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#30 | JUNE 2021
INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010
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THE GLOBAL ISSUE
patient of the month
ARIANA FOOTE
How Cannabis helps her
CLAUDIA DELLA MORA
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Claudia Della Mora, co-founder and managing partner at Black Legend Capital, on Cannabis as a global commodity, the challenging but rewarding path forward for the growing industry, and what the future holds for companies and our community.
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE CANNABIS LAWS WORLDWIDE
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CONCENTRATE OF THE MONTH GRAPE LIME RICKY DIAMONDS & SAUCE
WYATT EARLY
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46 Amsterdam’s Reefer Culture Known as one of the Cannabis capitals of the world, Amsterdam has a long and unique history of accepting and also rejecting Cannabis. Leaf Nation’s Bobby Black unravels the complicated city’s take on Cannabis Culture.
////////// story by bobby black
JUN. 2021
feature
WERNARD BRUINING
leafmagazines.com
SHOP REVIEW FOUR GREEN FIELDS
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WYATT EARLY
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EDITOR’S NOTE N AT I O N A L N E W S CANNABIS LAW BUDTENDER Q&A PAT I E N T P R O F I L E SHOP REVIEW STRAIN OF THE MONTH GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE GLOBAL COMMODITY GLOBAL CR ACKDOWN GLOBAL STR AINS TECHNOLOGY C O N C E N T R AT E O T M CANNTHROPOLOGY STONEY BALONEY
Above: Master growers Soma, Wernard Bruining, Old Ed Holloway, and Ed Rosenthal in Amsterdam around 1996.
WYATT EARLY
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T H E E N L I G H T E N E D VO I C E
N O RT H W E S T L E A F / O R EG O N L E A F / A L AS KA L E A F / M A RY L A N D L E A F / CA L I F O R N I A L E A F / N O RT H E AS T L E A F
A B O U T T H E C OV E R For The Leaf’s first-ever Global Issue, we tapped the artistic prowess of Maine-based illustrator Cody Muir, who has become known for his surreal and futuristic editorial cover pieces for clients like The Washington Post, BBC Science Focus, Seattle Met, and Politico Europe. “I was excited to be approached by the Leaf team with the Global Issue’s cosmos-inspired theme since it gave me a chance to make something truly atmospheric,” he says. “Finding a visual method to express Cannabis’ global importance throughout history was a blast.”
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WES ABNEY | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
BOBBY BLACK, FEATURES JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION TOM BOWERS, FEATURES EARLY, PRODUCTION STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS MIKE GIANAKOS, FEATURES TAYLOR MARTIN, FEATURES CODY MUIR, ILLUSTRATION BAXSEN PAINE, FEATURES MIKE RICKER, FEATURES MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING MIKE ROTHMAN, LAW COLUMN ZACK RUSKIN, FEATURES JAMIE VICTOR, DESIGN DAN VINKOVETSKY, FEATURES NATE WILLIAMS, FEATURES
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Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up The Global Issue of the Leaf ! CAN YOU IMAGINE a day in the future where Cannabis and hemp are traded on the New York Stock Exchange? Where container ships carry bulk biomass, flower, distillates and finished products like edibles and vape pens, along with the usual haul of bananas, shoes and cars around the world? That future is closer than we think – Cannabis legalization is quickly becoming a global issue, and like all developing markets, is full of enough opportunities and restrictions to make your head spin. I believe that someday I will be able to smoke hash from Spain while eating an edible delicacy from Denmark, while using a transdermal patch for pain from Canada in the comfort of my Seattle living room, or consumption lounge of my choosing. This reality is closer than we think, but also faces a ton of hurdles before my stoner’s delight dream becomes reality. While a lot of pot gets shipped around the world currently, it definitely isn’t legal or regulated, and that means we have a lot of policy to craft as the industry goes from the U.S. dominated states’ rights program, to a universally legal substance.
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CANNABIS LEGALIZATION IS QUICKLY BECOMING A GLOBAL ISSUE, AND LIKE ALL DEVELOPING MARKETS, IS FULL OF ENOUGH OPPORTUNITIES & RESTRICTIONS TO MAKE YOUR HEAD SPIN.
Along the way we need to decriminalize all possession, release all non-violent Cannabis prisoners, and find a way to make the global market equitable for all players and consumers. Does that sound like a lot to do? There’s so much more to global legalization than most think, and while it isn’t going to happen quickly, the seeds of change are being planted now. To celebrate this impending change we released our first ever Global Issue, where we explore the history of Cannabis strains, look at the global legal outlook on Cannabis, and explore the reality of turning our plant from a drug into a commodity. So what’s next? While the future is only a day away, we can all take a big bong hit and celebrate our local Cannabis, and use our voices and votes to help end the war on drugs and bring freedom to our people. In my lifetime, Cannabis has gone from super illegal to medically acceptable to completely legal to buy and grow in many states. I can only imagine what the future holds for our plant and our planet as acceptance for Cannabis spreads like a weed. As Jack Herer said, “I don’t know if hemp is going to save the world, but it’s the only thing that can.”
-Wes Abney JUN. 2021
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CAPITALISM
THE FEDS
PHARMACY CHAIN RITE AID IS ‘LOOKING AT THE MARIJUANA BUSINESS’
ALABAMA GOV. SIGNS MEDICAL CANNABIS LAW
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ite Aid CEO Hayward Donigan in May said that “everyone is looking at the marijuana business.” “There is complexity to that, but (we’re) certainly keeping an eye on it,” she said at THE PA-BASED PHARMACY CHAIN The Wall Street Journal’s Future of Everything Festival. HAS CARRIED HEMP-DERIVED The pharmacy chain, based CBD PRODUCTS in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, has SINCE 2019. carried hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) products since 2019. Donigan said Rite Aid is looking at more homeopathic options in addition to traditional pharmaceuticals. He added that the chain has had all of its pharmacists re-certified as integrative pharmacy specialists. “Pharmacists are trained in alternative therapies,” Donigan said. “They are not just trained on traditional medicine.”
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WYOMING TRIBE MAY LEGALIZE MEDICAL CANNABIS
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he Eastern Shoshone General Council met May 14 to discuss legalizing medical Cannabis on the Wind River reservation in Wyoming, reports the Rocket Miner. Several resolutions were passed – resolutions are law on the reservation – including the authority to move forward with a medical marijuana commission to regulate, oversee and operate tribal-owned cultivation and extraction facilities for Cannabis-related products. The Northern Arapaho Tribe voted the previous weekend in favor of decriminalizing marijuana. The Eastern Shoshone General Council will reconvene June 12 to finish the process of voting on whether to legalize medical marijuana on the reservation. The General Council consists of all adult members of the tribe, while the Business Council is made up of elected officials.
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additional Cannabis growing facilities will be authorized by the DEA.
JUN. 2021
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states currently allow the recreational use of Cannabis by adults.
M DEA WILL ALLOW MORE FACILITIES TO GROW CANNABIS FOR RESEARCH
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oving to end the University of Mississippi’s decades-long monopoly on supplying marijuana for U.S. research, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said in May it will soon issue licenses to a number of growing facilities, reports Science Magazine. Since 1968, only one operation, located on the campus of Ole Miss, has been licensed to supply Cannabis to medical researchers who want to explore its value for treating conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain. The DEA announced on its website that it had sent a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to three manufacturers that had applied for licenses to grow Cannabis for research studies. The memos came six months after the agency published a final rule describing how exactly the program would work. This could mark a “WE WERE EUPHORIC. huge shift after years THIS IS A VICTORY of delayed license FOR SCIENTIFIC FREEDOM,” SAID applications. Although DR. SUE SISLEY. consuming marijuana is legal for medical purposes in 36 states and for recreational use in 17 states, consumption remains a criminal offense under federal law. “We were euphoric. This is a victory for scientific freedom,” said Dr. Sue Sisley, president and principal investigator at Scottsdale Research Institute, which received one of the DEA agreements to be able to grow Cannabis for research. In 2019, SRI sued the DEA to force it to end its years of delay in processing license applications.
edical marijuana has come to the Heart of Dixie. Alabama Gov. Kaye Ivey in May signed a medical marijuana bill into law. More than a dozen conditions, including autism, cancer, terminal illness, depression, epilepsy, panic disorder and chronic pain would allow a person to qualify. Despite not allowing any smoking, and prohibiting patient use of Cannabis flowers and banning growing, the move represents progress for this deep-red state. Daily total THC dosages are also limited to just 50 milligrams, which will certainly come as bad news for chronic pain patients, those fighting cancer, and others. “This is a major step forward for Alabamians,” said Karen O’Keefe at the Marijuana Policy Project. “Rather than being subjected to arrest and criminal penalties for using medical Cannabis, this new law will enable patients who are suffering from illnesses and medical conditions to safely use and access medical Cannabis, a treatment option that is accessible to so many of their fellow Americans. We applaud the legislature for passing and Gov. Ivey for signing the Compassion Act.”
