THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE
#163 | JAN. 2024
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#163
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JAN. 2024
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E S TA B L I S H E D 2 0 1 0
T H E E N L I G H T E N E D VO I C E
N O RT H W E S T L E A F / O R EG O N L E A F / A L AS KA L E A F / M A RY L A N D L E A F / CA L I F O R N I A L E A F / N O RT H E AS T L E A F / U TA H L E A F
A B O U T T H E C OV E R
Based on a concept from the Leaf's Mike Ricker, and with the help of Northwest Leaf's Lena White on props and styling, this month's cover was created in the Seattle studio of Creative Director Daniel Berman and features local Cannabis and psilocybin advocate Jerry Mead, undergoing a new take on the classic spa treatment. This month's special edition highlights the variety of ways that Cannabis can be utilized for health and wellness, from spa treatments, to creativity, to being a better parent, to understanding and achieving your very best self. PHOTO & STYLING BY DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS | @LENA_B_SPARKED
WES ABNEY C E O & F O U N D E R wes@leafmagazines.com
MIKE RICKER O P E R AT I N G PA R T N E R ricker@leafmagazines.com | advertising sales TOM BOWERS C H I E F O P E R AT I N G O F F I C E R tom@leafmagazines.com DANIEL BERMAN C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R daniel@leafmagazines.com KATHERINE WOLF C O N T E N T D I R E C T O R kat@leafmagazines.com
MEGHAN RIDLEY C O PY E D I T O R meghan@leafmagazines.com ASHLEY HIRCHERT S O C I A L M E D I A L E A D
WES ABNEY, FEATURES DANIEL BERMAN, PHOTOS BOBBY BLACK, DESIGN + FEATURES JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION TOM BOWERS, FEATURES AMANDA DAY, FEATURES EARLY, PRODUCTION MAX EARLY, FEATURES JOELY FISHER, ASSISTING AMELIA HANNAH, PHOTOS LAURA LEE, PHOTOS JERRY MEAD, MODELING JESSE RAMIREZ, DESIGN MIKE RICKER, FEATURES MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING STASH SHOTS, PHOTOS KELSEY STEVENS, PRODUCTION TERPENE TRANSIT, DISTRIBUTION LENA WHITE, PROPS & STYLING JERRY WHITING, EMERITUS CONTRIBUTOR LAURIE & BRUCE WOLF, RECIPES KATHERINE WOLF, FEATURES
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 medicinal, recreational, commercial or industrial Cannabis business, product or event within our magazine and on our website, leafmagazines.com. Email ricker@leafmagazines.com to start advertising with Northwest Leaf!
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ABNEY
Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up The Weed & Wellness Issue of the Leaf! The medicinal use of Cannabis is what started my journey into publishing the Leaf, at a time when cancer patients had to choose between the plant and prosecution with their literal lives on the line. When Cannabis was illegal, it was presented as a drug that caused problems – not healed them. I remember DARE classes telling us young men that weed causes testicular cancer. What a scary thought! It wasn’t until years later that I met a survivor of that very cancer who credited Cannabis with keeping him alive. To say that weed has gone through a social transformation is an understatement, as moving from the war on drugs to CBD roundups on network news is a complete metamorphosis. All of the freedoms we have today as recreational users have been realized because of the medicinal effects of Cannabis, and we cannot lose that respect and understanding of the plant in a heady rush to get users as baked as possible. Like the humble pot brownie (google Brownie Mary) created by a nurse for AIDS patients with wasting syndrome, much of our culture co-opted the medicine – and I think it’s high time that we return to acknowledging the medicinal aspects of Cannabis.
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"I HAVE LONG BELIEVED THAT ALL USE OF CANNABIS IS MEDICINAL, EVEN IF IT’S GETTING SUPER FRIED OFF DABS BECAUSE YOU HAD A BAD TUESDAY IN THE TRAFFIC AND RAIN."
I have long believed that all use of Cannabis is medicinal, even if it’s getting super fried off dabs because you had a bad Tuesday in the traffic and rain. Many people use pharmaceuticals or alcohol for those types of stresses, but Cannabis heals the body – even when we are trying to escape. This light medical use still has big benefits and they get amplified when regular users of Cannabis get hurt, deal with major stresses or diseases, or even face end-oflife battles. Let’s not forget that Big Pharma and our own government have known about all of these medical benefits for decades. Just as Big Food corrupted our food chain with sugar for profits (check out NPR’s story ‘50 Years Ago, Sugar Industry Quietly Paid Scientists To Point Blame At Fat’), so has the government worked in lockstep with private prison lobbyists, pharmaceutical companies, and our vast law enforcement system to ensure that peaceful drug users were still victims of asset forfeiture and imprisonment in the prison labor scheme. And this isn’t new-woke thinking – I’ve been reporting on this for 15 years and working to dismantle the hold that these forces have on America's health. So as we head into this new year, and many of us focus on health and wellness, it’s high time we start thinking about our use of Cannabis as medicinal and share that knowledge with those in our lives that might see it only as a recreational drug. Because even when we get puddled by dabs on the couch watching “Game of Thrones” reruns, Cannabis is working to make our bodies and minds, healthier and happier.
-Wes Abney
Got a story suggestion, idea for a product review, or want to share a hot news tip? Email ricker@LeafMagazines.com!
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cannabis NEWS leafmagazines.com
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HIGH BAR SET FOR CALI CANNABIS USERS' HIRING & FIRING
These changes come via an amendment to the state’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (AB 2188) that took effect on January 1, 2024. The new law states that it "...it will be is illegal for an employer to not hire, illegal to ask penalize or fire a person for their use during the of Cannabis outside of the workplace. interview While most American companies do process if a job not have a policy regarding alcohol applicant uses use on weekends or outside of work, the plant." many small businesses and corporations alike used drug screening to weed out bad hires – inadvertently catching medical patients or recreational consumers of Cannabis in a snare meant for those with addictive drug issues. With alcohol responsible for more than 140,000 deaths and linked to 232 million missed work days annually according to the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, it seems that the real culprit behind the noxious “weekend flu” and low productivity can be blamed on weekend boozing – not the use of Cannabis at home. In addition to the hiring and firing protections, companies will no longer be able to use drug tests to target Cannabis users, and it will be illegal to ask during the interview process if a job applicant uses the plant. Coming from the California Cannabis users will soon be protected against discrimination state that first legalized medical use in 1996, this is both a landmark change and a long overdue for their medical or recreational use of the plant, ending one of the step in dismantling the war on drugs' continued longest running tools of the war on drugs. impact.
LEAFMAGAZINES.COM
jan. 2024
CANNABIS STOCKS FALL DESPITE SOARING MARKETS A report on the top 100 Cannabis stocks shows 14% losses against an overall growing market in 2023.
Technology continues to lead the way on
both sides of the stock market’s growth, with AI guiding investor strategies using amazing computing power to maximize profits, resulting in companies like Open AI that are worth billions of dollars in this new tech revolution. Sadly, these gains have not reached the pot industry – where against all odds and inflationary pressures, Cannabis as a commodity has seen major price drops alongside the skyrocketing cost of goods, labor and services.
This cycle of producers growing the same volumes while charging less money for their flower, joints and other products might lead to happy customers and sales at dispensaries, but the end result has been constriction and losses for many Cannabis companies in 2023. The Cannabis stock marketplace has always been volatile, and the news that the sector dropped 14% against the S&P 500’s general market growth of 23% at time of print, will surely shock investors – and have a chilling effect on multi-state operators in the new year. With hundreds of millions of dollars in shareholder value lost across the pot stock market, there are only two Cannabis companies holding onto billion dollar valuations, though Curaleaf and Innovative Industrial are still taking losses year-to-date according to Markets Insider. So what does this mean for the industry’s hopes and fears of billion dollar valuations and corporate takeovers of the pot industry? Right now, the smaller companies with cash on their books and clean debt sheets are likely to gain in value – while the tightening of belts with investors could hurt companies whose shareholders structure requires the pursuit of profit. Will 2024 be the year of the noble farmer, as prices stabilize and consolidation and failures leave more to harvest for those survivors? While our crystal ball is surely broken, we won’t be buying pot stocks any time soon.
