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the STRAINS issue
issue
#19
[
MARCH 2022
N O R T H E AS T
feature
MODERN BREEDING STRAINS
BREEDER PROFILE
MAR. 2022
29 MZJILL GENETICS BREEDER PROFILE
32
GOING ON A PHENO HUNT COMPOUND GENETICS
MIKE ROSATI
28 RAYA BAMA / RUNTZ
HUMBOLDT SEED COMPANY
COURTESY
Humboldt Seed Company’s Nathaniel Pennington speaks with Leaf Nation’s Zack Ruskin on how the company is growing, evolving, and embedding their seed culture in some very unlikely places.
MIKE ROSATI
LEAFMAGAZINES.COM
36
MIKE ROSATI
6
9 10 12 20 22 24 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 34 36 38 40 41 42 44 46
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EDITOR’S NOTE NATIONAL NEWS LOCAL NEWS BAY STATERS FOR NM GREEN TEAM GENETICS STRAIN OF THE MONTH STRAINS 101 COMPOUND GENETICS RAY BAMA / RUNTZ MZJILL GENETICS SHERBINSKIS DUKE DIAMOND PHENO HUNTING MODERN BREEDING STRAINS HUMBOLDT SEED COMPANY COOKING WITH CANNABIS EDIBLE OF THE MONTH TOPICAL OF THE MONTH CONCENTRATE OF THE MONTH CANNTHROPOLOGY STONEY BALONEY
JUSTIN MCIVOR
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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 For this month’s sticky, delicious cover, we partnered with famed macro photographer Erik “Nugshots” Christiansen of Nugshots Lab. Known for his gorgeous still photography and his ability to display a 360-degree view of the world’s finest Cannabis products, Erik provided epic photos of three strains with diverse physical properties for our Strains Issue cover: Ridgeline Farms x Humboldt Seed Company Vanilla Cream Pie, Rolen Stone White Truffle, and Good Lyfe Farms x Humboldt Seed Company Hella Jelly. Head online to watch our moving cover come to life!
PHOTOS by ERIK NUGSHOTS @ERIK.NUGSHOTS
CONTRIBUTORS
WES ABNEY C E O & F O U N D E R wes@leafmagazines.com MIKE RICKER O P E R AT I N G PA R T N E R ricker@leafmagazines.com TOM BOWERS C H I E F O P E R AT I N G O F F I C E R tom@leafmagazines.com DANIEL BERMAN C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R daniel@leafmagazines.com MIKE GIANAKOS S E N I O R E D I T O R mikeg@leafmagazines.com DAN VINKOVETSKY S E N I O R E D I T O R dan@leafmagazines.com 844-4NELEAF MICHAEL CZERHONIAK S A L E S D I R E C T O R michael@leafmagazines.com O’HARA SHIPE O N L I N E E D I T O R ohara@leafmagazines.com
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ABNEY
Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up the Strains Issue of the Leaf! WE’VE COME a long way since the days of all Cannabis being weed, when the best weed ever was the pot we had in our pockets. I remember the struggle of simply trying to buy weed from a dealer who was honest and had tasty flower, which is what led me to buying and selling my own weed to friends in college. This inspired many stoned, youthful experiments to create flavors in the BC Bud we got by the pound – including dropping orange peels or apple slices into a turkey bag, along with a few tortillas to add moisture to the dried out herb.
9
In those early days, weed came in grades – not in strains – but occasionally a “flavor” profile would come along like Blueberry or Bubblegum that was the equivalent of finding gold in smokeable form. I’ll never forget when my plug handed me a couple ounces in a jar, for free, because he had accidentally spilled a bottle of artificial blueberry flavoring while intending to simply add a few drops. I tried so hard to smoke that weed and as pungent and artificial as it was, I gave up! Even back then I had standards for what I would smoke, and the blueberry experience was so bad that I avoided that flavor in candy and drinks TODAY, THE TOP for at least a year. BREEDERS ARE It wasn’t until I began working with medical Cannabis in 2010 and publishing the Leaf that strains became a concept. The paradigm shift happened in the collectives (dispensaries) that would offer 10-20 types of Cannabis, and through smelling and feeling each bud, it became clear that strains were more than just names given to sell bud – but representative of flavor profiles, growing structure and style, and the effects that were unique to each jar. This experience was like a trip to Willy Wonka’s factory for me, and it turned me on to the amazing world of Cannabis genetics, breeders and the strains that have defined the growth of our industry.
LIKE ROCKSTARS AND THE STRAINS THEY PRODUCE ARE THE TOP HITS – WHICH CAN LEAD TO FAME AND GLORY AMONGST STONERS WORLDWIDE.
Today, the top breeders are like rockstars and the strains they produce are the top hits – which can lead to fame and glory amongst stoners worldwide. But back in the day, breeding was a risk only undertaken by the dedicated and fearless. After all, having the courage to pheno hunt when simple possession was a felony was a rare attribute to be found in the underground grow rooms and distribution networks. But innovation and a passion for flavors and the search for the best new weed has driven generations of growers, and it’s because of those early entrepreneurial plant scientists that we have a wide range of genetics being developed and grown around the planet. In this regard, Cannabis is becoming like the wine industry, with select breeders (think labels/ vineyards) producing unique strains (like vintages/blends/varietals) that have demand around the globe – and a high value! And just like wine, Cannabis connoisseurs don’t want to smoke the same flavors every day, but instead chase new experiences and highs with unique flavors and attributes on a level that surpasses the wine or craft beer industry by far. Cannabis users love new strains and we have the breeders to thank for the countless hours and crop cycles that have led to our beautiful, diverse world of weed we enjoy today. On that note, it is an honor to highlight the world of breeding and strains in this issue of the Leaf. I hope it inspires you to try new strains and appreciate the breeders behind the scenes who put their blood, sweat and money on the line for our enjoyment.
-Wes Abney MAR. 2022
leafmagazines.com
MEGHAN RIDLEY C O PY E D I T O R meghan@leafmagazines.com
BOBBY BLACK, DESIGN + FEATURES JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION TOM BOWERS, FEATURES ERIK NUGSHOTS, PHOTOS JIMI DEVINE, FEATURES JENN DOE, SALES EARLY, PRODUCTION EMILY EIZEN, PHOTOS STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS MIKE GIANAKOS, FEATURES BAILEY JONSON, FEATURES + PHOTOS KANDID KUSH, PHOTOS JUSTIN MCIVOR, PHOTOS BENJAMIN NEFF, PHOTOS BOBBY NUGGZ, FEATURES + PHOTOS JEFF PORTERFIELD, DESIGN MIKE RICKER, FEATURES MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING MIKE ROSATI, PHOTOS ZACK RUSKIN, FEATURES CHARLES TAGGART, FEATURES + PHOTOS JAMIE VICTOR, DESIGN DAN VINKOVETSKY, FEATURES
WES
N O RT H E AS T L E A F
national news
weird
normalization
UNIFORMED COP CAUGHT SELLING WEED ON DUTY
COLORADO COULD PROHIBIT FIRING EMPLOYEES FOR CANNABIS USE
IF
a measure introduced at the statehouse in February by two Democratic lawmakers passes, Colorado would soon prohibit employers from firing workers because of their off-the-clock Cannabis use. House Bill 1152 also requires employers to let their workers consume medicinal Cannabis while on the job. The bill includes exceptions for workers whose jobs are in dangerous fields or require fine motor skills, such as operating heavy machinery. “Marijuana is legal in Colorado,” said State Rep. Brianna Titone, a Democrat and sponsor of the bill. “And what people do in their spare time that doesn’t impact their work shouldn’t really be a problem for them. They should be able to enjoy the legal things that we have here in Colorado and not be penalized for it.”Titone is pitching the measure as a way for employers to find workers more easily in Colorado’s tight labor market.
G
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eorgia Bureau of Investigation has arrested a Georgia police officer who they say sold marijuana while on duty, in uniform. Leon Mitchell, 32, worked for the Warwick Police Department near the southwest Georgia city of Albany. The GBI’S Southwestern Regional Drug Enforcement Office claimed undercover agents were able to buy weed from Mitchell in Worth and Lee counties. In what must have been a regular Kodak moment, drug agents arrested Officer Mitchell January 28 at the Police Department. Agents arrested Mitchell on two counts of sale/distribution AGENTS SAID THEY of marijuana and one count of posFOUND MARIJUANA, session with intent to distribute. For SCALES AND PLASTIC BAGS RIGHT INSIDE good measure, they piled on four THE CAR WHEN THEY counts of possession of a firearm SEARCHED HIS VEHICLE. during the commission of a felony, three counts of violation of oath of office and two counts of use of a communication device during the commission of a felony. Officers booked Mitchell into the Worth County Jail, where he remained after a judge denied him bail.
the south
MISSISSIPPI LEGALIZES MEDICAL CANNABIS
M
ississippi has legalized medical marijuana for people with debilitating conditions, NPR reports. The change comes 15 months after a healthy majority of voters approved a stronger version of the law on Election Day 2020. The National Conference of State Legislatures says 36 states and four territories already allow the medical use of Cannabis, making Mississippi the 37th state to do so as of Gov. Tate Reeves’ February signature. While it became law immediately, it could be months before the first Cannabis dispensaries open.
global
politics
THAILAND IS FIRST IN ASIA TO DECRIM WEED
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER RENEWS FEDERAL LEGALIZATION PUSH
LEAFMAGAZINES.COM
T
hailand has become the first country in Asia to approve the de facto decriminalization of marijuana. Unfortunately, law enforcement authorities have left a “gray area” around adult recreational use. Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced that the Narcotics Control Board had approved dropping Cannabis from the list of controlled drugs. The delisting will take effect 120 days after its publication in the government gazette. Thailand removed Cannabis – a plant species to which both marijuana and hemp belong – last December from the list of illegal drugs under the nation’s Narcotics Law. Police and lawyers said it was unclear if possession of Cannabis will still be an offense subject to arrest. Related laws mean production and possession of marijuana remain “regulated” for now. That, unfortunately, leaves the legal status of adult-use marijuana somewhat murky.
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marijuana-related bills were filed in the Indiana Legislature’s 2022 session.
MAR. 2022
90% 400
of its Cannabis buyers come from Idaho, claims the city of Ontario, Ore.
untaxed marijuana greenhouses were recently busted in San Bernardino County, Calif.
S
enate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer renewed his calls for the federal legalization of marijuana, reports the New York Daily News. “Change has been urgently needed for a long time,” Schumer said, referencing the disproportionate impact Cannabis laws have had on Black communities. “The good news is we’re on the edge of getting change, because the opinions throughout America are changing. All across the country, states are legalizing,” Schumer “ AS MAJORITY LEADER, said. “All across the country, I CAN SET PRIORITIES. minds are changing.” He said he plans to introduce the bill in April. THIS IS A PRIORITY.”
7.6k $2.22b $27b
pounds of untaxed, processed weed was recently seized in a Lake County, Calif. investigation.
worth of Cannabis was sold in Colorado in 2021, the 3rd-most in the nation.
is the estimated size of the legal U.S. marijuana market by 2026.
STORIES by STEVE ELLIOTT, AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF MARIJUANA
LOCAL NEWS
12
POT PASSES ALCOHOL IN MASSACHUSETTS
C
annabis advocates have long insisted that pot is safer than alcohol. Now, in Massachusetts, it’s also more lucrative. According to data from the Bay State, tax revenue generated by Cannabis sales has officially surpassed that of alcohol for the first time. Halfway through the current fiscal year, Massachusetts reported collecting $74.2 million in marijuana excise taxes – far more than the $51.3 million in excise tax revenue generated by alcohol sales in the same time period. Interestingly, alcohol tax revenue is actually slightly up over the last five years. Marijuana sales just happen to be booming. Recreational Cannabis has been extremely popular – and profitable – since the state launched its retail sales program in November 2018. In September 2021, the Cannabis Control Commission, the regulatory board that oversees the state’s marijauna industry, announced that Massachusetts had reached $2 billion in adult-use sales. According to the Commission, the state has now sold $2.54 billion worth of pot products, as the Cannabis industry continues to grow. In Massachusetts, adult-use marijuana is hit with an excise tax of 10.75 percent. This is the tax that has produced $74.2 million in revenue at the midway point of the current fiscal year. However, Massachusetts also tacks on a state sales tax (6.25 percent) and jurisdictions hosting retail shops can add an additional “local” tax of up to 3 percent.
