THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE
FREE / OREGONLEAF.COM
#69 | MAR. 2020
INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010
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the psychedelia issue
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oregon leaf’s tom bowers INTERVIEWS THE INTREPID RESEARCHERS EXPLORING PSYCHEDELICS AND CONSCIOUSNESS AT THE JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER in baltimore.
FEATURES 10 on the cover 11 editor note 14 national news 16 LOCAL NEWS 18 WHITING: HEMP IS LEGAL... 20 DAY: THE FUTURE IS FUNGAL 22 HIGHLY LIKELY RAM DASS 24 STONER OWNER NATHAN HOWARD
MAR. 2020
26 PATIENT PROFILE WILSON J. GRIFFIN 28 WOMEN IN WEED ALISON DRAISIN 30 BUDTENDER THOMAS RICHARD 34 ELECTRIC LETTUCE 36 BROADWAY CANNABIS MARKET 40 strain of the month 44 P S Y C H E D E L I A 1 0 1 46 JOHNS HOPKINS’ PSYCHONAUTS 50 MYCOLOGICAL HERO PAUL STAMETS 52 OUR TRIPPIEST EXPERIENCES
54 ANXIETY & IBOGAINE THERAPY 56 MOVIE REVIEW: DOSED 58 PSYCHEDELICS AS MEDICINE 64 EDIBLE OF THE MONTH 66 CONCENTRATES 68 TOPICALS 70 TANNINS & TERPENES 74 ON THE ROAD 78 stoney baloney ISSUU.COM/NWLEAF
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the psychedelia issue
THE ENL IGHTENED VOICE
#69 | MAR. 2020
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OVERALL COVER DESIGN: Inspired by 4) EXPANSION: A glowing diamond MDLEAF_MARCH_2020.indd 1 the psychedelic experience, I wanted to represents the feeling one can have while capture the visual creative essence of it experiencing LSD. It also represents “Lucy while still honoring the Cannabis plant. I in the Sky with Diamonds” envisioned the cover being a new door to the subject and the concept of “looking 5) SPIRIT: A golden sacred sun in” for the medicine and for the inner representing the spirit and how it can align journey. Colour wise I wanted to go with oneself with a spiritual understanding a modern take on the patterned neon and glowing. coloured visuals and integrate them into a storytelling theme of a quick history of 6) MEDICINE: A sacred geometrical shape LSD. represents the cellular structure and the research of medicinal connections of LSD. 1) TEMPLE DOORWAYS: In the center is an illustration of temple doors within 7) CREATIVITY: 2 golden keys representing temple doors, each with its own scene. This the unlocking of the the 2 hemispheres of represents oneself going within and taking the brain for new creative downloads and the psychedelic journey and discovering. insight. On each column is 3 sets of icons representing various aspects from historical 8) ALBERT HOFFMAN: The scientist that to beneficial. The bottom corner bases first discovered the psychedelic aspects of feature the THC and LSD-25 molecule LSD-25, years after creation. respectively. On top of the columns are a sphere of the globe and the space. 9) HIPPY LOVE: A crow chain of Daisies with a rainbow and sun representing 2) ERGOT: Featuring a few loaves of the Hippy Culture and Era and the bread, representing Ergot the mold and proliferation of LSD during the 60s-70s. how it grew. 10) COSMIC BALANCE: Represents the 3) RESEARCH: A book of knowledge cosmic consciousness and the facilitation of represents the scientific foundations of the this mind heart state on proper LSD doses. chemical and the continued study. 11) TIMOTHY LEARY: American psychologist that worked on the Harvard
MAR. 2020
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INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010
Psilocybin Projct during 1960-62 which led 2/23/20 to his strong advocacy of hullicinogenic drugs for therapeutic use in psychiatry. Coined popular phrase “turn on, tune in, drop out”
18) LOVE: Love is the ultimate technology and opens one up to receive and give loving kindness and relations.
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12) DOORWAY 2: Featuring a jungle like environment represent plant life, this scene features 2 neon jellyfish with a young lady looking through onto the next doorway. She looks up the rabbit as a representation of “going into the rabbit hole”
19) DOORWAY 3: An island paradise in the shape of a head when viewed vertically, this area represents the inner paradise of happiness and love that LSD easily bridges into. A peacock stands happily in the middle representing the psychedelic pattern and inner revealing of ones mind.
13) SANDOZ: A Swiss flag banner represents the home of Sandoz Laboratory, origin of LSD-25.
20) BICYCLE DAY: A man flying off his bike represents April 19, 1943 as the first day Albert Hofmann dosed himself with LSD.
14) CIA: The US CIA logo represents the usage and study of LSD through the government via the CIA, with multiple covert and hidden experiments held on the public on various aspects.
21) FEED YOUR HEAD: Based off 60’s psychedelic song “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane, this represents going into the rabbit hole and the Hippy era.
15) MIND: A phrenology mind map represents the study and focus of mental abilities, control, and expansion and LSD. 16) TRUTH: 2 swords representing cutting to the core of the truth of experience. 17) HEALING: a wreath representing healing and the insight LSD can give into opening up to those areas that still need acknowledgement.
22) SACRED VISIONS: A close up of divine feminine representing the visual stimulus of LSD. 23) SAN FRANCISCO: The Golden Gate Bridge is represented here as a shoutout to Haight & Ashbury, home of Hippie culture and Cannabis & LSD counter culture movements. Explainer by Artist Brandon Palma Founder | 8th Day Create
ART by BRANDON PALMA for LEAF NATION
E S TA B L I S H E D 2 0 1 0
T H E E N L I G H T E N E D VO I C E
THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE
#69 | MAR. 2020
ABOUT THE COVER
This month’s cover is a surreal and inspired depiction of a wonderful trip, the kind you hope for, the kind they describe in poetry and in fine films. Our first-ever Psychedelia Issue focuses on all the ways that humans interact with these miracle substances, and the cover reflects that beautiful, moving experience, for all to see. Cover Art by Brandon Palma FREE / OREGONLEAF.COM
INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010
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@8thDayCreate
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CONTRIBUTORS
PUBLISHER
Tom Bowers Features
WES ABNEY | founder & editor-in-chief wes@nwleaf.com 206-235-6721
Amanda Day Features Steve Elliott National News Will Ferguson Reviews Simone Fischer Profiles Danielle Halle Features
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Daniel bermaN | photography & design daniel@bermanphotos.com
STATE DIRECTOR
Matthew Meyers Opinion
max early | content production max@orleaf.com | 303-746-9067
Meghan Ridley Editing
ADVERTISING
Pacer Stacktrain Features Laurie & Bruce Wolf Recipes
Max early | makani nelson max@orleaf.com makani@orleaf.com 303-746-9067 | 808-754-4182
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ABNEY
Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up the first-ever Psychedelia Issue of Oregon Leaf! WHEN I FIRST BEGAN working with medical Cannabis in 2009, the idea of pot having value beyond getting stoned was both laughable and criminal to many. It was with great hope that I ventured into the world of medical Cannabis to prove the value of our plant, and today I feel the same way about the healing potential of psychedelics. To say we have a lot to fight for still with Cannabis is an understatement, and while it may seem funny for a decade old pot magazine to be dropping into psychedelics, I promise that we aren’t tripping balls over here. At least not right now! Psychedelics have been treated in the same vein as early Cannabis use, with fear and superstition leading the way instead of science, compassion and PSYCHEDELICS understanding. An entire class of drugs have been criminalized and locked HAVE BEEN TREATED IN out of society and science for the last 75 years! This has allowed modern THE SAME medicine to make major advances in the human body while completely VEIN AS EARLY ignoring the most fundamental part of our earthly experience - consciousness. CANNABIS USE, Modern science does not have an accurate definition of consciousness, WITH FEAR AND cannot tell us definitively where our spirit goes when put under anesthesia or SUPERSTITION during the dying experience, and the toolkit for exploring this realm has been LEADING THE hidden away. Let me make one thing clear: I believe we are spiritual beings WAY INSTEAD living in physical form. Whether Christian or Buddhist or Agnostic, to deny OF SCIENCE... consciousness is to deny life itself. And a life of unexplored consciousness is one not truly lived. Terence McKenna, an early and vocal proponent of Cannabis and psychedelia said, “Life lived in the absence of the psychedelic experience that primordial shamanism is based on is life trivialized, life denied, life enslaved to the ego.” Whether you have had a psychedelic experience or don’t ever intend to, there is research being conducted all over the world - both professionally and on an individual basis - pointing to the benefits of these drugs. Johns Hopkins Research Facility in Maryland recently restarted their psilocybin studies after a 30 year break over legality and funding, which we cover in this issue, alongside Time Magazine and mainstream media. In Switzerland, terminal patients and those seeking end of life therapy are using LSD to find peace with their existence ending on this plane, while ketamine and DMT are being used to help treat traumas and addiction from the jungles of Peru to laboratories in the United States. To say that there is potential for these substances is an understatement, and it all begins with perception. Humans fear what they don’t understand, and perhaps that is why we are all so fearful of death, the dogma of religion and our fundamental existence. My own psychedelic experiences have led me to find peace in all these areas - to open my spirit beyond my earthly flesh and ego to look forward positively to my journey - which will simply be taking a new path when I leave this body. But most of all, psychedelics have helped me to appreciate the moment, to see the natural beauty of the world around me, and to realize that everything can become a mandala if you are high enough. Thank you for picking up this issue, and I hope our stories help to open your mind to psychedelics. Remember that even if they aren’t for you, they are helping others, and nobody should be denied access to a medicine that makes life, or death, easier.
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-Wes Abney mar. 2020
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Photography:Muh_riah
Do not operate a vehicle or machinery un
FULL LINE OF SINGLE-SOURCE CANNABIS PRODUCTS FLOWER EDIBLES PRE-ROLLS CARTRIDGES CONCENTRATES
der the influence of this drug.For adults 21 years of age and older. Keep out of reach of children.
@HIGHLANDPROVISIONS HIGHLANDPROVISIONS.COM
national news
2.5 15.6 20 ounces is the limit for Cannabis carried in cars under Michigan’s new legalization implementation.
dispensaries per 100,00 residents gives Oklahoma the second highest number of pot shops per capita.
BILL TO ADDRESS RACIAL INEQUITY IN CANNABIS LICENSING APPROVED BY WA HOUSE ashington state lawmakers in February passed a bill intended to address racial inequalities within the marijuana industry. The bill would issue previously forfeited, canceled and revoked retail licenses to applicants of a new social equity program. House Bill 2870 would require the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) to prioritize applicants who represent communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs. The agency would consider factors including the applicant’s race, gender, history of marijuana convictions during prohibition, and plans to employ people of color. Also considered would be the impact the war on drugs had on the applicant’s neighborhood.
WASHINGTON CANNABIS FARM ACCUSED IN $4.85 MILLION PONZI SCHEME
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pounds of THC-infused vaporizer cartridges were found in an Iowa woman’s car during a routine traffic stop, along with a reported 130 pounds of raw marijuana.
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percent of Alabama newspaper readers favored legalization in a February online poll hosted by AL.com, in which more than 2,000 people backed legalizing medical & rec marijuana.
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Cannabis plants were found inside a Mocksville, NC, man’s home in February, as part of what was described as a “sophisticated operation” where police found 127 pounds of pot and seven firearms.
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grams or less of marijuana have been decriminalized in Hillsborough County, Florida, home to nearly 1.5m people.
he owner of a Cannabis farm near Anacortes, Washington, is accused of using Green Acre Pharms in a complicated Ponzi scheme that allegedly took $4.85 million from 2015 to 2017. According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, it included at least two dozen investors in Washington, Arizona, California and Texas, reports The Seattle Times. Many investors used retirement funds or family loans, having been lured by promises of huge profits from Russell’s Cannabis farm, according to an SEC complaint filed in federal court in Santa Ana, California. Green Acre Pharms - which closed shop in December - was never profitable, according to the SEC. Meanwhile, owner Robert W. Russell, 60, and his partner, smalltime California film executive Guy Scott Griffithe, spent $3.5 million of investors’ money on a 65-foot yacht, luxury vehicles, and other “extravagant luxuries, inappropriate personal expenditures, and unrelated business ventures,” according to the SEC complaint. Russell and Griffithe have been charged with civil violations of federal securities law and seeks the return of “all ill-gotten gains.” No criminal charges have been filed.
MAR. 2020
economy
NORTHWEST STATES RANK HIGH FOR CANNABIS JOBS Washington state ranks third in the nation in Cannabis industry jobs, with Oregon coming in fourth, according to online weed guide Leafly’s fourth annual national report. California, with 39,804 jobs, and Colorado, with 34,705, nailed down the number one and two spots. Those numbers don’t include hemp jobs, which are also rapidly growing, particularly in Oregon.
DISCRIMINATION
UTAH BILL SAYS EMPLOYERS CAN BAN MEDICINAL USE
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roposed changes to Utah’s medical marijuana law would clarify that private employers aren’t required to accommodate workers who use Cannabis, nor are they barred from having policies restricting it. Some medical Cannabis advocates, pointing to what they say is the importance of Utah allowing businesses to run the way they choose, say they’re OK with that. But other advocates question why marijuana will be treated differently than any prescribed medication. ADVOCATES “It’s still private employers’ business,” said Desiree Hennessy, executive director of Utah QUESTION WHY Patients Coalition. She said Utah doesn’t want to “step on the toes of private employers.” MARIJUANA WILL BE TREATED But Christine Stenquist, president of Together for Responsible Use and Cannabis EducaDIFFERENTLY tion, or TRUCE, said her group “absolutely opposes” the bill not requiring private employTHAN ANY ers to allow use. “What other medication or medical treatment is subject to employers’ PRESCRIBED MEDICATION. scrutiny?” Stenquist asked.
east coast
FORMER TOP MARYLAND MEDICAL MARIJUANA OFFICIAL JOINS CANNABIS COMPANY Joy Strand resigned as executive director of the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission last Fall. The former top regulator of Maryland’s medical Cannabis industry has joined a Frederick, Maryland-based marijuana company as executive vice president, reports The Baltimore Sun. Strand now works for Green Leaf Medical, the company announced in January. Strand is in charge of coordinating Green Leaf’s government relations in multiple states, according to Kevin Goldberg, president and general counsel of the company. “She brings a wealth of knowledge about the Cannabis industry and compliance,” Goldberg said. “We’re really looking forward to her input for all aspects of our operations.” health & safety
PITTSBURGH GRANDMA GIVES JOINTS TO GRANDKIDS
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Pittsburgh woman is being charged after allegedly allowing her grandchildren to smoke Cannabis while recorded on social media. Tonika Averytt is charged with two cases of endangering the welfare of children and two cases of corruption of minors, reports CBS Pittsburgh. According to a criminal complaint filed by Pittsburgh Police, Averytt allowed her grandsons, 11 and 12, to smoke marijuana under her supervision. According to police, both juveniles were supplied with a joint, which they smoked while recording the incident on social media.
AVERYTT ALLOWED HER GRANDSONS, 11 AND 12, TO SMOKE MARIJUANA UNDER HER SUPERVISION.
By STEVE ELLIOTT, AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF MARIJUANA
TAKE A
GRATEFUL BREAK See if you can find all fifteen words!
