Oct. 2021 - NW Leaf

THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE

#136 | OCT. 2021

THE TEAM BEHIND TERPENE TRANSIT HELPS YOU GET YOUR GOODIES. >> PG. 42

THE INSIDER ISSUE F RE E / L E A F M AGA Z I N E S . COM

INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010

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SHOP REVIEW CANNABIS CITY, SEATTLE

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INSIDE WEEDMAPS’ TECH PUSH HOW THE SITE CHANGED CANNABIS

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Halloween Recipes

JUSTIN STEWART

IN MEMORIAM MIGUEL GONZALES

28

DANIEL BERMAN

16

COURTESY

44

The Kushery team are some of the true OGs of the Northwest Cannabis scene.

From their humble start back in the days of MMJ, to their expansion into five well-stocked recreational shops around the state, this company is one to know.

60 A History of Rolling Papers Maybe you take those little paper packets for granted.

After all, they have always been there for you — ready to accept whatever you had lined up to roll up. But the long legacy of these tools, dating back to 8th century Spain, reveals how our community has been shaped by the humble items.

///////////// story by bobby black

OCT. 2021

feature

11 14 16 18 20 22 26 28 32 36 42 44 48 52 54 56 60 62

EDITOR’S NOTE N AT I O N A L N E W S MIGUEL GONZALES HEMP INDUSTRY PAT I E N T P R O F I L E H I G H LY L I K E LY BUDTENDER Q&A SHOP REVIEW STRAIN OF THE MONTH WEEDMAPS TERPENE TRANSIT THE KUSHERY GENINE COLEMAN CANNABIS RECIPES C O N C E N T R AT E O T M A LT M E D C O R N E R CANNTHROPOLOGY STONEY BALONEY

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BRUCE WOLF

DANIEL BERMAN

8

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

#136

feature

COURTESY OF WORLD OF CANNABIS MUSEUM

THE INSIDER ISSUE

PODCAST

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COMMITTED TO THE ART OF CANNABIS

VAPORIZER L E A R N M O R E AT PA X .C O M

PAX DOES NOT PRODUCE, MANUFACTURE OR DISTRIBUTE CANNABIS. NOT FOR SALE TO MINORS. © 2021 PAX Labs, Inc. All Rights Reserved. PAX, X, ERA, ERA LIFE and ERA PRO are all trademarks of PAX Labs, Inc. US and International Patents Pending. Complete list of Patents and Trademarks: www.pax.com/intellectual-property-list

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A B O U T T H E C OV E R For Northwest Leaf’s first-ever Insider Issue, we knew we wanted to highlight a company that does more behind-the-scenes than most Cannabis consumers even realize. Based in Bellingham, Terpene Transit is a nimble and passionate crew of hard workers who serve as the connecting point between Cannabis product manufacturers and the retail spaces where you can buy them. Creative Director Daniel Berman cruised up north to capture this dynamic group portrait of the team that even included their dog, named Pig, tucked up-front in the passenger seat. Learn more about how this company is innovating access to Cannabis products and helping brands stay on all those beautiful shelves >> pg. 42.

PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

PUBLISHER

CONTRIBUTORS

WES ABNEY | FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

BOBBY BLACK, FEATURES JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION TOM BOWERS, FEATURES EARLY, PRODUCTION MAX EARLY, REVIEWS STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS ALVIN JORNADA, PHOTOS BAXSEN PAINE, FEATURES JEFF PORTERFIELD, DESIGN MIKE RICKER, FEATURES MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING JUSTIN STEWART, PHOTOS TERPENE TRANSIT, DISTRIBUTION JAMIE VICTOR, ILLUSTRATION JERRY WHITING, FEATURES BRUCE & LAURIE WOLF, RECIPES

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 for more info on advertising with Northwest Leaf!

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

Email us at Ricker@LeafMagazines.com!

ABNEY

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

AS OUR Northeast Leaf Director Danny Danko recently tweeted, “I’ve been in the ‘Cannabis Space’ so long that when I got started, the ‘Cannabis Space’ was just a part of your home you didn’t talk about.”

While the beloved Mr. Danko started in Cannabis long before I did, I still remember that same feeling in 2010 – where working in the weed industry was less a talking point than a risk factor, and even working in publishing for pot was taboo.

11

Fast forward to today and society is starting to get used to the idea of Cannabis as an industry with legitimate jobs, which allows us the chance to peel back the layers and highlight some of “WE SHOULD the insiders who are making the Cannabis industry a better NEVER TAKE place to be. With this issue we hope to show that the world of OUR FREEDOM Cannabis is much more than just “stoners growing weed” and FOR GRANTED, OR ASSUME offer a unique perspective on companies large and small that THAT THOSE are doing it right.

ON THE INSIDE

ARE ROLLING As those of us on the inside know, working in the Cannabis IN MONEY OR industry is often harder than taking a mainstream gig. I’ve LIVING THE met plenty of ex-professionals, and I don’t mean athletes, who SWEET LIFE.” left careers as lawyers, nurses, managers, executives and beyond for a chance to follow their passion. Most would say that they work much harder for less money and stability, but the thing they all have in common is their continued commitment to the plant.

Those working in the industry, especially the entrepreneurs and heritage members, have risked everything to make sure we have the opportunity to go to a store and buy a pre-roll. With that said, we should never take our freedom for granted, or assume that those on the inside are rolling in money or living the sweet life.

While there are many influencers on social media who would portray working in weed as a Hollywood dream, the Cannabis industry is really full of dedicated, resilient and strong-willed people who would again risk their freedom or security to defend a plant that helps so many lives.

People who work hard, stay late … all to have a chance to work with our plant. And that’s the way we like it – and what it means to really be an insider in our beloved Cannabis community.

-Wes Abney OCT. 2021

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NATIONAL NEWS

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nwlEAF.COM

14

politics

VIRGINIA ARRESTING FEWER PEOPLE FOR POT

GARBAGE TRUCK CRASH REVEALS HIDDEN GROW

A

crash involving a Michigan garbage truck has led to the discovery of an unlicensed marijuana grow operation.

Early on the morning of Sept. 15, the driver of this garbage truck encountered a car that ran a red light.

The garbage truck swerved, but still hit the vehicle. The truck then ran over the median and struck what was thought to be an unoccupied building.

The out-of-control garbage truck knocked a big hole in one wall of the building.

Police responding to the accident quickly noticed that this building was anything but empty.

In fact, what cops found were rows of Cannabis plants and grow lights inside the building.

Police counted about 260 plants inside, reports WDIV. Police are investigating who is behind the unlicensed grow operation.

Marijuana is legal for adult use in Michigan, but large-scale cultivation requires a state-issued commercial growing license.

ocT. 2021

POTGRESS

CONGRESSWOMAN OPPOSES POT LAWS BUT OWNS POT STOCKS

V

irginia Foxx, a North Carolina Congresswoman, holds a voting record showing she said “No” to federal Cannabis legalization. But that has not stopped her from investing in the pot industry and cashing in on marijuana stocks, reports Indy Week.

According to a report in Salon, Foxx, who wields power on the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform, has made at least six investments in Altria.

Ever heard of them? Well, they’re “a leader in the burgeoning U.S. Cannabis industry” since September of last year, according to financial disclosure reports.

The stock buys haven’t previously been reported, according to Salon. They likely make Foxx the largest holder of Cannabis-related stocks in Congress, according to market research firm Unusual Whales.

The stock trades are particularly notable for their timing: just a few months before the U.S. House of Representatives passed the the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment & Expungement Act (MORE) in December.

Foxx voted “No” on the measure.

C

annabis arrests have plummeted some 90 percent in the Richmond, Virginia region since the state’s Cannabis legalization went into effect on July 1.

The law legalized adult (21+) possession of up to an ounce and the cultivation of four pot plants per household. During the first seven weeks of the law, police made only 25 marijuana-related arrests in central Virginia.

The area includes Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico.

For comparison, they made 257 pot arrests during the same seven-week period in 2020, reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The numbers come from arrest data provided by law enforcement officials in those localities.

“A 90% reduction in marijuana arrests indicates that the public policy is performing as intended and in a manner that is consistent with post-legalization observations from other states,” said Jenn Michelle Pedini, Executive Director of Virginia NORML.

LEGALIZATION

education

NEW JERSEY EXPUNGED 362,000 POT CASES OVER THE SUMMER

NIDA STUDY: MORE COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE TOKIN’

N

ew Jersey courts have expunged 362,000 low-level marijuana cases over the summer, clearing a massive amount of criminal records in just two months.

The state judiciary had estimated some 360,000 cases qualified for automatic expungement following the passage of marijuana legalization, reports NJ.com. That law did away with fines and penalties for possessing and selling small amounts of weed.

