSIC WOULD BE YOUR PASSION, AND HOW DID IT LEAD YOU TO PORTLAND? I was always singing and writing music, but I took it more seriously when I went to Michigan State University for a creative writing degree. I realized I wanted to focus on playing music instead, and ended up moving to Portland in 1994, catching the early music scene here.

HOW DID CANNABIS COME INTO YOUR LIFE? My parents were hippies and my Mom always had Cannabis growing. They took it upon themselves to create a quasi-utopia community on a farm in northern Michigan, open to seekers and teenagers on a search to find themselves. They had a vision of creating a communal farm space on 300 acres where musicians and artists and expressive people could come, put some elbow grease into the land, and live a sustenance lifestyle. So, I was surrounded by a bunch of weird freaks, everybody was always stoned, and it was pretty normalized for me as a kid.

DO YOU PLAY MUSIC WHILE USING CANNABIS? DOES IT HELP ENHANCE YOUR ABILITY OR PRODUCTION? Well it depends on the strain! Heavy indicas aren’t the best for the manual dexterity required to operate a musical instrument, but some sativa-dominant hybrids are perfect for getting into the zone or performance. It definitely depends on who you are playing with, and what type of music. But it definitely helps calm me down, as far as nerves, and gets me into a zone where I don’t feel like I have an audience around me. I can completely express myself without self-consciousness, and really connect with my bandmates. Cannabis increases my receptivity, sense of rhythm and my listening, really making me a better band member.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CANNABIS AND MUSIC? It’s like tuning in. Tuning the knob just a little bit better. I go to my analogy of ‘opening your ears up a little bit.’ Cannabis has this capability of deepening the sensitivity of what you’re listening to, getting beyond our own thoughts and joining the continuum if you will. That’s what music is: jumping into an ocean of sound, pitch and rhythm, almost like a womb in a way. And I think that Cannabis enhances the experience of listening or performing, and helps deepen the relationship with the people who you’re playing with. For a band, you’re in a tighter groove together, your emotional connecting is better, and you’re functioning like an organism. Cannabis helps me get to that state, a malleable place where you are one with the organism, being carried along by the groove you are also helping create.

WHAT TYPES OF MUSIC ARE YOU PLAYING TODAY, AND WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND YOUR MUSIC? I play in a few different groups, some are what I do for a living and other groups are just for fun, playing shows with a $5 cover sort of thing. I’m in a group called Arthur and the Antics, a Yacht Rock glammy band, a group called the Stolen Sweets, the Ariel Consort and I also am a business owner, the House of Cards Music. I’m a talent buyer for local concert series such as the Oregon Zoo series, and I get gigs for bands and help with civic art budgets.

SHANE THOMAS | Electronic Musician Shane Thomas, aka Signal Bath, is an electronic artist based in Bend, Oregon. Shane’s love for Cannabis and his passion for music are united as he uses the plant to help him create new tracks.

He’s worked in Cannabis at various times for Substance Cannabis Market, formerly Bloom Well, and is currently studying to be a professional sound engineer. His music is broadcasted worldwide through his label’s international radio station, Beat Lab Radio.

DID CANNABIS PIQUE YOUR INTEREST IN MUSIC, WAS IT THE OTHER WAY AROUND, OR WERE THEY INDEPENDENTLY FOUND AND THEN UNITED? I’d certainly say I was into music before I started consuming Cannabis, both as a listener and as a performer. It’s safe to infer however that I was perhaps attracted to music and Cannabis due to very similar variables or circumstances. Both can be very good at servicing the desire to feel a bit of escapism or relief from reality, as improved sense of well-being.

HOW MUCH DOES CANNABIS INTEGRATE INTO YOUR PROCESS? I don’t know if I’d call it integration... I do generally consume a lot when I’m writing music. Mostly just a pipe of whatever strain I’ve been feeling on lately.

HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE UNTIL WE SEE VENUES THAT ALLOW FOR CANNABIS CONSUMPTION ONSITE? Hard to say really... I think once we see regulations in place for public consumption, certain businesses will adopt more relaxed policy. Most venues frown upon or forbid bringing a flask from home or openly smoking a cigarette on the dance floor. There are usually designated smoking zones and designated bar areas. It’s hard to imagine how people will choose to treat Cannabis in regard to everything else people consume at a show.

FAVORITE ALBUM TO LISTEN TO WHILE USING CANNABIS? The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium

HOW DO YOU THINK THE LEGALIZATION OF CANNABIS AND THE INCLUSION OF ITS CULTURE INTO THE STATUS QUO HAS IMPACTED THE MUSIC SCENE IN THE U.S.?

It may still be too early to tell on a large scale.

I think anything to do with “Cannabis culture being accepted into the status-quo,” with be largely reflective of a more tolerant society. More wide-spread tolerance of diverse culture will make the world a better place to live. It’s easy to imagine how the music scene will improve as people become more tolerant of each other.

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ALASKA LEAF

STORY BY WES ABNEY | PHOTO BY @NESSEPHOTO

THE LIFESTYLE ISSUE

SEX AND CANNABIS Here at the Leaf we don’t believe that sex should ever be used to sell Cannabis, but there’s nothing wrong with combining the two for consenting adults.

These products are an ideal choice for Valentine’s Day, combining a little romance with the enhancement of Cannabis. We think it’s great to get freaky with weed and have prepared a short guide and products for you to try.

Cannabis and Sexuality

Cannabis Lubricants 101

Cannabis can increase connectivity and provide a relaxing euphoria, as well as physical benefits like increased blood flow, anti-inflammation, and physical relaxation and relief. Combining Cannabis in any form with a romantic scenario can enhance the fun.

We support the right to be expressive, for safe sex, and for Cannabis to have its place in the world of sensuality. Whether smoking a joint before, or after, using a sensual massage oil, or trying one of these innovative new products, there’s a whole world to explore when you combine Cannabis and sex.

Enjoy, and always practice safe and respectful sex!

Cannabis has found its way into a variety of lubricants.

Meant for external or internal use, these products open a new world of uses for Cannabis that can surprise and delight. Here are a couple tips from the companies we’ve talked to who produce the goods.

1. Read the label! Make sure you aren’t allergic to any ingredients.

2. Start lightly. You don’t know how your body is going to react to Cannabis in this form.

3. Condoms and coconut oil don’t mix. If the base ingredient is coconut oil, it can dissolve the condom and compromise its integrity.

BARE SPRAY BareSpray.com AVAILABLE @ GREAT NORTHERN CANNABIS PROCESSED by TOP HAT CONCENTRATES Just in time for Valentine’s Day comes a whole new way for Alaskan’s to experience Cannabis in an intimate way.

As Cannabis enters the mainstream, new products are being developed that cross over into different elements of lifestyle, and the Bare Skin spray is a perfect example of this innovation. While the subject of sex and Cannabis might seem intimidating to some, it’s actually a great way to enhance sensuality, and further the relationship between person and plant.

Bare Spray is a personal lubricant made with organic coconut oil and supercritical CO2 extract, which is a solvent-free process and is almost entirely allergen free. The spray is edible, but designed for use topically on skin, and each pump of the spray bottle contains one milligram of THC. Always try a spray for sensitivity to ingredients on an area like the arm before applying to a sensitive part of the body. Note that coconut oil can degrade condoms made with latex or polyisoprene, but others such as lambskin options won’t have an issue.

While experiences can vary with Cannabis lubricants, users should expect to enjoy a pleasant surface high or tingling and enhanced sensitivity and pleasure. Don’t expect parts of your body to get high, but do prepare for an enhanced experience that is unique and fun.

Check out the new Bare Spray from Great Northern Cannabis today, and spice up your love life with a hit of Cannabis!

