THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE
#39 | MAR. 2022
THE STRAINS ISSUE F RE E / L E A F M AGA Z I N E S . COM
INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010
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THE strains ISSUE
#39
[
MARCH 2022
issue
feature
MODERN BREEDING STRAINS
SHOP REVIEW
MAR. 2022
36 MZJILL GENETICS BREEDER PROFILE
52
CANNTHROPOLOGY THE KING OF CANNABIS
STEVEN CURTIS
14 DOTS DISPENSARY
HUMBOLDT SEED COMPANY
COURTESY
Humboldt Seed Company’s Nathaniel Pennington speaks with Leaf Nation’s Zack Ruskin on how the company is growing, evolving, and embedding their seed culture in some very unlikely places.
WYATT EARLY
leafmagazines.com
44
MIKE ROSATI
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07 10 12 14 18 20 24 28 32 33 34 36 38 40 42 44 48 50 52 54
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EDITOR’S NOTE NATIONAL NEWS BUDTENDER Q&A SHOP REVIEW CANNABIS LAW PATIENT PROFILE HIGHLY LIKELY STRAIN OF THE MONTH STRAINS 101 GUIDE COMPOUND GENETICS RAY BAMA / RUNTZ MZJILL GENETICS SHERBINSKIS DUKE DIAMOND MODERN BREEDING STRAINS HUMBOLDT SEED COMPANY CONCENTRATE OF THE MONTH COOKING WITH CANNABIS CANNTHROPOLOGY STONEY BALONEY
JUSTIN MCIVOR
GUIDE
GET THE AWARD-WINNING CRAFT CANNABIS YOU CRAVE! Enjoy Grassroots top-tier, award-winning concentrates and RSO, available in live and cured forms. Our concentrates are made from top-quality flower that’s indoor-grown, never with shake or trim, exactly the way you want it!
Must be 18 years or older to view content. Medical cannabis is for certified patient use only.
E S TA B L I S H E D 2 0 1 0
T H E E N L I G H T E N E D VO I C E
N O RT H W E S T L E A F / O R EG O N L E A F / A L AS KA L E A F / M A RY L A N D L E A F / CA L I F O R N I A L E A F / N O RT H E AS T L E A F
A B O U T T H E C OV E R For this month’s sticky, delicious cover, we partnered with famed macro photographer Erik “Nugshots” Christiansen of Nugshots Lab. Known for his gorgeous still photography and his ability to display a 360-degree view of the world’s finest Cannabis products, Erik provided epic photos of three strains with diverse physical properties for our Strains Issue cover: Ridgeline Farms x Humboldt Seed Company Vanilla Cream Pie, Rolen Stone White Truffle, and Good Lyfe Farms x Humboldt Seed Company Hella Jelly. Head online to watch our moving cover come to life!
PHOTOS by ERIK NUGSHOTS @ERIK.NUGSHOTS
WES ABNEY C E O & F O U N D E R wes@leafmagazines.com MIKE RICKER O P E R AT I N G PA R T N E R ricker@leafmagazines.com
TOM BOWERS C H I E F O P E R AT I N G O F F I C E R tom@leafmagazines.com DANIEL BERMAN C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R daniel@leafmagazines.com
EARLY M A RY L A N D L E A F P U B L I S H E R early@leafmagazines.com WYATT EARLY STAT E D I R E C T O R wyatt@leafmagazines.com (410) 961-8779 O’HARA SHIPE O N L I N E E D I T O R ohara@leafmagazines.com MEGHAN RIDLEY C O PY E D I T O R meghan@leafmagazines.com
CONTRIBUTORS BOBBY BLACK, DESIGN + FEATURES JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION TOM BOWERS, FEATURES ERIK NUGSHOTS, PHOTOS JIMI DEVINE, FEATURES EARLY, PRODUCTION EMILY EIZEN, PHOTOS STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS KANDID KUSH, PHOTOS TAYLOR MARTIN, FEATURES JUSTIN MCIVOR, PHOTOS BENJAMIN NEFF, PHOTOS BAXSEN PAINE, FEATURES MIKE RICKER, FEATURES MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING MIKE ROTHMAN, CANNABIS LAW MIKE ROSATI, PHOTOS ZACK RUSKIN, FEATURES JAMIE VICTOR, DESIGN NATE WILLIAMS, FEATURES
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WES
ABNEY
Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up the Strains Issue of the Leaf! WE’VE COME a long way since the days of all Cannabis being weed, when the best weed ever was the pot we had in our pockets. I remember the struggle of simply trying to buy weed from a dealer who was honest and had tasty flower, which is what led me to buying and selling my own weed to friends in college. This inspired many stoned, youthful experiments to create flavors in the BC Bud we got by the pound – including dropping orange peels or apple slices into a turkey bag, along with a few tortillas to add moisture to the dried out herb.
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In those early days, weed came in grades – not in strains – but occasionally a “flavor” profile would come along like Blueberry or Bubblegum that was the equivalent of finding gold in smokeable form. I’ll never forget when my plug handed me a couple ounces in a jar, for free, because he had accidentally spilled a bottle of artificial blueberry flavoring while intending to simply add a few drops. I tried so hard to smoke that weed and as pungent and artificial as it was, I gave up! Even back then I had standards for what I would smoke, and the blueberry experience was so bad that I avoided that flavor in candy and drinks for TODAY, THE TOP at least a year. BREEDERS ARE It wasn’t until I began working with medical Cannabis in 2010 and publishing the Leaf that strains became a concept. The paradigm shift happened in the collectives (dispensaries) that would offer 10-20 types of Cannabis, and through smelling and feeling each bud, it became clear that strains were more than just names given to sell bud – but representative of flavor profiles, growing structure and style, and the effects that were unique to each jar. This experience was like a trip to Willy Wonka’s factory for me, and it turned me on to the amazing world of Cannabis genetics, breeders and the strains that have defined the growth of our industry.
LIKE ROCKSTARS AND THE STRAINS THEY PRODUCE ARE THE TOP HITS – WHICH CAN LEAD TO FAME AND GLORY AMONGST STONERS WORLDWIDE.
Today, the top breeders are like rockstars and the strains they produce are the top hits – which can lead to fame and glory amongst stoners worldwide. But back in the day, breeding was a risk only undertaken by the dedicated and fearless. After all, having the courage to pheno hunt when simple possession was a felony was a rare attribute to be found in the underground grow rooms and distribution networks. But innovation and a passion for flavors and the search for the best new weed has driven generations of growers, and it’s because of those early entrepreneurial plant scientists that we have a wide range of genetics being developed and grown around the planet. In this regard, Cannabis is becoming like the wine industry, with select breeders (think labels/ vineyards) producing unique strains (like vintages/blends/varietals) that have demand around the globe – and a high value! And just like wine, Cannabis connoisseurs don’t want to smoke the same flavors every day, but instead chase new experiences and highs with unique flavors and attributes on a level that surpasses the wine or craft beer industry by far. Cannabis users love new strains and we have the breeders to thank for the countless hours and crop cycles that have led to our beautiful, diverse world of weed we enjoy today. On that note, it is an honor to highlight the world of breeding and strains in this issue of the Leaf. I hope it inspires you to try new strains and appreciate the breeders behind the scenes who put their blood, sweat and money on the line for our enjoyment.
-Wes Abney MAR. 2022
Find local weed deals Save cash on your stash with new savings
Visit weedmaps.com or download the app
national news
weird
normalization
UNIFORMED COP CAUGHT SELLING WEED ON DUTY
COLORADO COULD PROHIBIT FIRING EMPLOYEES FOR CANNABIS USE
IF
a measure introduced at the statehouse in February by two Democratic lawmakers passes, Colorado would soon prohibit employers from firing workers because of their off-the-clock Cannabis use. House Bill 1152 also requires employers to let their workers consume medicinal Cannabis while on the job. The bill includes exceptions for workers whose jobs are in dangerous fields or require fine motor skills, such as operating heavy machinery. “Marijuana is legal in Colorado,” said State Rep. Brianna Titone, a Democrat and sponsor of the bill. “And what people do in their spare time that doesn’t impact their work shouldn’t really be a problem for them. They should be able to enjoy the legal things that we have here in Colorado and not be penalized for it.”Titone is pitching the measure as a way for employers to find workers more easily in Colorado’s tight labor market.
G
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eorgia Bureau of Investigation has arrested a Georgia police officer who they say sold marijuana while on duty, in uniform. Leon Mitchell, 32, worked for the Warwick Police Department near the southwest Georgia city of Albany. The GBI’S Southwestern Regional Drug Enforcement Office claimed undercover agents were able to buy weed from Mitchell in Worth and Lee counties. In what must have been a regular Kodak moment, drug agents arrested Officer Mitchell January 28 at the Police Department. Agents arrested Mitchell on two counts of sale/distribution AGENTS SAID THEY of marijuana and one count of posFOUND MARIJUANA, session with intent to distribute. For SCALES AND PLASTIC BAGS RIGHT INSIDE good measure, they piled on four THE CAR WHEN THEY counts of possession of a firearm SEARCHED HIS VEHICLE. during the commission of a felony, three counts of violation of oath of office and two counts of use of a communication device during the commission of a felony. Officers booked Mitchell into the Worth County Jail, where he remained after a judge denied him bail.
the south
MISSISSIPPI LEGALIZES MEDICAL CANNABIS
M
ississippi has legalized medical marijuana for people with debilitating conditions, NPR reports. The change comes 15 months after a healthy majority of voters approved a stronger version of the law on Election Day 2020. The National Conference of State Legislatures says 36 states and four territories already allow the medical use of Cannabis, making Mississippi the 37th state to do so as of Gov. Tate Reeves’ February signature. While it became law immediately, it could be months before the first Cannabis dispensaries open.
global
politics
THAILAND IS FIRST IN ASIA TO DECRIM WEED
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER RENEWS FEDERAL LEGALIZATION PUSH
leafmagazines.com
T
hailand has become the first country in Asia to approve the de facto decriminalization of marijuana. Unfortunately, law enforcement authorities have left a “gray area” around adult recreational use. Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced that the Narcotics Control Board had approved dropping Cannabis from the list of controlled drugs. The delisting will take effect 120 days after its publication in the government gazette. Thailand removed Cannabis – a plant species to which both marijuana and hemp belong – last December from the list of illegal drugs under the nation’s Narcotics Law. Police and lawyers said it was unclear if possession of Cannabis will still be an offense subject to arrest. Related laws mean production and possession of marijuana remain “regulated” for now. That, unfortunately, leaves the legal status of adult-use marijuana somewhat murky.
