Feb. 2022 - Northwest Leaf

THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE

#140 | FEB. 2022

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

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

CANNTHROPOLOGY

BOB MARLEY HERBAN LEGEND FEATURES

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

THE CULTURE ISSUE INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010

Warning: This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with the consumption of this product. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children. Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons twenty-one years of age or older.

WE

YOU

2/14 VALENTINE’S DAY SALE | 2/21 PRESIDENTS’ DAY SALE

WEEKLY SPECIALS

SUN

365 DAYS A YEAR

HIGH CBD 20% OFF

MON

WE PRICE MATCH!

PHAT PANDA 30% OFF

TUES

TOPICALS & TINCTURES 20% OFF

WED

CONCENTRATES & CARTRIDGES 20% OFF

THURS

EDIBLES & DRINKS 20% OFF

FRI&SAT

7G AND HIGHER & ALL PRE-ROLLS 20% OFF

OPEN EVERY DAY 9AM- 9PM MEDICALLY ENDORSED & KNOWLEDGEABLE 17517 15TH AVE NE SHORELINE, WA 98155 PHONE: 206.557.7778 WEB: 365RECREATIONAL.COM

1

fast & easy

valentine craft for adults!

2

PlusA! ILY

D W E !

N S L A

DE

Phat T

20% o

3 uesda

ff Pha

t Pand

y

a and

Cyber Sunday !

Dabst

ract P

roduc

ts

10% off Online orders

OPEN DAILYat 7AM!

visit us at 2121 Auburn Way S, Auburn, WA or order online at shop.jointrivers.com/jointrivers These products have intoxicating effects and may be habit-forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product.

For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of reach of children and pets.

THE CULTURE ISSUE

PODCAST

M AGAZINE

MEDIA

FEBRUARY 2022

issue

#140

[

v

F E AT U R E

feature

LAGANJA ESTRANJA

feb. 2022

44 CANNABIS COUPLES HIGHER LOVE....

58

CANNTHROPOLOGY BOB MARLEY | HERBAN LEGEND

BENNNYY BLANCO

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

CREATIVE COMMONS

28

SHOP REVIEW OLYMPIA WEED COMPANY

36

COURTESY

BERNER SY BEAN

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

42 13 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 42 44 46 50 52 54 58 62

EDITOR’S NOTE NATIONAL NEWS HEMP INDUSTRY BUDTENDER Q&A SHOP REVIEW STRAIN OF THE MONTH BERNER COVER STORY GARCIA HAND PICKED LAGANJA ESTRANJA CANNABIS COUPLES FASHION AND DESIGN EDIBLE OF THE MONTH CONCENTRATE OF THE MONTH OFF THE SHELF CBD JOINTS CANNTHROPOLOGY STONEY BALONEY

JON SAMS PHOTO

10

E S TA B L I S H E D 2 0 1 0

T H E E N L I G H T E N E D VO I C E

N O RT H W E S T L EA F / O R EG O N L E A F / AL AS KA L EA F / M A RY L AN D L EA F / CAL I F O R N I A L EA F / N O RT H EAST LE A F

A B O U T T H E C OV E R In just the last ten years, Cannabis has undergone a radical shift in public perception, and the definition of Cannabis culture, naturally, has changed as well.

The Leaf Nation team sought to present a wide range of Cannabis culture figures for this month’s special edition. On the cover is rapper, fashion designer, and the founder of Cookies Cannabis, the one and only Berner. Photographer Bennyy Blanco is well-known in the hip hop community for his photographs that offer an intimate glimpse at stars on and off the stage.

Check out more photos and our exclusive interview with Berner inside this issue!

PHOTO by BENNYY BLANCO @BENNYY_BLANCO

PUBLISHER

CONTRIBUTORS

WES ABNEY | FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

SY BEAN, PHOTOS BENNYY BLANCO, PHOTOS BOBBY BLACK, FEATURES JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION TOM BOWERS, FEATURES EARLY, PRODUCTION EMILY EIZEN, FEATURES STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS JEFF PORTERFIELD, DESIGN JESSE RAMIREZ, DESIGN MIKE RICKER, FEATURES MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING ZACK RUSKIN, FEATURES TERPENE TRANSIT, DISTRIBUTION JAMIE VICTOR, ILLUSTRATION JERRY WHITING, FEATURES

WES@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

MANAGING EDITOR MIKE RICKER | OPERATING PARTNER

RICKER@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM 206-229-WORD

CREATIVE DIRECTOR DANIEL BERMAN | VISUALS & DESIGN

DANIEL@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

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

Exclusive Cannabis Journalism @NWLEAF

|

@NWLEAF #NWLEAF

@NWLEAF #NWLEAF

ISSUU.COM/NWLEAF

ABNEY

Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up our Culture Issue of the Leaf!

THIS IS OUR ISSUE that honors the culture of Cannabis consumers, from the rap and cultivating star Berner to Cannabis couples and high fashion.

We’ve come a long way as a community from the days of stoner stereotypes being synonymous with “Dude Where’s My Car” to a point where our culture, community and plant are combining to become a mainstream lifestyle.

Cannabis has long been part of our society in an underground way – influencing artists and creatives, helping athletes and celebrities, and driving the emergence of hip hop – but without recognition, and has occasionally ruined a career instead of helping to create one.

Today we can openly celebrate those that use Cannabis to enhance their lives, enjoy the fruits of the plant sprouting new ideas, and highlight the positive impact it has in leading our country IT’S IMPORTANT out of the war on drugs’ mindset, and into a new era of TO NOTE THAT THE acceptance and positivity.

It’s important to note that the only lifestyle past stoners could expect was that of orange jumpsuits and 10x10 cells, and those who took risks to lead our community deserve to be remembered.

ONLY LIFESTYLE PAST STONERS COULD EXPECT WAS THAT OF ORANGE JUMPSUITS AND 10X10 CELLS.

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

In normalizing Cannabis, we can also open the door for so many other forms of acceptance – from a new approach to drugs in healthcare to opening minds to all walks of life. Cannabis makes our human experience better in every way … even in the bedroom, where hopefully the commercialized St. Valentine’s Day will be bringing people together to reach new highs this year.

FREE ONLINE ARCHIVE

Have a strain, product, feature idea or news tip that the Northwest Leaf staff needs to know about?

Email us at Ricker@LeafMagazines.com!

13

So get down with the culture and your bad self, ditch the chocolate hearts for infused treats, and try a massage oil or personal lubricant to explore a new way for weed to make your life more enjoyable. After all, being a stoner is a lifestyle choice – and it feels good to feel good.

-Wes Abney FEB. 2022

leafmagazines.com

CONNECT WITH NORTHWEST LEAF!

WES

GARLISSIMO GMO COOKIES x GUSHERS

Photos and Design:

IG: @treehawk.farms | W: treehawkfarms.com

This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children. Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 years of age or older.

All Things Cannabis For All People beardedlorax rickerdj stashleylynn

PODCAST

maaryjwhite leaflifepodcast

#152

CAFFEINE &CANNABIS (Is it Addiction or Love?)

THIS MONTH: #153 PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING & CANNABIS (Fake Props/Real Pain) #154 ROLLER DERBY & CANNABIS (Rolling Joints and Rolling Wheels) #155 CANNABIS & CHOCOLATE (The Art of Chocolatiering)

LISTEN ON

WATCH ON LEAF LIFE PODCAST V2

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 or older. This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit-forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination and judgment.

Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of reach of children.

cannabis NEWS

politics

nwlEAF.COM

16

U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE FROM LOUISIANA SMOKES WEED IN TV ADVERTISEMENT DEMOCRATIC U.S. Senate candidate Gary Chambers, Jr. recently smoked marijuana in a field in New Orleans while talking about Cannabis reform in his first campaign ad.

The Washington Post calls it a “highly unusual spot.”

Chambers is seated in an open field, where he fires up a blunt and takes multiple hits.

In a voice-over, he rattles off statistics about the herb.

These include facts such as Black people are four times as likely as whites to be arrested for its possession.

“For too long, candidates have used the legalization of marijuana as an empty talking point in order to appeal to progressive voters,” Chambers said about the ad.

“I hope this ad works to not only destigmatize the use of marijuana, but also forces a new conversation that creates the pathway to legalize this beneficial drug, and forgive those who were arrested due to outdated ideology.”

the south

southeast asia

AN ALABAMA BUSINESSMAN who calls himself a conservative Democrat said he’ll work to legalize marijuana if voters pick him as their next governor.

Chad “Chig” Martin, 53, has qualified to run for the Democratic nomination in the May 24 primary. Martin said he believes marijuana is a safer drug than alcohol. He said he would like to see it legalized and taxed to boost Alabama’s economy and revenues.

Chig is skeptical that Alabama’s medical marijuana industry, approved by the Legislature last year, will let businesses like his Honeysuckle Hemp compete fairly when licenses are issued.

