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the EQUALITY issue

#12

feature

Leaf Nation interviewed Mary Pryor, co-founder of Cannaclusive in New York City, as part of our feature Voices of the Cannabis Community, examining pivotal questions of equality, equity, growth and potential, in the Cannabis industry across the country.

Breaking the Grass Ceiling

Mary J. White, Chef & Cannabis Cookbook Author

AL HARRINGTON FROM THE NBA TO THE POT SHOP

CONCENTRATE OF THE MONTH SIXTY/SIXTY GELLATI CURED BADDER

BAILEY JONSON

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44 Prohibition’s Racist Roots The legacy of Cannabis prohibition in this country emerges in big and small ways in the Cannabis industry of today. Leaf Nation’s Bobby Black explores how race-baiting journalism and racist politics impacted Cannabis for generations to come.

////////// story by bobby black

AUG. 2021

feature

COLLAGE BY BOBBY BLACK

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH PLOY LORENZ, SWEET RELIEF | ME

TERON BEAL

ROB WHITE

Profiles of Women-owned Cannabis Businesses

7 10 14 16 18 20 23 24 28 32 34 38 42 44 46

DANIEL BERMAN

AUGUST 2021

issue

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N O R T H EAS T

EDITOR’S NOTE LOCAL NEWS REMEMBERING FRENCHY CANNOLI BUDTENDER Q&A S T O N E R O W N E R S H A S H AT R O N , C T GENE TR ADERS’ LOU PINO S H A’ C A R R I R I C H A R D S O N STRAIN OF THE MONTH VOICES OF THE CANNABIS COMMUNITY FROM THE NBA TO THE POT SHOP BREAKING THE GRASS CEILING FIGHTING FOR A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD C O N C E N T R AT E O F T H E M O N T H CANNTHROPOLOGY STONEY BALONEY

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@thebotanist.ma Please consume responsibly. This product may cause impairment and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. 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.

DOT COM WE ARE ONE

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

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 /

A B O U T T H E C OV E R Inspired simultaneously by the vibrant interconnectedness of all life and the battle against generations of systematic oppression and unjust incarceration, Brazilian-born artist Guilherme Lemes incorporated a number of richly colored symbols of the struggle for equality and equity into the art for this month’s cover. “If you’re going to plant a seed, you need your hands,” he said. “So, the future is in your hands. That is the feeling I had when I made this cover. … Let’s use our hands to build a good future from this point.”

ILLUSTRATION by GUILHERME LEMES @GUILEEMES

CONTRIBUTORS

WES ABNEY | FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

BOBBY BLACK, FEATURES JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION TOM BOWERS, FEATURES EARLY, PRODUCTION EMILY EIZEN, PHOTOS MIKE GIANAKOS, FEATURES BAILEY JONSON, FEATURES + PHOTOS GILBERT GJERSVIK, FEATURES GUILHERME LEMES, ILLUSTRATION BOBBY NUGGZ, FEATURES + PHOTOS BAXSEN PAINE. FEATURES JEFF PORTERFIELD, DESIGN MIKE RICKER, FEATURES MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING ZACK RUSKIN, FEATURES O’HARA SHIPE, FEATURES JENNIFER SKOG, PHOTOS JAMIE VICTOR, ILLUSTRATION DAN VINKOVETSKY, FEATURES ROB WHITE, PHOTOS

WES@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

SENIOR EDITORS MIKE GIANAKOS | DAN VINKOVETSKY

MIKEG@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM DAN@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM 844-4NELEAF

CREATIVE DIRECTOR DANIEL BERMAN | VISUALS & DESIGN

DANIEL@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY PETE THOMPSON

PETE@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

SALES DIRECTOR MICHAEL CZERHONIAK

MICHAEL@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

We are creators of targeted, independent Cannabis journalism. Please email us to discuss advertising in the next issue of Northeast Leaf Magazine. We do not sell stories or coverage. We can offer design services and guidance on promoting your company’s medicinal, recreational, commercial or industrial Cannabis business, product or event within our magazine and on our website, LeafMagazines.com. Email michael@leafmagazines.com to begin supporting and advertising with us!

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ABNEY

Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up The Equality Issue of the Leaf! WHEN I BEGAN publishing the Leaf in 2010, my mission and hope was to help shape an environment in which Cannabis users could feel equal to the rest of society. To no longer be shamed or risk arrest or worse, for using a medicine or recreational substance that’s safer than alcohol. Now, over 11 years into this publishing journey, we ask the question with this annual issue: What is equality when it comes to Cannabis? Google defines equality as “the state of being equal, especially in status, rights and opportunities.” But how does this concept play out in the real world, where 100 years of the War on Drugs has torn apart lives and communities? What does an equal future for Cannabis look like? What used to be my simple answer of decriminalize and legalize for equality, has become so much more complex as the Cannabis industry and movement has grown from protests into a multi-billion dollar industry.

OUR GOAL IN SHARING THESE VOICES IS TO START A CONVERSATION AND INSPIRE YOU, OUR READERS, TO DO THE SAME.

Knowing that we don’t have the exact answer to this question, we took to the proverbial streets to ask heritage activists, influencers and stakeholders from around the country to explain what equality means to them in our Community Voices piece. This beautiful collection of thoughts can be found in our special section of this issue, and you can dive even deeper with complete answers to the full range of questions we couldn’t fit in print at leafmagazines.com. Our goal in sharing these voices is to start a conversation and inspire you, our readers, to do the same. This can be small – talking to a community member, family or coworker about your benefits from medicinal or recreational Cannabis, to signing a petition or volunteering with a local Cannabis organization.

For Cannabis as a plant, as well as our movement, to be viewed as equal, we must come together and be seen as unified in our beautiful, diverse and passionate community. I hope that this issue and the voices shared within will inspire you to take action, and give us pause to appreciate all the sacrifices that have been made so that we can all enjoy our plant without fear.

-Wes Abney AUG. 2021

leafmagazines.com

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PRESENT

® DAY 2

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2021

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PLEASE CONSUME RESPONSIBLY.

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 or 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 the consumption of this product. Marijuana can impair concentration , coordination, and judgment. The impairment effects of Edible marijuana products may be delayed by two hours of more. I case of accidental ingestion, contact poison control hotline 1-800-222-1222 or 9-1-1. This product may be illegal outside of MA.

THERE MAY BE HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONSUMPTION OF THIS PRODUCT. FOR USE ONLY BY ADULTS 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.

LOCAL NEWS

aine lawmakers have killed a bill that sought to decriminalize possession of all drugs. The measure was meant to curb some of the damage caused by the drug war by replacing the threat of incarceration with a $100 civil fine for personal possession of any controlled substance. Manufacturing or selling drugs would remain criminal offenses. Ultimately, the state Senate rejected the bill. However, it is noteworthy that the drug decriminalization measure was previously advanced by a joint legislative committee and even managed to pass the House. The decrim bill was not without supporters in the Senate. In an effort to gain the necessary votes, Sen. Mark Lawrence (D) amended the measure – making the first two possession offenses civil violations, while subsequent busts would remain criminal. However, the attempt at compromise failed to sway enough support in the Senate and the bill was defeated. Even if drug decriminalization had passed the Senate, Gov. Janet Mills would have likely vetoed the measure, as her administration and the state’s attorney general have voiced opposition to the decrim initiative. In addition to removing the threat of jail time for personal possession, the measure also would have increased access to Narcan, a provision that supporters believe would save lives by helping to prevent overdose deaths. While Maine’s attempt at decriminalization fell short, the movement to deescalate the drug war continues elsewhere as lawmakers are beginning to view illicit drug use as a public health issue, which is often made worse through criminal penalties. Similar legislative efforts have been introduced in Vermont, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. And, in June, on the 50th anniversary of Richard Nixon declaring the government’s war on drugs, a decriminalization bill was introduced at the federal level. Oregon bypassed the legislature on the subject of drug decriminalization and voters enthusiastically passed a ballot initiative making it the first state to remove criminal penalties for personal possession of all controlled substances.

10 Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko

BORAT ACTOR SUES LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

ctor Sacha Baron Cohen, best known for his portrayal of the fictional Kazakh reporter Borat Sagdiyev, is suing a Massachusetts Cannabis company for using his image in an advertisement without his permission. Baron Cohen’s suit claims Solar Therapeutics used an image of the actor as Borat on a billboard without his approval. The ad also included the character’s catchphrase, “It’s nice!” According to the complaint, Solar Therapeutics “falsely [has] conveyed to the public that Mr. Baron Cohen has endorsed their products and is affiliated with their business.” The Somerset, Massachusetts-based Cannabis company pulled the billboard shortly after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from the actor’s attorneys in April. Nonetheless, representatives for Baron Cohen filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Boston in July. The suit seeks a whopping $9 million in damages at minimum. The complaint notes that Baron Cohen is “highly protective of his image and persona” and is “very careful with the manner in which he uses his persona and his characters to interact with his fans and the general public.” The suit also states Baron Cohen’s concern that advertising might “weaken his credibility as an actor and as a serious social activist.” It even claims he previously turned down millions of dollars to appear in a car commercial. Perhaps most surprisingly, the lawsuit states “Mr. Baron Cohen never has used Cannabis in his life,” and that he doesn’t view marijuana use as a “healthy choice.” In fact, the suit explains, Baron Cohen’s beloved Ali G character was intended as a “mockery of ‘stoner’ culture.” It goes on to claim, “He never would participate in an advertising campaign for Cannabis, for any amount of money.” Ouch.

AUG. 2021

JUSTICE IN NEW JERSEY

ew Jersey residents are finally beginning to benefit from marijuana legalization, as the state Judiciary announced it has dismissed or vacated close to 90,000 Cannabis cases so far. The state’s decriminalization law requires cases created under marijuana prohibition to be dismissed. Since the law took effect July 1, nearly 88,000 such cases have been cleared. But that’s just the start of things as the state has around 360,000 Cannabis cases that qualify for dismissal. Those cases are also eligible for expungement, which is the process of clearing a person’s record of past Cannabis crimes. The Judiciary says the expungement phase will begin “in the coming months.” Legalization in New Jersey was an uphill battle. While voters approved a taxed and regulated marijuana industry on Election Day in 2020, it took more than three months to create legislation that Gov. Phil Murphy would sign into law. Now, five months after the governor approved the companion legalization and decriminalization laws, New Jerseyans are benefiting from the protections that come with Cannabis freedom. The state can expunge cases involving the sale or possession of up to an ounce of pot, as well as paraphernalia possession and arrests for being under the influence of Cannabis. Those who aren’t automatically identified for expungement are allowed to petition the court. New Jersey will also drop cases involving probation violations related to marijuana and rescind driver’s license suspensions or revocations if such penalties resulted from failing to appear for a pot charge. As the criminal justice reform component of the state’s legal Cannabis law gets underway, New Jersey remains months away from the start of retail sales. In fact, industry overseers have yet to establish rules and regulations for the legal pot market.

Photo by Patrick Slade

Safer in Rhode Island W

hile Cannabis legalization remains elusive in Rhode Island, the state has managed to pass a landmark measure legalizing safe consumption sites. The measure, which calls for a two-year pilot program, allows the use of illegal drugs in a safe environment and under medical supervision. Rhode Island is the first state to establish such harm reduction centers. The state Senate had passed a version of the safe consumption site bill earlier this year. Then, in June, the House approved an updated version of the measure. Ultimately the Senate passed the amended bill and Gov. Dan McKee signed it into law. Rep. John Edwards (D), who sponsored the House bill, explained the importance of safe consumption sites in Rhode Island. “The opioid epidemic has become a tremendous public health crisis, with overdoses of prescription and non-prescription opioids claiming a record number of lives … Not only do harm reduction centers severely mitigate the chance of overdose, they are a gateway to treatment and rehabilitation of people with substance abuse disorder.” Edwards added, “It’s a way to tackle this epidemic while saving lives in the process.” A similar bill passed the state Senate in 2019, but stalled in the House. Massachusetts and California have also recently considered safe consumption and harm reduction measures. However, neither state has thus far managed to send a bill to its governor’s desk.

