Maryland Leaf — July 2019

THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE

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The standard in clean, natural and sustainable medical cannabis cultivation. SunMed cannabis is rooted in the tradition of local Maryland family farming and perfected with European greenhouse technology.

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JULY 2019 leafnationmd.com

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7 Editor’S Note 9 NATIONAL cannabis news 12 hemp opinion 16 budtender q&a 18 nature’s medicine 20 highly likely 22 eugene monroe 24 strain of the month 26 THE concentrates ISSUE 27 dabbing 101 guide 28 hydrocarbons 30 diamonds 32 solventless 33 CO2 OIL 34 CARTRIDGES 36 ROSIN PRESSING 37 FULL EXTRACT 38 MELTING POINT EXTRACTS 42 Cannabis recipes 46 stoney baloney

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THE CONCENTRATES ISSUE WHOLE PLANT EXTRACT CLOSEUP

WORK HARD. RECOVER FASTER. Topical balms with restorative blends of 20+ essential oils with CBD+THC for targeted, effective treatment.

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WES

ABNEY

Editor’s Note Our Concentrates Issue is my favorite of the year, for ON THE COVER Illustration by 8th day create

CONTRIBUTORS

FOUNDER & EDITOR

Alaina Dorsey, writing

WES ABNEY Wes@nwleaf.com 206-235-6721

Wyatt Early, photography Steve Elliott, writing Ariana Foote, writing Lizzy Layne. design Taylor Martin, writing Matthew Newton, writing Jeff Porterfield, design Pacer Stacktrain, writing Nate Williams, writing Laurie Wolf, writing Bruce Wolf, photography

PUBLISHER EARLY Early@LeafNationMD.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Daniel bermaN | photography & design daniel@bermanphotos.com PRODUCER/PROCESSOR/RETAILERS AD SALES

wyatt early Wyatt@LeafNationMD.com 410-961-8779 We do not sell stories or coverage.

We are happy to offer design services and guidance on promoting your company’s recreational, commercial or industrial Cannabis product or upcoming event. We are targeted and independent Cannabis journalism.

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one simple reason: I love dabs! My first dab was around 2011 - in the century old boiler room below the now closed Northern Cross Collective Gardens in Washington state - and I remember feeling the oil touch the red hot 7 nail as the vapor burst into my lungs with the force of a thousand bong hits. The world closed in around me, and I felt the reverberation of raw THC as it pulsed in my blood and mind, sending me away for the CONCENTRATES next few hours - humming with a high that was HAVE THE ABILITY unlike anything else.

TO IMPART HEALING Over the last nine years of publishing VALUES THAT and working in Cannabis, I have personally seen the concentrate world evolve from Rick FLOWER ALONE Simpson Oil featuring Naptha (Coleman camp CANNOT REPLICATE, fuel) and open-blasted butane hash oil, to AND DELIVER A highly medicinal mono-cannabinoid extracts, PURE FLAVOR AND vaporizable concentrates of all kinds, and the EFFECT THAT WILL precursor to a new world of edibles, topicals, HAVE THE HEADIEST capsules and more.

WOOK SWEATING For our Concentrate Issue we sought out AND SMILING FROM the best examples of the different types of THE TERPS. extractions, to share how they effect the body and the science behind the scenes.

Concentrating Cannabis means exactly what it sounds like - taking a full plant and using a process or solvent to extract the purest essence of the plant.

Concentrates have the ability to impart healing values that flower alone cannot replicate, and deliver a pure flavor and effect that will have the headiest wook sweating and smiling from the terps. Concentrates cover every aspect of Cannabis, from the medicinal to the recreational, and everywhere in between.

Our comprehensive Concentrate Issue covers the different extraction methods, terminology, ways to consume and much more. So take a dab, flip through this beautiful, informational issue, and learn something new to share with someone in need of Cannabis - as a plant and as a medicine. As always, thanks for reading & sharing the Leaf!

-Wes Abney

JUl. 2019

Our Commitment to Veterans You served with honor. We’re honored to serve you.

The KIP Veteran Commitment program offers veterans 25% off every purchase, every visit, every day! Thank you for your service.

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COLORADO EXCEEDS $1 BILLION IN CANNABIS REVENUE SINCE 2014 The Mile High State has earned more than a billion dollars in Cannabis revenue since legalizing recreational marijuana sales in 2014, the state’s Department of Revenue announced in June. The money, which comes from taxes, licenses and fees, helps fund public education programs and health services in the state,

WEST COAST

DISNEYLAND OF POT SHOPS COMING TO SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA Planet 13, which has attracted international attention since it opened what may be the world’s biggest marijuana store last fall in Las Vegas, has announced a second location which will likely be the largest pot shop in California.

The store, in Santa Ana, will open early next year, according to Planet 13. It’s being billed as the “Disneyland of dispensaries” and is opening just six miles from that theme park in an industrial section of the city, which abuts Anaheim.

“It’ll have to be different than Vegas, of course,” said co-CEO Larry Scheffler of Planet 13. “But it still has to be a destination, with different effects blended into the fabric of the Southern California lifestyle.”

Santa Ana is the only city that permits marijuana shops out of 34 cities in Orange County, according to The Orange County Register. With the city issuing just 30 licenses, there will be a maximum of 30 shops serving a county with more than 3 million residents and more than 50 million visitors each year.

“To us, it was like a red flag,” Scheffler said. “This is the place to go.”

national news

WEST

according to Gov. Jared Polis. “[The Cannabis] industry is helping grow our economy by creating jobs and generating valuable revenue that is going towards preventing youth consumption, protecting public health and safety, and investing in public school construction,” Polis said.

There are currently almost 3,000 licensed Cannabis businesses in Colorado. They’d sold a total of $6.56 billion in weed products since legal sales began in January 2014. Last month, Gov. Polis signed into law a measure allowing marijuana delivery services and social use areas. The weed lounge will be “kind of like cigar lounges, which also help get the smell out of neighborhoods,” the governor wrote on Facebook.

“We want Colorado to be the best state for investment, innovation, and development for this growing economic sector,” Polis said.

east coast

MARYLAND EXTENDS CANNABIS BUSINESS APPLICATION PERIOD AS ERRORS MAR DIVERSIFICATION PROCESS

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A series of technical errors has forced the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission to give companies 14 additional days to apply one of the state’s 14 new licenses to grow and process marijuana, state regulators announced on June 10.

The commission had more than 160 applications by the previous deadline on May 24. Applications came from firms seeking a license in a second round aimed at increasing the participation of minority and women owned businesses.

Maryland is issuing four new growing licenses, and 10 new licenses for processing the plant into medical products.

Companies were given until June 24 to submit new applications “following a series of technical issues that presented obstacles to a significant number of those attempting to submit applications electronically by the May 24 deadline,” the commission announced.

Medical marijuana regulators in Maryland have expanded testing for heavy metals in Cannabis products, warning patients about the risk for possible lead contamination in popular vape pens.

A June 14 advisory came from the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission “to notify patients and other stakeholders of potential lead contamination of Cannabis liquids in vape cartridges following exposure to heat,” reports The Baltimore Sun. The warning comes as the commission enacts new rules requiring heavy metals testing at the stage when products are sold. Cannabis growers in the state have been required to test for metals since the medical program began in 2017.

Joy Strand, executive director of the commission, said the new rules were “to correct an oversight of the original regulations.” Strand cited ‘the interest of public safety” regarding the commission’s requirement for testing to begin immediately on the vape cartridges.

BY STEVE ELLIOTT, AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF MARIJUANA

JUl. 2019

leafnationmd.com

MARYLAND CANNABIS REGULATORS WARN OF LEAD CONTAMINATION RISK; EXPAND HEAVY METALS TESTING

MARYLAND ROOTS. COLORADO EXPERIENCE.

CUT OUT AND GIVE THIS AD TO US ON YOUR NEXT VISIT TO RECEIVE 10% OFF YOUR PURCHASE!

national news

EAST COAST

FINAL PUSH TO LEGALIZE WEED FAILS IN NEW YORK

New York’s effort to legalize marijuana this year collapsed on June 19, dashing hopes for a billion dollar industry that would create jobs in minority communities and end decades of racially disproportionate policing, according to supporters.

Democratic lawmakers had made a late push to get it done before the legislative session ended. But persistent disagreement about how to regulate the industry, as well as timidity from moderate lawmakers, spelled doom for the plan.

“It is clear now that M.R.T.A. is not going to pass this session,” Senator Liz Krueger of Manhattan said Wednesday morning. “We came very close to crossing the finish line, but we ran out of time.”

“Unfortunately, that delay means countless more New Yorkers will have their lives upended by unnecessary and racially disparate enforcement measures before we inevitably legalize,” Sen. Krueger added.

legalization

D.C. MOVES CLOSER TO RECREATIONAL CANNABIS STORES

PUGET SOUND HAS HIGHEST CANNABIS USE ON EARTH, WASTEWATER STUDY SAYS A new study using Puget Sound wastewater to understand trends in Cannabis use suggests that western Washington state is a world leader in marijuana consumption.

“We are part of an international study ... with 60-80 other cities around the world,” said Dr. Dan Burgard, who leads a team of researchers at the University of Puget Sound and University of Washington. “And according to wastewater, the Puget Sound area has the highest Cannabis use per capita, even over Amsterdam.”

Dr. Jonathan Caulkins, who studies trends in drug use and legalization as a professor at Carnegie Mellon’s Heinz College, praised the research and said he hoped there’d be more studies like this.

