#53 | MAY 2023 THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE FREE / LEAFMAGAZINES.COM INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010
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All Things Cannabis For All People beardedlorax stashleylynn maaryjwhite rickerdj leaflifepodcast PODCAST THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS #216 THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM #217 THC #218 COMMERCIAL FISHING IN ALASKA WATCH ON LEAF LIFE PODCAST V2 LISTEN EVERYWHERE THIS MONTH: Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 or older. This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit-forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of reach of children. # 219 MEME CULTURE It’ll make you juicy Listen to Leaf Li fe with @Boofconf it
6 MAY 2023 [ issue #53 THE fun ISSUE COURTESY LEVELHEADY EMERALD MOUNTAIN MEDIA COURTESY ATTABOY WYATT EARLY JON KRAUSE 09 EDITOR’S NOTE 10 NATIONAL NEWS 12 BUDTENDER Q&A 14 SHOP REVIEW 18 PATIENT PROFILE 20 INSPECTAH DECK 24 STRAIN OF THE MONTH 28 ENHANCING THE EVERYDAY 30 GAME OF SHROOMS 32 ART OF THE ROLL 34 LEVELHEADY 36 FEED THE WEED 40 COOKING WITH CANNABIS 42 CONCENTRATE OF THE MONTH 44 GLASS ART SPOTLIGHT 46 STONEY BALONEY SHOP REVIEW KANNAVIS 28 32 30 14 34 May 2023 leafmagazines.com COURTESY MISS SHIRLEY'S CAFE BOROPHOTO GREG MALCOLM MICHAEL SIMMONS PATIENT OF THE MONTH 36 44 18 BALTIMORE MUNCHIES GUIDE GLASS ART FEED THE WEED WHITNEY HARMON FEATURES enhancing the everyday art of the roll game of shrooms fun-sized | levelheady
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For use only by qualifying, certified patients of Maryland Must be 18 years of age or older to view this content F r e s h f l o w e r , p u r e c o n c e n t r a t e s , s t a t e - o f - t h e - a r t v a p e s a n d a v a r i e t y o f e d i b l e s S i n c e r e a n d c a r i n g s t a f f w h o l o v e t o l i s t e n P u r e , t e s t e d p r o d u c t s a t a f f o r d a b l e p r i c e s E v
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ABOUT THE COVER
With all the ongoing uncertainty in the Cannabis industry, people seem to be on edge. So, we at the Leaf felt that we could use a reminder of why we spent our quarters in the first place – because it's supposed to be fun! And what represents the thrill of overcoming challenges quite like an exciting round of pinball? Frequent Leaf Magazines contributor Joshua Boulet(theeyebehind StoneyBaloney'ssignatureartworkeachmonth) capturedtheadventureofkeepingtheballin playthroughallthecurlyloopsandbanging bumpersofaCannabis-themedmachine, illustratingtheparallelsofhowtheweedgame canbeananxiety-filledblast!
ILLUSTRATION BY JOSHUA BOULET JOSHUABOULET.COM | @JOSHUABOULET
CONTRIBUTORS
Thanks for picking up The Fun Issue of the Leaf!
Over the last 14 years of publishing Cannabis magazines I’ve had a lot of fun moments, from throwing major parties like our Leaf Bowls with free tickets to smoke and revel in the best of Cannabis, to the early days of High Times Cannabis Cups and hot dabs in parking lots from Denver to Seattle. But as I look back on my personal history with weed, it occurs to me that most of the fun I’ve had with Cannabis was when it was illegal.
Now don’t get me wrong – as someone who was arrested and charged for a single gram of weed in college, and harassed by cops and security for smoking many times – I don’t wish to go back into the dark ages. However there was something magical about getting a bag of weed, plotting a time and place to get high, and linking up in the woods to smoke mids that always brought laughter and friendship.
In the early medical days this feeling of fun was amplified. Farmer’s markets proliferated on the West Coast and patients had access to an unimaginable variety of strains, edibles, topicals, and later concentrates. Walking into a medical dispensary felt like winning the Golden Ticket to Willy Wonka’s Factory – where every month there were new strains or techniques making the plant better and helping to heal the patients needing relief. I would characterize the vibe of medical Cannabis as a hippie-rebel-healer movement that was unabashedly fun, helping others with a middle finger to the government and a lawyer on speed dial.
We are creators of targeted, independent Cannabis journalism. Please email us to discuss advertising in the next issue of MarylandLeaf Magazine. We do not sell stories or coverage. We can offer design services and guidance on promoting your company’s medicinal, recreational, commercial or industrial Cannabis business, product or event within our magazine and on our website, leafmagazines.com. Email wyatt@leafmagazines.com to start advertising with Maryland Leaf!
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Fast forward to the recreational phase of Cannabis that we are in now, and things have certainly become less fun for those on the industry side of the plant. With ridiculous tax structures and regulatory burdens, the industry is smothered in hoops to jump through that are largely meaningless. Do we really need to track every plant and every gram of weed at risk of penalty or losing a license, when beer companies can give away as much booze as they want? Today’s weed industry lacks the component that made it fun: the weed itself! But instead of smoking and celebrating as a community, most operators are struggling – which combined with the high turnover of the industry, has led to a very temporary and scary feeling inside the weed community.
It’s with that understanding that we decided to have our first ever Fun Issue, with the goal of highlighting how weed improves every aspect of life. We need to recapture the reverence of decades past for the freedoms we have now … as well as for the huge variety of options we have to consume the plant! There is no better time to be a Cannabis user or patient than now, and I believe that calls for a round of fun that doesn’t lead to a hangover.
So my challenge to our audience is to take a moment before your next sesh or joint and meditate on what it was like to wait for a dealer to show up, and the feeling of ecstasy that came with the first spark and inhale when it was finally safe to smoke. Focus on the moment as you inhale, and on how the smoke or vapor is going to make your day better, get rid of pain and help carry you through whatever challenges you might be facing. I hope you enjoy The Fun Issue of the Leaf and take a moment soon to reconnect with the plant we all share and love.
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Exclusive Cannabis Journalism may 2023 ESTABLISHED 2010 THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE NORTHWEST LEAF / OREGON LEAF / ALASKA LEAF / MARYLAND LEAF / CALIFORNIA LEAF / NORTHEAST LEAF Editor’s
WES ABNEY ATTABOY, ILLUSTRATION BOBBY BLACK, DESIGN + FEATURES JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION BORO PHOTOGRAPHER, PHOTOS TOM BOWERS, FEATURES CARLI CHRISTINA ART, ILLUSTRATION EARLY, PRODUCTION WYATT EARLY, FEATURES STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS OLIVIA ALONSO GOUGH, PHOTOS MATT JACKSON, FEATURES JON KRAUSE, ILLUSTRATION GREG MALCOLM, PHOTOS TAYLOR MARTIN, FEATURES BAXSEN PAINE, PHOTOS + FEATURES JESSE RAMIREZ, DESIGN LENA REYNOSO, PHOTOS MIKE RICKER, FEATURES MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING NATE WILLIAMS, FEATURES BRUCE WOLF, PHOTOS KATHERINE WOLF, FEATURES LAURIE WOLF, RECIPES
Note
-Wes
“DO WE REALLY NEED TO TRACK EVERY PLANT AND EVERY GRAM OF WEED AT RISK OF PENALTY OR LOSING A LICENSE...”
Abney
AMERICANS SPEND MORE ON MARIJUANA THAN CHOCOLATE
Americans now spend more on legal marijuana products than they do on chocolate. The USA reached this milestone as a nation last year, according to MJBizDaily.
United States residents spent about $30 billion on legal Cannabis in 2022. That compares with roughly $20 billion spent on chocolate. Almost two-dozen states now allow sales of weed for adult use, with 19 more states allowing Cannabis for medicinal use.
