Apr. 2022 - NE Leaf

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THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE

NORTHEAST

ART BY ANGIE FURROW @MRSCLAWSMAINE F RE E / L E A F M AGA Z I N E S . COM

THE GLASS ISSUE INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010

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EDITOR’S NOTE NATIONAL NEWS LOCAL NEWS SHOP REVIEW BUDTENDER Q&A STONER OWNERS STRAIN OF THE MONTH CHEMDOG SKRILLINGER MRS. CLAWS ANDY ROTH SAKIBOMB HACKYSACKY JOE PETERS DARBY DWRECK MIA SHEA CONCENTRATE OF THE MONTH CANNTHROPOLOGY STONEY BALONEY

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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 /

A B O U T T H E C OV E R Choosing a single artist to grace one of our staff’s favorite annual issues was no easy task, and picking out the photo for the honor was an even greater challenge.

Ultimately, we went with this surreal set of pieces from the Maine-based artist Angie Furrow, who has become well-known for creating stunningly beautiful pieces of glass art inspired by the region’s crustaceans. The dramatic close-up was captured by Charles Taggart of Kind Bud Photos, a longtime Northeast Leaf Contributor who scored a well-deserved cover shot. Read more about Angie’s awesome work on pg. 30.

PHOTO by CHARLES TAGGART @KINDBUD.PHOTOS

CONTRIBUTORS

WES ABNEY C E O & F O U N D E R wes@leafmagazines.com MIKE RICKER O P E R AT I N G PA R T N E R ricker@leafmagazines.com TOM BOWERS C H I E F O P E R AT I N G O F F I C E R tom@leafmagazines.com DANIEL BERMAN C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R daniel@leafmagazines.com MIKE GIANAKOS S E N I O R E D I T O R mikeg@leafmagazines.com DAN VINKOVETSKY S E N I O R E D I T O R dan@leafmagazines.com 844-4NELEAF

MICHAEL CZERHONIAK S A L E S D I R E C T O R michael@leafmagazines.com O’HARA SHIPE O N L I N E E D I T O R ohara@leafmagazines.com

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ABNEY

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

GLASS HOLDS a special place within Cannabis culture, as it both defines our movement through artistic expression and provides the tools necessary to consume our plant. Without glass pipes, bongs and dab rigs, we’d be stuck smoking joints and out of apples in a return to college shenanigans. Today, glass pieces regularly sell for five to six figures and a rig can define a stoner’s personality – the same way a cool car or pair of shoes do. It’s through the beautiful combination of fire and borosilicate that an artist shapes both how we smoke and how we perceive that act of inhalation, and this annual Glass Issue of the Leaf is dedicated to celebrating the artists and art that shape the visual arm of our industry.

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While I generally keep my editor’s note focused on the theme of our issue, I want to dedicate the remainder of this space to sharing a message of hope and world peace. Last month we saw humanity edge closer to world war and nuclear proliferation than ever before, something that simply cannot happen if our species and planet are to survive. My heart breaks for the millions of displaced Ukranians, the Russian soldiers sent to kill or die at the hands of their neighbors, and the whole of Europe waiting to see if war will spill across their “MAYBE THE borders. There is no justification for the aggression we are seeing in Ukraine, and HIPPIES OF I’m sure that the victims of other recent wars of aggression like Afghanistan and THE ‘60S WHO Iraq are having their own “Me Too” moment of grief as the global war machine THOUGHT PEACE, LOVE AND DRUGS shifts attention from the Middle East to Eastern Europe.

COULD SAVE THE

WORLD WEREN’T As much as global politics and media propaganda have bled into the societal JUST HIGH ON views of war and justice, it seems clear now that the powerful deciders of GREAT LSD, BUT humanity are bent on destruction. Whether it’s traditional war for power or WERE ACTUALLY resources, the genocides of religious divides, or the exploitation of the planet and ONTO SOMETHING.” the poorest humans, our species is rushing angrily into a century that many had high hopes for. Information technology has the potential to bring equality and awareness to all corners of the globe (no flat earth pun intended), but we continue to see those with the power using it for manipulation and profit.

This brings me to Cannabis and the role it might play in changing our collective trajectory.

Almost every industry in the world is built on profit at the expense of the people and the planet, but the Cannabis and hemp industries are breaking that mold. Not only is our industry shedding the old ways of one-percent wealth building and breaking the vestiges of the drug war, it’s also bringing enlightenment and peace with every gram and joint sold … and smoked.

I honestly believe that if Putin would smoke some weed, we wouldn’t be in this situation. Who gets baked and decides to invade anything other than the refrigerator? The same can be said for conflict around the planet, where one side profits at the expense of the other – not exactly your typical stoner behavior. Maybe the hippies of the ‘60s who thought peace, love and drugs could save the world weren’t just high on great LSD, but were actually onto something. It’s only once they swallowed the capitalist success that the boomer generation went from “we” to “me” – but it’s not too late for the coming of age millennials and Gen Zs to embrace the idea of world peace, one puff at a time.

Perhaps that’s just my high hopes for our future, but I’d like to think that Cannabis has the potential to save the world.

-Wes Abney APR. 2022

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MEGHAN RIDLEY C O PY E D I T O R meghan@leafmagazines.com

BOBBY BLACK, DESIGN + FEATURES JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION TOM BOWERS, FEATURES MARY CARREON, FEATURES JEFF DIMARCO, PHOTOS JENN DOE, SALES EARLY, PRODUCTION STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS MIKE GIANAKOS, FEATURES LILA HOLM, PHOTOS BAILEY JONSON, FEATURES + PHOTOS JESSE JUSTICE, PHOTOS DAN MCCARTHY, FEATURES + PHOTOS BOBBY NUGGZ, FEATURES + PHOTOS JEFF PORTERFIELD, DESIGN JESSE RAMIREZ, DESIGN ALEX REYNA, PHOTOS MIKE RICKER, FEATURES MIKE ROSATI, PHOTOS ZACK RUSKIN, FEATURES O’HARA SHIPE, FEATURES SCOTT SOUTHERN, PHOTOS CHARLES TAGGART, FEATURES + PHOTOS SLY VEGAS, PHOTOS JAMIE VICTOR, DESIGN DAN VINKOVETSKY, FEATURES NATE WILLIAMS, FEATURES WIND HOME PHOTOGRAPHY, PHOTOS FLETCHER WOLD, PHOTOS

WES

N O RT H E AS T L E A F

national news

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sports

NCAA RELAXES MARIJUANA THRESHOLDS; REDUCES PENALTIES

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he NCAA announced last month that it will be relaxing its marijuana policies, raising THC threshold levels and reducing punishments.

Under current NCAA policy, one failed marijuana test gets a six-month suspension. The NCAA will raise the threshold for THC from 35 to 150 nanograms per milliliter. This change brings them in line with new World Anti-Doping Agency standards. There is no punishment or loss of eligibility for the first positive test, if the school “provides a management plan and education” for the athlete. For the second positive test, there could still be no punishment if they are compliant with the management plan. If they are not, an athlete would miss 25% of their games. Should a third positive test happen, there could still be no punishment if the athlete still complies with the management plan. If not, they will miss 50% of the games.

PENNSYLVANIA OFFERS FINANCIAL AID TO MMJ PATIENTS

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ennsylvania Department of Health has expanded its financial assistance program for state medical marijuana patients.

The program includes waiving annual fees for eligible patients enrolled in financial hardship programs such as SNAP, MedTHE STATE SAID IT PLANS TO icaid and WIC. “The departDISTRIBUTE CASH BENEFITS ment is pleased to be able to TO ELIGIBLE PATIENTS. expand assistance to medical marijuana patients and caregivers who may be experiencing financial hardships,” said acting Health Secretary Keara Klinepeter. “Patients deserve to have access to their medicine to treat medical conditions, and cost should not be a barrier.”

central america

middle east

COSTA RICA LEGALIZES MEDICAL CANNABIS

ISRAEL DECRIMS CANNABIS; EXPUNGES RECORDS

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osta Rica’s Congress passed a bill in March which legalizes the use of Cannabis for medicinal purposes. The bill also allows marijuana cultivation for industrial use.

The cultivation and sale of adult-use marijuana for recreational purposes, however, will remain banned. Supporters of the bill say it will boost farmers and increase jobs. Costa Rica joins a host of other Latin American countries where medical marijuana is legal.