“I hope the whole regulatory community recognizes its potential,” Caulkins said. “The US used to lead in innovative data collection on drug use, and we’ve lost that edge, but this is promising.”

The study suggests that the black market for weed was rapidly replaced by legal recreational sales in Washington state. While sales of legal marijuana increased rapidly from 2014 to 2016, there was only a small increase in the amount of THC metabolites detected in the waste stream. That indicates most pot users simply switched from the black market to legal pot shops.

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MIDWEST

ILLINOIS BECOMES THE FIRST STATE TO LEGALIZE CANNABIS WITHOUT A REFERENDUM Illinois lawmakers in June were able to do what legislatures in other states have been unable to do: making Cannabis legal without a voter referendum. They thus became the first state where the Legislature made marijuana sales legal without a vote from the people.

That made Illinois the 11th state to legalize recreational weed, and the second Midwestern state to do so, following only Michigan, where voters approved legalization in 2018. Illinois lawmakers achieved legalization by addressing issues including minority representation in the nascent industry; such issues had derailed similar efforts in both New York and New Jersey.

The law sets aside $12 million for a Cannabis Business Development Fund to lowering licensing fee costs for minority entrepreneurs. The fund will also provide lowinterest business loans to minority owners, filling an important gap created by the skittishness of banks to make loans to Cannabis businesses due to weed’s illegal status at the federal level.

Regulators in Illinois are now tasked with creating a cannabis enforcement agency and setting up a system to license pot shops, growers and processors. Lawmakers set January 1, 2020 as the date for the law to go into effect.

BY STEVE ELLIOTT, AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF MARIJUANA

JUl. 2019

leafnationmd.com

The ability of the District of Columbia to regulate Cannabis effectively, including the legalization of recreational sales, has long been roadblocked by one guy, Congressman Andy Harris of Maryland. Harris is a conservative republican, and the main reason why DC had a gray market for marijuana, despite voters deciding in 2014 to legalize the stuff.

Every year since that vote, Rep. Harris proposed a rider to an appropriations bill - with the rider having the effect of preventing the District from using its own locally raised funds to create a system to tax and regulate the sales of recreational Cannabis. This stopped local officials from creating a legal structure within which pot stores could operate, and earned Harris a lot of enemies.

But with Democrats now in charge of the House, Harris didn’t offer up his lame rider again this year.

“The fact that he didn’t even both to offer it up is a sign of where we are nationally and for DC in particular. Harris must have known that he was going to lose and lose badly,” said Queen Adesuyi, policy coordinator at the Drug Policy Alliance. “I think DC needs to take a mini victory lap, even though the fight continues in the Senate.”

west coast

OPINION

BY JERRY WHITING LeBlancCNE.com/podcast

THE HEMP ACTIVIST CONSUMER 12

Youmaythinkhemp activism is for someone else. Yes, you support the hemp movement — butwhat canyoureallydo? Lots, actually.

Much more than you think. I daresay that you have more influence on the future of hemp than you give yourself credit for. You, your family, your friends and co-workers are a huge influence on the hemp market. You heard me right - you and those you know are the ones who will decide exactly how hemp will change the world.

We all agree that the signing of the Farm Bill (The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018) was an epic game changer. Hemp is legal.

It’s no longer a forbidden plant. In fact, hemp is the new black and the power is in your hands.

leafnationmd.com

>SHOP WITH YOUR FEET. VOTE WITH YOUR WALLET. You are a consumer. You get paid and you shop. How and where you shop and what you purchase are your personal decisions. Availability, price and other constraints temper your specific purchases, but walk into any retail outlet or go online and you’re assaulted with seemingly endless choices from vendor after vendor. But in the end you decide what you buy.

Hemp, and especially CBD hemp products, are no different.

Everywhere you look, brick and mortar or online, someone’s trying to get you to buy the latest and greatest CBD infused product. This is why you, the consumer, have so much power.

It’s up to you what you buy - if anything at all.

Each purchase you make has repercussions. Your actions at the cash register reverberate throughout the global supply chain. Don’t want to gamble on Chinese hemp that might have pesticides or heavy metals? Buy organic hemp.

Want to support small businesses? Shop local. Seek individual companies out and patronize the ones with exceptionally high quality products. Bonus points if their mission statement, goals

JUL. 2019

and values mirror your own. Support those that are building the world that you want to live in. Look past the glitzy packaging, sparkly web sites and splashy social media posts.

Read up on the ingredients. Ask questions. Learn about CBD and other cannabinoids. Learn about whole plant, full spectrum products. Google the “entourage effect” and “Cannabis terpenes” and go from there. Learn enough to evaluate the products you’re buying so you can separate the good actors from the bad.

Moral of the story: buy what you support. Help those that help you.

Shop with your feet, vote with your wallet.

>HELP HEMP EVOLVE

If there are multiple hemp products on the shelf and you always reach for Brand X, you just voted. Not only did you vote for Brand X, you voted against Y, Z and all the other vendors. Businesses listen to customers and react accordingly. If you and everyone else tends to buy Brand X, guess what stores will stock? Those that don’t listen to their customers tend to go out of business. This is as true for retailers as it is for manufacturers (and even the farmers behind them all).

Our collective buying decisions make all the difference in the world, especially now. There are countless hemp companies trying to carve out a place in this wild, wild west of a market. All of us are building it from scratch. Having a lot of money doesn’t necessarily mean your products are going to be winners or even survive.

The barrier to entry is low right now, but the invisible hand of the market will winnow out the weak and reward the rest.

Who votes? You and your wallet. This is why I say that you and I, individual consumers, have a disproportionate influence on hemp as it enters the mainstream. What we buy will dictate what gets produced.

Do you want to see hemp foods? Then buy them. Hate plastic?

Investigate hemp alternatives. Pay what you must, but reach out to the companies behind your favorite products. You have no idea how gratifying an email from an enthusiastic customer #hashtagshout is to an entrepreneur trying to make their dream come true. I know because LeBlanc CNE isn’t my first startup.

>ADVOCATE WHEN YOU SHOP

The hemp marketplace is new — so new there isn’t a supply chain yet.

It’s all fluid, ad hoc and downright chaotic. At this early, embryonic stage individuals have a disproportionate influence. That’s right, you have a strong influence on the industry as it grows and morphs. Don’t waste this once in a lifetime opportunity. Your suggestions, editorials, social media posts, the conversations you have with strangers on the street - they all add up to a collective voice WANT TO in the void. Spread the word and help the hemp SUPPORT SMALL industry grow the way you want it to.Who needs petitions when you have a credit card? Lobbyists BUSINESSES? can’t counter what you buy and recommend to SHOP LOCAL. others.

SEEK INDIVIDUAL Yes, Big Money and Big Ag are waiting in the COMPANIES OUT wings, but meanwhile I encourage you to seek out good actors in the market now to insure AND PATRONIZE they’ll be there tomorrow. Yes, it might take a bit THE ONES WITH of effort to find reputable companies that make EXCEPTIONALLY honest products. Yes, you might have to pay more HIGH QUALITY for quality products, but you do that already with PRODUCTS. other consumer items. Why not hemp too?

In the end we all want hemp to win. We want BONUS POINTS IF hemp-based medicine, hemp foods to choose THEIR MISSION from, and hemp replacements for things like STATEMENT, GOALS plastic, paper from wood, and a host of other AND VALUES options. I for one can’t wait to buy hemp t-shirts MIRROR YOUR OWN. and jeans - my favorite outfit.

PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH

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“I REALLY HADN’T GOTTEN INTO CANNABIS UNTIL I STARTED WORKING HERE. I DIDN’T REALIZE WHAT IT COULD DO FOR THE HUMAN BODY UNTIL I WAS IN HERE WITNESSING WHAT PATIENTS GO THROUGH AND, MY GOODNESS, IT’S LIKE NIGHT AND DAY.”

ASHLEYDAVIS INTERVIEW by ALAINA DORSEY @BUDBIZLLAMA | PHOTO BY WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT

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HOW DID YOU GET INTO CANNABIS?

Literally, Lacey - she works kind of behind the scenes here. We used to work together at a bridal company called Betsy Robinson. She saw me working with people, that’s what I love to do! She was like, “You know what? They have a retail space and you can probably move on over to that and help people in a different way.”

I wasn’t a Cannabis smoker before. I used to drink. I literally stopped drinking as much.

Because of Cannabis I lost 40 pounds. I don’t know how I moved through life - I am SO high strung! It’s allowed me to just relax and just take everything as it comes. I’m on a day-to-day basis and you know, when you get up in the morning, you choose your mood. I choose to be happy. I choose to work in a place that makes me happy and I can make other people smile. That’s what I like to do. So if I’m not helping anybody, then I’m not doing what I’m supposed to be doing.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT CHESACANNA AND WHAT MAKES IT STAND OUT COMPARED TO OTHER DISPENSARIES?

They are patient first. This place is all about the patients. And that’s how it should be. Maryland is medical right now and we’re focused on that. I think a lot of other places kind of lost that focus already. We’re not even in rec mode yet! We offer services that help people quit smoking, and that help people get off of opioids. We really care. We can hook you up with professionals in other areas to help you with whatever concerns you. There are so many different programs here.

