NORTHEAST
CANNABIS PRE-ROLLS WHOLE FLAVOR. NO TRIM,
NO SHAKE.
PREMIUM CANNABIS PRE-ROLLS
INTRODUCING
EXTREMELY TASTY & POTENT
Whole bud flower is infused with a proprietary process that combined diamonds, natural botanical terpenes and pure kief all contained within the pre-roll to produce a potent flavor explosion and high THC content for that desired Lift o or couch lock without the mess and burn of a traditional pre-roll.
WES ABNEY CEO & FOUNDER wes@leafmagazines.com
MIKE RICKER OPERATING PARTNER ricker@leafmagazines.com
TOM BOWERS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER tom@leafmagazines.com
DANIEL BERMAN CREATIVE DIRECTOR daniel@leafmagazines.com
TERPODACTYL MEDIA CONTENT DIRECTOR amanda@leafmagazines.com
MIKE GIANAKOS ONLINE EDITOR mikeg@leafmagazines.com
KAYL WOHL COPY EDITOR kayl@leafmagazines.com
MICHAEL CZERHONIAK ADVERTISING SALES michael@leafmagazines.com
PAIGE RICHARDS ADVERTISING SALES paige@leafmagazines.com
WES ABNEY ABOUT THE COVER
Every year, the Northeast Leaf team and our trusty contributors have the unique opportunity to explore Cannabis being grown on a large scale - showcasing how Cannabis quality can continue at even the biggest numbers. From our cover stars Upward Organics to the intrepid crews of Art & Craft Cannabis, and Picnic, this special issue highlights how Cannabis is created from seed to sale — the process that enables all of us to consume our Cannabis safely and, ideally, with a copy of Northeast Leaf in hand.
PHOTO BY MAINE CANNA MEDIA
@MAINECANNAMEDIA
CONTRIBUTORS
WES ABNEY, NATIONAL NEWS
ADHDDEAD, FEATURES
DANIEL BERMAN, DESIGN
BOBBY BLACK, FEATURES
MICHAEL BLICKSTEIN, REVIEWS
JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION
TOM BOWERS, FEATURES
IAN COLLINS, PHOTOS
NICK EVANS, FEATURES
REX HILSINGER, FEATURE
MATT JACKSON, FEATURES
JAKE KERN, FEATURES
MAINE CANNA MEDIA, PHOTOS
LEXI PADUSSIS, SALES
MIKE RICKER, FEATURES
BRIAN SANNER, FEATURES + PHOTOS
TERPODACTYL MEDIA, FEATURES + PHOTOS
JAMIE VICTOR, DESIGN
BRUCE WOLF, PHOTOS
LAURIE WOLF, RECIPES
Editor’s Note
I write this note not knowing who will be the new president of our principled country, but I stand in full support of the elected President of our democratic republic who will work to address the systemic issues in our institutions. America is surely the greatest country in history, a nation founded on the ideals of freedom here and around the world. Yet, we have much work to do to ensure our fundamental rights.
The pursuit of the American dream rings clear around the world because this is the land of freedom and prosperity, which is symbolized by the legalization movement. There is no cause greater than fighting for the sick, the oppressed, and the natural world, and our movement is composed of these elements that have risen like a seedling out of a concrete crack. As we look ahead to 2025 and beyond, those fighting for survival in the Cannabis industry need more of this prosperity to land in the industry’s hands, and not in the endless tax coffers. We need to fight to be treated equally, as promised in our enshrined Constitution and Bill of Rights, where the pursuit of happiness and freedom go hand in hand with consuming Cannabis.
Weed might seem legal where you are reading this, but current laws enforce policies restricting gun rights, parental rights, and social service access for Cannabis users, all while over-taxation and overt censorship of Cannabis on social media make it clear that there is a narrative and an agenda against our plant and our community — and that’s on a good day. We aren’t far from a scenario where the fact-checkers turn on Cannabis and label the types of stories the Leaf has been publishing since 2010 as “misinformation.”
"WHY IS THERE A WAR AGAINST OUR MEDICINE AND NATURAL PLANTS?"
We live in a bubble in our legal states, and it’s easy to forget that a third of our country still faces criminal prosecution for possession of Cannabis. Our community makes light of drug laws surrounding psychedelics, but we sadly ignore that people are going to prison every day for these healing medicines, especially when used to treat ailments that big pharma has a chokehold on, like PTSD and depression.
Why is there a war against our medicine and natural plants? Because it threatens the pharmaceutical and military-industrial complex that dominates our society, and therefore the world. These forces market food full of ingredients and additives that are illegal in the EU and Canada, advertise alcohol and antidepressants, and push pro-consumption media that promotes pills to fix health issues. They do not, however, recommend exercise, natural medicines, dietary changes or spending time in nature with clean air and grounding, because there is no profit in that advice. Would a plant do well in this type of environment? No wonder America’s health is declining!
We are creators of targeted, independent Cannabis journalism. Please email us to discuss advertising in the next issue of Northeast Leaf Magazine. We do not sell stories or coverage. We can offer design services and guidance on promoting your company’s medicinal, recreational, commercial or industrial Cannabis business, product or event within our magazine and on our website, LeafMagazines.com. Email paige@leafmagazines.com to start advertising with Northeast Leaf!
