Girl flower by Oklahoma Gazette

THE ULTIMATE MEDICINAL CANNABIS RESOURCE | JUNE 2019

Tammy S earcy is a cannabis a medical dvocate an d mother of Her daugh fi ter, Brian na, has a s form of ep eve ilepsy tha t causes h have frequ e r to ent seizur es. The Se family has arcy visited a n umber of doctors th roughout Brianna’s try to mit life igate the eff ects of her condition, though oft en with lim success. S ited he is on 10 d ifferent pharmaceu ticals, all of which a narcotic. re I “ ’m sittin g here goin minute. W g, ‘ Wait a e’re on all these med we’re still s and having seiz ures. Wha the point ? t ’s ’ And at th is point, it be deadly,” could Searcy sa id. Brianna’s seizures s she was 28 tarted wh months ol en d. Throug the next 14 h out years, Sea rcy heard variety of a responses from docto rs. I “ was told by a docto could do w r all I as pray be cause she probably d idn’t have long to liv they didn’t e and know wha t else to do she said. ,” One cours e of treatm worked fo ent that ha r Brianna s is medical

girl

ﬂower

Meet the women who are shaping the new green economy.

JUNE 2019

THE ULTIMATE MEDICINAL CANNABIS RESOURCE Extract is circulated at its designated distribution points free of charge to readers for their individual use and by mail to subscribers. The cash value of this copy is $1. Persons taking copies of the Extract from its distribution points for any reason other than their or others’ individual use for reading purposes are subject to prosecution.

PUBLISHER Peter J. Brzycki

EDITORIAL

OPERATIONS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF George Lang glang@okgazette.com

OPERATIONS & MARKETING MANAGER Kelsey Lowe

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Brittany Pickering

MARKETING ASSISTANT Kendall Bleakley

MANAGING EDITOR Matt Dinger

ACCOUNTING/ HR MANAGER Marian Harrison

CONTRIBUTOR Kaimbri B. White

4 legal

industry opportunities for women

WOMEN IN CANNABIS | Photos Alexa Ace

7 COVER Norma Sapp 8 COVER Renata Varga 11 COVER Cassi Doolittle 12 COVER Stephanie Mathis 14 COVER Lynn Key

CONSUMERS

15 infographic cannabis for women Ringside Medical 19 buyer’s guide Women’s Corner

LIFESTYLE

21 recipes Green’s Bakery

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE Karen Holmes

PHOTOGRAPHER/ VIDEOGRAPHER Alexa Ace

CIRCULATION MANAGER Chad Bleakley

CREATIVE

ADVERTISING advertising@okgazette.com 405-528-6000

Kaimbri B. White, P. 4

Norma Sapp, P. 7

Renata Varga, P. 8

Cassi Doolittle, P. 11

Stephanie Mathis, P. 12

Lynn Key, P. 14

Kaitie O’Grady and Robin O’Grady, P. 19 Monica Green, P. 21

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kimberly Lynch

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Saundra Rinearson Godwin Christy Duane Chris White

ILLUSTRATOR/ GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ingvard Ashby

3701 N. Shartel Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73118-7102 PHONE (405) 528-6000 FAX (405) 528-4600

The statements in this publication have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Therefore the information listed is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

CONTENTS LEGAL BUSINESS

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Tiffany McKnight

Eachmonth, month,Extract Extractexplores explorestrends trendsininthe theCBD CBDand andmedicinal medical Each marijuana business,from fromnew newtreatments treatmentsand andproducts productstotoemerging emerging cannabis business, companies, but but its its primary primary focus focus is is on onthis thisnew newworld worldof ofmedicinal medicinal companies, treatment and and how how itit affects affectsreaders readersand andconsumers. consumers. treatment

NOW OPEN! Vacate and Medicate All In One!

25% OFF

ONE ITEM FOR FIRST TIME CUSTOMERS

ADDITIONAL 10% OFF FOR VETERANS

4723 SE 29TH DEL CITY, OK 73115 405-900-6588 COMING SOON TO 106 N. ROCKWELL, STE B

Expires 7/15/19

BUY ONE GET ONE

50% OFF EDIBLES

“OMG Becky, look at her BUD, it is sooo BIG”

Expires 7/15/19

JUNE 2019

LEGAL BUDDING EQUALITY Oklahoma can set the standard for women’s opportunities in the cannabis industry. By Kaimbri B. White Nearly a year after Oklahoma voters approved the most business-friendly medical cannabis initiative in the country, one of the reddest states in the nation continues to astonish. But what does this mean for Oklahoma’s female consumers and entrepreneurs? With patient count numbers already surpassing those of other medical states in their third and fourth years of operation, Oklahoma has, by all accounts, proved itself as a thriving young market primed for continued expansion. Due in part to its markedly low license fee of $2,500 and its only medical prerequisite being doctor approval, Oklahoma’s medical cannabis program numbers are rising at an unprecedented pace. The excitement surrounding enrollment numbers is driving Oklahoma entrepreneurship at an equally sizzling rate. It is important to note, though, that while cannabis companies look a lot different from other traditional businesses in most respects, their boardrooms do not. Consistent with most other industries, cannabis leadership is trending toward being a male-dominated space. The silver lining, however, is that there are significantly more women in cannabis power positions today compared to the rest of corporate America. A 2017 survey done by Marijuana Business Daily found that women occupied 26.9 percent of leadership positions in cannabis, compared to 23 percent in other industries. While this is a win, it is unfortunately a 9.1 percent decline from two years prior and indicates that our work toward equality is far from over. It is especially important in this emerging industry to capitalize on the surge of female entrepreneurship and leadership. To ensure that a busi4

