Oct. 2020 — Maryland Leaf

THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE

THE HEMP ISSUE!

F R E E / L E A F N AT I O N M D . C O M

# 2 2 | O C T . 2020

GREEN VALLEY GROWERS INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010

STILL GROWING.

As greenhouse expansion continues, the safety of SunMed’s team and patients remains our first priority.

SETTING THE STANDARD FOR CLEAN, NATURAL AND SUSTAINABLE MEDICAL CANNABIS CULTIVATION.

SUNMEDGROWERS.COM

Medical cannabis is for use only by a qualifying patient. There may be health risks associated with the consumption of cannabis or cannabis products. There may be additional health risks associated with the consumption of cannabis or cannabis products for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

oct. 2020

ISSUE 22 7 EDITOR NOTE 10 NATIONAL NEWS 12 HEMP LAW 14 HIGHLY LIKELY 16 BUDTENDER Q&A 18 PATIENT PROFILE 20 LIVE RITE CBD 24 STRAIN OF THE MONTH 28 GREEN VALLEY GROWERS 30 CBD PRODUCT GUIDE 34 CBD FOR PETS 36 RED TAPE JUNGLE 38 SPOOKY STONED 40 CONCENTRATE OTM 42 CANNTHROPOLOGY 44 DYSCO’S CORNER 46 STONEY BALONEY ISSUU.COM/NWLEAF

WYATT EARLY

4

20 SHOP REVIEW

BRUCE WOLF

THE 28 HEMP ISSUE!

38 CANNABIS RECIPES LEARN HOW TO GET SPOOKY STONED

WORLD OF CANNABIS MUSEUM

leafnationmd.com

LIVE RITE CBD’S EPIC SELECTION

in THE HEART OF BALTIMORE, WE TOUR THE HEMP FARM OF GREEN VALLEY GROWERS. and learn how THEIR FAMILY BUSINESS CONTINUES TO GROW.

STORY by BAXSEN PAINE @BAXSENPAINE | PHOTOS by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT/MARYLAND LEAF

42 CANNTHROPOLOGY EXPOSING POT PROPAGANDA OF YORE

Must be 18 years or older to view content. Medical cannabis is for qualifying patient use only.

Dispensing wellness daily.

Every time you visit True Wellness you’ll be surprised by all our cannabis products to help with your well-being We know what you’re looking for & hope to impress you with: • Fresh flower, pure concentrates, state-of-the-art vapes and yummy edibles • Sincere and caring staff who love to listen • Pure, tested products at affordable prices Come see for yourself and spread the word!

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9/9/20 2:43 PM

E S TA B L I S H E D 2 0 1 0

T H E E N L I G H T E N E D VO I C E

N O RT H W E S T L E A F / O R EG O N L E A F / A L AS KA L E A F / M A RY L A N D L E A F / CA L I F O R N I A L E A F / N O RT H E AS T L E A F

A B O U T T H E C OV E R

“As we strolled through the fields of Green Valley Growers’ hemp farm, we were constantly greeted by various forms of wildlife. These geese seemed to be living in synchronicity with the hemp and people on the farm. Between the lakes, trees, and abundance of hemp, this farm really made me feel at home as a Marylander.”

PHOTO & WRITEUP by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT

CONTRIBUTORS

FOUNDER & EDITOR

Bobby Black, features Joshua Boulet, illustration Heather Dagler, features Amanda Day, photography Max Early, reviews Steve Elliott, national Taylor Martin, features Matthew Newton, features Baxsen Paine, features Jeff Porterfield, design Mike Ricker, features Pacer Stacktrain, features Nate Williams, reviews Bruce & Laurie Wolf, recipes Barron Wolfe, reviews Alex Workman, features

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

PUBLISHER EARLY early@LeafNationMD.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Daniel bermaN | visuals & design daniel@bermanphotos.com

ADVERTISING 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. Email or call to discuss advertising.

CONNECT WITH MARYLAND LEAF @MDLEAF

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WES

ABNEY

Editor’s Note Jack Herer once said, “I don’t know if hemp is going to save the world, but it’s the only thing that can.” Before his death, the activist, author and foreteller of things to come became convinced that hemp was the most important plant in our battle against climate change. Sitting here in Seattle after a week-and-a-half of wildfire smoke, in the middle of a pandemic, I have to say that my hope in hemp has been fully renewed.

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Hemp is a bioremediator plant, meaning it takes bad chemicals, unwanted nutrients and heavy metals out of the soil, while returning healthy nutrients and phytochemicals that are needed for the soil to live. Yes, soil is alive – and hemp is also the only crop that can be grown year round, as it gives back to the soil and doesn’t need to be rotated. Why does this matter? It’s the reason that hemp is planted at both Chernobyl and Fukushima, where nuclear radiation has poisoned the soil, water table and overall environment. Hemp is able to clean the soil, while also processing CO2 from the air, making THANKS FOR PICKING UP it essential to the cleanup effort at these most disastrous of places.

THE HEMP ISSUE Hemp can also make wonderful fibers for clothing and paper, is able OF THE LEAF! to be turned into compostable plastics, makes amazing building materials, and can be integrated into almost every single aspect of industrial work. Not to mention the abundance of CBD that we as humans need, which can be introduced into animal feeds via hemp-based nutrition.

The only real question I have is this: Why aren’t we turning to hemp to save the planet? One hundred years ago when Hearst and DuPont hatched a plan to demonize the plant, they set in motion a century of plastics, paper burning and environmental destruction. Today it is our duty to undo the damage and correct what we can, while we can. If we want our grandchildren and future generations to have the ability to live in harmony with the Earth, we must take action.

Climate change is real and the effects are being felt around the planet.

So, how can we help? Ask for hemp milk when you get a latte, or for hemp options at your local clothing outlet. Look for hemp products when you search online – algorithms dominate our technical world and demand leads to integration. If you have a yard, plant hemp! And look to hemp seeds for nutrition – they’re really good for you, and the planet.

A decade ago, I began the Leaf to tell the truth about Cannabis, which I believe will help save our species from the over-prescription of pharmaceuticals and a general disconnect with medicine, healing and the right to feel good. Today, I feel that the battle for our planet – and hemp – is the most important one we have. If we want to have a future free from smoke, chemicals and plastics, hemp is our only option. And what a wonderful one it is!

So please enjoy this issue, share it with friends, and look for ways to use hemp in your life as a consumer and activist. Together, we can change the world – and feel good while we do it.

-Wes Abney OCT. 2020

High Marylanders: Your guide to cannabis retailers brands products savings strains news education doctors Visit weedmaps.com or download the app

NATIONAL NEWS

politics

northwest

BIDEN-HARRIS PLEDGE FEDERAL CANNABIS DECRIMINALIZATION

WASHINGTON STATE’S MARIJUANA ODOR TASK FORCE MAY BE FIRST

C

alifornia Senator and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris has put Cannabis policy on the ticket’s agenda as an issue for the November presidential election.

Harris promised that she and former Vice President Joe Biden would “THIS IS NO TIME FOR HALFdecriminalize Cannabis.

STEPPIN’. THIS IS NO TIME FOR Harris announced the position at a virtual town hall in September.

INCREMENTALISM,” HARRIS SAID. “Under a Biden-Harris administration, we will decriminalize the use of marijuana and automatically expunge all marijuana-use convictions and end incarceration for drug use alone,” Harris said. “This is no time for half-steppin’. This is no time for incrementalism,” she added.

“We need to deal with the system and there needs to be significant change in the design of the system.”

The Biden-Harris position on Cannabis is “encouraging” and shows momentum for marijuana reform at the federal level, according to Steven Hawkins, Executive Director of the Marijuana Policy Project.

east coast

PENNSYLVANIA’S FARMERS WILL GROW BETTER POT THAN NEW JERSEY’S, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SAYS

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ennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf called on state lawmakers to bring him a bill legalizing Cannabis and directing the revenue to disadvantaged businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. He also urged restorative justice as a priority for communities harmed by marijuana criminalization, reports the Philly Voice.

PA Lt. Gov. In September, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman took it to the next Fetterman level, stressing that delaying marijuana legalization could put the state at “THE GOVERNOR AND I THINK OUR LEGAL MARIJUANA IS a disadvantage if New Jersey gets a headstart by going first.

BETTER. WE THINK OUR FARMERS “New Jersey is going to vote to legalize marijuana, and 40 percent WOULD GROW BETTER LEGAL MARIJUANA THAN NEW JERSEY. of the population will live within a 30-minute drive or less of legal WE THINK WE SHOULD REAP THE marijuana,” Lt. Gov. Fetterman said at the Capitol. “The governor and BENEFITS, NOT NEW JERSEY.” I think our legal marijuana is better. We think our farmers would grow better legal marijuana than New Jersey. We think we should reap the benefits, not New Jersey.”

New Jersey residents will vote on a legalization referendum on November 3. Recent polls suggest the measure will pass. A push to legalize Cannabis in the New Jersey Legislature narrowly failed last year.

RACIAL DISPARITIES PERSIST IN ARRESTS DESPITE WASHINGTON, D.C. LEGALIZATION

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early 90 percent of people arrested for Cannabis-related crimes in Washington, D.C. were Black between 2015 and 2019, although African Americans only make up 45 percent of the city’s population. Weed has been legal in D.C. for five years now. But racial bias is still quite prevalent in marijuana related arrests in the nation’s capital, according to an analysis of police records by The Washington Post.

MULTIPLE STUDIES HAVE Multiple studies have shown comparable rates of Cannabis use among SHOWN COMPARABLE RATES OF white people and Black people.

CANNABIS USE AMONG WHITE PEOPLE AND BLACK PEOPLE. D.C. voters in 2014 approved Initiative 71, a ballot measure permitting possession of up to two ounces of marijuana by adults 21 and older. The initiative also allowed adults to gift up to an ounce of weed to other adults, and for the home cultivation of up to six plants.