Exclusive Cannabis Journalism
When I started the Leaf, weed was illegal. Consuming Cannabis, especially as medicine, was an act of defiance that opened consciousness to the lies of the system. The problematic criminal justice system that has locked up our community for 100 years became alarmingly apparent during this era of Cannabis enlightenment. Today I fear that awakening is lost as people legally choose the highest potency products to numb their minds. The defiance of using weed to open minds to promote health, well-being and healing has less impact now than the founding principles that legal Cannabis valued.
I’ve always believed that Cannabis is a tool that could change the world, but it must be used as a tool for conscious growth. I still believe that Cannabis can change the world, but I’m convinced more than ever that it will take a great spiritual awakening to unite us and break free from the current zeitgeist that has divided Americans. Now is the time to fight against division, censorship, authoritarianism and mass media manipulation. We know the truth about our plant medicines, and we must hold that truth and guard it carefully. Just like the Truffula trees in Dr. Seuss’s “The Lorax,” we must nurture the plant medicines that are connected to our spirits, our community and our health, and preserve them for a future that benefits all people, plants and animals.
NORTHWEST LEAF / OREGON LEAF / ALASKA LEAF / MARYLAND LEAF / CALIFORNIA LEAF / NORTHEAST LEAF / UTAH LEAF
SINGAPORE EXECUTES FOURTH PERSON IN 2024 FOR POSSESSION OF DRUGS
The island nation of Singapore, which has the strictest drug laws in the world, has executed a 64-year-old man for trafficking 36.93 grams of heroin.
“Flights into the country feature normal landing announcements, and a quick reminder that “drug trafficking may be punishable by death.”
While most countries in the world are reapproaching the issues of drugs and criminal penalties by focusing on rehabilitation and decriminalization, Singapore maintains the death penalty for anyone caught with drugs, regardless of intent to sell. A person found with 15 grams of heroin, 30 grams of cocaine, 250 grams of meth or 500 grams of Cannabis is subject to death by hanging if convicted. Only a handful of countries maintain these types of drug laws, including North Korea and Iran, where trafficking large amounts of illegal narcotics is punishable by death.
Flights into the country feature normal landing announcements, and a quick reminder that “drug trafficking may be punishable by death.” Citizens can also be drug tested by authorities if it’s believed they’ve consumed drugs, making personal freedoms regarding drugs nonexistent even when traveling.
CNN interviewed Kannon K. Shanmugam, Singapore’s Minister for Home Affairs and Law, who defended his country’s drug policies, where 40 inmates are awaiting hanging on death row. “Look around the world,” Shanmugam told CNN. “Any time there has been a certain laxity in the approach to drugs, homicides go up. Killings, torture, kidnappings … that goes up.”
Life in a Singaporean prison is tough. Prisoners sleep on small floor mats, aren’t allowed furniture and are fed through a slot on the bottom of the door. In the hot tropical climate, there’s no forgiveness from heat or humidity, and as Shanmugam said, “We choose to make it harsh.”
As the world watches the United States for cues on drug policy, federal legalization could bring respite to drug prisoners not just here, but overseas as well. Until the war on drugs is ended globally, victims will continue to struggle for rights, including the right to live after making a mistake. For Shanmugam, the fight against drugs is “a fight you never say you’ve won.”
ARKANSAS SUPREME COURT REJECTS LEGALIZATION MEASURE
TW0 WEEKS BEFORE ELECTION
Astunning blow to legalization efforts in Arkansas was landed after the state Supreme Court ruled that the ballot initiative expanding medical Cannabis was too vague.
What’s unclear to voters is why the measure, which would have expanded access to doctors, added new conditions and allowed medical cards to last three years, was a threat to the justices’ views on Cannabis. The AP reported that in a “4-3 decision, the justices ruled the measure did not fully inform voters that it would have stripped the Legislature’s ability to change the 2016 constitutional amendment that legalized medical marijuana in the state.”
“The measure also included a controversial amendment that would have legalized recreational Cannabis up to an ounce.”
The measure also included a controversial amendment that would have legalized recreational Cannabis up to an ounce, if Cannabis became legal under federal law. Arkansas voters declined to legalize recreational Cannabis in 2022, and this issue is still up for debate among the ironically named Natural State residents.
While the state currently maintains a limited medical Cannabis program, there are no plans to legalize adult use or expand medical access for patients. By adding in the legalization caveat and restricting the Legislature’s ability to modify the rules, the ballot was “doomed… and plainly misleading,” according to Justice Shawn Womack. Those hoping for legalization will have to return to the initiative process to bring freedom to Arkansas in 2026.
B40%
The percentage of all drug arrests made for Cannabis in more than a dozen states in 2023.
66%
The percentage of polled voters who supported Florida legalization bid last month.
2
It took two to tangle over a garbage bag full of weed, which led to one person shot and both arrested in Wilmington, Delaware.
220
HIP HOP ICON SNOOP DOGG REPORTS WEATHER
ON TODAY SHOW, HIGH CHANCE OF CANNABIS FORECASTED
eloved rapper and stoner cultural icon Snoop Dogg dropped by the Today show last month to deliver a weather update laced with Cannabis jokes.
While the forecasts for Mary Jane Falls, Nevada, were clearly a joke, the overall message was that people are smoking Cannabis all over the country and that it’s as normal as the daily weather.