WAS PRINCE HARRY SENT TO REHAB FOR WEED? The beloved and beleaguered Duke of Wessex has long been lambasted for his experimentation with drugs as a youth, and a new made-for-TV revelation adds to the drama of his alleged reckless behaviors with a visit to rehab. Reality TV lovers and fans of all things ‘royal’ have been clinging to episodes of “The Crown” season six, with a somewhat shocking scene depicting 17-year-old Prince Harry discussing being sent to rehab when his father found a stash of weed. This was big news back in 2002, when the BBC reported that “Prince Harry was sent to a drugs rehabilitation clinic for a day after he admitted smoking Cannabis and drinking alcohol.” But according to Prince Harry in his memoir “Spare” – the event never happened. His claim? That tabloids used a prior photo of him during a royal visit to a treatment center, using the photos in a sordid attempt to sell papers. It seems the writers of “The Crown” didn’t read his memoir, and used the now debunked story as a plot line in the show. He told Vanity Fair that Cannabis use “really did help me,” and that he has also used psychedelics like psilocybin for medicinal purposes. He went on to say that mushrooms “brought me a sense of relaxation, relief, comfort, a lightness that I managed to hold back for a period of time. … I started doing it recreationally and then started to realize how good it was for me. I would say it is one of the fundamental parts of my life that changed me and helped me deal with the traumas and the pains of the past.”
STORIES by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX @NWLEAF
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interview
MARY LUNDGREN NORTHWEST LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? I grew up in Minnesota and I’ve been in Seattle for about 10 years … budtending for just under three years.
365 RECREATIONAL 17517 15TH AVE NE, SHORELINE, WA 365RECREATIONAL.COM @365SHORELINE 9AM-9PM DAILY (206) 557-7778
WERE YOU IN THE BIZ IN THE MIDWEST? My previous Cannabis experience wasn’t quite as legal as it is here. I was hustling to a degree, but always had an interest in working in the legal market – so I followed my heart (and a man) to the West Coast to explore my next phase of life. WHY DO YOU LOVE CANNABIS? I grew up with two older sisters and they taught me to clean weed when I was 11 years old. Back then it was commercial brick bud – full of sticks and stems – and my curiosity led me further … it became my vibe as a young adult. In my 20s is when my hustle began. HOW DO YOU APPROACH CANNABIS WITH YOUR CHILD? I have been a single parent to my
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20-year-old son since he was born, and I’ve been very open with him educationally with how it can help people with a variety of ailments. There was a time and place where I needed to change how my child perceived Cannabis, because we were moving to a legal state. I was using it medically and became a regular user, due to a back injury from an accident of falling down a flight of stairs. I didn’t want to turn to pain meds, so between the plant and regular yoga, I’ve become the best version of myself. And it was paramount for me to impart the message that it is medicine and is useful as such.
You’ll often find her disappearing into quality music like classical, reggae, hip hop and grunge. She’s an animal lover who loves road tripping, and has made studying the metaphysical a part of her daily life for over 20 years.
JAN. 2024
THE WORLD HAS CHANGED SO MUCH SINCE YOU WERE 11 AND CLEANING WEED FOR YOUR SISTERS. DO YOU FEEL LIKE WE’VE IMPROVED AS A SOCIETY IN OUR POSITION TOWARDS THE PLANT, OR REGRESSED? That’s a tough one, I’m
“BETWEEN THE PLANT AND REGULAR YOGA, I’VE BECOME THE BEST VERSION OF MYSELF.”
mixed. I think it’s better that children have access to better information – so there are positives that have come out of legalization. On the other hand, I think teenagers should wait. But there is always a time and place. And the cannabinoids can do so much good. So, because we have so many more resources now, I think society has a better opinion of it than back in the day. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND GIVE YOUR 21-YEAR-OLD SELF A PIECE OF WISDOM, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Believe in yourself. Believe
in your dreams.
INTERVIEW by MIKE RICKER @RICKERDJ/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by 365 RECREATIONAL Who’s your favorite budtender? Tell us why! Email nominations to ricker@leafmagazines.com
shop review
MONROE
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SPLENDID SELECTION LEAFMAGAZINES.COM
E PI C OPT I O N S
Any store that has both a hash fridge and a chilled fridge for 100mg mini shots is ready for the headies, and the Kushery does not disappoint with a huge selection and options at every price point and quality level. They even have a fridge dedicated to the Cormorant infused sorbet lineup – featuring new flavors like tangerine and strawberry lemonade, which sets the Kushery apart as having truly unique options for catching a buzz. There’s also a killer points system (one point for every dollar that never expires) and daily deals, including partnerships like 20% off Bodhi High on Tuesdays and Dank Czar on Thursdays. But Sunday is the true fun day, where you can pick any daily deal – and with an almost overwhelming amount of Cannabis to choose from, customers can definitely stock up for the week ahead!
THE KUSHERY MONROE 16412 TROMBLEY RD SNOHOMISH, WA THEKUSHERY.ROCKS | (360) 217-8951 MONDAY - SUNDAY: 8AM - 10PM
“WHATEVER YOUR REASON IS FOR BUYING CANNABIS, THEIR HIGHLY CURATED SELECTION WILL HAVE YOU COVERED.”
jan. 2024
MEDICAL ROOTS, NEW AGE VISION
The Kushery began in the medical Cannabis days, providing patients medicine before Cannabis was even legal for recreational use. This care for the plant and those who use it for health and wellness continues today, where the shops still have a medicinal focus and discounts for patients. The Kushery carries options including CBG, CBC and CBD-rich products in tincture and gummy form, and even sources options like the Extra Strength Tiger Balm. With a focus on medicinal benefits, recreational customers get the best selection as well – because what makes us feel good also gets us high! This quality-first focus at the Kushery ensures that whatever your reason is for buying Cannabis, their highly curated selection will have you covered.
HA PPY STA F F
Speaking with the manager, Mandy Martin, it was immediately clear that she cared about her team, the customers – and most of all, Cannabis. With such a huge selection, it’s hard to know every product, but the team isn’t just knowledgeable – they’re excited to help and answer questions. We chatted with senior budtender Candice Tokarczyk about her passion as a grower and collector of genetics, and she guided us to tasty flower crosses and unique cuts. Out of all six locations, this Snohomish/Monroe shop is the busiest of all, and it’s now been open for a whole year! Proof that you don’t need to go into the city to get great deals or fire weed, the Kushery’s team is ready to help customers find the perfect buzz for their lifestyle and budget.
S TA F F PICKS
By Candice Tokarczyk, Senior Budtender, and Mandy Martin, Manager
flower Western Cultured’s Spiked Punch is a house favorite, along with their Larry OG and Grand Daddy Purple. It’s such a heavy indica – tasty and phenomenal for pain. We also love the Parasol Backcourt – a Gary Payton and MAC cross with great flavor and a chill, relaxing indica buzz.
Joints We have a ton of joints in every combination imaginable. For flavored, we love the Hellavated Maui Sunrise and Blueberry Dream. We also carry Legit Gold, Sky High Gardens, SPR and a huge variety from Phat Panda.
Carts Mfused for carts and disposable – we love the Orange Creamsicle and Yoga Pants.
Dabs For budget buys, we fly through Regulator concentrates! For high end, Constellation makes the best hash rosin and we love the Heavenly Buds solventless rosin, we keep both in the hash fridge. We also like the Orange State live resin – they have great dabs and flower!
Edibles For candy, we love the Pioneer Squares Dark Chocolate Peppermint, the Lush Mixed Berry Gummies and Binske gummies too! We also have a fridge just for shooters, we love the lil’ Ray’s Huckleberry and the Agro Couture Pink Lemonade. People also love the sugar-free Sparkle by Mojo!
STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX @NWLEAF | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
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Crafted By Hand, Grown With Passion jan. 2024
LIFTED CANNABIS
FOUNDED IN 2015 during the early days of recreational Cannabis, Lifted has grown from their medical roots via hands-on care for the plant, using their top shelf flower as a foundation to build an impressive brand, product line and company.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: ONE OF THE FLOWER ROOMS, FINISHED FLOWER PACKAGED UP, AND OWNER-FOUNDERS MILES BREWER & TONY FERRO.
With a focus on heavy-hitting indica-dominant strains, Lifted’s lineup of flower, infused joints, badders and cartridges covers the spectrum of flavors in award-winning fashion – winning multiple awards at the 2023 Leaf Bowl. A key component in their success is a hands-on approach from the garden to the lab and everywhere in between. From watering to trimming to rolling joints, all daily elements are literally handled by team members with care. “We’re still focused on hand trimming and hand packaging into glass, so everything gets touched and cared for properly,” explained the sales manager DJ Carter. “It’s nice to have that quality control of a team who cares. That’s a recurring theme you’ll see here, and we do everything by hand. Hand watering … even the entire pre-roll process is all by hand.” Keeping fingers in the dirt and eyes on the process ensures the quality and consistency that Lifted is known for, starting in the cloning room where "WE PUT only one-third of plants make the cut A HEAVY to be flowered. FOCUS ON While it costs more to feed the FLOWER extra plants that end BECAUSE up being culled, it ensures that only THAT the healthiest and most vibrant plants TRICKLES go into flower. Inside INTO ALL the veg and flower room, beneficial THE OTHER insects are the only PRODUCTS.” form of pest control. “We put a heavy focus on flower because that trickles into all the other products. We’re constantly looking at what needs improvement, not only reinvesting money – but physically and constantly trying to improve in every aspect,” said Carter. “We’re all smokers and we’re very picky on the strains, so when we get burned out on something, we kill it. We’re always looking for the next big thing and fill our 30 slots with the best possible strains that we can grow.” >> STORY CONTINUES NEXT PAGE
STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX @NWLEAF | PHOTOS by JOSH SPARROW@STASHSHOTS for NORTHWEST LEAF See more photos from the garden at LeafMagazines.com
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LIFTED STORY CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PG.
