Sativa Magazine B2B July 2013 by Sativa Magazine

Do your part to grow the culture. Let our advertisers know that you saw them in Sativa Magazine. Atmos Rx Bubble Bowls Cannabis Camera Cannaline Cannaventure Seeds Celebration Pipes EZTrim Flipz Guardian Data Systems Happy Daddy Products Herbivore Designs Kasher Tools Kushed Clothing Method Seven MTG Seeds National Cannabis Industry Association Shaman Genetics Stoner Couture Threefourink

JULY 2013

Sativa Magazine Online Issue No. 6 JULY 2013 President & Publisher Tiffany Greene Editor-in-Chief Michael Carter Managing Editor & Design Director Cheryl Addington Marketing Director Jason Osburn Art Directors Emily Cain Josh Clappe Heidi Hemp’ography Ramon Ramirez s. sakamoto Photographers Max Bortnick Heidi Hemp’ography Ramon Ramirez Executive Editors Mercedys M. Gloria Martinez Editor Christie Rears Writers Jade Christian Richard Drew Gina Epps Franklin Ewing Hippy KK Kip Jarvis Paul Josephs Darren Marcus Joe Martin Mercedys M. Emily Riopelle Sarrah Safi Karen E. Szabo Dr. Nguyen Van Falk All contents ©2013 Sativa Magazine. Sativa Magazine is published and distributed by Vanguard Click Publishing, Seattle, WA. Sativa Magazine does not condone or endorse any illegal use of any products or services advertised herein. All material is for educational purposes only. Sativa Magazine recommends consulting an attorney before considering any business decision or venture. We take no responsibility for the actions of our readers.

sativamagazine.com

Ganjapreneur + artist = hope for America

Are you a starving artist? As I’ve mentioned many times, Sativa Magazine and Vanguard Click Publishing were founded on the idea of creating jobs. This issue is focused on teaching artists how to get a jump on targeting a niche that has yet to be looked at as the opportunity it could be. And that’s the niche of the starving artist concept. Many Cannabis businesses will soon need Cannabis- or hemp-related art for billboards, websites and collateral. Wouldn’t it be great to see your artwork, photography or craft piece displayed in an in-store display, window or website? We have put together an issue that features some of the top artisans in the Cannabis industry who are taking action to make a living by following their passion. We have advice from Dirti on selling, marketing and building a market for your art, or your friend’s art. And we have packed a ton of it into this issue. As you know there are many places online to sell your crafts such as Etsy and many ways to take payment such as Paypal. We hope that many of our Entrepreneur readers will realize there is a market here and more sites like Etsy, iStockPhoto and every ancillary service and product provider will look for the holes that need to be filled. We need to level out the Cannabis and Hemp landscape. I think beautiful imagery is a good way to communicate. I hope to see your beautiful stories in art form all over the world soon, as I already do for many successful artists today. We all have to start somewhere and the internet has now given artists the tools they

sativamagazine.com

need to be successful on their own. No more agents or middle men. Forget about the starving artist cliche. You can be successful right now. Hard work, determination and a lot of online studying can teach you how to be successful as an independent artist in this new digital world. There are many forums and social media networks focused towards the art community and you will never run out of artists to work with. You will be the reason many of these artists rise or fall. Your dollar is stronger than a vote in America. And it puts a lot more food on the small business owner’s table. I say we vote for small business. Small businesses like independent artists. I say we finally take that term to heart and vote with our dollar. Will you help support the movement and donate, or buy products that create jobs in the legal hemp and Cannabis markets? There are many voices that need to be heard to make this movement strong. Please vote with your dollar. Support businesses you believe in. Support causes you believe in. Support individuals working hard to communicate through their arts. You can help. Please. Do. Something.

Michael Carter Editor-in-Chief michael@sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 5

JULY 2013â&#x20AC;

sativamagazine.com

JUly 2013 columns Business Highdeas

Online art show — it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3 Highly inspired ideas for art start-ups.

The Need for Seeds

Breeding as an artform Paul Josephs looks at the art behind the science.