Americans also spent more on marijuana than they did on opioid medications ($22.8 billion) and topical pain medications ($2.8 billion) combined. However, legal weed sales are still dwarfed by sales of tobacco products. In 2022, tobacco sales totaled about $53 billion – but those sales are steadily dropping, whereas Cannabis sales are rising.
By 2028, according to MJBizDaily, sales of legal weed could reach $57 billion.
MARYLAND SETS RULES FOR MARIJUANA SALES
Maryland lawmakers expedited getting marijuana regulatory legislation in place before the state’s voter-approved adult-use legalization law takes effect July 1. Now the plan will go before Governor Wes Moore, who has indicated he will sign it into law. Under the new rules, people who are 21 and older will be able to buy recreational Cannabis in Maryland July 1.
“Under the new rules, people who are 21 and older will be able to buy recreational Cannabis in Maryland July 1.”
OKLAHOMA AUTHORITIES SEIZE 7,000 LBS. OF WEED
THE OKLAHOMA Bureau of Narcotics recently seized more than 7,000 pounds of untaxed marijuana amid an investigation into a black market operation, reports KOCO.
On April 14, the Bureau seized the Cannabis from a semi trailer, saying it shut down a black market marijuana warehouse distribution center in Oklahoma City as part of an ongoing investigation. Officials said the investigation has identified multiple farms transporting marijuana to the warehouse. The product was then repackaged into “camera equipment” boxes and shipped to New York and New Jersey. They also said the people orchestrating the operation had ties to Oklahoma consulting groups.
TEXAS HOUSE EXPANDS LIST OF MMJ CONDITIONS
A BILL approved by the Texas House in April would expand the list of conditions that qualify for the state’s medical marijuana program.
House Bill 1805, sponsored by Public Health Committee Chair Stephanie Klick, a Republican from Fort Worth, passed the House 127-19 and now heads to the Senate, reports Axios.
The bipartisan legislation would expand the state’s 2015 Compassionate Use Law. That law allows physicians to prescribe low-THC Cannabis to treat symptoms of epilepsy, cancer and posttraumatic stress disorder, among other conditions.
The new bill would allow doctors to prescribe up to 10 milligrams of Cannabis for chronic pain cases that might normally warrant an opioid prescription.
NEW HAMPSHIRE HOUSE VOTES FOR LEGALIZATION
The bill also addresses commerce-related issues such as the number and types of Cannabis business licenses available, reports CBS Baltimore.
It sets the amount of sales tax those businesses must charge at 9 percent, the The Baltimore Banner reports. Medical Cannabis will be exempt from sales tax. The legislation comes after voters passed a ballot referendum that legalized Cannabis in Maryland’s constitution in November.
BIPARTISAN BILL TO PREPARE US FOR LEGALIZATION REINTRODUCED
LEGAL MARIJUANA is one step closer to reality in New Hampshire after the state House voted 272-109 for HB 639. Legalization efforts have fallen short in recent years, but this year’s effort has momentum heading into the state Senate. HB 639 has bipartisan sponsors in both bodies of state government.
HB 639 would legalize marijuana for adults over the age of 21. Rep. Jason Osborne (R) and Rep. Matt Wilhelm (D) cosponsor the bill, and a broad coalition of marijuana industry figures, civil rights advocates and policy groups also back the bill.
Polling has shown that the vast majority, more than 70%, of New Hampshire residents support marijuana legalization for adult use. In recent years, legalization bills have passed in the state House, but have fallen short in the N.H. Senate.
states in the U.S. have legalized Cannabis for use by those at least 21 years or older.
21 months in jail is possible in Kansas with prior marijuana convictions.
42
46%
percent of Americans say they have used marijuana, according to the latest longstanding survey from Pew Research Center.
88%
percent of Americans say Cannabis should be legal for adult or medical use, according to the same PRC survey.
Democrat and Republican lawmakers have reintroduced a bill to prepare for the legalization of adult-use Cannabis at the federal level.
U.S.
House Representative Dave Joyce and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries in April introduced the Preparing Regulators Effectively for a Post-Prohibition Adult Use Regulated Environment (PREPARE) Act.
The goal of the PREPARE Act is to bring together a diverse group of experts to collaborate on Cannabis reform. It would provide lawmakers with the information needed to establish a comprehensive federal regulatory system.
Despite more than 21 states legalizing adult-use Cannabis, it remains illegal at the federal level via its continued classification as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act.
ALABAMA ACTIVISTS PUSH FOR POT DECRIM
Local marijuana advocacy groups are asking Alabama lawmakers to decriminalize nonviolent Cannabis convictions during the 2023 legislative session. Activists, including the Alabama Cannabis Coalition, are looking at what other states are doing – including legalizing medical Cannabis – as well as pushing lawmakers to make a change on marijuana possession arrests.
“Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, is sponsoring marijuana decriminalization legislation for the fourth consecutive year.”
“Decriminalization eliminates jail time for petty crimes for so many people and those crimes,” said Marty Schelper, president of ACC, “those misdemeanors and those felonies can actually prevent those people from getting jobs and having housing.”
Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, is sponsoring marijuana decriminalization legislation for the fourth consecutive year. The legislation has previously passed Senate Judiciary committee review, but died on the Senate floor. Schelper and other advocates are calling for the Alabama Legislature to expunge criminal records for marijuana possession while looking at racial disparities in arrest rates. They’d like lawmakers to then move forward with establishing medical Cannabis dispensaries.
20,000
55,000
STORIES by STEVE ELLIOTT, AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF
MAY 2023 leafmagazines.com 10 national news
MARIJUANA
CONSUMERS
patients have enrolled so far in Virginia’s medical marijuana program. The state’s first medical marijuana dispensaries opened up more than two years ago.
people were arrested in 2021 for Cannabis possession in Texas, which may reduce the penalty for possession of Cannabis and Cannabis concentrates.
EAST COAST
THE NEWS IN BRIEF
politics
U.S. residents spent about $30b on legal Cannabis in 2022 versus $20b on chocolate.
the south
Earthquake Sativa
THCa: 34.45%
THC: 30.31%
Terpenes: 3.08%
POWERFUL NEW GENETICS HAVE COME TO MARYLAND
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*Must be 18+ to view this content. Medical cannabis use is for certified patients only. ©2023 Cultivar™. All rights reserved. Trulieve® is a registered trademark of Trulieve, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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CRYSTAL JOHNSON
WHY DO THEY CALL YOU THE LATIN DIAMOND PRINCESS?
I love smoking diamonds and sauce. My favorite goto is our (gLeaf’s) Grease Monkey diamonds, which are lovely and delicious. My go-to bedtime would be Southwest Stomper x Willie’s Wonder. I tried diamonds about five to six years ago, and it was actually the first Cannabis product I ever tried. I was struggling with depression and a patient recommended using concentrates. Ray Charles diamond was the first dab –and it put me to sleep for three hours.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE GROWING UP IN A MILITARY FAMILY?
It was really fun. I traveled everywhere I can think of overseas: Berlin, Paris, London – and so many other places. Being Panamanian I speak Spanish, but it was really nice to learn different languages and I can still count to 10 in German and understand a little bit of the language. The difficult part was building lasting friendships because I was moving every four years, but seeing different parts of the world is what helped make me so friendly.
WERE YOU EXPOSED TO CANNABIS IN OTHER COUNTRIES?
My parents took us to Amsterdam to take in some food culture, not knowing it was populated with Cannabis everywhere. It showed me how broad and exposed Cannabis was at an early age, and made me realize that Cannabis use helps people.
