February 2015 — Issue #56

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February 2015 issue #56

TOMMY CHONG

TALKS POT >> EDITOR WES ABNEY INTERVIEWS THE ICON

ONE COSTLY QUESTION Should mmj be taxed?

Delta 9 Collective’s Stephanie Viskovich is facing a tax bill of more than $1 million and it’s due this month. She is among more than 100 local collective owners being asked to pay up as the the state says its donations are sales — ones subject to retail sales tax. pAGE 52

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FEBRUARY 2015

20 34 58 REHASHED — Standing up for safe access and the rights of Washington’s medical patients, Jan. 22 at the state capitol in Olympia. // Photos by David Ryder

medical cannabis day 32 14

Recreational pot probs?

44

Retail Store Review

20

8 Questions For...

62

Tasty Reviews

26

Prison Dispatch

74

Device of the Month

40

Patient Profile

86

Health and Science

Some are challenging the test results Iconic pot activist Tommy Chong The Human Solution’s news update

When doctors pick your medicine

52

Rain City Cannabis in south Seattle

Medicated syrup & CBD capsules A crazy beautiful piece coming from...

How to prevent mold in the Northwest

NATIONAL NEWS....................12 OUTDOOR....................16 LEGISLATIVE..........................31 PAINTING.............................34 SUMMIT...............................36 STRAIN....................................48 NITRO OIL..................................66 INDICAS............................78 CBD EVENT................................82 GROWTECH.........................90 STAR DAWG GUAVA...................94 COVER PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN CONTENTS PHOTOS by CONTRIBUTORS SEE THE BACK ISSUES: WWW.ISSUU.COM/NWLEAF

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contents

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HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! This month’s issue features three tasty ways to prepare Cannabis-infuse concoctions sure to please everyone.

We hope you like chocolate and delicious cookies...

Photo by Daniel Berman/Northwest Leaf Marijuana provided by Smart Farms Styling by Malina Lopez

NORTHWEST LEAF

the truth about the plant you thought you knew, IN every issue.

editor’s note

FEBRUARY 2015 ISSUE #56

We must be vocal proponents for our medical marijuana laws

T

he legislative session is back in full swing and we have updated coverage on Olympia and a legislative guide for you to look over. Please read and understand what is being proposed to our MMJ law and then get vocal!

If you want to keep safe access and plant count, we need to raise our collective voices. Please call your representatives in the Legislature and tell them not to take away MMJ! If we don’t fight... well I can’t even think about it.

I also had an awesome opportunity last month to sit down with Tommy Chong for this issue’s 8 Questions interview. As one of the pioneers of the movement, Chong’s influence on popular culture undeniably changed a generation by mixing pot and humor, which disarmed the prohibitionist movement and cleared the way for a new, reasoned conversation about pot.

Tommy suffered prison time for selling paraphernalia and the stigma of being labeled a pot celebrity. Today, he is making new moves in the world of Cannabis. He gave Daniel and I

one-on-one time during his recent visit to Seattle to promote his rec pot ventures around the Northwest.

I also interviewed Christine Martinez, a patient who is unfairly being forced to choose between the painkillers she needs or Cannabis use, which she also needs.

It’s a decision no one should have to make, especially those going through so much pain. Learn more about her story and how doctors are blackmailing MMJ patients into giving up their medicine.

Valentine’s Day will be here soon and we have a sweet new issue for you to enjoy and share with someone special.

Our issue features awesome Valentine’s Day recipes to try and a killer Strain of the Month to enjoy while cooking.

We also have a new nitrogen-infused concentrate of the month, and a review of Rain City’s new 502 dispensary location. Catch up on national news with Steve Elliott, and read close as Dr. Rose sheds some light on common molds in the area and how to prevent them.

Thanks for picking up the magazine and please share the good news about Cannabis with someone right now.

Contact editor Wes Abney to place an

advertisement or become a drop-off location to display our magazine. You can also feel free to just share feedback, send pitches, articles, story ideas and hot news tips. This is all our plant.

nwleaf@gmail.com // (206) 235-6721

FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Wes Abney

PHOTOGRAPHER & DESIGNER

Daniel Berman

ISSUE CONTRIBUTORS

Wes and Kori Marie

GUBI CHIRIBOGA STEVE ELLIOTT MALINA LOPEZ KORI MARIE HEADLIFE MEDIA TYLER J. MARKWART BOB MONTOYA SEAN O’NEILL DR. SCANDERSON DR. SCOTT D. ROSE DAVID RYDER LAURIE & BRUCE WOLF

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national

STEVE ELLIOTT is the editor behind tokesignals.com, an independent blog of Cannabis news and opinion

TOP 8 THINGS TO PAY ATTENTION TO IN LEGAL POT NEWS The Brookings Institution Fellow John Hudak has released a list of eight critical marijuana legalization items to monitor in 2015 >>

1) Oregon, Alaska plans for legal marijuana:

Because it borders Washington, Oregon’s commercial and regulatory choices will be crucial in understanding to what extent states can strive for market advantages over bordering states. How well these state legislatures and alcohol regulatory bodies work together will yield the policy’s success or failure.

2015 will show which states are serious about ballot initiatives in 2016. It’s widely expected that California will advance an initiative and Florida might take another swing at approving medical marijuana, after falling just short of approval in 2014.

3) Cannabis policy & state legislative action:

The battleground for enacting items like recreational or medical marijuana legalization is not at the ballot box in many states, but in the state legislature.

4) Cannabis and the courts: Multiple high-profile lawsuits surrounding marijuana policy might play out in 2015. Coats v. Dish Network might settle the issue of employer-sponsored marijuana testing and a Supreme Court case involving Nebraska and Oklahoma’s lawsuit against Colorado over legalizing marijuana will indicate the willingness of federal courts to engage in this policy area.

5) What about D.C.’s marijuana policy: Clarity

on the future of marijuana policy in Washington, D.C. will surely be left to the federal courts, particularly if there is congressional inaction on I-71.

6) CO/WA (and Uruguay) continue legalization:

In Colorado, edibles, product testing and home grows will be on the agenda. The policy challenge Washington faces is that legal weed could be too costly to lure consumers from the black market and medical marijuana outlets. On the international front, Uruguay works hard to prepare a bureaucracy and a consumer base for the experiment.

7) Data, data, data: One key takeaway for policy

advocates, both supporters and opponents, will be to patiently wait to draw conclusions because the data are currently incomplete and imperfect. 2015 will offer steady flows of data from Colorado and Washington, and eventually other states.

8) Presidential candidates and Cannabis:

Marijuana policy will be part of the 2016 debates and national conversation in a way that it hasn’t been in previous presidential campaigns, and it doesn’t exactly fall neatly along party lines, either.

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Colorado

One of several ads released for the Good to Know campaign

going ‘mad men’ with legal pot ads...

State unveils new campaign to educate visitors & residents on staying legal

C

olorado is launching a $5.7 million camFunding for the campaign comes from paign to educate residents and tourists on taxes paid by those buying marijuana at how to use marijuana responsibly. the hundreds of legal marijuana stores in The “Good To Know” campaign hits the airthe state. The message was created by state waves, newspapers and Internet one year after health officials in cooperation with marrecreational marijuana sales began in the Rocky ijuana merchants and anti-drug activists.

Mountain State.

Colorado legislators orThe “bright, neighborly” apdered the campaign, along The message proach is designed to educate withwith tracking of Cannabis was created out alienating, and is not an averuse and public perception. by anti-drug sion campaign, according to Dr. An initial investigation activists and Larry Wolk, Colorado’s chief medfound that 27 percent of marijuana ical officer and director of the state Coloradans knew it is illemerchants.

Department of Public Health and gal to smoke pot in public, Environment. and only 23 percent knew The tone of the ad campaign is illustrated by that weed can only be sold to adults 21 the spot that points out you can’t legally drive a and older. car after smoking pot — it adds what “walking, “I’ve always said we need to start hopping and skipping are allowed.” treating marijuana like the drug it is, not The campaign appears to be the first comprethe drug some fear it to be,” said Demohensive effort by a state to educate consumers on cratic state Rep. Jonathan Singer, a former marijuana use and regulations after legalization. drug and alcohol counselor. Singer helped “This is still uncharted territory for us, and rewrite much of the legislation governing ally for everyone in the United States,” Wolk said. legal marijuana in the state.

‘‘

2) Identifying the next states to legalize:

Quick Hits!

1.53 2.5 40 57 100 180 218 6,800 According to ArcView investment group, the pot industry generated $1.53 billion in revenues in 2013. That’s a lot of green.

Rhode Island is officially the highest state around 20.22% of residents report using pot last year in the unlikely marijuana haven

R

alition is forming in the state to make it the hode Islanders use marijuana at the fifth state to legalize recreational Cannabis. highest rate in the United States, The survey “is probably an accurate poraccording to a recently released natrayal, and one we’ve seen trending for a long tional survey on drug use and health, spontime,” said Rebecca Boss, deputy director of sored each year by the Substance Abuse and the Rhode Island Department of BehaviorMental Health Services Administration. al Healthcare, Developmental In Rhode Island, 14 percent #2 AK: 19.69% Disabilities and Hospitals. “The of those 12 and older report why is really hard to answer. I having used marijuana in the #4 OR: 19.03% don’t necessarily have the anpast month, according to the #5 CO: 15.09% National Survey on Drug Use #6 WA: 17.48% swers to why.”

Rhode Island edged out and Mental Health. That’s up #50 KS: 8.21% % of state used pot last year Colorado in the survey, despite from 13 percent the previous the Rocky Mountain State beyear. Rhode Island also led the ing the first in the nation to legalize marijuana nation in those who reported having used for recreational sales. Colorado had the secmarijuana in the past year, at 20.22 percent, ond-highest rate of reported Cannabis use in up from 19 percent. the past month at 12.7 percent.

The survey results are two-year averages, The survey can’t fully reflect the changes in with the latest results reflecting 2012-2013.

Colorado, however, because marijuana legalRhode Island is one of 23 states and the ization took place in late 2012 and marijuana District of Columbia that allow medical shops didn’t open until Jan. 1, 2014. marijuana for authorized patients, and a co-

Quoted

Arcview has the industry pegged at 2.5 billion in 2014, a huge 40% increase that signals the rise of this new power industry.

Number of dispensaries set to open in the coming months in Clark County, home of Las Vegas.

That’s what we call a new twist on Sin City.

Age of a Alaska man who was pulled over while driving with growing plants in his truck, along with a small amount of meth and processed marijuana.

More than 100 growing plants were found in a Cleveland home after the bomb squad was sent out to investigate a “suspicious,” grow site.

The City of Detroit counts 180 dispensaries in just 149 miles of the city, which is great access to MMJ for patients, but a sure sign of needed regulation.

A 218-page report by the RAND Corporation predicts Vermont will take in as much as $75 million dollars in revenue with legalized Cannabis for 21+.

More than 6,800 patients in the Massachusetts MMJ program had personal information unknowingly circulated in public emails, raising questions about privacy and the morality of MMJ registries.

Photo by Timothy Burling/Creative Commons

THERE IS NO LOGICAL REASON WHY ADULT POT CONSUMERS SHOULD BE TREATED WITH ANY LESS RESPECT, RESTRICTED MORE SEVERELY, AND DENIED THE SAME PRIVILEGES WE EXTEND TO RESPONSIBLE ADULT DRINKERS AND SMOKERS.

‘‘

- Marijuana activist Russ Belville in an interview with The Oregonian, which describes how there will be a new Oregon chapter of NORML, the Washington D.C.-based National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws. Belville said the group will help lobby for regulations that make sense and don’t unfairly target Cannabis users.

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national

STEVE ELLIOTT is the editor behind tokesignals.com, an independent blog of Cannabis news and opinion

How potent is that recreational pot?

Growers must test their product, but the guidelines are far from clear The rules of Washington’s recreational marijuana

legalization law, I-502, require a sample tested from every lot of marijuana. But how useful is it?

The program is having some success detecting substances, including yeast, mold and bacteria, reports The Seattle Times. About one out of 10 batches of marijuana fails and can’t be sold in recreational pot shops, according to Washington State Liquor Control Board data.

Potency testing — which measures levels of THC — shows Washington weed varies widely.

Recreational marijuana averages about 16 percent THC in the state, but about 2.5 percent of samples test above 28 percent.

Laboratory directors from the state’s 12 licensed pot-testing facilities said they are forming working groups to lobby the Liquor Control Board for more oversight of lab methods.

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State-required marijuana tests, including potency and microbial measures, cost $150 at the Werc Shop in Bellevue. Pot is ground, weighed and placed into a tube with solvent as the tube spins in a centrifuge for potency testing.

Because Liquor Control Board rules don’t direct growers on how to choose samples for testing, a grower can select the best-looking bud, giving an artificially high result. That’s something the Liquor Control Board’s Randy Simmons hopes to change.

Higher results yield higher wholesale grow prices.

Some producers think others might be falsely boosting potency test results by adding THC-rich substances. That would certainly explain some results in the 30 percent to 40 percent range.

“I have suspicions some people are ... rolling it in kief and getting high scores,” said Joby Sewell, whose AuricAG company grows marijuana in

Sodo. Simmons agreed that the LCB is also concerned growers could dip their buds in hash oil before tests.