JUl. 2019

HOW’S THE EXPERIENCE OF HAVING A WELLNESS SHOP IN YOUR DISPENSARY? SHOULD MORE DISPENSARIES HAVE THEM? More dispensaries should have them! It should be a one stop shopping experience. So whatever we don’t provide at the dispensary, we should have available on our counters. You know, just supplements, wellness products, etc. Like, it’s a lifestyle! Anything that supports the lifestyle, we should be promoting.

WHAT’S YOUR QUALIFYING CONDITION?

I have chronic pain. I have a lot of issues with my shoulders from working out and being athletic. I have an inflammation disease and I have a pain disease causing my legs to swell up.

It’s very uncomfortable and I’m always on my legs. Like, all day long. So Cannabis really helped me to maintain and just go through the day without any pain whatsoever, not any discomfort. Before I would have days where it was just hard to get out of bed.

FAVORITE TYPES OF STRAINS AND CONCENTRATES?

gLeaf’s Peanut Butter Breath is divine. I haven’t tried the crystal yet. That’s one thing I haven’t done - I’m a little afraid! I really hadn’t gotten into Cannabis until I started working here.

I didn’t realize what it could do for the human body until I was in here witnessing what patients go through and, my goodness, it’s like night and day.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST TIME LIKE WITH CONCENTRATES and DABBING?

I dabbed, and no one gets it right the first time - no one! If somebody told me they got it right the first time around, I’d be like “okay.” The experience is like a rush and it’s just instant awesome. If you’re ailing or if you’re feeling bad, you just get this calm that comes right over you. It hits you in the face first! It really punched me in the face! It literally just came over me and it was just so relaxing and so soothing. I thought, “Why haven’t I done this sooner? Nobody told me how awesome this was!” I was really upset, but now that I’ve found it, it’s all good.

WHAT ARE SOME BEGINNER’S TIPS FOR FIRST TIME DABBERS? OR JUST PEOPLE GETTING INTO CONCENTRATES? HOW DO YOU MAKE DABBING LESS SCARY?

First thing, don’t be afraid. Come on in and talk to us. We will show you how to use everything and we will talk you through it. We can show you better than we can tell you, so we have classes here and I always encourage folks to come to a class. Or, you know, just come in and talk with me and we’ll go through the motions together.

CHESACANNA

10534 York Rd #101 Cockeysville, MD (410) 650-5555

GOT A FAVORITE BUDTENDER? TELL US WHY! WYATT@LEAFNATIONMD.COM

SHOP REVIEW

NATURE’S MEDICINES THE FLOOR PLAN AT NATURE’S MEDICINES IS OPEN, SPACIOUS AND RELAXING, MAKING THE TYPICAL EXPERIENCE LESS OVERWHELMING.

leafnationmd.com

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ocated in a suburban patch of Ellicott City, the plain exterior and discreet location had me curious. When I entered, I realized there is more to this shop than I could have imagined.

The entire dispensary has wide aisles and is entirely wheelchair accessible, including the waiting room and bathrooms. Any patient can freely roam throughout the large facility with comfort and ease. While I waited in the spacious and stylish waiting room, I noticed a nice variety of refreshments, drinks, and even phone chargers for patient use near the seating! During large sales and peak times, a comfortable and spacious waiting room can be incredibly important. After my short wait, I approached the dispensing room with excitement.

The floor plan at Nature’s Medicines is open, spacious and relaxing, making the typical experience less overwhelming. Everywhere you look is an array of products, including many flower options for you to choose from. Each strain has a QR scanner next to it with the terpene information linked, which is an amazing touch! This makes me feel like I don’t have to irritate my budtender by asking so many questions. As I prepared to browse, I was given a cute pen and pad where I could write down my order options as I roamed. This shopping list approach is needed, since the selection at this dispensary is rather large! They have every category of Cannabis product available in the Maryland market by every company, with the exception of Verano.

The layout has a floor plan that it is laid out from “the shallow to deep end of Cannabis,” according to their manager, Andrew. The layout starts on one end with topicals and tinctures, and ends with concentrate on the opposite side. In addition to a large selection, I also found the pricing here better than most. They have a solid pricing system for flower, and have three different pricing tiers: 30, 35 and 50 dollar eighths. You can also make an order as small as a gram due to the benefits of deli-style, and get a view of your medicine before you take it home. The concentrate selection was easy on the wallet, with most grams ending up 50 dollars, and a daily shatter deal of 3 grams for 100 dollars. When I was done making my selection, I told my charming budtender Ana what I wanted and she quickly and accurately answered any of my questions. She made me feel confident in my purchase that I was about to make.

10169 BALTIMORE NATIONAL PIKE, ELLICOTT CITY, MD 21042 | NATURESMEDICINES.COM | (410) 988-6004 9AM-9PM MONDAY-FRIDAY | 11AM-9PM SATURDAY | 11AM-7PM SUNDAY

JUL. 2019

FLOWER

4.5/5 The flower selection has many different strains with a product from every brand. While pricing and selection are abundant, I could not find any Verano or Shore Natural products.

EDIBLES

4.5/5 This shop had a large edible selection - Curio, Betty’s Eddies, Kalm, and almost everything else except for Troches, which are often a fan favorite. Anyone looking for consumables can find almost all of them here.

CONCENTRATE

5/5 The concentrate selection was large, with RSO, budder, crumble, and diamonds galore. The deals on them are impressive, especially for Liberty concentrates.

Vape selections were large and fairly priced with good bundle deals, and they have most chewables on the market.

ENVIRONMENT

5/5 This was my favorite thing about Nature’s Medicines. The staff is charming, the space is large and friendly, and despite a large wait, you always feel like the only person in the room at Nature’s Medicines.

OVERALL

19/20 I really enjoyed my time at Nature’s Medicines. They have a genuine staff, a manager with ethical morals, and a space where any kind of person can feel welcome. I left the place excited for my next visit. The vibe is so unique and warm that it is hard to describe - you’ll have to just make a visit there yourself to understand!

REVIEWED BY ARIANA FOOTE @INDICAWIFE | PHOTOS by NATURE’S MEDICINE

NATURESMEDICINES.COM

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highly likely leafnationmd.com

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Highlighting Cannabis pioneers who paved the way to greater herbal acceptance.

HOW THIS COMEDY ACTOR IS FINDING A NEW ROLE AS A CANNABIS ENTREPRENEUR

JIMBELUSHI LIKE HIS OLDER BROTHER JOHN WHO PASSED AWAY TRAGICALLY AT AGE 33 - JIM BELUSHI IS A COMEDIAN, ACTOR AND MUSICIAN WHO HAS APPEARED IN MANY SITCOMS, FILMS, AND LIKE HIS OLDER BROTHER, EVEN DID A STINT ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE IN THE MID-80S. JIM BELUSHI IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH – FUNNY, SMART AND TALENTED. YOU’VE LIKELY SEEN HIM IN SHOWS LIKE THE SITCOMS ACCORDING TO JIM OR TWIN PEAKS, OR MAYBE IN FILMS SUCH AS RED HEAT, TRADING PLACES OR GHOST WRITER. For a long time Belushi has been an outspoken proponent of Cannabis and its myriad health benefits for humanity. For one, he has gone on the record in many interviews saying that he believes that this herb can truly function as an ‘exit drug’ – that is, that Cannabis has the ability to shift people who are addicted away from more harmful substances. He often references this through the drug overdose death of his brother.

According to Jim, John was an football player linebacker, a position that is often prone to head trauma - who had seizures in high school. Jim

JUl. 2019

THE ACTOR AT BELUSHI’S FARM, A RECREATIONAL CANNABIS GROW HE ESTABLISHED IN 2018 IN OREGON’S ROGUE VALLEY.

FOR A LONG TIME BELUSHI HAS BEEN AN OUTSPOKEN PROPONENT OF CANNABIS AND ITS MYRIAD HEALTH BENEFITS FOR HUMANITY.

believes that John would have benefited from legal Cannabis and its ability to act as a neural protectant.

These days, Jim is bringing his talents to the Cannabis scene in Oregon, where he purchased a farm in the southern part of the state along the Rogue River.

There, he grows outdoor Cannabis on his 93 acre farm, taking a hands-on approach.

Unlike most celebrity canna-brands, Belushi actually gets his hands dirty, taking care to use the proper nutrients, making sure the cure is right, and of course, the terpene profile.

Since Belushi has a rich knowledge of music, he’s even curating playlists for his plants that change with each stage of growth. He’s focused on growing what he likes, cultivating an Afghani hybrid called Captain Jack - named for a grower who used to supply Dan Ackroyd and John Be-

lushi with good herb back in their early SNL days.

He also grows a terrific variety of Cherry Pie that is widely available in and around Portland dispensaries.

Belushi’s brand is called Belushi’s Farm and has been a popular one around the state, impressing many a connoisseurs - this author included.

Belushi started smoking Cannabis at an early age in his home state of Indiana. He was even arrested twice for possession when he was young.

These days he consumes it in a more responsible manner by microdosing, saying that he vapes a few days a week and uses CBD on a daily basis.

As we inch closer and closer to the normalization of Cannabis across the world, celebrities like Jim Belushi are helping speed the process up a bit.

We’ll look forward to seeing just where he takes it, but for now, we can all say a big thank you to Jim for his activism and dedication to the cause.