Photo by Rodnae Productions
The state collected a total of $208 million in marijuana tax revenue last year. While many businesses have been forced to close their doors or significantly scale back in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Cannabis continues to bring in substantial revenue to the cash-strapped state. And, it’s not just Massachusetts that’s reaping the benefits of this financial boon. A recent report from the Marijuana Policy Project found that states with legal retail sales programs have collected over $10 billion in Cannabis taxes since 2014.
LEAFMAGAZINES.COM
NO GIFTING GANJAIN NEWYORK O fficials in New York are cracking down on crafty Cannabis businesses in an attempt to halt illegal marijuana “gifting.” Gifting is an increasingly popular stopgap in states that have legalized Cannabis, but have not yet launched retail sales. Essentially, companies offer “free” pot products with the purchase of ordinary food or t-shirts at exorbitant prices. In doing so, the company claims it is, technically, making a legal sale and simply giving away the marijuana. New York’s adult-use pot law, passed nearly a year ago, does not specifically address marijuana gifting. However, some business owners using this method for Cannabis commerce point out that the law allows for “transferring, without compensation.” Many believe gifting fits this criteria and, therefore, they are not breaking the law. Nonetheless, the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) – which oversees the state’s pot industry – disagrees. The agency has issued at least 24 letters to businesses ordering them to put an immediate end to ganja gifting or face possible arrest and fines. And, crucially, the OCM made it clear that offenders would be imperiling their chances of receiving a retail license from the state. According to OCM Executive Director Chris Alexander, “New York state is building a legal, regulated Cannabis market that will ensure products are tested and safe for consumers … Illegal operations undermine our ability to do that.” Of course, the best way to put an end to illegal – or gray area – Cannabis distribution is to implement a retail sales program. Unfortunately, the process has been excruciatingly slow in New York, as the formation of regulatory boards was delayed and now the task of crafting the rules for the industry is expected to take even longer. Officials don’t anticipate opening adult-use sales in the Empire State until sometime in 2023. With surging demand for legal pot and a great deal of money to be made, it appears unlikely that businesses will practice patience. However, the threat of losing a highly coveted retail license could have an impact.
MAR. 2022
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon
A similar scenario played out in New Jersey last summer, when the attorney general sent cease and desist letters to Cannabis companies caught running marijuana gifting operations. The Garden State has also been slow to launch retail sales, causing some businesses to improvise. Like New York’s transferwithout-compensation provision, New Jersey’s adult-use law allows marijuana to be gifted to those 21 and older. But also like New York, New Jersey cracked down on thinly-veiled pot gifting ventures.
The Island of New Hampshire A
bill that would create a state-run Cannabis industry was passed by the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Such a legalization model would be the first of its kind in the country. The bill, which passed the House by a 235-119 vote, somehow appears to be unpopular with Cannabis advocates and prohibitionists alike. Its sponsor, Rep. Daryl Abbas (R), described it as compromise legislation, explaining that it “creates a policy like no other state that works for and serves the people of New Hampshire.” Should the legislation pass, it would allow adults 21 and older to possess up to four ounces of Cannabis. However, home cultivation would still be illegal. The New Hampshire Liquor Commission would oversee the industry and marijuana could be purchased at dispensaries run by the state. But about that… Industry experts point out that a state-run model would put New
Hampshire at odds with the federal government, as state employees would have to sell Cannabis – which is still federally illegal. Marijuana Policy Project Director of State Policies Karen O’Keefe describes the proposed legislation as including a “poison pill.” According to O’Keefe, “New Hampshire needs a legalization law that actually works – not one that is federally preempted because it relies on state employees selling Cannabis in violation of federal law.” New Hampshire has become an outlier in the Northeast, as other states in Photo by GreenForce Staffing the region including Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have all legalized marijuana (and Rhode Island appears close to passing its own law). However, the House of Representatives can’t be blamed for the state’s island status, as the chamber has voted to legalize Cannabis at least four times. Unfortunately, meaningful marijuana reform is a nonstarter in the Granite State, as progress is repeatedly stalled by the GOP-controlled Senate. Even if a legalization bill managed to pass both chambers, Gov. Chris Sununu (R), a hardline prohibitionist, would veto the legislation. New Hampshire’s only hope for reform would be to pass a legalization bill with a supermajority (60 percent vote), which would make the legislation veto-proof. Until then, or until voters elect a more progressive leader, New Hampshire will remain an island.
SALES SETBACK IN NEW JERSEY
N
ew Jersey appears likely to miss its late February deadline to begin retail Cannabis sales. The state had set February 22, 2022 as the launch date for recreational marijuana – six months after the Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) had created rules for the new industry. But, like neighboring state New York, New Jersey will delay the implementation of its retail sales program indefinitely. Gov. Phil Murphy, who signed the legalization bill into law in February 2021, told reporters he was not concerned about the delay, saying, “I’d rather get it right than get it fast.” According to Murphy, “They’re doing a really good job. They want to do a job that’s different and better than any other state that’s ever done it, in particular as it relates to addressing inequities, which has been a central theme of mine.” Governor Murphy has publicly touted the benefits of legalization in recent speeches, including his State of the State address, saying that the legal Cannabis industry will improve the economy and job market. Regarding the retail weed delay, Murphy said, “We all want it sooner than later but let’s make sure it’s right … It’s going to be an industry that’s going to be around 50, 100, 200 years from now. Let’s get it right.” Unfortunately, missing the state’s retail
deadline comes with consequences, as many New Jersey Cannabis business owners are forced to deal with staffing and supply issues. While some took on additional employees in advance of the anticipated retail launch date, most companies stocked up on marijuana, ready to meet the demand of the recreational market. Of course, employees need to be paid and Cannabis, like any produce, has a finite shelf life. “I hate to say this, but we may have to start destroying product, and we may have to start potentially letting people go because part of the anticipation is you ramp up your staffing, as well,” James Leventis of Verano New Jersey admitted. “You’re hired for a job with the idea that this market will develop,” Leventis continued. “I’m very concerned we will continue to see these delays. It’s looking very stark right now.” The CRC cites a lack of municipal approval for retail shops, as well as insufficient supply for the delay – retailers are expected to stock enough Cannabis to supply current medical patients as well as new, adultuse consumers. However, many marijuana business owners and consumers alike point the finger back at the CRC. Even Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D) has said he’s “disappointed” in the Commission’s failure to meet the retail deadline. “I wish the CRC would move faster … But I know it’s a complicated process,” Scutari said.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy STORIES by MIKE GIANAKOS @MIKEGEEZEEY
A HEMP OVERHAUL A
LOCAL NEWS
>> Continued from pg.13
14
proposed bill from a Maine lawmaker is taking aim at reforming the national hemp industry. Maine Rep. Chellie Pingree (D) introduced the Hemp Advancement Act in Congress – a bill that would make several key changes which Pingree believes will create a more flexible, profitable industry. Under the current federal law, hemp cannot contain more than 0.3 percent THC in order to officially be classified as a hemp plant. Under the proposed legislation, that threshold would be raised to 1 percent THC, a far more liberal limit. Additionally, hemp crops being processed would not be subject to THC limits or testing. This is important because when hemp is being processed, the amount of THC present can fluctuate. Under Pingree’s legislation, only the final hemp product would be tested to make sure it does not exceed 1 percent THC. Another key reform the hemp bill proposes is doing away with the current requirement that hemp crops are tested at Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registered labs. This particular requirement is a hardship for many hemp farmers, as there is a very limited number of such qualified labs across the country. “There are insufficient testing facilities. Right here in Maine, we don’t have one at all – and there’s two that cover all of New England,” Pingree explained. “To eliminate this DEA requirement would take away one more obstacle that farmers are currently facing. … Again, it takes it out of this realm of, you know, ‘this is [about] dealing drugs.’ This is an agricultural crop. Let’s assess it for appropriate reasons, but we don’t have to make it so sinister that everything has to be done by the DEA.” Pingree added that she believes nonDEA-approved labs are “perfectly capable” of testing hemp. The bill would also change the current rule that forbids anyone with a drug-related felony on their record in the last 10 years from participating in the hemp industry. This has long been viewed as a provision that
MAKING AN
LEAFMAGAZINES.COM
IMPACT
Photo by Kindel Media
disproportionately impacts people of color and prevents them from entering a legal – and lucrative – business. The burgeoning hemp industry could mean billions for North American farmers. These common sense reforms could help make the industry easier to navigate, while also making it more inclusive.
T
he city of Amesbury, Mass. has decided to waive the impact fees it had previously collected from Cannabis businesses operating in its jurisdiction. Unique to Massachusetts, impact fees are a tax that towns charge Cannabis companies to offset issues involving anything from increased policing to parking issues associated with marijuana business. State law requires pot companies to sign host community agreements (HCAs) with the town in which they wish to operate. Impact fees are a part of the HCAs, which are viewed by many as pay-to-play bribes. Some have even called the state’s HCAs and impact fees legal extortion. Jurisdictions are legally allowed to charge Cannabis companies up to 3 percent of their annual revenue to offset any impact the business has on the community. However, research shows that municipalities often charge more than the 3 percent allowed by law and often fail to provide any documentation justifying the fees. Impact fees and HCAs came under fire late last year in the wake of a lawsuit against the city of Haverhill, which was charging recreational retailer Stem an annual impact fee of $1.3 million for its three Cannabis businesses. Haverhill officials claim they levied the yearly $1,312,268.65 charge to offset Stem’s economic impact on the city. The lawsuit also revealed that $866,930 of that annual fee went directly to the Haverhill Police Department. The city also charged Stem a one-time fee of $156,798. Amesbury Mayor Kassandra Gove decided to waive impact fees for Cannabis businesses in the city, explaining that there just haven’t been many disruptions lately. One of the city’s pot businesses, CNA Store, decided to take the money that would have gone to paying the impact fee and donate it to charity. CNA Store CEO Rob DiFazio explained, “We’re not a negative impact to our city, we’re a positive impact – so we turned around and paid it forward to Veterans Northeast Outreach Center in Haverhill, they house homeless Veterans.” Amesbury is not alone in forgoing impact fees. Northampton stopped collecting the fee from Cannabis companies in January 2021.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska
MAR. 2022
STORIES by MIKE GIANAKOS @MIKEGEEZEEY
POT COMPROMISE IN RI R
hode Island lawmakers continue to insist they are on the verge of passing legalization legislation. However, as negotiations over the bill continue, one of the primary sticking points remains. Legislators have been working on a compromise bill after receiving pot proposals from the Senate, House and Governor’s office. But the question of who should oversee a legal Cannabis industry in the state – either a currently existing agency or a new regulatory body – remains unresolved. Some lawmakers feel the best way forward would be to put the industry in the hands of an existing department, like Business Regulation, while also creating a new commission to help oversee Cannabis. Unfortunately, that approach might alienate Gov. Dan McKee, who placed the Department of Business Regulation in charge of the industry in his legalization proposal. The question remains: If lawmakers decide to compromise and create a commission to help oversee the industry, would the governor veto the bill? For his part, Rep. Scott Slater doesn’t expect a veto “if we put [forward] a bill that most people are behind.” While Rhode Island has been stuck in the muck on its compromise legislation for months as other states in the region have passed legalization laws and begun building their respective industries, legislators are not panicking. “We may not be the first state to legalize marijuana, but our goal is to do it in a way that is best for all of Rhode Islanders,” House Speaker Joseph Sherkarchi noted. Sherkarchi believes the legislature will have a draft of the bill ready “soon” and that draft will “serve as a framework to begin a robust public hearing process.” You gotta love bureaucracy. Still, Rhode Island somehow stands a decent chance of beating New York to market, as the Empire State remains more than a year away from launching legal sales.
