Nov. 2022 - Northeast Leaf

CLIFF NOTEZ - BOSTON MUSICIAN & ARTIST

MIKE

TOM

DANIEL

daniel@leafmagazines.com

MIKE

mikeg@leafmagazines.com

DAN

MICHAEL

MEGHAN

ABOUT THE COVER

There is nothing quite like the experience of visiting an outdoor Cannabis farm at their busiest time of year as they prepare to take down their harvest and celebrate months of hard work and true dedication.For this year’s Harvest Issue cover, freelance photographer Ross Singer captured the team behind Flowerhouse New York in Walden. Among its top strainsareSourDiesel,Gelato,King LouisOG,BlueberryDanish,OGKushBanana Breath,Zkittles,Gelato,Runtz,Piff,andChem. With30,000plants and 100,000 square feet of canopy space, this stunning spot might be the biggest — but our thanks go out to all the farms we were privileged to see this issue.

PHOTO by ROSS SINGER @SHUTTER_TO_THINK

Editor’s Note

Thanks for picking up the Harvest Issue of the Leaf!

The harvest season is one of reflection and gratitude for the bounties provided by Mother Nature, and there’s no better crop to be dankful for than Cannabis.

A century of prohibition put Americans out of touch with Cannabis as a plant, relegating it to the “dangerous drugs” pamphlets – complete with a simple leaf translating to a symbol as feared as Mr. Yuck. It’s easy to be scared of an idea – like a symbol for a harmful drug – but it’s a lot harder to be in fear of a plant. Seeing ganja growing in the sun takes away the stigma, for there’s nothing more natural or beautiful than leaves and chunky colas dancing in the wind to an invisible beat.

P

MIKE

BAILEY

DAN MCCARTHY,

SARA

BOBBY

LEXI

JEFF

JESSE

MIKE

ROSS

PACER

CHARLES TAGGART,

JAMIE VICTOR,

DAN VINKOVETSKY,

MARK WARD,

JERRY WHITING,

Cannabis is an agricultural product, grown on farms – with the same salt of the earth, soulful types who would otherwise be growing corn or soy – if only those plants had terpenes. My favorite part of the Harvest Issue is sharing the pride and hard work it takes to grow plants from spring until fall. There are few experiences more magical than standing amongst head-high Cannabis plants glistening with THC crystals and filling the air with a pot-pourri of terpenes which serenade the senses.

No wonder one of the neighbors to Washington state’s Treehawk Farms is trying to get the county to “Stop the Stink” each harvest season. We can only hope somebody gets that person a joint…

I hope that you enjoy this issue of the Leaf, and invite you to visit leafmagazines. com to check out all of our amazing issues. From an outdoor crop in Fairbanks, Alaska to the rolling hills of green in Southern Oregon and Northern California, and stretching all the way to the Northeast where outdoor crops race to beat the first frost, we have wonderful photos and stories of the farmers and the plants we all love. It’s like a nature special you can smoke!

And please do support an outdoor farm by purchasing sungrown Cannabis this winter – you’ll be surprised how the natural environment creates a unique and potent high that is perfect for the holidaze.

NORTHWEST LEAF / OREGON LEAF / ALASKA LEAF / MARYLAND LEAF / CALIFORNIA LEAF / NORTHEAST LEAF

“MY FAVORITE PART OF THE HARVEST ISSUE IS SHARING THE PRIDE AND HARD WORK IT TAKES TO GROW PLANTS FROM SPRING UNTIL FALL.”

BIDEN

SIMPLE POSSESSION CASES

HOUSE GOP OPPOSES LEGALIZATION

President Joe Biden in October pardoned all prior federal offenses of “simple possession” of marijuana. Biden also wants the government to look at rescheduling or descheduling weed.

Biden requested a review of how marijuana is scheduled under federal law from Attorney General Merrick Garland. The president also included Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in that request.

“As I often said during my campaign for President, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana,” Biden wrote. “Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit.

“Criminal records for marijuana possession have also imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” the President wrote. “And while white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people have been arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at disproportionate rates.”

MARIJUANA POURS

BUCKS INTO

A MAJOR GOP HOUSE CAUCUS in October released a “Family Policy Agenda” opposing federal marijuana legalization. The agenda tries to link pot use to suicide and violence. But the strident Cannabis criticism is leading to pushback even within the group, as staff for two members of the caucus said the lawmakers disagree with the prohibitionist rhetoric.

The 156-member Republican Study Committee (RSC) unveiled the agenda. It details 10 ideological principles and more than 80 legislative recommendations as its agenda. The stated goal is “to guide conservatives’ work to restore the American family.”

The committee includes nearly three-quarters of House GOP members.

VERMONT STARTS

21 + MARIJUANA SALES

VERMONT DISPENSARIES began selling Cannabis for adult use on October 1. But only three shops were ready to do so on opening weekend, reports the Associated Press.

Flora Cannabis in Middlebury, Mountain Girl Cannabis in Rutland and CeresMed in Burlington all opened to adult-use customers. The state licensed a fourth business to sell adult-use weed, but that shop wasn’t ready to do so yet.

A total of about 50 retailers prequalified for licensing. This comes about two years after legalization took effect without the governor’s signature. At that time, Vermont was the 11th state to legalize. But it was just the second state to legalize through the Legislature, rather than through popular vote.

HEALTH PANEL SAYS JAPAN SHOULD ALLOW MEDICAL CANNABIS

A HEALTH MINISTRY PANEL in October recommended Japan allow the importation and use of medical marijuana products.

The recommendation is based on medical needs, and to modernize Japan’s drug laws to conform with international standards, according to the committee. The panel wants to change the policy for Cannabis medicines when safety and effectiveness are confirmed.

Japan has harsh laws against non-medicinal use of marijuana. It should consider approving the import, manufacture and use of Cannabis medicines, subject to the same approval process as pharmaceuticals, the health ministry panel said.

MARIJUANA CULTURE IS QUICKLY BECOMING MAINSTREAM CULTURE

Americans broadly agree that the country’s marijuana laws need an update. According to polling conducted by Morning Consult/Politico just days before President Biden’s Oct. 6 marijuana pardons, 6 in 10 American voters said weed should be legal in the U.S.

That number rises to about 7 in 10 among voters under 45 (70 percent), Democrats (71 percent) and Black voters (72 percent). Even among the groups least likely to support legalizing marijuana – Republicans (47 percent) and voters 65 or over (45 percent) – almost half of respondents agreed. There’s no real divide across regions, either.

Public opinion has changed drastically on this issue in the past two decades. But getting skittish lawmakers to catch up with national savvy has not been easy when it comes to marijuana culture.

“Current laws ... do not reflect this sweeping bipartisan, universal support,” Five Thirty Eight reports. ”The legalization of marijuana puts a spotlight on the divide between Americans and politicians, namely Republican members of Congress.”

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NEW YORK ALLOWS PATIENTS TO GROW

Starting in October, New York medical marijuana patients are legally able to grow their own Cannabis at home. Lawmakers approved the legislation in late September.

Advocates say it allows more access to those who have chronic conditions or other ailments that qualify – especially low-income patients.

Patients can legally grow up to three mature female plants and three immature female plants. But the rules allow no more than 12 total plants per household.

“It is a big step forward for medical patients,” said Lyla Hunt. Hunt is the deputy director of public health for the New York State Office of Cannabis Management. ”We’ve seen real extreme interest from patients and designated caregivers to have the ability to cultivate Cannabis at home.”

STEVE ELLIOTT,

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced in October that the state would launch retail sales before the end of the year, as promised.

While some industry experts have begun questioning whether the state would meet its 2022 deadline for the start of retail sales, the governor assured New Yorkers that licensed retail shops would open their doors before the end of the year. Hochul also stated that 20 additional dispensaries would open each month after the launch of retail sales.

New York law mandates that the first retail shops are owned by people with Cannabis convictions on their record. This was done in an effort to give priority to those most impacted by marijuana prohibition. The window to apply for a Conditional Adult-

hile Cannabis consumption has never killed anyone, the legal Cannabis industry has, according to a report from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). That report references a worker at Trulieve’s Holyoke, Massachusetts facility who reportedly died after inhaling ground marijuana “dust.”