BARE SPRAY IS A PERSONAL LUBRICANT MADE WITH ORGANIC COCONUT OIL AND SUPERCRITICAL CO2 EXTRACT, WHICH IS A SOLVENT-FREE PROCESS AND IS ALMOST ENTIRELY ALLERGEN FREE.

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We sat down with Pacific Insurance Group Owner J Carter Gray, CLU to learn more about life insurance, using Cannabis and why everyone should be protected for the unexpected.

INDICASURANCE With the Cannabis lifestyle movement becoming mainstream, consumers are looking to find normal benefits offered to consumers of alcohol or opiate-based pain medications.

Cannabis has traditionally disqualified a consumer for a standard rate, forcing them to pay up to three times as much for a tobacco rate, which can cost tens of thousands over a lifetime. Pacific Insurance Group is trying to change that with a new policy that allows Cannabis users to secure life insurance, and peace of mind, all while toking up legally.

WHY SHOULD EVERYONE HAVE LIFE INSURANCE?

If you die, and we all do, do you or your parents or family have enough money set aside? Not just for end of life costs, but for living? If not, you need to take out life insurance if you care about your loved ones. Some people don’t but we’re looking for the people who care, who want the security of their income over the next 20 to 30 years guaranteed to create wealth and protect and provide for their dependents.

HOW MUCH LIFE INSURANCE COVERAGE SHOULD PEOPLE HAVE?

It’s important to have the correct amount, but even something small is better than nothing at all. A general rule of thumb is ten times your general yearly income will get you close to the right place, but there’s no perfect number. That should cover any debt and provide and replace the missing income of a lost family member. The general goal is to make it to age 65 or retirement with a policy, so most people base their term length off that age.

WHEN DID YOU BEGIN OFFERING CANNABIS EXEMPTIONS AND HOW MANY OF THE 25 INSURANCE COMPANIES YOU WORK WITH OFFER IT?

Right now, we have four companies that will offer this exemption. They changed their underwriting guidelines about 18 months ago, where they can look at the statistics and see that Cannabis isn’t hurting life expectancy. They are always updating and some companies are more in tune, and some are asleep behind the wheel, so the ones that are more in touch with reality took a look at this and said ‘X amount of use is acceptable.’

HOW MANY OFTEN CAN I TOKE UP AND STILL BE CONSIDERED A CASUAL USER FOR THE RATING?

There are variations on what they consider normal use, and they base it on how many times per month you use Cannabis. It’s by the day, so you could smoke just once or be using all day long, they only look at the number of times per month you consume Cannabis. The magic number is 18, so smoke all you want 18 days a month and you can still qualify for protection under a non-tobacco rate.

HOW MUCH WOULD AN AVERAGE PERSON SAVE BY GETTING A NON-TOBACCO RATE FOR INSURANCE? It’s such a valuable piece of information for people to know! We don’t want people to pay three times what you should be paying and get hosed just because you use Cannabis. It’s at least triple if you are designated a tobacco user. That’s just money you are throwing out the window for no reason, and you shouldn’t have to.

WHY IS MEDICAL MARIJUANA VIEWED DIFFERENTLY THAN RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA?

A common misconception people have in regard to medical marijuana is that it is looked at more favorably than recreational marijuana. The problem with medicinal marijuana is there needs to be an underlying health condition before a doctor with prescribe a medical marijuana card, which can adversely affect the rating from the life insurance underwriter.

WHAT’S THE STARTING POINT FOR PRICE PER MONTH, IS IT HARD TO START OR CANCEL?

With life insurance you can cancel any time, no penalty. It’s an easy process. To start, there is a medical exam, it’s real simple and it’s like a free physical, the lab results cost about $500 at a normal doctor, but its free of cost—no obligation. Then there’s a short phone interview, and they give you a rating and an offer. It can go as low as $15 a month for a 45-year-old standard non-tobacco rate, and we don’t sell overpriced expensive life insurance. We want to educate you, give you quotes and options, and let you make the right decision for your situation.