Photo by Yash Lucid
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Bay Staters for Natural Medicine
Interview James Davis,
Volunteer Leader
JAMES DAVIS doesn’t have a title other than “Volunteer” for the Bay Staters for Natural Medicine, but when
pressed he will say he’s a “Volunteer Leader.” In the one year since this grassroots community group came together, they’ve gotten four cities in Massachusetts to pass resolutions that decriminalize entheogenic plants: Somerville, Cambridge, Northampton and Easthampton. BAYSTATERSNM.ORG | @BAYSTATERS
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“In these cities they’re allowed to grow, gather and give entheogenic plants like psilocybin mushrooms,” said Davis. “And it ends all drug possession arrests – so if someone’s caught with a small amount of MDMA or LSD or even more harmful substances like heroin or methamphetamine – they’re referred to services that help them get better, instead of ruining their lives with a drug possession arrest.” Bay Staters is a small army of over 1,000 volunteers (including first responders, healthcare professionals, scientists and ordinary people) in Massachusetts that send letters to city counselors sharing their positive personal experiences with entheogenic plants, attend online and in-person meetings and events, and make phone calls to their local officials. Their support has also expanded nationwide to help groups and people in other states get decriminalization resolutions passed. “The opioid crisis motivates a lot of us,” said Davis, “because these plant medicines have tremendous benefits for people struggling with their mental health and addiction. I get nearly an email a day from someone who has PTSD or who really needs this treatment.” “In the next year we anticipate we’ll get eight more cities to decriminalize,” said Davis. “Next month in February, Burlington, Vermont is up to pass the resolution and we have active Massachusetts city counselors that want to sponsor the resolution in Amherst, Newton, Medford, Salem, Revere, Worcester (which has a veteran and first responder version), Needham, and most importantly of all is Boston – the biomedical capital of the world. The Boston Police Department still makes thousands of drug possession
“I put all my energy into this because plant medicines are going to change the future of addiction treatment!” MAR. 2022
James, on left, wiith BSNM
arrests every year that destroy a lot of lives, and there’s a 2 to 1 racial disparity. We have several city counselors privately very supportive of moving this resolution forward. We just need to push it over the finish line in 2022!” When talking with Davis you feel his passion for the cause, and I asked him about his motivation for doing this work. “I grew up in a trailer park in Kansas where the war on drugs was very, very real,” said Davis. “A meth lab exploded when I was just five years old and we had to evacuate the park. There was a lot of domestic violence and neglect that happened because of substance use. I have really close family that have trouble with addiction, and I worried for their safety – worried that they were going to die from an opioid overdose. And so for me, I believe and I put all my energy into this because plant medicines are going to change the future of addiction treatment!” His personal experience with entheogenic plants began with a couple of grams of mushrooms in a Berkeley, Calif. CVS parking lot, resulting in a magical evening that included a documentary of beautiful landscapes and Terrence McKenna’s musings on psychedelics. “The lesson I took away was there’s a lot of love out there in the world that I had been pushing away, that I always thought I wasn’t worthy of. And I just realized that I needed to open my heart to other people and I need to accept that I’m worthy of that love. It was truly a life-changing experience.” But unless you’re Anderson Cooper and given a couple grams of Golden Teachers for a guided (and filmed) trip session, this whole world of psychedelic plants might seem out of reach. And that is where Bay Staters also comes together as a supportive community with online and in-person events covering the many aspects of psychedelic plant medicine. “We had a class online for trip-sitting that had almost 100 attendees from 10 different countries and about 15 states,” said Davis.
“Our job is to scale up and keep holding these really awesome informational events!” One of the biggest events Bay Staters has planned for this year is Plant Medicine Palooza in March. Here people can learn how to grow psilocybin mushrooms and cacti – which contain mescaline and are completely legal – as well as how to trip-sit and meditate. Davis said that meeting people in person at events like these is a great way to join the community, as well as following the Bay Staters Instagram page and following other people who like the page. “That’s a pretty accessible point for meeting other people,” said Davis, further noting that “there’s a whole lot going on that we have no idea about.”
STORY by GILBERTGJERSVIK for NORTHEAST LEAF | PHOTOS by BAY STATERS FOR NATURAL MEDICINE
breeder PROFILE LEAFMAGAZINES.COM
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Owner Tom Dudycz
GREEN TEAM GENETICS AS MORE states permit the medical and recreational use of Cannabis, legal THC products are becoming more readily available to the consumer. Unfortunately, this increase in availability is often accompanied by a decrease in the quality. Much of the marijuana that we consume is cultivated in large production settings, which are unable to match the high quality, craft Cannabis grown by small batch cultivators. Craft Cannabis companies can’t compete with the output of large scale pot production facilities, but they have something even more important: individuals that are passionate about growing and who genuinely care about how the plant is handled from start to finish. Tom Dudycz is one of those people and as the owner of Green Team Genetics, has created an innovative atmosphere that’s yielded highly coveted strains like Milkbone and Cookie Pebbles. Born and raised in Worcester, Mass., 38-yearold Dudycz is a true east coaster. His talent with and longtime love of marijuana have earned him an excellent reputation in the industry, and his desire to provide dank weed for Cannabis consumers to enjoy brought him to breeding several years ago. Dudycz is committed to creating strains that combine characteristics found in old-school varieties with the flavors favored in modern marijuana. “I was first interested in breeding a couple years into growing Cannabis. The thought of combining my favorite strains to produce something new and unique was something that excited me,” Dudycz said. “When I first started breeding, my goal was to use both current and classic strains I was a
fan of to make new unique strains. Over the years, I’ve incorporated strains that weren’t necessarily my favorites to utilize in my breeding program for certain characteristics, or to create something unique and fresh.” Back when growers like Dudycz started out, it was often necessary to do some digging in order to figure out the true genetics of their seeds. This was accomplished in part by literally digging, as cultivators had to grow out seeds to see what flowers popped. As Dudycz recalled, “The first strain I grew was not what it was advertised as, which was a common occurrence when purchasing Cannabis seeds overseas from unreputable seed banks at the time. The first strain I grew that I could authenticate was DNA Genetics’ OG 18, which was feminized stock. And Sour Kush, which was regular stock.” One thing about good weed growers is that they are always open to learning new ways to improve their technique. Starting out with PRO-MIX and using salt-based nutrients, Dudycz said he saw moderate success. “My growing style has changed over the years,” he explained. “Being around and in contact with different growers on the forums, I learned from their methods, regimens and experiences – and eventually transitioned to organic growing, KNF and building my own super soil mixes for a period of time. In the past few years, I’ve updated my media to coco with the majority of feeds being done with salt-based fertilizers, while still using some organic inputs in some cases as well.”
“My new projects will be tested by our team and cultivated to the best of our ability, to bring the finest quality flowers to the Mass rec market.” MAR. 2022
STORY by LEXIE PADUSSIS @LEXPUP__ for NORTHEAST LEAF | PHOTOS by @AJSFLOWERS
In addition to his established Cannabis lines, Dudycz is constantly using his expertise for new projects. “There’s always something either fresh and unique, or a continuation of something that the people enjoy in the works,” he said. Most recently, Green Team dropped a new strain: Sour Cheat Code, which is of particular interest for all the Sour Diesel, Chem and OG connoisseurs out there. Sour Cheat Code is a combination of Karma Genetics’ Sour Diesel Bx2 and Headbanger, TopDawg Seeds’/Money Mike’s i95 and Archive Seeds’ Face Off OG Bx2 – which harmoniously create a flavorful and potent Sour Diesel-dominant hybrid strain. “The Sour Cheat Code has that pungent effervescence that the Sour Diesel is known for. This strain will put out a lot of loud, fuelly tones with funky OG/Chem in the mix. Slight notes reminiscent of lemon lime, rich pine and unique citrus aromas linger on the palate long after consumption,” Dudycz described. “This strain has a beautiful structure with great potential for yield. I am happy to say that thus far, feedback has been incredible and I hope that growers continue to see success with growing this strain out.” There’s been a great deal of enthusiasm around this new release … but what exactly makes a strain a success for Green Team? According to Dudycz, “For a strain to be a true keeper in my eyes, it must tick all the boxes, if not most. There are finished product criteria like taste/aroma, effect/potency, bag appeal and if the strain can be used for quality concentrates. Then there are performance-based criteria like vigor, yield, flower time and the manageability of the strain. I believe that a true keeper would have multiple combinations from both the finished product and strain performance criteria.” “Any plants that grow with vigor, have good, strong branching and are easy to manage and manicure are a plus. Flavor profile is also a very important factor for me,” Dudycz continues. “What is the point of having a garden if you don’t like smelling the flowers?” While many cultivars and strains are available to grow, it is refreshing to know breeders like Dudycz truly care about the quality of their work and strive to put the best product possible out into the community. Dudycz’s reputation for producing excellent strains has now provided him the opportunity to take his skills to the next level. Recently, he was offered an op-
“What is the point of having a garden if you don’t like smelling the flowers?” portunity to join the Massachusetts recreational market as a cultivator, where Dudycz will be working alongside amazing cultivators and concentrate makers like Elaine Keevin (The Original Outkastt) and Tommy of Excelsior Extracts. “Flowers and extracts from Green Team Genetics strains have been available in other states like California, Colorado and even Maine and Rhode Island for some time now. I have always wanted to get more Green Team Genetics strains on the market here in Massachusetts,” Dudycz said. “Now, I will finally have the opportunity to personally oversee the cultivation of some of my creations and make sure that Massachusetts Cannabis consumers are able to try a true representation of my work. For now, my focus has shifted away from seed releases/ distribution and I intend to continue research and development on a grander scale. My new projects will be tested by our team and cultivated to the best of our ability, to bring the finest quality flowers to the Mass rec market. During this next chapter, Green Team Genetics’s website and webstore will get an upgrade, with a relaunch scheduled for this spring/summer.” In the meantime, Green Team gear will only be available for purchase at Remedy Seed Bank, starting March 2022. “Green Team Genetics ain’t going nowhere,” Tom said reassuringly. “I’m just getting started.”
GREENTEAMGENETICS.COM @GREENTEAMGENETICS
JOIN THE ORIGINAL GRASSROOTS CANNABIS ACTIVIST ORGANIZATION IN MASSACHUSETTS, 31 YEARS ON THE GROUND AND STILL GROWING TOGETHER!
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the STRAINS issue STRAIN OF THE MONTH
“A GIGGLY STONINESS REMINISCENT OF MY YOUTH.”
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MAR. 2022
NORTHEAST
TriCann recently took first place in the New England Harvest Cup for concentrates with their Blackberry Kush rosin. And considering that great extracts generally start out with great strains, I figured TriCann must also boast some amazing flower!