DOES YOUR FAMILY USE CANNABIS? Growing up in the ‘90s was an era of D.A.R.E. and similar programs painting this awful image of Cannabis. As I started to get older I had anxiety, depression and cervical cancer, and my parents were exploring different medications because the Seroquel was making me imbalanced. My parents became all for it, given it could take me off of medications that were causing me discomfort. Believe it or not, my mom used the 1:1 Harmony Balm on her knees after water aerobics and loved it.
HOW DOES MEDICAL CANNABIS HELP YOU? I didn’t want to be on medication anymore, I couldn’t focus and would even break down crying in the middle of class. Cannabis has helped me with those things. I don’t have racing thoughts anymore that are fueled by anxiety, I don’t shake and can speak calmly and enthusiastically with confidence. Cannabis brings out the better version of me, helping me focus on my career and further my knowledge. Cannabis helped me eat and sleep when I was battling with cervical cancer.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE INFUSED COCKTAIL? I call it ‘Pineapple Express’ – which I made with a Pineapple Express flower crossed with Cereal Milk flower. I’ll typically infuse some pineapple Bacardi and simple syrup, add them to a glass with some pineapple juice, Sprite and grenadine for color, and there ya go –Pineapple Express!
RYSTAL truly experienced the benefits of medical Cannabis first hand – from utilizing the plant for help with depression and anxiety, to keeping her cervical cancer in remission for over four years. She embodies a deep passion for Cannabis and is committed to continuing to break the stigma surrounding it. As an Afro-Latina with Panamanian roots from her parents, Crystal remains grounded in her hispanic heritage despite having traveled around the world with her family. Make sure to chat up Crystal the next time you’re shopping at gLeaf in Frederick!
HAVE YOU READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY? Right now, I am reading Leaf Magazine on a daily basis! I like to read books about Cannabis, and right now I’ve been big on reading ‘Cannabis for Dummies.’ There are several books I read about terpenes – I really want to continue educating myself and passing that knowledge on to others.
MAY 2023 leafmagazines.com
C MARYLAND LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH
INTERVIEW STORY &
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“CANNABIS BRINGS OUT THE BETTER VERSION OF ME, HELPING ME FOCUS ON MY CAREER AND FURTHER MY KNOWLEDGE.”
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KANNAVIS KANNAVIS
Kannavis is an independent, women-owned dispensary right here in Frederick. They opened the store in 2019 and have been offering fully curbside service since the pandemic. Even though the store is pick-up only, they offer consultations to patients at their vehicles and over the phone. The team here finds the curbside process makes the experience easier for patients and quicker for dispensing their medicine. You can also find local CBD options available from brands like Thriv and Relef – be sure to swing by and check out the drive-thru when you’re in Frederick!
SETTING & VIBE
Speed and ease of access are the vibe here, with budtenders quickly popping in and out of the store to retrieve and deliver orders to patients in their vehicles. As you pull into the lot, you are directed into the drive-thru line, where you sit under a large tent awaiting your meds. The budtenders are extremely well-equipped to handle patient needs on the fly. During my visit, cars did not have to wait longer than a minute or two from entering the lot to leaving with their products.
FLOWER
Due to being drive-thru only, they have a ton of room inside to store more flower than you could imagine. During my visit they had dozens of incredible strains from practically every grower in Maryland. I was happy to see the Cap Junky from Grassroots on the menu, which is a favorite of mine. They also offer some untrimmed flower and shake for those who make edibles at home.
CONCENTRATES
Live resins dominate this menu, which is a paradise for those who are terp chasers like myself. They have several strains of live rosin available from Evermore at any given time for all the solventless heads out there. From the newest strains available to our staple favorites, Kannavis takes the wide variety of patient needs into consideration when stocking their product offerings.
EDIBLES
With over 100 different edibles on the menu, you can be sure that this store has something you are looking for – and maybe even something you didn’t know you wanted before checking out their vast selection. Many different flavors and varieties of edibles are stacked on top of each other, making the options seem almost never ending. I always appreciate seeing different ratios of cannabinoids in edibles, and this menu was loaded with everything from 1:1 to 10:1 products.
may 2023 leafmagazines.com 14
NATURE'S HERITAGE
LAMB'S BREAD FLOWER
Did someone say Bob Marley’s favorite strain? That's right, they have it here. Popping open this jar unleashes a crazy, cheesy, gassy and floral blend of smells that floods my nostrils. I found this strain gave me a significant amount of energy –perfect for my midday smoke. I also could not put this jar down, continually going back to confirm that the crazy smell was still there.
29.19% TOTAL CANNABINOIDS, 1.86% TOTAL TERPS
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REVIEW & PHOTOS by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT/MARYLAND LEAF
KANNAVIS 8709 FINGERBOARD RD FREDERICK, MD KANNAVIS.ORG @KANNAVIS_URBANA (301) 810-2962 10AM-7PM MON-WED 10AM-8PM THURS & FRI 10AM-7PM SAT.
“Speed and ease of access are the vibe here, with budtenders quickly popping in and out of the store to retrieve and deliver orders to patients in their vehicles."
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CANNABIS FOR A BETTER LIFE 18 may 2023
michael simmons
IT'S AS IF Bryan Cranston from “Breaking Bad” chose to serenade Dory from “Finding Nemo.”
“Just keep cooking,” Michael Simmons excitedly exclaimed. “Just keep cooking!”
A musician from Washington D.C., Michael was diagnosed in 2009 with congenital heart failure – a deadly disease that carries a 50% mortality rate over five years.
The discovery came as a shock to the then 23-year-old.
Michael had been pushing himself hard in the gym, but his good intentions exacerbated an unknown condition. He was hospitalized for two weeks, gaining 30 pounds of water weight as his heart function dropped below 25%.
“They were asking me if I had a history of cocaine use,” said the artist known as Just Misfit District. “I couldn’t believe it. They had me in the hospital for two weeks getting all types of testing. The way the doctors were talking, it was as if I wasn’t going to make it to 30.”
Now 36, Michael has since defied the odds – turning his pain into musical compositions and churning out 16 albums alongside co-creator Israel Anderson.
“Israel has been like a brother to me,” said Michael, who is an only child. “Him, and my family, they held me up through it all. Honestly, it was straight misery before it got brighter in the least bit.”
Michael believes he has been blessed with a second chance at life and he’s intent on making the most of it.
“I use every storm and try to translate it sonically,” said Michael, a 2004 graduate of Friendly High School in Fort Washington. “I still go through a process of highs and lows [with my health]. But I keep moving along and get back to the basics. That’s making music. It doesn’t matter how bad it gets. I just gotta keep cooking.”
GROWING AND EVOLVING
Along with cooking on digital soundboards, Michael has taken up a holistic lifestyle – career-wise and nutritionally. He has spent the past two years working for Holistic Industries in Capitol Heights, serving as a post-harvest associate for one year before becoming a brand ambassador on behalf of the medical Cannabis company.
His time as a grow associate, which could call for harvesting “900 eighths per shift,” led to cultivating blueberries, cucumbers, peppers and squash in his spare time. Michael hopes to one day own a farm and live off the land, honing in on a lifestyle that has helped him trim down to 200 pounds (50 down from when he was first diagnosed).
“It’s healthier for me to have as little stress on my heart as possible,” he said.
Michael credits a chance encounter to traveling a path of his ancestors – a revelation that came to him prior to signing on with Holistic Industries.
“I was riding on [US-222 N) and we passed by a farm in Reading, Pennsylavania,” he said, recalling a story told by his mother, Sweet Myra Jane.
“My mom points and says, ‘I used to work there.’ When she was a little girl, all my aunts and uncles would help the Amish people tend to their farm and their animals. I had no idea. I had been up and down North 222 hundreds of times visiting family and never knew. In an attempt to understand my mother more, I took on a passion of hers.”
Cannabis also called to him.