WHAT’S YOUR FINAL MESSAGE TO FOLKS THINKING ABOUT LIFE INSURANCE?

It’s not like ‘Hey let’s go into this depressing fear-based conversation and get really dark and heavy.’ It’s ‘No, if you care, take care of it, chock it off the list, get life insurance at best price possible and have happy thoughts.’ It’s peace of mind, because once you have it you’re not letting it go. PacificInsuranceGroup.com

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ALASKA LEAF read & share the digital edition

AKLEAF.COM /NWLEAF

W W W. I S S U U . C O M / N W L E A F

“Why fly? When you can enjoy the most beautiful ride on earth”

ANCHORAGE TO HOMER June 1st-Aug 31st Monday – Friday Departs Anchorage Arctic & International – 724 W. International - Garrett’s Tesoro Cooper Landing Wild- man’s 300pm Soldotna Chamber of Commerce 500pm All times are approx. Stage Line Summer Schedule HOMER TO ANCHORAGE June 1st-Aug 31st Monday – Friday Departs Homer 830am 1242 Ocean Dr Soldotna Chamber of Commerce 1015am Cooper Landing Wildman’s 1115am

VISITING ALASKA

AK

LEAF

Sights seen from the road

SEWARD TO HOMER June 1st – August 31st Mon Wed Fri

Locally owned and operated by a Departs Seward 100pm lifelong Alaskan, Stage Line offers call ahead for pick up point passenger transportation, freight, parcel, and courier service, between Cooper Landing Wild- man’s 200pm Anchorage and the Kenai Soldotna 300pm Peninsula. Our schedule includes, All times are approx Anchorage to Homer, Cooper Landing, Soldotna, Kasilof, Ninilchik, HOMER TO SEWARD Anchor Point. Homer to Seward, June 1st - August 31st Soldotna, Cooper Landing. And any The Stage Line PO Box 353 Anchor Point, Mon Wed Fri points in between! MP flag stops AK available! Private party charters Departs Homer 1242 Ocean Dr 900am The Stage Line 1242 Ocean Dr Homer, Ak available! Reasonable rates, saves 724 W International Anchorage, Ak of Commerce time and money for travelling or your Soldotna Chamber Staging points only 1030am 907-868-3914 907-235-2252 shipping needs.

Cooper Landing Wildman’s 1130 E-mail: stage.line@yahoo.com One of the top 10 most scenic www.stagelineinhomer.com highways.

This is a marijuana product. Marijuana has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming and addictive. Marijuana impairs concentration, coordination and judgement. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under its influence.

There are health risks associated with consumption of marijuana. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of reach of children. Marijuana should not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

recipes

By LAURIE WOLF | PHOTOS by BRUCE WOLF

VALENTINE’S DAY RECIPES I’M NOT GOING TO GET INTO IT NOW, HERE, BUT CHOCOLATE IS SEXY FOOD. GOOGLE IT, YOU WILL SEE THAT CHOCOLATE DOES ALL KINDS OF GOOD STUFF TO YOUR MOOD...

INGREDIENTS

3 scoops dark chocolate ice cream 1 scoop coconut ice cream 1 cup coconut milk 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup 2 teaspoons canna-coconut oil or butter 2 tablespoons toasted coconut (To toast coconut, place in a nonstick pan and sauté, over low heat until golden brown. Allow to cool.

1. In a blender, combine

the ice creams and coconut milk and blend well.

2. Add the chocolate syrup and canna-butter and process until you reach the desired consistency.

3. Pour into two glasses and sprinkle with the toasted coconut.

Laurie Wolf has contributed to Oregon Leaf since 2015. Named the “Martha Stewart of Marijuana Edibles” by The New Yorker, Laurie has published four cannabis cookbooks, contributes to six Cannabis publications and runs Laurie + MaryJane, an award-winning edible company out of Portland.

