THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE
THE INDOOR ISSUE FREE /OREGONLEAF.COM
# 6 8 | F E B . 2020
TAO GARDENS’ CHEM SKUNK OG INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010
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RE UP FARMS T O P
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Mint Chocolate Gelato Introducing Mint Chocolate Gelato aka “It’s It” from Exotic Genetix. This potent strain is the mix of flavorful Gelato #33 with the incredible Mint Chocolate Chip. With the unmistakable flavor of Gelato mixed in, c this cross helps bring the experience to a whole new level. Beautiful, resin coated buds that are sure to please any seasoned smoker.
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THIS PRODUCT HAS INTOXICATING EFFECTS AND MAY BE HABIT FORMING. MARIJUANA CAN IMPAIR CONCENTRATION, COORDINATION, AND JUDGMENT. DO NOT OPERATE A VEHICLE OR MACHINERY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THIS DRUG. THERE MAY BE HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CONSUMPTION OF THIS PRODUCT. FOR USE ONLY BY ADULTS TWENTY-ONE YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER. KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.
the indoor issue
8
oregonlEAF.COM
FEATURES 11 editor note 14 national news 16 local news 18 hemp & you 20 pure white ash 22 highly likely 24 gasden gardens 26 angel noriega 28 amber e. senter 32 budtender otm 34 cannavida 36 truth dispensary 40 strain of the month 44 tao gardens 48 highland provisions 52 noble farms 54 indoor gear guide 60 infused v-day recipes 62 edible of the month 64 concentrate otm 66 topical otm 68 tannins & terpenes 70 cannabis & coffee 72 on the road 74 cannabis museum 76 legal opinion 78 stoney baloney ISSUU.COM/NWLEAF
FEB. 2020
52
Royal Wedding flowers are reflected in the safety glasses of Noble Farms Gardener Alex D., who has worked at the Estacada, Oregon farm for the past two years.
PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
e r u P Sit caon be Smoked or Dabbed
available as Tanker Cartridge Shatter
RXO takes the medicinal legacy of Rick Simpson Oil to the next level using a proprietary purification process for highest purity, flavor and potency.
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Leaf Life Podcast is an entertaining exploration of All Things Cannabis For All People. @beardedlorax
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Join Ricker and The Bearded Lorax for insightful discussions with Cannabis industry influencers. THIS MONTH:
Show #50: Things To Do In Seattle When You’re Stoned Show #51: Cannabis and Hip Hop Show #52: Cannabis Prisoners
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21+ Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 or older. This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgement. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of reach of children.
E S TA B L I S H E D 2 0 1 0
T H E E N L I G H T E N E D VO I C E
ABOUT THE COVER
This month’s cover shot takes us up-close and personal with some lovely Chem Skunk OG growing at Tao Gardens in Eugene. The folks there are growing with true passion, read all about it page 44 —along with this month’s other amazing stories, profiles, recipes, reviews, and more from around the country. Cover Photography by Daniel Berman @bermanphotos
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Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up The Indoor Issue of Oregon Leaf! INDOOR CANNABIS CULTIVATION began in the dark ages of Cannabis prohibition as a tool to avoid detection, effectively hiding a plant inside garages, closets and warehouses from prying eyes. As far as plants go, Cannabis is a happy girl with the right indoor environment, and over the last 30 years the technology and techniques for growing inside have expanded and caught up to the 21st century. Today’s indoor gardens are as much a work of science as they are agriculture, creating controlled environments perfectly suited to the plants cultivated within. For years I’ve heard Cannabis activists argue that one day all weed would be grown outdoors, or at least in greenhouses. Admittedly, that argument is built on logic. If weed isn’t illegal, why grow it indoors at all? As the Leaf has expanded, we’ve dedicated an issue each year to the outdoor harvest and the efforts of full sun-grown farmers, while leaving indoor gardens as something we featured occasionally as unique gardens popped up. So when we sat down to plan the 2020 editorial calendar, the idea for an Indoor Issue was again renewed. What makes it special? Is indoor Cannabis something we want to support?
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VISIT ISSUU. COM/NWLEAF TO SEE OUR TOURS OF INDOOR CANNABIS GARDENS IN WASHINGTON, ALASKA AND MARYLAND!
Through exploring the modern realities of indoor growing - from Fairbanks, Alaska where temperatures can swing from negative 30 to 30 degrees fahrenheit in a single day, to the controlled environments of Oregon’s organic gardens - it is clear that indoor Cannabis is evolving and defining the craft Cannabis movement. I believe that we will always have indoor Cannabis on a business scale, and while it won’t touch the miles of greenhouses sure to dominate the future of our beloved agricultural commodity, we will always see incredible craft Cannabis being produced indoors. Our issues this month look through gardens in Washington, Oregon and Alaska, so check out the other Leaf’s online content for coverage outside of your state! We explore how farms are adapting to the unique challenges of growing indoors, creating a high-end product in markets that are flooded with mid-grade flower, and how they are using the controlled environments and inputs to grow some of the best examples of strains in the world. As an art, a science, a craft and a passion, indoor Cannabis is something that can be done sustainably and with truly spectacular results. Craft comes in all forms, big and small, and I encourage you to ask your favorite budtender for a craft indoor Cannabis recommendation, and to try the farms we feature this month! You won’t be disappointed.
-Wes Abney
feb. 2020
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WES
HIGHLAND P R OV I S I O N S
C U LT I V AT I N G E X P E R I E N C E S T H AT
E L E V AT E E V E R Y T H I N G Y O U D O Flower | Edibles | Pre-Rolls | Cartridges | Solventless
@H IG H LA N D P ROV I S I O N S HIGHLANDPROVISIONSCO.COM Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. For adults 21 years of age and older. Keep out of reach of children.
national news
2 nd
Newly recreational Cannabis state Illinois has the second highest Cannabis taxes (Washington is #1).
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WA State lawmakers introduced HB2546 to limit Cannabis concentrates to max 10% THC potency, all but killing the recreational concentrates market.
40 1,800 $145k $3.2m
More than 40 U.S. states may have legal Cannabis in some form by 2020’s end, including Mississippi and South Dakota.
The raid of an illegal grow in San Jacinto, California last month yielded 1,800 plants and 50 pounds of dried Cannabis, after the power utility reported suspicious power readings.
A Southern California marijuana money courier was robbed of $145,000 in cash when thieves broke into his work truck parked at an area gas station and took two satchels full of money.
health
THE WA STATE SENATORS WHO WANT A STUDY OF STINKY CANNABIS
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ashington State senators Judy Warnick of Moses Lake, Lynda Wilson of the southeastern area of the state, and Tim Sheldon of the sprawling 35th District, are seeking to create a task force on pot odor. Under Senate Bill 6089, the task force would bring together decisionmakers from the Liquor and Cannabis Board, Department of Ecology, Department of Health, the State Department of Agriculture, the state association of counties, the state association of cities, and those in the “recreational marijuana community.” The proposed task force would be charged with studying ways to “mitigate, mask, conceal, or otherwise address marijuana odors and emissions, and the potentially harmful impact of marijuana odors and emissions on people who live, work or are located in close proximity to a marijuana production or processing facility.”
oregonlEAF.COM
The task force would report its findings by December 31, 2020.
WASHINGTON STATE REMOVES ONLINE MAP OF CANNABIS GROWERS & PROCESSORS AFTER RASH OF BURGLARIES
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he map provided detailed
information on exactly where Cannabis growers and processors were located. Some business owners felt that those addresses publicly posted on the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) website made it just too easy to find and target them, according to LCB spokeswoman Julie Graham. The agency said it removed the map as a precautionary measure. The information is still available via public record requests.
FEB. 2020
east coast
MEDICAL MARIJUANA BROUGHT MORE THAN $10 MILLION IN TAXES TO MARYLAND IN 2019
NORTHWEST
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The first day of legal recreational Cannabis sales in Illinois resulted in 77,000 transactions and $3.2 million in sales for the state’s 37 pot shops, which were legalized by legislative measure in 2019.
HOW CANNABIS LEGALIZATION IS REDUCING BINGE DRINKING FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
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recent study by Oregon State University researchers found that at colleges and universities in states with legal recreational weed, students are reporting fewer instances of binge drinking (five or more drinks in one sitting in the past two weeks).
ore than $10 million in tax revenue for Maryland was produced by medical Cannabis sales in fiscal year 2019, exceeding the amount of money the industry brought to state coffers in the previous two fiscal years combined, according to data from the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission. Medical Cannabis brought about $3.5 million to Maryland in fiscal year 2018, and about $4.2 million in fiscal year 2017.
The study, published in the journal Addiction, analyzed data from seven states and 135 colleges where Cannabis was legal by 2018.
The latest numbers, covering the period ending on June 30, 2019, show total estimated revenue for medical marijuana for that fiscal year as $10,371,437, according to the Maryland Reporter.
Data from 41 states and 454 colleges where recreational weed was not legal was also analyzed. “After legalization, students ages 21 and older showed a greater drop in binge drinking than their peers in states where marijuana was not legal,” according to the study.
Maryland has licensed 87 medical Cannabis shops, mostly in population centers such as the city and county of Baltimore, along with Howard County and Montgomery County.
border crossings
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IDAHOANS BUY A LOT OF OREGON WEED daho residents love Oregon Cannabis, according to a new analysis.
In the report, released in January by the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis, Oregon Cannabis sales per adult along the Idaho border are 420 percent (no joke) higher than the statewide average. Baker County was Oregon’s leader on a per capita basis. With a population of 16,820, sales totaled more than $30.1 million in 2019, working out to $1,794 per resident. But those sales were overwhelmingly to Idahoans, primarily Boise residents flocking to the tiny town of Huntington, 30 miles from the state line.
Just across the state line, small town Huntington, OR, has become a destination for Cannabis-consuming Idaho residents.
A new pot shop opened in Malheur County, right on the state line, and with $20.1 million in 2019 sales, Malheur appears poised to surpass Baker County in 2020. The “border effect,” which happens when two neighboring jurisdictions set different rules for the same product, often results in residents traveling to take advantage of relaxed restrictions. That’s particularly true of so-called “vice” products like marijuana, according to the analysis. The same analysis also shows stronger sales for Washington state Cannabis stores along its border with Idaho, than along its borders with either Oregon or Canada, reports the Idaho Statesman.
By STEVE ELLIOTT, AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF MARIJUANA
TAKE A
GRATEFUL BREAK See if you can find all fifteen words!
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CANNABIS MARIJUANA WEED
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SINCE YOU’RE ON A GRATEFUL BREAK, Enjoy this month’s feature of:
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local news oregonlEAF.COM
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CBD BANNED FROM ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
In a mid-December move, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission officially banned CBD-infused alcoholic beverages. The commission released a public notice basing the ruling on existing federal regulations that limit ingredients. The ruling requires manufacturers to have formulas with “ingredients not traditionally found in alcoholic beverages” approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) prior to production, but the authority is not approving any CBD formulas at the moment. According to the notice, the ban applies to all forms of CBD (regardless of a hemp or Cannabis origin), however, “under specific circumstances, an OLCC licensed manufacturer may produce a non-alcoholic beverage using an ingredient that contains CBD on the licensed premises.” That’s good news for CBD soda drinkers and establishments looking to continue offering basic beverages on tap.
OSU’S HEMP CENTER
RECEIVES $2.5 MILLION GRANT Oregon State University’s Global Hemp Innovation Center has been awarded $2.5 million in federal funding, according to the Corvallis Gazette-Times.
Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences,
Alan Sams The money is part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, a piece of legislation that in part designates funds for the rapidly growing and recently legalized national hemp industry. In September, Seth and Eric Crawford of Oregon CBD - the state’s oldest federally-legal Cannabis research and development company - donated $1 million to the OSU research center. Alan Sams, Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences, told the GazetteTimes that the funds will support the continued establishment of the facility and “will foster collaborative research” with other academic institutions to “support the development of this new industry.” According to OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences, the Global Hemp Innovation Center currently boasts “40 faculty across 19 disciplines conducting research in 10 locations across the state, The funds will support the continued and four locations around the world in establishment of the facility and “will foster Asia and Europe.” collaborative research.”
NEW OMMP RENTAL REGULATIONS TAKE EFFECT A new “grow site consent” requirement went into effect at the beginning of the year for OMMP home growers living on rental properties According to the Oregon Health Authority notice, updated OMMP applications will “now ask who the property owner is if a grow site is being designated.” Patients renting, leasing, or staying on property owned by someone else will be required to submit landlord approval of the designated grow site. With little changes to Oregon rental law since legalization, many patients have already faced discrimination, legal actions, and evictions for violating housing rules. An Oregon Medical Marijuana Program card does
feb. 2020
not legally protect the holder from prosecution. A glance at the website for the Oregon Rental Housing Association sheds light on the complications of clashing state and federal oversight. According to the association, landlords “are not required to grant Reasonable Accommodation requests to medical marijuana users who represent that they use it for a disability.” For more information on recent OMMP application changes and to download the new form, head to HealthOregon.org/ommpform.
STORIES by AMANDA DAY @TERPODACTYL_MEDIA
EXPERT OPINION
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BY JERRY WHITING L e B l a n c C N E . c o m / N WL e a f
THE HEMP INDUSTRY
Eat Hemp!
oregonlEAF.COM
T HE VAST M AJ O R I T Y O F US AG R E E T HAT H E M P I S AN E X C E L LE N T F O OD , B UT LE T ’ S B E HO N E ST - HOW M UC H HE M P D O YOU EAT O N A R EGULAR BAS I S ? SU R E YOU O R DE R YOU R C HAI WI T H HE M P M I L K WH E N EV E R YOU CAN , O R B UY S O M E H E M P G RAN O LA EV E RY N OW AN D AGAI N . B U T I S HE M P I N YOU R S HO P P I NG CART EV E RY W E E K ?
