THE HARVEST ISSUE
BELUSHI FARMS X SUNMEDGROWERS
A
N D Y O U ' R E T H E R E !
GROW WEST'S FRESH FROZEN FLOWER
HIGH-POTENCY
DISTILLATE
RECHARGEABLE & DISPOSABLE DESIGN
THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE
WES ABNEY CEO & FOUNDER
wes@leafmagazines.com
MIKE RICKER OPERATING PARTNER ricker@leafmagazines.com
TOM BOWERS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER tom@leafmagazines.com
DANIEL BERMAN CREATIVE DIRECTOR daniel@leafmagazines.com
EARLY MARYLAND LEAF PUBLISHER early@leafmagazines.com
WYATT EARLY STATE DIRECTOR wyatt@leafmagazines.com (410) 961-8779
KAYL WOHL COPY EDITOR kayl@leafmagazines.com
ABOUT THE COVER
Every year, the Maryland Leaf team and our trusty contributors have the unique opportunity to explore Cannabis being grown on a large scale - showcasing how Cannabis quality can continue at even the biggest numbers. From our cover stars Belushi's Farm's collaboration with SunMed Growers to the intrepid crew of Vireo Growth, this special issue highlights how Cannabis is created from seed to sale — the process that enables all of us to consume our Cannabis safely and, ideally, with a Maryland Leaf in hand.
PHOTO BY SARAH CAPPARUCCINI @SARAHROSEFOTOS
FEATURED STRAIN: APPLES AND BANANAS CROSS
CONTRIBUTORS
WES ABNEY, FEATURES
BOBBY BLACK, FEATURES
JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION
SARAH CAPPARUCCINI, PHOTOS
DANIEL BERMAN, EDITING
JESSE JOHNSON, FEATURES
ZACK JOHNSON, PHOTOS
REX HILSINGER, FEATURES
GREG MALCOLM, PHOTOS
TAYLOR MARTIN, FEATURES
BAXSEN PAINE, FEATURES
JESSE RAMIREZ, DESIGN
MIKE RICKER, FEATURES
BRUCE & LAURIE WOLF, RECIPES
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, 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!
CONNECT WITH MARYLAND LEAF
WES ABNEY
Editor’s Note
I write this note not knowing who will be the new president of our principled country, but I stand in full support of the elected President of our democratic republic who will work to address the systemic issues in our institutions. America is surely the greatest country in history, a nation founded on the ideals of freedom here and around the world. Yet, we have much work to do to ensure our fundamental rights.
The pursuit of the American dream rings clear around the world because this is the land of freedom and prosperity, which is symbolized by the legalization movement. There is no cause greater than fighting for the sick, the oppressed, and the natural world, and our movement is composed of these elements that have risen like a seedling out of a concrete crack. As we look ahead to 2025 and beyond, those fighting for survival in the Cannabis industry need more of this prosperity to land in the industry’s hands, and not in the endless tax coffers. We need to fight to be treated equally, as promised in our enshrined Constitution and Bill of Rights, where the pursuit of happiness and freedom go hand in hand with consuming Cannabis.
Weed might seem legal where you are reading this, but current laws enforce policies restricting gun rights, parental rights, and social service access for Cannabis users, all while over-taxation and overt censorship of Cannabis on social media make it clear that there is a narrative and an agenda against our plant and our community — and that’s on a good day. We aren’t far from a scenario where the fact-checkers turn on Cannabis and label the types of stories the Leaf has been publishing since 2010 as “misinformation.”
"WHY IS THERE A WAR AGAINST OUR MEDICINE AND NATURAL PLANTS?"
We live in a bubble in our legal states, and it’s easy to forget that a third of our country still faces criminal prosecution for possession of Cannabis. Our community makes light of drug laws surrounding psychedelics, but we sadly ignore that people are going to prison every day for these healing medicines, especially when used to treat ailments that big pharma has a chokehold on, like PTSD and depression.
Why is there a war against our medicine and natural plants? Because it threatens the pharmaceutical and military-industrial complex that dominates our society, and therefore the world. These forces market food full of ingredients and additives that are illegal in the EU and Canada, advertise alcohol and antidepressants, and push pro-consumption media that promotes pills to fix health issues. They do not, however, recommend exercise, natural medicines, dietary changes or spending time in nature with clean air and grounding, because there is no profit in that advice. Would a plant do well in this type of environment? No wonder America’s health is declining!
When I started the Leaf, weed was illegal. Consuming Cannabis, especially as medicine, was an act of defiance that opened consciousness to the lies of the system. The problematic criminal justice system that has locked up our community for 100 years became alarmingly apparent during this era of Cannabis enlightenment. Today I fear that awakening is lost as people legally choose the highest potency products to numb their minds. The defiance of using weed to open minds to promote health, well-being and healing has less impact now than the founding principles that legal Cannabis valued. I’ve always believed that Cannabis is a tool that could change the world, but it must be used as a tool for conscious growth. I still believe that Cannabis can change the world, but I’m convinced more than ever that it will take a great spiritual awakening to unite us and break free from the current zeitgeist that has divided Americans. Now is the time to fight against division, censorship, authoritarianism and mass media manipulation. We know the truth about our plant medicines, and we must hold that truth and guard it carefully. Just like the Truffula trees in Dr. Seuss’s “The Lorax,” we must nurture the plant medicines that are connected to our spirits, our community and our health, and preserve them for a future that benefits all people, plants and animals.
NORTHWEST LEAF / OREGON LEAF / ALASKA LEAF / MARYLAND LEAF / CALIFORNIA LEAF / NORTHEAST LEAF / UTAH LEAF
SINGAPORE EXECUTES FOURTH PERSON IN 2024 FOR POSSESSION OF DRUGS
The island nation of Singapore, which has the strictest drug laws in the world, has executed a 64-year-old man for trafficking 36.93 grams of heroin.