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GRATEFUL LIGHTER CLOVER CLONES MUSHROOMS BLUNT
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local news
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OREGON COMPANY CREATES PSILOCYBIN MICRO-DELIVERY SYSTEM
HEMP EXTRACT THC LIMIT RAISED
CURA CANNABIS FINED FOR “DISHONEST CONDUCT”
Springfield company Silo Wellness has developed a micro-delivery system for a psilocybin nasal spray. Founder Mike Arnold teamed up with Michael Hartman of Mystabis (a hemp-based inhaler) to create MycoDose.
The Oregon Liquor Control Commission has increased the limit for THC in hemp extracts, concentrates and tinctures sold within dispensaries. The new rule allows hemp products of up to 50 milligrams per container (a number previously capped at 10), and is aimed at easing the production burden on Oregon’s growing hemp industry. In an interview with The Register-Guard, Oregon State University’s Global Hemp Innovation Center Director Jay Noller said the change provides an “out” for growers exceeding federal limits. Brie Malarkey, CEO of Sun God Medicinals, told the newspaper that the company has spent a year lobbying for this. “What it allows us to do is stay true to whole plant herbalism,” said Malarkey. “We can maintain being certified organic because the naturally occurring levels of THC that are present in the hemp plant would still be allowed in there.”
Cura Cannabis has settled a record-breaking fine. The $110,000 penalty came after the Oregon Liquor Control Commission found more than 186,000 mislabeled vapes and cartridges in circulation.
The news comes from a press release on the company site, where they reveal that the system was previously formulated in Jamaica (where psilocybin is not illegal). “I love our product and can’t wait until it’s legal in the United States, so we can share it with crime victims and first responders,” Arnold said in the December release. For Arnold, the leap into psychedelics is just one more stop in an intricate career path. The former attorney is known for his representation of Ammon Bundy, leader of the 2016 Malheur National Wildlife the leap into Refuge takeover. In the Cannabis psychedelics community, Arnold is co-founder is just one of One Gro, an Oregon company more stop in that he told The Register-Guard an intricate includes, “four marijuana grows career path. totaling 40,000 plants.” Arnold attributes his recent shift into psychedelics to a particular personal experience from 2018. While traveling, he met a doctor that introduced him to research and an enlightening experience. “Mushrooms have been life-changing and I want to share this healing opportunity with the world, with a purpose-driven company mindful of consumer access to these gifts of nature.”
MAR. 2020
The settlement indicates a misrepresentation of Cura’s “Select Elite” line of products, claiming that they were marketed as 100% Cannabis-derived. In an interview with the Oregonian, the OLCC’s manager of technical operations revealed their findings: After some miscommunication within the company, the products were sent out containing “botanically derived terpenes and/or medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil as an ingredient.” The original settlement recommended a fine and 34-day suspension. Instead, regulators negotiated a $110,000 penalty for “dishonest conduct” and the company has been allowed to continue operations. But the OLCC isn’t the only entity looking for compensation. Just two days after Cura Cannabis agreed to pay fines, a Portland couple filed a class-action lawsuit. The Willamette Week first reported on the case, explaining that Tom and Elena Powers demand the company turn over any profits from the mislabeled goods. Their lawyer, Michael Fuller, told the paper that he expects the case to move forward in the next year. Fuller estimates that the final judgment could exceed $37 million after statutory damages.
STORIES by AMANDA DAY @TERPODACTYL_MEDIA
EXPERT OPINION
BY JERRY WHITING L e B l a n c C N E . c o m / N WL e a f
THE HEMP INDUSTRY 1. Farmer’s Markets
If you sell at one or more farmer’s markets, start a conversation with your market’s organizers. Bring all of your paperwork (hemp license, pre-harvest inspection, lab results showing that it’s below the legal limit for THC, your Fit For Commerce, etc.). Sell simple hemp salves and lotions, and even bulk hemp if you can. Have handouts about the various cultivars you grow, as well as telling your own personal story. Listen as well as speak.
2. Christmas Trees
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Hemp is legal. What’s next?
oregonlEAF.COM
T HE G O OD N E W S I S T HAT HE M P I S LEGAL , F I NAL LY . T HE N OT S O G O OD N E W S I S T HAT M OST O F T HE HE M P B E I NG G ROWN I S F O R C B D E X T RAC T IO N . I N T HE SU M M E R O F 2019, 85% O F WHAT FAR M E R S G R E W WAS F O R C B D - T HE M AR K E T G OT SAT U RATE D , P RIC E S C RAS HE D AN D N OW N O O N E K N OW S WHAT WI L L HAP P E N N E X T. HEMP ACTIVISTS have toiled for years to liberate hemp. In the old days hemp was touted as a sustainable source of food, fuel and fiber. Hemp as medicine grabbed the spotlight after Sanjay Gupta introduced the world to Charlotte’s Web. Have we all forgotten what else hemp can do in the midst of the current Green Rush? It all begins with the plant and farmers are the ones who grow hemp. We need them to guide hemp into the mainstream marketplace. I’m sorry, but their job doesn’t end when the crop comes in. Hemp farmers need to become hemp activists too. Farmers can integrate hemp into things they already do, though that won’t be easy. Sometimes it will require educating those unfamiliar with hemp, being politely persistent in the face of resistance. Be ready to persevere when you hear “no” yet again. There’s a lot to be said for buying local, supporting small family farms and insisting on sustainable organic practices. Hemp farmers, if you’re really committed to making hemp work, try creative ways to bring your crop to the market. Remember: It all begins with the plant and no, hemp isn’t a fad. Farmers, we’re behind you!
MAR. 2020
Grow hemp trees in five gallon pots pruned like you would a Christmas tree. Market them as a fun and renewable alternative to traditional wood trees. Include a handout with care instructions, as well as how to compost your hemp tree. Encourage people to take selfies for their holiday cards showing off their new holiday tradition. Consider a simple cardboard tree ornament with your logo and social media contacts.
3. U-pick hemp farms with hemp mazes
Farm stands are a popular weekend excursion from late summer through the holiday season. Introduce shoppers to your new crop. Offer fresh or dried hemp along with products you make, including simple lotions and salves. Want publicity for your hemp maze? Post drone video flying over a maze like no other. Visitors will be overwhelmed - not just by the sight but the smell as well. Hang a banner above a scarecrow and invite people to take photos of themselves. It might be wise to notify local law enforcement to avoid misunderstandings.
4. Florists Befriend a florist and provide them with fresh hemp leaves and flowers to incorporate into bouquets, centerpieces and other custom arrangements. Then alert local wedding planners. Provide small place cards so guests know who you are and how to contact you.
5. Hemp at the State Fair Farmers grow crops. Those crops are featured at state fairs. Shouldn’t your favorite state fair have a hemp category too? Approach other hemp farmers and join in talking with them well in advance. It’s a legal agricultural crop grown by local farmers. The worse they can say is “no” - and either way you get to engage in an educational conversation that just might open some minds. You won’t be the first - Oregon had Cannabis entries at their state fair.
6. Tours, Terroir & Appellations Think like a winery. Are you in a unique location with its own weather and soil that makes your farm stand out? Is your farm close to wineries? And if so, are they part of an established appellation? Market your hemp as something intimately tied to your terroir. If there are other hemp farms near you, consider working together to co-market your hemp appellation. It may be a strong brand-building exercise for everyone.
PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
EXPERT OPINION
20
The Future is FunModern medicine can work wonders on a host of illnesses and accompanying symptoms, but when it comes to mental health and many neurodegenerative issues, scientists are still searching for solutions. Here we find the shift in social, scientific and regulatory views in the last decade opening up a world of potential.
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Google “Bicycle Day” if you’re feeling a bit lost at this point). Amanda Day is a Magic mushrooms and acid Leaf Nation contributing took hold in American society writer and photographer, based in Eugene and as recreational substances, providing Cannabis but the healing potential was photos & video services. always present. As Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris explains, psilocybin and LSD are hallucinogens that “stimulate a particular serotonin receptor subtype expressed on neurons in the brain.” This receptor is known as serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) the same signal transmitter that, according to the 1st edition of Serotonin Receptors in Neurobiology tells us, “has been implicated in mental disorders with complex etiologies that are still not clearly understood, in processes such as learning and memory, and also in neurogenesis.” These are many of the same functional areas that neurological scientists are still seeking answers to. At Johns Hopkins University, there’s a massive amount of money and time being devoted to finding these answers. A group of private donors has put up $17 million to build “the largest research center of its kind in the world.” The Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research will study the effects of psychedelics on brain functions like behavior, learning, mood, memory and more: Studies of psilocybin in patients will determine its effectiveness as a new therapy for opioid addiction, Alzheimer’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (formerly known as chronic Lyme disease), anorexia nervosa and alcohol use in people with major depression. Universities and organizations like the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies and the Psychological Association says increased by 30% Heffter Research Institute have been looking into between 2000 and 2016. We see it in substance these topics and treatments for some time, so why abuse rates - where the American Addiction Centers the sudden spark in public interest? count 19.7 million afflicted Americans, age 12 and The answer isn’t entirely simple, but we seem to up. And we see it in the faces of family and friends have reached a point in modern American history still struggling around us, with roughly one in eight where a mixture of social unstiffening, high health Americans over age 12 reporting regular antidecare costs, and a DIY lifestyle movement demand pressant use (according to the National Center for new solutions. Each day, more citizens seem eager Health Statistics). to choose non-traditional pharmaceuticals and While the future of treatment seems fuzzy, one explore options in alternative medicine. thing is vividly clear: Our current system is failing The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has those battling the burden of neurological diseases. approved some clinical trials of psychedelics in the Fortunately, research in psilocybin and LSD has past, but the topic has been more widely explored in provided new hope in health care. The promise of recent years. In 2015, a large population study by affordable, non-addictive treatments has sparked the Norwegian University of Science and scholarly and public interest alike. Technology looked at adults in the U.S. For anyone new to the world of Magic mushrooms and “failed to find evidence for a link psychedelics, a brief introduction to the and acid took hold between psychedelic use (lysergic acid main neurotropic compounds (related in American society diethylamide, psilocybin or mescaline) to fungi) may be warranted. Psilocybin as recreational substances, but the and mental health problems.” The is the alkaloid found in “magic mushhealing potential results crushed much of the Nixon-era rooms” that we associate with the psywas always present. skepticism lingering around the dangers chedelic experience. According to the of these drugs. International Center for Ethnobotanical The FDA has since named several other psycheEducation, Research, and Service, there are over delic trials “breakthrough therapies.” This official 180 unique varieties of fungi that carry this particudesignation “is intended to expedite the developlar compound. It’s not the only interesting find in the ment and review of drugs for serious or life-threatfungal world, however. ening conditions.” Furthermore, cities like Denver Lysergic acid diethylamide (better known as LSD) and Oakland have begun to decriminalize psychewas first derived by Albert Hofmann in 1938 from delic mushrooms altogether. It seems that the U.S. another fungus known as ergot. is entering a new frontier. One we can only hope Many years and one famous bicycle ride later, leads to breakthroughs in health and happiness. the world was introduced to “acid.” (Go ahead and
According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Services, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s have no known cures. Drugs currently on the market are instead aimed at combating symptoms and slowing disease progression. As of 2016 it was estimated that 5.4 million Americans were living with Alzheimer’s alone. Anyone that has watched a loved one wither away knows the devastation of a neurodegenerative diagnosis, but for the rest of adults not yet confronted with such suffering, a list of other issues takes priority. Among the roughly 17 million adults in America battling depression, the National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 11 million have experienced “severe impairment.” The heft of our modern mental health crisis is weighing heavily on the nation. We see it in the suicide rates - a number that the American
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STORY by AMANDA DAY @TERPODACTYL_MEDIA for LEAF NATION | PHOTO by RENNETT STOWE/CREATIVE COMMONS
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H i g h l y L i ke l y h i g h l i g h t s Ca n n a b i s p i o n e e rs w h o p a ve d t h e wa y t o g re a t e r h e r b a l a c c e p ta n ce .
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WHEN RAM DASS passed away in December of last year, a collective wave of grief moved across spiritual communities around the world.
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hat’s because Dass was revered throughout A year later, he was an assistant professor many of the world’s spiritual traditions. But at Harvard, teaching clinical psychology. how did he come to spirituality? The answer In 1961, he met fellow Harvard profeslies in the molecules that make up the compound sor Timothy Leary, devoting himself to the known as lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD. study of the therapeutic effects of psilocybin Dass was born Richard Alpert in 1931, raised (found in mushrooms) and LSD. in a Jewish family in Boston, and said that he felt One of the most notorious trials of halthat his religious upbringing lucinogenic compounds DASS ASKED IF HE was hollow. Dass said he on individuals at Harvard SHOULD CONTINUE THE “didn’t have one whiff of God took place in 1962. EXPERIMENTS WITH LSD Dubbed the ‘Good until taking psychedelics.” In AND THE YOGI REPLIED, college, he studied psycholFriday Experiment’ Leary “YES, BUT ONLY IF ogy – eventually earning and Alpert (along with his Doctorate in 1957 from graduate student Walter YOUR MIND IS TURNED Stanford University. Pahnke) conducted a TOWARD GOD.”
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double-blind experiment that administered psilocybin to theology students prior to the Good Friday mass. Almost every member of the group that received the hallucinogenic dose reported having a profound religious or mystical experience. While this experiment was revelatory, it also had the effect of getting both Leary and Alpert dismissed from Harvard. From there, the two founded the International Federation for Internal Freedom (IFIF) in upstate New York. In this location, known as Millbrook, Leary and Alpert set up a sort of communal setting for “seeking the divinity within each person” and rapidly changed the substance for seeking from psilocybin to LSD. In the late 60s, Alpert journeyed to India where he met the person who would change his life and name forever. It was Neem Karoli Baba - whom Alpert referred to as ‘Maharaji’ - who gave Alpert the name ‘Ram Dass’ meaning ‘servant of God,’ and set him on the spiritual path that would define the second half of his life. Dass told a poignant story of one of his first meetings with Maharaji, where the guru asked Dass, “Have you got any of that yogi medicine?” Dass figured out that what he was asking for was, indeed, LSD. From there he gave the Maharaji capsules that were 300 micrograms each (the guru asked for 3, which in Dass’s opinion was a massive dose). From there, Dass recalled, “Well this will probably be very interesting, but then – absolutely nothing happened.” Dass went back to the United States and told the foundation members the story of the LSD having no effect on the guru. He started to believe that the wise sage had fooled him and done a slightof-hand, not actually consuming the LSD. Upon returning to India two years later, the Maharaji asked, “Did you give me some medicine last time you were here?” Dass replied, “Yes, I did.” The guru then asked, “Do you have any more?” He then proceeded to take 400 more micrograms from Dass, carefully placing each dose on his tongue so that he would observe that he did, indeed, eat the acid. After about an hour, the Maharaji (still seemingly unaffected) looked back at Dass and said, “These were known about thousands of years ago,” but went on to explain that yogis don’t do the proper preparation anymore to prepare for the experience. Dass asked if he should continue the experiments with LSD and the yogi replied, “Yes, but only if your mind is turned toward God.” After these experiences, Ram Dass began work on what would become his most famous work, “Be Here Now” - the 416-page illustrated book and manual for conscious being that is still in print today. This is but a simple overview of the life of a very important human being who spent time on this planet. Dass’s contributions to society are far greater than his work with psychedelic drugs. For example, his work with end-of-life care is some of the most inspiring - but we only have so much time and space in this article. The reader is encouraged to go and explore more of his ideas in independent study.