Medibles

Sour cream parmesan potatoes Good for grill or oven —Hippy KK does it again.

a bit of creative licensE

Did You Hear? An occasionally-appearing compendium of legal news. A Day in the Life: Fibromyalgia The first entry of Grandma G’s look at who consumes and why. Michael Goes to the Concentrate Cup O captain our captain takes a journey.

11 14 18

17 22 25

features

The Art Issue Turning Ordinary Into Extraordinary 30 Artist Cliff Maynard and the astounding art of roach papers. Tapping Into Success: Creativity & Cannabis 38 Sarrah Safi looks at the how Cannabis fuels and fosters creativity. Let’s Draw 42 The art of TROG. Words fail us. The Internet Art Gallery 52 A business model for stoners. Mr. Keifbox Woodworking: Proudly Made in the USA 56 Awesome art from an awesome human. How to Sell Your Art Online 64 Everything you need to get those creative juices producing. Sex in the Garden: Part Four 70 From hybrid to strain. Featured artist: Adriel Restrepo 74 Sit back, relax, and enjoy. Featured artist: Cathy Lee 80 Amazing. Havens For Growing Artists 84 Emily Riopelle looks at artist-abling cities. Cannabusiness Planning 101 86 Inspired and ready to take the plunge? Here’s what you need to know. State Dispensary Advertising Rules 92 The strange new world of Cannabis promotion. Cannabis Legalization and Taxes 96 Taxes. What a drag. Read it and reap. 420 Females 109 More shots you crave.

ELEBRATION PIPES marks 40 ICTORY GREEN

IN 1973, Richard Nixon was just sworn

raging after 10 years of American invo and CELEBRATION PIPES were fi rst Christmas presents…what finer sacra

0th anniversary with

n into his second term. The Vietnam War was still olvement. Gas was $0.38 /gallon. Gold was $110/oz. t created on Laie Point, Oahu as stocking stuffers for amental vessel for the herb than a golden bowl? Here we are 40 years later in 2013 and there are DOZENS of states that are either legal (HOORAY for COLORA DO & WASHINGTON) or medicinal with DOZENS more seeking sanity from PROHIBITION. Baby boomers suffer from all the classic aging symptoms and seek relief with the herb. CELEBRATION PIPES are still being made one at a time by the same craftsman with the same Gold that now costs $1,600 / oz. and the 40th anniversary pipe is VICTORY GREEN. Each LAVASTONEWARE piece is still handcrafted by DaPiper from his unique ceramic composite, fired to 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit, then meticulously plated in 22 Kt. Gold to reflect the heat and provide the fi nest burn and smoothest delivery of any pipe on the planet. The bowls exterior is plated in Gold, Platinum, Opal, Black Coral, Purple Haze, Hanalei Blue, or Rastafire and now VICTORY GREEN. Each pipe is encased in a velvet bag and presented in a custom gift box with a Certificate of Authenticity, signed and numbered. Over the years, CELEBR ATION PIPES have been commissioned to create pieces that are in the

collections of AEROSMITH, BOB MARLEY & the WAILERS, CECELIO & K APONO, CHEECH & CHONG, DARYL HANNAH, HUGH HEFNER, FLEETWOOD M AC, JEFFERSON STARSHIP, JESSE COLIN YOUNG, KA LAPANA, LOGGINS & MESSINA, KEITH STROUP, (founder of NORML), WILLY NELSON, WOODY HARRELSON, and ZIGGY MARLEY. To help complete the war on PROHIBITION, we are proud to support NORML for their tireless efforts lobbying all levels of Government to FR EE THE WEED. Each purchase of a VICTORY GREEN pipe sends a few more bucks to NORML that will someday lead to safe and sane LEGALISATION once and for allâ&#x20AC;Ś!!! GO TO : www.celebrationpipes.com or find us @ www. norml.org and order your collectors 40 th anniversary edition TODAY ! See you at DENVER 4/20/2013 Rally & Seattle HEMPFEST August, 2013. Aloha, DaPiper