0

is the amount of THC in the strain Cannabis America, according to Orlando, Florida-based Bazelet Oglesby.

oct. 2020

15

grams is the amount allowed in a legalization bill currently being considered in Israel.

89

percent of Cannabis consumers said they’ve received marijuana through delivery services during the pandemic.

550

percent is the incredible growth rate of Cannabis ‘subscription boxes’ on the service Cratejoy.

W

ashington State’s Marijuana Odor Task Force is believed to be among the first in the U.S. to examine an issue that has already caused lawsuits targeting the Cannabis industry. The state is seeking an outside expert, reports Marijuana Business Daily, to advise regulators on the possible impact of Cannabis odors on human health.

Other agricultural businesses, of course - prominently among them livestock and poultry farms - are well acquainted with odor issues and public complaints.

Many Washington state Cannabis OTHER AGRICULTURAL BUSINESSES ARE WELL businesses are reluctant to accept yet more ACQUAINTED WITH regulations. But with some opponents of ODOR ISSUES AND the marijuana industry weaponizing legal PUBLIC COMPLAINTS. maneuvers, companies can be tied up in costly lawsuits before they know what hit them.

The request for proposals for the project, titled “Marijuana Odors and Emissions Detection and Research,” went out August 10, according to the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board. The state is seeking a vendor that can detect and report on odors from licensed marijuana companies, and then determine whether the smells are potentially harmful to those who live or work near producers or processors.

WASHINGTON STATE WARNS CANNABIS BUSINESSES ABOUT TEXT MESSAGING SCAM

T

he Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) has alerted Cannabis businesses about a text-based scam that has, over the past year, taken in a number of shop employees.

The scam, called a ‘Fire Extinguisher Scam,’ entails contacting employees through text message using spoofed phone numbers, reports Big Country News. The text appears to be SCAMMERS TYPICALLY TELL STORE EMPLOYEES coming from the store owner’s attorney or THAT A ‘GOVERNMENT even the owners themselves, according to INSPECTOR’ IS ABOUT TO COME TO THE STORE the LCB. TO VERIFY THE FIRE Scammers typically tell store employees EXTINGUISHERS ARE IN that a ‘government inspector’ is about COMPLIANCE. to come to the store to verify the fire extinguishers are in compliance. The scammer will then have the employee send photos of the extinguishers, exit signs, business licenses and other regulatory items. Through a series of text messages, the victim is asked to bring a large amount of money to a location, where it’s handed off to someone the employee does not know.

$1.2m

was the cost of an eight month licensing delay, according to Massachusetts dispensary Northeast Alternatives.

$57m

in venture capital funding was received by Cannabis companies between July 1 and mid-September.

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

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Cannabis LAW

began to offer crop insurance programs to hemp farmers, thereby reducing the risk to producers and providing ready access to capital.

It also provided assurances to the banking industry to convince them to develop guidance regarding deposits and lending to hemp operations. Furthermore, the 2018 Farm Bill vested authority to cultivate hemp in the departments of agriculture for the various states, tribal governments and the USDA. Under the new law, states and tribes were required to submit to the USDA plans for cultivating hemp commercially, which included provisions for maintaining information about the land where hemp is cultivated, for measuring the levels of THC, for disposal of non-conforming plants (containing over .3 percent THC), and procedures to ensure compliance with these new rules. All plans were required to be approved by the USDA.

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Is hemp the next big agricultural commodity?

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On

SEPT. 4, 2020, the USDA announced that it would reopen the comment period for domestic hemp production for an additional 60 days. Two particular regulations are at the center of this industry revolt: One that requires labs testing farmers’ hemp to be registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). And one that would require disposal of hemp plants with non-compliant levels of THC to happen with law enforcement involved.

Despite the industry backlash, the new proposed regulations represent a significant step forward for the broad commercial normalization of hemp as an agricultural product.

When President Trump signed the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 into law two years ago, few people realized how this new law would speed the commercialization of hemp as an agricultural product. Prior to 2014, state and federal law had never differentiated hemp from Cannabis. While hemp had previously been lawfully cultivated for thousands of years for a variety of uses, it had languished as a crop ADOBE/KUDRYASHKA

leafnationmd.com

LTHOUGH the 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the list of controlled substances, it did not broadly legalize the widespread distribution and use of hemp and its derived products. The new law explicitly preserved the authority of the Food and Drug Administration to regulate products that contain Cannabis and Cannabis-derived compounds.

The FDA retained the authority to issue regulations allowing the use of such ingredients in food and dietary supplements, because of their status as pharmaceutical ingredients. The FDA treats such products as it does any other FDA-regulated products, regardless of whether the Cannabis or Cannabis-derived compounds are classified as hemp under the 2018 Farm Bill.

Under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, any product intended to have a therapeutic or medical since the early 1900s as a controlled substance use, and any product (other than a food) intended that could not be lawfully cultivated. to affect the structure or function of the body of In 2014, the hemp plant became the subject humans or animals, is defined as a drug. Cannabiof intense interest when Congress enacted the diol (CBD), a compound derived from the Cannabis Farm Bill, defining hemp as the plant Cannabis plant, has not been approved as a drug by the FDA sativa L. and any part of the plant with concenfor the treatment of any disease or condition. trations of THC no greater than .3 percent on a However, the FDA has approved one Cannadry weight basis. bis-derived and three Cannabis-related The new law authorized institutions drug products, which are only available Hemp became the of higher education and state departwith a prescription from a licensed subject of intense ments of agriculture to license the healthcare provider. There are no other interest when cultivation of hemp as part of a pilot FDA-approved drug products that contain program when authorized by state law Congress enacted CBD. for research.

The FDA is aware that some firms are the Farm Bill The 2018 Farm Bill paved the way marketing CBD products to treat diseases in 2014. for commercial hemp cultivation. It or for other therapeutic uses, and has removed hemp from the list of controlled subissued several warning letters to such firms. stances, thereby federally decontrolling hemp The FDA is also aware that several states have production in all States and Native American either passed laws that remove state restrictions on Tribes, unless prohibited by state or tribal law. the medical use of Cannabis and its derivatives, or It also prevented states from interfering in the are considering doing so. To date, the FDA has not interstate transport of hemp, including those approved a marketing application for Cannabis states and tribes where hemp production and for the treatment of any disease or condition - and sales were prohibited. As a result of the new thus, has not determined that Cannabis is safe and law, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) effective for any particular disease or condition.

Since 2008, Mike Rothman has counseled clients regarding Cannabis laws and regulations as the founder and principal of the Medical Cannabis Law Group and the Law Office of Mike Rothman in Rockville, Maryland. Mr. Rothman has testified on Cannabis laws and regulations before the Maryland House of Delegates, taught classes, and lobbied the federal government on behalf of patients and businesses. Mr. Rothman’s Law Office focuses on criminal defense, including use of the medical Cannabis defense.

oct. 2020

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

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highly likely

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

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CLIFF ROBINSON CLIFF ROBINSON WAS ONE OF THE MANY GREAT ‘CHARACTERS’ TO PLAY IN THE NBA’S GO-GO 1990S AND INTO THE 2000S. HOWEVER, A DEEPER DIG INTO HIS LIFE REVEALS A MAN WHO WAS FAR MORE THAN JUST AN ATHLETE.

leafnationmd.com

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obinson played for almost a decade for About that stint with the Blazers; Robinson the Portland Trail Blazers, and during was part of the team that was - to fans, at least these years with the team from 1989- affectionately referred to as ‘The Jail Blazers.’

1997, he made the playoffs almost every year.

There he earned the name ‘Uncle Spliffy’ (a During his time in the league, he scored derivation of his moniker ‘Uncle Cliffy’ better more points than some of the NBA’s greatest known to Blazers fans) from NBA writer Peter players, including Magic Vecesy, following numerous Johnson, Isaiah Thomas and suspensions due to Cannabis“I think Scottie Pippen, with Robinson related incidents while in the Cannabis will currently ranked 54th on the NBA. eventually be NBA’s all-time scoring list. He But there was nothing funny recognized was an excellent defensive about this label - in truth, player as well - making the many Blazers’ players were as a help NBA’s “All-Defensive Team” subject to racial profiling for athletes, twice during his career. by the Portland Police rather than a But while basketball was Department, most of the time hinderance.” something that Robinson was for Cannabis. supremely gifted at playing, it Unfortunately, due to this Cliff Robinson did not entirely define him as Robinson became a target for a person. law enforcement, resulting in a Robinson was a family man and he loved SWAT raid of his home.

Portland, so much so that he began moving his Post-NBA, Robinson became outspoken family and friends here shortly after starting his on his love for all things Cannabis. Once stint with the Trail Blazers in the late-1980s. legalization took hold, Robinson signed on as

oct. 2020

an ambassador for Pistil Point in the infancy of Oregon’s legal Cannabis industry.

Robinson became a fixture at Cannabis events in Portland, and spoke about how beneficial the herb can be medically especially for athletes. “[I want] to knock down the myth that athletes and Cannabis don’t mix,” Robinson told the Oregonian in 2017.

“I played 18 years in the NBA and I used Cannabis on and off along the way, and I didn’t have a problem. The more we continue to stay out in front of it in a positive way and continue to push being responsible with it, I think Cannabis will eventually be recognized as a help for athletes, rather than a hinderance.”

Robinson will always be remembered for his friendly personality and warm smile - and by many accounts, for his wonderful singing voice.

While Robinson’s passing away in late August 2020 after a long battle with lymphoma is a big loss for NBA fans and Blazers’ faithful, for the Cannabis industry, we lost a true leader.

By PACER STACKTRAIN for LEAF NATION

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interview

G OT A FAVO R I TE B U D TE N DE R ? TE L L US WH Y ! WYAT T @ LEA F NAT IO N M D . CO M

Omar Marshall MARYLAND LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH

HOW DID YOU R PERSONAL CANNABIS JOU RNEY BEGIN? GO AS FAR BACK AS YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE. While in college,

away from home for the first time, I had severe anxiety and depression. Many friends there suggested I try Cannabis.