ARTHRITIS, MIGRAINES AND REGIONAL PAIN ADDED TO OHIO MMJ
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hio’s Medical Board has added three existing conditions to qualify to buy medical marijuana, reports the Associated Press. The panel had earlier this year determined that arthritis, chronic migraines and complex regional pain syndrome fall into the existing category of chronic or intractable pain. State residents must obtain a physician recommendation under the state’s 22 qualifying conditions and register to become eligible to buy marijuana flower and other products at the state’s 52 dispensaries. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy voted last month to make more dispensary licenses available to deal with patient complaints about lack of access and high prices. Three of the state’s 31 medical marijuana districts, all in Western Ohio, have no dispensaries.
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states now have medical Cannabis laws; 11 states have CBD-only laws.
percent of Miss. residents favor a special session to reverse a block on MMJ.
percent of Connecticut voters favor legalizing marijuana in a 2021 poll.
91
percent of Americans say Cannabis should be legal for medical/rec, or both.
STORIES by STEVE ELLIOTT, AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF MARIJUANA
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Cannabis LAW
Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988. The inclusion of a substance in a specific schedule mandates the control measures that member-countries must apply when handling the respective substances. Reclassification of Cannabis and its resin will remove some international procedural barriers to research and development of Cannabis-based medical products. However, the change in status of Cannabis will not affect its non-medical use or promote legalization. Cannabis and Cannabis resin will still be carefully controlled by international law and is still classified as having a similar degree of abuse and dependence potential as medicines such as morphine and oxycodone. Despite such concerns, more than 50 countries have medicinal Cannabis programs, and Canada, Uruguay, Portugal and 17 states within the United States have legalized its adult use.
THE UNITED COLORS OF CANNABIS
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DECEMBER 2, 2020, the United Nations’ Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), voted to reclassify Cannabis and Cannabis resin from its current listing in Schedule IV (alongside dangerous drugs such as heroin, fentanyl analogues and other opioids) to Schedule I (which are drugs still subject to international control, but have demonstrated therapeutic uses, such as morphine and cocaine). This proposal was finally presented for a vote at the United Nations more than two years after the World Health Organization (WHO) first presented its recommendations to alter the status of Cannabis in global drug control treaties in January 2019. Consequently, Cannabis and its derivatives will soon be listed as a Schedule I controlled substance (least dangerous category) on international treaties, rather than being listed in both Schedules I and IV (the most dangerous category). Although the vote was largely symbolic and had very few practical implications, this vote represented a major win for Cannabis advocates around the world. The removal of Cannabis from Schedule IV meant that the United Nations finally accepted the proposition that Cannabis is not “liable
to produce ill-effects” on the scale of other drugs in Schedule IV, and that Cannabis has significant potential therapeutic value. Despite this hopeful news, Cannabis still remains a Schedule I substance under international treaties. And this vote to reschedule Cannabis does not immediately legalize or deschedule the plant or its derivative substances anywhere in the world. However, the United States representative to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Ethan Glick, summed up the potential for the symbolic vote this way: “This action has the potential to stimulate global research into the therapeutic potential and public health effects of Cannabis and to attract additional investigators to the field, including those who may have been deterred by the Schedule IV status.” For more than 60 years, Cannabis and its related extracts, tinctures, isomers and analogues have been subject to international control by member states by way of inclusion in the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, as amended by the 1972 Protocol (Schedules I & IV), the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 (Schedule I & II), and the
More than 50 countries have medicinal Cannabis programs, and Canada, Uruguay, Portugal and 17 states within the United States have legalized its adult use.
PROPOSED CHANGES REJECTED BY THE UNITED NATIONS While the CND voted to accept the WHO’s primary recommendation on the reclassification of Cannabis and resin, they did not accept further recommendations to change the classification of other Cannabis-related substances. These proposals included the following: Rejected a proposal to move THC and Dronabinol (synthetic Delta 9 THC) and its stereoisomers from Schedule I. Rejected a proposal to delete extracts and tinctures of Cannabis from Schedule I. Rejected a proposed footnote to Schedule I to define preparations containing predominantly Cannabidiol (a non-psychoactive substance) or less than .2 percent Delta-9 THC, as non-controlled substances under international law. As a side note, the United States maintains that neither CBD or hemp (Cannabis containing less than .3 percent of THC) should be controlled by international treaties. In 2018, the United States Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) placed a marijuana-derived drug, Epidiolex, in Schedule V of the Controlled Substances Act. The medication is an oral solution containing purified CBD, approved as a treatment option for severe forms of epilepsy by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2018.
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.
JUN. 2021
COLUMN by MIKE ROTHMAN, ATTORNEY & PRINCIPAL | MEDICAL CANNABIS LAW GROUP
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INTERVIEW
MARYLAND LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH
PATRICK BARMANN YOU ARE KNOWN AS “THE MAYOR OF BLUNTVILLE,” — WHERE DOES THAT NAME COME FROM? It comes from my favorite blunt wraps, which are Bluntvilles. One night I was watching Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, when Guy Fieri said he was the Mayor of Flavortown. I was kind of stoned and I said, ‘Well, I’m the Mayor of Bluntville.’ And also hanging out with my friends and just rolling blunts with them constantly. YOU’RE ORIGINALLY FROM CALIFORNIA, HOW DO YOU TRY TO BRING WEST COAST VIBES TO MARYLAND? Growing up in LA is kind of like a nonstop party, so I try to bring that vibe everywhere I go. If people aren’t laughing and having a good time, then I’m not doing my job. I try to bring some of that Cali sunshine over here with me. DID YOU EVER CATCH ANY BIG WAVES OUT IN CALIFORNIA? I have surfed once before, but I grew up boogie boarding on Laguna Beach. I could spend my life living on the beach, and I’ve been going to the ocean since before I could even remember. It is honestly my happy place. I use Cannabis to calm my anxiety, and if I spent every day on the beach, I may not even need it for that.
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NOW THAT YOU’VE BEEN IN BOTH THE CULINARY AND CANNABIS INDUSTRIES, WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS? I kind of want to mix the two. I would love to bring my expertise of being a chef, plus my knowledge of plant medicine together to go into the edible game. I make a ton of edibles at home – I’m talking unique edibles that aren’t just the typical brownies or cookies. For example, the other day I made medicated creme brulee, and in the past I’ve done Cannabis infused snow cones.
“THE MAYOR OF BLUNTVILLE”
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atrick moved to Baltimore five years ago from Los Angeles, where he was in culinary school. After working at a few restaurants and moving his way up the ladder, he became the Head Chef for Woodrow’s BBQ. But finding himself burned out on restaurant life, he made the switch from selling food to selling medical Cannabis – a career change he describes as “an easy transition.” Nowadays, he’s the resident expert at ReLeaf who’s tried practically every product his dispensary sells, making him the go-to guy for product knowledge.
RELEAF SHOP 1114 CATHEDRAL ST #5, BALTIMORE RELEAF-SHOP.COM (410) 773-9054
JUN. 2021
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE WHO IS NEW TO CANNABIS? I usually ask people what kind of effects they are looking for/what they are trying to treat. The first step is to find out if they’re looking for an inhalation or edible experience. I try to put myself in their shoes like when I first started working in the industry. My best advice I could give would be to talk to your budtender, ask questions and familiarize yourself with the strains you like, even if that means keeping a journal.
“I WOULD LOVE TO BRING MY EXPERTISE OF BEING A CHEF, PLUS MY KNOWLEDGE OF PLANT MEDICINE TOGETHER TO GO INTO THE EDIBLE GAME.”
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT WORKING AT RELEAF? This is the second dispensary I have worked at, and I love this place. I would hang out with anyone I work with outside of work as well, and I do often. Everyone I work with at least has one thing in common – we use medical Cannabis and our crew is as friendly as it gets.
INTERVIEW & PHOTOS by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT/MARYLAND LEAF S E N D N O M I N AT I O N S F O R B U D T E N D E R O F T H E M O N T H T O W YAT T @ L E A F M A G A Z I N E S .C O M
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arianafoote
“Many people smoke for physical pain, but we’re all human beings and there’s a lot of emotional pain there, too.
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Better known to her 12,000 Instagram followers as @indicawife, Ariana kicked off her account in 2018, posting her first purchase to celebrate the opening of a nearby dispensary. “I’ve smoked [Cannabis] since I was 14-years-old,” she said. “At first it was just for fun. Then more so for depression and anxiety. When Maryland started its program, I was telling my friends for a year that it was gonna happen and they didn’t believe it. So when it happened, I was just so excited, I had to post.” Ariana began creating content, allowing her followers an unfiltered look into her life as she navigated her medical experience through bong rips, blunts and the occasional dab.