JUNE 2019

ness survives in Oklahoma’s competitive market, members of its female force should be protected in meaningful ways. As cannabis becomes increasingly corporate, we must remember where we started. The glass ceilings that so often prevent women from rising into corporate leadership roles have yet to solidify their spot in cannabis; Oklahoma businesses should make sure these barriers have no place here. The cannabis sector is attracting some of the very best and brightest women in our state who are increasingly choosing to upend traditional business models in favor of capturing their own market slice in Oklahoma’s “green rush.” If cannabis businesses in Oklahoma want to maximize growth, they will need to scale in a conscientious and inclusive way in order to garner business from female consumers and talent from female executives. In fact, dispensaries across the state have seen an influx in demand for products that appeal to an increasingly vocal female audience. Women are a huge part of the consumer market in this state as well as natural nurturers who are genetically predisposed to cultivate life, so including powerful, creative and experienced female leaders in your business is great way to diversify. The best way for cannabis businesses to avoid workplace litigation is to inform themselves on which laws apply to their employees. Business owners need to remember that both state and federal employment laws must be followed. The key to navigating the complex legislative landscape is to create a comprehensive set of human resources guidelines that ensure a positive work environment for all employees, especially women. It is important for canna companies to responsibly attract and maintain high female employment rates because inclu-

sion gives fledgling companies a competitive edge. As a new business owner, the first place to look to make sure you are protecting your company is federal employment laws. America’s employment policy is generally outlined by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which provides baseline protections for all workers in the country. The FLSA notably sets the maximum 40-hour workweek and the national minimum wage for all salary and hourly employees. In conjunction with the Equal Pay Act of 1963, these laws seek to ensure that female employees receive equal pay and workplace treatment. However, considering that women still earn about 80 cents per every dollar that men do, there is still much work to be done to achieve true equality. One of the key litigation tools for employment law disputes currently is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on a variety of factors, including sex. Under Title VII, companies cannot base any hiring, employment or exit decisions on the fact that an employee is a woman. This means that, despite the fact that Oklahoma does not have a state law requiring employers to offer maternity leave, if your company fires a woman for getting pregnant, she can sue you under this law. If she wins, your company might be liable for back wages, future wages and even attorney fees. This protection is echoed by Oklahoma’s own Anti-Discrimination Act that prohibits discrimination based on sex and protects female rights surrounding pregnancy and childbirth. While some federal laws like the Family and Medical

Kaimbri B. White | Photo Alexa Ace

Leave Act (FMLA) only apply to companies with 50 or more employees, the Oklahoma Anti-Discrimination Act applies to employers with one or more employees — so this applies to most businesses in this state. Cannabis businesses have a unique opportunity to use their progressive reputations to help transform business stereotypes. While there are laws regulating discrimination based on sex that might promote equality in the workplace, putting women ahead and in positions of power might also just be good business. We are living in exciting times. Women are not only a target demographic for cannabis and CBD retail products, but they have proved themselves a force to be reckoned with in boardrooms and ownership circles throughout the budding industry in Oklahoma. By adhering to equal pay laws, protecting things like maternity leave and ensuring that workplace sexual discrimination is a major focus for HR and employment handbooks, cannabis businesses can successfully promote a culture of inclusion for women in this state.

K AIMBRI B . WHITE Kaimbri B. White is a cannabis industry business consultant at CLIMB Collective. While in law school at University of Oklahoma, White founded her own cannabis industry consulting firm. When she graduated, her business was acquired by CLIMB. White consults with businesses of any size and variety in every sector of the cannabis industry.

TOUCH DOWN JUNE 2019

CANNABIS DISPENSARY PROVIDING STELLAR

Flower Vapes Edibles Tinctures Wax Moonrocks Glassware And More P E T F R I E N D LY PAT I O | P E O P L E F R I E N D LY STA F F

SHOP OUR OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD ACCESSORIES NOW!

VISIT STELLARHERB.COM

I-35 BETWEEN HEFNER & 122ND | NEXT DOOR TO FRONTIER CITY

Oklahomaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medical cannabis market has exceeded all expectations in less than a year since it launched. To date, more than 5,300 growers, processors and dispensaries have been granted licenses. Here is a look at just a handful of the female entrepreneurs shaping the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cannabis space.

BUSINESS Norma Sapp has been actively campaigning for cannabis reforms for the past 30 years in Oklahoma. She was a key figure in the ballot initiative that became State Question 788. | Photo Alexa Ace

CANNABIS ACTIVIST Norma Sapp has been working to decriminalize cannabis for 30 years. By Matt Dinger There is no one in the state of Oklahoma who has spent as much time trying to decriminalize, legalize and normalize cannabis as Norma Sapp. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Sapp moved to Oklahoma in 1979. She was married in 1980 and moved to a farm in Norman in 1984. “When I discovered the truth about hemp, I started talking to my rural neighbors. And I started thinking ‘Whoa! I could change the world if we can tell everybody that, you know, hemp can do all these magical things.’ So I used to hold, like, a free breakfast for farmers if they would listen to my spiel about hemp. I would also show that Hemp for Victory movie,” she said.