ARKANSAS SUPREME COURT
REJECTS LEGALIZATION MEASURE
TW0 WEEKS BEFORE ELECTION
Astunning blow to legalization efforts in Arkansas was landed after the state Supreme Court ruled that the ballot initiative expanding medical Cannabis was too vague.
What’s unclear to voters is why the measure, which would have expanded access to doctors, added new conditions and allowed medical cards to last three years, was a threat to the justices’ views on Cannabis. The AP reported that in a “4-3 decision, the justices ruled the measure did not fully inform voters that it would have stripped the Legislature’s ability to change the 2016 constitutional amendment that legalized medical marijuana in the state.”
“The measure also included a controversial amendment that would have legalized recreational Cannabis up to an ounce.”
The percentage of all drug arrests made for Cannabis in more than a dozen states in 2023.
“Flights into the country feature normal landing announcements, and a quick reminder that “drug trafficking may be punishable by death.”
While most countries in the world are reapproaching the issues of drugs and criminal penalties by focusing on rehabilitation and decriminalization, Singapore maintains the death penalty for anyone caught with drugs, regardless of intent to sell. A person found with 15 grams of heroin, 30 grams of cocaine, 250 grams of meth or 500 grams of Cannabis is subject to death by hanging if convicted. Only a handful of countries maintain these types of drug laws, including North Korea and Iran, where trafficking large amounts of illegal narcotics is punishable by death.
Flights into the country feature normal landing announcements, and a quick reminder that “drug trafficking may be punishable by death.” Citizens can also be drug tested by authorities if it’s believed they’ve consumed drugs, making personal freedoms regarding drugs nonexistent even when traveling.
CNN interviewed Kannon K. Shanmugam, Singapore’s Minister for Home Affairs and Law, who defended his country’s drug policies, where 40 inmates are awaiting hanging on death row. “Look around the world,” Shanmugam told CNN. “Any time there has been a certain laxity in the approach to drugs, homicides go up. Killings, torture, kidnappings … that goes up.”
Life in a Singaporean prison is tough. Prisoners sleep on small floor mats, aren’t allowed furniture and are fed through a slot on the bottom of the door. In the hot tropical climate, there’s no forgiveness from heat or humidity, and as Shanmugam said, “We choose to make it harsh.”
As the world watches the United States for cues on drug policy, federal legalization could bring respite to drug prisoners not just here, but overseas as well. Until the war on drugs is ended globally, victims will continue to struggle for rights, including the right to live after making a mistake. For Shanmugam, the fight against drugs is “a fight you never say you’ve won.”
The measure also included a controversial amendment that would have legalized recreational Cannabis up to an ounce, if Cannabis became legal under federal law. Arkansas voters declined to legalize recreational Cannabis in 2022, and this issue is still up for debate among the ironically named Natural State residents.
While the state currently maintains a limited medical Cannabis program, there are no plans to legalize adult use or expand medical access for patients. By adding in the legalization caveat and restricting the Legislature’s ability to modify the rules, the ballot was “doomed… and plainly misleading,” according to Justice Shawn Womack. Those hoping for legalization will have to return to the initiative process to bring freedom to Arkansas in 2026.
BHIP HOP ICON SNOOP DOGG REPORTS WEATHER ON TODAY SHOW, HIGH CHANCE OF CANNABIS FORECASTED
eloved rapper and stoner cultural icon Snoop Dogg dropped by the Today show last month to deliver a weather update laced with Cannabis jokes.
While the forecasts for Mary Jane Falls, Nevada, were clearly a joke, the overall message was that people are smoking Cannabis all over the country and that it’s as normal as the daily weather.
“...my favorite is when it’s nice, hot and misty outside, 84 degrees in Blunt, South Dakota,” Snoop said in the clip”
“Al, it’s 57 degrees in Mary Jane Falls, Nevada? And then I heard it’s gonna be 56 degrees in Stoner, Colorado. But my favorite is when it’s nice, hot and misty outside, 84 degrees in Blunt, South Dakota,” Snoop said in the clip, which is available on YouTube. While things are staying hot in Roach, Missouri, according to Snoop, the real buzz is that weed continues to make ground in popular culture and at the ballot box.
The percentage of polled voters who supported Florida legalization bid last month. 66%
It took two to tangle over a garbage bag full of weed, which led to one person shot and both arrested in Wilmington, Delaware.
The amount in pounds of Cannabis an errant flock of sheep ate this summer, prompting weird behavior on the Thessaly, Greece farm.
200,306 40%
The number of Americans arrested for Cannabis in 2023, according to FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data released last month.
Quoted
“This is just evidence that the Legislature is completely impotent when it comes to taking this thing [legalization] on and doing this legislatively. They are unwilling to do the hard work because they don’t want the smell of the devil’s lettuce on them.”
-Former state Sen. Jeff Brandes, a St. Petersburg, Florida Republican, who told Politico that “he believes that at least half of Republican lawmakers support Amendment 3 [to legalize Cannabis] privately even though they publicly oppose it.”
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CURRENTLY IN 25 MARKETS AND GROWING
SETTING AND VIBE
The staff at this store is made up of true Cannabis connoisseurs and advocates for the plant, making it a safe space for patients and stoners alike. They can give you top-notch recommendations and take their time with each customer, or let you take the wheel and get in and out in a jiffy. The walls of the store are full of beautiful, high-resolution pictures of Cannabis, as well as Cannabis-themed art pieces.
FLOWER
Gone are the days of deli-style flower in Maryland (for now), but that doesn’t stop Star Buds from stocking up on nearly 100 different options on the flower menu. You can sort through the online menu by price and THC contents, making it easy for people to get exactly what they want, especially with terpene contents listed as well. This type of information being readily available to customers makes everyone’s life a little easier.
CONCENTRATES
I remember marveling at the concentrate selection years ago when I first stepped into Star Buds’ dispensary room. Nothing has changed, except they might have even more now than they did then with the influx of new concentrate companies. Live resin, rosin, RSO, bubble hash, kief, shatter and more can always be found on the menu here. Exotic Elevations has been coming out with major heat lately, so I was excited to see their products on the menu.