By PACER STACKTRAIN

PATIENT OF THE MONTH

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FOOTBALL &CANNABIS How Eugene Monroe relies on the plant for pain relief

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fter attending the University of Virginia during his college years and being named a First-Team All-ACC player, Eugene Monroe found himself at the top of many NFL organization’s radars coming into the 2009 draft. He was selected eighth overall, considered a steal during the draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played his early career as a Jaguar before being traded to the Baltimore Ravens in the 2013 season. After being traded to the Ravens, Monroe’s health issues began to effect his play, including missing several games in 2014 due to an arthroscopic knee surgery. He was eventually released in 2016, despite having one of the highest salary bases on the team.

Speculation led to questioning if his release had anything to do with him being one of the first active NFL players to openly advocate medicinal Cannabis use for the players. “It came from necessity for me,” said Monroe. “I was researching personally how Cannabis could help me. I stayed far away from it while I was playing, but I wanted to figure out ways to recover from injuries over the years. Cannabis seemed like an obvious solution that I needed to take a closer look at. As I started to understand it more I realized that it was time for everyone to be honest about what it was doing for people, and introduce it because it could extend careers and save lives. It could help athletes not take as many opioids.”

Many people don’t realize the dangerous addiction factors that come with the use of opioid drugs. With few other alternative solutions for NFL athletes amongst other patients who use prescription drugs to combat chronic pain and other issues - they’re left with no other option. “A lot of players in the industry still battle with opioid addiction, and you don’t hear anything about it in the media,” Monroe stated. “So many people leave the game still hurting, and there isn’t any medical care. You’re just left on youre own to deal with it. You just destroyed your body your entire life, and now you’ve just got to deal with it.”

Being one of the first advocates to press for this issue to be further investigated in the NFL has been a tough path, but one that is very necessary. “We’ve been telling people all along that if players are using Cannabis, it’s to help them. It’s because they’re

getting a benefit from it. They’re getting relief from all the pain and aches endured during the season.

Everything that other people in society benefit from through Cannabis use should be the same for us, but we don’t have that option. You can try to get passed the system and take that risk, but otherwise your only other option is to take the opioids,” Monroe explained.

Although some progress is being made by the player’s association - such as beginning to look into CBD options for players - Cannabis still has a heavy negative stigma that needs to be overcome amongst the league. “I’ve tried personally to push to get a research initiative off the ground. I partnered on a study with John’s Hopkins and the NFL, and ultimately we weren’t able to collect the data that we needed,” Monroe stated. The voice of the former NFL star is one that the public listens and responds positively to, and for good reason. “I fully believed it was a bad drug at first, and to some degree that helped me from getting into any trouble with it. I never got possession charges or anything like that, so when I started talking about Cannabis and its benefits,

venture post-NFL. It’s been fun seeing the changes and even more so seeing the good medicine that we’ve been able to be a part of and provide to the people. Our cultivation is up and coming now,” he stated.

GTI however, isn’t new to the game, with cultivation centers outside of Maryland. They understand how to make their grows efficient and produce the highest quality flower and concentrates to put on the market.

“It’s great to be a part of a team who really focuses on quality, especially as a consumer myself. That’s what I seek out - it’s such a unique time, that while the business is growing, it’s really for the benefit of everyone. Lives are being changed every single day and that’s a statement I can make because it’s happening for me on a daily basis as well,” he said.

Monroe says that he’s fortunate for discovering Cannabis when he did and being able to begin taking a more natural approach to everyday life.

“I have multiple qualifying conditions but they all ultimately lead to chronic pain. Some specific issues Cannabis helps with most are the lingering effects from multiple concussions, and the constant shooting pain in my knee. It’s almost like a miracle drug, and that’s probably why some people are afraid. Whether it’s the pains in my knee or the ringing headaches and pressure sensations in my head, Cannabis tends to be able to relieve a lot of issues. It really stopped me from taking any other drugs at all. I don’t take any pharmaceuticals and I try to be as natural as possible. I’m fortunate that I realized early and was able to stop taking opioids in time. I’m free as an adult, as the players should be as well, to take Cannabis freely to help me.”

While the battle remains uphill for now, other players are beginning to speak out and advocate just as Monroe has been doing for several years.

Monroe harps on the fact that being able to destress in a healthy way will be beneficial for the players, and ultimately the game itself.

“Cannabis really does help with pain, and a person’s mental stability. Lots of players end up turning to other drugs like alcohol,” Monroe said.

While keeping the athletes healthy through Cannabis was a goal that seemed far from possible in the beginning of Monroe’s journey, he has nonetheless been able to kindle a flame of hope that grows brighter everyday.

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WE’VE BEEN TELLING PEOPLE ALL ALONG THAT IF PLAYERS ARE USING CANNABIS, IT’S TO HELP THEM. IT’S BECAUSE THEY’RE GETTING A BENEFIT FROM IT.

JUL. 2019

people started listening more because I didn’t get arrested or anything in the past. The stigma was so deeply engraved and I believe that no matter who you are or what platform you have, you need to help correct all the misinformation that’s getting spread around.”

Toward the tail end of his NFL career, Eugene began to heavily research the Cannabis industry, and has since been not only a heavy advocate, but an investor as well. “While playing for the Ravens I was researching how Cannabis might help me, at the same time I was seeing opportunities to invest all over the country. I started looking into things and saw an opportunity I liked in Maryland. Ultimately after putting in my time and due diligence, and learning about markets, I invested with Green Thumb Industries (GTI), who were applying for licensing in the state at the time. I invested and after retirement I joined as a partner, which was my first major business

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CANNABIS PATIENT EUGENE MONROE STORY BY MATTHEW NEWTON | PHOTOS BY BRIAN BOMSTER @BOMSTERJABS_STUDIO

STRAIN OF THE MONTH leafnationmd.com

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CULTA HAS DONE IT AGAIN, BLOWING UP THE MARYLAND MEDICAL SCENE WITH THEIR LAND MINE CULTIVAR. A CROSS BETWEEN THE ELUSIVE STRAIN PNW DOGSHIT AND CULTA’S CLASSIC DOSIDOS, THIS PUNGENT CANNABIS FLOWER ABSOLUTELY REEKS OF A GASSY FRUITY BLEND THAT FILLS THE WHOLE ROOM UPON OPENING THE PACKAGING. THE SMELL IS SO LOUD THAT IT COMES AS NO SURPRISE TO READ THAT THIS STRAIN IS PUSHING 3.6 PERCENT TOTAL TERPENES, ONE OF THE MOST TERPENE RICH FLOWERS TO HIT THE MARKET THIS MONTH!

Land Mine has proven herself to be one of Maryland’s true myrcene dominant chemovars as well, boasting a 60 percent myrcene concentration within the terpene profile and 26 percent available THC. One of the most common Cannabis terpenes, myrcene is responsible for synergizing with THC to create the quintessential couch-locked, sedative and foggy high we have come to associate with indica varieties.

Many of us actively seek to incorporate or avoid myrcene as we go about our various lifestyles, but there can be no doubt that myrcene provides some of the most pain relieving and drowsy effects Cannabis has to offer.

This is great for us chronic pain sufferers and insomniacs alike, and with a 2.18% myrcene concentration, I absolutely added Land Mine to my personal treatment tool kit.

The ash from my joint burned a beautiful white indicating an exquisite cure, preserving both the diesel fruit flavor of the smoke, as well as the hard hitting, pain relieving effects of the myrcene. Every inhalation drove my body into deeper and deeper states of rest and calm, as the inflammation in my joints and muscles dissipated.

The flavor profile seemed to be a harmony of sharp, diesel varieties, married to a fruity, minty essence that really snowballed my lull of pain relief. I find it to be highly effective smoked alone, or as an excellent addition to other strains as a reliable addition of a solid myrcene concentration to your vape, blunt, bowl or joint.

I am a huge advocate of seeking out specific chemovars to build your treatment tool kit, enabling one to address the wide spectrum of ailments that life provides.

A genuine myrcene bomb like Culta’s Land Mine is a rare, but highly useful cornerstone for any patient’s treatment strategy. To be able to provide consistent, relaxing and sedative pain relief is always a kindness in our darkest moments of agony and I will be keeping my Land Mine close for nights of woe and morning rigor.

JUl. 2019

26%THC

3.64%TERPENES

A-PINENE .09% B-PINENE .03% B-MYRCENE 2.18% LIMONENE .05% OCIMENE .60% LINALOOL .09% B-CARYOPHYLLENE.34% A-HUMULENE .13% T-NEROLIDOL .05%

LAND MINE

by

CULTA

LAND MINE HAS PROVEN HERSELF TO BE ONE OF MARYLAND’S TRUE MYRCENE DOMINANT CHEMOVARS, BOASTING A 60 PERCENT MYRCENE CONCENTRATION WITHIN THE TERPENE PROFILE AND 26% THC.

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

CULTA.IO

THE CONCENTRATES ISSUE

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PRODUCED & REVIEWED BY MARYLAND LEAF STAFF

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CONCENTRATES OUR 1ST ANN UAL GUI DE

TO DABBING SAFELY AND WISELY HELPS YOU NAVIGATE A SEA OF PRODUCTS TO LEARN WHICH CONCENTRATES WORK THE BEST FOR YOUR CANNABIS NEEDS.

JUL. 2019

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DABBING 101 HYDROCARBON DIAMONDS SOLVENTLESS CO2 OIL CARTRIDGES PRESSING ROSIN FULL EXTRACT

DABBING 101 ONE OF THE BEST PARTS OF THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY IS THAT NEW PRODUCTS AND INNOVATIONS ARE CONSTANTLY EMERGING. The downside of this breakneck pace can be a lack of information, especially for average users.