The judiciary began vacating and dismissing cases in July, and then expunged them. That’s the final step that ultimately clears a person’s record.

About 125,000 to 150,000 marijuana expungements remain for the courts to complete automatically, said MaryAnn Spoto, a spokeswoman for the judiciary. People with Cannabis cases not automatically expunged in New Jersey can file a motion for review with the court.

4

California marijuana companies had sued the state as of September 17, after having their provisional business licenses revoked.

9

months was the age of Michigan’s youngest medical Cannabis patient as of September.

M

arijuana use continued to rise among college students over the past five years, and remained at historically high levels among same-aged peers who were not in college in 2020, according to survey results from the 2020 Monitoring the Future (MTF) panel study.

“The survey also The study is financed by the federal National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which in the past has been a source of anti-pot misin- found that marijuana vaping and nicotine formation.

According to the study, current levels represent the highest rate vaping leveled off of marijuana use recorded since the 1980s. The survey also found in 2020, after sharp that marijuana vaping and nicotine vaping leveled off in 2020, after increases reported sharp increases reported every year since 2017 for both college every year since students and same-aged respondents not in college.

2017 for both college Among college students specifically, there was also a significant students and sameincrease in the annual use of hallucinogens. Perhaps related was the substantial and significant drop in current alcohol use between 2019 aged respondents not in college.” and 2020.

“The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the way that young people interact with one another and offers us an opportunity to examine whether drug taking behavior has shifted through these changes,” said NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow, M.D. “Moving forward, it will be critical to investigate how and when different substances are used among this young population, and the impact of these shifts over time.”

30

grams or more of Cannabis can get you a Level 6 felony charge in Indiana.

51

pounds of marijuana was seized from 49 bags at the Nashville Airport on Sept. 16.

125

Cannabis dispensaries are currently operating in Arizona, which launched recreational in 2020.

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will be the cost of a medical marijuana license, the Watertown, South Dakota City Council decided.

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

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in memoriam LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

16

MIGUEL GONZALES JAN. 29, 1990 - SEPT. 9, 2021

M

iguel Gonzales, originally from Waukesha, Wisconsin, enjoyed electronic and avant-garde music, as well as collecting rocks and gemstones. A black belt in Taekwondo, Miguel spoke fluent conversational German, trained as a chef and devoted significant time as a young adult to spiritual centering, examining the Hindi and Buddhist faiths while he lived in Darmstadt, Germany.

Miguel walked into my life in early 2012, at Cannatonics Society in downtown Tacoma, Washington. After discussing Cannabis with him perhaps three times, I knew that he was likely to be a fixture in my life.

His passion for Cannabis quickly turned into a passion for concentrates as that market was developing, and he began extracting with a closed loop system in late 2012 under the moniker Medicinoils – which was sold at a minimum of two dozen dispensaries between Bellingham and Olympia. He would often fill shifts at my affiliated dispensaries and subsequently was employed at House of Cannabis in Tacoma, in 2019 and 2020.

Always compassionate, Miguel approached Cannabis from a holistic standpoint, working with CBD strains from the moment I became aware of their presence in the Washington market.

In 2013, he partnered with Grandma Cat Jeter and Joy Bonney to form Deep Green, an ethanol based FECO extraction company. He also initiated an internet radio show and then a podcast called “Green Stream,” which appeared on NWCZRadio.com.

After several years of successes and cataclysmic Cannabis events, Deep Green was retired in 2018. As Cannabis efforts grew and waned, Miguel was always such a gifted grower, extractor, tech guru and hacker.

Miguel was incredibly smart, emotionally intelligent, and a master of appreciating the positives of this life.

He was a wonderful friend. He had a knack for drawing out the positive in those that he interacted with and minimizing points of contention.

OCT. 2021

David Byrne of Talking Heads once sang in “Once in a Lifetime” – “Time isn’t holding up; time isn’t after us.” While both are true, time suddenly expired at the beginning of September for a young and talented pioneer in Cannabis extraction.

Miguel was incredibly smart, emotionally intelligent, and a master of appreciating the positives of this life. He was a wonderful friend.

As my own marriage was spiraling apart in early 2018, Miguel took significant time to ensure that I was going to emerge on the other side as something other than a bitter, scorned person.

I often think about how different I might be without Miguel’s influence during the most tumultuous time in my life. He gathered me up one morning and we went to Value Village to buy a ton of stuff to smash for some therapeutic release. He put on a sombrero of enormous stature, made a pile of electronics, small furniture and other goods, and encouraged the both of us to work it out – while the punx of The Bomb Shelter looked on approvingly.

Miguel touched so many lives.

As time passes from the day of our loss, so many people who knew him have reached out or posted about his sense of humor, intelligence, kindness and compassion. Miguel will be missed greatly by his parents, partner, friends and family.

Farewell, my friend.

STORY by KEVIN HEIDERICH/HOUSE OF CANNABIS for NORTHWEST LEAF

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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.

EXPERT OPINION

HEMP INDUSTRY

HEMP IN A POT MAG?

THIS ISSUE is the beginning of my fourth year writing a hemp column for Northwest Leaf.

I’ve also been a guest on the Leaf Life podcast three times. Thumbing through a recent issue, I realized that what I write doesn’t stand out because it’s any good. It stands out because it isn’t about Cannabis, pot, reefer or weed. It’s about hemp, hemp and more hemp.

W PHOTO BY ADOBE

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

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es Abney, Mike Ricker, Daniel Berman and the rest of the staff have always been incredibly supportive. I’m grateful, but I’m still the lone hemp voice in a marijuana publication. To set the record straight, I’m an enthusiastic lifelong stoner. Vegetarian-BuddhistLeftist-Deadhead too, if we’re tossing around labels.

Hemp and Cannabis aren’t mutually exclusive.

There’s no reason why one has to choose one over the other, because there’s no competition or conflict.

Purists will point out that hemp or pot, botanically,

OCT. 2021

it’s all Cannabis sativa l. – cousins rather than total strangers. My analogy is corn: field corn, sweet corn or popcorn. Hemp: medicinal, fiber or grain. From this perspective, hemp fits right into the rest of this publication.

For many around the country and around the world, hemp is an accessible source of plant-based medicine. Why? Because Cannabis legalization lags behind hemp. To put it another way, hemp is more legal than pot. So much CBD-rich hemp is being grown that market prices have plummeted, leaving farmers, processors and investors holding the short end of the stick in many cases. The upside is that hemp-derived CBD products have quickly become mainstream.

Jerry Whiting

Without hemp, many medical patients either pay too much or don’t have access at all to the medicine they need.

Not everything that graces these pages is about getting high. Many readers are legitimate medical patients who simply want to get well. They want to be healthy without paying the high excise taxes on legal recreational marijuana.

Hemp often provides a safe and effective alternative, especially for those who make their own tinctures, topicals and edibles.

Having this modest column nestled in among recreational products might, just might, expose some people to hemp who otherwise wouldn’t have any contact with it. Not as a replacement for THC-rich Cannabis, but as an option to explore. To engage such readers, a scratch ’n’ sniff might just do the trick.

I must confess that I have another, more personal, reason to write this column month after month, year after year. I’m not the smartest person, nor do I possess a crystal ball. I do however spend way too much time immersing myself in multiple aspects of the hemp industry.

I grow hemp, I make medicine with hemp, I have a podcast about hemp and much, much more. It’s not that my column gives me a big soapbox complete with paparazzi and stalkers – I’m trying to not only comment about what I see, but gently and quietly nudge this explosive and nascent industry into sound ecological and financial directions. Call me I GROW HEMP, I naive, but I like to think I MAKE MEDICINE counter some of the greed WITH HEMP, I HAVE and business as usual A PODCAST ABOUT attitudes attempting to creep HEMP AND MUCH, MUCH MORE. IT’S NOT into the hemp industry.

Hemp is not the hip plant THAT MY COLUMN these days – following GIVES ME A BIG closely on the heels of kale, SOAPBOX COMPLETE quinoa and acai – but WITH PAPARAZZI hemp is without a doubt our AND STALKERS – I’M absolute best tool to unravel TRYING TO NOT ONLY the damage we’ve done COMMENT ABOUT to the earth, redistributing WHAT I SEE, BUT GENTLY AND QUIETLY power and wealth away from NUDGE THIS EXPLOSIVE large corporations. We can do better by the planet and AND NASCENT for each other. Hemp is the INDUSTRY INTO key. This is why I write this SOUND ECOLOGICAL column.

AND FINANCIAL Thank you.

DIRECTIONS.