Ariana Foote is quick to champion Cannabis as the changing grace in her life. The drug has helped alleviate the anxiety and depression associated with having bipolar disorder. Medical Cannabis has also opened up a social network the 25-year-old Reisterstown native never knew was available, allowing her to thrive as the most authentic version of herself. “I’m always gonna be up and down,” said Ariana, acknowledging her diagnosis. “But Cannabis has changed my life more through networking – just through the industry itself.”
JUN. 2021
“The biggest part was me being very vulnerable with my followers,” she said. “Many people smoke for physical pain. But we’re all human beings and there’s a lot of emotional pain there, too.” When her online presence began to expand, opportunities presented themselves. “As @indicawife started to grow, I got a lot of clout – respect – whatever you want to call it,” said Ariana, noting she was asked to promote brands like Evermore, G-Leaf and Liberty. “It helped people take me more seriously.” She has also written for Maryland Leaf and other publications. Ariana soon found herself working to organize Cannabis parties. She was also presented with the chance to emcee the Cannabis Science Conference in Portland, Oregon. What began as a small bud in her bowl pack, was now lifting Ariana to new heights – allowing the social butterfly to spread her wings to the West Coast. “Empowering is a word I would use,” she said. “I just love weed and I love talking about weed. I’ve got a YouTube channel where I promote products, talk about how different strains make me feel and how I use them [to medicate]. I don’t call myself an educator because I’m still learning. But I learn a lot, and I try to share what I do learn.” Entering her fourth year in the industry, Ariana says it’s time for folks to put away the social stigma around Cannabis. “A lot of people have a certain idea of what a pothead looks like,” she said, dispelling the notion of your typical stoner. “In this industry there are so many people from all walks of life. It’s made me judge people less and it’s easier for me to have a conversation and make new connections. I’ve met people of all ages, races and backgrounds – so many people I never thought I’d speak to.” The pandemic has taken away some of the social fuel that keeps Ariana’s fire lit. On the days she’s feeling low, she pulls back from the social scene and returns to the pure benefits of the plant. “I’m bipolar,” she said. “I have really high-highs and really low-lows. There are days when I don’t want to get out of bed, shower or get dressed. But I’ll get dressed so I can smoke a blunt outside. And then I feel better. I’ll eat food because it’ll make me hungry. It doesn’t change my life, but I definitely feel a lot more peaceful and clear-headed, and it motivates me on days when I don’t feel motivated.“
INSTAGR AM @INDICAWIF E
STORY by BAXSEN PAINE @BAXSENPAINE for MARYLAND LEAF | PHOTOS by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT
SHOP REVIEW
FOUR GREEN FIELDS SETTING & VIBE The big open sales floor of this dispensary reminds me of a yoga studio, bringing a feeling of comfortability and elegance. Staff members are warm and welcoming, in addition to having a deep knowledge and understanding of the products they sell. Whether you want to spend five minutes inside and get out, or spend an hour talking about products and your ailment, they have you covered.
FLOWER
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Deli-style flower leads to deli-style pricing, and you can expect to get a solid deal without having to visit on a specific day or time. Brands like Evermore, Curio, Grassroots and ForwardGro frequent the shelves here. They have a solid understanding of what their patient base is looking for, and keep it around to meet their needs. They also have CBD flower available from local sources.
CONCENTRATES From delectable badders and budders to pain-relieving RSO, there are some great options here for getting started with concentrates. Many patients are gaining deeper interest in this arena, and having a proper introduction can make all the difference in people forming opinions on concentrate products.
EDIBLES Chews for days! The edible menu here is dominated by chews, and the variations of flavor and potency can be very helpful for patients new and old. Edible regulations are changing in Maryland, so we can expect to see new product types coming out over the next year.
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QUICK HIT Four Green Fields opened in November 2018, and is legitimately surrounded by green fields in all directions. Owner Beth MacLeod became a Cannabis advocate after watching friends battle with Lyme disease and cancer. She never thought she would end up in the Cannabis industry, but after some education and consideration she took the leap. Now Four Green Fields is able to provide a critical service for patients in need.
FOUR GREEN FIELDS
3518 CONOWINGO RD, STREET, MD FOURGREENFIELDSLLC.COM MON.-SAT. 10AM-7PM / SUN. CLOSED
JUN. 2021
FOUR GREEN FIELDS OPENED IN NOVEMBER 2018, AND IS LEGITIMATELY SURROUNDED BY GREEN FIELDS IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
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MK ULTRA FLOWER BY CURIO WELLNESS
BUSTING OPEN this deli-style flower bag unveiled light green buds covered with bright orange pistils. The scent can be best described as a sweet, pungent and earthy blend of myrcene and linalool. With myrcene being the dominant terpene, I used this strain for high stress days to remain 29.4% THC productive while crushing anxiety. 2.2% Terpenes CURIOWELLNESS.COM @CURIO_WELLNESS
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STORY & PHOTOS by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT/MARYLAND LEAF
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grown by
CURIO WELLNESS SIMPLY OPENING A BOTTLE AND STANDING ACROSS THE ROOM REVEALS ITS ROBUST TERPENE PROFILE.
JUN. 2021
SOURGO
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CROSS SOUR DIESEL AND GORILLA GLUE #4 — TWO OF THE MOST ICONIC AND HEAVY-HITTING CULTIVARS? THE APTLY NAMED AND EXTREMELY POTENT, SOUR GORILLA IS BORN. AND THIS BATCH FROM CURIO WELLNESS IS NOTHING SHORT OF A DEMONSTRATION OF GROWING EXCELLENCE.
GORILLA
Featuring nearly 30% THCa and a whopping 3% total terp concentration, this Sour Gorilla is one of Maryland’s most potent and flavorful tokes. Contrary to popular belief, when breeding, one often thinks that simply combining big name cultivars with one another will automatically produce an amazing offspring. This is rarely the case. However, when Space Genetix decided to cross the Sour Diesel riri cut with a Gorilla Glue #4 x Polar Bear, they knew exactly what they were doing – and now we’re smoking the instant bestseller with market staying power for the ages. You don’t need a certificate of analysis to tell you that this batch of Sour Gorilla is particularly compelling. Simply opening a bottle and standing across the room reveals its robust terpene profile, and a quick glance displays an absolutely glittering specimen of Cannabis flower. Closer examination confirms that yes, it is indeed covered in a dense shell of trichomes. Sour Gorilla’s terpene profile is over 50% myrcene, placing it firmly on the heavier side of the spectrum. It certainly retained a lot of the glue-like qualities of its ancestor, giving a hefty body high without being cumbersome and mellowing out just short of a full couch-lock effect. For heavy pain days and particularly difficult spikes in chronic conditions, this profile is for you. Sour Gorilla takes you TESTING right to the edge of 29.8% thca sedation and keeps 1.85% myrcene .41% caryophyllene you coddled safely in a .41% pinene body high that reaches .26% ocimene your deepest aches .14% humulene and pains. .13% linalool Flavor-wise, the Sour Gorilla keeps the glue coming – making this a gassy smoke, but the florals and fruits do emerge upon the exhale. I suggest you savor the flavor by taking the time to slowly exhale and smack your lips – you’ll be able to further appreciate the nuances of this particular flower, and if you’re lucky, avoid getting too stoned too quickly.
REVIEW by TAYLOR MARTIN for MARYLAND LEAF | PHOTO by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT | CURIOWELLNESS.COM @CURIOWELLNESSBRAND
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the GLOBAL issue
L A B O GL PECT I V E P E RS
UNITED STATES
at home and s rm fo re s e in exam nabis laws n LEAF NATION a C n o rt o p re pecial abroad in this s d. around the worl
THE U.S. HAS EXPERIENCED A FLURRY OF PRO-POT REFORM SINCE ELECTION DAY IN 2020 AND FOUR STATES – NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, VIRGINIA AND NEW MEXICO – PASSED LEGALIZATION LEGISLATION IN JUST THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF 2021!
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Currently, 17 states and the District of Columbia have legalized Cannabis for adult use, while 36 states (and D.C.) have approved medical marijuana programs. More than 237 million Americans now live in a state with some form of legal Cannabis. While individual states have spearheaded the recreational and medical marijuana legalization movement, beginning with California’s landmark Prop. 215 in 1996, it is possible the federal government may soon follow suit. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has announced plans to introduce a measure that would legalize marijuana federally, removing it from the CSA and its insidious designation as a Schedule I narcotic. It’s true that President Joe Biden favors decriminalization and would likely prefer to see Cannabis rescheduled rather than descheduled. However, Senator Cory Booker, who is working with Schumer on the federal legalization bill, believes that Biden would back the legislation. And with a slight Democratic majority in the legislature, there really is a chance that Cannabis is legalized in the United States this year – an unthinkable scenario just months ago.