By PACER STACKTRAIN for LEAF NATION
stoner owner
NATHAN HOWARD and his brother, Aaron Howard, founded East Fork Cultivars - and have since become one of the most respected craft Cannabis brands in Oregon, and in the United States. In recent months they have become vocal supporters of psilocybin psychotherapy, and have become strong supporters of the Oregon-based Psilocybin Science Initiative, which seeks to establish Oregon as the first staterun psilocybin therapy program. We connected with Nathan in February to discuss his experience and his goals with the mushroom-based medicine.
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NATHAN HOWARD EAST FORK CULTIVARS
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“WE’RE MORE EXCITED ABOUT THE SPACE OF PLANT-BASED MEDICINE, GENERALLY, AND PSYCHEDELICS ARE ESSENTIAL TO ALL OF THIS, ALONG WITH CANNABIS.” YOU’VE BEEN VOCAL ABOUT YOUR SUPPORT FOR PSILOCYBIN THERAPY. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH PSILOCYBIN?
I had my first of what I would call a macro-dose, or large dose of psilocybin earlier in 2018 - with my partner, Leslie, who was sober looking after me and essentially being what people call a shaman or a guide. She talked me through some stuff as I started to regain consciousness, and talked me through moderate discomfort toward the beginning and the end, when I was aware but in moderate paralysis. And then, in the coming days, weeks and months now, she’s also talked with me and we’ve worked through some of the things that I realized in that moment and afterward. Patterns of behavior that I really dislike, ways of connecting with people that I really dislike or like - and want to foster more of or less of. It was a game-changer. I felt immediately - and it sustained - that I was able to connect with people better. I looked at my time in (Mayor Ted Wheeler’s) office working on politics a little bit better. I talked more with my parents about my brother Wesley’s passing in 2017. It kind of unlocked some... I think some of it was cognitive distortions, and some of them were just really well-worn behavior ruts that I couldn’t get out of. HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR EXPERIENCE COULD TRANSLATE TO A CLINICAL SETTING? That
process that we went through - it would be infused with best practices and would be much more rigid, and I’d have a better understanding of what I was ingesting and the whole supply chain. That is essentially what we’re talking about doing through the Psilocybin Service Initiative (PSI) in Oregon, the first state-legal and run psilocybin-assisted therapy
program in the world that we know about. The reason we got more involved with PSI was because of that experience, where I took the leap and I knew that smaller doses of psilocybin and psychedelics can be helpful. We know that MDMA has recognized federal uses and benefit. We know that the federal government has been researching LSD and psilocybin and psychedelics since the 1950s, and clinical studies have remarkable rates of success when it comes to things like smoking cessation, or end-of-life anxiety treatment, drug-resistant anxiety and depression treatment.”
psychedelics and psilocybin in the world. We’re collecting signatures to get it on the ballot, and we’ve got people out on the streets right now, talking to folks and getting the signatures. If we’re successful, we’ll have a campaign to win come November 2020. At the same time that we’ll be electing a new U.S. President … We’ll also be finding out whether or not Oregon has become the tip of the spear for progressive drug policy in the world.
WHAT IS THE MISSION BEHIND THE PSILOCYBIN SCIENCE INITIATIVE?
plant-based medicine, generally, and psychedelics are essential to all of this, along with Cannabis. People on our team are public about their relationship with psychedelics. They’re public with the way that it has helped them with depression and anxiety. The team and the East Fork founders, my brother Aaron and I, it’s personal to us. And it also aligns squarely in our mission around affordable plantbased medicine. We have people on the team that are excited about the Psilocybin Service Initiative. Doing things like ending the war on drugs, creating affordable pathways for psilocybin therapy, educating around the benefits of psychedelics - that’s our mission. That’s who we are. If we just want to breed and grow Cannabis, that’s one thing. But the fact that we’re focused on medicinal herbs generally, medicinal plants, requires us - if we’re going to stay true to our mission - to explore increasing access to psychedelics. The measure, the campaign, is not going to create a marketplace. It’s not going to create brands. At least I hope it doesn’t.
They’ve been working on what ultimately is a statewide ballot measure for no less than five years, with the goal of creating a program where people can walk in and get affordable psilocybin-assisted therapy. Our involvement, and my involvement, has been helping structure some of the campaign, helping staff. Tom and I talked about the possibility of me running the campaign. I’ve consistently said no to paid political work, because I know it’s going to pull me away from East Fork, our family farm. I’d like to think that we’re at a point where it’s sustainable, and will survive until my children’s lifetime, but it still needs more work. So my involvement has been as a volunteer, but helping with some of the politics of running a statewide ballot measure. The campaign’s at the point now where we have several staff, several lead donors. Of course, you have Tom and Sheree, who are two of the best ambassadors for psychedelic medicine and the power of
WHAT DOES YOUR INVOLVEMENT – AND EAST FORK’S INVOLVEMENT – MEAN TO YOU AND THE COMPANY? We’re more excited about the space of
A Stoner Owner is a Cannabis business owner who has a relationship with the plant. We want to buy and smoke Cannabis from companies that care about their products, employees and the plant. You wouldn’t buy food from a restaurant where the cooks don’t eat in the kitchen, so why buy corporate weed grown by a company only concerned with profits? Stoner Owner approval means a company cares, and we love weed grown with care. Look for the Stoner Owner stamp when purchasing fine Cannabis, and let’s retake our culture and reshape a stigma by honoring those who grow, process and sell the best Cannabis possible.
INTERVIEW by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
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Wilson J. Griffin Using Cannabis to treat ulcerative colitis mar. 2020
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“This is just as much a physical battle as it is a mental battle.”
ntil Griffin retired from the military, Some are used daily, and others as the situation he could not aptly use Cannabis to dictates. If I’m feeling nauseous, can’t stop vomiting, treat his ongoing ulcerative colitis. or don’t have an appetite - my quickest way to relief For those who don’t know, ulcerwould be to smoke some flower. If I have more deep ative colitis is an irritable bowel and intense pain, and my bones and joints are feeldisease that causes ulcers (sores) ing like a brittle pencil that’s about to snap, then I’ll in the digestive tract. This ongoing break out the Echo Electuary live resins and heat up inflammation causes a serious amount of pain, and the trusty quartz banger for some dabs. If I’m getting in certain cases, can result in surgery. Luckly, Griffin a migraine (not a headache - a real migraine) then resides in Oregon and has access to arguably the smoking or dabbing usually just makes it worse for best Cannabis and related products in the country. me. So my technique is to rub my neck, temples, “I use Cannabis to help maneuver through the and hairline with a topical THC salve, drop a THC battle of ulcerative colitis and all of its side effects,” bath bomb in a hot bathtub, and soak that migraine reports Griffin. “I have found over the last eight away in the dark. Plus, I make sure to hydrate and years of flaring, this is just as much a physical battle sleep. I’ve used topicals on shingles when I’ve had as it is a mental battle. Cannabis helps me on the them, and I’ve used Dirty Arm Farms Adabinol physical battlefront with the to help me drift away from arthritis and joint pains, abdominsomnia. I use TJ’S CBD oil in inal pain, anemia, nausea, loss the mornings like a multivitamin of appetite and insomnia that to help temper the intestinal WILSON J. GRIFFIN is a retired often accompanies colitis. On inflammation experienced with veteran from the United States the mental battlefront, Canulcerative colitis and Crohns.” Marine Corps who uses Cannabis nabis helps me keep my brain Despite his success with to treat ulcerative colitis and other computer from going into overCannabis, Griffin still deals with health issues. After being medically drive and short circuiting from the unwarranted stigma around retired from the Marine Corps in hypervigilance, stress, anxiety using Cannabis as a healthy 2014, he obtained his OMMP card and depression. The ability to and natural treatment option. the same year and began using not immediately respond to outHis loved ones often don’t Cannabis medicinally. As a wellside/internal stress factors can understand, which makes it difrespected member of the Oregon be a blessing. Especially when ficult for Griffin to talk about his Cannabis community, he has found one bad day can send a patient progress with the plant. Instead, our growers are always there into a flare up. Where the mind he lets the quality of his health to help patients in need. Griffin goes, the body flows.” since using Cannabis do the continues to pay this kind of Pacific One of the best aspects of talking for him, in hopes that Northwest hospitality forward Cannabis is that it helps a spechis family will soon warm up to through ongoing patient advocacy. trum of health issues, so users the idea of validating Cannabis can battle multiple ailments at as a worthy long term treatment once. Many Cannabis advocates like Griffin also option. Griffin admits it took time before he had his experience mental health issues like anxiety and Cannabis profile dialed to exactly what he needed depression - on top of physical problems. Here, and what treatments worked the best for him. More Cannabis is like a metaphorical blanket that soothes information and dosage labels help, but it took him multiple symptoms at once. awhile to get his treatment just right. “In my experience, I’ve found that strains, cannabinoids and terpenes are tools in the toolbox, and FINDING WHAT WORKS it’s up to the avatar to decide what tools work best “If half of your family lives in a ‘reefer madness’ time for a specific mission,” says Griffin. “Linalool is one machine like mine does, one may still find themof the first terpene tools that I learned about, and selves battling the social stigmas with loved ones happens to cover fire on the physical and mental who don’t quite grasp the reality of their situation. sides of the battle. It helps activate your body’s Don’t worry, just love them like their respective entity parasympathetic response, which helps you rest would, and once they see how it helps your quality and heal. LA Confidential and Grandaddy Purps of life, they should begin to come around. If not, do a fine job at taking the edge off of those waves cut that baggage loose and watch the universe fill of anxiety and depression. Jack Herer and Dutch that gap with something beautiful. Also, dialing-in Treat contain pinene, which is another terpene tool an individual’s patient profile has been one of the I find provides a good amount of abdominal/joint biggest challenges I’ve seen and experienced. It can pain relief, while allowing me to still be active, clear take a lot of trial, error, and cold hard cash when headed, and get missions accomplished.” it comes to finding out how each form of Cannabis Griffin doesn’t limit himself to one type of conaffects your body. Once an individual dials in what sumption when it comes to Cannabis. He has works, will that strain or product consistently be found that depending on what he is dealing with, available to them? And can they afford to purchase that dictates how he goes about medicating himthe necessary treatment amount on a regular basis? self. It’s important that Cannabis users understand Always reach out. Always ask questions. We are a different forms of Cannabis are more efficient in community, and the real gangsters will always help a certain situations, and this knowledge takes time and patient in need. I would highly encourage everyone trial-and-error to dial in. to always study what you are battling. And those “I have used this beautiful plant in about every looking to use Cannabis as treatment, learning to way possible,” says Griffin. “I’ve found that its differ‘catch your own fish’ is the surest way to make sure ent forms provide different kinds of relief. you’ve always got clean medicine on hand.”
STORY by SIMONE FISCHER @SIMONEFISCHERR |¿ PHOTOS by AMANDA DAY @TERPODACTYL_MEDIA
PROFILE
women in weed
ALISON DRAISIN PSYD, LMHC, PSYCHOLOGIST & PSYCHOTHERAPIST
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AIMS Institute | Seattle IT’S NOT EVERY DAY that I have the honor of interviewing one of my fellow Women of Weed™ sisters. Alison Draisin, the founder of Ettalew’s delectable and award-winning edibles, has been serving patients Cannabis infused-treats for years. Those seven-layer bars were absolutely phenomenal. She has also judged multiple Cannabis competitions, most recently helping to coordinate the annual Terpestival, and serves as president of the Center for the Study of Cannabis and Social Policy. Before her successful career in Cannabis began, Alison kept busy obtaining a Master’s Degree in Art Psychotherapy, as well as a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology. Now, she has turned her attention to helping patients in a new way: through psychedelic healing and therapy.
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Draisin inspires her clients, as does fractal artwork by Luis Camargo.
“I’ve been a psychotherapist for 27 years, and I would say that psychedelic work is the best tool in my toolbox.” How do you incorporate Cannabis and/ or psychedelics into your psychotherapy practice? My clients usually come in knowing that our clinic supports cutting edge integrative medicine. Some clients are already using Cannabis or psychedelics, and I might offer suggestions to support their needs and provide integration in between their home sessions. We offer the chance for clients to engage in Cannabis assisted psychotherapy and ketamine assisted psychotherapy in our office. These are followed by integration sessions. Integration connects the experience of what unconscious material comes up on these journeys with their daily life. How do you support clients who may want to use psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, Ayahuasca, DMT or other drugs not considered legal? I can’t dispense those types of medicine or have them in the office. But I can support clients who choose to use them on their own with integrative sessions between their at-home sessions. I also refer them to the Seattle Psychedelic Society meetup group, where they have presentations and discussions about different types of psychedelics. Tell us a bit about how Ketamine assisted psychotherapy works for clients. We do Ketamine sessions once a week, for the whole day. It allows our office to be quiet. Psychedelics are all about set, setting and dose. We work with clients to set intentions before they go on their journey. Then I sit with them while they’re on their journey. Our offices are very warm and comfortable, and we have music that’s been curated for trips. Different kinds of music, depending on what’s going on with the individual. Alex Grey devised these blindfolds called a “mindfold” - which allows you to open your eyes while still having darkness. Clients will wear a mindfold, I’ll play a singing bowl, as they focus on their intention. We try to incorporate ritual as part of their experience. Once a client has begun their psychedelic journey, I record everything that goes on. Sometimes I hold hands, sometimes I rock people, depending on what’s going on with them and what they need. I transcribe everything that happens in the session, as far as movements and verbalizations. Then they land, and they have time to recuperate before heading home. They must have a ride home. About a week after their journey, they return for an integration session. We recommend that you come in and do an in-office session three times.