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

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20

nic turinski

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

BORN AND RAISED in Pullman, Washington, Nic Turinski was diagnosed with Lyme Disease roughly 10 years ago. At one point, his health got so bad where he was bedridden for two years and came close to death. He saved himself by never giving up and using his mind to talk to his body to perform everyday activities. Overall, this allowed him to avoid complete atrophy and work on his passion for spreading joy and humor through unique Cannabis cartoon apparel. “The power of our mind and spirit is the biggest tool we have against fighting disease,” says Turinski.

How did you get your company chronic2wear started? I originally drew the chronic2wear

characters when my mother was locked up in a mental hospital. This was my way of channeling the negativity into positive actions of creating joy and humor for myself and others. I officially launched chronic2wear in 2004, during college at Oregon State University. I sold my first 200 shirts, but then was robbed for my t-shirts and other money when I was selling Cannabis. I was pretty discouraged and quit selling the shirts.

When I became disabled with Lyme Disease about 10 years ago – that’s when I picked up my CHRONIC2WEAR.BIGCARTEL.COM passion for chronic2wear, to have a purpose @CHRONIC2WEAR outside of my disease.

ocT. 2021

“The essence and most powerful part of a human being is our mind, spirit and soul, not our body.”

How has Cannabis improved your overall quality of life with Lyme Disease? What Cannabis products do you use most frequently and why? Cannabis helps me a lot with sleep, anxiety

and pain. I take no prescription pain pills and use CBD oil and CBD RSO for pain and anxiety. A lot of people with Lyme Disease have insomnia and I use indica dabs for a guaranteed good night of sleep. My favorite products are Kind Mother Botanicals CBD tincture and Siskiyou Sungrown RSO.

What new perspectives have you gained from your illness?

How do you channel those newfound gifts into your business?

My illness gave me a deathbed perspective in my 30s that I could apply to the rest of my life. I realized we have to channel negative energy into positive actions, or it will consume us. Adversities are an opportunity to gain skill and knowledge, to become the best version of ourselves. I now highly value the joy of little things like taking a shower, fresh air and sunshine, and spending time with family and friends. If we are not grateful for our current moment, then things will get worse because we are not present for our current blessings and we compound issues by making mistakes. The essence and most powerful part of a human being is our mind, spirit and soul, not our body. My disease taught me that there can’t be joy without suffering, and if we don’t quit when we’re up against severe suffering, we will lead a very joyous life. Through my disease I realized that one of the most important tools to combat suffering is joy and humor. My mission at chronic2wear is to create joy and humor to combat suffering – this is what I care about above anything else.

STORY by MAX EARLY @LIFTED_STARDUST/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by AMANDA DAY @TERPODACTYL_MEDIA

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

MAYA ANGELOU

highly likely

ICONIC POET & AUTHOR

Highly Likely highlights Cannabis pioneers who have paved the way to greater herbal acceptance.

IN HER 86 YEARS ON THE PLANET, there was very little that Maya Angelou did not accomplish.

The author, poet, playwright, actress, director, dancer, professor and civil rights activist was conferred over 50 honorary degrees throughout her lifetime. She was also a fan of Cannabis.

“The weed always had an intense and immediate effect. Before the cigarette was smoked down to roach length, I had to smother my giggles.”

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

22

OCT. 2021

A

ngelou speaks freely about her use of Cannabis in her late teens and early 20s in the second installment of her autobiography (the first being the famous “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”) “Gather Together In My Name.” What’s interesting about these early accounts of using Cannabis – which would have been in the midto-late 1940s – is the positive light she paints of her experience, one which would have been quite taboo at the date of publication (1974), especially for such a respected author and poet.

Angelou writes of smoking Cannabis, which she was first introduced to as “grifa,” as such: “Smoking grass eased the strain for me. I made a connection at a restaurant nearby. People called it Mary Jane, hash, grass, gauge, weed, pot, and I had absolutely no fear of using it.” Angelou goes on to describe her experience, which sounds all-too familiar to any of us who have a special bond with this medicine.

“From a natural stiffness I melted into a grinning tolerance.

Walking on the streets became high adventure, eating my mother’s huge dinners an opulent entertainment, and playing with my son was side-cracking hilarity. For the first time, life amused me.”

If you’re one of the millions of people who have looked up to Angelou’s life and work over the years, this admission may come as a bit of a surprise. However, Angelou was truly a responsible user of Cannabis – something we can all look up to. Later in the chapter she notes, “…I disciplined myself. One joint on Sunday and one on the morning of my day off. The weed always had an intense and immediate effect. Before the cigarette was smoked down to roach length, I had to smother my giggles. Just to see the falling folds of the curtains or the sway of a chair was enough to bring me to audible laughter. After an hour the hysteria of the high would abate and I could trust myself in public.” To be sure, a heavy public stigma still remained regarding Cannabis use at the time. In fact, it was more equated to the use of cocaine or heroin back then.

While we know that Cannabis and these drugs have very little in common today, it is interesting to note that a truly successful person like Angelou chose to moderate her intake – yet another admirable admission from the icon.

Was Angelou’s creative genius directly influenced by Cannabis?

Maybe. But more likely, Cannabis (like it does for so many of us) was one of the many experiences and gateways that led to a greater appreciation for life’s simple pleasures – and to a different outlook on the world.

For that, we can all be thankful that Maya Angelou not only knows the plant well, but has shared her eloquent insights on such with the world.

STORY by PACER STACKTRAIN for LEAF NATION | PHOTO by ANDY COLWELL/PENN STATE NEWS

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Terran McNeill NORTHWEST LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH

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HOW DOES CANNABIS PLAY A PART IN YOUR HEALTH AND WELLNESS? Well, I

have gastroparesis – it’s a digestive disease – and Cannabis helps with the nausea and allows me to function throughout the day.

I IMAGINE THIS IS A POSITIVE WHEN WORKING WITH YOUR CLIENTELE AS A BUDTENDER. It definitely is, more so

in the edible corner because I feel like using Cannabis as relief works better with ingesting, rather than smoking. At least with stomach related issues.

26

"TERRA MEANS EARTH, AND WITH AN N, IT BECOMES A BEING OF THE EARTH.”

YOU’RE INTO FUNGI. DO YOU SEE THAT BECOMING MORE ACCEPTED AS WE GET DEEPER INTO THE 2000S AND BEYOND?

I think so. There are so many things we are learning about fungi. There are a lot of things in science happening now where they are discovering how fungi can consume or replace plastic, as well as diminish emissions. They are also finding that fungi and algae, which are connected, are beneficial to the climate. Also, there are positive aspects with mental health and longevity, in how mushrooms can be a huge benefit.

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WHAT’S YOUR ZODIAC SIGN? I’m a Capricorn, which is perfect. I’m an earthy person and my name is Terran. Terra means earth and with an N it becomes a being of the earth. My mother didn’t plan that, but obviously there’s something there.

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CANNABIS CITY SEATTLE

oct. 2021

SODO Swagger FIRST TO MARKET

It’s been a long journey for this operation, after having entered the scene as the first official Cannabis retail store in Washington State back when it all began. Originally located on 4th Avenue in the SoDo district, they ‘ve recently made the big move around the corner to a much larger floor plan with the vision to create a hub for different verticals around Cannabis. And with that in mind, the objective is to focus on a covey of vendors with the intention to improve exposure to who these brands are, which, as we all know – equates to a better customer experience.

S TA F F PICKS

FLOWERS FREDDIE’S FUEGO – Gary Payton Ray, Night Manager

THE CULTURAL CENTER

EQUINOX – Blueberry Cookies DJ, Budtender/Security

It’s all about blending nightlife with Cannabis here. Now, with a 4,800-square-foot property that is throwing distance from the SoDo light rail stop, the plan is to have an immersive space for art, music and weed collectively. Top tier brands with top tier product lines will fill out the undertaking that’s developing on site, with the goal of building an audience through entertainment, education and interaction geared around a multitude of quality companies and individuals who will take part in themed parties and beyond. What does this ultimately mean for you? A place to hang and wallow carefree in an environment where all your senses are pleased.

INFLORESCENCE – Bubba’s Cake Audrey, Budtender

AMBIENCE

DAMA – DJ Short Blueberry Max (Shift Manager)

It’s kind of cool to walk into a place and play witness to the genesis of a fun hub that is growing into something memorable. As the developing Imaginarium next door is clearly visible through the glass walls, in the showroom you’ll find yourself in an observatory of sorts – looking upon an L-shaped exhibit of beautiful selections accentuated by a glass wall of custom bongs and dab rigs that face the street. This is an urban weed loft, replete with the echoes of the city’s train rails in the distance.

CARTS

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“ T h is is a n urban weed lo ft , r e p le te w it h th e echoes o f th e c it y ’s tr a in ra il s in th e d is ta n c e .”

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PINK LEMONA oct. 2021

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

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Opening a jar is like inhaling a fresh fizzy drink, with bright and syrupy citrus that smacks the nose and palate with a terpene profile that brightens eyes on inhale.