EDIBLES
Star Buds’ edible selection is strong, and they have deals for days, making it easy to stock up for these cold winter months ahead. They frequently have pop-ups where they discount the brand that is set up for the day — so stay on top of their website for up-to-date deals. Wyld had more gummies on the menu than I could begin to name in an article, and the same can be said for Beezle Brands. Whether you’re after a specific brand or want to try something new, they definitely have something in store for you.
“...A SAFE SPACE FOR PATIENTS AND STONERS ALIKE.”
This flower has some serious jar appeal, with big, caked-up buds surrounded by delicate orange hairs. As for the nose, pine needles and gasoline flooded my senses immediately upon opening the jar. The exhale was a gassy, dense, creamy kush flavor that hits all the right senses every time I smoke it. This strain was applicable to both daytime and nighttime use for me, allowing me to get things done while putting me in a comfortable and creative mindset.
REVIEW ED:
TRULIEVE
KHALIFA KUSH
MARYLAND LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH ANTONIO CONSTANTINIDES
ntonio is a passionate Cannabis industry worker and avid music fan/musician. As a professional he takes his job seriously and brings a positive energy to work that everyone can resonate with. He hopes to see the Cannabis industry grow beyond its current state and sees a strong potential for his future and the futures of those around him. Swing by Storehouse on Falls Road and say ‘hey’ to Antonio and the Storehouse crew!
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO WORK IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY? For one, the industry is kind of new to me, and with recreational use on the horizon, I knew how big it was going to be. I knew there would be a ton of opportunities and pretty much said, ‘There it is, I’m gonna go for it.’ I didn’t get into this business to hang out and smoke weed all the time, but it was appealing to me to work in a business that involved Cannabis.
WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO? DO YOU PLAY ANY INSTRUMENTS? I listen to a good amount of music — mostly everything besides newer country, but older country is cool (laughs). I listen to metal and rap, and I’ve been playing guitar for 13 years while studying music theory on the side. My dad was really good at piano. It inspired me by how beautiful it was.
Then I heard ‘Psychosocial’ by Slipknot, and my guitar journey was born.
WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THE MARYLAND WEED SCENE?
OPEN 8AM-9PM DAILY (443) 438-4160
I’ve been to California, and I wouldn’t say it’s better or worse, just different. Out there, you’ve got bottom-shelf, mid-shelf and top-shelf, and they have big jars that you can sniff if you want. The only downside is that you don’t have any easily accessible terpene information. Maryland’s market goes more in-depth and focuses on terpenes, which I think is good.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT COMIC BOOKS? Well, Spider-Man is my favorite. He doesn’t ask for anything in return and just knows what to do and does it. That’s the way I like to live my life. Seeing someone that does things correctly — because that is the way it should be done — I like that.
IF YOU NEEDED ONE SUPERHERO TO HELP YOU SAVE THE WORLD, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE? I’m sure Spidey can help me out. I would say Batman, but I’m not sure how long he would last out there.
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MARKET GOES MORE IN-DEPTH AND FOCUSES ON TERPENES…”
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A bouquet of flowers on her table is more than just a decoration to Jarilyn. When she passes by them, she feels the world around her slow down so she can take in the beauty and the endless arrangement of possibilities available to her. At the same time, she realizes there is beauty in letting them go when it’s time to, much like a hit of her favorite strain of medical flower.
jarilyn walker
"ItWAS BEAUTIFUL, and I appreciated it so much while it was here,” she explained. “Same with Cannabis: you’re smoking it, but you can’t hold on to it.” In addition to finding beauty in her flowers, Jarilyn also seeks joy through the communities she is connected to, both in and outside the Cannabis industry. Moving around a lot when she was younger, she finally settled in Maryland where she tried Cannabis for the first time in high school. Her first experience smoking did not sway her into further use, but as she became more acclimated to its culture at home in Maryland and away at college, she began using Cannabis as a way to mellow out and embraced it as part of her personality.
“I’ve always been whimsical — the hippie friend. Me and the idea of Cannabis really aligned,” she said. “Any adverse moment, [Cannabis] is the BandAid. Not a means to escape, but to make it easier to deal with.”
After a period of working retail and odd jobs, along with becoming a mother, she transitioned to a career in digital marketing. Clients easily took to her friendly personality and would open up to her about personal things, she said, which gave her the idea to branch out and begin attending and hosting networking events. After organizing a 420 event, she began experimenting with infusions that inspired her to get her medical card and make the jump into the Cannabis industry.
When she’s not on the clock, she keeps her freelancing career alive through different ventures, including What the Flower, an informative platform she calls her “freelance baby.”
“Any of my knowledge is based on where I’ve worked, being able to hit the ground running, and being given the opportunities to show up and show out,” she said. What the Flower brings attention to many issues, with one focus being social equity, which she says she fights for by simply existing in the space she’s in while refusing to carry a label.
“I want to normalize the look of a Black mom who enjoys Cannabis but also lives a life of faith, who works in the industry and presents it through my lifestyle,” she said, explaining further that the platform shares insight into more common topics, like accessible dispensary locations and communities where patients new and old can interact. “I’m all about curating experiences.”
While she credits budtenders at her local dispensary for passing their knowledge along, her previous restaurant experience and communicating with her children helped her to develop simpler ways of delivering that information to her patients.
Jarilynhasa specificroutine shefollows, startingwith herBible,acup ofcoffeeand apre-rollin themorning."
“Somehow I want to fuse what I’m doing with this and bring great products with great knowledge and true relationship building in the industry,” she said. She became a caregiver and shopped for different medical patients, but her desire to educate led her to seek something more fulfilling. In 2023, she began working at the consumption lounge Ceylon House, and from there, she moved on to work as a budtender and dispensary supervisor.
“I explain it like a wing chart: super sweet to spicy. The only thing that makes them different is ingredients, i.e. terpenes,” she said. “Not everyone can take in the wording. I’m coming from a place of wanting you to have a clue, even if I wasn’t there to hold your hand through that experience.”