Today, American hemp farmers grow hemp for CBD extraction and not hemp to be eaten. That’s a problem. If no one eats hemp, farmers won’t grow it. But if farmers don’t grow hemp as a food crop, hemp foods won’t be on your grocery store shelves. It’s a classic catch-22. So the best way to get more hemp food in the market is to buy it and demand more. All of this starts in your very own kitchen. Dehulled hemp seeds and hemp seed oil are easy to find in many grocery stores. Hemp seed oil is pressed from hemp seeds and doesn’t contain CBD, or any cannabinoid for that matter. It does, however, have the perfect balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Hemp seeds are full of protein and fiber, as well as being rich in antioxidants. Both are healthy ingredients no matter what you’re cooking. If you’re going to eat, you sometimes have to cook. Working hemp seed oil and dehulled hemp seeds into your daily diet is like any other new habit - you have to do it on a regular basis until you don’t think about it anymore, because it’s your new norm.
How to Have a Hemp-Rich Diet
Ease your way into eating hemp by adding hemp seeds on top of that takeout or leftover Thai food. Pad Thai already has crushed peanuts. Pasta? Drizzle hemp seed oil, especially if it’s pesto we’re talking about. Start slowly by adding just a little hemp oil or seeds to dishes. Think of them as seasonings or accents.
HEMP SEED OIL SALAD DRESSING S A L A D D R E S S I N G - YOU C A N B U Y I T O R M A K E I T. A B A BY S T E P I S AD DI N G H E M P S E E D OI L TO A L L T H E SA L AD D R E S S I N G B O T T L E S L U R K I N G I N YOU R R E F R I G E R ATO R . YOU ’ L L E N J OY YOU R S A L A D S E V E N M O R E K N OW I N G W H AT ’ S O N T H E M .
It’s worth mentioning that making your own salad dressing is easier than it sounds. Start with a simple vinaigrette using three parts oil to one part vinegar. Ease your way into it by using half hemp seed oil and half olive, grape seed, walnut, avocado, or other interesting oil. The vinegar you use doesn’t have to be boring. Try rice wine, sherry, balsamic, or apple cider vinegar. Add sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and fresh herbs to taste. Shake, pour, enjoy! HEMP PESTO I F YOU L I K E P E S TO A N D H E M P YOU ’ R E I N L UC K . P E S TO I S U N I Q U E B E C AU S E YOU C A N M A K E I T W I T H B O T H H E M P S E E D O I L A N D H E M P S E E D S . A L L YOU N E E D TO D O I S M I X A N D B L E N D T H E I N G R E D I E N T S TO G E T H E R .
2 cups fresh basil leaves (no stems) Try using all hemp oil, ½ 1/4 cup hemp seed oil spinach ½ basil, adding 1/4 cup olive oil pistachios as well as hemp seeds, and a dash of grated 2 tablespoons hemp seeds 2 large garlic cloves lime peel. Skip the basil 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese and use parsley instead, sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste swapping romano or aged asiago for the parmesan cheese, throwing in a few fresh mint leaves or whatever strikes your fancy. Make a lot and freeze half.
If you’re reading this, it’s because you support hemp. And if you do, consider this your formal invitation to eat your words. Hemp activists around the world need to eat hemp. Cook it for yourself, serve it to your family and friends, share recipes with your neighbors. Hemp food will only become mainstream when we eat it. The hemp revolution begins in our kitchens.
FEB. 2020
PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
OPINION
WHITE
plicated than simply observing moisture content and ash color. With each plant providing a unique set of characteristics, everything from bud structure to terpene profile can influence your smoking experience. In recent research, the RX Green Technologies R&D department - headed by “expert plant scientist” Dr. Stephanie Wedryk - analyzed “the effects of different flushing times on chemical profile, flavor, and smoking characteristics in Cannabis flower.” Flushing periods were applied to groups of Cherry Diesel (Cherry OG x Turbo Diesel) in zero, seven, 10 and 14-day increments. The cured flower was evaluated by “a group of industry experts” in a blind taste test that rated the consumption characteristics and flavor. Overall, the duration of the flushing period had no impact on flavor, smoothness of smoke, or color of ash... The seven-day flush period had the highest “bad” rating (21.1%) and the zero-day flush had the highest “great” rating (16.7%). The quality of hit was not rated significantly different among samples, but researchers did note that contrary to previous beliefs, “smoothness of the smoke increased with decreasing flushing time.” When it comes to methods, it’s important to note that RX Green used its own products for the study and that the company makes a portion of its profits off of nutrients, supplements and additives. It’s safe to assume some bias in the analysis, but with few academically-funded (Cannabis) terpene studies, there’s still valuable information to be considered. Take, for example, their statistical findings on yield, It’s not uncommon to run into smokers that associate white ash THC and terpenes. While data didn’t point to any significant losses in the “flushed” test groups, terpenes with cleanliness and quality. But when it comes to the burning of exhibited the only consistent decrease over longer flush buds, where did this old toker’s tale come from? And what does periods (losing 0.18% between zero and 14-day flushes). Factors like grow conditions, care, and plant varithe color of ash tell us about cured Cannabis? ety also play a part in the cycle of terpene preservation and loss, but additional studies present the possibility of In theory, less hot organic material entering ost folks offering up the deteriorating a plant’s profile when flushing. the lungs should make for a smoother hit. In aforementioned white ash A 2017 piece in the Journal of Molecular Liquids on this light at least, the white ash ideology may adage will tell you that bud “Terpenes solubility in water and their environmental just hold up. Many other factors influence burning white signifies a proper flush distribution,” looked at the solubility of seven monocombustion temperature, however, and a crop of the plant - a process where water terpene structures. Researchers found that (with one grown for human consumption presents a set of is used to remove nutrients and exception) “the solubility of terpenes in water shows a different variables than the ash from wildfires. trace elements. There are conflicting (monotonical) increase with temperature.” In the Cannabis community, the curing opinions among growers and gurus While most terpenes may remain in the plant during process of flower is commonly associated with alike about methods, benefits, and a flushing process, there is data to support the resulting ash color. This process even the efficacy of flushing as a some loss. Specifically, when using water directly correlates to moisture practice. upwards of 75 degrees Fahrenheit - a method content and most certainly affects Amanda Day is an combustion temperature. Data on Oregon Leaf contributing that, according to horticulture author and edDr. Allison Justice and Dr. Markus Roggen Cannabis combustion and moisture writer and photographer, ucator Ed Rosenthal, is commonly practiced to bring backgrounds in horticulture, organic based in Eugene and increase nutrient movement out of the plant. content is limited, but the studies chemistry, and more to multiple branches of the providing Cannabis The practice of flushing is highly personalon wildfires and vegetative burning industry. photos & video services. ized among grows and while it shouldn’t be points still provide insight. Most In an article for Cannabis Business Times, the viewed as inherently bad, maybe it’s time to reevaluate results lean toward a plateau effect when it duo explored the science behind ash, starting our standards from a consumer standpoint. comes to moisture. Too little, and most plant with what contributes to its color: Research into With all of the products, growing methods and matter will burn at a rate too fast to reach the ash from wildfires points to burn temperature as plant varieties out there, it’s difficult to generalize what high temperatures needed to create white ash. the main factor in determining ash’s properties. makes ‘good’ or ‘clean’ flower. Too much moisture, and similar outcomes are With increasing combustion temperature, the Most seasoned smokers would probably agree exhibited. charred organic material and organic nitrogen that buds should be healthy, potent, high in terpene Determining the quality of bud (and tracking concentrations decrease, and the ash color content, and free from any harmful additives. It’s 2020 combustion rates) is, of course, more comlightens from black to gray to white. and the white ash method probably isn’t the best indicator for any of these characteristics. Most Oregonians now have access to enough con“ The practice of flushing is highly personalized among grows sumer information to make informed decisions about the quality of flower before lighting up and inhaling. and while it shouldn’t be viewed as inherently bad, maybe it’s Maybe it’s time we finally put this old stoner stereotime to reevaluate our standards from a consumer standpoint.” type to rest.
ASH FLUSHING OUT OLD STEREOTYPES
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FEB. 2020
STORY by AMANDA DAY @TERPODACTYL_MEDIA
Conscious Intent @SACRED. FLOWER .FAR MS
/SACR EDFLOWER FAR MS
@DE MSAC RE D FLOW E R
Lobbying Advocacy Regulatory Help Policy Updates Wholesale Reports Monthly Meetings Access to Banking
highly likely #54
H i g h l y L i ke l y h i g h l i g h t s Ca n n a b i s p i o n e e rs w h o p a ve d t h e wa y t o g re a t e r h e r b a l a c c e p ta n ce .
NORMANMAILER THE PULITZER P RIZEWINNING W RITER WAS OUTSPOKEN ON A LOT OF THINGS... INCLUDING CANNABIS.
22 Jan. 31, 1923 – Nov.10, 2007
on his appreciation of music. “I’d been listening to jazz for years, but it had never meant all that much to me. Now, with the powers pot offered, simple things became complex; complex things clarified themselves,” he said. It seemed that this started Mailer’s course of being an outspoken Cannabis consumer in mid-century America - a place where it certainly was less accepted than it is today. Here, Mailer would sometimes utilize his sharp writing to describe the benefits of Cannabis to the masses: “One’s condition on marijuana is always existential. One can feel the importance of each moment and how it is changing. One feels one’s being, one becomes aware of the enormous apparatus of nothingness - the hum of a hi-fi set, the emptiness of a pointless interruption, one becomes aware of the war between each of us, how the nothingness in each of us seeks to attack the being of others, how our being in turn is attacked by the nothingness in others.” He also spoke of the effect that Cannabis had on his writing, saying “I began to write for the sound of what I was writing, but also noted that I’d have brilliant insights on pot, but could hardly remember any of them later.” He also noted that he preferred to edit, rather than write, while consuming. Later in life, he offered a critique of modern-day Cannabis consumers, comparing them to religious fundamentalists. “There’s too much dead-ass in the thinking of pot smokers now,” he said. Whatever one may think in terms of these opinions, one thing is for sure – Norman Mailer opened up our world to the idea of Cannabis as a benefit to artistic invention at a time when that opinion wasn’t very popular. For this and many other reasons, we can regard him as a true pioneer for greater Cannabis acceptance in our world.
“ONE’S CONDITION ON MARIJUANA IS ALWAYS EXISTENTIAL.”
oregonlEAF.COM
A FAMED JOURNALIST, NOVELIST AND ESSAYIST, Norman Mailer was perhaps one of the first ‘celebrity writers’ of the 20th century.
F
irst published in 1948, Mailer’s novel, “The Naked and the Dead,” based on his experiences as a soldier serving in World War II, quickly started him on the course of fame. But from there, he went on to publish several other novels – eventually becoming renowned as an essayist for many a publication. The accolades he acquired were many throughout his life. Some of these accolades included winning major awards, most notably the Pulitzer Prize in 1968 and 1980. In 1955, he helped to cofound the famed Village Voice weekly newspaper. There, he helped to invent a new form in journalism called creative nonfiction, which applies the narrative style of the novel to real events. This style would
FEB. 2020
be adopted by many writers – most notably by Hunter S. Thompson. Mailer’s life was lived large. He spent his time with celebrities in the worlds of art and politics, even running for Mayor of New York City in 1969, but the campaign was unsuccessful. As one can imagine, an author of this esteem who covered this subject matter had a distinct connection to what was called the ‘counter culture’ of the 1960s and 70s. This was certainly true in Mailer’s case, as he was an ardent fan of art and music - especially jazz. In the mid 1950s Mailer discovered Cannabis, and noted its effect
By PACER STACKTRAIN for LEAF NATION
stoner owner oregonlEAF.COM
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DUSTIN HAMMONS
FOUNDER & OWNER-OPERATOR DUSTIN HAMMONS AT HIS BORING, OREGON GARDEN.
GADSDEN GARDENS apR. 2020 feb. 2019
“WE WANT TO DELIVER A FLAVOR THAT’S ENTIRELY UNIQUE TO OUR FARM AND THE SURROUNDING DEMOGRAPHIC.” KNOWN FOR their groundbreaking terpene profiles and unique phenotype selections, Gadsden Gardens has made quite the name for itself in the OLCC market. While a large number of companies tend to grow similar ‘hype’ strains, Dustin Hammons prides himself on the ability to offer extraordinary, hardto-find cultivars. Keep an eye out for rarities like Unicorn Poop - a cross of GMO and Sophisticated Lady that one should be so lucky to ‘step’ in. WHILE PHENO-HUNTING, WHAT DETERMINES A KEEPER CUT IN YOUR EYES?
Honestly it’s pretty straightforward. Vigor, structure, hardiness - but most of all the nose and aesthetic of the flower while it’s growing and the finished product - whether that be flower or concentrate. The smoke and terpene profile are also just as important, as finding unique flavor profiles has been my number one key goal from the beginning. Yields are also considered, but it’s not a dealbreaker if it’s not a super heavy yielder, because sometimes flavor and quality prevail. WHO ARE SOME OF THE BREEDERS THAT YOU ENJOY WORKING WITH?