The worker, identified as 27-year-old Lorna McMurrey, inhaled the Cannabis dust while filling pre-rolled joints for Trulieve, according to the OSHA report.

While McMurrey died on January 7, her death wasn’t widely reported until late September, when The Young Jurks podcast covered the incident.

The OSHA report originally stated that, “The employee could not breathe and was killed due to the hazards of ground Cannabis dust.” However, the cause of death was ultimately removed from the OSHA report. While the organization did not provide a reason for the change, a spokesperson said the case remains open.

OSHA cited Trulieve for three violations and fined the company more than $35,000. Trulieve, a multistate operator based in Tallahassee, Florida, is contesting the violations.

In a statement, the company said, “OSHA conducted a thorough investigation of the Holyoke facility … PPE (personal protection equipment) was available onsite. They (OSHA) tested the air quality throughout the facility and the samples were all well below acceptable ranges.”

However, according to a Boston Globe report, Trulieve’s Holyoke facility had been under investigation by the state’s Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) at the time of McMurrey’s death. The ongoing investigation was launched by the CCC in the fall of 2021 due to complaints by the company’s workers.

Dave Bruneau, Lorna McMurrey’s stepfather, told the Globe that she asked him to “bring her respirators from his job as a mechanic” as “the air [at Trulieve] was full of dust.” Additionally, a former supervisor at the Holyoke facility told the Globe that workers were too afraid to raise safety concerns.

Nonetheless, the District Attorney for Hampden County told the paper that there will be no criminal investigation into the incident.

‘MARIJUANA DUST’ KILLS CANNABIS WORKER NY GOV: POT SALES START THIS YEAR

Use Recreational Dispensary (CAURD) license ran from August 25 through September 30. In that time, the state received more than 900 applications. However, as of October, regulators have yet to grant a single CAURD license. In fact, the state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) hasn’t even begun to review applications.

While some insiders are skeptical that the OCM is capable of reviewing 900 applications in time to grant licenses and allow businesses to open by the end of the year, Gov. Hochul is undeterred – insisting that the state is on track to meet its retail sales deadline.

Hochul has a great deal riding on Cannabis. After taking over for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Hochul got the state’s adult-use program (which had languished under Cuomo’s leadership) back on track. Now, facing a November election, the governor wants weed to be one of her signature issues.

Hochul recently told Syracuse.com, “I was given a lot of credit because within one week, I named people. I got things going. So, when I speak to people about being part of this industry, the first thing they say is ‘thank you.’ Because otherwise we could still be waiting and waiting and waiting, even for the most basic steps to be taken. So we’ve been moving along quickly.”

The governor certainly deserves credit for getting the adult-use rollout moving. Now the question is: Can she get it to the finish line?

Photo by Thought Catalog

NY Governor Kathy Hochul Photo from Wikimedia Commons

MARIJUANA MANIFEST DESTINY IN NEW JERSEY

The start of legal sales was largely a success in New Jersey. Industry officials say that supply has kept up with demand and that they have received few complaints from consumers. Despite the auspicious launch, a new report by Leafly warns that the state is well below 13 others when it comes to the number of adult-use shops based on population.

New Jersey launched adult-use retail sales on April 21, with 12 stores offering recreational Cannabis. The state now boasts 21 retail locations. However, all 21 shops that currently sell adult-use pot in New Jersey are owned by just a handful of multistate operators.

The Cannabis Regulatory Commission, which oversees the state’s marijuana industry, is currently reviewing more than 1,300 applications for Cannabis business licenses. However, it could take over a year for a newly-licensed business to start selling recreational Cannabis in New Jersey.

According to Leafly Senior Editor Bruce Barcott, that could be a problem.

“Nationally, New Jersey had the least stores per capita – and it wasn’t even close … We counted both adult-use and medical-only stores operating as of July 1, 2022, and New Jersey offered 0.3 stores per 100,000 people. The state is capturing only 20 percent, at most, of all Cannabis sales in its legal stores,” Barcott said.

This dearth of pot shops is important, according to Leafly’s report, because

of a correlation between “per-capita Cannabis store licenses and illicit marijuana sales.” Essentially, more retail locations lead to fewer black market sales.

“We found that the states with the most stores per capita had seen the most success in moving adult Cannabis consumers from the illicit market into the stateregulated legal market. … And the states with the least stores per capita had the least success in that migration,” Barcott said.

“That’s a concern for New Jersey, because we find that when you legalize the adult possession of Cannabis statewide, but don’t allow adults to purchase legally and locally, the illicit market flourishes … And those illicit market sellers don’t check IDs. They aren’t testing their products for potency and purity. They aren’t paying taxes. There’s no limits on where they sell, or how much they sell,” Barcott explained. In order for New Jersey to have a truly successful adult-use program, the state needs to open additional stores and fully serve the community.

VERMONT LAUNCHES RETAIL SALES

dult-use sales kicked off in Vermont on October 1. While the state legalized pot possession in 2018, the initial law did not allow for retail sales. However, in 2020, Vermont legislators expanded the law to create a regulated market. Now, two years later, Vermont has launched its retail sales program.

The start of adult-use sales was mostly positive. Long lines developed at the state’s three initial recreational shops, demonstrating a strong demand for the adult-use market in the state.

Vermont’s first dispensaries to move from medical to recreational pot sales were Mountain Girl Cannabis in Rutland, Flora Cannabis in Middlebury and Ceres Collaborative in South Burlington – and all enjoyed a successful opening.

While there were reports of shortages across the state, consumers were mostly positive about the start of sales. And retailers recognize that cultivators and processors will ramp up production to meet demand.

Three retail locations were licensed to sell recreational Cannabis at the start of sales. By mid-October, a fourth location – Green State Dispensary in Burlington – had opened its doors.

This year, the Green Mountain State is expected to sell $3 million to $5 million of adult-use Cannabis. However, industry experts anticipate Vermont’s recreational market growing to $120 million to $145 million by 2026, according to MJBiz Factbook. In just a year’s time, in 2023, the market is projected to generate $40 million to $65 million, which would represent remarkable growth.

Delays in licensing outdoor cultivators led to supply issues at the start of sales in Vermont. At the retail launch, the state had only six licensed manufacturers and just two testing labs.

However, the state plans to license additional cultivators and manufacturers to help meet demand. Additionally, 50 more retailers have prequalified for licenses, so the state will soon be better positioned to service consumers.

Photo by Jess Loiterton

Photo by 2H Media

MARIJUANA FEES

icensing fees for Cannabis businesses in Maine are vastly different from city to city, according to reporting done by the Press Herald.

While some jurisdictions like Manchester require a modest sum of roughly $100 a year for a license, others charge exorbitant rates – like Lebanon, where a business license will cost you $40,000 up front and $20,000 annually afterward.

According to the Press Herald, fees in Maine are all over the place and difficult to predict. Bangor charges just $217 while Sanford charges $22,500. Hallowell’s rate is a mere $250 while Windham wants $10,000, and so on.

Maine’s adult-use law allows individual jurisdictions to establish fees for opening a licensed recreational Cannabis shop, stating that the fees “must reasonably reflect the municipality’s costs associated with the license or permit procedure and enforcement.”

While most of the 60 towns and cities that have opted into the state’s legal market have set their fees in the $1,500 to $3,500 range, there is a great deal of variance.

Many municipalities claim their high licensing fees are necessary to offset the time-consuming and labor-intensive work that goes into permitting and inspecting businesses. Portland charges $10,000 for a Cannabis license and despite the cost, city officials say licenses are in high demand.

Maine’s adult-use market is slowly but steadily growing and the state hit its all-time monthly high in August, with $17 million in recreational sales.

So far, in 2022, the state has sold approximately $98.2 million of adult-use Cannabis, which brought in nearly $10 million in tax revenue. However, unlike other states that allow municipalities to share in the tax revenue, Maine directs all of the 10% excise tax on adult-use pot to the state’s General Fund –leaving nothing for the cities and towns hosting Cannabis businesses.