WITH THE U.S. ON THE VERGE OF HISTORIC CHANGE, LET’S SEE HOW THE REST OF THE WORLD IS HANDLING MARIJUANA-LAW REFORM: NORTH AMERICA
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CANADA
After first approving medical Cannabis more than 20 years ago, Canada became the second country in the world to legalize recreational marijuana in October 2018 when the aptly named Cannabis Act took effect. The adult-use law legalized possession of up to 30 grams of pot. The Cannabis Act also established retail sales and rules for home cultivation. While Canada’s provinces create their own guidelines for retail (and can also opt out of personal cultivation), online sales are legal throughout the country. Provinces also set the minimum age for consuming Cannabis, which varies from 18 to 21.
MEXICO
In 2018, the Supreme Court declared prohibition to be unconstitutional and tasked lawmakers with creating a legalization law. Earlier this year it appeared that Mexico would finally join the ranks of recreational Cannabis countries. However, while legalization legislation passed both chambers, the bill has stalled in the Senate, as lawmakers failed to meet the deadline set by the court. A special session could be held later this year to pass the bill but at the moment, legalization in Mexico remains up in the air. Personal possession of pot has been decriminalized in Mexico since 2009 and a medical law allowing for the use of marijuana with less than 1% of THC was passed in 2017.
JUN. 2021
MIDDLE EAST
ISRAEL
There is a long history of Cannabis in Israel, as many consider the country the birthplace of marijuana research. Israeli Professor Raphael Mechoulam discovered THC in 1964. Since then, Israel’s dedication to Cannabis research has made the country a global leader in the field. Israel boasts a strong medical marijuana program that began in the ‘90s. Recreational Cannabis is partially decriminalized for possession of up to 15 grams.
LEBANON
In April 2020, Lebanese lawmakers legalized the cultivation of marijuana for medical use. The policy change, which officials say was financially motivated, made Lebanon the first Arab country to allow Cannabis cultivation. Legislators also legalized growing industrial hemp. The U.N. considers Lebanon one of the world’s top producers of pot and its crops could be worth up to $1 billion annually. ASIA
SOUTH KOREA
While recreational Cannabis remains highly illegal, South Korea passed a landmark law in 2018 that made it the first country in East Asia to approve the use of medical marijuana. The program is quite strict, requiring a doctor’s recommendation as well as approval from the government to obtain medical Cannabis. And, only pot-based medicines like Sativex, Epidiolex, Marinol and Cesamet are allowed. AFRICA
SOUTH AFRICA
Thanks to a Constitutional Court ruling in 2018, personal consumption, possession or cultivation of Cannabis in private is legal in South Africa. Medical Cannabis is also legal and a doctor can prescribe pot for any condition. Prescriptions are filled at registered pharmacies.
ZIMBABWE
In 2018, Zimbabwe legalized the cultivation of medical Cannabis. However, it took nearly a year for the first license to be awarded (in exchange for a $46,000 fee). While the medical program is struggling, it calls for high quality Cannabis to be mailed to qualified patients by licensed producers.
EUROPE
SOUTH AMERICA
The Czech Republic decriminalized possession of up to 10 grams of pot and home cultivation of up to five plants in 2010. Lawmakers approved a medical Cannabis law in 2013, which allows for patients to obtain 180 grams of marijuana per month by prescription through pharmacies.
The country decriminalized possession and private consumption of small amounts of Cannabis in 2009. In 2017 the government approved CBD for medicinal use, and in 2020 President Alberto Fernández expanded the program to allow home cultivation of medical Cannabis. The new law also permits pharmacies to sell pot products (like oils and creams), which must be covered by insurance for any patient with a prescription.
CZECH REPUBLIC
DENMARK
Despite the famed Freetown Christiania neighborhood, which became famous for tolerated Cannabis sales, marijuana remains illegal in Denmark. However, the country began a four-year pilot program for medical Cannabis in 2018. The government is allowing the marijuana used in the program to be grown locally through a special permit.
GERMANY
Germany legalized medical Cannabis in March 2017, but the program is extremely strict. Only seriously ill patients qualify for a prescription. The government licenses companies to cultivate Cannabis for the limited medical program.
IRELAND
While recreational Cannabis remains illegal in Ireland, the country is experimenting with medical marijuana in the form of a five-year pilot program approved by the health minister. Seriously ill patients failed by conventional treatment would qualify for “compassionate access to Cannabis for medical reasons.”
ITALY
ARGENTINA
BRAZIL
Cannabis remains illegal in Brazil, and those caught with small amounts are subject to community service and conscripted education on the effects of drugs. While medical marijuana has been allowed since 2015, it is reserved for terminally ill patients. In 2019 the program was expanded to include sales through pharmacies.
CHILE
Despite widespread support for, and use of, Cannabis in Chile, pot remains illegal in the South American country. Nonetheless, there have been pro-pot reforms over the years. In 2015, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet removed marijuana from a list of dangerous drugs, where it had been classified along with heroin and cocaine. The move allowed Cannabis to be sold at pharmacies. Additionally, home cultivation for personal use of recreational or medicinal marijuana has been decriminalized.
COLOMBIA
Possession of up to 20 grams of Cannabis has been decriminalized in Colombia since 2012, and in 2015 the country approved home cultivation of up to 20 plants. That same year, Colombia legalized medical Cannabis and established dispensaries. Most recently, in 2019, the Constitutional Court overturned a ban on public consumption.
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ECUADOR
Personal use amounts of Cannabis and hash are decriminalized in Ecuador and possession of up to 10 grams is essentially legal. The Ecuadorian government legalized medical marijuana in Sept. 2019.
Medical marijuana was legalized in Italy in 2013. Shortly thereafter, the government announced that the Italian army would grow the Cannabis for the country’s medical pot program. In February 2021, the health ministry granted a license to a private company to grow medical Cannabis. Prescriptions are only available to qualified patients and marijuana is available through pharmacies. Recreational Cannabis is decriminalized in Italy and as of 2019, home cultivation for personal use was legalized.
URUGUAY
THE NETHERLANDS
The Australian government legalized medical marijuana federally in November 2016, after changing the Narcotic Drugs Act to allow for the cultivation of Cannabis for medicinal purposes. However, the rules for pot patients in Australia differ depending on the jurisdiction. While parts of the country have decriminalized pot, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) became the first jurisdiction to legalize Cannabis in January 2020. While still federally illegal, the ACT law allows for the possession of up to 50 grams and home cultivation of as many as four plants per household.
Everyone’s favorite pot vacation spot; yet most don’t realize marijuana is illegal in Holland. Cannabis is tolerated by the government and sold at coffeeshops. Possession of up to five grams is decriminalized. Public consumption at coffeeshops is allowed.
PORTUGAL
In 2001, Portugal became the first country to decriminalize all illicit drugs, including Cannabis. Currently, those in possession of up to 25 grams of marijuana or five grams of hash face no criminal or civil penalties. Portugal legalized medical Cannabis in 2018, establishing sales through pharmacies. Growing marijuana remains illegal.
In 2013, Uruguay became the first country in the world to legalize recreational marijuana. The following year, lawmakers approved home cultivation of up to six plants and cultivation clubs allowed growers to work together to produce 99 pot plants a year. In 2017, Uruguay implemented its dispensary program, consisting of 16 licensed pharmacies approved for retail sales.
DAB UNDER
AUSTRALIA
CARIBBEAN
BARBADOS
Barbados legalized medical Cannabis in 2019 and also allows registered Rastafarians to legally use marijuana through the Sacramental Cannabis Bill.
JAMAICA
In 2015, Jamaica legalized medical Cannabis and decriminalized possession of up to two ounces. Personal cultivation of up to five plants is allowed, as is the sacramental use of marijuana by Rastafarians. Jamaica faced a Cannabis shortage earlier this year due to a drought and increased demand.
STORY by MIKE GIANAKOS @MIKEGEEZEEY/LEAF NATION
the GLOBAL issue
CANNABIS CA CANNABISCANNABISC CANNABIS W 32
THE GLOBAL COMMODITY
hat will it take for Cannabis to become a global commodity, and what does success imply for the current and future marketplaces that are selling Cannabis in the U.S. and beyond? I zoomed with Claudia Della Mora, the co-founder and managing partner at Black Legend Capital – an investment and advisory firm based out of Los Angeles and an expert in international Cannabis legalization – to explore what the future holds for the plant, the industry, and our ability to consume Cannabis internationally.
CANNABIS AS A COMMODITY Traditionally, a commodity is the raw material that makes up finished products like petroleum, sugar or rice that can be traded internationally in large quantities with little restrictions, with pricing based on supply and demand as prices fluctuate. Commodity potential within the Cannabis industry includes THC flower, hemp biomass, THC/CBD distillates or isolates, and crude oil. While these have potential as bulk commodities and to one day be traded on the exchanges, there are three essential pieces to the puzzle that must be made to fit before Cannabis products can be sold as commodities globally. While most U.S. companies see the future of Cannabis as a commodity coming from federal legalization, the real barrier to global trade is the United Nations Drug Treaty. “Cannabis needs to get to a point of international legalization to have a commodity status, and that will require a type of standardization and minimum requirements for products to be traded and sold,” said Claudia Della Mora. “Although everyone looks at the U.S. as the biggest market, it’s only the biggest developed market, but it’s not going to be the biggest manufacturing market. I do believe when everything is federally approved, Cannabis will be cultivated in low labor cost countries like China, Mexico, Columbia – so those countries will be very important while people buy from them.”