Honest Genetics and Thug Pug Genetics, hands down. When I first started hunting seeds, I would purchase seeds from just about everyone. Over time, with these two breeders, I’ve consistently found strains that were everything and more than I
was looking for. 90 percent of the genetics ran in our garden are from Honest and Thug Pug. Both breeders have proved themselves in our garden and we’ve built a great relationship over the years. WHAT MAKES A STRAIN EXOTIC?
An exotic strain is defined not only by its unique terpene profile and overall aesthetic, but the rareness of the cross and who has it. Over the years I have turned down many cuts simply because other farms have it. We want to deliver a flavor that’s entirely unique to our farm and the surrounding demographic. Growers tend to flock to big name seed breeders, but in my experience, I don’t tend to find what I am looking for. Years ago I made a shift to the ‘underdog’ breeders - they have been key to my success. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
Some of the biggest obstacles we’ve encountered circle back to exotic strains. Pheno-hunting was not all rainbows and sunshine in the beginning. I learned very quickly about the inconsistencies between our testing room, and growing multiple strains that do not always react the same on a large commercial scale. I basically upgraded from a taco truck to the hometown buffet overnight I like to say, and I fell on my face time and time again. I was humbled very fast. I seemed to not know my ass from a tea kettle for a solid year or better.
I went through an assortment of issues that only a commercial farmer would encounter issues that you would never even think of in your personal garden. The first couple years were extremely rough; we suffered from crop failures, bugs, a massive break-in, and the industry price fallout which just about kicked every farm square in the mouth. There were many sleepless nights and wanting to give up, but those that persevered were finally able to see the benefits. Looking back, I have grown tremendously and can only see this experience as a positive. HOW DO YOU ENJOY CONSUMING CANNABIS THE MOST?
It’s no big secret that I love to dab - which was my biggest driver to partner up with Happy Cabbage and Echo Electuary, who’ve turned our most unique terpene profiles into concentrates. WHAT MAKES GADSDEN GARDENS UNIQUE?
At Gadsden Gardens, we strive to find the most unique genetics that cannot be found anywhere else in Oregon. On many occasions we have cut down strains when we find out that other farms have grown similar ones. We are dedicated to go the extra mile to stay fresh and exciting.
A Stoner Owner is a Cannabis business owner who has a relationship with the plant. We want to buy and smoke Cannabis from companies that care about their products, employees and the plant. You wouldn’t buy food from a restaurant where the cooks don’t eat in the kitchen, so why buy corporate weed grown by a company only concerned with profits? Stoner Owner approval means a company cares, and we love weed grown with care. Look for the Stoner Owner stamp when purchasing fine Cannabis, and let’s retake our culture and reshape a stigma by honoring those who grow, process and sell the best Cannabis possible.
INTERVIEW by MAX EARLY @LIFTED_STARDUST | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
PROFILE oregonlEAF.COM
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Ring of Fire ANGEL NORIEGA
ON USING CANNABIS FOR MMA WORKOUTS apR. 2020 feb. 2019
ANGEL NORIEGA is a mixed-martial artist and passionate advocate for Cannabis during recovery
from rigorous workouts. The MMA community appears more open to Cannabis, especially when compared to other sports that keep athletes tight-lipped. Extreme sports have always been about pushing the limits, so it’s no surprise that the avant gardes of skateboarding, snowboarding and MMA are becoming more open to Cannabis. They’re constantly on the edge of determining what the best is - or could be.
N
oriega starting using Cannabis when he was younger, quickly cultivating a discerning level of taste. Here he noticed a multitude of effects from different genetics, and eventually began seeking out specific strains, rather than just smoking what was available. “The first strain that put me on to become a connoisseur was Master Kush,” Noriega recalled fondly. “It was absolutely worth the money I paid. I mainly use Cannabis to relieve built-up stress throughout the day. No matter what I go through, at the end of the day, Cannabis erases all of that. It helps me unwind in a healthy way, both body and mind. Whenever I have an intense workout session with my trainers, CBD is my ideal recovery tool. I feel relaxed and more rejuvenated in my recovery than if I was to go without.”
CANNABIS & TRAINING
Noriega currently trains in MMA at a local gym in Beaverton. He believes Cannabis helps him become a better athlete because of the therapeutic effects of THC and CBD. It speeds up his recovery time, preparing his body for the next bout of punishment. Without using Cannabis, he doesn’t know how long it would take him to recover from brutal training days. “I feel like I can push myself harder when I use Cannabis for recovery,” Noriega stated. “I’m obviously in pain after kicking 200 times, and my coaches are always pushing me to give more than I have. Cannabis helps me refuel and there are days where I wonder if I want to keep doing this, but it’s very humbling and I love the communal aspects. No one is looking to be better than each other, but instead how to be better martial artists and better people altogether. Aim High Academy of Arts is a great community of people. They are open to my Cannabis use, especially with topicals! They ask me how I stay healthy and recover after workouts, and I tell them about topicals and how to implement Cannabis into their workout recoveries without having to get high.” When it comes to consumption, Noriega prefers flower because he appreciates the essence of Cannabis in a raw form, as well as the social aspects. Smoking a joint or Backwoods is a communal ritual shared between loved ones.
FINDING THE RIGHT PRODUCTS
As a licensed budtender, Noriega appreciates the hard work growers put into their cultivation, and is a big fan of Oregon-specific strains. “The Pie Hoe #6 - a cross between Grape Pie and Tahoe OG - got rid of pain and made it so easy to sleep,” said Noriega. “Taste-wise, it takes the cake as one of the best strains I’ve tasted. I’m also a big fan of saucy dabs, and lot of my friends are into exclusively dabbing - but I still prefer a joint laced with a terpy concentrate.”
“I FEEL LIKE I CAN PUSH MYSELF HARDER WHEN I USE CANNABIS FOR RECOVERY.” Beyond the intoxicating effects of flower and dabs, Noriega is a major advocate for Cannabis topicals, especially in tandem with his MMA training. Here, just because Cannabis has a potentially psychogenic effect, doesn’t mean Noriega is trying to get physically high every time he uses a Cannabis product. “Topicals really help me during recovery after workouts,” he said. “I like using menthol-based rubs — it feels like the menthol opens your skin up and relieves pressure and pain. I use the High Desert Pure clinical relief stick with menthol, because it has a slightly numbing sensation, or like someone is gently massaging you. It gets rid of my pain, and the next day it reduces the bruising and I’m not sore. It seems like the fighting community is more open about Cannabis use than other sports, even though you know everybody is probably smoking. People like Joe Rogan and Nate Diaz help normalize Cannabis and demystify the taboo. And I agree, because Cannabis definitely helps me be a better athlete.”
INTERVIEW by SIMONE FISCHER @SIMONEFISCHERR | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
profile
Women in Weed
Founder/CEO
Leisure Life Co-Founder/ Exec. Director
SuperNova Women AMBER SENTER is an unstoppable force in the Cannabis industry and beyond. Here we find this Coast Guard veteran turned marketing maven pushing pause on providing services to Fortune 500 companies to tackle a monumental challenge: Cannabis entrepreneurship. It’s safe to say that Amber is handling the journey with exceptional grace. She has launched and worked on multiple successful projects since moving to Oakland in 2014, including Compassion Edibles, Breeze Distro, Leisure Life, California Rolls, The Congo Club and more. More recently, Amber co-founded the nonprofit SuperNova Women, shortly before taking on the role of COO at Magnolia Wellness Center. SuperNova Women is an organization that works to empower women of color in the Cannabis economy through education, training and networking opportunities.
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“It’s imperative for this industry oregonlEAF.COM
to provide an opportunity for those folks who
Amber E. Senter apR. 2020 feb. 2019
were profited off of and who went to jail for so long.”
“We need the community to show up and tell these legislators what they want.” How did you get involved in the Cannabis industry? What was it about Cannabis that interested you? I’m an avid user of
Cannabis, so that definitely piqued my interest in wanting to explore more. I’m a medical patient and I suffer from Lupus. I’ve been using Cannabis since I was 18. I started growing when I was 27 because I needed higher quality Cannabis. So, I became really intrigued with the plant and I started to blog about it. I met a lot of folks as I was writing about Cannabis, and then when I was diagnosed with Lupus at the age of 33, I was offered a job in California working for a Cannabis company and took it. I was hired as the Sales and Marketing Director for Compassion Edibles and I moved to California in February 2014 - that’s pretty much how I got started here in California.
Can you explain how Cannabis helps to relieve your symptoms from Lupus? Lupus
is an autoimmune disease of inflammation, where essentially the body attacks itself and causes different organs to become inflamed. This attacks any organ - eyes, brain, skin, heart, lungs, kidneys - whatever. Cannabis has anti-inflammatory properties and it helps with pain as well.
What has been the most personally rewarding moment in your journey with launching SuperNova Women? Definitely
helping to establish the country’s first equity program. We worked very closely with the City of Oakland to not only create and build the equity program, but also to implement it. To give feedback and help the city perfect it and make it better. As well as recently getting the taxes lowered - that was something we were told was going to be able to get done. Oakland has the highest Cannabis taxes in the state, which makes it really hard for equity operators to survive. It’s a priority for us, and we were able to get the taxes lowered just before the end of the year in 2019. We worked with Lanese Martin from The Hood Incubator, as well as Chaney Turner on that whole initiative. The tax rate is tiered, but in 2022 the tax rate will be as low as 5%. We’re currently at 10% for the Oakland City Tax.
Oakland leads the way for the equity movement and other cities are taking note. What advice would you give to the cities that are struggling to get their equity programs up and running? What advice would you give to the applicants who are waiting for the pieces to start coming together? Keep it simple. Use the KISS method. Remember that the communities were affected by the war on drugs. How are we going to use these social equity programs to benefit the communities as a whole that were affected?
The way Oakland’s social equity program is set up, it’ll only help a few. Not everybody who was disproportionately affected by the war on drugs wants to open a Cannabis business. I can’t say that I blame them, because it’s a very hard business. It’s not an easy business to get into. So what, that’s the only benefit that they get? ‘We’re sorry we destroyed your community, you don’t wanna take these Cannabis business license opportunities we have for you? Well, that’s all we’ve got.’ That’s BS. Cannabis equity and social equity needs to expand beyond licensing. It needs to create opportunities within the communities. I encourage cities to look outside of this Cannabis box. Maybe folks want to open a barber shop, restaurant, or some other small business. Folks’ homes were taken during this drug war. That was a tool the government used. They’d come in and seize everything - they took the house, they took the car. How do we give peoples’ homes back? How can we issue low interest homes and affordable housing for people? I would ask the municipalities to look at how the war on drugs really affected those communities and how we could fix those things. And then for the folks who are waiting for their municipalities to come up with some sort of social equity program, you’ve got to be an advocate these folks definitely are not going to do it willingly. We need the community to show up and tell these legislators what they want.
You’re the chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for the National Cannabis Industry Association. Can you tell me more about this role and why it’s crucial for the Cannabis industry to implement these ideologies into our business culture? It’s important because this is a
new industry, at least a new legal industry. It’s being formed now, and we just don’t want to repeat the mistakes that were made in all the current industries now. Black and brown people are being left out especially in Cannabis because this was an industry built on the backs of black and brown people going to jail, risking their lives to provide for their families by selling Cannabis. It’s imperative for this industry to provide an opportunity for those folks who were profited off of for so long, and who went to jail for so long.
The committee that I’m the chair of is working with NCIA to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the entire Cannabis industry. We do that by working on social equity models, so that businesses can have their own social equity program if there isn’t one that’s available within the state or municipality they’re working in. We’re also working on a national effort to have diversity and inclusion throughout the industry by creating programs that allow, for example, retailers to have a certain percentage of social equity products on their shelves, or are partnered with a certain amount of social equity distributors. Different ways in which we can ensure not only access for social equity businesses, but also participation. The third piece that we’re working on in the committee is ensuring that NCIA is aligning with the diversity and inclusion, which includes making sure that NCIA’s programming and speakers are inclusive, as well as all of the committees within NCIA are also working with diversity and inclusion values in mind.
What projects and engagements are you planning for the future?
I’m actually speaking at SXSW in March. I do plan on doing more writing this year and I’ve got a few Op-Ed pieces that I’ll be writing over the next couple of months. SuperNova Women has some events coming up within this first quarter as well.
Learn more at SuperNovaWomen.com Follow on IG/FB @SuperNovaWomen
INTERVIEW by DANIELLE HALLE @SWEET.DEEZY | PHOTOS by MARK CLENNON @MARK.C
HUGE
selection
$60: Oz. $4: 50mg Edibles $28: 1g Cartridges 8-9a Early Bird 6-7p Happy Hour
Downtown PDX
Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. For use only by adults twenty-one years of age and older. Keep out of reach of children
interview
W H O ’ S YOU R FAVO R I T E B U D T E N D E R ? T E L L U S W H Y ! E M A I L N O M I N AT I O N S T O T H E P AC E R S TAC K T R A I N @ G M A I L . C O M
Michael Bowers OREGON LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH CU R AL E A F / 5 1 0 3 N E F R E M O N T, PO RT L A N D / ( 5 0 3 ) 4 7 7 - 72 5 4 / CU R AL E A F . CO M @ CU R AL E A F . U SA
HOW DI D YOU F I R ST E X P E R I E N C E CAN NAB I S ? My first experience was trying ‘hippie brownies’ from my older brother when I was younger. Having the edibles for the first time was delightful and fun, and we headed to a party with friends.