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srael has decriminalized the adult use of marijuana and is expunging the criminal records of those convicted of personal possession or use of the plant, President Isaac Herzog and Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced in March. Those with adult-use convictions can submit a request to have their records voided, and those with pending criminal proceedings can contact the police with a request to drop the charges. The move, said the statement, will “lift the criminal labeling and the stain that accompanies it” and “complement” decriminalization regulations published in February. The new regulations don’t apply to those also charged with other offenses alongside Cannabis use, including those possessing drug paraphernalia, those convicted during military service, and minors.

weird

the south

MIKE TYSON’S WEED CO. LAUNCHES EAR-SHAPED GUMMIES

COPS PAY OUT $900,000 FOR BUSTING 64 AT POT PARTY

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aw enforcement has settled a lawsuit over the mass arrests of 64 Georgia partygoers on marijuana charges. Cops charged each of the 64 individuals at the 2017 lingerie-themed party with possession of under an ounce of marijuana. Police, who found less than an ounce of marijuana outside on the ground, arrested all 64 partygoers. They said they did this because nobody would claim the weed. Gerald Griggs, an attorney and past vice president of the Georgia NAACP, organized a campaign to get all the charges dropped. “It’s a very large settlement,” Griggs said, according to WSB-TV. ”So it sends a message to Georgia that if you violate somebody’s civil rights, the NAACP and civil rights attorneys will hold you to task and protect those young peoples’ rights.”

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east coast

his comes 25 years after he was disqualified from the World Boxing Association Heavyweight Championship for biting his opponent’s ear. Tyson’s marijuana brand, Tyson 2.0, named the new product with a smirking reference to what’s become known as “The Bite Fight.” That’s the 1997 bout against Evander Holyfield where the infamous incident took place. Tyson’s weed brand announced the news via Twitter on March 15. According to Tyson 2.0, the gummies will soon go on sale at dispensaries in Massachusetts, California and Nevada. The retired boxer and current weed dealer even put his stamp of approval on the marijuana-infused edibles, writing, “These ears actually taste good!”

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fines for marijuana were approved in March by the Green Bay City Council.

APR. 2022

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untaxed grow sites were raided over the past five weeks by Calaveras County, Calif. deputies.

191

marijuana plants were seized when an indoor grow was raided in DeKalb County, Ala.

700

voter signatures are needed in Gluckstadt, Miss. to overturn the city council’s decision to opt out of medical marijuana.

742 80k New York farmers are authorized to grow hemp.

Cannabis plants will fill West Virginia’s largest medical grow facility by 2025.

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

LOCAL NEWS

NEW YORK’S

RETAIL POT PUSH W

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hile New York has faced many hurdles in its ongoing attempt to implement an adult-use pot program, real estate is an often overlooked obstacle, particularly in New York City. With rules in place requiring retail storefronts to be 500 feet away from schools and 200 feet clear of houses of worship, finding an eligible space is proving to be close to impossible for prospective Cannabis business owners.

Making matters worse, the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has yet to announce all of the rules for retail pot shops.

Still, the limited number of eligible storefronts and the expectation that New York’s adult-use market will come close to the $6 billion mark by 2030, according to New Frontier Data, has motivated many Cannabis business hopefuls in NYC to grab real estate now – without knowing all the rules and without even having a retail license.

However, the state is attempting to make the licensing process easier for those who’ve been disproportionately impacted by pot prohibition. The OCM recently announced plans to award the first 100-200 retail licenses to people who have been convicted of a Cannabis crime or relatives of people with a pot-related conviction prior to marijuana becoming legal March 2021.

The license priority is part of the state’s social equity program, which aims to level the playing field within the Cannabis industry. It’s also an innovative way to give those who have suffered due to the failed war on weed the first crack at the adult-use market. The OCM has yet to announce how many total retail licenses will be awarded.

Photo by Grav

Despite delays and a lengthy regulatory process that seemed certain to push New York’s retail sales launch into 2023, Gov. Kathy Hochul appears to have come up with a viable plan that will allow sales of adult-use pot to begin this year. The recently approved Seeding Opportunity Initiative permits the state’s hemp farmers to apply for Cannabis cultivation licenses. Those farmers, working with qualified equity applicants – people with a marijuana-related conviction and experience running a small business – could bring retail weed to New York in a matter of months.

The new initiative opens the application window in summer 2022, with the first licenses awarded by early fall. This timeline would allow for the state’s first adult-use sales by the end of the year.

According to Gov. Hochul, “New York State is making history, launching a first-of-its-kind approach to the Cannabis industry that takes a major step forward in righting the wrongs of the past.”

GANJA GIFTING IN CONNECTICUT A

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

s states in the Northeast attempt to implement new adult-use programs, they’ve also had to deal with the issue of gifting. Primarily due to the lengthy wait for the start of retail pot sales, impatient suppliers and consumers have consistently made use of gifting, where Cannabis is given away with an innocuous purchase or donation.

Like New York and New Jersey before it, Connecticut is now dealing with gifting. But unlike those states, gifting in Connecticut has taken the form of large organized events, or bazaars. A new bill would outlaw such events, in an effort to preserve the state’s taxed and regulated market, which should debut this year.

“This language was meant to get at these gifting bazaars that are marketplaces. People go in with the intention of really buying and selling Cannabis, but they do it under the auspices of a donation and they get some Cannabis in return,” Rep. Mike D’Agostino said.

The proposal was met with protests from advocates, some of whom believe the bill would re-criminalize marijuana. However, lawmakers maintain that they simply want to stop large organized gifting events.

According to D’Agostino, “We made absolutely clear this does not apply to what goes on in the privacy of your home. If it’s a family member giving to another family member, nobody’s policing that.”

The outcry from advocates did make an impact with the legislature as the punishment for gifting was changed in the proposal. Committee members reduced gifting from a criminal penalty that carried a $10,000 fine and possible jail time to a civil penalty with a $2,500 fine and no jail time.

As the bill heads to the House for a vote, Cannabis advocate Erin Doolittle felt there was no point in the legislature pursuing the matter. “It’s like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube. It’s here. It’s happening, and to think people are going to fully stop is a little naive. They’ll just go back underground,”she said.

Photo by 2H Media

APR. 2022

MAINE ADA GUILTY

IN POT PROBE A

former assistant district attorney has pleaded guilty to tampering with documents in a case involving an alleged illegal marijuana operation.

Kayla Alves was an ADA in Franklin County before being fired last October when she and a dozen other people (including former sheriff’s deputies, a former prosecutor and local officials) were charged in connection to the Cannabis operation, which prosecutors believe illegally sold $13 million of marijuana meant for medical patients.

Alves was caught tipping off her neighbor, former Franklin County sheriff’s deputy Bradley Scovil, that the feds were investigating him. Scovil stands accused of being paid – and receiving a new car – for passing along law enforcement info to the operation’s ringleader.

Alves texted the heads up to Scovil in July 2020 and then deleted the messages. Her attorney insists she played no other role in the conspiracy and wasn’t aware of what Scovil was up to.

“She realized quickly that she should not have even passed this along and deleted her text messages that said that,” Alves’ attorney Walter McKee explained.

While the tampering charge carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, prosecutors will recommend that Alves serve no more than six months. She also faces up to three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

McKee expects that she will not serve any jail time and will instead recommend probation.

Lucas Sirois, of Farmington, is accused of being the head of the massive marijuana operation, which allegedly funneled medical Cannabis grown in Maine to the black market. Prosecutors believe he made millions illegally selling marijuana to non-patients in Maine and elsewhere.

Photo by Kindel Media Sirois recently made headlines after asking a judge to allow him to use medical Cannabis while out on bail awaiting trial. Sirois has a doctor’s recommendation for Cannabis due to back pain and irritable bowel syndrome and has used marijuana medicinally for the last 10 years.

If the judge approves his request, Sirois would be the first defendant facing federal drug charges to use medical pot while on bail in Maine, according to the Bangor Daily News.

RHODE ISLAND’S ROCKY ROAD A

t long last, Rhode Island has revealed its eagerly awaited legalization initiative. The state has been stuck in neutral on the issue of Cannabis legalization for months as lawmakers have been considering three separate adult-use proposals – from the House, the Senate and the governor’s office.

While consistently characterizing the legislature as “close” to introducing a compromise bill, lawmakers continued negotiations. The primary sticking point they were attempting to resolve was over the question of who should oversee the state’s Cannabis industry – either a currently existing agency or a new regulatory body.

