Nov. 2021 - Maryland Leaf

THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE

#35 | NOV. 2021

THE HARVEST ISSUE SunMed Growers

F RE E / L E A F M AGA Z I N E S . COM

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State-of-the-art, “Dutch-style,” greenhouse technology rooted in three generations of family growers

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Infused and concentrate products bursting with SunMed’s coveted, sun grown terpenes and cannabinoids for patients who prefer a more natural treatment alternative for chronic illness and pain.

GROWN BY THE SUN. EXTRACTED BY SUNMED.

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SETTING THE STANDARD FOR CLEAN, NATURAL AND SUSTAINABLE MEDICAL CANNABIS CULTIVATION AND EXTRACTION. Medical cannabis is for use only by a qualifying patient. There may be health risks associated with the consumption of cannabis or cannabis products. There may be additional health risks associated with the consumption of cannabis or cannabis products for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

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CONCENTRATE OF THE MONTH MPX GRAPE LIME RICKY BALLER JAR

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BRUCE WOLF

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CANNABIS RECIPES FUN FOR FALL

42 The Sinsemilla Story

Way back before there was a Leaf Nation and even before there was a High Times magazine, the groundbreaking Cannabis publication Sinsemilla Tips provided aspiring Cannabis heads and growers with all the tips, tricks and news they needed to survive and thrive in the underground scene. ///////////// story by bobby black

NOV. 2021

feature

COURTESY OF WORLD OF CANNABIS MUSEUM

leafmagazines.com

SHOP REVIEW NIRVANA WELLNESS

WYATT EARLY

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WYATT EARLY

30 YEARS OF CHEMDOG

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CANNA PROVISIONS

SUNMED GROWERS

SARAH CAPPARUCCINI

THE HARVEST ISSUE

#35

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NOVEMBER 2021

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EDITOR’S NOTE N AT I O N A L N E W S CANNABIS LAW PAT I E N T P R O F I L E BUDTENDER Q&A H I G H LY L I K E LY SHOP REVIEW STRAIN OF THE MONTH SUNMED GROWERS 30 YEARS OF CHEMDOG C O N C E N T R AT E O F T H E M O N T H TOPICAL OF THE MONTH CANNABIS RECIPES CANNTHROPOLOGY STONEY BALONEY

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Must be 18 years or older to view content. Medical cannabis is for certified patient use only. Consumption of medical cannabis may impair your ability to drive a car or operate machinery. Please use extreme caution. There may be health risk associated with cannabis use, especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Accidental consumption of cannabis by children or animals may result in severe adverse reactions. Keep cannabis out of the reach of children and animals.

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 The Harvest Issue this month, photographer Sarah Capparuccini documented the hustle and bustle of one of Maryland’s largest Cannabis grows at SunMed Growers. Their sprawling facility runs like a well-oiled machine, complete with industry-elevating technology that puts it in a class of its own. Check out the story pages 28-31! And if you want to see exclusive photos and stories from farms in the other states the Leaf covers, we encourage you to spend a sesh with our free digital archive at Issuu.com/nwleaf & LeafMagazines.com. Our sincere thanks to all the wonderful farms and farmers who welcomed our teams in this month!

PHOTO by SARAH CAPPARUCCINI @SARAHROSEFOTOS

FOUNDER

CONTRIBUTORS

WES ABNEY | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

BOBBY BLACK, FEATURES JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION TOM BOWERS, FEATURES SARAH CAPPARUCCINI, PHOTOS EARLY, PRODUCTION STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS TAYLOR MARTIN, FEATURES BAXSEN PAINE, FEATURES PARI PATEL, FEATURES JEFF PORTERFIELD, DESIGN MIKE RICKER, FEATURES MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING MIKE ROTHMAN, LAW COLUMN JAMIE VICTOR, DESIGN

WES@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

PUBLISHER EARLY

EARLY@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

CREATIVE DIRECTOR DANIEL BERMAN | VISUALS & DESIGN

DANIEL@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

STATE DIRECTOR WYATT EARLY | AD SALES

WYATT@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM 410-961-8779

We are creators of targeted, independent Cannabis journalism. Please email us to discuss advertising in the next issue of Maryland Leaf Magazine. We do not sell stories or coverage. We can offer design services and guidance on promoting your company’s medicinal, 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!

CONNECT WITH MARYLAND LEAF Exclusive Cannabis Journalism @MDLEAF

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WES

ABNEY

Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up The Harvest Issue of the Leaf!

WE’VE BEEN publishing our harvest issues for many years now and it continues to be one of my favorites. There is something truly special about outdoor Cannabis – and the people who put their livelihoods or medicinal needs on the line to grow a plant for six or more months – with no guarantee of success. Welcome to farming! On top of the sacrifices and risks they face, they also face stigma about the quality of the product they have worked so hard on. But let me tell you this:

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Cannabis is a plant. And the natural expression of terpenes and flavors that the plant produces when exposed to sunlight can never be replicated in an indoor environment.

I encourage all of our readers to flip through our scenic harvest special, read the stories of true farm life and enjoy this magazine that we worked so hard on.

But I also challenge you to purchase sungrown Cannabis and experience the plant in a natural form. Believe me when I say that while it may look different than indoor flower, it’s no less beautiful – and much more tasty than the mid-grade indoor Cannabis flooding the market.

“MY VOTE GOES TO ORGANIC FRUITS AND VEGGIES FOR OUR FAMILIES, AND AN AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM THAT GIVES BACK TO THE EARTH.”

On a sustainability note, our planet, societies and industries are all at a turning point, with our futures decided by us as enlightened consumers.

Do we want synthetic, harmful products for our bodies? Do we want hothouse-grown and pesticide-sprayed vegetables or weed? My vote goes to organic fruits and veggies for our families, and an agricultural system that gives back to the Earth. So, what impact do we want our favorite plant to have on our planet?

Society votes and decides its future with dollars, and I hope that everyone reading this gives outdoor Cannabis a try. It supports both the farmer and the environment. Not to mention, both your head and your heart will thank you for it!

As always, thank you for reading – and please enjoy our Harvest Issue while sampling the bounty of this year’s crop!

-Wes Abney NOV. 2021

Spend less, stay lit Check weed off the list with savings

national news leafmagazines.com

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eattle in October became the largest U.S. city to allow adult cultivation and consumption of mushrooms and other psychedelics, as the Seattle City Council unanimously passed a resolution to decriminalize non-commercial use around natural psychedelic substances.

The Emerald City joins a handful of other enlightened cities in decriminalizing psilocybin and similar substances POLICE WILL since Denver MAKE IT AMONG kicked off a THEIR LOWEST wave of such PRIORITIES TO changes ARREST OR three years PROSECUTE ago.

ANYONE IN Police ACTIVITIES will make it RELATED TO among their “ENTHEOGENS,” lowest priorities to arrest or prosecute anyone in activities related to “entheogens,” reports Bloomberg. That category includes natural substances like psilocybin and ayahuasca, often used for spiritual or religious purposes.

Psilocybin, a mind-altering substance found in magic mushrooms, is a Schedule I drug, the most-restrictive category.

Seattle becomes at least the ninth U.S. city to take such landmark action in recent years. It joins Denver, Washington D.C. and Ann Arbor, Michigan, among other cities. In 2020, Oregon became the first state to legalize psilocybin for therapeutic use.

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suspects broke into a Norman, Oklahoma medical Cannabis dispensary in October and stole thousands of dollars worth of products.