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marijuana-related bills were filed in the Indiana Legislature’s 2022 session.
MAR. 2022
90% 400
of its Cannabis buyers come from Idaho, claims the city of Ontario, Ore.
untaxed marijuana greenhouses were recently busted in San Bernardino County, Calif.
S
enate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer renewed his calls for the federal legalization of marijuana, reports the New York Daily News. “Change has been urgently needed for a long time,” Schumer said, referencing the disproportionate impact Cannabis laws have had on Black communities. “The good news is we’re on the edge of getting change, because the opinions throughout America are changing. All across the country, states are legalizing,” Schumer “ AS MAJORITY LEADER, said. “All across the country, I CAN SET PRIORITIES. minds are changing.” He said he plans to introduce the bill in April. THIS IS A PRIORITY.”
7.6k $2.22b $27b
pounds of untaxed, processed weed was recently seized in a Lake County, Calif. investigation.
worth of Cannabis was sold in Colorado in 2021, the 3rd-most in the nation.
is the estimated size of the legal U.S. marijuana market by 2026.
STORIES by STEVE ELLIOTT, AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF MARIJUANA
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FIND US HERE
Must be 18 years or older to view content. Medical cannabis is for certified patient use only.
INTERVIEW
MARYLAND LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH
ADISA GIDDENS-SMITH “ I ENJOY WORKING AT A PLACE WHERE I’M ABLE TO HELP ASSIST PATIENTS IN AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF HEALING.” COMING FROM PG COUNTY, DID YOU EVER SEE CANNABIS BEING LEGALIZED IN MARYLAND? Honestly, no – especially with how bad of a negative stigma Cannabis had. For so long, I was taught in school and from everyone that Cannabis was a drug and not medicine. So for it to be at the point that it is now – legit – is mind-blowing. DOES YOUR FAMILY USE CANNABIS? WHAT ABOUT YOUR BROTHERS? My father is the only person in my family who does not use Cannabis. My mother and my younger brother, who are MMCC patients, like to medicate using Cannabis. Also, my older brother who lives in Colorado with his newborn baby likes to medicate.
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HOW DOES CANNABIS INFLUENCE THE WAY YOU LOOK AT ART? Cannabis influences the way that I look at art by changing my perspective and my emotions. When you medicate, terpenes create something that is called an entourage effect – which causes a different chemical reaction in your body every time. Forcing your emotions to change whether you want to or not. So, the main way I can say Cannabis influences the way I look at art is by changing my emotions and ultimately giving me a new mindset on whatever topic I’m invested in. For that reason, I always try to change up what strains I’m medicating with.
leafmagazines.com
WHAT IS IT LIKE WORKING AT CULTA? Working at CULTA is pretty dope. I enjoy working at a place where I’m able to help assist patients in an alternative method of healing. I’m a big fan of walking into work and it smells like Cannabis. It’s a very fastpaced working environment with things changing every day. You must always stay sharp and well-composed, because you never know the situations that may arise. WHAT ARE YOUR LONG-TERM GOALS IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY? To one day get on the cultivation side of things – I first would like to learn how to grow, so I can better understand the plant that I am consuming. Then after I get some more time and understanding, I would like to have my own grow where I produce small batch premium flower for Maryland patients. Yes, we have a good selection today, but I know it can be better. I know I have a unique set of ideas and knowledge to add to the Maryland market.
A
D I S A G I D D E N S - S M I T H has been one of the top budtenders at CULTA from day one, where he goes out of his way to make sure things are running smoothly and keeps the good vibes coming with the high value he places on teamwork. Always providing impeccable service to his patients, the CULTA team truly wouldn’t be what it is today without Adisa.
MAR. 2022
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES AND HOW DOES CANNABIS ENHANCE THEM? Some of my hobbies are playing basketball, working out, painting and listening to music. Cannabis enhances those activities for me by putting me in an optimal state for each one. Allowing for me to be able to perform at my fullest potential each time.
CULTA BALTIMORE
215 KEY HWY, BALTIMORE, MD | CULTA.IO @CULTAIG OPEN 10AM-8PM DAILY | (844) 507-9333
INTERVIEW & PHOTO 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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AVENUEFLOWERCO.COM
Medical cannabis use is for certified patients only
SHOP REVIEW
DOTS DISPENSARY SETTING & VIBE Dots sits in the Mount Vernon area and possesses an undeniably historic vibe. Exposed brick walls are met by wooden floors and a clean selection of products behind the bright white counter. The budtenders and managers are extremely well versed in all areas of the product selection – ensuring patients are comfortable with the overall experience and confident in their final product selection.
FLOWER
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At the time of my visit, they had a huge selection of flower available – much of which was discounted. Whether you’re looking to shop the deals or hunting down the latest hype drop from brands like Cookies, Dots will have you covered.
CONCENTRATES One thing any patient loves to see is properly stored concentrates, and Dots has a refrigerator keeping them as fresh as possible. It’s always a bummer when you buy a batter or live resin, only to find it to be dry when you get home. I snagged two different live resins during my visit and both were saucy and everything I was looking for out of the consistency. You can expect to find plenty of quality selections from several processors here – a little something for everyone.
leafmagazines.com
EDIBLES There were approximately 40 different edible options on the menu during my visit, with tons of flavor and potency variations available from several different companies. Betty’s Eddies are back and this is always a solid place to come if you are local to Baltimore and searching. If you’re new to edibles, make sure to ask one of the knowledgable budtenders and they will be able to guide you through the first steps.
QUICK HIT Locally owned and relatively new to the Baltimore medical Cannabis scene, Dots Dispensary on North Howard Street is a great place to stop if you’re looking to slide into a comfortable afternoon buzz. They open at noon for medicating and meditating needs – keeping hot items in stock and building their menu with the latest and greatest products from growers and processors patients have come to know and love.
MAR. 2022
M PX
YOU CAN EXPECT TO FIND PLENTY OF QUALITY SELECTIONS FROM SEVERAL PROCESSORS HERE – A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.
Cecil’s Lemon Punch
DOTS DISPENSARY
805 N HOWARD ST, BALTIMORE, MD 12PM-6PM MON-SAT CLOSED SUNDAYS @DOTSDISPENSARY (667) 309-7867
Live Resin Batter
Popping open this jar revealed a bright gold pile of wet and terpy oil, which instantly filled the room with a fresh lemon scent. On the exhale, I got notes of citrus combined with a peppermint-like minty flavor. I slipped into a relaxed and productively creative mindset after one dab, putting me at the perfect level of comfort to get right to work. 77.42% TOTAL CANNABINOIDS AND 15.51% TOTAL TERPENES
STORY & PHOTOS by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT/MARYLAND LEAF
From CULTA’s indoor and outdoor flowers to high-grade cannabis from partners like Cookies, our flower and pre-roll selection is curated to make your experience with CULTA exceptional.
GARY PAYTON
THE SOAP
(Snowman x Y Life) by Cookies and Powerzzzup
(Animal Mints x Kush Mints) By Cookies and Seed Junky Genetics
Average THCA: 27.3% Average Terpenes: 1.9%
Average THCA: 25.9% Average Terpenes: 1.9%
Powerzzzup has been growing legendary, exotic cannabis strains since the 1980's. Their collaboration with Cookies is curated for the connoisseur.
When you pair an innovative breeder with the world-class cannabis brand Cookies, the results are fine quality varieties with high terpene blends.
TOP-SHELF STRAINS DROPPING IN MARCH 2022 *
Available throughout Maryland Dispensaries Scan to find your nearest location or visit www.Culta.io *Subject to availability
DOSIDOS 22-22
BIG THAI
(OGKB x Face Off OG) by Archive Seed Bank
(Big Bud x Afghani x Purple Thai Landrace) by Da Ricky Show
Average THCA: 29.7% Average Terpenes: 2.0%
Average THCA: 24.8% Average Terpenes: 2.2%
Founded in the early 2000's, this Oregon-based breeder specializes in rare genetic preservation, research, and heirloom clone varieties from the USA.
This quiet breeder from Hawaii prefers to keep the brand underground and focus on pheno hunting for connoisseur strains that are ahead of their time.
cannabis law
Stroup in the ‘70s at the start of his NORML work. HIGH TIMES PHOTO
INTERVIEW
18
KEITH STROUP
FOUNDER & LEGAL COUNSEL NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR THE REFORM OF MARIJUANA LAWS
leafmagazines.com
The year was 1970. The United States was entering its ninth year of armed involvement in the Vietnam War. Against this backdrop, 25-year-old Keith Stroup graduated from Georgetown University Law School – typically a cause for great celebration for a poor farm boy from a small town in Southern Illinois. But Stroup was still eligible for induction into military service for another two years, and he had run out of reasons to defer reporting for duty. WITH NOWHERE else to turn, Stroup contacted the volunteer lawyers from the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) for advice regarding how to avoid being drafted, where Stroup and his lawyers identified the “critical skills deferment” as one such possible pathway. Stroup was offered a job on the staff of a newly created Congressional commission called the National Commission on Product Safety, based on the ground-breaking consumer protection advocacy done by Ralph Nader. The purpose was to identify products that were dangerous to consumers and recommend legislation to protect them. His local draft board in Southern Illinois granted his deferment just two weeks before he was scheduled to report for active duty. Once Stroup completed his two-year commitment with the Commission, he was too old to be drafted and was finally free to
MAR. 2022
imagine the future. For the last two years, Stroup had worked alongside the master consumer advocate, Ralph Nader. No one appointed him, but Nader advocated for the safety interests of the public. No one elected or hired him, but his skillful use of the media and willingness to take on large corporations made him a hero for public interest lawyers. In his book, “It’s NORML to Smoke Pot: The 40-year Fight for Marijuana Smoker’s Rights,” Stroup recalled that “Nader was the individual who first piqued my interest in starting a marijuana legalization lobby. He was an inspiring consumer advocate.” It was March 1971 when Stroup and other board members first filed incorporation papers in the District of Columbia for a new marijuana consumer’s advocacy organization known as NORML. Stroup pushed forward after an encouraging meeting with former U.S. Attor-
ney General Ramsey Clark. Later, it would be Clark who suggested that Stroup and NORML reach out to the Playboy Foundation for its initial financial support – a five-thousand dollar grant. By 1978, NORML’s efforts were finally bearing fruit. Thanks to NORML’s legislative outreach efforts and former President Richard Nixon’s National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse, better known as the Shafer Commission, 11 states rapidly enacted marijuana decriminalization measures in the mid to late 1970s. At the time, national polls indicated that nearly 30% of the public supported the idea of marijuana legalization. NORML was also enjoying an extraordinarily close relationship with the sitting administration of President Jimmy Carter – the first American president to ever endorse the decriminalization of marijuana. All signals seemed poised
Thanks to NORML’s legislative outreach efforts and former President Richard Nixon’s National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse, better known as the Shafer Commission, 11 states rapidly enacted marijuana decriminalization measures in the mid to late 1970s.