‘Dro Mike,’ as he was referred to at Friendly High School, had taken a liking to the plant as a teenager. Despite his condition, he decided the benefits of medicating with Cannabis were worth the risk of continuing as a medical patient.
“I’ve been smoking and creating for a while,” he said. “A lot of times, growing up, I didn’t know how to articulate how I was feeling. So I would completely spaz out. Cannabis slows me down and allows me to focus on what I need to. It has opened all types of doors for me.”
He sticks with hand-rolled hybrids and indicas, insisting on high-quality genetics. “I’ve been smoking for 20 years now,” he said. “I’m not trying to smoke no huff.”
Between working in the Cannabis industry, performing live on a variety of platforms (Instagram, Twitch and YouTube) and recording new albums, the last two years have been hectic.
“I’m just thankful that my [condition] didn’t show up in that whole process,” he said, noting that he was clear of episodes involving chest pains or shortness of breath. “I’m in a good place, but I'm as hungry as I’ve ever been. I still feel like I’m only operating at a percentage of my capacity.”
He believes balance is key. But in the midst of chaos, he finds Cannabis the perfect yin to his musical yang.
“A lot of people tell me to slow down, but I just can’t seem to sit still,” said Michael, who attended DubSpot – a New York-based, world-class electronic music production school. “I have a lot of friends who started on this path and they’re not with us. I don’t want to get to the other side and not have finished my journey.”
Michael’s dream is to have his talent and hustle pay the way for a family farm in Pennsylvania. There, he’ll be able to continue creating while being at one with the land.
“Life has always been about balance,” he said. “I love the studio, and I love just being up in the mountains where it’s completely quiet. From the loudest of louds to the quietest of quiets, I can find peace.”
Even if it takes another 10 years and another 15 albums, Michael has set his sights on reaching the dream.
“I am going to continue to create until I die,” he said. “I don’t like using words like that. But this is what it’s about: music and farming. I’m trying to develop a family brand, produce and grow products, and really take advantage of my roots. That’s what all this is about.”
feature STORY by BAXSEN PAINE @BAXSENPAINE for MARYLAND LEAF | PHOTOS by GREG MALCOLM @MARYLAND.CONNOISSEUR leafmagazines.com 19
PATIENT OF THE MONTH
“Cannabis slows me down and allows me to focus on what I need to. It has opened all types of doors for me.”
WELL-VERSED WELL-VERSED
For Wu-Tang Clan’s Inspectah Deck, the weed dealer is the healer.
feature
MAY 2023 leafmagazines.com
Inspectah Deck x Coyote Cannabis
Jason Hunter, better known as Inspectah Deck from Wu-Tang Clan, is celebrated for some of the most iconic verses in the history of hiphop including “Protect Ya Neck,” “C.R.E.A.M.” and “Triumph.” He recently sat down with Northeast Leaf to reveal the role that Cannabis plays in his lyricism, his first time smoking pure hash rosin and his newest collaboration with Coyote Cannabis in Massachusetts to release Deck-branded flower, gummies and “Rollie Fingers” pre-rolls.
Tell me a little bit about your early experiences with Cannabis. I grew up in a neighborhood called Park Hill on Staten Island. There used to be a place on the fourth floor of my building where you could go get these nickel bags. The weed wasn’t quality – it had a lot of sticks and seeds in it. But it was the best thing that we had, so I grew up with the experience of smoking the dirt weed first. Then eventually we had some good buds coming around. There used to be Skunk Weed, Chocolate Thai Stick, and things like that. I was definitely in love with the Chocolate Thai for a while.
I met you at the Harvest Cup a few months ago and we were talking about your collaboration with Coyote Cannabis on products made using hash rosin. How did this unique project come about? I met a great Cannabis lawyer by the name of Blake Menzing, and he was representing a lot of different clients at the time. I met him through a family member and Blake mentioned that he wanted to get out of the legal side and get more into the business. He was running some ideas past me and we were talking to see if Inspectah Deck and Coyote could team up and make something happen. I’m not normally into the vape pens, oils and waxes that are out there, but he convinced me to try his Coyote. I believe it was some solventless shatter. And man, I tell you, when I hit that … YO! And the one thing I was impressed with was the quality of it. The Coyote crew are very big on quality over quantity. We wanted to start out with prerolls, so I have a Rollie Fingers line. My alias in the group is Rollie Fingers because I like to roll up – I’m a hands-on guy.
So we’re going to come with the pre-rolls. We have an idea for some hash-infused gummies, as well as an actual flower for Rollie Fingers. One of the unique things for me is they do their own cultivation and manufacturing. So it’s not white-labeling someone else’s product. It’s all done in-house, single-sourced and all that. And I think that’s important – that’s what sets apart the product when it’s in a legal atmosphere.
How do you feel about Cannabis becoming more legal in places like Massachusetts and now even in your birthplace of New York? Because obviously, the people most affected by the drug war were people of color who were being locked up at rates much, much higher than their percentage of population. Yeah, it’s crazy, man. I’m one of those people that had marijuana charges back in the days. Fortunately, I wasn’t a grower. I didn’t have huge amounts – but it’s just something that stains your record. They villainized it back then. Nowadays, it’s good to see that we’re lowering the drawbridge. I think the more people legalize and the more people that get on board with the game will realize that it actually is helping your economy. It’s helping your city and state. I’m hoping that Texas joins on board, too. And I believe in the medical properties as well – the CBD aspect of Cannabis and all these elements that are helping people. I believe those are very beneficial. I have family members that use Cannabis for arthritis, for their eyesight, for many different things.
Yeah, it’s interesting because even in your line in the song “C.R.E.A.M.” about “smoking cess” and how “that’s the time when I’m not depressed.” I mean, that’s talking about medical marijuana, even back in the ‘90s when it wasn’t really even a thing as far as being legal. You were already on top of the understanding that Cannabis can help with things like depression or anxiety. You never really shied away from it. To me, that’s interesting –that line and obviously many others – and also talking about the fear and the paranoia of being a target for law enforcement, “handcuffed in back of the bus” and all of that. I mean, it just rings really true to your experiences as far as you yourself being a victim of the drug war and the mass incarceration rates. Yeah, it’s crazy because you look at it now and say, ‘Hey, they decriminalized it. A lot of people are free now.’ But to experience that in the beginning when it wasn’t a thing, it was like you were a villain if you smoked. And for me, yeah, I went through the depressed phase. I went through the anxiety phase. And what I noticed is that if I smoked a little Cannabis, I was able to be calm and settle down and actually think. It gave me a little equilibrium. Even to this day, I don’t smoke as much as I used to – but when I do, I like to smoke something good in a nice, cozy or private place among friends.
STORY by DAN VINKOVETSKY @DANNYDANKOHT/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by COYOTE CANNABIS INSPECTAHDECK.WORLD @INS_TAGRAMS COYOTECANNABISCO.COM @COYOTECANNA
“I'm one of those people that had marijuana charges back in the days … They villainized it back then. Nowadays, it's good to see that we're lowering the drawbridge.”
PRODUCED BY TYSON 2.0
CULTIVATED BY VERANO
STRAIN OF THE MONTH 24 leafmagazines.com may 2023
POUND FOR POUND
Those who dared to step into the ring with Mike Tyson knew the likelihood of finding themselves in a dazed and horizontal position … just as fans of the classic indica effect should expect from the Pound for Pound Cake from Tyson 2.0.
As its namesake suggests, this strain goes poundfor-pound against any indica in the state for the heavyweight championship. Packed with a healthy dose of myrcene, limonene and caryophyllene, the Pound for Pound Cake offers knockout level effects for even the most experienced toker.