Photo by Nastya Dulhiier

STORIES by MIKE GIANAKOS @MIKEGEEZEEY

POT PANIC IN NEW YORK

LOCAL NEWS

>> Continued from pg. 11

arijuana industry hopefuls in New York are growing increasingly concerned as the state has yet to fill key regulatory roles and establish rules governing the newly legal Cannabis market. It’s now been more than three months since Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act into law, legalizing Cannabis in New York and creating a regulated market with retail sales. But sales could still be at least 18 months away as the governor and lawmakers have done little to advance the new industry. The state’s marijuana law calls for the creation of an Office of Cannabis Management as well as a Cannabis Control Board. These regulatory bodies are responsible for creating rules for the adult-use industry, including licensing for cultivators and retailers. As the boards remain unfilled, the state is wasting precious time while other programs in the region get up to speed. And, the announcement of a federal legalization bill by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is contributing to the concerns of New York’s marijuana business hopefuls. The recently unveiled federal measure would deschedule Cannabis but largely leave pot policy up to individual states. However, the measure would allow for interstate commerce, meaning that out-of-state cultivators and manufacturers could legally ship their products to New York and sell them there. If that happens before the state can establish its own Cannabis industry licenses, it would undercut local farmers and businesses. However, the federal legalization bill appears a long way from actually passing. President Biden does not support the measure or legalization generally, and Sen. Schumer acknowledged that the bill currently does not have enough support to pass the Senate. The measure is now open to

Photo by Skylar Kang

public comment until September 1 and could look substantially different by the time it is given a vote. Meanwhile, the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe is taking matters into their own hands. The tribe has adopted its own ordinance regarding Cannabis, which allows marijuana to be grown, processed and sold on tribal land. The St. Regis Mohawks, whose territory is located in Northern New York near the Canadian border, anticipate making the state’s first Cannabis sales soon. If they succeed, they will beat the state to market by more than a year.

Weed and Taxes I

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

n June, Connecticut became the latest state in the Northeast to legalize Cannabis – leaving just New Hampshire and Rhode Island as the lone states without adult-use programs. Yet while marijuana will be legal to possess and purchase in Connecticut, it will not be cheap. Retail Cannabis will be hit with the state’s standard sales tax, as well as a local tax levied by the town the dispensary is located in and, on top of that, an excise tax based on the potency of the pot. According to the Marijuana Policy Project, which opposes a potency tax, the three separate taxes mean retail marijuana in Connecticut will be subject to about a 20 percent tax. That’s a lot of extra cash to lay out when you’re trying to steer consumers away from the black market and to retail weed. New York’s new recreational marijuana law also calls for a potency tax tied to THC rates. However, unlike Connecticut, which will collect that tax directly from the consumer, New York plans to tax its licensed cultivators based on potency. While Connecticut’s Cannabis tax is certainly high, it’s roughly the same as some other pot taxes in the region, including that of Massachusetts and Vermont, both of which come in around 20 percent. The other legal pot states in the Northeast – Maine, New York and New Jersey – all collect, or plan to collect, significantly lower tax rates on Cannabis sales.

Photo by Daniel Norin

AUG. 2021

STORIES by MIKE GIANAKOS @MIKEGEEZEEY

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Please Consume Responsibly For use only by adults 21 years of age or older. Keep out of the reach of children. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. 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 breastfeeding may pose potential harms. It is against the law to drive or operate machinery when under the influence of this product. KEEP THIS AWAY FROM CHILDREN. Marijuana can impair concentrarion, coordination, and judgment. The impairment effects of edibles may be delayed by two hours or more. In case of accidental ingestion, contact poisin control hotline 1-800-222-1222 or 9-1-1-. This product may be illegal outside of MA.

in memoriam

Requiem for a

HASHISHIN FRENCHY CANNOLI 1956-2021

Remembering Frenchy Cannoli, world-renowned hashish maker and educator.

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

HE CANNABIS COMMUNITY

was shocked and saddened last month to learn of the untimely passing of one of its most beloved figures – world-renowned hashish maker, connoisseur, historian and educator Frenchy Cannoli, who died Sunday, July 18 from complications during a surgical procedure. He was 64 years old. Known for his unmistakable thick French accent and infectious enthusiasm, Frenchy was a regular fixture at most major Cannabis events, where he would turn on hundreds of attendees to the joys of traditional hashish with his huge hookah and “Lost Art of the Hashishin” workshops. Cami “Frenchy” Cannoli was born on December 13, 1956, in Nice, France. As a child, he was enthralled by stories of the Far and Middle East like “1001 Arabian Nights” and “The Travels of Marco Polo” (where he first learned of the mysterious drug known as hashish), and fantasized of someday traveling to these exotic Eastern lands and cultures. But those childhood dreams quickly faded, and as he approached adulthood, he found himself illequipped to cope with the pressures of the modern world. “I was 17-years-old and I was facing life, and I just didn’t want any part of it,” Cannoli confessed. “I was flipping out, but I didn’t know what to do anymore – I had forgotten about my dream of traveling. Then my best friend, after six months of struggling whether he was going to make me smoke my first [Moroccan hash joint] or not – because he was afraid he could break our friendship – finally found the courage to share a smoke with me and that was it. I knew exactly what I wanted to do – I just wanted to travel, and that’s what I did.” Leaving home with just $450 in his pocket, Cannoli dropped out of Western society and spent the next two decades as a nomad. “I took 18 years of retirement up front, just in case,” he joked. Following in the footsteps of his heroes Marco Polo and Henry de Monfreid (a French adventurer and hashish smuggler), Frenchy traveled the world in pursuit of the finest hashish and the culture behind it. Following the old Hippie Trail of the 1960s and early ‘70s, he traveled to many of the world’s top Cannabis and hash-producing centers (including Mexico, Morocco, Thailand, Pakistan, Nepal and India) and studied the traditional techniques of the region. Regretfully, he was never able to visit Afghanistan, as it was too dangerous when he was in the area during the 1980s; he did, however, study under an Afghani refugee hashishin (hash maker) while in India, where he spent several years living in caves in Manala and the Parvati Valley learning to make charas (handrubbed hash) from the locals. He’d typically spend around three to four months a year building his hash stash in the remote areas of these hash-producing countries, then spend the remainder of his year smoking it on a beach somewhere and using it as currency.

AUG. 2021

It was on the full moon of June 1980, while living in Nepal, that Frenchy met his future wife Kimberly at a birthday celebration. “It was an epic party, and the beginning of a 41-year relationship,” she recalls. “We ran into each other traveling separately in India four times before we decided the universe had plans for us, and I joined him and the group of friends he was traveling with.” After the birth of their daughter Eva in 1989, Frenchy decided to put his passion for hashish aside for a time to focus on being a dad – working various jobs in Asia before moving his family to the Bay Area in the early 2000s. It wasn’t until Eva left home for college that he rededicated himself to his first love. Since then, he made a name for himself as one of the world’s leading experts on hashish – earning him the well-deserved title “master hashishin.” Putting his decades of knowledge to use, he devoted himself to educating the Cannabis community about hashish – launching his acclaimed “Lost Art of the Hashishin” seminar series of DIY videos and classes, and penning articles in nearly every major Cannabis publication about the history and science of hashish. And under his signature brand V.S.O.P. (Very Special Olde Press), he produced some of the finest hash ever made in America. He was also a pioneer in studying the effects of aging on hash, and was putting the finishing touches on a book about the history of Cannabis concentrates at the time of his death. Since news of his passing broke, social media has been awash with touching photos and tributes from all corners of the Cannabis community – most of which regarded Frenchy as family. “It has been so extraordinarily therapeutic to read the posts and look at the photos people are sharing with me on Frenchy’s Instagram,” wrote his widow Kimberly. “This community meant so much to him and gave him a place when normal society wanted to toss him aside. His passion was contagious and inspiring. I hope young people will listen to his podcasts and watch his videos and be inspired to take quality to even higher levels.” Au revoir, mon ami … and rest easy knowing that the coals of your passion, joy and wisdom will continue to burn in the hookah of our hearts for generations to come.

STORY by BOBBY BLACK/LEAF NATION | PHOTO by MEADOW SOFTWARE

Learn more about Frenchy’s life and work at frenchycannoli.com

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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 Edible Marijuana Products may be delayed by two hours or more. In case of accidental ingestion, contact poison control hotline 1-800-2221222 or 911. This product may be illegal outside of MA. Please Consume Responsibly. For use only by adults 21 years of age or older. Keep out of the reach of children. Marijuana should not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

interview

NORTHEAST LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH CANNABIS, AND HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN THIS INDUSTRY? My husband first introduced it to me over 12 years ago, after we met. ‘Ganja,’ as it’s known in Thailand, had been made out to be an evil drug and I never used it growing up. I first began helping my husband on his medical farm when he decided to make a go at the craft Cannabis industry. We have been running our medical store for two and a half years now and our recreational store for the last eight months. YOU GREW UP WORKING ON A FAMILY FARM IN THAILAND. HOW DOES THAT EXPERIENCE AND YOUR ASIAN HERITAGE INFLUENCE THE WAY YOU WORK? My aunt owns a large longan plantation. When the fruit season hits and the longans are ripe, everyone works from dawn till dusk harvesting. We all pitch in and the harvest is always a success. Most of the longan are canned for storage and out-of-season enjoyment. There is only one harvest season per year – much like growing Cannabis in Maine. So when our buds ripen, it’s not a problem for me to help with long days of harvest. WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD BUDTENDER? I think that a good budtender needs to get a feel for the customer as quickly as possible. I need to be able to understand what they are looking for and what may help them better. If they provide me with some information, I can go from there, and help them choose the right item for their needs.

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

PLOY

LORENZ

PLOY LORENZ has worked at Sweet Relief in Northport, Maine since it first opened in early 2018 as a medical dispensary. In October of 2020, Sweet Relief was among the first stores in Maine to open its doors to adult-use consumers and Ploy was right there taking care of a growing clientele of Cannabis connoisseurs and patients. It’s a long way from her home country of Thailand, but her connection to the plant world has proven to be a constant and sustaining presence in her life.

SWEET RELIEF 1 PRIEST RD, NORTHPORT, ME TINYURL.COM/SWEETRELIEFMAINE (207) 930-5430

AUG. 2021

“It can be challenging introducing edibles to a first-time user … Respect the gummies, respect the time lag.”

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE COMMON MISTAKES A BUDTENDER SHOULD NEVER MAKE? Haha! It’s hard to say. A good budtender remains in compliance at all times – for the store and the customers. Any inventory oversight is a serious problem in this industry, so focus and being meticulous are a must. You must always be friendly and prepared to help, or else be prepared for the bad reviews! WHEN A NEW CUSTOMER WALKS IN THE DOOR, HOW WILL YOU HELP THEM DECIDE WHAT TO SELECT? I try my best to ask them what they look for, and what helps them the most. If they have had some experience with Cannabis before, I will surely be able to help them make a good choice. It can be challenging introducing edibles to a first-time user, and trying to help them understand dosing and the awkward edible time lag. MAINE JUST BECAME LEGAL RECREATIONALLY. WHAT ADVICE DO YOU GIVE TO THE FIRST-TIME CANNABIS USER WHO DOESN’T KNOW WHERE TO START? I can assure them that they will be experts before the first jar of gummies is gone, as long as they start low and go slow. Respect the gummies, respect the time lag, and don’t re-up beyond 10mg – no matter what, for the first one to two occasions. That will keep them safe. As far as smoking and vaping, they’ll know when they have had enough! I recommend one to two hits, and to wait three to five minutes before any more puffs. WHAT IS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR JOB? Meeting new people and helping to improve their day. And seeing them return again with a big smile! IS THERE A SPECIFIC DAY OR CUSTOMER THAT REALLY STANDS OUT IN YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A BUDTENDER? The Fourth of July, New Year’s Eve and 4/20 are really great days as a budtender. I am prepared for them to be busy and extra fun. Everyone is looking to have a great time and feel good. It makes my job fun! WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO CONSUME AND WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE VARIETIES/STRAINS? I like the GG4 that I grow myself, and then my own OG Kush. I like to use a small clean bubbler, and I like to have just one or two nice fresh green hits. Edibles usually put me to sleep.