business highdeas mercedys/carter

Online art show: It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3! Too often the fan base of artists within the Cannabis community fails to expand past their local market, effectively minimizing their reach while limiting the options available to consumers. Our next business highdea would provide an outlet for budding artists to reach thousands, someday maybe even millions, of potential customers hungry for HIGHly inspired artwork. 1. The easiest way to begin this process is by creating a YouTube channel dedicated to an online art show. A studio would be necessary — even just a good-sized room in your house would work. Decorate it attractively and make sure to include a black screen against which vibrant pieces of work will pop. Next, you’ll need to recruit artists with creations for sale. Display the artwork attractively while you interview the artists on video. Some type of entertainment should also be included in each video. Musicians, comics, live glass blowing, people showing off their unique talents — anything that will entertain viewers. Edit the entire thing together and voila! Your internet art show is ready to go.

sativamagazine.com

2. An educated ganjapreneur would start building an audience for the first video before it’s even ready. An easy first step is creating accounts on social media sites and then joining and interacting in groups which have a high number of your target audience. Start making engaging posts that will make people want to follow, like or join your pages. You can also begin interacting in forums in much the same way. Once your first video is done, post it on the YouTube channel and start marketing it heavily. Social media sites are a cheap and

easy way to do this, but talking to your friends, colleagues and even random strangers will also help spread the word. 3. Potential profit revenues include charging a commission on the artwork sold, sponsorship from other companies, and selling commercials and banners to advertisers. For the cash and time-strapped ganjapreneur, building a website could wait until revenues are flowing. But it’ll allow for online ordering which many consumers prefer, and allow for people to easily direct their friends to you. Word-of-mouth

JULY 2013 11

heidi hemp’ography

references are crucial, so providing numerous methods for people to do so will empower your audience to help you grow. AVAILABLE URLS: Cannabstract.com Displayedminds.com Offsetcreations.com Shredthebox.com Stock photo bank: With competition increasing, cannabusinesses need to create appealing advertising materials to attract new customers. Highquality pictures are a must in virtually all types of advertising. But where can cannabusinesses go to get access to high-quality pictures related to the industry? Sativa Magazine has yet to find a good source outside of our own talented photographers, a reality which sparked this next businesses

JULY 2013

highdea — stock Cannabis images. An artistic ganjapreneur could meet this need by creating a website dedicated specifically to selling photographs exclusively related to the Cannabis industry. Pictures of buds, crops, grow-ops, grow equipment, dispensary signs, pretty glass pieces, anything that could be of use for cannabusinesses who are brand building and advertising. The mechanics are simple. First, figure out how you want to handle payments. Similar successful businesses today either have a pay-per-use option where each photo is individually purchased for use or sell credits which can then be used to purchase graphics. Then, build a user-friendly website and upload a bunch of graphics that you own. Then you just need to maintain the website and market

to let cannabusinesses know you are here to meet their needs. An easy way to increase the options for your customers and create another revenue source is to allow others to sell graphics on your website as well. You could charge a monthly fee to be a provider on your website or, even better, charge a commission on sales so there’s no financial risk involved for photographers joining you. We hope one of our creative ganjapreneurs will jump on this low-investment, relatively low-maintenance business highdea ready to be launched tomorrow. Available URLs: THstoC.com ProhibitionImages.com CannabisClips.com HighFolio.com S sativamagazine.com

MERCHANT ACCOUNTS / ATM’s

WIRELESS & CHECK PROCESSING

EQUIPMENT SALES / LEASING

COMPLETE WEBSITE SOLUTIONS

COMPLETE PRINT SOLUTIONS

ONLINE PAYMENT PROCESSING

PCI COMPLIANCE PACKAGES INVENTORY TRACKING

BUSINESS BANK ACCOUNTS PAYROLL & MARKETING SALES TAX REPORTING

GIFT/LOYALTY CARDS

BOOKKEEPING

SECURITY SYSTEMS

ACCOUNTING

CASH ADVANCE

OPERATE WITH CONFIDENCE Integrated Credit Card Processing Touch Screen Monitor Integrated Scale Key Board Patient Check-In Cash Drawer Bio-Metric Finger Print Scanner Bar Code Scanner Patient Loyalty Cards Custom Label Printers QuickBooks Integration

ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS

GUARDIAN POS PLUG AND PLAY COMPLIANCE

WE PROUDLY SPONSOR

D Insurance

MMD Insurance www.mmdinsurance.com

Daly Designs

BRING YOUR BUSINESS TO LIFE!