H OW D O YOU F E E L AB OU T T H E CU R R E N T TE ST I NG R E Q UI R E M E N TS BY T H E O LCC ? D O YOU P U T M UC H FAI T H I N T H C O R C B D P E RC E N TAG E S TO CO N V E Y A ST RAI N ’ S E F F EC TS ?
HOW LO NG HAV E YOU B E E N A B U D TE N DE R ? WHAT ’ S YOU R FAVO R I TE PART O F T H E J O B ? I believe that the testing requirements I have been a budtender for a year could improve a bit. I don’t believe that this month, and my favorite part about percentages for flower play a big role budtending is the people I get to interact in conveying the strain’s effects. Every with every day. I’m a people person - I love individual is different, and terpenes are people, even the challenging ones! I find that important when considering the effects of my objective on a daily basis the flower. I can respect is giving my all with customer the rules that govern “MY OBJECTIVE service and finding a way to testing for oil in Oregon ON A DAILY spread light and positivity with - we have regulations BASIS IS GIVING that make sure I can every person I meet.
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FAVO R I TE M E T HOD F O R CO N SU M I NG CAN NAB I S ? I enjoy consuming Cannabis from live resin vape cartridges to edibles, but if I had to choose my favorite, it would be relaxing and smoking out of my bong.
oregonlEAF.COM
might carry. In turn I can also experience the product myself and share that with the customer - which I love to do!
MY ALL WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE AND FINDING A WAY TO SPREAD LIGHT AND POSITIVITY WITH EVERY PERSON I MEET.”
WHAT AR E S O M E O F YOU R FAVO R I TE ST RAI N S , E F F EC TS AN D TE R P E N E P RO F I LE S ? My favorite strains and terpene profiles are best exemplified in the strains Starkiller and Dogwalker. That said, I love to consume all strains and I’m not opposed to trying a strain at least once.
WHILE CURALEAF is a relatively new dispensary in Portland, they have quickly solidified a reputation for having a great display of Cannabis curation on their shelves. That curation includes carrying a diverse selection of flower, concentrate and edibles. What’s more, they’ve also created a culture of customer service that stands out case in point, our selection for budtender of the month this February.
FEB. 2020
HOW D O YOU F I N D T H E R IG H T ST RAI N S F O R A CUSTO M E R ? The best thing you can do to find the right strain is to listen to people. Asking questions about what they are using it for throughout the day will help me find the right product to give them the best experience. We strive for education, for us and the consumer, by having vendor pop-ups at Curaleaf. These events give me the opportunity to ask questions about all the products a vendor
confidently sell oil that differs from what you might find on the black market.
WHAT SETS CU RALEAF APART?
I know it sounds silly, but I come to work to serve. I really give it my all every day. I love people and I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to be a budtender since I’ve been with Curaleaf. I believe that not only am I selling Cannabis, I am also selling experiences with the people I interact with. I always suggest at least three options to give them variety, and I love to hear the customers’ feedback! WHAT ARE SOME OF YOU R HOBBIES/INTERESTS OUTSIDE THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY?
The martial arts have been a big part of my life - I enjoy teaching the art and sharing it with other people. I am currently the chief instructor of the USA for my organization in Philippino martial arts, known as Eskrima. Besides martial arts, I love to spend time with my family, as family is very important to me.
INTERVIEW by PACER STACKTRAIN | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
NO NO NO NO
STICK SEEDS STEMS STRESS
shop review
CANNAVIDA
The staff here is quick to let you know they are all about their edibles.
CULTIVARS
5/5
CannaVida does an incredible job of offering a large amount of diversity when it comes to their flower selection, with options hitting all price points. As you walk around the shop, you can experience beautiful islands flowing from their sativa to indica options, making their way into hybrids and CBD strains. Each cultivar is placed in a small plastic container for your smelling and viewing pleasure. With their evolved platform, CannaVida can keep flower extremely fresh and ensure their standards of cleanliness by pre-packing individual amounts. Gnome Grown, Urban Canna, Highland Provisions, and Resin Ranchers were just a few of the incredible choices that were available during our visit.
EDIBLES
5/5
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Calling all edible lovers, look no further! The staff here is quick to let you know that they are all about their edibles. How can you blame them though? Directly next to the cartridges, you will find a case dedicated to their all-mighty snack selection. Elbe’s Cake Balls, Laurie and MaryJane’s Cheese Crisps, Tasty’s Cookies, Leif Goods chocolate bars - is your mouth watering yet? Want the perfect cottonmouth cure? Grab one of Magic Number’s mandarin lime sodas or Legal’s sparkling pomegranate juices. For those looking for a more medicinally beneficial option, swing by their wellness case to scope out full spectrum options from brands like OM Extracts, Peak Extracts and Siskiyou Sungrown.
Retail Manager Angela Peeler and Owner Jacob Jenkins
CONCENTRATES 4/5
As any concentrate connoisseur could only hope, CannaVida thankfully keeps all of their dabbable products stored away in a fridge. Amongst the shelves I found Altered Alchemy’s live resin available for as low as $13/g, and Happy Cabbage’s six-star aficionado hash rosin clocking in at $72/g. Additionally, there were a ton of amazing flavors from White Label Extracts, NW Kind and Flapjax Extracts. In a separate display case, the racks were lined with a wide variety of vape cartridges, including Bobsled Extracts, Select and Artifact Extracts.
ENVIRONMENT
oregonlEAF.COM
5/5
Upon opening the doors, you are met with a friendly and eager to help staff that’s filled with insight and suggestions. Alternatively, CannaVida offers tablets where you can browse their full menu, then pick, pack and create a cart. Can’t remember that fire hash you smoked last month? Create an account and track your purchases to see what you have previously enjoyed! This shop is very easy on the eyes with an extremely user-friendly system. With their waiting area including a few comfy couches and complimentary tea, you are made to feel right at home. Incredible photographs from Steve Hubbard can be found along the walls, with Rad Glass scattered throughout the store!
OVERALL 19/20
With oversight for high-quality standards, outstanding product selection, and an amazing overall layout, it’s safe to say we will be stopping by to load up on goodies the next time our team is passing through. Stop by soon and see for yourself! CANNAVIDA // 325 NE FRANKLIN AVE, BEND (541) 797-7985 | OPEN UNTIL 9PM DAILY CANNAVIDACANNABIS.COM @CANNAVIDACANNABIS
feb. 2020
Glass by Steve Hubbard
Wyld 1:1POMEGRANATEGUMMIES BASED IN BEND, Wyld has a wide range of products including gummies, chocolates, and more recently CBD sparkling water. These flavorful delights are crafted using all-natural, real fruit. Containing 10 individual 1:1 THC:CBD hybrid infused pomegranate gummies, Wyld has created an excellent choice TASTE 5/5 for someone looking to microdose. EFFECT 5/5 Given a larger tolerance than most, PKGNG 5/5 VALUE 4/5 I ingested six gummies at the end of TOTAL 19/20 a long day. After about 30 minutes, I felt a strong sense of relaxation start unfolding from my head down to the rest of my body. With 5mg of THC and 5mg CBD per gummie, this is a great way to destress and take a load off while enjoying a tasty treat! $22, 10-pack | WyldCanna.com @Wyld_Canna
Highland Provisions
PRE‘98BUBBAKUSH KIEFINFUSEDPREROLLS
THIS SHOP IS VERY EASY ON THE EYES WITH AN EXTREMELY USER-FRIENDLY SYSTEM.
PARALLEL TO Highland Provisions’ other offerings, this set of three kief-infused prerolls is neatly tucked away into a handy and reusable blue tin. To enhance the overall experience, strain specific kief TASTE 4/5 is reintroduced to top quality flower, EFFECT 5/5 providing a stronger and heavier PKGNG 5/5 hitting effect. While smoking a joint VALUE 5/5 to myself, I experienced an extremely TOTAL 19/20 smooth smoke with a large amount of resin making its way down the paper. This representation of Pre ’98 Bubba Kush offered a strong sedative property, making it ideal for anyone who suffers from anxiety or insomnia. $22, 3-pk | 130.1mg THC/preroll HighlandProvisionsCo.com @HighlandProvisions
REVIEW by MAX EARLY @LIFTED_STARDUST | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
shop review
1735 LANCASTER DR NE, SALEM | (503) 967-6010 | TRUTHDISPENSARY.COM @TRUTH_DIPSENSARY_SALEM | OPEN 8AM-10PM DAILY
CULTIVARS 5/5
Truth Dispensary truly goes above and beyond, carrying a wide variety of the industry’s latest indoor cultivated strains. Their staff was quick to show me their current favorites, including Evans Creek’s Wedding Cake ( Triangle Kush x Animal Mints ), Eugreen’s Sundae Driver (FPOG x Grape Pie), and Archive’s Duct Tape ( GG#4 x Do-Si-Dos ). While checking out Focus North’s Colorado Sunshine, Dutch Valley Farm’s Garlic Mints and Eastwood Garden’s Elephant Ears, my eyes popped wide open - leaving me almost in disbelief of what I was seeing, as each option appeared as fire as the next! For those looking for the best price to quality ratio, don’t fret, as Truth has grams starting at just five dollars!
TRUTH
EDIBLES
3/5
Lunchbox’s Squibs, Elbe’s Cold Brew Hard Candies, Gron’s Pearls, and Wyld’s White Chocolates are just a few of the delicious options for those out there who prefer the sweeter side of things. Looking for something a little bit more medicinally beneficial? They’ve got you covered with Siskiyou Sungrown’s 1:1 FECO coming in at $48/gram. With options lining the wall and display cases highlighting each edible, Truth Dispensary makes for a very user-friendly experience.
CONCENTRATES
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5/5
Come one, come all. If dabs are the thing that calls your name, then Truth is the place for you! Starting at $12/gram for Emerald’s Purple Loop Kush, and making its way up to $90/gram for Happy Cabbage’s Ice Cream 90u six star hash rosin, there are sure be options for everyone. Neatly displayed in their shatter bar you will find a great selection of hydrocarbon options, including NW Kind’s Hidden Pastry for $20/gram, Buddies’ Dawg Walker Cookies for $25/gram, and White Label’s Animism #6 live resin for $40/gram - all looking extremely appealing to me, especially at those prices! Locked away in a refrigerator to ensure maximum freshness, you will find their higher end concentrates like Echo, Bo’s Nose Knows, Archive and Happy Cabbage products. Last and certainly not least, there is one more display case containing all of the cartridge options, where Green Dragon’s Critical Mass full spectrum CO2 and Portland Extract’s Tropicana Cookies rosin cart are both standouts.
ENVIRONMENT
oregonlEAF.COM
5/5
You can’t speak about Truth without mentioning their welcoming and relaxing atmosphere, accompanied by their eager to help staff! With a large and open storefront, you can breathe easy and do not have the pressure of those waiting directly behind you like other shops. Looking to scoop a new heady rig? Come here to find the incredible work of glass artists such as @freeekglass, @brent503, and @fatboyglass! Got the munchies? Check out their snack machine to satisfy all of your cravings.
OVERALL 18/20
It comes as no surprise that Truth Dispensary has been a crowd favorite shop for quite some time in Salem. Check out their daily specials like Munchie Monday, Top Shelf Tuesday, Wax Wednesday, Topical and Tincture Thursday, Fire Friday (15% off top shelf flower), Shatterday Saturday, and Solventless/Joint Sunday! Whether you are in the area or on your way to/from Portland, Truth is a great place to stop, refuel and get your stash stocked with all the latest gas!
feb. 2020
DISPENSARY
With a large and open storefront, you can breathe easy and do not have the pressure of those waiting directly behind you like other shops.