INTERVIEW by GILBERT GJERSVIK for NORTHEAST LEAF | PHOTOS by ROB WHITE @ROB_WHITE_PHOTOGRAPHER

STONER OWNERS

NORTHEAST

HASHATRON

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

Director of Sales and Fabrication Brian Pracon, left, and Owner John Digertt, right.

HASHATRON has changed the Cannabis scene in Connecticut by designing and manufacturing their own custom-built extraction equipment, tailored just for dispensaries and processors who are making solventless concentrates across the country. We visited their impressive shop and got to tour one of their state-of-the-art solventless extraction processing units, and caught up with their Technical Advisor Sean Crawly, Director of Sales and Fabrication Brian Pracon and Owner John Digertt.

Learn more about Hashatron 860-316-4306 | Hashatron-usa.com | @hashatron

AUG. 2021

HOW LONG DID THE DESIGN PROCESS TAKE BEFORE YOU RELEASED HASHATRON TO THE MARKET? It took over two years to fully develop the Rolling Skid. We prototyped in Rhode Island for proof of concept. We started at the bottom of the barrel. John saw the prototype and instantly could see where I was falling short with things. I needed things to be custom for this specific process. So John, Brian and myself started to spend some time together to discuss exactly what was needed and what would work. Obviously there is always trial and error, but for the most part, John and Brian could make my ideas real and even better than I could see them as an idea. CAN YOU GIVE US SOME INFORMATION ON HOW THIS UNIT WORKS AND IF THERE ARE DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OR SIZES? The unit washes biomass of up to 10,000 wet grams of loose unbagged material. It also contains a self-contained wash station directly underneath the vessel, which allows the user to never really need to pick up any water – the most labor intensive part of the hashmaking process besides paddling. Also, another intense process is cleaning up. If you really look hard at the components of the Hashatron, they’re all designed to be cleaned to the sanitary specifications of a commercial kitchen.

Technical Advisor Sean Crawly, left, and Owner John Digertt.

“OBVIOUSLY THERE IS ALWAYS TRIAL AND ERROR, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, JOHN AND BRIAN COULD MAKE MY IDEAS REAL AND EVEN BETTER THAN I COULD SEE THEM AS AN IDEA.”

HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU FEEL THIS TYPE OF PRODUCT COULD BE FOR THE FUTURE OF RECREATIONAL CANNABIS DISPENSARIES? This piece of equipment is going to be utilized in areas where solvent extraction methods are not zoned for. Such as facilities that have strict fire building codes. The wave of solventless is just starting to hit the East Coast. So the demand for this machine is still really on the West Coast and Canada, and possibly South America. We’ve produced a number of smaller craft series washers for people on the East Coast and the word is spreading like wildfire. We look to solve any of your custom needs. For example, the Slater Center needed plant carts for moving the plants down tight alley ways. So, John and Brian built custom ones that hold way more plants and are much more commercial. The ability for the Hashatron crew to customize anything within the industry makes this contact priceless. WHAT YOU’RE DOING IS CUTTING EDGE FOR CONNECTICUT. WHAT’S YOUR VIEW ON THEIR CURRENT CANNABIS REGULATIONS AND PREDICTION FOR THE FUTURE? It is going to go federally legal within the next few years. So, at that point it becomes a tech race in the industry. We believe that the Hashatron is ahead of the curve, but the industry is certainly seeing the demand for this style wash. As more companies start to build out bigger washing vessels for more production, they all seem to have one thing in common: They’re only addressing one of the issues of manual labor. That has to do with flipping the material in the washer. What about physically moving all that water around? And then let’s talk about the heavy saturated material inside the vessel that you then have to remove. Now you can see that other companies are addressing the paddling labor, but not the actual labor of moving that material and water around. Needless to say, we believe that we’ve addressed a lot of physical requirements of hash making. A person that can’t lift 25-30 pounds over their head can still make high-quality solventless hash with this piece of equipment.

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.

REVIEW by BOBBY NUGGZ @BOBBYNUGGZ_OFFICIAL for NORTHEAST LEAF | PHOTO by BAILEY JONSON @BAILEYANDTHEWORLD

profile

Lou Pino

LOU was born in Puerto Rico and from the age of seven, lived in Brooklyn, New Jersey, Texas and Connecticut, before joining the Army – where he served for seven years and left as a Specialist with a knowledge of soldiering, computer mainframes and security networks. But a connection to Cannabis, which started at 15 with two puffs and a tumble off of a boulder, became a vein that is guiding his life. Cannabis relieved the symptoms from his experiences in the Army and Lou became a card-carrying medical marijuana patient in Connecticut, where he had worked as a promotions director for four different radio stations – running events both big and small. The smallest was a corporate event with 10 people; the largest was the Puerto Rican Day Parade in Bridgeport, with 107,000 people. Connecticut had medical marijuana reciprocity with Rhode Island and on one of his visits there to get his medicine, he met up with a man called The Farmacist at a recording studio. The Farmacist needed help running a weekend festival called Cannabis Allstars. “It was the first real Cannabis competition in the Northeast and even on the East Coast,” said Lou, who became the event producer of Cannabis Allstars for the next four years. At that time Lou described the process of procuring Cannabis seeds to grow medicine as one of long travel, expense and risk. “I knew other medical patients that needed different types and were buying different strains,” said Lou. “So I asked a guy I knew at an underground seedbank, ‘Have you ever thought about putting a seed event together?’ and he said, ‘No.’ He liked to keep a low profile like a lot on the cultivation and breeding side of the industry. They’re very shy people.” Lou thought about it for a few days and said, “You know what, I’m going to put on an event and see what happens. It turned out to be a huge success and people were like, ‘Oh man, I can’t believe I was able to do this!’ They were just so excited that they were able to talk to somebody that they were getting a clone from and get advice.” Then came the pandemic. “It was scary – we didn’t know what we were dealing with,” said Lou. “I have a cousin that works as a lieutenant in the FDNY and he told me, ‘We’re picking up bodies all over the place.’ And we started looking at dealing with events and how to do this safely.” Then Lou started hearing from past event sponsors and attendees. “They were saying that a lot of people are hitting them up about genetics so they can cultivate at home. So they don’t have to go out anywhere. So they wouldn’t have to worry about having their medicine for their kids dealing with epilepsy. Or their own medicine, dealing with anxiety, PTSD or pain management.” “We realized that being event planners, we know how to follow procedure,” said Lou. “And we’re going to continue to follow CDC guidelines and continue to make sure that everyone’s safe.” Gene Traders held four events last year and this year they expanded into Michigan and Virginia, and are looking at Oklahoma and somewhere out west as well. “Moving forward we want to continue with our trade shows,” said Lou, “but we’re also going to end up providing not just seeds of different breeders, but also clones, and we’re calling it GT Selects (Gene Traders Selects).” GT Selects, Lou said, “is going to set up hubs in different parts of the country, where you’ll be able to walk in and pick out a variety of genetics either in seed or in clone form.” The reason people have gone and will continue to go to the events is “to see what’s new, what’s coming out and meet the guy that bred your favorite strain.” Lou says demand will continue to grow for genetics and events like Gene Traders “because some dispensary offerings suck and people can grow much better products on their own. We’re always on the side of home growers and caregivers. No matter what, we want to make sure that everyone Learn more about Gene Traders from the closet grower to the big at www.gene-traders.com/events warehouse grower all get access and follow @genetraders on IG. to great genetics and advice.”

“We’re always on the side of home growers and caregivers.”

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gene traders BEFORE LOU PINO became a modern-day Johnny Appleseed for the Cannabis community, he was an Army Reconnaissance Cavalry Scout. “I trained recruits for recon, how to walk in the field, avoiding traps, and not skylining,” said Pino. Skylining, he explained, is “walking where your silhouette is on top of a hill. You can pick somebody out very easily, you know, dangerous actions!” You might say Lou is skylining now, as the momentum of legalization around the country is bringing Cannabis entrepreneurs out of the shadows. Lou’s daytime job is Cultivation Director growing hemp for Wepa Farms in Connecticut, but he is most well-known for being Founder and Owner of Gene Traders – running discretely-held pop-up events where you can buy the latest Cannabis seeds and clones from some of the top breeders in the country. His first event five years ago featured 18 vendors and 120 attendees. This year, at the end of May, Lou hosted an event in New York City with only three weeks of planning and estimated that 700-800 people passed through! He only had 16 vendors due to space restrictions, but as he said, “I sold out of sponsorships in two hours. I sold out of VIP passes in two days. There were like 30 vendors on the waiting list!”

AUG. 2021

STORY by GILBERT GJERSVIK for NORTHEAST LEAF | PHOTO by GENE TRADERS

PAX DOES NOT PRODUCE, MANUFACTURE OR DISTRIBUTE CANNABIS © 2021 PAX Labs, Inc. All Rights Reserved. PAX, X, ERA, and ERA PRO are all trademarks of PAX Labs, Inc. US and International Patents Pending. Complete list of Patents and Trademarks: www.pax.com/intellectual-property-list

FIND IT @THISISSTRANE THISISSTRANE.COM

Please Consume Responsibly. This product may cause impairment and may be habit forming. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. 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. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. 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. The impairment effects of Edible Marijuana Products 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.

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

sha’carri richardson

DEAR READER, the whole premise of this column is that we’ve moved on, to a degree, from the stigma associated with Cannabis in the world. We aim, then, to celebrate those who stuck their necks out, so to speak, in defense of what they knew was the truth: Cannabis is harmless and prohibition was a hoax. After last month’s news regarding the Olympics and Sha’Carri Richardson – it’s obvious that I need to rethink this stance.

highly likely

ELITE ATHLETE

CASE YOU’RE UNFAMILIAR with this particular situation,

“This is one of the most egregious, bone-headed decisions that comes to mind in the long, exacerbating lineage of Cannabis intolerance around the world.” STORY by PACER STACKTRAIN for LEAF NATION | PHOTO by HOWARD LAO @HOWLAOPHOTOGRAPHY

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Sha’Carri Richardson is one of the most athletically talented 100 and 200 meter sprinters in United States history. In April of 2021, she ran a 10.72 second 100 meter dash – making her the sixth fastest woman in the world, and the fouth fastest in United States history. In June, she ran it in 10.86 – qualifying her for the Olympic games this summer in Japan. Then, on July 1, she was drug tested and it was discovered that Richardson had THC in her system. She was summarily disqualified from competing in this summer’s Olympic games. For weed? Yes, for weed. Across the country, the reaction was a swift condemnation of the Olympic Committee’s actions. After all, Richardson consumed Cannabis in Oregon, a state where Cannabis is legal. She had also just lost her mother one week prior to the Olympic trials. Richardson was in mourning when she used Cannabis (like many of us do) to cope with emotional stress. But a disqualification from the Olympics truly stings – it is, in effect a four-year ban – since the Olympics are held every four years. And then there is the stigma of a ban, which will sadly stick with Richardson for life. Then there’s the simple fact that Cannabis (when it comes to running or aerobic exercise) is nowhere close to a performanceenhancing drug. In fact, it probably inhibits performance where running or sprinting are concerned. So, that levels this decision down to a moral judgement – one that many of us believe should not be in the hands of the Olympic Committee. This is one of the most egregious, bone-headed decisions that comes to mind in the long, exacerbating lineage of Cannabis intolerance around the world. The funny thing is, this time we’re wagging our collective fingers at the internationally diverse Olympic committee, rather than at U.S. federal law enforcement. And, while many of our fellow Americans agree that this penalty is overtly punitive and ridiculous, it is all our fault as residents of the United States. That’s because the world’s intolerance for Cannabis has been largely shaped by pressure and propaganda from the United States. As the drug war raged in the ‘80s – we forced our own twisted paradigm upon countless nations around the world, many of which had rich and complex histories with Cannabis that were dismantled or forced underground due to imposed threats of sanctions from the world’s superpower – these United States. From Amsterdam to Afghanistan, one can see the cultural imprint of a forced prohibition on this most harmless of all “drugs.” My friends, we still have a very long way to go it seems. But people like Sha’Carri Richardson are our modern-day heroes when it comes to further normalization of the benefits, and relative harmlessness, of the plant we appreciate so dearly.