Humans are kind of like an onion, and you have to begin to peel back the layers. I’ve been a psychotherapist for 27 years, and I would say that psychedelic work is the best tool in my toolbox. For most clients, they find a release of pain, anguish, agitation, stress and fear. Doing psychedelics doesn’t erase negative thoughts or events, it merely puts a pillow over them - so to speak. We have people who come in regularly. Can you talk to us about how Cannabis assisted psychotherapy works? Clients meet with me to address different types of issues and we discuss how Cannabis can help to relax and open their minds. We refer clients who wish to embark on this type of journey to Mary Brown and her team from SMJ Consulting. Mary and her team give the client suggestions on cultivars to address specific needs. Something more uplifting for a depressed client or something more relaxing for an anxious client. The client procures the Cannabis and returns for the session. We set up a Volcano in my office and they begin with about one to two bags. What types of patients do you treat? Do all of your patients suffer deep psychological trauma or can people who have everyday stress benefit from your services? We get people from all over the country seeking our services. This is one of the first medical clinics where people can openly talk about Cannabis and psychedelics with their doctors and not feel ashamed, guilty or uncomfortable that they’ll be reported to their job or their insurance. We have a lot of people who come in after reading the Michael Pollan book, “How to Change Your Mind.” We see clients with anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma histories, as well as chronic pain. Some of our clients are dying of cancer and wish to practice death, so that when the time comes they are more comfortable passing into the next realm. It’s quite an honor to support these types of patients. We also see clients looking for transformative experiences. We see adults, adolescents, and sometimes children. What are the benefits of Ketamine treatment versus Cannabis treatment? Ketamine is a psychedelic in certain doses, and exhibits ego death. That’s where change occurs — when our ego dies, and when we’re able to really dig deep into our mind and look at the things we have been guarding against. Whereas Cannabis slightly opens our minds and relaxes our senses,
but doesn’t give us an ego death. We’re still in our bodies, we’re still in the here and now. Ketamine, LSD, psilocybin and other psychedelics taken in therapeutic doses can take you into a different reality in your mind. Cannabis does not do that. You want something to dissociate, and psychedelics help us get in touch with our primitive minds. Cannabis relaxes us, and opens us up to conversation, which is great for therapy. How do you incorporate art into your therapy practice? What type of results do you see in patients? After attaining my Master’s in Art Psychotherapy, I used to think art therapy was the best tool. Psychedelics is really the most effective tool for therapeutic change. However, I do combine art therapy with psychedelics. Some clients will use art therapy post journey or in their integration sessions. Some clients keep journals and draw things that they have experienced on their psychedelic journeys. They bring their journals into session and we explore. Clients love to create and draw while on Cannabis and I create a space for that type of exploration, too. Using art-making with both psychedelics and Cannabis enables clients to connect with their unconscious mind. It’s beautiful witnessing those moments when my clients connect the dots of their mind and increase their understanding of their behaviors. Is Ketamine legal in all 50 states? Yes. It’s regulated by the DEA, and they use Ketamine in hospitals for surgeries and in the military on the front lines as an anesthetic. It’s also effective as a replacement for opiates when treating chronic pain. Do insurance companies cover psychedelic therapies? No. Not for the actual psychedelic journey. However, insurance will pay for the initial assessment, psychiatric evaluation and medical clearance, as well as integration sessions. Some clients do submit a superbill to their insurance, with some getting reimbursed for their journeys. What do you want to tell the world? Once you start doing psychedelics, you really start to open up and expand your mind, and recognize that the shit that you’re carrying around doesn’t have to be so heavy. You can let the bags go at the door and be able to go inside and enjoy life. ” Learn more about the Advanced Integrative Medical Science Institute at aimsinstitute.net info@aimsinstitute.net | (206) 420-1321
INTERVIEW by DANIELLE HALLE @SWEET.DEEZY | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
interview
W H O ’ S YOU R FAVO R I T E B U D T E N D E R ? T E L L U S W H Y ! E M A I L N O M I N AT I O N S T O T H E P AC E R S TAC K T R A I N @ G M A I L . C O M
Thomas Richard OREGON LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH HOW DI D YOU F I R ST E X P E R I E N C E CAN NAB I S ? My first experience was when I was around 13-14 years old. Some might feel that is too young, I know, but I had an amazing experience. I instantly fell in love with this plant and its amazing possibilities.
While it’s definitely necessary, I’m not sure how strenuous or regulated the OLCC testing really is. I find that high testing flower - something that tests over 28% tends to be really harsh and not all that enjoyable. Contrast that with something in the high teens or low twenties, which seems to get me just as high if not higher than high “I ALSO LOVE THE percentage flower. MORE ENERGETIC So, for me it always comes back AND CREATIVE to the nose! STRAINS -
HOW LO NG HAV E YOU B E E N A B U D TE N DE R ? WHAT ’ S YOU R FAVO R I TE PART O F T H E J O B ? I’ve only been in the industry for about a year. I do this because I love people! I also love to be able to help people with something that I’m so passionate about. It is a dream come true.
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FAVO R I TE M E T HOD F O R CO N SU M I NG CAN NAB I S ? You know, I’m a fan of every method! But, if I had to choose it would definitely be dabbing some solventless hash rosin with an edible chaser of SDK cookies.
THINGS THAT ARE PERFECT FOR A HIKE OR TRIP TO THE GYM.”
WHAT AR E S O M E O F YOU R FAVO R I TE ST RAI N S , E F F EC TS AN D TE R P E N E P RO F I LE S ? Some of my favorites include Platinum GSC and Dogwalker. These are two of my top alltime strains because of their heavy, sedative effects. I also love the more energetic and creative strains - things that are perfect for a hike or trip to the gym. When it comes to terpene profiles, I prefer myrcene and limonene.
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H OW D O YOU F E E L AB OU T T H E CU R R E N T TE ST I NG R E Q UI R E M E N TS BY T H E O LCC ? D O YOU P U T M UC H FAI T H I N T H C O R C B D P E RC E N TAG E S TO CO N V E Y A ST RAI N ’ S E F F EC TS ?
TREEHOUSE COLLECTIVE is not just one of the oldest dispensaries in Portland - existing well before legalization took hold - it is one of the most tried-and-true places for Cannabis connoisseurs looking for the best quality products currently available. This is one of the few shops left in Portland that truly curates (a verb used too often these days to describe purchasing) their selection. Customers can feel safe purchasing brands they’ve never tried before, knowing that the people behind the counter and in the office are experienced and consume the products. They can also feel safe that they’re getting the right recommendations, as Treehouse employs some of the best budtenders in the biz - case-in-point, this month’s profile.
MAR. 2020
HOW D O YOU F I N D T H E R IG H T ST RAI N S F O R A CUSTO M E R ? For me, it’s all about using your nose. As my favorite extractor BNK (Bo’s Nose Knows) says, “The nose knows.” So, I typically open a few jars to smell - this is something that we still do at Treehouse - and try to get a feel for what the customer likes, and then steer them in that direction.
WHAT MAKES YOU R SHOP’S APP ROACH TO CUSTOMER SERVICE DIFFERENT?
Here at Treehouse Collective we always have a ratio of one budtender per customer/ group. That way, we can ensure a one-on-one and more intimate experience for each of our customers. I think this comes through in our ability to serve people well.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOU R HOBBIES/INTERESTS OUTSIDE THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY? If there’s a chance
to explore or travel - I’m gone! I love music festivals and following Phish on tour. Really, anything that helps me grow and push my boundaries - I’m all in. Life is too short to stay stagnant.
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shop review
ELECTRIC LETTUCE CULTIVARS 5/5
A shock of creative energy from the company that owns Oregon powerhouse Cannabis brands Serra, Farma and Prüf Cultivar, Electric Lettuce does things its own way, and does them right. The shop’s extensive deli-style selection displayed on its flower wall forgoes the common classification system of sativa, indica and hybrid, instead employing its own rules. Customers choose by effect, which Electric Lettuce labels from energetic to relaxed as follows: active, aware, groovy, cosmic, mellow and easy. Sourced from a small number of curated farms, a significant portion of the flower comes from Prüf Cultivar, as well as The Heights and a small stable of other solid producers, such as Deschutes Growery, Ideal Cannabis, 7 Points and Yerba Buena. Look for GMO Cookies and Fatso from The Heights, as well as a 2:1 CBD heavy Astral Works from Prüf - and make sure to ask for some free smells from the helpful, friendly staff.
EDIBLES & WELLNESS
5/5
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Aside from flower, one of the huge draws of this Electric Lettuce location is the vast array of edibles and wellness products on display. A huge selection of high-end Serra branded edibles complements products from Leif Goods, Go Fudge Yourself, Mr. Moxey’s, Wyld, SDK and others. The refrigerated section boasts edibles from Laurie + Maryjane, Enjoy shots, and drinks from Legal, Magic Number and Herban Tribe. Electric Lettuce also carries a full lineup of products from Siskyou Sungrown, High Desert Pure, Luminous Botanicals and more. They even carry the new gel capsule line from Luminous! If you want medication without inhalation, this shop has you covered.
CONCENTRATES 3/5
This Electric Lettuce location doesn’t have the broadest array of concentrates, but what it does have is well-chosen. A selection of dabbables from respected extractors Bobsled, Echo Electuary, Willamette Valley Alchemy, White Label Extracts, Funk Extracts and Elephant Extracts will keep your torch fire burning. Cartridges from Avitas, Mule Extracts, Willamette Valley Alchemy and Buddies in standard 510 threading and PAX pod format will keep you discrete on the street.
ENVIRONMENT
oregonlEAF.COM
5/5
Those of us who came up watching “That 70s Show” will feel right at home at Electric Lettuce. While each shop has its own unique flavor, they are all designed to look like the 1970s basement haven we all wished we had in our houses growing up. Pop culture kitsch and stoner-friendly memorabilia line the shelves and walls, and before long, you feel like taking a seat in one of the midcentury lounge chairs.
OVERALL 18/20
Impeccably conceived, painstakingly curated and professionally staffed, the Rose Quarter location of the Electric Lettuce family of dispensaries is the perfect place to pick up an eighth, preroll pack, or a bagful of edibles ahead of a Blazers game or concert at the Moda Center. Plus, with multiple locations in Portland and the surrounding area, you may be able to find one of their living rooms somewhere close to your own. ELECTRIC LETTUCE // 203 NE WEIDLER ST., PORTLAND (971) 407-3150 | OPEN 10A-9:50P M-SAT. (10A-7P SUN.) ELECTRICLETTUCE.COM @ELECTRICLETTUCE_
MAR. 2020
The shop’s extensive deli-style selection displayed on its flower wall forgoes the common classification system of sativa, indica and hybrid.
Prüf Cultivar
ASTRALWORKS SOME OF US remember days when it was nearly impossible to find CBD heavy Cannabis with jar appeal and a rich terpene profile. But this dense, frosty little flower from Prüf Cultivar fills that AROMA 5/5 void beautifully. A cross between DENSITY 5/5 Harle Tsu and TH1, the Astral Works CURE 5/5 features a bright, fresh aroma, ripe LOOKS 4/5 with terpinolene and limonene top FLAVOR 3/5 notes layered on a myrcene base. EFFECT 5/5 TOTAL 27/30 The floral, fruity aroma shifts gears upon combustion, with a smooth draw and a slight dried cherry note on the finish. Shared in a social setting, this flower melted away any anxiety, leading to energized, positive conversation. It makes sense that this flower is classified under ‘easy’ on the Electric Lettuce menu - it won’t take you to the moon, but it’ll help you chill out enough to spend some time gazing at it. $14.40/gram; 5.9% THC, 11% CBD
Prüf Cultivar
ELECTRICLETTUCE “ROLLYOUROWN” PRE-GROUND CANNABIS WE’RE SUCH FANS of this convenient, pre-ground, pre-packaged “Roll Your Own” concept from Electric Lettuce, that we’re surprised that more companies aren’t doing something similar. Comprising AROMA 5/5 a half-ounce of milled B-buds and FLAVOR 4/5 smalls, this package allows joint EFFECT 5/5 rollers to skip the grinding and get PKGNG 4/5 right to twisting ‘em up. The strain VALUE 5/5 differs depending on the batch, and TOTAL 23/25 pouches are labeled using the shop’s effect-based classifications. Our “Aware” pouch was filled with Divine Lemon (Lemon Jack x Tangie Haze), and “aware” was definitely an accurate description. This beautifully bright, terpy strain offered an intensely positive and uplifting experience, inspiring laughter and flurries of excited conversation in a social setting. Shared in a group setting, it had everyone raving about how exuberant the effects were. $48/14g; 13.4% THC, 0.04% CBD PrufCultivar.com @PrufCultivar
REVIEW by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
shop review BUDTENDER KENNETH BROWN HELPS A CUSTOMER
CULTIVARS 4/5
BCM is budget-strain galore, with not a ton of top shelf product, but excellent options for the bargain hunter. They have a vast amount of flower with various price breaks ranging from $4 up to a max of $10.80 (after tax) per gram. BCM has a bonafide rewards program, with every dollar earning you a point. After you have accrued 250 points, you get a $25 store credit you can apply to anything.
EDIBLES
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4/5
You’ll find a large edible selection with a variety of beverage options. If you leave a review on BCM, you can get a complimentary $1 pre-roll or $2 (50mg) in-house cookie. Not only do they have budget bud, but BCM also has plenty of affordable edibles on deck.
CONCENTRATES 3/5
A fair selection of middle-grade and budget dabs. But there are heady options like Happy Cabbage 6* rosin for hash aficionados. BCM also has a wide variety of vape options from Buddies to Evolved cartridges.
ENVIRONMENT 5/5
I enjoyed the open windows, vaulted ceilings and the airy, ADA accessible showroom. This is a high-volume store with at least three budtenders on the floor, providing kind and professional service without making you feel rushed. I was helped by Ken, who helped me find the flower I was looking for and had excellent product knowledge.
OVERALL
oregonlEAF.COM
16/20
BCM looks like a high end store, but without the expected price tag. I would highly recommend BCM for those on a limited budget looking to get the most for their dollar. There are moments of heady quality on the shelf, but for the most part it’s going to be economy values with decent options. The service is professional and warm, and ideal for those who want to be in-and-out without any fuss. BCM provides medical (OMMP) price breaks and is thorough when working with patients. Students, military and seniors also receive a complimentary 5% off purchases. In short, if you’re looking for the best deals on budget Cannabis, definitely check out BCM for a first class experience. BROADWAY CANNABIS MARKET 427 NW BROADWAY AVE, PORTLAND (503) 212-0608 OPEN 8AM-9:50PM DAILY BROADWAY-CANNABIS.COM @BROADWAYCANNABISMRKT
MAR. 2020
OWNER TONY BIRCH IS ONE OF THE FRIENDLY FACES YOU’LL FIND BEHIND THE COUNTER.
B R O A D W A Y CANNABIS MARKET Right along the edge of Old Town and the Pearl Arts District sits Broadway Cannabis Market, a new dispensary to hit the west side of Portland. Guests are greeted promptly as they enter the airy showroom filled with natural light, which is also ADA accessible for those in need. The store looks like a pricey retailer, but there isn’t a single gram over $10.80 after tax - making this dispensary ideal for grad students like myself, or simply those on a tight weed budget.