Incognito marijuana-enforcement agents will buy products from pot stores and get them tested.

“Will we see people play games? Yes,” Simmons said. “It happens in any industry out there.

Will we catch them? Yes, we will.”

Labs are also under scrutiny on these results.

“There are some labs that have financial incentive to game the system for clients,” said Miller of the Werc Shop. If producers don’t like a lab’s test results, they can take their business elsewhere.

Jessica Tonani, the CEO of Verda Bio, a Seattle Cannabis biotech company, bought recreational marijuana from several I-502 stores and had the Werc Shop blind-test them. Seven of eight purchases tested between 3 percent and 7.5 percent different from what their labels showed, she said.

“In the medical world ... people that do tests sometimes do pay for higher test results,” Simmons said. “I want to make sure that’s not happening on the recreational side.”

fEDS WILL CONSIDER RESCHEDULING MARIJUANA Marijuana is currently a Schedule I drug, putting it in the same category as heroin!

A federal judge in California is looking at the

constitutionality of marijuana’s classification as a Schedule I drug along with heroin and LSD. For 45 years, Cannabis has been classified as being among the most dangerous drugs in the world, with a high potential for abuse and no medical uses — the definition of a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act, which was adopted as President Nixon’s war on drugs kicked off.

U.S. District Court Judge Kimberly J. Mueller in Sacramento had a five-day fact-finding hearing on the classification question at the end of 2014, and with final arguments scheduled for February, her ruling is expected later this year.

Mueller’s decision to have the hearing came after a pretrial defense motion in a federal case against accused marijuana growers. Prosecutors unsuccessfully tried to block the fact-finding hearings.

Even if the judge rules against the federal classification of Cannabis, it would apply only to the defendants in this case and would almost certainly be appealed, according to The Los Angeles Times. It would take a ruling from the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals determining that the law is unconstitutional to affect all the Western states.

The defendants’ attorneys have argued that the federal marijuana law violates the constitutional guarantee of equal protection under the law, contending the government enforces the law unevenly, allowing the distribution of Cannabis in states where it is legal and punishing it elsewhere.

The prosecution contends that Congress legally placed marijuana in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.

Washington Judge Rules State Can’t Ban Doctors from Advertising Pot Authorizations Judge Elizabeth Martin, in a Jan. 9 ruling, said the law violates the Washington and U.S. constitutions by curbing free speech. The state might have an interest in regulating such advertising, Martin ruled, but banning it completely is unacceptable.

“I find the statute impermissibly overbroad as it chills even informational speech aimed solely at public education,” Martin wrote in her decision.

The ruling came in a case brought by Scott Havsy, a Pierce County osteopath with 30 years of experience. He took the state to court last year after the Washington Department of Health punished him for advertising MMJ authorizations.

Attorney Mark G. Olson of Everett argued that the state’s ban hindered patients from finding doctors willing to provide authorizations for them.

“The only restrictions that should be placed on professional advertising are to be sure [it] is not false or misleading,” Olson said.

“When the government restricts advertising...it places a chilling effect on the free flow of information, especially online.”

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national

STEVE ELLIOTT is the editor behind tokesignals.com, an independent blog of Cannabis news and opinion

Bolt Mountain Trail near Grants Pass Photo by Oregon Bureau of Land Management

OREGON OUTDOOR GROWERS WANT THEIR VOICES HEARD >> With new regulations coming, it was crucial for a meeting of minds in Southern Oregon, which grows most of the pot in a state that loves it

M

ore than 100 medical marijuana farmers who cultivate Cannabis in southern Oregon — the epicenter of the state’s growing community — met in December to voice concerns about how they’ll fit into a newly regulated industry.

The meeting at a grange hall in Josephine County, in Southern Oregon, was organized by the Oregon Sungrown Growers Guild, a group established last spring to represent the interests of Oregon’s many outdoor marijuana farmers.

The meeting featured a short talk by state Sen. Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene), who strongly supports medical and recreational Cannabis. Growers told Prozanski they don’t want any changes to the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, and they’re worried about zoning restrictions that may squeeze them out of the medical and recreational programs.

They’re also worried about deep-pocketed, outof-state investors swooping into their communities and establishing price-gouging marijuana facilities.

“My goal is not to allow the medical program to be folded into the (recreational) program,” Prozanski said, addressing growers’ fears that they could face a threat similar to the threat facing their counterparts in Washington, where many legislators are intent on folding medical into recreational.

“My goal is not to impact the small farmer.”

Medical marijuana farmers in Oregon have been wary of scrutiny and outside interference, but now they’re organizing so they can influence poli-

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cy as the Legislature and the Liquor Control state to the black market, where it brings top dollar.

Commission develop regulations for CannaAccording to Branham, growers have operated bis production, processing and sales. for decades with little oversight, and now they’re “This has been an outlaw industry way of worried regulation-happy bureaucrats will ruin their life for decades and there is a safety in that for livelihoods by tinkering with medical marijuana a lot of people that don’t want to plug in and program rules or zoning marijuana cultivation. work the 9-to-5 but still have a lot to offer Oregon’s regulated medical marijuana dispenand want to live a life they find sary system has taken shape over the meaningful,” said Casey Branpast year. Outdoor growers have come WAREHOUSE GROWING up with brands, marketing materials ham, 36, who has a plot of medical marijuana on his property and special strains they hope will apIS UNSUSTAINABLE, outside of Jacksonville. peal to urban markets like Portland, SAID LINDA RICE, 63, “Coming into the light, if you where consumers tend to favor inwill, is good, but this industry A MEDICAL MARIJUANA door-grown Cannabis. has to model and resemble the Outdoor growers maintain that FARMER IN WILLIAMS. structure of how it was set up state legislators and policymakers from the outlaw days,” Branham should give more recognition to their said. “It works. It’s keeping people employed approach, which uses far less energy than indoor and keeping communities together. Cannabis cultivation. keeps food on the table.”

“Warehouse growing is unsustainable,” said Linda Rice, 63, a medical marijuana farmer in WilTwo main groups have emerged in this liams. “They use pesticides and herbicides. This is fight: the Oregon Sungrown Growers Guild, the opposite of how we grow.” formed by a group of outdoor Cannabis farm“This is not a time to rest,” said Portland attorers in Williams (a rural community about 30 ney Paul Loney, who also works with the Oregon miles outside of Medford), and the Oregon Sungrown Growers Guild. “Everybody is circling.

Growers PAC, a political action committee Everyone wants to have their piece of the pie. led by Portland lawyer Amy Margolis.

“They don’t mind elbowing you away from the Some of Oregon’s outdoor Cannabis hartable,” Loney said. “You cannot allow them to elbow vest goes to medical marijuana patients or regyou away from the table.” ulated dispensaries, and some of it goes out of

PROFILE

By WES ABNEY | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN

8 QUESTIONS FOR THE LEGEND

Editor Wes Abney sits down with the iconic pot actor/activist/dancer on a recent roll through Seattle about his new legal marijuana ventures, C & C, and why he’s still fighting for pot around the globe.

Tommy Chong #1 Tell me about your early roots with Cannabis?

#4 Why do you enjoy about using and growing Cannabis?

I had my first experience with Cannabis in Calgary, Alberta. I was turned on to it by a jazz musician bass player named Eddie Wong, and he gave me a joint and a Lenny Bruce record and the joint lasted me for about a month. So the first time I got high was off his joint, and then he sent me home with another. I went home and listened to “Lonely Woman” and it changed my life.

I think a week later I quit school and knew my life was going in a different direction. I soon moved to Vancouver, where I really started using as a musician and comedian, and started growing later when I moved to LA. Since then, I’ve gotten stoned with some of the greatest people on the planet.

Cannabis makes you forget in a good way. It makes you live in the moment. That’s why moments are so huge. When you are high, you can hear every note played in a song, you can see beyond our world.

Especially at night you can see universes and galaxies that are beyond our own little world. If you can’t afford a dog or adopt a child, the next best thing is growing your own pot plant.

People should grow because they learn. You learn the secret of the universe by taking a seed and having it evolve in front of your eyes. You grow your own universe, and it teaches you proportion. Just like in life we need to take care of our own universe. I used to say to bodybuilders, if you’re going to abuse your body, then you better have a body to abuse.

If you are going to be effective in this world, you must make sure you are healthy, and growing Cannabis is a part of that.

#2 Do you use Cannabis medicinally?

I used MMJ to get rid of my prostate cancer. It worked.

I still use Cannabis daily, smoking more on some days than others. It is the original medicine. Cannabis was used initially by Chinese as a medicine, then Mexicans as a medicine, and 5,000 years ago it was used in Africa and by almost all indigenous people as medicine and for spiritual enhancement. So regardless of what you want to call it, “recreation” or whatever, it is still medicine. You are using medicine for your recreation.

I ENJOY THE FEELING OF A QUIET AUDIENCE AS MUCH AS A STANDING OVATION.

#3 How did you treat your cancer? how are you doing now?

It was day by day. I knew smoking alone didn’t help with the cancer, so I called Dr. Neil McKinney in Victoria, B.C. He suggested a lot of changes to my diet, a no-sugar diet, and that I start using Cannabis oil suppositories. So I researched Rick Simpson Oil, and saw his special on YouTube where he cured melanoma on the face with Cannabis. A friend named Relm made my suppositories for me, and I started treatment immediately. I joke about it too; they’re suppositories so I tell people that I’d light a candle and play some jazz, find some loose fitting pajamas, and then break out the coconut oil, and usually people are laughing by then.

But really it’s not a head high by any means; it is a serious medicine. You don’t get high, and I am officially cancer-free. Of course everybody has cancer cells in their body but mine are at low levels now. You have to deal with it holistically, with the diet and lifestyle change along with medical Cannabis treatment.

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#5 How has comedy been a tool for you to educate about Cannabis, and what do you think it means in today’s world?

In 1978, Cheech and my stage act featured the Pedro and Man characters, and “Up In Smoke” was really supposed to be our greatest hits, but it ended up us concentrating on one bit. That’s the movie when we were musicians on search for a joint and ended up driving around in van made of pot. From then on, we were known as pot movie makers.

But today things are different. People don’t expect jokes any more, not so much. I recently performed at a golf course with an audience mostly of Republicans, and they expected mostly their type of jokes. But I enjoy the feeling of a quiet audience as much as a standing ovation. Because you are affecting them. They don’t like to be touched. Now I’ve been around long enough that any reaction is a good reaction.

t h e i n t e r vi e w c o n t i n u e s p. 2 2

I’VE GOTTEN STONED WITH SOME OF THE GREATEST PEOPLE ON THE PLANET.”

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PROFILE

By WES ABNEY | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN

8 QUESTIONS FOR THE LEGEND

Tommy Chong Continued from pg. 20

I ACTUALLY DON’T THINK ABOUT MY LEGACY.”

#6 Can you share a bit about your time in prison? did it shape your view of the justice/prison system?

Operation Pipe Dream targeted my family for making glass bongs. It was a mixture of horror and indignation. I felt violated. I felt like a black man in the South. I took the hit for a lot of reasons, mainly for my own selfish reasons because I was curious about jail. I grew up with people who had been in jail, so when my opportunity came to participate there was a part of me that wondered what it would be like.

Now I see what the private prisons are doing. There is so much greed in this world, especially corporate greed that affects everybody. Private prisons are not interested in freedom or justice, they are interested in profit. They are interested in slave labor. That’s why they like arresting stoners. We are the best prisoners ... we are intelligent, respectful and we work. That’s our makeup. Whatever we do, we do well.

#7 What was going onto national TV for “Dancing with the Stars” like?

I am proud. My thoughts lately are more on what I did on “Dancing With the Stars” than my other accomplishments. It was a culmination of my lifestyle. My love of music and love of Cannabis all came together with the dance. It was incredible, it was like a dream. It was like it wasn’t really happening. Like wow, I was an observer, not just a dancer.

#8 What do you see as your legacy with Cannabis, what is your advice for people today pushing to legalize Cannabis across the world?

I actually don’t think about my legacy. My son and I have a podcast called the “Chong Show,” and in the coming months we are going to concentrate on the “Chong Show” and appear live in various venues and places and really carry the message. We are part evangelists in that sense. Cannabis is the burning bush that God talked about. The burning bush talks to me every night. As for advice, we need to get rid of the perception of fear about Cannabis. We tolerate alcohol, and alcohol will take away your consciousness. People will fight a brick wall when they are drunk. But pot doesn’t do that. Pot enhances your consciousness. So I see hope

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for the future. My advice is to listen to what people have to say. Even those against pot, because eventually they will hear their own voice and realize how it sounds. So don’t argue, but listen and suggest.

You learn a lot by listening, and then you can try to work with their plans and find a system that works for everybody. My final piece of advice to everyone is to grow pot not for money, but for love.

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. Pioneer Nuggets and the Pioneer Nuggets logo are Pioneer Nuggets trademarks. Š 2015 Pioneer Nuggets WA USA www.pioneernuggets.com

dispatch

By MIGGY420, MINDI GRIFFITHS, DANIELLE VITALE O’BRIEN, SAMANTHA JOHNSON, CHRIS JOHNSON & KRISTIN FLOR

>> News from the front lines of tHE HUMAN SOLUTION

FEBRUARY PRISONER UPDATE PRISON OUTREACH This month we acknowledge our special loved

ones with gifts and have a day off for Presidents Day. February also is — to prisoners — the only month with less than 30 days. Prisoners don’t have the luxury of hating or loving Valentine’s Day; it’s just another day behind walls. Prisoners don’t get a mandatory day off because of dead presidents; prisoners don’t get days off, period.

