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E XC L U S I V E I N T E R V I E W !

BERNER How the rapper, mogul and iconic face of the Cookies brand is diving into new markets and elevating the Cannabis community. CANNTHROPOLOGY

BOB MARLEY HERBAN LEGEND FEATURES

CANNABIS COUPLES SHARE THEIR STORIES TRIXIE GARCIA AND GARCIA HAND PICKED RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE STAR LAGANJA ESTRANJA CANNABIS FASHION TRENDS AND DESIGNS F RE E / L E A F M AGA Z I N E S . COM

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

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Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 or older. This product has intoxicating effects 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. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of reach of children.

the CULTURE issue

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FEBRUARY 2022

N O R T H E AS T

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feb. 2022

ARTIST PROFILE TERRY HARLOW’S SOAPSTONE PIPES

CANNTHROPOLOGY BOB MARLEY | HERBAN LEGEND

BENNNYY BLANCO

In an exclusive interview, Leaf Nation’s Tom Bowers speaks with Berner — the indefatigable rap icon, fashion designer, Cookies Cannabis founder, and advocate, on his life, career, and the future of Cannabis.

CREATIVE COMMONS

STONER OWNERS BLACKSTONE HERBS & COFFEE BAR

CHARLES TAGGART

BERNER BAILEY JONSON

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9 10 12 18 20 22 24 28 32 34 36 38 42 44 46

EDITOR’S NOTE N AT I O N A L N E W S LOCAL NEWS BUDTENDER Q&A STONER OWNERS ARTIST PROFILE STRAIN OF THE MONTH BERNER COVER STORY GARCIA HAND PICKED L AGANJA ESTRANJA CANNABIS COUPLES FASHION AND DESIGN C O N C E N T R AT E O T M CANNTHROPOLOGY STONEY BALONEY

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Please consume responsibly. For use only by adults 21 years of age or older. 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 1-800-222-1222 or 9-1-1. This product may be illegal outside of MA.

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 In just the last ten years, Cannabis has undergone a radical shift in public perception, and the definition of Cannabis culture, naturally, has changed as well. The Leaf Nation team sought to present a wide range of Cannabis culture figures for this month’s special edition. On the cover is rapper, fashion designer, and the founder of Cookies Cannabis, the one and only Berner. Photographer Bennyy Blanco is well-known in the hip hop community for his photographs that offer an intimate glimpse at stars on and off the stage. Check out more photos and our exclusive interview with Berner inside this issue!

PHOTO by BENNYY BLANCO @BENNYY_BLANCO

CONTRIBUTORS

WES ABNEY | FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

BOBBY BLACK, DESIGN + FEATURES BENNYY BLANCO, PHOTOS JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION TOM BOWERS, FEATURES JENN DOE, SALES EARLY, PRODUCTION WYATT EARLY, FEATURES EMILY EIZEN, FEATURES MIKE GIANAKOS, FEATURES BAILEY JONSON, FEATURES + PHOTOS BOBBY NUGGZ, FEATURES + PHOTOS JEFF PORTERFIELD, DESIGN MIKE RICKER, FEATURES JESSE RAMIREZ, ILLUSTRATION MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING ZACK RUSKIN, FEATURES CHARLES TAGGART, FEATURES + PHOTOS JAMIE VICTOR, ILLUSTRATION DAN VINKOVETSKY, FEATURES

WES@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

SENIOR EDITORS MIKE GIANAKOS | DAN VINKOVETSKY

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

CREATIVE DIRECTOR DANIEL BERMAN | VISUALS & DESIGN

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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 start advertising with NE Leaf!

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ABNEY

Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up our Culture Issue of the Leaf! THIS IS OUR ISSUE that honors the culture of Cannabis consumers, from the rap and cultivating star Berner to Cannabis couples and high fashion. We’ve come a long way as a community from the days of stoner stereotypes being synonymous with “Dude Where’s My Car” to a point where our culture, community and plant are combining to become a mainstream lifestyle.

Cannabis has long been part of our society in an underground way – influencing artists and creatives, helping athletes and celebrities, and driving the emergence of hip hop – but without recognition, and has occasionally ruined a career instead of helping to create one. Today we can openly celebrate those that use Cannabis to enhance their lives, enjoy the fruits of the plant sprouting new ideas, and highlight the positive impact it has in leading our country out of the war on drugs’ mindset, and into a new era of acceptance and positivity. It’s important to note that the only lifestyle past stoners could expect was that of orange jumpsuits and 10x10 cells, and those who took risks to lead our community deserve to be remembered.

IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE ONLY LIFESTYLE PAST STONERS COULD EXPECT WAS THAT OF ORANGE JUMPSUITS AND 10X10 CELLS.

While it’s likely that if you read my words you are in a legal state, weed can still lead to prison in many parts of the United States or around the world – which means we have more work to do! That’s why normalizing the decision to make Cannabis our recreational drug of choice as parents, professionals and even influencers, must be shared with the world.

In normalizing Cannabis, we can also open the door for so many other forms of acceptance – from a new approach to drugs in healthcare to opening minds to all walks of life. Cannabis makes our human experience better in every way … even in the bedroom, where hopefully the commercialized St. Valentine’s Day will be bringing people together to reach new highs this year. So get down with the culture and your bad self, ditch the chocolate hearts for infused treats, and try a massage oil or personal lubricant to explore a new way for weed to make your life more enjoyable. After all, being a stoner is a lifestyle choice – and it feels good to feel good.

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-Wes Abney FEB. 2022

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WES

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national news

politics

normalization

THAILAND PLANS TO DECRIMINALIZE CANNABIS

U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE FROM LOUISIANA SMOKES WEED IN CAMPAIGN AD

emocratic U.S. Senate candidate Gary Chambers, Jr. recently smoked marijuana in a field in New Orleans while talking about Cannabis reform in his first campaign ad. The Washington Post calls it a “highly unusual spot.” Chambers is seated in an open field, where he fires up a blunt and takes multiple hits. In a voice-over, he rattles off statistics about the herb. These include facts such as Black people are four times as likely as whites to be arrested for its possession. “For too long, candidates have used the legalization of marijuana as an empty talking point in order to appeal to progressive voters,” Chambers said about the ad. “I hope this ad works to not only destigmatize the use of marijuana, but also forces a new conversation that creates the pathway to legalize this beneficial drug, and forgive those who were arrested due to outdated ideology.”

hailand plans to decriminalize marijuana, moving a step closer to legalizing adult use of the herb. It was the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize medical Cannabis. Cannabis use in food and cosmetics is also legal in Thailand, according to Bloomberg. In January, the Food and Drug Administration proposed to the narcotics bureau that marijuana be removed from its status as a controlled drug. It only needs Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to approve the change and it will then take effect. Adults will be able to access marijuana without fearing lengthy prison sentences and hefty fines, according to Withid Sariddeechaikool of Thailand’s FDA. Currently, possession of Cannabis in Thailand could garner up to 15 years in prison. The plant is considered a Category 5 narcotic drug under current Thai law.

midwest

ARKANSAS AWARDS LAST TWO DISPENSARY LICENSES

egulators recently approved a rule change allowing issuance of two remaining medical marijuana dispensary licenses permitted under the Arkansas Constitution. The state will have a total of 40 dispensaries, reports Arkansas Online. The change issues the licenses to companies that previously applied for them and are next in line based on scores. It will go before the Arkansas Legislative Council in February. The licenses will likely be issued in March, according to Medical Marijuana Commission spokesman Scott ARKANSAS VOTERS APPROVED Hardin. Arkansas voters approved the constitutional amendment legalizing THE CONSTITUTIONAL Cannabis for medical use in the state in 2016. These are the last two liAMENDMENT LEGALIZING censes. Their distribution completes the medical marijuana program. Voters CANNABIS FOR MEDICAL USE IN THE STATE IN 2016. THESE passed an amendment that would allow 40 dispensaries and 8 growers to ARE THE LAST TWO LICENSES. do business in the state, reports THV11.

politics

the south

IOWA DEMOCRATS REVEAL LEGALIZATION PLAN

ALABAMA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE WANTS TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA

hree Iowa state senators revealed details of their proposed amendment to legalize marijuana at a January press conference, reports KCRG. The lawmakers called for the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division to regulate Cannabis sales to adults 21 and older. If successful, Iowa would join 19 other states in legalizing adult-use marijuana. The amendment would legalize growing, selling and buying of all marijuana products for adults 21 and older. The plan allows the state to tax sales up to 20 percent. Cities or counties can add on their own taxes, up to 2 percent. It would need to pass in both the Iowa House and Senate in two consecutive General Assemblies to get on a ballot. Once on the ballot, a majority of Iowans would need to vote for the amendment for it to become law.

Alabama businessman who calls himself a conservative Democrat said he’ll work to legalize marijuana if voters pick him as their next governor. Chad “Chig” Martin, 53, has qualified to run for the Democratic nomination in the May 24 primary. Martin said he believes marijuana is a safer drug than alcohol. He said he would like to see it legalized and taxed to boost Alabama’s economy and revenues. Chig is skeptical that Alabama’s medical marijuana industry, MARTIN SAID HE approved by the Legislature last year, will let businesses like his BELIEVES MARIJUANA Honeysuckle Hemp compete fairly when licenses are issued. IS A SAFER DRUG THAN A medical Cannabis commission is still working to set up that ALCOHOL. HE SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT program. Products won’t be available until next year. “I want LEGALIZED AND TAXED to open up the free trade of Cannabis in the state of Alabama TO BOOST ALABAMA’S without regulations, not just allowing certain groups or compaECONOMY AND REVENUES. nies to participate in this,” Martin said.

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ADULTS WILL BE ABLE TO ACCESS MARIJUANA WITHOUT FEARING LENGTHY PRISON SENTENCES AND HEFTY FINES.

33% 70% 200

of computer programmers use Cannabis during work hours.

feb. 2022

is the amount prices for legal flower have fallen in California in the past year.

pounds of illegal weed were seized in a traffic stop near Lincoln, Neb. by the LCSO.

30k

additional signatures were submitted by organizers of an Ohio legalization ballot initiative after efforts fell short.