That issue remained unresolved until the introduction of the new bill in which lawmakers settled on a hybrid approach. The proposal calls for a Cannabis Office to operate under the state’s Department of Business Regulation, as well as a newly created Cannabis Control Commission. The bill also would establish an advisory board to help oversee the industry.

While news of this compromise was spreading and people all over the Northeast rejoiced, Gov. McKee tossed a big old onion in the ointment. The governor, who has always favored putting the Department of Business Regulation in charge of the industry, expressed concern about a Cannabis Control Commission. Specifically, McKee is worried about how commission members will be appointed.

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon

The power to appoint “all members of any commission” that exercises executive functions is reserved exclusively for the governor in Rhode Island’s Constitution. The new bill would limit McKee’s power to appoint as he would have to choose people recommended by the state’s Senate president and the Speaker of the House. He would also need Senate approval to dismiss someone appointed to the commission.

Assuming the governor’s concerns are adequately addressed, the bill would legalize possession of up to an ounce of pot beginning October 1, 2022.

Sales would start at that point as well, with hybrid medical Cannabis shops the first to sell adult-use pot. The bill would also allow home cultivation of up to six plants.

STORIES by MIKE GIANAKOS @MIKEGEEZEEY

LOCAL NEWS

>> Continued from pg. 13

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HUNDREDS SEEK RETAIL POT LICENSES IN NJ T he day that New Jersey Cannabis business owner hopefuls have been waiting for has finally arrived. No, the state has not yet launched retail pot sales. But it has, finally, started taking license applications for recreational Cannabis retail shops.

The license window opened in New Jersey on March 15, and by 4:00 p.m. the state had already received nearly 200 applications.

Officials first began taking business license applications on December 15, however, those applications were for cultivators, manufacturers and testing laboratories. The new window marks the first time the Garden State has accepted retail license applications.

New Jersey is well behind schedule in implementing its recreational Cannabis program, which voters approved on Election Day in November 2020. The state missed its February 22 deadline to begin retail sales, and it has now been over a year since Gov. Phil Murphy signed the legalization bill into law.

Nonetheless, accepting retail business applications is obviously an important step for the Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC), which oversees the industry in New Jersey.

Applications from businesses owned by people who have been convicted of a Cannabis crime, or are from economically disadvantaged areas, as well as diversely-owned businesses – those owned by minorities, women or disabled veterans – will receive priority from the CRC during the review process as part of the state’s social equity rules.

While the application process has begun, officials don’t expect these businesses to begin selling Cannabis anytime soon. With a 90-day review process and 120 days allotted to meet jurisdictional requirements, plus the time it takes to staff a business and obtain a proper supply of product, the first legal sales from newly licensed businesses are likely still seven or eight months away. And it’s possible that they won’t begin until 2023.

Fortunately, officials are close to finishing their review of existing medical

Photo by Rodnae Productions

marijuana providers who have applied to sell recreational Cannabis. These businesses are expected to be the first to sell adult-use marijuana in New Jersey. And a launch date could potentially come in mere weeks.

Once retail sales begin in earnest, experts anticipate that the Garden State will exceed $2 billion a year in recreational pot sales. New Jersey would quickly take on Massachusetts as the region’s top adult-use sales state, particularly if it beats neighboring New York to market. Not bad considering a whopping 70 percent of New Jersey towns chose to opt out of the Cannabis industry.

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

POT AND TAXES Photo by Tim Gouw

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awmakers in New York are attempting to allow marijuana businesses to take tax deductions at the state level. Recently filed budget proposals in the Senate and Assembly would allow the deductions for these businesses despite it being banned at the federal level.

Cannabis businesses in all states with adult-use laws face an unfair burden when it comes to taxes. Because marijuana is illegal federally – incredibly, it’s

APR. 2022

still a Schedule I narcotic according to the Controlled Substances Act – statelegal pot businesses cannot deduct expenses from their federal taxes. Nor can they receive tax credits. However, these businesses are still expected to pay their taxes.

For the most part, states use the same policy regarding tax deductions as the feds, meaning that Cannabis companies can pay tax rates of as much as 80 percent, according to the National Cannabis Industry Association.

New York legislators hope to offer relief to business owners in the state’s new Cannabis industry with proposals to allow deductions expected to pass in both chambers.

“The goal here is to decouple the state from the federal government on the deduction of business expenses to allow Cannabis companies to deduct on their state taxes (since they can’t do so on their federal taxes),” State Senator Liz Krueger explained to Cannabis Wire. “All other businesses can deduct business expenses, and not being able to is a burden on the Cannabis industry. We can’t fix the federal issue, but we can fix the state issue, which was the impetus for this language.”

Since a slow start in which the adult-use pot program languished under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s leadership, New York has made strides in its attempt to implement retail sales. New Gov. Kathy Hochul has appointed members of regulatory boards who have crafted the program’s rules. With a new initiative that will allow hemp farmers to grow Cannabis and equity applicants to open storefronts, New York could launch adult-use sales before the end of the year, closing the gap between the Empire State and neighboring New Jersey.

STORIES by MIKE GIANAKOS @MIKEGEEZEEY

@m00dgallery / 23 4th ave. / Neptune City, NJ / Opening 4 . 2 . 2022

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SUSTAINABLE CRAFT CANNABIS

PAUL’S BOUTIQUE IN MAINE

When Cannabis became legal for medical caregivers growing in Maine, Shaw Dwight wanted to get into the growing new industry. He had done his fair share of closet cultivation in his youth and with Cannabis opening up in the Northeast, he wanted in – and like every diehard serial entrepreneur, he went all in.

Dwight sold his house in the South and acquired credit cards to help start his first caregiver grow many miles to the north in Maine, and in 2014 launched Paul’s Boutique out of a two-car garage in North Windham. Fast forward to today: The grow has been moved and massively upgraded, they’ve opened a dispensary and a facility dedicated to refining Cannabis concentrates, and are working on a new recreational site that will be one of the largest eco-friendly Cannabis cultivation facilities in Maine.

This all-in attitude has absolutely paid off.

Paul’s Boutique has won competitions such as the High Times Cannabis Cup, and placed multiple times at the New England Cannabis Harvest Cup for flower and concentrates – earning the company a reputation for having some of the best pot products in the state.

Dwight and his wife make a point to be as eco-friendly as possible in cultivating Cannabis, designing their new facility to save energy, heat and water. The site will be a state-of-the-art, zero-waste facility, helping the couple keep the company’s carbon footprint at a minimum.

They broke ground on the new facility (located across the street from the dispensary) in March 2021, with plans to open sometime in the spring of 2022.

Instead of hiring an outside firm, Dwight is operating as the general contractor for the project, having previous contracting experience. As we entered the building for a tour, the relationship was evident as he stopped to talk with several of the workers at the site.

The new 13,000-square-foot cultivation facility has space enough for multiple smaller rooms that will be used for cloning, vegetating, drying and processing. There will also be three large flowering rooms, as well as space for creating extracts,

APR. 2022

The new 13,000-square-foot cultivation facility has space enough for multiple smaller rooms that will be used for cloning, vegetating, drying and processing. an area for offices and a separate room for lighting ballasts.

The LED lights Dwight is using at this grow are especially unique, as they have separate ballasts. Many lights used for cultivation require an accompanying ballast, which gives off unwanted heat in the grow space.

These LEDs allow for the ballasts to be housed in a separate room, cutting down on heat in the grow and allowing for better temperature control throughout the facility.

With 75,000 watts per finish room, these full spectrum LEDs significantly reduce heat – meaning they reduce electrical and utility needs. Dwight’s lighting and his close collaboration with Energy Efficiency Maine (EEM) will help make the location one of the most efficient electric-use grow facilities in the state.

Their innovative nod to cleanliness cannot be ignored either. The air ducts to the rooms are all outside and above the different grow pod platforms below, allowing easy access for cleaning and less of a chance for possible contamination from dust that can kick up during changing or cleaning within the grow rooms.

As he unwrapped the Automated Reclaim Condensate System, Dwight explained how it collects the water runoff, or leach water. Leach water often contains high amounts of nitrates, phosphates and salts after watering or flushing the plants.

The system filters, boils and separates the water it collects, so the nutrients and waste that would otherwise just go down the drain are collected as

sludge that a waste management company picks up and disposes of properly. The steamed water is then cleaned and reused.