After my initial aversion, I eventually did. This was in the early ‘90s and not only was Cannabis illegal in all 50 states, the negative stereotypes surrounding it were not only ubiquitous, but widely accepted as fact - me included. I was immediately ‘better’ after I inhaled my first joint. I didn’t have the education, nor training that I do now, but I knew instantly that Cannabis had just become a stable in my mental fortitude, as well as helped me come out of my shell more. I also figured out that Cannabis could also be used for more than just getting high, it can also heal.

WHAT DOES CANNABIS INSPIRE OR ENABLE YOU TO DO? This is the question I’m

asked a lot at work. I am a guitarist and musician, and have been for more than 25 years. So much of my art is inspired by creative sparks. It can happen at any moment if I’m in the right ‘mental’ space. I’ve discovered many Cannabis products to be extremely instrumental in this creative spark. That creative spark has even manifested its way into my Cannabis world as well, as I’ve taken to reviewing MD’s finest flower and concentrates at @omars_dabratory on Instagram. It’s just something fun to do and keeps me up on great new products.

DOES CANNABIS INSPIRE YOU TO PICK UP THE GUITAR? Man, HELL YES! Haha, absolutely

does. Now, I’m a self proclaimed guitar addict - I don’t need a lot of prodding to grab my axe. However, if I smoke the right strain - like a psychedelic GSC or an energizing sativa like Poochie Love - I’m almost surely going to be running scales up and down my guitar neck. I find Cannabis to be a match made in heaven for me and my guitar playing, specifically pinene/terpinolene/limonene high-terp flower for the mood upliftment and focus.

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WHEN REVIEWING CANNABIS FLOWER OR CONCENTRATE, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU LOOK FOR? Whether

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concentrate or flower, I look for an energizing terpene profile.

This means I like a lot of a/b pinene, terpinolene, and I love limonene. I also look for as much THCv and humulene as I can. This cannabinoid/terpene combo has been shown to not only help level out my blood sugar levels from Type 2 diabetes, but also helped me lose about 60 pounds by helping curb my appetite. I also like a nice ‘funk’ or bouquet.

If my mouth waters when I smell it, it’s probably a winner.

“IF MY MOUTH WATERS WHEN I SMELL IT, IT’S PROBABLY A WINNER.”

OMAR IS A BUDTENDER AND PATIENT who brings the funk to True Wellness Aberdeen. It always helps when your budtender has tried almost everything in the store and Omar is definitely that guy. In his words, he is a “Cannabis enthusiast giving my unsolicited opinion on buds and dabs here in Maryland.” Check out his dozens of product reviews on a weekly basis on Instagram @omars_dabratory and be sure to chat with him next time you’re in True Wellness.

TRUE WELLNESS ABERDEEN | 226 S PHILADELPHIA BLVD, ABERDEEN, MD @OMARS_DABRATORY | MDTRUEWELLNESS.COM

oct. 2020

WHAT SETS TRUE WELLNESS APART FROM OTHER DISPENSARIES? WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT WORKING HERE?

Aside from the super knowledgeable and passionate staff and management, something that continues to impress me is the progressive hiring and training I see within this organization.

Over a year and a half ago, in my long journey to get into this industry, I literally went on over a dozen interviews and visited and researched about 25 or so dispensaries. I saw very few POC working in these dispensaries and saw even fewer of them in management. Only two dispensaries that I interviewed at had a POC sitting on the other side of the interview desk.

One of them was True Wellness.

As a Black man, it is very important to me that this industry gives opportunity to a community that I feel has disproportionately been negatively affected by archaic Cannabis laws.

Since being at True Wellness, I’ve seen many POC get hired, promoted and trained for future success. When we expanded our brand, the first GM they hired was a POC. The second expansion, AGAIN, they hired a POC. I’ve also been promoted as well. I am extremely proud to work for a company that provides equal opportunity for advancement for all - if you put in the work.

STORY by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT/MARYLAND LEAF | PHOTO by TRUE WELLNESS

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PATIENTS OF THE MONTH leafnationmd.com

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James Vinson + Michelle Ball

Oct. 2020

STONER LOVE STORY & PHOTOS by BAXSEN PAINE @BAXSENPAINE for MARYLAND LEAF

From sharing the breakroom at Kohl’s to insisting on packing hand-trimmed bowls, James Vinson and Michelle Ball have created a romance that sounds like a pilot for a good sitcom.

J

ames, a 26-year-old native of Silver Springs, has been dating Michelle, 23, for almost three years.

Their relationship began as co-workers in 2017, but blossomed into a budding romance with time.

“I actually used to buy Cannabis off her before she was my girlfriend,” he laughed. “We knew each other for a year before I finally convinced her to date me.”

“Well, I was dating somebody else at the time,” she chuckled.

“But [James] was my work husband. He’s the one I’d come to with “doesn’t chase THC percentages.” Michelle agreed, noting that she is all my problems.” quick to ascertain what method of intake - smoking, vaping, edibles, Michelle, an Arizona transplant, still maintains the ability to sell topicals, etc. - is best for each particular patient. Together, they have James marijuana, though she is proud to have made the transition created an Instagram account (@bluntlyraw) to help provide product from breaking bad to marketing medicine. reviews for fellow patients, listing the specifics of each batch.

Both Michelle and James work as patient care specialists, serving “A lot of times as budtenders, we get asked what we’re smoking,” patients in accordance with regulations set by the Maryland Medical James said. “So the page is just to show some love to the people and Cannabis Commission. Michelle is at Harvest in Rockville, while to show what strains we’re currently enjoying.”

James budtends at Mission Glenmont in his hometown.

“I wasn’t sure we’d get very far with it, but it’s been very rewarding,” In their first year of courting, the pair spent many nights attending said Michelle, noting they kicked off their IG adventures in February. pro-Cannabis events in Washington D.C., enhancing their love for “We’ve gotten a lot of patients to follow us and networked with a lot of the industry and prompting the initiative to seek out medical cards cool people. We’ve even gone on hikes with other dispensary agents.” in Maryland. After a few months of gaining an understanding of The page also highlights the nuances of their relationship, which took the market, James took the initiative, applied to Glenmont and was a step forward in December when they moved in together. Michelle hired in July of 2019. can often be seen with a blunt in hand, James with a Four months later, Michelle joined him, serving bong waiting to be lit.

MICHELLE CAN OFTEN patients just four miles away.

“I’m not big on blunts, but I love my bongs,” James “At Kohl’s, I was a visual - I would help people laughed. “We have five bongs and a few of them are BE SEEN WITH A pick out an outfit for the night,” she said. “Here, hers. I am definitely guilty of dirtying her bongs.”

BLUNT IN HAND, I’m helping people in a similar, but different way.

“Oh, it’s definitely a pet peeve,” Michelle smiled.

JAMES WITH A BONG I help pick out some Cannabis that may alleviate “But I’m sure he’s tired of me leaving my roaches your problems.” around.”

WAITING TO BE LIT. “I really care about our patients,” she Cannabis has brought the two together in a way continued. “A lot of people have a lot of issues neither of them have experienced in this life. that can be resolved and I want to help.”

“It’s really nice to have someone 100 percent there for you,” James James seconded that emotion, entering into a vision of Maryland said. “Ya know - someone who is not going to judge you on your Cannabis he hopes to see. consumption of Cannabis. I do smoke a lot, but it’s a lot of fun.”

“Getting into this industry, I love the patients, budtenders, the “We definitely smoke a lot together,” Michelle said, doubling down growers and the marketing reps I meet - they’re awesome,” he said. on the non-judgment. “But we don’t feel bad about the other and “But I’d like to see some of the independent social stoners taking there’s less stress on the relationship.” over. The people who run the industry aren’t necessarily as educated By day, they’re budtenders and Cannabis activists. By nightfall, as the staff.” they put their green capes down and pair up for whatever festivities Industry education is a priority for James, who hopes one day to will follow. Sometimes it’s bong-rip competitions or moon rock grow into the role of a social media specialist, where he can reach manifestations. Other times, it’s dabs and homemade dinners. patients from beyond the counter. James makes an effort to inform Either way, the journey is always together - James, Michelle and their patients on the role of terpenes in Cannabis, explaining that he dear friend, Mary Jane. Fo l l o w t h e m o n I n s t a g r a m @ b l u n t l y r a w

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SHOP REVIEW

FLOWER 5/5 When it comes to hemp

flower or any flower, deli style is a huge plus, as being able to see and smell the nugs before you purchase them helps you make an informed decision.

This store had several strains of top shelf hemp flower grown locally in Maryland. My favorite smelling strain was the Wife, which was available in both deli style and pre-roll form.

LIVE RITE CBD

CONCENTRATES 5/5 From shatter to isolate,

Live Rite has a solid lineup of dabbable CBD concentrates. Live Rite isolate with terpenes is also made in Maryland, with Cannabis derived terpenes only. They even have e-juice for vapes and many universal vape pen cartridges.

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EDIBLES 5/5 The edible offerings in

this store are nothing short of spectacular and unique.

Locally made Heady’s Honey, immune boost powder and lozenges are just a few of the items that you don’t see in every CBD store you step into. You can also expect to find all of the usual suspects like capsules, tinctures, teas, coffees and more.

ENVIRONMENT

leafnationmd.com

5/5 Something that really

puts this shop in a class above the rest is the education provided on site. The walls were covered with easy to understand informational guidelines for using CBD - from the various uses, to the ailments it can help with, to the science behind CBD itself - your questions will be answered here. Shoutout to the staff who were extremely helpful and knowledgeable about the product selection and ingredients.

9111 BELAIR RD SUITE B, NOTTINGHAM, MD (410) 870-3254 LIVERITETODAY.COM OPEN 10AM-6PM DAILY

oct. 2020

Live Rite CBD is a Maryland owned and operated store selling a massive variety of useful and innovative hemp derived CBD products. The Perry Hall location opened in December of 2019 and they have since opened another location in Belair. Owner Bobby Windsor takes pride in selling CBD products that are produced with Maryland grown hemp and Maryland made CBD extract. Another source of pride is undoubtedly patient education, which they achieve in concise fashion through clear and easy to understand graphics. That, coupled with knowledgeable and happy to help employees, makes this shop a knock out of the park.