The medical journey her daughter has been on since birth has been another learning experience for Jarilyn: She was born with a hole in her diaphragm, and as the diagnosis progressed, she became a kidney transplant patient. Her medications cause pain in her stomach, so they consulted a doctor who suggested low-dose CBD products and topical cream to relieve the pain. Since trying this, Jarilyn said the flare-ups have decreased.
While caring for her three children and being an active worker in the Cannabis industry, Jarilyn said pairing the two makes sense to her, creating a more balanced picture of who she is and how she presents herself to others, calling herself a “flower-powered mom.”
“Cannabis is a part of my lifestyle, not a facade or anything. It gets me through my day. I’m not just one thing — a canna-toking mom. I show up as a whole woman,” she explained. “A part of me being a woman is being a mom, a consumer and working in the industry. Showing up as that allows others to feel more comfortable to show up as who they fully are.”
With her many responsibilities as a mom and Cannaindustry worker, Jarilyn has a specific routine she follows, starting with her Bible, a cup of coffee and a pre-roll in the morning. From there, she vapes periodically through the day and takes an edible to unwind in the evening, preferring sativa-leaning strains until it’s time for bed.
Jarilyn said she would love to one day become a seven-figure budtender and eventually find a position that aligns with her vision of developing industry talent while continuing to grow her entrepreneurial ventures, like with What the Flower. Wherever she goes, however, she aims to further educate those around her about Cannabis and bring her own deep-rooted level of care to every space she finds herself in.
“I love helping people elevate their relationship with Cannabis,” she said. “So however I can facilitate that and provide for my family at the same time, I’m all about it.”
“I want to normalize the look of a BLAck mom who enjoys Cannabis but also lives a lifeoffaith…,”
“...may take you deeper into the forest of your mind to relax, frolic and heal at your own pace.”
Uva Fuel
Cold Cure Live Rosin
CULTA
UVA FUEL COLD-CURE LIVE ROSIN IS CULTA’S ATTEMPT TO GET INTO THE ROCKET GAME BECAUSE THIS DAB IS SO GASSY THAT IT MIGHT BE ABLE TO POWER A ROCKET TO OUTER SPACE.
CULTA Cannabis has long been providing Maryland with fire, and indeed several years ago we wrote about one of this cultivar's parents, Rocket Fuel. Rocket Fuel was crossed with Dulce de Uva, and thus the Uva Fuel was born, seemingly embodying the characteristics of fuel itself.
Opening the jar feels like entering a rocket launch pad being prepped for liftoff. The gas aromas are nuanced in layers of the fuel notes, cycling through a bit of kerosene, gasoline and lighter fluid, with just an ever-so-light sweetness around the aroma.
The golden, creamy texture of the dab shows that it went through the cold curing process and lives up to the quality expectations that we have for CULTA. As always, from the growers to the extractors, CULTA’s team puts the time and energy into making their products the best they can be, and UVA Fuel is another on a long list of successes. On top of its gassy nature, the high itself is one of the rarer indica-style highs that is more soothing and calming than heavy and sedative. Having myrcene at the bottom of the profile under a healthy amount of limonene, linalool and caryophyllene dominance helps access the deep relief we love of indica headspaces while still remaining functional.
Dab after dab may take you deeper into the forest of your mind to relax, frolic and heal at your own pace. You could be relaxing in a forest of gasoline — but in a good way. The fuely aroma translates directly into each toke, but the exhale breaks the gas cloud and reveals a bit of creamy sweetness that rounds out the high that earns its namesake. CULTA Cannabis Uva Fuel is a musthave fall dab of pure gas for heavy dabbers and newbies alike!
@grassrootscannabisco
ORANGE Z UNLEASHES
AN AROMATIC EXPLOSION OF CANDIED GRAPEFRUIT, ORANGE GUMMIES AND DRIED CLOVES ON THE SENSES. A TRULY DELECTABLE VARIETY, ORANGE Z OFFERS CONSUMERS A EUPHORIC AND DELICIOUS EXPERIENCE THAT SLOWLY SEDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
“...the flavor is a tantalizing layer of sour fruits and spicy herbs that smell of grapefruits tangerine…”and
GRASSROOTS has been a brand in Maryland for quite some time, with quite a few big-name cultivars on the market. But for some reason, their Orange Z has the air of a slept-upon secret among connoisseurs in our state. Sometimes cultivars in the Cannabis industry are of such consistently high quality that they are kept a secret by those who discover them in an effort to ensure continued access. The Grassroots Orange Z is one of those delicious, complex profiles that provides one of Cannabis’s most classic and sought-after head spaces. With an even balance of limonene and myrcene, tempered by an even balance of caryophyllene and linalool, Grassroots Orange Z is an absolutely quintessential indica headspace. Stoney, heavy, foggy and luxurious headspaces are deepened by each and every inhale, offering the consumer some of the most relaxing feelings available from the plant. Patients with pain and sleep needs can luxuriate in blissful relief, and many users can notice that this particular indica-type high offers slightly more substantial sedation. I would guess that the modest dollop of nerolidol really helps this profile achieve a deeper level of tranquility than your average toke.
As if the high wasn’t exquisite enough, the flavor is a tantalizing layer of sour fruits and spicy herbs that smell of grapefruits and tangerine farms interspersed with cloves and pepper. There is a layer of sweetness to the aroma that makes the fruit smell almost candied, leaving one drooling with desire. Grassroots Orange Z is a heavy hitter of a cultivar that is deliciously potent and succulently sedative.
JIM BELUSHI & SUNMED GROWERS
THE RIGHT STUFF
ACTOR JIM BELUSHI has been making inroads into the hearts of Americans for over 40 years. Perhaps best known for playing a lovable TV dad in the ABC hit comedy “According to Jim,” the Chicago native still moves and grooves as one half of the legendary Blues Brothers band.