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CHOCOLATE COCONUT SHAKE

CHOCOLATE, COCONUT AND CANNABIS HAPPEN TO BE QUITE THE TRIO.

FIGS ARE SEXY. DIPPING THEM IN CANNABIS CHOCOLATE IS OVER THE TOP.

STUFFEDFIGS

INGREDIENTS

8 dried large figs 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted 2 tablespoons chopped apricots, dried 2 tablespoons golden raisins 1 tablespoon apricot or raspberry preserves Pinch cinnamon 6 tablespoons dark chocolate 1-2 tablespoons canna-butter

1. Make a slit in the sides of each fig. Spread the fig

open and press to make as large a cavity as possible.

2. In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, apricots, raisins, preserves and cinnamon. Gently stuff the figs with the dried fruit mixture. Press the slit in the fig back together and place them on parchment or wax paper.

3. In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate

and canna-butter on medium power at 30-second intervals. It may take a minute. Stir until smooth. Using a small spoon, drizzle each fig with the melted chocolate, or dip a portion of the stuffed fig into the chocolate. Place the figs on the wax paper and allow the chocolate to set. them on parchment or wax paper.

Feel free to mix up the fillings — in the center of each fig could be a chocolate covered almond, macadamia or a mini heart shaped chocolate — then drizzle with dark chocolate and dust with some cocoa.

Figs can truly be the ultimate indulgence!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups good quality dark chocolate, chopped 2-3 tablespoons canna-coconut oil or butter 3 whole graham crackers, broken into pieces 1-2 cups miniature marshmallows 1 cup milk chocolate, chopped

1. In a double boiler,

melt the dark chocolate with the canna-oil. Stir well to mix.

2.

Place a large sheet of parchment on your work surface. Spread the infused melted chocolate onto the paper as evenly as you like. Different thicknesses are kind of nice.

Serves 10-12

CHOCOLATE BARK SPREADING THE WARM CHOCOLATE ON THE PARCHMENT IS MY FAVORITE PART.

3. Top the still melted

chocolate with the graham crackers and marshmallows. Allow to set for at least one hour.

4. In a double boiler,

melt the remaining milk chocolate and drizzle over the set chocolate bark. Allow to cool again. Break into pieces to serve.

concentrates

REVIEW by WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by @BERMANPHOTOS

EBLUNT SLIM TOP & SLIM TOP KIT PLUS GLASS TOP 50/50 DISTILLATE & SAUCE

42.2%THC 3.4% CBD 3,5% CBG 1% CBC

PROCESSED BY

EINSTEIN LABS A delicious blend of terpene sauce and distillate, this is the best tasting cartridge that Einstein Labs has produced in a trend we expect to see sweeping across the regulated Cannabis market.

This state-of-the-art blending technique combines the best of the worlds of concentrates. The first part is pure distillate, refined by Einstein in the normal process. This factionalizes the THC to high percentages, but removes a lot of the flavor and natural terpenes from the oil in the process. To bring the flavor and terpenes back, Einstein has taken BHO terpene sauce, the top or first layer of the extraction process, and combined that back in with the distillate for a 50-50 blend.

The end result is an extremely flavorful and potent vapor, and a much mellower and lighter smoke that is true bliss to inhale. The proof is in the cannabinoid profile, which is rich with cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CBG) and cannabichromene (CBC). The CBG is a known mood elevator, and CBD and CBC are both highly medicinal, making for a valuable concentrate that still gets you stoned.

Each puff of the pen releases a rich, warm blueberry vapor that tingles the palate with rich terpenes. Effects hit quickly, providing a stony indica high that relaxes the mind and body.

The giggles build quickly within the first 30 Eblunt minutes of use, then settles into a multi-hour Eblunt.com relaxing and euphoric body high. We loved the @EbluntVapes blueberry high in the slim top kit, which was still (907) 351-8207 rich in flavor but not quite on the same level as the sauce blend. The vapor was definitely thicker and louder, with fat clouds on the exhale, and the effects were equally fun, with a more cerebrally numbing indica high.