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THE WALLS WERE COVERED WITH EASY TO UNDERSTAND INFORMATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR USING CBD - FROM THE VARIOUS USES, TO THE AILMENTS IT CAN HELP WITH, TO THE SCIENCE BEHIND CBD ITSELF...

LIVE RITE

300mg Vanilla CBD Lotion Another product produced right here in Maryland is Live Rite’s Vanilla Lotion. Packed with 300mg of CBD in an eight ounce bottle, this knocked out pain with ease. This lotion smells like a freshly baked vanilla cake, leaving my skin as smooth as silk.

300mg CBD | 8oz container

STORY & PHOTOS by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT/MARYLAND LEAF

Medical cannabis delivered to your door.

Call.

Order.

We deliver.

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Call 888.493.6066 by 3pm to place your order & receive it the same-day or schedule a delivery for a later date.

Speak to one of our Veri helpful customer service professionals to place your order.

Relax and wait for your medical cannabis to be delivered discreetly to your door.

Delivering to the greater Montgomery County area & surrounding suburbs. Free delivery for orders over $150.* Cannabis use is only for certified patients. Content is intended for viewers 18 or older. *Orders less than $150 will have $10 delivery fee. Limited numbers of same day deliveries each day. Scheduled deliveries are only available in the service area based on region of delivery. Please call 888.493.6066 to learn more. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider before starting any new treatment or discontinuing an existing treatment with medical cannabis. Talk with your healthcare provider about any questions you may have regarding your cannabis use. The information and materials provided to you by PharmaCann should not be used as a substitute for the care and knowledge that your physician can provide to you.

There may be health risks associated with the consumption of medical cannabis, consult your physician. ©2020 PharmaCann. All rights reserved.

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STRAIN OF THE MONTH

24

leafnationmd.com

available from

CBD PLUS USA TIMONIUM, MD

CHARDONNA CBDPLUSUSA.COM | @CBDPLUSUSA

oct. 2020

OUR FEATURED FLOWER SEARCH TOOK ME OUT OF THE MEDICAL DISPENSARIES AND OFF INTO THE HEMP FIELDS THIS MONTH.

LEFT ME IN A PLEASANT, CALMING MOOD THAT WAS MUCH EASIER TO MAINTAIN FOCUS WITH!

NAY HEMP

As you may or may not know, there are fields of hemp varieties all over Maryland, pumping out delicious, terpene-rich smells all across our beautiful state. The chosen cultivar, Chardonnay from CBD Plus USA, is a smoking gem that would make an excellent addition to your medical Cannabis regimen.

It is important to understand that though CBD does not make you high, these hemp flowers are still packed full of terpenes that can steer your mood or combine with medical Cannabis to further your entourage effect. I did a couple experiments by smoking the Chardonnay solo, and then mixed with THC flower in various ratios.

The terpene profile of the Chardonnay by itself produced a vibrant sativa effect - almost entirely beta-pinene with a slight caryophyllene and guiaol temper. As betapinene is the smoother and calmer of the two pinene terpenes, it is typically sought after by those seeking focused and clearheaded highs without the sometimes racy effect brought on by alpha-pinene. So, how does this effect translate without THC present? It left me in a pleasant, calming mood that was much easier to maintain focus with!

Smoking hemp CBD-rich flower typically has a very calming and relaxing sensibility that is noticeable, despite the fact that no high is achieved. It is an excellent way to take a break throughout the day and won’t inhibit your productivity, and indeed, this Chardonnay provided a clearer head after I smoked it. As someone with ADHD, focus is something I struggle with. My affinity for newness and fun things often pulls me away from my responsibilities and I maintain a daily struggle to be the best responsible adult I can be. Here, spending a day toking on some b-pinene rich hemp flower was super productive.

My aches and pains were eased, my anxieties were calmer, and my focus wasn’t drifting all over the place! On top of that, the guaiol/caryophyllene temper really added a spicy and fruity flavor to the smoke that was quite unique.

Upon mixing hemp flower with medical Cannabis in various ratios, I highly suggest you give it a try if you’re suffering from complex symptoms, seeking nuanced effects, or simply looking to make your Cannabis stretch a bit further. I found the pinene an excellent addition to the profiles I was smoking, with the addition of the CBD elevating the high and alleviating the symptoms.

TE R P E N E S / / 1 .1 9 % B - P I N E N E | .24 % CARYO P H Y L LE N E | . 15 % GU IAO L | . 0 4 % M Y RC E N E

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

FOR USE BY QUALIFIED PATIENTS ONLY

WANA’S MEDICAL SOUR CHEWS HAVE ARRIVED IN MARYLAND

These Vegan, Gluten-Free, All-Natural Sour Chews Come In A Variety Of Flavors, Ratios, And Terpene-Enhanced Blends HIGH-DOSE MEDICAL OPTIONS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE

Find Wana Near You At wanabrands.com

GREEN VALLEY GROWERS

the hemp issue

FA R M

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TOU R

At 93, Guido Piccinini moves well, spending his days aiding farmhands, fishing out of his own privately stocked ponds and even motoring the occasional tractor across his family’s Lutherville lands.

“Ehhh...I’m just old,” he said with a shrug and a smile, scuttling about Green Valley Growers - an industrial-sized hemp estate run by three generations of Piccininis.

Born into a village vineyard in Northern Italy, Guido left his native lands in 1967 to begin a new life in Montreal.

“At first, we don’t talk English, but we know how to say, ‘One beer! Ten cents!’” he laughed.

For 14 years, he and his wife Enrica worked tirelessly, amassing enough wealth to relocate to Maryland in 1982 and purchase the 34.4 acres of land Guido is in the midst of patrolling for a 39th season.

“He used to be out here from sunrise to about 10 o’clock at night,” said Mario Piccinini, one of Guido’s two sons.

“It keeps him young,” added his youngest son, Vincent Piccinini. “He’s 93 and he’s self-sufficient. He’s down here at 5:30 every morning and he has an agenda. He’s gotta get up and feed the chickens. He wants to go look at the hemp and make sure the plants are good. It inspires all of us.”

Like Guido’s ponds, the buildings on the estate are well-stocked.

Vincent runs the operation, overseeing production of 10 acres of hemp flower growth, while the remaining 24.4 acres maintains some of its previous roots in nursery growth (citrus, maple and birch trees). He estimates that the family is holding onto over 11,000 pounds of CBD flower between Lutherville and another operation on the Eastern Shore. Vincent says they are waiting for the market to “self-correct” and wants to find the partners who have the patients’ best interests at heart.

“A lot of good people are working together with state agencies, and we can make a home run here,” he said. “Let’s figure out how to help out the communities and the public in general.”

leafnationmd.com

G

reen Valley Growers began planting following the passage of a 2018 Maryland pilot program that allows the production, harvest and sale of industrial hemp.

In 2019, they began selling their product wholesale at a rate of $1000 per pound, but quickly found themselves being squeezed out of the market by sellers at $250-$300 per pound - which they saw as producing products of far less medicinal value. “It’s like the wild wild West,” Vincent said, decrying a lack of thorough testing.

To create a more consistent product, the Piccininis brought in Barry Pritchard of SunX Analytical. A longtime member of the pharmaceutical industry, Pritchard has made the leap into this new field, conducting analytical tests for CBD potency, THC contamination and moisture content.

He swears by the quality of Green Valley Growers’ products so fervently that he began putting out his own tinctures using their products.

“I’m a pharmaceutical-trained scientist, so we try to make products that we can make the same way every time,” he said.

GREEN VALLEY GROWERS @GREENVALLEYGROWERSHEMP

Oct. 2020

FAMILY BUSINESS

“I wanted to make something of myself.

To do that, you must work. Some people don’t like it, but I love to work.”

-GUIDO PICCININI

TAKING FLIGHT

PROCESSING EQUIPMENT

Pritchard believes CBD is the future of pain and anxiety management, and disputes the old adage of Cannabis as a gateway drug.

“It’s not the gateway to opioids,” he said. “It’s the gateway from the opioids. The gateway to it is pain, somebody’s medicine cabinet, somebody else’s medicine cabinet, heroin.”

Together, they’ve sold over 20,000 units and have enjoyed a plethora of positive feedback.

“That’s the fun part, when you hear that stuff,” Vincent said. “Money makes the wheel turn, but at the end of the day hearing that people say, ‘Thank you so much; my life is so much better,’ that’s more than money.”

It also puts a smile to Guido’s face, though he’s happy so long as he’s busy.

Enrica, his childhood sweetheart and family matriarch, passed away three years ago. Guido has mourned her loss each day, finding salvation the only way he knows how: work.

“Nobody give me nothing,” the 93-year-old said. “I wanted to make something of myself. To do that, you must work. Some people don’t like it, but I love to work.”

That work ethic is what has helped the Piccinini’s farms blossom from citrus to CBD, allowing for the family’s new foray into hemp.

“Growing up, our father always taught us to work hard,” Vincent said. “He taught us not to look back because you did the best you could in everything you did.”

STORY by BAXSEN PAINE @BAXSENPAINE | PHOTOS by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT/MARYLAND LEAF

THE HEMP ISSUE

** Hemp Hemp? That’s like, the cousin to Cannabis, right? Why do people buy that stuff?

It doesn’t even get you high!

As hemp increases in both popularity and legality year by year, we are hearing these types of comments more frequently.

30

The infamous Jack Herer was quoted as saying, “I don’t know if hemp will save the world, but it’s the only thing that can.” This incredible plant can be used to produce food, medicine, textiles, building materials, clothing, paper, biofuel, environmental remediation and literally thousands of other things.

There are more than 25,000 documented uses for hemp.