STRAIN OF THE MONTH

NORTHEAST

grown by

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SOLAR THERAPEUTICS “THE INTENSE CREAMY BERRY SWEETNESS GIVES WAY TO SUBTLE SCENTS OF GERANIUM, LAVENDER AND EVEN FRESH CILANTRO.”

WAFFLE aug. 2021

SOLAR THERAPEUTICS’ mission is to lower and eventually reverse the heavy carbon footprint of commercial Cannabis production. To that end, they’ve installed solar panels with battery storage and introduced sustainable cultivation techniques in an effort to offset at least 60% of their carbon emissions, with plans for even more energy efficiency in the future. They’re also excited to find out “Who’s Got the Best Grass in Mass?” when they host the Cultivator’s Cup September 3-4. Their Waffle Cone is a hybrid cross of Jet Fuel Gelato and Dosilato that was originally bred by Compound Genetics. Solar Thera’s Director of Cultivation Brendan Delaney describes it as a unique and uplifting strain that particularly helps patients with chronic pain and stress. Adult-use consumers will enjoy the initial heady onset that’s followed by a deep body buzz. The buds themselves look dense and bright green, with golden highlights that glisten in the light. Upon grinding, the intense creamy berry sweetness gives way to subtle scents of geranium, lavender and even fresh cilantro. The buds break up into a nice fluffy consistency, perfect for rolling a joint. A dry toke reveals a hint of anise reminiscent of the sticky sweet black licorice you find at the “olde candy shoppe.” The smoke from Waffle Cone is dense and heavy, which caused a bit of coughing initially. The flower burns to a clean white ash, indicating a light nutrient feeding regimen and a proper flush before harvest. The long-lasting high reflects the best of a great hybrid – a creative sativa-dominant onset that ends with a relaxing indica stone.

CONE

27.5% TOTAL ACTIVE CANNABINOIDS 21.3% THC | .90% CBGA SOLARTHERA.COM @SOLARCANNABISCO 1400 BRAYTON POINT ROAD SOMERSET, MA

REVIEW & PHOTO by DAN VINKOVETSKY @DANNYDANKOHT/ NORTHEAST LEAF

WE REACHED OUT to dozens of members of the Cannabis industry from a diverse range of backgrounds to get their candid takes on important questions regarding equality and equity in the Cannabis space. We wanted to know what equality and equity means to the people cultivating this community, what’s working, and, crucially, what needs to change for us to construct this industry in a way that benefits us all?

VOICES OF THE CANNABIS COMMUNITY CINDY DE LA VEGA “EQUITY IS BEING ESTABLISHED, HOWEVER IMPERFECT THE PROCESS MAY BE.”

CEO | STIIIZY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA

STIIIZY.COM

What is the Cannabis industry getting right in terms of equality and equity?

I believe that the equity program is one way that equity is being established, however imperfect the process may be. Not only does the Office of Cannabis facilitate business licenses through the program, but also helps advocate for equity partners in challenging situations, such as with their investor partnerships. Another important piece is the work being done by grassroots organizations like the San Francisco Equity Group, which is a coalition of verified equity applicants who are also community leaders and advisors, including myself. We aim to improve and expand on the opportunity for as many equity applicants as possible, showing that the program can work, leading by example, and helping communities across the country secure ownership in the Cannabis industry. Ultimately, our goal is real ownership and sources of security for people most affected by the War on Drugs – not only themselves, but their families, communities and generations to come.

Are you

What does equality in the Cannabis industry mean to you? I’m pushing for equity, which is

What does equality in the Cannabis industry mean to you?

a bit different from equality. Equality normally refers to everyone being treated the same, whereas equity is an effort to ensure those who have been held back get extra support – so that we all end up with the same ability to succeed. Equality doesn’t take history into context, and the history of Cannabis is one where some groups suffered legal consequences far more than others. People of color specifically, as well as cultivators of all colors, have been targeted for arrest, harassment, extortion, loss of their children and much more. In order to have a mutually supportive Cannabis industry, we must be pushing for equity over equality.

It means non-whites having more than less than 1% of ownership within the space.

Interested in fighting against the racist legacy of cannabis prohibition?

Interested in helping to create an equitable marketplace for those seeking to run cannabis operations? Looking for a way toHonestly, meetnotnew much,people interested in cannabis activism? because we aren’t in the rooms making the decisions. Self-motivated and willing to work as a volunteer within a fast paced and consensus driven environment? MIKE ROSATI

What is the Cannabis industry getting right in terms of equality and equity?

For $30 per year, TUCKY BLUNT members receive FOUNDER | BLUNTS + MOORE

Can you give us an example of something equitable you’ve seen happen in the Cannabis space? Oakland creating

the equity program from the ideas of Keith Stephenson and BLUNTSANDMOORE.COM championed by Desley Brooks. * A MassCann T-Shirt As a result of their efforts and * Membership and“AS voting rights within the organization A RESULT OF THEIR my work, I became the first equity-owned retail brand in * The ability to participate MassCann Committee EFFORTSinAND MY WORK, I Meetings the world. OAKLAND, CA

* Volunteer opportunities the calendar BECAMEthrough THE FIRST EQUITY-year (both digital and OWNED in-person,RETAIL if allowed) BRAND IN THE WORLD.” * Participation in steering groups to help prepare for and run the annual Boston Freedom Rally * Access to educational programming related to the cannabis plant and cannabis reform (lawmaking and regulations)

JASON ORTIZ

What is the Cannabis industry getting right in terms of equality and equity? New states are

CO-FOUNDER | MINORITY CANNABIS including mandatory set asides of licenses for BUSINESS ASSOCIATION | equity applicants at a minimum of 50% of all HARTFORD, CT MINORITYCANNABIS.ORG licenses. Places like Connecticut are having the

state contribute significant funding ($50 million)

JOIN ORIGINAL “EQUALITY DOESN’T TAKE in start-up capital THE for SEA to access. Places like Oakland are funding cooperative kitchens and HISTORY INTO CONTEXT, AND THE GRASSROOTS CANNABIS using equity cohorts – groups of businesses as the ACTIVIST ORGANIZATION HISTORY OF CANNABIS IS ONE foundation of how equity support is distributed. I think this model of state funding providing hard IN MASSACHUSETTS, WHERE SOME GROUPS SUFFERED assets like buildings and equipment to groups YEARS ON THE GROUND AND LEGAL CONSEQUENCES FAR31 MORE of businesses that are mutually supportive, is the future of equity-first economics. STILL GROWING TOGETHER! THAN OTHERS.”

Join MassCann today at MassCann.org

Didn’t Make it to Vegas? Hit our North East Regional Show What needs to change about the Cannabis industry as it relates to equality/equity?

MIKE ROSATI

The industry must recognize the circumstances of each individual. Be open to diversifying by creating opportunities for everyone. It would be amazing to see more minority-owned companies, farms, labs, dispensaries and other ancillary businesses. Entry into the Cannabis industry via growing, processing and owning a dispensary, needs to be more feasible. Banks and other financial institutions need to be open to accepting Cannabis companies as legitimate businesses, and provide loans and merchant transactions. We would like to see more people that have been incarcerated have an opportunity to be a part of the legal Cannabis industry.

SHANEL LINDSAY

FOUNDER & PRESIDENT | ARDENT LIFE, INC. BOSTON, MASS. ARDENTCANNABIS.COM Can you give us an example of something equitable you’ve seen happen in the Cannabis space? Timing of access is

really important. In Massachusetts, we have a three year window that is exclusive for economic empowerment and social equity delivery businesses. These exclusivity windows can help to give a more level playing field. Investment capital for equity businesses is also critical. Predatory loans are a big problem, so states that have enacted loan funds or give grants are doing the right thing to support equity entrepreneurs.

D-ROC PALMER

Can you give an example of something equitable you’ve seen happen in the Cannabis space?

OWNER | EXTREMETERPZ BALTIMORE, MD EXTREMETERPZCBD.COM

“THE MORE WE UNITE AS A PEOPLE, OUR VOICES ALONE CAN BE LOUD ENOUGH TO FORCE THE POLITICIANS TO CREATE CHANGE.”

Most states are moving forward to create change within their communities. We need to understand that the laws and regulations are created by the people. The more we unite as a people, our voices alone can be loud enough to force the politicians to create change. People do not want to fight alone due to the years of fear-mongering around the plant, but with the unity of like-minded individuals, there is a great deal of power.

Catch the end of Beach Season And Do a CHAMPS Show All in the Same Trip! LANETT AUSTIN

What challenges are facing the Cannabis industry in terms of equality and equity? The tsunami of corporate forces

that have entered or are attempting to influence Cannabis, both on the local and state levels, and on the national stage. These businesses are “THESE BUSINESSES concerned about their own profitability above all else and ARE CONCERNED aren’t concerned with righting ABOUT THEIR OWN the wrongs of prohibition – or PROFITABILITY ABOVE even allowing full freedoms, like home grow. They even ALL ELSE AND AREN’T attempt to co-opt the equity conversation, gaslighting CONCERNED WITH the public into thinking they RIGHTING THE WRONGS stand for equity. We have seen this happen time and OF PROHIBITION...” time again in Massachusetts, and the stakes are even higher when we consider federal legalization. It is also important for consumers to be aware and to care about the places they are spending their dollars. Creating a conscious Cannabis consumer base dedicated to supporting equity businesses will also be key.

DIRECTOR OF TALENT MANAGEMENT & DIVERSITY | CURALEAF | NEW YORK CITY

CURALEAF.COM

What does equality in the Cannabis industry mean to you? A healthy, inclusive, well-regulated

Cannabis industry that provides for social, financial and environmental benefits shared by all. Equality in the Cannabis industry means to support “ALTHOUGH equal opportunity and provisions for communities impacted by the DECRIMINALIZATION War on Drugs, so there can be fair IS A POSITIVE START, and just opportunity to participate in the Cannabis industry.

What needs to change about the Cannabis industry as it relates to equality/equity? Legislation! To bring about real change in this industry, it starts

with the laws that make it. Although decriminalization is a positive start, expungement of Cannabis crimes and employment for those individuals should not be negotiable. We believe individuals with low level Cannabis related offenses should not be shut out of the industry – and as a commitment to right the wrongs of prohibition – we are employing at least 10% of all our 2021 new hires from the directly impacted communities.

DAVE DELUCA

What does equality in the Cannabis industry mean to you? [When] everyone

is given the same opportunities and tools to succeed. Be it investors, rules and regulations enforcement, workplace environment, or personnel-workforce impartiality – all the given variables of the Cannabis industry. Everyone has a seat at the table, and those voices are heard and matter. Look at medical versus recreational. Really the only thing that is similar, is the fact that rec businesses are allowed to operate at all. The evolution of the medical Cannabis industry is outpacing the rec industry in some states, and in others, rec is now in the forefront and the medical industry faces stagnation. When we see equity with both sides of these two entities, that’s a positive step in equality and uniformity. In doing so, a collective voice is spoken. Unity between the two creates a homeostatic relationship, rather than the ‘us and them’ environment as it currently stands.