While the Glass Top blend had a more uplifting euphoric high, we found the straight blueberry distillate to be sedating, but in a fun drooling-during-a-movie sort of way. Perfect for night time or pain, the straight distillate is a great call when you want to get old-school stoned. Check out these pen blends and more from Einstein, with delicious concentrates also available in dab-able form at your favorite local shop.

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39.8%THC 3.2% CBD 2.4% CBG 1.3% CBC

EACH PUFF OF THE PEN RELEASES A RICH, WARM BLUEBERRY VAPOR THAT TINGLES THE PALATE WITH RICH TERPENES. EFFECTS HIT QUICKLY, PROVIDING A STONY INDICA HIGH THAT RELAXES THE MIND AND BODY. Anchorage | Satori | Alaska Buds | AK Green Light District // Fairbanks | Pakalolo

Reviews

By STEVE ELLIOTT Editor, Tokesignals.com

PUBLISHED by TWELVEBOOKS.COM | 2017 | 240 PAGES | $27

THE LEAFLY GUIDE TO CANNABIS A Handbook for the Modern Consumer

PHOTOS BY JULIA SUMPTER/LEAFLY.COM

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T

his savvy connoisseur’s guide from the editors at Leafly, one of the world’s most well-known Cannabis platforms, is a distillation of the most popular and important articles from the site. This recent release aims at being a definitive guidebook, and largely accomplishes that considerable task.

All of that information is packed into just 227 pages, which becomes even more impressive when one realizes that on the informational level, it outdoes some volumes twice its size. Step-by-step guides, descriptions and delicious recipes make it easier than ever for consumers to find and enjoy their best high.

As legal restrictions are relaxed around the country, Cannabis enthusiasts—as well as the Cannabis curious—are seeking more information. Much as with beer and wine, people want to explore the art and craft of marijuana.

Even more diverse than alcohol, Cannabis can have wildly diverse flavor profiles, as well as cerebral and body effects. And there are many ways to consume marijuana, from lotions to gourmet recipes.

The growing amount of options available to consumers in the Cannabis market can be overwhelming, but this The growing amount book breaks it all into manageable of options available chunks of information. This reviewer has to consumers in the visited more than 200 pot shops, yet I still Cannabis market can got some great ideas about things to look be overwhelming, but for on my next visit. this book breaks it Any work of this scope and size, of all into manageable course, cannot be perfect, and The chunks of information.

Leafly Guide to Cannabis is no different.

Sometimes descriptions are far too vague, even misleading, and there’s no photo to help, as on page 15, “Males and Females.” The complete description of the appearance of male flowers is “male flowers produce smaller spheres near the base of the leaves.” That, to me, doesn’t come close to adequately explaining the appearance of male flowers, especially in the absence of a photo.

But objections like that are more like quibbles when contrasted with the scope of this book. Leafly’s aim is almost always true, and this is one of the most valuable, information-packed books I’ve seen in a while.

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This is a marijuana product. Marijuana has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming and addictive. Marijuana impairs concentration, coordination and judgement. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under its influence.

There are health risks associated with consumption of marijuana. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of reach of children. Marijuana should not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

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This is a marijuana product. Marijuana has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming and addictive. Marijuana impairs concentration, coordination and judgement. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under its influence.

There are health risks associated with consumption of marijuana. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of reach of children. Marijuana should not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

glass art Presenting Partner

GLASS BY ERIK ANDERSON This 10mm fully functional Human Form rig is a tangible representation of the relationship between the glass and the artist.

Artist Erik Anderson uses Northstar Yellow for the entirety of the piece, with the exception of the free-spinning miniature rig the form is holding. This piece appears to simply be a piece of art from a head-on perspective, but its joint is hidden on the figure’s back.

HUMAN FORM RIG

REVIEW by @NATEW415 | PHOTO by @BERMANPHOTOS

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