Likely the most diversely utilized plant on the planet, hemp has been a part of human history for millennia. Hemp cloth dating back to 8,000 B.C. has even been uncovered in ancient Mesopotamia, which is modern-day Iraq and Iran.

leafnationmd.com

Hemp matures in 90 days, removes toxins and heavy metals from its environment – both from the soil it’s planted in and the air around it – converts more carbon dioxide to oxygen per square acre than trees do, is naturally pest and mold resistant, and requires less water per acre than both cotton and trees to produce.

Pain Relief REVIEWS BY W YAT T E A R LY @ E R R LY W YAT T

CBD FOR LIFE TOPICAL SPRAY For quick and easy on-the-go pain relief, I always go to my CBD for Life topical spray. Sometimes when I’m on the road for long hours, my legs and back begin to tighten up. I chose this spray because it’s so easy to use and there’s zero messiness during application. I simply spray the area of my body that is experiencing pain, wait a few short seconds for it to dry, and I can move on with my day. I found that one to two sprays provided me with lasting pain relief. Another thing I really enjoyed about this product was the minty and sweet smell - which is important if you’re going to be spraying it on your body.

100MG | CBDFORLIFE.US

BIOSPECTRUM CBD PAIN RELIEF ROLL-ON

In this special Hemp Issue, we’re taking a look at where the hemp plant came from and where it is today, highlighting hemp products developed for a wide variety of uses, touring a craft-focused hemp farm, and sharing stories about how people have improved their lives with this literally Earth-changing herb.

Roll-on products can be a highly useful tool in managing your level of comfort. After a week of catching crabs on the shore my back was killing me, providing me with the perfect opportunity to test this product out. Within two minutes, the FDA approved lidocaine, menthol and camphor created a cooling sensation that soothed my pain. That’s when the broad spectrum CBD distillate had a chance to work its way into my body, providing me with lasting pain relief. Even on unusually painful days and nights, one morning application and one evening application definitely quelled any discomfort.

- N AT E W I L L I A M S @ N AT E W 4 1 5

1000MG | BIOSPECTRUMCBD.COM @BIOSPECTRUM.CBD

Today, hemp is federally legal via the Farm Bill of 2018. However, like Cannabis, each state, city and county have varying laws regulating the production, processing, and manufacture of hemp and hemp products.

oct. 2020

CBD product guide Finding Focus REVIEW BY BARRON WOLFE @BARRON.WOLFE

MAUI CBD COLLECTIVE AWAKENED MIND TINCTURE

R E V I E W S B Y W YAT T E A R LY @ E R R LY W YAT T

Helping Anxiety EXTREME TERPZ CBD SOFTGELS

MAX AND STEVEN’S FULL SPECTRUM CBD DROPS

The Hawaiian Indiginous Permaculture program is bringing ancient farming practices back to life in modern-day Maui.

Say aloha to Maui CBD Collective, one of the local Cannabis and superfood cultivators who align with these centuries old no-till grow methods and keep the traditions alive. To help find our focus, we tried Maui’s Awakened Mind 1000mg herbal supplement. The rad part about this pure tasting full spectrum MCTbased Cannabis tincture isn’t even the sungrown Maui Cannabis - it’s the Gotu Kola - an indengenious super-herb with more healing and cognitive enhancement properties than are currently known, harvested at a local monastery nearby and likely blessed by monks. Also worth mentioning, Maui CBD separately blesses all of their products before they ship them out. Google Gotu Kola and this brand - you will definitely want to try it.

1000MG CBD | MAUICBD.COM @MAUICBD

R E V I E W B Y M A X E A R LY @LIFTED_STARDUST

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>>

Over the past couple of years, I have become very familiar with the full product line from Extreme Terpz. These softgels have made their way to the top of my list, providing me with an immense amount of anxiety relief. I truly enjoy these versus many companies’ CBD capsules, primarily due to the fact that they are small and very easy to swallow. Creating a routine where I took two softgels every morning put me in a healthy and relaxed state of mind to begin my day.

This consistency also helped to build up the level of CBD in my system, arguably making the softgels and any other CBD product I ingest more effective.

One of the first things that comes to mind when I think about CBD are tinctures. With the wide array of tinctures available, it’s important to know exactly what is in yours.

Max and Steven’s is a trusted Baltimore brand that can put your mind at ease. They have certificates of analysis on every batch produced, which are publicly accessible on their website. To start I took half a dropper of the tincture and placed it under my tongue, allowing it to absorb fully. After 30-45 minutes, I began to experience noticeable anxiety relief. Coupled with a joint of medical Cannabis, this is definitely getting added to my morning routine.

With the help of East Fork Cultivars’ uplifting Sour Space Candy, Peak Extracts has used its proprietary Terp-Lock process to bring the industry a full spectrum CBD tincture that provides a substantial boost of energy. With a powerful blend of minor cannabinoids, flavonoids and rich in terpenes, consumers are rest assured that they are getting a well-rounded dosage of cannabinoids, including CBC. Are you tired of waking up feeling groggy?

Add a dropper or two of this tincture into your morning tea or lemon water to start your day on a high note - without the high! 2 OZ., 638MG, $60.00

10MG CBD | EXTREMETERPZCBD.COM

500MG | MAXANDSTEVENS.COM

PEAKEXTRACTS.COM @PEAKEXTRACTS_CBD

PEAK EXTRACTS SOUR SPACE CANDY TINCTURE

REVIEWS by LEAF NATION CONTRIBUTORS | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

THE HEMP ISSUE

CBD product guide

Furry Friends REVIEW BY NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415

VET CBD FULL SPECTRUM HEMP TINCTURE

32

Vet CBD is California’s premier infused pet products brand.

The company was founded by Dr. Tim Shu, a certified Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, who developed the brand and products behind it with the belief that all pet owners should have access to the therapeutic use of CBD. Drawing from his knowledge of veterinary medicine, he formulated the products to be safe and effective for use in animals.

The tincture features an olive oil base infused with American grown hemp oil and is packaged with a plastic syringe for precise dosing. The packaging itself has the directions and approximate doses appropriate for your pet’s weight clearly displayed on the rear of the box. Each batch is thoroughly tested for cleanliness and a QR code linking you to the product’s test results is available.

My 11 ½ -year-old Australian Cattle Dog x French Bulldog mix loves the taste and after a week of adding the oil to her dinner nightly, I decided to test her fondness for the product as best I could, given the fact she’s unable to orate her enjoyment of the tincture. So I pulled the appropriate dose given her weight into the syringe and called her over, and as soon as she smelled it, she began licking at the bottom of the syringe to get to the oil – lapping every drop up as I delivered her ‘treat’ – which is surely as positive of a review as a dog can give.

VETCBD.COM | @BYVETCBD

leafnationmd.com

R E V I E W B Y M A X E A R LY @LIFTED_STARDUST

SACRED HERB MEDICINALS BLUE LINE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY LOTION Well known for their OLCC licensed Cannabis products, Sacred Herb Medicinals uses a unique blend of 15 different herbs, essential oils, waxes and decarboxylated Cannabis to offer a wide variety of products with multiple application options. I highly enjoyed the effects of their Blue Line (CBD only) Anti-Inflammatory Lotion, which is ideal for applying to large areas after a long workout. After applying approximately two pumps of lotion to areas of concern, the pain and pressure rapidly subsided, leaving my muscles and joints fully relaxed. I no longer felt as sore and avoided having to take Ibuprofen or anything comparable. Sacred Herb Medicinals definitely works fast and absorbs completely into the skin, leaving your body very moisturized with no greasy residue left behind.

4 OZ., $34.00 | @SACREDHERBMEDICINALS.COM @SACREDHERBMEDICINALS

ECO SCIENCES ECODROPS RELIEF TINCTURE Combining a unique blend of terpenes and cannabinoids, including humulene, limonene, linalool, myrcene, terpineol, CBD, CBDV and CBC, Eco Sciences’ naturally flavored Relief tincture is a perfect addition to your protein shake after the gym. This 3,000mg tincture contains vitamin E, fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6, making this an ideal option for those looking for a CBD product that offers a wide variety of health benefits.

ECODROPS utilizes a full spectrum CBD, which is very beneficial for inflammation and muscle recovery. After a week of use, I felt a drastic improvement in my overall workout routine – having more energy and feeling less sore than ever before! ECOSCIENCES.COM | @ECOSCIENCESCO

Rest & Recovery REVIEW BY WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX

ENTANGLED BIOME PET WELLNESS TINCTURE

LEBLANC CNE HEMP TOPICAL & HEMP-INFUSED TINCTURE

Have you recently noticed your pet experiencing a loss of energy or a decrease in movement abilities?

Look no further, as Entangle Biome’s CBD Pet Wellness Tincture is sure to help give your furry friend an overall boost in their quality of life. After giving my dog, Astro, this tincture for the past year, I can confidently say I have seen a drastic improvement in his overall mood, health and happiness. Every morning when he gets fed, I give him a dropper full of tincture on top of his food and he scarfs it right down. With only two ingredients – organic sunflower oil and full spectrum hemp oil – it is no surprise that he loves taking his tincture just as much as I love taking mine in the morning!