“I became a member of NORML, national NORML [National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws], and of course I ran under that moniker here because in the beginning, that’s the only game there was. Since then, of course, I’ve been a member of drug policy and criminal justice reform, any organization in Oklahoma that would approach that.” Politics have been a mainstay of Sapp’s adult life. In 1989, she started working for her local election board and became a precinct inspector in the ’90s. Her political affiliations have shifted with whichever party has had the most cannabis-friendly candidate over the years.

“Got involved with the Democratic Party for a number of years and got something in their platform to recognize medical marijuana, and come to find out, candidates don’t even read the platform, so they didn’t even know that they were supposed to honor that. I also became a Republican when Ron Paul ran for president in 2012. And since then, this last time, I switched to being a Libertarian so I could vote for a local candidate for governor. His name was Chris Powell,” Sapp said. “I really liked Chris Powell, and I didn’t care for what had been happening in our country, for that matter, but especially in our state, when you stay with the same tags — you know, ‘I’m a Democrat. I’m a Republican.’ And Chris Powell was different. And I knew that we could run this state better if we had somebody who wasn’t really a politician. And it turns out that’s what we got for governor, and actually, Governor Stitt’s done a pretty good job.” Sapp first became involved with state politics on Lincoln Boulevard in 1993, asking the chairman of the health committee for a medical cannabis bill. “He actually introduced a medical

marijuana bill that session, and when it was supposed to go to committee that day, I was so naive, I did not know that the public could walk in there and listen to a committee meeting. And so I went the next day. And I said, ‘How did it go?’ He said, ‘Where did you go? I needed you in that committee room,’” Sapp said. “And that was my first mistake in politics. But I learned a lot after that. I started hanging out in every committee room that had anything to do with the drug war. And I didn’t know that you weren’t supposed to speak up in these committee rooms. But I would. If they said something or did something, I would stand right up and correct them.” But the road to what eventually became State Question 788 did not get paved until this decade. After a few gatherings at the Capitol and failed signature drives, SQ788 was coming down to the wire on gathering voter signatures. “We had to get the word out better. And there was an organization run by Bud Scott, who had put some money into it to buy signs. And so we all doubled down all across the state. We talked to people we didn’t care to talk to and we all worked together, and so we got it done. We put signs all over this state thanks to Bud Scott. And, well, you found out what happened last June 26th,” Sapp said. “The main thing I was thinking about for the day after the 26th was I was going to take a day off. And it didn’t happen. At 7:30 in the morning, I got a call from Sheriff Chris West in Canadian County, congratulating me.” The 11 months since the cannabis vote have not slowed Sapp down. “I’ve been doing patient drives, a lot of them,” she said. “And answering questions. I still do that constantly, all day long, on Messenger, directly on Facebook under posts, people wanting to know the answer to questions or — this is my favorite — ‘Can you show me in there where it says I can’t do something?’”

JUNE 2019

BUSINESS Renata Varga relocated last fall from California to grow medical cannabis in Oklahoma for High Country Genetics. | Photo Alexa Ace

VOTE US

Best Dispensary Best Concentrates Best Budtender (DRE)

$150 daily oz specials Home of the $8 gram Senior Sundays 10% OFF for Seniors

Moon Rock Mondays $30 grams

Twisted Tuesday

Buy 2 Prerolls Get 1 Free

Wear It Wednesday

Consistent Affordable Quality Products

Medical Marijuana Dispensary Family Owned & Operated

405.429.7570 | 1221 SW 59th ST, OKC MON-SAT 10AM-9PM SUN 12PM-6PM

CANNASOUTH.NET @canna_south

Get the FACTS and find your STRAIN

THE ULTIMATE MEDICINAL CANNABIS RESOURCE

JUNE 2019

ACCIDENTAL GROWER Renata Varga got into the cannabis business by accident after accepting a data entry job. By Matt Dinger

Renata Varga had her first exposure to cannabis when she was 8 years old with her best friend and a soda can. “I was in a closet with her older cousin. And he had some weed,” she said. “We had a can pipe, like a Pepsi can, and he showed us how to make a little pipe. He was 11 or 12, so he was showing us little 8-year-old girls in the closet how to make a can pipe and smoke weed.” Flash-forward three decades and Varga is now a grower cultivating legal cannabis for High Country Genetics. Along the way, she has worked in sales, at a hydroponics store and as a guerilla grower. Varga was born on a U.S. Army base in Bedford, England, but grew up in Susanville, California. “The day after I graduated high school, I moved to Sacramento with a

girlfriend of mine,” she said. “And I spent 16 years there in Sacramento, trying to find my way through the concrete jungle.” That was where Varga was introduced to the business side of cannabis. “I was working as a bartender and waitress at a sports bar. And one of my regular guys, he said he was opening up a business and then asked me if I knew how to do data entry,” Varga said. “Well, I did data entry for Milgard Windows [& Doors] manufacturing for five years. I was a senior document analyst, reception office services, human resources — I even helped out the distr ibution depar tment. Corporate office stuff. The first day I walked in the door, I walked in, and I’m like, ‘What kind of a place is this?’ And he’s like, ‘Oh, this is a hydroponic shop.’ And I was like, ‘Really? This