360 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Add Credibility, Legitimacy, & Transparency Through Technology!!!

the need for seeds Paul Josephs

Breeding as an artform According to the online MerriamWebster Dictionary, an art form is “An undertaking or activity enhanced by a high level of skill or refinement.” Given that this issue of Sativa Magazine is all about art, I’m left asking how do successful breeders elevate their craft to the level of an art form? Vision One very important attribute that accomplished breeders have is a clear idea of what it is they are working to achieve. This clarity may extend as far as a distinct picture in their mind’s eye of the finished plant, or it may be something not easily visualized, such as a particular psychoactive or medicinal quality, or an improved level of resistance to damaging pathogens like powdery mildew and grey mold. The artful breeder will be constantly asking whether any action is facilitating the project to proceed toward the ultimate goal. Patience Refinement comes with time and practice, and it requires patience to stick with a breeding program

JULY 2013

over many generations of crosses and failed attempts. Shortcuts meant to save time often backfire in subsequent generations. There are many examples of ill-advised shortcuts, but I’ll illustrate the theme with one about a breeder who has been working toward developing a plant that has a distinctive creeper high; that is, one that doesn’t take effect immediately and then gets stronger over a period of time. The sativadominant Thai strain having this characteristic being worked with has a poor bag appeal, because the flowers are loose and leafy. The breeder decides to outcross with a spectacularly trichome-rich Kush strain to improve the appearance, and succeeds in that aspect, but loses all of the creeper effect. He could work this new line to get the desired combination, but that will take several generations to pursue and there is no guarantee that it will work. It would be preferable to patiently continue work with the original line and select for appearance and creeper high. Knowledge and observation One need not be a geneticist

to be a great breeder. Education will slowly manifest itself through experience. It certainly helps however, to read up on basic plant genetics in order to lessen the learning curve. Some goals may not be possible due to scientific reality, or would involve such a monumental and laborious route that the breeder may well wish for an imaginary Acme Gene Splicer to get the job done. Meticulous record keeping of every step along the way is one hallmark of a skillful breeder. This begins with a detailed record of the parent plants’ characteristics. Anything about the plants that can be quantified should be noted and recorded. Good examples are growth rate, branching structure, trichome density and associated high effect, maturation time, aroma, taste, and any other distinguishing characteristics. Some breeders will press leaves between paper sheets as a record. This may seem silly to some but variations in the sharpness of the leaflet serrations, color, sheen and overall shape are often associated with certain phenotypes and strain characteristics. If these relationships can be determined,

sativamagazine.com

O.G. THE ORIGINAL

Online Store Wholesale Ordering Custom Options Durable, Adjustable Multipurpose Tool

WORD OF MOUTH EFFECT

OVER 500 STORES! OVER 100,000 SOLD!

COLOR EDITIONS THICKER METAL

  



1-866-727-2256 Based in PORTLAND, OREGON

SOLD IN ALL 50 STATES!

then some selections can be made very early on in the plants’ development. For example, if the desired energetic high of a Golden Goat parent can be related to the blunted leaf serration it exhibits, then all the progeny with sharptoothed leaves can be culled right away. There are many such associations that will be revealed over time to the observant breeder, and these will streamline the selection process. Experimentation Sometimes a side-by-side comparison is worth pursuing. The best example of this are reverse crosses. These crossings are made when the sex of the parent plants are reversed; such as taking a female Haze and crossing it with a Mango male, while at the same time using a female Mango with a Haze male for the second cross. This allows the breeder to discern any sex-linked traits in the resulting progeny of the two crosses. This type of experiment is only possible with seed-grown plants, clone-only females cannot be used for this type of crossing as there is no male counterpart to use. Making a backcross to a line while continuing the original line simultaneously is another great comparison cross to make. This can illustrate just how much influence the backcross makes to the strain as compared