A medical Cannabis commission is still working to set up that program. P roducts won’t be available until next year.

“I want to open up the free trade of Cannabis in the state of Alabama without regulations, not just allowing certain groups or companies to participate in this,” Martin said.

THAILAND PLANS to decriminalize marijuana, moving a step closer to legalizing adult use of the herb. It was the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize medical Cannabis.

Cannabis use in food and cosmetics is also legal in Thailand, according to Bloomberg.

In January, the Food and Drug Administration proposed to the narcotics bureau that marijuana be removed from its status as a controlled drug.

It only needs Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to approve the change and it will then take effect.

Adults will be able to access marijuana without fearing lengthy prison sentences and hefty fines, according to Withid Sariddeechaikool of Thailand’s FDA. Currently, possession of Cannabis in Thailand could garner up to 15 years in prison. The plant is considered a Category 5 narcotic drug under current Thai law.

ALABAMA GOV. CANDIDATE WANTS TO LEGALIZE POT

33% 70% 200

of computer programmers use Cannabis during work hours.

feb. 2022

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

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

30k

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

DECRIM IN THAILAND

34k

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

$1.5m

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

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

WE’RE IN THE RELATIONSHIP BUSINESS. Specializing in the delivery of cannabis products throughout Washington State

CALL US: 360.603.0029 EMAIL US: Orders@terpenetransit.com VISIT US: terpenetransit.com

OFFICIAL DELIVERY COMPANY OF NORTHWEST LEAF

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

Visit weedmaps.com or download the app

EXPERT OPINION

HEMP INDUSTRY

Will hemp building materials catch on? How long before Starbucks sells hemp creamer? Will today’s CBD hemp farmers transition to fiber and food? Will they survive long enough to supply these nascent markets?

The real question is: What will hemp farmers grow to foster fiber and food companies? Certainly not Charlotte’s Web or Cherry Wine.

Where will the seeds come from?

Who’s got the genetics that are the key to hemp’s future?

Believe it or not, the U.S. government has a hemp seed bank.

The Department of Agriculture has a large and growing collection of hemp genetics stored in The Hemp Germplasm Repository. This treasure trove will enable hemp farmers to grow the long forgotten heirloom varieties that may very well be suited to tomorrow’s hemp industries.

Why is this effort so important? It’s cataloging what’s out there, preserving it for future use. Remember: Extinct is forever. Whatever we lose is gone for good. As new markets emerge, farmers need to grow cultivars tailored to each new niche. Moving forward, hemp farmers need access to as wide and diverse of a catalog as possible.

Again, we’ve outgrown CBD and we need everything we can get our hands on. And here’s the best part: If we all agree that these new hemp markets like hempcrete and hemp foods are going to explode, farmers need all the help they can get.

With the U.S. government’s mature, we need to think beyond IF THE HEMP MARKET help, one day hemp will be cannabinoids. Hemp pioneers IS TO GROW AND grown on the same scale as are developing and selling MATURE, WE NEED wheat, soy and corn are today. hemp building materials like TO THINK BEYOND Thousands of acres across CANNABINOIDS. hempcrete, hemp wood, hemp multiple states. Nothing less. insulation and other products aimed at the construction industry. Processing facilities require two things: proximity to hemp farms to reduce shipping costs and a constant, THE HEMP GERMPLASM REPOSITORY reliable supply of hemp – lots of it. Today there IS PART OF THE NATIONAL PLANT simply aren’t enough farmers growing fiber to GERMPLASM SYSTEM make this happen.

Plant-based foods are now mainstream. Ask the The hemp collection’s mission is to conserve as much genetic fast food chains. Non-meat burgers and chickenand geographically diverse hemp genetics as possible and less chicken? Do you want fries with that? One distribute it to plant breeders, researchers and educators. doesn’t have to be vegetarian, let alone vegan or Their long term vision is to expand the collection to include more hemp varieties and catalog them for fiber, agronomic, keto or paleo, to eat plant-based meals without morphological, horticultural and secondary metabolite traits. The a second thought. No one is more amazed than Hemp Germplasm Repository would love for individuals with I, a vegetarian since the ‘70s. I never thought I’d interesting or unique germplasm to consider donating a seed live to see the day milk doesn’t necessarily come sample to the collection. Learn more at tinyurl.com/germplasm from cows, but plants instead.

THE USDA IS HEMP’S BEST FRIEND

20

IF YOU READ THIS COLUMN on a regular basis, you know I really want the hemp industry to grow and prosper. And for that to happen, we need successful and prosperous hemp farmers. While this seems obvious, way too many of today’s hemp farmers are failing. The primary reason is the overwhelming emphasis on CBD – resulting in an oversupply which reduced wholesale prices. Everyone is preoccupied with a very narrow slice of hemp’s potential. Whatever happened to the hemp activists’ mantra: “Food. Fuel. Fiber.”

H PHOTO BY ADOBE

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

Jerry Whiting

emp farmers are growing the wrong thing: hemp for CBD extraction. When the FDA does bless hemp as medicine, my guess is that the rules and regs will favor Big Pharma.

Why? Because Big Pharma has more lobbyists with more money than the hemp industry. Hemp medical preparations could require licenses with expensive fees, inspections by multiple bureaucracies and other roadblocks that hinder small players.

All is not lost. If the hemp market is to grow and

feb. 2022

EXCLUSIVE COLUMN by JERRY WHITING for LEAF NATION // LeBlancCNE.com/podcast

NATURALLY GROWN IN LAKE STEVENS , WA PacificNWGrowers

pacific_northwest_growers

This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit-forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination,and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of the reach of children.

Potent. Tasty. Hella fun.

Gummiez, the newest way to get Hellavated.

Same hard hitting flavor explosion in an edible form.

Available in 4 flavors: Mango Dragon Water ‘yer Melon Strawberry Haze Raspberry Blitz

hellavated.com

FIRST TIME IN?

HAPPY HOUR

GET 25% OFF

8-10A 8P -CLOSE

AND EVERY 8TH VISIT FOR REWARDS MEMBERS

NO ONE HAS MORE DAILY DEALS PULLMAN

PORT ANGELES

SEDRO WOOLLEY

SHELTON

5952 Airport Road

1403 E 1st Street

410 W State Street

931 E Johns Prairie Road

(509 ) 872 -3080

(360) 477 - 4724

(360) 588 - 4473

(360) 426 - 8000

Marijuana produc ts may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 or older. This produc t has intoxicating ef fec ts and may be habit-forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination and judgment.

Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the inf luence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this produc t. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of reach of children.

THE CULTURE ISSUE interview

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

Outside of the Cannabis world she’s a dog mom of two spoiled pups.

When she can pry herself away from the bunch, her passion is traveling to foreign countries – with the Philippines being her favorite. But if the road isn’t calling, simply finding cool spots with amazing views and being able to show them off to good friends is a rooted passion. Follow her @mo_canda WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE YOU TENDED BUD?

I got my certification to be a dental assistant, but I wasn’t really into working on people’s mouths as much as I thought I would be. I was searching through Indeed and found this current job online – didn’t have any previous experience, but gave it a shot, got hired and I’m loving it.

DID YOU SMOKE WEED BEFORE GETTING THE GIG AT KUSH KLUB? Yes, a lot of it.

(laughs)

IS CANNABIS ACCEPTED IN THE DENTAL COMMUNITY? They scold you for smoking,

24

telling you that it induces dry mouth. But once I started to really understand Cannabis, I found that the benefits far outweigh the negatives – which is pretty much staining your teeth.

THEY NEED TO MAKE DENTAL FLOSS OUT OF HEMP! Seriously! Or Cannabis infused

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

toothpaste. I feel like anesthesia for dental work could be replaced with Cannabis for pain in some regard. For patients who are 21 and up, some gummies to calm you down and offset the anxiety would be a good thing, instead of prescription drugs.

"I FEEL LIKE ANESTHESIA FOR DENTAL WORK COULD BE REPLACED WITH CANNABIS FOR PAIN IN SOME REGARD.”

KUSH KLUB

20019 AURORA AVE N STE B, SHORELINE, WA KUSHKLUB.COM (206) 403-1757

FEB. 2022

Monique Canda NORTHWEST LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH

I ASSUME YOU’VE GOT THE BRIGHTEST SMILE OUT OF ANYONE BEHIND THE COUNTER WHEN BUDTENDING. (giggles)

It’s pretty big! I could use a little help on the straightness, but I do love smiling – that’s for sure.

ANY PLANS TO RETURN TO DENTAL HYGIENE, OR IS CANNABIS YOUR NEW CAREER? As of right now I don’t see myself

going back because I love Cannabis so much. I can’t see myself not doing this.

IF YOU COULD SMOKE A BOWL WITH ANYONE IN THE WORLD PAST OR PRESENT, WHO WOULD IT BE? Shaquille O’Neal. I’d

puff some Dutchberry from Artizen with him.