WHITE CRUSH Killer Green Bud Farms (Dozidoz x WiFi 43 x Orange Crush)
WHITE CRUSH certainly has the bag appeal of Orange Crush, but with heavier trichome production from the WiFi 43. White Crush is a predominantly THC-heavy strain, with a significant AROMA 4/5 amount of CBG - a cannabinoid with promising anti-inflammatory and anti- DENSITY 4/5 CURE 5/5 bacterial properties. The smoke was LOOKS 4/5 smooth, but the flavor was mild. The FLAVOR 3/5 effect was pleasantly sedative, ideal EFFECT 4/5 for an evening toke when you want to TOTAL 24/30 wind down. $10.80/g, 27.66% THC, .07% CBD, 0.18% CBG | KillerGreenBudFarms.com
THE SHOP IS BRIGHT, AIRY AND WIDELY ACCESSIBLE
Broadway Cannabis Market
CHOCOLATECHIPCOOKIE
BUDTENDER MAC JONES AND MORNING LEAD AARON GAYTAN RESTOCKING INVENTORY
THIS DISTILLATE-INFUSED chocolate chip cookie was crafted in-house by Broadway Cannabis Market. Here we find a truly authentic sweet spot where potency meets value, leaving cookie lovers both high and happy. $4/cookie, 50mg THC
TASTE 4/5 VALUE 5/5 EFFECT 4/5 PKGNG 3/5 TOTAL 16/20
REVIEW by SIMONE FISCHER @SIMONEFISCHERR | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
PREMIUM, SUSTAINABLE, SUN GROWN
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STRAIN OF THE MONTH
1.6% TERPENES 0.36% CARYOPHYLLENE 0.23% MYRENE 0.18% LINALOOL 0.18% LIMONENE 0.15% HUMULENE 0.12% VALENENCE
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oregonlEAF.COM
40
etter known as ‘Zam,’ Zamaldelica is a pure landrace sativa, with origins tracing back to La Reunion Island near Madagascar. This cross of Zamal and Golden Tiger is well known for its psychotropic properties, often giving users a borderline psychedelic effect! Cultivated by NW Artisan, this owner-operated garden consistently holds it down with nostalgic and elusive genetics, all the while focusing on small, craft batches. Upon cracking open a perfectly sealed mason jar, my nose was filled with a tropical aroma, taking my mind to a faraway and warmer place during these colder Oregon months. Sweet and odorous notes of ripe mango, guava and young coconut permeated my nostrils as I quickly broke down a few buds. Each nug is trimmed to perfection, revealing radiant, crystally, frosty AS I FOUND leaves boasting deep and MYSELF STARTING vibrant orange pistils. With TO EXPERIENCE A a perfect cure, each nug TRULY EUPHORIC remains sticky and keeps HEAD HIGH, I terpenes intact - ensuring HAD TO PUT THE the end user a flavorsome JOINT DOWN and delightful smoke. TO COLLECT MY After firing up a gorilla THOUGHTS. finger sized joint, I was quickly put in my place. As I found myself starting to experience a truly euphoric head high, I had to put the joint down to collect my thoughts. With a higher tolerance than most, Zamaldelica presented me with a very powerful and intense effect, unlike other cultivars. It comes as no surprise, as the wide variety and unique combination of terpenes in this strain offer a grand number of effects. Shortly after settling into this new and unparalleled high, I put on some of my favorite live music - The Disco Biscuits - and felt my mind drift into a serenely calm place. Feeling focused and inspired, I rigorously knocked out multiple assignments with a clear mind and an eye on the prize. I would recommend this strain to anyone who enjoys a productive and creative overall effect. Be sure to keep an eye out for NW Artisan’s premium Cannabis pre-rolls hitting the market as well!
MAR. 2020
ZAMA
ALDELICA REVIEW by MAX EARLY @LIFTED_STARDUST | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
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the PSYCHEDELIA issue
PSYCHEDELICS 101 Psilocybin LSD DMT Ibogaine Ketamine
44
There are more than 180 species of mushrooms that contain the psychedelic chemical psilocybin or psilocin. They have a long history of use in Mexico and are currently one of the most popular and commonly available naturally-occurring psychedelics. In recent studies at Johns Hopkins, psilocybin has been found to have beneficial therapeutic results when administered in a proper setting.
oregonlEAF.COM
Family Strophariaceae Genus Psilocybe Species Cubensis, Cyanescens, Semilanceata effects last 8 hours
LSD was discovered in 1938 by a Swiss chemist better known as Albert Hofmann. LSD was originally synthesized to treat respiratory depression. In 1943, Hofmann accidentally discovered its hallucinogenic properties after absorbing some through his skin. Over the next 15 years, LSD was used as an anesthetic and to support psychoanalysis. The counterculture of the 1960s led to it being used for recreational purposes.
dmt is a powerful, visual psychedelic which produces short-acting effects when smoked. It is also used orally in combination with an MAOI, as in ayahuasca brews. DMT is naturally produced in the human body, as well as many plants.
chemical name d-lysergic acid diethylamide effects last 12-16 hours
ibogaine is the active chemical found in the African Tabernanthe Iboga root, as well as several other plant species. It is a strong, longlasting psychedelic used traditionally in a coming of age ritual - but also known for its modern use in treating drug addiction and working through traumatic childhood events.
chemical name N,N-dimethyltryptamine effects last 15-30 minutes (smoked) 8-12 hours (orally)
chemical name 12-methoxyibogamine effects last 12-18 hours
Ketamine is a dissociative psychedelic used medically as an anesthetic. In recent studies, it has been shown that ketamine could have the potential to be a newer and faster path to treating depression. Ketamine may also have potential for treating other mental illnesses, as a preliminary clinical trial reported that ketamine reduced the severity of symptoms in patients with PTSD.
chemical name 2-(2-chlorophenyl)2-(methylamino)-cyclohexanone effects last 45-60 minutes
SOURCES: EROWID.ORG/PSYCHOACTIVES | MEDICALNEWSTODAY.COM
MAR. 2020
STORY by MAX EARLY @LIFTED_STARDUST for LEAF NATION
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the PSYCHEDELIA issue
PSYCHONAUTS
46
oregonlEAF.COM
how the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research is evolving our knowledge on the beneficial uses of psychedelics
THE MIND is a universe unto itself. At once nebulous and ordered. Chaotic and principled. Bordered and seemingly infinite. Those who attempt to traverse and map the universe of the mind via psychedelics go by an informal name: psychonauts. If those who experiment with psychedelics are astronauts of the psyche, then the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research is the NASA of innerspace. In the year 2000, this small but dedicated group of scientists - led by Dr. Roland Griffiths at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland - became the first group to gain regulatory approval from the federal government to conduct psychedelic experiments on volunteers. Since then, they have administered hundreds of doses of psilocybin - yes, the ‘magic’ in magic mushrooms - to willing subjects in order to measure the therapeutic efficacy of hallucinogens in treating several disorders and issues faced by patients. We connected with Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu and Dr. Matthew Johnson with Johns Hopkins’ Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit in February to learn what life is like on the leading edge of psychedelic psychotherapy.
MAR. 2020
Following Osmond, the science around psychedelic therapy took a radical turn, with the teachings and experiments of Dr. Richard Alpert (Ram Dass) and Dr. Timothy Leary, who became To understand exactly what the team at Johns Hopkins icons for the psychedelic movement in the 1960s. hopes to accomplish, it’s important to first understand the “In the broader culture, you have all of this counterculture roots of the psychedelic therapy movement. stuff going on,” Garcia-Romeu said. “You start to see a different shift as some of these psychedelics started to come out of the The journey began decades ago, many say with the introduclab and find more recreational usage.” tion of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), first synthesized in 1938 The effect of what many considered to be a mental and spiriand experienced by Dr. Albert Hofmann in 1943. tual awakening started to change American culture. “One of the ways that he did that was accidentally ingesting “I think it kind of came to a crescendo, where you have all of a very tiny amount, and noticing these effects,” Garcia-Romeu this turbulence going on, where you have this 1950s, suburban said. “Most drugs we take in milligrams, and LSD we take in housewife, conservative culture, and then you have the anti-war, (significantly smaller) micrograms. That all of a sudden becivil rights and women’s rights movements starting to emerge,” comes a very interesting compound.” Garcia-Romeu said. In those early days, the term to deThe movement was forced under“Guiding people scribe LSD and similar compounds was ground in 1970, with Nixon and the through these types ‘psychotomimetic,’ which refers to the Controlled Substances Act - which crepotential to mimic symptoms commonly ated the scheduling system which drugs of sessions is a associated with psychosis - such as seecontinue to be classified under today. unique and intimate ing things that aren’t there. This broadly Nixon’s policies were built specifically experience.” accepted term was eventually challenged to stamp out the radical, free thought DR. ALBERT GARCIA-ROMEU by Humphrey Osmond, whose studies led momentum in the anti-war and civil him to believe that while LSD and similar rights movements, “by getting the public compounds possess the potential to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, to inspire actions that resemble and then criminalizing both heavily,” as Nixon’s domestic policy psychotic behavior, these effects chief, John Ehrlichman, famously admitted in 1994. Mary P. Cosimano, are secondary at best. “That was kind of the beginning of the end of the research MSW, left, and “Psychoanalysis resembles that was going on,” Garcia-Romeu said. “It wasn’t necessarily Albert GarciaGalileo’s telescope, which lets one because there were huge risks that were going on with these Romeu, Ph.D., right, see a somewhat magnified image drugs. It was because of the social climate at the time.” reenact a psilocybin of an object the wrong way round Sanctioned research into psychedelics came to a grinding therapy session at and upside down,” Osmond wrote halt in the United States. No one would touch it. the Department in his 1957 research paper, A That is, until scientists like Griffiths and his colof Psychiatry and Review of the Clinical Effects of leagues at Johns Hopkins reopened the doors of Behavioral Sciences Psychotomimetic Agents. “The perception in 2000. at Johns Hopkins telescope changed our whole idea “I think that our generation is much more excited Medicine, Feb. 14, of the solar system and revolutionand open to the possibility of psychedelics as med2020 in Baltimore. ized navigation.” ical treatments, or even as spiritual sacraments,” Psilocybin, LSD and other simGarcia-Romeu said. ilarly classified agents, Osmond said, “are more like the radar “If you go back in history, the original uses of telescopes now being built to scan the deeps of outer, invisible psychedelics were in indigenous cultures.” space. They are not convenient. One cannot go bird watching At the time of this writing, the Johns Hopkins team with them. They explore a tiny portion of an enormous void. has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles They raise more questions than answers, and to understand on its findings and has helped volunteer subjects those answers we must invent new languages. What we learn tackle an array of psychological issues. >> is not reassuring or even always comprehensible. Like astronomers, however, we must change our thinking to use the potentialities of our new instruments.” These early findings led Osmond to coin the term ‘psychedelic,’ which began to replace psychotomimetic as the accepted term for these hallucinogenic compounds. “That shifted the whole classification of the drug class,” Garcia-Romeu said of this redefinition. “This was all happening because of these strait-laced, nerdy scientists.”
T H E H I G H H U R D L E O F H I S TO R Y
Researchers believe Psilocybin offers patients the ability to open up and confront themselves.
STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS | PHOTOS by ERIC KAYNE @PHOTOKAYNE
the PSYCHEDELIA issue oregonlEAF.COM
48
Continued from pg. 47
PSYCHONAUTS B E YO N D T H E V E I L Relegated to the underground without legal, peer-reviewed scientific research to temper public opinion, psychedelics fell prey to Nixon and Reagan era propaganda campaigns which set the tone for how the mainstream viewed the compounds - setting them up as dangerous, unhinged, kaleidoscopic party drugs in the minds of the inexperienced. Recreational use will always be around, but the researchers at Johns Hopkins won’t be taking volunteers to a sunrise EDM show anytime soon. They aim for a well-controlled, clinical approach designed to elicit empirically measurable, therapeutically beneficial results. “Guiding people through these types of sessions is a unique and intimate experience,” Garcia-Romeu said, speaking to his participation in guiding more than 90 sessions to date. “Much of the crucial groundwork takes place in the weeks before the session. During that time, it’s important to form a solid working relationship that allows people to feel safe and comfortable diving into the experience and fully letting go. This includes a period of life review, so that we are aware of the major formative events, key relationships, life values and overall worldview of the person we’re working with - which hopefully helps them to feel seen and understood in a way that facilitates deeper explorations of these themes that may occur in the altered state that psilocybin can induce.” After laying this groundwork, the team sets the scene for the subject, Professor Matthew W. though it’s less about creating an Johnson, Ph.D., above, and external setting, and more about Albert Garcia-Romeu, Ph.D., creating a comfortable environment right, at the Department of for an internal scene to unfold in the Psychiatry and Behavioral mind. Sciences at Johns Hopkins “During the sessions we don’t do Medicine, Feb. 14, 2020 in much ‘guiding’ really, we take a Baltimore, Maryland. largely non-directive approach that involves the person lying on a couch with eyes covered ... and listening to a program of music,” Garcia-Romeu said. “We check in to make sure the person is doing okay and that their vitals are within normal range, but if that’s all fine, we typically just sit back and let the experience unfold, which can be a pretty intense inner journey that the person then fills us in on when the drug effects begin wearing off.” Sessions can range from psychologically challenging experiences such as fear, anxiety, and the unearthing of uncomfortable thoughts and memories - to profound feelings of love, gratitude, and interconnectedness with all existence, Garcia-Romeu says. “Not only are all these possibilities, but someone can have an experience that encompasses many or all of these flavors in a single session, and it’s hard to tell beforehand how this will unfold,” he said. “For that reason, we really emphasize going into the session with a sense of openness and acceptance for whatever comes up.” Sometimes, experiences can grow too intense for subjects, and they begin to manifest what’s commonly referred to as a ‘bad trip.’ Here, Johns Hopkins developed ways to bring subjects back to safe mental spaces within the clinical setting. “In the minority of cases where we do see strong fear or anxiety,” Garcia-Romeu said, “we would take a more hands on approach to reassure the person they are safe, that what they are experiencing is only temporary and will be over soon, and help them to feel more grounded and centered - for instance by adjusting the music volume, removing the eyeshades, bringing some water, doing breathing exercises, or providing physical reas-
MAR. 2020
surance like a hand on the shoulder or a hand to hold.” Volunteers usually experience some sort of revelation or positive changebecause of this process, though it often comes after the trip itself. In the weeks after the session day, the staff reviews the experience with subjects, in order to unearth lessons and longer term positive changes. “I find it can be helpful to think of this as a process similar to renovating a house,” Garcia-Romeu said. “There’s a lot of careful planning leading up to this, where people take stock of their lives, identify what’s of value to them, and make sure it’s packed up safely ahead of any major demolition. The drug session days can be like that demolition day, where in a relatively short duration, dramatic changes occur, walls come down, hidden passages are revealed, and new doorways can appear. Then afterward comes the laborious process of picking up the pieces and putting things in their right place.” According to Garcia-Romeu, volunteer psychonauts find themselves letting go of grudges, forgiving themselves for past transgressions, and unchaining themselves from damaging belief patterns. The experiment administrators often have their own moments, as well. “In witnessing and facilitating this process I often have my own ‘a-ha’ moments, like, ‘I should really make an effort to spend more time with and be nicer to my parents or siblings,’ or, ‘I’ve been harboring anger about X for a long time and should really do something to express this appropriately and work through it, rather than letting it fester,’” Garcia-Romeu said. “Some of the other more cosmic revelations seem oddly trite in comparison. A big feeling that people often come away with is this ‘All is One’ theme, which I wholeheartedly embrace as part of my own spiritual life as a mystic. But I think the messy human questions around how to live that out is usually where the rubber meets the road and a lot of the work takes place.” Johnson, a professor with the team whom Garcia-Romeu describes as
his mentor, feels the same way. “It’s more common for folks to have benefits related to topics they have already been struggling with - that they have known to be issues lurking in the basement, but just seem to never fully address them in the day-to-day grind of life,” Johnson said. “I think the ‘nature of reality’ stuff comes along for the ride, but my strong impression is that folks more or less come out of sessions with the same overall worldview they came in with - with maybe some minor modifications around the edges in some cases. I’m talking about belief in God or religion, belief in an afterlife, etc. But this doesn’t seem to be what’s driving the bus. It’s the day-to-day lessons about their life that make the difference.” It’s revelations of this psychological and interpersonal nature that the Johns Hopkins team focuses on with its research into the effect of psilocybin on depression, self-destructive habits and other real-world human challenges. “If the data continues to look promising, I anticipate psychedelics to be a game changer in psychiatry with efficacy across a number of disorders,” Johnson said. “Compared to traditional psychiatric medications, these treatments prompt psychotherapeutic process, which can in some cases constitute cures rather than just symptom reduction. And I anticipate that beyond therapeutics, they will be incredibly powerful tools for understanding the interface between brain and psychology.”