The perfect example of this knowledge delay has to be Cannabis concentrates. While most veteran patients are familiar with the likes of Rick Simpson and high-grade bubble hash, the dabbing era has caught many by surprise. It’s a fad no more. This primer breaks down the many types of concentrates, attributes to look for (and avoid) and common lingo and prices you should expect.

Concentrates are extractions of

Cannabis produced with or without a solvent such as butane, ethanol or CO2.

Common examples in Eastern medicine include essential oils. Anyone consuming concentrates for the first time should do so with extreme caution.

Dabbing is the act of vaporizing Canna-

bis concentrate and inhaling the vapor for medicinal or recreational effects. The vapor acts as a quick and easy delivery system for Cannabinoids, and is not meant to be held in for longer than three to five seconds. Dabbing can involve a torch and a vaporization surface, commonly called a nail, attached to a water pipe. The nail is heated until hot before a small amount of concentrate is touched to the surface.

Nails can be quartz or titanium, and heated externally or by a plug-in heating element, called an e-nail.

The user inhales through a water pipe and the vapor is exhaled without excessive smoke or coughing, assuming a proper dosage. Patients can also use dab pens or vapor cartridges, which allow for vaporizing in a portable manner and don’t rely on having a torch.

Temperature is critical.

Concentrates that are dabbed too hot will burn off the terpenes, leaving a bland taste behind. Concentrates that are dabbed too cool might leave pooled residue and not fully vaporize.

The best way to reach a happy medium is to use a carb cap, which sits on top of a nail once a dab is applied and holds heat and vapor in.

A carb cap is designed to vaporize an extract at the lowest possible temperature.

I find that letting the nail cool down sufficiently and then using the carb cap will produce a flavorful, fully vaporized dab.

Solventless extracts such as full melt bubble hash/ice wax should be dabbed at slightly higher temperatures.

To determine whether your temp is right, check the color of the residue. If it’s blackish, the dab was taken too hot. If the residue is a light brown, it means the dab was vaporized at the optimal temperature.

Experiment again!

THC percentages range from 20 to 90 percent, and can easily overwhelm first-timers or even more experienced users. Start with a grain of rice.

Don’t hold a hit in longer than

three to five seconds because you’re not absorbing more cannabinoids, you’re just depriving your lungs of oxyen.

PHOTOS BY DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

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THE CONCENTRATES ISSUE

HYDROCARBON TRIANGLE DIESEL SHATTER BY CULTA High in b-myrcene and b-caryophyllene, Triangle Diesel is yet another amazing strain from Culta. Taking it back to the roots of dabbing, it was nice to see such a clear shatter. Provided a relaxing effect and tasted sweet and floral.

GRAPEFRUIT SOUR DREAM LIVE RESIN BY CULTA Extremely smooth on the exhale with a sour, fruity and citrusy taste. Instant uplifting of the body and mind. Melts beautifully into a glistening gold oil in a quartz banger.

Terpenes: 3.35% Total Cannabinoids: 84.9%

Terpenes: 6.16% Total Cannabinoids: 82.9%

HYDROCARBON EXTRACTION refers to Cannabis

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concentrate processed with a solvent like butane or propane that is hydrocarbon based.

Properly processed in a safe environment with medicinal grade solvent, hydrocarbon extracts can be some of the highest quality and tastiest extracts on the market.

BHO or PHO are made by forcing the solvent over plant material at high pressure, stripping the Cannabinoids, terpenes, waxes and flavonoids from the plant and concentrating them into a delicious and beautiful extracted oil. BHO is known for capturing the essence of a strain, especially when using all nug-run material or live-resin style, which involves fresh frozen Cannabis.

Propane is often present in BHO extracts, as many processors use a blend of the two gasses. Pure PHO tends to have a lighter and more orange color and can generate a fluffy consistency that doesn’t appear with BHO. Propane is a quality solvent and can be purged from the extract in a shorter time and at lower temperatures than butane, which can help preserve terpenes and flavors.

When flowers are processed into concentrates, they need to be purged of residual solvents to be safe for consumption.

There are many harmful chemicals that can end up in the oil if it isn’t processed properly, and you should only buy tested and safe concentrates for consumption. Purging through heat and pressure is what removes the solvents, leaving only the delicious oil we all love to dab.

It’s also important to remember that with all concentrates, you are taking a large amount of plant matter and “concentrating” it into a small amount of oil. This takes the “good” aspects we desire, the Cannabinoids and flavors, but will also transfer anything “bad,” like pesticides or chemicals. Look for concentrates that are processed with material from sustainable and conscious farms, and never be afraid to ask for test results to ensure your oil is clean, and tasty!

JUL. 2019

BLUE COOKIES CURED RESIN SHATTER BY EVERMORE The taste is reminiscent of lemons high in limonene - and popping open a fresh jar of Blue Cookies flower. Being a well-balanced hybrid, this shatter makes for a nice daytime smoke.

Terpenes: 4.11% Total Cannabinoids: 84.39%

SOUR TANGIE SHATTER BY MPX This Sour Tangie shatter was high in both terpenes and THC content. A clean and smooth exhale was followed by a euphoric and calming feeling over my whole body. We have always been - and continue to be - big fans of everything

by MPX.

Terpenes: 8.79% Total Cannabinoids: 83.54%

DABTABS BY NATURE’S HERITAGE In collaboration with ILO Vapor, Nature’s Heritage brought DabTabs to the Maryland medical market. They are porous ceramic hexagons, each containing an exact amount of concentrate. Our favorite DabTabs were the Oro Blanco (indica), with 4.55% limonene.

TANGIE LIVE RESIN SUGAR BY MPX Upon opening this jar of live resin sugar, my nose was instantly filled with the smell of freshly sliced tangerines.

The flavor was a medley of tangerines and cotton candy, leaving me feeling creative and energetic.

Terpenes: 7.08% Total Cannabinoids: 81.97%

ANGUS SUGAR & SAUCE

BY OG CLEAR From the beautiful color to the popping flavor, kudos goes to OG Clear for making a clean and enjoyable sauce. With the sauce portion at nearly 13% terpinolene alone, the fruity flavor is reminiscent of jack herer or trainwreck. At over 90% THC, this is not for novice dabbers.

SFV OG LIVE RESIN CAKE BADDER BY EVERMORE

SHATTER BY OG CLEAR

This product is the consistency of wet playdough, and smells very strongly of its dominant terpenes. This batch had over 6% b-myrcene, which proved to be the perfect oil to dab after work for its calming properties.

We tried out several strains of shatter from OG Clear, each one of them better than the last. Our favorite strains were Flo x Stardawg, Angus, Forum Cookies x AlienDawg Cherry, and Frosted Oranges.

The Angus tested at over 10% terpenes - relatively high for a shatter, but the flavor proved it to be true.

Terpenes: 12.51% Total Cannabinoids: 80.28%

GORILLA GLUE GELATO SHATTER

BY PRIME EXTRACTS This particular Gorilla Glue Gelato had a strong glue taste to it when dabbed on a Quave club banger.

It proved to be a very relaxing strain, perfect for winding down or a healthy dose of stress relief.

FRUITY PEBBLES OG X SOURDUB BATTER BY MPX The mixture of terpenes in this strain made for a perfect hybrid of effects and flavors. The most dominant flavors are the a-pinene and terpinolene shining through.

This seems to be the perfect midday strain and another heavyhitter from MPX.

Terpenes: 4.59% Total Cannabinoids: 85.7%

Terpenes: 14.673% Total Cannabinoids: 82.41%

HANIS LIVE SUGAR BY GRASSROOTS This product reminds me of diamonds in sauce consistency-wise. Opening the jar filled my nose with an earthy skunk smell that proved very pungent.

At 2.73% limonene on this batch, this strain was perfect for getting things done on a busy day.

G6 SUNROCK SHATTER

BY VERANO BRANDS We have always been big fans of Verano’s flower and concentrates, and the G6 is reassuring of that. The shatter tastes like the smell of busting open a fresh jar of G6 flower, and the effect is immediate on the mind and body.

SUGARS BY GRASSROOTS Between the Chrome Diesel and Birthday Cake sugars, these concentrates provide patients with a good bang for their buck.

Both of these strains were rich in terpenes and THC, and left me in a euphoric and relaxed state.

ELMER’S GLUE LIVE RESIN BATTER BY MPX Elmer’s Glue has that classic taste you expect from a glue strain, with a mixture of sweet, citrusy and spicy flavor. I found this strain helped with joint inflammation after a long day of working outside.

Terpenes: 6.23% Total Cannabinoids: 86.81%

CRUMBLES BY GRASSROOTS The East Coast Sour Diesel is full of piney terpenes, giving me energy to go through my daily motions. Lemon Grenades is true to its name in tasting just like a glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade.

BUDDERS BY GRASSROOTS The budders from Grassroots come in a variety of consistencies, each of which have impressive test results. Our favorite two strains were the Girl Scout Cookie and Banana OG, due to a combination of tasty flavor and strong effects.

REVIEWS & PHOTOS BY WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT

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THE CONCENTRATES ISSUE

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS HCFSE/HTFSE BY EVERMORE HCFSE/HTFSE is more commonly known as sauce or diamonds to the masses. Evermore’s ratio of diamonds to terpenes was very good, with every single diamond being covered.