I’ve been into it for so long, it’s definitely a go-to. And Shaq has so much perspective because he’s involved in so many things, and I think it would just be chill to light up with him.

INTERVIEW by MIKE RICKER @RICKERDJ | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

greenrush_llc_3.0

#CATCHTHERUSH

ts Common Roo

common_roots_2.0 Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 or older. This product has intoxicating ef fects and may be habit-forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination and judgment.

Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of reach of children.

28

shop review

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

OLYMPIA WEED COMPANY

feb. 2022

IT’S IT’S IN IN THE THE AIR AIR

FOLLOWING BIG FOOTSTEPS

Olympia Brewing Company originally called this area home in 1896 and claimed their secret was “in the artesian water.”

Well, for these guys it’s in the artisanal bud. This second iteration of ownership came about when a couple old school Tumwater residents who previously worked in the fabrication/ steel industry acquired the license two years ago. The idea was to create a Cannabis boutique by being ultra-selective on the intake – meaning farm tours to vet the products before they get on the shelf. You will not find corporate boof here, just quality that focuses on mostly Tier 1 and Tier 2 farms, including hand-picked growers exclusive to this shop.

EAST OF I-5 Just a jump off the freeway at exit 99 is where you’ll find this community-driven depot. The Tumwater pride is palpable, as they consider themselves the “Cheers” of weed shops – where everybody knows your name. It’s a content atmosphere they’ve conjured up here and you’ll run into a melting pot of good folks from the neighborhood. Alongside the young buddies of budtenders moving through the doors, you’ll also encounter the elderly contingency – all vibing together as a proud family with the common thread of benefiting from the magic of Cannabis. And this place is solid stick built, so there’s roots under these boards!

S TA F F PICKS

FLOWERS Solitude Gelato Margaret 1937 Farms Ice Cream Cake x Sherb Jeremy Hemp Kings Gelato Vu

Joints Western Cultured Lumpy Space Princess Dave Stingers White Widow John Capital City Chronic Phantom Thai Brenda

CARTS Skord Kush Cake Chey 1937 Farms Hippie Crasher Margaret Man’s Best Friend Grand Daddy Purp Kayla

DABS Fugu Animal Cookies x Sour Diesel Adrian Select Orange Cake Dave Dank Czar GMO Margaret

EDIBLES Ceres Salted Caramel Balls Brenda Lori’s Salt & Pepper Chips Vu (check out our review pg. 50) Pioneer Squares, Ruby Grapefruit Kayla

specials HAPPY HOUR SUNDAY AND TUESDAY 20% OFF SELECT PRODUCTS BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE DISCOUNT TOWER FOR UP TO 20% ALL THE TIME

WIDE OPEN With the previous owners wanting the décor to look minimalistic like an Apple showroom, the new plan was to integrate exemplary displays – lots of windows and wall decorations, rugs and runners, and most of all, memorable Cannabis companies. Local artists have donated metal work for the interior, showcasing a customized effort with cool sculptures and strategically located features. For instance, the solventless “Terp Fridge” is smack dab (pun intentional) in the middle of the main counter where everyone can secretly salivate. And boy, what an edibles selection!

DISCOUNTS ON QUALITY TOP BRANDS EVERY DAY

FUN IN THE SUN In the summer they hold Free Lunch Fridays with donated food for the gathering community. There’s a huge yard out back, so you can carouse the grounds checking out glassblowers, woodworkers, musicians and the like – throwing down for a fun TGIF scene. Also, beginning the second week of June, some of the hand-selected glass pieces will begin to get showcased in the shop for you to add to your collection.

OLYMPIA WEED COMPANY 401 93RD AVE SE, OLYMPIA, WA OLYWEEDCO.COM | (360) 915-6071 OPEN 8AM-11:50PM DAILY

STORY by MIKE RICKER @RICKERDJ/NORTHWEST LEAF | PHOTOS by SY BEAN @SYBEAN

leafmagazines.com

32

feb. 2022

THE CULTURE ISSUE STRAIN OF THE MONTH

BALLER CANDY GROWN BY

SECRET GARDENS OF WASHINGTON S E C R E T G A R D E N S O F WA . C O M | @ S . G . O . W | 2 4 . 6 8 % T H C I N D I C A H Y B R I D

REVIEW by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

WE ALL WANT TO BE BALLERS, AND DEFINITELY SHOT CALLERS. BUT ABSENT A CELEBRITY LIFESTYLE, THE BEST WAY TO CAPTURE SUCH A FEELING OF LAVISH EXCELLENCE IS TO SMOKE THIS UNIQUE TRIHYBRID STRAIN.

While diamonds and fresh threads might be what covers a baller on the outside, true ballerness starts on the inside – and there’s no better place to fill up than the lungs. This is where the aptly named Baller Candy from Secret Gardens of Washington comes into play, with beautiful flowers and a unique genetic lineage that combine for spectacular effects. Known as a TriHybrid, this strain has both sativa, indica and ruderalis properties – the latter being a rarely used word in today’s commercialized dispensaries.

Ruderalis comes from the root term ruderal, which is used to describe undomesticated, tough plants. One of the three primary families of weed (the others being sativa and indica), ruderalis was first found in Eastern Europe and modern Russia, where the plants propagated in the wild and developed short flowering (budding) cycles. This shortened cycle is known as autoflowering – meaning that the plant will automatically go from a vegatative state to budding in 21-30 days, regardless of light cycle. Sativa and indica strains will only flower if the light cycles are adjusted to a 12hour light/dark cycle.

While this might sound like grower jargon, the ruderalis genetics produce smaller, stockier plants that grow faster, with unique flavor profiles and lower potency. These rare properties can be extremely valuable when bred into other genetic lines to create hybrids that flower quickly, and have looks and effects that are different from the traditional strains.

Opening a jar of Baller Candy releases a fizzy orange marmalade aroma with a citrus Kush kiss in the background. This jammy flavored flower is almost lighter than air, with a delicate foxtail bud structure and surprising density that delivers a satisfying snap, leaving fingertips sticky. The light green bud is coated in trichomes with red hairs happily poking out, giving the flower a truly beautiful look that is both delicate and seductive. As far as weed looks go, this flower is undoubtedly dripping – and worthy of the name Baller Candy.

Perfectly cured and trimmed, this flower burns in a satisfying smoothness that showcases the love and care for the plants, with a soft smoke that whispers out of the lungs with a sweet and gentle exhale. Effects set in quickly, starting with a body high that feels both familiar and foreign, building from the chest into the head, which feels like it’s floating a few inches higher than normal.

We found mental energy and a glowy buzz followed, the body perfectly balanced with the mind, resulting in a high was the best of both indica and sativa. From the wilds to the weed store, Baller Candy highlights the history of Cannabis and is ready to put some swagger in your next sesh.

PURE ENJOYMENT (NEVER CUT WITH DISTILLATE

GAME CHANGER

This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Smoking is hazardous to your health. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. Should not be used by women that are pregnant or breastfeeding. For use of adults 21 years of age or older. Keep out of the reach of children. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination and judgement. DO NOT operate a vehicle or any machinery under the innuence of this drug. This product may be unlawful outside of Washington state.

This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming.

Smoking is hazardous to your health. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. Should not be used by women that are pregnant or breastfeeding. For use of adults 21 years of age or older. Keep out of the reach of children.

Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination and judgement. DO NOT operate a vehicle or any machinery under the innuence of this drug. This product may be unl unlawful outside of Washington state.

leafmagazines.com

36

FEB. 2022

B E R

THE CULTURE ISSUE

EVERY YEAR, our annual Culture Issue asks, “What is Cannabis culture?” For an increasing number of fans, the answer comes in two syllables: Berner. Powered by his globally recognized Cannabis brand, a fashion line, a staggering 38 albums to his name, and nearly 2 million Instagram followers as of this writing, any move by the 38-year-old founder of the Cookies empire tips the market scale like a fist on a triple beam. New store? Lines around the block. New Cookies-Starter jacket collab drop?

People camp on the street for a place in line. New album? Nas, Future and Rick Ross step up to spit a verse. In 2021, Berner faced up to his toughest challenge to date. In the midst of opening new stores, launching new menus and blessing new business partnerships, he got hit with a cancer diagnosis. So he recorded an album. We connected with the man behind it all to discuss his brand, his future and his new album, “Gotti” – which seals his Mafia Trilogy with a lushly produced homage to Don John Gotti, Sr.

N E R

STORY by TOM BOWERS @CANNABOMBTOM/LEAF STORY by AUTHOR NATION @INSTAGRAM | PHOTOS by BENNYY | PHOTO BLANCO

by PHOTOG @BENNYY_BLANCO @INSTAGRAM

BERNER

THE CULTURE ISSUE

Continued from prev iou s page

38

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

Born Gilbert Anthony Milam, Jr., Berner started small in the early 2000s, trapping and stacking. He dreamt of launching simultaneous careers – Cannabis, fashion, music. He wanted it all.