NOV. 2021

politics

NBA AGREES TO END RANDOM DRUG TESTING

SEATTLE BECOMES LARGEST CITY TO DECRIMINALIZE PSYCHEDELICS

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SOUTHWEST

NORMALIZATION

northwest

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he NBA has agreed to not randomly test players for marijuana this season.

“We have agreed with the NBPA to extend the suspension of random testing for marijuana for the 2021-22 season and focus our random testing program on performance-enhancing products and drugs of abuse,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in October.

Marijuana remains prohibited in the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

But negotiations between the league and players’ association loosened restrictions, reports ESPN. “Usage was already fairly common among players,” writes Dan Feldman at NBC Sports. “As momentum moves one direction both nationally and within the league, the NBA seems unlikely to take what’d now become the drastic step of reimplementing random testing.”

ARKANSANS ARE EMBRACING MMJ

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ince that first dispensary opened in 2019 in May, Arkansans have spent about $430 million to purchase almost 64,000 pounds of medical marijuana,” said Scott Hardin, with the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission. “Which I think it’s safe to say, that exceeds our expectation, because you never know how many people will participate.”

Hardin said the medical Cannabis industry has thrived during the pandemic.

Medical marijuana is taxed 10.5% in Arkansas.

There’s a 6.5% sales tax on most retail items in the state. The 4% privilege tax goes to the University of Arkansas for Medical Science, to establish a national cancer institute.

“If you walk into a dispensary and spend $100, you’ll spend $10.50 additionally in state taxes,” Hardin said. “Those two taxes – we’ve collected just under $50,000,000, $49.6 million to be specific.”

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new licenses were issued in October by the New Jersey Medical Marijuana Commission.

770

pounds of “high-grade” marijuana were found in a storage locker in Florida, according to the BCSO.

The groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 6

FEDERAL CANNABIS GROW OPENS IN NEW MEXICO

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annabis has been in a cultural process of “mainstreaming” for awhile now, in New Mexico and nationwide. But the federal government has remained a stubborn roadblock to progress.

However, federal officials are finally allowing the plant to be researched.

The Bright Green Corporation has obtained a federal permit for a sanctioned marijuana grow in Grants, New Mexico, reports KOB 4.

“We are one of three, in the United States of America, that are federally legal to handle Schedule I drugs,” said Terry Rafih, chairman of Bright Green Corporation. “We chose Grants, New Mexico because of the climate.”

“If you look at the number of people that are dependent on opioids for many different pains and ailments that we deal with, the product that we are going “WE ARE ONE to be proOF THREE, IN ducing out of THE UNITED here and the patents that we STATES OF AMERICA, THAT have – hopeARE FEDERALLY fully – we’re LEGAL TO hoping it will HANDLE eliminate, SCHEDULE I eventually, DRUGS,” SAID opioids. That TERRY RAFIH, is our goal,” CHAIRMAN OF Rafih said.

BRIGHT GREEN The strucCORPORATION. ture of a greenhouse has already been erected at the New Mexico facility. The entire facility will soon be a 115-acre research and manufacturing Cannabis plant. With more than 100 employees, company officials say it’s worth more than $300 million in investments.

64k

marijuana distribution charges were sealed by Virginia in October along with 330,000 simple possession charges.

CRIST PROMISES LEGAL MARIJUANA IF ELECTED FL. GOV.

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lorida gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist announced in October that he would legalize marijuana if elected governor next year, reports the Tampa Bay Times.

Crist added he would also expunge misdemeanor or third-degree “IF I’M felony records ELECTED related to GOVERNOR Cannabis.

I WILL “Let me LEGALIZE be clear, if MARIJUANA I’m elected IN THE governor I will SUNSHINE legalize marSTATE.” ijuana in the Sunshine State,” Crist said in a video posted on his Twitter.

“This is the first part of the Crist contract with Florida,” the candidate said, reports The Hill.

“For too long we have focused on incarceration, when we should be focusing on rehabilitation,” he said.

“We know that people across racial and income levels use marijuana at the same rate. And yet, for decades, it’s been poor, Black, and/or Hispanic folks targeted for prison on marijuana charges,” Crist said in December 2020. “That tells me that marijuana has been legal now for a while, if you had the right skin tone or the right paycheck.”

$1b $2.1b

in legal marijuana sales were recorded in Nevada for the 2021 fiscal year.

deal makes Florida’s Trulieve the nation’s largest retailer of medical Cannabis, according to an October news release.

STORIES by STEVE ELLIOTT, AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF MARIJUANA

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There may be health risk associated with cannabis use, especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Accidental consumption of cannabis by children or animals may result in severe adverse reactions. Keep cannabis out of the reach of children and animals.

Cannabis LAW

Seed money in Maryland

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IN

MY DAYTIME GIG as a criminal defense attorney, I am often asked to explain the intended purpose of a criminal statute, as well as the conduct and harm to be prevented by the statute. Sometimes the law reflects a clear and shared understanding by society of what is legally permissible – murder and theft are two good examples.

But sometimes the law is not so clear, which can lead to a fairness problem when a violation of the law comes with a criminal sanction such as a fine or incarceration.

One important concept essential to our understanding of whether a criminal statute is fair is whether it provides fair notice to the average person that proscribed conduct is criminal.

The Due Process Clause of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution protects us from such unfair laws enacted by our government. The idea for making laws clear and understandable is that the lawmakers start with the assumption that people are free to steer between lawful and unlawful conduct.

But what if a patient or caregiver is unaware that they are breaking the law, because the law is so widely unenforced and ignored? Is it fair to punish someone who didn’t know their conduct was unlawful?

The Supreme Court has routinely decided that laws that are “so vague that effective deterrence via criminal enforcement is ‘wholly impractical’ are void.” At its core, due process requires that any criminal statute provide fair notice to an individual

about the prohibited conduct. Otherwise, a court must invalidate the law if it is “so vague that men of common intelligence must necessarily guess at its meaning and differ as to its application.”

And in the case of Cannabis, where laws are highly specialized, contradictory and confusing, can these laws be justly enforced?

Let’s use the purchase of Cannabis seeds as an example. Under Maryland law, you can order hemp seeds from a seed bank anywhere in the world and lawfully grow one pound of it at your home without question. However, if you order seeds and grow one pound of marijuana at your home, you would be committing a felony punishable by up to five years incarceration and/or up to a $15,000 fine.

Hemp and marijuana are not distinguishable by physical appearance or smell. How would one know if their Cannabis plant was above or below the .03% THC threshold distinguishing hemp from marijuana? What if the seed didn’t germinate as advertised? There is no mechanism in Maryland law for an individual to get their Cannabis plant tested to make certain that it is hemp. And medical Cannabis dispensaries in Maryland do not sell seeds to

patients to grow their own medicine. So why is the sale of Cannabis seeds so easy, available and not prosecuted?

The websites I checked clearly warned me that it was illegal to grow a marijuana plant from seed. But it assured me that it was perfectly lawful to purchase the seed itself, so long as I didn’t germinate it. I could tell that there were only a few major large-scale seed banks selling marijuana seeds in three varieties: regular, feminized and auto-flowering. And they all disclaimed any liability, criminal or otherwise, for filling a seed order.

So I checked again, and Maryland law is clear.

Marijuana seeds are part of the defined term marijuana, which in Maryland means “all parts of any plant of the genus Cannabis, whether or not the plant is growing; the seeds of the plant . . . and each compound, manufactured product, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of the plant, its seeds, or its resin.”

Federal law is also clear, and defines the plant similarly: “all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; . . . and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such plant, its seeds or resin.”