“...my favorite is when it’s nice, hot and misty outside, 84 degrees in Blunt, South Dakota,” Snoop said in the clip”
“Al, it’s 57 degrees in Mary Jane Falls, Nevada? And then I heard it’s gonna be 56 degrees in Stoner, Colorado. But my favorite is when it’s nice, hot and misty outside, 84 degrees in Blunt, South Dakota,” Snoop said in the clip, which is available on YouTube. While things are staying hot in Roach, Missouri, according to Snoop, the real buzz is that weed continues to make ground in popular culture and at the ballot box.
The amount in pounds of Cannabis an errant flock of sheep ate this summer, prompting weird behavior on the Thessaly, Greece farm.
200,306
The number of Americans arrested for Cannabis in 2023, according to FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data released last month.
“This is just evidence that the Legislature is completely impotent when it comes to taking this thing [legalization] on and doing this legislatively. They are unwilling to do the hard work because they don’t want the smell of the devil’s lettuce on them.”
-Former state Sen. Jeff Brandes, a St. Petersburg, Florida Republican, who told Politico that “he believes that at least half of Republican lawmakers support Amendment 3 [to legalize Cannabis] privately even though they publicly oppose it.”
LOCALLY
At Airo, we thrive on local partnerships rooted in quality and consistency. Together, we’re driving innovation and delivering premium cannabis experiences nationwide.
CURRENTLY IN 25 MARKETS AND GROWING
Jon Boley & Carrie Strope
"Succulent Fire" | 2024
THIS AMAZING joining of artistic evolutions highlights what happens when two artists truly complement each other's styles, skills and strengths.
Carrie’s dedication to the consistency of the flower builds is magical; the blending of the colorways creates a literal and realistic feel that keeps the eye looking for the next detail. Jon’s ability to create something functional yet still make it a canvas to showcase an internal vision is always a shining light in his compositions. I think the artists put it best in their own words.
“This one really turned out amazing, and I worked hard to keep it organic, purposefully off-balancing the flowers in different areas and canting the face slightly. This series represents how art and inspiration can take over our worlds, engulfing us within it,” said Jon, a.k.a Shaggy.
“I clustered 136 of Carrie’s freeze-cast flowers on top of one of my bottle vase pipes, leaving the fitting and mouthpiece slightly exposed to show how the pipe world is slowly emerging into the art world. For many years in our community, we have been hidden and looked down upon. Happily, over the years, we have begun to be accepted by the world as a whole.”
“I began working with glass in 2005, starting with soft glass at the furnace and a kiln-forming class in Napa, California,” Carrie said. “This collaborative piece with Jon is something I’m particularly proud of. It combines both of our aesthetics and skill sets: my expertise in color mixing and kiln forming and Jon’s incredible artistic vision and mastery of glass. The technique I used here is usually reserved for soft glass, which makes working with borosilicate in this way so exciting — it challenges many of the traditional boundaries of glasswork. This approach allows for more control over color gradients and the blending of custom colors that aren’t typically found in borosilicate work.”
Valued at $10,000, this 9"×5"×5" work of art was made entirely of colors by Northstar Glassworks (@ northstarglass) including Opaque Aqua, Lava, Cherry, Canary, Goldenrod and Black Jack.
“The intricate arrangement of succulents around the rig highlights the level of craftsmanship involved, with each one thoughtfully placed like a mosaic of flowers in a bouquet, creating a natural and vibrant effect,” she said.
“The warm gradients of oranges, reds and yellows add depth, making the piece not only a tool but a stunning visual centerpiece. To me, this piece represents a fusion of artistry and technique, pushing the limits of what glass can do. Whether it’s displayed as part of a collection or used for its intended purpose, it merges form and function, elevating both the experience and the appreciation of glass as an art form.”
@GLASSARTBYSHAGGY | @CALYXANN
LEFTOVERSREIMAGINED
MY FAMILY CONTINUES THE TRADITION of a big family dinner on Thanksgiving, but we are aware of the true nature of this day, and we feel shame. As we should. I am still in Mexico, and my cooking tends to be a mix of both cuisines, using some vegetables and spices that were foreign to me. I am dealing with a very limited herb selection. Living in Oregon really, really spoiled me. Waaaaaaah. Feel free to get in touch if you need any more ideas for leftovers. Laurie@Laurieandmaryjane.com
TURKEY EMPANADAS
Makes six, serves two
1/2 cup turkey, shredded 1/4 cup mashed potatoes
1/4 cup peas
2 tablespoons gravy
2 tablespoons cranberry sauce
2 teaspoons canna-oil or butter
1 egg, beaten
Two sheets of pie dough
1. In a large bowl combine the turkey, potatoes, peas, gravy, cranberry sauce and cannabutter.
2. Prepare your work surface with a little flour, and gently roll out the crust just a bit. Using a 5- or 6-inch biscuit cutter, or a drinking glass, cut out 6 circles.
3. Divide the mixture between the circles of dough. Brush the edges with the egg and fold to close. Press well with the tines of a fork. Heat oven to 340°F.