This has, in some cases, created hefty licensing fees as municipalities feel the need to cover any potential costs that come with Cannabis businesses.

Of course, allowing individual jurisdictions to set their own licensing fees can lead to Cannabis corruption, as we have seen play out in Massachusetts through host-community agreements and city impact fees, which the state has only begun to address.

High licensing fees can also prevent small-business owners and equity applicants from entering the industry.

In an effort to encourage municipalities to embrace adult-use pot businesses, and perhaps lower some licensing fees, Maine’s legislature passed a bill that will reimburse cities and towns up to $20,000 for costs connected with the Cannabis industry. The application window for jurisdictions to be reimbursed opened in September.

CHANCE FOR

IN

Connecticut’s Social Equity Council (SEC) announced it will allow seven companies to reapply for adult-use retail licenses in the wake of a lawsuit.

The SEC came under fire when 11 Cannabis business hopefuls sued after the council rejected their applications. The Cannabis companies felt regulators changed their own requirements for social equity approval midway through the application process and then would not allow them to adjust their application.

The SEC changed their rules to require that applicants prove that 65 percent of the business’s day-to-day ownership is under the control of a qualified social equity applicant. The Council also changed its technical definition of an owner. The SEC now defines an owner as someone who “exercises operational authority over daily affairs of the business, has the voting power to direct the management agents and policies, and receives the beneficial interests of the business.”

However, the companies suing the Council claim that the new rule was not adequately communicated and applicants were not given the opportunity to revise their paperwork.

At least two of the 11 companies that sued the SEC will now have another chance at receiving a rec sales license.

The previously rejected businesses have 10 days to resubmit their applications, this time clarifying the day-to-day ownership and control of the company. The SEC will then have 30 days to review the applications and decide which will be granted Social Equity Partner licenses.

Last month the SEC acknowledged that they hired the New York-based accounting firm CohnReznick to help them review applications. And while SEC regulators had the final say in who was accepted and who was rejected, council members did not go against the firm’s decisions. CohnReznick’s contract runs through the end of the year and is worth $600,000.

Photo by Cytonn Photography

Photo by Kindel Media

PARDONING POT CONVICTIONS

resident Biden recently announced his first major marijuana policy initiative. The president will use executive action to pardon all federal marijuana offenses for simple pot possession.

According to the president, “No one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana. Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time we right these wrongs.”

Biden also encouraged governors across the country to follow his lead and offer pot pardons in their states.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont is ahead of the curve on this issue. In fact, the state has been working on pardoning and expunging criminal Cannabis records for a year now. And, as you might expect, Lamont fully supports the president’s new pot policy.

In a tweet, Lamont wrote, “For decades, the criminalization of Cannabis has caused injustices and created disparities throughout our country while doing little to protect public health and safety. I applaud President Biden for recognizing this injustice and taking action today on a federal level.”

Gov. Lamont clearly recognizes the racial disparity at play during pot prohibition. “At its core, the war on Cannabis has been a war on people in Black and brown communities who have been targeted by these laws at far greater rates and whose lives have been impacted for the worse as a result,” Lamont said.

Connecticut’s adult-use law, championed by Gov. Lamont, automatically expunges pot-related convictions from offenders’ records, which, Lamont said, “will make a difference in the lives of impacted people and communities across our state.”

While federal pot pardons will help thousands of people get jobs and housing they might otherwise be denied with a Cannabis conviction on their record, the real power of expungement will be felt when governors across the country follow the president’s lead and pardon Cannabis crimes in their states.

hode Island regulators say the state is still on track to launch adult-use sales by the end of 2022.

The plan for Rhode Island is to open up recreational Cannabis sales through hybrid dispensaries beginning December 1. Businesses like the Thomas C. Slater Compassion Center in Providence are best positioned to kick off sales in the state. The Slater Center is currently allowed to dispense medicinal marijuana, meaning it is eligible by statute to apply for one of Rhode Island’s hybrid licenses.

The hybrid license application window is expected to open in October. Those applications will then be reviewed by the state’s Department of Business Regulation.

Photo by Kindel Media

REC SALES COMING TO RHODE ISLAND

“The Slater Center looks forward to the start of adult-use sales on Dec. 1 and we plan to submit our application to the Office of Cannabis Regulations as soon as it’s available,” Slater spokesperson Chris Riley said.

In addition to established medical dispensaries in Rhode Island, some businesses were selected by lottery to participate in the state’s adult-use program. The process dictates that those businesses, like Massachusettsbased Solar Cannabis Company, obtain a license to operate as a medicinal dispensary and once that is complete, apply for the state’s hybrid license –which will allow them to sell recreational pot.

However, Rhode Island won’t be dotted with adult-use pot shops like other states in the region. At least not at first.

Matthew Santacroce, the deputy director of the R.I. Department of Business Regulation, expects seven dispensaries to be operational by December in the Ocean State. He anticipates nine storefronts in operation by the spring of 2023.

Other officials believe the number of operational dispensaries across the state will ultimately be even greater, but much of that will depend on how many municipalities opt out of the Cannabis industry. Those that opt in will be rewarded with adult-use tax revenue. Cities and towns that host storefronts can collect a three-percent sales tax on marijuana sold in their jurisdiction.

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee signed the state’s long-anticipated adult-use bill into law on May 25, establishing retail sales and legalizing possession and home cultivation of Cannabis.

RI Governor Dan Mckee

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY

Ryan Hemnarine grew up in a normal New Jersey household. In his house, drinking alcohol was an acceptable pastime – but smoking weed wasn’t. Later in life he discovered that, while alcohol is widely accepted in American society, Cannabis is criminalized. It was this dou ble-standard that opened Ryan’s eyes to the hypocrisy of Cannabis prohibition.

“It blew my mind that one was so socially acceptable and the other was completely federally illegal,” Hemnarine told Northeast Leaf via Zoom.

Anson McManus, Justice Cannabis Company’s New Jersey Cultivation Manager, has helped provide free lessons on growing Cannabis.

The injustice created a passion in Hem narine to share the truth of Cannabis with more people, and it was with this goal in mind that he joined the first pilot class for the Minori ty Cannabis Academy. Now, he plans to use everything he learned about budtending and horticulture to spread the “good word” about Cannabis to others.

And Hemnarine is just one of the many indi viduals being positively impacted by the Minori ty Cannabis Academy – a nonprofit founded in 2021 with a mission to connect their communi ties to Cannabis opportunities.

PUTTING SOCIAL EQUITY INTO PRACTICE

In March 2021, Brendon Robinson and Stanley Okoro – friends since childhood and co founders of a Cannabis event company called 420NJEvents – hosted a marijuana masterclass for a company called Leafy Green Agency. Though the event went well, the two entrepre neurs noticed something that seemed odd: a dearth of Black and Brown faces.

The realization made the community discon nect clear.

“We’re just going, man, this would be really difficult for Black and Brown folks to break into this space,” said Robinson. “Whether it’s the financial costs associated with it, the business acumen required to get through it, the general knowledge of Cannabis.”

The conclusion they came to is that people lacked the necessary education – so Robinson registered Minority Cannabis Academy (MCA) as a nonprofit in early 2021 to try to help remedy that problem. His previous commercial banking experience and the pair’s excellent net working and social media skills brought funding for the project.

The MCA graduated its first class of 25 students in September. The Academy’s goal is to take advantage of the social equity at mosphere in New Jersey to help those most harmed by prohibition.

HOW TO TEACH A CLASS: NONPROFIT EDITION

In order to host a free class, MCA got cre ative with donations. Included among the spon sors of the first class were Cannabis-related companies Dutchie and Harmony Dispensary, who donated products and space. Dutchie pro vided a training version of their software and Harmony provided the space for two classes a week for eight weeks.

A few people also donated their Cannabis expertise to the project – one of whom was Anson McManus, who works for Justice Cannabis Company as their New Jersey Cultivation Manager. With the pilot pro gram consisting of two courses – budtending and horticulture – he brought expertise to the horticulture arena.

McManus got to know Robinson and Okoro through social media and after a while, they asked him to be part of a podcast episode about Cannabis growing. And when it came time to find an instructor of horticulture for the first class, McManus says he was convinced just by the idea.