34k

arrest records still haven’t been processed for expungement in California.

$1.5m

in sales were enjoyed by Montana dispensaries on January 1-2, the first two days of adult-use sales.

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

LOCAL NEWS

HALF OF NEW YORK OPTS OUT OF POT INDUSTRY A

bout half of New York state’s towns have opted out of the nascent Cannabis industry, according to the Rockefeller Institute of Government. New York’s adult-use marijuana law, passed by the state legislature and signed into law by then-Governor Andrew Cuomo in the spring of 2021, established a December 31, 2021 deadline for jurisdictions to opt out of the recreational pot industry. Ultimately, about 49 percent of the state’s 1,521 towns decided against allowing dispensaries in their jurisdiction and 55 percent chose not to allow consumption sites. While significant, there were far fewer opt outs in New York than in neighboring New Jersey, which reported 70 percent of its towns chose to ban the Cannabis industry. According to industry insiders, most New York municipalities chose to opt out because they wanted more information about the state’s pot program before allowing it to move forward in their jurisdiction. So far, the state has failed to explain how local governments can regulate aspects of the industry like advertising and hours of operation for retailers. Towns that chose to opt out are giving up their share of the tax revenue generated by legal Cannabis – local jurisdictions will receive 4 percent of the 13 percent excise tax on pot sales, with the other 9 percent going to the state. Towns that simply did nothing were automatically enrolled in the Cannabis industry. Experts expect New York to become the second largest marijuana market in the country, after California, with projected sales estimated to bring in around $4.2 billion. However, towns that opted out are passing up on more than just pot tax revenue. Foot traffic is expected to rise in jurisdictions that allow retail pot sales or consumption sites, leading to an increase in business revenue

Photo by Nextvoyage

in those towns. Likewise, real estate prices are expected to increase in those jurisdictions as home values rise. Fortunately, the pot industry bans don’t last forever and towns can opt back in to the industry through a vote by local government. Additionally, opt outs only apply to dispensaries and consumption sites. Jurisdictions can’t opt out of marijuana cultivation and manufacturing by licensed businesses, and adults may legally possess and consume Cannabis regardless of their town’s opt out status.

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SERIOUS CANNABIS CASH

Photo by Pixabay

ew York state expects to take in $1.25 billion in marijuana tax revenue and fees over the first six years of retail sales. While the Empire State has yet to set a launch date for adult-use sales, the governor’s new executive budget forecasts some serious Cannabis cash coming in, beginning in 2023. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration anticipates a slow start for the industry, estimating just $56 million in pot revenue for 2023. That money is expected

FEB. 2022

to come primarily from fees associated with launching the industry. Naturally, officials forecast the real money rolling in when retail sales are finally established in New York. The budget report estimates the state will rake in Cannabis revenues of $95 million in 2024, $158 million in 2025, $245 million in 2026, $339 million in 2027 and a whopping $363 million in 2028. Ultimately, the state decided on a 13 percent excise tax on Cannabis sales, with 4 percent going to local jurisdictions in which sales are made and 9 percent going to state coffers. Of the 9 percent of tax revenue diverted to the state, 40 percent will be used for education, another 40 percent will go toward community reinvestment and the remaining 20 percent of revenue will be used for drug treatment. Additionally, New York has established a separate sliding scale tax that is based on pot potency, with higher THC products taxed at a higher rate. However, this tax only applies to pot products exchanged between distributors and retailers. While the governor’s budget estimates are lower than previous projections for New York’s Cannabis industry, the difference can be explained by the state’s delay in launching retail sales. Earlier estimates called for the state to take in $245 million in revenue in 2024. The new budget still anticipates $245 million in revenue, however it now expects to first hit that number two years later, in 2026. Gov. Hochul has managed to appoint key regulatory personnel – a necessary step in implementing the state’s pot program – but officials are taking longer than expected to create the industry’s rules and regulations, causing further delays. Based on a recent estimate provided by New York’s Cannabis Control Board, which creates the rules for and oversees the operation of the state’s marijuana industry, retail sales won’t begin until mid2023 at the earliest.

Marijuana Delivery in Maine? A

new bill introduced in Maine that would allow adult-use Cannabis delivery throughout the state is creating a heated debate. The measure would allow retail weed shops to deliver pot products to any jurisdiction in the state. This is a controversial proposal because approximately 90 percent of Maine towns chose to opt out of the Cannabis industry – banning pot sales in their jurisdiction and eschewing the accompanying tax revenue. Supporters of the bill, introduced by Rep. Joe Perry (D-Bangor), believe that those opt outs are exactly why delivery is so important. With so much of the state unable to access adult-use Cannabis, legal deliveries could play a major role in keeping the black market at bay. As Rep. Perry points out, cutting off access to Cannabis doesn’t prohibit residents from using marijuana. But it does encourage people to spend their money on black market buds.

With legal adult-use delivery, that money would be more likely to go to Maine Cannabis companies. Delivery would also prevent people from having to make long drives to the nearest retail shop, as well as increase access for elderly and disabled residents who haven’t obtained a medical marijuana card. Cannabis delivery is a big issue in Maine, in part because just 10 percent of the state’s 500 towns and cities currently allow marijuana businesses – so access to pot products is spotty. But while the issue appears to be a noPhoto by Rodnae Productions brainer, opponents of the legislation cite concerns about the rights of local governments to ban stuff. Kate Dufour of the Maine Municipal Association believes the delivery bill would be the “first step in eroding the local control granted to municipal officials.” Opponents are also concerned that delivery would lead to pot being overused and children being harmed (somehow). Delivery is specifically banned in Maine as legislators outlawed pot sales via vending machine, drive-thru, online platform and delivery service in a 2018 rewrite of the state’s original legalization bill. In Maine, a law must specifically prohibit an activity – otherwise it is allowed. Because of this quirk, medical dispensaries are allowed to deliver marijuana to patients.

NO HOME GROW IN THE GARDEN STATE Photo by Jakub Matyáš

hile New Jersey prepares to launch adult-use retail sales, officials remain adamant that the state will not allow home cultivation for recreational or medical Cannabis. The Garden State legalized adult-use marijuana in early 2021. Unfortunately, the bill created by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy does not legalize home growing. And, according to State Senate President Nick Scutari (D-Union), lawmakers currently have no plans to add personal cultivation to New Jersey’s Cannabis law.

In January, Scutari told a group of marijuana industry experts that he “did not see [home growing] happening right now,” during a virtual event. Scutari, who was an outspoken supporter of legalization, explained, “I’m not against marijuana being grown at home for medical purposes and maybe even just recreational purposes … But we’ve got to let this industry … it’s not even off the ground yet.” Scutari believes that personal cultivation would help the black market and could potentially prevent the state’s new legal industry from fully taking off. Many officials and analysts in New Jersey have voiced a similar opinion. However, medical Cannabis patients believe home grows would help keep people from turning to the black market by providing an alternative to the expensive medicine sold at legal medical dispensaries. Interestingly, New Jersey is one of just three states that have legalized marijuana and still prohibits any unlicensed Cannabis cultivation for adultuse – with Illinois and Washington state also barring recreational home grows. However, New Jersey stands alone as the only state that has legalized marijuana and continues to ban home cultivation for medical patients. Despite Cannabis being legal in New Jersey, growing a single plant at home could still result in prison time and substantial fines – even for registered pot patients. New Jersey has yet to set a launch date for retail sales. While the state is expected to become a major marijuana marketplace, 70 percent of its municipalities chose to opt out of allowing the Cannabis industry in their jurisdiction.

STORIES by MIKE GIANAKOS @MIKEGEEZEEY

WILL CONNECTICUT

LOCAL NEWS

>> Continued from pg. 13

HAVE ENOUGH CANNABIS? A

s Connecticut prepares to launch retail Cannabis sales, officials are attempting to figure out if the state will have enough pot. This is the quintessential question every state must ask as it prepares to begin an adult-use sales program. Getting it right can mean the difference between a successful start for your pot program with a smooth opening weekend, and a rocky road with shortages, price hikes, long lines and bad reviews. Of course, having too much Cannabis can be problematic as well. As Arcview Management Consulting’s David Abernathy points out, “Some states have found themselves relatively quickly with an oversupply of Cannabis as markets come online, which can cause the wholesale price to crater and really make it difficult for cultivators.” Striking the right supply balance is not always easy as “A lot of the regulations are created as political compromises, and often created by people who often don’t understand the mechanics of the supply chain of the Cannabis industry very well,” according to Abernathy. Recent estimates have Connecticut generating around $250 million in sales, meaning the state will be a major player in the Cannabis industry. And, considering it is poised to beat nearby New York and New Jersey to market, Connecticut currently has a massive competitive advantage. By the fourth year of sales, experts forecast $750 million of legal weed being sold in Connecticut, with some estimating the state will take in as much as $1.25 billion in that fourth year.

One industry insider believes that Connecticut will need approximately 31,000 pounds of pot for the launch of retail sales. The expectation is that number will then double in the second and third years of sales, before finally coming down as other states in the region catch up. “As more adult-use markets come online in New England, it will be interesting to see the differences in tax rates or product availability, and whether that gives some states an advantage over their neighbors,” Abernathy said. Connecticut will begin accepting license applications next month. The state does not cap the number of licenses that can be issued or the amount of pot that can be cultivated. The state also doesn’t limit how much marijuana can be purchased at any one time. It does, however, set possession limits: Adults are allowed to carry up to an ounce and a half of pot, or seven and a half grams of concentrates on their person.

Photo by Matteo Paganelli

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GETTING INSIDE POT USERS’ HEADS

Photo by cottonbro

s more states embrace Cannabis legalization, officials are scrambling to come up with a method for enforcing THC impairment in drivers. Because the concentration of THC in the body does not necessarily correspond with impairment, and because THC metabolites can remain in the body for weeks after Cannabis was last consumed, traditional roadside tests like the breathalyzer don’t work with marijuana. Nor do THC per milliliter of blood limits, which some states have already introduced.