The term does not include hemp oil or cake made from the seeds of the plant . . . or the sterilized seed of such plant, which is incapable of germination.”

So what then is the point of these largely symbolic laws that are formally in effect in the criminal code, but which are not penalized by a jurisdiction? Long story short: There is no point, other than to serve as a trap for the unwary and provide cover for selective enforcement.

Maryland, as well as other states and the federal government, continue to enact laws and regulations that are contradictory and symbolic in nature. To illustrate the point, the United States Postal Service this week announced final regulations to prohibit electronic nicotine delivery devices from being sent through the mail to children.

Although Congress enacted the law to prevent nicotine products from being sold to children, the laws and regulations had the unintended consequence of prohibiting the delivery of electronic CBD and marijuana delivery devices which were also being sold through the mail.

Regardless, the USPS had no new enforcement plans or funds to support the unfunded mandate of these new rules.

Does the existence of laws that are no longer enforced create a disrespect for the laws or a diminishment of its deterrence effect? We still don’t know. But we do know that the failure of our lawmakers to enact clear legislation governing Cannabis makes us all unsafe.

Maryland criminal code is filling up with legislation that is increasingly contradictory and symbolic in nature.

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.

NOV. 2021

COLUMN by MIKE ROTHMAN, ATTORNEY & PRINCIPAL | MEDICAL CANNABIS LAW GROUP

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PATIENT OF THE MONTH

CANN ABIS FOR A BETTER LIFE

sarah meeker

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“Cannabis saved my life,” the Pikesville High graduate said. “The doctors told me I would need beta blockers for the rest of my life for a heart issue. I got introduced to CBD, quit a job that was causing me a lot of stress and what do you know? I didn’t need the medicine anymore.”

Sarah received a medical card in 2018 and the plant soon became a savior.

“I was dysregulated; I was so unaligned with who I am,” they said. “[Cannabis] brings you to homeostasis.”

In time, the power of community has become Sarah’s true saving grace, partnering up with like-minded individuals for the betterment of those involved.

“Removing that stigma, being able to talk out loud to people about [Cannabis] and teaching people who are new to things that I know, it’s made a big difference for me,” they said.

Eliminating any shame or guilt surrounding Cannabis usage has been a long process. Being raised by their grandmother due to Sarah’s mother struggling with addiction issues, when weekend visitations were granted and on the occasions Sarah saw Mom happy – Cannabis was often involved – much to the chagrin of Grandma.

“At a young age, it seemed to me like [Cannabis] was different from other illicit drugs,” they said. “There were parties with alcohol and other stuff, and it always seemed to end in violence. When I watched my mom and other family members sit around and smoke pot, there was nothing like that. It was peaceful. But my grandmother didn’t like it and her judgment trickled down on me.”

Years later, Sarah is getting paid to host holiday extravaganzas at home, bringing together large groups of patients (25-30) around a backyard bonfire. It’s a profession they prefer over the “miserable” monotony of a previous 13-year tenure as a certified medical assistant.

“These are my dreams … my passion,” said Sarah, who recently partnered with a hometown dispensary (The Living Room) to sponsor a pair of events. “I’m always looking for ways to bring patients together in affordable ways. It’s about community building; it’s about having people in the same space.”

“I watch people form relationships and businesses in my backyard!” they laughed excitedly. “When people write their stories, I just want one small piece of that book to say, ‘We met in Heady’s backyard.’”

With a Puffco in hand – a smooth 1:1 CBD strain preferred – and a red-and-black, one-wheel by their side, Sarah is authoring a new chapter of life. It’s bold, it’s brave – and offers no regrets.

“We live this life together, but we’re all writing a different book,” said Sarah, who is sponsored by Stoke Blokes Wheel Shoppe in Fairfax. “To be able to write just one chapter together, with people who are open-minded, well … that’s the most beautiful thing.”

leafmagazines.com

“I’m always looking for ways to bring patients together in affordable ways.

It’s about community building; it’s about having people in the same space.”

THE ROAD TO RECOVERY IS LONG. It’s arduous. And it’s anything but linear. But for Sarah Meeker, a 36-yearold resident of Maryland, it’s been worth it. A survivor of an abusive childhood, Sarah has been breaking down barriers that previously served as shackles to an unhappy life. Now the individual many refer to as ‘Heady’ – a play on their Instagram account (@headystateofmind) – is one-wheeling and dealing, competitively racing down picturesque mountainsides around the country. And when they’re back home, they’re hosting wellbeing gatherings for medical Cannabis patients in the state.

NOV. 2021

STORY by BAXSEN PAINE @BAXSENPAINE for MARYLAND LEAF | PHOTO by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT

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Medical cannabis use is for certified patients only.

INTERVIEW

MARYLAND LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH

SARA BUTTA

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WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OF WORKING AT A WOMAN-OWNED DISPENSARY? I feel like women connect through empathizing with patients a little bit more. I love that it gives women a greater opportunity in the industry – for example, my boss having the opportunity to hire all women. All the budtenders that work at GreenLabs are women.

A leafmagazines.com

“I TRY TO PREACH CBD PRODUCTS AND LOWER THC PRODUCTS FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING AILMENTS LIKE ANXIETY AND PAIN. NOT EVERYONE NEEDS A PRODUCT THAT IS LOADED WITH THC.”

firm believer in aliens and passionate smoker of Cannabis flower, Sara Butta brings out-of-this-world vibes to her work at GreenLabs. When not teaching patients about the powers of the plant, you’ll find her engaged in photography or peering through her telescope – sights set on the beauty of this world, and beyond.

WHY DO YOU BELIEVE IN ALIENS? I feel like there is so much to learn and so much to discover about them that there is no saying they are not real at this point. I like the way Cannabis relates to aliens because you can always learn more about Cannabis. You can never stop informing yourself.

WHAT IS THE CRAZIEST THING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN THROUGH YOUR TELESCOPE? I have seen UFOs and taken videos of them, but people are always skeptical. I actually took a video the other day of the moon, and the way the clouds were going over the craters made it look like it was sparkling. I picked this hobby up on my own because I am into photography, and would always zoom in on the sky and see planets and stars.

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR PASSION FOR CANNABIS? It definitely wasn’t something that was passed on through my family, because during that time it wasn’t as much of an acceptable thing. I suffered

NOV. 2021

through chronic pain because I was born with a club foot – throughout my whole life it has caused issues. During physical therapy one of my PTs recommended I try Cannabis. I got my med card about two years ago and started experimenting with CBD and 1:1 products. I want to be able to help other people who suffer from similar things.

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY? For my fifth birthday my parents got me a digital camera, and I was going outside and taking pictures of rocks. The pictures probably looked terrible, but I loved what I was doing. My mom told me the other day, ‘You’ve always liked photography since a young age.’ When I am out with a group of friends they always say, ‘Sara, take the picture.’ I was taking a lot of pictures on my iPhone, and eventually I thought ‘let’s buy me a camera’ – and started a photography page.

HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT YOU’VE CHANGED PEOPLE’S LIVES THROUGH CANNABIS? IF SO, HOW? It happens every day, honestly. People will come in and say they aren’t taking tons of other medications anymore. They thank me and it’s reassuring that I am in the right field, helping people. I try to preach CBD products and lower THC products for people that are experiencing ailments like anxiety and pain. Not everyone needs a product that is loaded with THC. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO CONSUME CANNABIS? I am a big flower smoker – I like big joints and I stuff cones and sometimes throw a little crumble in. I love Verano’s Thai Lights, that strain makes me feel really creative and is great for photography and painting. I like Curio’s flower too – the Purple Punch smells amazing. I feel like it’s slept on, but those terpenes are serious with that strain.