Cultivated by TriCann 22.8% THC | 0.59% CBD | INDICA HYBRID
FALSE TEETH
Owner and Head Cultivator Arron Barth is doing an amazing job with TriCann, where patient care is his first concern. In addition to high quality medicine, TriCann is also one of the very few medical Cannabis dispensaries with a private room where patients can discuss their symptoms candidly. After a bit of sampling, their False Teeth strain stood out as my favorite. Originally bred by Dungeons Vault Genetics, it’s a cross of Candyland V2 and Grandpa’s Breath – both of which are known for being quite potent. Upon opening the jar, I discovered beautiful hairy nugs with an earthy, herbal smell that filled my nose, reminding me of the incense I encountered back in my college days. False Teeth is a smooth smoke with an interesting mix of flavors, bringing a fruity, apricot taste that’s quite unique and extremely enjoyable. A few casual puffs during the morning and I felt very relaxed, with no pain or discomfort in my back and shoulders. I could feel a heady, cerebral buzz coming on that made me glad I hadn’t smoked more, as I wanted to get some work accomplished. Before long, False Teeth gave me a serious case of the munchies, so I moved onto a midday snack break. That evening, after finishing the day’s tasks, I rolled a well-earned fatty and smoked two large bowls – washing my anxiety and the stress of life away like the mud off one’s boots in the spring! With the warm and cleansing vibes lingering, couchlock ensued – but it also provided a giggly stoniness reminiscent of my youth. Laughing at almost anything, I was more capable of ordering pizza and wings than I was of actually cooking for myself. If you’re in need of a laugh-out-loud evening with friends, look no further than the False Teeth from TriCann. Paired with a funny movie and a solid 513 PORTLAND ST, BERWICK, ME snack supply, you’ll have (844) 420-4325 no shortage of reasons TRICANN.COM to smile. @TRICANN__
TRICANN
REVIEW & PHOTO by CHARLES TAGGART @KINDBUD.PHOTOS for NORTHEAST LEAF
the STRAINS issue
A BREEDING GLOSSARY
STRAINS 101 Making new strains in the world today takes everything you’ve got … or at least some good genetics and a proper understanding of the breeding terms and techniques for expanding and improving the Cannabis gene pool.
AUTO-FLOWERING
INDICA
A plant that flowers automatically when it reaches a certain size regardless of photoperiod. Breeders created these types of strains using Cannabis Ruderalis genetics from higher altitudes with short flowering seasons.
Indica-dominant plants grow short and stocky with wide leaves and shorter flowering times.
LANDRACE
Domesticated plants that have adapted to the conditions of their place of origin over many generations. These are used by breeders to create new hybrids by crossing them with distinctly different varieties (e.g., African sativa landrace x Indian indica landrace).
BACKCROSSING
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This is a breeding practice in which hybrids are crossed with one of their parents in order to try to stabilize chosen traits to discover a unique genotype.
MOTHERPLANT
BREEDING
A female plant kept in the vegetative stage to produce identical clones (or cuttings) to root and flower out. A motherplant can be a source of clones for many years.
Applying pollen from male plants onto female flowers to produce seeds. This is done around the third or fourth week of flowering in order to give the seeds enough time to mature properly.
PHENOTYPE
A plant’s observable expression of its genetic material within its environment.
DIOECIOUS
Any plant with different and separate male and female specimens. Cannabis is a dioecious plant.
POLLEN
Fine grains released by male flowers to pollinate female flowers and produce seeds. Male pollen is carefully collected by breeders from flowering males and then brushed or dusted onto flowering females.
FEMINIZED
A type of seed that grows only female plants. Breeders use “male” pollen from hermaphroditic plants to produce feminized seeds for growers that don’t want to grow out any males.
GENOTYPE LEAFMAGAZINES.COM
The stored genetic footprint held within a plant’s DNA.
HERMAPHRODITE
A plant with both male and female flowers. This can be a genetic trait or a response to stress. Either way, growers should discard hermaphroditic plants to avoid seeding their crops.
HYBRID
A combination of two genetically distinct varieties e.g., Sativa x Indica F1 Hybrid - The first filial cross. F2 Hybrid, etc. - Each successive cross. S1 Hybrid - The result of selfing (using pollen from a hermaphroditic plant on itself).
MAR. 2022
POLY HYBRID
The genetic result of crossing unstabilized hybrids with each other. The resulting plants can differ vastly in their characteristics.
SATIVA
Sativa-dominant plants tend to have thin long leaves and a longer flowering time.
SINSEMILLA
“Without seeds” in Spanish. These are the unpollinated female flowers we call buds or nuggets that don’t contain any seeds.
VIGOR
Some hybrids created from distinctly genetically different parents express quicker growth and increased hardiness and yields in their first generation (F1). This hybrid vigor, also known as heterosis, is how new varieties are created and discovered.
STORY by DAN VINKOVETSKY @DANNYDANKOHT/LEAF NATION P H O T O B Y E R I K C H R I ST I A N S E N @ E R I K . N U G S H O T S
“I honestly never focus on THC at all. I focus on the terps and the experience the plant could potentially produce.”
same year he did his first cross: a pairing of Fort Collins Cough with a Chemdog DD male (Chemdog x Sour Diesel IBL). While he felt like his pedigree was strong out the gate thanks to the people that helped him out in the first place, he did have to teach himself to be more selective in the breeding process. But he’d already been to Amsterdam Eventually, he realized less is more. years earlier in 2004 to link up with some “I was lucky to have access to the best friends he’d traded music with online, cuts from the get-go,” Lynch said. “Back where his friend Akko gave him a place then it was kind of more about who you to crash and an introduction to Holland. knew.” Many days Lynch would find himself at In the coming years, Lynch made the Amnesia – one of Ammove south to take Compound Genetics sterdam’s most famed to the next level, teaming up with Node coffeeshops and Labs and bringing in some folks to help on known for good Haze the business side, so he could focus on his – where he talked quest to keep finding the heat! And these to travellers from days – after bouncing around the cultivaaround the world as tion circles of Oregon to having people he enjoyed strains lined up for his latest creation down the like Lavender, MK block outside of Cookies – the trajectory Ultra, Cheese and remains solidly upward. the sorely-missed “It’s wild, wild,” Lynch said with a laugh. Nothern Lights Specifically on Cookies, he noted Bern#5 x Haze. er’s support was huge in helping to take Lynch notes Compound to the level it’s hit over the those cofpandemic. feeshops were Lynch went on to speak of his selection his first insight process these days, as the market contininto how professional weed ues to evolve. While many are very focused could be. The people running those shops on THC percentages, he’ll hear none of it. seemed like legitimate business people to “I honestly never focus on THC at all,” him. Eventually, he’d travel back to OreLynch said in his firmest reply of the chat. “I gon only further bit by the bug. focus on the terps and experience the plant The following years featured a could potentially produce. I’m worried significant step up in his collection about total potency – THC is important, of high-end genetics. He acquired a COMPOUND-GENETICS.COM but there is so much more going on in solid OG in 2007, which was also the @COMPOUND_GENETICS the terps.”
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CHRIS LYNCH | COMPOUND GENETICS In recent Cannabis times, few breeders have captured the imagination of the community like Compound Genetics’ founder Chris Lynch.
STORY by JIMI DEVINE @THEJIMIDEVINE for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by MICHAEL ROSATI @ROSATIPHOTOS
leafmagazines.com
Time after time since 2017, when discussing where the best Cannabis on the planet got its start, Compound Genetics would be a name synonymous with those conversations. But behind all the hype cuts and ‘next big thing’ is a guy who loves Cannabis. Lynch has spent much of the decades prior chasing down the world’s finest Cannabis flavors. Like many, his dealer taught him to grow – first dialing in his cultivation skills in Oregon at a house his dealer bought and built out. As the scene matured into dispensaries and warehouses in the early 2010s, Lynch was along for the ride. The warehouses of Portland were also the first places Lynch came to understand what exclusivity in Cannabis meant when chasing top dollar. “It was the power of genetics,” Lynch told Leaf Mag during our interview at his San Francisco basecamp. A lot of the cuts he was working with were the classics of the moment sourced from Humboldt County, Calif. – including Headband, a solid OG pheno he worked, plus some Afgooey and Super Skunk cuts in the mix, too.
the STRAINS issue
FIVE YEARS AGO, Runts was still just a candy spelled with an “s” – until Ray Bama and his partners sprouted an epiphany that sparked the kind of hype marketing managers only dream of. And from that time on, Bama’s partners Yung LB and Nick would be called the Runtz Crew. Leaf Nation’s Tom Bowers connected with Bama about the birth of the phenomenon that is Runtz, his thoughts on the future, and his word on what it takes to succeed in the strain game.
LET’S GET RIGHT TO IT. TELL ME THE RUNTZ SUPERHERO ORIGIN STORY. My partner, Nick, he’s the head grower. Pre 2017, our claim to fame was having indoor Zkittlez. At that point, people didn’t have indoor Zkittlez – it was a unicorn. Everyone was looking for what was next. Having packs of it was unheard of … Nick asked me, ‘What should I cross it with?’ Gelato was the biggest thing at that time, Young Dolph had just dropped the album called Gelato … I was like, ‘Let’s cross the Gelato with the indoor Zkittlez.’ Nick dropped two phenos, it was a #7 and a #3. We had them in the car and we were like, ‘This is the thing.’ It was like a 15-minute drive and by the end, we had Runtz with a ‘z.’ Emerald Cup was coming up and we had three pounds of it. Me and LB stayed up all night trimming three pounds before the Cup. Berner was there at the booth, looking at us like, ‘What are you guys doing? You have all these people at the booth!’ We showed up with five girls, the Runtz and 1,000 t-shirts. Literally, that shit sold so fast – everyone at the Cup was like, ‘You’ve got something going.’
“To make a legendary strain, it has to be something new.”
WHAT MAKES A LEGENDARY STRAIN OR PHENOTYPE? WHERE DOES THE MAGIC COME FROM? It has to be something new, right? First and foremost. You gotta go back to pre-Runtz, you know? Pre-Runtz, there weren’t that many strains – now there are a million. To make a legendary strain, it has to be something new. You have to have innovation. You have to dial it in. You have to check all the boxes. It’s gotta have flavor, the power. It has to be different, man – some type of characteristic that makes it different. Gelato is like hazelnut gas, you know what I mean? I feel like Runtz took it to a whole ‘nother level of candy – now you have people who go only for that candy, you know? At the end of the day, we’re probably looking at another five to 10 years of the market being dominated by Runtz and Runtz crosses, Runtz sisters and stepchildren.
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WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW THAT HAVE YOU THE MOST EXCITED? We’re doing collabs with clothing lines, record labels, artists – anything you can think of, really. We’re doing a collab with a comedian. We’re doing tastings with chefs. We have a breeding project with Seed Junky Genetics. We took the original Runtz and crossed it with some of the favorites of his line, like the Jealousy … He was like, ‘Hey, give me some cuts,” and he’s going to pollinate. His genetics library is crazy. We have a collab coming with Doja … we’re doing a breeding project as well with that. We’ll definitely have some merch and some media behind it as well.
RUNTZ.COM | @RUNTZ
RAY BAMA
RUNTZ MAR. 2022
DO YOU HAVE ANY PREDICTIONS FOR WHERE THE STRAIN MARKET MIGHT GO? I think we’re going to get a whole lot more Zkittlez crosses right now. I think that OGs are going to come back and we’re going to see a lot more green weed coming back. I think the market’s going back to a place where the end user is less trusting, so they’re going to want to see these breeding projects and how they do shit. I think that having real genetics and crosses is going to be important, rather than just ‘throw my name on the bag’ type of stuff. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SUCCEED IN THE STRAIN GAME? Everyone tries to copy what the next person does. To a certain extent, you can – but you have to be unique. You have to see what you can do to shake the industry. … With Runtz, we brought the power back to our group of people. We gave everyone the strain. … Build on that and continue to innovate and create … do new things with it.
STORY by TOM BOWERS @CANNABOMBTOM/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by MIKE ROSATI @ROSATIPHOTOS
GENETICS
In an industry dominated almost entirely by men, MzJill stands out as a Cannabis breeder with integrity, longevity and some of the tastiest, unique and potent strains on Earth.