So he pushed. Hard.

He made enough money to start his own fashion brand, naming it Cookies after the now-legendary strain he and his partners brought to market.

He started releasing albums at a frenzied pace of multiple drops per year. Fast forward to today, and there are more than 40 Cookies-branded stores across 17 markets in four countries. If you’ve bought Cannabis anywhere in the past five years, there’s a good chance it was crossed with Cookies genetics – some of your favorite cultivars likely grow for the Cookies brand.

If there’s a magic recipe, Berner has it.

“Without a good team, none of this shit would be possible – from leadership, all the way down,” he said. “My main focus is making sure that what I want to happen for Cookies is happening, everywhere we expand. Whether it be the menu, or the look for the store, the experience in the store, new strain names, branding, keeping the clothing line popping. I focus on mostly creative stuff, and let my partners handle the business. Once the business is at the finish line, I come through and overlook, and give my approval, and my blessing, and boom – it’s done.”

leafmagazines.com

“PRESSURE MAKES DIAMONDS AND BERN WILL NEVER FOLD.” Legacy As summer turned to fall, Berner received the news so many fear. It was colon cancer. But it was operable. He decided he had to get into the studio.

He called his old friend and collaborator, Cozmo, to set it up. Next he flew out to meet with John Gotti Jr. to ask permission to name his album after Gotti Sr. Not only did Gotti Jr. offer his blessing, but he provided previously unreleased audio of his father from the federal case against the Mafia Don. “For me, it kind of felt like it might be my last body of work, and I was paranoid with the cancer situation,” Berner said. “... Music’s always been therapy, it’s always been my journal for me. I was looking to make a really good body of work, but also, I wanted to prove my work in the music space.”

Berner brought in a stacked deck of heavy hitting collaborators for the effort, and they brought the heat on their verses draped over the lush instru-

FEB. 2022

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

mentation of Cozmo’s beats. It took a month, from diagnosis to finished album.

“There were a lot of emotions,” Berner said. “I didn’t really allow myself to get stressed out about the cancer thing, because I was stressed out about having to figure out how to finish the album in time, and make sure it sounded great – and I had the album artwork, and everything lined up for the release. So it was good, and it kept me distracted.”

In addition to serving as a welcome distraction from his diagnosis, the music, like every project Berner endeavors, helps build up the rest of his enterprises.

“I feel like the brand makes the music special, and the music makes the brand special,” he said.

“They both organically promote and big-up one another. And I feel like the fashion, the music, and the bud is a powerful combo. And we’re kind of the first ones to pair that and pull that off. It was all things that I really loved and wanted to do, and they all complemented each other.”

“DO WHATEVER IT TAKES IT’S ALL GAS, NO BRAKES CAN’T SLOW DOWN.” Slow Down It’s a week into December and Berner is calling in from the road, on the way from his Bay Area home to L.A. and Palm Springs for a music festival and the Cookies company Christmas party. He’s pushing hard to cram everything in before starting his cancer treatment after the holiday.

Famous for his insatiable need to build and create, Berner has only stepped harder on the gas pedal since his diagnosis.

“If you really put it in perspective, I found out I had cancer, I recorded ‘Gotti’ for a month, I came home, I did surgery,” he said. “I had to recover for two and a half weeks, went to New York, did a 10day press run. I only came home yesterday for one day, spent the whole day with the family, watched a movie, had dinner, enjoyed the day. Hopped on a bus at 7 a.m. today, driving all the way to L.A., do a radio interview as soon as I get there, do a listening party for the press, kind of like a meet and greet for the press, do a music video until about 3 a.m., wake up at 7:00, get on a bus to the company party, come back … perform at Rolling Loud (music festival). The shit doesn’t stop. So the point is, you just gotta know how to enjoy the time you have in between those moments.”

I share an old axiom, “The tall tree gathers the most wind.” I ask if he’s feeling the pressure of the strong winds, now that he’s outgrown the protection of the treeline.

“Shit, I definitely feel that wind, like a motherfucker,” he said. “I feel it this morning. I’m tired as hell, I’m lost, I haven’t been home in hella long.

But I feel like life is all about leaving something special behind, and I’m working really hard toward that.”

It’s an intense schedule for anyone, let alone a guy battling cancer. For him, there’s no choice. He has to keep building.

“That’s just like the last month or two,” he said.

“That’s how it always is. The best thing about living

like that, when you’re building a company, is like, I only ask my employees to work as hard as I’m working … I can’t demand that everyone’s grinding hella hard if I’m not. So, by me moving like this, people know, ‘Shit, if he’s doing it, we gotta do it.’

I’m not one of those bosses or CEOs who sit back and call shots from my phone. I’m in the field, and they know that.”

“NO ONE WILL EVER BE TWO STEPS AHEAD OF ME. NAH, THEY AIN’T FUCKIN’ WITH MY LEGACY.” Legacy

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

Berner credits his insatiable drive to his parents. “My dad passed me the crazy genes of work ethic,” he said. “I don’t think I could ever slow down.”

His father owned his own Mexican restaurant, and his mom had her own business. They imbued him with a hustle that he brings to everything he does.

“They both told me when I was growing up that you’ve got to be your own boss,” he said. “You don’t want to work for nobody.”

For Berner, family is the main motivator. He spends as much time as he can imparting knowledge to his daughter, and he married his longtime girlfriend in January.

“A good household is everything,” Berner said. “Having a strong family is everything. And my kid is my motivation to keep rocking, and keep fighting.

And I feel like I’m leaving a really good example for her, about being an entrepreneur, being a businessperSMOKE SESH Berner drew an eager crowd to the Cookies dome son, and also being a leader. So I’m at the 2021 Emerald Cup at the Santa Rosa, California fairgrounds. just glad to be able to show her what I’m doing, and how I’m handling (the cancer diagnosis). I could have been at the house, working on some scripted series stuff. That would all bummed out and not doing anything. I think it’s be my ultimate goal. Not to sell Cookies, but maya great example for her on how to handle things, be find a partner who brings a little liquidity to the when things like this come in. I always joke with her table in the near future that would allow me to kind that I want her to be the CEO of Cookies one day. of do what A24 is doing right now. I would love I always game her up.” to produce quality, real content. If I had it my way, and cancer doesn’t take me down … the next thing “LEGENDARY MOVES ONLY.” I would do is take whatever money I made and put Zoning it into film.”

As he continues to pile lofty goals on his plate, With chemotherapy setting to fade in the rearthe most important challenge lays ahead – and view, Berner continues to push hard, aiming to Berner seems to be approaching the cancer fight build Cookies’ cultural influence past the point of with the same unstoppable forward momentum he immortality. takes to everything.

“I think what’s next for me is trying to make sure “After my mom died from cancer, I spent time Cookies lives forever, and plan out the menu for going to Children’s Hospitals, and seeing kids that the next 100 or 200 years,” he said. “It sounds a were suffering from cancer,” he said. little crazy to say that, but it’s definitely possible “... It’s always been something special to me with tissue culture and the amount of breeders we to try to fight cancer with good energy. So that’s have.” what we’re doing. If people want to know how I’m As huge as that dream sounds, it’s still not fighting it, I’m fighting it with good energy. And that enough for Berner, who’s already looking at anothenergy comes from music, weed, and good people er cultural conquest on the horizon.

– and that’s it.”

“I think the next thing for me is film.

That’s always been my biggest passion,” he said.

COOKIES.CO “I’ve already written like two or three films, and I’m @BERNER415

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

THE CULTURE ISSUE

ROOTED IN REALNESS

THE LEAF CHATS WITH GARCIA HAND PICKED’S TRIXIE GARCIA

GARCIA HAND PICKED is a creative partnership between The Garcia Family and Holistic Industries, also known for brands including Liberty, Strane, and Do Drops. Because Trixie grew up as a Cannabis user in the community, it is very meaningful for her to fight for Cannabis legalization and normalization.

She refers to this brand as a labor of love and is adamant regarding how much she cares about the

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

Jerry was an avid consumer of the plant, smoking socially and embracing the integral role Cannabis played the community. When he envisioned creating his own little chain of cafes that he would play music in, his vision included coffee, wine and weed. He smoked joints throughout the day, and enjoyed smoking and sharing weed often. So much so that after family meals, sparking up a joint became a tradition.

Garcia’s hand has become an icon and is the focal point of the branding of Garcia Hand Picked – from the name to the logo – with Trixie working with Kyle Barich and Rachel Genderson of Holistic Industries to create the colorful and psychedelic packaging we see on their flower and edibles today. Starting with an image of Jerry from the Grateful Dead’s trip to Egypt, they then played around with different ways to use that photo. The design they landed on is reminiscent of smoke, but it also reminds people of the early tie-dye days with an enticing psychedelic pattern.