A T R I P B Y A N Y OT H E R N A M E At this point, the team at Johns Hopkins mainly works with psilocybin for its psychotherapy trials. There are a few reasons for this, some of which are societal, and some logistical. “It’s not spelled LSD, that’s one of the main reasons,” Garcia-Romeu
said when asked why their team focuses on psilocybin. “With LSD, there’s all this additional baggage of the counterculture of the 1960s. But you still get similar effects to LSD, and what’s better, you get them in an 8-hour window, not a 12-hour window.” That time factor plays a major role in choosing mushrooms as the starting point. Considering that the subjects must be monitored leading up to and through the trip, all the way through the comedown phase, it simply makes less sense, logistically, to experiment with LSD. A psilocybin trip means an 8-hour workday, whereas it would take up to16 hours for a researcher to properly guide an LSD experience. Contrary to popular misconception, both compounds are physiologically safe, and have no physical danger of lethal overdose, Garcia-Romeu reports, though they can have intense psychological effects. “You can take too much, and that will have temporarily mind-altering effects, but those will go away over time,” he said. “You’d have to eat an enormous amount of mushrooms in order to reach a toxicity level that might be harmful, physically.” They’ve done basic research into other hallucinogenic substances, such as salvia and dextromethorphan, but haven’t ventured into psychotherapy with those compounds. “We give it to people and see what it does to their heart rate, and see what it does to their brain state,” Garcia-Romeu said. “We’re not necessarily looking into the efficacy of those compounds yet.” Considering their successes with psilocybin, Johnson says the team at Johns Hopkins plans to experiment with the psychotherapeutic efficacy of other psychedelics in the future. Next on the list are LSD, DMT and 5-MeODMT, the latter two of which Garcia-Romeu says offers considerable effect in a comparably brief timespan when administered properly. The way Garcia-Romeu sees it, the work they are doing will hopefully lead to more effective, more humane treatments for mental health conditions. “They’ll shock your brain,” he said, referring to traditional treatments. “They’ll give people medications. They’ll put you in electroshock therapy. That’s how far they’ll go if their medicines won’t work…So why not try giving someone MDMA to get over their post-traumatic stress? What if it works?” Johnson sees another challenge of a more personal nature facing psychedelic psychotherapists: Staying grounded. “People have many philosophical ideas about what these experiences are, whether a glimpse into the nature of reality, something supernatural or religious, a materialist tinkering of the nervous system that can nonetheless be helpful in some cases,” Johnson said. “To stay grounded, we need to be agnostic about this and let patients make their own interpretations … There is a great gravity for folks to get sucked into playing guru, shaman, or priest ... but for mental health professionals, we need to stay grounded, be flexible, and not impose our personal non-empirical beliefs on the process.”
VOLUNTEER FOR THE FLIGHT CREW With growing political force behind the legalization of psychedelics - particularly psilocybin mushrooms - further peer reviewed, placebo controlled research into the subject is of paramount importance. If this interests you, Johns Hopkins is currently accepting volunteers through its website, www.HopkinsPsychedelic.org. They can also be found at Facebook.com/JHPsychedelics and on Twitter @JHPsychedelics. “We are recruiting locally for studies on quitting smoking, depressed mood in early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, and anorexia,” Johnson said. “We’ll have more studies to come in the next year or two, including treatment of psychological aspects of post-treatment Lyme disease, opioid addiction, PTSD and alcoholism.” If someone’s struggling with mental obstacles or destructive behavior, they want to help. In turn, volunteer psychonauts can help Johns Hopkins forge the path to help more people in the future. Who knows? On a long enough timeline, FDA approval of psychedelics may be on the table. “I won’t hold my breath until it happens,” Garcia-Romeu said, “but things are looking really good right now. For the first time since the Controlled Substances Act, you have clinical trials to test whether MDMA or psilocybin have medical value. These are the last hurdles before the FDA approves something for medical usage. … We hope this [will] turn the tide. With the data we’re going to collect and publish in the next five years, we believe we believe we’ll be able to find out how and in what conditions psychedelics can be medically useful.”
STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS | PHOTOS by ERIC KAYNE @PHOTOKAYNE
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the PSYCHEDELIA issue
PAUL STAMETS STAMETS’ “Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World” is the go-to reference guide for anyone looking for mushrooms with mind-altering properties in the wild.
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Mycological Evangelist
oregonlEAF.COM
Just a few years ago, the name Paul Stamets was known only amongst an insular group of scientists known as mycologists, or those who study mushrooms. Now, he’s arguably the most famous ‘mushroom person’ on the planet, thanks to the West’s increased interest in mushrooms as medicine. I SAY THE WEST because in eastern cultures mushrooms have always been a source of medicinal benefit, but in Europe in the middle ages (thanks to a lot of bad science and medicine) the idea of mushrooms as anything other than a vegetable decreased significantly. Now, thanks to Stamets, all of that is changing. Paul Stamets is a Pacific Northwesterner. Born in Salem, Ohio, his Fungi Perfecti business - which cultivates and sells a variety of medicinal mushrooms - is located in Olympia, Washington. Stamets is far more than just an entrepreneur, though. He’s also a leading researcher of mushroom habitat, production and medicinal use. And yes, that medicinal use does include the use of psychedelic mushrooms for the benefit of human sanity and altered consciousness.
MAR. 2020
In 1996, Stamets published the first guide to finding psychedelic mushrooms in the modern world. His “Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World” is the go-to reference guide for anyone looking for mushrooms with mind-altering properties in the wild. In 2017, Stamets made a now-famous appearance on the Joe Rogan show where he described one of his more interesting instances of finding psilocybin mushrooms in an urban environment. Much to his surprise, they were growing in mulch at a police substation at the University of Washington in Seattle. He and a friend discovered them and collected them patiently (while waiting for periods in-between for police cruisers to leave). Taking these mushrooms had a heavy effect on Stamets - one where he had a vision of dead cattle. And weeks later he would experience the same scene: dead cattle due to extreme flooding near his cabin east of Seattle. Stamets believes that this experience was an immersion in the multiverse due to the psychedelic experience. But psychedelia isn’t the end-all-be-all of Stamets’ research, far from it. Stamets is somewhat of a ‘mycological evangelist,’ sharing with the
world his ideas and research of how fungi can help save humanity from itself. He’s been credited with discovering four new mushroom species and holds eight patents. Stamets still works as somewhat of an outsider, where he funds his own research and often shares views that are far flung and outside of the scientific establishment - but surprisingly often, correct. According to Stamets, mushrooms have a myriad of more applications beyond being used for altered states of consciousness. Indeed, they can help humans and the planet we live on in diverse ways. From helping with mental health issues, to supporting our immune system, to helping to cure specific auto-immune disorders, and even cancer.
Stamets believes that mushrooms can help to restore bee populations, and to help in restoring our planet’s damaged biodiversity. And then there’s perhaps one of the most important for our world today the idea that mushrooms can clean up industrial waste and oil spills. Much of the details on these ideas can be found and summarized nicely in his famous TED Talk “Six Ways Mushrooms Can Save the World,” which has been viewed more than three million times. STORY by PACER STACKTRAIN for LEAF NATION
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TRIPPIEST EXPERIENCES
MAR. 2020
the PSYCHEDELIA issue
Leaf Nation staff & contributors reflect on their most surreal seshes
THE YEAR WAS 2012 and I was already more than several years into my relationship with Mary Jane. At the time, the Cannabis I often consumed came from a local OMMP grower who frequently left me with a few extra goodies. On one particular occasion, he presented me with one of his wife’s famous cookies and warned me of their potency. Basking in the glow of my 20-year-old arrogance, I gobbled the entire thing. What I experienced for the next five to six hours can only be described as psychedelic. I wandered through my house taking in the psilocybin-like effects. My visual experience resembled waves and standing up straight wasn’t an option. I finally gave in to gravity and fell face first into the couch. Attempting to sleep it off was my only hope - or so I thought. Instead, I laid there in a dizzy misery for several hours, with plenty of time to respect the madwoman behind that formidable confection. -Amanda Day @Terpodactyl_Media THE YEAR IS 1996. The setting: a college dorm suite in Western Pennsylvania. My friends and I had been smoking the predominant type of Cannabis that people smoked back in the mid 90s - a compressed, seedy ‘Mexican schwag’ of dubious origin. Who knows how many awful pesticides we consumed thanks to the failed war on drugs?
REMEMBER BEFORE any of us knew what a milligram was concerning an edible dosage? Those were some fun times - the days of uniting with your buddies after school, scrounging up any money possible, and putting it all together to find whatever ganja that was currently available. This takes me back to a certain time and place when I was 16-years-old and had my first opportunity to make cannabutter. After being put on by an older friend with the technique, I was eager to craft my first batch of Cannabis infused sweets. I then went to the grocery store and picked up a few of my favorite cereals: Fruity Pebbles, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Trix. From there, it was back to the house to concoct what is now known as Ganja Goo Balls - a combination of marshmallows, cereal and canna-butter. After eating a treat or two, and licking the spoon maybe one too many times, my head started to spin out of control. I quickly made my way to the couch, where I found myself struggling to keep my eyes open as South Park blasted in the background. I then felt my body float to the kitchen, where I stuffed my face with almost a full box of Oreos. After settling into this brand new high, my buddies and I appropriately threw on “Half Baked” and laughed the night away. -Max Early @Lifted_Stardust
As we got more and more into Cannabis, doors started to open up to ‘the good stuff.’ At that time, high grade Cannabis was called ‘kind bud’ and to us it was the stuff of dreams. These were uncompressed, beautiful buds that looked like just about anything middle-of-the-road that you’d find in a dispensary nowadays.
MY TRIPPIEST weed experience dates back to my sophomore year of high school in Massachusetts. My friend Jordan and I had just picked up a bag from someone we knew through a friend. We snuck down to the basement to grab Jordan’s dad’s pipe out of his stash box, smoking a few bowls out back by the garage.
The particular strain of kind bud we were smoking that night we knew little about. It was called Old Man and was said to be grown somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains south of us. Its effects, however, were otherworldly.
Within about 10 minutes of smoking we both began to feel pretty weird, nothing like anything we’d smoked or felt before.
The stuff came on quick after a few bong rips and before we knew it, we were all locked to the couch. Then the hallucinations started. “What was that?” I asked. It sounded like an elephant had entered the apartment! Turned out it was just my roommate walking down the hallway. Colors were intensified, laughter ensued - and it remains to this day, the trippiest experience of my Cannabis life. -Pacer Stacktrain @thepacerstacktrain
From what I remember, we were convinced our vision had gone to black and white and that we could feel our bones through our skin. We attempted to mitigate the situation with a bowl of Cheerios, but were hardly able to eat any since we were so high and paranoid. I ended up falling asleep sprawled across the basement floor, while my buddy somehow made it into his bed. No further purchases were made from this dealer. -Will Ferguson @_710dencies
“Mushrooms are cinematic in the sense that you perceive time and your surroundings through a colorful and stimulating lens.” RATHER THAN giving you juicy details of my over-consumption of psilocybin, I’d rather write about the best times I’ve had with my favorite psychedelic pastime. Back in 2012 and 2013, I was an avid music festival goer and attended the (now cancelled) Sasquatch! Music Festival. I was with my best friend and we probably went through an ounce of mushrooms during the four-day festival. The psilocybin helped reduce my mild agoraphobia and kept me sane around a crowd that was fucked up for four days. If you didn’t already know this, music is especially heavenly on mushrooms. But music combined with lights and visuals made the experience hilarious and transcendent. Mushrooms are cinematic in the sense that you perceive time and your surroundings through a colorful and stimulating lens. I feel like I can see through people on mushrooms, almost like a heightened intuition where I can feel peoples’ hidden motivations. To be honest, I believe I have superpowers whenever I take shrooms. -Simone Fischer @SimoneFischerr
STORIES by LEAF NATION CONTRIBUTORS | ILLUSTRATION by FRANK BONILLA/CREATIVE COMMONS
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ANXIETY & IBOGAINE THERAPY For as long as I can remember, anxiety has always manifested itself in me in some way. Whether it was ordering a burger as a child and being unable to make eye contact with the waiter, or simply feeling uncomfortable in situations out of my control, anxiety has always been present in my life. used as an alternative medicine treatment for drug LIKE MOST souls struggling with mental illness, I addiction in some countries, as it has been proven tried to find comfort from this disorder in any way to also facilitate psychological introspection and that I could. Some of the most popular anti-anxiety spiritual exploration. drugs for immediate relief are benzodiazepines such After flying into San Diego, I was met by a driver as Xanax, Klonopin and Valium. who facilitates the transfer of getting patients to the Around the age of 18, I had my first experience treatment facility in Tijuana. with a benzodiazepine after having what felt like a During our two hour drive from California to Mexheart attack (little did I know I was having an anxiety ico, I had no idea what I was in for and the transforattack). From that point forward, every time I had mations that were to come. what I now know as generalized anxiety, I convinced As I settled into what would be my home for the myself that I needed this medication to continue my next week, I slowly started putting together the pieces day without any additional internal disruptions. and created a list of reasons and intentions of why After a rocky and unhealthy relationship with I was there to begin with. I was asked to curate this Xanax over five years, which ultimately led me to a list in hopes that it would better sense of numbness and lack of help guide me during what is connection, I knew a change “In this space, known as “the trip from hell.” had to be made - a healthy I was no longer While most ceremonies or change for myself in order to connected to treatments tend to be done in live a meaningful life. a more natural environment In November of 2018 I my internal and are performed by shaembarked on my journey to monologue, but mans, the facility I attended Tijuana, Mexico for ibogaine was speaking to was fully staffed with on-call therapy, in hopes of finding out an unfamiliar doctors and nurses in case what caused me these great voice that anything were to go south. levels of anxiety, and how I Following a series of blood could potentially find a better seemed to be a tests and heart scans, I was way to live my day-to-day life higher power.” ready to commence what without the use of benzodiazwould be a life-changing epines. experience. I was then laid To give a little back story down in a bed with all of the on ibogaine, traditionally lights turned off, when the the root barks of the iboga attending doctor started to tree from which ibogaine is walk me through what I may extracted, was first discovered experience throughout the by the Pygmy tribes of Central night ahead. Africa hundreds of years ago. Nothing that he said could Ibogaine is still used today in have prepared me for what their culture in the transformawas next. Following the ingestion process while helping turn tions of two large capsules, young boys into men. “The West African med icinal plant iboga I started to feel the effects of Moving forward into today’s reveals truly wide-ranging potential to treat the ibogaine take hold. day and age, ibogaine is now multi-substance add iction.” -PsychedelicTimes.com
MAR. 2020
As this was a rather unfamiliar feeling to me, I was unsure as to what I was feeling exactly, or the possibility that it was just a placebo effect. About what felt like an hour after ingesting said capsules, I was now sure that these effects were no longer a placebo. I had fully transcended into another level of consciousness and existence. In this space, I was no longer connected to my internal monologue, but was speaking to an unfamiliar voice that seemed to be a higher power. Additionally, I was able to connect with a handful of friends that unfortunately are no longer physically here. I was rest assured that they were all in a better place, now watching over and protecting me. Though I tried deeply to connect and ask questions to those friends of the past, they reminded me that this experience was about me, and shortly after I began to start fighting all of my internal demons. During my experience, I was met with a vast majority of my self-doubts, insecurities, and reasons for benzodiazepine use. These were some of the most anxiety-ridden and terrifying moments of my life and existence. Throughout my 20s, I had used benzodiazepines as a coping mechanism to numb myself and try to hide from the world after feeling an unmanageable amount of anxiety. Overall, what I proved to myself during these 12 hours of hell, is that I am stronger than the drug that once ruled my life. And most importantly, that if I can get through an experience as intense as one like this without pharmaceutical medication, I can probably get through day-today life without it as well! I currently have been free of benzodiazepines for two years and counting, and owe a big majority of my transcendence to ibogaine. It is a great aid in fighting addiction, but without my self perseverance and dedication to that path of recovery, I am unsure that I would still be alive today. If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, I highly recommend looking into ibogaine therapy as an alternative to the typical rehab route.