Evermore’s budders also taste amazing, and gLeaf’s Aqua Tech crumble has always tasted really clean to me.

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INTERVIEW & PHOTOS by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT/MARYLAND LEAF S E N D N O M I N AT I O N S F O R B U D T E N D E R O F T H E M O N T H T O W YAT T @ L E A F M A G A Z I N E S .C O M

TOO HIGH

T O O LOW

J U ST LITE

MARYLAN D’S FI RST M ICRODOSE PRE ROLL

highly likely

BILLIONAIRE MEDIA MAGNATE

Highly Likely highlights Cannabis pioneers who have paved the way to greater herbal acceptance.

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG Michael Bloomberg may seem like an unlikely person for this column. For one, he’s a politician – and politicians’ views on Cannabis are notoriously boring and ingenuine. Bloomberg’s are not.

s

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“In one decade, he seems to be a staunch advocate of decriminalization and legalization, in another he’s arguing that there’s no such thing as medical Cannabis.”

NOV. 2021

econdly, he’s one of the most successful businessmen in America, and businessmen (ahem, Elon Musk on Joe Rogan in 2018) generally do not talk about Cannabis, because the business world is slow to embrace a plant that, generally, helps people to relax and enjoy their lives (go figure). Bloomberg is somehow one of the rare billionaire businessmen/ politicians who isn’t outright reviled by a wide swath of the population.

Bloomberg is mostly known as the former mayor of New York City, and for his presidential campaign.

As the 108th mayor of New York, he favored policies on gun control, public health initiatives and environmental protections. But, like any politician, he had his issues.

For example, he expanded the NYPD ‘stop and frisk’ program, which was widely considered racist and resulted in many drug arrests. He reversed his stance on the subject during his 2020 presidential campaign. Like many politicians (and people for that matter), it helps to be able to change your mind with the times.

When it comes to Cannabis, a historical perspective of Bloomberg’s views is somewhat difficult to ascertain. In one decade, he seems to be a staunch advocate of decriminalization and legalization, in another he’s arguing that there’s no such thing as medical Cannabis.

But there is one instance where Bloomberg’s views on Cannabis seemed to be clarified, at least in a personal sense.

In the early 2000s in an interview in New York Magazine, Bloomberg was asked whether he had tried Cannabis before – to which he replied, “You bet I did. And I enjoyed it.” Scandal ensued.

As Bloomberg mounted his mayoral campaign the next year, NORML seized on the amazing opportunity to utilize Bloomberg’s common-sense remarks to its own benefit – complete with an outdoor, print and radio ad campaign that featured a poster of his face and the quote prominently featured around New York.

The press took notice, and he was forced to rescind the remarks due to public pressure.

But even in this way, Bloomberg’s walking back didn’t involve lying (rare for a politician).

“What I said back then was the truth,” he told a group of reporters at City Hall in 2002.

“In terms of, I had, certainly when I was younger, as I suppose most people in my generation, experimented. I never lie, so if somebody asked me a question, I told them. Do I, in retrospect, wish I didn’t say it that day so they couldn’t quote it? Of course.”

This sort of adult, common-sense perspective is rare in politicians and public figures these days – but this doesn’t mean that Bloomberg’s a perfect politician, or even a perfect human. None of us are.

And that’s why looking at all the different perspectives of people (even those you don’t agree with) is so important. In our ultraconnected, hyper-partisan world, we’re all going to be wrong in someone’s eyes, some of the time.

But we’ll also be right sometimes, too. At the end of the day, Bloomberg’s admission of using Cannabis and enjoying it shouldn’t have been an issue – and his response to a simple question was simply the truth.

And with the truth being rarer and rarer to see and hear these days – those ads, now almost 20 years old, look really cool!

STORY by PACER STACKTRAIN for LEAF NATION

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SHOP REVIEW

NIRVANA CENTER SETTING & VIBE This is a fun and chill shop with a focus on education, all wrapped up in an approachable environment. During our visit to the dispensary, budtenders and managers laughed and joked with each other while dancing to the tunes they had bumping. Dozens of patients came through during this time, and each one was greeted by their first name even if they had a mask on. Bottom line: Absolutely everyone seemed excited to be there.

FLOWER 20

Heavy on the flower would be an understatement when describing the selection of products here. They try to keep around 85+ strains of flower on the menu at any given time, with products from almost every brand in the state. Whether you’re looking for a $25 eighth to hold you over (which they almost always have on deck) or splurging on that new Cookies drop, Nirvana has you covered.

CONCENTRATES The concentrate selection here is anything but lacking, with tons of options from all of Maryland’s favorite processors. They have products for patients dealing with severe pain, such as RSO in different ratios, including high THC. Connoisseurs can feel comfortable knowing they can scroll through the rolodex of strains and find something terpy and effective for their regimen.

leafmagazines.com

EDIBLES Candies, capsules, drinks and mixes can all be found at Nirvana, including the much anticipated return of Betty’s Eddies. Curio offers many different variations of their highly sought after Chews as well, and this shop had more than a few of those options available. Keep your eyes peeled for the 25mg Mango Ginger Chews from Curio and Dr. Solomon’s 1:1 CBN-rich capsules.

QUICK HIT Nirvana Center is a family owned and operated dispensary that is planting its roots in Baltimore and doing right by their patients.

Combining a knowledgeable and experienced manager with the expertise of budtenders that are well-versed in this industry and its products, Nirvana has a recipe for success.

NOV. 2021

NIRVANA CENTER

5225 BALTIMORE NATIONAL PIKE, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND OPEN 9AM-9PM DAILY NIRVANACENTER.COM @MDNIRVANACENTER

REVIEW

DISTRICT CANNABIS

ASSORTMENT WHETHER YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A $25 EIGHTH TO HOLD YOU OVER OR SPLURGING ON THAT NEW COOKIES DROP, NIRVANA HAS YOU COVERED.

We were lucky enough to try Cherry Chem batter, and Gelato Cake shatter and pre-rolls from District Cannabis. While these products are the perfect combo for any situation, I used the Gelato Cake for pre-bedtime vibes. The Cherry Chem had over 2.5% limonene, so I used it for a boost of energy during the workday – feeling a clean and energetic uptick after just one dab. districtcannabis.us | @districtcannabis.us

STORY & PHOTOS by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT/MARYLAND LEAF

Now through the end of November, take 20% OFF ALL gLeaf Flower & Joints!

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STRAIN OF THE MONTH

24

leafmagazines.com

“AN ETHEREAL AND POLISHED HIGH THAT EMBODIES A HARMONY OF CREATIVE, EUPHORIC RELAXATION AND ROBUSTLY CHILL VIBES.”

SUNNY WIZARD nov. 2021

INTRODUCING THE LATEST GENETIC MASTERPIECE FROM CURIO, SUNNY WIZARD – A STELLAR CROSS OF BLISSFUL WIZARD AND PURPLE PUNCH.

grown by

TESTING 31.2% thca 2.5% total terps .75% caryophyllene .68% limonene .3% myrcene .21% linalool .21% pinene .16% humulene .14% eudesmol

CURIO WELLNESS

Together, the two genetics have spawned everything one might expect from crossing such robust lineages: the power and majesty of the Wizard, coupled with the unparalleled beauty of the Punch.

Blissful Wizard was one of Maryland’s first flowers to cross the 30% THCa content mark, which not only gave Curio a marketing edge that is hard to compete against given today’s consumer buying habits, but it also provided them with the knowledge that this genetic produces heavy in cultivation.