Focus North
TROPICANA COOKIES BRED BY ONI SEEDS and cultivated by Focus North, Tropicana Cookies (GSC x Tangie) has caught the attention of many, and for good reason! The smell is extremely floral and reminiscent of a fresh-squeezed glass of orange juice. Each bud is caked to the brim with trichomes, accompanied by dark AROMA 5/5 purple leaves and rich orange pistils, DENSITY 4/5 creating an astonishingly beautiful CURE 5/5 contrast of colors. After smoking a LOOKS 5/5 few bowls, my mouth is coated with FLAVOR 5/5 EFFECT 5/5 a strong citrus flavor - the identical flavor that filled my nose. This cultivar TOTAL 29/30 makes for a perfect wake and bake, giving you just the right amount of energy to get your day started on the right track, without getting sent over the edge. $15/g, 20.13% THC | @FocusNorthGardens
Eugreen Farms
WEDDING PIE #7 CONSIDER WEDDING PIE #7 a ‘check all the boxes’ kind of strain. This Grape Pie leaning phenotype of Wedding Pie (Wedding Cake x Grape Pie) selected by Eugreen Farms offers a smell/ AROMA 5/5 smoke/effect that just about anyone DENSITY 5/5 can appreciate. Each nug is cured to CURE 5/5 perfection, still retaining an impressive LOOKS 5/5 FLAVOR 5/5 amount of moisture and preserving EFFECT 5/5 terpenes to their fullest potential. While smoking a joint, my mouth was TOTAL 30/30 smacked with a grape Big League Chew flavor, followed by the essence of gasoline from the Wedding Cake. I would recommend this strain to anyone trying to take a load off after a hard day’s work, as it offers a very sedative and relaxing effect. $15/g, 29.64% THC EugreenNoTill.com | @Eugreen_notill
REVIEW by MAX EARLY @LIFTED_STARDUST | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
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STRAIN OF THE MONTH
GROWN BY IDEAL CANNABIS
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aybe it’s because we’re smack-dab in the tangy, juicy pulp of citrus season, but this Cascade Orange from the stellar cultivators at Ideal Cannabis hits every high note for Oregon Leaf. A cross between Mount Hood Magic and Legend Orange Apricot - bred by old school Oregon breeders Compound Genetics - the Cascade Orange smells like opening a jar of pithy orange marmalade in a Pacific Northwest coniferous forest. The bright citrus top notes and earthy, piney low-end notes from this pinene, limonene and myrcene-laden herb carry through to the smoke - with almost no terpene degradation on combustion. The frosty, carefully hand-trimmed nugs showcase bright orange hairs against a light and dark green backdrop. THE CASCADE The buds have a perfect ORANGE LIFTS cure and consistency - a MOOD AND slight spongy freshness ENERGY WITHOUT in between the fingertips, STEPPING INTO with the ability to break THE REALM OF apart and grind smoothly. BEING RACY OR If you pull it apart with your PANICKY. IT’S A fingertips, be prepared for BALANCED EFFECT your mouth to water every WITH A STRONG time your hands waft near CREATIVE STREAK. your face. The Cascade Orange lifts mood and energy without stepping into the realm of being racy or panicky. It’s a balanced effect with a strong creative streak - perfect for an extra boost to fit in some guitar playing or writing in the waning hours of the evening. If you like your herb with fruit-and-forest character, you’ll be happy to know that the folks at Ideal Cannabis plan to make this fantastic phenotype a staple of their lineup. The cultivation team was just getting ready to pull down another harvest in the garden when this issue went to print, so keep your eyes peeled for this orange beauty out in the market. @IdealCannabis
FEB. 2020
CASCAD
26.5% THC | 0.07% CBD
ADEORANGE REVIEW by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
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THE INDOOR ISSUE oregonlEAF.COM
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BENEFICIAL COVER CROPS
CHEM SKUNK OG
apR. 2020 FEB. 2019
TAO GARDENS MAC 2
F DEADHEAD OG
rom the outside, Tao Gardens looks like so many grows - a nondescript building in an industrial office park in Eugene, with a characteristic lack of signage. But inside is a different story. Past the unremarkable beige exterior lies a series of living and breathing rooms, full of properly hunted and painstakingly cultivated genetics. Owner Nick Ciufo calls his 5,000 square foot Tier 1 operation a “holistic garden,” and from the jump, it’s quite obvious what he means. Above the canopy, you see gently waving fan leaves give way to chunky colas as the plants stretch toward the Luxx high-pressure sodium and ceramic metal halide lighting. From up above the trees, the plants show impressive uniformity, with no visible defects or outliers - always a good sign. But, like a National Geographic special about the Amazon, the magic really happens when you sink down below the canopy - immersing yourself in the dense greenery that is the jungle floor.
Living indoors
Tao Gardens employs a true living soil methodology, populating its Grassroots fabric beds with a custom-blended living soil from BuildASoil in Colorado. “We worked closely with Jeremy (Silva), the owner and founder of BuildASoil,” Ciufo said. “He’s an amazing guy. We kind of created our own recipe … in order to have the cleanest, most biodiverse soil possible.”
The benefit to having Cannabis farm I’ve ever LIKE A NATIONAL a custom-built living soil visited, but see less frequently is being able to properly GEOGRAPHIC SPECIAL at true indoor facilities. nourish the plants without Ciufo says it’s a more ABOUT THE AMAZON, THE using bottled nutrients or labor-intensive way to grow, MAGIC REALLY HAPPENS but that it’s worth it. inorganic methods. Everything Tao does, “We cover crop with red WHEN YOU SINK DOWN it does in order to best clover, and that red clover BELOW THE CANOPY replicate the ideal outdoor flowers and feeds pollen to growing conditions for our beneficial bugs - like the each strain, while mitigating the unrove beetles - who actually live off the predictable elements of actual outdoor pollen and keep them at bay,” Ciufo cultivation. said. Above soil level, Tao Gardens uti“That’s why we say we’re a holislizes a number of soil-adjacent items, tic garden, because we use a dozen starting with barley straw. different bugs in the garden. We try “We build our soil, then we put to really emulate what would hapdown our barley straw that I single pen naturally in, say, the forest or the source from an Amish farm out in jungle if these were growing. You’re Albany,” Ciufo said. going to have those companion plants. “It’s really hard to find organic You’re going to have those companbarley straw. We literally drive out to ion bugs. You’re going to have the this small Amish farm, purchase our problem causing bugs, too. We know barley straw, and then lay that down. that. That’s why we introduce the We’re very meticulous, even in the way beneficials, to kind of keep everything we lay the straw. We can’t just matte it balanced and have that symbiotic down. You must have perfect airflow. relationship. Being a no-till, living, We want the straw to crisscross so you organic holistic garden, we know stuff have proper air distribution.” is coming into this garden. That’s okay. The Tao team goes to extra lengths We’re able to combat the things that to source organic barley straw because are going to happen naturally.” their mission is to use only organic The maintenance of this indoor ecoinputs for the flowers in their garden. system means that, over time, the soil “We really try to pride ourselves on becomes enriched. Cycle after cycle, everything not just being a recreational this diminishes the need for external product, but a medicine for people inputs. who want this product and actually “For years and years, people were need this product for their quality of literally emptying out all their soil and life,” Ciufo said. buying new soil every round,” Ciufo “That’s how I use Cannabis, and said. “Or using a whole bunch of it’s super important. That’s one of our bottled nutrients to get all the NPK up biggest goals.” to balance. When you’re talking about After the barley straw comes the cova living soil, it’s always going to evolve er crop and the beneficial bugs - both and change, and get better and better of which I’ve seen at every outdoor as time goes on.”
“WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH JEREMY (SILVA), THE OWNER AND FOUNDER OF BUILDASOIL...HE’S AN AMAZING GUY. WE KIND OF CREATED OUR OWN RECIPE … IN ORDER TO HAVE THE CLEANEST, MOST BIODIVERSE SOIL POSSIBLE.” OWNER NICK CIUFO
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STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS | GARDEN PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
THE INDOOR ISSUE
T AO G A R D E N S Continued from pg. 45 CHEM SKUNK OG
HEAD GROWER CAMERON DUSTAN AND METRC SPECIALIST KEENA COLLINS CHECK OUT THE NIGERIAN SILVER.
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A NATURALLY OCCURRING MUSHROOM IN LIVING SOIL.
Supreme Strain Hunting
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or those in the know, Tao Gardens has begun earning a name for itself as a producer of absolute fire genetics. Their lineup includes newer, relevant heavy hitters like MAC 1 and MAC 2, as well as a beautiful terpinolene and myrcene-laden cut of Mars Love Triangle, or MLT. One of the most notable strains we saw was an older classic - a cut of GG4 that Tao calls True Glue. Yeah, yeah. Played out, right? Not this Glue. “I got a lot of negative feedback, not from the flower, but from the actual strain in the industry when we first hit the scene,” Ciufo said, referring to the response from dispensary intake managers who hadn’t yet tried Tao’s version. “Just even saying that name. We’re like, ‘We have the GG4.’ They were like, ‘Oh, I have four or five other GG4s. We’re not interested, we have Glues.’
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And I’m like, ‘No, man, you don’t.’” AS THEY EXPAND, CIUFO from 20 to 100 retail shops in the Now, we’ve all had some GG4. AND HIS TEAM PLAN TO past few months. It’s been everywhere for years. “We’re sold out week to week,” he KEEP A CLOSE GRIP ON said. “We can’t grow it fast enough. But Tao’s cut, grown with the gardens’ methodology, develops a rich, THEIR METHODOLOGIES AND Most of the product now is pre-sold. intense terpene profile approachTHEIR HOLISTIC ETHOS. If you walk into the storeroom, there’s ing 4% overall content. It’s high in tags on everything. It’s all spoken for.” b-caryophyllene, myrcene, limonene As they expand, Ciufo and his team and humulene, and reaches near 30% THC for plan to keep a close grip on their methodolthe number hunters out there. Opening a jar of ogies and their holistic ethos. While it will be it is like crushing a cacao nib right under your a constant state of learning and flux, Ciufo nose - fruity, earthy and roasty. believes his team is up to the task. Every strain that we checked out at Tao “We’re all learning,” he said. “None of us Gardens offered a similar experience, but the are PhDs in botany. There’s no such thing Glue stood out because, well, it’s just so much as a master grower in this industry. We’re all harder for a household strain like GG4 to learning, we’re all trying to be better … and stand out. One might say it sticks with you. also trying not to reinvent the wheel. Hence our name, Tao Gardens. Taoists were the very first The future of Tao to ever be recorded to use Cannabis. We want to pay tribute to the way Cannabis has been Tao Gardens thrives in a constant state of cultivated for its whole time on this planet.” growth. According to Ciufo, they’re currently expanding to meet demand after skyrocketing TaoGardens.com @TaoGardens
STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
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THE INDOOR ISSUE
HIGHLAND PROVISIONS
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COWBOY KUSH, STARDAWG AND CASCADE GRAPE AT ABOUT SIX WEEKS.
SYSTEMS CHECK
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STUART HIGGINS AND SAM GESTEN SHARE THE ROLES OF FOUNDERS, OWNERS AND DIRECTORS OF CULTIVATION.
BLACKBERRY BUBBA
PRE-’98 BUBBA KUSH
C
ombining their oversight of craft Cannabis, automation and overall passion for the plant, Highland Provisions continues to set the bar when it comes to indoor cultivation in the Oregon market. Utilizing a condensate recycling system, automated drip irrigation systems, and a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), it was made clear that Bend-based Highland Provisions takes both functionality and sustainability very seriously. Parallel to everything else I’ve mentioned, you can only imagine how sterile, spotless and clean this facility is! “From the time we save with automation, we put a lot of our time towards cleanliness,” said Stuart Higgins, Co-Owner/Director of Cultivation. From the moment you walk in the doors, every surface appears clean enough to eat off it.
As a part of their inteAdditionally, you will find HIGHLAND PROVISIONS 1,904 grative pest management square feet designated OPERATES UNDER A TIER to the main vegetative room, program, all employees/ visitors are required to with 1,152 square feet of II PRODUCER LICENSE wear protective fullcanopy space - as well as THAT HOLDS A SUM OF each flower room with a total body suits and specific footwear/booties in the of 2,500 square feet, with 20,000 SQUARE FEET production section of the 1,800 square feet of canopy IN SIX DIFFERENT facility, ensuring their end space. products to be as clean Using perpetual cultivaGROW ROOMS as humanly possible. tion methodology, Highland Making our way into the garden, Provisions divides each flower room Highland Provisions operates under based upon their overall length of a Tier II producer license that holds flowering time. Each set of cultivars a sum of 20,000 square feet in six in each room has the same flowering different grow rooms - four for flower, requirements as one another as far as one for main vegetative, and one for the time demanded, environmental mothers/propagation. parameters and nutrient diets. With the mother/propagation room Creating these individual microoffering 280 square feet for teenage environments are known to optimize plants, 176 square feet for mother genetics to their fullest potential. For plants and 144 square feet for clones, example, more or less all of the Kush it's safe to say that Higgins took full strains can be found together in one advantage of every square inch while room: Blackberry Kush, Master Kush, rigorously designing these grow rooms. Blackberry Bubba and Bubba Kush!
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STORY by MAX EARLY @LIFTED_STARDUST | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
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H I G H L A N D P R O V I S I O N S Continued from pg. 49
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BEAUTIFUL PACKAGING
THE FACILITY IS HOME TO 1,750 PLANTS AND AROUND 20 FULLTIME EMPLOYEES.
W
oregonlEAF.COM
ith a knack for sustainability, their team knew a condensate recycling system was essential for their facility to run tight while remaining as practical as possible. Here, all of the condensation from the fan coils and dehumidifiers is collected and piped to the main irrigation room. From there it undergoes a multi-stage filtration process and is recycled back into the main water supply, supplying a whopping 75% of the total water used to irrigate the facility! Utilizing automated drip irrigation systems linked directly with universal control PLC panels, multiple feedings are run per day at reduced nutrient concentrations.
In turn, this creates a minimized to see trends and catalog data. run-off irrigation schedule, reducing Diving into their extensive catalog run-off from 30% to 5-10%. of genetics and cultivars, we start with With a fully automated irrigation the Kush varietals I mentioned earlier: system, this allows their staff to spend Blackberry Kush, Bubba Kush, Master more time focusing on other aspects Kush and Blackberry Bubba. of the garden. Where some may say they have Universal grow controls offer senhad enough of these strains, I strongly sors, data logging and bioinformatencourage everyone out there to try ics, which can be accessed remotely all of the above, as Highland Provito monitor their gardens. sions has done an incrediAnytime, any place. ble job of preserving these THEIR USE OF DATA Their use of data colgenetics and taking them to COLLECTION PLAYS A their fullest potentials. lection plays a key role in pointing their team in the Higgins has bred a KEY ROLE IN POINTING right direction for future boatload of insanely unique THEIR TEAM IN THE cultivation practices. in-house crosses, such as Each room has sensors RIGHT DIRECTION FOR Cascade Grape (C4/SFV that control CO2 conOG x Sour Alien Apple) and FUTURE CULTIVATION Fall Frost (Mob Boss x Sour centration, set from 1300 to 1500 parts per million, Alien Apple). PRACTICES.