Whether you are dealing with a significant level of chronic pain or just need to slow the whole world down to catch your breath and relax, this cultivar from Tyson 2.0 is the profile that’ll get you to your desired destination. Grown with the same quality we have come to expect from other brands operating under the Verano umbrella, the flower is laden with complex citrus notes intertwined with floral, fuel and cheese aromas. It’s almost as if oranges, grapefruits and limes were splashed over a picnic basket full of cheese, resulting in a beautiful and complex olfactory sensation – plus a lingering scent of fuel that’s sure to catch the discerning patient’s attention. The toke itself hits as hard as the profile promises. There is an immediate and all-consuming body high that slowly builds with each inhale – ultimately crescendoing into a sedated calm that jellies both the body and mind. Stepping into the ring with the Pound for Pound Cake is sure to be a potent experience … and perhaps just the knockout that Maryland’s true heavyweights are looking for.
TYSON20.COM @ITSTYSON20
VERANO.COM @VERANOBRANDS
THC 31% | TOTAL TERPS 2.42%
REVIEW by
“There is an immediate and all-consuming body high that slowly builds with each inhale – ultimately crescendoing into a sedated calm that jellies both the body and mind.”
gLeaf Medical Cannabis 4606 Wedgewood Blvd. Frederick, MD 21703 301-662-2222 Rockville, MD 20850 301-917-3665 Order online at gLeaf.com MEDICAL CANNABIS IS FOR QUALIFIED MARYLAND PATIENTS ONLY. FREE DELIVERY MAY REQUIRE MINIMUM SPEND AMOUNT BASE D ON DELIVERY LOCATION gLeaf Rockville gLeaf Frederick
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ENHANCING THE EVERYDAY
Simply doing nothing is always a solid option when you’re stoned … but while we love a lazy day, this is the Fun Issue! There are so many activities that can be enhanced by Cannabis, helping you to get even more out of your high – whether you’re looking to get out on the town, get creative or get active – opportunities abound.
HANGING OUT FARMER’S MARKET
Fresh air and fire snacks? Count me in. My absolute favorite thing to do on a Sunday morning is roll up a joint, smoke on my walk to the market, and stock up on local goodies for the week. It’s a great way to get outside, meet people in your community and support small businesses.
CONCERT
Music just sounds better stoned … especially live music. Look up a local show, light up and get out on the dance floor! For added fun, try going to a show for an artist you don’t know or a genre you wouldn’t normally listen to. You just may find your new favorite band out there.
STAYING CREATIVE PUFF AND PAINT
Interested in getting really high at a guided painting class? These events are all the craze these days with classes popping up in cities nationwide. Perfect for a dank date night or group hang, using Cannabis allows you to get out of your comfort zone and can result in some seriously trippy art.
DAY AT THE MUSEUM
When I’m looking for creative inspiration (or something stoney to do on a rainy day), I like to drink an infused beverage or eat a gummy before hitting a local museum. Whether it’s science, modern art or natural history, it’s easy to get lost in an edible-infused exhibit of any kind.
GETTING ACTIVE NATURE TRAIL
Mother Nature is even more magical with Mary Jane. Personally, I love to hit the trail after hitting a nice uplifting sativa strain with a piney terpene profile like an OG Kush. Don’t forget to leave no trace and dispose of any joint roaches or product packaging properly.
STONED SEX
All your senses are heightened when you’re high, making stoned sex a more intimate and pleasure experience. Sharing a joint, using THC or CBD lube, or giving a massage with infused body oil can sure shake up sexy time – just be sure to keep the communication open with your partner.
28 STORY by KATHERINE WOLF @KATADELLIC/LEAF NATION | ILLUSTRATION by JON KROUSE @JON_KRAUSE_ART may 2023 leafmagazines.com THE fun ISSUE
STONED ACTIVITIES GUIDE
HIGH &SEEK HIGH &SEEK
THERE IS A DAY when mushrooms grow from ink and clay, through cracks in walls and walkways springing up on our streets and stores – creating a worldwide scavenger hunt for everyone who loves art. Called Game of Shrooms, it’s a global holiday that Hi Fructose Art Magazine co-founder Daniel Seifert, known as Attaboy, unintentionally created in 2019 “as a way to change the narrative of my day.”
30 leafmagazines.com may 2023 THE fun ISSUE GAME OF SHROOMS
KEVIN THE RACCOON by Carli Christina
QUAGMIRE CLUSTER by Attaboy
In the mini-documentary filmed in 2022, Seifert describes how he started hiding mushrooms after a sudden bout of existential depression caused him to turn to a familiar kind of art therapy.
As a child, he and his grandmother would paint ceramic mushrooms together in her studio and place them all over her garden, living room and kitchen, so making mushroom art has always been a soothing source of inspiration. Creating and hiding little pieces of art gave him a sense of purpose. He felt not only some control over his own day, but a secondary joy thinking about the positive effect it might have on someone who found one. After all, understanding that you have the ability to make others happy through art is something people strive for their entire lives.
The inspiration caught on with others who were going through their own struggles, especially during the Covid-19 lockdown. Seifert began seeing other artists hiding mushrooms across galleries and museums, and after a moment, he understood this was becoming something larger than just his own road to wellness – it represented a whole highway that could be mobilized into an insane art caravan.
Since launching that first official game in 2019, Seifert told us the hunt has become larger than he could have ever imagined. In Poland, Mexico, Russia and all over the United States, people are sharing their locations to the website www.yumfactory.com/gameofshrooms and adding to the global map, with Antarctica even getting into the mix for 2023.
Playing is easy. Along with the site, you can follow #gameofshrooms on Instagram to see which artists are participating – that way you have some idea of what you want to start hunting for.
On the official day, watch each artist’s stories for clues to where they’ve hidden their shrooms. Follow the clues, and if you’re lucky enough to recognize where it’s hidden, take a picture and tag the artist so others know the piece has been found.
Finding hidden artwork is like fol lowing an Indiana Jones adventure to a priceless treasure. There are the emotional highs and lows of winning and losing, the spark of competition, and the thrill of the hunt. This holiday doesn’t care how artistic you think you are, it encourages everyone to create and hide their stuff in order to spark a connection between people and art, but also one that is person to person. Once you get that rush of emotion from finding one of these mushrooms, it’s hard not to want to pay that feeling forward. The rolling thunder has gotten so loud that last year Seifert rented out Fairyland Children’s Park in Oakland to throw an adult-themed meet-up where participants could gather, celebrate a job well done, and maybe hide some last-minute mushrooms.
For anyone who’s interested, visit the website for all the details, or check out the tag on Instagram #gameof shrooms to see examples from past years.
On June 10, there will be a bigger crowd than ever looking to hit those streets and they’re going to need all of us spores. So break out your pens, paints, construction paper, 3D printers, crayons and clay… because the Game of Shrooms is on.
yumfactory.com/gameofshrooms
@gameofshroomsofficial #gameofshrooms
@ACTIONMATTJACKSON
|
PHOTO BY LENA REYNOSO STORY by MATT JACKSON
for LEAF NATION
PHOTOS by ATTABOY & CARLI CHRISTINA ART
Since launching that first official game in 2019, Seifert told us the hunt has become larger than he could have ever imagined.
Art by Attaboy.