Sunny Wizard is close to a 1:1 ratio of caryophyllene:limonene, tempered by a complex diversity of myrcene, linalool, pinene, humulene and eudesmol. Now if you have been tracking terpenes, then you probably already know this is quite an uncommon profile – it balances two of the sexier and more niche indica and sativa terpenes, tempered again by terpenes from both sides of the spectrum.

The effect is truly an ethereal and polished high that embodies a harmony of creative, euphoric relaxation and robustly chill vibes, really allowing me to take on the day with all of the confidence in the world.

A confidence boost is not typically something you hear used to describe the effects of Cannabis, but I assure you it is quite within the repertoire of possible effects, albeit rare. You could generically describe this effect as a sativa leaning hybrid, balanced and with a good mood – but it is so much more than that.

With a surge of energy encouraging me to seize the day, the cascade of snowballing positivity turns on all of my creative and motivated switches, keeping me chill and at ease as I look forward to the day with a strong, cando attitude.

The magic of this cultivar is something I think everyone should try, and a big shout out to Curio Wellness for experimenting with the Wizard genetics and producing such unique headspaces. This Sunny Wizard uses its magic to create the best sunny effects Cannabis has to offer, and I will be smoking this for many harvests to come.

REVIEW by TAYLOR MARTIN for MARYLAND LEAF | PHOTO by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT | CURIOWELLNESS.COM | @CURIO_WELLNESS

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28

The Flower Room

NOV. 2021

the HARVEST issue

sunmed growers It

WAS ALL a dream for Jake Van Wingarden, a third-generation greenhouse cultivator, when he bought 45 acres of land in Earleville, Maryland to start Tidal Creek Growers in 2002. Tidal Creek Growers cultivates perennials, annuals, vegetables and herbs for garden centers and re-sellers throughout the Northeast and MidAtlantic, producing over 8 million plants a year.

EARLEVILLE, MD

With decades of experience with plants under his belt, Jake founded SunMed Growers with the intention to provide Maryland with the cleanest medicine grown under the sun. With a patient centric ethos, SunMed Growers is the largest commercial cultivator in the state of Maryland – and the only cultivator producing sungrown Cannabis.

What makes them stand out is their heavy focus on holistic treatment alternatives and commitment to providing their patients with a clean, effective product.

The state-of-the-art greenhouse sits in Cecil County and measures in at 250,000 square feet.

What started with 30 employees in 2018, is now a group of 140 plant medicine enthusiasts. Expansion plans include adding an additional 200,000 square feet of canopy to meet the market demands of Maryland, and building a 50,000-square-foot lab where SunMed Labs will be headquartered.

Here they have exciting plans to tissue culture all the current genetics being grown and incoming future genetics, in order to combat common diseases found in Cannabis plants such as the deadly Hop Latent Virus that has destroyed Cannabis farms all over the West Coast. Mother plants are recycled every three months to ensure the highest quality clones are run every season.

As someone in the cultivation industry myself, SunMed’s agricultural technology truly took my breath away – with the biggest mind-blower being their emphasis on automation as it came to material handling, lighting and climate control.

The greenhouse equipment itself was shipped from Holland and built onsite, and watching it work was a sight to behold. There were thousands of plants being transported automatically to a designated feeding area, where they are then lowered into a feeding bath and drained sufficiently, before being safely transported to their home base.

It was hard to believe there was not a staffer in sight, as all the processes were automated seamlessly. The material handling technology was so efficient it essentially eliminated heavy lifting and manual cleaning for staff. CONTINUES NEXT PAGE >>

STORY by PARI PATEL @PARIPLUTO for MARYLAND LEAF | PHOTOS by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT

the HARVEST issue

30

sunmed growers

leafmagazines.com

Continued from previous page

Equally impressive, artificial light acted as a supplement and reacted automatically to daylight, using machine learning technology as the sun rises and sets. A top-of-the-line climate controller ensured each room in the greenhouse was adequately heated or cooled, maintained proper humidity, dew point and CO2. In order to prevent cross pollination from neighboring hemp farms, SunMed invested millions of dollars in acquiring multiple state-of-the-art HEPA filters.

We had the opportunity to soak in some sunshine alongside SunMed’s stunning flowering plants. A sea of green and sunlight hit my face, along with a rich, pungent scent filling my nose. It was impossible to feel anything else but gratitude and happiness in that moment. It was all smiles in the flower room as the harvest team was at work defoliating away. A SunMed harvest team associate offered a quick cultivation tip for our readers: During the last week of flower, aka the flushing period, the plants receive 20 hours of light.

There are a heaping 2,500 plants harvested every week out of the flower room. What began as a 600-pound-a-week harvest, is now 1,000 pounds a week.

SUNMEDGROWERS.COM @SUNMED.GROWERS

NOV. 2021

“Using Dutch cultivation techniques, SunMed places an emphasis on sustainability and quality.

That is a lot of Cannabis for the processing team to hand trim, but SunMed swears by hand trimming and raises that it is ‘best practice’ for a quality product. There are currently six drying rooms and plans to add six more during Phase Two construction, currently underway.

At the heart of the founder’s vision are sustainable biological practices embedded into their growing techniques – natural pest management protocols and eco-friendly irrigation and post-harvest practices. The harvest team uses a proactive approach for their Integrated Pest Management system, to ensure a clean operation by using slow-release, beneficial nematode sachets. These predatory mites combat common pests in Cannabis grows like spider mites, aphids, thrips and fungus gnats. All post-harvest plant material is saved and added to the growing, rich compost pile that is heavily sought after by garden centers.

Using Dutch cultivation techniques, SunMed places an emphasis on sustainability and quality. The Dutch drip irrigation system recycles runoff from plant feed and is cleaned through a filter to be reused throughout the grow.

The facility is its own public water source, therefore diligently performs routine H20 testing.

Even with their focus spent on scaling, the innovation doesn’t stop! You will soon find a new line of concentrates hitting dispensaries this December. And as the technology brings simplicity and elegance into their operations, SunMed continues to innovate and experiment with new strains. If you are not hip to cultivars produced by SunMed Growers, check out some of their popular strains: Purple Punch, Rosetta Stone, Sunshine #4 and Grape Lime Ricky, which can all be found in dispensaries across Maryland.

When business is booming, the industry is blooming!

The SunMed family is always hiring and looking to expand their team to handle the large volumes they are now experiencing. If you have the passion and can match the commitment it takes to be part of the team, reach out to them and see where it leads.

“A sea of green and sunlight hit my face, along with a rich, pungent scent filling my nose.”

STORY by PARI PATEL @PARIPLUTO for MARYLAND LEAF | PHOTOS by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT & SARAH CAPPARUCCINI @SARAHROSEFOTOS

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the HARVEST issue

30 YEARS OF CHEMDOG

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34

Three decades later the original Chemdog, or Chem 91, thrives by its namesake’s hand in Western Massachusetts with Canna Provisions.

NOV. 2021

Long after the fabled tale of how Chemdog came into being in the legacy market in 1991 – in short, a young Greg “Chemdog” Krzanowski on the tour lots of the Dead – the original 1991 clone of the original mother plant is still pumping out those classic Chemdog flavors of gas and skunk, of citrus petrol kissed by earthy hops and black pepper. The main difference? After Krzanowski emerged from legacy market cultivation exile 10 years after being a victim of the unsuccessful War on Drugs, the man behind Chemdog is now Director of Cultivation at Canna Provisions – where he and his whole team of green thumbs (notably Grow Operations Manager Johnny Greenfingaz) operate in Sheffield. It’s here where they exclusively grow Smash Hits Cannabis for Canna Provisions using Chemdog’s genetics, as well as decades of combined experience in top notch, craft Cannabis cultivation.