Prisoners don’t get to have intimate romantic moments or barbecues while drinking a beer. Instead, they get a cell with a hundred of the worst roommates.

Recently, one of our beloved prisoners, Craig Cesal, who is serving his 14th year of a life sentence in prison for our plant, lost a son at the age of 23 and was denied the ability to attend his wake or funeral. As a prisoner, he has been denied humanity over a plant, denied compassion and treated like a criminal when there has been no victim.

Condolences and cards of compassion can be sent to Craig Cesal, No. 52948-019, FCI Greenville, Federal Correctional Institution, PO Box 5000, Greenville, IL 62246.

Losing a child and not being able to be with them is far more punishing than most crimes. The time Craig has already lost to be a dad to his son cannot be returned, but he still has time to be a father to his daughter.

Don’t let this tragedy go without notice; you don’t have to belong to a group to be an activist and make a difference.

Antonio Bascaro, 80, has served the longest

term in federal custody for marijuana: 35 years with four more to go. His sentence has been cruel and unusual for the ‘crime’ committed. It is solely based on marijuana and the nature of his crime.

He played a small part in a smuggling operation.

Everyone from the boss to fellow conspirators have been released, yet somehow this Cuban hero who fought at the Bay of Pigs has been forgotten. It has taken good conduct for 3 1/2 decades, back surgery

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ANTONIO BASCARO, 80, HAS SERVED THE LONGEST TERM IN FEDERAL CUSTODY FOR MARIJUANA: 35 YEARS WITH FOUR MORE TO GO.

and old age for Antonio to prove, finally, that he is not a threat to society. He now lives in a medium security facility in south Florida.

Antonio was lost in the judicial system. He is a prime example of how the war on drugs affects minority communities. A single man who was a good father, he had no one to tell his tale for another 30 years; that would be up to his daughter.

Antonio’s daughter pushes diligently for her father’s release. Could you imagine if the only person that could help a loved one was the president of the United States?

“My dad disappeared from my life when I was 12, almost 13,” she told me as we went over her father’s story.

One can only imagine the life his children had, growing up thinking their father was a criminal.

Then you learn life lessons and realize marijuana is safer than most legal substances and that the war on drugs is not here to protect citizens but to control and manipulate them. Antonio was not a criminal then, nor would he be considered one today in Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Colorado.

Antonio was just an employee when he was arrested; it was just another day at work. Whether he transported, coordinated or sold marijuana, his role in the crime is insignificant, because no one should go to jail for a plant.

The Human Solution International recently started the DeLisi Project, which aims to raise awareness about the case of Richard DeLisi before his hearing review after serving 26 years of a 90year sentence for pot. The hearing has passed and Richard was denied release, but that’s no reason for anyone to give up.

THSI has now implemented The DeLisi Project — Plan B. We’re calling upon you to reach out to Florida Gov. Rick Scott and express how this incarceration is unjust and unacceptable. Talking points can be found on The Human Solution International website: thsintl.org. The phone number is 1-850-717-9337. Please let the governor know that jail is no place for an elderly man convicted in the 1980s for something that is now legal in four states and our country’s capital.

NORTHWEST NEWS BELLINGHAM — After a painful and heartbreak-

ing court battle, little “Jerry Berry” has been returned to his family. During the past three months, Vicca and Jesse Thompson, Cannabis activists who adopted Craig Cesal, have undergone drawn-out court hearings concerning the placement of Jerry, their 5-year-old son.

During their battle, the Thompsons found support from The Human Solution International, William Fischer of the Fight for Lilly Foundation, and Serra Frank from Moms for Marijuana — all nonprofit support and activism groups.

On Jan. 7, the court erupted with joy over the decision to return Jerry home. After a month and a half of being away from his loving parents, Jerry was returned to his mother and father.

The morning of the hearing, Human Solution members rallied in front of the courthouse holding signs saying Vicca and Jesse are good parents.

Since Jerry’s return, the Thompson home has been bustling with activity, from sorting Legos to having ABC’s “20/20” come to their home for interviews.

Two things were apparent in this case. One, no matter how upstanding the citizen, one person with a prohibition mindset could turn your life upside down. Second, the power of like-minded individuals does make a difference. The Thompsons have often expressed how much of a difference they feel it made to have THSI and others in their corner.

we were and gave him a solidarity ribbon and he wore it for our prisoners. He also signed cards for George Martorano and James Romans, the prisoners Seattle Hempfest adopted. If you would like to adopt a prisoner, please visit our website.

Debbie Brechler and Josh Mauk – Debbie

dicott of Portland, is in need of court support. He was arrested in Henrietta, Texas, in October 2013.

He and his family were moving to Florida, and he had his medication with him in a car-top carrier.

The jailers in the small Texas jail appeared to have compassion and processed him quickly.

He was released and he continued on his way.

Shortly thereafter, Jason fell on hard times and became homeless. He was not aware of a warrant for his arrest in connection with the 2013 incident until he was pulled over in Clackamas County on Dec. 22. The more than 24 hours Jason spent in the Clackamas County Jail was one of the worse experiences of his life. Jason has diabetes and was ill while waiting for his bail hearing. The authorities only checked his sugar levels twice. He was transported to the hospital and treated, but upon his return to jail, he was left in isolation and not monitored.

THSI and the Endicott family are asking for court support for an extradition hearing set for Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. Please come to the courtroom and make your voice heard. The family fears for Jason’s health if he is incarcerated, even for a short period, let alone the 40-year maximum sentence he faces. The hearing will be at the Clackamas County Courthouse at 807 Main St., Oregon City. Let’s fill the courthouse with solidarity ribbons and show how community support is vital to the outcome of unjust cases.

and Josh are still fighting their case. Their case has been continued until Feb. 4 at 1 p.m. in Kent. This might be the day they decide whether they are going to take their case to trial.

Kettle Falls 5 – Regardless of the bill Congress

passed in December that blocks the DEA from using federal money to prosecute medical marijuana patients, the Kettle Falls 5 are still facing trial. Charges have not been dropped, and their trial is now scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 23 at the Thomas S. Foley US Courthouse in downtown Spokane. Larry Harvey, one of the five family members, is sick and his health cannot be compromised by the inadequate health care offered in prison. Please call Michael Ormsby at 509-353-2767 and ask him to stop prosecuting MMJ patients. If this goes to trial and all 12 jurors find them guilty of breaking the federal Schedule 1 drug laws, they face 60 lonely years in prison.

Washington plant prisoner research —

Do you know anyone from Washington who is in jail for our plant? State Sen. Karen Fraser, D-Lacey, would like to know. Dana Greetham, our Capitol City Chapter coordinator (Olympia), was asked by the senator to research prisoners from Washington.

If you know anyone, or would like to join our research team, please e-mail Dana at danagreetham@ gmail.com.

King County Chapter Coordinator Sonia Leyva attended the Washington Cannabis Summit event and ran into Tommy Chong. Sonia explained who

Judge Cramer to schedule the next court date.

He is reviewing a defense motion to dismiss the cultivation charges she and her co-defendant face.

Joy stands firmly on the grounds that she is protected by federal law because her garden is part of a spiritual sanctuary and Cannabis is used as a sacrament in the Oklevueha Native American Church, where she is a leader. This case and the fear of a 10-year term has taken a major toll on Joy’s health. THSI is assisting in the fight for a speedy end to her nightmare.

NATIONAL NEWS Jason Endicott’s family fears for his health

Oregon Update — A new defendant, Jason En-

Joy Graves is anxiously awaiting at this time for

In December, Andrea Harps, a mother of four

in Maryland, was sent to jail. She did not have much support and she lost an unfair fight at trial on marijuana charges. She turned herself in last month shortly after giving birth. Correspondence can be sent to Andrea Sheron Harps, No. 122313, Harford County Detention Center, 45 S Main St., Bel Air, MD 21014.

Fortunately for Tamara Hudson , a moth-

er in Michigan, will not be going to jail. The judge sentenced her to probation. She had lots of support, proving that court support and letters to judges work.

While the war hurts us all, we cannot al-

low it to continue another minute. Trials are going on across the nation. Soon, Jason Andrews (California), Chris Martin (Arizona), Amanda Latz (Michigan), Michael Thompson (Florida), Todd Stimson (North Carolina), and more defendants are going to trial. They can turn into our next plant prisoners if they are found guilty.

Please, help educate your town about their jury rights and a juror’s right to say, “Not guilty!” if they believe the law is unjust.

Are you a leader? Would you like to start a chapter to help educate your community, provide prisoners with outreach, and be there for our defendants? If so, please call 951-934-0055 and we will help you get a chapter launched by providing training and everything you need to put a stop to prohibition in your community.

Please remember: No victim = No crime = Not guilty because no one deserves to go to prison or die for our plant!

You can help drug war prisoners. Visit www.Thsintl.org to learn about this mission. feb. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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opinion

By STEVE ELLIOTT

The press blitz began months ago, and it became absolutely inescapable once 2015 started. Article after article has appeared in the mainstream press about the supposed need to extinguish medical marijuana dispensaries in Washington — to save I-502.

The largely untold side to this story is

that of mom-and-pop marijuana businesses, serving seriously ill patients, that are seen as “the competition” and are thus slated for extinction by greedy I-502 interests.

Supporters of “folding” medical marijuana into the recreational system claim that safe access would be unaffected by suddenly doubling, tripling or quadrupling the price patients have to pay as the number of safe access outlets in Seattle, for instance, reduces about 200 to perhaps half a dozen.

Among the more shrill attackers of what they claim are “untaxed, unregulated” businesses are Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes and ACLU attorney Alison Holcomb, the author of I-502.

Activists who’ve been paying attention have known for years that neither Holmes nor Holcomb is a friend of the medical marijuana community.

Instead of upping their game in a competitive environment, the I-502 recreational stores, which quickly gained well-deserved reputations for both subpar pot and outrageous prices, want to clear the field of their pesky (read: usually superior in both

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price and quality) competitors on the medical side.

Nobody’s surprised by the assault coming in the form of onerous bills from Republican state Sen. Ann Rivers and Democratic state Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles — those are at least known enemies who have made no effort to hide their desire to kill collective gardens and dispensaries as we know them. Rivers, in a near-comic attempt to please everyone, proposed allowing dispensaries to stay open, but banning dried marijuana sales at them.

Rivers claimed her goal is to “harmonize” medical marijuana with I-502. But the real goal, of course, is to clear the field of competition for the recreational marijuana stores and the lucrative source of tax dollars they represent to state lawmakers.

According to one source in the know, Rivers’ original strategy was to get current medical dispensary owners on board with her plan. But she also was listening to some 502 store lobbyists who still didn’t want any competition, so they came up with the “no marijuana flowers in medical dispensaries” idea.

Mr. Holmes, for his part, came right out and said, “If you’re a commercial (medical marijuana) operation lacking a 502 license, it’s a felony operation.

Period.” That’s not really a surprise coming from a guy who was such a big supporter of I-502 that he now wants to extinguish the competition.

As the author of I-502, damn few people expected Holcomb to be honest about its potentially devastating effects on the patient community, nor on its farcically sputtering start.

Equally unsurprising was the deeply unflattering spectacle of Holcomb using the press to urge raids and felony charges against medical marijuana

dispensary operators. In November, this same “activist” took the lead on a national ACLU campaign to slash mass incarceration rates, which are driven by the very drug arrests she now urges.

But what enters a whole other realm of unseemly greed is when the state director of the Washington chapter of NORML — the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws — conspicuously makes himself a part of the chorus calling for an end to medicinal Cannabis as we know it.

How shameless does someone have to be while calling himself an “activist” and simultaneously working to line his own pockets and force people to buy expensive, underpowered weed in his 502 store?

That’s right: Kevin Oliver, who not only serves as state director but also sits on NORML’s national board, is the proud owner of an I-502 recreational marijuana store license, and he can hardly wait to become the only game in town.

Oliver grandly announced in a January interview with the Cannabis Business Times that the first six months of I-502’s implementation were — get this — a “dress rehearsal.” That would certainly come as interesting news to the I-502 license holders who have either gone out of business or struggled to survive; they could be forgiven for assuming their asses were on the line.

Oliver, supposedly an advocate for marijuana rights, claims that Washington patients won’t suffer hardship if forced to buy weed at 502 stores at double or triple the price of dispensaries. And even while patients certainly will be suffering in such a scenario, a delighted Oliver will be laughing all the way to the bank.

Never mind that recreational weed costs two, three, even four times as much as weed in medical collectives. Never mind that more than 200 pesticides are specifically allowed — by name — on state-store recreational weed. Let’s not think about the effects all those chemicals could be having on patients with compromised immune systems and liver function. And even while allowing all those pesticides, the state doesn’t test for them.

Ironically, Oliver, who’s now proudly sitting there on his 502 license, repeated ad nauseum back in the 2012 campaign that “I502 won’t affect patients.” Maybe in Oliver’s mind, shutting down the collective garden/ dispensary system and forcing patients into the recreational model to pay two to four times as much for their badly needed medicine isn’t “affecting them.”