is great.’ So I’m working at the hydroponic shop. I’m living in a duplex, and my neighbor died, and so my boss rented the next door to my duplex and we blew it out. “It’s a one-bedroom place with a large living room and dining room area, and I had the living room just stuffed with plants and lights. Every time a rep would come in from the hydroponic industry, sometimes they give you some samples here and there. They teach you about stuff. I ended up just completely immersed in it from the time I woke up to the time I went to bed. I was working at the hydroponic shop, I had a grow next door going. So I was very busy doing that for some time.” After a break from growing to travel the world doing sales for a horticultural lighting company, she reconnected in 2015 with Dustin Fraser, who founded High Country Genetics. “We saw each other again and started hanging out, and I ended up going up to [Mendocino County] with him to his farm and going and making big trees happen,” she said. Varga arrived in Oklahoma last fall and experienced her first ice storm. “The weather here is bipolar, to say the least, and it’s giving me whiplash right now,” she said. She is now working on her fourth harvest as an Oklahoma grower. “I’ve always known that there was nothing wrong with it. I thought, you know, it’s just something that’s in your guts, and sometimes you just gotta listen to your gut that people aren’t always right. They may have opinions, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right one,” Varga said. “It’s hard for that generation to come to terms that they were lied to for such a long time by their parents, by everyone that taught them everything that they know. They’ve been lied to their entire life — iterally lied to.” Has Varga ever taken a break from smoking since that first clandestine hit among the coats and trousers? “No,” she said. “Not unless I was completely out.”

MEET CLIMB.

Representing many of the biggest

No matter your ambitions,

cannabis brands in the state,

Climb has strategies and solutions

Climb Collective guides business

that will assist you at every step

owners and investors from seed to sale.

as you cultivate your company.

Climb is proud to announce the addition of Kaimbri White to the team! Please read Kaimbriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s article on women in cannabis on page 4 of Extract.

CLIMB-COLLECTIVE.COM

BUSINESS MANAGING NEEDS Cassi Doolittle uses her PR degree and family background in business to manage multiple dispensary locations. By Matt Dinger When Cassi Doolittle graduated from University of Oklahoma with a public relations degree, she did not imagine she would end up juggling management duties for what will soon be a total of nine dispensaries. “I worked in the corporate world for a few years after I graduated, and then I went into the family business at the Oklahoma State Fair, so my background is more so in the food industry,” Doolittle said. Her family owns and operates Doolittle Sweet Eats, which has held a food contract with the fairgrounds for 55 years. “My family just has a background in entrepreneurship, and so when we saw this coming down the pike, we started doing our research and visiting other states where it’s legalized and just started from there, and it kind of snowballed,” she said. “Just started gathering as much information about the industry as we could and going to conferences and stuff like that to just gain knowledge and talking to people in the industry. And we just kept going.” While she did light research for the past two years, she “really dug in” last summer and started attending conferences in Washington, Oregon and Las Vegas. Fire Leaf now has five dispensaries open, with three in Oklahoma City, one in The Village and one in Norman. Four more are in the works. The first two dispensaries opened in mid-December. Doolittle manages operations for all of them, and Fire Leaf now

employs between 50 and 60 people. “We weren’t, like, the first. We wanted to make sure we got it right before we opened, but we were definitely out there early,” Doolittle said. “I just saw kind of, like, a need in the industry for stores and dispensaries that offer a wider range. A lot of the stores that we were seeing didn’t kind of have a little bit of everything. And I really wanted to be able to offer patients everything I could because everybody’s needs are different. That’s kind of how it started, just feedback from patients on what they wanted. And that’s really, I think, where we’ve been able to fill a need, listening to the patients and trying to get whatever they want.”

Fire Leaf opened with about 15 strains, but now its locations have about 40 different varieties of flower. “Our whole goal at the beginning was to have options because some people need an indica,” Doolittle said. “There are certain things in flower that different people look for, the terpenes and all that stuff. And so if we have the wide variety, we really feel like we can help more people.” Dispensaries will soon be open in Edmond and Guthrie in addition to two more Oklahoma City stores. “Then I think we’re going to relax for a second, take a breath, get some more feedback, really dig in on finetuning our operations, and then maybe a different market, maybe Tulsa or smaller towns or something,” she said. “But right now, we want to focus on the metro area. We’re here. I feel like I can have more hands-on here and fine-tune our operation where I’m local. And then we can look at other areas.” Doolittle is also proud to be advancing her employees. “I’m moving my employees up. I had one general manager last month; now I have two people that are out of the stores, helping me organize behind

the scenes. And I might have three next month,” she said. “So we’re just scaling with it as we grow, so it’s not all falling on me to do everything because I have a great staff and they’re so excited about the industry. They’re motivated themselves. They do research all the time. So that’s definitely been helpful.” Doolittle started casually smoking cannabis in college and then began consuming more regularly after college. “I would say two years ago, I thought there’s, like, a possibility. But that’s like rainbows and unicorns — maybe it’s going to happen,” Doolittle said. “It’s been amazing seeing people that are coming out of their shell and getting comfortable with it. There’s a huge need in Oklahoma industry for education — educating patients, educating employees — and there’s not a whole lot of resources in Oklahoma yet for that. You have to either go out of state and go to a conference or they have classes in Colorado and stuff, but Oklahoma, there’s a lot of educational needs. That’s what I would really like to see. The next big push would be education.”