for launch … that’s when the bottom fell out. In 1978, NORML and the Carter Administration began heated discussions over the Administration’s policy of spraying the deadly herbicide paraquat on the marijuana fields in the Sierra Madre region of Mexico. Stroup was strongly opposed to such action. To further fan the flames, the Washington Post broke a story about Dr. Peter Bourne – the President’s drug policy adviser – who wrote a prescription for quaaludes for his assistant under a false name while serving the Administration. Ordinarily, this would be an internal matter for the White House. However, the Washington Post further reported that a year earlier, Bourne attended a private party hosted by NORML in a Dupont Circle home. At that party, Stroup reportedly greeted Bourne and escorted him upstairs into a private VIP room occupied by guests, which included Hunter S. Thompson, Tom Forçade, Christie Hefner, David Kennedy, John Walsh (Washington Post editor) and other luminaries. Needless to say, drugs were alleged to have been consumed. When the story that Bourne was using drugs (including cocaine) at the NORML party came out, no one would corroborate the story. But despite his repeated denials, Stroup eventually let his anger at the Administration and at Bourne get the best of him. When called for comment regarding Bourne’s drug usage at the party, Stroup uttered the now infamous denial-non-denial, which he still cringes from today. “I can neither confirm nor deny the story,” Stroup recalls telling the media. And with that one wry, off-the-cuff remark, he unraveled the good will and the work that he and the organization developed over the last 10 years. Even worse, he lost the trust of the organization that he had helped found. “The Peter Bourne incident was clearly the low point of my time at NORML, in terms of undermining the good work we had done for the better part of a decade,” said Stroup. “I assumed that when I left NORML in the early ‘80s, my tenure there was over for good. But I had to admit that I missed working on the issue that was most important to me. Nothing has been as personally and professionally rewarding to me as my time at NORML. Nothing.” Stroup stepped aside as Executive Director of NORML after the Bourne incident became public news, but remained on the Board of Directors until 1982. From 1982 to 1994, Stroup had no affiliation with NORML and pursued public interest law as the Executive Director of the National
“Once most of the country is on your side, then the goal is simply overcoming the zealots on the other side of the issue who are preventing progress.” Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), as well as other nonprofits. But when Dr. Lester Grinspoon re-organized the NORML Board in 1994, Stroup was the only original founder to be invited back to rejoin. He accepted, and within the year would return to the Executive Director position he occupied – serving until 2005, after which he assumed the role of Legal Counsel. Regarding his return to NORML, he noted, “I was glad to have a second chance.” Looking forward, Stroup is very optimistic about the prospects for passage of marijuana legalization legislation. “I am of the belief that legalization is almost inevitable at this point, given the public levels of support. There are several polls, including Gallup, indicating that 68-70% of the country supports legalization, while between 88 and 90% support the medical use of marijuana. Because of a lot of hard work done for several decades, we have largely won the ‘hearts and minds’ of the American people – to use a well-worn phrase from the era.” When asked about the biggest lessons from the early days, Stroup noted that while crowd size matters, access to power is more important. “Changing laws is only possible when you have access to power. I was generally looking for those chances as head of NORML.” As a front-row witness to the history of Cannabis prohibition for more than 50 years, I asked Stroup what the final end-game looks like. The answer was a pragmatic one: “Once most of the country is on your side, then the goal is simply overcoming the zealots on the other side of the issue who are preventing progress … I am relatively certain, at this point, that there is no turning back. And we will win this issue fully and completely in every state within just a few years. Within five years, no one will be arrested for smoking marijuana in any state.”
MEDICAL CANNABIS LAW GROUP | MEDICALCANNABISLAWGROUP.COM | 301-251-9660 | 226 NORTH ADAMS ST. ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND
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.
STORY by MIKE ROTHMAN for LEAF NATION
patient of the month
20
CANNABIS FOR A BETTER LIFE
jane block “When you’re young, you don’t want to be different from your peers,” said now37-year-old Jane Block. “I tried everything I could to appear as the American girl.”
A NATIVE OF UKRAINE, Jane and her family immigrated to the United States in 1989 to escape “communism and anti-semitism,” uprooting her life at the age of four. Young Jane did the best she could to navigate the change in scenery, mimicking the behavior of her classmates as she attempted to fit into a completely foreign world. Her attempts to create a good first impression came with a suppression of her Slavic roots, denying the persona built through the early development of her character. “My mom packed me ethnic food for lunch and no one was trading their Gushers for my meat patties,” Jane laughed, noting a family palate heavily reliant on meats, fish and onions. “The only thing I could control was my food intake, so I began to say no to all the Russian food. Refusing ethnic foods led me to refusing most foods – even as American as a burger.” Years of outpatient therapy has since taught Jane that the seeds for her Bulimia Nervosa and OSFED (Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders) were planted at these early ages, later growing into a life-threatening obsession that would severely impact her physical and mental wellbeing. “Not living authentically creates so many internal and external problems,” she said. In middle school, Jane became overly self-conscious of her body. By 16, she began purging through the misuse of overthe-counter laxatives. Three years later, a deadly car accident involving her best friend tested Jane’s threshold for coping. She began severely restricting her diet and consuming copious amounts of alcohol to numb the pain. Overwhelmed, Jane was forced to drop out of Towson University after her freshman year. However, campus life ultimately proved the chronic to be her tonic: Jane learned Cannabis could stimulate hunger, allowing her to regain the hunger and fullness cues she lost as a consequence of disordered eating. “I always had a large uneasiness around the dining halls,” Jane said. “But I’d go back to my dorm room, smoke and all that would go away. I would eat and I wouldn’t feel too full. It was like all the anxiety would leave my body after I medicated.” In addition to outpatient therapy, Jane had a pair of in-patient hospitalizations at St Joseph’s Hospital and Johns Hopkins – the latter jump-starting her recovery. However, her team of doctors initially didn’t see eye-to-eye with Jane’s newfound passion for Cannabis-induced consumption. They wanted her to seek addiction counseling while also treating her eating disorder. She objected, and eventually, won out. “I told them [Cannabis] was non-addictive and it was the only thing pushing me to eat,” she said. “We went back and forth about the treatment between my main medical doctor, a therapist and a dietician. We all agreed I should use my time to treat my eating disorder.” Nearly two decades later, Jane finds that concept laughable, citing scientific
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“It was like all the anxiety would leave my body after I medicated.”
MAR. 2022
Follow Jane on IG @bmorejammz
studies on Cannabis and its terpenes – and above all, her personal experience – as evidence for an increase in appetite. Today, she glows with 16 years of recovery and a healthy relationship with food. “Our bodies are a vessel that do a lot for us,” said Jane, who bounced back to receive a BS in Business Administration from Colorado Technical University in 2008. “There are so many things your body does for you other than show your looks. I used to hate the size of my thighs, but I’ve learned to appreciate that they help me walk every day. It’s things like these I’ve learned to focus on.” She awakens each morning with a double espresso and a quick meet-and-greet with her bong to ensure she has an appetite for breakfast, kickstarting her metabolism for the day. Jane is a full-time student at a private institute that offers eating disorder coach training, where she’s on pace to graduate in 2022 and become a full-time coach, armed with the experience of her struggles. “I used to ask myself, ‘Why me? Why was I given this illness? Why do I have to struggle for so long?’’’ Jane said. “And it’s because I was meant to help other people. That’s why I was put on this earth. And I’m going to do everything in my power to save as many lives as possible.” Eating disorder recovery, she insists, isn’t a one-size-fits-all. In fact, that’s a big misconception Jane wants to correct. “I was never underweight,” she said. “And when you don’t look the part of an eating disorder, you can get overlooked by [doctors]. But eating orders don’t discriminate. They don’t care if you’re underweight or overweight. They don’t care about your ethnicity, your gender, your sexual orientation or your social status. Every kind of person can be impacted by this.” Cannabis, she suggests, is just part of the process in recovery. Seeking therapy is also vital to securing a healthier future. “Eating disorders are one of the most complicated recoveries out there,” she said. “You have to eat to live. You have to confront your illness every day. It’s been an extremely bumpy road. I didn’t believe I could ever be somebody that could fully recover, but today, I am confident and thriving in my recovered state.”
STORY by BAXSEN PAINE @BAXSENPAINE for MARYLAND LEAF | PHOTO by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT | LEARN MORE AT ANAD.ORG
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MERLE HAGGARD COUNTRY MUSIC STAR
Highly Likely highlights Cannabis pioneers who have paved the way to greater herbal acceptance.
WHEN MERLE HAGGARD passed away in 2016, music fans around the globe said farewell to one of the most genuine artists to ever walk the earth. Haggard was what they call a ‘straight shooter’ – someone that would give their opinion without thought of consequence. And, at times, those consequences were great. He was incarcerated in and escaped from a juvenile detention center by age 14 to ride the rails, only to be caught again and sent back to detention. By the time he was an adult, he was jailed again for robbery and sent to the infamous San Quentin Prison – where he was present for Johnny Cash’s legendary 1958 performance there.
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nspired by the Cash Haggard was in no way right wing. performance, when he was Later in the ‘70s he declared, “I released from San Quentin have more culture now. I was dumb in 1960, Haggard set out on as a rock when I wrote ‘Okie From his own to make it in the world of Muskogee.’ That's being honest with country music. He, along with others you at the moment, and a lot of like Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash things that I said [then] I sing with a and Waylon Jennings, would go different intention now. My views on on to be the progenitors of what is marijuana have totally changed.” now known as ‘outlaw country’ – a Perhaps this change of heart is country sound that thumbs its nose what prompted the 2015 Cannabis at the clean-living social mores that anthem that Haggard co-wrote dominate the country music scene in and performed with Willie Nelson. Nashville to this day. The song “It’s All And that’s why Going To Pot” is an Haggard’s biggest hit is anthem that takes such a head-scratcher. jabs at big pharma, “I’m an Okie From big alcohol and the Muskogee” begins with waning conservative the lyrics, “We don't views surrounding the smoke marijuana in legalization debate Muskogee; We don't in the United States. take no trips on LSD.” In the video, Haggard Haggard's 31st album, The song became and Nelson can be seen Back To The Barrooms. a runaway hit for sharing a joint. Haggard in the mainly conservative Haggard, ever the straightcountry music scene because it shooter, never backed down was seen, not as satire, but as from his stance on the benefits of an embodiment of a call for the Cannabis. "I think it's silly to put return to conservative values in the someone in jail for [marijuana counterculture-heavy late 1960s. possession],” he told the Bakersfield Over the years, Haggard gave Californian in 2010. varying accounts of the song’s “I think it's a threat to the message and meaning: In the pharmaceutical industry that you conservative country scene he was can go to the garden to grow seen as a right-wing hero, however, something that might keep you from time would demonstrate that having to use Lipitor."