ART OF
ART OF
GRASS HOPPA
Luxe Rolls and Luxe Roll Bar Founder and renowned creative joint-rolling artist Grass Hoppa, is a professional roller sponsored by top brands including The Flower Mill, Organitips, Caligar Rolling Glue and Raw Papers. She specializes in live joint-rolling services and custom smokeable art, and she can be found twisting up expertly-rolled joints and shocking onlookers with her machine-like precision at well-known industry events like The Emerald Cup, The Secret Session and The Trans Bay Challenge. Her services have given her behind-the-scenes access to high profile parties across the country, and she has been commissioned to roll joints for some of the biggest brands in Cannabis. Grass Hoppa is an accomplished competitive roller, and currently serves as one of the judges for Raw Rolling Papers’ annual worldwide rolling competition. @thegrasshoppa
STURT DOINKS
An OG in the scene with a couple decades of experience at every level of the industry, Sturt has the connections, quality assessment expertise and rolling ability to create some of the loudest, most flavorful hash holes anywhere. In fact, Sturt is credited with proliferating the “hash hole” nomenclature beginning in early 2018. The sourcing often comes from top quality flower brands like Blueprint, GreenDawg Cultivators, SureFire Selections and NorCal Gardens, and the hash is usually from Hash Assassins or one of West Coast Alchemy’s many collabs – all elite companies producing some incredible products, which Sturt then artfully pairs to create stunningly flavorful and hard-hitting bars.
@sturtsdoinks_official
SPLIFF WIZARD
JUNE DA GOON
June Da Goon is a Stockton, Calif. based roller with some impressive accolades. Raw Papers holds an annual worldwide rolling competition, and June Da Goon holds four championship titles. In fact, he is now a judge for the event and sits on a panel with Raw Brands’ Founder and CEO, Josh Kesselman. With nearly a decade of experience in creative rolling under his belt, coupled with eight years of competitive rolling, he has honed his craft and earned himself a spot as one of the top joint rollers in the world. One of his most notable works of late was a 3D replica of the goat on the cover for Berner’s “El Chivo” album – which he personally gifted to him in 2020. @xxjune_da_goonxx
Ryan Dawley is a self-described “natural born roller,” whose unique skills have led him on a journey from Miami to Europe to the West Coast and beyond. In addition to his self-taught joint-rolling talents, he is also a graduate of Full Sail University and a professional photographer and social media manager currently freelancing for a number of brands in both Oregon and California. Dawley has done it all, from winning rolling competitions to teaching and training crews of joint rollers how to properly roll infused joints, plus aspects of cultivation, extraction, security and more. It’s safe to say that Dawley’s life revolves around the plant, and his passion for the art of the roll has elevated his status to legendary in the tightknit and highly-exclusive rolling scene. @spliffwizard
32 leafmagazines.com may 2023 THE fun ISSUE
PHOTOS BY ROSE OVERHOES
Listen to Leaf Life Podcast Show #117 The Art of Rolling with Spliff Wizard
THE ROLL
THE ROLL
BRUNO’S ROLLS
Bruno is an absolute joint surgeon capable of producing perfectly hand-rolled doobies stuffed to the brim with unmatched precision and consistency. He began his love affair with the plant as a cultivator in Tuolumne County in 2012, and after years as a grower, he met his now wife who encouraged him to follow his dream of mastering the art of the roll. Pursuing that passion has led him to become one of the top rollers in the country, and perhaps the world. Last year, Bruno hand rolled more than 18,000 joints, which earned him some notable recognition, including the title of “Joint Rolling Champion” at the 2022 Emerald Cup and two 1st Place wins at Lumpy’s California’s Finest 2022 competition. @brunosrolls
THE JOINT
began as a simple, filterless Cannabis cigarette, but has evolved into something very different. Today, joint rolling is both a profession and an artform –producing a modern era featuring standout talent with a variety of skill sets.
Some are practitioners, technical joint-rolling samurais, focusing on cleanliness and consistency. Some are visionary artists who transform everything from cultural icons to everyday objects into certified smokeable art.
MARCOS SURITA
Entrepreneur, certified award-winning joint roller and CGO Lyfestyle brand Founder Marcos Surita is a Sacramento native and an absolute beast with the bars. A free agent with his own brand renowned for fire hash holes and limited apparel drops, Surita collaborates with top tier cultivators and flavor curators like Emerald Queen Farms, Champelli, Prodigal Company, Doja and Bay Area Flavors, and hash artists from across California to create his carefully constructed and extremely exclusive wares. Surita’s joints, crafted with Organitips, are usually made by order and have created a demand for his skills taking him all over the country. @cgo__lyfestyle
We’ve scoured the country to find out who’s got the best joint-rolling abilities, and we caught up with a few of them to learn more about their history in Cannabis and how they discovered their passion for the art of the roll.
TONY GREENHAND
One of the original joint artists in the game, Greenhand is wid ely renowned for his creativity and imagination, where he’s been crafting art-forward joints professionally for almost 15 years. Greenhand has worked with some of the biggest stars in the world, including Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, Juice WRLD and Tommy Chong. Smokeable Space Needle? Greenhand has done it. A quarter-pound replica dab pen joint? Check. Pizza, Pokémon, guns and grenades? You bet. Greenhand has done it all, and continues to produce standout work with unmatched detail and intricacy. When asked about his style of rolling, he replied, “I enjoy the technical challenges involved in engineering never-before-seen joints and plan to continue to blend new concepts and designs into future art.”
@tonygreenhand
PROPER DOINKS
Proper Doinks is an up-andcoming, brand-forward rolling company with eyes on the recreational market. Having just locked down space for their own grow, distro, delivery and production studio, the brand is hoping to bring their properly produced products to discerning California consumers this summer via a members-only delivery service. While the team at Proper Doinks certainly maintains a significant focus on a precise roll, their ability to judge flower quality and only put the top 1%-level herb in their Doinks is second to none. In addition, they’ve done a service to the community with their entertaining and educational Instagram reels that help push consumers towards better smoking technique and etiquette. If you’re lucky (and follow their Instagram closely), you can score one of their limited edition reusable glass tips. @properdoinks
STORY by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by FEATURED ARTISTS
PHOTO BY JOSH MONTHEI @CAPTURECANNABIS
Today, joint rolling is both a profession and an artform.
>> See more incredible rolled creations at Leafmagazines.com
PHOTOS BY EMERALD MOUNTAIN MEDIA
FUN-SIZED
From baby blunt wraps and tiny torches to entire sesh table scenes, Levelheady has carved out a notable niche in the world of Cannabis miniature art. We sat down with the Denver-based artist, who has been putting out small resin replicas that are making big waves, to find out what’s so fun about finger-sized art.
34 leafmagazines.com may 2023 THE fun
ISSUE
In the world of Levelheady, loud art comes in little packages.
STORY by
KATHERINE WOLF @KATADELLIC for LEAF NATION
What was your journey to working with resin as a medium? Art has always been an escape for me, but I started working with resin in 2016. I was doing a ceramics project in college and wanted to incorporate mixed media – my art teacher recommended I try out this thing called ‘resin.’ I bought some, watched tutorials online and was like, ‘Woah. This is kind of cool. I want to do this.’ I suddenly was no longer interested in ceramics at all and actually dropped out of college during that time because I became so focused on working with resin.
How did you get your start in your niche of making miniatures? I started focusing really hard on the scale model aspect in 2020. I had been serving tables and doing art on the side forever, and I would have a breakfast shift, come home and work on a project, then post whatever I did that day. I didn’t even think of it. I was just consistently sharing with the world, ‘Hey, this is what I'm working on. This is something I'm excited about.’ One of my pictures went viral and I think other people saw what I was doing and thought it was unique – so they would share it, and it just kept growing from there. Then the pandemic hit and I didn’t want to serve anymore, and thought maybe it was time to just focus on my art. I bought a website and started posting like crazy. That’s when companies started noticing me and being like, ‘Hey, this is cool. Would you make minis of our product?’ I had this moment where I was like, ‘Oh, I can do this!’ So that's kind of how it all started.
Where do you draw inspiration from, and how does Cannabis play a role in your artistic process? Almost everything I've done has had something to do with a small version of weed stuff. I’ve always been really intrigued by Cannabis. These days, I’m inspired by Japanese resin techniques because they’re a lot more in-depth than the ones here. In the U.S., a resin pour is just one thing in a mold – but in Japanese culture, they’ll be inspired by all these little details. It’s about as much detail as you can put into one little space. It’s almost gaudy. And I was like, ‘I like that. I want to do that, but I want it to be inspired by my own stuff.’