STORY by ANONYMOUS
the PSYCHEDELIA issue oregonlEAF.COM
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DOSED “Dosed,” a new documentary by Golden Teacher Films, follows a young Canadian woman, Adrianne, as she seeks recovery from depression and opioid addiction through psychedelic plant medicine. Through the lens of Adrianne’s friend and film director Tyler Chandler, “Dosed” gives us an in-depth view of what many go through while fighting opioid addiction - from the risks of fentanyl poisoning to the crippling self-image that keeps many from successfully finding recovery after addiction.
The film follows Adrianne after her decision to explore psychedelics as a possible path to recovery. Adrianne undergoes various psychedelic treatments, including psilocybin mushrooms and later ibogaine - a root sourced from Africa that produces a profound psychedelic experience. This story highlights the reality that the lives of addicts do not always fit the typical stereotypes in our heads. Adrianne’s well-manicured appearance and stylish ensembles do not fit the disordered physical appearance that many people associate with heavy addiction. Adrianne, who has lived in both rehabilitation centers and her parents’ separate houses over the course of her recovery, explains that the only difference between her and the addicts slumped over in alleys is that she has a family who continues to make sacrifices to keep her off the streets. This film also showcases the sheer humanity and ugliness associated with deep addiction. The film spares nothing, as there are scenes of Adrianne having tumultuous emotional episodes and even vomiting up methadone pills to collect and save for later. Peppered throughout the film are a few interviews from respected leaders in the field of psychedelic medicine, including world-renowned mycologist Paul Stamets. Stamets shared a poignant comment about “Dosed” at a recent screening in Olympia, saying, “A lot of us see the problem with opioid addiction on the streets of Olympia. You can’t avoid it. And the movie touches a lot of our own receptors in our community, because I think PTSD is something that ramifies not only with the addicts, but through the families and the communities. I think we all are suffering from that.” This film leaves viewers with a profound understanding of the inconspicuous but ever-pervasive corruption that is opioid addiction, highlighting that this epidemic goes much deeper than simply impacting the troubled individuals we see on the streets. This movie is highly recommended to those seeking a deeper understanding of addiction and an awareness of some of the natural, out-of-the-box remedies that exist. During a time where our society is grappling with the substantial impact of opioid addiction, “Dosed” provides us with an awareness that this crippling addiction can be treated through natural means. “Dosed” has not yet been officially released for purchase or streaming, but the filmmakers have been on a global screening tour for the past several months. Screenings have been held in the Pacific Northwest as recently as February 2020. Stay tuned for more screenings and release details at DosedMovie.com or follow along on Instagram @DosedMovie.
“During a time where our society is grappling with the substantial impact of opioid addiction, “Dosed” provides us with an awareness that this crippling addiction can be treated through natural means.”
H E A T H E R D A G L E Y is a Cannabis writer who writes about the benefits of intentional Cannabis use on her blog, Bud & Blossom. Heather shares how she has used Cannabis and selfcare to achieve optimal self-connection, health, and happiness - and how you can, too! You can find Heather’s blog at budandblossom.blog and follow her on Instagram @bud_n_blossom
mar. 2020
REVIEW by HEATHER DAGLEY for LEAF NATION
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the PSYCHEDELIA issue
“ Now that the FDA has finally taken the first big step in normalizing the use of psychedelics by approving the first large scale clinical trials, where can we go from here?”
Psychedelics
as medicine
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For the second time in a year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated psilocybin therapy as “breakthrough therapy,” an action that is meant to accelerate the typically sluggish process of drug development and review. This fresh look at psychedelics by the medical profession is not a completely new development. In March 2019, the FDA approved a nasal spray depression treatment for treatment-resistant patients based on esketamine, a substance related to ketamine - better known for its use as an anesthetic and also been used as an illicit party drug and animal tranquilizer.
P
ursuant to the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970 and state laws, both marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are classified as hallucinogenic substances. Drugs, chemicals, and other substances intended for human consumption are classified by the Drug Enforcement Agency into five distinct schedules depending upon a variety of factors, such as acceptable medical use and the drug’s abuse or dependency potential. Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Other drugs listed in the DEA’s Schedule I hallucinogenic substances classification include well-known illicit substances such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), psilocybin, phencyclidine (PCP) and mescaline. This category is commonly split into two smaller categories: classic hallucinogens (such as LSD) and dissociative substances (such as PCP). Both types of hallucinogens can cause hallucinations, or sensations and images that seem real though they are not. But does a drug that creates an alteration of perception necessarily mean that it is a psychedelic? Both psychedelics and Cannabis can produce mind-altering effects. But the effects produced by psy-
chedelics and the effects produced by Cannabis are fundamentally different at the molecular level. Drugs such as LSD, DMT (the active ingredient in ayahuasca), and psilocybin contain naturally occurring neurotransmitters that produce serotonin, a mood regulator, and dopamine - associated with the reward center in our brains. On the other hand, THC, the psychoactive molecule in Cannabis that induces the mind-altering effect, also interacts with dopamine, which can lead to feelings of euphoria. THC differs in that it interacts with the body’s own endocannabinoid system, helping to maintain the health and wellness balance (homeostasis). Moreover, Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that contains more than 100 organic molecules with a variety of psychoactive and non-psychoactive effects. The full effect from the compounds in Cannabis are elicited from the large variety of molecules that occur within the bud of the plant. There are two methods for determining whether a substance has psychedelic properties: a binder test and an effects test. The first method is based upon a molecular analysis of where in the human body the neurotransmitter binds and causes its effect on the brain and the body. In the molecular analysis, scientists look at the neurotransmitter receptors and will classify a drug as psychedelic if it binds to serotonin 5-HT2A receptors as an agonist or partial agonist. The possibility also exists that other serotonin receptors may be involved in the overall psychedelic experience of a user. THC and other compounds in Cannabis create their effects by binding as agonists or partial agonists on the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. Interestingly, scientists experimenting with THC recently have found evidence that THC can have a noticeable effect on the 5-HT2A receptors, further adding to the mounting evidence of Cannabis being a psychedelic drug based on receptor binding. In the practical effects analysis, scientists compare the practical effects of the drug on the person experiencing effects to classically considered psychedelic effects. If a compound meets the criteria for either or both, then it may properly be termed psychedelic. In 1964, psychedelic researcher and advocate Timothy Leary, along with colleagues Ralph Metzner and Richard Alpert, developed a scale for measuring the intensity of a psychedelic experience. Based on its effects, they included marijuana as a psychedelic in their analysis. The researchers said the effects of moderate to high doses of Cannabis included synesthesia, enhanced perception of music, visual effects (including patterns) with the eyes closed, the emergence of unconscious emotions, and unrestrained creative and abstract thought patterns. Now that the FDA has finally taken the first big step in normalizing the use of psychedelics by approving the first large scale clinical trials, where can we go from here? While current policies characterize any use of these substances as illicit abuse, approving such trials demonstrates that the FDA is capable of change. Psychedelic medicine may be the lever that moves drug policy away from the days of the drug war, in favor of more nuanced strategies that harness the benefits of psychedelic drugs while minimizing their risks.
Since 2008, Mike Rothman has counseled clients regarding Cannabis laws and regulations as the founder and principal of the Medical Cannabis Law Group and the Law Office of Mike Rothman in Rockville, Maryland. Mr. Rothman has testified on Cannabis laws and regulations before the Maryland House of Delegates, taught classes, and lobbied the federal government on behalf of patients and businesses. Mr. Rothman’s Law Office focuses on criminal defense, including use of the medical Cannabis defense.
MAR. 2020
COLUMN by MIKE ROTHMAN, ATTORNEY & PRINCIPAL | MEDICAL CANNABIS LAW GROUP
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RECIPES
HAPPY & HIGH
DRINKS
62
MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE SERVES 2
1½ TABLESPOONS CHOCOLATE SYRUP 1-2 TEASPOONS CANNA-BUTTER, ROOM TEMP ¼ CUP + 2 TABLESPOONS INSTANT DARK HOT CHOCOLATE MIX 2 SMALL PINCHES CHILI POWDER (OPTIONAL) ½ CUP WHOLE MILK, HEATED UNTIL WARM TO THE TOUCH 1½ CUPS WATER, HEATED UNTIL WARM TO THE TOUCH 2 WHOLE CINNAMON STICKS (OR 1 TSP. GROUND CINNAMON) WHIPPED CREAM INSTRUCTIONS 1. In a saucepot, over low-medium heat, combine chocolate syrup, canna-butter, dark chocolate hot chocolate mix, and chili powder. 2. Pour warmed milk over top and mix until well combined. 3. Slowly pour warmed water into milk chocolate and whisk to combine. 4. Once completely combined, warm over low heat, for two to three minutes. 5. Evenly pour into two mugs, top with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon or cayenne.
What a fabulous indulgence. Hot chocolate is not just for cold kids anymore.
mar. 2020
DATE MARTINI SERVES 2
2 CUPS ALMOND MILK 12 PITTED DATES 1 BANANA, PEELED AND SLICED ½ CUP ALMOND BUTTER 2 TEASPOONS CANNA-BUTTER OR CANNA-OIL 4 TABLESPOONS HONEY OR MAPLE SYRUP, DIVIDED ¼ CUP SLICED ALMONDS, FINELY CHOPPED INSTRUCTIONS 1. Place the first five ingredients and half the sweetener in the blender. 2. Place the remaining sweetener on a small flat plate. 3. Place the finely chopped almonds on a separate plate. 4. Take the first glass and run the rim through the sweetener, followed by the almonds. If uneven repeat the process. 5. Blend the smoothie and carefully pour into the glasses.
THESE THREE DRINKS
If you have not tried Golden Milk, now is the time. You won’t be sorry and you will be high.
will keep you high and happy while waiting for Spring. Well, waiting for 4/20. It can be
GOLDEN DELIGHT SMOOTHIE
a long wait - may these recipes
SERVES 2
2 ½ CUPS COCONUT MILK
help pass the time.
3 TABLESPOONS HONEY 1-2 TEASPOONS CURRY POWDER ½ TEASPOON TURMERIC ¼ TEASPOON CINNAMON 2 TEASPOONS CANNA-BUTTER INSTRUCTIONS 1. Combine ingredients in a blender and process.
I’ve become quite attached to garnishing drinks with a cool rim job. Lol. I love the flavors as an introduction to the flavor palate of the drink. And it looks so good - although looks don’t matter - it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the mixture from the blender, stirring until very warm but not simmering - about 5-7 minutes. 3. Divide the mixture between two mugs. 4. Place a teaspoon of butter on top of each serving. Serve immediately.
RECIPES by LAURIE WOLF | PHOTOS by BRUCE WOLF
EDIBLE OF THE MONTH
MELLOW VIBES
TASTE 5/5 EFFECT 5/5 PKGNG 5/5 VALUE 4/5 TOTAL 19/20 5MG THC + 5MG CBD PER 1/2 GUMMY SERVING
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THERE’S SOMETHING COMFORTING about candy classics. New brands, styles and line extensions come and go, but few things invoke the nostalgia of, say, a jellybean. This is the first thought that comes to my head when I rip open the psychedelic packaging of Mellow Vibes Jellies, one of the newest hits from Brad Zusman’s Cannabis empire. Mellow Vibes is a rebrand of Head Trip, which Zusman spun off of the success of his Blaze Chocolates brand and his OG Portland-area dispensary, Cannadaddy’s - which he founded before selling to focus on edibles. Though the packaging and name have changed, the goodness inside remains consistent - undoubtedly destined to become a Cannabis classic. A long-time restaurateur before becoming a Cannabis mogul, Zusman places a high priority on flavor and quality. This is evident in the Mellow Jellies. These soft and juicy gummy-style treats are a confection first, not just a delivery mechanism for medicated goodness. The mouthwatering flavors like mango guava, mixed berry and tropical fusion almost beg you to eat the entire bag. But be careful. At 10mg THC and 10mg CBD per piece (comprising two servings) these Jellies pack a wallop. Start easy and dial in your consumption. Once you find the sweet spot, the 1:1 Jellies drape over you like a cozy blanket, providing for a mellow experience, indeed.
1:1jellies
“THE MOUTHWATERING FLAVORS LIKE MANGO GUAVA, MIXED BERRY & TROPICAL FUSION ALMOST BEG YOU TO EAT THE ENTIRE BAG.” M EL LOW VIBE S.CO M | @G OTME L LOWVIB ES
MAR. 2020
REVIEW by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
concentrate OF THE MONTH
TASTE 3/5 EFFECT 5/5 PKGNG 4/5 VALUE 5/5 TOTAL 17/20
EXTRACTED by REBEL ROOTS FARMS CULTIVATED by ROLEN STONE FARMS
A
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“ IT WAS CLEARLY EVIDENT
670mg THC 35mg CBG | 6mg CBD per syringe and 33.4mg THC per serving
WITH EVERY CONVERSATION THAT I ENGAGED IN THAT I WAS BLASTED.”