Cassi Doolittle manages the five Fire Leaf locations that are already open and will supervise the operations at the four opening soon. | Photo Alexa Ace

JUNE 2019

BUSINESS BUSINESS MASTER Stephanie Mathis uses her extensive business knowledge to run Steve’s Greens Cannabis + Wellness. By Matt Dinger

We help cannabis companies make more money! DISPENSARIES | GROWERS | PROCESSORS | BROKERS

280E Tax Strategy Outsourcing the CFO

Tax Preparation & Planning

Banking Application Assistance

Business Structuring Business Plans

Full service payment solutions: cashless ATMs and Debit Cards

Audit and Assurance Services National Presence since 2015

1 800-674-9050 | WWW.GREENGROWTHCPAS.COM

JUNE 2019

Stephanie Mathis has now made a their groceries, their lunch. If they career out of doing what she used to need to go work out somewhere, I take get grounded for doing in high school. them to go work out. If they have to go Mathis and her husband, Dustin, to the radio and do an interview — just own Steve’s Greens Cannabis + whatever they need that day.” Wellness, 6715 N. May Ave. It opened Over the years, she worked with a number of artists, including Deftones, as a CBD store and was one of the first cannabis dispensaries in Oklahoma The Allman Brothers Band, Billy Idol, City. Starting early this year, it also Skrillex, Slipknot, Lynyrd Skynyrd began carrying primarily the flower and Sheryl Crow. from the Mathises’ own grow, Green The worst performer she ever had Seed Farm. to endure? Marilyn Manson. “Have you talked to Steve?” is their “You can’t pay me enough to work tagline, a long-used code word Mathis for that guy again,” she said. “I worked and her friends used to describe canfor him twice. Both times were hornabis. Her father’s name is also Steve. rible. Actually three times. He is a Raised in Tulsa, Mathis went to prima donna. I could go into his rider.” University of Oklahoma for two years, Mathis also has worked at their where she studied film, but she moved tattoo shop, SB Body Arts, which is to Oklahoma City University and adjacent to Steve’s Greens. majored in entertainment business. “Me and my husband opened seven “I’ve worked on and off in the music years ago. He’s a body piercer. ... We industry, was the manager of the Blue just got to the point where we felt it Note [Lounge] for a year, I did was ready for him to branch out some of my own shows. and have his shop, and me I’ve worked for DCF being a business C onc e r t s for major and him almost 15 years, being a piercer and the canfor, at this nabis induspoint, 10-plus try was the years, we just reason why I decided to go left working for it,” Mathis Stephanie Mathis said. “When I w it h DCF, because this has par ted ways consumed my with the Blue life,” Mathis said. Note, I was able to “For a long time, I was come in full-time and the flyer girl, so I’d go around run it and felt very fortunate, and put the DCF flyers up. That’s kind after three to four years, that me and of how I got started with them. And my husband could both work in a busithen I got a runner position. Basically, ness that we created, and now we’re on they hand me over the tour manager year seven. We’ve got fantastic tattoo artists. My husband’s the head piercer. and I take care of the band for the day. I get them their food, their drinks, He’s even getting to the point where he

I cried. I, like, ugly-cried when I got my dispensary license.

MON-SAT 10-7 | SUN 11-7 1015 NW 1ST | 405-992-0558

Stephanie Mathis owns and manages Steve’s Greens Cannabis + Wellness, an Oklahoma City CBD shop that became one of the first vertically integrated cannabis dispensaries. | Photo Alexa Ace

can hopefully be by appointment only so he can focus on the farm but still take care of his customers because customers in both of my businesses are the most important part of having a business. No customers, no business. “I didn’t think that my landlord would be cool with it, for one, so I was scouting out buildings and had a conversation with my family about CBD popping up and my love for cannabis. I felt this was my chance to start getting into this industry and getting it on the ground floor. So I did a bunch of research. I even went to Arkansas, took their dispensary classes, their budtender classes out there in Arkansas. You think you know a lot about weed because you’ve experienced it or you’re like, ‘Yeah, I know about weed. I can do this.’ And then you take classes and

you’re like, ‘I didn’t know as much about weed as I thought I did, but you know, I’m still more ahead of the average person.’ So I just tried to take as many classes as I could and find any conventions or anything going on that I could just go and learn.” Moving forward, medical cannabis became legal and Steve’s Greens has converted to a full-fledged dispensary that Mathis runs while her husband grows most of the flower they sell in the shop. “I cried. I, like, ugly-cried when I got my dispensary license,” she said. “I had to pull my car over with my kid in the car. I got that email, and I just couldn’t believe that I was getting this opportunity to pursue a business in an industry that I love.”