Breaking the flower open reveals a lovely citrus funk with an undeniably pink-grapefruit-sugar flavor that will get your mouth watering. Breaking up the thick and juicy 21.5% THC nuggets reveals a pillowy texture that burns lightly, delivering a sweet and tingly smoke that tickles as it exits with an easy exhale.

Several tokes later, a feeling of euphoria rushes in – but there’s a Mr. Mackey from South Park floating head high that is both heavy and disorienting, which is rare for a sativa cut. Continuing to smoke, our head eventually reconnected with the body, reminding us that we are in fact connected to our legs below.

We found ourselves oddly ready for action after the initial stoniness faded – like we wanted to be moving – but certainly not doing anything requiring complex thoughts or numbers.

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WEEDMAPS

the INSIDER issue

F E AT U R E

How Data and Determination Are Driving the Future of Cannabis

leafmagazines.com

36

OCT. 2021

W

hen it comes to companies shaping the Cannabis industry, few, if any, loom larger than Weedmaps. Long known to consumers as a premier online destination for finding and ordering Cannabis products in available markets across the United States and Canada, the truth is that few likely know the true scope and depth of this tech business started by co-founders Justin Hartfield and Keith Hoerling back in 2008.

Over the course of 13 years, Weedmaps has drastically expanded both its workforce as well as its ambitions. Now boasting a staff of over 600, the company’s headquarters in Irvine, California is currently complemented by offices in Tucson, New York, Denver, Toronto and Barcelona. It is also the rare Cannabis-affiliated company to be publicly traded on the NASDAQ – another feather in the cap of a business that’s made a habit of leading by example.

In addition to constantly refining its offerings as a top-notch repository for consumers to find the products best suited for their needs, at a convenient location and for a reasonable price, Weedmaps has also become an indispensable resource to retailers – courtesy of its cutting-edge POS (point of sales) and ecommerce integration software.

Tasked with an ever-changing landscape of laws and regulations that vary not only by state, but sometimes by city, the mammoth task Weedmaps undertakes as its primary mission is to create technology solutions that universally lower the barrier to entry into the industry, be it a newbie consumer ready to make their first purchase or a past victim of the war on drugs now eager to start fresh with a legal Cannabis enterprise.

According to CEO Chris Beals, who started with the company as legal counsel and was promoted to his current role in 2019, the mission of Weedmaps is a twofold proposition.

“On one side,” he explained, “we’re the largest marketplace for Cannabis consumers to discover, learn about and find different Cannabis products, and to then be able to purchase and CEO CHRIS BEALS do online ordering from retailers. Then the other side of the business is what we call the ‘business in a box’ – which is this growing suite of stuff that’s like Salesforce meets Shopify for Cannabis businesses.”

The latter set of tools includes a wide array of innovations, including POS integration (like the ability for retailers to embed their menus in their websites), as well as all of the compliance requirements that come with such undertakings (think pop-up disclaimers, age verification and ID collection).

The company also offers its own POS system (WM Retail) available in Oklahoma and select other states, a wholesale exchange program (WM Exchange), and in August they launched an enhanced version of their iOS app with built-in ordering functionality.

>>

STORY by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by JUSTIN L. STEWART @JUSTNLSTEWART

the INSIDER issue leafmagazines.com

38

WEEDMAPS How Data and Determination Are Driving the Future of Cannabis

Co n ti n u e d f ro m p re v io us p age

S

taying up-to-date on so many moving parts requires some serious in-house talent, which is why Beals estimates that over 40% of Weedmaps’ employees are currently focused on engineering, product and design.

Among them are principal engineer operations concerns meeting consumCharlie King and software engineer er expectations when it comes to the Warren Applebaum. While King made shopping experience. That’s where King what he terms “a full 180°” when he comes in. pivoted from doing government contract “Consumers generally expect a work to joining up with Weedmaps, certain level of service,” he explained.

Applebaum has been with the company “They expect to be able to buy things for nearly 12 of its 13-year existence. online and then pick them up in-store, Reflecting on Weedmaps’ evolution for example. Well, Cannabis has had to over his long tenure with the company, leapfrog into meeting those consumer Applebaum detailed how issues with expectations within an industry that’s listing medical-only dispensaries back highly regulated.” in 2008 – eight years before California Sure, it may seem simple to place an would approve Prop 64 – provided order via Weedmaps’ website or its app, an early lesson in how things in the but as King shared, the process behind Cannabis industry can often change on the scenes to make such a transaction a dime. possible is actually profoundly complex.

“Before the Obama Administration “There’s a lot to it. We have to prodecided that the federal government vide a compliant ordering system, make would not pursue cassure that you actually es against state-legal pick up the product, The mammoth medical marijuana and then ensure that task Weedmaps dispensaries,” Applebaum the data is reported to undertakes as its said, “it would be this run Metrc or whatever the primary mission is around where the DEA or compliance body may to create technology state and local authorities be. I think an average solutions that would shut down dispenconsumer might take a universally lower saries, only for them to lot of that for granted, the barrier to entry come back online like but the Cannabis indusinto the industry. weeks later. Trying to keep try has been forced to up with that gave us a mature very quickly on preview of what things some of these things to were going to look like down the line give that experience to consumers.” years later.”

Speaking with various members of Nowadays, as each new state comes the Weedmaps team, it’s abundantly online, Applebaum and his colleagues clear that the complex minefield of know to expect changes to these laws, compliance and geographically-specific and as a result, Weedmaps has heavily regulations that collectively define the invested in compliance and governlarger Cannabis industry in the U.S. ment relations teams, so that they can remains one of the company’s chief be aware of what those regulations areas of focus. are going to look like and bake those And no one arguably knows these elements into their applications to meet challenges better than Bridget Henregulatory constraints. nessey, who leads Weedmaps’ GovernAnother vital element to Weedmaps’ ment Relations and Policy team.

OCT. 2021

Irvine, CA HQ

Weedmaps VP of Government Relations Bridget Hennessey and Principal Engineer Charles King

Senior Engineer Warren Applebaum

“The work that we do on this team,” “I couldn’t have been happier with Hennessey shared, “is focused both the way that came together,” CEO Chris on opening new markets, while also Beals enthused when discussing the anmaking sure that current markets are nouncement. The result of six months of reflective of the community. We want to thoughtful conversation between the two ensure that people who were negatively parties, the partnership – announced in impacted by the war on drugs have a August – also ultimately required loopstake in these markets, so we spend a ing in some of the top brass at the NBA lot of our time advocating for social before becoming official. equity programs to be included in new The result, which will align Weedmaps legislation and ballot initiatives. Then with one of basketball’s most acclaimed we continue that work by making sure and influential players in a multi-year that we’re helping to educate people agreement, is reflective of the compaas an industry or market is coming to ny’s renewed desire to lead by example fruition and being implemented.” when it comes to making the Cannabis Given the relatively well defined industry a safer and more inclusive status of markets located on the West space.

Coast, Hennessy confirmed that much “There are so many people who of her team’s focus is now directed would love to reduce KD to just being towards the East Coast and other some stoner guy who plays basketball,” emerging industries in various pockets Beals added, “but we’re talking about of the country. a generational talent here. KD is at the With a timeline top of his game, so the for potential federal fact that he is now involved WEEDMAPS.COM in this makes it very hard legalization still a rather @WEEDMAPS murky prospect, she for people to get out their feels Weedmaps’ efforts stigma paint brushes to try to ensure states with and dismiss it.” current legal markets are diverse and Overall, this focus on normalization is easy-to-access has only become all the one shared across Weedmaps’ various more important. teams and leaders. Be it normalizing And that goes for those interested in the process of conducting Cannabis leading the charge as well. transactions in the retail space or nor“We’re getting to develop the industry malizing the very concept of the plant from the ground up,” Hennessey said. for the public at large, solutions based “And that means that everybody has on a hybrid of cutting-edge technology, an opportunity to be at the table from relentless advocacy and an internal the beginning. For women and for desire to constantly improve, have minorities, I think that makes it a really proven Weedmaps to be a vital facet interesting time to be in this industry of the push to bring Cannabis to the and I encourage people of all walks of mainstream. life to look into it and to try to see how “At the end of the day,” Beals noted, they can be involved.” “this is simply about enabling an open Even Weedmaps itself is stepping and robust legal Cannabis system where up its efforts to reach the public with there’s an opportunity for folks of all a message of de-stigmatization in the different backgrounds – including those form of a new partnership with NBA who are arrested for Cannabis crimes superstar Kevin Durant and his startup, – to come in and have opportunity to Thirty Five Ventures. thrive.”