LIFTED WAS STARTED by founders Miles Brewer and Tony Ferro, who have their fingerprints on every part of the company. Through self-funding and careful growth, they’ve built an impressive reputation – as well as a company that employs numerous people who embody the same passion from the top down. “This is owner-operated every step from seed to sale, and we can take over and run the garden if we have to. I had to run the whole veg department for six months when our main veg guy had a family emergency, and my partner Tony had a baby. So I had to leave the sales desk and handle all the clone taking and propagation,” Brewer said with a laugh. “The same goes for Tony, who built the lab and the gardens and does a lot of the pheno hunting. So it’s nice when you have owner-operators that can jump into any department and help.” Inside the immaculately clean grow rooms, carefully lollipop-pruned plants flower on a cycle that allows the team to harvest every 10 days – keeping a constant supply of fresh flower and trim to feed the processing department, and an overwhelming amount of customer demand. The flower sells out each week and because it’s fresh, the team is constantly busy packaging and delivering smaller-batch orders to shops. “Another area of pride for us is that our weed is always fresh. With our garden scheduling and the amount of inventory versus demand, we sell through a harvest every 10 days. So our inventory is very lean, which makes it harder from a sales standpoint – but the plus of that is that all our products are fresh,” Brewer explained passionately. “Our best accounts order multiple times a week from us, versus only once a month or longer from other farms.” Lifted keeps a stable of approximately 30 strains in rotation, using a tissue culture lab for propagation and storage of genetics. Tissue culturing allows a genetic sample of a strain to be stored, or used to grow fresh plants from – with the added benefit of helping stabilize and clean the genetic defects. While the team is always looking for new genetics, certain strains like the Wedding Cake have been selling out since day one – and are still on the menu.
jan. 2024
"LIFTED KEEPS A STABLE OF APPROXIMATELY 30 STRAINS IN ROTATION, USING A TISSUE CULTURE LAB FOR PROPAGATION AND STORAGE OF GENETICS. ”
“We were the first to bring Wedding Cake to the market back in 2016, and the first to bring Permanent Marker to the rec space,” Brewer said proudly. “We did a 126 seed pheno hunt and this pheno stands apart from all the other strains, and we grow five times as much of this strain and it still sells out. It’s tried and true … the customers and we love it.” The love and hands-on approach continues in the lab, where delicious badders are whipped by hand for hours to ensure the right consistency and feel.
Their unique extraction focuses on separating terpenes from THCA crystals, which are then finely ground before the terpenes are reintroduced. The THCA is also used in the infused Sugar Stix line, which features full flower blended with THCA crystals, before being hand rolled. “We are the only facility I’ve seen that produces 30,000 joints a month that are all hand rolled,” Brewer said with a chuckle. “We don’t have a joint rolling machine, we have Angel – and he outperforms the machines. The hand blended, hand filled and hand twisted attention to detail ensures that each joint meets our standard and smokes with a great consistency and smooth burn.” They also launched a new line of premium flower in even smaller batches, receiving a special cure and new, fully blacked-out jars to keep the flower preserved from light damage and as fresh and tasty as possible. “The ‘small batch’ line is all pheno hunted from seeds – genetics or rare cuts that we’ve sourced from other breeders. And when we initiate these into production, they only get a half lane – so it’s small batch, released in eighths only, in blackout jars with strain-specific artwork. We want people to be pleasantly surprised because it’s the best and newest we have, and it comes down to the question: What would we want for ourselves? We’re heady smokers who want the best, so we want to put our best in glass for our customers.” LIFTEDCANNABISCO.COM | @LIFTED502_
STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX @NWLEAF | PHOTOS by JOSH SPARROW@STASHSHOTS for NORTHWEST LEAF See more photos from the garden at LeafMagazines.com
Strain: Death Ray (Cherry Pie x
Planet Purple F2 #144) Genetics: Archive Seeds x Kindness
Warning: This product has intoxicating eeects and may be habit-forming. Marijuana may impact concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the innuence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with this product. For use by adults 21 and older. Keep out of the reach of children. Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only be persons 21 years of age or older.
stoner owner
CEO | Skagit Organics & NW Natural Care
MATTHEW FRIEDLANDER IN OUR RETURN TO HIGHLIGHTING STONER OWNERS, we find
the patient-focused passion of Matthew Friedlander woven into everything he does at Skagit Organics and NW Natural Care. Being a Stoner Owner means that the head of the company uses Cannabis and isn’t in the industry only for profit – and this stamp of approval certifies that Skagit Organics is working with Cannabis for the right reasons. We sat down with Friedlander to discuss his origin story with the plant, why RSO is unique as a concentrate, and how Skagit Wellness can help patients with finding a doctor and getting authorized to use medical Cannabis in today’s recreational marketplace.
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How did your relationship with Cannabis begin? A little bit too young probably! I smoked for the first time when I was 13, and started smoking on a regular basis pretty quickly thereafter. I wasn’t smoking on a daily basis but mostly because I couldn’t find weed every time I looked for it! It’s not like today where you can just walk into a store. My friend group shifted pretty drastically and I lost a lot of old friends, and incurred a lot of ridicule about it. There’s still a stigma around Cannabis, and back then you were a druggie if you used pot. But you didn’t let that stop you from making new, cooler friends right? I ended up meeting with new friends through the use of Cannabis. I snowboarded and connected with the skater scene because of that, and I think people using Cannabis at that point were the alternative folks into alternative things – and skateboarding and punk rock all went together, getting out of the mainstream of society. Snowboarding was popularized if not invented at Mount Baker, and we had a lot of that culture here in Mount Vernon.
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How did Cannabis make you feel? Cannabis had a calming effect on me and just felt good. My GPA didn’t suffer and actually, I graduated high school early - while I did skip school occasionally to go smoke and have fun - I didn’t drop out of society or become a complete derelict. In fact, Cannabis now provides me with a career! How did healthcare and wellness play a role in your life? I didn’t want to go to college, but I got it stuck in my head that I could get licensed as a massage therapist – so I moved to Santa Fe, and that started my journey and interest in alternative healthcare and medicines. I worked in Colorado as a massage therapist and in Vail, got credentials for sports therapy, lived in Maui for six years and was certified as a personal trainer. So a focus on alternative medicine and healthier eating – along with the medicinal side of Cannabis – fit well with the mindset I was already in.
SKAGITORGANICS.NET | @SKAGITORGANICS
A Stoner Owner is a Cannabis business owner who has a relationship with the plant. We want to buy and smoke Cannabis from companies that care about their products, employees and the plant. You wouldn’t buy food from a restaurant where the cooks don’t eat in the kitchen, so why buy corporate weed grown by a company only concerned with profits? Stoner Owner approval means a company cares, and we love weed grown with care. Let’s retake our culture and reshape a stigma by honoring those who grow, process and sell the best Cannabis possible.