“I KNEW I’D GET ARRESTED EVEN FOR SIX PLANTS BACK THEN, SO I WANTED TO MAKE IT THE BEST WEED I COULD MAKE EACH GROW.” Greg “Chemdog” Krzanowski

BUT FIRST, it’s worth hopping back in time to a young, 18-year-old Chemdog, living in Northampton, Massachusetts just down the street from Joe’s Pizza back then. He began growing after moving in and was harvesting the first batch of Chemdog in fall/winter 1991. “That first harvest was very much like the original batch of weed I got in Deer Park, Indiana from Joe B and Pbud at the Grateful Dead show,” Krzanowski says of the historic crossing of destinies. “That classic skunky, gassy flavor, which expanded when I smoked, which made me cough when I took that hit. Back then it was ‘if you don’t cough you don’t get off,’ and that first harvest was very fresh and green. I did a great job.”

That first harvest was cultivated under 600-watt, high-pressure sodium lights in a contraption called Olivia’s Garden – basically a six-pot passive hydroponic system – bought at Wormsway in Worcester, a famous garden supply store for years for green thumbs and underground growers of the age. “That thing grew soda can sized buds,” he says almost wistfully, noting that when he later switched to an even more organic soil-based system, the strain really took off for him.

“I knew I’d get arrested even for six plants back then, so I wanted to make it the best weed I could make each grow,” he says. “I really love weed, so I’d scour the Grateful Dead lots at shows looking for kine bud, since everyone that had it back in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s would be at a Dead show. If you weren’t growing it yourself back then, then you weren’t getting the best stuff. They were basically the archetype for weed culture at shows of that caliber. The lots were our seshes to find the best bud.”

Fast forward 30 years and you land right here, right now. Krzanowski says he still loves growing Chem 91 – it’s one of those strains that delivers every time.

“Our cultivation in Sheffield is now growing with an expanded canopy and outdoor greenhouse, so we currently have several Chem 91 clones out there,” he says. “Which means Smash Hits will be producing outdoor, legal, pure Chem 91 Cannabis for the first time ever.”

Call it yet another reason to celebrate the availability of Chem 91 on the legal market.

Chem 91 by Smash Hits Cannabis is available exclusively from Canna Provisions stores in Lee and Holyoke, Massachusetts.

CANNAPROVISIONS.COM @CANNAPROVISIONSGROUP

HARVEST GUIDELINES AT A COMMERCIAL GROW

BY CHEMDOG & JOHNNY GREENFINGAZ

“Probably our most important aspect of a successful harvest is following all SOPs. We follow those to the letter to ensure we are always consistent, and that translates right down to the bud. Everything from making sure the trichomes are turning amber in order to reach full potency, to proper flushing to bring out the terps and remove all salts from the bud, we always try to apply the same standards each and every time to ensure the highest quality and supreme plant health. This goes for all strains (the only thing that changes is the maturing time for each) and due to that, each harvest has improved every time in small ways thanks to the consistency and process.”

Chem91 bud

STORY by DAN MCCARTHY @ACUTALPROOF for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by DAN MCCARTHY & CANNA PROVISIONS/JUSTIN ALLEN

concentrate of the month

MPX MELTINGPOINTEXTRACTS.COM | @MPX_US

Such a stimulating and euphoric headspace …

I had to remind myself that I couldn’t just sit around and take dabs all day!

36

leafmagazines.com

GRAPE LIME RICKY BALLER JAR MPX EXTRACTS and their rendition of Grape Lime Ricky live resin batter is everything I want to see from a concentrate. The coloration and texture of this luscious oil reveals the true skill of the laborers in the lab, as they consistently churn out the fine quality points in their top shelf dab selections. As the saying goes, fire in, fire out – so there is of course credit to be given to the cultivators – but it was MPX who was able to capture the essence of this delicate cultivar and elevate it.

T E S T R E S U LT S 77% thc 9.8% total terps 2.5% myrcene 2.34% terpinolene 1.2% pinene 1.18% ocimene .6% caryophyllene .5% terpinene .3% limonene

Grape Lime Ricky is the progeny of a cross between Purple Urkle and Jack the Ripper, and produces one of my favorite terpene profiles out there. The top notes of myrcene, terpinolene, pinene and ocimene really blend together to create an aroma and effect unlike anything else. It smells like Sprite that’s been churned into gasoline. Sharply subtle lemon lime notes dominate the top of the nose, followed by floral undertones reminiscent of orchids and meadow flowers. All in all, absolutely gorgeous.

The myrcene followed closely by terpinolene and pinene creates a heavy, heady high that is both bright and creative. I find terpinolene to energize my mind and stimulate thought, while pinene really sharpens the edges of a high – together synergizing in a tremendous manner and bringing a stoniness that doesn’t overpower the newfound creativity. I had a really hard time not dabbing the entire jar throughout the day, because I found it to be such a stimulating and euphoric headspace. Literally, I had to remind myself that I couldn’t just sit around and take dabs all day!

Consistency is the hallmark of any good Cannabis operator, and MPX is on point. Be it in a lab or in a grow, their team puts out that consistent fire.

Maryland medical patients across the board will benefit from the luscious Grape Lime Ricky live resin batter, so go find yourself some of that lemon lime gas – who knew medicine could be so tasty?

nov. 2021

REVIEW by TAYLOR MARTIN for MARYLAND LEAF | PHOTO by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT

RSO

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Our concentrates use ethanol extraction technology to ensure pure, potent cannabinoids and terpenes.

Extracted from all-natural, locally sourced Maryland flower and available in Indica, Sativa and Hybrid varieties.

Roll One. Nothing tech-y or slick. Just affordable cannabis.

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Medical cannabis use is for certified patients only.

topical of the month

On sale for $49.99, 2oz stick

38

HEMP, HEMP HOORAY! leafmagazines.com

BOSTON HEMPIRE 1000MG CBD HEMP EXTRACT HEALING SALVE

When looking for a good CBD topical, one must first ask: What benefits do you seek? From the sweet smelling and girly-esque oils with pretty, eye-catching colors and gold leaf flakes, to the no frills, medicinal quality salves that are both odorless and effective, there’s no shortage of options to choose from.

In the case of this topical from Boston Hempire, it sticks to being simple and direct – with loads of CBD (topping out at 1096mg), this is definitely one of the highest CBD content topicals I’ve ever reviewed.

When it comes to the packaging, this salve features a retractable stick – making it perfect for your purse or gym bag, as the applicator can be used during travel and on-the-go. With a silhouette of Boston popping and an exquisite red border along the edges, there’s a city-slick vibe that is both eye-catching and distinctive. The overall vibe exudes power and makes you feel like this product is really going to work.

NOV. 2021

The ingredient list is short and sweet, with standard ingredients like coconut oil, olive oil and beeswax, along with more specialty stuff like lavender oil, arnica oil, vitamin E, peppermint oil and lemongrass oil. The lavender adds a pleasant, spa-like touch along with the peppermint and lemongrass creating a sweet trifecta of aromas for the user, and the arnica is a medicinal ingredient said to ease inflammation, organically.

This topical also contains comfrey oil, which is considered to be an essential anti-aging ingredient, containing both allantoin and rosmarinic acid. Allantoin promotes the growth of new skin cells and rosmarinic acid acts as a painkiller and reduces inflammation, while comfrey can also soften skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Overall, this topical is made for people who work hard and play harder – all wrapped up in a tough and street smart package.