STORY by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by JUSTIN L. STEWART @JUSTNLSTEWART AND @ MIKE ROSATI @ROSATIPHOTOS

39

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THE INSIDER ISSUE

42

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

COVER STORY

TERPENE

TRANSIT The “FedEx” of Cannabis in Washington, this Bellingham-based distribution company is critical to our local Cannabis infrastructure.

Q&A | Amber Vaughn, Director of Development | Michael Dykstra, Founder

OCT. 2021

As with all the wonderful consumer goods we love, Cannabis is a product and industry driven by logistics – which is how we can get fresh drops of tasty strains and consistent products on our local dispensary shelves.

While we don’t have container ship fiascos like we’ve seen with the pandemic, the stakes are just as high – at least for those who want to get high. We sat down with Michael Dykstra, Founder, and Amber Vaughn, Director of Development for Terpene Transit, Washington State’s largest Cannabis distributor, to learn what it’s like on the inside of the industry and how delivering weed all over the state has gone from an idea to serve small farms, to becoming Whatcom County’s largest 502 employer.

of years into the legalization process, and allows for us to run a distribution model where we can pick up products from producer/processors, bring it back to our central location, and then disperse it outwards.

Vaughn: For now, we are considered a ‘last mile delivery service’ within state regulation, but we do believe that we are getting closer every year to a full warehousing and distribution model being allowed.

Was it hard to build a business from scratch in an industry that was in its infancy?

Dykstra: We’re Cannabis guys who were getting into logistics, not logistics guys getting into Cannabis. But now we’ve definitely learned both!

Vaughn: It’s been a journey. I had taken a step back from the industry and was working on a silent disco business when Mike started Terpene Transit, and that took precedence. We started with one van! I put everything into the logistics side, figuring it out while he kept the farm going. Understanding the struggles and what it looks like for the producer/processor side has given us the ability to be more than just a last mile delivery service to somebody, and that’s helped us create success – not just for ourselves, but for our customers.

From humble beginnings to being Whatcom County’s largest I-502 employer is a huge step! What are the numbers like today in terms of employees, routes and deliveries?

Vaughn: We average between 1,600 and 1,800 deliveries a week, and those don’t include returns or rejections which are included in the service.

That number only includes testing lab samples, vendor samples, and orders from producer/ processors to stores.

What was the inspiration for starting Terpene Transit? Dykstra: Our main driving point for starting Terpene Transit was doing my own deliveries as a Tier 1. To have to leave the facility or employ a person to do deliveries was really challenging, so I knew I wasn’t the only person in that position who wanted to have somebody else do their deliveries – that wasn’t a direct affiliate of the business. We were really thinking about how we could help farmers out, particularly the small farmers.

That is an amazing volume of people, pot and routes to manage. What’s it like to dispatch all of those drivers and routes?

Vaughn: The most fun part of it all is being able to see the whole circle. Having such a diverse knowledge about the industry as a whole and being able to anticipate issues before they arrive, allows us to help our clients succeed – and that’s one of the best parts. Our diverse knowledge set allows us to look at industry trends like product lines launching, buying and ordering patterns, consumer trends, and so much more. Those that utilize us in a meaningful way, and adapt to our routes and allow us to help prioritize our fulfillment based on our routes, has also been a pleasure, and we are able to see our clients and partners grow exponentially over time. The real key to it all is the faster you get it out the door, the faster you get it on a shelf, the faster they reorder the product for sell through rates.

Originally I-502, the law passed to legalize Cannabis in Washington, didn’t allow for third party delivery services. When did that change, and when did you begin operating?

Dykstra: We were the second license to be approved in October 2016, and we began operating in the beginning of 2017. The third party transportation license was created a couple

How does security play a role in what you do?

Dykstra: We put a lot of energy, effort and money into the security of our vehicles. From tracking units that can’t be disabled, cameras, switching schedules, using different vans, making sure our drivers are on rotating routes – there’s a lot we have to do to be tactical with our operations. So if a security issue comes, we eliminate the human

The Terpene Transit crew, and Amber and Michael (and Pig the dog) in the driver’s seat.

TERPENETRANSIT.COM

aspect transparently and keep the driver from being at risk, because the vehicle is there to protect itself.

How does Terpene Transit help clients save time, money and the stress of running their own deliveries? Dykstra: We are a buffer for brands and limit their liability, so you don’t have to put your brand and company on the line in every situation.

Vaughn: We appreciate people who use us for big or small orders, or as part of their business. We can do specific deliveries to destination stores or hard to reach locations, and especially for smaller farms it can help them reach out statewide, while they focus on production. There are a lot of positives where we can come in, from large to small.

What is your favorite part of helping clients grow? Vaughn: “The craft farms We have a client who owns a large can’t be in every producer/processor, and after nearly store, but we help two years had gone from being them get to corners involved in every aspect of internal and pockets of the distribution, to gaining trust and state, and can really letting us run that side. I remember help them grow.” the owner telling us that he had, for -MICHAEL DYKSTRA the first time, gotten to see his son play little league baseball because he didn’t have to be worrying about distribution all the time. We are all in this industry together, and people forget that we are creating this from scratch, and so all of us have put every ounce of blood, sweat and tears into our operations. Watching people regain their lives after building businesses – that’s very valuable and gratifying.

Dykstra: For me, it’s seeing farms have the ability to be in a single shop in Vancouver, or in the one Walla Walla store they want to stock. The craft farms can’t be in every store, but we help them get to corners and pockets of the state, and can really help them grow. We’ve seen clients grow exponentially since partnering with us, and hearing that is my ‘I love what I do moment.’

What are your hopes for the future of Terpene Transit and the industry?

Vaughn: I love helping people streamline and prioritize, and watch their order numbers rapidly pick up and become more manageable – and I’m so hopeful for us to be able to offer warehousing someday. We are often a first call for advice or help, whether it’s a banking issue or traceability, and where we can really help is with all of our data. We would like to provide our data with our unique ability to see what the industry and consumer trends are – it’s there, we are now figuring out how to offer it as a service.

Dykstra: There’s a reason we call ourselves Terpene Transit instead of deliveries. We want to be seen as a transit route – something consistent that is always running. We have a lot of cool, new services we want to launch next year, and are excited to show the industry and clients how we can improve sales and sell-through based on that data — helping drive their businesses forward with those factors.

In the future, Terpene Transit will be so much more than a delivery service!

STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX/NORTHWEST LEAF | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

THE INSIDER ISSUE LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

44

THE KUSHERY Local Cannabis chain sticks to their roots from medical to recreational.

Washington’s Cannabis market has gone through a lot of change since 2012, and Joshua Shade has been a part of the industry from those early medical collectives and donations to patients, and has adapted and thrived in the recreational space where so many MMJ businesses did not make the transition. With the recent opening of the Kushery’s ‘At The Dealership’ location on Evergreen Way in Everett, there were nearly a dozen elected officials, including two mayors, all present to watch the ribbon cutting ceremony and presentation of donations to several cancer patients and organizations. We sat down with Shade to talk about his history in MMJ, the transition and the pros/cons of the new legal market, and why giving back to patients still matters in today’s Cannabis industry.

What inspired you to take the risk and open a medical collective (dispensary) and start providing medicine to patients?

I like helping people and dealing with the public, and my main thing was to provide patients with the good weed I was growing. It was pretty nerve-wracking at times to be scared that the DEA was coming in, and worrying all our hard work could get seized, it was scary back in the day. But I loved it – I loved people coming in and changing their lives.

Plus, I wanted to share all the great weed I was growing at that time.

There was a real sense back then that Cannabis was helping people. Do you have a favorite memory of working with patients? My favorite day I ever had, a patient came in who we knew had cancer, who wasn’t terminal but very sick – and he came in and said, ‘I have no idea how, but my cancer is gone!’ He was able to skip chemotherapy because of Cannabis. That same day, we had another patient come in who was terminal, and he told us his doctor had given him two months to live instead of two weeks, which for anyone dealing with end of life, is precious time. And I’ve told that story so many times because it really was a special day.

OCT. 2021

“When we opened, we lived in fear of the DEA every day – and now we have this opportunity to be a part of the community and political process.”

Founder Joshua Shade at the opening of The Kushery’s newest location on Evergreen Way.

How many years was Woodinville Quality Collective open, which was your name before the Kusherys became a company, and what was it like to have to close? We were open all the way until the last day the State closed the MMJ program in July of 2016. My last customer was my second customer, we’d planned on it, and it brought tears to my eyes. I knew we were going into something bigger and that it was going to change not just Washington, but the entire world – but it was a sad day. Back then people would come in and say thank you for taking care of me and being open. It’s definitely different than now, where the customer attitude is that ‘I can go to any store for the same products.’

Medical provided a unique experience

where you got to know your customer much more deeply.