JUNE 2019

We’re not being Dispensing sued by our potent biggest client creative for $100 million, for local so we’ve got that going for us. + regional

BUSINESS

brands

Protecting America’s Freedoms at Robot.House

Welcome to The 710 Factory Dedicate Yourself To A Higher Quality Of Life!

happy hour

MONDAY & WEDNESDAY

7:10 AM - 8:10AM & 6:10PM - 7:10PM Everyday

$10 Off Edibles *During Happy Hour

2 Free Pre Rolls w/ Every Purchase *During Happy Hour

friday

saturday

sunday

10% Off Entire Ticket *During Happy Hour

Shatterday Special $10 Off A Gram Concentrates *During Happy Hour

BOGO On $80 Eighths Top Shelf *During Happy Hour

TUESDAY & THURSDAY

710 N. Virginia Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73106 405.968.1703 710FACTORYLLC.COM 14

JUNE 2019

KEY DECISION Lynn Key founded Nature’s Key edibles after viewing the film version of The Secret. By Matt Dinger Lynn Key learned the secrets to cannabis baking and maybe the secret to life along the way. As Key was bringing an end to one chapter in her life, she opened another door. She credits an ancient mystical law for bringing her to the place she is now. On April 18, 2017, Key’s washer broke. She stayed home from work to

Lynn Key is the founder and owner of Nature’s Key, an Oklahoma City THC edibles company. | Photo Alexa Ace

get it fixed. The repairman referred her to Neville Goddard, and another friend referred her to The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. Both lean heavily on continued on page 16

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

BUSINESS Advertise in THE ULTIMATE MEDICINAL CANNABIS RESOURCE

for as little as a drop a month 405.528.6000 advertising@okgazette.com 16

JUNE 2019

the Hermetic “law of attraction,” a belief that thoughts manifest reality. “I watched the movie The Secret after that, and I realized, ‘Okay, this shit is true. I can do this,’” Key said. “So that’s when I decided that I wanted to be paid for being me and I wanted a new Subaru and I wanted to have unlimited pot for the rest of my life, and so, pretty much, it all came true. I walked into my boss’s office the next day and gave my sixmonth notice and said, ‘I’m going to leave and retire in six months. I don’t know what I’m going to do.’ “January 1st comes along, and I’m still there. It’s like, you know what? Something’s happening; I don’t know what it is b e c au s e I hadn’t even Lynn had an LLC yet. I didn’t get my LLC till January 31st of last year, so I didn’t even know what I was going to do, and then everything started opening up and what I started learning, the more I learned about the law of attraction, people like to say things like, ‘Don’t take the easy way; take the right way.’ Well, what I’ve learned about the law of attraction is if you have resistance, you’re going down the wrong path.” After selling Young Living oils for a while, she eventually came around to a hobby she had had her entire life. “For years and years and years, I made brownies for people that had cancer,” Key said. “I didn’t charge for them. I would charge them for the cost of the marijuana. That was it. But I wouldn’t charge for my services. I wouldn’t charge for anything that we put in the brownies or anything. I figured that this was God’s will. He gave us a plant that we can build with, make paper with, make a car out of, fuel our cars. It will take care of even our environment, and we make it illegal based on opinion. It came when everything looked like it was falling

apart. But what I’ve learned is when it looks like it’s falling apart, it’s really pulling together. It’s falling apart so it can come together. So, yeah, at 63 years old, I finally know what I’m going to be when I grow up.” Key’s products through her edibles manufacturing company, Nature’s Key THC Edibles, are now available in over 300 dispensaries across the state. “It’s liberating, especially to be my age and to have done this since a teenager and all of a sudden, it’s like I’m not stashing everything anymore,” she said. “My husband is the president of my motorcycle riding club, and there were police that were members. They’d get the riding club together and I’m stashing all my s t u f f, you know? And now it’s like I can finally live the life I’ve always lived legally. Key This amazing product could solve so many problems, but there’s no money in it for the pharmaceutical companies, so we’re not getting that; we’re not getting the cures that we need. So now it’s come to companies like me to find that. And I’m not a scientist. So how crazy is that? I don’t even have wild dreams. Well, today, I’m about to perform one of my wildest dreams. So I am buying my husband a 2019 Harley-Davidson today as a surprise. … We’re starting to make a profit. I got a raise Friday. That’s why he’s getting a bike. I had to borrow the money; don’t get me wrong. But I know I can make the payment.” Visit facebook.com/natureskey. edibles.9.

So, yeah, at 63 years old, I finally know what I’m going to be when I grow up.

CONSUMERS

CBD USES FOR WOMEN WELL BEING

BRAIN

Helps to relax and calm body and mind

Anti-anxiety, anti-depressant, antioxidant, neuroprotective

STOMACH Antiemetic, appetite control

EYES Compounds found in CBD feature neuro protection and vasodilation properties that further assist in the conservation and treatment of glaucoma.

HEART INSTESTINES Cannabidiol reduces intestine inflammation through the control of the neuroimmune system.

BONE STRUCTURE CBD works by improving bone density and reducing the occurence of bone diseases. It strengthens the collagen “bridge” that forms at the site of the break, which then hardens with the new bone.

CANCER Cannabinoids might have benefits in the treatment of cancer-related side effects.