Blueberry muffins had strong hints of fruit and berries on the exhale, followed by an immediately soothing effect on the mind and body.

Terpenes: 5.583% Total Cannabinoids: 94.34%

GUICE HCE/HTE BY MPX In collaboration with Sunmed Growers, MPX is taking the strain Guice to the next level with their diamonds in sauce. At .65 grams diamonds and .35 grams terpene sauce, each boulder was beautifully coated in shining terpenes. The flavor is very fruity and citrusy, and left me in a euphoric state.

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Terpenes: 15.377% Total Cannabinoids: 86.64%

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PURPLE WAR QUEEN DIAMONDS IN SAUCE BY CULTA This product by Culta speaks for itself by looks, smell and testing results alone. This particular batch of Purple War Queen was bursting with floral and earthy flavors. The effect was sedative and relaxing in the head.

Terpenes: 4.77% Total Cannabinoids: 92.8%

MENDO BREATH X DO-SI-DOS BLACK LABEL SAUCE BY GLEAF A stunning product, I crushed the diamonds with a dabber and mixed them in with the terpenes for consistency. This sauce gave me a euphoric feeling and made me hungry almost instantly.

JUL. 2019

DIAM

BLUEBERRY SUNSET SHERBERT BLACK LABEL SAUCE BY GLEAF The ratio of diamonds to terpenes in this sauce was just about perfect, with each dab consisting of a glistening diamond. The blueberry flavor really shines through on this strain, leaving a fruity note on the palate. After taking a couple dabs, I was in a creative and relaxing mood.

DIAMONDS AND SAUCE go together like

weed and lighters, and are the essence of high end hype dabbing right now in Washington. Not for naught, the combination of THCA crystals (diamonds) with added terpene sauce, a hydrocarbon extraction, creates the ultimate blend of flavor and effects. THCA provides a massive rush of THC but no flavor and a one dimensional high when dabbed alone, but combined with native terpenes from a strain extraction the entourage effect of the terpenes combine with the flavor to make for spectacular tasty dabs.

CHEM91 X ALIENDAWG DIAMONDS & SAUCE BY OG CLEAR This particular batch was .7 grams THCa diamonds and .3 grams terpene sauce. This led to a perfect mix with a strong potency and tons of flavor. With the terpene sauce testing at over 16% myrcene, I was in a euphoric and relaxed state after just one dab.

MONDS

REVIEWS & PHOTOS BY WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT

THE CONCENTRATES ISSUE

SOLVENTLESS LA CHOCOLATE ICE WAX BY GLEAF Made with only ice and water, you can rest assured knowing you have some of the cleanest medicine available.

The flavor of this ice wax is the quintessential hash flavor that you are looking for. Effects are very sedative and proved to be perfect for watching a movie at the end of a long day.

Terpenes: 3.07% Total Cannabinoids: 77.3%

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SOLVENTLESS HASH refers to hash, kief or rosin that has been processed and collected using only natural and sometimes ancient methods of extraction. These include ice water, which is used with filtered bags to create bubble hash, kief or sift, which can be separated by tumbling, sifting or beating trichomes off the plant, or rosin, which involves using heat to squish raw plant flowers or hash/kief previously extracted.

JUL. 2019

GRAPEFRUITZ HASH ROSIN BY EVERMORE Hash rosin has always been a favorite of everyone here at Maryland Leaf. Exploding with citrusy and spicy flavor, this product left a smell of fresh squeezed grapefruit juice in my room. Being very high in b-caryophyllene (nearly 4%), this took away my pain and inflammation of my joints.

Terpenes: 11.85% Total Cannabinoids: 79.86%

CO 2 is among the cleanest and safest

methods of extracting any type of plant matter. Carbon dioxide is pumped at often supercritical temperatures under high pressure to pull cannabinoids from the plant material, leaving a pure concentrate.

CO2 is not toxic to humans and kills any microbial growth in the process of extraction. Plus, CO2 can be used to create natural essential oils in addition to Cannabis concentrates.

Mainstream products processed with CO2 include herbal essential oils, hops for beer and decaffeinated coffee. Because of the considerable investment required to process CO2 (roughly $75,000) the average gram retails for around $30$60 per gram.

The cell walls of the Cannabis plant can sometimes contain large wax concentrations. Unfortunately for consumers, plant waxes are one of the leading causes of excessive coughing when dabbing.

By washing the concentrate sample with alcohol, the wax will remain in the container and the cannabinoids will be absorbed into the alcohol and distilled off as the alcohol evaporates in a separate container.

Concentrates with higher amounts of plant waxes and lipids will require a higher temperature to dab and, as pointed out earlier, will cause more irritation on the throat and lungs. Special note: Any concentrate that has an ethanol wash should be tested for residual alcohol. Residual alcohol at high ppm can be harmful if vaporized.

CO2 SOUR DIESEL CO2 OIL VAPE CARTRIDGE BY UKU

UKU has done a great job with their CO2 oil vape cartridge from flavor to effect. This Sour Diesel cartridge had more than 4% b-caryophyllene, which gave it a spicy taste almost reminiscent of pepper. This helped out with my inflammation and I found it to be nice for the daytime.

Terpenes: 7.53% Total Cannabinoids: 78.5%

CLEMENTINE TERP SAP BY UKU Busting open this jar of terp sap, I immediately was overwhelmed with a fruity smell that reminded me of fruit stripe gum. On the exhale it tasted like I had just finished eating a fruit roll up, and at nearly 5% terpinolene, this strain made me sleepy and relaxed.

Terpenes: 12.143% Total Cannabinoids: 77.32%

REVIEWS & PHOTOS BY WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT

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THERE ARE A COUPLE BASIC RULES TO ENJOY THE BEST EXPERIENCE WITH A CARTRIDGE...

First, ask the budtender if it is cut with any solvent, or look on the packaging.

We recommend avoiding anything cut with Propylene Glycol, especially for patients, because there are safer and healthier options available.

Also, avoid anything with an artificial sounding flavor like Blue Raspberry or Waffles. Look at the vape package to see if the flavor is naturally derived, and if so, go for it.

While there are no rules governing flavors in E-cigarettes or Cannabis cartridges currently, we feel that strain specific and naturally processed options are the best!

Vaporization can be one of the most desirable and pleasurable ways to consume Cannabis, especially when discretion counts.

You should not vape indoors or where ever it is specifically mentioned, such as on an airplane or bus. Feel free to use outdoors when your vapor will not bother others or be near children.

Consumers will find a variety of battery options, from disposable types that have a non-rechargable battery and last about 200 hits, to ones with USB charging capabilities and changable cartridges.

JUL. 2019

DART PODS BY EVERMORE CANNABIS We tried out the full range of the new strains of this product, with our favorites being the Gelato distillate pod and Citrus Kleaner sauce pod. They even offer it in their highly desired GS-CBD, which is a nice combination of THC and CBD.

SKYWALKER OG DISTILLATE CARTRIDGE

BY EVERMORE CANNABIS

SOUR GORILLA VAPE CARTRIDGE

BY CURIO WELLNESS

With the two most dominant terpenes being a-pinene and b-pinene, this particular cartridge was bursting with piney goodness. The effect was relaxing, putting me in the perfect place to go to sleep.

Just like the flower, this Sour Gorilla cartridge was very high in myrcene (4.64%). This led to a very earthy taste accompanied by a particular spiciness from the 1% beta-caryophyllene. This cartridge left me feeling happy, and I did not need more than a couple of draws to feel instantly medicated.

Terpenes: 6.199% Total Cannabinoids: 92.37%

Terpenes: 8.53% Total Cannabinoids: 77.3%

CARTRIDGES DISTILLATE CARTRIDGES BY PRIME EXTRACTS Distillate cartridges from Prime Extracts have quality distillate and Cannabis derived terpenes with no added flavorings. We tried the White Widow and Lemon Jack cartridges, both of which gave a nice amount of vapor and proved to be quite potent.

35 DISTILLATE CARTRIDGES BY MPX We were lucky enough to try out the .5g and .3g disposable dab cartridges from MPX. Lemon Cake and Purple Punch were tested, with both of these strains tasting floral and very smooth on the exhale. The amount of vapor from one hit is significant but not overbearing.

DISTILLATE CARTRIDGES BY AIROPRO AiroPro distillate cartridges are compatible

CARTRIDGES BY GRASSROOTS The distillate and sauce cartridges

with the AiroPro vibrating battery, and can be found all over Maryland. We tried out the Black Mamba, Sunset Sherbet, and Berry Gelato cartridges. Our favorite was the Black Mamba, with Berry Gelato coming in close second. These cartridges provided a substantial rip and consistent flavor after a good amount of draws.

from Grassroots were delightful. We really enjoyed the Chem Valley Kush sauce cartridge, bursting with flavor due to its vast terpene profile. Using the East Coast Sour Diesel cartridge during the daytime gave me the drive I needed during a busy work day.

REVIEWS & PHOTOS BY WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT

THE CONCENTRATES ISSUE

You can press Hash using parchment, a MASH bag or another brand micron bag.

• • • • • • •

Gloves Forceps Scale MASH bags Parchment Dabber for collecting And a press

ROSIN

Preparation Kevin Hartman walks us through the steps to DIY. Turn on your machine, get ready to start heating and have all the products ready to go.

1

Turn the bag inside out using a pair of forceps, Why? it puts the seam on the inside of the bag and allows more oil to leave the bag in the pressing process and creates a cleaner separation, where the thread can potentially hold the oil in.