THE SONG “IT’S ALL GOING TO POT” IS AN ANTHEM THAT TAKES JABS AT BIG PHARMA, BIG ALCOHOL AND THE WANING CONSERVATIVE VIEWS SURROUNDING THE LEGALIZATION DEBATE IN THE UNITED STATES. MAR. 2022
STORY by PACER STACKTRAIN for LEAF NATION
CULTIVATION EXPANSION
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STRAIN OF THE MONTH
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KIND TREE “A CONTEMPLATIVE AND EUPHORIC HIGH THAT LASTED FOR HOURS AFTER MY FIRST TOKE.”
PINEAPPLE UPSID MAR. 2022
An amazingly cerebral example of Cannabis cultivation can be hard to find. Thankfully, the Pineapple Upside Down Cake by Kind Tree is just that – a balanced hybrid cultivar that promises you a heady euphoria, without pushing you across the line towards a giggling fit you can’t quite explain. First, it’s important to recognize that this profile isn’t just dominant in terpinolene – it is actually a terpinolene chemovar, meaning that over 50% of the entire profile is solely terpinolene. Typically we see balanced profiles with nuanced chemical varieties, pretty evenly distributed with some flowers really getting heavy in one or two terpenes. It is quite rare to find a profile that has a single terpene making up over 50%, so keep an eye out for all the chemovars out there. With a total terpene concentration of 3.33%, this flower is already in the upper echelon of rarity in the Maryland market. The fact that 1.72% is solely terpinolene, solidifies its unicorn status. The layered complexity of the aroma is so intricate that at first whiff, one is overwhelmed by what seems to be a unique scent in and of itself – creamy, fruity, nutty, spicy and gassy. Further olfactory investigation reveals nuanced layers of watermelon, almonds, sassafras, lemons, starbursts, tarragon and fermented basil. All of this is underscored and sharpened by the lightest effervescence of high octane petrol … truly one of my favorite aromas in Cannabis anywhere. Smoking on this delicious Cannabis took me to a contemplative and euphoric place that maintained it’s headiness for hours after my first toke. Burning down a joint brought me to a high that radically uplifted my mood, but never pushed T E S T I N G me to a manic state of mind. THCa 21.87% Total Terps 3.33% Instead, I cruised along Terpinolene 1.72% a mellow zephyr of giggles Myrcene .39% and thoughtful introspection Ocimene .25% – one that I would Limonene .18% Caryophyllene .17% recommend for any patient Terpineol .11% seeking an elegant mood Pinene .19% boost to their day.
IDE DOWN CAKE REVIEW by TAYLOR MARTIN for MARYLAND LEAF | PHOTO by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT KINDTREECANNABIS.COM @KINDTREECANNA
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THE STRAINS ISSUE
A BREEDING GLOSSARY
STRAINS 101 Making new strains in the world today takes everything you’ve got … or at least some good genetics and a proper understanding of the breeding terms and techniques for expanding and improving the Cannabis gene pool.
AUTO-FLOWERING
INDICA
A plant that flowers automatically when it reaches a certain size regardless of photoperiod. Breeders created these types of strains using Cannabis Ruderalis genetics from higher altitudes with short flowering seasons.
Indica-dominant plants grow short and stocky with wide leaves and shorter flowering times.
LANDRACE
Domesticated plants that have adapted to the conditions of their place of origin over many generations. These are used by breeders to create new hybrids by crossing them with distinctly different varieties (e.g., African sativa landrace x Indian indica landrace).
BACKCROSSING
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This is a breeding practice in which hybrids are crossed with one of their parents in order to try to stabilize chosen traits to discover a unique genotype.
MOTHERPLANT
BREEDING
A female plant kept in the vegetative stage to produce identical clones (or cuttings) to root and flower out. A motherplant can be a source of clones for many years.
Applying pollen from male plants onto female flowers to produce seeds. This is done around the third or fourth week of flowering in order to give the seeds enough time to mature properly.
PHENOTYPE
A plant’s observable expression of its genetic material within its environment.
DIOECIOUS
Any plant with different and separate male and female specimens. Cannabis is a dioecious plant.
POLLEN
Fine grains released by male flowers to pollinate female flowers and produce seeds. Male pollen is carefully collected by breeders from flowering males and then brushed or dusted onto flowering females.
FEMINIZED
A type of seed that grows only female plants. Breeders use “male” pollen from hermaphroditic plants to produce feminized seeds for growers that don’t want to grow out any males.
GENOTYPE leafmagazines.com
The stored genetic footprint held within a plant’s DNA.
HERMAPHRODITE
A plant with both male and female flowers. This can be a genetic trait or a response to stress. Either way, growers should discard hermaphroditic plants to avoid seeding their crops.
HYBRID
A combination of two genetically distinct varieties e.g., Sativa x Indica F1 Hybrid - The first filial cross. F2 Hybrid, etc. - Each successive cross. S1 Hybrid - The result of selfing (using pollen from a hermaphroditic plant on itself).
MAR. 2022
POLY HYBRID
The genetic result of crossing unstabilized hybrids with each other. The resulting plants can differ vastly in their characteristics.
SATIVA
Sativa-dominant plants tend to have thin long leaves and a longer flowering time.
SINSEMILLA
“Without seeds” in Spanish. These are the unpollinated female flowers we call buds or nuggets that don’t contain any seeds.
VIGOR
Some hybrids created from distinctly genetically different parents express quicker growth and increased hardiness and yields in their first generation (F1). This hybrid vigor, also known as heterosis, is how new varieties are created and discovered.
STORY by DAN VINKOVETSKY @DANNYDANKOHT/LEAF NATION P H O T O B Y E R I K C H R I ST I A N S E N @ E R I K . N U G S H O T S
“I honestly never focus on THC at all. I focus on the terps and the experience the plant could potentially produce.”
same year he did his first cross: a pairing of Fort Collins Cough with a Chemdog DD male (Chemdog x Sour Diesel IBL). While he felt like his pedigree was strong out the gate thanks to the people that helped him out in the first place, he did have to teach himself to be more selective in the breeding process. But he’d already been to Amsterdam Eventually, he realized less is more. years earlier in 2004 to link up with some “I was lucky to have access to the best friends he’d traded music with online, cuts from the get-go,” Lynch said. “Back where his friend Akko gave him a place then it was kind of more about who you to crash and an introduction to Holland. knew.” Many days Lynch would find himself at In the coming years, Lynch made the Amnesia – one of Ammove south to take Compound Genetics sterdam’s most famed to the next level, teaming up with Node coffeeshops and Labs and bringing in some folks to help on known for good Haze the business side, so he could focus on his – where he talked quest to keep finding the heat! And these to travellers from days – after bouncing around the cultivaaround the world as tion circles of Oregon to having people he enjoyed strains lined up for his latest creation down the like Lavender, MK block outside of Cookies – the trajectory Ultra, Cheese and remains solidly upward. the sorely-missed “It’s wild, wild,” Lynch said with a laugh. Nothern Lights Specifically on Cookies, he noted Bern#5 x Haze. er’s support was huge in helping to take Lynch notes Compound to the level it’s hit over the those cofpandemic. feeshops were Lynch went on to speak of his selection his first insight process these days, as the market contininto how professional weed ues to evolve. While many are very focused could be. The people running those shops on THC percentages, he’ll hear none of it. seemed like legitimate business people to “I honestly never focus on THC at all,” him. Eventually, he’d travel back to OreLynch said in his firmest reply of the chat. “I gon only further bit by the bug. focus on the terps and experience the plant The following years featured a could potentially produce. I’m worried significant step up in his collection about total potency – THC is important, of high-end genetics. He acquired a COMPOUND-GENETICS.COM but there is so much more going on in solid OG in 2007, which was also the @COMPOUND_GENETICS the terps.”
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CHRIS LYNCH | COMPOUND GENETICS In recent Cannabis times, few breeders have captured the imagination of the community like Compound Genetics’ founder Chris Lynch.
STORY by JIMI DEVINE @THEJIMIDEVINE for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by MICHAEL ROSATI @ROSATIPHOTOS
leafMAGAZINES.com
Time after time since 2017, when discussing where the best Cannabis on the planet got its start, Compound Genetics would be a name synonymous with those conversations. But behind all the hype cuts and ‘next big thing’ is a guy who loves Cannabis. Lynch has spent much of the decades prior chasing down the world’s finest Cannabis flavors. Like many, his dealer taught him to grow – first dialing in his cultivation skills in Oregon at a house his dealer bought and built out. As the scene matured into dispensaries and warehouses in the early 2010s, Lynch was along for the ride. The warehouses of Portland were also the first places Lynch came to understand what exclusivity in Cannabis meant when chasing top dollar. “It was the power of genetics,” Lynch told Leaf Mag during our interview at his San Francisco basecamp. A lot of the cuts he was working with were the classics of the moment sourced from Humboldt County, Calif. – including Headband, a solid OG pheno he worked, plus some Afgooey and Super Skunk cuts in the mix, too.
THE STRAINS ISSUE
FIVE YEARS AGO, Runts was still just a candy spelled with an “s” – until Ray Bama and his partners sprouted an epiphany that sparked the kind of hype marketing managers only dream of. And from that time on, Bama’s partners Yung LB and Nick would be called the Runtz Crew. Leaf Nation’s Tom Bowers connected with Bama about the birth of the phenomenon that is Runtz, his thoughts on the future, and his word on what it takes to succeed in the strain game.
LET’S GET RIGHT TO IT. TELL ME THE RUNTZ SUPERHERO ORIGIN STORY. My partner, Nick, he’s the head grower. Pre 2017, our claim to fame was having indoor Zkittlez. At that point, people didn’t have indoor Zkittlez – it was a unicorn. Everyone was looking for what was next. Having packs of it was unheard of … Nick asked me, ‘What should I cross it with?’ Gelato was the biggest thing at that time, Young Dolph had just dropped the album called Gelato … I was like, ‘Let’s cross the Gelato with the indoor Zkittlez.’ Nick dropped two phenos, it was a #7 and a #3. We had them in the car and we were like, ‘This is the thing.’ It was like a 15-minute drive and by the end, we had Runtz with a ‘z.’ Emerald Cup was coming up and we had three pounds of it. Me and LB stayed up all night trimming three pounds before the Cup. Berner was there at the booth, looking at us like, ‘What are you guys doing? You have all these people at the booth!’ We showed up with five girls, the Runtz and 1,000 t-shirts. Literally, that shit sold so fast – everyone at the Cup was like, ‘You’ve got something going.’