Anti-inflammatory, anti-atherosclerosis, and anti-ischemic

SPINAL CORD INJURY Studies have not only demonstrated CBD’s pain-killing properties, but also its ability to reduce spasms and improve motor function in SCI patients.

ASTHMA CBD has potent immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties.

Cannabis is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat illness and, therefore, research is limited.

JUNE 2019

CONSUMERS CHAMPIONING WOMEN Ringside Medical offers CBD and THC products geared toward women in its Women’s Corner. By Matt Dinger When Ringside Medical, 14201 N. May Ave., Suite 205, opened for business in February, the medical cannabis dispensary staked its brand on the masculine ethos of former championship boxer and owner Sean O’Grady. But tucked inside the business is Women’s Corner, a small room that boasts an array of products geared specifically toward women that were hand-selected by the women of Ringside. “We’ve seen a huge, huge benefit in all of this stuff, especially for the women, and to have that conversation out there on the showroom floor is a little weird, but back here, it’s kind of a comfort zone,” said Kaitie O’Grady, the wife of Sean O’Grady’s son, Chase O’Grady. “Whenever Sean and I started to think about doing this, I started thinking, you know, with everything else in the news too, with women not being able to get in some positions and not advancing in their jobs and kind

of being mistreated in certain ways, I wanted to showcase that women are just as strong and just as important in this business of cannabis as men are,” said Robin O’Grady, Sean O’Grady’s wife. “So that’s what I started brainstorming with Kaitie on: How can we make this women-powered? And so we came up with, How about if we come up with a line of products strictly for women and having an area that they can come in, feel comfortable, take their time, look at it, ask questions and not be embarrassed about? So that’s why we decided to do this.” Women’s Corner showcases a variety of products, from bath bombs to personal lubricants. Ringside carries a variety of Fitish products in the dispensary. “Jenna Owens of The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show in Dallas came up with this, and I love her whole idea behind it. It’s kind of like, ‘I want to be fit-ish. I want to eat the cookie and not feel bad about it.’ And she created this line on the Don’t Sweat It. It’s not CBD; it’s just a facial setting spray, but the Cool Down is a CBD spray that, if you go on her website, the testimonials on this alone is insane,” Kaitie O’Grady said. “I use it every single day. It has saved me tremendously. I have seborrheic dermatitis, which is infrom left Fitish cool down mist, High on Love infused chocolate body paint, The Gold Q hemp-infused face serum | Photo Alexa Ace

from left Kaitie O’Grady and Robin O’Grady maintain Women’s Corner flamed when I eat tomatoes because I at Ringside Medical. | Photo Alexa Ace have an allergy to tomatoes. I, on a bad day, would be redder than an apple. “Gold Q is a women-based topical Now I’m a light shade of pink on a horcream, eye creams, helps with antirible day, so this stuff has saved my aging, helps with the dark circles life, so it’s easy for me to talk about it.” under your eyes — women-run Kaitie O’Grady said she recomcompany,” Kaitie O’Grady said. mended the spray to a patient who Made with hemp oil, hemp seeds suffers from lupus. Women’s Corner and stalks that have been cold-extracted, its topical cream is vegan, has a curtain for privacy. “She wanted to show gluten-free and parabenKaitie the sores that free. Ingredients also include aloe leaf she has from her d i sea se, so juice, coconut oil and the terKaitie was able to bring penes limoher in here, nene and close this, linalool. The Gold s he fe lt Q also makes com for table, they daytime and nighttime forwere able to Robin O’Grady mulas. d i s c u s s t he sores. She’s been on “High on Love is a number of prescripanother women-run tion drugs for a long time. They business,” Kaitie O’Grady said. hurt her. They burned her. They don’t “They are all about the sensual hempmake her feel well,” Robin O’Grady based products, so we have orgasm said. “And they don’t fix her problem. gels, we’ve got massage oils, chocolate They don’t get rid of the issue that she body paint that has CBD in it, so it’s beneficial for both parties. is taking all of these medications for. “Look at the products that are not I saw her probably a week and a half men- or women-specific, but they are to two weeks after her first time. She men-geared. They are geared to the said she is off of every other cream or medication she has ever been premale person, the packaging is not cute, scribed in relation to the sores. And it’s not women-enticing. It’s not friendshe was able to show me. They are not ly, and that’s what we wanted to avoid. gone by any means after two weeks We wanted to make sure that we incor— I wouldn’t expect them to be — but porated products that were womenthey are starting to heal. She said they specific, that women would feel excited don’t itch her anymore. And she comes and comfortable to use, and I think we back and she buys this product every did a pretty good job at doing that.” two weeks.” Visit ringsidemedical.com. Another popular line of products available at Ringside is The Gold Q.

I wanted to showcase that women are just as strong and just as important in this business of cannabis as men are.

JUNE 2019

20%

PHOTOGRAPHY: MADELYN AMACHER PHOTOGRAPHY CREATIVE DIRECTOR: “YOU’LLSEA...”