SMELLING 1 KILO OF BLACKBERRY BUBBA
Try saying those 10 times fast... When it comes to all the exotic cultivars Highland Provisions is currently cultivating, it’s hard to know just where to start - especially with the options sounding like something out of a candy shop. And gas heads - nothing to worry your diesel soaked noggins about here - as Highland Provisions has an extremely solid stock of strains right up your alley. Keep a lookout for their Chem Z, where Chem D meets Zkittles x SourDawg, as well as Hell’s Bells (Legend OG x GMO/TK Skunk), Lemon Royale, Sour Garlic Cookies, Cowboy Kush, Sour Diesel BX2, Chem4 and Tropsanto. HighlandProvisionsCo.com @HighlandProvisions
MOUTH-WATERING OPTIONS INCLUDE: TRIPLE STUFFED (TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CHIP X COOKIES AND CREAM F2), PARADISE CIRCUS (TROPICANA COOKIES X TINA), CITRON CITY (TANGERINE HAZE X NEW YORK CITY DIESEL), FALCON 9 (SUNSET SHERB X TINA), SUNDAE DRIVER, STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM, WHIPPED CHERRIES, KUSH SORBET, WHITE MAC, MEMBER OG, KIMBO KUSH, WILSON! ZERO, AND MOJITO. apR. 2020 FEB. 2019
STORY by MAX EARLY @LIFTED_STARDUST | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
THE INDOOR ISSUE oregonlEAF.COM
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GARDENERS KARIANN MYERS AND LEIGH BROWN WORK ON POTTING GRAPE 33 LAST MONTH.
BLACK COBRA
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OWNER WILL KNIGHT AND MANAGER ZACH LYNCH, IN ONE OF NOBLE FARMS’ GROW ROOMS.
TIME TO DRY
NOBLE FARMS
ROYAL WEDDING
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oble Farms is an OLCC licensed indoor hydroponic farm located in Estacada, about 30 miles southeast of Portland. The farm is a family owned operation that initially started in the early medical days to help their grandmother with her crippling arthritis. The recreational garden was built out over a four year course by owner Will Knight, his two brothers and their mother. Initially, Portland General Electric wasn’t able to supply power to Noble Farms for an extended period of time, forcing them to run a temporary sungrown garden until the issue was fixed. When I first stepped into the facility, I was required to spray the bottom of my shoes with isopropyl alcohol to prevent any mold spores or bugs from entering the facility. I was then lead to the loft area where visitors are required to fully suit up before entering any of the rooms. I was given a hazmat suit, covers for my shoes, and Method 7 glasses so I was prepared for a proper farm tour.
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STORY by WILL FERGUSON/OREGON LEAF | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
THE INDOOR ISSUE
N O B L E F A R M S Continued from pg. 53 MAINTAINING ROYAL WEDDING, GARDENER ALEX D. HAS BEEN WITH NOBLE FARMS FOR TWO YEARS.
ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL BEFORE ENTERING.
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TRIMMING UP WEDDING CRASHER.
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oble Farms is constantly pheno-hunting for new cultivars from the top breeders in the world. Their goal is to drop about one new flavor every week. “When we see a breeder that’s doing good work, we want to give them a shot,” Owner Will Knight said. Exotic strains such as Frozen Margy, Sweet Gelato Pie, Welchz Grapes, Rainbow Belts, Tire Fire OG, Peanut Butter Pie, Grape Dosi and so many others fill the flower rooms with a myriad of scents and colors. They do have a few legacy strains as well that are always in rotation, including Blueberry Kush and Jack Herer. An electronic microscope is used daily to monitor IPM, check for nutrient deficiencies, and gauge when to harvest (trichome ripeness). Once the flower is harvested, it’s then hung inside a temperature controlled Cannabis humidor where it vine ripens slowly for a few days. The vegetative room is chock full of various genetics and phenotypes. Increased temperature and humidity helps to create a jungle-like atmosphere that is optimal for plant growth at this stage. Lead Gardener Zach joined us about halfway through the tour to offer his insight and further explain (from a production side) how the farm operates.
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Noble Farms utilizes a bonsai method for canopy management and growth. This method involves stretching and topping the plant multiple times in order to maximize size and node production. The bigger plants allow for the crew to have manageable canopy sizes, where they are able to access all sides of the plant and give each one individual love - compared to many other farms trying to shove as many plants they can in a flower room. Very few buds are produced as a result of this technique. A strict IPM program has been implemented at Noble Farms as well, which is essential to maintaining a clean, healthy garden. Sachets of predatory mites can be found hanging under plants in flower. In addition, a small shrub-like plant is placed throughout each flower room. These plants contain a pollen that predatory mites will consume when there is nothing else for them to eat in the room, which keeps them alive for a few weeks longer. Craft procedures coupled with new and exotic genetics continues to be at the forefront of the Noble Farms operation. One combination in particular was recommended by the entire staff: Mix Peanut Butter Pie and Welchz Grapes in a joint or bowl to make PB&J. I can attest to the delicious flavor of this combo and highly recommend picking some up if you see it at your local retail shop. PDXBuds.com @NobleFarmsOR
EXOTIC STRAINS SUCH AS FROZEN MARGY, SWEET GELATO PIE, WELCHZ GRAPES, RAINBOW BELTS, TIRE FIRE OG, PEANUT BUTTER PIE, GRAPE DOSI AND SO MANY OTHERS FILL THE FLOWER ROOMS WITH A MYRIAD OF SCENTS AND COLORS.
MANAGER ZACH LYNCH CHECKS OUT SOME JACK HERER.
STORY by WILL FERGUSON/OREGON LEAF | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
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THE INDOOR ISSUE
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2020 GearGuide I N DI S P E NSAB LE I N D O O R CULT IVAT IO N G EAR
SOME SAY there’s nothing new in Cannabis cultivation. Plenty of farms claim to have unlocked the secret - and while many will even go so far as to protect their methodologies as proprietary intellectual property - in an agricultural segment that predates the dawn of Christianity by at least a millennium, there are very few new tricks. That is, unless we’re talking about indoor. Emerging from the high-pressure, sodium-lit recesses of forced guerilla growing, formerly illicit indoor Cannabis cultivators now get to benefit from advancements in controlled, closed-loop agribusiness that other commercial crops have been enjoying for years. We saw it at MJ Bizcon in Las Vegas in December - dozens if not hundreds of companies promoting bespoke cultivation equipment and products designed or retrofitted to suit the indoor Cannabis grower. For this year’s indoor issue, we spoke with some indoor cultivators and asked them what companies and products get them excited. Here’s a roundup of some of the groups and products garnering the loudest buzz from the indoor hivemind.
RHYTHM CULTIVATION RhythmCSS.com
oregonlEAF.COM
The first time I saw a Rhythm system was in 2017, and it looked like something out of the future. The company’s custom fertigation and cultivation management systems designed and built specifically for the Cannabis industry - not only dial and automate some of the most important processes in a grow-op, but they look cool as hell while doing it. We’ve been watching this company for a while. And yes, we think they’re going to continue to do big things as the indoor industry continues to grow.
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GRASSROOTS FABRIC POTS GrassrootsFabricPots.com
Picking the right home for your mothers and daughters plays an important role in any garden, especially when growing in soil. Many of the soil growers we talk to swear by their Grassroots fabric pots and beds. The company’s fabric pots and beds allow for aeration and are built to last, leading to healthy root growth and minimized waste.
TRYM SOFTWARE Trym.io Finding the right blend of software is kind of like finding the right blend of NOT ONLY CAN nutrient inputs - it’s difficult, and when things don’t work together, it can be YOU DELEGATE disastrous. Fairly new on the scene, Trym has created harvest management TO EMPLOYEES software that integrates with Metrc compliance software, as well as various THROUGH THE cultivation management applications. PLATFORM, Jon Hudnall, Director of Operations for Doghouse Cannabis, was an early BUT YOU CAN adopter of the software for his facilities in Oregon, Washington and soon to MONITOR HOW be Michigan. Needless to say, he swears by them. LONG IT’S “I really like the Trym software - they’re doing something a little bit different than most of the technology companies that are trying to get into the Cannabis TAKING FOR EACH TASK. space,” Hudnall said. “They’re doing task management and batch management stuff. Not only can you delegate to employees through the platform, but you can monitor how long it’s taking for each task. When they started, they were trying to do more environmental monitoring and controls, but by listening to growers, they discovered that we’re really concerned about labor.” “We were an early adopter of the software, and it’s been awesome to watch them grow and keep improving their software. They’ve been listening to their customers and implementing those changes.”
LUXX LIGHTING LuxxLighting.com When it comes to lighting, the California-based Luxx Lighting comes up a lot in conversation with cultivators. That’s because the company was founded for and by growers. “(That) puts them in a unique position to develop the most innovative fixtures on the market,” says Nick Ciufo, owner of Tao Gardens in Eugene, Ore., who also uses Grassroots Fabric Pots. Luxx produces classically reliable, high-output grow lights, and is known for their high-pressure sodium and ceramic metal halide lights. Ciufo’s Tao Gardens will be a testing ground for Luxx’s new 1000-watt double-ended ceramic metal halide light, which will be coming to market this year.
FLUENCE BIOENGINEERING F luence.Science For growers who’ve moved on from the traditional high pressure sodium and ceramic metal halide lighting to the world of LED, Fluence Bioengineering continues to be one of the most talked about suppliers. The company promises increased terpene and cannabinoid production, along with decreased energy expenditures - plus it introduces the potential for efficient vertical cultivation. Vertical cultivation plays a huge role in the future of indoor agriculture, as it allows for the ability to stack rows of plants atop one another, maximizing the efficient use of a grow’s footprint. Once regulations aren’t governed by plant count and canopy size, companies like Fluence will allow cultivators to stack ‘em high.
THE COMPANY PROMISES INCREASED TERPENE AND CANNABINOID PRODUCTION, ALONG WITH DECREASED ENERGY EXPENDITURES - PLUS IT INTRODUCES THE POTENTIAL FOR EFFICIENT VERTICAL CULTIVATION.
BUILDASOIL BuildaSoil.com
When it comes to creating custom soils and amendments, few companies come up in conversation as often as Colorado’s BuildASoil. By using organic inputs to create living soil blends - as well as soil amendments to fit a number of cultivation scenarios - this company provides sustenance and a significant part of the ecosystem for a number of the soil-grown flowers you’ll find on the shelf.
STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS
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RECIPES
IN LOVE WITH MARY JANE
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THIS MONTH we infuse and celebrate with dark chocolate, tater tots and chili. And there’s a red rose for Valentine’s Day. February is a good food month. Make it a good love month too. We need it. #Dontfeartheedible
DANK DRINKING CHOCOLATE for two
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1 ½ CUPS HALF AND HALF 2 TEASPOONS CANNA-BUTTER 7 OUNCES DARK CHOCOLATE 1 TABLESPOON SUGAR 2 TEASPOONS CORNSTARCH PINCH OF SALT ½ CUP GRAHAM CRACKER CRUMBS ½ CUP MINI MARSHMALLOWS INSTRUCTIONS 1. Heat the half and half on low in a small saucepan. 2. Add the canna-butter and the sugar, stir well, heat but don’t boil. 3. Add the chocolate and stir well. 4. Add the cornstarch and salt, whisk for 3-4 minutes. 5. Divide between two cups and top with crumbs and marshmallows.
CANNABIS-INFUSED CHILI SERVES 6
2 TABLESPOONS CANNA-BUTTER OR OIL 1 LB GROUND BEEF OR CHICKEN/TURKEY 1 SMALL WHITE ONION, CHOPPED 2 15OZ CANS DICED TOMATOES 1 CAN BEANS, DRAINED, KIDNEY OR BLACK 3 TABLESPOONS CHILI POWDER 1 TEASPOON GROUND CUMIN 1 TEASPOON GROUND SMOKED PAPRIKA CHIPS, AVOCADO, RED ONION
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INSTRUCTIONS 1. In a large saucepot heat the butter or oil. Add the meat or chicken and sauté until just cooked, 10-12 minutes. If there is a lot of liquid, carefully pour it out. 2. Add the onion and cook for 7-9 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the beans, along with all the spices. 3. Simmer gently, stirring every 10 min. for 35-40 minutes. 4. Divide between the bowls and top with crushed chips, avocado and red onion.
TATER TOTS TO LEAVE YOUR LOVER
INSTRUCTIONS
SERVES 3
1. Heat oven according to directions on the package. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and the butter. Chill briefly.
½ CUP SOUR CREAM 1 TBS MELTED CANNA-BUTTER, COOLED 2 CUPS TOTS, HOT AND CRISP 3 SCALLIONS, TRIMMED AND CHOPPED 3 STRIPS BACON, COOKED & CHOPPED
2. Place 3 bowls on your work surface. As soon as the tots are ready, place them in the bowls and top with scallion, bacon and the infused sour cream. Dig in.