Belushi, 70, has nimbly navigated a new hierarchy, transitioning into a multi-state medical Cannabis operator. His brand, Belushi’s Farm, now reaches 14 states with more on the way, expanding from its origins in Southern Oregon in 2015.
In 2020, the former "Saturday Night Live" cast member paired his acting chops with his new business venture, creating an educational television program called “Growing Belushi.” The show, which airs on Discovery Channel, gives a comedic look into large-scale Cannabis grows.
Jim Belushi and SunMed Growers
“I brought Cannabis to Hollywood!” exclaimed Belushi, who finished filming Season 3 in 2023 with a tease toward an international expansion in Albania.
The performer insists he’s going to take his time expanding the brand despite the meteoric rise of Belushi’s Farm.
“I’ve made a really good living as an actor over the years, and I’ve been very good with my finances,” said Belushi, whose venture began with the purchase of a large farm on Oregon's Rogue River. “I want to do this the right way. I’m not in a hurry to make money.”
The actor says he’s been compelled by patient testimonials to be a part of a largescale movement to help transform the mental health of millions of people.
“We’re all screaming inside,” Belushi said. “And everybody wants something to quiet that screaming. The most readily available ‘medicine’ is alcohol. But we know that’s not medicine. Things like [benzos] or Xanax? Yeah, I don’t think they are great choices either.”
President Jake
Van Wingerden
Belushi is happy to interact with fans, patients and customers alike, visiting medical and recreational dispensaries while meeting with business partners across the country.
“I’ve been surprised how many people catch me as I’m walking down the street and say, ‘Hey! I saw your show — the farm one!’” Belushi said.
The actor has spent a lot of time on the road the last few years, taking on movie roles, sharing laughs with his professional improv group, the Board of Comedy, and touring Cannabis facilities he has partnered with.
Cannabis, he insists, is the “best choice” to stifle the screams.
“[Cannabis] is a lot more gentle. It pushes you into your unknown consciousness and opens you up in a kinder, gentler way,” he said.
“I’m very careful with who we allow to sell our products,” Belushi said. “There’s a lot to consider. We have to protect [my late sisterin-law] Judy’s legacy. We’ve got to protect the Blue Brothers’ name, and my dear friend, Dan Aykroyd. And I’ve got to protect my name as well.”
“Purpose” and “passion” are what the Hollywood star looks for in potential partners, explaining, “We do that right, and all the money and commercial stuff will follow.”
Thus far in 2024, Belushi’s Farm has received approval to sell Cannabis in Maryland, Iowa and Rhode Island. In Maryland, the brand paired with SunMed Growers.
“[SUNMED GROWERS] CANNABIS IS THE HIGHEST QUALITY I’VE EVER SEEN… THESE GUYS ARE THE CARTIER OF CANNABIS.”
-JIM BELUSHI
Q&A
“Now I’m fortunate to have a lot of great partners,” Belushi said. “But when I talk about Village Farms up in Vancouver, Canada, and [SunMed Growers], I wish some of my partners in other states had the operating standards these guys do.”
Belushi, who hosts indoor and outdoor grows on his farm in Oregon, waxed poetically about the Dutch-style greenhouse cultivation of SunMed Growers, half-jokingly offering to wax their cars if/when asked to do so.
“I love these guys!” Belushi loudly proclaimed. “Their Cannabis is the highest quality I’ve ever seen. It’s like shopping for diamonds and going to Zales. These guys are the Cartier of Cannabis.”
Approaching a decade of operation, Belushi believes he has found a home in the industry and doesn’t plan on leaving anytime soon.
“I figured out my purpose, and that’s to make people feel good,” he said. “That’s what entertainment does: it makes you feel good. And Cannabis makes people feel good, too. So, of course, I’m in [the] Cannabis [industry]. I’m right on purpose.”
Will there be a Season 4 of “Growing Belushi”? I’m waiting for a few things to drop in the world, because we don't want to just be back at the farm again. To put together another season, there has to be something very special in play, maybe expanding into Europe.
Favorite Belushi’s Farm product for personal usage? The Cherry Pie. It’s usually between 19% to 22% THC with 1.5% to 2% terps. The entourage effect of this particular strain allows me to continue to be charming and relaxed.
Best health advice you’d offer outside of Cannabis? Never... EVER… lose your sense of humor.
Best life advice you’ve received? Don’t think of anything beyond the next two weeks. My buddy, Rob — he’s my ortho-surgeon — told me that once, and I’ve been using it since. I start thinking about a movie or a comedy tour, and he says to me, ‘No, no; come back. That’s beyond the next two weeks.’ It’s taken a lot of anxiety and pressure off me.
BLACK ICE
LA KUSH CAKE
HARVEST THE GOODNESS!
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VIREOGROWTH
EVERY OCTOBER we relish the opportunity to visit various grows throughout the state of Maryland and see what has changed. It has been several years since the Maryland Leaf crew has been to the Vireo Growth facility, including its move from Hurlock to Massey.
The new operation is fully greenhouse-based, with the exception of its clones starting in indoor cloning rooms. We were lucky enough to visit during a harvest day when the materials were being used exclusively for fresh frozen concentrates.
Maryland Director of Operations and National Lab Director Tyler Alzamora’s mouth watered as he walked through the facility, knowing the quality of the concentrates that would come from this grow cycle. One thing that rang true at this facility was passion, from the director of cultivation to the packaging team and everyone in between. This facility reminded me of grows I visited in Oregon, with a homey and authentic feeling of love f or Cannabis in the air.
“THE SMELLS GOT MORE INTENSE AS WE MADE OUR WAY THROUGH THE STAGES OF LIFE, THE FINAL FLOWERING ROOM ABSOLUTELY BOOMING...”
GENETICS ARE OF HIGH IMPORTANCE to Director of Cultivation Kyle Judson, who tries to bring a mix of old-school and new-school strains to the Maryland market. Kyle knows that what’s hot and up next for the Cannabis market is important to keep in the mix while staying true to his roots as a grower and connoisseur. Among his favorite breeders are Archive Seed Bank, Aficionado Seeds, Rare Dankness and Ziplock Seeds.