OFF ENTIRE PURCHASE cannot be combined with other offers

JUNE 12 -JULY 16 SAGE WELLNESS | 4200 N. Western Ave., Suite A

FROM THE EARTH FOR THE PEOPLE

MON-THUR • 10a-10p | FRI-SAT • 10a-11p SUNDAY • 11a-7p 4200 N. Western Ave., Suite A | Oklahoma City, OK | 405-601-9560 Keep it Local E www.sagewellnessokc.com Q @sagewellnessokc #sagewellnessokc #locallyowned #fromtheearthforthepeople #itsjustaflower

LIFESTYLE

BAKED GREENS

Monica Green explains how The Green’s Bakery came to be and shares her chocolate chip cookie recipe with Extract. By Matt Dinger

Years before she began calling herself “The Green Queen” and founded the bakery that bears her name, Monica Green perfected her barbeque recipes. Green has owned Gary Glenn’s BBQ in southeast Oklahoma City since 2011. But she started working on her “vegetation”-based recipes last year. “I knew that I wanted to cook, and I knew that edibles are a big hit just from being in other states,” Green said. “And I knew that edibles are a different delivery method for people to take other than smoking because some people have problems smoking because

Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 cup (2 sticks) cannabutter 1/2 tablespoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 vanilla bean, scraped 2 large eggs 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. 3. Combine the butter, sugars, vanilla extract and vanilla bean in a separate mixing bowl. 4. Add the eggs in a separate bowl and beat them until they are fluffy. 5. Combine all mixtures and add the semi-sweet chocolate chips. 6. Use a scooper to turn the dough into balls and drop them on the cookie sheet. 7. Bake the cookies for 16-18 minutes, until they are golden brown.

of the cough and just because they don’t like to smoke period. So I wanted to find a different way to help people get their medicine.” She began working on her sugary recipes last summer, applied for her processor license on Aug. 25 and was approved a few weeks after that. She opened the doors of The Green’s Bakery on Oct. 27. “We were the third one in the state,” Green said. “Two other dispensaries opened a day before us. We didn’t have a whole lot of product or a whole lot of this and that, but boy, was it a nightmare. We just had some basic brownies and rice crispy treats in different flavors and some gummies, and we’ve expanded our menu to add hard candy, suckers, cookies, and then we also process THC/CBD-infused female products, such as bath bombs and soaps. And our Cannagasm, of course. That’s one of our top sellers.” Green said consistency has been the biggest challenge in transitioning from traditional baking into creating edibles. “You bake a brownie the same time every time, you know?” she said. “You get the same recipe, but you just want to make sure that you’re very precise and The Green’s Bakery makes and sells their own sticks of cannabutter. | Photo Alexa Ace

consistent with your measuring when you’re using your cannabis, that you have the same strain consistently with the same THC percentage in it. And if you don’t have the same percentage, you have to adjust to make it consistent.” The biggest seller is the double-dose brownie, Green said. The brownie has long been a mainstay of cannabis baking and is considered the original edible. “I was an ’80s pot smoker, so we did brownies back then,” she said. “There wasn’t a whole lot of other choices. It’s just everyone did brownies; it’s what you did.” But after spending years outside the cannabis world, she found out that things are not quite the same as they were back then. “Times have changed,” Green said. “We now have indicas, sativas, hybrids, different THC content, feminized clones, seeds, no seeds, terpenes. It’s a whole new ballgame than it was back in the day. I had to learn to learn a lot. I thought I knew a little bit about pot; I knew nothing.” Green uses hybrid strains for her baked goods. “It’s just a happy middle place, a 50/50 hybrid,” Green said. “Upon request, we have made special batches for people, for other dispensaries. … If they want a specific batch or a specific strain of weed

Monica Green of The Green’s Bakery started making infused edibles in 2018. | Photo Alexa Ace

and we don’t have it, they’ll provide us the weed — we’ll purchase it from them — and then we’ll process it into the edibles that they want.” That is made possible because The Green’s Bakery is a licensed dispensary as well as a processor. Since different patients have different ailments that they are treating with cannabis, Green is happy to accommodate their needs. The concept has been successful enough that the second Green’s Bakery just opened in Crescent. Green is still scouting a third location. “People need their medicine, and somebody has to be a pioneer in the industry,” she said. “No risk, no reward. I’ve got to do it for the patients, and people are apprehensive and we have to erase the stigma of it. It’s been around for a gazillion years, so the time is now. This is the Industrial Revolution of the marijuana industry.” Visit facebook.com/greensbakery.

JUNE 2019

MMJ R e c o M M e n d a t i o n s TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT AND FOR MORE INFO, VISIT

G R E E N H O PEWELLNESS. COM

TELEMEDICINE AVAILABLE BY APPOINTMENT

40 5 - 5 4 3 -7200

$125 ADULTS $80 VETERANS WITH PROOF OF SERVICE $50 PEDIATRICS 2ND RECOMMENDATION

NOW NOW OPEN OPEN d i sp ensary

2301 S I-35 SERVICE ROAD MOORE 405-676-5826

FOUR DOORS NORTH OF GREEN HOPE WELLNESS CLINIC

T T

LARGE SELECTION OF:

SINCE 2018

Lab-tested edibles Lab-tested drinks Top-shelf flower

Call or visit! | 405-208-8229 | 6444 S. Western Ave. Suite 202 OKC

W N N Excellence. Efficiency. Integrity. 526 NW 30th Paseo 405.820.6205

sigparrish@mac.com www.sarahleegossettparrish.com

lawyer cannabis litigation oil & gas insurance JUNE 2019