RECIPES by LAURIE WOLF | PHOTOS by BRUCE WOLF
EDIBLE OF THE MONTH
TASTE 5/5 EFFECT 5/5 PKGNG 4/5 VALUE 5/5 TOTAL 19/20
ELBE’S EDIBLES
15MG/50MG THC per cake truffle
Cakeballs &cakebombs
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cake balls REVIEW by PACER STACKTRAIN NAMED AFTER Laura Brannan, the company’s founder, Elbe’s Edibles is one of Oregon’s true legacy Cannabis brands. The company was here before legalization took hold and has been a trusted provider of quality edible products to consumers for years. What’s more, Elbe’s is one of the most transparent companies in the industry - often opening up their production facility to anyone who wants to see what goes into making their product. One of the most tried-and-true of these products are Elbe’s famed ‘cake balls’ - which are infused, chocolate-covered balls of cake. But it’s the infusion that truly makes Elbe’s stand out from the pack, as they’re one of the few producers using canna-butter (oil infused with real butter) to create their product. They take this one step further by telling the consumer exactly what flower (and even more important, what producer) went into the butter. One of the great things about making an edible where THC or CBD is infused with butter, is that the effects have far more staying power than choices made simply with distillate. We tried the four flavors of cake balls they’re currently offering on the market this month, all utilizing the amazing flower of DogHouse. Cake balls are a perfect treat for sharing, as each comes with 15mg THC and you can easily split them in half or in thirds to share. Elbe’s Edibles has created truffle-quality Cannabis confections that could be sold in any boutique chocolate shop. Favorites included the lemon, chai and triple chocolate.
cakebombs
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REVIEW by MAX EARLY
CLOCKWISE FROM T O P R I G H T / C HAI BAL L, BERRY BOMB, LEMON BALL, ORANGE DREAMSICLE BALL, & TRIPLE CHOCOLATE BALL.
“I FELT THE EFFECTS START TO TAKE HOLD WITHIN 10-15 MINUTES OF THE CAKE BOMB DROPPING DOWN MY THROAT.” EL B ESEDIBLE S.CO M | @E L BE SE DI BLE S
FEB. 2020
BITING INTO this insanely flavorful treat revealed a delightfully purple color, complemented by a delectable berry taste. Each mouthful is rich, doughy and moist, reminiscent of a fresh piece of cake! Although some edibles take a bit longer to kick in, I felt the effects start to take hold within 10-15 minutes of the Cake Bomb dropping down my throat. Initially, I welcomed a wave of relaxation as it crashed over me - starting behind my eyes and slowly making its way down the rest of my body. Typically, before bed I find myself wanting to smoke bowl after bowl. However, after eating the entirety of this whopping 50mg Cake Bomb, my Cannabis cravings were beyond satisfied, leaving me experiencing a deep state of inner peace and calmness. I would recommend those with a higher tolerance than most to enjoy the entire Cake Bomb for a well-rested night of sleep! Not looking to get knocked out? Try divvying into smaller portions, but undoubtedly beware that the deliciousness and potency of these appropriately named Cake Bombs is not to be trifled with.
REVIEWS by @THEPACERSTACKTRAIN AND @LIFTED_STARDUST | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
concentrate OF THE MONTH
AMALGAMATION EXTRACTED by BEE HIVE EXTRACTS CULTIVATED by PACIFIC GROVE
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malgamation is a delicious blend of eight different strains grown by Pacific Grove. With Monkey Bread, Frozen Margy, Pure Essential, Ice Cream Man, Grape Octane, Legendary Cookies, and Flavor Crystals making up this terpene rich extraction mix, the budder is neon yellow in color and boasts a complex mix of fruity, earthy and funky flavors. It’s tough to discern specific flavors on the nose, however it seemed to lean slightly more towards the Legendary Orange Apricots lineage from the Legendary Cookies. The cake frosting like consistency made it rather easy to portion out each dab to the desired size, a welcome treat given most terpene rich sauces are a challenge to keep on the dabber because of their lack of viscosity. I took a few dabs with a friend before grabbing some food and we loved the complex mix of fruity, floral and earthy flavors, as the different terpene profiles from the strain mix are well represented. For me, the effects hit rather cerebrally. Moments after taking a dab I noticed my mood was elevated and my senses were amplified. This extract is abnormally high in a terpene called trans farnesene, which has a plethora of benefits such as antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. This terpene has also been known to combat anxiety, and is known to be an antispasmodic - which is great for muscle spasms.
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“ MOMENTS AFTER TAKING TASTE 4/5 EFFECT 5/5 PKGNG 5/5 VALUE 4/5 TOTAL 18/20
FEB. 2020
A DAB I NOTICED MY MOOD WAS ELEVATED AND MY SENSES WERE AMPLIFIED.”
79.54%THC
1.23% CBD | 6.34% trans farnesene 2.16% beta caryophyllene 1.96% beta myrcene BEEHIVEEXT RAC TS.COM @BEEHIVEEXT RAC TSOR
REVIEW by WILL FERGUSON/OREGON LEAF | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
@bosnoseknows
topical of the month
THIS MONTH I TESTED THE HOT BALM WARMING RUB FROM OM REMEDIES.
This topical comes in an easy to use twist applicator for direct use, kind of like a giant chapstick tube. If you are into warming balms like Tiger Balm or Icyhot with a kick of Cannabis, this is the product to try. PACKAGING & APPEARANCE (4/5) The balm itself comes in a plastic
twist container for easy and direct application to where you need it. The balm is tinted green and made with full spectrum Cannabis concentrate sourced from Om’s family farm, Wisely Organics. AROMA (3/5) The smell of cinnamon and clove
might overwhelm those unfamiliar with warming balms. But if you know what you’re getting into, this is the perfect balm for physical recovery from sports or strenuous exercise. This balm is heavy in overall spice, but I detected a slight hint of Cannabis.
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APPLICATION (5/5) The balm is smooth and blends
seamlessly into the skin without leaving a greasy residue. I especially enjoyed being able to apply the balm directly to where I needed it.
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EFFECTS (3/5) After a day of snowboarding, I was
OM REMEDIES Hot Balm Warming Rub
I APPLIED THE HOT BALM ON SORE AREAS AND ENJOYED THE WAY IT BEGAN TO WARM MY BODY, MELTING THE CHILL FROM EXTENDED EXPOSURE.
OREGONICTONIC.COM | VISITTJS.COM
FEB. 2020
looking forward to using this product on sore muscles I brought back with me from the mountain. I applied the hot balm on sore areas and enjoyed the way it began to warm my body, melting the chill from extended exposure. The relief was minor, and the spicy tingle didn’t last longer than ten minutes after applying the balm. More than anything, it left my skin super soft and hydrated. VALUE (4/5) The 25 dollar cost is relatively
reasonable for just over an ounce of Cannabis topical. Total 19/25 OMREMEDIES.COM @OMREMEDIES
$25+TAX, 80MG THC | 78MG CBD
REVIEW by SIMONE FISCHER @SIMONEFISCHERR | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
NOW OPEN Salem, OR @edencraftcannabis www.edencraftcannabis.com
TANNINS & TERPENES
GRÖN RUBY CACAO
A TO Z WINEWORKS 2016 OREGON PINOT NOIR
I WANTED to find a special pairing for the first Valentine’s Day of the decade. So, instead of automatically resorting to dark chocolate, I found myself intrigued by Grön’s ruby cacao bar. The unique color comes from ethicallysourced ruby cacao beans, which give the chocolate its signature blushy hue. And for its date, we paired the fancy ruby cacao with a
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luscious 2016 pinot noir from A to Z Wineworks, a B-Corps and local Oregon vineyard.
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UNLIKE the expected bitterness found in dark chocolate, the ruby cacao has slight tangy or tartness in every bite. It’s incredibly smooth and mild, but the sour cherry notes provide the cacao with a greater depth of flavor. The ruby cacao is significantly sweeter than a dark chocolate, but not too rich. It reminds me of a white chocolate mixed with cherries, but not as sugary. Each bar holds 50mg of THC, and each divided piece is 5mg. I must admit, I could eat a lot of this stuff - so make sure you have a significant other(s) to share with.
I chose to pair the A to Z 2016 Oregon pinot noir with the ruby cacao because I wanted to shine light on the abundance of exquisite pinot noir we have in Oregon. Pinot noir is made for the Pacific Northwest climate and Oregon is producing world-class pinots right in our own backyard. For some reason, pinots tend to get a bad reputation - but don’t listen to the haters. The A to Z pinot is dry without becoming dirty, and pairs immaculately with the sweet ruby cacao, heightening the robust and juicy notes of the pinot.
*Oregon Leaf Disclaimer* Anytime you are mixing two substances of any kind, you need to be extra vigilant of the effects and plan accordingly. We strongly recommend conducting pairings with others in a safe and private space in small quantities. Always make sure you can get home safely without jeopardizing yourself or others.
The pinot consumed with Grön’s ruby cacao provides you with a decadent experience of both Oregon Cannabis and wine. It’s romantic, posh, and certainly sets the tone of the evening. Cancel the reservations and save your money. Cook a satisfying dinner at home, crack the wine and plate the fancy THCchocolate. PRO-TIP: MELT THE CHOCOLATE AND USE YOUR IMAGINATION.
GRONCHOCOLATE.COM | ATOZWINEWORKS.COM
FEB. 2020
GRÖN RUBY CACAO A TO Z WINEWORKS ‘16 OREGON PINOT NOIR $20, 50mg THC
$18.50, 13.5% ABV
REVIEW by SIMONE FISCHER @SIMONEFISCHERR | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
coffee & cannabis
Brewed by The Reef
COLD BREW & 9 POUND HAMMER
When it comes to both coffee and Cannabis, most people are only mindful of the end results. They want their coffee to get them energized, their weed to get them stoned. Here, the average coffee consumer might think they only have quintuple or octuple espresso shot drinks to get them where they want to be. Likewise, stoners end up looking for the strains they know to work, or that they’ve had a great time with in the past. But as we proceed further down the paths of legal pot and baristas looking to reenergize their craft, a plethora of new options emerge. And just because something is newer to the scene shouldn’t minimize the legitimacy of its effect or potency. SINCE ITS EMERGENCE a few years ago, 9 Pound Hammer has been a quintessential Pacific Northwest strain. One of the beauties of this Cannabis strain is just how hybridized it is, though it does lean more on the heavy indica side of things. As a combination of Gooberry, Jack the Ripper and Hell’s OG, 9 Pound doesn’t really exemplify any aspects of its parents’ strains - instead becoming its own beast and its own experience. Named after the 9 Pound Hammer that John Henry wielded while taking on the steam engine, this strain gets the job done just like he did. After four or five tokes you’ll feel like you’ve been kicked in the head, and shortly after, your body will melt into a euphoric, stoney haze. Like wildfire, cold brew has spread through the coffee scene and has shown no signs of slowing down. Once only offered by third-wave coffee shops, cold brew can now be found in corner stores, bodegas, or branded with a certain local siren at your nearest supermarket. People gulp it down with vigor and there are plenty of reasons why. Brewed at room temperature for at least 12 hours (though usually longer), cold brew has a higher caffeine content than almost any of its other coffee counterparts. Additionally, the long, low temperature extraction makes for a smoother beverage - generally well-known for having sweet, bright or caramel notes. As a combination, this pair may not be for the faint of heart. Even the daily consumer can be put through the wringer, riding the waves of both a stimulating and relaxing rollercoaster ride. You’ll assuredly be lifted up by your iced coffee deliciousness and pounded right back down by the 9 Pound Hammer. Don’t let that deter you though - this is for people looking to actually experience something significant out of their coffee and Cannabis. There are no subtleties here and no doubt that these two are doing exactly what they should be. Meanwhile, the Even the daily consumer can be flavor pairing of these two hits the nail on the put through the wringer, riding head (pun intended). the waves of both a stimulating While the myrcene and pinene rich 9 Pound and relaxing rollercoaster ride. Hammer provides hints of sour grapes, berries and herbaceous pine, the cold brew complements with those tart and syrupy flavors. While consuming these, one might consider creative but stationery pursuits like compulsively editing something on photoshop for way too long, or working on that ‘tight five’ for the neighborhood comedy open-mic. Should you find those options still too high energy for you, try distractedly daydreaming out the window. You’ll stay entertained for hours. Conclusively, 9 Pound Hammer and cold brew, though perhaps not for novices, makes for quite the fun combo. Give it a try on your next day off.
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feb. 2020
STORY by TJ GAGNIER | PHOTO by JESSE CODLING | MARKETING
& CREATIVE DIRECTOR, THE REEF SEATTLE
TURN OVER A NEW LEAF IN 2020 Advertising starting at $300 per month
email makani@orleaf.com or max@orleaf.com for details on including your brand & company in the March 2020 Oregon Leaf!
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on the road
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Reflecting on the Journey THE INDOOR ISSUE
STORY by JONAH TACOMA @DABSTARS2.0 for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by JESS LARUE @JESSICALARUE_420
T
he scenery blurred by as we made our way down Hwy 16 towards the Canna Organix farm in Sequim, Washington. My story for The Leaf was overdue and I’d convinced Jessica to drive so I could write on the two hour journey north. As long as I could remember I had wanted to be a writer. As a kid we would take long road trips from Colorado to California to see my dad’s
FEB. 2020
extended family, and I would consume my time creating elaborate works of fiction in the back of his fiberglass topped Chevy traveler van. I grinned at the similarities decades later as I pecked away at my Note 9 from the passenger seat. I had written a tech column for the local college when I was younger and had even made the cover with a piece titled “Marijuana. Crime or American Pastime?” in 2007.
Perhaps it was fitting that I now found myself chronicling tales from the inner workings of the Cannabis scene. From California to Iceland we followed the trail, exploring the cathedrals of Rome, getting lost on the canals of Amsterdam which we now knew like the backs of our hands. Or at least liked to think we did. The last few years on the Cannabis circuit had been one beautiful blur. Jamaica, Spain, Holland
THE LAST FEW YEARS ON THE CANNABIS CIRCUIT HAD BEEN ONE BEAUTIFUL BLUR. JAMAICA, SPAIN, HOLLAND AND A HALF DOZEN STATES IN THE U.S. ALL VYING FOR THE CANNABIS SPOTLIGHT WITH NEW EVENTS POPPING UP EVERY MONTH. and a half dozen states in the U.S. - all vying for the Cannabis spotlight with new events popping up every month. I looked up as we passed over a large floating bridge, the grey winter water capping slightly in the brisk breeze. We were headed as far north as you could go and still remain in the States. A thin strip of water a few miles wide was all that separated the United States from Canada. You didn’t need a microscope to see I was getting older, the miles showing in the gray hairs that dotted my groomed beard. At heart I was still the fresh-faced kid who had stood on trash cans, rallying troops to the cause at a time when the cause still mattered.