jan. 2024
Why is it important to have stoner owners in the Cannabis industry? I think having owner-operators in the Cannabis industry is vitally important, more so than other industries, because the potential for positive change that the Cannabis industry represents is so great. Even now, 9 years after the beginning of regulated Cannabis here in Washington, there is an opportunity to embed the unique ethos of Cannabis culture into the way we do business and in the way our industry contributes to the broader community. Establishing any industry from scratch poses unique challenges, and even more so when that industry is Cannabis. In states like Washington which was the first state to develop rules and regulations, we absolutely missed opportunities to tackle issues like equity or demanding criminal justice reform be written into law, we still have the chance to implement these crucial changes and our mistakes and current efforts can serve as a model for other states that have since entered the industry, guiding them in addressing these important issues more effectively. Staying connected to the plant and community and culture in general is so important … I’m able to be more effective at helping patients and consumers find the right medicine for them because I know how they affect me and the benefits it provides to my life and health. This helps me to speak from a truthful and authentic viewpoint, and we are always trying to connect with customers. But this only happens when you have people with an actual connection to the plant and to the culture owning and operating these businesses and staying engaged with the lawmakers and the regulators. Not having enough of this engagement leads to Cannabis being commercialized, not truly and fully legalized, which I think we are unfortunately experiencing here in Washington and I am sure many other states across the country. I did not live in Washington during the lead-up and shaping of I502 but that is why I feel it so important to be engaged now and one of the main reasons why I became involved with The Cannabis Alliance. I know a lot of people are frustrated with their experiences surrounding all aspects of regulated Cannabis here in Washington. I understand why many activists are not energized to continue their work. But I believe those of us who have chosen to participate in the I502 market owe it to all the people and organizations that got us to this point to carry their work forward and ensure that the Cannabis industry does not fully lose its heart and soul. What led you to making Rick Simpson Oil, or Full Extract Cannabis Oil in the legal Cannabis marketplace? My high school friend and now business partner Corey Williams made RSO on a small scale during the medical days. He was familiar with the process and together we wanted to ensure RSO would remain available to patients in the regulated market. He also had great relationships with a couple of medical dispensary owners that had received their retail licenses and they wanted him to continue making it, so we were confident there would be a market for it. When you provide a product that helps someone live a healthier life and be free from pain – not just mask it, but help remove the reason why they feel pain – then you have a customer for life. I feel that because RSO is also being used for really severe health issues like cancer, we have a deeper and closer connection with our customers – and our customers to our products. What is special about RSO that makes it so effective as a medicine? RSO is unique among all the Cannabis concentrates – it’s probably the healthiest way to consume
“WHEN YOU PROVIDE A PRODUCT THAT HELPS SOMEONE LIVE A HEALTHIER LIFE AND BE FREE FROM PAIN – NOT JUST MASK IT, BUT HELP REMOVE THE REASON WHY THEY FEEL PAIN – THEN YOU HAVE A CUSTOMER FOR LIFE.” Cannabis. It’s the best representation of the whole plant concentrated and it contains things that no other concentrate contains: a full spectrum of cannabinoids and terpenes … and a lot of chlorophyll and plant fats and plant proteins that you don’t find in any other type. It’s really kind of the whole food, the superfood of Cannabis concentrates. Similar to vitamins, all of those components in the RSO oil provide unique health benefits. RSO contains these elements because of the solvent that’s used for the extraction – alcohol has unique chemical properties that other solvents do not have, and our process leaves plant elements that other forms of extraction take out! What are the effects of RSO like? It can take a few hours to feel the effects, but it’s a much deeper effect and body high than you get from smoking or taking dabs. It also depends on how you use it, when you take it, and how much of which version. Starting with a dose the size of a grain of rice, we make THC dominant, CBD dominant or CBG dominant RSO blends – so users can find the right therapeutic dose for their needs. You can also use them to cook or bake your own edibles, or fill capsules. How does that work? It’s a better quality high compared to most edibles. You aren’t getting the sugar or other ingredients that might come in a chocolate bar or gummy – and if you do want to make your own edibles, it’s probably the easiest way to infuse right into a butter or oil to cook with. You also know the potency based on the test results. With
RSO, you take a percentage of THC like 60%, and add a zero to calculate the milligrams (so 60% oil will have 600mg of THC in each gram), which is also more potent and cost effective than regular edibles. With RSO, you get the same amount of cannabinoids from multiple bags of edibles for the cost of one. What’s something people don’t know about Skagit Organics? We do a lot more than just sell Cannabis products! All of our salespeople are Department of Health-certified medical cannabis consultants. Through our other company Skagit Wellness, we help a number of our retail partners stay in compliance with their medical endorsement acting as their virtual DOH consultant while providing individualized patient consultations, product recommendations, and usage guidelines. This allows the patient to keep their medical history confidential during the shopping experience, to make a more informed purchase, and the store gains an educated and emotionally invested customer. Finally, tell me about your extra testing for quality assurance. We do spend extra time and money going above and beyond the minimum requirements for testing. Our entire product line is DOH compliant and tested for extra pesticides and heavy metals, and we’re showing and proving that our products are top quality – clean and consistent. In the end, caring in that way has been good business! RSO is the reason we have survived as a company, and I hope we’ve helped people in the same way.
STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX @NWLEAF | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
concentrate of the month
Dabster
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Sativa Sampler Flight In a riff on the famous Lynyrd Skynyrd song – give me three dabs, give me three dabs more – with the Dab Flight lineup by Dipt Labs. Whether it’s the menu at your favorite dispensary or at Starbucks, Americans love selection and variety when it comes to flavors. So when we heard about the new Dab Flights by Dabster that combine three tasty concentrates into one container, we knew we had to dive in for a dabbing smorgasbord to celebrate the start of 2024. Dabster by Dipt Labs has been making killer live resin and infused joints that smack, and we featured their all-in-one rosin cartridges last year in our Off the Shelf rosin roundup. With roots in medical Cannabis and a passion for the plant that carries through in their top shelf extracts, Dipt Labs continues to innovate with their new three-way dab lineup. With a Morning, Noon and Night Sampler, along with indica and sativa varieties, it’s easy to plan out your day’s dabs. And with a lack of good sativa concentrates on the market, we chose the Sativa Sampler to light us up brighter than your weird neighbors’ house that still has Christmas lights up.
jan. 2024
We decided to go in the order on the packaging, starting with the Lemon Meringue. We loved the labeling on the bottom of the jar, making it easy to know which strain is being globbed into our Carta V2 E-rig. Opening the jar releases a rush of invigorating and bright, tropical-fruit flavors with a kiss of deliciously creamy gas. Smelling good enough to eat, we savored the golden, syrupy flavor that tastes like sugary-orange glazed doughnuts. Effects instantly hit the mind, elevating the mood and sharpening senses with each super smooth exhale. Round one and we are awake! Next we loaded the White Nightmare, which has a sugar crystal consistency and a gassier nose. Low-temp hits deliver a limey Sprite flavor with a fizzy citrus kick that smacks the frontal lobes – slowing thoughts and relaxing muscles as a euphoric energy grips the mind and body with a lovely mental daze that is certainly stoney. While taking three dabs in 20 minutes might sound excessive to some, it’s really fun – especially when it’s three different, tasty flavors of terpy live resin.
Dive in for a dabbing smorgasbord to celebrate the start of 2024. With the industry trending towards indicas, especially in the hash world, it’s truly lovely to have uplifting sativas to choose from. The final dab for our floaty sesh was the First 48, a potent cross of The White and Orange Blossom that rushes into the senses with a floral zing of rose petals and citrus gas, exhaling smoothly with a hash kiss on the finish. By the third dab, our eyes were a little crossed, our foreheads heavy … but with the floaty and energetic high riding alongside, we were ready to handle whatever the day had for us with a cheery and stoned outlook. Winter doldrums be damned! DIPTLABS.COM @DIPTLABS2.0 Lemon Meringue, White NIghtmare & First 48
REVIEW by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX/NORTHWEST LEAF | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
strain of the month leafmagazines.com
40
g-spot GUSHERS X PEANUT BUTTER BREATH
FLOWER & SINGLE SOURCE HASH ROSIN 90U-159U jan. 2024
We’ll let your imagination determine why this cross of Gushers – a super fruity strain – and the complex and sedating Peanut Butter Breath combine to make magic … but regardless, the overwhelming flavor and effects will have you gripping the sheets on a wild indica ride.
SOME STRAIN NAMES make sense, even if they sound gross – like Cat Piss or Head Cheese. Others might be a little cringe, like the Green Crack or Fish Scales. Then there’s the unicorn strains that have such an intense name that it might make you blush … or get on Google. This unique strain, that’s luckily workplace friendly (by our standards), is known as G-Spot – and it’s the perfect powerplay to turn things up, and maybe even on. We certainly got a bonger when first eye-smoking the dark purple, frosty buds with a spattering of red hairs amongst a forest of trichomes. This is eye candy weed that glistens under a cell phone flashlight, and the glass jar keeps this fresh weed optimal for smoking. Breaking up the flower has a thick, pillowy density and a satisfying stickiness that releases a fermented chem-rubber-orange peel that gets even more sour at the center of each nug. It’s in your face, sickeningly sweet like a poisoned green apple – with an almost overwhelming dark pepper and tires, signaling to the brain that this fruit will fuck you up. First inhales are full of a sharp gas that’s balanced by a sweeter orange-peel tang, with a slow, clean burn and gentle exhales. This strain builds effects steadily, and at the same time brings a rubbery, weedy flavor that coats the palate and reminds us of how resinated the bud is (which is also why it washes into spectacular hash). We found our minds wrapped in a dazed euphoria with a relaxed, floaty body high that makes everyday life feel magical – as long as we weren’t doing anything too serious. This is a fun strain – meant for comfy blankets and indulgence – not a cleaning or study-buddy high. Grown with a focus on craft and unique strains, Royal Tree has expanded their tasty flower lineup into the hash rosin game – offering single-source solventless hash rosin that’s a potent and dabbable treat created from their top shelf flower. The golden rosin glistens with terps that smack the palate when giving it a sniff, engulfing senses in a vanilla, frosted-gas funk with a citrus kiss. It’s always excellent to try a strain in flower and concentrate form, and nothing is more worthy of a Royal Tree pairing than dabbing hash rosin … flooding the mind and senses in a rush of sedating euphoria that’s worthy of the name G-Spot. ROYALTREEGARDENS.COM @ROYALTREE.GARDENS
REVIEW by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
Cannabis Cheers for the New Years! Disclaimer: Cannabis can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. 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.