FEB. 2022

However, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) recently announced the results of a study that might have solved the problem of how to measure THC impairment in drivers. MGH researchers are looking into the possibility of using brain imaging to reliably detect impairment from pot use. The technique, called functional near-infrared spectroscopy, measures patterns in brain imaging to discover possible impairment from THC. And because it’s noninvasive and the necessary equipment can be battery-operated, lightweight and portable, it might just be the answer that law enforcement has long sought. The study involved 169 marijuana users who were given either THC or a placebo. Those who reported feeling the effects of THC showed a neural activity signature called an increased oxygenated hemoglobin concentration in brain imaging. According to lead author Jodi Gilman, PhD, “Companies are developing breathalyzer devices that only measure exposure to Cannabis, but not impairment from Cannabis … We need a method that won’t penalize medical marijuana users or others with insufficient amounts of Cannabis in their system to impair their performance. While it requires further study, we believe brain-based testing could provide an objective, practical and much needed solution.” The study did not specifically look into the feasibility of this method in roadside stops by law enforcement. But it did suggest that creating a brain scanner fitted into a headband or cap could make the test easier to use and reduce setup time. Besides, who wouldn’t want a traffic cop hooking electrodes up to their scalp so they can conduct (and attempt to interpret) brain imaging tests on the side of a highway?

STORIES by MIKE GIANAKOS @MIKEGEEZEEY

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interview

W H O ’ S Y O U R FAV O R I T E B U D T E N D E R ? T E L L U S W H Y ! E M A I L N O M I N A T I O N S T O D A N @ L E A F M A G A Z I N E S . C O M

AMYFINTONIS

TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT YOURSELF. I recently became a new

mother this past summer, and it has been the most amazing journey I have ever walked. It may have been less than ideal timing to become pregnant only a few short months after starting at a new company and with a new career, but I wouldn’t have changed a thing about the last year. I felt supported by my coworkers, management and company in a way I could have never thought possible in modern-day, free market and retail. I’ve always had a passion for music, crafts, gardening, camping and anything outdoors. Basically, I’m just a weed smoking, singing mama hedge witch.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ASK PEOPLE IN ORDER TO HELP THEM FIND A SPECIFIC PRODUCT, OR A STRAIN THAT WILL BE MOST USEFUL FOR THEIR GOALS?

Goals go beyond symptoms. Pain is a symptom, going hiking with your son even in the midst of some back pain is a goal. Sometimes it’s knowing a patient’s interests and their joys to know how best to apply symptom management – finding products that match not just symptomatic needs, but lifestyle and comfort level needs as well. We can’t make promises that all of these goals will be met, but we can provide all the knowledge we have to lead them in the best direction.

Northeast Leaf Budtender of the Month BOUNTIFUL FARMS 13 MERCER RD. NATICK, MA

(508) 720-4189 | BOUNTIFULFARMS.CARE | @BOUNTIFULFARMS

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WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO BOUNTIFUL FARMS AS A BUDTENDER? I worked in the

medical industry as a member of the supportive care team as a Board Certified Music Therapist at a private hospice company for over five years prior to joining the Bountiful Farms team. While supporting some of the most medically-challenged patients and their families, I was also supporting my own mental and physical health. Without medicinal Cannabis use, I’m not sure I would have made it five years in such a physically and emotionally taxing industry and line of work – especially during the first waves of the pandemic. It took a lot for me to leave my past career because it felt like an abandonment of years of schooling and work. But the stars aligned when I found Bountiful Farms – a cultivator focused on creating exceptional medical products and a dispensary focused on patient experience and symptom management. Since day one I have felt like I’m exactly where I need to be, and doing work that feels like a calling – which for me is to be a part of a healthcare and treatment revolution, and to have a hand in the destruction of stigma.

AS A MOM, HOW DOES YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCE HELP YOU AS A BUDTENDER? Many of our patients are parents

and have families. The stigma of the ‘Cannabis User’ is thankfully a dying idea. I understand the need for safe consumption and storage, the need for some folks to be more subtle with their “I KNOW Cannabis use, and the necessity of finding medical doses. But THAT I’M A as a mom of a young child, I WONDERFUL understand the need for finding MOTHER, AND the balance. The balance of function – helping with symptoms CANNABIS IS A to make me the best mother I GREAT TOOL TO can be – but not taking away ENHANCE THAT.” from my natural state of being. I know that I’m a wonderful mother, and Cannabis is a great tool to enhance that. Whether it’s helping me stay present and attentive to my child, engrossing in his play time with my own authentic joy, or even being able to move and keep up with him physically – because floor play and joint inflammation don’t usually pair well.

HOW CAN PEOPLE CONSULT WITH YOU? I am always happy to consult. Honest conversations are the strongest tool against misinformation and stigma. I am currently the assistant manager at Bountiful Farms in Natick, Mass. and would love for any patients to visit. Feel free to contact Bountiful Farms’ social media accounts to reach me as well.

feb. 2022

STORY & PHOTO by BAILEY JONSON @BAILEYANDTHEWORLD for NORTHEAST LEAF

stoner owners LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

Gian & Bryanna Ranucci Blackstone Herbs & Coffee Bar

Gian and Bryanna Ranucci are the Rhode Island-born CBD entrepreneurs behind Blackstone Herbs & Coffee Bar. With several “coffeeshop”-style businesses reminiscent of the finest cafes in Amsterdam, this husband and wife team is unstoppable.

How long has Blackstone Herbs & Coffee Bar been established for and what do you offer? Our Cumberland location has been open for over a year, and our Coventry location has been open for just about four months. We currently offer all farm-to-table CBD products – everything from gummies, tinctures, salves, beauty products, flower – we grow and much more. The unique thing about Blackstone is that we offer CBD in any drink on our menu, in 10mg increments for $1 apiece. At the shop you can find everything from specialty espressos, organic loose leaf teas, traditional iced coffee with rotating flavors, to lemonade and specialty matcha. We also just received our liquor license in 2022 at our Coventry location, so we will be opening on nights and weekends expanding to a full liquor menu, as well as specialty espresso martinis and housemade cocktails and mocktails. Also, we have tons of food options ranging from donuts to sandwiches and everything in between. We strive on keeping our menus up to date and are always changing and adapting to weather, trends and holiday feels! Also, at both Blackstone locations you can find a wide variety of local entrepreneurs’ products that are handcrafted in Rhode Island or Massachusetts. We love supporting local entrepreneurs in the area and are always looking for more options and products to carry in both locations. What’s your background and how did you begin your career in the hemp and CBD industry? My wife and I have always had a strong passion for the Cannabis industry. We moved to Colorado in the ‘green rush’ of 2013, where we began our journey working in dispensaries and industrial grow rooms – learning all the crafts from seed to sale. We then moved to California seeking more knowledge on the growing aspect and outdoor Cannabis farming. Shortly after that, we moved back to Rhode Island in 2019 and bought our farm in Dudley, Mass. We named it Dream Catcher Farm! From there it has been pedal to the metal, with our first outdoor crop in 2019 being a great learning experience growing hemp under a MDAR license. Regulations were not easy on us and it was very hard with neighbors and the community having so many bad thoughts against hemp and Cannabis. But we know the healing power of the Cannabis plant, so nothing was going to stop us! How has Cannabis been a fixture in your life? We’ve always believed in the healing power of Cannabis. My wife fractured her jaw when she was younger and once she found Cannabis, she finally found relief from the pain. I use CBD for anxiety and sleep, and many of our friends and family and colleagues use CBD for almost every ailment you can think of. We love sharing that knowledge with others and seeing it help and change their lives. Also, we’ve always loved the community and how it brings people together. Some of our best and oldest friends we’ve met through the Cannabis industry.

“We love supporting local entrepreneurs in the area and are always looking for more options and products to carry in both locations.” Are current state regulations making sense for hemp related businesses in Rhode Island? It definitely depends town to town for the rules and what’s accepted by the town administrators. Rhode Island has been more friendly to us than Massachusetts. They have lots of regulations with MDAR and edible products being prohibited, as well as the sale of raw hemp flower – which put a halt on us opening a CBD-infused coffeeshop in our home state. Which is definitely sad but we’re a part of Massachusetts HEMP coalition and we are still trying to change the laws and get things to be pro farmer and pro small business.

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.

FEB. 2022

Normalizing hemp and CBD is one of your goals — how does Blackstone educate the community on your products? We’re huge on educating people on how hemp can help their daily lives. We make sure our staff is trained to help with any questions and we’re always encouraging people to try samples. We do not want people wondering what’s in the CBD oil or where it’s coming from. We encourage you to know where it’s coming from – that’s why we use very minimal ingredients in all of our products and everything that we make is from the hemp we grow organically on our farm.

What are your most popular menu items right now and how do you plan to expand in the future? Our most popular items are our 2,000mg salve and tincture. The salve has a lot of naturally healing essential oils in the recipe like comfrey oil, lavender, shea butter, tea tree and much more – so once you combine that with CBD it really is magic! And our tincture has simple ingredients, making it a very versatile product. You can just take it, add it to any beverage or even cook with it! And we promote that at both Blackstones, offering it in any drink. As for future projects, we’re always expanding our product BL ACKSTONEHERBSANDCOFFEEBAR.COM line and looking to @BL ACKSTONEHERBSANDCOFFEEBAR open more locations! With our love for food 710 CENTRE OF NEW ENGL AND BLVD. and quality cuisine, don’t be surprised if COVENTRY, RHODE ISLAND you see us open a 3 DEXTER ST. restaurant in the near CUMBERLAND, RHODE ISLAND future!

STORY by BOBBY NUGGZ @BOBBYNUGGZ_OFFICIAL for NORTHEAST LEAF | PHOTOS by BAILEY JONSON @BAILEYANDTHEWORLD

ARTIST PROFILE

Terry Harlow Soapstone Pipe Artist

Soapstone pipes have been found in American Indian cultural history for more than 7,000 years – playing a major role in their religious and spiritual practices all over North America. But when it comes to the modern day translation of the artform, look no further than the owner and artist behind Paleolithic Pipes, Terry Harlow.