CEO & CHEMIST | BABYLON COMPANY ANCHORAGE, AK @BABYLONCOMPANY_

“THE EVOLUTION OF THE MEDICAL CANNABIS INDUSTRY IS OUTPACING THE RECREATIONAL INDUSTRY...”

EXPUNGEMENT OF CANNABIS CRIMES AND EMPLOYMENT FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS SHOULD NOT BE NEGOTIABLE.”

WWW.XVAPEUSA.COM

N ORTH EAST

PODCAST MAGAZINE

MEDIA

@XVAPE_VAPORIZER

the EQUALITY issue

WE REACHED OUT to dozens of members of the Cannabis industry from a diverse range of backgrounds to get their candid takes on important questions regarding equality and equity in the Cannabis space. We wanted to know what equality and equity mean to the people cultivating this community, what’s working, and, crucially, what needs to change for us to construct this industry in a way that benefits us all.

VOICES OF THE CANNABIS COMMUNITY CINDY DE LA VEGA “EQUITY IS BEING ESTABLISHED, HOWEVER IMPERFECT THE PROCESS MAY BE.”

CEO | STIIIZY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA

What is the Cannabis industry getting right in terms of equality and equity?

What does equality in the Cannabis industry mean to you? I’m pushing for equity, which is

What does equality in the Cannabis industry mean to you?

It means non-whites having more than less than 1% of ownership within the space. What is the Cannabis industry getting right in terms of equality and equity? Honestly, not much,

MIKE ROSATI

because we aren’t in the rooms making the decisions.

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

STIIIZY.COM

TUCKY BLUNT

FOUNDER | BLUNTS + MOORE OAKLAND, CA BLUNTSANDMOORE.COM

Can you give us an example of something equitable you’ve seen happen in the Cannabis space? Oakland creating

the equity program from the ideas of Keith Stephenson and championed by Desley Brooks. As a result of their efforts and my work, I became the first equity-owned retail brand in the world.

“AS A RESULT OF THEIR EFFORTS AND MY WORK, I BECAME THE FIRST EQUITYOWNED RETAIL BRAND IN THE WORLD.”

jul. 2021

JASON ORTIZ

What is the Cannabis industry getting right in terms of equality and equity? New states are

“EQUALITY DOESN’T TAKE HISTORY INTO CONTEXT, AND THE HISTORY OF CANNABIS IS ONE WHERE SOME GROUPS SUFFERED LEGAL CONSEQUENCES FAR MORE THAN OTHERS.”

state contribute significant funding ($50 million) in start-up capital for SEA to access. Places like Oakland are funding cooperative kitchens and using equity cohorts – groups of businesses as the foundation of how equity support is distributed. I think this model of state funding providing hard assets like buildings and equipment to groups of businesses that are mutually supportive, is the future of equity-first economics.

What needs to change about the Cannabis industry as it relates to equality/equity?

SHANEL LINDSAY

FOUNDER & PRESIDENT | ARDENT LIFE, INC. BOSTON, MASS. ARDENTCANNABIS.COM Can you give us an example of something equitable you’ve seen happen in the Cannabis space? Timing of access is

D-ROC PALMER OWNER | EXTREMETERPZ BALTIMORE, MD EXTREMETERPZCBD.COM

“THE MORE WE UNITE AS A PEOPLE, OUR VOICES ALONE CAN BE LOUD ENOUGH TO FORCE THE POLITICIANS TO CREATE CHANGE.”

DIRECTOR OF TALENT MANAGEMENT & DIVERSITY | CURALEAF | NEW YORK CITY CURALEAF.COM

What does equality in the Cannabis industry mean to you? A healthy, inclusive, well-regulated

DAVE DELUCA

EXPUNGEMENT OF CANNABIS CRIMES AND EMPLOYMENT FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS SHOULD NOT BE NEGOTIABLE.”

What does equality in the Cannabis industry mean to you? [When] everyone

CEO & CHEMIST | BABYLON COMPANY ANCHORAGE, AK @BABYLONCOMPANY_

“THE EVOLUTION OF THE MEDICAL CANNABIS INDUSTRY IS OUTPACING THE RECREATIONAL INDUSTRY...”

LANETT AUSTIN

What challenges are facing the Cannabis industry in terms of equality and equity? The tsunami of corporate forces

Can you give an example of something equitable you’ve seen happen in the Cannabis space?

INTERVIEWS by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/LEAF NATION | ILLUSTRATION by GUILHERME LEMES @GUILEEMES

the EQUALITY issue

VOICES OF THE CANNABIS COMMUNITY Continued

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“THE FACT THAT LESS THAN 5% OF ALL LICENSE HOLDERS ARE AFRICAN AMERICANS, AND EVEN LESS THAN THAT ARE FEMALE, IS A PROBLEM. ”

EMILY EIZEN

LORIEL ALEGRETE CEO & CO-FOUNDER | 40 TONS LOS ANGELES, CA 40TONS.CO

What needs to change about the Cannabis industry as it relates to equality/equity?

The changes need to begin at the top: the states who issue the licenses, the application process, and most of all, the taxes that are associated with holding Cannabis licenses. All of this needs to incorporate people of color. The fact that less than 5% of all license holders are African Americans, and even less than that are female, is a problem. Yet a majority of the people incarcerated over this same plant are Black and brown. This is what needs to change. Nothing in life is free and I completely understand that. … But we need access to the same starting points as everyone else. What is the Cannabis industry getting right in terms of equality and equity? The industry is attempting to recognize

more POC within the space as the years pass. Social equity programs are designed to level out that playing field. I’d say the industry is attempting to get it right, but still has a long way to go.

MARY PRYOR

What do equality and equity in the Cannabis industry mean to you?

We’re still fighting for both in totality. Equality is to have equal rights and access to items – health care, food, schooling – based upon the damaging ramifications and the absurdity of racism. Equity is being CANNACLUSIVE.COM able to have invested interest that evolves into tangible and recognized, not only wealth – but credit, access and ownership of said involvement – in anything relating to industries that have been built off of the backs of BIPOC, Indigenous, melanated communities. In this case, speaking as a Black woman, I can say that equality is an item that I have never, ever seen, and more than likely will never see as an individual who is melanated, because of how deep and how far we think white supremacy has gone in this country. Not only has it divided us in race, it’s divided us across gender, it’s divided us across ethnicity, it’s divided us across so many levels within our own communities – whether we’re white or not white, to where it’s just an automatic, horrible instrument of discord, dissension, hate, anger “EQUITY IS THE ITEM and misunderstanding. Equity is the THAT I STILL HAVE item that I still have to beg, plead and fight for in terms of access, influence TO BEG, PLEAD AND and total erasure that I have to bring FIGHT FOR IN TERMS OF up, in terms of … said items that have been built off of my likeness, my ACCESS, INFLUENCE culture and my imprisonment. When AND TOTAL ERASURE...” we talk about Cannabis, that is that.

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CO-FOUNDER CANNACLUSIVE NEW YORK CITY, NY

jul. 2021

ROBIN ABLEDAUGHTER & CHAOS GIBBONS CO-FOUNDERS THE FARMACEUTICALS COMPANY | SAN RAFAEL, CA THEFARMACEUTICALSCOMPANY.COM

What challenges are facing the Cannabis community with regards to equality/equity? As a queer

women-owned company, we have certainly experienced our share of inequality in this industry. The California Cannabis industry shifted a lot after legalization – it became corporate, and for lack of a better word, more “bro-y.” Since then, we’ve struggled with tamping down our queerness and trying to hide it. Would people buy our products if they knew we are “WOULD queer owned? Would we survive PEOPLE BUY as a company? OUR PRODUCTS In the end, we just had to be IF THEY KNEW unapologetically WE ARE QUEER who we are. OWNED? WOULD There’s nothing else to be. Part WE SURVIVE AS of the reason we’re able A COMPANY?” to do that is because, like all identity politics, it’s about intersection. Although we are queer, we are two white women and so we have white privilege. We know that while large Cannabis corporations (run predominantly by cis white men) are getting investments and bringing in huge profits, there are still thousands of people of color incarcerated for Cannabisrelated offenses. Black people in particular are disproportionately targeted and jailed for Cannabis-only offenses at an astounding rate. What does equality in the Cannabis industry mean to you? To us, equality

and equity would look like white-owned Cannabis companies giving back to communities of color. We’d like everyone in the Cannabis industry with white privilege to join us in asking: How can we use our privilege to help lift up others? … We have a chance here to make things better, to create a more equitable industry and a more equitable world. And we believe firmly that by joining together, we can really make an impact.

What does equality in the Cannabis industry mean to you? I honestly

don’t hear the term equality used in this industry. To me, equality in the Cannabis industry is a difficult concept to grasp, as we’re talking about a profit incentivized capitalist environment where MSOs are rewarded for influencing the obliteration of small FOUNDER business within the GW SMOKEBREAK TV Cannabis industry. HUMBOLDT, CA There is nothing equal @GWSMOKEBREAKTV about this industry, nor in the world of fast-paced American business. Equality in the Cannabis industry means understanding that the plant is the equalizer. Marijuana culture is in fact about inclusivity “MARIJUANA and equality. I’ll never forget the CULTURE IS IN FACT words of Pam Lane Sohum from ABOUT INCLUSIVITY SoHum Royal Farms when she said, “In the ‘60s and ‘70s it was AND EQUALITY.” all about sitting in a circle, deseeding your bud, rolling a joint and passing it around.” There’s something about that imagery that clearly defines equality as it pertains to authentic California Cannabis culture. Our industry can become a true pillar for social change and the values we hold dear via our products, branding and messaging. This is the power of the plant, the almighty equalizer.

DANIEL MONTERO

What does equality in the Cannabis industry mean to you?

MIKE MCINTYRE FOUNDER | ESKIMO FIRE BETHEL, AK @ESKIMOFIRE

“IN THESE OUTER COMMUNITIES, IT’S NOT CANNABIS – IT’S WEED.”

Equality means equal access to Cannabis for everyone. While you enjoy your easy access to this resource, the people in very rural areas are still unable to access it, even though it is fully legal. In these outer communities, it’s not Cannabis – it’s weed. It even gets confiscated when they find it on you. I am just here to point out the obvious. Everything aside, I try to do my best to have passion for what I do. I have the love for what I do and my iluqs (Yup’ik translation: Male First Cousins) love it too. Just imagine sitting in a village out in the boonies smoking Triangle Mints #23. What is the Cannabis industry getting right in terms of equality and equity? I’ve seen Black entrepreneurs get some help through

an equity system, and they were getting somewhere. It made me feel good for somebody to rise above. I just wish there was something like that here. I have also seen a lot of inequity – too much business crawling into somewhere it shouldn’t be.

ELIZA PIRES

OWNER SANCTUARY FARMS YUBA CITY, CA What challenges are facing the Cannabis industry in terms of equality and equity? One of the most obvious obstacles

NEIL LEQUIA

LGBTQ CANNABIS ADVOCATE | FOUNDER THE FULL SPECTRUM | SEATTLE, WA

MARIE MONTMARQUET CO-FOUNDER MD NUMBERS, INC. SALINAS, CA

JENNIFER SKOG

MDNUMBERSINC.COM

What does equality in the Cannabis industry mean to you? Equality in

Cannabis means replicating the legacy market into the compliant Cannabis market – giving those who have been over-persecuted and who have risked their lives to consume and distribute Cannabis for decades, the chance to do so legally. The same politics that supported “THERE ARE STILL arresting minorities has yet to put that same vigor behind social justice. OVER 40,000 What needs to change about the Cannabis industry as it relates to equality/equity? Right now, Cannabis

PEOPLE CURRENTLY INCARCERATED FOR CANNABIS CHARGES.”

in the United States of America is only for the privileged. There are still over 40,000 people currently incarcerated for Cannabis charges. And it is still used as a war on minorities throughout this country. Compliant Cannabis has turned into a local and state cash grab. There’s no compassion for small business or legacy operators. The barriers to enter the compliant space are nearly impossible for those who have been negatively impacted by the War on Drugs.