The system will recycle more than 80 percent of the water used, or an estimated 500 thousand gallons a year that would have otherwise gone down the drain into the public underground water system.

After seeing and understanding what he is doing, I asked Dwight if he would be consulting with other Cannabis cultivation companies to help implement his eco-friendly concepts. He smiled and informed me that he’s currently consulting on a project in a nearby state in the Northeast.

On top of creating a sustainable, zero-waste recreational cultivation facility, Dwight’s new location will add another 15 employees – proving that Cannabis companies create jobs and stimulate the local economy. The current Paul’s Boutique employees that I spoke to told me they love working there, citing a good living wage and a positive working environment.

Hands down, a stop by Paul’s Boutique is highly recommended. You’ll certainly see why the company has earned so much respect in the Northeast – and after sampling their products – you’ll understand why they’ve become one of the top craft Cannabis companies in Maine.

PAUL’S BOUTIQUE

8 CRIMSON DR, WINDHAM, ME PAULSBOUTIQUENURSERY.COM @PAULSBOUTIQUEOFMAINE PHONE: (207) 210-1993 HOURS: 8AM-8PM DAILY

STORY & PHOTOS by CHARLES TAGGART @KINDBUD.PHOTOS for NORTHEAST LEAF

Keep up with cannabis Find local deals, products, and reviews

Visit weedmaps.com or download the app

interview

NORTHEAST LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH

HEATHER MEEHAN I

RECENTLY had the pleasure of meeting

Heather Meehan, a spectacular budtender at MEDCo in Lewiston, Maine. She’s very

knowledgeable and personable – a deeply caring person with a warm, joyful giggle that makes you feel like you have known her your whole life.

Heather was a nurse in Emergency Medicine for 26 years before entering the Cannabis industry. “I’m a nurse through and through.

Never on my watch did someone come into the ER over Cannabis.

Many did because of alcohol and opiates though.”

“Nursing was my passion and it’s an amazing field, but it can wear on you. Even before the pandemic hit, I’d already been through the Bird Flu and the Ebola Virus scare. After 26 years of nursing, I was experiencing empathy fatigue and feeling burned out.”

Heather has enjoyed partaking in Cannabis during her off time since 1986, but still had to hide her consumption from her children while they were growing up. Now she can describe her first time dabbing with her daughter: “I took a few big bong rips and was 1987 high! I could feel the weight of corporate America falling off of me. I never thought it would ever be legal, let alone recreational!”

Heather started doing roller derby at age 46 and really appreciates spending time with the younger skaters. “When Maine went legal, I had no reason to hide it, so I let my hippie flag fly and took a course online at the Cannabis Training University and started working as a budtender in 2020.”

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LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

WHEN DID YOU START USING CANNABIS? WHAT KIND OF CANNABIS DO YOU ENJOY AND HOW? I like stinky indicas, Orange Cheese, anything Cheese! I want the stress to just roll off my body. I love to feel it in my eyes and it makes me chatter away and smile! I like to smoke flower – sometimes sprinkling some sugar wax in a joint, and I use a PuffCo for concentrates.

WHAT PERSON WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO SMOKE WITH? Bill Murray … he was my first crush in the 1970s!

“WHEN MAINE WENT LEGAL, I HAD NO REASON TO HIDE IT – SO I LET MY HIPPIE FLAG FLY.”

MEDCo Lewiston

741 MAIN ST. LEWISTON, ME THCMEDCO.COM | @MEDCO.MAINE | (866) 426-3326 OPEN 9AM-9PM DAILY | 3 ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS

APR. 2022

INTERVIEW & PHOTOS by CHARLES TAGGART @KINDBUD.PHOTOS for NORTHEAST LEAF

stoner owners LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

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How Ryan Gardell and Colin Chabot are providing a home for Cannabis inspired art, classes and events through their work at Artifakt Supply ART AND CANNABIS have always paired well together, and for entrepreneurs Ryan Gardell and Colin Chabot, it’s proving to be an excellent fit. Their Worcester, Mass.-based studio/ event space Artifakt Supply is embracing the state’s legal Cannabis industry, with marijuana-centric classes, special events and more.

Ryan Gardell was formally trained in graphic design at Fitchburg State University.

Explorations in graffiti art sparked an obsession with large scale public works.

In 2014, he relocated to Worcester and shifted his focus to painting. In 2017, he rebranded as Artifakt Studios: A multi-service creative agency specializing in custom murals, logos and branding, graphic design, illustration, gallery events and more. To date, Artifakt has completed over 65 projects for various clients including the Woo Sox, The Grid, GE Healthcare and the American Heart Association.

Colin Chabot is the founder of Connected Consulting, a creative brand development company that transforms ideas from dream to business. With over 10 years of hands-on experience, Colin learned many aspects of the marijuana industry from multiple award-winning cultivators and processors. As a result, he is proficient in all aspects of the cultivation process and client experience. When not working on his primary venture you can usually find Colin painting a large piece of art or running an event at Artifakt Supply.

Tell us about Artifakt Supply. How did it get started? Artifakt Supply originally started due to a paint shortage during COVID – the supply chains were disrupted and we weren’t able to get the colors we needed for mural work. We decided to buy a bulk order of spray paint and started selling it at a lower cost than any local competitors. We found the perfect location in Worcester to house both of our businesses: Artifakt Supply and Artifakt Studios (our full-time mural company).

We have a feature gallery wall where we highlight amazing artists both local and national, but we are primarily a vendor of art supplies – focusing on graffiti and street art. We also sell a variety of items and art through consignment. It gives us an opportunity to empower the people who come into our store and support us by giving them a platform to share their wares.

Being in such a flexible space, we’re also able to host events and pop-ups.

PAINT & POT

“We really believe in normalizing Cannabis use and breaking down traditional barriers. ” What are you primarily focused on and what do you hope to achieve with the business? Our main goal is to support the graffiti culture and community here in Massachusetts. But beyond that, we are also using our space to help cultivate community and education across a wide variety of topics and events. Helping to facilitate other people’s ideas has been a fun challenge for us and has helped us expand our variety of offerings at a much faster rate.

A Stoner Owner is a Cannabis business owner who has a relationship with the plant. We want to buy and smoke Cannabis from companies that care about their products, employees and the plant. You wouldn’t buy food from a restaurant where the cooks don’t eat in the kitchen, so why buy corporate weed grown by a company only concerned with profits? Stoner Owner approval means a company cares, and we love weed grown with care. Let’s retake our culture and reshape a stigma by honoring those who grow, process and sell the best Cannabis possible.

APR. 2022

How has Artifakt embraced the Cannabis industry? We really believe in normalizing Cannabis use and breaking down traditional barriers. The way we are doing that is by offering classes that are ‘Cannabis infused,’ such as Wake & Bake Yoga or Elevate & Create Art classes where instruction on different activities is given after a communal BYOC smokeout in our outdoor art garden.

What is up-and-coming for Artifakt Supply in spring and summer 2022? As we look into 2022, we are expanding all of our art class offerings for both kids and adults of all skill levels. [We will also offer] standard monthly events like How to Grow Your Own Cannabis, ARTIFAKTSUPPLY.COM Shamanism for the @ARTIFAKTSUPPLY People’s Wellness, ARTIFAKTSUPPLY@GMAIL.COM 1132 Bi-Weekly Yoga with Christopher Peña, PLEASANT STREET Black Book Night, WORCESTER, MA 01602 as well as a variety (508) 251-9364 of other classes 11AM-7PM THURS-SAT | 10AM-6PM SUNDAY and events.

STORY & PHOTOS by BAILEY JONSON @BAILEYNUGGZ for NORTHEAST LEAF

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the issue STRAIN OFGLASS THE MONTH

“THE SCENT OF ORANGE CREAMSICLE WITH NOTES OF CHERRY PIE FILLED MY NOSE.”

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

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PRINCES MAGIC G

apR. 2022

NORTHEAST Stoner & Co placed first in the Highest THC category in the 2020 High95 Cup, so I had a feeling I was in for a treat with their Princess Magic Girl – a strain with just the potency and terpene profile I was seeking. I stopped by their location in Biddeford, Maine knowing I’d find something with a kick, but looking for a strain with great flavor as well.

ESS GIRL

Cultivated by Stoner & Co. 29. 9% T H C

F R O S T E D G E L ATO X C H E R RY P U N C H

REVIEW & PHOTO by CHARLES TAGGART @KINDBUD.PHOTOS for NORTHEAST LEAF

Head Cultivator Morgan Whitmore and Owner Morgan Stoner have been busy breeding some amazing new strains.