21+ Marijuana
Happy New Year!
Daily specials everyday of the week! Save time - order online! @ thekushery.rocks
Locations Evergreen Way
Clearview
Monroe
(360)863-3256 (425)259-7958 (360) 217-8951 16412 Trombley Rd 18026 WA-9 B 4808 Evergreen Way, Everett, WA 98203 Snohomish, WA 98296 Snohomish, WA 98290
Lake Forest Park
Stanwood
Cathcart
(425)337-5145 (360)939-0400 27206 88th Ave NW, 5626 134th Pl SE B, 19258 15th Ave NE #B, Lake Forest Park, WA 98155 Stanwood, WA 98292 Everett, WA 98208 (206)403-1106
THE weed & wellness ISSUE leafmagazines.com
44
YOU DON'T KNOW JENN DOE INTERVIEW by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX /LEAF NATION
jan. 2024
J
ENN DOE’S STORY IS THAT OF A SINGLE MOTHER, A PIONEER, A CANNABIS CUP-WINNING HASH MAKER IN A MALE-DOMINATED SCENE, A SURVIVOR OF A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE, AND A FIGHTER FOR THE RIGHT TO USE AND SHARE PLANT AND ANIMAL BASED MEDICINES. As a patient herself using Cannabis to combat symptoms of Long Lyme Disease, she’s researched and embarked on a journey for health that has included using South American Tree Frog Kambo therapy, snake and scorpion venom treatments, and plant-based medicines like psilocybin and other psychedelics to heal her body, mind and spirit. We sat down with Jenn over Zoom from Utah – her childhood home that she's now returned to part-time, spreading the good word of Cannabis and helping remove the stigma surrounding patients and recreational users alike.
How did you start your relationship with Cannabis? I was 14 when I started smoking. My Dad was a closet smoker – he kinda hid it from me – and friends at school wanted to smoke. When I was 16, I got my hands on my first seeds and grew them out in my closet. By then my parents weren't so awful about it, but my mom did keep telling me to get rid of the plants because they were stinky. Did you fall in love with growing from the start? I did! It was so expensive to buy it and I realized that I could take my own seeds and grow this plant. … My first grow setup was literally my closet. Back then it was really hard to find any information about growing and we didn’t bring it up because it was so illegal. When I could get my hands on High Times, I read it – but even that was very rare to stumble across at a 7-11. How did you get involved in the medical side of Cannabis? My grandmother had cancer, and I had been selling weed on the black market. I'd heard that Cannabis was helpful for cancer, and I was finally able to gather enough info to present to her as an alternative to eliminate the cancer. I had all this weed, but I didn’t know how to make it into medicine. By the time I figured it out, my grandma actually died – so that was very hard for me. I still feel that if I had access to the information, I could have helped more – which drove me into the medical aspect of Cannabis even further. How did it feel to go from the restrictive Utah environment into the more open, medical Cannabis world? When I moved to Washington in 2013 [where medical and recreational use were legal], I realized that I could share this info and not be worried about someone hunting me down and throwing me into prison. So I decided to share as much as I could! Coming from Utah, it was very freeing. It took a long time to get out of the Utah mindset of being anxious about smoking Cannabis somewhere that wasn’t hidden.
Once you settled in, you started making solventless ice water hash – how did that happen? When I first started, I was shooting in the dark. I’d made old-school pressed hash, but I had no idea if I was making the six star-style bubble hash right. I had been pushed out of a BHO lab because I was a girl and my partners didn’t give me that opportunity … I wanted something that could be mine, so I started making hash!
You went for gold with it and won a High Times Cannabis Cup, and you're still the only woman to grow and process a single-source hash entry and win! I entered originally as more of a tribute and paying my respect to one of the only sources of info I could find. It was fun to be pioneering, and I entered not thinking I had any chance of winning. When I won the Cup, it was only my eighth time washing hash. I was like, wait – I did this, right? It was complete imposter syndrome – a little scary, and very unexpected. >> STORY CONTINUES NEXT PAGE
PHOTOS by AMELIA HANNAH @ONA.PORTRAITS for LEAF NATION
YOU DON'T KNOW JENN DOE
THE weed & wellness ISSUE
STORY CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PG.
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LAURA LEE @LAURALEEDIARIES
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As a pioneering woman in Cannabis, how does it feel to shine a light on women’s talents? I think there's a lot of women in the industry that have always stayed behind the scenes with too little credit, or without any at all. There’s different reasons other than the obvious male egos and industry, and a lot of it comes back to mothers needing to take care of their kids. In the early days, that kept women behind the scenes so we didn’t make ourselves a target. It was challenging for me because I did feel like I had a target [in the past], but I felt that it was important not to be afraid of that.
After your accident, and a tick bite later gave you Lyme Disease, you began searching beyond Cannabis for plant and animal medicines that could help you heal and recover. What pushed you to try those alternative medicines? You have to be in a place in life where you feel so hopeless, that you can search out these different things. Also, I've always been open to psychedelics and used them previously. I actually did acid before I tried weed, because Utah put such a big ‘no-no’ on weed, we didn't hear about acid. So when I was a kid, acid was less scary than weed.
How does it feel to help others with medicine now? It doesn't change that I couldn't help my grandma, but knowing her circumstances brought all this together … is very heartfelt. Even before I knew Cannabis was medicinal, I knew it was doing something positive – that it improved my focus and helped with headaches and cramps or back pain. Cannabis was doing something for me and people I interacted with, even when I wasn’t conscious of what it was doing.
What was the effect of Lyme Disease like? The tick bite fucked me up really bad. I have Lyme Disease and five other co-infections. It affects everything, really – your nervous system and your brain's ability to communicate with your organs properly. I was having a lot of weird heart situations but it wasn't my heart, it was the signals my brain was sending to my heart. So I would be exhausted all day and then during sleep, my heart would race – so I would wake up feeling like I ran a marathon. The signals were backwards to my heart, all because of the neurological issues with Lyme Disease.
It’s also helped you overcome the trauma of a horrific accident. How did Cannabis help? I was in a freak accident … a car went into a river and I was trapped, and my friend Harland Ryman died. The hardest part of the PTSD stemmed from the fact that I got us out of the car once it was sinking, to save his life – and then he helped save me, and then died. I had a lot of survivor's remorse and guilt. There’s so many things in that whole situation that really fucked me up, but that was the worst. How do you watch someone you just saved, die? Was going into the garden a form of therapy in your recovery? Growing definitely helped me through all of that – being in the garden as therapy, to sit quietly. To have a reason to step away from the kids and have a space to go and know that I was helping people again was empowering. Weed allowed me to help people when I wasn’t able to help Harland.
jan. 2024
That sounds terrible. So, with the doctors unable to help, you had to take matters into your own hands? I've had migraines since I was five years old. They put me in the ER all the time, and the doctors would either say I was lying, or put me through the ringer on a bunch of migraine and epilepsy and pain meds. So I don't have a whole lot of trust in doctors. I’d rather research and try medicines that other cultures have used for thousands of years. And if we really look at pharmaceutical companies suppressing traditional medicines and designing drugs from them – including Cannabis – it’s all been for profit, not for truth.
"EVEN BEFORE I KNEW CANNABIS WAS MEDICINAL, I KNEW IT WAS DOING SOMETHING POSITIVE."
@JENNDOE420
What was using the frog venom, Kambo, like? How did it help? I started microdosing Kambo and that seemed to help. It's like giving yourself the worst flu you've ever had in your life for about 20 minutes. They make little burns and they put the medicine on those burns to get it into your lymphatic system … while it's on there, you're as sick as can be in every way, from puking to shitting to sweating to crying – it's like a full purge of everything. Once you wipe the serum off, within a couple minutes all those terrible feelings go away. And then you feel very tired. So this isn’t something that gets you high? You dont feel better right away, but it puts you to rest and you feel rejuvenated afterwards. It's not to get high – it's kind of like viewed as a full body detox. The peptides and alkaloids in the frog excretion work with the body in harmony to correct issues, including emotions. What else have you done that’s helped from the plant world? I also microdose mushrooms, which is very helpful for mental and physical health.