THEFULLSPECTRUMNETWORK.COM

Can you give us an example of something equitable you’ve seen happen in the Cannabis space? I’m seeing

more and more expungement fairs happening, which is fantastic! Auto-expungements are happening in a lot of the newer states that are legalizing as well, and a lot are also creating equity programs for “THERE IS A HUGE license distribution from the start – instead of trying to fix LACK OF HUMAN something that was forgotten RESOURCES. A NEW about initially.

INDUSTRY MEANS THAT EVERY BUSINESS IS A STARTUP.”

What challenges are facing the Cannabis industry in terms of equality and equity? Washington was one

of the first states to legalize Cannabis, and made a lot of missteps when it came to ensuring an equitable playing field. We’ve already issued our licenses, before making sure they would be distributed fairly and equitably. Now we’re trying to be more intentional as licenses get redistributed. There is a huge lack of human resources. A new industry means that every business is a startup. Not every business has policies or protections in place for their employees. Not every business is a safe place for a minority to thrive. We have an inconsistent patchwork of how we’re handling criminality and expungement – it’s harder to be effective when there are so many independent movements and challenges. We need a bit more awareness, compassion, and cohesion to truly impact equality and equity in the industry.

in the way of reaching equity in the Cannabis industry lies with the federal scheduling and prohibition. Federally legalizing, or at least descheduling, would allow us to operate much like existing companies who produce medicinal and recreational products. This inhibits our access to banking. Although it is possible to get banking for a Cannabis business, we are subject to exorbitant monthly fees that make it almost impossible for a small farmer to maintain. Small farmers face a number of local and state challenges as well. The most glaring example of inequity lies in the ability for each county to develop their own ordinance, instead of following a statewide set of rules. This way, farmers in some counties are “SMALL FARMERS limited to 10,000 FACE A NUMBER OF square feet of LOCAL AND STATE cultivation (or less), while other CHALLENGES counties allow AS WELL.” for the state's full four acres. This makes it difficult to compete with farms allowed to cultivate 15 times (or more) our square footage. We also encounter a disparity between the state granting us the right to do business, and the counties holding us back with long, drawn out and limiting processes. All of this is compounded by the multitude of fees, price gouging when Cannabis is mentioned, and the expectation of funds up front before product sales … issues that our wealthy, well-funded counterparts have no trouble with. … there must be a shift away from money outweighing knowledge and experience. This would open the doors for those of us who intend to supply the market with quality.

INTERVIEWS by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/LEAF NATION | ILLUSTRATION by GUILHERME LEMES @GUILEEMES

the EQUALITY issue

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“PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE USE CANNABIS.” -AL HARRINGTON

jul. 2021

Harrington retired from the NBA in 2014 and founded The Harrington Group, launching the successful Viola Brands among other Cannabis businesses.

After 16 years playing in the NBA, Al Harrington found Cannabis and became a powerful voice for the plant.

STAR POWER

STORY by BAXSEN PAINE @BAXSENPAINE for LEAF NATION | PHOTO by TERON BEAL @TERONBEAL

hen the news broke in July that U.S. track star Sha’Carri Richardson would be banned from the 2021 Olympics after testing positive for Cannabis, Al Harrington just shook his head.

“I thought it was bullshit,” the retired NBA veteran said of Richardson, who admitted to medicating to cope with the recent death of her mother. Never one to mince words, the 41-year-old overcame enough adversity during his 16-year career, which included stops in seven different cities to learn there are a variety of ways to combat pain – and not all are good. By the end of his athletic journey, Harrington found himself hooked on a thrice-daily dose of painkillers to battle chronic inflammation stemming from a variety of operations on his back and knee. “In Denver, I had a botched knee surgery – the team doctors sort of screwed me,” he said. “I had a picc line in my arm and I was on all these medications. I felt horrible. My business partner Chloe came to see me and suggested I try CBD. I put some on and my legs started feeling better, my elbow started feeling better.” Harrington left the league in 2014 and hasn’t taken a pharmaceutical drug since. During that time, he has used his influence to become a leading voice in the fight for medical Cannabis,

creating The Harrington Group – an organization that includes a trio of Cannabis enterprises that operate in six states (Colorado, Oregon, Michigan, California, Arizona and Nevada). Viola Brands was the first of his creations, originating in 2011. The brainchild of his grandmother, Viola – a sweet, church-loving lady who struggled with chronic pain stemming from glaucoma and diabetes. Al convinced a then 79-yearold Viola to use CBD, improving the quality of her golden years. “For someone like my grandmother to try it and have it work – for how religious she was, and growing up in the 1930s when prohibition started – it really spoke volumes to me,” the New Jersey native said. Breaking the social stigma that surrounds medical Cannabis is difficult, especially within an African American household, Harrington said. The 6-foot-9, 245-pound power forward grew up during the height of the “Just Say No” era, where stop-and-frisk policies regularly placed young Black and brown men in jail for possession of marijuana. Becoming a daily consumer was hard enough, nevermind a business mogul. “People from the Black community really have a form of PTSD with how [Cannabis] has affected their community,” Harrington said, noting a high number of arrests in the city of Orange where he was raised. “Growing up, it was drilled into

our heads that it was a gateway drug. My grandma used to kick my aunts and uncles out of the house for smoking, and my mom used to get into it with my stepfather about it, too. I was scared that I’d get into something bigger.” Two seasons in Denver changed Harrington’s perspective, including his final year when public support allowed Colorado to become the first state in the nation to legalize recreational Cannabis in 2012. “I was seeing people walk out of stores with weed and I was like, ‘Oh shit, you can do this?’” he said. “I don’t know where I’d be right now if I hadn’t been there at that time. I’d probably be coaching basketball somewhere or playing golf.” He sees the creation of The Harrington Group as an opportunity to create generational wealth and open up opportunities inside communities of color. Last year, the company rolled out Viola Cares, a philanthropic initiative which aims to help formerly incarcerated people transition back into society. Harrington made waves by claiming it was the mission of Viola Brands to turn 100 Black individuals into millionaires over the next few years. “Now I can’t just give a million dollars out to people,” he smiled, admitting the line may have been taken too literally. “It’s about finding people with ambitions and the visions of an entrepreneur. Then we can tap into resources and fund their opportunities. We’re a high-quality brand, but we also want to use that recognition to bring people of color into this industry and make them successful. We want to be able to inspire economic empowerment and lift each other up.” Sports, he says, will continue to be a vessel that drives his entrepreneurship, as well as advocacy on behalf of new and current patients. Harrington remains in close contact with the National Basketball Players Association in hopes of educating players on the benefits of CBD, as well as the pitfalls of painkillers. “For me, that’s the easiest to use,” the 1998 firstround draft pick said. “One thing we don’t realize is that the same way we all eat food, the same way we all listen to music – people from all walks of life use Cannabis.” Even world-class athletes like Sha’Carri Richardson. “The [International Olympic Committee] is going to have to reevaluate the way they do things,” he said. “In the U.S., we lead everything. Here, you see the way professional leagues have taken it off the list, or turned their back on testing for it. It’s become a very common thing to do.” “Is anybody thinking it made her faster?” he laughed. “It’s nonsense, but hopefully it shines a big enough spotlight on this to make a change.”

LAST YEAR, THE COMPANY ROLLED OUT VIOLA CARES, A PHILANTHROPIC INITIATIVE WHICH AIMS TO HELP FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE TRANSITION BACK INTO SOCIETY.

VIOLABRANDS.COM @VIOLA

the EQUALITY issue

BREAKING THE

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Cannabis Chef & Cookbook Author Mary J. White, at home in Seattle, WA. Photo by Daniel Berman @bermanphotos

jul. 2021

GRASS CEILING PROFILES OF WOMEN IN CANNABIS

IN 1968, an intrepid teenager named Mary White

began her first forays into Cannabis. Not one for drinking, White discovered that taking on what she calls “mild happy weed” was enough to keep her in fashion without the side effects of hellish hangovers. Like many teenagers, her consumption was sporadic throughout high school and further waned as she reached her 20s and 30s. “I enjoyed Cannabis, but it wasn’t something that I thought about much. It was kind of just something you do at parties when you’re young. I never thought I’d end up working with it,” explains White. Little did she know, 16 years after her first toke, Cannabis would be her ticket out of bankruptcy. “It’s a horrible, long story, but basically I got really sick and had no insurance in 1984. I was in dire straits and needed money, so I reached out to some people I knew who were operating illegal grow houses in Seattle,” says White. “I didn’t sell it; I just took care of the plants, but that helped lift me out of bankruptcy, and I was able to buy a house.” At the time, White says she felt empowered and strong despite being the token female within the grow operation. She loved taking care of the plants and often referred to them as her babies. Illegality aside, White had found herself in the kind of self-sufficient position that still eludes many working women today. “I was happy and I felt secure, but now looking back at it, I was the only woman – and I did kind of get forced out of a job as soon as there was a man who could do my job. It’s funny how you don’t think about that kind of stuff when it’s happening,” says White. Sadly, White is one part of a pervasive narrative that still exists within today’s legal market. Despite being a small business owner and published author, White says that feeling like an outsider is part and parcel of being a woman in the industry. “I am teaching cooking classes, which is traditionally thought of as a woman’s job, but there are a lot of times I feel really out of place. I’m already older than most of the people I work alongside in the industry, and then I am a woman on top of that. So sometimes I wonder if I’m not just some weirdo lady hanging around with the guys,” explains White. A MALE-DOMINATED INDUSTRY According to a 2017 study by MJBiz Daily, women occupy roughly 36-percent of executive positions within the industry.

Caroline Frankel, Owner of Caroline’s Cannabis, Masachussett’s first recreational dispensary. Photo by MacNeil Media Group

So why, if every piece of Cannabis we consume is female, are women taking a backseat to their male colleagues? MJBiz Daily suggests that the recurring issue preventing women from entering the industry is a lack of access to capital. The amount of money needed to start a Cannabis business can easily surpass six figures, and the networks of investors that can provide that amount of money – high-net-worth individuals and venture capital firms – can be difficult for women to access. Additionally, women-owned businesses often receive less funding and fewer resources than their male counterparts. It’s something that Caroline Frankel has experienced first-hand. Massachusetts’ first recreational dispensary owner, Frankel, spent years scraping together $300,000 of her own money to open her Uxbridge store. “You really don’t hear about women self-funding their marijuana business, and it’s something I’m proud of,” says Frankel.