Princess Magic Girl is a cross between Frosted Gelato and Cherry Punch, and when they sampled the results, they knew they had a winner!

Opening the beautifully-branded zip bag, the scent of orange creamsicle with notes of cherry pie filled my nose and seemed to pull out those childish anticipations of fruity sweetness. I was giddy like a kid in a candy store.

The dense, light green buds were covered in sparkly crystals and boasted purple-tipped leaves and amber hairs – a pleasure to behold!

The flowers were perfectly cured as well, and I was able to break it up for a fat joint using just my fingers.

The flavor was smooth and the effects immediate. After just a couple of cherryflavored puffs, I felt my body relax as the usual aches and pains were soothed and I achieved the desired comfort mode. A couple of packed bowls after the day’s work was done put me into full couchlock, but with a feel-good cerebral high – highly recommended for getting creative with friends. But don’t sit too still … this level of THC can put you down quickly if you’re not careful.

Proprietors Morgan and Harleena Stoner (yes that’s their real last names) run a beautiful craft Cannabis dispensary with superb quality and unique flavors, and while that is undeniably impressive, it was their friendly team that amazed me the most.

The Stoner’s deep care for their employees and the welfare of the local community is what Maine’s familyoriented craft Cannabis industry STONER & CO. is all about. They’re 414 HILL STREET BIDDEFORD, ME medical now, but soon STONERANDCO.COM expanding into adult @STONERANDCO recreational use.

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the GLASS issue

HEAD OF THE GLASS Now that Greg “Chemdog” Krzanowski’s legal Cannabis line Smash Hits is making new fans for his flower, his glass and glass-blowing skills enter their second act in Massachusetts.

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

Depending on who you talk to, Greg “Chemdog” Krzanowski needs no introduction. His legacy of cultivating some of the most influential genetics and new-world Cannabis strains stretching back 30 years (Chemdog/Chem 91, Chem D, Chem 4) is well known, as is his current status as the Director of Cultivation for Smash Hits Cannabis by Canna Provisions.

But for another sect of the Cannabis community, Chemdog’s glass pieces and special collaborations are talismans to covet. His overall career – like his origins in Cannabis cultivation – can be traced back to 1980s/’90s Grateful Dead lot-life culture.

“If it weren’t for the Grateful Dead, I wouldn’t be blowing glass, nor the grower of Chemdog,” he says. “The Dead brought me here to this place right now, led me to finding the strain that became Chemdog. I really owe it all to them.”

So it should come as no surprise that Krzanowski sees the arcs of both paths between the plant side and the artistic glass side intrinsically interwoven into each others’ DNA – like the rivulets of color twisting through a fresh glass pendant or heavy-duty hammer bowl from Chem’s glass lab in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts.

“Right now I can’t even take any custom orders, I’m just getting to my shop on the weekends and basically making one-hitters from being so busy at the Canna Provisions grow,” Krzanowski says about getting back into maker mode. “Getting back to the shop itself feels awesome, it’s a 28 total stress reliever for me.”

That’s not just lip service: Chemdog started officially blowing his own pieces in the early ‘90s, and kicked production up a notch “IF IT WEREN’T around the turn of the millenia while F O R T H E G R AT E F U L growing weed full time. But after getting D E A D, I WO U L D N ’ T raided in 2011 (an infamous story B E B LOW I N G documented in the Nov. 2021 Harvest GLASS, NOR THE Issue), he immediately went back to G R OW E R O F his glass shop to make a pipe and deC H E M D O G .” compress. “I still have it,” he says, with understandable pride.

Speaking about his return to the shop after a break in blowing from focusing on launching Smash Hits over the last year, he waxes philosophical on the power of the pause.

“That break just makes you flow better, the inspiration comes back and gives you a sense of freshness to the work,” he says. “A clean slate is sort of there, and the flow is really back after a recharge like that. I suggest it to every glass blower out there. Take a break every now and then and watch what happens to your work. It’s a natural gift.”

Chem’s style was picked up in the early ‘90s during tours and his trips to Oregon to meet up with the celebrated Bob Snodgrass. His education really began in 1993 – stocking up on Snodgrass’ cases for young Chem to hawk on tour with the Grateful Dead. Eventually he started watching guys like Snodgrass and Travis Wigger, Bob Badtram, Cameron Tower, and the close study worked its way into his own signature style. “They are my main influencers and inspirations … those four styles basically form together to fuel mine.”

As for any lasting wants from such a storied career, he brings it all back home.

“I want to meet Bobby Weir while he’s still here, and simply tell him: Thank you.”

CHEMDOGSSWAG.COM @CHEMDOG_GLASS

APR. 2022

CHEMDOG

CHEMDOG’S FAVORITE INFLUENCES AND COLLABS Dave Colton Glass davidcoltonglass.com “The first collab I ever did was with Dave Colton, a true collaborative effort, back in 2012-13. I loved that piece.”

Banjo Glass

@banjoglass “We did some Sherlocks and a set of crazy side bowls I still have and love.”

Coyle Condenser

@coylecondenser “We did a bunch of pendants, and eventually he wound up doing a bear for me. He’s my shopmate in Florence, Mass.”

Hops Glass

@hopsglass “We whipped up some awesome laid-back bubblers. His style is old school, and he has a really nice flair to his work.”

STORY by DAN MCCARTHY @ACUTALPROOF for NORTHEAST LEAF | PHOTOS by JEFF DIMARCO @IAMJEFFDIMARCO

SKRILLINGER “There was this well-known glassblowing studio on my walk home from school in Florida,” said Bradley. “And I kept bothering them for a job and finally they caved. I was told to clean up the studio after them and they started showing me how to blow glass.”

His family wasn’t thrilled with his choice of art, though he took great pride once he was able to sell enough glass to buy his father lunch with the money he earned from his artwork.

After high school, Bradley attended Salaam Community College where the Scientific Glass-Blowing Program was one of the few in the country.

It’s where he met a lot of other great glassblowing artists who would be-

29

“ T H E R E WA S T H I S come both friends and inspirations. Now he’s W E L L- K N OW N in an established co-op studio in Portland with G L A S S B LOW I N G a group of great local artists.

S T U D I O O N M Y WA L K He’s always striving to become better with HOME FROM SCHOOL design, technical skill and function. As to how … I K E P T B OT H E R I N G he discovered his unique drippy technique, he THEM FOR A JOB tells me, “Everyone was doing the “honey dripA N D F I N A L LY T H E Y ping” style. I was working with complex colors C AV E D.” that are quite difficult and the piece cracked along the color line. I covered it up with a drip and really liked it – it was a mistake, but it worked and I liked it.”

As for inspiration, Bradley has mixed emotions. “I have a weird relationship with inspiration,” he said.

“If it happens, great, but sometimes I motivate myself by thinking of ideas I haven’t done yet and I promise myself to create them – like a self-contract. I’m also inspired by the ability to earn enough to travel and see some of the world.”

STORY & PHOTOS by CHARLES TAGGART @KINDBUD.PHOTOS for NORTHEAST LEAF

leafmagazines.com

I recently had the opportunity to stop by the Portland, Maine studio of artist Bradley Schillinger. He’s been blowing glass for 13 years and doing it full time for the past nine, becoming known for his distinctive “dripping glass” style. He tells me he’s always painted and was creative as a kid. At age 12, he met some painters and realized that art was a thing someone could do, and he was intrigued…

the glas issue

BRADLEY SKRILLINGER’S GLASS DRIPS

@SKRILLINGER

the GLASS issue

Lobsters are one of the most iconic images of the Vacationland State and Angie Furrow, known as “Mrs. Claws” or @mrsclawsmaine, is considered to be the first glassblowing artist in Maine to turn the lobster claw into a functional glass device for Cannabis consumption.

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Angie learned to blow glass in California over 20 years ago, working in a heady glass studio doing production work in exchange for lessons and a space to make art. After getting married and having the first of two children, she and her husband noticed that Maine was going to legalize Cannabis and decided to move to the mid-coast to a quaint town about a half hour from the sea. The entire family loves the outdoors – camping and fishing, and especially, cooking and eating lobsters.