4. Place the empanadas on a baking sheet, buttered or lined with parchment. Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
POT POZOLE VERDE
Serves two, heartily
1/2 pound tomatillos, husks removed, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 large poblano pepper, seeded and diced
3 cups chicken or turkey stock
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/4 cups canned hominy, drained and rinsed
1 cup turkey, shredded
2 teaspoons canna-butter
Tortilla chips
Cotija cheese
1. In a blender, combine tomatillo, onion, poblano and blend for 30 seconds. Mixture can be chunky.
2. Add the garlic and salt, and blend till smooth.
3. Add the soup to a saucepan and gently simmer. Add the hominy, turkey and cannabutter. Taste for salt and pepper.
4. Garnish with chopped tortillas and maybe a little cotija cheese.
PECAN PIE TRIFLE
Serves two
2 slices pecan pie, cut in pieces 2/3 cup Greek yogurt, plain or vanilla 2 teaspoons cannabutter or oil
1. Place two wine glasses on your work surface. In a small bowl combine the yogurt with the cannabutter.
2. Alternate layering pie and yogurt. The tartness of the yogurt is terrific with the sweetness of the pie. Also works with apple pie!
COME VISIT THE FAMILY OF BRANDS AT ONE OF MISSION DISPENSARIES’ TWO LOCATIONS: Worcester and Georgetown.
“THE FIRST BITE IS A DELIGHTFUL CRUMBLE, RELEASING RICH FLAVORS OF CHOCOLATE COMPLEMENTED BY A SUBTLE HINT OF CINNAMON…”
KINDLY BAKED CONFECTIONS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Established over three years ago in Massachusetts, Kindly Baked Confections has made a name for itself by catering to individua ls with diverse dietary needs, ensuring that everyone can enjoy quality Cannabisinfused edibles. Their mission revolves around creating products exclusively infused with Full Extract Cannabis Oil (FECO), providing a delicious alternative for those seeking therapeutic benefits without sacrificing taste.
AMONG THEIR standout offerings are chocolate chip cookies, each carefully crafted to contain 20 mg of FECO and sold in convenient boxes of five, totaling 100 mg. These cookies are particularly appealing to Cannabis enthusiasts who may follow vegan diets, suffer from chronic illnesses or face dietary restrictions. Made with wholesome ingredients like oat flour, almond milk and coconut oil, these treats promise both flavor and functionality. Words like fluffy, delectable and decadent come to mind when describing these cookies. Each cookie is perfectly sized and thick enough for dunking in your favorite cold beverage without crumbling, yet absorbs just the right amount of milk for an irresistible treat. The first bite is a delightful crumble, releasing rich flavors of chocolate complemented by a subtle hint of cinnamon that lingers on the palate.
As I savored each morsel, I found myself reaching for one cookie after another, only to discover my plate empty far too soon. It wasn’t long before I began to feel the soothing effects of the FECO wash over me like gentle ocean waves. The tension in my muscles melted away as I sank into my couch, drifting off into a blissful nap while my mind wandered to thoughts of more delicious cookies.
In a market where inclusivity is increasingly important, Kindly Baked Confections stands out as a beacon of innovation and care. Their commitment to quality ingredients and a focus on the needs of their customers not only elevates the Cannabis edible experience but also sets a new standard in the industry. Whether you’re an avid Cannabis user or simply looking for a delightful treat, Kindly Baked Confections promises a journey of flavor and relief that is truly worth exploring. With an array of options designed for various dietary preferences, they are poised to become a go-to source for Cannabis-infused indulgence in the evolving marketplace.
@kindly_baked_confections
OZ MANGOZ
HASH ROSIN
FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, Flavor Farming has filled something of a “your favorite brand’s favorite brand” role, and this pheno has grown partially from their inhouse breed, OZ Mangoz. You may know Flavor Farming more recently for their podium finish in the “narrow leaf drug” category at the Billy’s with their Lemon Raskal, but we think you won’t fully understand their awardwinning prowess unless you try one of their homemade strains.
OZ MANGOZ is a cross of (KC 36 x OZ Kush) and ZOZ, which brings back the old-school fermented fruit flavors with a healthy dose of Z and kush. The earliest documentation of this strain is on Flavor Farming’s Instagram from about two years ago, which means they were ahead of the fruit and Z curve we’re seeing now. As flower, this strain has a mighty structure and is positively trichadelic; naturally, great hash follows with those conditions.
Flavor Farming’s rosin usually comes as the lustrous, golden nectar of the gods that we all clamor for. In the past, batches of OZ Mangoz have varied in consistency, with the desirable specs being more of a badder consistency and the broader specs being a bit greasier and saucier.
“IT’S THE TYPE OF STRAIN THAT MAKES HASH NERDS LIKE US MORE COMFORTABLE SOCIALIZING WITH FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES…”
No matter which batch or version you opt for, the citrus, grease and mango flavors dance on the palate and stain it for days.
Even if you’re trying to savor the rosin rather than repeatedly blast off on massive globs, you’ll probably find yourself huffing the terps from the jar, like I did, just to get a little more of that mango madness.
Effects of OZ Mangoz provide an even mix of calm and euphoria. It’s the type of strain that makes hash nerds like us more comfortable socializing with friends and loved ones. Overall, with unique genetics, mouth-watering flavor, clean burn and pleasant effects all tied together with great value, we recommend you look no further than Flavor Farming for that happy hashing.