J I L LY B E A N B L A C K C H E R RY
PHOTO BY @NATIVE_CULTIVATOR
“MzJill’s work with TGA created some iconic Cannabis strains such as Agent Orange, Brian Berry Cough, Orange Velvet, Ace of Spades and her flagship – the multiple awardwinning, Jilly Bean.” She’s working on bringing back some of the original classic TGA strains such as Vortex, Dairy Queen, Chernobyl and Time Wreck. She’s also particularly excited about her new line of stabilized Jilly Bean crosses including Cherry, Orange, Lime and Grape flavors. MZJILL.COM @MZJILL420
STORY by DAN VINKOVETSKY @DANNYDANKOHT/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by MZJILL GENETICS
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methods – building her own bubble buckets because she didn’t want to dispose of conspicuous bags of soil. Eventually, her medicinal needs and those of her patients drew MzJill to MzJill’s journey, like many pioneers breeding original strains and along of pot, began as a medical patient. with her partner, the late Subcool, She was born with scoliosis and only MzJill co-founded TGA (Team Green found real relief when she Avenger) in 2003. finally discovered CannaAlong with providing an bis. But that didn’t solve immense amount of free all of the problems for a cultivation information single mother of three young via online forums such as daughters during the throes overgrow.com, MzJill’s of pot prohibition, so she work with TGA created decided to homeschool her some iconic Cannabis kids and start growing her strains such as Agent Orown to avoid extra scrutiny ange, Brian Berry Cough, from buying medicine in the J I L LY B E A N Orange Velvet, Ace of @DIS_GREENROOM underground market. Spades and her flagship – She set up a discreetly the multiple award-winning, Jilly Bean. camouflaged, free-standing room in TGA became one of the first Amerithe garage and employed hydroponic can seed companies to provide beans
JOKER’S WILD
PHOTO BY @SHE_WHISPERS_TO_PLANTS
MZJILL
for purchase online and MzJill was certainly the first female from the U.S. openly breeding strains available in the marketplace. I inducted them into the High Times Seed Bank Hall of Fame and chose Jilly Bean as one of the Top 10 Strains of 2007. Together with Sub and the rest of the TGA team, they worked to breed potent and flavorful new varieties until a devastating fire destroyed everything they owned in 2017. MzJill decided to move on—parting ways with Subcool, starting up her own company (MzJill Genetics) and retaining the rights to use the TGA name and many of the strains she had helped to develop. “Thankfully, we had shared many of our mother plants with friends and I was able to recover the genetics,” she said. “CSI Humboldt was very helpful with strains such as Purple Urkle, which was a parent of our Querkle strain and now my Jilly Bean Grape as well.” MzJill also founded the charity MzJill’s People Helping People. Their work includes organizing holiday food, clothing and toy drives across Oregon and Northern California, fundraising for Veterans and children with disabilities, and empowering women in the Cannabis ecosystem. Even after decades of growing and breeding, MzJill still finds joy in cultivation and strain creation. Her advice to new growers? “Plant some seeds, keep everything clean and healthy to avoid pests. Mixing up a good soil is better than using bottled nutrients.” As for breeding, she emphasizes that it’s not just about crossing two elite strains. “Learn to grow well first. So many people have a room go hermaphroditic and suddenly, they’re a seed company. Make sure that you grow out and test your seeds before you release them. Take notes and keep track of everything.” As the owner and head breeder of MzJill Genetics, MzJill feels her journey is only just beginning.
the STRAINS issue
MARIO GUZMAN S HERBIN SK IS WHAT LED TO YOUR RECENT REALIZATION AROUND THE UNIQUE PROPERTIES OF THE CLASSIC ‘SKUNK’ PROFILE? I think being a dreamer and kind of a visionary, I bumped into some SoCal surf brothers who are also visionaries and we had dinner out one night and … we just formed a friendship. I liked what they were doing in terms of studying terpenes, but they were also investing heavily with their own money into licensed facilities – specifically to research terpene profiles and different cannabinoids. With federal laws prohibiting funding and creating a lot of barriers for research, it’s people like Max, Kevin and Jack that had the vision to put their money where their mouth is and know that there’s magic inside. They wanted to be part of the first ones to discover that and so did I.
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Mario Guzman is the legendary breeder behind some of the industry’s most groundbreaking strains, including the game-changing Sunset Sherbert, plus Gelato and its signature variants Bacio, Mochi and Acai Berry Gelato. We caught up with the man behind the Sherbinskis brand to learn more about his longtime passion for the plant.
HOW AND WHEN DID YOU GET INTO THE CANNABIS GAME? I was living in San Francisco in the early 2000s and SB420 was introduced in 2004 – it created a legal framework for guys like me to start growing in their garages. AT WHAT POINT DID YOUR FOCUS SHIFT TO BREEDING AND GENETICS? It kind of went hand in hand. From the very beginning I was playing with pollen and had been popping seeds, and I didn’t know anything about it really. I just learned quickly through trial and error. I never considered myself, or, even now really … the
MAR. 2022
term breeder … I just learned to accept it. I just enjoy working with plants and experimenting.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT FOR THE FUTURE? I’ve been working for the last four years just learning. I haven’t been out trying to make money in seeds or clones or anything. I’m just learning from people in Spain and different countries, and breeders and just people that get down and make seeds. We’ve got about 100 moms of different genetics that I’ve already tested two or three times. I’m confident that I’ve put in the work and I know what’s what, and I’m excited about starting to share some of the work I know I can stand behind that’s a lot more diverse than what we’re seeing out there in the market.
Sherbinski’s signature strains include Pink Panties, Sunset Sherbert and the Gelato line - Bacio, Mochi, Acaiberry and Gello.
WHAT’S THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF CREATING A NEW STRAIN? I would say time. It takes a lot of time and patience. Nothing happens fast in this game. From popping the seed to letting that grow out, to cutting the clone to flowering out that plant … drying it, trying it, sharing it, getting feedback … The people I’m partnering with and seeking out are just looking to get back to the quality. It’s not about the biggest buds or the biggest yields – it’s more about the different medicinal effects of these different genetics and opening up that gene pool a little more, rather than some of the narrow offerings that we’re seeing.
SHERBINKIS.COM @SHERBINSKI415
STORY by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by @VISITHOLLYWEED
DUKE DIAMOND Duke’s advice to new growers is to first dial in your environment – and go low and slow with the nutrients.
Duke Diamond’s Cannabis career started early, when at around the age of 12, he decided to grow his own after the first time he blazed on a joint. Even in the dark days of prohibition in Virginia, he felt safer growing it than buying it. He tells me, “I thought my chances of getting popped would be lower from laying low and not associ-
ating with a bunch of people. I planted some seeds and, luckily, my older cousins caught me, took me under their wings and pointed me in the right direction.” “I ordered a bunch of seeds from Amsterdam, specifically Afghani, Skunk and Northern Lights x Skunk, and they performed so well. Real ass-stomping stuff! The Hash Plants were big, heavy yielders that finished up before the fall rains came in. It was all received very well and we felt we could compete with California or anywhere else. We started making hybrids, doing our farmer shit to speed up flowering time, boost yields and make the best selections. Potency was always most important.” Duke was active on the online Cannabis growing forums, sharing valuable information and helping many people learn to grow and breed
DOMINION G
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P U R P L E DA H L I A
SCREAMING EAGLE
SEEDSHERENOW.COM @THEREALDUKEDIAMOND
STORY by DAN VINKOVETSKY @DANNYDANKOHT/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by DOMINION SEED COMPANY
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The South isn’t the first region people think of when talking about strains, yet many of the legendary varieties of the 1970s and ‘80s hailed from places like Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama and Virginia. To this day, tales of the Roadkill Skunk, Afghan, G-13 and Hash Plant strains light up the eyes of older tokers who swear it was the strongest they’ve ever smoked. A combination of proper climate, good genetics and outlaw gumption contributed to literally tons of marijuana growing in the hills each year.
their own. Eventually, in 2007, he was ratted on by an associate and busted by the DEA for growing, ultimately serving time in the Federal penitentiary. He ended up having to return to prison in 2019 over an unfortunate bust for possession of a firearm as a felon and was released in 2022 – now placing his focus on reviving Dominion Seed Company and releasing new genetics to the public. Varieties such as Figure Four, Screaming Eagle, Dominion Skunk, Skunkband, Burnout Chem, Sangria Punch, Polecat BX, Stashplant and more are now available for purchase. Duke’s advice to new growers is to first dial in your environment. Also, go low and slow with the nutrients. “When it comes to weed, everybody overdoes shit,” he says. “Don’t overwater. Even with organics – think of the microbes in your soil as your workers – they break the nutrients down into usable form, eating them and pooping them out. Focus on keeping them happy with proper moisture and temperature levels. Avoid using alfalfa and kelp after day 21 of flowering to keep your plants from tasting like grass clippings and burning improperly.” In addition to growing and breeding new strains, Duke has a few other projects in the works, including starting a podcast, putting out some YouTube videos to help growers learn organic cultivation and finishing writing his book – so you can look forward to consuming Duke’s work in more than just smokeable form.
the STRAINS issue LEAFMAGAZINES.COM
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GOING ON A PHENO HUNT COMPOUND GENETICS’ CHRIS LYNCH, THE COMPANY’S SELF-PROCLAIMED CHIEF EXECUTIVE WIZARD, TAKES US THROUGH GROWING AND SELECTING FOR THE BEST CANNABIS TRAITS.
MAR. 2022
After a monster 2021 where Compound Genetics picked up more steam than arguably anybody in Cannabis, 2022 looks to be even crazier. Last December saw one of its biggest seed drops at The Emerald Cup with the Apples and Bananas line. It was also the premiere of the flowers they’d been working to get to market after years of development. The star of the show for the flower launch was Jokerz #31. With all the heat they’ve found over the years and dynamic varying flavor profiles, the White Runtz x Jet Fuel Gelato pairing reigned supreme. It was first hunted down at one of the grows Compound works with to do big propagations they don’t have room for in San Francisco. In the two years since the pheno hunt that found Jokerz #31, it has been tested and retested – always continuing to be wildly exotic Cannabis.
THE WORK currently going into 2022 started long before the calendar hit January. Compound Genetics’ Founder Chris Lynch noted he has a lot of strains that are doing well in the market right now and he’s planning to work those Jokerz, Pave, and Apples and Bananas lines even further. “[We’re] incorporating new tricks, new profiles,” Lynch told the Leaf. “And then having the collaboration with Berner will help get those out there. He sees strength in the building blocks we’re working with too.” These efforts will require large scale pheno hunts to find the best versions of whatever Lynch comes up with. But what is a pheno hunt? Not all plants are the same, and a pheno hunt is about finding the best expressions of the seeds from the particular pairing of genetics. First, Compound will pop the seeds at a larger partner facility. In the process, they’ll take cuttings so they’ll have whatever ends up winning at the end. The second round will feature all the ones that are still in the running. In some cases, that number could be a few … in other instances, it might be 80 plants from 10 strains. That will whittle the number down further and they’ll run them again to make sure the first two weren’t a mistake. Maybe a little bit under a year from when the first seeds were popped, just how commercially viable the end results are should be evident. Just like parents can have a child that can slam dunk and one that can’t walk straight, not all the seeds are going to be a home run. The ultimate hope is finding a true outlier of the plant’s expression. Most of the seeds in the pheno hunt will lean towards one of the parents, but in the middle where it’s harder to decipher the characteristics, you can find the real magic and flavors you’ve never seen before. Outliers have the most differentiation from the expressions of the parents people are most familiar with. Compound Genetics works with a few partners to try and hunt down that magic – to the extent that Lynch’s title is Chief Executive Wizard. As for what he’s looking for, Lynch noted advice he received from MAC breeder, Capulator: “He told me, ‘Just do what you think is going to be hot and just follow your taste. And if people like it, they like it. And if they don’t, they don’t.’” One plan for the breeding work of 2022 is to move away from Gelatos. It’s not that it isn’t timeless, Lynch just wants to offer consumers new flavor profiles. When asked if he was ever concerned about the way hype moves certain strains, and how it could lead to narrowing down the genome, Lynch agreed. “We need to open it up,” he said. Another change for 2022 and the Compound Genetics team is their exposure to a higher level of scrutiny. The seeds have been heat for years and many have had success with the line, but with the flower they’ll have access to a much larger consumer base. “Where we’re at, we’re trying to move methodically, strategically,” Lynch said.