GELATO RSO MAR. 2020
s a previous budtender, I have seen first hand the magic and wonders that RSO can do for cancer patients. Many would come in every other week and buy out their maximum allotment, generally bringing a partner to purchase more to extend their time until they needed to visit again. I would hear the stories and see with my own eyes just how much this medicine was truly helping them through their chemotherapy treatment. There is no doubt in my mind that RSO can greatly alleviate this suffering and improve their wellbeing. Rick Simpson is a man who was able to treat his skin cancer symptoms by topically applying concentrated Cannabis oil onto his body. There are a couple of names for this product he developed, most commonly known as RSO (Rick Simpson Oil) and FECO (Full Extract Cannabis Oil). This product can either be ingested orally or applied topically to your skin. It is safe to say that the most psychedelic experiences that I have had with Cannabis in the past have been from consuming edibles. It was always a journey to eat homemade brownies with no idea of how many milligrams of THC they contained. While Oregon’s recreational rules cap edibles at 50mg THC, RSO can contain at max a whopping 1,000mg of THC. The typical recommendation for a serving is about the size of a point of a rice grain. We tested a variety of different RSO from Rebel Roots Farms. Most of the samples ranged in percentages of CBG, CBN, CBC, and CBD. The primary difference between the RSOs were the amount of CBD compared to the amount THC. I first consumed around 400mg of their CBD RSO, Elektra. For the sake of science, I ended up eating a full gram of Gelato RSO as well. This contained around 670mg of THC, and was ingested in less than 10 seconds with the help of a swig of OJ. As I was unable to remember most of the night, the experience was not necessarily as psychedelic as I have experienced it in the past. That is to say, that night wasn’t. The next day, however, I woke up and continued to be high throughout the entirety of the day. No smoking or dabbing, just my body and mind feeling the overload of cannabinoids still processing in my system. It was clearly evident with every conversation that I engaged in that I was blasted. That said, RSO is a serious form of Cannabis and should not be treated lightly. If you wish to use it recreationally as a way of consuming more than the set legal limit, please keep in mind its original purpose. This is medicine that thousands use to combat their suffering daily, and helps them to continue to live as pain free as possible. Hats off to the team at Rebel Roots for providing the state and patients with such a top notch and important product! RO LE N STO N E FAR M S.CO M R E B E L RO OTS FAR M S.CO M @RO LE N STO N E FAR M S @R E B E L RO OTS FAR M S
REVIEW by MAKANI NELSON @CHOICENUG | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
@bosnoseknows
topical of the month
CANAPA Pelle Delicata Face Serum and Crema Lotion
PACKAGING & APPEARANCE (4/5)
The Canapa Pelle Delicata face serum and Crema lotion come in a cleanly designed box - although, I wish the product didn’t have additional packaging outside the glass bottle, it’s no different than most skin care products. I loved the smooth, sandblasted glass jar the serum comes in. The branding is not only beautiful and minimal, but environmentally conscious by not contributing to single-use plastics that continue to litter our planet. The packaging looks and feels like a high-end skin care product you would find at a beauty counter. AROMA (5/5)
Most face serums don’t have a real scent, but I loved the clean, grassy smell of Pelle Delicata. The fragrance isn’t strong, but smells natural and refreshing without added perfume. The same goes for the Crema lotion. It has a light scent from the ingredients, with the consistency of a mousse-like body butter. APPLICATION (5/5)
After you have cleansed and toned your face, the golden serum drops directly on your skin before heavy, cream moisturizers. The order of which you apply your skincare products matters people! Make sure to apply the serum in light, upward strokes to avoid creating lines or sagging your face. I was immediately glowing. The lotion is buttery with application and leaves you with velvety hands once it absorbs into your skin. Ultra-hydrating without becoming greasy. Pro Tip: Use the serum with a facial roller for instant results that reduce puffiness, smooth wrinkles and increase blood circulation.
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EFFECTS (5/5)
I moisturize heavier in the winter, due to the drying effect the cold has on my skin. I applied this serum nightly, but it works well in the AM when my face is puffy from sleep. The CBD serum (and the lotion) helps reduce redness and swelling, especially in the morning! It doesn’t leave your face oily, and absorbs seamlessly into the skin. As an artist, my hands are constantly put through the ringer. The Crema lotion left my hands softer than baby skin, and reduced inflammation from scratches and abrasions caused by working in a metal shop. The serum and lotion are both standout hemp products created right here in Oregon. CBD is becoming a major contender within the world of skincare, and I would definitely believe the hype. VALUE (4/5)
oregonlEAF.COM
CANAPA IS A NEW HEMP-DERIVED CBD SKINCARE LINE THAT’S HITTING THE OREGON MARKET, LOCALLY SOURCED FROM HORN CREEK FARMS.
‘Pelle Delicata’ means ‘gentle skin’ in Italian, and this CBD-packed face serum not only talks the talk, but walks the walk - leaving me with plump and radiant skin. The Crema lotion is a lightly scented product, with a rich and buttery feel upon application. Both items became an instant classic and permanent installation within my religious skincare routine. Canapa also gives a percentage of sales to The Bail Project, and understands the importance of social equity within the Cannabis industry. Wow, a CBD skincare line that is both luxurious and provides a tangible source of social equity through helping people make bail? I’m in. “THE CBD IN BOTH THE SERUM AND THE LOTION HELPS REDUCE REDNESS AND SWELLING, ESPECIALLY IN THE MORNING!”
MAR. 2020
Although $70 is pricey at first glance, for 30ml of organic serum the cost isn’t outrageous, especially when compared to Clarins or other high-end skincare products. Canapa also sells their Pelle Delicata face serum in a 50mg strength for only $20, for those on a tighter budget. The same goes with the Crema lotion - the 1000mg CBD potency runs for $70 in a whopping 200ml jar, but the 100mg CBD potency lotion provides more accessibility at $20 for the same amount of product. If you can afford it, go with the high potency versions. But the weaker CBD potencies will yield similar results, just not as quickly. Total 23/25
AVAILABLE FROM GETCANAPA.COM @GETCANAPA Canapa Pelle Delicata Face Serum (30ml) 300mg hemp-derived CBD per bottle, $70
`
Canapa Crema Lotion (200ml) 1000mg hemp-derived CBD per jar, $70
REVIEW by SIMONE FISCHER @SIMONEFISCHERR | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
NOW OPEN Salem, OR @edencraftcannabis www.edencraftcannabis.com
TANNINS & TERPENES
*Oregon Leaf Disclaimer* Anytime you are mixing two substances of any kind, you need to be extra vigilant of the effects and plan accordingly. We strongly recommend conducting pairings with others in a safe and private space in small quantities. Always make sure you can get home safely without jeopardizing yourself or others.
DESCHUTES GROWERY STRAWBERRY GUAVA TRAP DOOR BREWING “LOST IN THE SAUCE” SOUR ALE WITH CRANBERRIES AND BLOOD ORANGE With the sneak peeks of early Spring we’ve been having lately, I found it fitting to search for a more refreshing pairing - something that
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foreshadows the warmer days ahead. I CHOSE a cranberry and blood orange sour ale from Trap Door Brewing Company to accompany Strawberry Guava flower grown by Deschutes Growery. Trap Door Brewing is a local brewery operating out of Vancouver, Washington. Their program primarily focuses on fruited sours, NE style IPAs and decadent pastry stouts. The sour beer, named “Lost in the Sauce” pours a deep red color with a moderate carbonation level. The nose is all cranberry, followed by a pleasing wheat finish. On the palate, the cranberries dominate up front with a juicy punch, while the blood orange comes in at the end to wipe away the tartness from the brettanomyces. The Strawberry Guava from Deschutes Growery has a unique terpene profile that smells Strawberry Banana dominant, followed by a light, almost hashy nose from the Papaya lineage. The tropical smell and flavor of the myrcene dominant Strawberry Guava balances out the slightly tart finish of the blood orange in the sour ale, adding layers of complexity to the combination. Sweet citrus and juicy, tart cranberry hits the palate first, followed by ripe papaya and slight notes of unripe strawberries. The effects are euphoric and uplifting, but not overbearing or anxiety inducing perfect for an end of the day porch smoke as we move into warmer days. Most of Trap Door Brewing’s canned beers can be found at local bottle shops around the Portland area, while Strawberry Guava and other Deschutes Growery strains are available at select shops around the city.
DESCHUTESGROWERY.COM | TRAPDOORBREWING.COM
MAR. 2020
STRAWBERRY GUAVA LOST IN THE SAUCE SOUR ALE $17/g, 23.9% THC
$4.99, 12oz, 5% ABV
REVIEW by WILL FERGUSON @__710DENCIES/OREGON LEAF | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
ISO 17025 CERTIFIED
OLCC-LICE N SE D
ORE L A P ACCREDITED
Green Leaf Lab Tested for a Happy, Healthy Body Ask for Green Leaf Lab Tested cannabis products at your local retailer.
greenleaflabs.com
503-253-3511 Artwork by Natalie Fletcher.
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West to Oahu THE PSYCHEDEL I A ISSUE
STORY by JONAH TACOMA @DABSTARS2.0 for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by JESS LARUE @JESSICALARUE_420
IT WAS 5:30 A.M. I grinned at a gawking passerby, winking at them through my gold-tinted Oakleys. The bright reflective tint of the glasses matched perfectly with the tropical print polo I had worn for the occasion. It was a gloomy 44 degrees fahrenheit in Seattle, making my outfit seem out of place in the bustle of SeaTac commuter traffic. Jessica trailed along beside me, her long blonde hair flowing out of a sun hat we had picked up on the North Shore of Oahu a few years back. This was to be the fifth annual Hawaiian Cannabis Expo, and Dabstars had been a part of it from the beginning - recruited out of the Emerald Cup by Dana, the co-owner and promoter of the event.
MAR. 2020
After riling up the California crowd in traditional Dabstar fashion, one man off to the back of the ruckus stayed behind with a group of friends. “Hey!” he shouted as the crowd dispersed. “If I fly you to Hawaii, can you do that again?” he shouted for the second time. “Of course I can!” I yelled back, grinning ear to ear. That “yes” had opened up a whole new world and here we were five years later, still finding new adventures on the island. In spite of our cultural differences, we had been welcomed as a squad with open arms. Cannabis was a common denominator and perhaps nowhere was that more true than here on the islands. Forced subjugation and the rising cost
of living had created a palpable tension that existed just below the glossy veneer of tourism. The common role we all shared and the community we had all created had transcended geographical and cultural lines. Over time we had come to call many of the smiling faces we had met across the world our family. I had forgotten to turn airplane mode on and my phone began to ring immediately as we started our landing approach. Ron Bass met us at luggage pickup with a rented Jeep. “Bro!” he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air and making his 6’9” frame lumber over us in ridiculous fashion. “I’ve been driving in circles for an hour, they won’t let me park!” he exclaimed again, motioning to a nearby traffic cop. The event was being held at the Blaisdell Event Center in Oahu and had grown to fill the giant dome. We were officially on the docket for the following day at 4:20, but the promoters had saved us a space next to Ed Rosenthal and we hurried to set up as the doors opened for day one. Cannabis personalities Jackie 420 and Stoner Rob were both in town for their first expo, and we all made our way to the giant Hua tree out back after setting up. “Work hard, play hard,” said Rob, holding up a joint that was being passed around the small crowd. Everyone laughed, but a few of us knew what he meant. Cannabis was great work if you could get it, but it was still work. As the day’s events gave way to the evening’s festivities, we found ourselves with the NW Leaf crew, huddled around a tiny pile of seed pods I had been given by a local friend. “These are Hawaiian Baby Rosewood seeds…” I explained to an engaged but suspicious crowd of friends and family. “Each pod has multiple seeds, but don’t eat more than seven!” I said, passing the pods around ceremoniously. We woke to the 6:30 alarm, groaning. The Leaf crew had decided in the middle of last night’s stupor that we should all get up early and hike Diamond Head before the tourists showed up. By the time we gathered our band of weary travelers, the parking lot at Diamond read “FULL.” Circling back, Mike Ricker managed to find us a spot to wedge the oversized rental, on the other side of the large hand dug tunnel that opened up into Diamond Head Crater. The view from the top was spectacular but marred by throngs of shoulder to shoulder tourists who had turned the once pristine hike into a concrete pilgrimage. Every step was now encrusted in manmade rock to preserve the overused trail, which can see as many as 3,000 visitors each day. As the clock drew closer to 4:20 I assembled my motley crew on the mainstage. Damon Simmons, Timmy Edwards and Ron Bass had all flown out to help with what had become a regular tradition at the expo, the Dabstar Giveaway. Dana had collected a small mountain of merch from the vendors and I chuckled remembering how things had begun. The secret to the sauce had always been the stone in the soup…
“WORK HARD, PLAY HARD,” SAID ROB, HOLDING UP A
JOINT THAT WAS BEING PASSED AROUND THE SMALL CROWD. We never had a budget but we always had a crowd, and it was not long before we figured out that we only needed enough swag to start the riot off. Once the vendors saw the riot, they tripped over themselves bringing up free shit, because this was America after all. Your business wasn’t shit without the people, and it was the ones that got recognized that thrived. Here in America we voted with our dollar, and spending five bucks at one of the white vendor tents meant you were voting for them to succeed, as those of us who had devoted our career energy into Cannabis sure seemed to be. The crowd roared as the clock hit 4:20, and for the first time you could see how many people had shown up for the event. We were all one ‘hui’ one group united by a common purpose and that had made us family. Cannabis was a slow burning revolution, one that was sweeping across a nation desperate for change. On an island where the locals were finding themselves priced out of their own land, Cannabis was currency, Cannabis was change. As the last day came to a close, we said our goodbyes to friends and family and piled into the rented Jeep. It was time to get out of the city for awhile. It was time to head north.
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by Mike Ricker What We Learned From Slugworth Ever yone has seen “ Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factor y,” right? Well Slugworth, in case you have the memor y of Dori the Fish, is the creepy, long-faced fucker who scares kids straight. Kind of like that sinister, spider-like pervert in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” who smells children better than his own farts, but that’s an entirely different thesis. These guys are good old-fashioned villains. Stories need them. They play a vital role, which is to initially cause you discomfort so that when there is a release of tension, your happy ending is a reward - leaving you with an accomplished sensation of satisfaction. It’s what keeps us buying movie tickets. And this earned relief is imperative in society today, because badly needed is a reinforced belief in the determination of humans. You see, real life used to mean having to overcome pestilence and armed invaders, but now we just live vicariously through film that does the work for us. Even “WALL-E,” a picture about how lazy and worthless people have become in the future because of the advancement of technology, has a conflict and resolution with a happy ending that leaves us with the positivity of goodwill. Which goes to prove that in cinema, even a society with no purpose other than to sit on their ass all day in a spaceship and drink Big Gulps is capable of redeeming value.
Mar.2020
Anyway, Slugworth was the x-factor Wonka’s inside double agent, the mole. It was his job to test the moral compass of these neurotic little rascals. So, what we learned from Slugworth, even though he led a misleading guise himself, is that honesty is the best policy. And if your values outshine your greed, the redemption is as inextinguishable as the Everlasting Gobstopper. And what we learned from Willy Wonka is that with simple imagination, flavored wallpaper, chewing gum meals, and fizzy lifting drinks are conceivable if you just believe in your dreams. And even more wonderful: They can all be weed-infused.
Get the audio version and every episode at Stoney-Baloney.com
@RickerDJ
m FRESH THIS WINTER! Tested. Trusted. Tasty.
GUMMIES |
RASPBERRY SKY (THC), GRAPEFRUIT (CBD) & TROPICAL TRAINWRECK (1:1)
EXTRACTS |
CURED RESIN, LIVE RESIN & HARVEST BLENDS
FRESH SQUEEZED |
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NEW STRAINS OF 100% CANNABIS DISTILLATE
When we said no bad stuff, we meant it.
winberryfarms.com
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@winberryfarms
For use only by adults 21 years of age and older. Keep out of the reach of children. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of cannabis.