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LEGISLATIVE POSITIONS GUIDE

By NORTHWEST LEAF STAFF

the Inside Scoop On new Bills Affecting Patients THIS YEAR! The 2015 legislative session is a make or

break year for medical Cannabis.

MMJ has come under attack from Initiative 502 lobbyists and business owners, law enforcement groups, mainstream media and even our own legislators. Whatever the reason, and they all have an incentive, they want to get rid of MMJ to make their own conditions better. What makes our medicine such a controversial issue? Greed.

Our state is mired in debt and the Legislature believes that recreational Cannabis is a solution to its financial woes. Its agenda is to eliminate medical collectives, forcing patients into the recreational market where pot is taxed at the highest level possible.

I have a news flash for the Liquor Control Board, other state agencies and the Legislature.

Patients will not spend $300 just to have 1 ounce be “legal.” They can’t afford it and they will be forced into the black market, which will continue to thrive and undermine any regulatory changes the state makes. Ending MMJ will not make I-502 succeed, but it will cause the sick and needy patients of Washington to turn to illegal drug dealers to find a compassionate price for their medication.

Is that progress? Sending patients to get medicine on the black market? Is that compassionate?

To declare patients who grow their own medicine criminals? What is so untenable about Washington state’s MMJ law in comparison to Colorado’s, which allows any resident over age 21 to grow six plants? Nothing. Why should sick and dying patients in Washington have to fight to retain the same rights as any adult in Colorado? Greed.

Let’s review. MMJ has been claimed as unsafe, untested and unregulated, while being a “burden” on the system. Nothing could be further from the truth! MMJ is safe and hundreds of products are tested that don’t even exist under I-502, and MMJ producers avoid the pesticides that are present in recreational gardens across the state. As for the claim of a burden, MMJ contributed more than $14 million in tax revenue from July 2013 to October 2014. That is more than enough to justify funding

and starting a separate system to protect patients.

Reach out to your district legislators and tell them to stand up for medical patients. Our MMJ industry is the strongest in the nation, with the best medicine and fairest prices, all because it has focused on patients’ needs. The legacy of Cannabis legalization should come with healthy people and healthy growth, not a war on taxes and the poor. Please continue to support medical Cannabis, and the freedom of patients guaranteed under RCW 69.51a. If this issue of Northwest Leaf can remind you of anything, let it remind you of what we stand to lose if MMJ access is taken away:

Hundreds of small businesses, tens of thousands of jobs and patients being forced into the black market to get their medicine.

We need to keep a steady eye on the Legislature in the coming months, and speak out against those who would marginalize the needs of patients.

At the time of publication, 40-plus bills are pending in the Legislature regarding Cannabis, and it’s impossible to read them all. We tried. Instead, we have put together a handy guide going over positions addressed in many of the bills, and our recommendations regarding changes.

Please read and share and help protect medical.

MEDICA L CA N NA B IS P RO P OS ED C H ANGES Providing licensing and regulation for MMJ collectives or storefront dispensaries: YES Enacting requirements for testing of MMJ: YES Creating a flat tax or sales tax code on MMJ, assuming that licensing keeps MMJ access points open: YES Reducing the 1,000-foot buffer for medical Cannabis businesses: YES Clarifying hemp as separate from Cannabis and allowing it to be grown industrially: YES Establishing Cannabis research licenses: YES Adding post-traumatic stress syndrome to the terminal or debilitating medical conditions that qualify for the medical use of marijuana: YES

Reducing the plant count: NO Reducing the personal possession limits for patients: NO Removing collective garden language from 69.51a: NO Creating MMJ dispensaries that can’t sell bud/flower: NO Getting rid of MMJ altogether and forcing patients into the I-502 system: NO Open container law that would make an open bag of Cannabis illegal and probable cause for a search and blood draw: NO Allowing cops to seize “illegal” or “MMJ” weed and then auction it off to I-502 retailers: NO

5 02 PROPOS ED C H A NG ES Continuing to fund law enforcement efforts to arrest those growing without a license: NO

Renaming the excise tax to become federally deductible: YES

Allowing anyone over the age of 21 to grow up to six plants: YES

Demanding pesticide testing for 502 products: YES

Vacating one or more previous convictions for Cannabis crimes: YES Reducing the 1,000-foot buffer for Cannabis businesses: YES

Remove the ability for cities and counties to ban Cannabis: YES Sharing tax revenue with cities and counties: YES Raising the excise tax by 1 percent while renaming the tax: NO

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rehashed

PHOTOS by DAVID RYDER for NORTHWEST LEAF

January 22, 2015

medical cannabis day

Americans for Safe Access organized the event.

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Washington State Capitol, Olympia

There are many reasons to stand up for safe access to Cannabis and patients were out in droves to tell their elected representatives just that.

The event garnered positive coverage in several local media reports.

Patients learned who to contact for their district.

An overflow room broadcast public testimony.

rehashed

PUFF AND PAINT PAGE

rehashed

By WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by GUBI CHIRIBOGA for NORTHWEST LEAF

Brush Tokes

The CREATIVE benefits of painting high

M

ove over wine-fueled art exhibits. There’s a new groove in Seattle that blends paint and Cannabis. Forget the booze, spark up a joint and hit a painting class that has exactly that.

Class. It’s called High Painting, and I expect it to spread across the country.

The hum of a Volcano vaporizer and a sweet haze of vapor greeted our group as we entered an art studio and bar that was turned -- for the day -- into a Cannabis-safe zone. The location was comfortable and cool in a classic Seattle way, with tables made out of tree trunks and handmade art covering every inch of the interior.

We trekked upstairs and sat down in a cozy art studio with a dozen blank easels and as many medicated students.

As bags of vapor were passed around and dabs

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were heated, the students mentally prepared for the art instruction of the day. We were to paint a psychedelic-looking jellyfish, floating through a swirly background of blues and whites. Our teacher skipped the stoner jokes as we started, though she did admit that before creating custom paintings she prefers to eat a couple of edibles. It was that or become an alcoholic, she joked, and we all had a laugh as the high began to settle in.

If you’ve never painted while high, I recommend it. One of the other painters mentioned that he hadn’t made an art project since grade school, and it reminded me how out of touch our society is with basic pleasures such as mixing colors into happy little shapes. Just as Cannabis is therapy, so is painting and the mix proved relaxing and inspirational.

Even though I stink at painting, I felt relaxed and happy as I created something resembling a jellyfish. It felt great to put down the smartphone for an hour and experience a more traditional form of entertainment.

We worked through the steps of blending colors and layering the paint to make a graceful and layered look for the psychedelic jellyfish. Everyone who painted had a different take on the instructions,

We worked through the steps of blending colors and layering the paint to make a graceful and layered look for the psychedelic jellyfish. and the best part was comparing paintings at the end of the session. Laughter was plentiful, as was great medicine and delicious food, which calmed the munchies while we waited for our paintings to dry. By the end, everyone was happy and full of THC and food, and the cheer that had been shared was something I won’t forget.

I want to take the class again and paint a pot plant this time. Although, knowing how bad my art is, I’ll stick to working with a pen to share the beauty of the plant and the industry that has sprouted around it.

Next class is Feb. 15, tickets are about $50/person.

Classes will run every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. More info at www.kushtourism.com

rehashed

By WES ABNEY | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN

Friday Jan. 9, 2015

Crowne Plaza Hotel SeaTac

ONE OF THE SPEAKERS WAS RYAN DAY, A MAN WHO MOVED HIS FAMILY TO WASHINGTON SO HIS SON, HAYDEN, WOULD BE ABLE TO RECEIVE MMJ FOR TREATING SEVERE EPILEPSY.

wASHINGTON CANNABIS SUMMIT With Mount Rainier shining in the distance, several hundred marijuana industry professionals and independent business owners gathered to hear from a variety of informative, fascinating panelists.

E

ntrepreneurs and activists gathered on the 12th floor of the Crowne Plaza hotel in Seattle for a summit Jan. 9 that blended topics and positions in a friendly environment.

Nothing exemplifies the Northwest more than meeting within view of the mountain to talk about Cannabis and hemp production. The summit drew a sold-out crowd to network and listen to engaging panels about MMJ and hemp.

The day opened with keynote speakers Tommy Chong and Vivian McPeak, who both delivered passionate speeches about protecting Cannabis and working toward a future where everyone can enjoy the freedom of the plant.

Then the seminars began, starting with “The Future of Cannabis and Hemp as Recognized Agricultural Products.” This was extremely interesting to anyone focused on hemp production, and it covered topics including regulation for hemp, cross-pollination from traditional Cannabis gardens, and sustainability and growing practices in different regions of the state.

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Next was lunch and an invigorating panel on the therapeutic uses of Cannabis. One of the speakers was Ryan Day, who moved his family to Washington so his son, Hayden, would be able to receive MMJ for treating severe epilepsy.

“A year ago, I thought I had heard his last words ... he had completely stopped talking,” Day said.

“Now, with CBD he has his language back. He has gotten off four different medications and replaced them with a natural option.”

Day spoke about how growing their medicine has allowed the family to afford the therapy. He emphasized how important the ability to grow and access MMJ has been, and implored audience members to stand up for MMJ rights in the coming legislative session.

“This medicine is making a difference. It’s allowing my little boy to actually have a life. Now he loves people,” Day explained.

“He loves playing now with his family. He is awakening to the world around him. My 6-year-old has a chance at life again thanks to Cannabis.”

Panel speaker Dr. Michelle Sexton also gave an impassioned talk about using Cannabis medicinally and about a pending bill from state Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, which bans medicinal smoking or vaporizing of the plant.

“Cannabis is the people’s medicine. It is up to us as people to learn from each other and come together to continue sharing it,” she said.”

“We need to stop bills like SB 5052 from moving forward. Not allowing smoking is not acceptable. Sixty percent of patients inhale a vapor or smoke and it’s effective. We need to learn from patient experiences.”

The rest of the day included a panel on the economic effects of Cannabis and hemp, a panel on policy and politics, and finished with a speech about what the future holds by Dr. Amanda Reiman. Once the panels wrapped up, guests met in the hotel for a happy hour and a networking meeting. Guests asked questions of the panelists and went over the information they had learned throughout the day.\ “I think that what this summit did was show that the industry is strong and that we intend to be a voice of and for Cannabis and hemp agriculture,” said Joy Beckerman, who attended the event. “We are a united voice of activists and industry stakeholders, and we are doing this to be a united voice for MMJ, recreational Cannabis and the future of hemp.”

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PROFILE

By WES ABNEY | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN

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C

hristine Martinez is a Portland medical Cannabis patient who can’t smoke pot because her doctor won’t allow it. She’s being pushed into potentially life-threatening surgery to deal with severe pain resulting from her cancer treatment and ever-present back spasms, all because her insurance provider and doctors refuse to give her medical treatment if she uses Cannabis.

What Martinez is going through is a phenomena of modern health care called “gunpoint medicine.” Doctors across the country have used threatening contracts requiring patients not to partake in cannabis use if they want treatment. For Martinez, doctors forced her to abstain

wHEN HEALTHCARE MEANS NOT CARING AT ALL At 52 years old, Martinez isn’t afraid to admit she’s used Cannabis as med-

icine. But what she is afraid of is losing her medical insurance. She’s battled sciatica, a condition that results in severe nerve spasms and muscle pain, since her teens.

Without painkillers, she was barely able to function in a normal way for most her adult life. Then things quickly began to get much worse.

She started feeling sick in 2008. At the time, she wasn’t smoking marijuana, and doctors thought the pain was caused by sciatica. Martinez didn’t believe it.

Eventually, a pain specialist discovered Martinez had a type of bone cancer called plasmactyoma.

“In 2008 I started getting sick. I hadn’t been smoking pot for a while because of my job as a baker, and the doctors thought my pain was from my sciatica. I suffered for 18 months while multiple doctors told me it was just in my head,” those are conflicting statements, I would take this quote out and tell the story. You have a quote stack and the next quote is more powerful anyway. she said.

“Even when I could barely walk and had lost 100 pounds and was so sick, they still blamed me. It wasn’t until a pain specialist found my cancer by accident in an X-ray that they realized I had plasmacytoma, a bone cancer.”

With her diagnosis came more tests and more painful treatments, including chemotherapy. Then a friend unexpectedly delivered a breakthrough.

“A friend brought out a joint to smoke one afternoon, and it made me feel so much better,” Martinez said. “I felt better immediately. My back stopped hurting, and it relaxed me. It was like, ‘Oh my God, I should have been doing this all along.’ ” In early 2010, she began using Cannabis as medicine and registered as an Oregon medical Cannabis patient. She immediately began growing her own medicine, and while learning to grow used local dispensaries. Sativa-dominant

flowers tend to work best for her condition, and after some exploration, she discovered Cannabis oil treatment would help her worst ailment.

“It relaxed me enough to where the pain wasn’t so bad,” she said.

“You don’t think about the pain as much when you are medicated.”

The shift to using Cannabis medicinally surprised Martinez. She started seeing marijuana as more than a recreational drug. She saw it as a much-needed medicine.

Martinez’s health care provider disagreed. When she disclosed her use of MMJ, her medical file was flagged for substance abuse, and she was forced to sign a contract that gave up her ability to use Cannabis.