JUN. 2021
Claudia Della Mora, Black Legend Capital co-founder and managing partner.
CANNABIS
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IN TERNATION A L L EG A L I Z A T I ON
ANNABIS CANNABIS SCANCAN SO S T ANDARDIZA TION
For Cannabis to be treated as a commodity, there must be universally accepted standards for products. Currently, every state in the U.S. has different standards, as does each country across the globe. For there to be import/export of products, standards for quality, testing, ingredients and many other factors must be determined. There will be different standards for medicinal/ pharmaceutical grade and recreational Cannabis, including cultivation, processing and the end user product. PR IC E T RANSP A REN CY
There has to be a benchmark for prices, with differentiation, just like with the oil and gas industry. Once there are standards agreed upon internationally, there can be pricing set for types and grades of products, which would allow the ability for trade on a global commodity scale. “In order to be a commodity, a product must be freely traded and sold,” said Della Mora. “Oil is a benchmark for pricing, but gas is refined from oil and priced locally. One interesting thing is that raw materials are sometimes a minor cost of the cost of the finished goods – sugar costs very little by the pound, while a two-liter bottle of Coke is above two dollars with little added expense.” THE THREE VERTICALS OF THE INDUSTRY
While it is easy to think about the Cannabis industry as one giant melting pot, there are actually three distinct divisions that come from the same plant: industrial hemp, medical Cannabis and recreational Cannabis. Recreational Cannabis is like the alcohol or consumer packaging industry with lower regulations, medical Cannabis
is similar to pharmaceuticals in terms of regulations and expectations, and industrial hemp can be used for either industrial applications, pharmaceutical grade medical products, or even recreational use. This is a complex web of overlapping products, and it’s important to understand how each vertical has a different function on a global level. INDUSTRIAL HEMP & CBD
Hemp is the only aspect of the three that is today at a commodity level globally, with import and export being legal in the U.S. at under .3% THC, or .2% THC in the European Union. As a commodity, hemp-derived CBD has crashed in prices globally, and the value continues to fall as supply outstrips demand and more farms come on-line globally to produce industrial hemp and CBD. MEDICAL CANNABIS VS . R E C R E AT I O N A L
MMJ is a very specific aspect of the commoditization of Cannabis because processors use THC and CBD raw materials that are specialized, not just anything random. They often require specific ratios of cannabinoids and for the products to be grown or processed in a specific way, like European Union Good Manufacturing Processes certified. These raw materials are also used for specific types of treatments. When you get down to specifics, the real difference between recreational and MMJ is not the end user, but the standards used to classify what category the Cannabis falls under. Apart from regulations like quality control or specific dosing, the only difference between MMJ and recreational is the label on the jar. G L O B A L DE MA N D
Although the global pandemic may have caused an up-tick in Cannabis consumption over the past year, the numbers appear to be here to stay. “Americans legally purchased $17.9 billion of legal Cannabis in 2020, not including the black market or states without legal Cannabis,” said Della Mora. “Which is $7.2 billion more than was bought in 2019 – so the pandemic saw a massive increase in sales – with the combined medical/rec market projected to reach $23 billion annually by 2025. Globally, the value is estimated at $130 billion by 2025, with Mexico alone estimated to be a $60 billion market.”
While there are U.S. based companies that have hundreds of employees and millions of dollars in revenues, even the largest U.S. producer/processor is woefully undersized and unprepared for a global Cannabis market. The market conditions that currently exist domestically have created an environment that has made Cannabis a cash crop in America, but this will not necessarily be the case long term. At the center of this bubbling market is the American idea that Cannabis producers have an inherent value that will make them ripe for acquisition from multinational companies, or that the products and brands they produce have enough domestic value and demand that there will always be a warm market for U.S. companies to sell their products domestically. However, this rose-tinted optimism has new competition on the horizon. “A small number of companies can already supply all the commodity input needed to meet global demand for CBD,” explained Della Mora. “THC is limited state by state in the U.S., currently with high demand, but there is no sense in producing Cannabis in expensive countries or in climates not friendly to cultivation. Small producers might want to provide their knowledge, distribution networks and sales relationships to larger companies that will ultimately produce Cannabis in Mexico or elsewhere. That is the primary value that a small cultivator in the U.S. can provide to a large company once Cannabis is legal globally.” In short, the current state of global legalization works in the producer/processor’s favor in the U.S., as does a lack of federal legalization. Even if the U.S. legalizes before the U.N., a national legal market would likely hurt small to medium U.S. producers in the long run, as they try to compete against multi-state operators and the rush of investment from major corporations. “Of course, I don’t want to sound like a downer, and no producer/processor wants to hear this as they continue pouring money into companies, especially when there is domestic demand,” said Della Mora. “But from an entrepreneurial view, you have to understand your clientele before starting a business – and I think a lot of people are not sophisticated enough to make good decisions long term.” CAN AMERICAN GROWERS COMPETE? >>
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CANNABIS
while the U.S. currently dominates the Cannabis conversation, it is far from the center of the world when it comes to pot’s future as a commodity. And while the U.S. can legalize at the federal level, that doesn’t mean they can export it lawfully. “It has to be the United Nations moving Cannabis to a U.N. Schedule II or III – that would allow countries and investors to create a market for products to be sold legally,” said Della Mora. “Right now to import and export MMJ, a narcotic license is necessary and it has to be compliant to the 1961 U.N. convention.”
THE CURRENT STATE OF GLOBAL LEGALIZATION WORKS IN THE PRODUCER/ PROCESSOR’S FAVOR IN THE U.S., AS DOES A LACK OF FEDERAL LEGALIZATION.
STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX/LEAF NATION | PHOTO by BLACK LEGEND CAPITAL
Continued from previous page
CANNABIS
THE GLOBAL ISSUE
CANNABIS - THE GLOBAL COMMODITY
Listen to Leaf Life Podcast Show #115 Legal Cannabis in Mexico, with guest Claudia.
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CAN AMERICAN GROWERS COMPETE IN A GLOBAL MARKET?
products. ‘Made in America’ could be the stamp that keeps U.S. companies alive – just like the demand seen in the United Kingdom for Australian products that follow the commonwealth trade history of other commodities.” In the European Union and most of the developed world outside the U.S., local governments As noted previously, with commoditization control commodities like minerals and natural comes standardization, meaning that Cannabis resources, and issue permits to companies to in Mexico or Columbia will have to follow the extract, refine and sell these products. From a same rules, regulations and standards as Cannaregulatory standpoint, the less companies involved bis grown in the U.S. In reality, all Cannabis will the better, as it takes fewer resources to regulate be regulated similarly globally, meaning that the and hold accountable a couple massive compasame standardized quality will come from counnies than a large number of smaller companies. tries with more favorable growing climates and This means that globally the market is already lower production costs, which will make it very tilted in favor of huge companies, especially those difficult for U.S. domestic producers to compete with experience in other industries. abroad. The biggest hope for U.S. growers will “In Germany, three companies won the right be local demand, and the potential for the U.S. to cultivate because it is a no-brainer for the Government to impose tariffs or taxes that make government to work with three companies instead competition easier for U.S. growers producing the of dozens, with less management and risk, and same quality of products as those in other parts of everything being provided the world. easily in big amounts on a silver “I think that there will be consum“THERE’S ALWAYS platter,” explained Della Mora. ers domestically and globally that “So any little company would be OPPORTUNITY want to choose ‘Grown in Amera waste of time for a regulating ica’ products versus those grown WHEN THERE ARE government.” in South America or elsewhere,” LIMITATIONS, SO I Nonetheless, Della Mora sees explained Della Mora. “Not all, opportunity within the complex but there will be those who choose ALWAYS ENCOURAGE web of global Cannabis. domestic products if regulations ENTREPRENEURS “There’s always opportunity allow disclosure of where the raw when there are limitations, so I material comes from, like in food/ OR BRIGHT MINDS always encourage entrepreneurs beverages/clothing. If those trends TO THINK ABOUT or bright minds to think about follow, there will be a portion of the SOLUTIONS,” solutions,” she said. “Because consumers that prefer locally-made
JUN. 2021
CANNABIS
CANNABIS
34
when you provide a solution, it’s a good investment of time. Obviously, whoever finds solutions in the meantime is going to make a lot of money, because it’s going to be a few years at least before full commoditization. Eventually, what we would like is for a real commodity situation, for Cannabis to be traded globally – and whoever is first to figure this out will take the market.”