How did the Kushery start and what were the early days of recreational Cannabis sales like?

We got pretty lucky in the lottery and were awarded four licenses. The first store, Clearview, opened April 2015.

We were lucky that all our staff wanted to stay, and we really appreciated that.

I didn’t like the prices 502 had in the beginning, because I knew that after the first harvest, prices would plummet, and the people taking advantage and wholesaling weed at eight dollars a gram would stop. I told people the market was crazy, that it was going to change drastically. Success in this industry is all about building relationships.

To open the location in Everett you had to lobby the city council to change a moratorium on new locations, where they had only allowed five shops to open. What was the process like to lobby and get several new licenses approved, not just your own, in a win for greater access to Cannabis in the city? Between the lottery and the MMJ licenses awarded later, Everett has an allotment of 10 licenses, but set a limit of five within the city. We started lobbying about three years ago

using lobbyists Josh Estes and Sean O’Sullivan of Pacific Northwest Regional Strategies, and worked closely with other title-certificate holders in the same predicament. Lifting the cap for one doesn’t really benefit the access argument, so we were deliberate in advocating for the cap to raise overall. We wanted to make sure that we had a fair chance, so we did everything we could to find supportive council members and candidates like Liz Vogeli who understood the value in adding more stores. Then, we worked to educate the council by providing testimony about the industry and the impacts of limited patient access. Several local cancer patients also testified. In the end, we were successful in lifting the ban – bringing three new licenses to Everett.

You began donating to cancer patients with your medical collective. Why is it important to you to continue this work, especially with the shift from MMJ to recreational? During MMJ, we would give away free or heavily discounted Cannabis, and offered 50% discounts to cancer patients or terminally ill persons for years. It always made the job better to hear the stories of how donating medicine had a positive impact, and unfortunately with recreational Cannabis, it’s not possible to give medicine directly to patients. So, we choose to give back by supporting charities and families directly with cash donations. Two members of our Lobbyist Team have had children with cancer, and we know how much it means to help.

T H E K U S H E R Y H A S F I V E L O C AT I O N S A R O U N D T H E S TAT E

Tell us about the journey from one store to a chain, one store at a time. We opened our second location in Cathcart, August 2015, then Lake Forest Park November 2015. Our sister store, Last Stop Pot Shop in Gold Bar, opened March 2016. Then the Kushery Stanwood March of 2019, and finally our newest Evergreen Way location in September of this year. The whole process has been extremely stressful, and each store has had its ups and downs. The first couple were stressful regarding the state being extremely stringent, even though we had great Liquor Control Board Officers in the beginning. It’s a flip of the coin with LCB Officers, where nine out of 10 are great, but if you get the one who doesn’t like Cannabis, it can literally bring you to tears. We’ve also had great landlords, landlords who tried to gouge us but still treated us well, and landlords who just outright gouged us. And that’s why we bought our Evergreen Way location, which I invested my life savings into.

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THEKUSHERY.ROCKS How did it feel to have nearly a dozen elected officials and two mayors at your ribbon cutting ceremony? When we opened, we lived in fear of the DEA every day – and now we have this opportunity to be a part of the community and political process. It felt great, and it was wonderful looking out to the employees that have been here since the beginning. We have people that have gone from budtenders to regional managers, and our core people from WQC are still here. I’m blessed to have our team still with me, it feels like I have succeeded. And this new store will be a location where the employees will be able to make a good living – and I will be able to take care of the people that have taken care of me.

Your new location on Evergreen Way is massive! What are your plans for the future?

This was an auto dealership for over 50 years, and was purpose-built for Hyundai when they first launched the car brand in America. It’s 16,000 square feet and has parking for over 50 cars, and the dispensary is only part of the entire space. In the future, I would like to add a brewery or taphouse, and someday – if or when we are allowed to do consumption – we would have an easy transition and space to expand. I would really like to get ahold of other Snohomish County businesses and have a cup or event here this summer, as long as the LCB gives approval.

We have a lot of space and want to bring the community together for an event, and are excited for the future as we grow into the new ‘At The Dealership’ location!

STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX/NORTHWEST LEAF | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

Photos and Design:

@treehawk.farms | 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.

the INSIDER issue

PROFILE

GENINE COLEMAN

leafmagazines.com

48

Founder, Origins Council | Co-Founder, Mendocino Appellations Project OCT. 2021

THERE COULDN’T BE an Insider Issue without Genine Coleman, who lives in Mendocino County and is the founder of Origins Council, as well as the co-founder of the Mendocino Appellations Project. When it comes to Cannabis in legacy growing regions in California, it’s fair to say that they would be much worse off without Coleman’s work, which ranges from drafting policy to grassroots organizing for the rights of Cannabis farmers and everything in between. She also grew Cannabis for over 20 years, before switching her focus to patient and policy advocacy.

“O

weed wouldn’t want to buy weed from In particular, she was one of the main the Emerald Triangle if given a chance? architects of California’s Senate Bill 67, Who wouldn’t want to visit a Cannabis which ratified appellations of origin for garden in one of these historic regions Cannabis cultivation in the state. the same way one would a winery in In layman’s terms, it means that there Napa? In an age where it’s becoming is now a legal designation that can be harder and harder for small growers applied to Cannabis grown in, say, Mento make money off of actually selling docino County – the way that ChamCannabis, they are hoping to turn it into pagne must come from the Champagne a craft and luxury product with a special region in France, or it has to be called status owing to its legacy. something else.

“Something like 95% of our members Under her guidance, the law lays out are, you know, homestead farmers,” specific rules for geographic and cultural Coleman says of the growers she repgrowing region boundaries, and also resents in her work. agricultural standards – such as grow“And so this is not just about a busiing organically and regeneratively and, ness and a livelihood. This is about a perhaps most importantly, outdoors. lifestyle, a tradition, multi-generational in It’s that law that Coleman hopes, in some cases, with land part, will help to save holdings, multi-genthe legacy regions from “WHO WOULDN’T erational genetics that the myriad of threats WANT TO VISIT A have been developed they face to their CANNABIS GARDEN IN over time. There are livelihoods: chronic ONE OF THESE HISTORIC unique practices – wildfires, the fast creep Cannabis is a very of corporate Cannabis, REGIONS THE SAME unique plant that historic price drops and WAY ONE WOULD A requires specialized an ever-present water WINERY IN NAPA?” care,” Coleman crisis, among other explains. indignities.

“There’s a lot of inherent knowledge Maybe once interstate commerce right within the heritage producing becomes a reality, Coleman and others community. The appellations movement think they will have a fighting chance for Cannabis really started with the due to the pedigree of their name and stakeholders that we represent at Origins heritage. Who from anywhere in the Council,” Coleman says. “They really United States that knows anything about are legacy farmer driven policies. So, in a way, those broader missions are really coming together.”

ORIGINSCOUNCIL.ORG | FACEBOOK.COM/MENDOMAP

rigins Council was really founded to give voice to the rural, legacy-producing communities of California, and to set policy precedents and research precedents that could serve traditional farmers, really, across the world,” Coleman says of the organization she founded in 2019. “I think all of our community, all of our traditional farming communities, are facing similar threats to various scales,” she adds regarding the context within which she views her work.

Coleman also serves on the Board of Directors for the 420 Archive, which is devoted to collecting, preserving and sharing the history of Cannabis culture and prohibition in the United States. She is one of the founding board members of the Mendocino Cannabis Alliance, formed in 2019. She has also served on the Board of Directors of the California Growers Association and chaired the organization’s Appellations Committee.

These days, she can be found lobbying for interstate commerce of Cannabis sales, as well as a member of the Alliance for Sensible Markets.

It’s on the Appellations Committee where some of Coleman’s most recent successes materialized, and where her work also overlaps with Origins Council.

STORY by JACKIE BRYANT @JACQBRY for LEAF NATION | PHOTO by ALVIN JORNADA @ALVINJORNADA

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cooking with Cannabis

R EC I P E S b y LAU RIE WOLF | P HOTO b y B RUC E WOLF

spooky sensations O

NCE AGAIN, IT’S HALLOWEEN. Be safe and have fun! Green matcha and white chocolate is an easy way to celebrate Cannabis and Halloween, the creepiest day of the year.

The warm cider is topped with a white chocolate ghost, which will melt slowly and infuse the drink with creaminess and stellar flavor. If you want a little more of a buzz, add a bit of your favorite infusion to the melting chocolate. Stir it in, that’s it. White chocolate and Cannabis are perfect together – one of my favorite foods to infuse. Growing up in New York, black and white cookies were in lots of bakeries. This Halloween, go with purple and orange frosting – so pretty. These recipes are made with coconut oil infused with the strain Durban Poison, which seemed fitting for this month. It’s an uplifting strain, providing lots of energy for your ghoulish, safely-distanced shenanigans.