He sat filing on one of the rough cut pipes as we talked, every so often pointing to the stone in his hand. He shapes it based on how it holds in his hand and fingers, telling me a pipe needs to be comfortable to hold. The only time he uses electric tools is to cut the stone with a bandsaw, sculpting the rough pipe shape out of larger stones – using several drill bits to enlarge the bowl hole, and then a Dremel with a longer drill bit for the long mouthpiece hole. He explains that he knows the filing is done by the feel and sound the file makes on the stone. “I think some young people don’t appreciate history. But they have time to learn,” Terry says with a knowing sparkle in his eye. “Now smoking, pipes and pipe makers were an occasional occupation, meaning they made them for occasions – it wasn’t a daily device, it was something that brought people together and it was spiritual. The pipe is representative of a portal. And Indian and natural people have always been fascinated with portals to what some would call the underworld or spiritual world. It was a gift that was an instrument of peace, it was used as a symbol of an understanding of different peoples that smoked the pipe, all on the same level, that formed a circle that was representative of the bowl of the pipe – a circle. They would all be in the same place for

that moment and moments like that were passed on, spoken about and revered.” He smiled at me and asked, “Would you like to smoke a bowl?” He then came to the table holding an assortment of different sized and colored soapstone pipes, looking me over, then picking one. He went back to his desk and packed it with some flower he ground as we talked. He then filled his own pipe, and we sat back smoking and talking, as old cool dudes do with long pauses to give thought. Terry is a master artist himself. He attended a university in Denmark in the 1960s, hooked up with a local museum doing photography for them, did some freelance magazine photography, learned book binding and marbleizing paper and became a teacher of both. He traveled across the U.S. in a school bus teaching how-to classes in marbleizing while selling his pieces during the 1970s. After having a baby, he sold his marbleizing and binding business to a former student, who ended up doing the marbleizing design artwork on Kleenex Boxes. Terry then pursued a career in the computer industry, allowing him to spend more time with his family.

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“It was a gift that was an instrument of peace.”

PALEOPIPES.COM @PALEOLITHICPIPES

feb. 2022

Fifteen years ago, he retired and went to study stone carving under Canadian master soapstone sculpture artist Sandy Kline for three years. Sandy has over 55 years of carving soapstone experience, lives in Ontario, Canada and his wife is First Nations – selling much of his work through the local Native American tribal stores. His soapstone carvings were also part of the award ceremonies during the 1988 Calgary Olympics. Once the pipe has been filed and sanded by hand, he heats it in an oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 15-30 minutes, then applies wax to polish it with a towel – turning the once white dusty stone to its own beautiful color, revealing its grain or visual texture. He also explains this happens to be the process to keep the pipes clean. Terry shows me the pipe he had been smoking with, remarking, “This has been my daily smoker for 20 years.” And yes, it looked like it was brand new! Terry built his own market selling the soapstone carved pipes in the New England area just like many other pipe-making artists, selling them one at a time by going out and setting up a table. Now there’s enough demand that he no longer has to go to as many shows. He has a long list of collectors and his pipes are highly sought after by master hash makers and smokers. “The predominant pipe in the industry is glass, and the volume of the draw on a glass pipe is three or four times the volume of a bowl, so you get a lot of swirling and mixing of flavors,” says Terry. “If you’re paying top dollar, you want to taste a pure hit of your flower or hash. With my stone pipes, the draw is less than 30 percent of the volume of the bowl, so you taste everything. If you’re smoking mids, stick with glass – but professional extract artists use my pipes!”

Once the pipe has been filed and sanded by hand, he heats it in an oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 15-30 minutes, then applies wax to polish it with a towel – turning the once white dusty stone to its own beautiful color, revealing its grain or visual texture.

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

JOIN THE ORIGINAL GRASSROOTS CANNABIS ACTIVIST ORGANIZATION IN MASSACHUSETTS, 31 YEARS ON THE GROUND AND STILL GROWING TOGETHER!

LEARN MORE AT MASSCANN.ORG

the CULTURE issue STRAIN OF THE MONTH

GRAPE ROCK IS A GREAT STRAIN TO SMOKE WHEN YOU WANT TO TUNE OUT AND RELAX, SO I CHOSE AN EVENING AT HOME WHILE BEING VERY LOW KEY AND WATCHING MOVIES TO TEST IT OUT.

18.1% THC | INDICA HYBRID

Cultivated by Canna Pharm RI

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CANNAPHARMRI.COM | @CANNA_PHARM_RI

GRAPE ROCK feb. 2022

NORTHEAST

Canna Pharm has brought a super-rare, indica-dominant hybrid strain to the Rhode Island Cannabis market – a cross of Glue x Grand Daddy Purple that’s colorful and of medium density, going by the name of Grape Rock. The appearance alone is a feast for the eyes. With a fantastic purple hue and tons of orange hairs, the most noticeable quality of this bud is the bright white glittery trichomes that cover every inch of the flower like a fresh snowfall. Well-handled and neatly trimmed, Canna Pharm has done a great job in cultivating and processing this often finicky and notoriously low-yielding variety. As a Rhode Island native, I was excited to see this strain available at a local dispensary. I knew immediately that I wanted to get it before it sold out for the day! Grand Daddy Purple is the genetic ancestor of Grape Rock and gives me a strong feeling of nostalgia. It’s a rare and coveted strain that’s usually only harvested successfully by the most talented cultivators. I traveled about 30 minutes from where I live to Greenleaf Compassion Care Center, located in Portsmouth. Close to the famous Newport mansions and cute southern Rhode Island beaches, this dispensary has an air of sophistication without the ultra-modern and sometimes pretentious “Apple Store” vibes of others. Warm and welcoming, Greenleaf was a pleasure to visit and I was so glad that the strain I wanted was still available. Packaged in an all-black child-proof tube without much merchandising or fuss, I was a bit disappointed in the overall look, but you definitely can’t judge this book by its cover. Upon opening, I was immediately hit with the sweet grape smell and basement dankness that’s utterly unmistakable. Grape Rock is a great strain to smoke when you want to tune out and relax, so I chose an evening at home while being very low key and watching movies to test it out. The bud was well-cured and perfectly dense – not too light or too heavy, and broke up great for a joint. Smoking this flower transported me back to the days of nickels and dimes when I first encountered the grape basement terpenes that were so nostalgically pungent. The joint burned down slowly and evenly – very impressive for this sometimes dense and extra-sticky strain. After the first joint, I felt relaxed and plugged into the television, which only seemed to get more interesting and entertaining! This is the 1637 WEST MAIN ROAD same effect that I love PORTSMOUTH, RI and remember – low, (401) 293-5987 GREENLEAFCARE.ORG slow and calm. @GREENLEAF.RI

GREENLEAF COMPASSIONATE CARE CENTER

REVIEW & PHOTO by BAILEY JONSON @BAILEYANDTHEWORLD for NORTHEAST LEAF

HAPPY 3

rd KATHY S. | CUSTOMER SERVICE

GEORGE N. | FINANCE “Working at Canna Provisions has given me the opportunity to use a lot of skills from previous employment and education. I’ve never had a job I enjoyed coming to everyday - this has definitely been the best job of my long career! Everyone at Canna Provisions, from our guides - to inventory - to our drivers, are great to get along with and are always willing to help to get things done. Cannabis is a team sport. I took a leap of faith three years ago and landed in the clouds!”

JOHN P. | GUIDE “Cannabis has helped me to manage myself and figure out who I am. I’m so happy to have an opportunity to help people manage their daily lives through cannabis, without it being an intrusion. I’m pretty passionate about it, and about being an activist for cannabis freedom. I want to associate myself and my role as a guide as someone who is trusted and gives good advice. The world is a very stressful environment, and cannabis to me is a way of managing the constant stresses of life.”

We're not just a dispensary, We're a DESTINATION

cannaprovisions.com

(413) 650-2500 380 Dwight St. | Holyoke, MA

(413) 394-5055 220 Housatonic St. | Lee, MA

Open MON-wed 8am-8pm, thurs-sUN 8am-11pm

open daily 8am-10pm

Please Consume Responsibly. This product may cause impairment and may be habit-forming. For use only by adults 21 years of age or older. Keep out of the reach of children.

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FEB. 2022

B E R

the CULTURE issue

EVERY YEAR, our annual Culture Issue asks, “What is Cannabis culture?” For an increasing number of fans, the answer comes in two syllables: Berner. Powered by his globally recognized Cannabis brand, a fashion line, a staggering 38 albums to his name, and nearly 2 million Instagram followers as of this writing, any move by the 38-year-old founder of the Cookies empire tips the market scale like a fist on a triple beam. New store? Lines around the block. New Cookies-Starter jacket collab drop? People camp on the street for a place in line. New album? Nas, Future and Rick Ross step up to spit a verse. In 2021, Berner faced up to his toughest challenge to date. In the midst of opening new stores, launching new menus and blessing new business partnerships, he got hit with a cancer diagnosis. So he recorded an album. We connected with the man behind it all to discuss his brand, his future and his new album, “Gotti” – which seals his Mafia Trilogy with a lushly produced homage to Don John Gotti, Sr.

N E R

STORY by TOM BOWERS @CANNABOMBTOM/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by BENNYY BLANCO @BENNYY_BLANCO

BERNER

the CULTURE issue

Continued from prev iou s page

“YOU’RE LOOKING AT THE OWNER ALL THE TEAMS PLAY FOR ME.” Legacy

Born Gilbert Anthony Milam, Jr., Berner started small in the early 2000s, trapping and stacking. He dreamt of launching simultaneous careers – Cannabis, fashion, music. He wanted it all. So he pushed. Hard. He made enough money to start his own fashion brand, naming it Cookies after the now-legendary strain he and his partners brought to market. He started releasing albums at a frenzied pace of multiple drops per year. Fast forward to today, and there are more than 40 Cookies-branded stores across 17 markets in four countries. If you’ve bought Cannabis anywhere in the past five years, there’s a good chance it was crossed with Cookies genetics – some of your favorite cultivars likely grow for the Cookies brand. If there’s a magic recipe, Berner has it. “Without a good team, none of this shit would be possible – from leadership, all the way down,” he said. “My main focus is making sure that what I want to happen for Cookies is happening, everywhere we expand. Whether it be the menu, or the look for the store, the experience in the store, new strain names, branding, keeping the clothing line popping. I focus on mostly creative stuff, and let my partners handle the business. Once the business is at the finish line, I come through and overlook, and give my approval, and my blessing, and boom – it’s done.”