“It would be hands-on, and it was going to be the best training program,” he explained. “It was going to be free for people that were, you know, traditionally negatively affected by Cannabis laws.”

As with so many Cannabis enthusiasts, Mc Manus has an activist streak and enjoys sharing his knowledge. “I didn’t feel like I had a choice,” McManus said. “I’m a part of that team.”

STARTING OVER IN THE CANNABIS SPACE

Julian Landron of Jersey City gained the dis tinction of having the best scores in MCA’s pilot class. He currently works as a financial analyst, but says he’s applying for a “class one” cultivation license in New Jersey. His interest in the Cannabis industry comes from his own experience.

“I personally have seen how [Cannabis] has had a great impact on helping me move for ward,” said Julian, who uses medical marijuana to help with anxiety issues. He sees his experi ence with MCA as a chance to move forward in making Cannabis a career and helping others.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to spread the good word,” said Julian. “To really try to edu cate others and inform everyone on the benefits of medicating.”

NEW CLASSES AND NEW PARTNERS

In addition to the classes provided by MCA, the goal is to provide career services so that graduates can go on to be employed in the in dustry. To that end, MCA has already announced a partnership with a company called EZHire Can nabis to provide job placement assistance.

Robinson told us that they are currently ramp ing up for their return in January.

“We already have budtending and cultivation in place,” Robinson said of their current course offerings. “In phase two, we’re going to add an entrepreneur course, an extraction and process ing course, and a medical Cannabis law course.”

Robinson said the biggest challenge for their continued success is keeping the classes funded –but with the connections made and successes thus far, you can expect to see much more from MCA in the future.

The MCA graduated its first class of 25 students in September. The Academy’s goal is to take advantage of the social equity atmosphere in New Jersey to help those most harmed by prohibition

MINORITYCANNABISACADEMY.ORG @MINORITYCANNABISACADEMY

HEMP INDUSTRY

GROW TIPS FOR HEMP PREP

>Glass

>Mason

Cheesecloth

CLIP & SAVE THISCOLUMN

AsI approach four years of writing this monthly hemp column for Leaf Nation, it occured to me that I’ve never written a DIY guide describing how to make hemp preparations. I’ve whined about the hemp industry, encouraged others to heed my advice and suggestions, and maybe even wasted your valuable time with my long-winded ramblings.

For the last 10 years I’ve made tinctures, topicals and other products out of hemp – and before that, medical Cannabis. Nerd that I am, I began by reading the science surrounding hemp, cannabinoids, extraction methods and the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). And by

science I mean original published scientific material, not some random website touting nonsense that isn’t true and doesn’t work.

So if you’re ready for some DIY hemp projects, keep the following information in mind:

If it works for pot, it works for hemp. And vice versa. If you know how to make medicated edibles, tinctures or topicals using Cannabis, the same techniques work using hemp.

Make a lot, not a little. If you’re making an edible, dosing can be a crap shoot. Make a lot of infused butter or oil, try a small amount, and

calibrate up or down from there. Hemp has 0.3% THC or less, so intoxication shouldn’t be how you judge your results.

Raw hemp has CBDA not CBD. CBDA is the acid form of CBD with its own positive effects. Most people want CBD. Heat converts CBDA to CBD through a process called decarboxylation (decarbing). Heat raw hemp in a covered glass casserole dish at 245º F for 45 minutes. Allow it to cool while still covered.

Oil or alcohol. Take your pick. Cannabinoids like CBG and CBD, as well as terpenes, are soluble in oil and alcohol but not water. Try using butter, olive oil, or coconut oil if you’re making something to eat. Oils except butter are the base for topicals like salves or lotions. Put the oil and hemp in a Mason jar and put the jar in a hot water bath. If you’re making a tincture, use vodka or Everclear as your solvent. Allow it to soak unheated, shaking daily for two weeks.

Hemp on the cheap. Fortunately hemp is less expensive than Cannabis. As hemp becomes more popular, it’s getting easier to find. Contact local hemp farms near you. Ask for lab results listing how much CBD and other compounds you’re buying. Remember: The nose knows. If you like the smell, you’ll probably enjoy the results.

Maximizing your results. Hemp is inexpensive compared to Cannabis. Don’t be shy, buy a lot and use a lot. Saturation is the whole point, so don’t be stingy. Fill a Mason jar one-third full of hemp and top it off with high-proof alcohol, shake daily, and strain after a few weeks. Personally, I do my cold infusions from New Moon to Full Moon.

Bonus tips: Before you decarb all of your hemp, set some aside. Add the raw hemp with its terpenes intact to the oil or alcohol to add flavor and aroma, much like finishing hops when brewing beer. The raw portion adds another dimension to what you create. Cannabutter? Try making cannaghee. Clarifying butter removes the milk solids and milk solids aren’t a solvent – so ditch ‘em!

Start small, keep notes and learn as you go. Once you master making your own hempbased preparations, don’t forget to share the results and the knowledge.

“ONCE YOU MASTER MAKING YOUR OWN HEMP-BASED PREPARATIONS, DON’T FORGET TO SHARE THE RESULTS AND THE KNOWLEDGE.”

Jerry Whiting

MassCann is eternally grateful to all of the vendors, sponsors, speakers, panelists, performers, volunteers, and attendees who participated in the 33rd Annual Boston Freedom Rally on September 17th, 2022!

WE ARE a volunteer-run, member-driven organization that relies on donations from the public to assist us in the creation of the Boston Freedom Rally each year as a free fundraising event on the Boston Common.

The selfless work of those volunteers and donors, in turn, enables our mission to reform cannabis laws in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts throughout the year.

Even though both medical and adult-use cannabis is now legal in our state, thanks to the tireless work of grassroots advocates dating back to the 1980s, there is work yet to be done to ensure equitable pathways to market access for those communities who were, for so long, disproportionately impacted by the drug war.

In furtherance of those strategic goals, and in solidarity, we extend our appreciation.

- The Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition (MassCann) Board of Directors

AVERYL ANDRADE, PRESIDENT LORNA MCCAFFERTY, CLERK SEAN PATTEN, TREASURER JENNIFER JULIEN GASKIN, CHAIR JENNIFER DUDLEY, PRESS SECRETARY LISA NAPERT, MEMBER LIAISON

Willie Nelson is one of the greatest country music artists of all time. His kind, gentle demeanor and easygoing sound have endeared him to millions upon millions of fans. You never hear anybody say anything bad about Willie Nelson. The legendary singer and guitar player turned 89 years old this year and for most of his adult life, he’s been hard at work trying to destigmatize Cannabis culture.

Nelson’s first experience smoking weed was in 1954 at a roadside bar near Fort Worth, Texas. He was 21 years old and a big drinker (whiskey being his choice) when he tried a joint given to him by a fellow musician – but it didn’t do anything for him. It wouldn’t be until six months later that Nelson finally figured out how to properly inhale the low-grade THC Cannabis of the 1950s.

“One night I did it right,” said Nelson. Thus began his love affair with the herb.

It wouldn’t be until 1971, however, that Nelson would finally put a reference to weed in a song.

It was a veiled reference (to a “green telephone”), of course, because at that time Cannabis usage – even in the outlaw country scene that Willie was a part of –was still a taboo subject. But as he continued to consume Cannabis,

Nelson began to realize not just the harmlessness of smoking pot, but the healing powers of the plant. An advocate was born.

The rest, as they say, is history. There’s the story of Willie smoking a joint on the roof of the White House, and of him attempting to do the same at the Texas Governor’s Mansion. And there’s all of the celebrities that have wanted to smoke with him, from Snoop Dogg to Toby Keith to Luke Wilson.

But Nelson wasn’t just content to live the celebrity life of the world’s most recognizable weed connoisseur – instead, he’s worked tirelessly since the late ‘70s to normalize the use of Cannabis. That’s been done primarily through his own serene personality and a sort of honesty whenever he’s asked about his use of the plant, not to mention his namesake brand of legal weed – Willie’s Reserve – which proudly adorns shelves of dispensaries across the U.S.