PHOTO BY NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415

leafmagazines.com

40

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

FEB. 2022

CONCERT PHOTOS / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

fans – never wanting to let them down.

Each and every lid is unique on the packaging, and even the edibles produced by this company are shaped like guitar picks.

The Grateful Dead family continues to inspire the brand even today, including paying homage to the strains that became famous on the Dead lot. They receive influence from Steve Parish and even Trixie’s mother Carolyn Garcia, who wrote a book called “Primo Plant” on organic gardening.

In addition to Trixie, other members of The Garcia Family are giving guidance to the brand on a regular basis, and are very happy with the level of control they are able to maintain.

When asked if Cannabis played a large role in the Grateful Dead’s psychedelic experiments, Trixie said, “I bet there is a whole history book that could be written about that. It was having the freedom to expand your consciousness in whatever way works for you. This was a whole generation of people coming out of war in Vietnam, and being totally traumatized by all of those things. Everyone is looking for more GARCIAHANDPICKED.COM @GARCIAHANDPICKED

purpose and deeper meaning to everything, and Cannabis is one of those things that once you try it, your perspective is broadened. That is the parallel between the music and everything like that, it’s all about expanding your consciousness and the human experience. The bonding between people sitting around and smoking joints helped to temper some of the psychedelic experiences occurring. Pot was the main constant throughout that whole thing.”

Oftentimes, celebrity Cannabis brands get a negative connotation. In the case of Garcia Hand Picked, however, their authenticity is imbued and their organic approach to holistic medicine is done with all Cannabis consumers in mind, from the medicinal to the recreational.

With or without Jerry’s name on the brand and the support of his family, these products would be highly sought after and head stash worthy.

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

THE CULTURE ISSUE

LAGANJA ESTRANJA SHOWS UP WITH A MAJOR PENCHANT FOR POT, THE “RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE” STAR DISHES ON HER TRIUMPHANT YEAR AND WHAT SHE HAS PLANNED FOR 2022.

LAGANJA ESTRANJA has built a career from taking leaps of faith. In many cases, these leaps are literal – featured as showcase moments in the high-octane, jaw-dropping choreography fans have come to expect from her videos and live performances. A contestant on the sixth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Estranja’s reputation for delivering seismic, sickening death drops as a drag artist is as much a signature of her craft as her well-documented affinity for Cannabis.

PHOTO BY JON SAMS @JONSAMS

leafmagazines.com

42

FEB. 2022

Last year, Estranja returned to the spotlight with a celebrated appearance on the “Drag Race” spin-off series “RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars.”

Prior to that performance, Estranja publicly came out as a transwoman in an interview, the combination of which has led to a breakneck year of bookings and special projects for the L.A.-based artist.

“I feel like I’ve really earned this,” she said.

“I’ve been jumping off crazy platforms into the splits since the beginning, so the fact that people are now beginning to fully recognize me for it, as I’ve started to transition – it just feels right. It feels correct. It feels like the timing is finally on my side.”

A seasoned Cannabis consumer, Estranja’s stage name is an ode to her medicine of choice and proof positive that she’s long been vocal about her love of Cannabis. Remember: Back in 2014, when her season of “Drag Race” first aired, being so openly pro-pot was still quite the gamble. Thankfully, things have finally evolved, allowing Estranja to seize her chance to celebrate Cannabis in the form of an innovative, print-on-demand merchandise line.

Featuring several Cannabis-focused prints as well as other options like a Sailor Jerry-inspired design, Estranja says her new merch line has been a huge hit so far. In many ways, it takes its inspiration from the drag star’s own fashion, which often pays homage to pot in some form.

For instance, in Estranja’s latest music video, “Poison Ivy,” she donned an outfit equal parts Uma Therman and OG Kush.

PHOTO BY AARON JAY YOUNG @AARONJAYYOUNG

“I wanted to create a look that was an ode to Mother Nature, to my favorite plant, and to one of my favorite comic book characters,” she explained. “I specifically love Uma Thurman’s version of Poison Ivy because she ends up becoming a show girl and obviously, I can relate to that. I also really wanted to have an outfit that had Cannabis on it but that was still within the Poison Ivy vibe, so I had my incredible designer, Howie B, design the look.”

While you won’t find Howie B originals for sale on Estranja’s site, the colorful, largely weed-focused options one can purchase deliver an arguably similar blend of chic and sativa. Estranja also recently made the jump into paraphernalia, debuting a line of signature grinders she hopes to supplement soon with a larger size and rolling trays.

“My big dream is to get my merch into headshops,” she added. “That’s something I’m really focused on because, eventually, I want to see this become a lifestyle brand that revolves not around Laganja the drag artist but rather Laganja the brand and the name, much like how Versace does it.”

Before taking the next step in her Versace aspirations, however, Estranja plans to spend the near future focusing fully on her transition. To that end, in the coming weeks, she has decided she will begin the process of hormone therapy.

“I’m finally at a point in my life where I feel comfortable as myself and I feel ready for that next step,” she explained. “But I want to take it slow. A lot of girls go straight to injections but I’m looking at going the pill route, which is a lot less potent. I just feel like there’s no rush.

I waited until I was 32 – which in a lot of

people’s minds is late – to come out, so why rush now?”

As for whether Estranja expects Cannabis to play a role in that process, she admits she isn’t sure, though she certainly isn’t ruling out the possibility.

“I really won’t know until I start experiencing Estranja was a breakout it for myself,” she said. “I’ve talked to many star on of my sisters and every single person had a RuPaul’s different experience. Truly. For some, Cannabis Drag Race All-Stars. absolutely helps and can be integral to using hormones but for others, because the hormones are already making them feel so emotional and off the chain, Cannabis can make it worse. I don’t think that will be the case for me.

Cannabis has always helped me, so I have a feeling that will continue to be the case.”

With dates across the planet scheduled for February, March and April, and a new EP (“Daily Basis”) also on the way – Estranja won’t be keeping a low profile for long.

And after such a lengthy journey spent steadfastly committing to herself, who can blame her? Looking back at a year packed with big moments, it’s this truth, she says, that stands above all others.

“I came back to television, and I came back as myself.

Any time you can be yourself, you’re going to succeed.”

LAGANJAESTRANJA.COM @LAGANJAESTRANJA

STORY by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for LEAF NATION

PHOTO BY ALEXANDER FOST @ALEXANDERFOST

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

OAKLAND, CA | 2 YEARS

THE CULTURE ISSUE

CHAOS GIBBONS

Co-founder, The Farmaceuticals Company

JEI SHEPHERD

Professional jeweler, artist, tattooist

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

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

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

dance party. We met outside and walked to Chaos’ car to smoke some weed before going in.

FAVORITE THING(S) TO DO TOGETHER WHILE HIGH? Hosting dress-up-themed dinner/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HIGHER LOVE CANNABIS COUPLES SHARE THEIR STORIES

44

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

JOSIE & ROB GUSTAFSON Owners, RockHardNugzAK Cannabis

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

leafmagazines.com

WHAT ROLE HAS CANNABIS PLAYED IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP? Cannabis

allows us to relax together. Being able to relax after a very stressful day is so important to maintaining a healthy relationship. Josie has a very hard time winding down, and Cannabis helps.

FAVORITE THING TO DO TOGETHER WHILE HIGH? Let’s be real – sex while

high is awesome.

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

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

FEB. 2022

BRAD & CHRISTINA ZUSMAN Owners, Mellow Vibes & Blaze Edibles

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

RUTLAND, MA | 30 YEARS

HOW/WHEN DID YOU MEET?

GRESHAM, OR | 30 YEARS

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

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

a huge role. Jeremy is a grower and I’ve always used Cannabis medically for just about everything – from alleviating nausea due to migraines to treating my ulcerative colitis.

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

would’ve ended up together. Cannabis was always a huge part of our lives, so I don’t think either of us would have lasted with a partner who didn’t use it.

GREATEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE FACED TOGETHER? Dealing with all of the arrests, threats of taking our

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

HOW/WHEN DID YOU MEET?

At the LGBTQI+ festival at the Portland waterfront in 1991. Christina was contracted to assist Brad’s catering company vending at the festival.

FIRST TIME YOU GOT HIGH TOGETHER?

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

DID YOU HAVE A WEEDY WEDDING?

We set up a smoke station in the gazebo with assorted Cannabis and infused homemade wine provided by Christina’s parents.

MOST ROMANTIC DATE/TRIP INVOLVING CANNABIS? Brad took me to Hawaii for our

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

PORTLAND, OR | 6 YEARS

JESCE HORTON

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

JEANNETTE WARD HORTON Co-founder/CEO, NuProject

HOW/WHEN DID YOU MEET?

As co-board members on the MCBA in 2015.

WHAT ROLE HAS CANNABIS PLAYED IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP? The Cannabis industry definitely

brought us together.