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“PRESSURE MAKES DIAMONDS AND BERN WILL NEVER FOLD.” Legacy As summer turned to fall, Berner received the news so many fear. It was colon cancer. But it was operable. He decided he had to get into the studio. He called his old friend and collaborator, Cozmo, to set it up. Next he flew out to meet with John Gotti Jr. to ask permission to name his album after Gotti Sr. Not only did Gotti Jr. offer his blessing, but he provided previously unreleased audio of his father from the federal case against the Mafia Don. “For me, it kind of felt like it might be my last body of work, and I was paranoid with the cancer situation,” Berner said. “... Music’s always been therapy, it’s always been my journal for me. I was looking to make a really good body of work, but also, I wanted to prove my work in the music space.” Berner brought in a stacked deck of heavy hitting collaborators for the effort, and they brought the heat on their verses draped over the lush instru-

FEB. 2022

“HAVING A STRONG FAMILY IS EVERYTHING. AND MY KID IS MY MOTIVATION TO KEEP ROCKING, AND KEEP FIGHTING.”

mentation of Cozmo’s beats. It took a month, from diagnosis to finished album. “There were a lot of emotions,” Berner said. “I didn’t really allow myself to get stressed out about the cancer thing, because I was stressed out about having to figure out how to finish the album in time, and make sure it sounded great – and I had the album artwork, and everything lined up for the release. So it was good, and it kept me distracted.” In addition to serving as a welcome distraction from his diagnosis, the music, like every project Berner endeavors, helps build up the rest of his enterprises. “I feel like the brand makes the music special, and the music makes the brand special,” he said. “They both organically promote and big-up one another. And I feel like the fashion, the music, and the bud is a powerful combo. And we’re kind of the first ones to pair that and pull that off. It was all things that I really loved and wanted to do, and they all complemented each other.” “DO WHATEVER IT TAKES IT’S ALL GAS, NO BRAKES CAN’T SLOW DOWN.” Slow Down It’s a week into December and Berner is calling in from the road, on the way from his Bay Area home to L.A. and Palm Springs for a music festival and the Cookies company Christmas party. He’s pushing hard to cram everything in before starting his cancer treatment after the holiday. Famous for his insatiable need to build and create, Berner has only stepped harder on the gas pedal since his diagnosis. “If you really put it in perspective, I found out I had cancer, I recorded ‘Gotti’ for a month, I came home, I did surgery,” he said. “I had to recover for two and a half weeks, went to New York, did a 10day press run. I only came home yesterday for one day, spent the whole day with the family, watched a movie, had dinner, enjoyed the day. Hopped on a bus at 7 a.m. today, driving all the way to L.A., do a radio interview as soon as I get there, do a listening party for the press, kind of like a meet and greet for the press, do a music video until about 3 a.m., wake up at 7:00, get on a bus to the company party, come back … perform at Rolling Loud (music festival). The shit doesn’t stop. So the point is, you just gotta know how to enjoy the time you have in between those moments.” I share an old axiom, “The tall tree gathers the most wind.” I ask if he’s feeling the pressure of the strong winds, now that he’s outgrown the protection of the treeline. “Shit, I definitely feel that wind, like a motherfucker,” he said. “I feel it this morning. I’m tired as hell, I’m lost, I haven’t been home in hella long. But I feel like life is all about leaving something special behind, and I’m working really hard toward that.” It’s an intense schedule for anyone, let alone a guy battling cancer. For him, there’s no choice. He has to keep building. “That’s just like the last month or two,” he said. “That’s how it always is. The best thing about living

like that, when you’re building a company, is like, I only ask my employees to work as hard as I’m working … I can’t demand that everyone’s grinding hella hard if I’m not. So, by me moving like this, people know, ‘Shit, if he’s doing it, we gotta do it.’ I’m not one of those bosses or CEOs who sit back and call shots from my phone. I’m in the field, and they know that.” “NO ONE WILL EVER BE TWO STEPS AHEAD OF ME. NAH, THEY AIN’T FUCKIN’ WITH MY LEGACY.” Legacy

“MUSIC’S ALWAYS BEEN THERAPY, IT’S ALWAYS BEEN MY JOURNAL FOR ME.”

Berner credits his insatiable drive to his parents. “My dad passed me the crazy genes of work ethic,” he said. “I don’t think I could ever slow down.” His father owned his own Mexican restaurant, and his mom had her own business. They imbued him with a hustle that he brings to everything he does. “They both told me when I was growing up that you’ve got to be your own boss,” he said. “You don’t want to work for nobody.” For Berner, family is the main motivator. He spends as much time as he can imparting knowledge to his daughter, and he married his longtime girlfriend in January. “A good household is everything,” Berner said. “Having a strong family is everything. And my kid is my motivation to keep rocking, and keep fighting. And I feel like I’m leaving a really good example for her, about being an entrepreneur, being a businessperSMOKE SESH Berner drew an eager crowd to the Cookies dome son, and also being a leader. So I’m at the 2021 Emerald Cup at the Santa Rosa, California fairgrounds. just glad to be able to show her what I’m doing, and how I’m handling (the cancer diagnosis). I could have been at the house, working on some scripted series stuff. That would all bummed out and not doing anything. I think it’s be my ultimate goal. Not to sell Cookies, but maya great example for her on how to handle things, be find a partner who brings a little liquidity to the when things like this come in. I always joke with her table in the near future that would allow me to kind that I want her to be the CEO of Cookies one day. of do what A24 is doing right now. I would love I always game her up.” to produce quality, real content. If I had it my way, and cancer doesn’t take me down … the next thing “LEGENDARY MOVES ONLY.” I would do is take whatever money I made and put Zoning it into film.” As he continues to pile lofty goals on his plate, With chemotherapy setting to fade in the rearthe most important challenge lays ahead – and view, Berner continues to push hard, aiming to Berner seems to be approaching the cancer fight build Cookies’ cultural influence past the point of with the same unstoppable forward momentum he immortality. takes to everything. “I think what’s next for me is trying to make sure “After my mom died from cancer, I spent time Cookies lives forever, and plan out the menu for going to Children’s Hospitals, and seeing kids that the next 100 or 200 years,” he said. “It sounds a were suffering from cancer,” he said. little crazy to say that, but it’s definitely possible “... It’s always been something special to me with tissue culture and the amount of breeders we to try to fight cancer with good energy. So that’s have.” what we’re doing. If people want to know how I’m As huge as that dream sounds, it’s still not fighting it, I’m fighting it with good energy. And that enough for Berner, who’s already looking at anothenergy comes from music, weed, and good people er cultural conquest on the horizon. – and that’s it.” “I think the next thing for me is film. That’s always been my biggest passion,” he said. COOKIES.CO “I’ve already written like two or three films, and I’m @BERNER415

STORY by TOM BOWERS @CANNABOMBTOM/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by BENNYY BLANCO @BENNYY_BLANCO

the CULTURE issue

ROOTED IN REALNESS

THE LEAF CHATS WITH GARCIA HAND PICKED’S TRIXIE GARCIA

GARCIA HAND PICKED is a creative partnership between The Garcia Family and Holistic Industries, also known for brands including Liberty, Strane, and Do Drops. Because Trixie grew up as a Cannabis user in the community, it is very meaningful for her to fight for Cannabis legalization and normalization. She refers to this brand as a labor of love and is adamant regarding how much she cares about the

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Jerry Garcia is shown performing on stage during a Grateful Dead concert appearance.

Jerry was an avid consumer of the plant, smoking socially and embracing the integral role Cannabis played the community. When he envisioned creating his own little chain of cafes that he would play music in, his vision included coffee, wine and weed. He smoked joints throughout the day, and enjoyed smoking and sharing weed often. So much so that after family meals, sparking up a joint became a tradition. Garcia’s hand has become an icon and is the focal point of the branding of Garcia Hand Picked – from the name to the logo – with Trixie working with Kyle Barich and Rachel Genderson of Holistic Industries to create the colorful and psychedelic packaging we see on their flower and edibles today. Starting with an image of Jerry from the Grateful Dead’s trip to Egypt, they then played around with different ways to use that photo. The design they landed on is reminiscent of smoke, but it also reminds people of the early tie-dye days with an enticing psychedelic pattern.

PHOTO BY NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415

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Garcia Hand Picked’s Sour Bubble OG was highlighted as the Strain of the Month in the March 2021 Psychedelia Issue of California Leaf. tinyurl.com/caleafmar2021

FEB. 2022

CONCERT PHOTOS / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

fans – never wanting to let them down.

Each and every lid is unique on the packaging, and even the edibles produced by this company are shaped like guitar picks. The Grateful Dead family continues to inspire the brand even today, including paying homage to the strains that became famous on the Dead lot. They receive influence from Steve Parish and even Trixie’s mother Carolyn Garcia, who wrote a book called “Primo Plant” on organic gardening. In addition to Trixie, other members of The Garcia Family are giving guidance to the brand on a regular basis, and are very happy with the level of control they are able to maintain. When asked if Cannabis played a large role in the Grateful Dead’s psychedelic experiments, Trixie said, “I bet there is a whole history book that could be written about that. It was having the freedom to expand your consciousness in whatever way works for you. This was a whole generation of people coming out of war in Vietnam, and being totally traumatized by all of those things. Everyone is looking for more GARCIAHANDPICKED.COM @GARCIAHANDPICKED

purpose and deeper meaning to everything, and Cannabis is one of those things that once you try it, your perspective is broadened. That is the parallel between the music and everything like that, it’s all about expanding your consciousness and the human experience. The bonding between people sitting around and smoking joints helped to temper some of the psychedelic experiences occurring. Pot was the main constant throughout that whole thing.” Oftentimes, celebrity Cannabis brands get a negative connotation. In the case of Garcia Hand Picked, however, their authenticity is imbued and their organic approach to holistic medicine is done with all Cannabis consumers in mind, from the medicinal to the recreational. With or without Jerry’s name on the brand and the support of his family, these products would be highly sought after and head stash worthy.