She became subject to monthly urine analysis to test for THC. “The urine test is just horrible; it made me feel like I’m a child, like I can’t rule my own life. It made me feel like a criminal, like an addict. That’s how they treat me now,” Martinez said.

Martinez is now cancer-free, but said that without access to Cannabis, post-treatment pain could stay with her the rest of her life.

She is considering having surgery to install a neurostimulator, a battery-powered device designed to deliver electrical stimulation to the brain, central and peripheral nervous system. The machine could block pain signals from reaching her brain, so she doesn’t feel them.

But the surgery could also leave her paralyzed or in even more pain.

Given the choice she would rather use pot to relieve the pain. Martinez said she feels hopeless without access to medical Cannabis treatment.

“I don’t know what the future holds for me right now,” she said. “It’s kind of scary that I don’t know. My big thing is I want to help others who have to go through this. No one should have to go through this.”

MARTINEZ IS NOW CANCER-FREE, BUT SAID THAT WITHOUT ACCESS TO CANNABIS, PAIN COULD STAY WITH HER THE REST OF HER LIFE, EVEN WITH ANOTHER SURGERY.

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Owner Tae Rhee relaxes outside of the recreational store entrance. The collective is still around the corner.

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By TYLER J. MARKWART for NORTHWEST LEAF | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN

Strains 3/5

Edibles 3/5

Concentrates 5/5

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THE SPOT BROWNIE BITES were fantastic and

A FEW TYPES of concentrates

strains but only a few of them stood out. You can sniff through sample jars atleast. The producers in the I-502 market will hopefully start to dial things in soon so we will see some better grown and cured samples available to retailers.

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they had a few varieties and strengths available. Not really a huge selection of edibles, but hopefully. we will see the rules loosen a little bit to allow more producers and processors to help create a more competitive market during this legislative session.

were available and all were well-packaged and looked outstanding. We choose the Cherry Pie because of its low residual count. The attractive packaging drew our eye, too.

OCEAN GROWN

Washington’s CHERRY PIE WAX legal pot laws allow those over 21 to T buy up to an ounce of of pot plus edibles, THIS CONCENTRATE is a glistening oils, vapes & pipes. golden wax called Cherry Pie Budtender Janine that creates a slow building, Beaman helped us.

THE SCORE

ta st e: ef f ec t: lo o ks: ease: ov er a ll: 18/20

comfortable body high. It’s well packaged with ample information, including processing methods, harvest date, cannabinoid content and residuals. Ocean Grown has a lock on its marketing and has processing down.

PRODUCED by Easy to handle on the dabber, this wax OCEAN GROWN was smooth on the inhale and the high was uplifting and stimulating, not stoney.

Cherry Pie is 59.7 percent THC is that right??? and 0.96% CBD, so it might be good for a beginner dabber or a daytime dab for a regular concentrate consumer.

PURPLE KUSH

THE SCORE

65% INDICA

THIS STRAIN from Verdavanti is not quite top-shelf yet -- the sample was

a bit airy and dry. However, it did have an amazing deep purple color.

Usually purple strains work for first-time smokers or for those who don’t really want to take a nap during the middle of the day. A 65 percent indica, this Purple Kush phenotype has a sweet, floral and berry fragrance that drifts out of a well-sealed glass jar.

The smell matches the flavor, which lasts on your tongue well after you exhale. With a THC content of 15.1 percent and a three-month cure, this deep Purple Kush was excellent for a midday smoke or a nice big bong rip after work. It won’t crush you into the couch. We did find a seed in our sample, which is slightly disappointing, but overall the sample was good and the packaging was put together well. The Purple Kush just needs a little bit of fine-tuning on the growing and drying end.

Environment 4/5 A SIMPLE SETUP that displays prod-

ucts nicely. The location is near the water in Rainier Beach with beautiful views and easy access for cars and bus riders. The inside isn’t very glamorous, but it is straight-forward and clean.

a rom a : de n s ity: cure : looks: ta s te : e ffe ct: tota l : 21/30

GROWN by VERDAVANTI

Overall 15/20

SPOT BROWNIE BITES THESE BITE-SIZED pot brownies were nice-

5mg THC each THE SCORE

ly dosed and don’t make it taste like lo o ks: you’re eating an entire bush of weed. va lu e: The packaging does a fine job at laying taste: out all the ingredients and the brownef f ec t: ies themselves are then individually t o ta l: 16.5/20 packaged inside the larger black resealable bag.We found the Spot Brownies to be delicious and moist. They are baked in Seattle and made with real ingredients, including cane sugar, eggs and butter. This sample was a 25 mg THC dose that was split into five bite-size brownies.

Perfect for slow dosing throughout the night or for people with a light tolerance. If you are a heavy user, three brownies will not only taste delicious but give you a little tingle.

LIKE MANY recreational stores, the shop

is waiting for producers and processors to step up and create a larger market for retail to provide to their customers. With its south Seattle location and hard-working and pleasant staff, Rain City will have something that leaves you with a smile.

RAIN CITY CANNABIS

11537 Rainier Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98178 ( 206) 457-8301 RainCityCannabis.com

feb. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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LONG AFTER SMOKING, I FOUND MYSELF SMELLING THE RESIDUAL WAFTS OF THIS POTENT STRAIN.

SHERBERT produced by Cloners Market

21.54% THC 0.01% CBG 0.03% CBc 0.13% CBD

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Terpene Profile: 0.06% Myrcene 1.18% Humulene 1.05% Caryophyllene 2.90% TOTAL-terpenes

NORTHWEST LEAF

STRAIN OF THE MONTH

By KORI MARIE | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN

SHERBERT IS GREAT FOR DESSERT

so I’m going with a double scoop of this strain.

This strain even looks like a treat! The bud is formed with light airy nuggets covered in visible trichomes. It emits sweet and floral notes, along with a heady pungent flavor deep inside the nugs.

My fingers were immediately covered in those sticky trichomes, and long after smoking and relaxing, I found myself smelling the residual wafts of this potent strain.

This flower has an incredibly sweet flavor. The best part of this strain is the out-of-control terps and aroma. This strain definitely represents its name. It’s sugary, smooth and refreshing with a hint of ripe fruit. Whether from a pipe or bong, this flower delivers.

The high is relaxing with an energetic buzz.

This isn’t an overwhelming flower. Instead, it made me want to go out and enjoy a glimpse of spring sunshine. Sherbert is perfect for the daytime, leaving the frontal cortex happily sedated while energy and spirits stay high.

What really makes this strain special is you can go and buy the clones yourself. Don’t wait for a dispensary to have this in stock ... rotate it into your garden.

Best of all, you can try it before you grow it.

Walk from Cloners Market next door to Have a Heart and pick up some tasty buds to truly experience all that this unreal Sherbert has to offer.

Available From Have A Heart 11736 Aurora Ave. N., Seattle, 98133

(206) 257-4500 Haveaheartcc.com {Sherbert flowers}

Cloners Market 11740 Aurora Ave. N., Seattle, 98133

(206) 792-9910 Clonersmarket.com {Sherbert clones}

Test Results by Analytical360.com

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ONE COSTLY QUESTION 52/FEB. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

access

By WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN

Should mmj be taxed?

Right now, MMJ collective owners aren’t sleeping well. They have all been told very different things, taken risks on business models and federal laws, paid taxes, and not, hired attorneys and lost them, all while facing felonies and countless expenses in a prolonged battle with unforgiving Washington.

During the past two years, the Washington State Department of Revenue has calculated

sales tax assessments totaling $9.5 million on medical Cannabis collective gardens. There is no state law or code defining MMJ as a retail sale. There is no protection from arrest for these local businesses either.

The claims have targeted 117 collectives across the state, ranging in severity and penalties seemingly set at the whim of the DOR. The assessments arrive in the mail as ominous as a warrant for arrest, which several have led to. Stephanie Viskovich received one of these letters in January 2015 and was shocked by what it contained: A summons stating she owes $1,047,000 in back sales tax.

Viskovich, seen on our cover, operates a collective garden access point in Seattle that helps a handful of patients a day, and accepts minimal donations from patients to cover the collective’s expenses. Viskovich says the donations barely meet the needs required to keep the collective running, which is why she is so dubious of her tax assessment. The DOR alleges more than $8 million in sales over three years, but the agency, she said, doesn’t have any evidence or records to support that claim. Meanwhile, collectives helping many more patients a day and receiving two to three times the donations have been sent smaller tax bills.

The appearance of the tax liability bill has put Viskovich’s liberty into jeopardy and catapulted her into this awful club whose members all wonder about life’s next step.

Will they be helping patients as usual, or going to jail for failing to pay taxes that have yet to be reliably established? Three collective garden operators have come forward to share their stories of facing these treacherous tax bills and what that means for patients.

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access

By WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN

Continued from p. 53

For medical collectives, the choice to pay sales tax on Cannabis presents two options — and the state Legislature, DOR, and the medical community can’t agree on which way is the legal way.

The first option is to pay sales tax. The Department of Revenue sent out a letter in January 2014 to every MMJ access point in the state informing them that medical pot sales or donations are subject to retail sales tax.

“State law does not distinguish between illegal sale transaction and legal sale transactions,” DOR Communications Director Kim Schmanke told the Puget Sound Business Journal. “Anyone engaging in retail sale activities in the state of Washington is supposed to collect and remit sales tax.”

Reading that statement broadly would imply that every pot sale in the state is taxable, although the illegal delivery services flourishing on Craigslist or the back page of The Stranger are certainly not paying taxes. Nor is the dude peddling dime bags on the Ave. But about 300 access points have made the choice to pay sales tax, which resulted in the DOR collecting $14,349,994 in medical Cannabis sales tax and penalties from July 2013 to October 2014.

Jeremy Kaufman operates a for-profit medical Cannabis retail store in SODO. He is clear about what he does at his shop and isn’t worried about facing state or federal charges.

“What business operates without paying taxes?” he said in an interview with KING-5. “I’m engaging in the sale of a Schedule 1 narcotic. When we started, it was really to set that example. If you’re going to be part of the new Cannabis industry, it’s pay to play.”

Kaufman said paying taxes is akin to a bribe or toll to avoid being charged with the sale of Cannabis. With every payment though, he essentially admits

54/FEB. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

Should mmj be taxed?

to selling illegal drugs. Certainly there is merit to this outlook — none of the collectives that have paid into the state’s pockets have been charged with sales.

To Viskovich, that distinction is incriminating, and, worse, inaccurate.

“I have never sold marijuana in my life,” Viskovich said.

No case better sums up the sheer muddle of the MMJ tax situation than that of Martin Nickerson. He is scheduled to go to trial April 20 to defend himself against 14 felony counts related to the sale of MMJ. He is also facing Class C felonies for not paying sales tax on the same substance it is alleged he sold in his prior felony charges.

Nickerson opened Northern Cross Collective Garden in Bellingham on April 1, 2011, in a much different environment than what MMJ businesses work in today.

“Declaring sales was not an option when we first opened,” Nickerson said. “Medical Cannabis was and still is illegal federally, and I listened to my attorneys about what to do and what to do differently. A lot changed when we got raided, but the federal and state laws did not.”

Nickerson has been facing the 14 felonies since March 15, 2012, when Northern Cross was raided by a drug task force. Police also raided Nickerson’s home in nearby Skagit County, and that of his father, taking anything of value. The resulting charges ranged from sales of a controlled substance to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

OVER THE CLIFF On Dec. 7, 2014 Nickerson received the latest in a series of tax warrants from

the DOR demanding he pay all his back taxes or risk a Class C felony against him and every single volunteer in the collective. At print time, the bill is

Northern Cross Collective’s Martin Nickerson, Olympia Alternative Medicine’s Steve Mohr and Delta 9’s Stephanie Viskovich are among the 117 facing hefty taxes.

$216,000 and the newest tax warrants still sit taped to Since then, he said, his life has become a struggle to stay the front door and inside walls of the collectives with no out of tax trouble and operate within the law. action taken.

We need the Legislature to make “I’ve had lawyers say to pay, lawyers say not to pay A major problem exists with this scenario, and it ... I was only 22 at the time and wasn’t sure what to a comprehensive bill that would all hinges on the nuances in his criminal case and the do.” Mohr looked down. “I’m still not sure what to do. protect medical and give guidance 14 felonies. The legal argument that has kept him out of This is causing me a ton of stress, not just financially but toward taxes and business licensing. prison is that his collective provides medication to sick emotionally.” patients and takes donations as a nonprofit. Admitting He has also retained Douglas Hiatt for legal counsel, to sales and paying the tax would be the legal equivalent and hopes that either the courts or the Legislature can to pleading guilty to the felonies, a move that could bring 20-plus years in resolve this issue once and for all. prison. Nickerson’s attorneys worry that paying his taxes will blow his defense “We need the Legislature to make a comprehensive bill that would protect argument.

MMJ and give guidance toward taxes and business licensing. I think that I “To pay sales tax on selling pot violates his and every other clients Fifth can speak for all safe access points when I say that we want guidance and need Amendment right against self-incrimination,” attorney Douglas Hiatt said. the Legislature to make clear-cut regulations. If we need to pay a tax, then we “Simply put, it is federally illegal to sell pot, and it is illegal for a state to tax a will, but there needs to be guidance from the state.” drug on the Controlled Substances Act. I have absolute confidence that what the state is doing here is illegal under federal law.”