My body pains aren't as bad when I am microdosing, and it's helpful with my sleep patterns to relax me enough to help with my heart situation. Another alternative I've used are flower essences and herbs. I worked with a woman in Maine – utilizing herbs for the physical body and flower essences for the energetic body – and using them together helps with your energy field and your body. You can't fix one without fixing the other. How did you make the leap to snake venom? I went down to Mexico after a lot of research. If you look into snake venom, many pharmaceutical drugs have been created from it. It felt very different from Kambo. I didn't feel much of anything with some of the venoms, but I was learning to be an administrator – so I tried 10 different venoms that all do different things. There are three different categories of snake venom: One is Hemotoxic and works with your blood, one is Cytotoxic and used for cancers because it kills cells, and the Neurotoxic venoms can be helpful for the brain and neurological systems.
That treatment is illegal in the U.S., and dangerous, right? The biggest reason it’s illegal is gatekeeping for pharmaceutical companies, but I do understand that it can literally kill you. So if you are inexperienced, venom can be fatal – in small doses, however, it has such different effects. One of the venoms made me feel like I'd taken Adderall for my ADD – I had a noticeable change in my focus when I took the monocle cobra, a forest cobra. Do you see this journey of plant and animal medicines being your focus as you heal yourself and help others by sharing your experiences? I’ve always been a healer, so now it's expanding into other modalities. It's no different than when I started in Cannabis. I didn’t have the information I needed – and once I did, I turned around and started helping. This isn’t just for me … it’s to have the experiences and the knowledge to help others discover things – without going to the crazy lengths I do for these experiences!
STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by AMELIA HANNAH @ONA.PORTRAITS
Super Gremlin
E N E RG E T I C S AT I VA H Y B R I D SHERBANGER
ANIMAL COOKIES
A powerful hybrid that combines the legendary ‘09 Animal Cookies and Sherbanger strains, bringing you an unmatched blend of potency and flavor. We have complex aromas , ranging from citrus to sweet berries and an earthiness from sherbet mixed with a pungent OG, sour lime, from Sherbanger.
WARNING Cannabis may be purchased or possessed by persons 21 or older. This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Cannabis can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do no 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 by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of reach of children.
leafmagazines.com
50 THE weed & wellness ISSUE
NOT YOUR PARENT'S POT TALK
jan. 2024
KIDS &THE NEW AGE CANNABIS CONVERSATION PARENTS HAVE A LOT on their plates these days. In the already challenging role of parenting through the pandemic, navigating social media and changing norms, they also have to grapple with how to address Cannabis use and legality for themselves and their loved ones. As we grow from Cannabis users to become parents and grandparents, the changing times and perceptions around the plant and kids are a constantly evolving area of focus. Is Cannabis dangerous for kids? What about parents? In this primer, we share our advice as parents and once-teens ourselves, as we continue to learn about and shape the way Cannabis is viewed in our society.
MOMMY’S MEDICINE
When my children were little, we made a decision to talk to them about Cannabis and how it helped Mom and Dad as a medicine that was special … and something we kept secret. We let them know that just like any other medicine, it was for adults only – but that this one was special. It helped us, but some people didn’t like it – so we didn’t talk about it outside of the house. This might sound a little twisted, but so is a drug counselor coming to school with a DARE presentation asking kids if they’ve seen their parents using drugs. By making the talk about Cannabis a simple explanation about medicine, most little kids will ignore pot like they ignore most of the adult world. The biggest issue for little kids and pot? Keep your edibles (and everything else) locked up or otherwise secure. While a toddler isn’t going to grab the bong, they definitely will gravitate towards bright colored candy. Should the worst happen and they eat something, just remember that Cannabis has never killed anyone … and with hydration and rest, kids, dogs and moms can all recover from too much weed.
BUILDING TRUST WITH TEENS
“Do as I say but not as I do” doesn’t work when parenting little kids, and it certainly doesn’t help when trying to keep teens out of the medicine or liquor cabinets, or for getting them to leave Cannabis alone. Generally teens don’t want anything to do with what their parents are in to – with the exception of drugs and alcohol. They are looking to us for cues on what’s OK and it’s important to be an example of responsible use during these crucial years. While alcohol might be present at sporting events and advertised nearly everywhere, it’s important not to glorify getting a buzz. The same goes for Cannabis. With the rise in Fentanyl, which can kill with a dose the size of a grain of rice, it can be lifesaving to have trust with your teen. If they or a friend takes a pill or accidentally consumes a drug, and someone is overdosing or hurt – they need to feel safe to call you and for paramedics. So just like a good household has a fire escape plan, talk to your children about the dangers of pills – and what their plan is if someone overdoses. By building trust with your teen, they’ll feel comfortable talking to you about their experimentation, giving you the chance to lead with love and guide them towards good decisions – like waiting to use Cannabis until they are of a legal age to do so.
CHILDRENS’ MEDICINE
There’s nothing a parent won’t do for a sick child, and when the choice is between a potential jail sentence and providing relief through Cannabis for a kid, the Leaf has documented many parents' choices to heal their child with plant-based medicine. Starting with Charlotte's Web in 2011, a high-CBD strain named for a girl with epilepsy in Colorado, the right to provide children with Cannabis has been hotly debated. While it seems clear to those in the Cannabis activism space that CBD and THC can help with a wide range of ailments, parents still face risk and ridicule for giving their children a potentially life-saving medicine. The Leaf has written about children who are alive thanks to their parents being brave enough to administer Cannabis, and we believe that this medicine has huge benefits for humans of all ages. But even with the benefits, Cannabis should only be used for children with extreme or life-threatening conditions like epilepsy. This includes CBD, which might be sold at your local drug store – but isn’t the right way to calm down a hyperactive kiddo or help with sleep as it does for adults. Healthy children don’t need Cannabis and it’s important as parents to make careful decisions about all medications.
SETTING BOUNDARIES
While Cannabis and the vaping of e-cigs might be common on high school and college campuses, and of course in pop culture – it’s important to set boundaries with drugs and alcohol as students head into these formative years. America has always celebrated college partying, and to a lesser extent, high school house parties in movies and pop culture. But with the cost of college rising, and the true impact of alcohol and hard partying becoming mainstream knowledge, it’s important to talk to older students about their choices and future. While Cannabis is certainly safer than alcohol, we don’t want our teens using these drugs before their brains have fully developed. By setting boundaries and having open communication, we can share this messaging with our kids – helping them to stay kids for as long as possible. Luckily for our younger generations, their 21st birthday can be spent at a legal pot shop without fear of arrest or alcohol poisoning. And that’s a world we should all be grateful to live in.
STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX/LEAF NATION | PHOTO by ADOBE STOCK
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THE weed & wellness ISSUE
POSITIVE VIBRATIO POSITIVE POSITIVE VIBRATIO THESE DAYS, there’s no shortage of Cannabis-infused wellness activities available – from yoga and meditation to massage and tai chi. One modality that’s taken center stage recently though is the sound bath: A full-body meditative experience employing various instruments to generate vibrations meant to heal and balance one’s mind, body and spirit. To see (and feel) what all the buzz was about, I signed up for a 60-minute group session at Let’s Get Tuned – a gorgeous sound healing/yoga studio overlooking the Pacific in Morro Bay, California. This new studio is owned and operated by a married couple of holistic healing practitioners named Jon Nowaczyk and Natalie Teichmann, whose hundreds of hours of soundhealer training translates into profound insights into the practice.
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LETSGETTUNED.COM | @LETSGETTUNED
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ONS ONS ONS “DURING THE SOUND BATH, IT’S LIKE YOUR CELLS ARE HAVING A SYNCHRONIZED FLASH MOB DANCE PARTY … THEY’RE GETTING SHAKEN UP,” EXPLAINS NATALIE. “We don’t just hear with our ears – we also hear through bone conduction and through our skin. So in a way, we are all one big ear … or rather, millions of small ears,” Natalie explains. “The harmonious tones in a sound bath provide a steady vibration to the body, allowing you to enter a state of balance called neural coherence. It’s like taking a deep breath for your nervous system. That creates a feeling of being at peace, and once your body feels safe and relaxed, it can begin to heal itself.” Psychologically speaking, the meditative mindset induced by sound bathing can help ease anxiety and facilitate better sleep, as well as fuel motivation, inspiration and creativity. Physiologically, the vibrations activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which in turn can increase blood flow and help reduce pain and inflammation. It also stimulates nitric oxide production, which aids in digestion, and bolsters memory and the immune system. Basically, sound healing acts like a massage for our internal organs.
“All matter is vibrating, so everything has a sound – including the cells in our bodies,” explains Natalie. “During the sound bath, it’s like your cells are having a synchronized flash mob dance party … they’re getting shaken up. If we’re in a pool and I push the water towards you, you can see that wave. Well, it’s the same with sound – only it’s not as tangible.” One way to visualize that effect is with cymatics (the science of seeing sound) – where sand on a blank plate vibrates into intricate geometric patterns when different sounds are played. “With cymatics, that’s the visual representation of a frequency,” Jon notes. “The higher the frequency, the more intricate the pattern gets … the lower the frequency, the wider and bigger the pattern is. We can almost imagine that happening to the water molecules in our body as they’re shaping to that frequency.” Considering the human body is composed of 70% water, you can imagine the kind of effect that’s having on a cellular level.