“To make a legendary strain, it has to be something new.”
WHAT MAKES A LEGENDARY STRAIN OR PHENOTYPE? WHERE DOES THE MAGIC COME FROM? It has to be something new, right? First and foremost. You gotta go back to pre-Runtz, you know? Pre-Runtz, there weren’t that many strains – now there are a million. To make a legendary strain, it has to be something new. You have to have innovation. You have to dial it in. You have to check all the boxes. It’s gotta have flavor, the power. It has to be different, man – some type of characteristic that makes it different. Gelato is like hazelnut gas, you know what I mean? I feel like Runtz took it to a whole ‘nother level of candy – now you have people who go only for that candy, you know? At the end of the day, we’re probably looking at another five to 10 years of the market being dominated by Runtz and Runtz crosses, Runtz sisters and stepchildren.
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WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW THAT HAVE YOU THE MOST EXCITED? We’re doing collabs with clothing lines, record labels, artists – anything you can think of, really. We’re doing a collab with a comedian. We’re doing tastings with chefs. We have a breeding project with Seed Junky Genetics. We took the original Runtz and crossed it with some of the favorites of his line, like the Jealousy … He was like, ‘Hey, give me some cuts,” and he’s going to pollinate. His genetics library is crazy. We have a collab coming with Doja … we’re doing a breeding project as well with that. We’ll definitely have some merch and some media behind it as well.
RUNTZ.COM | @RUNTZ
RAY BAMA
RUNTZ MAR. 2022
DO YOU HAVE ANY PREDICTIONS FOR WHERE THE STRAIN MARKET MIGHT GO? I think we’re going to get a whole lot more Zkittlez crosses right now. I think that OGs are going to come back and we’re going to see a lot more green weed coming back. I think the market’s going back to a place where the end user is less trusting, so they’re going to want to see these breeding projects and how they do shit. I think that having real genetics and crosses is going to be important, rather than just ‘throw my name on the bag’ type of stuff. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SUCCEED IN THE STRAIN GAME? Everyone tries to copy what the next person does. To a certain extent, you can – but you have to be unique. You have to see what you can do to shake the industry. … With Runtz, we brought the power back to our group of people. We gave everyone the strain. … Build on that and continue to innovate and create … do new things with it.
STORY by TOM BOWERS @CANNABOMBTOM/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by MIKE ROSATI @ROSATIPHOTOS
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MZJILL GENETICS
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In an industry dominated almost entirely by men, MzJill stands out as a Cannabis breeder with integrity, longevity and some of the tastiest, unique and potent strains on Earth.
– building her own bubble buckets because she didn’t want to dispose of conspicuous bags of soil. Eventually, her medicinal needs and those of her patients drew MzJill to breeding origiMzJill’s journey, like many pioneers nal strains and along with her partner, of pot, began as a medical patient. the late Subcool, MzJill co-founded She was born with scoliosis and only TGA (Team Green Avenger) in 2003. found real relief when she Along with providing finally discovered Cannaan immense amount of bis. But that didn’t solve free cultivation informaall of the problems for a tion via online forums single mother of three young such as overgrow.com, daughters during the throes MzJill’s work with TGA of pot prohibition, so she created some iconic decided to homeschool her Cannabis strains such kids and start growing her as Agent Orange, Brian own to avoid extra scrutiny Berry Cough, Orange J I L LY B E A N from buying medicine in the Velvet, Ace of Spades and @DIS_GREENROOM underground market. her flagship – the multiple She set up a discreetly camouflaged, award-winning, Jilly Bean. free-standing room in the garage TGA became one of the first Ameriand employed hydroponic methods can seed companies to provide beans
MAR. 2022
PHOTO BY @NATIVE_CULTIVATOR
JOKER’S WILD
PHOTO BY @SHE_WHISPERS_TO_PLANTS
THE STRAINS ISSUE
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for purchase online and MzJill was certainly the first female from the U.S. openly breeding strains available in the marketplace. I inducted them into the High Times Seed Bank Hall of Fame and chose Jilly Bean as one of the Top 10 Strains of 2007. Together with Sub and the rest of the TGA team, they worked to breed potent and flavorful new varieties until a devastating fire destroyed everything they owned in 2017. MzJill decided to move on—parting ways with Subcool, starting up her own company (MzJill Genetics) and retaining the rights to use the TGA name and many of the strains she had helped to develop. “Thankfully, we had shared many of our mother plants with friends and I was able to recover the genetics,” she said. “CSI Humboldt was very helpful with strains such as Purple Urkle, which was a parent of our Querkle strain and now my Jilly Bean Grape as well.” MzJill also founded the charity MzJill’s People Helping People. Their work includes organizing holiday food, clothing and toy drives across Oregon and Northern California, fundraising for Veterans and children with disabilities, and empowering women in the Cannabis ecosystem. Even after decades of growing and breeding, MzJill still finds joy in cultivation and strain creation. Her advice to new growers? “Plant some seeds, keep everything clean and healthy to avoid pests. Mixing up a good soil is better than using bottled nutrients.” As for breeding, she emphasizes that it’s not just about crossing two elite strains. “Learn to grow well first. So many people have a room go hermaphroditic and suddenly, they’re a seed company. Make sure that you grow out and test your seeds before you release them. Take notes and keep track of everything.” As the owner and head breeder of MzJill Genetics, MzJill feels her journey is only just beginning.
J I L LY B E A N B L A C K C H E R RY
“MzJill’s work with TGA created some iconic Cannabis strains such as Agent Orange, Brian Berry Cough, Orange Velvet, Ace of Spades and her flagship – the multiple awardwinning, Jilly Bean.” She’s working on bringing back some of the original classic TGA strains such as Vortex, Dairy Queen, Chernobyl and Time Wreck. She’s also particularly excited about her new line of stabilized Jilly Bean crosses including Cherry, Orange, Lime and Grape flavors. MZJILL.COM @MZJILL420
STORY by DAN VINKOVETSKY @DANNYDANKOHT/LEAF NATION
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THE STRAINS ISSUE
MARIO GUZMAN S HERBIN S K IS WHAT LED TO YOUR RECENT REALIZATION AROUND THE UNIQUE PROPERTIES OF THE CLASSIC ‘SKUNK’ PROFILE? I think being a dreamer and kind of a visionary, I bumped into some SoCal surf brothers who are also visionaries and we had dinner out one night and … we just formed a friendship. I liked what they were doing in terms of studying terpenes, but they were also investing heavily with their own money into licensed facilities – specifically to research terpene profiles and different cannabinoids. With federal laws prohibiting funding and creating a lot of barriers for research, it’s people like Max, Kevin and Jack that had the vision to put their money where their mouth is and know that there’s magic inside. They wanted to be part of the first ones to discover that and so did I.
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Mario Guzman is the legendary breeder behind some of the industry’s most groundbreaking strains, including the game-changing Sunset Sherbert, plus Gelato and its signature variants Bacio, Mochi and Acai Berry Gelato. We caught up with the man behind the Sherbinskis brand to learn more about his longtime passion for the plant.
HOW AND WHEN DID YOU GET INTO THE CANNABIS GAME? I was living in San Francisco in the early 2000s and SB420 was introduced in 2004 – it created a legal framework for guys like me to start growing in their garages. AT WHAT POINT DID YOUR FOCUS SHIFT TO BREEDING AND GENETICS? It kind of went hand in hand. From the very beginning I was playing with pollen and had been popping seeds, and I didn’t know anything about it really. I just learned quickly through trial and error. I never considered myself, or, even now really … the
MAR. 2022
WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT FOR THE Sherbinski’s FUTURE? I’ve been worksignature ing for the last four years strains include just learning. I haven’t been WHAT’S THE MOST DIFFICULT out trying to make money Pink Panties, PART OF CREATING A NEW in seeds or clones or anySunset Sherbert STRAIN? I would say time. It thing. I’m just learning from and the Gelato line takes a lot of time and patience. people in Spain and different Nothing happens fast in this countries, and breeders and - Bacio, Mochi, game. From popping the seed to just people that get down and Acaiberry and Gello. letting that grow out, to cutting make seeds. We’ve got about the clone to flowering out that 100 moms of different geplant … drying it, trying it, netics that I’ve already tested sharing it, getting feedback … The people I’m two or three times. I’m confident that I’ve put in partnering with and seeking out are just looking to the work and I know what’s what, and I’m excited get back to the quality. It’s not about the biggest about starting to share some of the work I know buds or the biggest yields – it’s more about the I can stand behind that’s a lot more diverse than different medicinal effects of these different genetics what we’re seeing out there in the market. and opening up that gene pool a little more, rathSHERBINKIS.COM er than some of the narrow offerings that we’re @SHERBINSKI415 seeing. term breeder … I just learned to accept it. I just enjoy working with plants and experimenting.
STORY by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by SHERBINSKIS
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THE STRAINS ISSUE
DUKE DIAMOND Duke’s advice to new growers is to first dial in your environment – and go low and slow with the nutrients.
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The South isn’t the first region people think of when talking about strains, yet many of the legendary varieties of the 1970s and ‘80s hailed from places like Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama and Virginia. To this day, tales of the Roadkill Skunk, Afghan, G-13 and Hash Plant strains light up the eyes of older tokers who swear it was the strongest they’ve ever smoked. A combination of proper climate, good genetics and outlaw gumption contributed to literally tons of marijuana growing in the hills each year.