SEATTLE, WA | 11 YEARS

LO & DANIEL LUEBKE

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

Founder & CEO/Director of Marketing Heylo Vapes

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

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

GREATEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE FACED TOGETHER?

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

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

DID YOU HAVE A WEEDY WEDDING? We couldn’t

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

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

make Cannabis a big part of our wedding, but we had hemp leaves in the bouquet and boutonniere – and we had plenty of Heylo vapes to go around.

WHAT ROLE HAS CANNABIS PLAYED IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP? Cannabis has always helped us amplify

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

FAVORITE WAY TO GET HIGH? Sharing a vape on a

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

SEBASTAPOL, CA | 15 YEARS

ELISE MCDONOUGH Brand manager, Binske, and Cannabis cookbook author

BALTIMORE, MD | 5 YEARS

KELLY LOGIUDICE

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

JASON MORGAN

Former dispensary owner/manager

FIRST TIME YOU GOT HIGH TOGETHER? It was

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

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

We were work friends for a long time before we got romantically involved.

FIRST TIME YOU GOT HIGH TOGETHER? At the HT office!

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

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

MOST ROMANTIC DATE/TRIP INVOLVING CANNABIS?

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

beginning, and it will always be there. It’s much more than just something we do for fun – it’s an essential part of our lives. It makes us better people, so we can be better people to each other.

FAVORITE THING TO DO TOGETHER WHILE HIGH? Order snacks on GoPuff and watch horror

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

DAVID BIENENSTOCK

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

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

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

STORY & INTERVIEWS by BOBBY BLACK @BOBBYBLACK420/LEAF NATION

THE CULTURE ISSUE

VIDAKUSH

VIDAKUSH.COM | @VIDAKUSH

Founded in 2011 by LA jewelry designer Rhianna Cooper, VidaKush is the definition of the cool-girl aesthetic. Fueled by modeling and collaborations with some of the most creative women in LA, VidaKush has been a defining staple of the modern, trendy Cannabis user.

Using subtle yet recognizable Cannabis motifs in her work, Cooper has found a way to balance style and message. Her intention nearly a decade ago was to transform Cannabis apparel from tacky to chic. Back in those days, even in her hometown of LA, there was still a heavy stigma associated with Cannabis use.

Through her accessories, Rhianna quickly discovered that the small gold or silver weed leaves adorning her rings and necklaces helped change the image of the stereotypical smoker. In addition to being gorgeous and intricate, her accessories also act as a type of secret signal – connecting with fellow Cannabis enthusiasts based on a single piece of jewelry, without having to say a word.

During the early days of recreational Cannabis, Rhianna connected to the masses of women and femmes who didn’t feel seen by the mainstream, male-dominated Cannabis world. Through curating formal events, chill creative kickback sessions and fun weed-fueled photoshoots, VidaKush has played a unifying role in femme Cannabis culture.

46

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

leafmagazines.com

BLAZING A TREND

Besides the plant, Rhianna also draws inspiration from her heritage: half Indian and half American.

The combination of her parents’ cultures and the mesh of traditions she experienced growing up influence her love of bold colors and accessorizing every part of the body.

Using bright, shareable and high fashion editorial shoots, VidaKush has successfully changed the image of Cannabis fashion from tacky weed socks and corny t-shirts to a more refined and fashionable motif.

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

SEVEN LEAVES AIMS TO PROMOTE AN ACTIVE AND CREATIVE LIFESTYLE.

SEVEN LEAVES SEVENLEAVESSTYLE.COM | @SEVENLEAVES_CA

FEB. 2022

Seven Leaves entered the California Cannabis market in 2017 under Proposition 215 with the intention of turning premium Cannabis into an artform. Their indoor flower is grown in a state of the art facility without the use of pesticides.

Through the use of targeted sponsorships with extreme athletes, DJs, musicians and artists, Seven Leaves aims to promote an active and creative lifestyle.

Fast forward to today’s current legal landscape, and Seven Leaves Cannabis is a top seller in California’s recreational dispensaries.

Going across state lines as a Cannabis brand is impossible until federal legalization, so Seven Leaves decided to sell lifestyle products such as sweatshirts, skateboards and other branded items – which are often inspired by one of their premium Cannabis strains.

By expanding their brand into apparel, Seven Leaves has noticed major expansion in their social following and brand awareness, even gaining an international customer base.

The goal behind their merchandise is to set the stage for brand awareness once federal legalization allows for a national operation.

AINTNOBODYCOOL

AINTNOBODYCOOL.COM | @AINTNOBODYCOOL

For their recent collaboration, streetwear brand Aintnobodycool joined forces with Green Dawg Cultivators, well-respected Cannabis farmers in Los Angeles.

Their strain, inspired by Aintnobodycool’s recent collection, is called America’s Most Wanted. A streetwear stoner’s dream in which the packaging matches the print of the clothing, this collaboration truly takes the meaning of high fashion to the next level.

In the ever changing worlds of hip hop, streetwear and Cannabis, Aintnobodycool aims to “level the playing field” by making accessible fashion that unites these three cultures.

Upon first glance, one might not grasp the direction of this seven-year-old brand, but that’s what its founders, Serp and Alex Diamantakos aim for.

Their driving brand force is the “freedom to have no rules” – reflected in their humorous, often troll-level marketing. Playing on humor, mystery and youth as their main themes, Aintnobodycool uses mostly graphic-based screen printing, but the brand also explores the resourcefulness of skate culture through techniques such as cut and sew.

Aintnobodycool’s Cannabis collaboration with Green Dawg Cultivators is available at select retailers, including Cookies and Lemonnade.

SACKVILLE & CO.

SACKVILLE.CO | @SACKVILLE.AND.CO

Sackville & Co. is a contemporary Cannabis brand designed by women who like to smoke weed, and Lana Van Brunt and Hayley Dineen are the Brooklyn-based duo behind the style-focused Cannabis lifestyle brand.

The pair bonded over their shared frustration of not being able to find chic Cannabis products to fit their personal style. Dineen cut her teeth at the world-renowned arts and design college Central St. Martin’s in London, going on to design for high-end brands including Yeezy, OVO, Vivienne Westwood and more.

Van Brunt employs her marketing genius to the Sackville brand from her time as a director at VICE Media and ATTN: Media. From crystal ball pipes to their “weed out the bad vibes” hoodie, this brand is made with the creative consumer mind. They believe that Cannabis has been a hidden catalyst for creativity and exploration within fashion, art and music since the beginning.

Being artists first, their aim is to build a diverse community that brings together creatives across these disciplines worldwide. Sackville & Co. collaborates with artists and brands who love to create unique work that reflects modern consumption. “To us, fashion is a modality of individual expression. Both Cannabis and fashion are uniquely personal journeys, with no right or wrong way to express yourself. We aim to design products that allow people to express their own aesthetic through uniquely curated Cannabis rituals. Evolving and having fun with your sense of style in all areas of life is what we’re about!”

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

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

STORY by EMILY EIZEN @EMILYEIZEN for LEAF NATION

WHITE HORSE

Danny Danko teaches you everything you need to know to get growing now!

YOUR SOURCE FOR CULTIVATION INFO, INTERVIEWS, NEWS, ACTIVISM AND PRODUCT REVIEWS! Grow Bud Yourself podcast is available on all streaming platforms and whereever you get your podcasts!

Send questions to info@growbudyourself.com

Past Special Guests Include

Follow along! @dannydankoht @mikecheckg @growbudyourself

Jorge Cervantes, Kyle Kushman, Tommy Chong, Aaron from DNA Genetics, Jenn Doe, Milo/Big Buddha Seeds, Swerve/The Cali Connection, Ed Rosenthal, Chemdog, and Adam Dunn!

Growing your own marijuana can be both a liberating and political act.

Former HIGH TIMES Magazine Senior Cultivation Editor and author of the book “Cannabis: A Beginner’s Guide to Growing Marijuana” Dan Vinkovetsky (Formerly known as Danny Danko) and cohost former HT Editor-in-Chief Mike Gianakos provide news, activism reports and cannabis cultivation tips for connoisseurs, aficionados and medical patients alike. Bonus: Interviews with expert growers and professional seed breeders, ‘Strain of the Fortnight’ and ganja growing questions & answers.

THIS PRODUCT HAS INTOXICATING EFFECTS AND MAY BE HABIT FORMING. MARIJUANA CAN IMPAIR CONCENTRATION, COORDINATION, AND JUDGMENT. DO NOT OPERATE A VEHICLE OR MACHINERY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THIS DRUG. THERE MAY BE HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CONSUMPTION OF THIS PRODUCT. FOR USE ONLY BY ADULTS TWENTY-ONE YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER. KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.

edible of the month

“A nuanced flavor that belongs on every stoner’s lunch menu.”

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

50

ONCE YOU POT, YOU JUST CAN’T STOP If you’ve ever had to choose between ashing the joint and passing the chip bowl, you know how high the stakes can be during a munchies fueled sesh – which is why we’ve found the ultimate combo of potato chips and weed.