At almost 90 years old, Willie Nelson doesn’t smoke the herb as much these days, but he does still enjoy the benefits of Cannabis via edibles. And for all of us still smoking out there, we have people like Willie Nelson to thank for paving the way toward Cannabis freedom.

“THE

Nelson on the cover of Rolling Stone’s April 2019

IT’S GREAT to see your friends succeed, especially when you’ve shared similar passions for many years – which is why the team at Tower Three LLC really impressed me after I visited their state-of-the-art grow facility in Taunton, Massachusetts.

Growing veganic in 100% living soil, Tower Three is producing some truly high-grade flower that outshines the competition and positions them as a leading force for exotic flower cultivation in the state. Putting it to the test, I grabbed myself an eighth of their signature strain Half Pint #4. This cross of Horchata x Runtz is bred by WyEast Farms from Neptune Seed Bank – who is also the greenhand behind the strains Marshmallow OG, Trufflez and Terdz.

Seeing the plant growing is a real treat. The buds have gorgeous tones of pink and deep purple, which makes the plant look like something out of High Times in the ‘90s. Upon seeing the properly cured flower, it boasts an immaculate presentation and almost untouched appearance. It’s obvious

these cultivators are growing for quality, not quantity. It’s almost a shame to crack the nugs because each is a handtrimmed work of art – so much love and care is taken throughout the entire process.

Light-purple calyxes flow through dark-pine colors of green, intermeshed with deep-orange hairs. Half Pint’s tightly-packed nugs are dripping in huge resin heads. And while you’ll love breaking up and smoking this weed, make sure you have some rubbing alcohol ready for your fingers because they’re going to get sticky.

All types of funk jump out at you from this little jar. Breaking down the flower filled my entire house with dankness – picking up slight notes of cheese funk initially, along with the lovely and powerful scent of Sour Runtz.

This is a seductive bud. Every aspect of this strain is enjoyable to experience. I puffed on it all day long, which left me in a terp-coma by midday. I fully recommend sourcing Tower Three LLC flower from select dispensaries in Massachusetts if you’re looking for some of that serious zaza.

Sid Gupta, Linsay Villarreal and Barry Warman bring decades of experience to the largest legal Cannabis cultivation facility in New York State.

THE FIRST THING you notice at Flowerhouse New York’s upstate cultivation facility are rows of greenhouses tended by a team of happy grow ers. Perhaps this is due to the novelty of legally producing thousands of beautiful Cannabis plants within an hour or so of New York City, but I sus pect that there’s more. Many of the team worked on the farm that has existed here for decades growing herbs and ornamentals – making for an easy transition when the new owners took over to grow for the new recreational market in the Empire State.

THE PEOPLE

I sat down with co-founders Sid Gupta and Linsay Villarreal to learn more. A native New Yorker with years of experience running restaurants and nightclubs, Sid gravitated west years ago to found Pistilpoint cultivation in Portland, Oregon before helping to start up the massive Natura pot production “campus” in Sacramento, California. It was there that he met Linsay, who had pioneered the transition from legacy to medical and then into the legal world in Grass Valley and Monterey County – having helped build California Bud Company, Pacific Reserve and Guild Extracts.

“As a Latina with over 13 years of experience growing and creat ing SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for nurseries, harvesting and producing pre-rolls and more, I want to help empower women from all walks of life to enter and thrive in the legal Cannabis space,” explains Linsay. “Having been a bridge from the traditional market to the corporate one, I can guide others in how to navigate creating craft quality products at a large scale.”

I ask Sid about his choice to return to New York. “We worked hard to help change the law here and coming back home to the East Coast was a no-brainer for me,” he shares. “We want to focus on the brands and genetics that made a name for New York weed culture world wide and build a platform for New Yorkers to build East Coast brands. We want people that love the plant and love what they do – and it shows. Our focus is on producing quality smokeable flower. We see a huge market for high-end flower in New York and that’s why we’re called Flowerhouse.”

THE GROW

LOCATION Walden, NY

CANOPY SIZE 100,000+ square feet

PLANT COUNT 30,000

TEAM 40 full-time

KNOWN FOR Sour Diesel, Gelato, King Louis OG, Blueberry Danish, OG Kush Banana Breath, Zkittles, Gelato, Runtz, Piff, Chem

QUICK HIT

“We worked hard to help change the law here and coming back home to the East Coast was a no-brainer for me,” says co-founder Sid Gupta.

Upon touring the massive facility, one thing was obvious: Everyone working at Flowerhouse puts their heart and soul into the project. They’ve only been operating on the property for less than five months, and yet almost every greenhouse is full to the brim with healthy plants in various stages of life. They use light supplementation and deprivation techniques to insure a perpetual harvest of sungrown Cannabis flowers.

Along the way, Flowerhouse New York’s head grower and partner Barry Wardman explains the challenges. With over 22 years of growing experience in the legacy market, Barry sounds delighted to be producing pot legally and he’s practically giddy as he describes the different phenotypes and his strain-specific approach to largescale ganja gardening. | CONTINUES >>

FLOWERHOUSE NEW YORK

“GROWING IN GREENHOUSES in this region is a constant battle,” Barry tells me. “The biggest concern is always the environmental conditions, which can change rapidly and without warning. We’re experimenting with coco and soil as growing mediums while using drip irrigation, and we have to do some deleafing and limit watering during times of high humidity. It helps so much that we inherited some of the crew that was here before, especially our foreman Jorge, who’s been working on this property for over 26 years.”

I ask Barry about his two-hour commute from his home on Long Island and with a sigh he explains, “To do this near my home, legally, not having to look over our shoulders all the time … it’s the dream! I tell all my buddies that are still slogging it out in the underground that it’s time to rise up before they get left behind. I’d drive four hours each way to work here!”

THE HARVEST Flowerhouse New York employs multiple 40foot food-grade storage containers retrofitted specifically for Cannabis, with climate control

in the form of air conditioning and dehumidification with the intention of creating the highest quality flowers for true connoisseurs. “We can’t compete with the legacy growers or the product coming from out of state without growing the best genetics and then processing it properly,” Linsay explains. “Everything is hang-dried, hand-trimmed and cured to perfection. I ran the harvests at all of the com panies I’ve built and worked for, and I have a very specific goal: to create smokable flowers that patients and aficiona dos like myself enjoy consuming from start to finish.”

“Flowerhouse New York employs multiple 40foot food-grade storage containers retrofitted specifically for Cannabis, with climate control in the form of air conditioning and dehumidification with the intention of creating the highest quality flowers for true connoisseurs.”

Barry, Sid and Linsay

LINSAY’S CURING CLASS

We follow Food Grade GMP standards. It starts before harvest – when we remove all fan leaves from the plants as soon as we determine that they’re ripe. We also rely on science, along with expertise and intuition. We hang dry plants and branches for 10-14 days in cool dark rooms with humidity kept below 50%, and temperature between 65º-75º degrees tops – but as close to 65º as possible.

The curing starts while plants are still hanging – slowing down the process. We have a bucking team that’s separate from the trimmers. Once we test the moisture level to 12%, the bucking team takes the buds off the stalks and sorts them into “A, B or C” bins so that the trimmers don’t have to sort and can focus on just the dry-trim ming process.

Hand-trimming is so im portant! Our trimmers work over kief catchers and then the flower is binned up into environmentally-controlled storage. The airtight containers are “burped” automatically to let the gasses out and the flower is then tested and packaged. The A and B grades go into our eighths, while C goes to pre-rolls. Our pre-rolls are all whole flow er and no shake. Shake or “sugarleaf” goes to edibles and concentrates. We believe our attention to quality will set Flowerhouse New York apart.

How long have you been growing hemp at Dream Catcher Farm? This year will be our fourth harvest growing here on the farm.

What types of organic growing practices do you focus on to help maintain quality outdoor crops? What helps is us having the animals, so we have a lot of compost and a lot of natural additives that we can use. We also have bees on the property and we let a lot of the natural environment grow – instead of mowing and manicuring – so that nature can have a chance to work the way it is supposed to.