Duke Diamond’s Cannabis career started early, when at around the age of 12, he decided to grow his own after the first time he blazed on a joint. Even in the dark days of prohibition in Virginia, he felt safer growing it than buying it. He tells me, “I thought my chances of getting popped would be lower from laying low and not associ-
MAR. 2022
ating with a bunch of people. I planted some seeds and, luckily, my older cousins caught me, took me under their wings and pointed me in the right direction.” “I ordered a bunch of seeds from Amsterdam, specifically Afghani, Skunk and Northern Lights x Skunk, and they performed so well. Real ass-stomping stuff! The Hash Plants were big, heavy yielders that finished up before the fall rains came in. It was all received very well and we felt we could compete with California or anywhere else. We started making hybrids, doing our farmer shit to speed up flowering time, boost yields and make the best selections. Potency was always most important.” Duke was active on the online Cannabis growing forums, sharing valuable information and helping many people learn to grow and breed
their own. Eventually, in 2007, he was ratted on by an associate and busted by the DEA for growing, ultimately serving time in the Federal penitentiary. He ended up having to return to prison in 2019 over an unfortunate bust for possession of a firearm as a felon and was released in 2022 – now placing his focus on reviving Dominion Seed Company and releasing new genetics to the public. Varieties such as Figure Four, Screaming Eagle, Dominion Skunk, Skunkband, Burnout Chem, Sangria Punch, Polecat BX, Stashplant and more are now available for purchase. Duke’s advice to new growers is to first dial in your environment. Also, go low and slow with the nutrients. “When it comes to weed, everybody overdoes shit,” he says. “Don’t overwater. Even with organics – think of the microbes in your soil as your workers – they break the nutrients down into usable form, eating them and pooping them out. Focus on keeping them happy with proper moisture and temperature levels. Avoid using alfalfa and kelp after day 21 of flowering to keep your plants from tasting like grass clippings and burning improperly.” In addition to growing and breeding new strains, Duke has a few other projects in the works, including starting a podcast, putting out some YouTube videos to help growers learn organic cultivation and finishing writing his book – so you can look forward to consuming Duke’s work in more than just smokeable form.
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STORY by DAN VINKOVETSKY @DANNYDANKOHT/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by DOMINION SEED COMPANY
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THE STRAINS ISSUE
GSC A balanced hybrid boasting a long-lasting high, GSC, formerly known as Girl Scout Cookies, is parent to a wide swath of popular pot strains. The unique flavors of vanilla and mint cookie dough, plus a light lavender scent, are passed onto the offspring resulting in many beloved crosses.
GELATO Gelato #33 a.k.a. Larry Bird, is a Bay Area Cookies/Sherbinski staple named for its sweet and creamy scent and flavor. This strain is relaxing yet uplifting, and those effects along with the bright orange hairs and unique frosty purple tint make it perfect for breeding new berry-flavored varieties with euphoric qualities.
L INE AGE / OG KUSH X DURBAN POISON F 1 DOMINANT TE RPE NE S / CARYOPHYL L E NE , MYRCE NE , LI MO N EN E PARE NT OF / SHE RBE RT, GMO COOKIE S, ORANGE COO K I ES , D O - S I - D O S , B I RT H DAY CAK E, O R EO Z, GRE ASE MONKE Y, THIN MINT COOKIE S, PL ATINUM COO K I ES
L I N E A G E / S U N S E T S HERBET X THI N M I NT C OOKIES D O M I N A N T T E R P E N E S / C A RYOP HYLLENE, LIM ONENE, HUM ULENE PA R E N T O F / R U N T Z , BISC OTTI
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ZKITTLEZ
MODERN BREEDING STRAINS
Bred by 3rd Gen Family, Zkittlez burst onto the scene with a tropical punch of lemon, grapefruit and ice-creamesque bouquet. Anecdotal evidence shows the indica-dominant effects help treat PTSD and depression. As a forerunner of the Runtz line, Zkittlez’ legacy as a wellspring of wonderful weed is undoubted. LI N EAG E / ( G R APEFR U I T X G R APE APE) X MY S T ERY MALE D O MI N AN T T ER PEN ES / CARY O PH Y LLEN E, LI N ALO O L, H U MU LEN E PAR EN T O F / R U N T Z, W H I T E R U N T Z, MELO N AD E
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Cannabis breeding started thousands of years ago in Central Asia when seeds from the best plants were chosen every harvest year after year. The resulting plants spread throughout the world via human migration and eventually acclimated to different altitudes and environments. These became the original landrace Afghan, Indian, Southeast Asian, African and South American varieties used for flower and hash production over millennia.
IN THE U.S., crackdowns on imports of marijuana spurred aspiring farmers back home to plant their own seeds. Hippie travelers collected magic heirloom beans to bring home and used those plants, as well as various bagseeds, to create the original building blocks of the modern Cannabis gene pool including Skunk, Northern Lights and Haze. Further law enforcement operations forced a few enterprising bud breeders to the relative safety of Amsterdam, where the first seed companies were born in the 1980s using just a few distinct bedrock strains to create the hybrids that fueled the indoor growing revolution. The descendants of those strains became the building blocks of our present day poly-hybrids, but an ever-more-sophisticated clientele of connoisseurs, aficionados and medical patients demanded new and improved terpene profiles, flavor palates and potency levels. These days, a new breed of genetic material is being utilized to create flavorful strains for discerning palates and a marketplace constantly chasing the new heat. Whether gassy or fruity, the breeders of today are taking things to the extreme – making new and improved varieties using the following modern breeding strains.
MAR. 2022
DO-SI-DOS This amazing indica-leaning strain from Archive Seed Bank has a calming effect and provides pain relief for people with migraines and nausea. Cannabis expert TH Caeczar describes the singular scent as “freshly baked lemon curd and mint pastry aroma with shortbread cookie undertones.” Do-Si-Dos and her descendents tend to pair well with a couch or bed. L INE AGE / OGKB CUT OF GSC X FACE OF F OG BX1 DOMINANT TE RPE NE S / L IMONE NE , CARYOPHYL L E NE , LI N ALO O L PARE NT OF / DOL ATO, PE ANUT BUTTE R BRE ATH, DOSI S H ER B ET, W H OA- S I - W H OAS
GG4 Bred by the late great Josie Wales of GG Strains, the awardwinning GG4 (formerly known as Gorilla Glue #4) tests at an astonishing 30% THC! The earthy and piney buds announce themselves with a pungent and tangy smell that fills the entire room. A few puffs of these greasy nuggets is perfect for light sleepers and insomniacs seeking a full night’s sleep. L INE AGE / ( SOUR DU B B X CH EM S I S ) X CH O CO LAT E D I ES EL DOMINANT TE RPE NE S / CARY O PH Y LLEN E, MY R CEN E, LI MO N EN E PARE NT OF / ZOOKIE S , G R EAS E MO N K EY
STORY by DAN VINKOVETSKY @DANNYDANKOHT/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by JUSTIN MCIVOR #JUSTINCANNABIS
PHOTO COURTESY ARCHIVE
FACE OFF OG Another Archive legend, this indica-dominant strain has been known to make beginner tokers dizzy, with a psychedelic power and a strong body buzz. The lime green nuggets sparkle like diamonds but it’s the unparalleled diesel fuel funk that make this such a prolific producer of prominent progeny.
LINEAGE / OG KUSH PHENO DO MI N A N T T E R P E N E S / M Y R C E N E , LIM ONENE, C A RYOP HYLLENE PA R E N T O F / D O - S I - D O S , A N I M A L M INTS, HELLRA I SER OG
WEDDING CAKE A powerhouse cross coming from the breeding wizards at Seed Junky Genetics, Wedding Cake a.k.a. Triangle Mints #23 or Pink Cookies, is an indica-dominant strain known for relaxation and appetite stimulation. A stunner when it emerged on the scene – so wildly popular it earned Leafly’s 2019 Strain of the Year – think movie marathons and well-stocked munchies when smoking on this tangy, creamy chronic. LI N EA G E / S E E D J U N K Y G E N E T I C S T RIA NGLE KUSH X A NI M A L M INTS D O MI N A N T T E R P E N E S / L I M O N E N E , M YRC ENE, C A RYOP HYLLENE PA R EN T O F / I C E C R E A M C A K E , W E D DI NG C RA SHER
TANGIE A multiple award-winner and breeding legend, Tangie from Crockett Family Farms tends to impart its citrus orange aroma and acidity on offspring. The effect tends to creep up on you but once it takes hold, Tangie supplies a blissful and euphoric impact. Sativa-dominant, with no ceiling to the buzz, you can keep smoking and continue getting higher. LINEAGE / SKUNK #1 X CALI ORANGE DO MI N A N T T E R P E N E S / M Y R C E N E , TERP INOLENE, P I NENE PA R E N T O F / T R O P I C A N A C O O K I E S , FORBIDDEN FRUIT, P U TA NG
CHERRY PIE Another award-winning Cookie Family hybrid strain, Cherry Pie made its name in the Bay Area with an earthy-yet-sweet berry scent and flavor. The effect is uplifting and giggly, perfect for a day in the park with friends or a night out at a comedy club. Several noteworthy varieties inherited their strong genetics from this stalwart species. LINEA GE / GRA NDA DDY P URP L E X DURBAN POISON F 1 DOM INA NT TERP ENES / MYRCENE, CARYOPHYLLENE, PINENE PA RENT OF / FORBIDDEN FRUIT, BIRTHDAY CAKE, ANIMAL CAKE
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HU MBOLDT SEED COMPANY
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Genetically Gifted If you don’t think fish and Cannabis share something in common, you haven’t met Nathaniel Pennington. Possessing an expertise seemingly perfectly suited for the wilds of Humboldt County, Pennington says his past career as a fisheries biologist is not at odds with his current role as the founder and CEO of Humboldt Seed Company.
Damian Marley’s new Cannabis brand, Evidence, purchased the site of an abandoned prison in Coalinga, California for their latest Cannabis grow — and filled it with 30,000 Humboldt Seed Company seedlings, yielding a productive harvest in Summer 2021.
MAR. 2022
“It's funny,” he observes, “because it makes perfect sense to everybody in Humboldt. There's this community that’s evolved here which is all about caring for the environment and for our ecosystems, and Cannabis was never, ever at odds with that. In fact, they went hand in hand.” But for outsiders, some may wonder how a fish-focused researcher became a leading provider of world-class Cannabis genetics, helped turn a prison into a legal grow site alongside reggae star Damien Marley, and still manages to devote plenty of focus to the local watersheds and environment that make Northern California a little slice of heaven on earth.