Hemp for medicine should be grown with care and love, much like this thoughtfully produced hemp tincture. Organic and Oregon-grown, this product provides full spectrum cannabinoids, terpenes and the essence of full plant medicine in a sweet, slightly earthy tincture perfect for general or specific CBD goals. Unlike many tinctures made with hemp isolates from unknown sources, this farm-to-bottle relationship honors the plant, is pesticide-free and safe to consume for all ages with confidence. Hemp-based cannabinoids can also do wonders for the skin and muscles beneath, making roll-on topical oils beneficial for a variety of uses – from eczema to sore muscles and everything in between. Made with “ingredients we’d only serve our own mother,” this roll-on combines classic topical ointment ingredients using grapeseed oil, hemp and the hemp roots, lavender, linalool and myrcene. With an easy to use format and a light, non-greasy application, this topical is perfect for however you choose to use CBD on your body’s largest organ – the skin! LEBLANCCNE.COM

ENTANGLEDBIOME.COM | @ENTANGLEBIOME

oct. 2020

R E V I E W S B Y M A X E A R LY @ L I F T E D _ S TA R D U S T

REVIEWS BY DAN VINKOVETSKY @DANNYDANKOHT

Getting Intimate FORIA WELLNESS INTIMACY NATURAL LUBRICANT WITH CBD

SARA JAY’S SELF CARE COLLECTION LONG NIGHT PERSONAL LUBE

Since 2013, Foria has been at the forefront of the hemp for health and sexual enhancement movement, with their plant-based products leading the way to relief and pleasure. Their MCT coconut oil-based lubricant is infused with lab tested, broad spectrum CBD from sungrown and regeneratively grown hemp plants - with no added chemicals or fragrances. The natural, vegan and gluten free lube is safe to ingest (oral-friendly), long lasting and in sustainable packaging. Use their Awaken Arousal Oil with CBD prior to applying the lube for the full effect and sensation.

Who better to put out a line of sexy CBD-infused products than veteran adult film legend Sara Jay? The AVN Hall of Famer has been a Cannabis user for decades to treat migraines, muscle pain and insomnia, and once she discovered the benefits of cannabidiol without THC, she was all in.

“If you know me, then you know I like to make people feel good,” says Sara Jay and users of her lube will certainly enjoy relaxation and supreme satisfaction. It’s infused with 200mg of active CBD from full spectrum hemp extract products, extracted by supercritical CO2. Pair the lube with Sara’s massage oil for a long night of happy endings. SARA JAYCBD.COM

FORIAWELLNESS.COM

R E V I E W S B Y M A X E A R LY @ L I F T E D _ S TA R D U S T

THE BROTHER’S APOTHECARY GOLDEN DREAM TEA Drift away into a place of peace and serenity with this warming, comforting and grounding Golden Dream Tea. This floral and refreshing blend of organic chamomile, spearmint, orange peel, lemongrass and pure hemp is sure to help take a load off after a long day. With each sip, you can positively feel the love and passion put into their small-batch teas. Utilizing sustainable business practices and a renewable energy powered facility, customers can feel proud of supporting this owner-operated business - all the while greatly benefiting their mind, body and soul. Pro tip: refill your cup with hot water when you finish your first cup to reap the benefits of all the full spectrum CBD.

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Sleepy Time

20 PACK, 50-60MG PER TEA BAG, $90.00 THEBROTHERSAPOTHECARY.COM | @THEBROTHERSAPOTHECARY

FOCUS HEMP CO. FULL SPECTRUM CBD TINCTURE Having issues getting into a deep REM sleep? Look no further, as Focus Hemp Co.’s Full Spectrum CBD tincture is sure to do the trick! Loaded with lavender essential oil as well as herbal infusions, a 40mg serving of this liquid relaxation in a bottle will help you float away on a calm cloud to an uninterrupted night’s rest. After a solid week of using this product, I can genuinely say I look forward to taking it nightly, knowing my quality of sleep has drastically improved. Utilizing handpicked hemp grown in Southern Oregon, Focus Hemp Co. ensures their products are as clean as possible, as the flower used for their tinctures, topicals and gels are free of any heavy metals or pesticides, and organically sourced. Do your ECS (endocannabinoid system) a solid and pick up a bottle for yourself today!

1 OZ, 1,200MG, $49.99 FOCUSHEMPCO.COM @FOCUSHEMPCO

REVIEWS by LEAF NATION CONTRIBUTORS | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

the hemp issue

CBD FOR DOGS

“As a pet sitter, I often recommend owners give CBD a try.”

34 >> Lisa with her beloved Kodi Bear

DOES YOUR BEST FRIEND NEED CBD?

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I met Lisa Moncrief at a Sacramento house party in 2015.

We’d only been chatting for a bit before she excitedly pulled out her phone to show me her dog Kodi Bear – and I instantly understood Lisa’s huge heart for our furry friends.

Lisa grew up in Louisiana and Oklahoma with her family dog Peaches, and by the time she hit California as a young adult in 1989, she had developed a love for dogs that would grow into a lifelong passion for their care – even when she’s not their ‘person.’

Lisa first became a dog mom in her mid-20s, adopting a tiny puppy that would be called Roadie, because her then-boyfriend’s bandmates found it tucked inside in a cardboard box at a rest stop after a gig. They shared nearly 13 years together before Roadie passed, and three-and-a-half years later in 2007, Lisa met and “instantly fell in love with” a fuzzy-faced one-year-old rescue from the Sacramento SPCA. She’s never had his DNA analyzed, but Lisa’s best guess is that he’s a “Chow Australian Shepherd mix who looks like a little Red Panda Bear.” Lisa named him Kodi Bear. While five years ago Kodi Bear was still active in mid-life – an avid hiker and swimmer who went everywhere with Lisa – now 14 in people years, Kodi Bear’s physical decline is obvious.

FOLLOW LISA & KODI BEAR’S ADVENTURES ON INSTAGRAM @SEEKING.THEBEAUTY.INTHE.WORLD | @KODIBEAR_BRINGSSMILES

Oct. 2020

How have you observed Kodi Bear changing through the years?

He was about a year old when I got him, super active, loved hiking – any adventure he was always down for.

Then slowly he started aging. Last year, we went on a big road trip and he was able to get in and out of the car with me helping only a little bit, but this year it hit really hard. In March he was able to still do some running, and then in April he didn’t even want to go down to his favorite spot on the river. He’s just really slowed down to a snail’s pace – it’s super hard for him.

Was it these recent observations that led you to start Kodi Bear on CBD? Yes. I just started it, since his mobility seemed to change for the worse all at once.

Did you yourself ever try CBD before giving it to Kodi Bear? Yes, an 18:1 CBD tincture I took for anxiety.

I tried a full dropper and it mellowed me out quickly, but it also made me feel like I needed to take a nap. Now I take a quarter of the dropper and I feel pretty even-keeled. And I’ve started giving it to Kodi Bear for his inflammation and pain – for his mobility issues.

How did you discover the proper CBD :THC ratio and dose for Kodi Bear? He stayed with my friend while I was away pet-sitting this past Fourth of July, and my friend gave him the 18:1 ratio. She said it really helped Kodi Bear with anxiety during the fireworks, so I bought the 18:1. But after giving myself a full dropper of 18:1 and knowing how affected I was, I thought about 10 drops for Kodi Bear (who weighs roughly 60 pounds) would be sufficient for him. But I’ve played around with it and I’ve upped him to 15 drops per day.

What specifically shows you that CBD is helping with Kodi Bear’s mobility?

The main things I keep an eye on are how well he is able to get up and down stairs, and his pace.

Are there any particular brands of CBD tincture that you recommend? I’ve used Care By Design 18:1 and VetCBD 18:1, and I like both.

What advice do you have for dog owners who are curious about trying out CBD for their dogs? It’s definitely worth a try! As a pet sitter, I often recommend owners give CBD a try.

People seem to feel apprehensive about it, but for me it’s a natural medicine, so I don’t think people should be averse to giving it to their dogs.

STORY by LINDA ANH for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by LOUISE MITCHELL

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36

RED TAPE JUNGLE Uncertainty and confusion reign for CBD industry amid DEA’s new interim rules STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS for LEAF NATION

oct. 2020

The pathway to cannabinoid legalization weaves through a thick jungle of red tape.

Advocates hack their way through the tangles using scientific rigor and popular support, but with every swing of the machete, more vines cascade from the stifling canopy of bureaucracy.

The legal cannabinoid industry took a huge leap forward with the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized the sale of hemp-derived cannabinoid products as long as they were manufactured from plant material that contained less than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight.

As the summer of 2020 came to a close, the DEA released an Interim Final Rule (IFR) regarding cannabinoids that have people questioning whether the drug enforcement arm of the government is opening a backdoor that will allow for the prosecution of the CBD and nascent delta-8 THC industries.

“If they go ahead with this, we’ll be back to the, ‘It’s technically illegal, but we just hope you won’t enforce it.’ ” T E D B E R N H A R D , C U LT I VA L AW O R E G O N O F F I C E M A NAG I N G D I R E C T O R

M I T I G AT I N G T H C O R M I T I G AT I N G R I S K

When it comes to legal products, the Farm Bill clearly outlined what constitutes federally legal plant material. According to the text, hemp flower with less than 0.3% delta-9 THC is considered legal.

The problem with the bill, and the DEA’s new IFR, is that it muddies the water regarding extraction. Just ask Ted Bernhard, Managing Director of the Oregon office of Cultiva Law, which operates Cannabis industry-specific law practices in Washington, Oregon and California.

“During extraction and processing, they may end up over the 0.3%, even if their end product is compliant and less than the 0.3%,” Bernhard said during a phone call in September.

Think about that for a moment. The way the IFR and Farm Bill are written - even if the flower and the end product are both compliant - during the extraction process, the material could enter the realm of noncompliance. That’s because the extraction process concentrates the compounds, which then undergo dilution later in the manufacturing process.

“They technically would be in possession of illegal marijuana at that point,” Bernhard said, referring to the extraction stage.

As an exercise, consider if it were alcohol.

Many states have rules regarding alcohol content for end consumers. During distillation, alcohol content can reach concentrations of 90% before being diluted down. In its 90% stage, it would be illegal to sell in many states - hence the dilution. Imagine a governmental enforcement agency putting rules in place that would allow them to bust down the doors in the middle of the distillation process, before the alcohol is diluted into vodka.

According to Bernhard and many others familiar with the situation, the DEA’s proposed

rule has the same effect for the hemp industry.

The IFR effectively makes it possible for the DEA to bust into an extraction facility during this midpoint, and charge operators with possession of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act. Though the IFR isn’t entirely off-brand for the DEA, lawyers, policy geeks and industry business owners are gobsmacked by the vagueness and potential for harm it introduces to the hemp industry.