The fundamental issue at hand is a lack of transparency from the state.

The Department of Revenue sent out educational letters in February stating that all medical Cannabis sales are subject to retail sales tax, but they did not Viskovich says she believes strongly in medical Cannabis and the principles reference a tax code — because such a code doesn’t exist. that guide a compassionate system that cares for patient needs.

Meanwhile, our senators and representatives are trying to destroy MMJ But the future of that system is threatened by forces that only see Cannabis, with ill-considered legislation. In many ways, the state is like a bouncer and patients, as potential sources of revenue. Lobbying groups funded by 502 kicking people out of a bar and stealing their wallet on the way out. business owners have been attacking MMJ about the issue of taxes, claiming “I want some clarity from the feds, the state, the Department of Revenue that a lack of taxation makes the competition too hard for their 502 businesses. and my lawyers. I would pay tax on a reasonable level that would not hurt That argument overlooks 502’s inherent flaws in regards to regulation and patients, but it cannot jeopardize my freedom,” Nickerson said. “But how am taxation, which has doomed retailers to be unable to compete with the black I going to pay sales tax on MMJ when they want to put me in prison for what market. The media and lobbyists have also ignored the $14 million in tax they allege are ‘sales?’ When we were first shut down, we lost everything, and I revenue that came in from MMJ, almost as much as the $17 million made am still living with the felonies while being sent a tax bill for the year in which from 502 in 2014. they raided me. It’s confusing about what they want.”

As Nickerson’s court date approaches, the battle is on his mind more often As the state moves to build a recreational Cannabis system, its decisions than not. The consequences of helping sick patients could be going to prison, have shown a complete disregard for medical Cannabis patients and the all while newcomers with state licenses are encouraged to go make millions collective gardens that support them. selling recreational weed to users who just want to get high.

“This is not like Colorado. They chose to work with already established “I don’t sleep very well at night anymore,” Nickerson snapped. businesses, and to respect medical Cannabis patients,” Nickerson said. “Here, “It’s been terrible. I’ve had the worst time these last three years with the the system is broken and overtaxed, and is forcing recreational consumers and courts. I just want a chance to be treated like a human, not like a criminal.” patients alike into a lucrative black market situation. If the state chooses to get “We cannot lose MMJ to try and save 502 from failing. Patients were here rid of MMJ, it will only make the black market stronger. I-502 stores do not first, and collectives actually help patients. The 502 businesses are all about meet the needs financially or medicinally of patients.” money,” Mohr said. “We need a way to be fully legal in MMJ, but not at the expense of patients.”

Viskovich said the reality of owing the state more than $1 million in excise taxes is just setting in. She wonders if her activism made her a target.

“They must really, really hate me,” she said. “How else would they have come up with such a high number? Who else has been as much of a One of the first MMJ collective gardens to serve patients in Olympia was proponent for MMJ?” Olympia Alternative Medicine, which opened Nov. 7, 2011. From behind “Except for the gross over-assessment, I don’t think this is personal. I am walls covered in murals and intense artwork, Steve began operating under the only one of 117,” she concedes. donation model, which he said worked well for his patients and the city. Then “This is about 502 not doing well or bringing in as much money as expected. an attorney advised him to pay sales tax, stating that she wouldn’t represent The state is turning to sick patients to make revenue. That’s what’s sad.” him in court if he did not pay. So Mohr sent a $20,000 payment to the DOR. After paying the tax, this same attorney said they no longer represented MMJ clients. Mohr was back to looking for answers. What he found was a legal predicament where even the attorneys disagree on the issue of taxation, Wes Abney is the editor and co-founder of Northwest Leaf. Nwleaf@gmail.com and he was later advised to stop paying taxes and appeal his original payment.

THE FUTURE OF MMJ AND TAXES

CHOOSING NOT TO PAY

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recipes

By LAURIE WOLF for NORTHWEST LEAF | PHOTOS by BRUCE WOLF for NORTHWEST LEAF

Makes 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup white choc. chips/melts 1-2 tablespoons Canna-butter Decorations of your choice 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa 3/4 cup sugar Pinch salt 1/3 cup boiling water 3 cups milk 1/2 cup half-and-half 1 teaspoon vanilla

HOT CHOCOLATE WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE CANNABIS HEART

February is chocolate month!

Now that we know chocolate has impressive medical benefits — antioxidants, fiber and minerals — we can indulge without guilt. For Cannabis and chocolate lovers, we have three delectable, easy to infuse delights to enjoy this month.

Have a Valentine’s Day filled with hugs, love and bud.

Be your own best friend sometimes. You deserve it!

*

TASTY TIP: White chocolate, although not really chocolate, is amazing with Cannabis.

Yes, you want to taste that Cannabis a bit, and I don’t usually say that when cooking green.

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1) Place parchment paper on your work surface.

In a small saucepan with a double boiler, heat the white chocolate. Add the canna-butter and mix well. With a small spoon, make little hearts with the melted chocolate. If you draw hearts on the paper with a Sharpie, flip the parchment over and you can follow the outlines. Decorate the hearts as desired. Allow the hearts to set for at least 30 minutes. Set aside.

2) In a saucepan, combine the cocoa, sugar and salt. Blend in the boiling water.

3) Simmer gently and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the milk and half-and-half, but do not boil.

Heat for an additional 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Divide among 4 to 6 mugs. Top each with a white chocolate heart and stir to medicate!

CANNA-COOKIES WITH PECANS AND COCONUT INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened 1/4 cup canna-butter, softened 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla 2 2/3 cups flour 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 teaspoon baking soda Pinch salt 1/2 cup coconut, shredded 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Makes about 48 tasty cookies 1) Heat oven to 340 F. In a large bowl, cream together the butters and sugar until light in color and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and stir in the vanilla.

2. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a separate large bowl. Add to the creamed mixture. Add the coconut and pecans and mix well. Place the dough by heaping teaspoons on parchment-lined baking sheets.

3) Bake approx. 9-10 min.

Cookies will stay soft until fully cooled. Enjoy these delights and have a Happy Valentine’s Day, readers!

CANNA-HEARTS

*

This easy recipe makes a bunch of servings, depending on the size of the hearts you make.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups chocolate melts or chips 2-3 tablespoons Canna-oil Decorations of your choosing

1) In a large saucepan with a double boiler, melt the chocolate with the canna-oil. Stir until smooth.

2) Draw hearts on parchment paper in whatever size you like. Flip the paper over and ensure you can see the outlines of the hearts.

3) Fill in the hearts with the melted chocolate, leaving a few tablespoons for drizzling over the decorations. Top the chocolate with decorations and allow to set for at least 30 min. If desired, drizzle with the remaining melted chocolate and again wait until it’s fully set.

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got CBD?

Flowers Sample Packs Concentrates Frozen Juice Co2 Cartridges Drink Mix Su Sublingual Strips

Topicals Medibles Tinctures Capsules Elixir Patches RSO

we’ve got you covered!

Serving medical patients only

TASTY

Reviews

By wes abney Photos by Daniel Berman

THIS MEDIBLE HAS A LOT OF POTENTIAL BUT NEEDS TO BE STEERED IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.

MEDICATED SYRUP

by Yurple, $60

65mg THC per bottle

MOVE OVER ASPIRIN, CBD HAS GOT WHAT YOU NEED.

We picked up a bottle of Yurple to try this month, and we were en-

thused and disappointed about the product. To start, the product has an outstanding taste and comes in a variety of flavors. Made with infused agave nectar, this is a healthful alternative to glycerin or other additives and makes for a tasty treat.

We mixed it into several types of sodas and the product blended well in every form. Even taken by the spoonful, the taste was not overwhelming. But you won’t get as medicated as the packaging claims. Test results found 65mg of THC for the entire bottle, not the 1,000mg indicated on the label. It is important that patients get their money’s worth.

We also have a big problem with the image associated with this product. A Google search of the word yurple brings up rap songs and THE SCORE hip-hop lore. If you didn’t know, yurple is slang for a codeine-inVa l ue: fused cough syrup. Patients don’t ta ste: want to “sip on drank.” They want Effec t: to deal with pain in a safer and Packaging: responsible way, and the way this product is represented does not Overa l l : 9/20 meet that ideal. This medible has a lot of potential but needs to be steered in a different direction. It would be better to see a version that is more maturely represented, and with accurate test results, instead of flashy labeling glorifying dangerous opiates. Until then, we hope this syrup gets a major overhaul into the kind of truly medicinal product that patient’s deserve.

62/FEB. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

CBD TABLETS

by Sativa valley essentials

5mg CBD per tablet (serving size)

Sativa Valley’s new CBD tablets have a lot to love. The first and best

part? They’re dry tablets. This is the first product on the market to be made of a homogenized and purified powdered substance that is formed into tablets. Move over aspirin — CBD has got what THE SCORE you need.

The packaging is professional Value: and the fully tamper-proof contaste: tainers have dosage information Effect: and ingredients along with the Packaging: proper warnings associated with Cannabis products. That proOverall: 18/20 motes confidence in the product, whether you are treating a child with epilepsy or a geriatric patient with dementia. CBD therapy addresses many illnesses, and these CBD caps from Sativa Valley bring the medicine into a whole new form for patients. SativaValleyEss.com

TESTED by analytical360

ALL OF THE EDIBLES PRODUCED BY FRACTAL FARMACY ARE MADE USING RAW AND ORGANIC INGREDIENTS

TASTY

Reviews

By wes abney Photo by Daniel Berman

YIPPIEE KI-YAY DROPS

by Zoots, $40-60 at I-502 recreational stores 10mg THC per teaspoon (serving size)

MAGIC BIGFOOT BITES

by Fractal farmacy, $5-10

50-150mg THC per piece (serving size)

These are spicy and potent balls of delicious choco-

96.6 mg THC

late love. I started with about a half of one since I had 6.38 mg CBG plans for the day, and planned to pop the other part 1.55 mg CBN into a bag and save it for later. This product made my 7.58 mg CBD day go by super smoothly, alert while relaxed and sans 4.97 mg CBC any of the usual back pain I experience.

The outside coating of chocolate has an earthy spice to it and the inside has a creamy peanut butter center that delivers a perfect bite.

I don’t normally enjoy peanut butter, especially in edibles, but I found this treat to be both delicious and very potent. All of the edibles produced by Fractal Farmacy are made using raw and organic ingredients, and the quality is obvious in the taste and flavor.

THE SCORE The test results on these bites came out great, though the potenVa l ue: cy on our 150 mg bite was a litta ste: tle lower than expected in THC Effec t: it had a great amount of other Packaging: Cannabinoids, making this a truly great medicinal product.

Overa l l : 17/20 With solid amounts of CBD, CBD, CBN and CBG this is a good choice for any patient wanting to blend Cannabinoid therapy with a tasty treat. It isn’t a super healthy option, but it’s okay to endulge too.

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Tantalizing Zoot Drops are the perfect way to medicate discretely

on the go, especially for users with a lower tolerance for Cannabis edibles. Each bottle of ZootDrops contains 10 servings of 10 mg of THC, each bottle has 100 mg of THC. There’s the Lime and Mandarin THE SCORE flavor we tried, a kind of daytime blend, and they also produce a Value: more relaxing blend with lemtaste: on. The lime and orange comEffect: bination delivered a tangy taste Packaging: that was much more pleasurable than we expected. Either one Overall: 16/20 is a good choice depending on your needs. Preparing to use the drops is simple. Just stir in a teaspoon or more into tea, water or even an adult beverage. It can also be taken in a spoonful, like cough syrup.

The best part about this product is consistency and the discrete nature. While the dosage is low for most users, it is a great starting point for those new to Cannabis, especially those who want a light and regulated dose. You can’t really expect to have your socks blown off by the beginner potency, but this is a fine product to enhance a drink or share with a friend just starting to get into enjoying a little Cannabis.

JUST STIR IN A TEASPOON OR MORE INTO YOUR FAVORITE TEA, DRINK OR ADULT BEVERAGE. Image courtesy Zoots

TESTED by analytical360

concentrates

By WES ABNEY | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN

The newest concentrate to hit collective shelves is a high-quality extraction pioneered in Snohomish County

Lemon Haze Nitro Honey Oil The Lemon Haze

is locally grown and processed into this delicious oil, which comes in a wax or shatter form.

We tried both, and really liked the wax for the easy-to-use texture and the intense terpy flavor. The shatter was extremely tasty, too, with excellent stability and a solid snap when picking out a piece to dab.

By mixing nitrogen into the process, it makes the butane extraction more efficient, and combined with a four- to sixday purge, the Nitro Oils are as clean as they come.

Less than 10 ppm of all residual solvents make this a concentrate everyone can feel comfortable using whether they are dabbing, using a vapor pen or even cooking with it.

The flavors of the flower are perfectly represented in the Nitro process, meaning this wax tastes like a gourmet nug of flower. Each dab delivers a RESULTS smooth and easy-to-toke vapor, THC: 73.54% and the flavor fills the palate with CBD: 0.12% scents of lemons dancing with CBC: 1.30% giant nugs.

CBG: <0.01% This indica pheno kills it in the CBN: 3.21% head-high department, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s effective for pain management THCv: 0.77% and a variety of other medical conditions. The savory taste TOTAL makes it hard to take just one Cannabinoids: dab though, so be warned.