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2

Pack the bags, removing large stems and ending up with 0.3 to 0.5 gram nugs, aiming to pack the bag out evenly so that it squishes evenly and you get even expansion across everything. These 2x3’s have 4 grams, we run 4/20 grams of these. We tamp down the bud until it is a snug pack.

3

Placement. Generally we will fold

over the last bit of excess, and we place the bag directly on the center of the plates, so it slides into the plates and holds in place.

4

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First press. This is our manual setup, so you hand pump and follow the gauge, and with this manual press, we run up to 2,000 pounds per square inch, and that starts the process of mechanical separation, and starts the timer for exposure time. We gradually increase pressure every 15 seconds for about 45 seconds to one minute, to have peace of mind that everything has been extracted out, then release and pull out.

5

Remove bag immediately and peel off

6

Collect the material into a ball

parchment paper, then use a scraping tool to collect the Rosin from the parchment paper.

We use a skillet tool, but generally a good skinny flat pointed dabber or a Rosin stamp for collection works well.

through gentle pulling of the oil from the paper or mesh with a dab tool. If polishing is chosen, press the oil into a finer mesh and re-squish to polish If needed.

JUL. 2019

TECHNOLOGY HAS PUSHED THE EXTRACTION OF CANNABIS FORWARD WITH EXPENSIVE MACHINES, EXOTIC SOLVENTS AND METHODS REQUIRING MORE ADVANCED SCIENCE YEAR AFTER YEAR. BUT ROSIN IS A METHOD OF CANNABIS EXTRACTION THAT USES METHODS MUCH SIMPLER AND CLEANER THAN MOST SOLVENT P ROCESSES. ROSIN IS TOTALLY NATURAL AND USES ONLY HEAT AND P RESSURE. SO GET SQUISHING!

TEMPERATURE + BIG PRESSURE 200° F is the standard for Rosin, but can go down to 180F and as high as 220° F. The flower takes on 20 tons of pressure!

FACE-OFF OG RSO BY GRASSROOTS After a long day, one of the best ways to eliminate physical and mental pain is with a nice dose of RSO. We tried Grassroots RSO after a long weekend of hiking, and it took the pain and swelling down on my feet and ankles. Make sure you have some time to sleep in if you take RSO at night, because it was much needed the following morning.

of beneficial cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids that are successful in treating a huge variety of conditions.

It should only be made with pure alcohol, food-grade ethanol or grain alcohol, and should be properly purged of residual alcohol before ingestion. FECO should never be vaporized or dabbed because inhaling alcohol is bad for the central nervous system and the brain. When eaten, the alcohol is safe for use.

While FECO should be made available at a compassion rate, the average price is $25 to $50 per gram in most recreational dispensaries and it can go higher.

FECO pulls a wide range

FULL EXTRACT CANNABIS OIL (FECO), aka Rick Simpson Oil, is a pure Cannabis extract that has been used for decades to fight cancer along with many other diseases.

in the range of 40-70 percent THC, meaning it has 400-700 mg of overall cannabinoids present per gram. Often the oil comes in CBD-dominant, THC-dominant or 1:1 ratios of THC and CBD, or can have a cannabinoid blend specific to the strain it is extracted from. Dosing FECO begins with a drop of the oil the size of a grain of rice, and can be consumed raw or in a capsule form. To help common ailments and treatments of pain this dose size is a perfect starter, and can be built up from there to larger amounts.

FECO is often

RSO BY NATURE’S HERITAGE Arguably some of the most authentic medicine to have hit Maryland’s medical Cannabis market, RSO has helped so many people in so many ways. Nature’s Heritage was the first RSO I have ever tried, and continues to be my go-to when purchasing. Know what to expect with RSO, as a little bit can go a long way.

to treat cancer or other life threatening ailments, a more rigorous dosing protocol of FECO is recommended. This can mean up to a gram of oil or more a day, which is a dose that often comes with “Green Sickness,” which is an overwhelming response to the massive amount of cannabinoids the body is taking in. This can lead to anxiety, nausea and general discomfort, but it is also masking what is happening internally. The cannabinoids are going to work. Those interested in treating a terminal illness with FECO should look into dosing schedules that slowly build up tolerance, and ensure that they are prepared fully before starting a treatment plan. For those looking to receive more average condition medicinal benefits, starting small is always the best bet, because you can always eat a little more!

For those seeking

FECO/RSO

REVIEWS & PHOTOS BY WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT

PROCESSOR HIGHLIGHT

38

SAUCE

MELTING POINT EXTRACTS

LEAFNATIONMD.COM

M

elting Point Extracts (MPX) is no stranger to the Cannabis industry. The company started in Arizona about six years ago as a patient-to-patient program, which means exactly what you think. “There wasn’t any licensed growers or dispensaries involved, and as a patient you could grow up to six plants and provide other patients with your product,” explains Andrew Reich, head of sales. Since then a lot has changed - through a partnership with Health for Life they’ve expanded like wildfire, now operating all over the country. With 83 licenses in total, they are one of, if not the single most licensed entity in the industry.

MPX’s long history and vast growth in the Cannabis industry comes as no surprise when you actually get down to it and see the work that their teams put in, as well as the golden standards that they hold. “The biggest difference about MPX is that our medicine is made by patients, for patients.

The idea that we’re making medicine that we

JULY 2019

would personally want to medicate MPX puts in the extra time and effort “THE BIGGEST with, we take it very seriously, and that to ensure that. Material with a good DIFFERENCE goes across the board. We make sure terpene content is the gold standard ABOUT MPX there’s no cross-contaminating, we that results in the best effects, and IS THAT OU R make sure there’s no fibers in the air makes for a tasty product. “This hunt MEDICINE during our packaging process, we’re for THC content, it’s a false desire IS MADE BY in full scrubs all day every day, we that higher THC content will create PATIENTS, FOR don’t cut any corners and our product a more desirable product, and that’s PATIENTS.” reflects that,” said Reich. The immense crazy to me. High THC doesn’t attention to detail from start to finish necessarily mean that the bud is that the MPX team puts in certainly shows in the good quality, and it’s scary because it’s leading to premium products that they create. pheno-hunting that’s going to keep getting further Making the highest quality concentrates is a and further away from terpenes, and then there’s very delicate process that requires not only atno medicine anymore,” reflected Reich. tention to all the small details, but also love and Getting the material tested properly is also care along the way. The love and care is MPX’s a big key to the process, and through working way of life - Reich is always on the go, either out with Pinnacle to do their testing, they ensure that in the community at events getting feedback, or the product they desire is what they get. As lead on site at grow facilities trying to find the best extractor Max Nostrand commented, “Pinnacle is starting products that the state has to offer. You great. They have very high standards and they’re have to start with the best to make the best, and very transparent with their business. They’re willing

to reevaluate strains if something seems off with the results.”

MPX’s highlights are their diamonds and sauce, truly setting them apart from the competition. “There are certain ways extractors can go head-to-head and compete with each other, and nothing displays the results from certain methodologies and procedures better than making diamonds,” Reich said. When it comes down to the processing of the diamonds, the mastermind Max Nostrand is at the top of his game, producing some of the tastiest looking products on the market. Reich, Nostrand and the rest of the team are looking forward to a phase two expansion in the near future, which will increase their facility space significantly and allow them to segue into creating more new products, while continuing to pump out the hottest concentrates around.

When it comes to a high standard, and putting out a consistently top shelf product, MPX gets the job done. As Reich summarized, “We didn’t get into Cannabis because there’s money to be made - we got into it because we love it!

We’re all very passionate about it. I make my living working with Cannabis and it’s amazing.”

MELTING POINT EXTRACTS’ TEAM IS LOOKING FORWARD TO A PHASE TWO EXPANSION IN THE NEAR FUTU RE.

DISTILLATE CARTRIDGES

HEAD OF SALES AND LEAD PROCESSOR SAUCE

CARTRIDGE FILLING

CBD DISTILLATE

SLAB

STORY BY MATTHEW NEWTON @JIMMYNEWTRONNN | PHOTOS BY WYATT EARLY@ERRLYWYATT

MELTINGPOINTEXTRACTS.COM

dysco’s corner

musings from a parent & cannabis consumer FOR ALL YOU CHILD SAFETY ACTIVISTS OUT THERE, LET ME STATE THAT I CAN TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WANTING TO PREVENT TODDLERS FROM BEING ABLE TO UNDO MOMMY’S BOX OF JOINTS.

40

leafnationmd.com

“SCREW IT, MOM,” I’m smashing it with the hammer,” I lisped while spitting through the thousands of tiny shreds of industrial strength adhesive tape clinging to my teeth. Using my fingers only resulted in leaving a sticky trail on everything else I touched. Perhaps air pressure was the answer?

Executing my best yoga open mouth exhale, while force tonguing the last bits of plastic through my lips, I accidentally lost all my breath. And in a momentary lapse of reason, I overcorrected with an emergency inhale through my mouth - sucking the last ragged strips of super tape into the back of my throat. My 77 year-old mother looked at me dead eyed and shook her head.

Meanwhile, the devil’s strips stuck to the back of my throat started gathering into the mother of all adhesive hair balls. My mother smiled knowingly while I started gagging, and mistaking my choking for silence, she took it as her cue to spread her wisdom. “Wait,” she paused and expertly delivered the ubiquitous exasperated mothers’ sigh. Reaching into her Vera Bradley tote, she pulled out a long silver crochet needle which looked like it had been sharpened to prison shank sharpness.