Whether you know it or not, these seed companies, among a few more top dogs, are responsible for many favorite strains and crosses available today. Talking through the amount of strains Kyle had in the works is enough to get anyone excited about the continuously expanding future of the market here.
Giving power to the employees is another core value of this company, which is one of the only union-represented grows in Maryland.
They have a two-week grow cycle from start to finish, meaning every room — from clones to the vegetation stage to the flowering stage — flips plants into their next cycle every two weeks. This allows them to quickly and frequently improve conditions in specific rooms and suit the needs of the plants. One example is their recent conversion to LEDs in all of their flowering rooms.
Brick by brick, this facility is being outfitted to continue to increase production and quality, while listening to the plants and acting in real time to adjust. Admittedly this is not an easy task with nearly 2,500 plants in each room, but Kyle, Tyler and Cultivation Supervisor Josh Mullins manage it with smiles.
If I tried to make a list of all the new strains this team is working on, the pages of this article would be filled with strain names and nothing else. Some that got me the most excited were Mochi Grape, Fuji Fig and Gas Tax (Face Off OG #4 x Dark Rainbow #11).
The smells got more intense as we made our way through the stages of life, with the final flowering room absolutely booming with a blend of gassy, fruity, skunky and earthy aromas. Kyle was like a kid in a candy store, genuinely getting more excited about each strain we stumbled upon during the tour.
While they do own a bucking machine, all the buds at Vireo are bucked off the stems by hand, adding a level of personal touch that machines can’t match. Incorporating details like hand-bucking and trimming into the process can make a tremendous difference in the end product. Take that and combine it with passionate people who care about their craft and the patients and consumers they do it for, and you have something special.
A big thank-you goes out to the team at Vireo Growth for giving us an inside look at how they do what they do, and the people who make it all possible. Be on the lookout for new strains dropping in flower, live concentrates and more!
Kyle Judson
Josh Mullins
Tyler Alzamora
Adina Mancebo
Brittany Scribner
LEFTOVERSREIMAGINED
MY FAMILY CONTINUES THE TRADITION of a big family dinner on Thanksgiving, but we are aware of the true nature of this day, and we feel shame. As we should. I am still in Mexico, and my cooking tends to be a mix of both cuisines, using some vegetables and spices that were foreign to me. I am dealing with a very limited herb selection. Living in Oregon really, really spoiled me. Waaaaaaah. Feel free to get in touch if you need any more ideas for leftovers. Laurie@Laurieandmaryjane.com
TURKEY EMPANADAS
Makes six, serves two
1/2 cup turkey, shredded
1/4 cup mashed potatoes
1/4 cup peas
2 tablespoons gravy
2 tablespoons cranberry sauce
2 teaspoons canna-oil or butter
1 egg, beaten
Two sheets of pie dough
1. In a large bowl combine the turkey, potatoes, peas, gravy, cranberry sauce and cannabutter.
2. Prepare your work surface with a little flour, and gently roll out the crust just a bit. Using a 5- or 6-inch biscuit cutter, or a drinking glass, cut out 6 circles.
3. Divide the mixture between the circles of dough. Brush the edges with the egg and fold to close. Press well with the tines of a fork. Heat oven to 340°F.
4. Place the empanadas on a baking sheet, buttered or lined with parchment. Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
POT POZOLE VERDE
Serves two, heartily
1/2 pound tomatillos, husks removed, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 large poblano pepper, seeded and diced
3 cups chicken or turkey stock
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/4 cups canned hominy, drained and rinsed
1 cup turkey, shredded
2 teaspoons canna-butter
Tortilla chips
Cotija cheese
1. In a blender, combine tomatillo, onion, poblano and blend for 30 seconds. Mixture can be chunky.
2. Add the garlic and salt, and blend till smooth.
3. Add the soup to a saucepan and gently simmer. Add the hominy, turkey and cannabutter. Taste for salt and pepper.
4. Garnish with chopped tortillas and maybe a little cotija cheese.
PECAN PIE TRIFLE
Serves two
2 slices pecan pie, cut in pieces 2/3 cup Greek yogurt, plain or vanilla 2 teaspoons cannabutter or oil
1. Place two wine glasses on your work surface. In a small bowl combine the yogurt with the cannabutter.
2. Alternate layering pie and yogurt. The tartness of the yogurt is terrific with the sweetness of the pie. Also works with apple pie!
Jon Boley & Carrie Strope
"Succulent Fire" | 2024
THIS AMAZING joining of artistic evolutions highlights what happens when two artists truly complement each other's styles, skills and strengths.
Carrie’s dedication to the consistency of the flower builds is magical; the blending of the colorways creates a literal and realistic feel that keeps the eye looking for the next detail. Jon’s ability to create something functional yet still make it a canvas to showcase an internal vision is always a shining light in his compositions. I think the artists put it best in their own words.
“This one really turned out amazing, and I worked hard to keep it organic, purposefully off-balancing the flowers in different areas and canting the face slightly. This series represents how art and inspiration can take over our worlds, engulfing us within it,” said Jon, a.k.a Shaggy.
“I clustered 136 of Carrie’s freeze-cast flowers on top of one of my bottle vase pipes, leaving the fitting and mouthpiece slightly exposed to show how the pipe world is slowly emerging into the art world. For many years in our community, we have been hidden and looked down upon. Happily, over the years, we have begun to be accepted by the world as a whole.”
“I began working with glass in 2005, starting with soft glass at the furnace and a kiln-forming class in Napa, California,” Carrie said. “This collaborative piece with Jon is something I’m particularly proud of. It combines both of our aesthetics and skill sets: my expertise in color mixing and kiln forming and Jon’s incredible artistic vision and mastery of glass. The technique I used here is usually reserved for soft glass, which makes working with borosilicate in this way so exciting — it challenges many of the traditional boundaries of glasswork. This approach allows for more control over color gradients and the blending of custom colors that aren’t typically found in borosilicate work.”