JULY 2013

to the continued inbred line grown alongside it. Such experimental crosses are very helpful in refining a breeder’s skill and knowledge on the way to becoming an artful practitioner of the craft. Tough love There often comes a time when a skilled breeder knows when to throw in the towel. Breeding can be likened to another artistic endeavor, stone sculpting, where sometimes unexpected things are revealed as the work progresses. At times these unexpected occurrences are flaws and the work is marred, and at others they are serendipitous, and the change is welcome and incorporated. When the breeding program takes a turn for the worse, it is almost always best to scrap the project or breeding line being worked. This isn’t always easy to do if one has spent a long time on it, but breeders know that staying true to their ideals means making tough decisions sometimes. Sharing the love Art is usually meant to be appreciated by many people. Such is the case with the fruits of the breeder’s labor. Part of the refinement of the breeder’s art is to learn how their strains perform in varying conditions, and then they can convey those attributes to other

growers. This is often done in breeder/grower circles, where a group of associates share seeds of their projects with each other. This way any strengths or vulnerabilities can be exposed, and it also affords the opportunity to grow out more seedlings than any one individual could. Some breeders may inadvertently self-select for plants that flourish in the unique conditions of their grow operations, and then learn from others that the strain may be susceptible to pathogens, or they may realize that the plants perform even better using a different growing technique or nutrient regimen. Unleash your breeding artistry The distinction between a breeder whose work is an art form and one that is not boils down to the basics. Haphazard breeding, poor record keeping, and rushing things spell trouble for the breeder and his customers. Good planning, welldirected plant selections, keeping meticulous observation records, and patience are the qualities that separate the best from the rest. Turn your breeding into your own distinctive art form; breed with pride and care, and great results will occur. The sense of satisfaction of a successful breeding project is well worth the extra effort, and will be appreciated by Cannabis connoisseurs for years to come. S

sativamagazine.com

May 30: The California State Senate unanimously approved SB 506 to allow for growing industrial hemp once it is federally legalized. Although functionally this would mean no change in California’s current statutes, once federal prohibition ends California would be one step ahead of many states toward legal hemp production. June 6: Vermont became the 17th state to end criminal sanctions against Cannabis possession. Now anyone 21 years or older will only receive a civil fine for possessing up to one ounce of Cannabis, 5 grams of hashish or related paraphernalia. Previously, offenders received up to a $500 fine and six months in jail. This means that a third of all states consider Cannabis possession a civil offence, not a criminal one. June 6: Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed legislation regulating the commercial production and retail sales of Cannabis in the state. This historic measure allows Cannabis to be sold to anyone over the age of 21 without stipulations about medical condition or residency. The details are not finalized yet, as voters must still approve the proposed tax rates this fall. June 7: A bill to propose Cannabis legalization this fall failed in Maine’s House of Representatives. The measure only needed four more votes, and it had slim chances of passing when first introduced. The public called and emailed their representatives in droves, spurring the bill forward. On June 10th, the same measure was voted down by the state senate, ending any chance of putting the issue before voters. June 10: The Canadian government rolled out legislation which would drastically change how patients would receive their medical Cannabis. The proposed legislation ends the production and distribution of Cannabis by the Canadian government, and prescriptions would set limits on the amount of Cannabis a patient can obtain. The legislation goes further by barring the cultivation of the herb by anyone but licensed growers operating under strict conditions. The wording of the bill purposefully bans cultivation