How can droughts affect local farmers such as yourself? How do you deal with low water conditions? The low water levels this year were honestly one of the toughest situations that we have faced throughout the couple years of us farming. It was worrisome to even water the field, because we have so many animals (and obviously ourselves) needing water to survive. So we definitely had to prioritize where we used our water this year. And the only real way around that is to dig a new well or a deeper well. So as a farmer, that’s kind of your only option.

IT’S A FAMILY BUSINESS for Dream Catcher Farm. We had the pleasure of visiting with owners Gian and Bryanna Rianucci right before harvest time to chat about all things outdoor growing.

catcher farm

As agriculturalists, what types of unique challenges do you face working under the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR)? The only thing that is really unfortunate about working under the MDAR is how far the people are being stretched through the state. There are literally two people running the entire program … And they don’t really have much say in the rules that are being made. So the only people that are coming in contact with these farmers directly don’t even really get a say. But they do make it very difficult for farmers to go from growing the product to making your own product, which is very unfortunate. There are a lot of rules and regulations that don’t necessarily work in the farmers’ favor, which is sad because being a farmer is already difficult enough.

Do you plan on breeding your own hemp strains? What do you look for when sourcing your hemp genetics to grow in New England? We have not experimented with breeding our own genetics yet, but as far as sourcing the hemp, it’s really just about finding someone that is passionate about it in the same way that you are – so you know you’re getting a quality start. And luckily the hemp industry people really look out for each other, so we have met a lot of great people along the way that have helped us become the success we are today.

Any tips or advice you’d give to local growers so that they can assure their own success? With farming you never know what you’re getting into that year weather-wise, rainwise or with water levels, so all we can really say is be prepared for anything and surround yourself with people that are educated in farming – so you have resources to go to when you do need help.

Where can Leaf readers find your hemp products to try for themselves? We have a retail store in Webster, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island. Products are also available at our café – Blackstone Herbs and Coffee Bar in Coventry, Rhode Island!

“Luckily the hemp industry people really look out for each other, so we have met a lot of great people along the way that have helped us become the success we are today.”

A

terpene house cooperative

IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT that you are a young family man who for nearly 20 years has chosen to make a living by growing a plant that has never harmed anyone in the history of the world – quite the opposite, in fact.

Cannabis has actually helped countless people and, during some eras, was even considered a sacred herb.

Despite all this you – a young family man – have been on the run for nearly six years because your garden was discovered by law enforcement by sheer coincidence (when an unrelated and far more insidious crime was being investigated). This is exactly what Doug Taylor of Terpene House Cooperative (THC) experienced in Maryland in 2009.

As Taylor explains, “There was a kidnapping and hostage situation in the area, you know ... a real crime. They were scaling buildings and were on rooftops and caught a whiff of my plants. That was the beginning of my time on the run, but I couldn’t just leave. I had a child to help raise and support, but I also couldn’t be found either – because how could I take care of my daughter then?”

So, Taylor stayed in the shadows like the criminal they made him out to be, avoiding those trying to take away his freedom for growing a plant at all costs. When they raided his grow house, which was rented specifically for that purpose, he was not there. What they found was 80 plants, which would trigger a

mandatory five-year minimum prison sentence under Maryland law at the time.

Taylor wasn’t facing this sentence because his plants posed a danger to society. Rather, this punishment would have been enforced because he was not wealthy enough to pursue licensing that would allow him to do the very same job, growing the very same plants others were making millions cultivating.

Fast forward two years and Taylor is still on the lam when he meets and immediately falls in love with the woman who would become his wife and cultivation partner, Nicole. Nicole was a recovering addict who was finding solace and sobriety with Cannabis. This relief from the grips of addiction gave Nicole an intense

desire to learn more about cultivation and the properties the plant possessed. Doug acted as her canna-mentor through this process and their love grew, as did the garden they shared. Soon came a time when the couple wished to sprout a family of their own. However, they knew that they would have absolutely no peace of mind doing so in a state that wanted Doug behind bars. In July of 2014, the couple decided to pack their bags and move to Rhode Island to start anew as legal caregivers.

The Rhode Island medical market gave Terpene House a good honest start in their caregiver program, but they always felt as if something was lacking. A small craft cultivator had no way of advancing without having first made a fortune elsewhere, or by selling out to a wealthy brand or investor. So, it looked

COUNT

mature flowering plants,

immature

TEAM

plants,

1 PT employee Nichole’s Brother Timothy Grim

KNOWN FOR Wizard Punch

MOTTO

“At Terpene House we love what we do, we love our Cannabis plants, and the most important part is that we be lieve in the plant and all of its miracles that can arise!”

like another migration was in order to insure THC was able to grow and flourish. The only question was, in what state could this cannacooperative adequately thrive? After some deliberation, the family decided to take Terpene House to Maine.

Maine seemed to have the legal infrastructure for a family-owned cannabusiness to really grow. For starters, unlike Rhode Island at the time, Maine was legal both recreationally and medicinally. Also, a family-oriented company like THC was able to have a home-based business that could provide a caregiver to dispensaries of their choosing. This structure proved to be a near-perfect fit for the duo and they haven’t looked back since.

Today, as a partnership, Terpene House Cooperative has 40 years of experience collectively. THC specializes in small batch craft Cannabis, rather than conforming to the general “more is better” school of thought that so many cultivators tend to adopt. The small batch craft model allows this mom-andpop to give the utmost care to each individual plant as the company grows into a beautifully budding brainchild. They think of each plant as a wonder that will perform its own miracles if treated with love and respect and given to the masses. Terpene House focuses on strong terpene profiles, in addition to potency, in order to give their patients the most relief possible. Popular strains like the Vanilla-Honey tasting and indica-dominant Wizard Punch test at 28% to 32% THC, and pack an abundance of euphoriainducing myrcene.

It’s always more of a struggle for mom-and-pop Cannabis businesses to open their doors. The unfair laws, regulations and fees are just not conducive to the family business model. Many try but fade away when their funds and spirit dry out from the daunting gauntlet that seems all too easy for owners with deep pockets currently taking over the market. Thankfully, Terpene House Cooperative has weathered its share of trials and tribulations, overcoming the odds stacked against them with their undoubted love and passion for the plant.

TERPENEHOUSELLC.COM

“They think of each plant as a wonder that will perform its own miracles if treated with love and respect and given to the masses.”

Above: Wizard Punch Below: Dave and Ann working in garden.

cannaprovisions

Since Massachusetts voters passed Question 4 in 2016, cultivators both old and new have taken advan tage of the state’s new home-grow law – with Cannabis becoming a popular crop to grow under the New England sun (or indoors in a killer tent setup).

But this summer, Greg “Chem Dog” Krzanowski – Can na Provisions’ storied Director of Cultivation for their proprietary Smash Hits Cannabis line and creator of the culture-defining Chemdog line of Cannabis strains – made available for the first time ever, clones straight from his grow in the Berkshires.

This, of course, made it the first time in U.S. history one could procure legitimate Chemdog genetics, grown by

Chem Dog himself, on the adult-use legal market.

A fact not lost on the throngs of early arrivals during the first clone drop, which quickly became a wraparound line flanking Canna Provisions’ Lee, Massachusetts location. The event became something of a celebration and ce lebrity-sighting for those keen on catching a glimpse of Chem Dog in real life.

For the lucky consumers who got in on the clone drops from over the summer, the crisp autumn air would now mean sticky fingers and trim-jail while the work is done on a home Smash Hits crop. As the season changes and weeks of growing lead to harvest time across the region, it also means local competitions.

Harvesttime this year will be historic thanks to the first-ever release of authentic Chem Dog grown genetics released for the adult-use market in Western Mass. over the summer and fall of 2022.

bursting with mint-cream and gassy funk notes – won at the recent Croptoberfest flower competition in Tolland, Massa chusetts in early October.

In addition to the new strains offered through the Smash Hits clone program – including Apple Fritter, Biscotti Mintz, Lemon OG Haze and Chocolate Peaches – the release of legit Chemdog genetics (including Krzanowski’s popular Chem 4 strain from 2006) all grown by Chem Dog himself, really got consumers buzzing around the region.