Valued at $10,000, this 9"×5"×5" work of art was made entirely of colors by Northstar Glassworks (@ northstarglass) including Opaque Aqua, Lava, Cherry, Canary, Goldenrod and Black Jack.
“The intricate arrangement of succulents around the rig highlights the level of craftsmanship involved, with each one thoughtfully placed like a mosaic of flowers in a bouquet, creating a natural and vibrant effect,” she said.
“The warm gradients of oranges, reds and yellows add depth, making the piece not only a tool but a stunning visual centerpiece. To me, this piece represents a fusion of artistry and technique, pushing the limits of what glass can do. Whether it’s displayed as part of a collection or used for its intended purpose, it merges form and function, elevating both the experience and the appreciation of glass as an art form.”
@GLASSARTBYSHAGGY | @CALYXANN
Master in Disguise
In a career spanning half a century, author Jorge Cervantes has published some of the most influential grow guides of all time — establishing him as one of the world’s most renowned Cannabis experts. Which is why, despite being forced to hide his true identity for decades, High Times once referred to him as “the most trusted name in marijuana cultivation.”
WEED & WANDERLUST
The man known as Jorge Cervantes was actually born George Van Patten on October 10, 1953, in Ontario, Oregon. A gardener from the get-go, he began growing radishes at just five years of age. In his youth, he worked as a paperboy (for The Argus Observer) before being promoted to the press room, where he acquired valuable knowledge about writing, photography and printing techniques.
It was in 1971, while in high school, that George and his friends got stoned for the first time — scoring a “three-finger lid” (about an ounce) of Mexican dirt weed, stuffing one of his father’s pipes full of it, then sitting in his car and puffing away until it was all gone.
“It took forever to get high, but once I was high, it was great,” he told Oregon Cannabis Stories last September. “It was surreal, like I was in a movie. I loved it.”
After high school, Van Patten used the money he’d saved to fund a trip to Spain, where he studied at the University of Valencia (1973-74). A year later, he continued his education down in Cholula, Mexico, where he truly fell in love with “mariguana” (spelled with a ‘g’, he notes).
“I’ve been fascinated with Cannabis since I took my first hit when I was 17 years old,” Van Patten told softscrets.com last year. “A few years later, at the University of the Americas in Puebla, Mexico, I started consuming daily. All I could think about by the time I graduated university was growing more and better Cannabis.”
In 1976, he moved back to Oregon, where he graduated from Portland State University and grew his first crop of Cannabis. The following year, he moved to Santa Barbara, where he partnered with a Chilean buddy named Roberto to open a landscaping business called Green Thumb Gardening. On the side, he ran a guerilla grow in the Santa Ynez Mountains and became the top pot plug in the area. But soon, that travel bug was biting once again ... so, in 1979, George sold the business and drove back down to Mexico, then onward through Central and South America on a yearlong adventure before returning to Portland.
THE INDOOR GROW BIBLE
Once back in Oregon, Van Patten moved his operation indoors — transforming his basement into a grow room to avoid detection. But despite the explosion of indoor growing, there wasn’t much information available about how to do it right.
“I started asking questions at the new hydroponic/HID stores that were appearing at the time, and I found that many of the owners and employees really did not
know what the hell they were talking about,” he recalled in an interview with Wildflower magazine. “That’s when I started to write.”
Granted, there had already been a few grow guides published — most notably, “The Cultivator’s Handbook of Marijuana” (Bill Drake, 1970) and “The Marijuana Grower’s Guide” (Ed Rosenthal and Mel Frank, 1981) — but they were focused almost entirely on outdoor cultivation. So Van Patten began recording and analyzing his methods in the garden, then compiling his findings and recommendations into an indoor grow manual. In addition to writing the book, Cervantes also took the photos and drew the diagrams himself.
Of course, he couldn’t release a Cannabis cultivation book under his real name without drawing heat on himself. And so, using the
Jorge Cervantes in his disguise circa 2006.
The master at work out in the field.
Spanish translation of his first name and the maiden name of his wife, he adopted the nom de plume Jorge Cervantes. To further hide his identity, he devised a disguise for his new persona: a black dreadlock wig, black goatee, black beret and sunglasses — a get-up he would later refer to as his “Che Guevara/Bob Marley look.”
After shopping his manuscript to a dozen different publishers without success, he drew upon his past experience at the newspaper to publish it himself. The result was a 96page black and white manuscript first released in 1983 entitled “Indoor Marijuana Horticulture.” He then hit the road throughout Western Washington and Oregon on a mission to sell it to every headshop and garden store he could find — or, at least, any that were willing to carry it.
“Most hydroponic stores wouldn’t sell my book because it linked them to Cannabis cultivation,” Cervantes explains. “If they were connected to Cannabis cultivation, their store, bank accounts and all assets could be confiscated.”
“I’ve been fascinated with Cannabis since I took my first hit when I was 17 years old ... All I could think about by the time I graduated university was growing more and better Cannabis.”
Those stores that did carry it kept it hidden behind the counter… but despite its lack of visibility, IMH was a huge hit — selling 6,000 copies in its first year and landing distribution deals with Seattle’s Homestead Books and San Francisco’s Last Gasp. It was so popular and comprehensive, in fact, that its adherents began referring to it as the “Indoor Grow Bible.”
HIGH TIMES & HOLLAND
Over the next few years, big things started to happen for Jorge — primarily thanks to the pot publication of record, High Times: In February 1984, his book was first advertised in its pages (as part of Rosenthal’s Quick Trading ad); that December, he made his first editorial contribution to the magazine (“Sex and Cloning”); and in early 1985, he first saw the ad for the Holland Seed Bank, through which he was able to connect with Dutch Cannabis breeder Nevil Schoenmachers. Later that year, he traveled to the Netherlands and paid the first of many visits to Nevil at his infamous “Cannabis Castle.” During these visits, Schoenmachers introduced him to new breeding and growing techniques (e.g., Rockwool) and shared with him lots of weed and seeds, including one renowned cultivar that became his alltime favorite to grow and smoke.