sativamagazine.com

a compendium of legal news from around the country...and beyond of the herb within residential homes, forcing patients to rely on receiving their medication from the licensed growers through the mail. Canadian representatives claim the changes are designed to protect patients and the public at large, but no one quite believes it will be effective. Doctors are outraged at being required to prescribe specific amounts of a medication when there is little research to base their decisions on. June 12: Nevada voted to legalize medical Cannabis dispensaries. Medical Cannabis has been legal in the state since 2000, but dispensaries were not allowed. Patients until now depended on product sharing and home growing to obtain their medicine. With the current number of potential patients, roughly 4,000, this could generate anywhere between $8 million to $10 million in sales for the first year. The new bill will heavily restrict home cultivation, and only patients who live beyond 25 miles of a dispensary will be allowed to grow their own bud. All patients may purchase up to 2.5 ounces of medical Cannabis within a two-week period. June 14: Alaska approved an initiative that allows adults 21 and over to possess one ounce of Cannabis. Public consumption of Cannabis, however, will remain prohibited. The initiative still requires signatures to make it onto the ballot, but Alaska may soon become yet another state to legalize recreational Cannabis. continued on page 106//

JULY 2013 17

medibles hippy KK

Sour Cream Parmesan Potatoes Medibles are the most potent way to ingest cannabinoids and a great source of pain relief. Our monthly featured Medible recipe will pack Cannabis into your favorite sweet treat or main meal, providing you with a strong sedative effect that does not require continued dosing throughout the day. This side dish is great for summertime grilling or baked in the oven.

Yield: 4 servings Prep Time: 45 min. Ingredients: 4 medium/large potatoes 1 16 oz. container sour cream 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 1 medium onion, chopped or sliced 6 tablespoons Cannabudder Salt and pepper to taste. You will also need two pieces of aluminum foil approximately 18" long. 1 If using a grill, be sure coals are hot. If baking in the oven, preheat to 400°F. 2 Peel, wash and slice potatoes as if preparing homemade French fries. Set aside in large mixing bowl. 3 To the sliced potatoes, add Cannabudder, ¾ container of sour cream, ½ of the Parmesan cheese, and the onion. Mix well, ensuring potatoes are well-coated. 4 Place potatoes on 2 pieces of aluminum foil with the top piece overlapping the bottom half way. Spread

JULY 2013

the rest of the sour cream over potatoes and top with remaining Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, add any additional seasonings at this time. 5 Creating a pouch, tightly fold over all edges of aluminum foil. If baking in the oven, it is recommended that foil-wrapped potatoes be placed on a baking sheet. If using a grill, place the foil pouch directly over heat. The grill lid does not necessarily have to be closed. Cook for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender. 6 Remove from oven or grill and allow to set for a few minutes before opening foil. Contents are hot! Upon opening, steam will escape; use caution! Remove potatoes from foil and place in a serving dish. Have leftovers? No worries, they reheat well and still taste great the next day. Good for up to 4 days, refrigerated.

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 19

a day in the life

fi·bro·my·al·gia a chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain, tenderness, and stiffness of muscles and associated connective tissue structures that is typically accompanied by fatigue, headache, and sleep disturbances.

BY Grandma G

The occasional A Day in the Life series seeks to shine a light on the many people who consume Cannabis and why.

9:00 a.m. Maria, a 54-year-old grandmother of 10, opens her eyes to a new day. She picks up her bong as she sits up in bed. When she reaches for her lighter on the nightstand, she grits her teeth as muscle spasms ripple down the side of her neck, into her shoulder and shoot down her arm. Maria sits on the edge of her bed and loads a bowl of Cannabis. Inhaling deeply, she feels almost instant relief. Exhaling, she begins to think about the day ahead. In a few short minutes she knows she will be able to go about her morning routine and will even be able to dress herself. Marie has fibromyalgia. It will never go away and there is no cure, but because she has the option to use Cannabis to treat her symptoms, she is once again able to look forward to living a full life.