“What actual harm is it if during the processing process, it rises above that percentage? It’s not an environmental hazard,” Bernhard said. As long as the end product is compliant, he argues, it should not matter.

D E LTA F O R C E

In its current state, the IFR could cause damage to the huge CBD industry, as well as the emerging delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8 THC) market - which in the years since the Farm Bill - has been gaining popularity with entrepreneurs and patients in the therapeutics community.

According to the National Institute of Health’s National Library of Medicine, delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is an analogue of THC with “antiemetic, anxiolytic, appetite-stimulating, analgesic, and neuroprotective properties,” and offers those potential benefits with a significantly lower psychotropic potency than delta-9 THC, which is the compound responsible for the classic high most people associate with traditional Cannabis consumption.

Studies have shown a significantly positive impact on the side effects of chemotherapy when delta-8 THC is administered, with the potential beneficial uses of the cannabinoid generating a significant and growing demand in the market.

The Farm Bill and the IFR create two problems for the delta-8 industry. First, as currently written,

the rules prohibit the manufacture and sale of “synthetically derived” THC. Bernhard says the definition of “synthetically derived” is too vague, leaving it open to interpretation, and thus exposing manufacturers to risk of prosecution.

Since DEA rules prohibit the creation and distribution of synthetic cannabinoids, as well as the extraction of cannabinoids from any plants with more than .3% delta-9 THC by dry weight, the only avenue for those who wish to produce and market delta-8 is from hemp. But then manufacturers run the risk of temporarily being in the possession of material with greater than 0.3% delta-9 THC during the extraction process, running into the aforementioned issues.

Unless the language is clarified in order to allow for the extraction process, involvement in both the CBD and the delta-8 markets will be rife with risk.

“It could cause people not to stay in the business, or decrease the supply,” Bernhard said.

“I’m not seeing anyone who’s getting out of the business because of this, but I think the hope is to get some greater clarification.”

The way Bernhard sees it, unless the rules are changed, the entire hemp and Cannabis industries will take a huge step backward.

“If they go ahead with this, we’ll be back to the, ‘It’s technically illegal, but we just hope you won’t enforce it,’” he said. “That’s not good for raising capital, that’s not good for planning.”

For those who want to help influence the future, it’s not too late. The DEA is currently accepting public comments on the IFR until October 20.

For the time being, Bernhard remains optimistic for the industry and hasn’t seen much panic at this point.

“As of now, people are staying level-headed,” he said. “Pushing for change and submitting their comments.”

37

cooking with Cannabis

R E C I P E S b y L A U R I E W O L F | P H O T O b y B R U C E WO L F

SPOOKY STONED

October 30 is National Candy Corn Day and I can hardly wait. Invented in 1880, 10 billion pieces of candy corn have been eaten to date. That’s a lot! If you are not a fan, I am sorry. If it is any consolation, the pudding doesn’t taste like candy corn, but rather has only a physical resemblance to the iconic Halloween candy.

This month, my home use strain is Life Coach from Noble Farms. Great name, perfect for these crazy times, and bringing a delightfully mellow and tasty profile. #HappyHalloween #Dontfeartheedible #Blacklivesmatter#Wearamask

CANDY CORN PUDDING 1. Have your set up ready - you need to work fast if you are using instant pudding. Not crazy fast, but don’t dawdle.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the milk and the infused butter or oil with the pudding. Divide the pudding among three bowls. You can distribute evenly or not, your choice.

3. In the first bowl, add the yellow coloring and the almond extract.

Stir well. Add the orange coloring and orange extract to the next bowl. Add the vanilla extract to the plain bowl.

1 5 oz. box instant vanilla pudding

3 teaspoons canna-butter or

3 cups cold milk or non-dairy

canna-oil

milk substitute

Orange food coloring

Yellow food coloring

1/8 teaspoon orange extract

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

SERVES 2-4

38

HALLOWEEN HANDS leafnationmd.com

1. Trace your hand two times on parchment and flip parchment.

2. Melt the dark chocolate with the two teaspoons of infused oil or butter according to directions on the package. Keep a couple of tablespoons for decorating. When smooth, fill the traced hand in trying to follow the shape. No worries about staying in the lines, that is not how we roll.

3. Before the chocolate sets, decorate with candy corn.

4. Melt the white chocolate with two teaspoons of infused oil or butter, stir until smooth. Hold back two tablespoons of the melted chocolate for decorating. Again, fill in the second traced hand. Decorate with the candy corn.

5. Drizzle the hands with the remaining melted chocolate.

Allow to set for at least 30 minutes.

1 cup chocolate melts 2 teaspoons canna-oil or canna-butter 1 cup white chocolate melts 2 teaspoons canna-oil or canna-butter Halloween candy MAKES 2 HANDS, 4 SERVINGS

MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS OF EDIBLE COOKIE DOUGH

CANDY CORN ON THE COB 1. In a mixing bowl, beat the sugar and butters till fluffy.

Add the salt and vanilla.

2. Stir in the flour and chips and form into a ball. Chill for 30 minutes. When firm, divide in half and roll into logs.

3. Make rows of candy corn, pressing it into the dough.

If the dough gets too soft, place in the fridge for a short time, 10-15 minutes. Fill in all the rows and chill till serving time.

PRO TIP If making cookie dough is more than you feel like doing, try using marzipan instead. Mix 1 cup of marzipan with 2-4 teaspoons canna-butter, softened.

1/2 cup light brown sugar / 2 tablespoons butter, softened 2-4 teaspoons infused butter, softened / 1/4 teaspoon salt

Oct. 2020

1/4 teaspoon vanilla / 2/3 cup flour, baked at 350 for five min. on a half sheet pan and cooled / 4 tablespoons chocolate chips Lots of candy corn, tips removed

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RESULTS 69% CBD 3.18% THC 2.17% CBC

oct. 2020

MY BODY ENTERED A STATE OF BOISTEROUS TRANQUILITY AND ALL MY SCREAMING NEURONS QUIETED.

It’s hemp season and I finally got a chance to try an extract I have long wanted to experience: CBD Rick Simpson Oil. Specifically, Painkiller XL CBD RSO by gLeaf!

CBD RSO is a truly special medicinal product used for a multitude of symptoms. This edible oil is a concentrated crude extract that offers a depth of healing relief unparalleled in the medical Cannabis world.

Incorporating every aspect of the plant, RSO provides a robust, full-bodied, healing aura that touches the hardest symptoms patients deal with.

I decided to try to use this product for a sleep experiment and ate about half a syringe a few hours before bedtime.

This is my personal dosage level and I encourage everyone to dose themselves based on their own structured self experimentation and personal bodily reactions. I noted the spicy and oily plant taste that comes with RSO, and found it pretty comparable to a THC RSO flavor-wise. About an hour went by and I had almost forgotten I had taken it, when suddenly my body felt loose...

I was lying on my couch, dissociating into the TV when my muscles noticeably exhaled and melted into the cushions.

The looseness of my typically arthritic joints was everything that I had come to love from my RSO regimen, but now, there was no high. Perhaps I felt slightly more cloudy, but that was in a drowsy, ‘time for bed’ sense - not in an ‘alternative state of consciousness’ sense.

My body entered a state of boisterous tranquility and all my screaming neurons quieted, bringing a lightness to my body that definitely got me comfortable enough to fall asleep.

As I continued my TV watching, fully melted into the couch and supremely comfortable, I decided I would pack myself a bowl and head up to bed. I kid you not, I took one small bong rip - the babiest of hits - and fell asleep within five minutes. The build-up of CBD in my system was instantly receptive to the tiniest of THC doses and I was asleep, right there on the couch, never making it up to my bed.

I cannot express in words how exquisite my sleep was. For all intents and purposes, this was a medicated coma.

A completely dreamless, full-bodied, deep and restful, full night of sleep.

I woke up, still loose and pain free, without a touch of grogginess and marveling that I didn’t make it to my bed.

This was an amazing experience and I want to thank gLeaf Medical for producing their Painkiller XL CBD RSO! They provided me with one of my best night’s sleep in recent memory.

GLEAF.COM | @GLEAFMD

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

cannthropology

WORLD OF CANNABIS PRESENTS

ASSASSINS OF TRUTH Profiling a publication 42

with a prominent piece of prohibitionist propaganda

leafnationmd.com

MUCKRAKER MAGAZINES

In 1906, a publication that had undergone numerous name changes over the previous three decades rebranded itself one final time as The American Magazine. Originally distributed

by Phillips Publishing, it had up until then been known for its “muckraking” writers—a term used to describe investigative journalists who exposed corruption. After being acquired by Crowell Publishing in 1911, however, the magazine began featuring less provocative content in an effort to court a wider readership—or so they said.

Some, however, saw this not as a harmless shift in editorial focus, but as a deliberate attempt by corporate interests to silence journalists who were speaking truth to power.

“The right of free speech in America is in jeopardy,” warned noted muckraker Cleveland Moffett in a New York Times article. “They are trying to muzzle the magazines. Several magazines…have come under the control of interests, and in each of them the muckraking features will cease.”

YELLOW JOURNALISM

As it turned out, Mr. Moffatt’s fears were well-founded; over the next two decades, many

oct. 2020

publications that were gobbled up by media conglomerates would adopt a new reporting style anathema to the muckrakers. Dubbed “yellow journalism” (what we would today call “tabloid journalism” or “fake news”), it relied on sensationalism, fear-mongering and sentimentality, rather than investigative acumen, rationality and hard facts. Undoubtedly, the most egregious perpetrator of this unsavory editorial practice was media magnate William Randolph Hearst.

Hearst hired a writer named Winifred Bonfils, who under the pen name Annie Laurie, wrote a series of columns for his news syndicate railing against the evils of narcotics—eventually turning her typewriter against weed as well. Eschewing the familiar terms “hemp” and “cannabis,” which had been used by Western culture for centuries, these articles rebranded the widely used plant as some dangerous new drug called “marihuana”—the foreign-sounding name used by the Indigenous peoples of Mexico, who at the time were pouring across the border at an alarming rate.