“That Nevil’s Haze he got from [Skunkman] Sam … I couldn’t get enough of that!” he gushes.
GREEN MERCHANTS
Besides High Times, there was really only one other notable Cannabis magazine at the time — Sinsemilla Tips (see our Nov 2021 issue), run out of the Full Moon Farm Products shop in Corvallis, Oregon. Being just an hour and a half south of Portland, Cervantes occasionally drove down there for equipment. It was there, in 1981, that he met the shop’s owner (and ST’s publisher) Tom Alexander, who later enlisted Cervantes as a regular contributor to the magazine, carried his book, and became a lifelong friend.
Another cultivation shop owner/author turned lifelong friend was Steve Murphy (aka Murphy Stevens) — owner of the Indoor Sun Shop in Seattle, whose book “How to Grow the Finest Marijuana Indoors Under Lights” reportedly inspired the second edition of Jorge’s book. Released in 1985, this re-writ-
ten, expanded and professionally printed version of “IMH” featured a full-color cover and improved illustrations.
In addition to his new edition, Cervantes also designed a proprietary high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting system and even opened a grow shop of his own to sell them: Jorge Cervantes’ Indoor Garden Store. Unfortunately for him and Alexander, their stores would be forced out of business a few years later, courtesy of Uncle Sam.
On October 27, 1989, DEA agents raided dozens of grow shops as part of a multi-state sting dubbed Operation Green Merchant. Though nothing these shops sold was technically illegal, undercover narcs had persuaded employees and customers to discuss Cannabis cultivation, then used that testimony to bust them. Luckily, Cervantes dodged that bullet; since none of his customers would implicate him, his shop was not raided, and he was never charged. Nevertheless, authorities were harassing him, and the heightened scrutiny by police had him especially spooked because Green Merchant had also targeted Schoenmakers — who, Cervantes confesses, he’d been illegally moving seeds to on occasion. Afraid of ending up in prison like many of his comrades, he decided to close his shop.
OUT OF THE SHADOWS
During the 1990s, Cervantes moved every couple of years: first to Washington, then British Columbia, then Amsterdam, before ultimately expatriating to Barcelona in 1998. Throughout that time, he continued to build upon his past successes. In 1990, he founded his own company, Van Patten Publishing. In 1993, he released a third edition of his book, retitled “Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower’s Bible,” featuring new chapters by fellow cultivation experts Ed Rosenthal and Robert Connell Clarke. After the passage of Prop 215 in 1996, this edition became the textbook of choice for new educational programs that emerged to train medical Cannabis cultivators in California. In 2000, when Rosenthal ended his long-running HT column “Ask
Ed” over legal issues with the magazine, Cervantes took over the slot, renaming the advice column “Jorge’s RX” and writing it monthly for the next decade. In 2006, he partnered with HT to release the how-to DVD series “Jorge Cervantes’ Ultimate Grow.”
And, of course, he remained a fixture at the annual Cannabis Cups, hosting seminars and signing books — always as his incognito alter ego.
It wasn’t until after the Obama administration announced its hands-off policy toward medical marijuana that he felt confident enough to come out of the grow closet. On February 8, 2010, in an interview on NPR’s “Tell Me More,” Cervantes finally came clean about his secret identity. His real-life American debut followed that June at the first-ever High Times Medical Cannabis Cup in San Francisco, where he hosted a medical cultivation seminar without his disguise for the first time.
THE ODYSSEY CONTINUES
Over his half-century-long career, Jorge Cervantes has published more than 50 books in 11 languages. To date, IMH alone has sold over a million copies. He’s been honored with a Gold Benjamin Franklin Award by the Independent Book Publishers Association in 2015, High Times Lester Grinspoon Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, and a 420 Icon award from World of Cannabis/Cannabis Business Awards in 2020. And just this year, Toronto’s Grow Up conference inducted him into their Hall of Fame. But perhaps most meaningfully, he’s taught countless pot smokers around the world how to grow their own Cannabis.
“The Cannabis community has been my life,” he once professed. “Standing here today, reflecting upon the path traversed, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of pride … this journey has been nothing short of magical — a green odyssey that has touched lives across continents, breaking barriers and cultivating friendships that span languages and borders.” Muchas gracias, Señor Cervantes.
To read the full, unabridged version of this story and listen to the interview on our podcast, visit worldofcannabis.museum/cannthropology.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JORGE CERVANTES
Los Alamos Gardens in California (2022).
Tom Alexander, Jorge & author Jeff Lowenfels.
‘TWASN’T IT SHAKESPEARE WHO WROTE
“a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose”? Whether he did or not, it’s a play on words. And from what the history books tell us, he was the best at making plays out of words.
Or organizing words into a play.
What we learn from this is that, as useful as language can be, it can also prove confounding. Through all the channeling to the place in the brain where comprehension is gained by translating your senses into images or ideas, there is always the opportunity for misinterpretation.
In the English language alone, there are currently 20,000 words, so chances are very good that a few of them are going to be doppelgänged. I mean, to a foreigner, it can’t be easy to discern the nuance of building a building. Or how a minute can be minute, much less how a solution can become a solution.
I know, it’s fucked.
They are called heteronyms. And as I’m sure you know by now, the key to differentiating terminology is by understanding the context of the word. Meaning, you just need to know the subject matter you’re talking about.
By the way, did you know they found a pipe in Shakespeare’s grave and they’re pretty sure the dude smoked weed? So, what did he mean when he wrote that “a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose”? Well, there are many ways to refer to a rose in literature. And actually, ‘twasn’t he who wrote that — I just looked it up. He wrote, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” which is from “Romeo and Juliet” and means love transcends applied labels like Montague and Capulet.
And speaking of love, if a jar is ajar, it most likely means I’m preparing to pack a bowl. Just like Bill Shakespeare would’ve done.
In case you’re studying English.
FRESH BAKED FLAVOR