JUL. 2019

“Let’s try this first. Give it to me.”

I handed her the source of our exasperation - a four inch plastic aqua and black child proof plastic container - supposedly employed to keep Cannabis out of the hands of children. However, today, we had a real overachiever on our hands, as this particular box was currently also doing a heroic job protecting the Cannabis pre-rolls within from the arthritic fingers desperately trying to get it out.

Across the granite countertop, my mother was smiling in pre-stab position, sunlight glinting off the needle clutched in her hands. Frankly, I thought she looked a little too, umm, eager. “Mom, why do you have that?” I asked. “You don’t know how to crochet.”

“Well,” she whispered as if Alexa was listening. “They had a self defense program at the senior center, and apparently in the proper hands, a needle like this can be very useful in fending off Bill Cosby types.”

Had Alexa been watching, as well as listening, while my mother and I struggled to use all our advanced degrees to open that trickster box, she would have seen us come completely undone - pushed over the edge by our inability to free the Cannabis. What had begun as a need to soothe my back pain had, at this point, morphed into the need for something to seriously chill me out.

“Tricky Grassroots, I got your number now,” I thought as I spit more tape into the sink.

Peering through her readers, my mother did her best to scrape off the rest of the devil strips using her self-defense weapon. Twenty minutes into this task, the stubborn box remained locked and covered in shreds of adhesive. For all you child safety activists out there, let me state that I can totally understand wanting to prevent toddlers from being able to undo Mommy’s box of joints. But permit me to state the obvious: When two college graduates are breaking out the straight razor in their attempt to free the sliding grooves from their super glue prison, perhaps the marketing department should rethink their adhesive choices.

Squinting at the box, she said, “It looks like there’s a diagram here, but it’s etched into the back and I can’t see it clearly.” When held in the proper light, we could make out an etched diagram which made IKEA instructions look obvious. It seemed counterintuitive, but apparently, we were supposed to be pushing and pulling at the same.

But our arthritic fingers just couldn’t get enough pressure to open the box, hence the hammer and knitting needle.

“Hmmm,” she paused before delivering her observation. “This was obviously designed by 20-something hipsters.”

As my mother delicately tapped the aqua pressure latch with the knitting needle and hammer, I heard her muse delicately, “Perhaps we should ask one of the children?” Her timid whisper voiced the question which three years ago would have been considered by both of us to be unthinkable, unimaginable, totally VERBOTEN. Should we ask one of my teenagers how to open the childproof box of joints? What would you do?

SUBMITTED

to MARYLAND LEAF

Experience Fruitopia.

Look for E Blunt in Colorado, Washington and Alaska.

At this time we are only offering our products to licensed distributors. If you would like to be a processor/distributor in your area please contact: rob@eblunt.com (907) 351-8207

eblunt.com @ ebluntvapes Facebook/ Twitter/ Instagram

RECIPES

HELLO JULY! AND GREETINGS TO ALL THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE, FRESH AND FRUITY GOODNESS IT BRINGS! THIS MONTH WE’RE FEATURING A RECIPE SELECTION RANGING FROM THE PATRIOTIC TO THE PLANT-BASED, BRINGING THEM ALL TOGETHER WITH, OF COURSE, AN INFUSION OF CANNABIS. I LOVE MY COUNTRY AND MY CANNABIS, AND NOW MORE THAN EVER WE NEED SOME INFUSED GOODIES BRINGING US TOGETHER. #DONTFEARTHEEDDIBLE

RASPBERRY WHIP & CHIPS Serves 4-6

1 ½ cups nonfat Greek vanilla yogurt, drained in cheesecloth or fine strainer over a bowl overnight 1-2 tablespoons honey 2-4 tablespoons orange juice 1-2 tablespoons canna-oil, melted and cooled 2 teaspoons vanilla 10 ounces raspberries, fresh or frozen, pureed 1/3 cup chocolate chips

“POTRIOTIC” RED, WHITE AND BLUE STUFFED ANGEL FOOD CAKE Serves 12

1 cup sifted cake flour (not self-rising) 1 1/2 cups sugar 12 large egg whites 2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest 1 tablespoon orange juice 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 cups sliced berries 2 teaspoons sugar 2-4 tablespoons melted canna-butter or canna-oil 12 small scoops vanilla low fat ice cream

1. Place the yogurt in a large bowl.

Add the honey, orange juice, infused oil and vanilla. Stir well to combine.

2. Using a spatula fold in the raspberry puree and chips, creating swirls.

Divide the mixture between 4-6 glasses or bowls.

42

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with rack in lower third of oven. Sift flour and 1/2 cup sugar into a bowl.

2. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until frothy, about one minute. Add orange zest and juice, cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt. Continue whisking until soft peaks form, about 2 1/2 minutes. With mixer running, gradually add remaining cup of sugar.

3. Increase speed to medium-high. Continue whisking until firm, not stiff, peaks form - about two minutes.

Sprinkle whites with 1/3 of the flour/sugar mixture.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold to combine.

Sprinkle remaining flour/sugar mixture over whites in two additions. Gently fold to combine.

leafnationmd.com

4. Transfer batter to a 10-inch angel food cake pan with legs. Gently run a knife through the center of the batter to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.

MANGO ME Serves 2

**MANGO, WHICH IS FULL OF THE TERPENE MYRCENE, IS KNOWN TO WORK IN CONCERT WITH THE MYRCENE IN SOME CANNABIS STRAINS TO ENHANCE YOUR HIGH!

JUL. 2019

1 cup coconut milk, almond or soy 1 cup fresh or frozen mango chunks 1 large avocado, pitted peeled and tossed w/ 2 tablespoons lime juice 2/3 cup fresh pineapple cut in chunks 1-2 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons canna-coconut oil

1. Place all ingredients in blender.

Blend on low to start, then crank up to medium high to finish. Enjoy!

5. Remove pan from oven, and invert onto its cooling legs. If your tube pan doesn’t have legs, invert it over the neck of a wine, or similarly shaped, bottle to cool. Let cool, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Run a knife around the inner and outer edges of cake to remove. Invert onto a serving platter. Use a knife to separate cake from bottom of pan. Let cool on a wire rack.

Unfrosted cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to two days.

6. Place the cake on your work surface. Carefully, with a serrated knife, cut the cake two inches from the top. Scoop out the cake creating a well, but keeping the sides intact.

7. In a bowl, combine the berries with the sugar and the canna-butter or oil. Place the ice cream in the dug out cake, along with the berries. Place the top on the cake and serve.

RECIPES by LAURIE WOLF | PHOTOS by BRUCE WOLF

EVERMORE

DISCOS

TM

TM

TM

• Made with Full Extract Cannabis Oil (FECO) • FECO contains pure cannabinoids & the full entourage of cannabis compounds • FECO is the most effective way to deliver all of the healing properties of cannabinoids and terpenes Patients report success with: sleep, anxiety, well-being, calming and general relaxation.

• Ingredients: raspberry juice blend, honey, gelatin, organic cane sugar, lemon juice, FECO, citric acid, potassium sorbate, organic MCT • No artificial flavors, preservatives, or colors

For use only by qualifying patient.

Ceramic Cell technology allows for the efficient use of Evermore’s tasty, high-quality distillate. 200+ large efficient puffs per battery charge.

Quality you can trust, value you can count on!

EXCLUSIVE FLAVORS Clementine • Grapefruit Cherry Pie Uncle Purple • Gelato Citrus Kleaner-infused sauce cart (20% Terp Sauce, 80% Distillate) GS CBD (2:1) flavored with GSC terps Each Pod = .5g

www.evermorecompany.com

© 2019 All Rights Reserved. Evermore Cannabis Company

STONEY BALONEy

44

The Drunchies

leafnationmd.com

Remember that movie where the guy is dying of thirst in the desert and he keeps thinking that he sees water up ahead, but it’s only a mirage? Well, that is what your brain is doing when it tells you that if you drink more alcohol, you’ll feel better. And be more amazing. And be a more amazing singer. You know how it works; the progression casually begins at Friday happy hour with a beer and a shot just to take the edge off - a reward for the tempest of horseshit you weathered all week.

Then things turn professional with more pints before throwing all caution to a stiff wind with the kind of reckless abandon that involves consecutive rounds of mystery shots with trendy names, followed by hard high fives and puckered faces. Inevitably, the evening will wind down with a large cocktail and another beer that goes half drank, before waving the proverbial white bar nap in staggering surrender. Your mind, body and spirit are separate entities now, clashing like titans, fueled in a paradoxical lather of physical imbalance. And a false sense of mental fortitude.

With your better sense of rationale completely disregarded and your level of sobriety stubbornly defended, you’re in no position at this point to make calculated decisions. Like whether to invest the $43 for an Uber ride home, or drive yourself. Or whether to provoke an argument with another drunk person, or your significant other. Or whether to provoke an argument with your drunk significant other. Or whether it’s a good idea to eat. And eat a lot. This is called the Drunchies.

Be it the Denny’s Grand Slam loaded with maple syrup and a banana split chaser, a super-sized Big Mac meal accentuated by dubious packets of ketchup and a crushed Oreo McFlurry, or a fully loaded bacon wrapped street dog - a liquor induced feeding frenzy is a recipe for a boiling volcanic cauldron.

Note: Under no circumstances should this condition ever be confused with the munchies.

JUl. 2019

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