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the EQUALITY issue

BREAKING THE GRASS CEILING PROFILES OF WOMEN IN CANNABIS Continued from previous page

Autumn Brands Co-Owner & CFO Autumn Shelton, left, and Co-Founder Hannah Brand, in Santa Barbara, CA. Photo by Autumn Brands

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stay-at-home-mother, Frankel says she would put her three children to bed and retire to her basement, where she spent hours following the legalization process as it moved from the West Coast to New England. Putting her business degree from Johnson and Wales University to good use, Frankel developed a comprehensive business plan for her dream dispensary. She also navigated the licensing process mainly on her own. “When the state was ready for general applicants like myself, I was ready to go. I actually ended up being the first general applicant in Massachusetts,” says Frankel. In early April 2020, Frankel opened Caroline’s Cannabis, and she now has plans to expand to a second location. However, Frankel’s success has been somewhat tempered by the response she has received from other mothers within her community. “Of course, my kids love me regardless. But with other moms, I definitely felt like I was being judged a little bit for not only being someone who

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uses Cannabis, but then also being someone making a living in it as well. It was always the other parents or the people in my community that I felt judged me a little bit more than anyone else,” says Frankel. JUMPING HIGHER HURDLES Canadian physicist Donna Strickland famously received a Nobel Prize before being promoted to full professorship at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada in 2018. Some claimed that Strickland’s experience is the quintessential example of women being held to impossible standards within the workplace. However, Strickland eschews such notions and says that she didn’t receive a promotion because she never asked. Strickland’s story resonated with many women who said that they often feel that they need to do more and jump higher hurdles than their male counterparts to prove their worth in the workplace. Unfortunately, the Cannabis industry isn’t exempt. “I totally have always felt that I’ve had to work

harder because Cannabis is a male-dominated field. Even from the municipality and licensing standpoint, I was spending a lot of time rehearsing my presentations and investing money into making them look better than anyone else’s. I always felt like I had to compete more,” Frankel explains. Some feelings of inadequacy might be understandable in Frankel’s case, as she was cutting a new path for women-owned dispensaries in a newly legalized state. But the pervasive bias that White felt 30 years ago is the same one that women in the industry continue to butt up against. As a former ice hockey goaltender, Oregonian Megan Hunt is used to being the only woman among a sea of men, so she felt at home when she entered the industry as a trimmer in 2018. At the time, Hunt had several female coworkers trimming alongside her, but as her ambitions to rise within the ranks took hold, she began to realize that her perception of gender equality had been somewhat skewed. “There are women that do trimming, produc-

Tao Gardens’ Director of Propagation, Megan Hunt, in Eugene, OR. Photo by Tao Gardens

tion or processing, but I don’t really see a ton of women growing. I feel like there has to be a ton out there, but just in my personal experience, I haven’t really worked with a lot of other female growers. I’ve learned almost everything from male growers,” explains Hunt. Although Hunt says her male mentors and colleagues have always treated her with respect, she still experienced pushback when she expressed her desire to take on a leadership position within the grow operation. “I definitely feel like there’s a period of time where you have to prove yourself in any position, but I do think you end up getting undermined a lot more in fields that are predominantly male. You have to prove yourself and let them know, ‘Hey, I know my shit. I can grow and I can do everything you can do. Including lifting a five-gallon bucket of water.’ Once you get through that, it’s usually pretty smooth sailing,” says Hunt. SHIFTING THE NARRATIVE While Hunt has cemented her place in the industry as Tao Gardens’ Director of Propagation, she remains part of an exclusive club of women who have broken through the proverbial glass ceiling. “I mean, it’s … it’s kind of confusing to me because I know that a lot of women are into plants and love biology and healing with herbal medicine. And so, it’s kind of a perplexing question to me as to why more women aren’t taking those leadership positions or just growing in general,” says Hunt. One theory is that there remains a stigma around female Cannabis consumption. Currently, male consumers make up nearly three-quarters of the recreational market. As was the case with Frankel, the notion of being a woman and mother

are so tied together that society struggles to “When I was seven or eight, separate the two. So, when a stay-at-homeI had a childhood friend who mom decides to open a dispensary, it seems saw her parents get arrested for shocking in a way that it would not be, had marijuana possession. I rememMARYJWHITE.COM it been a stay-at-home-father. ber it being weird to me – here CAROLINESCANNABIS.COM “I think [the Cannabis industry] can be was this perfect family that was so TAOGARDENS.COM a little daunting. Cannabis has still been a happy and healthy and took care AUTUMNBRANDS.COM stigma for so long, so I think women may of their kids, and took care of me JDWCOUNSEL.COM still be a little hesitant about it. For womwhen I stayed with them – getting en, it’s still high risk because it’s federally ripped apart by the cops. After illegal. So, you just might not have those that, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer, and I had no other women executives that want to take that intentions of doing anything else,” says Weltzin. risk at this time,” explains Autumn Brands The founding member of JDW Counsel in AnchorCo-owner and CFO Autumn Shelton. age, Weltzin focuses her legal practice on land use and One of California’s first women-owned zoning law, recreational marijuana business law, and Cannabis businesses, Autumn Brands regulation compliance in Alaska. A staunch advocate has made it their mission to bring more for the industry, she was instrumental in working with women into the industry and destigmatize the Coalition for Responsible Cannabis Legislation to female Cannabis use. According to Shelhelp launch Alaska’s recreational market in 2015. ton, achieving their goals comes down to Over the last six years, Weltzin has established herself re-branding. as a powerhouse Cannabis attorney, but she is quick to “Women traditionally are the ones that give credit to the female mentors who helped pave the make decisions for health and wellness for way for her. themselves and for their families, and they “I learned from my mentor Jordan Rose. Especially are really dedicated to that. So when we when it comes to my dealings with men, I remember think about Cannabis, we think about it as she would always tell me to be realistic about what a a health and wellness product. And that exman’s priorities are with you. You want to get the most tends to our packaging and our branding,” you can out of the relationship without ever comprosays Shelton. mising your own values and your own beliefs. So, you A mother and Cannabis consumer, have to be okay with their reaction when you set a hard Shelton understands the importance of shifting the line,” says Weltzin. stoner narrative that has been perpetuated by pop Known for her direct, firm communication, Weltzin culture. ruffled some feathers when she be“It’s about normalizing gan carving out space for herself. Cannabis in the way a glass “I think that men came in with of wine has been. I think the a different expectation and maybe perception is that all pot conthought that I couldn’t handle getsumers are getting super high ting certain code amendments, but on bong rips, and that needs I did. Some thought that I couldn’t to change. Of course, when I handle getting certain approvals was younger, I used to do that done, but I’ve gotten every single – but I am a mom now, and necessary approval out there for that has shifted how I think marijuana shops. I think it took about Cannabis. Now, all I me showing them that I can do it; need is a few hits of a joint, I’m not just this little girl trying to and it allows me to get out of make it in a big man’s world,” says my head and release tension Weltzin. so I can come back and be While Weltzin has played the ready to be a mom again,” game, she is adamant that she explains Shelton. should not have had to clear extra Even though Shelton is professional hurdles simply because fighting for the normalization she is a woman. of not only female Cannabis “What are we not hearing collecuse, but women occupying tively as a society? Why are things JDW Counsel Founder Jana Weltzin, space in the industry, she tone-deaf when women speak a Cannabis attorney in Anchorage, AK. admits that it can be difficult and not when men speak next? I Photo by Chris Owens @owensneversleeps finding a balance. don’t know if that’s a ‘man issue,’ “It can be confusing when you’re a parent, though. I think it might be more of a societal issue that because on one hand society says that Cannabis is needs to be corrected,” says Weltzin. something that is not good, and on the other hand, So, how does the Cannabis industry become a your child is wondering why you would work in a shining example of equality for women? On this matter, business that is surrounded by it,” says Shelton. Weltzin, Hunt, White, Frankel and Shelton agree. “We have to step up and have each other’s back. CREATING THEIR OWN SPACE Men have been doing that for decades and decades, The struggle to reconcile years of cultural proand as women, we haven’t. We’re conditioned not to gramming with the reality of Cannabis as medilike each other; we are conditioned to be competitive cine is something that Alaskan Jana Weltzin was with each other. The reality is that we shouldn’t be confronted with at a very young age, and it ended competing with each other. We have to be the ones to up shaping her life. say where our place is,” says Weltzin.

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the EQUALITY issue

BUC

FIGHTING FOR A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD

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T S I

INA

It took a few years, but the New York legislature finally passed a recreational Cannabis bill. Tell us a bit about your efforts to bring a legal marijuana industry to the Empire State.

For the last couple of years I’ve been fortunate enough to work with Start SMART New York, a group that was convened by the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA). Start SMART was instrumental in passing the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), earlier this year in New York. I’m licensed to practice in New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Illinois – and I was able to draw upon my experiences across a wide variety of states. And through experiences in states with different programs, I had some things to say about the way New York’s program was rolled out – particularly because I saw some real shortcomings in other states. Through testifying to members of the NYS legislature about my experiences and how different regulations worked and drafting suggestions to NYS’ legislation, it’s been really exciting to participate in the creation of New York’s new law.

CRISTINA BUCCOLA is a New York-based Cannabis attorney, advisor and advocate. Most recently, Cristina offered guidance on legalization to NY legislators based on her extensive experience with regulated and inclusive marijuana programs. She sat down with The Leaf to update us on her state’s new laws and the progress of social equity across the legal Cannabis states.

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How has the state’s program rollout gone so far? The law calls for an Office of Cannabis

Management (OCM), which is yet to be formed, in order to set the rules around home grow. And in addition to the OCM, we also need the Cannabis Control Board, which is a five-person board, to be formed. And these two bodies, along with an advisory committee, will develop and establish many of New York State’s rules and regulations. I cannot overstate the importance of these regulatory bodies and boards to the overall rollout of the program. So much hinges, not only on what they say, but when they’re actually formed. Social equity is a major component of New York’s Cannabis law. Before we get into the specifics of the program, could you explain generally what social equity is intended to accomplish? Social equity is intended to

look at structural issues of giving people access to Cannabis. It identifies those communities who have suffered the most due to the War on Drugs, and gives those individuals an opportunity to participate in the new Cannabis industry. Is that the same thing as community reinvestment? No. It’s important to draw a

distinction here. Community reinvestment is a concept that runs alongside of social equity, but it isn’t the same thing. Community reinvestment takes into account that, while Cannabis is now a completely legal industry, through prohibition, there was literally a war waged against certain communities, and they should be able to benefit from the tax revenue generated by newly legal Cannabis – even if they don’t want to participate in the industry. And so when we talk about social equity in most circles, it means helping those individuals that have been impacted by the War on Drugs, those who have been marginalized and haven’t been represented in business, and putting them forth and encouraging these individuals to participate in the new Cannabis industry. Whereas community reinvestment has everything to do with tax revenue and is not necessarily Cannabis oriented. So members of the community might be getting training for a job they want, or they might be getting healthcare services for their family. Essentially, the funds are from Cannabis, but their output isn’t. When it comes to the people who have been disproportionately impacted by marijuana prohibition, those who are interested should absolutely have access to the industry. But those who aren’t interested should still be able to benefit from funds raised through the new law. And how does New York’s Cannabis law address social equity and community reinvestment? One of the things that really

sets New York apart – actually there are several things that really set New York apart – is the state created a community reinvestment fund that

allocates 40% of the Cannabis tax revenue to services for impacted communities. And that is huge. The other thing that’s incredibly interesting is that New York has set a target of issuing 50% of its licenses to social equity applicants. Who does that include? That group of people

includes individuals from minority communities, disadvantaged farmers, disabled veterans and women. And in New York, people who come from communities that have been disproportionately impacted, if they have been incarcerated or they have a family member who was, there will be extra priority given to those applications. What can qualified applicants expect from the new program? Social equity applicants

should see reduced licensing fees, priority licensing, access to business services, low interest loans and business grants. Who is making these decisions in New York? The law calls

for a director of social equity who works in the Office of Cannabis Management. And that person, who is yet to be identified, is going to be extraordinarily important in developing the equity program. How else does New York stand out in regard to equity? In

to operate a license. It’s still expensive to be in Cannabis. Particularly when you take into consideration things like real estate in New York and labor in New York. And even the best laid equity programs and incubation programs are not going to get around the fact that funding is needed. But identifying licenses where people need less capital to get involved is going to be crucial. Is there a specific license type you’d like to see the state embrace? New York

is about experiences, and in NYC where I live, nightlife and parties. And one of the things that did not make it into the MRTA, but I really hope comes up in regulation, is an event permit. This could be helpful because you don’t necessarily need a building, which is incredibly expensive in New York. An event permit could bring a lot of creativity to the industry, and could provide individuals a way to participate that isn’t crippling as far as capital is concerned.