“The lavender adds a pleasant, spa-like touch along with the peppermint and lemongrass creating a sweet trifecta of aromas.”

BOSTON HEMPIRE 90 ROCKLAND ST STE 3 HANOVER, MA 781-924-1011 | BOSTONHEMPIRE.COM @BOSTON_HEMPIRE

REVIEW & PHOTO by BAILEY JONSON @BAILEYANDTHEWORLD for LEAF NATION

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email Wyatt@LeafMagazines.com for details on including your brand & company in the Dec. 2021 Edibles Issue of Maryland Leaf!

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These products are for use only by a qualifying patient.

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cooking with Cannabis

R EC I P E S by LAU RIE WOLF | P HOTO by B RUC E WOLF

THE FLAVORS OF FALL d

URING THE PANDEMIC, Mary and I had a book published about Cannabis lifestyle. “The Cannabis Apothecary” covers every method of Cannabis use for every body part – from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet, there is a Cannabis product for you. It’s cool. It’s a lovely book, featuring many beautiful photos and all kinds of recipes. These three recipes appear in it, and will fit perfectly in your careful, Cannabis, holiday entertaining. Remember that when it comes to Cannabis, less is more. Same with alcohol I guess. No need to overdo – keep potency low and enjoy. Should you decide to infuse some butter or oil, go to our website LaurieandMaryjane.com for a step by step of the infusion method of your choice. Or email me – I’m happy to answer any food related questions.

I don’t like to say happy thanksgiving anymore, but I do hope that if you have a meal with family or friends, you remember that we all deserve the same things in this world, and we need to be nicer. It can be really rough out there.

40

2 servings

FONTINA TART 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted according to package directions 3 tablespoons canna-butter 1 leek, peeled and thinly sliced 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 teaspoon thyme 2 cups mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 6 slices bacon, cooked lightly and chopped 1 ½ cups grated or chopped Fontina cheese salt and pepper ¼ cup chopped scallions

16 servings

SALMON SPIRALS

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

12 servings

LEMON LIME BARS Baking spray 2 cups all purpose flour ½ cup sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch ¼ teaspoon salt ¾ cup cold butter, some infused (4 tablespoons infused) 4 eggs, lightly beaten 1 ½ cups sugar 1/3 cup half and half 3 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon lemon peel 1/3 cup lemon juice 1 teaspoon lime peel 1/3 cup lime juice 1 drop green food coloring powdered sugar

nov. 2021

1. Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover the bottom with parchment paper.

2. Heat oven to 340. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk to combine.

3. Add the butter and mix with your fingers to form a mixture that resembles oatmeal. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. It will be light golden brown.

4. In a large bowl combine the eggs, sugar, half and half, flour, lemon peel, lemon juice, lime peel, lime juice and the green food coloring.

5. Pour the mixture on top of the baked crust.

Bake until the filling is set, about 15-20 minutes.

6. Allow to cool fully before cutting into 12 servings. If desired, dust with a little extra powdered sugar and grated citrus peel.

2 cucumbers, ends cut off 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon canna-butter 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 4 ounces smoked salmon 4 tablespoons mayo 1 scallion, cut in pieces 2 tablespoons chopped dill 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice ½ teaspoon pepper ½ teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons capers

1. Heat oven to 340˚F/171˚C. 2. Place the puff pastry on a floured work surface and roll out an additional 1-2 inches. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and chill.

3. In a large sauté pan, heat the butter. When temperature is relatively hot, add the leek, garlic, and thyme and sauté until tender, 5-6 minutes.

Remove from heat and place ingredients on a plate.

4. Add the mushrooms and cook until done, 7-9 minutes; their liquid will release, simmer away, and turn golden with sautéing.

5. Spread the onions, mushrooms, and bacon over the pastry. Sprinkle with the cheese and follow with the salt and pepper.

6. Bake until the cheese is melted, and the tart is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining scallions.

1. Place the cucumbers on your work surface. Using a vegetable peeler, slice the cukes the long way, trying to cut the length of the cucumber. Pat the slices dry with a clean dish towel or paper towels.

2. In a food processor, combine the cream cheese, salmon, mayo, scallion, dill, lemon juice, pepper and salt. Pulse until semismooth consistency is reached.

3. Spread each slice with the spread, 1-2 tablespoons each. Sprinkle with the capers.

Tightly roll each slice. The slices will stay together due to the spread. Place on a serving tray and enjoy.

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a l l i m Sinse Sto r y

An assortment of Sinsemilla Tips issues over a “sea of green” garden— a technique that they covered first.

As Cannabis culture began shifting away from smuggling towards the “grow your own” philosophy at the end of the 1970s, a demand arose for more in-depth grow advice than what High Times offered at the time. From that vacuum, a new underground magazine emerged that would revolutionize Cannabis cultivation in America: Sinsemilla Tips.

RAID & REVENGE

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For more about Tom & Sinsemilla Tips, listen to Episode #16 of our podcast at worldofCannabis.museum/cannthropology.

Billed as “the nation’s only technical journal for the marijuana industry,” Sinsemilla Tips was created in 1980 by a grower named Tom Alexander as a sort of revenge fantasy against the establishment. Alexander had been living on a primitive 160-acre homestead in the backwoods of Corvallis, Oregon, where he planted around half an acre of quality Hawaiian genetics. But before he could harvest his first crop, a timber scout spotted his garden and reported it to the sheriff.

On Sept. 27, 1979, 16 officers with semi-automatic rifles raided his homestead – confiscating his 1,200-plus plants and arresting him and his wife.

Fortunately for them, the charges were ultimately dismissed due to an error on the search warrant regarding the location of his property. The authorities still kept his weed though, of course … and weeks later, three of the sheriffs involved were arrested by state police for attempting to sell it themselves. Unlike Alexander, however, who’d faced a $100,000 fine and possible 20 years in prison, the crooked cops were sentenced to just three years of probation.

Incensed by this blatant injustice, the outraged outlaw set out to exact his revenge on the establishment through the written word. He decided to write a book about Cannabis cultivation, but was quickly persuaded by his grower friends to publish an ongoing journal instead. Without a lick of experience in journalism or publishing, Alexander sat down

NOV. 2021

with a typewriter, a kerosene lantern (he had no electricity), and some rubber cement and got to work. The result was a 16-page, typo-ridden newsletter that he christened Sinsemilla Tips.

TWO MOONS RISING

COURTESY OF TOM ALEXANDER

cannthropology

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WORLD OF Cannabis

After printing around 1,000 copies, Alexander drove up and down the coast from Mendocino to Seattle selling the newsletters for 50 cents apiece at grow stores, on street corners, or Sinsemilla Tips founder Tom Alexander. wherever he could. It was while visiting those horticulture shops in Humboldt and Seattle that he noticed all of the growers with wads of hundreds buying fertilizers and grow lights, that he had another bright idea. One month after starting the journal, he opened Oregon’s first hybrid indoor/outdoor grow shop: Full Moon Farm Products.

“It was a 5,000-square-foot grow shop on Main Street in downtown Corvallis, right in front of everybody,” Alexander boasts. “It had windows that were 12 feet high, and we put grow rooms with 10foot tomato plants in those two front windows to show what could be done with those lights.”