JOKERZ 99 #2
Just like parents can have a child that can slam dunk and one that can’t walk straight, not all the seeds are going to be a home run. The ultimate hope is finding a true outlier of the plant’s expression.
“Make sure everything is tested thoroughly in multiple runs and checks all the boxes. I anticipate the scrutiny, it comes with the game … take it slow, as long as you stay true to your core values and the things that got you where you are … don’t forget those things.” With the new flower line dropping, we mentioned that Lynch might have to tell some of the A-list rappers he’s been collaborating with like Berner from Cookies, Wiz Khalifa, and Quavo from Migos that he’s keeping the new family jewels. Lynch laughed at the sentiment, but didn’t deny it. Lynch currently has a few major projects in the works, on top of three planned seed drops this year. The first is California’s Wine Country – where one of the farms Compound works with is hunting down new males to help Lynch freshen thing up. Solid studs are a critical part of any genetics company and plenty have been built off of one good male over the years. Lynch hopes to collect a few rockstars with the traits he’s wanting to carry on into future generations of heaters. Back in San Francisco, the pollen is flying right now. This includes some Zkittlez crosses sure to get the universe excited. Lynch also plans on tapping into the genetics he fell in love with during his adventures in Amsterdam. This effort will feature a variety of Cheese crosses to keep an eye out for. 2022 will also see the Compound show hit the road. While people are already growing Lynch’s gear in every legal market, the plan is to personally bring the Jokerz #31 into a few new states – the first two markets being Florida and Michigan. COMPOUND-GENETICS.COM @COMPOUND_GENETICS
STORY by JIMI DEVINE @THEJIMIDEVINE for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by MIKE ROSATI @ROSATIPHOTOS
the STRAINS issue
GSC A balanced hybrid boasting a long-lasting high, GSC, formerly known as Girl Scout Cookies, is parent to a wide swath of popular pot strains. The unique flavors of vanilla and mint cookie dough, plus a light lavender scent, are passed onto the offspring resulting in many beloved crosses.
GELATO Gelato #33 a.k.a. Larry Bird, is a Bay Area Cookies/Sherbinski staple named for its sweet and creamy scent and flavor. This strain is relaxing yet uplifting, and those effects along with the bright orange hairs and unique frosty purple tint make it perfect for breeding new berry-flavored varieties with euphoric qualities.
L INE AGE / OG KUSH X DURBAN POISON F 1 DOMINANT TE RPE NE S / CARYOPHYL L E NE , MYRCE NE, LI MO N EN E PARE NT OF / SHE RBE RT, GMO COOKIE S, ORANGE CO O K I ES , D O - S I - D O S , B I RT H DAY CAK E, O R EO Z, GRE ASE MONKE Y, THIN MINT COOKIE S, PL ATINUM CO O K I ES
L I N E A G E / S U N S E T SHERBET X THIN M I NT C OOKIES D O M I N A N T T E R P E N ES / C A RYOP HYLLENE, LIM ONENE, HUM ULENE PA R E N T O F / R U N T Z , BI SC OTTI
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ZKITTLEZ
MODERN BREEDING STRAINS
Bred by 3rd Gen Family, Zkittlez burst onto the scene with a tropical punch of lemon, grapefruit and ice-creamesque bouquet. Anecdotal evidence shows the indica-dominant effects help treat PTSD and depression. As a forerunner of the Runtz line, Zkittlez’ legacy as a wellspring of wonderful weed is undoubted. LI N EAG E / ( G R APEFR U I T X G R APE APE) X MY S T ERY MALE D O MI N AN T T ER PEN ES / CARY O PH Y LLEN E, LI N ALO O L, H U MU LEN E PAR EN T O F / R U N T Z, W H I T E R U N T Z, MELO N AD E
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Cannabis breeding started thousands of years ago in Central Asia when seeds from the best plants were chosen every harvest year after year. The resulting plants spread throughout the world via human migration and eventually acclimated to different altitudes and environments. These became the original landrace Afghan, Indian, Southeast Asian, African and South American varieties used for flower and hash production over millennia.
IN THE U.S., crackdowns on imports of marijuana spurred aspiring farmers back home to plant their own seeds. Hippie travelers collected magic heirloom beans to bring home and used those plants, as well as various bagseeds, to create the original building blocks of the modern Cannabis gene pool including Skunk, Northern Lights and Haze. Further law enforcement operations forced a few enterprising bud breeders to the relative safety of Amsterdam, where the first seed companies were born in the 1980s using just a few distinct bedrock strains to create the hybrids that fueled the indoor growing revolution. The descendants of those strains became the building blocks of our present day poly-hybrids, but an ever-more-sophisticated clientele of connoisseurs, aficionados and medical patients demanded new and improved terpene profiles, flavor palates and potency levels. These days, a new breed of genetic material is being utilized to create flavorful strains for discerning palates and a marketplace constantly chasing the new heat. Whether gassy or fruity, the breeders of today are taking things to the extreme – making new and improved varieties using the following modern breeding strains.
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DO-SI-DOS This amazing indica-leaning strain from Archive Seed Bank has a calming effect and provides pain relief for people with migraines and nausea. Cannabis expert TH Caeczar describes the singular scent as “freshly baked lemon curd and mint pastry aroma with shortbread cookie undertones.” Do-Si-Dos and her descendents tend to pair well with a couch or bed. L INE AGE / OGKB CUT OF GSC X FACE OF F OG BX1 DOMINANT TE RPE NE S / L IMONE NE , CARYOPHYL L E N E, LI N ALO O L PARE NT OF / DOL ATO, PE ANUT BUTTE R BRE ATH, DOS I S H ER B ET, W H OA- S I - W H OAS
GG4 Bred by the late great Josie Wales of GG Strains, the awardwinning GG4 (formerly known as Gorilla Glue #4) tests at an astonishing 30% THC! The earthy and piney buds announce themselves with a pungent and tangy smell that fills the entire room. A few puffs of these greasy nuggets is perfect for light sleepers and insomniacs seeking a full night’s sleep. L INE AGE / ( SOUR D U B B X CH EM S I S ) X CH O CO LAT E D I ES EL DOMINANT TE RPE N ES / CARY O PH Y LLEN E, MY R CEN E, LI MO N EN E PARE NT OF / ZOOK I ES , G R EAS E MO N K EY
STORY by DAN VINKOVETSKY @DANNYDANKOHT/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by JUSTIN MCIVOR #JUSTINCANNABIS
PHOTO COURTESY ARCHIVE
FACE OFF OG Another Archive legend, this indica-dominant strain has been known to make beginner tokers dizzy, with a psychedelic power and a strong body buzz. The lime green nuggets sparkle like diamonds but it’s the unparalleled diesel fuel funk that make this such a prolific producer of prominent progeny.
LINEAGE / OG KUSH PHENO D O MI N A N T T E R P E N E S / M Y R C E N E , LI M ONENE, C A RYOP HYLLENE PA R E N T O F / D O - S I - D O S , A N I M A L M INTS, HELLRA I SER OG
WEDDING CAKE A powerhouse cross coming from the breeding wizards at Seed Junky Genetics, Wedding Cake a.k.a. Triangle Mints #23 or Pink Cookies, is an indica-dominant strain known for relaxation and appetite stimulation. A stunner when it emerged on the scene – so wildly popular it earned Leafly’s 2019 Strain of the Year – think movie marathons and well-stocked munchies when smoking on this tangy, creamy chronic. LI N EA G E / S E E D J U N K Y G E N E T I C S TRI A NGLE KUSH X A NI M A L M INTS D O MI N A N T T E R P E N E S / L I M O N E N E , M YRC ENE, C A RYOP HYLLENE PA R EN T OF / I C E C R E A M C A K E , W EDDING C RA SHER
TANGIE A multiple award-winner and breeding legend, Tangie from Crockett Family Farms tends to impart its citrus orange aroma and acidity on offspring. The effect tends to creep up on you but once it takes hold, Tangie supplies a blissful and euphoric impact. Sativa-dominant, with no ceiling to the buzz, you can keep smoking and continue getting higher. L I N E A G E / S K U N K # 1 X C A L I O R ANGE D O MI N A N T T E R P E N E S / M Y R C E N E, TERP I NOLENE, P I NENE PA R E N T O F / T R O P I C A N A C O O K I E S, FORBI DDEN FRUIT, P U TA NG
CHERRY PIE Another award-winning Cookie Family hybrid strain, Cherry Pie made its name in the Bay Area with an earthy-yet-sweet berry scent and flavor. The effect is uplifting and giggly, perfect for a day in the park with friends or a night out at a comedy club. Several noteworthy varieties inherited their strong genetics from this stalwart species. LINEA GE / GRA NDA DDY P URPL E X DURBAN POISON F 1 DOM INA NT TERP ENES / MYRCENE, CARYOPHYLLENE, PINENE PA RENT OF / FORBIDDEN FRUIT, BIRTHDAY CAKE, ANIMAL CAKE
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feature the STRAINS issue
HU MBOLDT SEED COMPANY
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Genetically Gifted If you don’t think fish and Cannabis share something in common, you haven’t met Nathaniel Pennington. Possessing an expertise seemingly perfectly suited for the wilds of Humboldt County, Pennington says his past career as a fisheries biologist is not at odds with his current role as the founder and CEO of Humboldt Seed Company.
Damian Marley’s new Cannabis brand, Evidence, purchased the site of an abandoned prison in Coalinga, California for their latest Cannabis grow — and filled it with 30,000 Humboldt Seed Company seedlings, yielding a productive harvest in Summer 2021.
MAR. 2022
“It's funny,” he observes, “because it makes perfect sense to everybody in Humboldt. There's this community that’s evolved here which is all about caring for the environment and for our ecosystems, and Cannabis was never, ever at odds with that. In fact, they went hand in hand.” But for outsiders, some may wonder how a fish-focused researcher became a leading provider of world-class Cannabis genetics, helped turn a prison into a legal grow site alongside reggae star Damien Marley, and still manages to devote plenty of focus to the local watersheds and environment that make Northern California a little slice of heaven on earth.
As a conservationist, Pennington was part of a successful effort to have endangered species protections put in place for salmon in Humboldt. Additionally, he was also heavily involved in a 2006 Klamath River dam removal deal – believed to be the world’s largest river restoration project to date. Though Pennington still holds several Board of Directors roles tied to his work with fish, by 2017 the impending enactment of California’s Prop 64 had inspired him to press the gas pedal on a Cannabis-focused venture he’d first sown the seeds for back in 2001. Struck by the idea that genomics – integral to his studies of salmon – would also be of major importance to Cannabis (especially in a legalized world), in 2001 Pennington headed down to Humboldt County’s courthouse and asked a clerk if there was any business registered as Humboldt Seed Company already. “They looked at the state record,” he says, “and there wasn't anything under that name, so I started one. It was like, ‘I'm growing seeds, but don't worry about which ones.’ You had to walk a fine line.” It was a line that became much easier to walk in the wake of California’s choice to legalize adult-use Cannabis sales in 2016. The following year, Pennington and his team began to plan for a pheno hunt of unprecedented scale. Based on advice from geneticists at UC Davis, Humboldt Seed Company was told that an ideal database on Cannabis genetics would include at least 10,000 plants from a diverse array of lineages. Part of Pennington’s motivation for this project was to create a sharable database of phenotypic information at a time when most Cannabis had become, in his words, akin to a mutt. “At this point, in Cannabis, there's almost no such thing as purebred,” he says. “If you were to compare it to dog breeding, everything in Cannabis is a mutt now. The difference is that you can't clone a dog, but you can clone Cannabis – so it doesn't matter as much if everything is genetically variable and mixed up. But to do actual breeding and to conduct breeding experiments that are repeatable, you need to be able to use more purebred lines.” To accomplish this monumental task, in 2018 Humboldt Seed Company found farms willing to collaborate with them – mostly in the Emerald Triangle, but also in Central California as well. In total, 10 farms participated on different levels, with six or seven cultivating hundreds – and in a few cases, thousands – of plants as part of the effort.