“These frequencies are like sonic multivitamins,” he continues. “If you have just one frequency, the sound is very targeted … but for overall health, you want a full spectrum of sound.” (You know – kind of like with cannabinoids.) After our discussion (and a quick puff for me outside) it was time for the session. Once we all picked our spots, got comfy with our yoga mats and blankets and closed our eyes, Jon dimmed the lights and began the sound bath. First came the Crystal Tones singing bowls – sculpted from quartz crystal and infused with precious metals and gemstones like topaz, gold and selenite. The sound was so relaxing that I immediately felt my jaw fully relax and my face soften. Next up were the steel gongs from Grotta Sonora in Italy, which he played by sliding a silicone friction mallet across them. At first, the low hum came in soft waves and ripples … but as he began to play harder it felt like a herd of wild horses running by us. I took deeper and deeper breaths as I felt the vibration of the sound permeate throughout my entire body. Finally, Jon eased us out with the soft, soothing sound of Koshi chimes, which washed over each person as he circulated around the space. The gentle tinkling sound made me feel like I was entering a magical woodland, being greeted by fairies and gnomes. I was indeed in the safety zone and felt amazing. Before I knew it, the hour was up and I was slowly opening my eyes, readjusting to the light, and feeling relaxed and refreshed. Sound healing offers us a safe space where we can truly let go and get our inner frequencies in tune with the universe. If you are looking to go deeper within your own wellness practice, I highly recommend it.
STORY by APRIL BLACK @HIGHERWAYTRAVEL for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS courtesy of LET’S GET TUNED & ERIKA COLE
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THE weed & wellness ISSUE
SESHING FOR
SELF-CARE Take a stoney soak.
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Hot bubble baths are already a selfcare staple – but adding cannabinoids can take your soak to the next level of relaxation. We love these bath bombs from Kush Queen infused with full-spectrum CBD, hemp extract and essential oils but no artificial colors or scents. With targeted effects such as Revive, Sleep and Immunity, toss one in the tub and listen to the fizzing sounds for ASMR, smell the essential oils for aromatherapy, and watch the shades swirl together in the water for color therapy in a true multi-sensory experience. As you soak, your body will continue to absorb the essential oils and CBD through the skin like a sponge for added therapeutic benefits. Pro tip: light a few candles, put on some music, and sesh on a joint before (or during) your bath to further set the mood. kushqueen.shop
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Pair your sesh with meditation.
Meditation to promote mindfulness and reduce stress dates back to ancient times. Similarly, Cannabis has been used for centuries to quiet the brain and relax the body. Trying them together can boost self-awareness and help you stay grounded in the moment with a deeper state of focus. Eat an edible or take a few drops from a tincture 30-45 minutes before you meditate or spark up during your practice. It’ll depend on your habits and preferences, but strains high in the terpenes myrcene (think OG Kush, Granddaddy Purple and Blue Dream) and linalool (like Lavender Kush, Do-Si-Dos and Amnesia Haze) tend to be suggested for their calming effects. If you’re new to meditation or want to be part of a community, check out Collette from Balancing Cannabis! She hosts a donation-based virtual guided Cannabis meditation that you can join every Monday at 6:00 p.m. PST. balancingcannabis.com
jan. 2024
Get those creative juices flowing.
Studies have shown that creative activities stimulate the release of dopamine – the chemical that gives the brain feelings of happiness, satisfaction and motivation. If you don’t naturally have a knack for the arts or have a hard time loosening up and coloring outside of the lines (literally), there are still ways you can get into a creative headspace. Roll up, grab some markers, and make your own masterpiece with Cabin 7 Originals Coloring Books for Stoners. Two editions are available with 40 coloring pages in each that you can fill in with pens, crayons, markers or paint. If you want to spread some self-care cheer this season, go for the bundle that includes both editions and gift one to a friend! cabin7originals.com
GIVE YOUR MIND AND BODY A LITTLE EXTRA LOVE THIS YEAR BY INFUSING YOUR SELF-CARE ROUTINE WITH CANNABIS.
Give yourself a fire facial. Physical relaxation sends your brain the message that it’s time to chill out too, so pampering yourself can actually create a more mellow mental state. What better way to spoil yourself than with an at-home spa day? We suggest starting with the Sacred Facial Set from Sacred Ace Skincare. All of their products are made with vegan, cruelty-free ingredients and infused with USDA-certified organic full-spectrum CBD. Adding CBD to your skincare routine is known to have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant and calming properties, and this kit contains everything you need to give yourself a full facial in one beautiful box. With the Hydrating Face Mist & Toner, Anoint Face Oil and Antioxidant Face Moisturizer, dry winter skin won’t stand a chance this year. sacredaceskincare.com Reflect on your Cannabis consumption.
Slowing down and connecting with your inner needs and thoughts is a huge part of selfcare – and being mindful about your Cannabis consumption is a simple place to start. You can keep a journal or use a digital tool to set an intention before each sesh and reflect on the results. We like the Releaf App, where you can enter the product type and strain, why you’re using it and how much you used. After you consume, simply record how you feel to see if it aligns with your original intention. Maybe you wanted to chill out before bed, but the edibles you ate had the opposite effect because you were digging around the fridge with the munchies all night. Or perhaps you finally stumbled across the flower that brought you to your inner zen. As you enter more experiences, you can compare which products were the most beneficial in various situations and even get customized strain recommendations. Releafapp.com
STORY by KATHERINE WOLF @KATADELLIC for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS courtesy
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CANNABINOID CONCOCTIONS "IT’S EASIER THAN EVER FOR PATIENTS AND RECREATIONAL USERS OF THE PLANT TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT CANNABINOIDS AND HOW THEY COULD POTENTIALLY FIT INTO ONE’S LIFESTYLE."
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AS WE CONTINUE to embark on this journey of health and wellness, many of us turn to cannabinoids other than just THC. This is where a whole slew of other cannabinoids come in like CBD, CBN and CBG. Two companies that are shining a bright light on this space are the nationally-known brands Wyld and Smokiez. While both companies are rooted in the Pacific Northwest, they’ve since grown into several states across the country – making it easier than ever for patients and recreational users of the plant to explore different cannabinoids and how they could potentially fit into one’s lifestyle.
Good sleep is essential to living a healthy life, and CBN has come out as the top cannabinoid for helping people reach the state they desire. Personally, I’ve taken CBN before bed and noticed that I fell asleep sooner, stayed asleep longer, and had minimal grogginess the following morning. When taken with CBG, a cannabinoid that increases the production of a chemical called GABA, my anxiety was calm enough to improve the effects of the CBN. There are tons of other proposed effects of CBG – including the improvement of digestive health and acting as a neuroprotectant. And when it comes to CBD, what can I say? It’s essential to the stoner’s stash, and a cornerstone of a robust Cannabis diet. When checking out Wyld’s offerings, their wide selection of seven different gummies alongside six flavors of sparkling water makes for endless cannabinoid combinations. Gummies come in lemon, blackberry, raspberry, huckleberry, peach, pear and elderberry, with varying ratios of CBD, CBG, CBC and CBN.
jan. 2024
Wyld's grapefruit sparkling water is one of my personal favorites, but the lemon, blood orange, blackberry and raspberry are all refreshing in their own unique way. And don’t sleep on the blueberry pomegranate CBN formulation … it’s a great pre-bedtime bubbly that Wyld says is “like watching a sheep count you.” Next we find Smokiez bringing the heat with CBD, CBG and CBN variations of their gummies. They have 16 flavors currently available including blue raspberry, sour green apple, and way too many more to keep this list going. With 12 flavors of their 2.5:1 ratio CBD:CBN gummies, they are sure to have a flavor for everyone. These come in packs of 10 and 30, totaling 250-750mg of CBD and 100-300mg of CBN per package. The CBG gummies come in 12 flavors as well, with the same variation of potency as the CBN. It goes without saying that everyone’s consumption methods are a little bit different, but I urge you to go out and try some other cannabinoids besides THC in the new year. The risk level is extremely low with these non-psychoactive cannabinoids – and they come with the potential benefit of increased health and wellness. Let’s be honest: Humans eat and drink things we know are toxic all the time. With brands like Wyld and Smokiez available, why not treat your tastebuds to a delicious product that might actually make you feel better? WYLDCBD.COM | SMOKIEZCBD.COM
STORY by WYATT EARLY @ERRLYWYATT/MARYLAND LEAF | PHOTOS courtesy
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THE weed & wellness ISSUE
THE STINKY, THE Abstrax Tech Uncovers New Compounds in Cannabis
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68 Some time ago, the Cannabis community came to the understanding that there’s more to the magic of this plant than lonely cannabinoids. Terpenes served as a tipping point and ignited a desire for more knowledge, and for years they offered a better way to categorize and consume products – based on the limited information our community had access to, that is. While these aromatic compounds greatly expanded our understanding (or at the very least, a thirst for it), we all knew the day would come when access and experimentation bloomed into a deeper comprehension of mysterious canna compounds missing from the equation. That day arrived on October 12, 2023 via a press release from Abstrax Tech, Inc. announcing an exciting discovery of “many key aroma classes with diverse functionality, each responsible for some of the most desirable aromatic qualities found in high quality modern Cannabis.”
jan. 2024
THE SCIENTISTS
THE SAVORY
Abstrax Tech is a research and development company based in Tustin, California. While they formulate and sell terpene blends, their reach extends beyond the simplicity of a supplier – with a heavy emphasis on education. The company has “successfully lobbied to legalize hydrocarbon (BHO/PHO) extraction in Canada, discovered an entirely new class of compounds in Cannabis that are the true source of its skunky aroma, and partnered with six different universities in ongoing research studies.”