As a conservationist, Pennington was part of a successful effort to have endangered species protections put in place for salmon in Humboldt. Additionally, he was also heavily involved in a 2006 Klamath River dam removal deal – believed to be the world’s largest river restoration project to date. Though Pennington still holds several Board of Directors roles tied to his work with fish, by 2017 the impending enactment of California’s Prop 64 had inspired him to press the gas pedal on a Cannabis-focused venture he’d first sown the seeds for back in 2001. Struck by the idea that genomics – integral to his studies of salmon – would also be of major importance to Cannabis (especially in a legalized world), in 2001 Pennington headed down to Humboldt County’s courthouse and asked a clerk if there was any business registered as Humboldt Seed Company already. “They looked at the state record,” he says, “and there wasn't anything under that name, so I started one. It was like, ‘I'm growing seeds, but don't worry about which ones.’ You had to walk a fine line.” It was a line that became much easier to walk in the wake of California’s choice to legalize adult-use Cannabis sales in 2016. The following year, Pennington and his team began to plan for a pheno hunt of unprecedented scale. Based on advice from geneticists at UC Davis, Humboldt Seed Company was told that an ideal database on Cannabis genetics would include at least 10,000 plants from a diverse array of lineages. Part of Pennington’s motivation for this project was to create a sharable database of phenotypic information at a time when most Cannabis had become, in his words, akin to a mutt. “At this point, in Cannabis, there's almost no such thing as purebred,” he says. “If you were to compare it to dog breeding, everything in Cannabis is a mutt now. The difference is that you can't clone a dog, but you can clone Cannabis – so it doesn't matter as much if everything is genetically variable and mixed up. But to do actual breeding and to conduct breeding experiments that are repeatable, you need to be able to use more purebred lines.” To accomplish this monumental task, in 2018 Humboldt Seed Company found farms willing to collaborate with them – mostly in the Emerald Triangle, but also in Central California as well. In total, 10 farms participated on different levels, with six or seven cultivating hundreds – and in a few cases, thousands – of plants as part of the effort.
“We planted 10,000 plants throughout farms all over Central and Northern California,” Pennington recalls. “And then we curated a tour with a diverse group of industry professionals and Cannabis enthusiasts. We handed them all data sheets and iPads and everybody just walked around the fields. We did a fourday weekend and covered 6,000 of the 10,000 plants.” These annual pheno hunt tours have become a staple for Humboldt Seed Company, though Pennington acknowledges that things have been scaled back for the last two years due to pandemic concerns. Nonetheless, four years in, the results still yield some incredible surprises. For example: mint terpenes. “For 20 years,” Pennington says, “I didn't think Cannabis could smell like peppermint, but we recently got some seeds that had mint terpenes and it just shocked me.” Naturally, Pennington’s respect for the plants and animals of Humboldt also extends to the indig“An old prison that used to incarcerate people enous populations who have resided in who had grown, possessed or sold Cannabis the area since long is now the location for a massive grow. And before that name was they had a ton of success! The grow was just given to the region. unbelievably productive. If anything, they To that end, Humboldt Seed Company were like, ‘Holy shit. We don’t know if we’re has co-founded ready to process this much weed!’” the Nature Rights Nathaniel Pennington | Humboldt Seed Company Council (NRC): a Founder & CEO nonprofit led by members of local indigenous communities. Featured in the recent “An old prison that used to incarcerate documentary “Gather,” Pennington says he people who had grown, possessed or sold appreciates the extra attention the NRC has Cannabis is now the location for a massive enjoyed as a result of appearing in the film. grow,” he marvels. “And they had a ton of “They didn't exactly mention Humboldt success! The grow was just unbelievably Seed Company,” he laughs, “but we're not productive. If anything, they were like, 'Holy doing this to get mentioned. We're doing it shit. We don't know if we're ready to process to get the word out about Native American this much weed!'” culture and to get people talking about what It’s an exciting moment and one that we're going to lose if we just continue forging Pennington sees as even further proof that the ahead and not caring.” various spokes of his professional interests A similar sentiment inspired a recent effort are all undeniably connected. by Damian Marley’s new Cannabis brand, “Ultimately,” he says, “it’s about sowing Evidence, to buy an abandoned prison in the seeds of social justice however you can. Coalinga, Calif. and turn it into a grow Whether that means uplifting indigenous operation. Purchased for around $4 million, communities, protecting the land on which we Evidence co-founder Dan Dalton worked with all live, or working to reverse the pot-to-prison Humboldt Seed Company to secure 30,000 pipeline – it all comes from the same place.” seedlings, which were grown last summer. With part of the proceeds pledged to support the Last Prisoner Project, Pennington HUMBOLDTSEEDCOMPANY.COM describes the undertaking as one ripe with @THEHUMBOLDTSEEDCOMPANY irony – the good kind.
STORY by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for LEAF NATION | GARDEN PHOTOS by MIKE ROSATI @ROSATIPHOTOS | PRISON PHOTOS by KANDID KUSH @KANDIDKUSH
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THAI-GER KING LIVE RESIN CAKE BADDER With yet another shining example of illustrious extracts, Evermore’s Thai-Ger King live resin cake badder features some rather worldly Cannabis breeding coming together into a special cultivar that produces an even more special resin. But what makes me describe this genetic as worldly? For that we need to explore the Thai-Ger King heritage as it incorporates some of the most iconic, rare and soughtafter lines ever found on Planet Earth.
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T E S T R E S U LT S 81% THC 9.5% total terps 4.8% myrcene 1.49% limonene 1.09% ocimene .8% caryophyllene .44% linalool .32% pinene .26% humulene
Evermore has been concerned with These types of heavy highs are quality since their inception and as ideal for those of us who have to such, sourced a variety of niche strains deal with pain on a daily basis. The to work off of as foundational genetics overall profile supports a functional for their breeding projects. Their Thaiexperience for the chronically ill, Ger King project is a cross between but additionally offers a depth of Golden Tiger and Airborne Skunk flavor and aroma that make this a which, you may or may not know, are connoisseur’s medicine. two cultivars that incorporate some of The Thai-Ger King smells like the most impressive landrace genetics exotic candied jelly and creamy on the planet. banana pudding, with a definite Thai, Malawi and original Skunk vein of bubblegum and honey genetics went into this cultivar’s permeating throughout. The smell grandparents and the meticulous is so creamy you can almost feel it team at Evermore guided its gentle, on your tongue, as each dab coats progressive cultivation and extraction the sinus cavities and lingers into the silky and for a prolonged golden live resin experience EVERMORECOMPANY.COM product it is today. indicative of the @EVERMOREBRANDS Super heavy highest quality on the myrcene at concentrate. 4.83%, this dab hit me behind the eyes Not to be confused with the in the most heavy-lidded of fashions, docuseries popularized during slumping me gently into a luxurious high the pandemic, Thai-Ger King live that only the best profiles can bring. resin cake badder is truly a 2022 The myrcene is followed up by trend – and a dab you won’t want generous dollops of limonene, ocimene, to sleep on. The team at Evermore caryophyllene and linalool – keeping my Cannabis Company has again mind calm, clear and present as my body wowed us with their thoughtful relaxed into a gelatinous texture. I am expression of the plant and their particularly fond of heavy body highs nuanced, high-quality profiles that maintain the presence of mind that tickle the senses in the most necessary to go about a “working day.” delightful of ways.
“SUPER HEAVY ON THE MYRCENE, THIS DAB HIT ME BEHIND THE EYES IN THE MOST HEAVY-LIDDED OF FASHIONS.” MAR. 2022
REVIEW by TAYLOR MARTIN for MARYLAND LEAF | PHOTO by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT
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10 slices | 5mg THC/slice
cooking with cannabis
Her-sTORIC EATS
BUTTERMILK MARBLE CAKE Baking spray 6 tablespoons butter, softened 3 tablespoons canna-butter, softened 1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons 3 eggs, room temperature 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature 2 1/4 cups flour 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate 2 tablespoons melted butter, cooled 1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Heat oven to 340. Spray a 9-inch loaf pan, or butter and dust with flour. 2. In an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time and then mix on high speed for five minutes. Beat in the salt, vanilla, almond extract and baking powder. Add the flour, alternating with the milk, and ending with the flour. 3. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate in 10-second intervals until just melted. Add the remaining sugar and two tablespoons of hot water. Stir. Add one cup of the batter and stir until combined. 4. Pour the vanilla batter into the loaf pan. Top the vanilla batter with the chocolate batter. Drag a knife through the batter, distributing the chocolate throughout the pan. 5. Bake the cake for 60-70 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool before removing from the pan.
Serves 4 | 5mg THC/serving
SASSY SPRING ASPARAGUS SALAD
50
1 pound asparagus, rinsed, patted dry and trimmed 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced Zest of 1/2 a fresh lemon, thin strips 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil 4 teaspoons Cannabis infused oil Juice of 1 lemon 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar Salt and pepper to taste
1. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus into long thin strips. Place the asparagus in a serving bowl with the sliced onion and lemon zest. 2. In a small bowl, whisk together the oils, lemon juice, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. 3. At serving time, pour the dressing into the serving bowl and toss to combine.
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R EC I P E S by LAU RIE WOLF P HOTO by B RUC E WOLF THIS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH seems more weighted than others. There’s quite a bit at stake here. Since food is my bailiwick, I have chosen recipes from three women chefs who have created change politically, socially and culturally. I don’t have a clue if any of these women enjoyed Cannabis … I am using my take on their recipes to make a dish hopefully worthy of their immeasurable talents.
I have actually had the pleasure of meeting all of them and Edna Lewis – the first Black woman to write a Southern cookbook using her own identity – was the caterer at my wedding. The recipe for her marble cake, which I had the opportunity to eat by her own hand, inspired this recipe. The raw shaved asparagus salad from Alice Waters is a dish I have been making for years. We have her to thank for the “farm to table” movement in this country. Through her wisdom, we were able to understand the
MAR. 2022
importance of eating seasonally and locally. Waters was not alone in this movement, but she has certainly had the greatest impact in my cooking world. I met Julia Child briefly, many years ago. She was instrumental in bringing French cuisine to America and she had a relaxed, fun style that made people feel comfortable in the kitchen. My dad didn’t cook much, but he learned to make her vichyssoise (usually served cold) and that got him a reputation in the neighborhood. He achieved other reputations, but no one wants to know – trust me. I infused these recipes with Cannabis I grew this past summer. Woman grown, the strain is J1 – a clone from a close friend who has sadly left the world of weed. Not the world, just the business … not necessarily a bad idea.
Serves 4 | 5mg THC/serving
VICHYSSOISE (POTATO LEEK SOUP) 1 1/2 tablespoons butter 4 teaspoons infused oil or butter 1 1/2 cups peeled, sliced russet potatoes 1 1/2 cups sliced leeks, well rinsed, white part only 1 quart chicken stock, vegetable stock is also fine 1/3 cup heavy cream Salt and pepper Sliced scallion or chives for garnish
1. In a medium soup pot, melt the butters. 2. Add the potatoes and leeks to the pot, stir and allow to cook gently, covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. Add the stock of your choice, along with heavy cream and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer uncovered until the vegetables are tender, 15-20 minutes. If the potatoes are hard, simmer gently for an additional few minutes. 4. Carefully pour half the contents into a blender and puree until smooth. Really smooth. Pour into the soup pot and blend the remaining half of the soup. Return to the soup pot. 5. If the soup is to be served cold, allow it to cool at room temperature and chill in the fridge overnight. If serving hot, heat through and serve garnished with scallions or chives.