“WHEN IT COMES TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY MARIJUANA PROHIBITION, THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED SHOULD ABSOLUTELY HAVE ACCESS TO THE INDUSTRY.”

many other states we’ve seen that only the most moneyed players can really participate, because vertical integration is either required or is allowed. But New York takes some really affirmative steps to break up that chain. So the way the licenses work – essentially, New York makes you pick a lane. Are you going to have a shop and sell to the community? Or are you going to do things behind the scenes? You can’t do both. So vertical integration is not allowed?

Right. Unless you have a microbusiness license. Microbusinesses will be able to operate in a vertically integrated manner. And so will the 10 existing medical providers under New York’s program. But they will have to go through some kind of step, whether it’s an auction or a licensing fee, to participate in a vertically integrated manner. And the money from that will be used to fund equity programs, which is great. And, in making businesses choose a lane, New York is opening up opportunities for a variety of different people – because you don’t need a hundred million dollars just to start a business. Now, that being said, it’s still really expensive

Does New York’s law allow for expungement?

NYS has had automatic expungement for certain low level cannabis offenses since 2019. After the law was passed this March, additional possession and low level sale offenses are now eligible for automatic expungement, as now it’s legal to have up to 3oz of flower, 24g of concentrate.

New York is one of five states that passed legal Cannabis legislation so far this year. New Mexico also legalized marijuana in 2021. However, lawmakers there have a different attitude about equity. New Mexico’s governor has been outspoken about passing an equity bill separately from the legalization law. Do you believe that is a wise approach? Not if you want

equity. I mean, if you want equity, you fight for it. You fight for what you want. And then maybe you settle on something, but you don’t go out of the gate folding your hand. Legalization and equity go hand-in-hand. And I think that if you don’t demand equity from the jump, you don’t get it. I think other states have shown us how difficult it is to claw back equity and develop equity programs when they’re not there from the inception. So, I think taking them separately is a very scary proposition if you are pro justice. CBCOUNSEL.COM @CBCOUNSEL

STORY by MIKE GIANAKOS @MIKEGEEZEEY/LEAF NATION | ILLUSTRATION by GUILHERME LEMES @GUILEEMES

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When you break the seal on the container, you’re immediately taken aback by the reek of ripe grapes, lavender and citrus candy. The terpene profile will make you salivate and increase your curiosity as to the flavors. The lemon and lavender combination makes for a great summer mix to enjoy on the porch during a warm evening, with a cold drink surrounded by friends. Gellati is spot on – tasting just like it smells. With this cured badder you can expect to enjoy an array of fruity flavors, but you’ll definitely detect a nice grapey undertone on the palate.

This is certainly more of a wine-like headstash that you’d break out on a special occasion to set the tone for the evening. Upon dabbing, this concentrate smacks you with a strong and long-lasting head buzz. Pulsating feelings behind the eyes tingle as the heavy effects settle in. People who suffer from social anxiety may benefit from trying this strain. Without the usual hesitation, you’re able to carry out great conversations while remaining calm. Gellati is perfect for a joyful uplift and a pick-me-up. You can find yourself some Sixty/Sixty concentrates at Greenbear420 or by booking a room at Cannacation – both in Dexter, Maine.

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Cannthropology

WORLD OF Cannabis PRESENTS

CANNABIS

PROHIBITION’S RACIST ROOTS

Since its very inception, America’s Cannabis prohibition has been rooted in racism. The racist architects (Reagan, Nixon, Anslinger) and symbolic targets (Cab Calloway, Pancho Villa, Louis Armstrong) of Cannabis prohibition.

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MEXICAN MIGRATION

Mexicans were using Cannabis for medicinal, recreational and spiritual purposes since it was first brought over by the Spanish in the 16th century. But it wasn’t until nearly 400 years later that it would make its way over the border.

The dawn of the 20th century brought a massive influx of Mexican immigrants into the U.S. – thanks to the Mexican Revolution, which caused soldiers and refugees to flee the war, and the Industrial Revolution, which attracted laborers in search of work. Naturally, many of these migrants brought their habit of smoking marijuana (their Spanish name for it) along with them. Since xenophobic stereotypes of Mexicans as dirty, lazy, dishonest and violent were prevalent in white America, powerful racists used marijuana as a way to demonize and harass them. Exxagerated “yellow journalism” about marijuana Most conspicuously, media mogul William Randolph Hearst conducted a massive anti-weed smear campaign throughout the 1910s to 1930s – terrifying white Amerand Mexicans designed to scare white America. ica with fear-mongering features about mad, murderous Mexicans on their “loco weed.” Since these articles always referred to it as marihuana, rather than Cannabis or hemp, most Americans had no clue that the “evil Mexican weed” was actually the same plant they’d been using for textiles and medicine for decades.

AUG. 2021

ILLUSTRATION BY BOBBY BLACK

REEFER MADNESS Meanwhile, during the late 1800s, the British imported thousands of Hindu Indians to the Caribbean as cheap labor for their sugar plantations – who, like their Mexican counterparts, also brought their habit of smoking Cannabis with them. Eventually, those Indian Hindus, Mexicans, sailors and African slaves all found their way to the port city of More fear-mongering press New Orleans, where their about marijuana and jazz. cultures and traditions all intermingled. It was out of that marijuana-infused melting pot that jazz music was born. Jazz was the first modern musical genre created under the influence of marijuana – or as they called it, “reefer.” Performers like Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway were open about their love of weed – even writing songs about it like “Reefer Man,” “Viper” and “Muggles” (another slang term). As jazz’s popularity exploded across the country, more and more young white people were attracted to it – hanging out at nightclubs, mingling with other races, and yes, smoking reefer. This infuriated the white establishment, who began using marijuana to target African-Americans – especially the jazz musicians. One notorious racist in power who made it his mission to go after the reefer-smoking jazz musicians corrupting America’s youth was Narcotics Bureau Commissioner, Harry Anslinger. “There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers,” Anslinger once attested. “Their satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others.” Race mixing, white girls getting pregnant by negroes, insanity, violence, violations of Jim Crow laws … Anslinger blamed it all on marijuana, saying that it made “darkies think they’re as good as white men” and “forget their place in society.” Building on Hearst’s yellow journalism, Anslinger led a campaign of “white fright” to pressure Congress into passing his Marijuana Tax Act in 1937, then used that prohibition to target those who needed to be “put in their place.” In the first year after the law’s passage, blacks were three times more likely, and Mexicans nearly nine times more likely, to be arrested for marijuana than whites. NIXON’S DRUG WAR In the 1960s, the racist prohibitionists’ worst fears were realized: the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed racial segregation. And thanks to the counterculture movement, marijuana use had become widespread among average white suburban young adults. As one New York Times reporter commented: “Nobody cared when it was a ghetto problem. Marihuana – well, it was used by jazz musicians or the lower class, so you didn’t care if they got two to 20 years. But when a nice, middle-class girl or boy in college gets busted for the same thing, then the whole community sits up and takes notice.” Freaked out by marijuana’s growing influence, Americans elected “law-and-order” candidate Richard Nixon as the new president in 1968. It’s well established that Nixon was a racist. In his infamous oval tapes, he spews derogatory remarks about numerous

Freaked out by marijuana’s growing influence, Americans elected “law-and-order” candidate Richard Nixon as the new president in 1968. minorities – saying that the Jews were all “disloyal bastards” and “commies” who wanted to legalize weed, that Mexicans were “dishonest,” and that “Negro bastards” live “like a bunch of dogs” on welfare. Squashing the hippie and Black Power movements was at the top of his agenda. Announcing a new War on Drugs in 1971, Nixon used the recently passed Controlled Substances Act to target and arrest leftist radicals and civil rights activists – most of whom were Black or Jewish. The racist motivations behind Nixon’s Drug War were later admitted on the record by his domestic policy adviser John Ehrlichman, who said in a 1994 interview: “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and Black people … We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or Black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and Blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.” MASS INCARCERATION The election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 brought with it a ramping up of the Over the past Drug War, with new propaganda campaigns (Just Say No, Drug Abuse Reseveral decades, sistance Education) and harsher policies – including an expansion of Nixon’s the U.S. has seen “mandatory minimum” sentencing guidelines (which prosecutors are twice as likely to pursue for Blacks than for whites charged with the same a 900% increase crime), and the practice of so-called “no-knock” warrants. First in its prison employed by the Nixon administration in 1970, no-knock warrants population. were repealed by Congress in 1975; unfortunately, they made a comeback on the state level during the Reagan administration and have expanded exponentially ever since (from 1,500 warrants in the 1980s to over 60,000 in recent years). According to a 2014 ACLU report, 42 percent of those targeted by no-knock raids were African-American and 12 percent were Latino. Unfortunately, Reagan’s successors continued his tough-on-crime approach well into the 1990s – with increasingly harsh sentences and aggressive new policing policies such as the “three strikes law” which drastically raised mandatory minimum sentences for repeated drug offenses (in some cases, sentences of life in prison or death). There was also New York City’s controversial “stop and frisk” policy, where police began detaining and searching people on the street that they deemed “suspicious,” resulting in a dramatic rise in arrests for minor drug possession charges (in 2018, Blacks and Latinos accounted for nearly 90% of the city’s Cannabis possession arrests). Over the past several decades, the U.S. has seen a 900% increase in its prison population. The vast majority of those prisoners are Black and Latino, most of whom were convicted on minor, non-violent drug offenses. In her best-selling book “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,” civil rights lawyer Michelle Alexander argues that mass incarceration has become a new, legal form of slavery – forcing tens of thousands of Black and Brown men to provide free labor and depriving them of their right to vote. ENDURING INEQUITY Sadly, the branches of prohibition’s racist roots are still alive and well today. People of color are still far more likely to be stopped, searched, arrested, convicted, harshly sentenced and killed by police over minor drug violations than whites are, even though drug usage rates are virtually identical across races. And although Cannabis is now legal in most states for either medical or adult use, there are still tens of thousands of people of color behind bars on nonviolent marijuana charges, while white executives now make millions for doing essentially the same thing on a far grander scale. And all of these inequities and injustices trace back to the prejudiced propaganda pushed on the public at the dawn of prohibition.

For more on Prohibition’s Racist Roots, listen to Episode #7 of our podcast at worldofcannabis.museum/cannthropology. Story and photos originally published on worldofcannabis.museum and reprinted with permission.

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by Mike Ricker

ike sand through a sifter, there are some items in life that have an uncanny way of eluding your possession. And it seems that no matter how much attention is directed toward keeping these elusive apparatuses secure, they somehow have a way of playing hide and seek. Like that extra sock that is secretly abducted by the clothes dryer, your sunglasses that seem to want to live anywhere but on the bridge of your nose, and of course, your remote control. But why is it that in this world where there is no undiscovered corner in which to hide – thanks to sophisticated surveillance and electronic tracking – that one of the guiltiest culprits is that elusive device that is supposed to live within proximity of the television? It’s like Osama Bin Laden is holed up in a secret Afghani cave between the cushions of your couch, and he keeps snatching your remote to watch his favorite Al Jazeera sitcom. One of life’s great perplexities. I mean, they can find the Titanic 400 miles away from land and 13,000 feet below the surface of the swirling ice waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, and they can return photographs from robotic space probes that have ventured to the end of the galaxy and beyond, but for some reason they can’t install a stoner button on my beloved channel changer. Like, shouldn’t there be something on the television that sends a signal to the remote, which then beeps like a friendly R2D2 who is happy to hang out? Consider this a call to arms! So, here’s the good news: At least you sometimes find a stray nug each time there’s a search. And as far as solving the mystery of the lost sock, I think the Loch Ness Monster ate it.

aug. 2021

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Articles inside

CONCENTRATE OF THE MONTH

BREAKING THE GRASS CEILING

BUDTENDER Q&A

VOICES OF THE CANNABIS COMMUNITY

FROM THE NBA TO THE POT SHOP

GENE TRADERS’ LOU PINO

SHA’CARRI RICHARDSON

LOCAL NEWS

STONER OWNERS HASHATRON, CT