EVERYONE IS LOOKING FOR MORE PURPOSE AND DEEPER MEANING TO EVERYTHING, AND CANNABIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT ONCE YOU TRY IT, YOUR PERSPECTIVE IS BROADENED. STORY by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT/LEAF NATION | PORTRAIT by GARCIA HAND PICKED

the CULTURE issue

LAGANJA ESTRANJA SHOWS UP WITH A MAJOR PENCHANT FOR POT, THE “RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE” STAR DISHES ON HER TRIUMPHANT YEAR AND WHAT SHE HAS PLANNED FOR 2022. LAGANJA ESTRANJA has built a career from taking leaps of faith. In many cases, these leaps are literal – featured as showcase moments in the high-octane, jaw-dropping choreography fans have come to expect from her videos and live performances. A contestant on the sixth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Estranja’s reputation for

delivering seismic, sickening death drops as a drag artist is as much a signature of her craft as her well-documented affinity for Cannabis.

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Last year, Estranja returned to the spotlight with a celebrated appearance on the “Drag Race” spin-off series “RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars.” Prior to that performance, Estranja publicly came out as a transwoman in an interview, the combination of which has led to a breakneck year of bookings and special projects for the L.A.-based artist. “I feel like I’ve really earned this,” she said. “I’ve been jumping off crazy platforms into the splits since the beginning, so the fact that people are now beginning to fully recognize me for it, as I’ve started to transition – it just feels right. It feels correct. It feels like the timing is finally on my side.” A seasoned Cannabis consumer, Estranja’s stage name is an ode to her medicine of choice and proof positive that she’s long been vocal about her love of Cannabis. Remember: Back in 2014, when her season of “Drag Race” first aired, being so openly pro-pot was still quite the gamble. Thankfully, things have finally evolved, allowing Estranja to seize her chance to celebrate Cannabis in the form of an innovative, print-on-demand merchandise line. Featuring several Cannabis-focused prints as well as other options like a Sailor Jerry-inspired design, Estranja says her new merch line has been a huge hit so far. In many ways, it takes its inspiration from the drag star’s own fashion, which often pays homage to pot in some form. For instance, in Estranja’s latest music video, “Poison Ivy,” she donned an outfit equal parts Uma Therman and OG Kush.

FEB. 2022

PHOTO BY AARON JAY YOUNG @AARONJAYYOUNG

“I wanted to create a look that was an ode to Mother Nature, to my favorite plant, and to one of my favorite comic book characters,” she explained. “I specifically love Uma Thurman’s version of Poison Ivy because she ends up becoming a show girl and obviously, I can relate to that. I also really wanted to have an outfit that had Cannabis on it but that was still within the Poison Ivy vibe, so I had my incredible designer, Howie B, design the look.” While you won’t find Howie B originals for sale on Estranja’s site, the colorful, largely weed-focused options one can purchase deliver an arguably similar blend of chic and sativa. Estranja also recently made the jump into paraphernalia, debuting a line of signature grinders she hopes to supplement soon with a larger size and rolling trays.

“My big dream is to get my merch into headshops,” she added. “That’s something I’m really focused on because, eventually, I want to see this become a lifestyle brand that revolves not around Laganja the drag artist but rather Laganja the brand and the name, much like how Versace does it.” Before taking the next step in her Versace aspirations, however, Estranja plans to spend the near future focusing fully on her transition. To that end, in the coming weeks, she has decided she will begin the process of hormone therapy. “I’m finally at a point in my life where I feel comfortable as myself and I feel ready for that next step,” she explained. “But I want to take it slow. A lot of girls go straight to injections but I’m looking at going the pill route, which is a lot less potent. I just feel like there’s no rush. I waited until I was 32 – which in a lot of

people’s minds is late – to come out, so why rush now?” As for whether Estranja expects Cannabis to play a role in that process, she admits she isn’t sure, though she certainly isn’t ruling out the possibility. “I really won’t know until I start experiencing Estranja was a breakout it for myself,” she said. “I’ve talked to many star on of my sisters and every single person had a RuPaul’s different experience. Truly. For some, Cannabis Drag Race All-Stars. absolutely helps and can be integral to using hormones but for others, because the hormones are already making them feel so emotional and off the chain, Cannabis can make it worse. I don’t think that will be the case for me. Cannabis has always helped me, so I have a feeling that will continue to be the case.” With dates across the planet scheduled for February, March and April, and a new EP (“Daily Basis”) also on the way – Estranja won’t be keeping a low profile for long. And after such a lengthy journey spent steadfastly committing to herself, who can blame her? Looking back at a year packed with big moments, it’s this truth, she says, that stands above all others. “I came back to television, and I came back as myself. Any time you can be yourself, you’re going to succeed.” LAGANJAESTRANJA.COM @LAGANJAESTRANJA

STORY by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for LEAF NATION

PHOTO BY ALEXANDER FOST @ALEXANDERFOST

A SEASONED CANNABIS CONSUMER, ESTRANJA’S STAGE NAME IS AN ODE TO HER MEDICINE OF CHOICE AND PROOF POSITIVE THAT SHE’S LONG BEEN VOCAL ABOUT HER LOVE OF CANNABIS.

the CULTURE issue

OAKLAND, CA | 2 YEARS

CHAOS GIBBONS

Co-founder, The Farmaceuticals Company

JEI SHEPHERD

Professional jeweler, artist, tattooist

HOW/WHEN DID YOU MEET? In New Orleans about 14 years ago. Chaos was working

in the traditional California Cannabis market, and Jei was at a mutual friend’s house when Chaos stopped by with some flower.

FIRST TIME YOU GOT HIGH TOGETHER? On our second date – we went to the Hella Gay

dance party. We met outside and walked to Chaos’ car to smoke some weed before going in. FAVORITE THING(S) TO DO TOGETHER WHILE HIGH? Hosting dress-up-themed dinner/

dance parties in our living room, or hiking with our pup in the Redwoods.

WOULD YOU BE WITH YOUR PARTNER IF THEY DIDN’T SMOKE WEED? Absolutely not

– we both find it difficult to connect with folks who are anti-Cannabis.

GREATEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE FACED TOGETHER? Navigating the shifting landscape

of regulated Cannabis as a small, queer-woman-owned business in the land of giant corporations.

PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT(S) IN THE CANNABIS SPACE? Winning the High Times

Cannabis Cup for Best CBD and sweeping the WeedCon competition this year!

HIGHER LOVE

CANNABIS COUPLES SHARE THEIR STORIES IT CAN BE A CHALLENGE finding one’s stoner soulmate – someone you

can grow with (both figuratively and literally), who not only tolerates your daily dab habit but can actually go toke-for-toke with you. For hardcore heads, true romantic chemistry, it seems, must include THC as part of the formula. Because as those lucky enough to find their perfect pot-smoking partner will tell you, there’s nothing quite like that “higher love.” I would know – my wife April and I met (then three years later, got engaged) at the Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam and held a weed-themed wedding before that became a “thing.” For us, like so many others, Cannabis has been both the catalyst that brought us together and an invaluable ally in WASILLA, AK | 15 YEARS

JOSIE & ROB GUSTAFSON Owners, RockHardNugzAK Cannabis

On match.com – we were both super excited that the other smoked weed!

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WHAT ROLE HAS CANNABIS PLAYED IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP? Cannabis

allows us to relax together. Being able to relax after a very stressful day is so important to maintaining a healthy relationship. Josie has a very hard time winding down, and Cannabis helps. FAVORITE THING TO DO TOGETHER WHILE HIGH? Let’s be real – sex while

high is awesome.

WOULD YOU BE WITH YOUR PARTNER IF THEY DIDN’T SMOKE WEED? Proba-

bly not. We’ve both had relationships in the past where the other partner didn’t smoke and what can I say … I’m with Rob now.

FEB. 2022

BRAD & CHRISTINA ZUSMAN Owners, Mellow Vibes & Blaze Edibles

maintaining harmony in our relationship. So to celebrate Valentine’s Day this month, we asked some of our favorite Cannabis couples to weigh in on how their love of the plant relates to their love for one another. RUTLAND, MA | 30 YEARS

HOW/WHEN DID YOU MEET?

GRESHAM, OR | 30 YEARS

JENN & JEREMY BORJESON Owners, The Harvest Cup Competition & Tradeshow

WHAT ROLE HAS CANNABIS PLAYED IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP? Cannabis has played

a huge role. Jeremy is a grower and I’ve always used Cannabis medically for just about everything – from alleviating nausea due to migraines to treating my ulcerative colitis. WOULD YOU BE WITH YOUR PARTNER IF THEY DIDN’T SMOKE WEED? I doubt we

would’ve ended up together. Cannabis was always a huge part of our lives, so I don’t think either of us would have lasted with a partner who didn’t use it. GREATEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE FACED TOGETHER? Dealing with all of the arrests, threats of taking our

children away, having our names published in the paper, having our homes raided three times, etc.

HOW/WHEN DID YOU MEET?

At the LGBTQI+ festival at the Portland waterfront in 1991. Christina was contracted to assist Brad’s catering company vending at the festival. FIRST TIME YOU GOT HIGH TOGETHER?

It’s crazy to think it took 12 years together before Christina used Cannabis! It was the first medical crop we grew together in our house … Christina got so stoned from two bong hits she slept for 15 hours! DID YOU HAVE A WEEDY WEDDING?

We set up a smoke station in the gazebo with assorted Cannabis and infused homemade wine provided by Christina’s parents. MOST ROMANTIC DATE/TRIP INVOLVING CANNABIS? Brad took me to Hawaii for our

anniversary once, and we snuck over some Cannabis and edible treats. We were told not to indulge on the property, so we walked over to some trees on the beach, sat down on a blanket, drank wine, and smoked while watching the waves crash into the rocks.