Stoners love snacks, and in this case, the munchies stereotype is true! But don’t worry, we won’t judge you for getting high while sitting on the couch eating potato chips.

Instead, we want to up your game by infusing your munchies experience – which is now possible thanks to the innovative team behind Lori’s Potato Chips. Hailing under the Craft Elixirs brand, who are known for the delicious Pioneer

feb. 2022

Squares and infused chocolate syrups, they’ve taken a fresh look at an instant classic with their truly baked chips.

There’s nothing more American than pairing chips with a meal, and no, we don’t mean french fries like the silly Brits.

We’re talking crunchy, flavorful, and now infused when we throw down a bag of chips with a sammy. Lori’s Potato Chips come in three flavors and they’re all perfect: The Roasted Garlic has a tangy and slightly sweet hit that is as satisfying as garlic fries at a Mariners game, and the Sweet Potato brings a fun vibe to the snack party with a sweeter flavor. But the Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper are our favorite, with a sharp bite of pepper that meets the deliciously salty organic potato crisp in a perfect union – delivering a nuanced flavor that belongs on every stoner’s lunch menu.

As someone who has reviewed edibles since 2010, it is very rare to say that an edible is worth buying at a store without weed in it, and these chips join that exclusive club. So go buy them to pair with a sandwich, or stuff them inside!

Like we said in the beginning, we won’t judge you – as long as you give these chips a try.

10MG/BAG | CRAFTELIXIRS.COM @CRAFT_ELIXIRS_SEATTLE

REVIEW by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX/NORTHWEST LEAF | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

concentrates of the month

“A smokeable version of dessert that fills your lungs instead of tummy, no sugar crash required.”

52

Boysenberry Creme Brulee Cured Resin Cartridge 73.21% THC, 8.04% Terpenes Boysenberry Creme Brulee Flower 28.28% THC

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

501st OG Live Badder 69.3% THC, 11.9% Terpenes

BOYSENBERRY CREME BRULEE It might be cliché to choose dessert first and dinner later, but we’ll happily apply that philosophy to our terps with the beautiful Boysenberry Creme Brulee, letting our sweet tooth run wild before diving into the 501st OG live badder dabs. Of all the flavor profiles that make up the wide variety of Cannabis strains, there is a special place for buds that can be described as food flavored.

These unique cuts transport the mind and palate to a special place, sending taste buds into overdrive and triggering a Homer Simpson drool moment when a jar is open. Like a custard in a bottle but smokeable, the Boysenberry Creme Brulee is worthy of a Michelin star or two in the world of strains we wish we could eat.

While our Concentrate of the Month is normally only dabbale, we had the unique opportunity to highlight the flower that becomes the beautiful oil in the cartridge – so we doubled down on the dessert experience.

feb. 2022

Opening a jar of this flower is like walking into a baked bakery, with creamy and floral berry notes crashing into an effervescent lemony-vanilla swirl that intoxicates the mind from the first whiff. Lifted’s flower is incredible and that’s what makes for premium concentrates, so we eagerly powered up the golden cartridge to taste this flower in a new form.

First sips off the cartridge grip the lungs in a warm creamy cloud of berry flavored vapor, exhaling with a tart finish that lingers on the palate for minutes after. Effects rush into the frontal lobes, taking a firm hold on the brain and slowing thoughts while sending waves of euphoria from nose to toes.

This is a textbook feel good strain: the smokeable version of dessert that fills your lungs instead of tummy, no sugar crash required.

Following our digestive protocol, we went in on the main course of gassy terps with the 501st OG cured resin. This powerful indica cut was bred by Rare Dankness, who combined Skywalker OG with Rare Dankness #1 to bring a powerhouse OG to sedate and delight the senses.

Opening a jar of this gooey badder releases a wave of terps so dank it flares nostrils and causes eyes to momentarily water. This is lemony OG jet fuel, with a grape-pine-kush finish that smells strong enough to blast even the headiest dabber into dab oblivion.

A low-temp cold start awakens the terps and the golden badder melts into vapor, inhaling with a rush that begins a journey from zero to stoned.

Effects hit quickly and heavily, like wrapping a warm blanket around a very high body, relieving pain and bringing the mind and body together in baked harmony.

Perfect as a nightcap, this strain has the potential to end your day early, or at least leave you stoned and red-eyed if dabbed in the morning. Which is exactly why we had our dabbable dessert first … and gas to finish a very Lifted day.

@LIFTED502WA

REVIEW by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX/NORTHWEST LEAF | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

reviews

THE LEAF REVIEWS CBD JOINTS CBD PRODUCTS are a great way to make your Cannabis consumption work for you, whether you’re looking for more functional highs or just a little extra body relief after going hard in the paint during the winter months. Find one of these great CBD products around Washington and make sure you stay focused, driven and ready for anything.

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

54

off the shelf EAGLE TREES PINK ACDC

Eagle Trees is one of only three DEM Pure Certified farms in Washington. Based out of Bellingham, this family farm is producing some of the cleanest full term outdoor flower that the state has to offer. Their Pink ACDC (Pink Burmese x ACDC) has enough THC and terpinolene to bring out the smiles and encourage conversations, but enough CBD to make sure no one spins off into space. This three-pack of 0.5g joints for $20 is a great pick up and gives you something with a little special Washington craft Cannabis flair to enjoy.

3.33% THC | 7.89% CBD | eagletrees.com

feb. 2022

LAZY BEE GARDENS ALIENS ON MOONSHINE

Clean Green Certified Lazy Bee Gardens in the Methow Valley has inherited a coveted CBD genetic in the Aliens on Moonshine. A cross between Sour Alien and White Moonshine, this two-pack of .6g joints will only set you back $10 and you’ll be bringing love to the session. An indica dominant hybrid profile boasting high myrcene and pinene levels, this joint leaves you in just the right mood to put up with any nonsense. Originally made popular by fellow Washington Clean Green grower Cascade Gnome, we’re glad this CBD dominant wonder strain has found a good home at Lazy Bee. 3.4% THC | 8.24% CBD | lazybeegardens.com

HAZY DAZE

#HASHTAG CBD

Hazy Daze has recently pivoted to putting out less flower offerings and diversifying their infused pre-roll line. This is good news for the consumer because it means it’s all A buds in their line of infused #Hashtag pre-rolls.

The CBD #Hashtag is infused with solventless bubble hash as well, so you can feel good about what you’re passing around the circle. With a THC dominant profile, this one makes a perfect smoke to ease you into a stoney bliss and prepare for a new day of crushing it out there. At $10, this 1g infused pre-roll is a great grab when you need something to brainstorm your next big move in 2022.

22.2% THC | 9.0% CBD @hazydaze502

REVIEWS by ERIC SMITH @THE_HANDICAPS_LOCK for NORTHWEST LEAF | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

Peaceful Pets 10mg per

biscuit

no thc!

Visit www.peacefulpets.pet or call 509.201.2400 /PeacefulPetsCBD

/peacefulpets1981

! p U r e ‘ l l i F Everett

3015 Everett AveNUE

ru!

Drive Th Birch Bay

3435 Birch Bay Lynden ROAD

This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit-forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination,and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of the reach of children.

GAME CHANGER

This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Smoking is hazardous to your health. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. Should not be used by women that are pregnant or breastfeeding. For use of adults 21 years of age or older. Keep out of the reach of children. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination and judgement. DO NOT operate a vehicle or any machinery under the innuence of this drug. This product may be unlawful outside of Washington state.

PREMIUM FLOWER

cannthropology

WORLD OF Cannabis PRESENTS

Bob Marley Herban Legend

leafmagazines.com

44 5 8

When it comes to the great global icons of Cannabis culture, few figures loom as large as the immortal king of reggae himself, Bob Marley.