Upon arriving in Maine, Angie started creating little animals inside of steamrollers that became quite popular. On a recent visit to see Angie at her studio, she showed me 30 one of her green tree frogs inside a glass tube “A F T E R S E N D I N G and described to me H E R K I D S O F F TO the epiphany that got SCHOOL, ANGIE her started making her O F T E N D O E S T WO signature creation. “I WO R K S E S S I O N S decided to start making D U R I N G T H E DAY – lobster claws,” she WO R K I N G I N H E R recalled, “and quickly STUDIO UNTIL THE realized I had someKIDS COME HOME, thing special.”

TA K I N G A B R E A K Her first few lobster FOR SUPPER AND claw pieces were nice, THEN LABORING but when she started I N TO T H E N I G H T adding a bit more F I L L I N G O R D E R S .” realism – including barnacles and a touch more color – the new designs became more and more popular. I sat watching as she added her handmade barnacles onto a few glass pipes and marveled at her patience and perseverance.

After sending her kids off to school, Angie often does two work sessions during the day – working in her studio until the kids come home, taking a break for supper and then laboring into the night filling orders. Recently, one of her pieces was added to the Made In Maine Museum.

Her son is now learning to blow glass as a teenager. With pride, Angie tells me she hopes to continue teaching her son the artform and leave him the established glass studio once she retires.

You can find Angie’s pieces in many of the top heady glass shops and Cannabis dispensaries throughout Maine and the Northeast.

MRS.CLAWS ANGIE FURROW CLAWS HER WAY TO THE TOP

@MRSCLAWSMAINE

APR. 2022

STORY & PHOTOS by CHARLES TAGGART @KINDBUD.PHOTOS for NORTHEAST LEAF

the GLASS issue

ANDY ROTH

If you’re familiar with the work of Andy Roth, then you’re already aware of the stunning, simple elegance and flawless symmetry of his art. His unique vision translated and brought to life through the glass medium results in expertly crafted artwork with intense aesthetic appeal and fantastic function.

WHERE ARE YOU FROM, AND WHERE ARE YOU CURRENTLY BLOWING GLASS NOW? I was born in

Pennsylvania, but grew up in California.

I have spent some time living in Washington state, but have landed back in California near family.

“ I D R AW A LOT O F I N S P I R AT I O N F R O M ARCHITECTURE, WHETHER IT BE FROM A BUILDING, S KYS C R A P E R O R ANY INTERESTING S T R U C T U R E .”

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WHO OR WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GET ON THE TORCH? I would see beautiful

glass pipe art on the internet, and knew nothing about how they were made.

After finding out the glass was melted with a torch, I couldn’t not try my hand at blowing glass. The process of controlling the flow of molten glass has held my attention ever since.

HOW DID YOU HONE IN ON YOUR SIGNATURE STYLE – WHAT MAKES AN ANDY ROTH PIECE AN ANDY ROTH PIECE? Architecture and simplicity. I draw

TUBE DESIGN, S H A P I N G , C O LO R WO R K A N D FAC E T I N G BY A N DY R OT H

a lot of inspiration from architecture, whether it be from a building, skyscraper or any interesting structure. And I like to live my life in simple ways, so I think that translates into me designing pieces that are clean of distractions – simple, but sometimes architecturally complex at the same time.

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

N I C K E L I N L AYS

BY RYA N F I T T A N D JA R E D CORTLAND

IF YOU COULD COLLAB WITH ANY ARTIST OUT THERE, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? There are too many

great artists I would love to collaborate with. Both inside the glass world and of other mediums.

WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT ASPECT OF BEING A FULL TIME GLASS ARTIST? I would say the most difficult

C O L L A B S W I T H RYA N F I T T & JA R E D C O R T L A N D @ A N DY R OT H G L A S S | @ RYA N F I T T | @ JA R E D CO R T L A N D

APR. 2022

part would be the ups and downs of productivity. Which I think can be said for any path in life. Being inspired or having motivation isn’t always going to be there, so it is important to remain disciplined and keep moving forward. And eventually the inspiration or motivation will flow back.

STORY by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by JARED CORTLAND @JAREDCORTLAND

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@HAPPYVALLEYMA @HAPPYVALLEY_MA PREMIUM CANNABIS - GLOUCESTER | EAST BOSTON - HAPPYVALLEY.ORG - FOLLOW US PLEASE CONSUME RESPONSIBLY. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 years of age or older. Keep out of the reach of children. This product has not been analyzed or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There is limited information on the side effects of using this product, and there may be associated health risks. Marijuana use during pregnancy and breast-feeding may pose potential harms. It is against the law to drive or operate machinery when under the influence of this product. KEEP THIS PRODUCT AWAY FROM CHILDREN. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. The impairment effects of Edibles may be delayed by two hours or more. In case of accidental ingestion, contact poison control hotline 1-800-222-1222 or 9-1-1. This product may be illegal outside of MA

the GLASS issue

S A K I B O M B H AC KYS AC KY.CO M @ S A K I B O M B H AC KYS AC KY

“CHIICHII” CALM COLLAB

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“ LOV E LY T E A P OT ”

SAKIBOMB HACKYSACKY LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

“ P O P U S SYC L E ”

The glass artist known as Sakibomb Hackysacky is a quirky Japanese gal with a penchant for all things feline and feminine. Though she first started smoking weed when she was 17, Saki (as her friends call her) didn’t smoke out of glass until nearly eight years later and was immediately taken with the medium.

“I started wondering how it’s made and thought it would be wonderful if I can make my own pipes and also be able to fix what I break.”

Sakibomb arrived in America in 2001 and five years later, at the age of 30, began her new career as a “DUCHESS” glassblower. She quickly picked up new techniques JOE PETERS and approaches to the business by working alongside some COLLAB of the top artists in the game – nearly all of which were men.

“The industry is growing very fast, but one thing that never really changes – and I wish it would – is that it’s still a male-dominated business,” she points out. “We need more ladies who actually make pipes!”

APR. 2022

“ WO R D P L AY I S Saki puts her unique brand of feminism on A N OT H E R T H E M E full display in her art: Among the most prominent T H AT R U N S themes expressed in her work are pussies – both the THROUGHOUT animals and the genitalia (think Hello Kitty meets H E R B O DY Georgia O’Keefe).

O F WO R K .”

“I make popsicles with vaginas that I call ‘popussycles,’ she says. “And I make vagina rings, so you’re literally ‘fingering’ them when you wear them.”

This kind of wordplay is another theme that runs throughout her body of work.

“I made a ‘six-foot’ bong, but instead of it being six feet tall, I put six human feet on it!” she giggles. “Or like my nose pipe … flower is ‘hana’ in Japanese, but hana is also nose, so my flower pipe is a nose.”

In addition to vaginas, Saki’s art also frequently incorporates animal prints, the color pink, and lots and lots of cats. In fact, the care and rescue of furry felines is one of the primary passions in her life.

“If everyone on this planet could adopt one cat each, we could make a world with no stray cats … and I would be so happy!”

STORY by BOBBY BLACK @BOBBYBLACK420/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS COURTESY ARTIST

JOE PETERS

the glas issue

J O E P E T E R S G L A S S .CO M @ J O E P G L A S S

35

J O E P E T E R S G L A S S .CO M @ J O E P G L A S S

The glassblowing world had a special way of capturing Joe’s attention unlike his other dabblings in painting and pottery. This artform gave Joe a sense of urgency to get things done and finish pieces, placing them in the kiln before they had time to break. He was also intrigued by the fact that with glass, you can’t directly touch the art you’re making.

While a longtime lover of weed and passionate about pipe-making, the mid-2000s weren’t exactly the best years to be blowing glass for weed-centric purposes. Rather than risk getting busted making pipes in his parents’ garage, Joe honed his craft and made a name for himself and his glass sculptures in the art show and craft fair scene – even doing an installation in a children’s hospital that he describes to this day as some of the most meaningful work of his career.

In 2010, Joe couldn’t ignore his dream of pipe-making any longer and

decided to take his glassblowing skills to the Cannabis world. The honeycombs and honey drips on his pieces drew countless admirers out of the gate, and he took the time to perfect these elements while blowing glass alongside some of the world’s most respected artists.

This all led Joe to the realization that sculpting was his speciality, and both the functional and non-functional glass worlds could benefit from his skillset.

“It’s finding out what your strengths are and what you enjoy doing, and going from there,” said Joe. “I’m just a human being. I like to make cool stuff. I want to make the best work that I can. I want to survive and make a good living – and that’s it. The best is just an opinion.”