PORTLAND, OR | 6 YEARS

JESCE HORTON

CEO/Co-founder, LOWD; Co-founder, NuProject & Minority Cannabis Business Association

JEANNETTE WARD HORTON Co-founder/CEO, NuProject

HOW/WHEN DID YOU MEET?

As co-board members on the MCBA in 2015. WHAT ROLE HAS CANNABIS PLAYED IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP? The Cannabis industry definitely

brought us together.

SEATTLE, WA | 11 YEARS

LO & DANIEL LUEBKE

WOULD YOU BE WITH YOUR PARTNER IF THEY DIDN’T SMOKE WEED?

Founder & CEO/Director of Marketing Heylo Vapes

No – a non-smoker wouldn’t have time for Jeannette’s many weed breaks. LOL.

HOW/WHEN DID YOU MEET? On move-in day at

GREATEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE FACED TOGETHER?

Northwestern University. We lived in the same dorm and were instantly attracted to each other.

Being parents to two boys. Parenting has required more growth, adaptation and frayed nerves than any job, and Cannabis definitely helps.

PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE CANNABIS SPACE? We’ve launched two organizations

DID YOU HAVE A WEEDY WEDDING? We couldn’t

together: Minority Cannabis Business Association and NuProject, helping to fund $1 million to historically excluded entrepreneurs – over half of them black-owned businesses.

make Cannabis a big part of our wedding, but we had hemp leaves in the bouquet and boutonniere – and we had plenty of Heylo vapes to go around. WHAT ROLE HAS CANNABIS PLAYED IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP? Cannabis has always helped us amplify

life experiences – whether it’s getting creative in the kitchen together, melting into the music at a concert, or celebrating after reaching the peak of a hike.

FAVORITE WAY TO GET HIGH? Sharing a vape on a

walk or a celebratory bong hit. Oh, and our Cannabis lube is always a good time.

SEBASTAPOL, CA | 15 YEARS

ELISE MCDONOUGH Brand manager, Binske, and Cannabis cookbook author

BALTIMORE, MD | 5 YEARS

KELLY LOGIUDICE

Dec. 2019 Maryland Leaf Patient of the Month 710 Budtender Award nominee

JASON MORGAN

Former dispensary owner/manager

FIRST TIME YOU GOT HIGH TOGETHER? It was

within minutes of meeting each other! Cannabis was really the reason we were meeting in the first place. Before we had legal Cannabis in Maryland, seshes and pop-ups were how we connected in the Cannabis community.

HOW DID YOU FALL IN LOVE? We started road tripping up and down the East Coast with our

dogs, going to glass shows and pop-ups in D.C., and having fun.

WHAT ROLE HAS CANNABIS PLAYED IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP? Cannabis was there from the

beginning, and it will always be there. It’s much more than just something we do for fun – it’s an essential part of our lives. It makes us better people, so we can be better people to each other. FAVORITE THING TO DO TOGETHER WHILE HIGH? Order snacks on GoPuff and watch horror

movies, go to an art gallery, or take the dogs hiking.

DAVID BIENENSTOCK

Co-host, Great Moments in Weed History podcast, and Cannabis author/journalist

HOW/WHEN DID YOU MEET? Working together at High Times in 2002.

We were work friends for a long time before we got romantically involved. FIRST TIME YOU GOT HIGH TOGETHER? At the HT office! MOST ROMANTIC DATE/TRIP INVOLVING CANNABIS?

In 2010, I proposed to Elise in front of the fountain outside the American Hotel in Amsterdam because that’s where we first kissed after working together behind a booth at the Cannabis Cup. WHAT ROLE HAS CANNABIS PLAYED IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP? Canna-

bis is a way to enhance the good things in our lives and relationship, and also helps us see through life’s challenges in a mutually supportive way.

STORY & INTERVIEWS by BOBBY BLACK @BOBBYBLACK420/LEAF NATION

the CULTURE issue

VIDAKUSH

VIDAKUSH.COM | @VIDAKUSH

Founded in 2011 by LA jewelry designer Rhianna Cooper, VidaKush is the definition of the cool-girl aesthetic. Fueled by modeling and collaborations with some of the most creative women in LA, VidaKush has been a defining staple of the modern, trendy Cannabis user. Using subtle yet recognizable Cannabis motifs in her work, Cooper has found a way to balance style and message. Her intention nearly a decade ago was to transform Cannabis apparel from tacky to chic. Back in those days, even in her hometown of LA, there was still a heavy stigma associated with Cannabis use. Through her accessories, Rhianna quickly discovered that the small gold or silver weed leaves adorning her rings and necklaces helped change the image of the stereotypical smoker. In addition to being gorgeous and intricate, her accessories also act as a type of secret signal – connecting with fellow Cannabis enthusiasts based on a single piece of jewelry, without having to say a word. During the early days of recreational Cannabis, Rhianna connected to the masses of women and femmes who didn’t feel seen by the mainstream, male-dominated Cannabis world. Through curating formal events, chill creative kickback sessions and fun weed-fueled photoshoots, VidaKush has played a unifying role in femme Cannabis culture.

IN ADDITION TO BEING GORGEOUS AND INTRICATE, HER ACCESSORIES ALSO ACT AS A TYPE OF SECRET SIGNAL

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BLAZING A TREND

Besides the plant, Rhianna also draws inspiration from her heritage: half Indian and half American. The combination of her parents’ cultures and the mesh of traditions she experienced growing up influence her love of bold colors and accessorizing every part of the body. Using bright, shareable and high fashion editorial shoots, VidaKush has successfully changed the image of Cannabis fashion from tacky weed socks and corny t-shirts to a more refined and fashionable motif.

FRESHEN UP YOUR WARDROBE WITH NEW CANNABIS FASHION IN AN AGE when self-expression through art and fashion is available at our fingertips, it is no surprise that the modern Cannabis user is more likely than ever to proudly rep their favorite plant – using weed motifs as a mode of doing so. Both Cannabis and fashion brands alike are entering the marketplace looking to help their consumers embrace this healing plant as a style choice, elevating the culture along the way.

SEVEN LEAVES AIMS TO PROMOTE AN ACTIVE AND CREATIVE LIFESTYLE.

SEVEN LEAVES SEVENLEAVESSTYLE.COM | @SEVENLEAVES_CA

FEB. 2022

Seven Leaves entered the California Cannabis market in 2017 under Proposition 215 with the intention of turning premium Cannabis into an artform. Their indoor flower is grown in a state of the art facility without the use of pesticides. Through the use of targeted sponsorships with extreme athletes, DJs, musicians and artists, Seven Leaves aims to promote an active and creative lifestyle. Fast forward to today’s current legal landscape, and Seven Leaves Cannabis is a top seller in California’s recreational dispensaries. Going across state lines as a Cannabis brand is impossible until federal legalization, so Seven Leaves decided to sell lifestyle products such as sweatshirts, skateboards and other branded items – which are often inspired by one of their premium Cannabis strains. By expanding their brand into apparel, Seven Leaves has noticed major expansion in their social following and brand awareness, even gaining an international customer base. The goal behind their merchandise is to set the stage for brand awareness once federal legalization allows for a national operation.

AINTNOBODYCOOL

AINTNOBODYCOOL.COM | @AINTNOBODYCOOL

For their recent collaboration, streetwear brand Aintnobodycool joined forces with Green Dawg Cultivators, well-respected Cannabis farmers in Los Angeles. Their strain, inspired by Aintnobodycool’s recent collection, is called America’s Most Wanted. A streetwear stoner’s dream in which the packaging matches the print of the clothing, this collaboration truly takes the meaning of high fashion to the next level. In the ever changing worlds of hip hop, streetwear and Cannabis, Aintnobodycool aims to “level the playing field” by making accessible fashion that unites these three cultures. Upon first glance, one might not grasp the direction of this seven-year-old brand, but that’s what its founders, Serp and Alex Diamantakos aim for. Their driving brand force is the “freedom to have no rules” – reflected in their humorous, often troll-level marketing. Playing on humor, mystery and youth as their main themes, Aintnobodycool uses mostly graphic-based screen printing, but the brand also explores the resourcefulness of skate culture through techniques such as cut and sew. Aintnobodycool’s Cannabis collaboration with Green Dawg Cultivators is available at select retailers, including Cookies and Lemonnade.

SACKVILLE & CO.

SACKVILLE.CO | @SACKVILLE.AND.CO

Sackville & Co. is a contemporary Cannabis brand designed by women who like to smoke weed, and Lana Van Brunt and Hayley Dineen are the Brooklyn-based duo behind the style-focused Cannabis lifestyle brand. The pair bonded over their shared frustration of not being able to find chic Cannabis products to fit their personal style. Dineen cut her teeth at the world-renowned arts and design college Central St. Martin’s in London, going on to design for high-end brands including Yeezy, OVO, Vivienne Westwood and more. Van Brunt employs her marketing genius to the Sackville brand from her time as a director at VICE Media and ATTN: Media. From crystal ball pipes to their “weed out the bad vibes” hoodie, this brand is made with the creative consumer mind. They believe that Cannabis has been a hidden catalyst for creativity and exploration within fashion, art and music since the beginning. Being artists first, their aim is to build a diverse community that brings together creatives across these disciplines worldwide. Sackville & Co. collaborates with artists and brands who love to create unique work that reflects modern consumption. “To us, fashion is a modality of individual expression. Both Cannabis and fashion are uniquely personal journeys, with no right or wrong way to express yourself. We aim to design products that allow people to express their own aesthetic through uniquely curated Cannabis rituals. Evolving and having fun with your sense of style in all areas of life is what we’re about!”

BOTH CANNABIS AND FASHION ARE UNIQUELY PERSONAL JOURNEYS, WITH NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY TO EXPRESS YOURSELF.