For dosing I recommend 5mg THC per serving, unless you know otherwise.

52

4 servings

CANNABIS CIDER

Makes 1 dozen cookies

COOKIE MONSTERS

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

1/3 cup butter, softened 2 tablespoons canna-butter, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder pinch salt 1 cup powdered sugar 3-4 teaspoons any milk or cream 1 teaspoon almond extract food coloring, gel preferred

1. Heat oven to 340. In a medium bowl cream together the butters, sugar and extract.

2. Add in the dry ingredients, mixing until crumbly. Gather into a ball. Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Place each ball gently on a greased cookie sheet.

3. Bake until golden brown, about 11-15 minutes. Cool thoroughly.

4. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, milk and extract. Remove all lumps. Divide into two, add orange food coloring to one, purple to the other. Drizzle or dip the cookies into the frosting. You be the artist, Happy Halloween!

OCT. 2021

1/3 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup heavy cream 4 teaspoons canna-oil 4 cups apple cider 1 cinnamon stick 3 whole cloves 2 ounces white chocolate mini chips

1. In a saucepan, heat the sugar, cream and canna-oil for 2-3 minutes, over low heat. Stir to mix well. Add the cider and the cinnamon stick and heat, stirring for 2 additional minutes.

2. In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate in 10 second intervals. When melted, place the chocolate on parchment paper, forming it into simple ghost shapes. It’s easy, you really can’t go wrong. Dot the eyes with the chips and allow to harden.

8 servings

MATCHA POPCORN 4 ounces white chocolate, chopped 1-2 tablespoons canna-oil, or equivalent dose of your preferred infusion 3/4 teaspoon matcha green tea powder 8 cups popped popcorn

1. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate in 10 second intervals. Stir between each interval. When almost fully melted, add the matcha and the oil. Stir and process for another 10 to 20 seconds.

2. Place the popcorn in a serving bowl and drizzle with the white chocolate. Toss well and allow to set for 30 minutes. Totally yummy.

#B oo #HappyHallow een #EatYourCannabi s #BeS afe #L essI sMore # BeKind | La uriea nd Ma ryJa ne.com

STONED & STARRY-EYED

concentrate of the month

CONSTELLATION CANNABIS

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LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

54

LEMON G X S TAR DAW G R OS I N JA M 69.43% THC 8.4% TERPENES

TA L LY M A N R OS I N CA RT R I D G E 72% THC 6.1% TERPENES REVIEW by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

ocT. 2021

“Grinding thoughts to a halt as a glowy aurora of bakedness surrounds the mind.”

There’s no better rocket fuel than low temp dabs of solventless hash rosin to blast us off to the stars, where we dance like billionaires after taking tokes of the delicious, strain specific concentrates that Constellation Cannabis drops on our heads like shooting stars.

While we may seem a little starry-eyed (this won’t be our last Constellation pun), we can’t hype this company enough for the care and quality with which they put out solventless hash in the Washington market.

In fact, we love Constellation (and rosin) so much that when they dropped us off a sample pack, we couldn’t help but feature two to review.

We started with the dabs – hungrily eyeing the terpy rosin jam, while saving the cartridge to power us later in the day in a clutch, on-demand format. Tucked inside artistic packaging with a viewing window on the bottom, the rosin brings a golden, gooey and thick consistency that is perfect for loading up low-temp globs.

Opening the jar releases a bouquet of sour fermenting fruit with a salty-fuel, orange peel finish.

The blend of the Lemon G’s syrupy sativa pairs perfectly with the uplifting Stardawg in a stoney and euphoric, sativa dominant pair.

First inhales are sour and savory, with the diesel appearing on exhale and tingling the palate with a lemony-Kush kiss at the end.

The effects are powerful, building immediately behind the eyes and grinding thoughts to a halt as a glowy aurora of bakedness surrounds the mind, before rolling over the body in a pain relieving wave. Stoned to the bone with a unique flavor profile and extremely clean smoke, this cross had stars circling overhead for several hours before adventuring out with the rosin cartridge.

The best part of rosin carts is the full plant flavor experience, which delivers the best elements of the hash and a regular dab with the easy click of a button. We’re not saying we won’t take the time to properly heat, cool and temperature check a delicious dab of Constellation rosin, but we do love having the same luxurious high available instantly and on the go.

The Tally Man (or Mon) is a cross of a Banana OG x Do-Si-Dos bred with Papaya, for a unique blending of flavors and an experiential, hybrid buzz that is a definite mood elevator.

First pulls on the pen release a sweet lemon-banana custard which frosts a rich and earthy, Kush-cake exhale that grips the lungs and expands outwards with a powerful burst of warming euphoria.

Effects start quickly by slowing thoughts and replacing the inner monologue with a goofy internal grin – quickly spreading to the face, relaxing the jaw and easing tension as the Tally Man gets to work.

Although we didn’t experience the increased sexual arousal that some users report online, it’s definitely a feel good strain. So if the mood strikes, we would definitely recommend turning to the Tally Man for a high that will get you to the stars and back.

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE CORNER leafmagazines.com

56

Floating Along THE POWER OF SENSORY DEPRIVATION TANKS

S

ensory deprivation or ‘float’ tanks have an abundance of physical health benefits, including increased endorphins, decreased blood pressure and overall body relaxation.

On the mental health side, these chambers offer many advantages, as they are known to lower anxiety, promote muscle relaxation and improve symptoms of depression.

These safe spaces are the perfect place to clear your mind and improve your level of concentration and focus.

Earlier this year, I embarked on a mystical adventure and took a look behind the scenes at Float Om Healing Center and Tranquility Tanks in Eugene, Oregon. As soon as I entered the building, a wave of tranquility and relaxation crashed over me as I took in my surroundings. After being greeted at the front desk, I walked down to the second room on the right, where I began my float session.

Approaching the sensory deprivation chamber, I grinned and embraced what was to come as 50mg of THC:CBD started to take hold. After shutting the door to the tank, it took a few minutes to settle in and to start working on removing my mind from the outside world.

Before this experience, I had floated on several occasions where Cannabis was not a part of the equation.

Although isolation tanks are enjoyable while being completely sober, it can sometimes be a bit harder to shut off your mind entirely. With the right amount of Cannabis consumption, this venture can take you to infinity and beyond.

Following getting comfortable, I familiarized myself with what appeared to be a giant black room that offered everything, yet nothing at the same time. This astral plane of existence was ever-expanding to the point where you had no idea if you were looking up, down, left or right. This feeling can be frightening initially, but once you embrace this empty yet immersive expanse, the magic all begins to unfold as your weightless body floats into a sea of space.

The water for most tanks gets kept at 93.5 degrees, which is skin-receptor neutral, meaning you lose the sensation of where your body ends and the water begins.

I couldn’t help but feel like the hand of a higher power cradled me throughout the float.

Through the assistance of Wim Hof’s breathing method, as silly as it may sound, I saw my soul escape my body and start dancing around colorfully and happily – vibrantly full of life. For those of you who have seen the recent movie “Soul,” the character I saw similarly resembled one of the souls in the great beyond.

I then heard the music start, which meant that my float was over. I was relieved to get out and back to my life, yet at the same time, still wishing I had a bit longer to continue with this astral soul projection. Upon opening the door back up, the room vibrated with a rush of colors and energies – and after having the opportunity to assess and evaluate my venture, I realized that I came out of this tank a lot more calm and relaxed than I originally started the day. For those looking for a unique way to nurture your mind, body and soul, sensory deprivation tanks just may be your ticket to the astral plane.

OCT. 2021

“I couldn’t help but feel like the hand of a higher power cradled me throughout the float.”

STORY by MAX EARLY @LIFTED_STARDUST/LEAF NATION | FLOAT-OM-ISOLATION-TANKS.COM

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cannthropology

WORLD OF Cannabis PRESENTS

Roll With It

PHOTO COURETSY OF BAMBU

60

A double-wide, unfiltered account of the history of rolling papers.

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

ORIGINS IN ALCOY

Humanity has been smoking herbs for millennia, but it wasn’t until after Christopher Columbus brought tobacco home from the Americas in the 16th century that we began using rolled paper as a means to inhale.

“Columbus came back from the ‘New World’ to Spain with these kinds of rudimentary cigars wrapped in leaves and tied with string,” explains rolling paper mogul and historian Josh Kesselman. “They land in Seville, and the process of people smoking cigars in Europe begins.”

Though only aristocrats could afford cigars at the time, they’d often throw their butts away on the ground, where peasants would retrieve and re-roll the tobacco in used newspaper.

This practice eventually made its way to the nearby town of Alcoy, where its future fate would take root.

“Alcoy is the true birthplace of rolling paper,” asserts Kesselman.