In Holyoke, two gentlemen in their 60s made the trek from New York City and even slept in their car to ensure they arrived before the clones sold out. In the Berkshires, Mack –a customer at Canna Provisions’ Lee shop and Great Barrington resident – showed up for the inaugural clone sales launch in June. “I’m here for Chemdog clones!” he told Northeast Leaf. “I’ve been smoking Chemdog a long time, and my favorite strain ever is Chem 4. This is historic. I had to come out.”

According to Canna Provisions COO and co-owner Erik Williams, he credits Chemdog’s flower as the reason he began consuming and seeking out kine bud in the ‘90s. “The fact that we decided to sell clones and provide those genetics to the legal adultuse homegrow market struck some as counter-intuitive to operating a Cannabis cultivation and retail brand, in a general business sense,” he says, noting that he and CEO Meg Sanders had more than a few people call them crazy – especially after seeing legit Chemdog-grown strains were available at Canna Provisions stores in Lee and Holyoke.

LOCATION

Western Massachusetts

CANOPY SIZE

Tier II Indoor Tier II Outdoor

But Williams says he and his team under stand that, just as people will still go to a store to get a wide variety of produce to enjoy at home, it’s hard to beat the experience of getting a homegrown San Marzano tomato or remarkably-sized cucumber nourished to comical levels, from a gifted grower’s home garden. The same goes for growing Cannabis, and now that legal clones are in circulation, a whole new gen eration of green thumbs are being born every clone drop.

PLANT COUNT 2209 Plants (Veg/Flower) 1730 Plants (Immature)

TEAM 23 FULLTIME 2 PART TIME

KNOWN FOR The Original Chem 91, Chem S1, Chem 4 Chem D x Vintage Afghani, Da Funk, California Raisins, Hippie Slayer, Chem D

MOTTO

“We run on fuelAll gas no brakes!”

“We are proud to lead by example and really embrace the spirit and intention of legalization –which is freedom,” Williams says.

For Krzanowski, the release of his genetics to help home growers try their hand at the process and profession he has been in love with and sacrificed for (and has the federal record to prove it) represents a full-circle moment.

“The Chem D x Vintage Afghani is a real special strain, and ours leans to that old-school funk and power the Afghani brings with the gassy notes and strong high that my Chem D is famous for,” Chem Dog explains while checking out the activity in his grow. “Our drop of those clones in October 2022 was the first time in history I’ve made that line available from a grow I ran,” he adds, glancing at a mother plant over the bridge of his glasses like a professor inspect ing ancient texts for hidden lessons. “It’s a real special moment for me.”

“We are proud to lead by example and really embrace the spirit and intention of legalization –which is freedom.”

CANNA PROVISIONS COO & CO-OWNER ERIK WILLIAMS

Greg “Chem Dog” Krzanowski checking out some flower.

Guava’Nana Live Rosin

PAMOLAB’S Guava’Nana took home the first place prize at Portland’s Second Annual Hash Bash. And the competition – limited to solventless live rosin hash – was fierce. Several of the judges felt it was the best tasting group of concentrates they had ever sampled.

The Guava’Nana live rosin was from a batch of flower cultivated by Ganjaberry, a medical craft Cannabis wholesale grower in Maine who specializes in fruity-tasting Cannabis cultivation –before it was processed by Pamolab.

The grower and processor closely collab orated on the project, contemplating the optimal terpene profile before deciding on Guava’Nana, a mix of Guava Pie and Banana Punch strains.

As one of Maine’s top licensed concen trate makers, Pamo lab serves some 200 licensed medical and recreational Cannabis cultivators, as well as small craft Cannabis wholesale growers in the state. If it comes from Pamolab, it will be a high-quality product.

Pamolab takes great pride in offering the very best when it comes to making clean and quality extracts. They offer wholesale growers a variety of extraction services, including sugar, shatter, bad der, casserole tech, diamond tech and live resin. The company even guarantees that pes ticides and mold contamination won’t be found in their products.

PAMOLAB.ME @PAMOLAB GANJABERRY.CO @GANJABERRYY

This was some of the best tasting live rosin I’ve ever had – low-temp flavors with sweet, fruity hints that reminded me of eating dried banana slices with mixed-berry hard candies. And the sweetness continued to linger long after the exhale.

An evening vape of this concentrate is highly recommended, as it produced a very happy, up lifting effect after just a few low-temp rips. The high is heavy but not overwhelming, making it ideal for watching a movie or hanging out at home. If that’s not a good fit for you, I would also recommend the Guava’Nana for concerts or get-togethers with family and friends.

Find Pamolab and Ganjaberry products at the House of Hash, and in many great medical dispensaries in Southern Maine.

RANDY RHODES Pamolabs’ COO and chief scientist.

a

with

together.

work

YES WE

topper

WE

Cranberries, tasty and tart, are also super healthy – rich in both anti-inflammatory properties and considerable vitamins and minerals. They are a fruit native to this country and are quite versatile, making their appearance in salads, dips, stuffings, drinks and desserts. And occasionally, they make an appearance in a jello mold … although I am not sure anybody actually eats them. This season, I am infusing food and drink with Applegate Valley Oregon’s Cherry Pie. It’s a delightful strain that I puff a bit when recipe testing – a hybrid with notes of pine and fruit, cherry in particular. It’s kind of a sweet and sour cherry pie vibe, and I love it.

PUMPKIN BREAD

Makestwo1/2cups|1/4cupperserving 5mgTHCeach

coarsely

fresh cranberries cut in half

apple, washed, seeded and chopped

tablespoons cilantro, chopped

teaspoons canna-oil

teaspoon orange zest

orange, peeled and chopped

7.

the

into two small

each about seven inches. Cut dough into wedges and place on the prepared baking sheet. Don’t worry if the wedges are not exactly the same size. Brush each scone with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until the scones are light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

and pork – and you can use it as a

for apples and pears, or

pita

tablespoons honey

1. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients.

and place in the fridge for at least four hours.

The Guru of Ganja

PLANTING THE SEEDS

Born in the Bronx on December 2, 1944, Edward Rosenthal had a “very unhappy” childhood growing up in a “typical dysfunctional family of the ‘50s era.” As an escape, he developed a passion for horticulture that would later become his life’s work.

Though he doesn’t specifically recall the first time he smoked marijuana, he knows he was around 21.

“I first started in 1966,” he said in a 1984 interview with High Times. “I bought a lid and smoked it with my college roommate … and I remember thinking, ‘This is the greatest thing that’s ever happened in my life.’”

Soon after, he bought some fluorescent lights, planted a few seeds he found in some Mexican weed, and started growing his own smoke in a spare room of his apartment.

THE YIPPIES

In 1967, Rosenthal dropped out of college and moved to the East Village to become a hippie and immerse himself in the city’s thriving counterculture.

“I went to a ‘Be-In’ in Central Park, and Abbie Hoffman was onstage. He jumped down, started handing out acid. He put a tab on my tongue, and I swallowed it and went through a really powerful, horrible experience,” Rosenthal recounted to HT. “After that, I never suffered from serious dysfunctional depression again.”

Around the same time, he fatefully encountered another soon-to-be Yippie activist icon.

“One day, I walked out of my apartment and noticed there was a march going on. I said, ‘What’s it about?’

And they said, ‘This guy has been arrested for selling acid and taken to the federal building.’ I thought, ‘Well, that’s a good thing to march for.’”

The person who’d been arrested was Dana Beal. After his release, Beal befriended Rosenthal and recruited him into the Yippies. It was through Dana and the Yippies that Rosenthal met pot smuggler

Tom Forcade in 1971. The two quickly sparked a friendship, and one day while getting high together, they came up with a brilliant idea.

“Tom, a fellow by the name of Ron Lichty and myself were all living in a collective down on 11th Street,” he recounts. “We were all part of the Underground Press Syndicate, and we had a bit of money in that organization, so we decided to start a magazine, and that magazine became High Times.”

Unfortunately though, Rosenthal was never credited as a cofounder, because shortly after coming up with the idea, a questionable acquaintance convinced Forcade to threaten Rosenthal and throw him out.