78.94% Once this strain sets in you will Residual Solvency be medicated for several hours of Less than 10 ppm pain-free enjoyment. The effects of the Lemon Haze are intense!

Available From Green Valley Collective 23205 SR 203, Monroe, WA 98272 (425) 420-0274 www.GreenValleyCollective.com

The Joint Collective Multiple locations, www.TheJointLLC.com

66/FEB. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

TESTED by analytical360

(509) 262-6413 Open 10:00am - 6:00pm Monday - Saturday Daily Specials Availiable Friendly Knowledgeable Staff First time patients recieve FREE gift with any donation

Great Selection of Flowers, Edibles, & Concentrates

Lilac City is always looking for quality trim.

Please ask us about processing or prices.

rehashed

Photos by HeadLife Media for Northwest Leaf

Cornerstone Glass, Eugene, OR

Jan. 17, 2015

FEATURING ART & DEMONSTRATIONS BY Buck, Cowboy, Darby & Jason Lee, Arron Siverson, Bob Snodgrass, Dellene, Gemini Andy, Jahnny Rise, John Bridges, Josh Ford, Josh McDaniel, Kimmo, Matty White, Mike Philpot, and Sleek.

OREGON GLASS CELEBRATION Photos from an all-day bash featuring Oregonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest glass artists, plus live music, free demonstrations and plenty of great cameraderie.

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device of the month

ASSAULT FAIRY 1 #

feb. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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Five days to create the set of three glass pieces.

Price: $15,000

Photos by HeadLife Media for Northwest Leaf

Glass by Darby x Banjo

guide

By WES ABNEY

Knowing which type of Cannabis you want to ingest will help you achieve the proper medicinal effects and a comfortable experience

SATIVAS vs. INDICAS Sativa strains are known for their energizing properties and euphoria. While most patients enjoy sativas in the morning or daytime, they are acceptable for use whenever one isn’t trying to sleep. The effects associated with sativas are great for social outings, and can make everyday activities much more pleasurable. Sativas can make you feel giggly and happy!

Indica strains are known for a more pronounced body sensation with less of a cerebral stimulation, though a heavy “medicated” mental state often comes with indica strains. Indicas are best for later in the day/night time use, and are optimal for pain relief and relaxation. If you ever wondered what kind of a strain left you couchlocked, it was an indica.

• • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • •

stimulating and uplifting Energizing, thought-provoking Increases focus and creativity Supports immune system Reduces nausea Stimulates the appetite Fights depression uplifting, cerebral effect Promotes creativity

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Relieves headaches and migraines spasms, reduces seizures Reduces inflammation Combats anxiety and stress Reduces nausea Pain Reducer Sleep Aid Appetite Stimulater Muscle relaxant

gallery

STORY & PHOTOS by BOB MONTOYA for NORTHWEST LEAF

Micro strains

Every issue we’ll explore how growers are crafting strains with the goal of helping specific needs, not necessarily obtaining the highest yields ...

From LED Organic Hydro comes this month’s find

in the embattled city of Tacoma. As we creep towards spring again, I am busy in the indoor gardens. Cold weather seems to accentuate pains and aches, sometimes making sleep difficult. I selected two great strains grown with care and expertise. I got word from another veteran that the Terra healing Center on Pacific Avenue was hitting the high marks in quality and compassion. Justin Tyree and Tara Laster founded the center to bring health and wellbeing to those who need it most. They continue to make a difference as they enter their second year.

Tahoe OG is a staple hybrid for patients seeking relief

from pain and lack of sleep. Its expected strengths are brought out by Justin’s standard practice of growing under HPS in Pro Mix Soil with Fox Farm nutrients.The bud is uniform and dense, smelling of earthy lemon as would be expected. Good trichome density makes it a pleasure to behold.

Blueberry Kush is a solid Indica. Better at the full

body calming effect than the Tahoe, it is the last one to use before bedtime. Its berry sweet smell finishes like fresh earth. The effect is quick and predictable.

Sleep comes easily, and with it the much needed break from pain. The bud is round and full showing the classic “blue” that you can smell and taste. Great trichome density and color, it is a prime example of the Beauty of Cannabis.

Great places like the Terra Healing Center are

under fire. The will of the people is being ignored.

Do your part, add your voice.

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tahoe og Indica strain is a staple

Bob Montoya is a Cannabis photographer, veteran & well-seasoned grower hailing from Olympia.

blueberry kush Sweet Indica helps you sleep

Available From Terra Healing Center 10625 Pacific Ave. Parkland,WA 98444 (253) 951-2260

Sleep comes easily, and, with it, the much needed break from pain.

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rehashed

STORY & PHOTO by TYLER J. MARKWART for NORTHWEST LEAF

Jan. 21, 2014, Vashon Island Grange Hall

He did provide some interesting information on decarboxylation of Cannabis, and the THC-to-CBD ratio information was a good start, but it lacked the in-depth science I was hoping for.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS >> Jerry White is an expert on Cannabidiol but his talk last month was more of a history lesson

Vashon Island Marijuana Entrepreneurs Alliance

hosts speaking events of interest to growers and patients every few months at the stately Vashon Grange Hall. The VIMEA events are intended to educate and update medical Cannabis patients on ttraditional Cannabis technologies, teach recent techniques and provide good information while also allowing interaction and in-depth questions.

The events are usually extremely informative because of the number of people who have questions for the host. This month, Jerry Whiting from the CBD Project and LeBlanc CNE Medical Marijuana Growers was invited to speak about cannabidiol (CBD) and its use as a medicine.

Unfortunately, Jerry was not very focused, and the lecture was more of a personal introduction and a history lesson than a talk on the chemical CBD and its interactions with patients.

The first 15 minutes of Jerry’s talk were more of an introduction on where he’s been living and working and the history of why Cannabis is illegal.

He only had an hour to speak and didn’t really tie it

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into CBD that much, except for the audience getting an understanding of how Jerry got to where he is today.

As his speech moved along, Jerry began to touch a little bit on juicing cannabinoids and the decarboxylation process that activates cannabinoids from their acidic form to a more digestible form, making the medicine more efficient. Jerry didn’t really dial in his speech and provided incomplete information, which had to be augmented by some of the attendees.

He did provide some interesting information on decarboxylation of Cannabis and the THC-to-CBD ratio information was a good start, but it lacked the in-depth science I was hoping for. The attendees came loaded with an array of excellent questions that led to good discussions and kept everyone engaged and in good spirits.

Thankfully, Shango Los, VIMEA’s director, was an excellent host and provided a bunch of amazing door prizes for the largest group that has attended any of the lecture series at Vashon Grange Hall.

Prizes ranged from Vuber Vaporizer kits to a beautiful photograph of a flowering female Cannabis plant sponsored by the Northwest Leaf ’s very own Bob Montoya.

The Vashon Grange Hall is a beautiful historic meeting hall within walking distance of the Vashon ferry dock. An easy walk on and walk off to these events makes the commute a breeze from Seattle and you don’t have to worry about bringing your car. The Vashon Grange Hall is where farmers of Washington’s past would meet to discuss agriculture technology and today we continue this tradition with the Vashon Island Marijuana Entrepreneurs Alliance Lecture series.

Keep an eye out for VIMEA’s next lecture because they are usually informative and fun nights out for the cannacommunity.

Visit Facebook.com/vimea to learn about upcoming lectures on Cannabis topics.

health & science A BOTANICAL MONOGRAPH

THE SECRET POWER of milk thistle Parts used:

The dried, ripe fruits and seeds.

PHOTO BY CREATIVE COMMONS

Commonly known as milk thistle, blessed milk thistle, Carduus marianum, ladyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thistle, our ladyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thistle, shui fei ji, silymarin.

BY NORTHWEST LEAF SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR SCOTT D. ROSE

BY NORTHWEST LEAF SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR DR. SCOTT D. ROSE

Active constituents:

The main active principles in milk thistle are silybin (silibinin), silychristin and silydianin, commonly referred to collectively as silymarin-phenolic compounds known as flavonolignans, which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and free-radical scavenging properties.

It also has silbinol and apigenin, and quercetin, taxifolin and biogenic amines.

Historical uses:

Employed in Europe for many centuries for treating liver disorders, including toxic liver damage caused by chemicals and Amanita phalloides mushroom poisoning. Used orally for loss of appetite, dyspepsia and gallbladder complaints, for hangovers, and in uterine complaints, stimulating breast milk flow and stimulating menstrual flow.

Side effects & toxicity:

Both animal and human studies have shown silymarin to be nontoxic. At high doses (>1,500 milligrams per day) a laxative effect is possible due to increased bile secretion and flow.

Silybum marianum comes originally from Europe and is now found across N. America.

Medicinal uses:

Milk thistle is used primarily to treat liver diseases and dysfunctions, including alcoholic cirrhosis, hepatitis (due to viral infections or drug-induced), and hepatic problems related to diabetes.

Silymarin has liver regenerative effects by stimulating the enzyme known as RNA polymerase in the nucleus of liver cells. A practical application is the antidotal effect that silymarin possesses against Amanita mushroom (death cap) poisoning. When injected intravenously, silymarin blocks the toxic effects of the mushroom toxin alpha-amantin. Preparations made from milk thistle have been approved by the German Commission E to treat mild gastrointestinal dysfunctions. A clinical trial in Germany evaluated a commercial herbal preparation containing milk thistle as well as other herbs; known as STW-5 for the treatment of dyspeptic symptoms. The results showed the herbal preparation was significantly better than placebo. Certain anticancer agents employed in chemotherapy might induce short- and long-term toxicity to the liver. The active constituents in milk thistle might be useful in the prevention and treatment of liver dysfunction in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Dosage: Provision of dosage information does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement, but rather indicates the range of doses commonly used. Silybum marianum is usually given as a standard extract (70-80 percent silymarin) in encapsulated form, 100-300 milligrams three times daily is a typical adult dose.

Drug interactions: Medications that could damage the liver, such as acetaminophen, phenytoin (Dilantin), alcohol, and phenothiazines: Milk thistle might be protective for some of these drugs. Milk thistle may reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives.

Contraindications: Milk thistle might cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to the Asteraceae/Compositae plant family (the ragweed family). Not enough is known about the use of milk thistle during pregnancy and breast-feeding so it is advised to avoid it currently.

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Learn more about mistletoe: www.tinyurl.com/LeafMistletoe

health & science

THE TRUTH ABOUT

MOLD Aspergillus is commonly found in Northwest homes.

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The a prof first step is to e afford ssional. Ma get the mo ny env able te ld and ironm sting, th Reduc e a n n tal lab e air tested d e mois are op Damp s by are n tu e r n e R fans a id or a simil in the air b to the publi ow doing y c s muc a . u sing d h as p r product, cookin ehum os an g ture fr and showe sible when d bathroom idifiers, o u r and o m the bathr ing. Remov sing the dish and kitchen e carp ther so oom. washe T e u a surfac r, es usin rces of leak ke care of ts that retain any plu s. Rem g 3 pe to 1 c m up o mbing oisr recycle of bleach cent hydrog ve existing issues m e p and b anything th er gallon o n peroxide old on f wate at is c or 1/ eddin Turn u g if it cann ontaminate r. Throw aw 2 cup o p d, inclu ay or t be p the he vacuu rope din at m at onc thoroughly to keep the rly cleaned g clothing . e h a furthe . Spores lef nd remove umidity low r use. t in ba . th Use a e va Invest g from th in a H s can grow cuum clean HEPA e a ir . Chec EPA fil er bag and sp Wear ter kh a re areas. mask, glov eating and to remove ad with e m S c quentl cour your b s and gogg ooling duc old spores les wh ts for m y and a th r o en cle om an ta out yo old. an d ur hom ke extra ste ps to r kitchen with ing infested e. educe b moistu leach frere thro ugh-

Creative Commons/Gilles Chapelain

MOL D 1 0 1

Are your ceilings, window sills, walls or bathroom growing a fuzzy black beard? Do you see a pink film around the drain of your bathtub, shower or sink?

Can you smell a musty, perhaps urine-like odor that won’t go away? Have you had frequent upper respiratory problems, a common cold that wont go away, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, memory loss and skin rashes? Do you have persistent allergies despite treatment? You might have sick building syndrome,”which is caused by the presence of toxic mold species in or around your dwelling.

Most molds are not toxic to humans.

In fact, some are beneficial. Penicillin is an example of a toxic mold that humans have used to fight diseases caused by bacteria that are affected by its mycotoxic effects. Some molds produce toxins only when environmental factors are just right.

Mycology is the study of fungi, which includes molds, yeasts and mushrooms. Fungi are separate from plants, animals, protists and bacteria. Through the study of mycology, many molds have been discovered for medicinal purposes, like the antibiotics penicillin and cephalosporin. Molds are also used in the process of making cheese and tempeh.

Sick building syndrome from mold contamination has received little attention in the past, but in the past few years the number of illnesses associated with mold has increased dramatically.

With more than 100,000 species of molds identified, (mildew is a generic term people use for mold.) molds are everywhere. These organisms are microscopic and they digest organic matter, known as the decomposers. They are an important part of the carbon cycle on our planet.