D
espite the challenges facing American companies on a global market, Della Mora is hopeful that the changes in international law will lead to a greater acceptance of Cannabis as a safe recreational drug and medicine, which will continue to create new opportunities for companies in America and around the globe. “My hope is that it will be federally and internationally legal, so that everyone can use it recreationally,” said Della Mora. “But I really hope that this plant can be recognized medicinally and wellness-wise everywhere, because it really does help. We are discovering that Cannabis consumption might even help or protect against viruses like COVID, so we need more research and acceptance. I really hope that people who use Cannabis for medicinal uses can do so without the stigma and ignorance, and that there is going to be global information awareness so that people can learn more about this amazing plant – not from the point of view of stoners, but from medical practitioners working to save lives.”
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STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX/LEAF NATION
the GLOBAL issue
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Signs in Amsterdam warn against smoking Cannabis in public.
AMSTERDAM’S
COFFEESHOP CRACKDOWN
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F
OR THE PAST HALF-CENTURY, Amsterdam border municipalities (where many rowdy tourists enter has been considered the Cannabis capital from neighboring countries like Germany, France, Britain of Europe, if not the world. Long before and Belgium) rather than in Amsterdam, where weed legalization seemed possible here in Ameritourism comprises a significant portion of the city’s econca, Amsterdam’s coffeeshops were the only omy. Sadly though, it looks like that’s about to change. place where one could buy and consume Earlier this year, Amsterdam’s first female mayor Femmarijuana openly without fear of criminal repercussion – ke Halsema, proposed, among other things, enforcing thanks to the Netherlands’ policy of “soft drug” tolerance the wietpas ban in the capital for the first time. In a letter (gedoogbeleid). But over the past decade, that tolerance to the city council on January 8, Halsema outlined a sehas eroded due to the right-leaning Christian national ries of policy changes regarding the city’s Cannabis ingovernment and complaints from the citizenry. dustry. Aside from the so-called “residence criterion,” the Just before the pandemic, tourism to Amsterdam was proposal would also institute new licensing requirements at an all-time high – averaging nearly 2 million to legalize the supply chain – allowing THE LOSS OF visitors per month – half of whom were there, shops to purchase their Cannabis legally at least in part, to visit some of the city’s 166 from government-approved sources (thus CANNABIS Cannabis coffeeshops and/or infamous Red Light eliminating the problem of illegal “backTOURISM IS District. Residents have long decried the throngs of door” suppliers who are often connectSURE TO HAVE ill-behaved tourists who reportedly piss, puke, lited to organized crime) and keep more A DEVASTATING ter, shout and fight in their streets, and seeing the stock on-premises. However, these new EFFECT ON THE city tourist-free during the COVID lockdown has requirements would also limit the number only spotlighted these “overtourism” complaints. of locations each coffeeshop brand can CITY’S ECONOMY To address these “quality of life” concerns, the operate and eliminate over half of the Dutch government began taking steps to reduce tourism: remaining coffeeshops in the city. banning new hotels and tourist-targeted businesses As expected, coffeeshop owners are pushing back (such as Red Light tours and souvenir shops), restricting hard against these measures. Joachim “Joa” Helms, Airbnb rentals and increasing their “tourist tax.” In 2012, co-owner of the legendary Green House coffeeshop and they introduced the “wietpas” (weed pass) policy, which spokesman for the Dutch Cannabis Retailers Association banned non-residents from visiting coffeeshops; howev(BCD), says that the coffeeshop industry is being unfairly er, until now, the policy has been enforced primarily in targeted for the problem of misbehaving tourists.
JUN. 2021
“People who come to smoke weed aren’t the ones causing the disturbance,” he asserts. “Usually, it’s guys being loud on the street and being drunk – and those aren’t typical coffeeshop people.” So if drunk people are causing most of the problems, BCD representatives argue, why not ban tourists from bars? They also point out that the ban will only exacerbate the very criminality officials claim to be concerned about. “If you want to prevent an illegal market, then coffeeshops are essential,” says Helms. “Every smoker that’s not allowed in a coffeeshop is one that buys his weed from an illegal dealer!” According to them, the tourist ban is bad policy for several reasons: It endangers tourists by exposing them to shady street dealers who also sell hard drugs, carry weapons and rip people off; it funnels revenue from Cannabis sales into the hands of criminals, rather than regulated, tax-paying businesses; and it forces tourists to consume their Cannabis out in public, rather than inside designated shops, thus exposing passersby to their smoke. “With the US and Canada legalizing, Cannabis culture is only getting bigger and bigger,” Helms observes. “So instead of closing shops to tourists, we should embrace what this city was always known for and legalize. That’s the best, most obvious solution.” As of now, plans to relocate the Red Light District from the city center to a new “sex zone” on the outskirts of town are already underway, and the Cannabis control proposal is on track to take effect next year. Even if the ban does go into effect, however, many predict it will be short-lived, as the loss of Cannabis tourism is sure to have a devastating effect on the city’s economy – not just the coffeeshop owners, but also hotels, tour operators, restaurants and other businesses. Hopefully, a fairer compromise can be negotiated that addresses residents’ legitimate concerns, while still allowing tourists to continue enjoying Amsterdam’s world-renowned coffeeshop culture.
STORY by BOBBY BLACK @BOBBYBLACK420 for LEAF NATION
the GLOBAL issue
THE WIDE WORLD INDICA
MATANUSKA THUNDERFUCK
Alaska’s Matanuska-Susitna Valley is the origin of this classic strain that is commonly referred to as MTF. Popular since the 1980s and known to produce different effects in different users, this cultivar is a bit of a wild card. Those familiar with the varietal claim it is one of the most potent and complex strains in existence.
SATIVA
JACK HERER Jack Herer
is the name of both a legendary Cannabis activist, and an equally renowned, energetic and notoriously flavorful thin-leaf varietal hailing from Amsterdam. Bred from a threeway cross of Haze, Northern Lights #5 and Shiva Skunk, breeder Sensi Seeds created the strain in the mid‘90s in honor of the great activist. This spice, pine and citrus forward cultivar is known to produce a heady, cerebral and creative high.
INDICA HYBRID
DJ SHORT BLUEBERRY
38 INDICA HYBRID
OG KUSH
Legend has it that DJ Short scoured Central America and Southeast Asia to find the genetics that would eventually be bred into the renowned DJ Short Blueberry, also known as the True Blueberry. The purported lineage of the strain is Highland Thai, Oregon Purple Thai and Afghani. While the strain has international roots, the legwork to breed the strain was done in Seattle, Washington.
leafmagazines.com
The OG Kush has a truly wild history behind it. Reportedly, the strain originated in Florida in 1991 and in 1996, Josh D flew wet cuts from Florida to Los Angeles, California where it exploded in popularity amongst both consumers and celebrities. At one point in time, outrageous prices of SATIVA $6,000 to $10,000 per pound were MAUI WOWIE being paid to Hawaii is known to be home acquire this to some incredible tropical especially hefty ganja, as well as some smoke. prized genetics. Maui Wowie is a classic thin-leaf varietal that is arguably the most famous of the archipelago’s cultivars, bursting onto the scene after making its way stateside in the 1970s. Maui Wowie features a mango, lemon-lime, pine-forward aroma that is known for its euphoric and mellowing effects.
HYBRID
MONTANA SILVERTIP
This sparkling cultivar is Montana’s shining gem and a rare, but special cultivar. With storied lineage that is said to be a Grand Daddy Purple x Silver Kush cross, this heavy-duty hybrid packs a powerful punch, delivering characteristics of both the body-high-leaning GDP and the uppity zip of the Silver Kush.
SATIVA
NYC SOUR DIESEL
SATIVA
ACAPULCO GOLD
Mexico’s most famous Cannabis strain and arguably the world’s best known sativa, Acapulco Gold is a musky, tropical, haze-esque landrace strain that exploded in popularity in the 1960s and was touted as the first “connoisseur pot.” Though rare, it can still be found in old heads’ gardens along the West Coast and beyond.
The exact lineage of NYC Sour Diesel is a bit muddled, thanks to two versions of the strain existing. The original version was most likely a Chem Dog plant that was unintentionally pollinated by another plant in the same room in Staten Island, New York sometime in the early 1990s. Later, Soma Seeds got a cut of the Sour and put out their version – which many referred to as Grapefruit, thanks to its aroma and flavor that called the fruit to mind.
SATIVA
RED CONGOLESE
Popularized in California, this hybrid is derived from landrace strains from two different continents – South America and Africa – producing a notably stimulating, creative and motivating cultivar. The strain has a strong tendency to produce focused and functional effects, coupled with a high degree of mental clarity, making it an excellent choice for daytime consumption.
SATIVA HYBRID
DURBAN POISON
JUN. 2021
Durban Poison is a special landrace varietal originating from the South African port city of Durban. The strain is a classic thin-leaf varietal and produces a buzzy, energetic and motivating high via a piney, lemon-lime and musk-forward smoke. Rumor has it that the strain was popularized by Cannabis greats Ed Rosenthal and Mel Frank in the late 1970s.