Alcoy was founded in the 8th century by the Moors, who brought with them the art of papermaking they’d learned Alcoy, Spain—birthplace of rolling papers. from the Chinese (as well as

OCT. 2021

Left: The old Bambu factory in Barcelona.

Above: JOB promo poster by artist Alphonse Mucha (1869).

the Arabian Acacia gum that would later be used for the adhesive strips).

In 1154, Alcoy became the first city in the region to manufacture “mouldmade paper” – a machine-made paper renowned for its durability and surface texture – and over the next few centuries, established itself as the papermaking capital of Spain.

“The Alcoyanos take one look at those people smoking in newspaper and they know that’s not healthy, so they decide to make a special paper just for smoking,” says Kesselman. “That was really the world’s first rolling paper.”

It’s believed that a form of rolling paper was made in Alcoy as early as the 1500s. Those early versions were made from the recycled pulp of hemp and other textiles, and were sold as giant sheets that needed to be folded into squares and cut. It wasn’t until centuries later that they would be branded and take the forms we’re familiar with today. In fact, the practice of pre-cutting and packaging papers in a protective booklet didn’t come about until 1765, when it was introduced by a Dominican monk named Father Jaime Villanueva Estingo.

Remarkably, the first 10 trademarks ever filed in Spain were all for rolling papers; by 1850, there were around 50 brands registered. The first and oldest continuously branded rolling paper company in existence is Pay-Pay (pronounced pie-pie), founded in 1703.

Old-school Pay-Pay pack.

Another of Spain’s earliest manufacturers that are still in business today is Bambu. The company’s first factory opened in Alcoy in 1764, though originally it produced Bible paper; it wasn’t until the rise in popularity of cigarettes during the late 1800s that owner Rafael Abad Santonja switched to making rolling papers. The company premiered its trademark “Winking Spaniard” design in 1876 but didn’t officially establish the “Bambu” brand until 1907.

More than mere consumers, the vipers, beatniks, and hippies embraced cannabis smoking as part of their cultural identity...and rolling papers were included in that zeitgeist.

Bambu’s famous “Winking Spaniard.”

THE FRENCH CONNECTION

Like Bambu, Zig-Zag adopted their own marketing mascot in 1879: an illustration of a French infantryman called a “Zouave” who became known as the “Zig-Zag Man,” aka “Captain Zig-Zag.” According to their lore, the original Captain Zig-Zag’s pipe was shattered during battle, forcing him to roll his tobacco in paper torn from a musket cartridge.

The new century brought with it other changes in the industry: Rizla’s introduction of flavored papers in 1906, the creation of king-size papers, the formation of a rolling paper manufacturing consortium in Alcoy called Papeleras Reunitas in 1934, and changes in ownership for many of the most popular brands (including Rizla, Pay-Pay, Bambu and others). At one point, Bambu’s factory in Alcoy was even dismantled and reestablished in Barcelona. But perhaps the most significant change in the 20th century would be the dramatic expansion of their customer base, thanks to a new demographic of smokers: potheads.

Though rolling papers were invented in Spain, it wasn’t long before France got into the game. During the 16th century, Napoleon’s soldiers returning from Spain brought the habit of smoking rolled tobacco home with them (though it wasn’t until 1830 that they began calling them “cigarettes.”)

Legend has it that, after encountering such Vintage Zig-Zag booklets. a soldier in 1532, an enterprising Frenchman named Alexandro Lacroix traded CANNABIS & THE COUNTERCULTURE a bottle of Champagne for the From the jazz age of the 1920s to the councavalryman’s rolling papers terculture of the 1960s and ‘70s, marijuana’s and began reproducing them popularity skyrocketed throughout the century. for himself and his family. In More than mere consumers, though, the vipers, 1736, his descendant François beatniks and hippies embraced Cannabis smokLacroix began mass-producing ing as part of their cultural identity – and rolling them as the Lacroix Rolling An antique packet of Rizla+ papers. papers were included in that zeitgeist. Soon, the Paper Company. It would be Zig-Zag Man was popping up on numerous more than a century later counterculture posters and flyers – most famously before the company would switch to rice paper and change its in June 1966, when underground artists Stanley Cover of Cheech & Chong’s name: taking the French word for rice (riz), and abbreviating Mouse and Alton Kelly used the logo on a the family name Lacroix to La+ (“croix” is the French word for “Big Bambu” album (1972). handbill for a pair of concerts by Big Brother “cross”), becoming RizLa+. and the Holding Company (Janis Joplin’s band) at San Francisco’s Avalon In the 19th century, competition in the industry started to Ballroom. (Twenty years later, hip-hop icon Dr. Dre would do something heat up. First, in 1822, two brothers – René and Guillaume Zig-Zag Man concert poster similar for his debut album “The Chronic.”)

Bolloré – opened a paper mill on the banks of the Odet River

by Mouse & Kelly (1966).

Another famous example of artists incorporating rolling paper logos into in the town of Cascadec to produce rolling papers, calling their their projects were Cheech & Chong. The legendary comedy duo used Bambu’s branding twice: company OCB (“O” for Odet, “C” for Cascadec, and “B” for first in 1972, for their album “Big Bambú,” which looked like a Big Bambu pack and featured Bolloré). Next came Jean Bardou, a giant mock rolling paper inside; then again in 1978, for their first film “Up in Smoke,” whose whose company trademark promotional materials also utilized Bambu’s branding. was his initials “JB” separated One company that sprang out of Cannabis culture was E-Z Wider. by a small diamond shape. But Established in 1972, they were the first papers designed specifically for rolling when people kept mistaking the weed rather than tobacco. Founder Burton Rubin allegedly got the idea to diamond for an “O,” he went with create his “double-wide” papers in 1969 after watching some of his law it and changed the company’s school classmates connect two regular-sized papers to roll a larger joint. name to JOB in 1849.

INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS

The next breakthrough in packaging was “interleaving” – the method whereby papers are inserted into the booklet in a Jean Bardou criss cross manner – so that each one readies the next when it’s pulled out. Though Kesselman believes that the interleaving was actually created by Italian paper manufacturer Saul David Modiano years earlier, it was a Paris-based company that, in 1894, perfected and patented the horizontally-folded “z” shape method we’re familiar with today. This innovation was so popular that it not only won them a gold medal at the 1900 Universal Exposition in Paris, it also convinced founders Maurice and Jacques Braunstein to rename their company after it: Zig-Zag.

PAST AND PRESENT

The past few decades have ushered in yet more innovations in this centuries-old industry: the addition of built-in wire roach clips and tear-off filter tips attached to the booklet; the creation of clear, cellulose papers, and even 24k gold leaf paper. But the most successful innovation of the modern era is undoubtedly the vegan, natural, organic, unbleached hemp papers and cones from Kesselman’s flagship brand Raw – which, remarkably, are all produced using the traditional machinery and methods at the old Papeleras Reunitas factory in the city where it all started.

History, it seems, is still alive and well in Alcoy.

For more on the history of rolling papers, listen to Episode #15 of our podcast at worldofcannabis.museum/cannthropology.

Story and photos originally published on worldofcannabis.museum and reprinted with permission.

STO RY b y B O B BY B LAC K @ CAN N T H RO PO LO G Y for LEA F NAT IO N

I’LL SEE IT WHEN I BELIEVE IT

W

62

leafmagazines.com

by Mike Ricker

hen you really put your mind to understanding the human psyche, you’ll see that it is easily manipulated.

There’s no denying the obvious, that if you reinforce a concept to curious individuals with the right degree of conviction, you are sure to make an impression. In fact, they may even become thoroughly convinced that what you’re pitching is going to improve their lives eternally. No matter how severely absurd something may be due to the limitations of logic and physics, the facts will not be recognized once their mind is made up. They will buy into your influence unconditionally, transforming into true zealots in pure defense of this information.

Information, it could be maintained, may ultimately be to blame for the eventual downfall of our species. Because as big brains can defy common sense, small brains act entirely upon common sense.

So, who is wiser, the man or the ant? But we’ve conquered the food chain, which allows us to live longer, so it’s ridiculous to argue, right? Wait, who conquered the food chain? The dude planted on a ripped sofa wiping Taco Bell fire sauce on his pants playing World of Warcraft?

Lewis and Clark don’t think so.

Anyway, as much as people think they dominate nature, the reality that we all face is that the bigger the brain, the more the insecurities will surface about who we are, what we’re doing and why we exist. And for people who crave certainty, this poses an existential conundrum. These people need to fill the gaps in their lives to feel complete, therefore, if you repeat something long enough … the illusion around truth is bound to take hold.

We are gullible creatures.

And yes, many still believe that Cannabis is for dirty hippies, too.

oct. 2021

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