What would you say is fun about you and your art? I just love fun! I genuinely believe magic is real and want to bring a little bit of that feeling to people through my art. I want them to feel transported, and I think that’s the really fun thing about my minis – people can look at them and be like, ‘Oh my god, this is my smoke table at home!’ There’s also the connection we all have to miniatures from our inner child. It brings you back to being like, ‘This is so small, I would have played with this when I was a kid. But I like it as an adult because it’s my torch?’ It’s kind of a paradox … it’s silly and there’s no reason for it, other than to look at it and smile or think or show someone. Even if your only response is to laugh at my art, that makes me happy because I brought joy out of someone by doing something that I enjoyed.
levelheady.com | @levelheady
PHOTOS by OLIVIA ALONSO GOUGH @OLIVIA_ALONSO_GOUGH | DETAIL PHOTOS by LEVELHEADY >> See videos and more photos of the tiny art pieces at Leafmagazines.com
“I just love fun! I genuinely believe magic is real and want to bring a little bit of that feeling to people through my art.”
Miss Shirley’s Cafe is undeniably one of the most popular breakfast destinations in Baltimore, having been featured in hundreds of news and television programs over the years. It can be best described as a casual upscale eatery with southern fundamentals, utilizing as many locally-sourced ingredients as humanly possible. They have locations in Roland Park, the Inner Harbor, Annapolis and even in BWI Airport. You can find everything from morning cocktails to house-made donuts to crabcake and fried chicken sandwiches. Their pancakes and waffles cannot be ignored either, with weekly specials in addition to their classics like chicken and waffles, coconut cream stuffed french toast and banana chocolate chip pancakes. Wherever you are located, this place is worth the drive – they don’t take reservations, so try and show up early to beat the crowd. 513 W Cold Spring Ln, Baltimore, MD
Open 8AM-3PM Daily | missshirleys.com @missshirleys
The Corner Pantry (opened in 2014) is owned and operated by Emily and Neill
Howell, a couple who met at an Oscars event which Emily helped coordinate, and Neill catered. Neill is from England and brings a ton of flair to the menu here, including a fish and chips special on Fridays that is bringing some serious heat to Falls Road. The dedicated staff at this cafe are extremely passionate about the food, including a pastry staff of all women. My favorite menu item here is the Coronation Chicken Salad Sandwich featuring curried chicken salad, TCP mango chutney, raisins and toasted almonds, served on toasted lemon and rosemary bread. 6080 Falls Rd, Baltimore, MD | 7AM-3PM Mon-Fri | 8AM-3PM Sat Closed Sunday | corner-pantry.com | @thecornerpantry
Coronation Chicken Salad Sandwich
FEED THE WEED
WHEN THE MUNCHIES CALL, THESE FIVE BALTIMORE SPOTS HAVE AN ANSWER FOR EVERY APPETITE.
PHOTOS BY JULIE ANDERSEN
healthy
My personal favorite is the traditional acai bowl with an acai, banana and apple juice base topped with strawberries, blueberries, banana, granola, coconut and honey. I also throw a little bee pollen in there to strengthen my immune system. When I’m going for a juice shot, the “flu shot” is always my first choice – with a spicy blend of ginger, lemon, cayenne pepper and honey. Who says Cannabis users don’t like to eat healthy too?
Acai Bowl Orange Glow
10749 Falls Rd. Ste 104 Lutherville, MD 7AM-7PM Mon-Fri | 8AM-6PM Sat | 8AM-5PM Sun purerawjuice.com @purerawjuice
MAY 2023 36 leafmagazines.com THE FUN ISSUE
Cinnamon Danish Pancakes
Benne Seed Chicken & Waffles
Born on the Bay-O Bloody Mary breakfast
MISS SHIRLEY'S
CAFE
Pure Raw Juice has locations in Bel Air, Canton, Fed Hill, Greenspring Station, Locust Point, Rotunda, Timonium and Towson. Whether you’re after an acai or pitaya bowl, smoothie, cold pressed juice, oatmeal, lemonade, coffee or a juice shot pick-me-up, they have it all.
PURE RAW JUICE
GREEN SPRING STATION
Fish and Chips
lunch
THE CORNER PANTRY
CLAVEL MEZCALERIA
Clavel was founded by Lane Harlan in 2015 and remains a minority and family-owned business. It’s no secret that stoners love Mexican food, which makes this taqueria and mezcaleria perfect for those searching for the most authent ic food in Baltimore. They nixtamalize tortillas in house using corn sourced from Oaxaca and to find ceviche, tacos, tortas, quesadillas, mixtas, tostadas, and much more in many different meat, veggie and vegan options. My favorite is the cochinita pibil – a tender pork cooked in bitter oranges and achiote. Their expansive list of cocktails includes everything from mezcal mixed beverages and flights to a house-made sour ale available only at Clavel. 225 W 23rd St, Baltimore, MD
5PM-11PM Mon-Sat Closed Sunday | barclavel.com @bar_clavel
TAHARKA BROTHERS AT R. HOUSE
Taharka Brothers Ice Cream at R. House is my go-to for high quality sweet tooth satisfaction. This business is employee owned, meaning everyone from the director of retail operations Kowfi Dorman-El to Founder Sean Smeeton own a piece of the company – with a total of six owners making up the team. They have several unique flavors including Honey Graham, Caramel Crunch, Mintflix and Chillz, Banana Pudding and more. They also have a few staple flavors in non-dairy varieties like Chocolate Love, Golden Milk and Roasted Strawberry for our vegan/plant-based friends. If you’re unable to make it to Baltimore, you can order their ice cream nationwide for delivery. You can also grab a ton of other food at this market, making Taharka the final stop on your stoney tour.
301 W 29th St, Baltimore, MD
11:30AM-9PM Mon-Thurs
11:30AM-10PM Fri-Sun
taharkabrothers.com @taharkabros
STORY by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT/MARYLAND LEAF Pints and Cones
dessert
dinner
El Luchador Taco
R. House
*This product name and accompanying statements are not intended to represent a medical or therapeutic claim. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. PLEASE CONSUME RESPONSIBLY. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. Marijuana should not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Promotion is for medical patients only. For use only by adults 21 years of age or older. Keep out of the reach of children. To learn about this artist and Nature’s Heritage strains visit www.naturesheritagecannabis.com and follow us on Instagram @naturesheritagecannabisco
MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE
SPICED &STONED
This May, I’m bringing a little south of the border love with these easy and yummy, infused recipes. I’ve been craving Mexican food a lot and loving the bold, strong flavors. As luck would have it, I was able to find one of my favorite strains – Acapulco Gold – for this month’s recipes. This spectacular blast from my past is a sativa dominant, hard to find, potent plant. And it’s real pretty too.
Rich, spicy and elegant, this hot chocolate is one of our favorite indulgences. And it’s not just for winter – we drink it year round. For extra glam, top it with whipped cream and serve it with a cinnamon stick for stirring.
6 tablespoons dark chocolate hot cocoa mix
1 ½ tablespoons chocolate syrup
2 teaspoons canna butter, at room temperature
2 small pinches of chili powder (optional)
½ cup whole milk, heated until warm
1 ½ cups water, heated until warm
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon or two pinches of cayenne pepper (for garnish)
SERVES 2 | 5MG THC/SERVING
1. In a saucepan, whisk together the cocoa mix, chocolate syrup, canna butter and chili powder, if using, over medium-low heat until the butter has melted and the mix has dissolved.