@FLAVORFARMING
SMUGGLERS NOTCH CANNABIS CO. is a small-scale, tier-one Cannabis company located in the northern reaches of Vermont’s Green Mountains. Owned and operated by brothers Alex and John Holcomb, they have modestly established a reputation within the Vermont Cannabis community. Among the various strains they cultivate carefully, their prized variety is the Smugglers Notch Sour.
SMUGGLERS NOTCH SOUR SMUGGLERS NOTCH SOUR
“...THE EUPHORIC FEELING CONTINUES TO BUILD WHILE A SENSE OF GIDDY ENERGY STARTS TO TAKE OVER…”
Now that it was out of the jar and in my hands, the only thing left to do was to grind it, roll it into a joint and enjoy! After taking some time to prepare myself a magnificent — some may say oversized — joint, I proceeded to light it up. Taking in the first pull, the gassy, diesel-like taste with some funk washes over my tongue as the smoke fills and expands my lungs. As I exhale, a sense of euphoria comes over me, and the stressful thoughts in my mind melt out of my subconscious. Many minutes later, roughly halfway through my joint, the euphoric feeling continues to build while a sense of giddy energy starts to take over — filling my face with an unbreakable smile!
SMUGGLERS NOTCH SOUR is a coveted cut of Sour Diesel that has been kept going by growers in this area of Vermont for more than two decades, ensuring it is kept alive for future generations to enjoy. The Smugglers Notch Sour is very much the lovely, gassy, sticky and green Cannabis we all know Sour Diesel to be, but with just a little bit of the Vermont terroir. Upon opening the jar of Smugglers Notch Sour, it permeated the room with a pungent, gassy odor and nose-seeking fumes that expanded the senses. As I looked in at the bright green, trichomecovered nugs with bright orange hairs, I couldn’t help myself from pulling one out for further admiration.
STORY by NICK EVANS @NICKSPICKS207
GREASE MONKEY F2 X STARBURST 36
UPWARD ORGANICS
Upward Organics
Founder Nate Burdick grew up doing landscaping and odd jobs. After attending business school and feeling unfulfilled in his career path, Nate took up an offer from some college roommates to help with their small grow in Maine and was inspired by the state’s natural beauty.
It felt like a full-circle moment as his grandmother was born in Portland and adopted by a family from Massachusetts that regularly vacationed in Maine. After two generations, it felt good to put the family roots back into Maine soil.
Upward Organics now has a farm in a town that is 98% wooded and home to a population of 1,600. The garden site is a quarter-mile off the road and at an elevation of about 500 feet. Sloping west and south, it has ideal exposure to prevailing winds and sunlight. This complements their 100% sun-grown and solar-powered operation and is essential to maximizing the plants’ potential with as small a manmade footprint as possible. They are also one of three Cannabis cultivators in the nation that have partnered with 1% for the Planet, with one percent of revenue donated to environmental nonprofits. After four successful years of growing flower and live resin, Upward transitioned to making single-source solventless products “because we felt it was the best representation of our terps for the market,” Nate said. >> pg. 28
HIGH ABOVE THE PORTER, MAINE FARM
UPWARD ORGANICS
This year was one of the best seasons that Nate can remember. They planted small and, later in the season, managed the 45 unique cultivars selected for full-term production. The year’s challenge centered more on managing the different needs of so many unique plants, all grown from seed Upward made in 2024.
“We had no idea when they would trigger or finish. This made my job as the gardener the most fun yet,” Nate said.
Asking which new flavors surpassed the team’s expectations this year, Nate said it was like “asking a parent to name a favorite child. It seems like this year the terps and resin quality were turned up on everything. Maybe it was the weather, but I don’t recall full-term being this loud, and the resin quality looks like greenhouse [quality].”
He did note a few standouts, including Hot Tropic (Sour Candy x Top Banana), Strawberry Peels (Blowpop x Top Banana), Supernova (Huckleberry Space Queen x Starburst 36) and Canned Heat (Paradigm Shift x Top Banana).
While harvest, drying and processing are the primary focuses this time of year, I asked Nate what Upward does in the winter and spring seasons to prep the land and the plants for future seasons.
It was a timely question, as Nate is transitioning from 300-gallon grow bags to 80-foot beds. “Our neighbor has a sawmill and will make boards from trees on our property for raised beds,” he said.
“Usually, in the offseason, we pop lots of seeds. It feels like an arms race to develop a menu of loud, powerful and unique genetics. This off-season, however, we feel we are at a point where we have 20 standouts to run at scale next year. We will carefully select five or six varieties of seeds to explore instead of the usual 30 to 40.”
CANNED HEAT
PICNIC CANNABIS
Picnic Cannabis focuses on cultivating high-quality fresh-frozen Cannabis for hashmakers. Its Turners Falls location on the banks of the Connecticut River touts 14,000 square feet of mixed-light cultivation space, where they benefit from reduced energy consumption and the sun’s unrivaled light spectrum.
Catching up with Picnic CEO Ezra Hagerty, I got to hear about early meetings with friend and fellow hash enthusiast Ian Collins, where they focused their mission to cultivate exceptional Cannabis responsibly and sustainably. “Our whole process — from genetics to cultivation practices to harvest, process and transport — is specifically tailored to protect the trichomes for solventless extraction,” Ezra said.