“We planted 10,000 plants throughout farms all over Central and Northern California,” Pennington recalls. “And then we curated a tour with a diverse group of industry professionals and Cannabis enthusiasts. We handed them all data sheets and iPads and everybody just walked around the fields. We did a fourday weekend and covered 6,000 of the 10,000 plants.” These annual pheno hunt tours have become a staple for Humboldt Seed Company, though Pennington acknowledges that things have been scaled back for the last two years due to pandemic concerns. Nonetheless, four years in, the results still yield some incredible surprises. For example: mint terpenes. “For 20 years,” Pennington says, “I didn't think Cannabis could smell like peppermint, but we recently got some seeds that had mint terpenes and it just shocked me.” Naturally, Pennington’s respect for the plants and animals of Humboldt also extends to the indig“An old prison that used to incarcerate people enous populations who have resided in who had grown, possessed or sold Cannabis the area since long is now the location for a massive grow. And before that name was they had a ton of success! The grow was just given to the region. unbelievably productive. If anything, they To that end, Humboldt Seed Company were like, ‘Holy shit. We don’t know if we’re has co-founded ready to process this much weed!’” the Nature Rights Nathaniel Pennington | Humboldt Seed Company Council (NRC): a Founder & CEO nonprofit led by members of local indigenous communities. Featured in the recent “An old prison that used to incarcerate documentary “Gather,” Pennington says he people who had grown, possessed or sold appreciates the extra attention the NRC has Cannabis is now the location for a massive enjoyed as a result of appearing in the film. grow,” he marvels. “And they had a ton of “They didn't exactly mention Humboldt success! The grow was just unbelievably Seed Company,” he laughs, “but we're not productive. If anything, they were like, 'Holy doing this to get mentioned. We're doing it shit. We don't know if we're ready to process to get the word out about Native American this much weed!'” culture and to get people talking about what It’s an exciting moment and one that we're going to lose if we just continue forging Pennington sees as even further proof that the ahead and not caring.” various spokes of his professional interests A similar sentiment inspired a recent effort are all undeniably connected. by Damian Marley’s new Cannabis brand, “Ultimately,” he says, “it’s about sowing Evidence, to buy an abandoned prison in the seeds of social justice however you can. Coalinga, Calif. and turn it into a grow Whether that means uplifting indigenous operation. Purchased for around $4 million, communities, protecting the land on which we Evidence co-founder Dan Dalton worked with all live, or working to reverse the pot-to-prison Humboldt Seed Company to secure 30,000 pipeline – it all comes from the same place.” seedlings, which were grown last summer. With part of the proceeds pledged to support the Last Prisoner Project, Pennington HUMBOLDTSEEDCOMPANY.COM describes the undertaking as one ripe with @THEHUMBOLDTSEEDCOMPANY irony – the good kind.
STORY by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for LEAF NATION | GARDEN PHOTOS by MIKE ROSATI @ROSATIPHOTOS | PRISON PHOTOS by KANDID KUSH @KANDIDKUSH
cooking with cannabis
10 slices | 5mg THC/slice
Her-sTORIC EATS
BUTTERMILK MARBLE CAKE Baking spray 6 tablespoons butter, softened 3 tablespoons canna-butter, softened 1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons 3 eggs, room temperature 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature 2 1/4 cups flour 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate 2 tablespoons melted butter, cooled 1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Heat oven to 340. Spray a 9-inch loaf pan, or butter and dust with flour. 2. In an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time and then mix on high speed for five minutes. Beat in the salt, vanilla, almond extract and baking powder. Add the flour, alternating with the milk, and ending with the flour. 3. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate in 10-second intervals until just melted. Add the remaining sugar and two tablespoons of hot water. Stir. Add one cup of the batter and stir until combined. 4. Pour the vanilla batter into the loaf pan. Top the vanilla batter with the chocolate batter. Drag a knife through the batter, distributing the chocolate throughout the pan. 5. Bake the cake for 60-70 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool before removing from the pan.
Serves 4 | 5mg THC/serving
SASSY SPRING ASPARAGUS SALAD
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1 pound asparagus, rinsed, patted dry and trimmed 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced Zest of 1/2 a fresh lemon, thin strips 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil 4 teaspoons Cannabis infused oil Juice of 1 lemon 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar Salt and pepper to taste
1. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus into long thin strips. Place the asparagus in a serving bowl with the sliced onion and lemon zest. 2. In a small bowl, whisk together the oils, lemon juice, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. 3. At serving time, pour the dressing into the serving bowl and toss to combine.
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R EC I P E S b y LAU RIE WOLF P HOTO b y B RUC E WOLF THIS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH seems more weighted than others. There’s quite a bit at stake here. Since food is my bailiwick, I have chosen recipes from three women chefs who have created change politically, socially and culturally. I don’t have a clue if any of these women enjoyed Cannabis … I am using my take on their recipes to make a dish hopefully worthy of their immeasurable talents.
I have actually had the pleasure of meeting all of them and Edna Lewis – the first Black woman to write a Southern cookbook using her own identity – was the caterer at my wedding. The recipe for her marble cake, which I had the opportunity to eat by her own hand, inspired this recipe. The raw shaved asparagus salad from Alice Waters is a dish I have been making for years. We have her to thank for the “farm to table” movement in this country. Through her wisdom, we were able to understand the
MAR. 2022
importance of eating seasonally and locally. Waters was not alone in this movement, but she has certainly had the greatest impact in my cooking world. I met Julia Child briefly, many years ago. She was instrumental in bringing French cuisine to America and she had a relaxed, fun style that made people feel comfortable in the kitchen. My dad didn’t cook much, but he learned to make her vichyssoise (usually served cold) and that got him a reputation in the neighborhood. He achieved other reputations, but no one wants to know – trust me. I infused these recipes with Cannabis I grew this past summer. Woman grown, the strain is J1 – a clone from a close friend who has sadly left the world of weed. Not the world, just the business … not necessarily a bad idea.
Serves 4 | 5mg THC/serving
VICHYSSOISE (POTATO LEEK SOUP) 1 1/2 tablespoons butter 4 teaspoons infused oil or butter 1 1/2 cups peeled, sliced russet potatoes 1 1/2 cups sliced leeks, well rinsed, white part only 1 quart chicken stock, vegetable stock is also fine 1/3 cup heavy cream Salt and pepper Sliced scallion or chives for garnish
1. In a medium soup pot, melt the butters. 2. Add the potatoes and leeks to the pot, stir and allow to cook gently, covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. Add the stock of your choice, along with heavy cream and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer uncovered until the vegetables are tender, 15-20 minutes. If the potatoes are hard, simmer gently for an additional few minutes. 4. Carefully pour half the contents into a blender and puree until smooth. Really smooth. Pour into the soup pot and blend the remaining half of the soup. Return to the soup pot. 5. If the soup is to be served cold, allow it to cool at room temperature and chill in the fridge overnight. If serving hot, heat through and serve garnished with scallions or chives.
the STRAINS issue edible of the month
SLATER CENTER
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CANNA BREW LEAFMAGAZINES.COM
PEPPERMINT COLD BREW A trendy edible with a strong minty kick! As Cannabis consumption becomes more openly accepted in everyday culture, we’re seeing more refined edibles appearing for the highly-educated community – including this Peppermint Cold Brew by the Thomas C. Slater Compassion Center in little Rhode Island. For those who may not be privy to the latest caffeinated innovations, cold brew coffee is usually made by steeping coffee in water for a number of hours at cold temperature, making it stronger and more concentrated. Add THC extract to this café confection and you have a winning combination of zingy and mellow, with psychoactive effects that are well-balanced. This particular canna-brew is spiked with a strong peppermint flavor, making it a good seasonal choice in the holiday and winter months. Peppermint is actually a hybrid blend of the watermint and spearmint plants said to improve the flow of bile in the stomach – helping with indigestion. With chemical components of limonene, beta-pinene and betacaryophyllene, peppermint is one of the most terpene-rich ingredients that can be used in edibles. This also makes it
MAR. 2022
incredibly potent and can be overpowering for those with a more muted palate – a warning to anyone who does not enjoy a strong minty kick. The packaging is quite interesting and rustic. An aluminum coffee canister with a child-proof “push and twist” top that could easily be refilled with your favorite drink and reused. This recycling ability is a wonderful added bonus and it’s really cool to see a dispensary product without a ton of unnecessary packaging. The effects of this liquid edible are fast-acting and strong. Typically, beverages will absorb in the body very quickly, which means that fewer and smaller doses are required to attain psychoactive and healing benefits. In fact, recent studies show that ingested water appears in plasma and blood cells as soon as five minutes after ingestion. My suggestion is to take the dosing very slow and listen to your body before increasing the amount. At 50mg of THC in each container, this is not the most potent edible, but the coffee and peppermint are other factors to consider. Pro tip: A splash of this product in a morning coffee is a great way to start your day.
“Spiked with a strong peppermint flavor, making it a good seasonal choice in the holiday and winter months." 50MG THC – 8.5 OUNCES FOR $15.00 TSC1 CORLISS ST, PROVIDENCE, RI (401) 274-1000 | SLATERCENTER.COM @SLATERCENTER_RI
REVIEW & PHOTO by BAILEY JONSON @BAILEYNUGGZ for NORTHEAST LEAF
TOPICAL OF THE MONTH
DREAM CATCHER HEMP FARM
CBD SALVE
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The scent is pleasant, subtle and predominantly vanilla. This happens to be one of my favorite flavors, so I was immediately drawn to it. You can really feel the quality of the ingredients, with a luxurious base of coconut oil and beeswax that is smooth and silky. The salve becomes heated upon contact with the body and applies very moist to the skin – almost like you are drinking it up. The product happens to be a great time saver as well, leaving little-to-no leftover residue and minimal waste. The use of mango butter is yet another benefit, as it is said to be softer than shea and cocoa butter because it contains more fatty acids, making it an intense moisturizer. It is also rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants – a powerful blend to ease dry skin conditions and slow down the degeneration of skin cells.
“This topical gives hippie vibes that are undoubtedly high end." DREAMCATCHERHEMPFARM.COM | @CBDFARMSTANDPVD 257 MAIN STREET, DUDLEY MA | 786-608-6769 500mg, $60 / 1000mg, $100 / 2000mg, $160 Ingredients: coconut oil, beeswax, vitamin E oil, sweet almond oil, sunflower seed oil, mango butter, jojoba oil, peppermint oil, tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, lavender, vanilla, comfrey oil, full spectrum CO2 CBD oil.