These days, you can expect to see glass art from Joe in the form of aquatics, robots, dragons, spaceships, aliens, bees and honey (of course) and much more, all coming to life in vibrant and masterfully-sculpted fashion – for both your smoking and non-smoking pleasures.

STORY by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by SCOTT SOUTHERN @BORO.VISION

leafmagazines.com

Joe Peters was immersed in an artistic environment for the entirety of his youth, but it wasn’t until he found the flame at age 19 that his passions found the perfect outlet. “Oh hell yeah, I get to play with fire,” he reminisced. “It was the easiest decision I ever had in my life.”

T H E S E DAYS , YO U C A N E X P E C T TO S E E G L A S S ART FROM JOE IN THE F O R M O F AQ UAT I C S , R O B OT S , D R AG O N S , S PAC E S H I P S , A L I E N S , BEES AND HONEY (O F C O U R S E ) A N D MUCH MORE.

the GLASS issue

DARBY HOLM @ DA R BY H O L M G L A S S

“ D R E A M I T, B E L I E V E I T, BUILD IT”

With deep Oregon roots originally emerging from Eugene’s OG glass scene back in the mid-’90s, Darby Holm remains one of the most talented, respected and celebrated glass artists of his generation. Though his

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creativity is boundless, Darby is perhaps best known for two trademark design elements – the first one being the cactus, which he uses in a majority of his pieces.

“It’s actually kind of funny because most people assume I’m from Arizona,” he chuckles, “but what brought those out is my traveling. I’ve spent a lot of time driving through Arizona, and when I’m out in the middle of nowhere, I like to stop and hang out for a while … eat a sandwich, burn a bowl, or whatever. So one day, I was staring at this big old gnarly cactus, and I was like, ‘Whoa, that looks like a Sherlock pipe!’ So when I got home, I tried to make one – that’s how it all got started.”

The other concept he returns to time and time again is the ray gun.

“The ray guns, they definitely come from my childhood,” Darby reminisces. “Marvin the Martian, Buck Rogers, Star Trek, and all of that. I really like ray guns because I can “ I R E A L LY L I K E get futuristic and all R AY G U N S of that weird kind of B E C AU S E gadgetry just comes I CAN GET out of my head.”

FUTURISTIC Today, this lifelong AND ALL OF Oregonian works out T H AT W E I R D of a shop at his home KIND OF in Grants Pass, where G A D G E T RY he’s passing the JUST COMES torch (literally) to his OUT OF oldest son Caleb (@ M Y H E A D.” shurlockholm). And after a quarter-century in the glass game, he still appears to be as inspired as ever.

“I’m constantly blown away by all of these artists’ ability to keep upping their own game, and how the function keeps up with all of the amazing ideas brewing in their heads … ideas that are just waiting for the proper time to flow through their hands to bring another beautiful creation to life.”

APR. 2022

“MUSHROOM G UA R D I A N ” CO L L A B WITH M I K E LU N A

“DESERT CAMO”

STORY by BOBBY BLACK @BOBBYBLACK420/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by LILA HOLM @HOLMMADEGLASS

If one were to regard glass artists as Jedis, Derek “Dwreck” White would unquestionably qualify as a Sith Lord. After smoking his first joint at a Metallica concert in 1989, Dwreck quickly became a pothead as well as a metalhead.

Once he graduated high school, he moved to the city of Ithaca in New York State to attend film school, where he met some of his closest friends who would all go on to become notable glass artists: Gasp, Ease and Slinger.

White spent the years that followed developing his skills, eventually participating in several glass competitions (including the Degenerate Flame Off and The Pipe Classic) and winning first place in the marble category at the 2nd annual Eugene Glass School Flame Off. But it wasn’t until he learned to sandblast from Slinger about a decade ago that Dwreck would develop his devilishly dark design style.

“I immediately began blasting skulls, pentagrams, nude women, etc., onto my pieces,” he explains. “I wanted my work to appeal to the heavy metal community. I love metal, and I love challenging social norms regarding spirituality and eroticism.”

The pentagrams aren’t just for shock value, though – instead, they reflect his genuine philosophical beliefs.

“I consider myself more of a Luciferian than a Satanist,” he explains. “Satanists exist in opposition to Christianity and believe in the pursuit of carnal experiences, while Luciferians are indifferent to Christianity and value enlightenment.”

Granted, his affinity for occult imagery isn’t for everyone … but he does have (pardon the pun) a “cult” following.

“My art may come across as low-brow to some, but I’m fine with that – I think of myself as the Pabst Blue Ribbon of marble makers,” he snickers. “My name will live in infamy because of my work. What else can I ask for?”

So to all those dark-side dope smokers out there who appreciate his artistry, Dwreck offers this sinister salutation: “Hail Satan … and may the force be with you.”

the glas issue

DWRECK @ DW R E C KG L A S S

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“ I LOV E C H A L L E N G I N G SOCIAL NORMS REGARDING S P I R I T UA L I T Y AND EROTICISM.”

leafmagazines.com STORY by BOBBY BLACK @BOBBYBLACK420/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS COURTESY ARTIST

the GLASS issue LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

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MIA SHEA @​​M I A S H E AG L A S S @ T H E A R TO F M I A S H E A

If art is a reflection of who a person is, Mia Shea is a muse of the goddess – alchemizing glass into exquisite Venusian statues, vases, candle and incense holders, pendants, pipes and chillums.

Based in Seattle, Mia has a studio in the Old Rainier Brewery where there are three rooms dedicated to making glass art.

She’s the only female glassblower amidst the 20 or so men in the building, but she’s used to the male energy; the glass industry is overwhelmingly male-dominated (as most industries are).

“I don’t think women’s bodies are meant to be machining over torches all day long,” says Mia, who gained her experience at Zen Glass in St. Petersburg, Florida in 2011. “But when glass is flowing and melting and blending, it’s all very therapeutic and feminine in nature.”

Shea regards the artistic “IT’S ABOUT COMING medium of glassblowing as I N TO A H E A LT H Y a practice of healing the O R I E N TAT I O N O F mother – as in the earth, the THE MASCULINE womb, the feminine.

AND FEMININE, “Almost all of the women RECONNECTING in the glass industry are TO O U R B O D I E S sculpting the female body,” AND THE EARTH, she says. “I get it … we’re A N D R E S TO R I N G all healing our connection to B A L A N C E F O R A L L .” the feminine.”

Shea isn’t solely focused on channeling the divine feminine into her art, though – the juice behind her primal, psychedelic glass work requires tapping into the divine masculine as well. Channeling the power of both the yin and yang energies allows her to plant seeds for healing and change through the medium of glass, to cultivate love and trust, and to breathe life back into our bones.

For her, blowing glass is an expression of her spirituality and revolves around a deep integrity for what’s natural. Every piece she makes is infused with these noble intentions.

“It’s about coming into a healthy orientation of the masculine and feminine, reconnecting to our bodies and the earth, and restoring balance for all,” Shea attests.

No doubt the world needs more of that right now.

APR. 2022

STORY by MARY CARREON @MARYYYSTARDUST for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by WIND HOME PHOTOGRAPHY @WINDHOME

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PRESENTS

Historic Headshops Profiling the pioneering purveyors of paraphernalia.

BOBBY BLACK

cannthropology

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WORLD OF Cannabis

leafmagazines.com

Before the advent of the internet, there was only one place to find all of the stoner essentials: a headshop. From blacklight posters to bongs (excuse me …“water pipes”), records to roach clips, vibrators to vaporizers – the classic headshops were not only emporiums for all things sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, they were also hubs where counterculture art, ideas, information and publications could be disseminated.

THE PSYCHEDELIC SHOP The very first headshop in America opened its doors to the public on January 3, 1966 – in precisely the location you’d likely expect: at the center of the drug-fueled hippie revolution in San Francisco. Called the Psychedelic Shop, it was founded by Army Vet Ron Thelin and his brother Jay, who used $500 of savings to lease a storefront at 1535 Haight Street, then plastered the walls with burlap, mandalas and hallucinogenic art, and stocked it with esoteric books, beaded jewelry, incense, pipes and other paraphernalia.

Almost immediately, the Psych Shop became a hub of the emerging hippie scene – selling tickets to concerts and other happenings, serving as a meeting place for the Diggers activist group and distributing underground literature. The Thelins even used some of the shop’s revenue to start their own counterculture newspaper, which later became the San Francisco Oracle.