He told me this was Picnic’s first summer focusing on flower production. Last summer they focused mainly on vegging, building mother stock, and beginning the process of selection and refinement. They currently have 21 cultivars in production and have cycled 22 more since starting up a year ago. He attributes a large part of their success to sourcing and selecting genetics. Finding plants with high yield and terpene expression is easier with help from friends like Ryan at Piranha Farms in Maine, where Ezra and the team sourced many cuts. >> pg. 28
EZRA HAGERTY
STRAWBERRY CANDY
With the focus on quality persisting past harvest, the team at Picnic is aware of the need to get the plants processed and into the freezer as quickly (and gently) as possible to preserve the quality of the trichomes.
“We only cut as many plants as we can process in 30 minutes,” Ezra said. “We’ve borrowed techniques from our experience in the frozen food category to ensure the flowers are frozen individually. That’s the difference between getting individual flowers to dump into the wash instead of a clump of frozen biomass… We sought input from as many hash experts as were willing to share their techniques with us and are confident that our process allows us to protect the trichomes and terpenes.”
Two plants Ezra said he was fired up about this harvest were the Honeydew (Honeybee x Tallmon, bred by Dammit Bobby) and Papaya (Citral #2 x Ice #13 from Nirvana Seeds).
“Honeydew thrived in the summer months, dumps in the wash, and recently had 17 detected terpenes in rosin made by Blue River Terps,” he said. They’ve also seen those two mix well together, noting that Treeworks just rolled out a blend of those two strains called Banana Melons.
PICNICFRESH.COM
APPLE FRITTER
GARLIC BREATH
“WE
SOUGHT INPUT FROM AS MANY HASH EXPERTS AS WERE WILLING TO SHARE THEIR TECHNIQUES WITH US AND ARE CONFIDENT THAT OUR PROCESS ALLOWS US TO PROTECT THE TRICHOMES AND TERPENES.”
-CEO EZRA HAGERTY
AMY & CLONES
DOM & GENETICS
Geoff Nosach and Lizzy Hayes of Art & Craft were working on a small CSA and garlic farm in Pennsylvania, learning to build greenhouses, conduct direct sales, and produce and market specialty crops in their first farming experience. When they moved to Maine, they befriended caregivers who offered their help while Geoff and Lizzy got their footing, becoming caregivers themselves around 2015. They bought the cheapest property available on Craigslist. Bringing in electricity on-site was cost-prohibitive compared to solar, so a friend in that industry helped guide the system design, which was set up one piece at a time over 10 years. >> pg. 32
ART &CRAFT CANNABIS
LIZZY, MADDY & EDEN GEOFF
Raised beds were the quickest way to begin farming the previously clear-cut property. They also have field rows that have been improved over the seasons with cover crops, leaf mulch, compost and extensive broad forking. Their most important plants are grown in a hoop structure that is open on all sides, with a covering that helps to protect the plants from rain, dew and frost.
“...WE’RE MORE EXCITED THAN EVER TO SHARE OUR PROJECT BECAUSE WE THINK IT’S BEAUTIFUL.”
-CO-FOUNDER LIZZY HAYES
GEOFF AND LIZZY say operations are “constantly challenging, dynamic and keep us on our toes, which we both enjoy.”
After starting over 400 seeds, about 54 varieties and 200 unique seedlings were worked this season.
Half of those crosses were made on the farm, and they do in-house PCR sex testing to isolate their focus. Test plots are planted densely to sift through potential keepers — about 100 full-term plants in just 500 square feet. When I asked how this season went for them, they said it was “incredible, especially compared to last year, which was very wet, cloudy and cool.”
Some standouts in their eyes were plants like Puppy, a cut sourced from Best Friend Farms.
“We’ve never seen her perform like she did this year, so we can expect a healthy amount of full melt and rosin,” Geoff said. They also were impressed with Haskap x Pie Eyed, a cross they made in 2022 and selected from a seed hunt last year. Lizzy said, “She was a real stunner: high yield of bud on the plant and high yields to hash. We love her.”
As Lizzy and Geoff work with a small but mighty team to help harvest over a few weeks and begin processing, they also invest in the future of the land, adding compost, amendments, and mulch to the overwintering cover crops on the beds. Garlic planting happens after Halloween, and they expect to plant up to a half-acre of garlic this year.
Victim to Meta’s recent sweep on Cannabis pages, I asked them how they’ve been managing that frustration. “As artists trying to create and curate our art, which our farm is part of, it’s upsetting to lose that collection of documented work and our platform where we share it,” Lizzy said. “Our reach is smaller now, but we’re more excited than ever to share our project because we think it’s beautiful.”
EDEN,GEOFF, ELIOT, LIZZY, JOHANNA & MADDY
Master in Disguise
In a career spanning half a century, author Jorge Cervantes has published some of the most influential grow guides of all time — establishing him as one of the world’s most renowned Cannabis experts. Which is why, despite being forced to hide his true identity for decades, High Times once referred to him as “the most trusted name in marijuana cultivation.”
WEED & WANDERLUST
The man known as Jorge Cervantes was actually born George Van Patten on October 10, 1953, in Ontario, Oregon. A gardener from the get-go, he began growing radishes at just five years of age. In his youth, he worked as a paperboy (for The Argus Observer) before being promoted to the press room, where he acquired valuable knowledge about writing, photography and printing techniques.