Upstairs from the Full Moon shop became the offices of New

Issue #3 - Fall 1980

Moon Publishing, where he produced the magazine. Though unsophisticated in its design, Sinsemilla Tips began providing a wealth of groundbreaking cultivation information from the world’s top Cannabis experts, including Robert Connell Clark, Ed Rosenthal, Skunkman Sam, Michael Wolf Segal (originator of the now-legendary “sea of green” gardening method), and Jorge Cervantes.

“Jorge came into my store in 1983 and said, ‘I’m going to write a book Alexander entered through the back door, called his lawyer, on marijuana,’” Alexander recalls. “I and waited. When he opened his doors at 10:30 a.m., agents said, ‘Well, come back when you finish rushed in, followed by TV cameras, threw down a search warit.’ Six months later, he comes back in rant and began seizing his entire stock. and throws this book down, and I said, “They backed a U-Haul up to the store and just ‘Great – let’s go out back and smoke a started taking out inventory,” Alexander laments. joint,’ and we became best friends.”

Thanks to partnerships with Last Gasp OPERATION GREEN MERCHANT publishing in San Francisco and HomeThe basis for these raids was a statute stead Books in Seattle, the magazine’s added to the Controlled Substances Act reach soon expanded nationwide. in the early 1980s that allowed for certain “Me, Jorge, David [Tatelman] of grow equipment to be classified as drug Best buds: Murphy Stevens, Ed Rosenthal, David Tatelman, Homestead, Ron Turner at Last Gasp … paraphernalia alongside bongs and pipes, Tom Alexander, and Jorge Cervates. we all became close-knit friends. They provided that they were “intended” to be helped distribute the mag, and it just took used to manufacture an illegal substance (marijuaoff.” na). To establish that illicit intent, the DEA had Operation Green conducted a two-year-long entrapment scheme Merchant patch.

SINSE SENSATION codenamed Operation Green Merchant.

On Dec. 26, 1985, the New York Times Starting in late ‘87, the DEA sent undercover agents to dozens published an article about Sinsemilla Tips of grow stores – particularly, those who advertised in Sinse Tips entitled “Magazine for and High Times – and asked workers there for information about NY Times article about Sinse Tips, 1985.

Ambitious Marijuana Growers.” That growing marijuana. Aware of this possible legal jeopardy, most shop article led to more press, including appearowners (Alexander included) gave explicit instructions to never discuss ances on Geraldo, Phil Donohue, Nightline and the marijuana in their stores for any reason, and even to eject any customers who spoke Today show – thrusting Alexander into the spotlight of it. Unfortunately, employees at some shops failed to heed that warning; in the case as an outspoken new celebrity activist. of Full Moon Farm, the agents had posed as Vietnam vets with PTSD and persuaded “In all those TV shows, I would be on stage with some veterans working there into selling them equipment. These interactions providCharles Rangel and the head of the California DEA, ed the DEA with the legal justification needed to secure wiretaps, subpoena shipping and they would put forth totally ludicrous arguments, records from UPS, and confiscate millions in merchandise. while I would be in a suit and tie looking presentable In the case of Full Moon, authorities seized around $75,000 in merchandise and making credible arguments. That really pissed – which, under the civil forfeiture laws, they were never required to return even them off.” though Alexander was never actually charged with a crime. Instead, the Feds The publicity generated by the media coverage offered him a simple ultimatum: sign an agreement relinquishing all rights to the helped Sinse Tips go from an underground paper to merchandise and agreeing to never sell grow equipment again, or be charged with a legitimate commercial magazine. Soon, Alexander criminal conspiracy. Under advice from his lawyer – and pressure from his wife – he was able to buy a new Mac, hire a staff, and up the accepted the deal and closed the store. publishing frequency from quarterly to bimonthly. By the late 1980s, the magazine was up to 72 pagAFTER THE FALL es, printing 10,000 copies, and grossing around Of course, Operation Green Merchant didn’t end after the busts of Black Thurs$100,000 a year. With both his businesses booming, day – the investigation soon expanded, attempting to link the shop owners in a crimTom Alexander seemed to be riding high … but inal conspiracy with a prominent seed company in the Netherlands (that’s another sadly, his fortunes were about to change. story) and the marijuana mags in which they all advertised. Since the First Amendment prevented the Justice Department from targeting the publications directly, they BLACK THURSDAY simply shut down or scared off all of their advertisers in an attempt to starve them out On Oct. 27, 1989, DEA agents raided dozens instead. High Times managed to survive by eking ​​ out issues on a shoestring budget of horticultural supply stores across 46 states and for a while, but sadly Sinse Tips was forced to fold – publishing their final issue in arrested over 100 people – a day of infamy in the Canearly 1990. nabis community that became known as Black Thursday.

Luckily for him, Alexander had seen the writing on the wall: A year before Green Merchant, “I was getting calls all morning from people on the East he’d started a separate, Cannabis-free magazine called Growing Edge, which was able to Coast saying, ‘I got the DEA here … my store’s being raided!’” scoop up most of Sensi Tips’ former advertisers. He ran Growing Edge until retiring from pubAlexander remembers. “I got to the store about 8:00 a.m. and lishing in 2009, then spent another decade serving as an expert witness for Cannabis cases and saw three unmarked cars in the parking lot with people sitting speaking at various conferences before finally leaving the world of weed behind. in them, and I said to myself, ‘Shit – they’re gonna hit me “I’m out of the Cannabis industry now,” Alexander admits. “I don’t smoke anymore … I had next!’” a heart attack a year ago, and the smoke in my lungs cuts my oxygen, so my doctor told me to stick to tinctures and edibles. I had a good 45-year run, but now I’m done.”

STO RY b y B O B BY B LAC K @ CAN N T H RO PO LO G Y for LEA F NAT IO N

Story and photos originally published on worldofCannabis.museum and reprinted with permission.

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“I saw three unmarked cars in the parking lot with people sitting in them, and I said to myself, ‘Shit—they’re gonna hit me next!”

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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.

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by Mike Ricker

e all know the 10-second rule. When you drop a piece of food, if you pick it up within 10 seconds, you have beaten the decomposition clock – essentially rescuing the item from the armies of crazed little germs that lie in waiting for food fumbles. In your mind’s eye, these microscopic creatures are blood thirsty vampires, lurching, smothering it with toxic juices and dripping fangs, rendering your Funyun a potential risk to your body’s wellness.

Your taste buds, however, may not excuse your blunder. There is not a moment to waste for the fast action determination that will either land that flavor into your mouth, or sadly, litter the ground with another dead soldier. This is a decision factored on the intensity of your saliva, painfully anticipating the explosive zest while the impatient clock races to the point of no return.

You grow weary of your surroundings, weighing the risks of irreparable illness, or judgement from any onlooker within eyeshot. Do you forego the hazards and redeem the gaffe, or exponentially enhance the chance that a frenzy of multiplying bacteria could foster an unpronounceable condition?

Tick, tick, tick. You’re down to 007.

You stare upon it, frazzled by the dilemma. This is an exceptional, onion-flavored ring, and you are not one to waste tasty salt. The forehead begins to bead. Slow motion ensues. There is a finite number of Funyuns in existence and this one is yours. You put the fun in Funyun.

You reach down and pinch the item with two fingers, brush any dirt across your jeans, inspect it momentarily, then hammer into the crunchiness with a shear jaw clamp. You chew and finish. You do not lick your fingers this time, but wipe the hand on your jeans and go about your extremely busy day.

In this unpredictable world where the strong survive, acquiring good food comes with challenges, and you are not one to be wasteful.

Besides, those little critters are pure protein. Kind of like a ladybug on a blooming nug of weed.

Not that you would ever eat one. Unless of course, it came after your Funyun.

nov. 2021

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