From my view in the trenches, legalization had seemed to lead to pacification for the many who saw the battle as over, and were now ready to quietly hand the reins over to corporate Cannabis. These times would inevitably be harkened back to as the glory days of Cannabis. Not unlike the glory days of alcohol prohibition, big change was in the wind and not all of it was good. Cannabis was a commodity. But for many, Cannabis was a community and both were in flux. I paused to roll up, depositing the ground up tobacco into an old coffee cup. The robotic voice of the GPS chimed in announcing our arrival, but I knew we still had a long road ahead of us...
oregonleaf.com
Feature
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
A NEW CANNABIS CULTURE MUSEUM
WHEN I FIRST BEGAN MY CAREER IN CANNABIS AT HIGH TIMES IN 1994, THERE WAS NO SUCH THING AS MEDICAL MARIJUANA, A SO-CALLED LEGAL STATE, AND CERTAINLY NO CANNABIS INDUSTRY—ONLY A BLACK MARKET AND AN UNDERGROUND MARIJUANA MOVEMENT. BACK THEN, IF YOU SMOKED POT YOU WERE A CRIMINAL. AND IF YOU GREW, SOLD OR EVEN ADVOCATED FOR IT, YOU WERE AN ACTIVIST AND AN OUTLAW.
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The only place in the world to buy and smoke weed legally was in Amsterdam. During my two decades at the magazine, I got to travel to Amsterdam nearly every November for the Cannabis Cup, where I was fortunate enough to meet, learn about, and even hang out with many of the great pot pioneers and counterculture heroes. I didn’t realize at the time I was living through Cannabis history in the making. So, it’s ironically fitting that now, four years after leaving High Times, I find myself back in Amsterdam in November, photographing and cataloguing classic issues of my old magazine and memorabilia of those pioneers for a new Cannabis museum that I’m helping to build. Talk about coming full circle. It all started this past July when I began seeing these interesting little Facebook posts by ganjapreneur Jair Velleman, showing off various reefer-related antiques he’d been acquiring, and claiming that he planned to use this growing collection to start a Cannabis museum. “I’ve been a collector all my life,” he admits. “And after selling my company, I had a little bit of time and money on my hands, so I started finding and purchasing a lot of beautiful Cannabis artifacts. Then I started looking at the different Cannabis museums out there and thought that I could do it better.” Marijuana museums had been suddenly popping onto my radar in a big way. I’d just visited Sensi Seeds’ Hash, Marihuana and Hemp Museum in Barcelona a few months earlier, and there was a building buzz around the upcoming opening of Weedmaps’ Museum of Weed in Los Angeles. At that time, I happened to be looking for a new professional project to tackle and was intrigued by the prospect of Jair’s idea. I realized that if he planned to display his artifacts in a museum, he’d need someone to write about them and their significance to visitors, by
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putting them into historical context. I sent him a message, and he expressed interest in possibly hiring me as a freelance writer or consultant when the time came. I thanked him and went about my week - that is, until a few days later, when he called back with an exciting and unexpected offer. “I’ve been thinking about it, and actually I need help with more than just writing about the items,” he confessed. “I can’t build a museum all by myself - I need someone to help me with the whole project. And when I thought about it, I realized that you’re actually the perfect person for that job.” A few weeks later, I was on a plane to Amsterdam for a five-day job interview, at the end of which I’d found a kindred spirit in Jair and been officially named the new Executive Director of the World of Cannabis museum project. In the two months that followed, I set to work researching museums, test driving software and ordering equipment. Then at the end of October, I returned here to Amsterdam to begin the first phase of our epic endeavor: the lovingly laborious process of cataloguing the nearly 500 rare and obscure posters, books, collectibles, and antiques in Jair’s vault. Each and every item must be dated, classified, coded, tagged, measured, photographed, and input into our museum database. Once the collection has been fully archived, we can begin phase two of the project: sorting through it all to decide which items we want to include in the final exhibits. As for the location, we’re still unsure where the museum may end up opening. Jair’s original vision was for the museum to be mobile and pop-up in select cities across the U.S. and Europe, but that could easily change if we find a perfect permanent home for it. Regardless of where the museum ends up, however, its mission will remain the
same: to celebrate the history of modern Cannabis culture by collecting and preserving some of its most significant artwork and artifacts, and displaying them to the public in as engaging and educational way possible. Now you may be thinking: If there are already several Cannabis museums out there, why start another one? Well, because ours will be different than the existing museums in several ways. Our vision is to focus on modern Cannabis culture, primarily in the Western world, from the early days of prohibition and reefer madness, to its modern day mainstream influence and everything in between. From the legendary growers and breeders who propagated all of the popular strains we smoke today, to the brave smugglers who helped distribute them across the globe. From the earliest activists who first fought for legalization, to the smoking celebrities who have come to embrace it. From the birth of the counterculture in the 1960s and the excesses of the 70s, to the Drug War hysteria of the 80s, the advent of medical marijuana in the 90s, and the march toward mainstream acceptance in the new millennium. Ultimately, the driving concept behind World of Cannabis is an all-encompassing educational endeavor that will eventually span all media. As we embark upon this unprecedented journey, we’ll be documenting the entire process as we go through a video series, a podcast, and a syndicated column by yours truly that highlights various objects in the collection, explaining their origins and significance
within the greater context of Cannabis history. Since anthropology is defined as the study of human history and culture, I’ve coined a new term to describe this pursuit that Jair and I are now engaged in CannthropologyTM - the study of Cannabis history and culture (and the name of my upcoming column and podcast). In today’s new legalized landscape, when marijuana media is shifting its focus from OGs to CEOs, it’s more important than ever for us to memorialize the counterculture icons and outlaws whose audacity and activism created the thriving Cannabis community we’ve all grown to love. For aspiring “cannthropologists” such as Jair and myself, World of Cannabis is a true passion project - one that we hope will provide a valuable resource and lasting legacy of education and enjoyment for generations to come. By preserving and honoring our history, we become a part of it. We invite you to join us on this fascinating exploration into the origins and evolution of our culture. Bobby Black is the executive director of the World of Cannabis Museum project. He’s also a former senior editor, columnist, and 21-year veteran of High Times magazine, host of Blazin’ With Bobby Black on Cannabis Radio, and cofounder of Higher Way Travel. If you have an item or story of historical significance that you think is worthy of inclusion in the museum, let us know at worldofcannabismuseum@gmail.com. Look for Bobby’s new column Cannthropology coming soon!
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STORY & PHOTOS by BOBBY BLACK for LEAF NATION
Cannabis LAW
“ Why hasn’t home cultivation of Cannabis been permitted or encouraged by states more widely? ”
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oregonlEAF.COM
Defending Indoor Cultivation For more than 10,000 years, humans have cultivated the Cannabis plant for its wide-ranging benefits. Whether for medicinal uses or fiber for building materials, the Cannabis plant has proven to be a hearty plant with a complex chemical makeup that can vary tremendously in physical size, chemistry and appearance. Furthermore, these physical and chemical signatures of a plant’s genetics can be expressed by a knowledgeable cultivator through the various conditions under which the Cannabis is grown. This is the essence of the indoor cultivation revolution.
N
early all of the Cannabis consumed in the medical dispensaries, especially the flower, are grown indoors under artificial lights. This is mainly because the Cannabis grown indoors from cultivars has “bag appeal,” with the right combination of appearance and smell that resonates with consumers. But the majority of the Cannabis grown in this country is grown outdoors due to the prohibitive costs of indoor cultivation. This is especially true when certain organic chemicals are being stripped out of the biomass to be used in another products, such as concentrates, edibles or tinctures. In such cases, growers are concerned with obtaining the greatest amount of Cannabis at the least expensive price, to create the desired product potency. But cost isn’t the only reason why the cultivation of Cannabis has come indoors. Cannabis, as an agricultural commodity, has unique attributes that distinguish it from alcohol and tobacco. It’s relatively easy to grow and does not require industrial processing. Cannabis can be produced anywhere by just about anyone. It is grown throughout the country, in backyards, closets, attics, basements and warehouses.
In fact, growing Cannabis indoors has never been easier. The technology and equipment needed to grow Cannabis is legal and widely available, and the information about how to grow is equally so. Which brings us to the elephant in the room. Why hasn’t home cultivation of Cannabis been permitted or encouraged by states more widely? Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have adopted some form of medical Cannabis legislation. Eleven states have outright legalized the use of Cannabis by adults over 21 years of age. But only 16 states and the District of Columbia permit some form of home cultivation, even for medical patients. Why is the simple act of planting a Cannabis plant - a plant that grows virtually anywhere - so controversial? Most agricultural crops throughout the world are grown solely outdoors (e.g., grapes, grain, etc.). In fact, it wasn’t so long ago that Cannabis was exclusively grown outside as well. That changed, in part, because of the war on drugs launched in the 1980s and the need for illicit growers to avoid detection by surveillance helicopters and police. Indoor Cannabis cultivation took root in the United States during the 1980s when the Reagan administration committed money and resources to federal Cannabis raids. Frequent law enforcement raids that targeted outdoor gardens inadvertently helped to jumpstart a cottage industry of innovative products for growing marijuana indoors, including nutrients, soil amendments, special lights, and various equipment to control temperature and moisture. Cannabis, a versatile botanical that can thrive under a 24-hour light cycle, adapted well to the new indoor environment. But don’t take my word for it. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) own data from 2018 confirms it. According to the DEA’s Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Statistical Report from 2018, the agency and its law enforcement partners confiscated an estimated 2.82 million marijuana plants nationwide - a 17% decline from the agency’s totals and a 66% decline since 2016. On the other hand, while the total number of Cannabis plants seized by the DEA fell in 2018, the seizures of indoor Cannabis plants nearly doubled - rising from 304,000 plants in 2017 to just under 600,000 in 2018. Regardless, it is clear that indoor cultivation offers benefits to consumers that cannot be obtained from an outdoor grow — benefits which are crucial for anyone seeking to use Cannabis as a medicine: -The ability to cultivate year-round free from weather and adverse conditions (e.g., cold, bugs, rot, etc.), -Control over growing conditions (e.g., light, soil, nutrients, CO2, etc.) -Product standardization, uniformity & bag appeal. And while indoor growing may continue to be more expensive, current trends seem to indicate that it will continue to have a significant impact on the world’s cultivation of the Cannabis plant.
Since 2008, Mike Rothman has counseled clients regarding Cannabis laws and regulations as the founder and principal of the Medical Cannabis Law Group and the Law Office of Mike Rothman in Rockville, Maryland. Mr. Rothman has testified on Cannabis laws and regulations before the Maryland House of Delegates, taught classes, and lobbied the federal government on behalf of patients and businesses. Mr. Rothman’s Law Office focuses on criminal defense, including use of the medical Cannabis defense.
FEB. 2020
COLUMN by MIKE ROTHMAN, ATTORNEY & PRINCIPAL | MEDICAL CANNABIS LAW GROUP | PHOTO by @BERMANPHOTOS
QUALITY OVER QUANTITY @CASCADIAPREMIUM
Crop Circle Chocolate
Hash Joint 70% flower 30% hash 100% fire @hashers_pdx
A Thoughtful Edible Gift HAND-CRAFTED IN PORTLAND SINCE 2014 All five flavors of truffles in one box Special Valentine’s release with Golden Papaya grown by @CropCircle.Chocolate
Fidus
Locations: cropcirclechocolate.com
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by Mike Ricker One Night Stand With A Carnie The whole thing was a Whirlwind. Literally. That was the name of the fabulous traveling amusement ride she so deftly operated. Sometimes the energies of the heavens are in complete synchronicity and a bolt of lightning can change your trajectory. There was an actual graphic of a bolt of lightning on the side of the structure, you see, and it was the bad-assedness of this bolt that I commented on before she picked the ticket from my fingers, spit into her cup and flashed that crooked smile. “Wanna party?” she said slyly. “Don’t ask twice,” I responded. And into the gorgeous August night we went - first dashing to the shooting gallery to claim the stuffed minion that was my marksman’s prize to behold and gift to the new apple of my eye. Aboard the Ferris Wheel we shared a blunt, hovering over the shrieks and bells that further beckoned the unbridled impulses. The fun kept coming at the Giant Zipper, where the twists and spins made us drunk with the lust of maniacal whimsy. In the wee hours of the crisp morning, the shocks of Third Wheel squeaked back and forth like a rocking chair on a creaky front porch.
Feb.2020
And then off she went into the sunrise, down that lonesome dusty road to the next Walmart parking lot several miles from some random Main Street. She would impress a new crowd in a forgotten town, where the tumbleweeds saunter in the footsteps of Tom Joad. The lonely romantic life isn’t for everyone, I thought. And I may never forget her precious companion, Muffy, wearing her torn, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt, bravely battling that pesky case of mange. I think of Travolta in the movie Grease as the summer sun fades south, my curious eyes gleaning for some explanation on the peaks and valleys of life’s roller coaster. “Wonder what…she’s doin’ now…”
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