Predictably though, their establishment drew unwanted attention from law enforcement; that November, the SFPD vice squad raided the shop and arrested one of their employees for selling a copy of “The Love Book” (a compilation of graphic sexual and religious poetry) to an undercover officer – charging him and Ron Thelin with distribution of obscenity.

Their subsequent court case became the longest-running criminal trial in San Francisco’s history and a nationwide cause célèbre for freedom of speech.

apr. 2022

Above: The archetypal headshop—Captain Ed’s Smoke Shoppe. Left: Jay and Ron Thelin in front of their Psychedelic Shop on Haight Street, 1966.

Despite this setback, the shop continued to thrive throughout the Summer of Love … but by the fall of 1967, the crowds and commercialization had become too much for the Thelins. Believing the hippie ideal had gotten lost in the circus sideshow of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, they decided to close the Psychedelic Shop. On October 4-6, Thelin and the Diggers organized a “Death of the Hippies” happening – giving away everything in the shop, placing the store’s sign in a casket and leading a symbolic funeral procession through The Haight. And just like that, after less than two years, America’s first headshop was history.

VILLAGE VANGUARDS While the Psychedelic Shop was the first ostensible headshop, it would be a similar store which opened four months later in New York City that would give the new industry its name.

In May 1966, an ex-architect from the Bronx named Jeff Glick and his wife Betsy opened an alternative smokeshop on East Ninth Street in the Lower East Side called simply the Head Shop. Though Glick never officially explained the reason behind the name, common wisdom assumed that the word “Head” referred to the colloquial term for a drug enthusiast, such as a “pothead” or “acid head.”

Though there are a few other urban Trippy promo for the legends about the Head Shop in NYC. origin of the name, Glick’s shop is, to my knowledge, the first official use of the term and therefore deserves the credit.

Psychedelic Shop’s first anniversary poster (1967).

BOBBY BLACK

CAPTAIN ED’S In 1967, stoner buddies Edwin Marsh Adair III and Bob Silverman rode from Venice Beach up to a little underground headshop on Van Nuys Boulevard to score a “Captain Ed” Adair & his pack of rolling papers (which, smoke shop in Van Nuys. in those days, weren’t as easy to find). While there, Silverman inquired about what it might cost to open a similar shop, to which the owner reportedly replied: “Why do you have to open one? This one’s for sale.” Well, the two friends did just that – they bought the shop and renamed it Heads & Highs.

Thanks to Silverman’s business acumen and Adair’s welcoming personality, the store became such a success that by 1969 they’d opened a second location in Reseda. In fact, Adair was so adored by his patrons that they gave him the nickname “Captain Ed” (a reference to the Walt Whitman

In 2017, Captain Ed’s Smoke Shoppe celebrated its 50th anniversary and is now the oldest continuously operating headshop in America. poem “O Captain! My Captain!”). One such customer was a veteran around Adair’s age named Jack who had only recently gotten high for the first time, so Adair took him under his wing – encouraging him to seek out as much information on Psychedelicatessen Cannabis as he could. storefront (above) Jack embraced his menand one of their ads tor’s imperative, gradfor pipes (left). ually compiling all the historical information he collected into a definitive Cannabis reference book. That book was “The Emperor Wears No Clothes,” and that vet was Jack Herer.

Herer went on to become a headshop owner himself, opening High Country in Venice Beach in 1973. A decade later, he became the first proprietor in the Valley convicted under state law for selling drug paraphernalia. After a brief stint in jail, Herer moved up to Portland and opened another headshop called The Third Eye. Like Jack, Adair Jack & Ed: The faced his own legal worries Hemperor and with Heads & Highs. Under his Captain. the Reagan Administration’s hardline drug policies, the Feds targeted the shop over its name, which they insisted implied illicit drug use. Under legal pressure, they renamed the store Captain Ed’s Smoke Shoppe. Despite having to change its name, being busted and having its inventory seized multiple times, and the eventual death of its founders in the 1990s, this legendary shop has managed to survive. In 2017, Captain Ed’s celebrated its 50th anniversary and is now the oldest continuously operating headshop in America.

EAST-WEST Captain Ed’s might be the longest operating headshop on the West Coast, but back East that distinction falls to an eccentric little “rock ‘n’ roll superstore” in Union City, New Jersey called East-West Novelty.

After being turned on to weed by his Army sergeant in Vietnam, Cuban-American Veteran Alex Savino returned to New Jersey and began working at a headshop in the West Village called the Thieves Market. Tired of commuting,

he eventually decided to open his own shop closer to home.

“I opened it so that people like me didn’t have to travel into NYC,” he explains.

“There was no headTop: Alex Suvino behind the shop in New Jersey yet counter at East-West Novelty … the Village was rein 1974. Above: Suvino & son ally the only place that Luke circa 2015. had anything at all.”

With just $900 startup money, Savino opened the shop in 1971 and began selling posters, pranks, t-shirts, records and smokeware. He named it East-West, after his favorite album by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Initially, the shop was only pulling in less than $50 a day … but that changed drastically, Savino claims, once High Times hit the scene.

“When High Times came out in 1974-75, that was the explosion,” this colorful character recalls.

“To see that lifestyle and culture mass-distributed to America, it opened up the door to major things. We really flourished.”

Despite the paraphernalia crackdowns of the 1990s, East-West managed to endure by strictly enforcing the ban on words like “marijuana” and “bong” within the store and by bringing in new, non-drug-related products like skateboards —the suggestion of Alex’s son Luke, who has now expanded the family business. In 2019, Luke officially put the “West” in East-West when he moved out to Colorado to open a second location in Steamboat Springs.

“A headshop is more than just a store … it’s almost like a museum,” Luke observes. “There’s so much to look at, there’s always good music playing … people often come in and don’t even buy anything, but they always come back.”

Speaking for us old stoner outlaw types, I find it comforting to know that the magical, taboo places known as headshops still exist...and as long as they do, we’ll keep coming back.

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

BOBBY BLACK

Glick’s initial $500 investment soon blossomed into a $3,000-per-week revenue stream, allowing him to open a second location in the West Village. Before long, more headshops began sprouting up all around – most notably on St. Marks Place, where smokeware artists and vendors began to line the street (and still do today), and on Avenue A, where another infamous institution also opened its doors in 1966: Psychedelicatessen.

Like the Psych Shop in San Francisco, Psychedelicatessen served as a hippie hub in NYC. Located just up the block from Tompkins Square Park, it became a hot spot for all things underground, controversial and cool – luring in counterculture icons like Allen Ginsberg and Timothy Leary and even getting written up in the February 24, 1967 issue of Time magazine. But alas, like its SF counterpart, it was gone in less than two years. It seems that owners Rick Southworth Swede and his wife Susan – who were also the leaders of a psychedelic drug cult (similar to the notorious Brotherhood of Eternal Love) called the Church of Mysterious Elation – were allegedly dealing drugs out of the shop. As a result, on June 22, 1968, Psychedelicatessen was raided by the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and permanently closed.

stoney baloney LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

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IT SURE SEEMS like everyone has a trigger or 50 these days. Not to say that people haven’t always been fragile, but now we have classified the proper terminology that pinpoints that moment where something clicks like a slipped disc in your mind and propels you down a rabbit hole of displeasure.

Obviously, the term generates from the trigger of a gun – activating an emotional response that equates to a heightened reaction. The catalyst kind of hits you like a bullet, too, creating an abrupt shock to your mood. You may not be entirely aware that your reaction to the incident stems from something traumatic in your past that is affecting your attitude in the moment, but either way, your current state is altered and provoking an immediate reaction.

In this modern age of psychology, we’ve become very efficient at analyzing nuances in the human temperament and identifying how drastic changes can exacerbate symptoms. Like a hundred years ago, people just called it rattling the nerves. But once you place a validated medical term on it, people can clutch onto the diagnosis like a life preserver … a safe zone. But the problem with that is we’ve become accustomed to having a technical explanation for everything we feel, raising expectations that because it is well-defined, there must be a simple way to resolve it.

And it’s usually with a pill. Or a drink.

Or a fit of rage.

And the misunderstanding from which most people suffer is thinking that acting out negatively is the most effective way to resolve the situation. But as we all have learned from experience, these confrontational reactions only exacerbate the problem. And therefore, I would like to share my philosophy on settling an issue before reacting in a way that could prove irreparable.

My lighter is a trigger.

And my bong is my gun.

apR. 2022

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