“There was a friend of Tom’s that was working undercover for the government,” Ed alleges. “He tried to destroy the magazine, and he’s the one who split us apart.”

LIZZY COZZI

Ed Rosenthal has authored (or co-authored) nearly 20 books on Cannabis which have collectively sold over 2 million copies. The eccentric cultivator, activist and educator is also credited with discovering Durban Poison and cofounding both High Times magazine and Amsterdam’s Hash, Marihuana and Hemp Museum. It’s no wonder he’s come to be known as “the guru of ganja.”

Rosenthal speaking at a rally in Madison, Wisc. during the 1990s.

THE GROWERS GUIDE

Thankfully, Rosenthal didn’t need HT to establish himself as an expert in Cannabis cultivation.

In 1971, he began building and selling small greenhouses, and in an attempt to get free promotion in their “New York Flyer” supplement, pitched Rolling Stone an article about growing pot. As it happens, another cultivator named Mel Frank had beat him to the punch. After Rolling Stones’ editors arranged a meeting with Frank, Rosenthal suggested that they collaborate on a book. Though reluctant at first, Rosenthal’s persistence eventually persuaded Frank.

As part of their research, they met with Dr. Carlton Turner of the University of Mississippi’s Marijuana Research Project – the only legally-sanctioned Cannabis farm in America. Turner provided them access to recently-published scientific papers on pot, which they then used – along with their own knowledge of horticulture – to produce the first comprehensive textbook on Cannabis cultivation: “The Marijuana Growers’ Guide.”

The first edition of their groundbreaking grow manual was published in 1974, and by 1978 an updated edition of the book was reviewed by the New York Times. Thanks to that review, the book sold over 1 million copies – informing and inspiring a generation of ganja growers, and establishing Frank and Rosenthal as America’s leading authorities on Cannabis cultivation.

HIGH TIMES

MARIJUANA MUSEUM

In 1985, Rosenthal flew out to Amsterdam to connect with other leading breeders and growers – including Wernard Bruining, Old Ed Holloway, Skunkman Sam and Nevil Schoenmakers. While there, he was contracted by two coffeeshop-owning Dutch brothers to curate the first international Cannabis museum.

“They’d put together this whole museum – it was only missing one thing: the exhibits. They needed somebody who could fill it in three weeks, so I put together a team, worked 16 hours a day, and got it done.”

In 1987, Rosenthal’s friend Ben Dronkers purchased that project, rebranding it as Sensi Seeds’ Hash, Marijuana, and Hemp Museum. (A few years later, Dronkers also bought the Holland Seed Bank from Schoenmakers, who Rosenthal had introduced him to.)

Forcade’s suicide in 1978,

That same year, Rosenthal helped organize and judge the first-ever Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam. After Forcade’s suicide in 1978, Rosenthal had been welcomed back into the HT family as a regular contributor. In 1983, he premiered his monthly grow advice column “Ask Ed,” which became the longest-running column in the magazine’s history – that is, until 2000, when it was discontinued due to a legal dispute between Rosenthal and the magazine’s owners.

The trust Forcade had set up to fund the magazine stipulated that in the year 2000, ownership of the magazine would be passed to “loyal employees” who’d been with the company for 10 years or more (Rosenthal claims it was five years, but other accounts say 10). Rosenthal believed he qualified to receive shares in the company, but the trustees disagreed – claiming that he was merely a freelancer, rather than an employee. As a result, he filed a lawsuit against the company to obtain the shares he felt he was owed—a suit which he ultimately lost.

UNITED STATES v. ROSENTHAL Unfortunately, Rosenthal would end up back in court a couple of years later: like many other Cannabis cultivators and activists, he found himself in the crosshairs of the DEA when, on February 12, 2002, federal agents raided his home and nursery in Oakland.

With attorneys in his “wizard of weed” robe outside the courthouse (2007).

“It was six in the morning, and there was banging at the door. Since I sleep naked, I went down naked to see what was happening … so they knew I was unarmed,” he jokes.

Rosenthal was charged with the cultivation of over 100 plants, but the irony was that the city had legally permitted his garden; in 1999, he’d been appointed an “Officer of the City of Oakland” – deputized to grow those plants for various medical marijuana clubs around the Bay Area. Although it was a nonprofit grow that had the blessing of the city and was legal under Prop 215, his lawyers were prohibited from presenting any of that information to the jury because the case was federal – and therefore state law didn’t apply.

Recognizing that the trial was a farce, Ed employed classic Yippie theatrics by wearing a “wizard of weed” costume into court. These tactics helped draw national media attention and sway public opinion about medical marijuana. Nevertheless, without a viable medical defense, he was convicted in 2003. After the trial, when the jurors learned about the mitigating circumstances, most of them recanted their verdict and begged for his forgiveness.

“They felt terrible,” Rosenthal says. “At my sentencing, 10 of the jurors gave a news conference saying that they were duped by the judge. That was the first time in American history that ever happened, to my knowledge.”

Capitulating to social pressure, Judge Charles Breyer sentenced Rosenthal to just one day in jail, time served. Three years later, after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned his conviction on a technicality, the U.S. Attorney’s office decided to re-indict him – instigating a second trial in May 2007, presided over by the same judge. Once again, he was prohibited from mounting a medical defense and was convicted.

“I was found guilty again, but I had already done my time, so after the verdict I just walked out. They’d given me a day, and I had done 36 hours, so they still owe me 12 hours,” he jokes.

GIVING BACK

At age 77, Rosenthal is at the peak of his prestige. He’s won numerous lifetime achievement awards and continues to make appearances at Cannabis events around the world. His latest project is the Million Marijuana Seed Giveaway – doling out free seeds of different cultivars he and his friends have bred in an effort to encourage his fans to become pheno hunters. Some of those free seeds are included in the “Prisoners of Weed” book packs for sale on his website, with 10 percent of the proceeds going to the Last Prisoner Project. So far, the packs have raised over $6,000 for pot POWs.

Prepping some seeds to include in one of his Prisoner of Weed book bundles.

“I didn’t have to do time after I was raided … but there are still people out there doing time for a plant many are profiting on now, and that’s wrong,” Rosenthal recently told HT. “We need to change that – yesterday.”

To read the full, unabridged version of this story and listen to the interview on our podcast, visit worldofcannabis.museum/cannthropology.

“The Marijuana Grower’s

informed and inspired a generation of ganja growers, and established Frank and Rosenthal as America’s leading authorities on Cannabis cultivation.

Ed (right) with fellow growers Soma, Wernard Bruining, and Old Ed Holloway in Amsterdam circa 1985.

Ed (right) with fellow growers Soma, Wernard Bruining, and Old Ed Holloway in Amsterdam circa 1985.

THE MOMENT YOUR AUTOMOBILE DOORS are shut with the driveshaft engaged, the contest is underway. Regardless of who is behind the wheel of other vehicles competing for space on the road, your primary objective is to circumvent them to save precious minutes while en route to your destination. And although the unidentified drivers against whom you jockey for position are often good people in your own neighborhood, they have now become faceless adversaries crowding the track.

Like the butts of cigarettes, courtesies are flicked out the window.

And there’s no surprise that this daily race causes tension. Because traffic is a drain on your fragile psyche. And you are not proud of who you become in these moments of frustration when it turns you into a triggered bitch.

You see, we all have a threshold of tolerance that, when crossed, causes a discomforting level of anxiety and stress – fueling the impatience and adding to life’s pressures. And because there is no immediate resolve, you learn to live with the strangulation while building a resentment that weighs on you like an addict’s regret.

You blame the other drivers. “Oh, if only those idiots hadn’t dug themselves into that inescapable cavern of debt like I did.” There’s the mortgage, the auto loan, the kids, the boob job – all the shit you have on autopay that prevents you from turning right out of the driveway instead of left. It’s the right turn that leaves the city toward a tropical paradise … far, far away from the giant magnet that tugs you into the grind.

Fortunately, Cannabis improves your perception. One small toke from a vape pen makes the speakers speak, the seat heaters glow, and the engine vibrate comfortably for the most optimal enjoyment during your relaxed commute.

You are quite aware that it is against the law to drive stoned.

Thank God for Visine.