Through the 1920s, Hearst published a flood of Laurie’s yellow journalism articles about these murderous, marijuana smoking Mexicans throughout the thirty-odd newspapers and mag-

azines in his print empire, which were read by nearly a quarter of all Americans.

Many amatuer historians, including legendary activist Jack Herer, have speculated that Hearst’s motives for condemning cannabis went beyond mere racism—that he and Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon, among others, saw the hemp industry as a threat to their financial holdings in the timber, oil and chemical industries. But upon serious research, this argument doesn’t seem to hold water factually.

Regardless of the reasoning behind it, however, it was this procession of propaganda—later appropriated and amplified by one notorious anti-drug zealot—that would eventually lead to America’s criminalization of cannabis.

That zealot was Harry Jacob Anslinger.

ANSLINGER ATTACKS

A former inspector and corporate spin doctor for the Pennsylvania Railroad, Harry J. Anslinger landed a job as an assistant commissioner in the Treasury Department’s Bureau of Prohibition— thanks in part to the convenient fact that Secretary Mellon happened to be his wife’s uncle.

When the Bureau was transferred to the Justice Department in 1930, Uncle Andrew appointed

Anslinger as Commissioner of the newly formed Federal Bureau of Narcotics (the precursor to today’s DEA)— making him America’s first defacto drug czar. Initially, Anslinger seemed indifferent to cannabis, reportedly saying in regard to the notion that cannabis made people violent, “There is probably no more absurd fallacy.” So what changed his mind? The end of Prohibition and the dawn of the Depression.

The Depression forced significant budget cuts to a number of law enforcement agencies, and with the Volstead Act repealed, they’d need a new substance to demonize if they wanted to maintain their power. With his agency’s funding in jeopardy and sensastionalized reports of cannabis use among Mexicans and “negro” jazz musicians on the rise, the racist and opportunistic Anslinger decided to shift gears and launch an all-out assault on the herb.

With no scientific evidence to support his new crusade against cannabis, the only way to further his agenda was by perpetuating past propaganda to stoke white America’s xenophobia and economic anxiety. Anslinger culled around 200 articles, accusations, and anecdotes about the exaggerated dangers of cannabis use from Hearst’s papers and crime reports to compile what he called his “Gore Files,” then used them to crank out his own steady flow of press releases and articles designed to stir up hysteria among the populace and bolster his efforts to get Congress to outlaw the herb.

ASSASSIN OF YOUTH

Perhaps the most infamous and influential of these was a piece Anslinger co-wrote with crime author Courtney Ryley Cooper entitled “Marijuana—Assassin of Youth.”

The article lays out his version of the drug’s history and its evil effects on the nation’s youth, illustrated by a series of sordid stories about various “marijuana addicts”— some of whom allegedly suffered from hallucinations, mania and selective amnesia—who’d engaged in acts of violence, theft, sexual depravity, and even murder while “on the weed.” These include a 17-year-old boy killing a police officer, a girl who jumped out of a window after smoking reefers at a party, and a Florida teen named Victor Licata who hacked up his entire family with an ax, all supposedly while high on the “muggles.” In what periodical was this flagitious feature published? In the July 1937 issue of…you guessed it...The American Magazine. (An abridged version was reprinted around seven months later in Reader’s Digest, and a Reefer Madness-style exploitation film bearing the same name soon followed.)

Researchers later concluded that nearly all of Anslinger’s “Gore Files” crime attributions to marijuana usage were either false or misleading, including that of Licata who had been diagnosed as mentally ill from an early age. Nevertheless, Anslinger’s scare tactics worked like a charm: The legislation he’d drafted was submitted to Congress in April, signed into law on August 2, and went into effect as the Marijuana Tax Act on October 1, 1937. Though it didn’t technically outlaw cannabis, it allowed those possessing or selling it without the proper paperwork to be arrested and jailed. That law remained in effect for three decades—until it was challenged by counterculture icon Timothy Leary and overturned as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1969. Unfortunately, it was replaced within a year by Nixon’s far stricter Controlled Dangerous Substances Act—further codifying Anslinger’s irrational cannabis crusade into law and kicking off the modern-day War on Drugs.

Modern-day muckrakers still struggle against the scourge of fake news serving the agendas of politicians and media moguls.

“Marijuana is the most violencecausing drug in the history of mankind.”

Harry J. Anslinger

43

EPILOGUE

Anslinger died in 1975 and was buried at Presbyterian Cemetery in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania—not far from his hometown of Altoona (just in case you’d like to pee your respects). The American Magazine published its final issue in August 1956, but sadly the practice of yellow journalism remains alive and well. Today, over 80 years after the publishing of “Marijuana—Assassins of Youth,” we modern-day muckrakers still struggle against the scourge of fake news that serves the agendas of politicians and media moguls, and continue to strive to counteract the malevolent misinformation about marijuana that Hearst and Anslinger first unleashed into our nation’s zeitgeist.

» For a deeper dive on this topic, listen to Episode #2 of the

Cannthropology potcast at worldofcannabis.museum/podcast, or find it available on all podcast platforms.

This content was originally published on worldofcannabis.museum and is reprinted with permission.

STORY by BOBBY BLACK @WORLDOFCANNABISMUSEUM for LEAF NATION

DYSCO’S CORNER leafnationmd.com

44

T H E

C A S E

O F

T H E

L I G H T W E I G H T

musingsfromaparent &Cannabisconsumer

"D

on’t let go of my hand,” said Alex as she flicked the ember off her joint into the water. “I’m afraid I’m going to fall into the lake.” We were stargazing from the dock at my family’s lakehouse. We were in absolutely no danger of falling into the lake. We were lying on our backs, so we weren’t even in danger of falling out of our chairs.

Alex wasn’t so sure. She looked over her shoulder at the 63 steps leading back up to the house and said, “I think I might have to sleep down here.”

Oops, we did it again. Once again, we completely underestimated Alex’s capacity to handle Cannabis. You’d think we’d have gotten this down by now. After all, Alex and I have been best friends since seventh grade. Whether we were shot gunning beers at Hunt Cup in our teens, experimenting in our 20s, recovering from our 20s in our 30s, or getting reacquainted with marijuana as MMMC patients in our 40s, one thing has never changed: Alex is a lightweight.

Alex has always been a lightweight.

It doesn’t matter if it’s caffeine or Cannabis, it’s going to affect Alex 10x more than it’s going to affect me. I am not, nor have I ever been, anything approaching a lightweight. I come from a long line of people seemingly impervious to martinis, so I’m pretty sure this stubborn sobriety is genetic. It’s definitely more expensive than being a lightweight. It also means that when Alex and I find ourselves on opposite sides of the sobriety coin, I’m usually the one holding her hand so she doesn’t roll into the lake.

There can be a fine line between feeling euphoric and relaxed, and feeling paranoid and anxious. All too often, by the time I’ve realized I’ve crossed that line, it’s too late. This is extremely problematic when working or doing other important things like taking care of small children.

oct. 2020

It can be difficult to dose properly when smoking Cannabis and not all medical Cannabis patients like feeling the high from THC. And we all know that just because someone likes the high, that doesn’t mean they can handle it. Especially not at work or when sitting on a dock. I have a lot of friends who say they’d use medical marijuana if only they didn’t have to, you know, ‘go places and do stuff.’

So, how do most Cannabis patients ‘go places and do stuff’ when other patients like Alex can’t even sit on the dock after two puffs off a joint? Everybody’s different. It takes awhile to find your groove if Cannabis use doesn’t come naturally to you. Personally, I like mixing CBD flower into my regimen. These days, you can find CBD flower in multiple strains - indicas, as well as sativas and hybrids. CBD flower has varietal terpenoid profiles which I use to enhance my THC regimen, without enhancing euphoria.

I have found that a 50/50 split between THC and CBD flower addresses my pain, while also keeping me sharp and relaxed.

Less tolerant patients like Alex might find a 25% THC to 75% CBD ratio to be more their speed. I use CBD flower mixed in my joints when I have to work or drive. These days, Alex uses it in her joints so she can sit safely on the dock.

Hey, whatever works.

There can be a fine line between feeling euphoric and relaxed, and feeling paranoid and anxious.

-Dysco SUBMITTED

to MARYLAND LEAF

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CIGARETTES ARE HEALTHY! he cigarette industry has really taken it in the butt this century, so can we please focus on some positives? After all, as we evolve toward a more tolerant society insistent upon creating a level playing field of fairness for everyone, we really should stop the addiction shaming. Sure, those fine orally fixated folks are willingly welcoming a small forest fire into their respiratory system with each flick of the Bic, but who are we to judge? After all, it is their human right to laminate their lungs with a fresh chimney soot smoothie powered by a benzene boost.

You know, there’s a reason they call them cancer sticks: It’s because the cancer sticks to your lungs.

Anyway, smoking is literally exhausting. Which explains why if I were to be blindfolded and asked to identify the mystery scent effervescing from your mouth into my fresh nostrils, my first guess would be exhaust.

Because when you waft that wheeze, I recall a frantic chase toward a departing metro bus as the tailpipe burps out a cocktail of scorched, highly refined fossil fuels directly into my clenched face.

But hey, not everyone is addicted, right? I mean, some users will claim they strictly smoke for enjoyment. Unfortunately, this enjoyment leads them out the door to an area 25 feet away from the building entrance an average of 10 times a day, just to light up. But am I the only one who sees this ritual for enjoyment as a monumental inconvenience?

And cigarette abusers will vehemently defend their crutch with any explanation in the attempt to convince you that there is at least one positive result from the act of smoking cigarettes. “It calms my nerves,” they will confidently assert.

No, it doesn’t. You know what calms your nerves? Counseling.

Cigarettes are awesome! And healthy! Marijuana cigarettes, that is.

T

46

leafnationmd.com

by Mike Ricker

oct. 2020

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