One of those discoveries was indole – the chemical base for quite a few familiar compounds in nature, including melatonin and tryptophan. It was previously noted in Cannabis smoke, but its newly identified omnipresence among the study’s hash rosin samples suggests some interesting new possibilities: Not only is indole responsible for the “prototypical” Cannabis aroma (think earthy and floral), but it may even play a part in its perceived effects.
One of their studies – ongoing since 2019 and in partnership with 710 Labs, SepSolve Analytical and Markes International – has gained attention after its recent publication and Editor’s Choice in ACS Omega, a peer-reviewed, weekly journal by The American Chemical Society. The paper, titled “Minor, Nonterpenoid Volatile Compounds Drive the Aroma Differences of Exotic Cannabis,” is available to the public for free on pubs.acs.org and highlights these exciting new “key aroma classes.” If a 10-plus page scientific whitepaper isn’t your idea of light reading, you can hop over to the Abstrax Instagram (@abstraxtech) for some great breakdowns of the research findings. But since you’re already here, why not have a taste of our takeaways?
Skatole is a member of the indole family, but this stinky string of molecules has a slightly more fascinating claim to fame. As a result of tryptophan breaking down during digestion, it’s responsible for the stench of mammalian and bird feces! But there’s no need to skip your favorite “stinky” smoke like the skatole-containing strain GMO, as this compound’s scent changes with its concentration and even encompasses a wide range of aromas from savory to chemical. The fragrance and food industries have utilized its diverse aromatic outputs for many years – it’s just our community’s first time getting familiar.
SWEET, AND THE SCIENCE THE SWEET Volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) are probably another first for many of us. Some of their prenylated forms were previously known to cause the “skunky, gas-like” characteristics in Cannabis. However, the team at Abstrax Tech has uncovered a new class of these VSCs. “Tropical Volatile Sulfur Compounds” were found to have a fruity twist akin to sulfuric citrus – an unsurprising revelation considering their presence in “tropical fruits such as passionfruit and grapefruit.” Esters encapsulate another important role in Cannabis aroma. These common compounds are found in “nearly every fruit” and Abstrax has identified over 30 in Cannabis with a “wide range of sweet or fruity related aromas.” A single strain can contain many of these esters and in its own unique combination. According to the study, a popular cultivar known as Banana Scream contains over 15 esters alone – and “each with a different aroma descriptor ranging from fruity, pineapple or banana.”
"IF NOT TERPENES, WHAT ARE THE TRUE SOURCES OF CANNABIS’ UNIQUE AROMATIC CHARACTERISTICS?"
The study also identified a handful of “structurally unique compounds.” A bouquet of grapelike aromas is produced by methyl, dimethyl and ethyl anthranilate. Mild, sweet, honey scents spawn from Phenethyl n-butyrate, isobutyrate, and n-propanoate – three discoveries that only appear present in “more recently bred” varieties of this particular panel (namely, Papaya Peach and Juiceman). And finally, an answer for the creamy coconut taste that creeps onto the palate through so many strains: a lactone identified as 6-amyl-αpyrone. It’s found in peaches and produced by a common soil fungus. Now that you’ve been doused in a potpourri of new knowledge, it’s time to chat about why it matters – because budtenders around the nation probably won’t be bombarded with requests for the “highest-hitting 6-amyl-ALPHA-pyrone strain” anytime soon. But let’s face it … the importance of advancing research in Cannabis is massive – especially if we want to dive deeper into its medical benefits and cater to cultivation.
ABSTRAXTECH.COM | @ABSTRAXTECH
STORY by AMANDA DAY @TERPODACTYL_MEDIA/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by ADOBE STOCK
glass art spotlight
BLEW B.LEWW__
GLASS
ART B
Y
BOB S I W LE
Hailing from Salt Lake City, Bob Lewis has been trailblazing and navigating the Cannabis industry and glass community for over 15 years – often reflecting on the early days when he would get together with his buddies, seeking to acquire the finest herb money could buy.
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"When I was 17, I started caring about quality Cannabis,” shared Lewis. “I would connect with a buddy from California who came to town with a mobile dispensary, and high-end glass I had never seen before." His local glass gallery, Boro Syndicate, also opened his eyes to top-tier artists – inspiring him to start a glass collection ranging from Contrabasso to Preston Hanna. From that point forward, Lewis continued to be moved by these unfamiliar creations he encountered, further drawing him to the flame. While Lewis was finding himself increasingly fascinated by the world of glass blowing, his relationship with the art form officially began when he started going to Oktoberfest at Snowbird. It was here he discovered Kenyon Coon, aka Borokato, who had a glass-blowing booth at the festival. Lewis was mesmerized by his works of art and began going there daily after his morning shifts as a landscaper … until one day, he had built a strong enough relationship and was offered an apprenticeship. "I got to work under his company, creating pipe production work including spoons, hammers, and other various works of art," explained Lewis. Lewis now finds himself living in the mecca of flameworking: Denver. He originally connected with the Mean Screens team about decade ago, and found both his lane and his people – where artists including Brick Glass, Trust Glass, Tutaw and MZ helped Lewis level up, hone in on his craft, and find new ways to offer. Nowadays he resides at Explore Glass Gallery, where he still works with some of the original artists that help him achieve new heights years ago. From mini-tubes and water-spinners to cups and trinkets, Lewis has come a long way from his early days cranking out production glass. His most recent design, IBR or Internal Ball Recycler, combines the shapes of a few different designs he has created into one powerhouse of a piece. "Glass blowing has proven to me that you can do anything you want to do, and be anything you want to be." Lewis is also a passionate Cannabis cultivator and processor with over a decade of experience. Look out for his hash brand, Hashishi Co., and their upcoming menu this year – including Fiendz Club's latest genetics. Feel free to reach out directly to Lewis on IG to see what available work he currently has, as his art sells out fast – both directly from him and the glass galleries he works with!
JAN. 2024
"From mini-tubes and water-spinners to cups and trinkets, Lewis has come a long way from his early days cranking out production glass."
STORY by MAX EARLY @LIFTEDSTARDUST for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS courtesy
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A LOT OF PEOPLE NEED TO DRY OUT AND THEY KNOW IT. So, getting sober is an annual challenge some of my friends will undertake for around 30 days, usually the same month every year. It’s not like they enjoy this exile, but in their mind, abstinence is a necessary evil that is going to miraculously stave off an early grave. And rehab. We all know that the body can’t reverse liver and heart damage in the matter of one month, but that’s OK – the effort is nonetheless recognized. And it sure makes for a delicious bender for said participant when the 30 days ends and Ol’ Faithful releases some steam. This temporary lifestyle change is never easy, and they will struggle to find ways to occupy their attention. Over coffee and fast food, these anxious souls will squirm uncomfortably while plotting their return … romanticizing their immersion into the waterfall of temptation when that clock finally hits 12:01 a.m. on the first day of the new month. So, to see the discipline through, they must maximize these efforts while minimizing the FOMO. And that means choosing the surest span with the least amount of opportunity to relapse during this annoying stint. Therefore, Superbowl Sunday will never be part of the equation. Neither will St. Patrick’s Day, their birthday, or Cinco de Drinko. Spring is no time to get sober – there’s too much excitement and optimism. And summer is completely out of the question. November is a strong candidate, but there’s that four-day holiday of fowl, family and football that begs for self-medication. So, January makes the most sense. They say Cannabis still does not constitute ‘being sober’ because it’s a mind-altering substance. I should know … I’ve been sober for 38 days! Not consecutively, of course.
JAN. 2024
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