RISE & SHINE Born February 6, 1945, in the small Jamaican village of Nine Mile, Robert Nesta Marley was the only child of Captain Norval Marley (a 60-year-old British plantation manager) and a 17-year-old Jamaican girl named Cedella Malcolm – who he reportedly seduced, impregnated, then largely abandoned. After Norval died in 1955, Cedella and her son moved in with her boyfriend Thaddeus Livingston and his son, in Kingston’s notorious Trench Town tenement yard. There, tweenage Bob and his new stepbrother Neville RASTAMAN VIBRATION (nicknamed “Bunny”) started hanging with a During Marley’s absence, Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie, who Rastafarians local street gang called the Rude Boys, who worshipped as the new messiah, famously visited Jamaica – inspiring a masnicknamed him “Tuff Gong” and turned them sive surge in the popularity of Rasta culture. By the time Bob returned to the on to the hot new sound known as ska. island in early 1967, his wife and bandmates had all converted to Rastafari Around the age of 14, Marley dropped out and he quickly followed suit – embracing the faith’s rituals of growing the hair of school to pursue his passion for music. out into dreadlocks and smoking ganja as a sacrament. Under this new Rasta He and Bunny started singing together and influence, the popular ska and “rocksteady” genres morphed into a mellower, were soon taken under the wing of a famous more political musical style with an offbeat “riddim” known as reggae … and Debut album from the clean-cut Jamaican singer named Joseph Higgs. Later the clean-cut vocal trio transformed into the rebel rude boys we know today. looking Wailing Wailers. regarded as the “Godfather of Reggae,” it was Reflecting this rebirth, Bunny changed his last name to Wailer and the band Higgs who taught the duo how to sing and shortened its name to The Wailers. play guitar, as well as introduced them to two pivotal figures in their lives: producer Clement “Coxsone” Dodd and a young guitarist CATCH A FIRE known as Peter “Tosh” McIntosh. After numerous lineup and name After a falling out with Dodd, the group teamed changes, their group solidified as The Wailing Wailers – a vocal trio up with producer Lee “Scratch” Perry to produce comprised of Marley, Livingston and Tosh. The group recorded over two albums: “Soul Rebels” in 1970 and “Soul 70 songs for Dodd’s Studio One label, which released their eponyRevolution Part II” in 1971. Then in 1972, The mous debut album in 1965.

Wailers hooked up with soul singer Johnny Nash It was during those sessions that Marley met his first love, Rita Anfor a European tour. But when the tour fizzled out derson – a teenage mom who sang in a group called The Soulettes. and left them stranded in London, they decided to The two were married in February 1966 … but just days after the meet with Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, wedding, Bob left Jamaica to live with his mother in Wilmington, who sent them home with £4,000 to record a new Delaware (where she’d moved four years earlier). album. The result was “Catch a Fire” – the first

feb. 2022

“Herb is the healin’ of the nation.

Everyone on earth is supposed to smoke herb. God created herb for man ... one’s supposed to smoke freely and be free.”

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

album produced under the band’s new label Tuff Gong and their first with major label distribution. Released in April 1973, it was, according to one Rolling Stone article, “the first wholly formed, cohesive reggae album.” The initial 20,000 pressings were cleverly designed to look and open like a Zippo lighter; after that, the cover featured a close-up of Bob smoking a huge joint.

Their next album, “Burnin’” (released that October), eventually went gold – thanks in part to guitar god Eric Clapton, who helped put the band on the map in 1974 when his cover of “I Shot the Sherriff” hit number one. Despite the group’s rising success, however, Bunny and Tosh were allegedly unhappy with Blackwell’s commercial vision for the band and chose to leave the group later that year. Marley quickly assembled a new lineup, rebranded the group as Bob Marley and The Wailers, and powered on toward stardom – releasing “Natty Dread” in 1974, then “Rastaman Vibration” in 1976 (his first album to reach Billboard’s Top 10 list).

EXCUSE ME WHILE I LIGHT MY SPLIFF ATTACK & ILLNESS Exploding into the international spotlight, MarEventually, though, ley was beset by the press, which predictably some of Marley’s focused their questioning on his then-contropolitical activism would versial religious beliefs and ganja habit (which come back to bite him. On December 3, was rumored to be up to a pound a week).

1976 – two days before he was set to perform In interview after interview, Bob blazed and at the Smile Jamaica concert organized by the praised the sacred herb (with a hard “h”).

People’s National Party – seven gunmen hired “Herb is the healin’ of the nation,” Marley by the rival Jamaican Labour Party shot up preached in a 1975 Ann Arbor Sun article.

Marley’s home/rehearsal studio in Kingston, “Everyone on earth is supposed to smoke injuring him, Rita and his manager. Miracuherb. God created herb for man, mon … lously, no one was killed … but the incident one’s supposed to smoke spooked Marley enough that herb freely and be free.” he fled to England, where he In July 1976, shortly after remained for nearly two years. a show at LA’s Roxy Theater, While in self-imposed exile Bob invited former Island there, he recorded “Exodus” – Records publicity chief Jeff an album that, over 20 years Walker and his wife Kim Gotafter its June 1977 release, tlieb-Walker to his hotel room would be named the best in West Hollywood to do a album of the 20th century by photoshoot for his upcoming Time magazine. interview with High Times.

That same year, Marley was “Bob normally didn’t like diagnosed with a malignant to pose for photos, but he melanoma in his toe. He was thrilled to pose for the refused doctors’ recomcover of High Times,” recalls mendations to amputate on Gottlieb-Walker, whose religious grounds; as a result, iconic images of Marley are the cancer spread throughout compiled in the phenomenal his body – causing his health photo book “Bob Marley and the to severely deteriorate in the years Golden Age of Reggae.” When that followed. Tragically, Bob the interview was published in Marley died on May 11, 1981, at the magazine’s September 1976 a Miami hospital while en route issue, Marley became the first home to Jamaica. He was just 36 musical artist to ever be featured years old. After a state funeral aton the cover of High Times. tended by over 100,000 adoring In 1978, The Wailers released fans, he was buried with his guitar their mellowest, stoniest album – and a stalk of ganja – near his Back of the Kaya album. yet entitled “Kaya” (another birthplace in Nine Mile. nickname for ganja). In the album’s first song, “Easy Skanking,” Bob sings: THE LEGEND LIVES ON “Excuse me while I light my spliff / Oh God Since his passing, Marley’s status as a cultural I gotta take a lift.” And in the title track he icon has only grown – through his music, which sings, “I’m so high, I even touch the sky … has transcended all barriers of race, religion Got to have kaya now.” and age to sell more than 50 million records Though often difficult to understand due to worldwide; through his 11 children, who carry his thick patois accent, Marley became the on his legacy; and through the Cannabis brand most open, unapologetic public advocate for that now bears his name. He’s ranked 11th on Cannabis the music industry had ever seen.

Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 greatest musical “Herb is a sacrament,” he explained in one artists of all time. Like John Lennon and Jerry famous 1979 New Zealand interview. “When Garcia, Bob Marley has surpassed mere rock you smoke herb, herb reveal yourself to you … stardom to become a living embodiment of because herb make you meditate. Man makes peace, social justice, and the power of music to laws against it. But how is what is natural and unite and elevate human consciousness across made by God illegal?!? I think government the globe. And, of course, one of the greatest action, that illegal.” ganja evangelists in history.

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

stoney baloney LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

62

LADIES, YOU’VE GOT IT ALL FIGURED OUT. All Hell could be breaking loose, but so long as you’re armed with that imperative satchel that keeps your vitals accessible, you’ll always be ready for the world. This is your most necessary accessory, accentuating the confidence that proves you’re an irreplaceable bad ass.

And one purse is not enough. Only one cannot ensure your command of any room’s attention. Because with reasons and seasons in constant flux, your ability to adjust to any given outing is critical for your interchangeable persona that presents your unavoidable qualities to the scrutinizing public.

In your woman cave, there hangs the quiver of handbags that typify extensions of your character – different exciting versions of you that either offer cohesion or contrast with the varying surroundings. Sometimes you will blend, other times create distinction to an otherwise bland landscape. Either way, these carryalls help you to turn super into superlative. And when it’s time to turn things up, like the stitching in and of itself, your look is seamless.

It is usually with great intention that this wing-thing is chosen, as if each was specially designed for your evolving moods. It exemplifies your womanly power, completing the statement that you’re always intending to make. It is the cherry that perfects the sundae. The rabbit on the moon. Mona Lisa’s smirk.

Like her, you hold your mysteries close. And should anyone attempt to ambush you into divulging the wondrous secrets that are yours alone, the lips will slightly pucker while the stunned onlooker futilely wonders how to tap the hidden spring that spouts your charm.

What lies inside this clutch is part of that mystery: the perfect shade of lipstick, the dramatic mascara, a feminine product. But almost more importantly, the cartridge of vaporizable oil which lights the wick to the Roman candle that explodes into the eager night, sprinkling your unique stardust into the otherwise flat black sky.

feb. 2022

FOLLOW @RICKERDJ // GET THE AUDIO VERSION & EVERY EPISODE AT LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

20% OFF MOST ITEMS THRU THE END OF MARCH

PIC TAKEN 15 MILES NORTH OF TWISP, WA ON HIGHWAY 20 JUNE 6TH, 2020 © HOUSE OF CANNABIS 2022

TAKE A CLEAR PIC OF THIS QR CODE AND HAVE YOUR BUDTENDER SCAN DURING YOUR VISIT

TACOMA

2632 S 38TH ST, TACOMA 98409

TONASKET

305 W 4TH ST, TONASKET 98855

TWISP

1017 E METHOW VALLEY HWY, TWISP 98856 Warning: This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Smoking is hazardous to your health. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. Should not be used by woman that are breast feeding. For use by adults twenty one or older. Keep out of reach of children. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination and judgement. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. This product may be unlawful outside of Washington State.