OF WEED STRAINS
INDICA
HINDU KUSH This strain
is named after the mountain range stretching through Afghanistan from Pakistan to Tajikistan, which is the area this cultivar is indigenous to. Hindu Kush is a short and bushy plant that produces thick, hefty and tree-like colas. The strain has a reputation for producing stunningly dark purple and black leaves, and is commonly known to create a couch-locking, heavy-handed body high for the user.
HYBRID
SHIATSU KUSH
Originally bred as an heirloom strain, Shiatsu Kush hails from the Japanese island of Amami Oshima. This rare varietal was originally brought to the Americas by legendary seed bank BC Bud Depot, known for its deeply relaxing effects and complex terpene profile that tends to present with prominent notes of cedar and menthol.
STORY by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415/LEAF NATION
CANNABIS HASN’T ALWAYS BEEN THE HIGHLY DEVELOPED, HYBRIDIZED AND SELECTIVELY HUNTED PLANT THAT IT IS TODAY. Once upon a time, certain Cannabis strains existed solely in specific regions throughout the world. As the popularity and value of the plant rose, so did cultivators’ interest in diversifying their product lines – thus beginning the development of our modern day Cannabis cultivars. Select growers took this niche interest and began traveling internationally, hunting for new varietals from select regions around the world. These growers, many of whom eventually changed their focus from cultivation to breeding, helped usher in a new era for the plant and the community around it.
WE CULLED TOGETHER SOME O F T H E T O P ST R A I N S F R O M AROUND THE WORLD TO SHOW HOW CANNABIS’ I N T E R N AT I O N A L R O O T S H AV E S E T T H E STA G E F O R A N E W G LO B A L M A R K E T.
reviews
TECHNOLOGY ALPHAPEN BRNR LABS
BRNRLAB.COM | @BRNRLAB
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THE BATTERY
Introducing the BRNR Alpha – a premium vape pen at a price that anyone can afford.
“One of the safest, sturdiest, smoothest-pulling vape pens I’ve ever hit.” JUN. 2021
THE PORTABILITY and discretion of a good vape pen make it an indispensable alternative to the desktop dab rig. But most of the vape pens on the market tend to fall into two categories: the cheap, disposable types that don’t last long and may or may not be off-gassing toxic fumes; and the higher-end vapes, which are better quality and typically come with a heftier price tag. But now, you can have the best of both worlds with the new Alpha Vape from BRNR Labs. The BRNR Alpha has a sleek, spaceage design that’s available in four different colors: pink, blue, space gray and black. There’s no button to press – activation is triggered by inhalation. There’s also no light to show it’s on, instead using haptic feedback (a subtle vibration) to let you know it’s working. It comes with a Grade-A battery that’s compatible with any standard 510-threaded cartridge, a refillable glass AVD cartridge, an aluminum sheath, an adapter ring (to adjust the sheath height for longer cartridges), and a micro-USB charging cord. Let’s take a look at each of these components more closely:
Alpha features a Grade-A battery, meaning it has met the strictest of safety and quality standards. Unlike B and C-Grade batteries, Grade-A batteries have a longer life and are less likely to leak or explode. The bottom of Alpha’s battery features a micro-USB port for charging and a tiny switch used to toggle between the two heat settings: low and high. Since there’s no button, there’s no messing around trying to remember how many clicks or which colored light corresponds to which setting. When set to low, the atomizer heats to the temperature where the terpenes just begin to vaporize, preserving as much flavor and aroma as possible – perfect for highterp sauce carts. On the high setting, it heats to just below the temperature where any off-gassing might conceivably occur – delivering a heavier hit that’s optimal for highTHC distillates. Both temperatures are sensor-controlled by BRNR’s proprietary Smart Pulse Technology – a sophisticated algorithm that sends automated intermittent pulses of power to the atomizer, rather than constant heat. This prevents the device from overheating and reduces stress on the ceramic core, extending its life.
THE CARTRIDGE
Alpha Pen comes equipped with an AVD (Advanced Vapor Devices, BRNR’s sister company) cartridge constructed using only the highest quality and safest materials available. All components within the air path – including a pure nickel and kanthal heating element, the zero-absorption borosilicate glass chamber, and the clean ceramic core – are certified non-toxic, non-reactive and inert. Thanks to AVD’s extensive quality control and testing, their carts are considered the new gold standard for many top-name concentrate producers.
THE RESULTS
In the final analysis, Alpha is one of the safest, sturdiest, smoothest-pulling vape pens I’ve ever hit. It provides strong, steady hits with no overheating and long battery life. It’s built to last years rather than months, which not only saves you money, but is also better for the environment. And with its one-year warranty and the very reasonable price point of just $25, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better vape pen for your money.
REVIEW & PHOTOS by BOBBY BLACK @BOBBYBLACK420 for LEAF NATION
concentrate of the month
MPX MELTINGPOINTEXTRACTS.COM @MPX_US
Seeped into every part of my body and pulled the reins back on each and every nerve.
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GRAPE LIME RICKY leafmagazines.com
L I V E D I A MON D S A N D S AU C E
High Cannabinoid Extract (HCE) mixed with High Terpene Extract (HTE), AKA live resin diamonds and sauce, are generally regarded as the premier dabbing concoction by many dab heads out there. WHILE I CAN FIND SOMETHING TO APPRECIATE FROM EVERY TYPE OF EXTRACT CONSISTENCY, NOTHING QUITE MATCHES THE POWER OF A TRULY TOP SHELF LIVE DIAMOND AND SAUCE COMBO. Melting Point Extracts is no stranger to the extract spotlight, but these Grape Lime Ricky dabs have excelled beyond where one typically expects MPX concentrates to be. On straight numbers alone, this dab dominates the market with 94% THCa and over 30% total terpenes! A descendant from a cross by TGA Subcool of Purple Urkle and Jack the Ripper, Grape Lime Ricky has been earning a reputation as a heavy pain reliever and effective sleep aid for quite some time.
JUN. 2021
At the top of the profile is an almost 9% myrcene concentration! This is undoubtedly where the cultivar’s reputation began but interestingly, it is tempered by 6.2% terpinolene, 5.4% pinene and 4.6% ocimene – all traditional sativa-esque terpenes. Beyond that, the profile trails off into 1% and .1% little dollops of just about every other terpene (and their variants), resulting in an extraordinary amalgamation of Cannabis medicine. Upon dabbing, this Grape Lime Ricky seeped into every part of my body and pulled the reins back on each and every nerve – like an Olympic equestrian bringing a horse from a gallop to a walk. Everything slowed down, as I sipped what seemed like endless hits off the same bulbous diamond I chose to be my first toke. Time dilation is a noticeable effect that can come with high quality headspaces, and this Grape Lime Ricky created a true distortion in time. After five or 50 minutes, hard to say, a momentous push towards a lighter and more airy headspace emerged. What was once an instant, time-slowing, slump of a hit, quickly snowballed into an effervescent zephyr of creative and euphoric energy. The rush of pain relief followed up by a crashing crescendo of creative energy left me feeling rejuvenated. I think that in such a concentrated form, and being a live product fresh from harvest, the depth and nuance of the concentrated terpene profile elevated the experience far beyond what one could experience from just the flower. This is an excellent example of the kinds of experiences Cannabis can offer, and it took MPX’s precision work to dial in and harness such a vastly wild profile.
DIAMONDS 86% THCA SAUCE TESTING 30% total terps 8.7% myrcene 6.2% terpinolene 5.4% pinene 4.6% ocimene 1.6% caryophyllene 1% carene .5% limonene .5% linalool .4% humulene
REVIEW by TAYLOR MARTIN for MARYLAND LEAF | PHOTO by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT
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WORLD OF Cannabis PRESENTS
Amsterdam’s Reefer Revolution 46
How a handful of activists and entrepreneurs transformed the Venice of the North into the Cannabis capital of the world.
leafmagazines.com
If there’s one city in all the world most associated with marijuana, it is undoubtedly Amsterdam. For decades, the city has been known for its liberal attitudes toward Cannabis … but it was not always this way. The Dutch policy of Cannabis tolerance—and the resulting coffeeshop industry— traces back to a handful of counterculture visionaries in the late 60s and early 70s who pushed back against the powersthat-be and paved the way for the thriving Cannabis culture that followed. THE PROVOS Like America’s Diggers and Yippies (whom they influenced), Amsterdam’s Provos (short for provoceren, meaning “to provoke”) were a leftist group that combined political protests with absurdist street theater in an attempt to goad authority figures into making public fools of themselves. One of their founders was a performance artist and anti-tobacco activist named Robert Jasper Grootveld. Starting in the early 1960s, Grootveld and his Provos launched a guerilla war against the tobacco industry, as well as a pro-pot disinformation campaign called the “Marihuettegame” (marijuana game). The premise was to score “points” by tricking police into arresting you for legal substances that looked similar to weed to demonstrate their ignorance about it. Those points could then be redeemed for real weed at the Afrikaanse Druk Stoor—an underground drug shop they opened in the Jordaan in 1963.