GLASSHOUSE FARMS X EMILY EIZEN CANNABIS ARTIST and Leaf Contributor Emily Eizen collaborated with Carpinteria, California’s Glasshouse Farms on a t-shirt design that reimagines the farm’s logo and benefits the Transgender Law Center. tinyurl.com/eizenwear

STORY by EMILY EIZEN @EMILYEIZEN for LEAF NATION

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

Visit weedmaps.com or download the app

concentrate of the month

HAZY HILL FARM

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GORILLA MAC LIVE ROSIN What better way to chill out during the winter months than by sampling the top concentrate recommendation of the budtenders at Hazy Hill Farms in Portland, Maine? Hazy Hill Farms recently placed first in the High95 Cup for their indoor Devilz Cake in-house strain, and as the best extract artists know, it takes exceptional flowers to make great live rosin. The team at Hazy Hill grows, washes and presses their own product – making them one of the few single source Cannabis extraction companies in Maine. Three out of four of the budtenders I spoke to chose their Gorilla Mac cold cure live rosin as their personal favorite, so I knew I had to try it. Gorilla Mac is a cross of Miracle Alien Cookies x Gorilla Glue – two old favorites known to many as super terpy and potent specimens. Upon opening the container, I was greeted with a sweet citrus scent and a beautiful amber rosin that broke up easily using a dab tool.

feb. 2022

A couple rounds of small, low-temperature, cold start hits tasted of citrusy diesel fuel and something else I just couldn’t seem to put my finger on. Then it came to me: It reminded me of the flavor of the “pith” – or the white stringy part between an orange’s juicy sections and the outer skin. I found it both enjoyable, flavorful and relaxing to smoke in small amounts as the day went on, providing me a high that was both satisfying and happy while also helping soothe my back pains. When I started doing the heavier part of the test near the end of the day – finishing up the gram – I found myself in full-fledged euphoric stoner mode. What a way to embrace the wintry vibes, lounging and watching a movie with no plans of driving anywhere. I would recommend picking up some of this live rosin and sharing it with some friends over video games, or going for a hike and enjoying the great outdoors.

“I found it both enjoyable, flavorful and relaxing to smoke in small amounts as the day went on, providing me a high that was both satisfying and happy while also helping soothe my back pains. "

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

Medical Cannabis Dispensary

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cannthropology

WORLD OF Cannabis PRESENTS

Bob Marley Herban Legend

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When it comes to the great global icons of Cannabis culture, few figures loom as large as the immortal king of reggae himself, Bob Marley. RISE & SHINE Born February 6, 1945, in the small Jamaican village of Nine Mile, Robert Nesta Marley was the only child of Captain Norval Marley (a 60-year-old British plantation manager) and a 17-year-old Jamaican girl named Cedella Malcolm – who he reportedly seduced, impregnated, then largely abandoned. After Norval died in 1955, Cedella and her son moved in with her boyfriend Thaddeus Livingston and his son, in Kingston’s notorious Trench Town tenement yard. There, tweenage Bob and his new stepbrother Neville RASTAMAN VIBRATION (nicknamed “Bunny”) started hanging with a During Marley’s absence, Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie, who Rastafarians local street gang called the Rude Boys, who worshipped as the new messiah, famously visited Jamaica – inspiring a masnicknamed him “Tuff Gong” and turned them sive surge in the popularity of Rasta culture. By the time Bob returned to the on to the hot new sound known as ska. island in early 1967, his wife and bandmates had all converted to Rastafari Around the age of 14, Marley dropped out and he quickly followed suit – embracing the faith’s rituals of growing the hair of school to pursue his passion for music. out into dreadlocks and smoking ganja as a sacrament. Under this new Rasta He and Bunny started singing together and influence, the popular ska and “rocksteady” genres morphed into a mellower, were soon taken under the wing of a famous more political musical style with an offbeat “riddim” known as reggae … and Debut album from the clean-cut Jamaican singer named Joseph Higgs. Later the clean-cut vocal trio transformed into the rebel rude boys we know today. looking Wailing Wailers. regarded as the “Godfather of Reggae,” it was Reflecting this rebirth, Bunny changed his last name to Wailer and the band Higgs who taught the duo how to sing and shortened its name to The Wailers. play guitar, as well as introduced them to two pivotal figures in their lives: producer Clement “Coxsone” Dodd and a young guitarist CATCH A FIRE known as Peter “Tosh” McIntosh. After numerous lineup and name After a falling out with Dodd, the group teamed changes, their group solidified as The Wailing Wailers – a vocal trio up with producer Lee “Scratch” Perry to produce comprised of Marley, Livingston and Tosh. The group recorded over two albums: “Soul Rebels” in 1970 and “Soul 70 songs for Dodd’s Studio One label, which released their eponyRevolution Part II” in 1971. Then in 1972, The mous debut album in 1965. Wailers hooked up with soul singer Johnny Nash It was during those sessions that Marley met his first love, Rita Anfor a European tour. But when the tour fizzled out derson – a teenage mom who sang in a group called The Soulettes. and left them stranded in London, they decided to The two were married in February 1966 … but just days after the meet with Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, wedding, Bob left Jamaica to live with his mother in Wilmington, who sent them home with £4,000 to record a new Delaware (where she’d moved four years earlier). album. The result was “Catch a Fire” – the first

feb. 2022

“Herb is the healin’ of the nation. Everyone on earth is supposed to smoke herb. God created herb for man ... one’s supposed to smoke freely and be free.”

Contemplation in a cloud of smoke: Bob Marley relaxes with a spliff between interviews at a press junket in a West Hollywood hotel in 1976.

album produced under the band’s new label Tuff Gong and their first with major label distribution. Released in April 1973, it was, according to one Rolling Stone article, “the first wholly formed, cohesive reggae album.” The initial 20,000 pressings were cleverly designed to look and open like a Zippo lighter; after that, the cover featured a close-up of Bob smoking a huge joint. Their next album, “Burnin’” (released that October), eventually went gold – thanks in part to guitar god Eric Clapton, who helped put the band on the map in 1974 when his cover of “I Shot the Sherriff” hit number one. Despite the group’s rising success, however, Bunny and Tosh were allegedly unhappy with Blackwell’s commercial vision for the band and chose to leave the group later that year. Marley quickly assembled a new lineup, rebranded the group as Bob Marley and The Wailers, and powered on toward stardom – releasing “Natty Dread” in 1974, then “Rastaman Vibration” in 1976 (his first album to reach Billboard’s Top 10 list).

EXCUSE ME WHILE I LIGHT MY SPLIFF ATTACK & ILLNESS Exploding into the international spotlight, MarEventually, though, ley was beset by the press, which predictably some of Marley’s focused their questioning on his then-contropolitical activism would versial religious beliefs and ganja habit (which come back to bite him. On December 3, was rumored to be up to a pound a week). 1976 – two days before he was set to perform In interview after interview, Bob blazed and at the Smile Jamaica concert organized by the praised the sacred herb (with a hard “h”). People’s National Party – seven gunmen hired “Herb is the healin’ of the nation,” Marley by the rival Jamaican Labour Party shot up preached in a 1975 Ann Arbor Sun article. Marley’s home/rehearsal studio in Kingston, “Everyone on earth is supposed to smoke injuring him, Rita and his manager. Miracuherb. God created herb for man, mon … lously, no one was killed … but the incident one’s supposed to smoke spooked Marley enough that herb freely and be free.” he fled to England, where he In July 1976, shortly after remained for nearly two years. a show at LA’s Roxy Theater, While in self-imposed exile Bob invited former Island there, he recorded “Exodus” – Records publicity chief Jeff an album that, over 20 years Walker and his wife Kim Gotafter its June 1977 release, tlieb-Walker to his hotel room would be named the best in West Hollywood to do a album of the 20th century by photoshoot for his upcoming Time magazine. interview with High Times. That same year, Marley was “Bob normally didn’t like diagnosed with a malignant to pose for photos, but he melanoma in his toe. He was thrilled to pose for the refused doctors’ recomcover of High Times,” recalls mendations to amputate on Gottlieb-Walker, whose religious grounds; as a result, iconic images of Marley are the cancer spread throughout compiled in the phenomenal his body – causing his health photo book “Bob Marley and the to severely deteriorate in the years Golden Age of Reggae.” When that followed. Tragically, Bob the interview was published in Marley died on May 11, 1981, at the magazine’s September 1976 a Miami hospital while en route issue, Marley became the first home to Jamaica. He was just 36 musical artist to ever be featured years old. After a state funeral aton the cover of High Times. tended by over 100,000 adoring In 1978, The Wailers released fans, he was buried with his guitar their mellowest, stoniest album – and a stalk of ganja – near his Back of the Kaya album. yet entitled “Kaya” (another birthplace in Nine Mile. nickname for ganja). In the album’s first song, “Easy Skanking,” Bob sings: THE LEGEND LIVES ON “Excuse me while I light my spliff / Oh God Since his passing, Marley’s status as a cultural I gotta take a lift.” And in the title track he icon has only grown – through his music, which sings, “I’m so high, I even touch the sky … has transcended all barriers of race, religion Got to have kaya now.” and age to sell more than 50 million records Though often difficult to understand due to worldwide; through his 11 children, who carry his thick patois accent, Marley became the on his legacy; and through the Cannabis brand most open, unapologetic public advocate for that now bears his name. He’s ranked 11th on Cannabis the music industry had ever seen. Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 greatest musical “Herb is a sacrament,” he explained in one artists of all time. Like John Lennon and Jerry famous 1979 New Zealand interview. “When Garcia, Bob Marley has surpassed mere rock you smoke herb, herb reveal yourself to you … stardom to become a living embodiment of because herb make you meditate. Man makes peace, social justice, and the power of music to laws against it. But how is what is natural and unite and elevate human consciousness across made by God illegal?!? I think government the globe. And, of course, one of the greatest action, that illegal.” ganja evangelists in history.

STO RY b y B O B BY B LAC K @ CAN N T H RO PO LO G Y for LEA F NAT IO N | M AI N P HOTO b y KI M G OT T L I E B - WAL K E R / LE N SWO M AN . CO M

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STONEY BALONEY

CANNTHROPOLOGY

CONCENTRATE OTM

FASHION AND DESIGN

LAGANJA ESTRANJA

CANNABIS COUPLES

GARCIA HAND PICKED

STRAIN OF THE MONTH

BERNER COVER STORY

EDITOR’S NOTE

NATIONAL NEWS

STONER OWNERS

BUDTENDER Q&A

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