It was in 1971, while in high school, that George and his friends got stoned for the first time — scoring a “three-finger lid” (about an ounce) of Mexican dirt weed, stuffing one of his father’s pipes full of it, then sitting in his car and puffing away until it was all gone.
“It took forever to get high, but once I was high, it was great,” he told Oregon Cannabis Stories last September. “It was surreal, like I was in a movie. I loved it.”
After high school, Van Patten used the money he’d saved to fund a trip to Spain, where he studied at the University of Valencia (1973-74). A year later, he continued his education down in Cholula, Mexico, where he truly fell in love with “mariguana” (spelled with a ‘g’, he notes).
“I’ve been fascinated with Cannabis since I took my first hit when I was 17 years old,” Van Patten told softscrets.com last year. “A few years later, at the University of the Americas in Puebla, Mexico, I started consuming daily. All I could think about by the time I graduated university was growing more and better Cannabis.”
In 1976, he moved back to Oregon, where he graduated from Portland State University and grew his first crop of Cannabis. The following year, he moved to Santa Barbara, where he partnered with a Chilean buddy named Roberto to open a landscaping business called Green Thumb Gardening. On the side, he ran a guerilla grow in the Santa Ynez Mountains and became the top pot plug in the area. But soon, that travel bug was biting once again ... so, in 1979, George sold the business and drove back down to Mexico, then onward through Central and South America on a yearlong adventure before returning to Portland.
THE INDOOR GROW BIBLE
Once back in Oregon, Van Patten moved his operation indoors — transforming his basement into a grow room to avoid detection. But despite the explosion of indoor growing, there wasn’t much information available about how to do it right.
“I started asking questions at the new hydroponic/HID stores that were appearing at the time, and I found that many of the owners and employees really did not
know what the hell they were talking about,” he recalled in an interview with Wildflower magazine. “That’s when I started to write.”
Granted, there had already been a few grow guides published — most notably, “The Cultivator’s Handbook of Marijuana” (Bill Drake, 1970) and “The Marijuana Grower’s Guide” (Ed Rosenthal and Mel Frank, 1981) — but they were focused almost entirely on outdoor cultivation. So Van Patten began recording and analyzing his methods in the garden, then compiling his findings and recommendations into an indoor grow manual. In addition to writing the book, Cervantes also took the photos and drew the diagrams himself.
Of course, he couldn’t release a Cannabis cultivation book under his real name without drawing heat on himself. And so, using the
Jorge Cervantes in his disguise circa 2006.
The master at work out in the field.
Spanish translation of his first name and the maiden name of his wife, he adopted the nom de plume Jorge Cervantes. To further hide his identity, he devised a disguise for his new persona: a black dreadlock wig, black goatee, black beret and sunglasses — a get-up he would later refer to as his “Che Guevara/Bob Marley look.”
After shopping his manuscript to a dozen different publishers without success, he drew upon his past experience at the newspaper to publish it himself. The result was a 96page black and white manuscript first released in 1983 entitled “Indoor Marijuana Horticulture.” He then hit the road throughout Western Washington and Oregon on a mission to sell it to every headshop and garden store he could find — or, at least, any that were willing to carry it.
“Most hydroponic stores wouldn’t sell my book because it linked them to Cannabis cultivation,” Cervantes explains. “If they were connected to Cannabis cultivation, their store, bank accounts and all assets could be confiscated.”
“I’ve been fascinated with Cannabis since I took my first hit when I was 17 years old ... All I could think about by the time I graduated university was growing more and better Cannabis.”
Those stores that did carry it kept it hidden behind the counter… but despite its lack of visibility, IMH was a huge hit — selling 6,000 copies in its first year and landing distribution deals with Seattle’s Homestead Books and San Francisco’s Last Gasp. It was so popular and comprehensive, in fact, that its adherents began referring to it as the “Indoor Grow Bible.”
HIGH TIMES & HOLLAND
Over the next few years, big things started to happen for Jorge — primarily thanks to the pot publication of record, High Times: In February 1984, his book was first advertised in its pages (as part of Rosenthal’s Quick Trading ad); that December, he made his first editorial contribution to the magazine (“Sex and Cloning”); and in early 1985, he first saw the ad for the Seed Bank of Holland, through which he was able to connect with Dutch Cannabis breeder Nevil Schoenmakers. Later that year, he traveled to the Netherlands and paid the first of many visits to Nevil at his infamous “Cannabis Castle.” During these visits, Schoenmakers introduced him to new breeding and growing techniques (e.g., Rockwool) and shared with him lots of weed and seeds, including one renowned cultivar that became his alltime favorite to grow and smoke.
“That Nevil’s Haze he got from [Skunkman] Sam … I couldn’t get enough of that!” he gushes.
GREEN MERCHANTS
Besides High Times, there was really only one other notable Cannabis magazine at the time — Sinsemilla Tips (see our Nov 2021 issue), run out of the Full Moon Farm Products shop in Corvallis, Oregon. Being just an hour and a half south of Portland, Cervantes occasionally drove down there for equipment. It was there, in 1981, that he met the shop’s owner (and ST’s publisher) Tom Alexander, who later enlisted Cervantes as a regular contributor to the magazine, carried his book, and became a lifelong friend.