2. Pour the warmed milk into the pan and whisk until well combined.
3. Pour the warmed water into the pan and whisk to combine. Reduce the heat to low and warm the chocolate until hot, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Divide the hot chocolate between two mugs, and garnish each mug with 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon or cayenne pepper. Serve immediately.
CHORIZO–COTIJA CHEESE QUESADILLAS
2 SERVINGS | 1/2 QUESADILLA PER PERSON
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 green onions (white and green parts), chopped
1 link chorizo, removed from the casing and crumbled (or ¼ cup bulk chorizo)
¼ cup cotija cheese
2 teaspoons canna oil
2 flour tortillas (6-inch)
Sour cream, for serving (optional)
Salsa, for serving (optional)
1. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
A quesadilla can be so much more than just melted cheese in a tortilla. This version pairs spicy chorizo with the salt and tang of this Mexican cheese.
2. Add the green onions and chorizo, breaking the sausage up with a spoon into small pieces. Sauté until the onions are tender and all the pink has disappeared from the meat.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the cheese and canna oil. Add the chorizo mixture and mix thoroughly. Don’t wash skillet.
4. In the same skillet, heat one of the tortillas.
5. Spread the filling across one tortilla, leaving a ¼ inch border around the edges, and place the second tortilla on top.
6. Cook the quesadilla, turning once, until golden brown – 5 to 7 minutes total.
7. Let the quesadilla rest for a few minutes before cutting it in half and serving it with the sour cream and salsa, if using.
GUACAMOLE
MAKES 2 CUPS
½ CUP SERVING
2 large ripe avocados, peeled and seeded Juice of two medium limes
4 teaspoons canna oil
½ small red onion, diced
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 small tomato, seeded and chopped (optional)
1. In a medium bowl, mash the avocado.
2. Add all the other ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Avocados have tremendous health benefits and they also taste great, especially when made into guacamole. To keep your guac from turning brown, drizzle it with citrus juice and press plastic wrap snugly into its surface (this limits the oxygen exposure that leads to browning). We like our guacamole chunky, so we mash the avocado only enough to break it up a bit … but you can make yours as smooth as you like.
RECIPES by LAURIE WOLF @LAURIEANDMARYJANE for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by BRUCE WOLF @BRUCE_WOLF MAY HASHTAGS | #CincodeMayo #DontFearTheEdible #LaCucaracha #MayDays
may 2023 leafmagazines.com cooking with cannabis
Empowering patients to enhance everyday wellness. Your wellness. Your journey. Medical cannabis use is for certified patients only. Must be 18+ to view this content. 1g RSO Syringe mymomenta.co mymomenta momentabyyou
EXTRACTED BY SUNMED LABS
COOKIES 2090LIVERESIN BATTER
TOTAL CANNABINOIDS 80.84%
TOTAL TERPS 7.69%
TERPINOLENE 7.23%
LIMONENE 2.61%
MYRCENE 2.07%
CARYOPHYLLENE .74%
PINENE .53%
FENCHOL .33%
LINALOOL .31%
HUMULENE .29%
CAMPHENE .22%
TERPINOLENE .17%
OCIMENE .15%
SUNMED LABS HAS GIVEN US ANOTHER DELICIOUS LIVE RESIN DAB TO GUSH OVER.
The 2090 strain is one of the genetic lines to come from the Cookies brand that SunMed has captured in a delicate and luscious live resin batter. The creamy and golden-white texture is exactly what you want to see when you are hunting for mouthwatering dabs. With a healthy 7.69% total terpenes, this 2090 is as flavorful as it is gorgeous to look at.
At the top of the profile we have a pretty close split between limonene and myrcene, followed by caryophyllene and pinene. This is interesting because it creates a relatively even balance of sativa and indica terpenes (balancing out into what we consider a hybrid headspace), while certainly leaning towards the heavier side – but without the couchlock that many of us try to avoid while being productive. The fact that my whole body relaxes at every inhale, and yet I can continue to go about my chores, is an invaluable quality in my Cannabis medicine.
The aroma is a perfect example of a quintessential hybrid: floral and fruity, with a touch of fuel and earth. I did not detect any sweet notes, but the smell was delicious in a way that I couldn’t quite put my finger on … alluring and succulent, and something I will be going back for seconds for. SunMed Labs’ iteration of Cookies 2090 live resin batter is medicine Maryland can rely on – providing their patients with tasty, targeted and sustainable relief in the modern age.
leafmagazines.com REVIEW by TAYLOR MARTIN for MARYLAND LEAF | PHOTO by GREG MALCOLM @MARYLAND.CONNOISSEUR 42 MAY 2023
concentrate of the month
“The aroma is a perfect example of a quintessential hybrid: floral and fruity, with a touch of fuel and earth.”
SUNMEDGROWERS.COM
| @SUNMED.GROWERS
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whitney harmon
MAY 2023 44 leafmagazines.com GLASS ART
“I feel like I need water near me to feed my soul,” says Whitney, a native of the Northwest. “The barnacles in my work evolved from my love of beach glass and millefiori slowly coming together over the years. They are made up of many layers of glass – cut off hot, then cold-worked with a rotary bit – before it's all blasted to look like it's from the beach. These have become one of my favorite concepts, as I can apply them to almost any form. It's challenging to accomplish realism in glass – I feel this is as close to it as I have come in my 24 years on the torch!”
Documenting the Cast Away Set was equal parts studio and action shots, with the right time for tide and lighting being essential to the texture of the Birch Bay photo, which photographer Rex Hilsinger describes as “mesmerizing” and “as real to the touch as they look in photos!” Having photographed many of Whitney’s works, Rex says, “His dedication to originality always inspires me to capture images that reflect the story he's trying to tell.”
the Cast Away Set
STORY by WHITNEY HARMON @WHITNEYHARMONGLASS_ & REX HILSINGER @BOROPHOTO | PHOTOS COURTESY @BOROPHOTO
"The barnacles in my work evolved from my love of beach glass and millefiori slowly coming together over the years."
The natural world embodied in Whitney Harmon’s glass is an echo of the elements, an ode to the ocean that’s been both an anchor and inspiration all his life.
I FEEL LIKE BEING BAD. Therefore, I am going to find a sign on the side of a building that prohibits me from hanging out and purposefully look like I don’t belong. I’ll don a feather boa, sparkly and ridiculously-oversized sunglasses, and a t-shirt that says FUCK CORRUPTION.
I think this is what they mean by NO LOITERING. Because I’ve never used the word ‘loiter’ once. Like, did the government pull this one from the archives of the Farmer’s Almanac or something? I know they say ignorance of the law is not an excuse for breaking it, but are they trying to trick all passers-by by using a Portuguese word?
Maybe I’m being profiled. Maybe dudes who appear to be up to something other than spending money are automatically categorized into the class of ‘loiterers.’ Because I had no intention of loitering until you told me not to. And now that I’ve been offended, I’m going to loiter purposefully.
This is my protest.
I will stand here and not spend money until someone arrests my loitering ass. In fact, I will start a club full of people who do nothing but loiter. I will transform the word loiter into the antithesis of the word lawyer. I will run for office, and my campaign slogan will be MAKE AMERICA LOITER AGAIN.
This is all about freedom, people! We only want to hang out, and they have the audacity to put up a sign that says NO LOITERING.
Where the fuck are we supposed to loiter, in the woods? Right next to the sign that says NO LITTERING?
This post-pandemic era of division, isolation and detachment has hit a fever pitch – and loitering is exactly what we need to be doing, you assholes!
So, I’m gonna smoke a joint to calm the nerves.
Hopefully, that too falls into the classification of loitering.
46 LEAFMAGAZINES.COM may 2023 stoney baloney FOLLOW @RICKERDJ // GET THE AUDIO VERSION & EVERY EPISODE AT LEAFMAGAZINES.COM
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