#gi r l po w e r #w o m enrule #bebold #just w omen #bet onw omen #R BG #ha p p y womensd a y | La uriea nd Ma ryJa ne.com
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WORLD OF Cannabis PRESENTS
The Original
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King of Cannabis
leafmagazines.com
Presenting the seedy saga of Nevil Schoenmakers— one of the most courageous, controversial and consequential Cannabis breeders in history. BORN TO BREED Born to Dutch parents in Perth, Australia on February 2, 1957, Nevil Martin Schoenmakers was a rebellious youth with a passion for biology and genetics – breeding parakeets as early as eight years old. He began smoking weed in high school and after graduating, started working in a university biology lab. There, he gained access to harder drugs – including morphine, to which he soon developed an addiction. After getting busted on drug charges, Schoenmakers first fled to Thailand, then on to live with an uncle in the Netherlands in 1976. It was there, while using Cannabis to help kick his heroin habit, that he discovered a copy of the legendary “Marijuana Growers Guide” (by Mel Frank and Ed Rosenthal) and was inspired to grow pot professionally. In 1980, he was approved for a business loan from the Dutch government designed to help recovering addicts, then used the money to set up a small commercial grow and started selling marijuana to the Dutch market. Only problem was, the strains he was growing – mostly from Nigerian, Colombian and Mexican seeds – weren’t very popular. So in 1983, he made the fateful decision to switch from selling weed to selling seeds and founded The Seed Bank of Holland.
MAR. 2022
In this never-before-published photo taken in 1985 near the Russian border in Hungary, Nevil first discovers the legendary “roadside ruderalis” plant he would later breed with other strains to shorten their flowering times.
THE SEED BANK OF HOLLAND In July 1984, Schoenmakers released the seed bank’s first “catalog” – a one-page listing of seed varieties offered for just 25 cents apiece. The following year, he took out a small classified ad in the back of High Times magazine where he offered American growers an opportunity to order the catalog for two dollars. Since he was only advertising the catalog rather than the seeds themselves, the ad didn’t violate any laws. For his business to be really successful, though, Nevil knew he needed to get his hands on better genetics. As fate would have it, some of the best Cannabis strains in the world were about to fall into his lap. In the summer of
1984, legendary Santa Cruz breeder “Skunkman Sam” Selgnij of Sacred Seeds traveled to Amsterdam, bringing with him over a quarter-million seeds of California’s best genetics, including Skunk #1, Cali Orange, Hindu Kush and Original Haze. Schoenmakers allegedly purchased half of Skunkman’s varieties, as well as a few other popular strains from West Coast growers (such as Northern Lights, Afghan #1 and Durban Poison). He also acquired a few landrace strains while adventuring in Asia, including the rare ruderalis species. It was from this dank, diverse gene pool – as well as his brilliant and ballsy entrepreneurial acumen – that Nevil would build his seed empire.
WORLD OF CANNABIS
Though a few other Dutch seed companies were operating at the time, none were brazen enough to mail seeds to America for cash and then brag about it in the pages of High Times.
The back of the 1987 Seed Bank of Holland catalog, featuring the infamous photo of Nevil in a room full of hashish—the same image later used on his wanted poster.
In September 1984, Schoenmakers purchased an old 18th century estate in the Dutch countryside, which he christened the “Cannabis Castle,” then proceeded to transform the property into a veritable seed factory – erecting greenhouses on the land and filling the catacombs beneath the mansion with grow rooms. By 1986 he was running display ads in both High Times and Sinsemilla Tips, offering the catalog for free and the seeds for $5 each. Soon, the Seed Bank was distributing hundreds of thousands of seeds globally and raking in millions of dollars a year. Nevil’s operation was so impressive that it drew the attention of High Times editor Steve Hager, who paid him a visit in 1986. In the now-infamous interview “Inside Cannabis Castle: The Man Who Would be King of Cannabis” (High Times, March 1987), Schoenmakers openly discussed his life, location and operations. Though a few other Dutch seed companies were operating at the time, none were brazen enough to mail seeds to America for cash and then brag about it in the pages of High Times. OPERATION GREEN MERCHANT Unfortunately, growers weren’t the only ones reading High Times and Sinsemilla Tips – it was no secret that the DEA were among the mags’ biggest subscribers. Seeing the numerous ads for growing equipment and Cannabis seeds in their pages, the Feds decided to build a case for criminal conspiracy between the pot publications, their advertisers and their customers. They started purchasing seeds from Nevil when his first ads ran in 1985; two years later, they launched the official investigation known as Operation Green Merchant.
In our November 2021 GREEN HOUSE & MR. NICE edition (“Sinsemilla Story”), we Though he’d escaped extradirecounted how OGM raided tion and prosecution, Nevil’s Sinsemilla Tips and dozens of days of shipping seeds to the horticulture shops across the U.S. were over and he was still country on “Black Thursday” under scrutiny by Interpol, so he in October 1989, but that was knew he needed to keep a lowonly half the story – the other er profile. Which is likely why, half of the investigation was during his stint in the Australian High Times news article about Nevil centered on shutting down the jail, he negotiated a deal to sell skipping bail (Nov. 1991). Holland Seed Bank. Luckily for his entire operation – the HolNevil, the Netherlands wouldn’t land Seed Bank and Cannabis extradite him for something that wasn’t considered Castle – to Ben Dronkers, who then merged it with a crime there. But in 1990, when he returned to his Sensi Seed Club to form the Sensi Seed Bank. Perth for the birth of his son, the authorities were Despite selling his business, Nevil kept on breedwaiting: On June 24, Australian police arrested ing – at first, working for the very company he used Schoenmakers on behalf of the to own. Then in 1994, he and fellow Aussie breedU.S. Government. Then, on July er Scott Blakey (aka Shantibaba) co-founded the 13, the Justice Department handed Green House Seed Company with Green House down a 44-count indictment with coffeeshop owner Arjan Roskam. Together, they potential for multiple life sentencdeveloped several Cannabis Cup-winning strains, es – charging him with the sale of including White Widow, Super Silver Haze, White marijuana seeds, as well as criminal Rhino, and his signature strain, Nevil’s Haze. But conspiracy to violate the Controlled as the decade drew to a close, a change in Dutch Substances Act. law outlawing the production of seeds – as well as Schoenmakers spent the next 11 conflicts of interest and egos – led Shantibaba and months in an Australian prison while Schoenmakers to sever ties with Arjan. his lawyers appealed his extradition After leaving the Greenhouse, the pair connect… until June 1991, when he was ed with infamous smuggler Howard Marks (a.k.a. unexpectedly granted bail, paid the Mr. Nice) to form Mr. Nice Seed Bank. Soon after, $100,000 and skipped town to the Shantibaba moved his operation to Switzerland safety of the Netherlands. while Nevil remained in the Netherlands, continuing his work under the radar and out of the spotlight. SEEDS OF BETRAYAL Of the 42 customers listed in Schoenmakers’ LONG LIVE THE KING indictment, only five were undercover agents … Around 2003, Schoenmakso how did the DEA get ahold of the names and er learned that the Justice addresses of the rest? Unfortunately, based on Department had dropped its rumors that have never been substantiated, Nevil case. With no more outstandaccused Skunkman Sam of being an undercover ing warrants against him, he DEA agent. But as it turned out, the snitch was acwas finally free to travel again. tually Nevil’s friend and business partner, Raymond He returned home to AustraAnthony Cogo. lia, where he settled in New Ray Cogo worked as one of the Seed Bank’s South Wales, dropped out of U.S. distributors from February 1988 until June the Cannabis scene entirely, and lived for over a 1989 – receiving bulk shipments of seeds from decade in relative seclusion. He resurfaced briefly in Nevil in Michigan, then mailing individual orders 2015 when it was announced that he’d joined the out to customers hidden inside soup cans. In a board of an Australian medical Cannabis compasworn affidavit to the DEA that didn’t surface until ny called AusCann. Sadly though, his Cannabis 2018, Cogo admits that despite Nevil’s explicit comeback would be short-lived: Two years after instructions to destroy all customer information being diagnosed with cancer, Nevil passed away on after shipping the orders, he nevertheless kept it March 30, 2019, at the age of 62. all. So when he got busted attempting to sneak Many of those who’ve worked with Schoenmakers hash to a friend in prison, Cogo cut a deal to over the years speak unfavorably of his character, save his own ass – turning over an alleged 360 and perhaps justifiably so. But opinions about his pages of the Seed Bank’s customer information personality aside, there’s no denying the tremento the DEA in June 1989. Four months later dous worldwide impact he had on Cannabis cultivacame Black Thursday, then the warrant for Nevils’ tion. Without Nevil and his Holland Seed Bank, arrest the following year. many of the strains we enjoy today might not exist. STO RY b y B O B BY B LAC K @ CAN N T H RO PO LO G Y fo r LEA F NAT IO N | M AI N P HOTO b y STEV E N CU RT I S
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WHEN VENOM IS COURSING THROUGH YOUR EMBROILED VEINS, it feels good to let out an exultant FUCK. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find any single word in the English language so versatile. Call us unrefined, but when you have such an effective expression – so interchangeable simply by the tone and cadence with which it is spit – why reach into that bag of expletives for anything else? With fuck as the signature example, swear words can be some of the most impactful of all expressions – the exemplary embodiment of absolute emotion. They are the sprinkles to your sentences. The punctuation to your pronouns. The gravy on your mashed potatoes. And when you study how we might’ve arrived at this era of artful articulation, it seems plausible that this breakthrough gained momentum when the 1940’s war children came of age a decade later. After having their mouths washed out with soap enough times in the cookie cutter order of row housing, they grew weary of the conservative austerity it took to defeat the Nazis, ready to adopt their rock and roll identity – ripe for a cultural rebellion. And rightfully accentuated by bad words in back alleys with cuffed jeans and cigarette-fueled observations. If you think about it, language is a peculiar vehicle for communicating. And since the advent of our grunts toward a more competent connection, shunned words have had a place on the periphery of the dictionary. And when it comes to the word fuck: Why would you insulate the most foolproof remark that pinpoints your fiery feelings, when it specifically flavors your fervor? Doesn’t it feel liberating to let it out… Just like a giant, breathy bong toke.
mar. 2022
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