REVIEW & PHOTO by BAILEY JONSON @BAILEYNUGGZ for NORTHEAST LEAF
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Not much is more inspiring these days than this “mom and pop” operation on the East Coast, where Dream Catcher Hemp Farm is creating powerful topicals for the wellness seekers of the world. Smack dab in the middle of their CBD topical offerings I found just what I was looking for – 1,000mg – kind of like a Cannabis Goldilocks. They also offer 500mg all the way up to 2,000mg of CBD, so finding exactly what’s right for you can be a simple task. This topical gives hippie vibes that are undoubtedly high end. Packaged in a small, discrete glass jar with a metal screw top, it is perfect for traveling. A bold and cute dreamcatcher graphic is displayed prominently over an earthy brown label that could be an adorable addition to any make-up area or vanity table. It definitely looks fancy, yet grounded and unique.
concentrate of the month
THIRD SHIFT RESIN
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PINEAPPLE SUNDAE DRIVER Be sure to buckle up, because Pineapple Sundae Driver will take you for a ride you won’t soon forget. A newcomer to Maine’s recreational Cannabis market, Third Shift Resin is proving to be a welcome addition to the state’s burgeoning adult-use industry thanks to a focus on single source, whole plant, fresh frozen, farm-to-table solventless concentrates. Third Shift uses freshly harvested plants, which are processed by deep freezing the material immediately – resulting in a more complete preservation of terpenes. The buds are then washed with ice water and trichomes are collected using screened bags. The end product is then pressed into rosin. Third Shift Resin’s staff are true terp heads and the company is pulling out all the stops to set their products apart from the rest of the industry. Their packaging creates the feeling of receiving something valuable and even collectable. While many other Cannabis and concentrate producers use square boxes or clear jars, Third Shift employs circular boxes and black-out jars for their products. Clearly, the company knows how to stand out by
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including unique touches that appeal to the consumer. The Pineapple Sundae Driver is an in-house mix of strains that combines the complexity of their Hell’s Kitchen Kush and extra tutti-fruity Sundae Driver. Oozing with terps, this 90u live rosin reeks of melting grape candies and whipped cream, along with notes of citrus and gas. Consumed at low temp, this live rosin is otherworldly. After each dab, terps linger on your palate as the room fills with a pleasing potpourri aroma. As for the hash itself, it doesn’t get better than firstwash 90u (a highly desirable measurement for the size of the holes in the screening bags because it collects the resinous heads of trichomes). Third Shift’s Pineapple Sundae Driver is truly the crème de le crème and demonstrates the company’s top tier quality control. And if you combine it with just about anything it’s going to slap, thanks to a terpene profile so distinct you could pick it out in a lineup of 100 different varieties. Be sure to grab some of this if you come across it … you’ll thank me later.
“Oozing with terps, this 90u live rosin reeks of melting grape candies and whipped cream, along with notes of citrus and gas.“ THIRDSHIFTRESIN.COM @THIRDSHIFTRESIN
Available at: Indico Care, Above Board Cannabis, High Brow and Beach Boys in Maine
REVIEW by BOBBY NUGGZ @BOBBYNUGGZ_OFFICIAL for NORTHEAST LEAF | PHOTO by BAILEY JONSON @BAILEYNUGGZ
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WORLD OF Cannabis PRESENTS
The Original
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King of Cannabis
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Presenting the seedy saga of Nevil Schoenmakers— one of the most courageous, controversial and consequential Cannabis breeders in history. BORN TO BREED Born to Dutch parents in Perth, Australia on February 2, 1957, Nevil Martin Schoenmakers was a rebellious youth with a passion for biology and genetics – breeding parakeets as early as eight years old. He began smoking weed in high school and after graduating, started working in a university biology lab. There, he gained access to harder drugs – including morphine, to which he soon developed an addiction. After getting busted on drug charges, Schoenmakers first fled to Thailand, then on to live with an uncle in the Netherlands in 1976. It was there, while using Cannabis to help kick his heroin habit, that he discovered a copy of the legendary “Marijuana Growers Guide” (by Mel Frank and Ed Rosenthal) and was inspired to grow pot professionally. In 1980, he was approved for a business loan from the Dutch government designed to help recovering addicts, then used the money to set up a small commercial grow and started selling marijuana to the Dutch market. Only problem was, the strains he was growing – mostly from Nigerian, Colombian and Mexican seeds – weren’t very popular. So in 1983, he made the fateful decision to switch from selling weed to selling seeds and founded The Seed Bank of Holland.
MAR. 2022
In this never-before-published photo taken in 1985 near the Russian border in Hungary, Nevil first discovers the legendary “roadside ruderalis” plant he would later breed with other strains to shorten their flowering times.
THE SEED BANK OF HOLLAND In July 1984, Schoenmakers released the seed bank’s first “catalog” – a one-page listing of seed varieties offered for just 25 cents apiece. The following year, he took out a small classified ad in the back of High Times magazine where he offered American growers an opportunity to order the catalog for two dollars. Since he was only advertising the catalog rather than the seeds themselves, the ad didn’t violate any laws. For his business to be really successful, though, Nevil knew he needed to get his hands on better genetics. As fate would have it, some of the best Cannabis strains in the world were about to fall into his lap. In the summer of
1984, legendary Santa Cruz breeder “Skunkman Sam” Selgnij of Sacred Seeds traveled to Amsterdam, bringing with him over a quarter-million seeds of California’s best genetics, including Skunk #1, Cali Orange, Hindu Kush and Original Haze. Schoenmakers allegedly purchased half of Skunkman’s varieties, as well as a few other popular strains from West Coast growers (such as Northern Lights, Afghan #1 and Durban Poison). He also acquired a few landrace strains while adventuring in Asia, including the rare ruderalis species. It was from this dank, diverse gene pool – as well as his brilliant and ballsy entrepreneurial acumen – that Nevil would build his seed empire.
WORLD OF CANNABIS
Though a few other Dutch seed companies were operating at the time, none were brazen enough to mail seeds to America for cash and then brag about it in the pages of High Times.
The back of the 1987 Seed Bank of Holland catalog, featuring the infamous photo of Nevil in a room full of hashish—the same image later used on his wanted poster.
In September 1984, Schoenmakers purchased an old 18th century estate in the Dutch countryside, which he christened the “Cannabis Castle,” then proceeded to transform the property into a veritable seed factory – erecting greenhouses on the land and filling the catacombs beneath the mansion with grow rooms. By 1986 he was running display ads in both High Times and Sinsemilla Tips, offering the catalog for free and the seeds for $5 each. Soon, the Seed Bank was distributing hundreds of thousands of seeds globally and raking in millions of dollars a year. Nevil’s operation was so impressive that it drew the attention of High Times editor Steve Hager, who paid him a visit in 1986. In the now-infamous interview “Inside Cannabis Castle: The Man Who Would be King of Cannabis” (High Times, March 1987), Schoenmakers openly discussed his life, location and operations. Though a few other Dutch seed companies were operating at the time, none were brazen enough to mail seeds to America for cash and then brag about it in the pages of High Times. OPERATION GREEN MERCHANT Unfortunately, growers weren’t the only ones reading High Times and Sinsemilla Tips – it was no secret that the DEA were among the mags’ biggest subscribers. Seeing the numerous ads for growing equipment and Cannabis seeds in their pages, the Feds decided to build a case for criminal conspiracy between the pot publications, their advertisers and their customers. They started purchasing seeds from Nevil when his first ads ran in 1985; two years later, they launched the official investigation known as Operation Green Merchant.
In our November 2021 GREEN HOUSE & MR. NICE edition (“Sinsemilla Story”), we Though he’d escaped extradirecounted how OGM raided tion and prosecution, Nevil’s Sinsemilla Tips and dozens of days of shipping seeds to the horticulture shops across the U.S. were over and he was still country on “Black Thursday” under scrutiny by Interpol, so he in October 1989, but that was knew he needed to keep a lowonly half the story – the other er profile. Which is likely why, half of the investigation was during his stint in the Australian High Times news article about Nevil centered on shutting down the jail, he negotiated a deal to sell skipping bail (Nov. 1991). Holland Seed Bank. Luckily for his entire operation – the HolNevil, the Netherlands wouldn’t land Seed Bank and Cannabis extradite him for something that wasn’t considered Castle – to Ben Dronkers, who then merged it with a crime there. But in 1990, when he returned to his Sensi Seed Club to form the Sensi Seed Bank. Perth for the birth of his son, the authorities were Despite selling his business, Nevil kept on breedwaiting: On June 24, Australian police arrested ing – at first, working for the very company he used Schoenmakers on behalf of the to own. Then in 1994, he and fellow Aussie breedU.S. Government. Then, on July er Scott Blakey (aka Shantibaba) co-founded the 13, the Justice Department handed Green House Seed Company with Green House down a 44-count indictment with coffeeshop owner Arjan Roskam. Together, they potential for multiple life sentencdeveloped several Cannabis Cup-winning strains, es – charging him with the sale of including White Widow, Super Silver Haze, White marijuana seeds, as well as criminal Rhino, and his signature strain, Nevil’s Haze. But conspiracy to violate the Controlled as the decade drew to a close, a change in Dutch Substances Act. law outlawing the production of seeds – as well as Schoenmakers spent the next 11 conflicts of interest and egos – led Shantibaba and months in an Australian prison while Schoenmakers to sever ties with Arjan. his lawyers appealed his extradition After leaving the Greenhouse, the pair connect… until June 1991, when he was ed with infamous smuggler Howard Marks (a.k.a. unexpectedly granted bail, paid the Mr. Nice) to form Mr. Nice Seed Bank. Soon after, $100,000 and skipped town to the Shantibaba moved his operation to Switzerland safety of the Netherlands. while Nevil remained in the Netherlands, continuing his work under the radar and out of the spotlight. SEEDS OF BETRAYAL Of the 42 customers listed in Schoenmakers’ LONG LIVE THE KING indictment, only five were undercover agents … Around 2003, Schoenmakso how did the DEA get ahold of the names and er learned that the Justice addresses of the rest? Unfortunately, based on Department had dropped its rumors that have never been substantiated, Nevil case. With no more outstandaccused Skunkman Sam of being an undercover ing warrants against him, he DEA agent. But as it turned out, the snitch was acwas finally free to travel again. tually Nevil’s friend and business partner, Raymond He returned home to AustraAnthony Cogo. lia, where he settled in New Ray Cogo worked as one of the Seed Bank’s South Wales, dropped out of U.S. distributors from February 1988 until June the Cannabis scene entirely, and lived for over a 1989 – receiving bulk shipments of seeds from decade in relative seclusion. He resurfaced briefly in Nevil in Michigan, then mailing individual orders 2015 when it was announced that he’d joined the out to customers hidden inside soup cans. In a board of an Australian medical Cannabis compasworn affidavit to the DEA that didn’t surface until ny called AusCann. Sadly though, his Cannabis 2018, Cogo admits that despite Nevil’s explicit comeback would be short-lived: Two years after instructions to destroy all customer information being diagnosed with cancer, Nevil passed away on after shipping the orders, he nevertheless kept it March 30, 2019, at the age of 62. all. So when he got busted attempting to sneak Many of those who’ve worked with Schoenmakers hash to a friend in prison, Cogo cut a deal to over the years speak unfavorably of his character, save his own ass – turning over an alleged 360 and perhaps justifiably so. But opinions about his pages of the Seed Bank’s customer information personality aside, there’s no denying the tremento the DEA in June 1989. Four months later dous worldwide impact he had on Cannabis cultivacame Black Thursday, then the warrant for Nevils’ tion. Without Nevil and his Holland Seed Bank, arrest the following year. many of the strains we enjoy today might not exist. STO RY b y B O B BY B LAC K @ CAN N T H RO PO LO G Y fo r LEA F NAT IO N | M AI N P HOTO b y STEV E N CU RT I S
stoney baloney
WHEN VENOM IS COURSING THROUGH YOUR EMBROILED VEINS, it feels good to let out an exultant FUCK. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find any single word in the English language so versatile. Call us unrefined, but when you have such an effective expression – so interchangeable simply by the tone and cadence with which it is spit – why reach into that bag of expletives for anything else? With fuck as the signature example, swear words can be some of the most impactful of all expressions – the exemplary embodiment of absolute emotion. They are the sprinkles to your sentences. The punctuation to your pronouns. The gravy on your mashed potatoes. And when you study how we might’ve arrived at this era of artful articulation, it seems plausible that this breakthrough gained momentum when the 1940’s war children came of age a decade later. After having their mouths washed out with soap enough times in the cookie cutter order of row housing, they grew weary of the conservative austerity it took to defeat the Nazis, ready to adopt their rock and roll identity – ripe for a cultural rebellion. And rightfully accentuated by bad words in back alleys with cuffed jeans and cigarette-fueled observations. If you think about it, language is a peculiar vehicle for communicating. And since the advent of our grunts toward a more competent connection, shunned words have had a place on the periphery of the dictionary. And when it comes to the word fuck: Why would you insulate the most foolproof remark that pinpoints your fiery feelings, when it specifically flavors your fervor? Doesn’t it feel liberating to let it out… Just like a giant, breathy bong toke.
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