Another cultivation shop owner/author turned lifelong friend was Steve Murphy (aka Murphy Stevens) — owner of the Indoor Sun Shop in Seattle, whose book “How to Grow the Finest Marijuana Indoors Under Lights” reportedly inspired the second edition of Jorge’s book. Released in 1985, this re-writ-
ten, expanded and professionally printed version of “IMH” featured a full-color cover and improved illustrations.
In addition to his new edition, Cervantes also designed a proprietary high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting system and even opened a grow shop of his own to sell them: Jorge Cervantes’ Indoor Garden Store. Unfortunately for him and Alexander, their stores would be forced out of business a few years later, courtesy of Uncle Sam.
On October 27, 1989, DEA agents raided dozens of grow shops as part of a multi-state sting dubbed Operation Green Merchant. Though nothing these shops sold was technically illegal, undercover narcs had persuaded employees and customers to discuss Cannabis cultivation, then used that testimony to bust them. Luckily, Cervantes dodged that bullet; since none of his customers would implicate him, his shop was not raided, and he was never charged. Nevertheless, authorities were harassing him, and the heightened scrutiny by police had him especially spooked because Green Merchant had also targeted Schoenmakers — who, Cervantes confesses, he’d been illegally moving seeds to on occasion. Afraid of ending up in prison like many of his comrades, he decided to close his shop.
OUT OF THE SHADOWS
During the 1990s, Cervantes moved every couple of years: first to Washington, then British Columbia, then Amsterdam, before ultimately expatriating to Barcelona in 1998. Throughout that time, he continued to build upon his past successes. In 1990, he founded his own company, Van Patten Publishing. In 1993, he released a third edition of his book, retitled “Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower’s Bible,” featuring new chapters by fellow cultivation experts Ed Rosenthal and Robert Connell Clarke. After the passage of Prop 215 in 1996, this edition became the textbook of choice for new educational programs that emerged to train medical Cannabis cultivators in California. In 2000, when Rosenthal ended his long-running HT column “Ask
Ed” over legal issues with the magazine, Cervantes took over the slot, renaming the advice column “Jorge’s RX” and writing it monthly for the next decade. In 2006, he partnered with HT to release the how-to DVD series “Jorge Cervantes’ Ultimate Grow.”
And, of course, he remained a fixture at the annual Cannabis Cups, hosting seminars and signing books — always as his incognito alter ego.
It wasn’t until after the Obama administration announced its hands-off policy toward medical marijuana that he felt confident enough to come out of the grow closet. On February 8, 2010, in an interview on NPR’s “Tell Me More,” Cervantes finally came clean about his secret identity. His real-life American debut followed that June at the first-ever High Times Medical Cannabis Cup in San Francisco, where he hosted a medical cultivation seminar without his disguise for the first time.
THE ODYSSEY CONTINUES
Over his half-century-long career, Jorge Cervantes has published more than 50 books in 11 languages. To date, IMH alone has sold over a million copies. He’s been honored with a Gold Benjamin Franklin Award by the Independent Book Publishers Association in 2015, High Times Lester Grinspoon Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, and a 420 Icon award from World of Cannabis/Cannabis Business Awards in 2020. And just this year, Toronto’s Grow Up conference inducted him into their Hall of Fame. But perhaps most meaningfully, he’s taught countless pot smokers around the world how to grow their own Cannabis.
“The Cannabis community has been my life,” he once professed. “Standing here today, reflecting upon the path traversed, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of pride … this journey has been nothing short of magical — a green odyssey that has touched lives across continents, breaking barriers and cultivating friendships that span languages and borders.” Muchas gracias, Señor Cervantes.
To read the full, unabridged version of this story and listen to the interview on our podcast, visit worldofcannabis.museum/cannthropology.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JORGE CERVANTES
Los Alamos Gardens in California (2022).
Tom Alexander, Jorge & author Jeff Lowenfels.
‘TWASN’T IT SHAKESPEARE WHO WROTE
“a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose”? Whether he did or not, it’s a play on words. And from what the history books tell us, he was the best at making plays out of words.
Or organizing words into a play.
What we learn from this is that, as useful as language can be, it can also prove confounding. Through all the channeling to the place in the brain where comprehension is gained by translating your senses into images or ideas, there is always the opportunity for misinterpretation.
In the English language alone, there are currently 20,000 words, so chances are very good that a few of them are going to be doppelgänged. I mean, to a foreigner, it can’t be easy to discern the nuance of building a building. Or how a minute can be minute, much less how a solution can become a solution.
I know, it’s fucked.
They are called heteronyms. And as I’m sure you know by now, the key to differentiating terminology is by understanding the context of the word. Meaning, you just need to know the subject matter you’re talking about.
By the way, did you know they found a pipe in Shakespeare’s grave and they’re pretty sure the dude smoked weed? So, what did he mean when he wrote that “a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose”? Well, there are many ways to refer to a rose in literature. And actually, ‘twasn’t he who wrote that — I just looked it up. He wrote, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” which is from “Romeo and Juliet” and means love transcends applied labels like Montague and Capulet.
And speaking of love, if a jar is ajar, it most likely means I’m preparing to pack a bowl. Just like Bill Shakespeare would’ve done.
In case you’re studying English.