JUN. 2021
Dutch pot pioneers: Kees Hoekert and Provo Jasper Grootveld of the Lowland Weed Company selling Cannabis plants on their houseboat The White Raven. COURTESY COR JARING LOWLAND WEED COMPANY After the Provos disbanded in 1967, Grootveld partnered with a kindred spirit by the name of Kornelis “Kees” Hoekert. Like Grootveld, Hoekert was a disgruntled tobacco addict who’d switched to smoking weed and hash. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much Cannabis available in the Netherlands at that time—just imported black-market hash, typically of questionable quality. Remarkably, it was Hoekert who first realized that Cannabis didn’t need to be imported—it could actually be grown anywhere, including there in Holland. So in 1969, he and Grootveld bought a kilo of hemp seed pigeon feed from a pet store and began planting it everywhere—in the forests, in the parks, by the airport, and even in front of police stations. More significantly, though, they grew thousands of plants out on the deck of Hoekert’s houseboat (The White Raven) and began selling seeds and plants as the Lowland Weed Company. The plants had no THC and weren’t suitable for smoking—it was just political theater designed to educate and trick authorities into creating a bogus scandal. But since Holland’s Opium Act (their version of the Controlled Substances Act) only forbade the sale of dried Cannabis leaves, not seeds or live plants, the police never took the bait. Nevertheless, they achieved their desired result: The police’s lack of action led people to conclude that Cannabis was now legal to grow in the Netherlands—making the Lowlands Weed Company the country’s first “legal” Cannabis merchants. The publicity also drew Cannabis enthusiasts from around the world to the White Raven. It became such an attraction that a hippie tour
called the Magic Bus began stopping there twice a day, bringing tourists below deck for a smoke, a cup of “high tea,” and a speech from Kees or Jasper. Meanwhile, a similar scene was playing out across town, where a hippie chick named Mila Jansen (known today as “The Hash Queen”) had opened a boutique/teahouse called Kink 22 where customers were served a joint alongside every cup of tea sold. MELLOW YELLOW Soon, others would build upon the Cannabis teahouse concept. The first was a 23-year-old hippie friend of Hoekert’s named Wernard Bruining. Tired of dealing hash out of their apartment, Bruining and his roommates Amsterdam’s first coffeeshop, commandeered a the Mellow Yellow. vacant bakery outside COURTESY WERNARD BRUINING the city center and in 1973, opened Amsterdam’s first official coffeeshop. They called it the Mellow Yellow, after the Donovan song based on the urban myth of smoking banana peels to get high—an inside joke they believed only stoners would get. Their plan was simple: Rather than haggling over prices for arbitrary amounts of hash and grass wrapped in foil as was the custom, dealers at the Mellow Yellow sold standard quantities packed in clear bags at set prices, so customers knew exactly what they were getting. To avoid detection, their rotating group of dealers would sling sacks from a leather satchel while disguised as customers. RISE OF THE COFFEESHOPS Naturally, it wasn’t long before other entrepreneurial-minded stoners followed Bruining’s lead. In April 1975, Mellow Yellow regular Maarten Brusselers opened his own coffeeshop, the Rusland. Next came the Bulldog—opened that December by sex shop owner Henk de Vries, who applied a new level of business acumen to the model. Within months of those first shops opening, the Dutch government made a fateful decision—one that would ultimately catapult Cannabis culture in Amsterdam from underground to mainstream. In 1976, they amended the Opium Act to create two distinct classes of drugs: “hard drugs,” considered dangerous to the public good; and less harmful, non-addictive “soft drugs,” under which hash and marijuana were classified.
Old-school Bulldog poster and a 1981 Lowland Seed Company promo. COURTESY WORLD OF CANNABIS MUSEUM AND WERNARD BRUINING
Amsterdam didn’t just pioneer sales and social use of Cannabis—it was also at the forefront of genetics and cultivation. Then, four years later in 1980, they went even further—announcing a pragmatic new harm-reduction policy of Cannabis “tolerance” (gedoogbeleid). After that, Cannabis use and sales—though still technically illegal—would now be decriminalized, thus paving the way for the rise of the coffeeshop industry. In the two decades that followed, the number of coffeeshops in Amsterdam grew exponentially—up to 400 in 1990, then 750 in 1994. In an effort to manage the “wild west” situation unfolding, in October 1994 the Netherlands established a new regulatory system for coffeeshops called the AHOJG criteria (a Dutch acronym), which imposed some basic rules: no advertising, no hard drugs on the premises, no disturbing of the peace, no minors, and no large quantities (daily limits of 500 grams per shop and five grams per customer). THE GREEN TEAM Amsterdam didn’t just pioneer sales and social use of Cannabis—it was also at the forefront of genetics and cultivation. After the Mellow Yellow mysteriously burned down in 1978, Bruining traveled to America in search of sinsemilla—returning the following year with new genetics and a hippie farmer from Oregon by the name of “Old Ed” Holloway. Together, the two set out to “make Holland the Jamaica of Europe”—establishing the first commercial cultivation operation in Europe and selling their harvests to the coffeeshops. Next, Bruining brought in his old friend Hoekert as a partner to launch the Lowland Seed Company—the first commercial Cannabis seed company. Before long, some of the world’s top pot breeders were showing up wanting to join their “Green Team,” including Ed Rosenthal, Sam the Skunkman (developer of the groundbreaking Skunk strain), and Nevil Schoenmakers (who later co-founded the Seed Bank and Green House cofThe genetics feeshop). The genetics Master growers: Soma, Wernard developed in and sold developed in from Amsterdam by these Bruining, Old Ed Holloway, and and sold from legendary breeders would Ed Rosenthal in Amsterdam Amsterdam by serve as the basis for most around 1996. of the popular strains of these legendary COURTESY WERNARD BRUINING today.
breeders would serve as the basis for most of the popular strains of today.
AMSTERDAM DETHRONED Unfortunately, after decades of increasing Cannabis tourism (including the annual Cannabis Cup events each November), the Dutch government began taking steps to reign in the coffeeshop industry. In 2008, they enacted a rule prohibiting shops within 250 meters of a school—forcing 43 shops to close. Then in 2012, they passed the wietpas (weed pass) rule that effectively banned tourists from coffeeshops (for more on this, see this month’s special section). These new restrictions, coupled with the meteoric rise of legal Cannabis in the US, have essentially dethroned Amsterdam as the world’s Cannabis capital. Nevertheless, the city’s groundbreaking policies and pioneers have undeniably paved the way for the Cannabis freedoms and phenotypes we now enjoy in America.
For more on Amsterdam’s Reefer Revolution, listen to Episode #12 of our podcast at worldofcannabis.museum/podcast. Story and photos originally published on worldofcannabis.museum and reprinted with permission.
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by Mike Ricker
ou work your ass off and deserve a vacation. You save, plan and prepare, while exerting double the energy for the chance to finally check out and head for that sandy paradise for a classic decompress. So, when the bags are loaded with your scene safely in the rearview, a healthy exhale loosens the shackles. But there’s still the travel – the scramble to the airport for the obligatory grope from TSA, the uncomfortably close proximity to unsavory strangers, and the cultural barriers that add to uncertainty. Eventually, you settle in, figure out food and acclimate to the surroundings, as the echoes of your three-ring life finally begin to wither into inaudible static. Here, the suit noose is unknotted and traded for sandals in sand, memorable breezes and a fresh day at the beach. You’ve earned this break. The quietude of ocean whispers is palpable, accentuated with unapologetic sunshine and careless laughter. This is the perfect time for a spliff with a freshly hacked coconut served chilled, rightfully accompanied by a bamboo straw. This is your oasis of fluffy clouds and salt. A deserved respite to create open space in the crowded turnstile mind and begin the healing, so that you can return refreshed and recharged. This time is for you. This is where you relish in your accomplishments and reflect with gratitude. Suddenly, what do you hear? It’s a buzz – a fly, a mosquito? No, it is much bigger. “Is it someone’s music down the beach?” you ask, as the equivalent to a scratching needle down the vinyl breaks the hypnosis of your ambience. This is a dissonant tone, replete of anything remotely enjoyable. It is high, but nothing enters the periphery, until there, creating a smudge on your perfect horizon is a propeller plane lugging a banner that advertises a discount buffet. The invader, you surmise, probably cut a deal with the local sleazeball governor to rent the view, essentially putting a moustache on your Mona Lisa. It is that moment that you realize there is no escape from the dirty pickpockets who scour the empty corners lurking for nefarious opportunities – the junk mailers, scam callers – and the perpetrators of personal space. It is that moment that you realize nothing is sacred anymore.
JUN. 2021
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