They multiply and spread by releasing spores into the air. Spores are typically single-celled units of asexual reproduction (offspring arising from a single organism). Spores are adapted for dispersal and survival, often for extended periods. They lie and wait, even in unfavorable conditions, for the right environmental conditions and then they blossom. The Northwest’s cold, damp weather creates prime conditions for their growth.

Many molds, including Stachybotrys chartarum (black mold) and several of the Aspergillus

species, produce potent toxins that can cause seriume 2,” is dedicated to outlining the compelous health problems. Stachybotrys chartarum was ling evidence found by scientists over the years once associated with warm, damp climates, but it of a link between mycotoxins and MS. has been increasingly identified in the Northwest.

Few physicians think of sick building synThe Aspergillus species, A. niger, A. versicolor and drome as a possible reason why patients are A. fumigatus all produce toxins that are capable of not responding to treatment. “Toxic mold syncausing serious illness. drome” is a term for the collection of symptoms Health effects from mold occur when indiassociated with mold toxicity. viduals are exposed to large doses of mycotoxins, Just as molds can be identified, specific testwhich are by-products produced from the molds. ing of the immune system can assess whether The most common health complaints are respisomeone has an allergy to a certain mold. ratory, with allergy symptoms such as itchy and The immune burden placed on someone exwatery eyes, a runny or stuffy nose, chronic coughposed to long-term high levels is often in and ing, wheezing and congestion. About 25 million of itself enough to lead to immune supprespeople in the United States suffer from allergic sion because the immune system will battle the reactions to molds, yet most don’t realize that their mold constantly. sneezing and sniffling could be caused by mold.

When a mold spore enters the respiratory “I have a cold I cannot get rid of ” or “I’m getsystem, it is seen as an invader and an immune ting sick a lot and I usually never get sick” or “My response is mounted. A mycotoxin immune allergies or asthma have never been this bad decomplex is then formed. When these complexspite treatment are all typical statements made by es gain access to the blood stream, they are not people who could be suffering from mold toxicity. readily detoxified and can remain circulating, Some people might be highly sensitive to mycowreaking havoc as levels rise. toxins and experience adverse health effects while Screening and tracking tests, and other tools others exposed to the same dosage of the same are online. One such example is the Visual mold will be unaffected.

Contrast Sensitivity test at Dr. Ritchie ShoeCertain populations have higher health risks maker’s website survivingmold.com. The VCS when exposed to mold, including infants and is a screening test and measures one of the neuchildren, the elderly, immune-comprorologic functions of vision called contrast. mised patients, pregnant women and This test can be used to screen but not people with respiratory conditions. diagnose, and it can also be used to

BY NORTHWEST LEAF Pathogenic mold can cause serimonitor progress and effectiveness SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR ous illness in persons with suppressed of mold eradication, treatment and DR. SCOTT D. ROSE immune systems, such as those unrecovery. dergoing chemotherapy or those with The Northwest has the propHIV/AIDS. Other symptoms can er environment for toxigenic mold include muscle aches, hair loss, autoimspecies to thrive. Careful vigilance of mune diseases, cancer and multiple sclerosis. moisture problems and visible mold patrol The Northwest has a high rate of MS, a deis critical in controlling mold spore levels. Use generative disease of the nervous system. This preventive measures such as HEPA technology damage affects the ability of nerve cells in the and regular cleaning with bleach or peroxide. brain and spinal cord to communicate with each The problem can be more structural, such as a other. Neurological symptoms resulting from MS leaking roof, leaking gutters, plumbing probinclude muscle weakness, loss of balance and colems or poor insulation. ordination, speech problems, fatigue, depression If you own, you must get it fixed. If you rent, and memory loss — interestingly, they are many there are rights around mold issues — exercise of the same symptoms as long-term exposure to those rights, if needed. If you suspect you have toxic molds. There is no definitive answer of what mold in the house and you are having sympcauses MS but a section of Dr. David Holland and toms of mold exposure and toxicity, have the Doug Kaufmann’s book, “The Fungus Link, Volmold and yourself tested.

Dr. Scott D. Rose has written about Cannabis and health for years in the Northwest Leaf.

He is an acupuncturist with a pain resolution clinic in the Crown Hill area of Seattle.

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ANALYTICAL 360 is Washington State’s first Cannabis Analysis Laboratory to provide Quality Assurance testing to the Medical Marijuana Community in Washington State. By offering Cannabinoid and Terpene Potency Profiling, Foreign Matter Inspection, Microbial Analysis, and Residual Solvent Testing, ANALYTICAL 360 has helped Collective Gardens provide cleaner and safer products to their Medical Marijuana Patients.

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By TYLER J. MARKWART for NORTHWEST LEAF

HEALTH & SCIENCE

IS

YO U

R

O M g O g g M O

When it comes to growing marijuana , organic really means nothing, and genetically modified organisms are quickly becoming part of the landscape. Is this a bad thing?

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FEW PEOPLE REALIZE the profound effect technological advancements have had in the past 30 years on growing equipment and breeding in indoor Cannabis cultivation.

Cannabis as a plant, as part of our culture and as a medicine has become accessible in ways never dreamed of before because of those improvements.

High-intensity discharge light bulbs have been the most important factor in the advancements in the quality and quantity of Cannabis cultivation.

LED lights are the new rage, and duct silencers, aero-cloners, bubble bags and mycorrhiza have all been making grow rooms bloom with furious goodness, increased production, growing security and efficiency in extractions. Growers have been educating themselves and have been applying ideas from the agricultural research community. This has led to several major advancements in the Cannabis industry, one of which is known as “feminized seeds.”

The Cannabis plant usually produces male and female seeds at a rough ratio of one male to every two female seeds. Feminized seeds allow both home growers and commercial growers to speed up the selection process by removing the possibility of having male plants in the batch, which slows the selection process and potentially pollinates all the other ladies. This is great for home growers who aren’t trying to waste time with selecting a mother plant or who want to breed their own strains.

But how are feminized seeds produced? If we remember our high school biology, we know that plants are sectioned into different categories by what is called nomenclature. One of those categories notes whether the plant can fertilize itself (monoecious) or whether there are two separate plants, each having its own set of sexual organs (dioecious) that pollinate each other, which is similar to humans having male and females within the species.

Other categories exist, but we’ll stick with these two for this discussion, since Cannabis is in the middle.

Cannabis technically is labeled as a dioecious plant, but when put under certain environmental conditions, including light stress, water stress, root or temperature fluctuations, or if certain chemicals are applied to the female plants, they can produce male sexual organs, which results in the ability to pollinate themselves and other female plants.

Why is this important? When you look at a dried bud and you see all those red hairs -- the pistils of the female plant -- each one is a potential pollination site. This means that every single red hair can possibly be a production site for a seed. The average Cannabis plant has tens of thousands of pistils per plant, but when you grow indoors, you don’t want to introduce male plants into the grow room to pollinate the female plants. The goal is to produce what’s known as sinsemilla, which is Spanish for “without seed.” With the proper stress or chemical applica-

tion, one can manipulate the female plant’s genome into producing male sexual organs.

So does this mean that all female seeds are genetically modified? No, yes and maybe … huh?

If a plant has the natural ability to create male sexual organs on a female plant of that species, does that make it a genetically modified seed?

Technically, no, because it is a natural occurrence and not a product of human influence. If you were to apply a chemical solution to a plant with the intention of manipulating its genome to produce female seeds or if you use agriculture engineering techniques such as site-directed mutagenesis, those processes would render your final product a genetically modified organism.

So how are most female seeds produced? It happens in a few ways, but most commercial seed companies these days use chemical solutions such as silver thiosulfate or colloidal silver.These chemical compounds cause the female plant to mutate its genome and produce male stamen, or pollen sacs, in the region where the solution is directly applied, basically copying itself -- the X gene.

Only two known organic ways exist to produce male pollen sacs on female plants. One is to allow them to flower longer than normal if they have not been pollinated during flowering.

If a female plant is not pollinated, then in a lastditch effort to continue its species, the female plants have the ability to create male sexual organs and disperse this X pollen to pollinate itself and create seed. Other types of environmental stress will also cause a plant to revert calyxes into stamens, such as root mastication, light interruptions and drought.

molecular plant

science is a scientific field of study that is intense, underfunded, misunderstood and extremely confusing. Most people become fearful of what they don’t understand and most people don’t understand molecular plant science, so it often gets a bad rap outside of the science community.

MPS has played a crucial role in how we understand plant growth, plant pathology, and the environment in which plants grow. MPS even contributes to organic breeding and organic pesticide/herbicide production by allowing researchers to understand plant traits better. Most of what you hear about MPS is negative media about biotech companies that are trying to “destroy the world,” which logically makes no sense if you’re a company trying to sustain its business.

Organic is a term that is thrown around loosely in the Cannabis community, but really holds no weight. It is not legally possible for Cannabis cultivators to grow organically certified Cannabis in the U.S. because the U.S. De-

Even with the labeling of GMO Foods Act (i-522) we likely won’t see collective gardens and producers slapping GMO stickers on all their medibles partment of Agriculture will not authorize a license to certify farms that grow a Schedule 1 substance. A farmer can follow organic methods, and they can feel free to label their product as “all natural” or any other term, but the term “organic” is only applicable if you have a license from the USDA. As a scientific research tool, molecular plant science is absolutely irreplaceable and has had a major beneficial effect on how we can assess problems that we face within the agricultural community. One of the goals of biotech crops is to use fewer inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. We have to remember that running an organic production system doesn’t particularly mean that the grower is producing their crop sustainably.

Organic chemicals can be just as toxic to the environment -- sometimes even worse -- as synthetic chemicals when not properly applied.

Be aware of anyone who labels his medicine as “organic.” While they might be following organic standards or even exceeding them, which is great, they still do not have the proper qualifications to obtain a USDA label. standards in the industry, we have to accom-

if patients want

plish two goals: Remove Cannabis from state and federal Controlled Substance Acts and prove to the USDA that our production methods meet its protocols, specifically for indoor Cannabis production systems.

It is important that we also show the USDA we are respectable, hard-working contributors to our community and that our goal is to produce the safest, highest-quality medicine that we can for our patients while preserving our environment for generations to enjoy.

Every tool has an application. The goal is to find the proper use for that tool.

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BEHIND THE STRAIN

Drop me a line

thegreengardengroup@gmail.com

Watch a video

Youtube.com/DrScandersonGt

STARDAWG GUAVA BAG APPEAL & SMOKE REPORT Thick, squat, fat kolas of bright green and orange

complete with a frosty dusting is the worst part about this medication. Patients should provide their own personal carbon-based filtration system when carrying this medication so they don’t pollute their ZIP code.

The familiar sour fuel notes of well-grown Chemdawg puckers the nostrils as an enormous grin settles in. Then, just at the peak of fuelgasm, things take a sharp curve to the bitter floral scent of ... guava?! “Yup, that’s definitely a tropical explosion of island fruit and sour fuel; I need to know more ...” I think as I reach for my most favorite of water tubes from the hands of J-Rad.

HOW IT Classic indica growth patterns respond well to topping

and don’t need the same veg times as slower indicadominant plants (think Bubba). Upon transitioning to reproduction phase, this lady will leap into flower, stretching 50 percent to 100 percent in the first couple of weeks before launching into an aggressive bud-setting phase.

Keep N levels slightly higher through the end of stretch.

I found success switching from a calcium/magnesium supplement during stretch to a magnesium-only supplement after stretch. As a hearty, heavy plant, allow ample time to flush because she will go the distance. A well-planned flush will bring out the most complex flavors and aromas.

BY NORTHWEST LEAF SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR DR. SCANDERSON

It’s not often that I run into Cannabis that makes me gush Notebook style...

LINEAGE

GENETICS:

Representing NYC, Top Dawg has some of the f inest sourfuelcentric genetics around and with hands like JJ-NYC on board, they have created a devastating combination in Guava Chem.

STARDAWG (CHEMDAWG4 X TRES DAWG) X TRES DAWG

(CHEMDAWGD X DOUBLE DAWG [{CHEMDAWGD} X {AFGHANI #1}])

BREEDER: TOP DAWG FLOWER TIME: 60-65 DAYS

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EFFECTS strong. Tipping the scales at 21.5 percent from Cannatest,

this medication has the capacity to make an otherwise wellassembled person a stumbling puddle of mashed potatoes.

Oh, but the taste! It’s not often that I run into Cannabis that makes me gush Notebook style, but this is one of them.

The skill of the gardener immediately comes through with an exceptional smooth, clean flavor that allows the guava-flavored finish to really erupt. This has everything I ever want from my Chemdawgs: lung expansion, flavor worthy of a Nobel prize and the ability to make my face feel entirely shrink-wrapped.

top dawg is a special breeder and Rain City Medical grows this selection

exceptionally well. Patients in need of a potent medication with strong painrelieving effects and some of the most exotic flavors available in Washington will certainly be insta-fans of Guava Chem.

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You’ll get expert advice about which strain of cannabis is right for you. You’ll choose from carefully selected, affordable strains.

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This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug.

There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of the reach of children.

In 2014, Grass became one of the first licensed stores in Washington State.

Ever since, we have been providing adults over 21 with hassle-free, convenient access to affordable, lab-tested, high quality cannabis, seven days a week for as little as $8 a gram, all taxes included.

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