11:00 a.m. Maria has showered, dressed and groomed herself; she has taken her dog out for a walk

JULY 2013

and is ready to begin her workday, working from home, at her own pace. She takes another hit off the bong on her dresser, sits down and takes a moment to reflect and remember how it was right after her diagnosis of fibro, before she had discovered that Cannabis could be such an effective treatment for her. Often, getting up, showering and dressing had taken over 6 hours; sometimes it was the only thing she accomplished before heading back to bed… and sometimes she hadn’t even been able to finish those simple tasks before pain and exhaustion took her away from the day. A breath of sadness blows through her heart as she mourns the lost time this disease has taken from her — precious time with her kids gone forever — missed memories of so many special occasions that passed her by. She straightens her shoulders, breathes deeply, delighting in the knowledge that she can once again be productive and enjoy the business of living, and

sativamagazine.com

heads for her computer.

2:00 p.m. after returning from the library, maria responds to her daily emails and checks her “to-do” list for the day. she spends some time on Facebook enjoying the posts of her two oldest grandchildren and sends her cousin a birthday greeting. she’s done about half of the editing she expects to complete for the day, and heads to her room for a short nap. maria takes a couple of hits before she lies down, knowing that the cannabis will help her body relax and will prevent the tortuous muscle spasms caused by fibro from unmercifully twisting her body in agony. she will be able to rest peacefully, perhaps even fall asleep for a while.

5:00 p.m. maria returns from walking her dog again and, after enjoying a little more cannabis, returns to her computer to finish her tasks for

sativamagazine.com

the day. she organizes her files and begins to concentrate on the work in front of her. after a couple of hours she has completed her work and begins preparing her dinner. once she has eaten she sits down to read for a bit and spends the evening relaxing, periodically taking a few drags from a joint. she is content, knowing, thanks to the cannabis, she will sleep well and be able to wake up and begin the next day without the fear of being paralyzed with incapacitating pain. “Fibromyalgia symptoms may include insomnia, depression, skin conditions, hypoglycemia, a loss of mental acuity, fatigue, genitourinary complications, and more. many of these symptoms can be reduced or alleviated by using medical marijuana.” S http://medicalmarijuana.com/medicalmarijuana-treatments/fibromyalgia

JULY 2013

 23

Michael goes to the

CONCENTRATES CUP

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013

The Art Issue • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The day had been planned for a month: my first visit to the Black Diamond Farmers Market. This isn’t your regular Farmers Market. This is a market for medical patients only. This event was special, though. It was the beginning of a controversial conversation. A conversation about what happens next in the hash and oil/concentrate market. It was an event focused entirely on concentrates and hash: The Concentrate Cup. A hash competition, if you will. My tank was filled and I was bubbling with excitement. It was a long drive through many pastured fields and beautiful trees. It was a beautifully green sunny day and my anticipation was building. The drive was great. My attitude was great. I was optimistic about the power of our activist and rebellious nature in Western Washington, and I was excited to see the community unite and discuss many of the scheduled topics. As I pulled up to the event there were cars lining the street for 5 blocks out in the middle of farmland — nowhere. There is a back street down the road for parking and a van that comes around quite often to pick people up. While waiting, some people take their freedoms. The air was full of flavor and my mind was racing with excitement. While waiting to attend the event, I met a couple parked near me and I started a conversation. They happened to have a bag full of amazing caramel and chocolate candies and warned me not to eat too many. I looked down at them and immediately felt like I was in Wonderland and every caramel said, “eat me.” So I did. 15 minutes later the van showed up to pick us up.

JULY 2013

As we all unload I can hear Pink Floyd through the speakers and the mood began to kick in. The vibe was extremely positive. As I stood in line, I began to notice the sugar rush from the caramels. I was about to enjoy this a little more than I anticipated. As I checked in, they called my doctor and certified my paperwork. They gave me a green band and a bag full of treats and other gifts to take home with me. I walked into a crowd of people whose ages ranged from around 25 to 60. It was very relaxed. Good music played in between speaking periods and I was feeling at peace with the world. I walked around checking out the booths, amazed and excited to see such ingenuity and risk taking. The rebel yell spirit of America was in full bloom. To see the camaraderie and the support from everyone in attendance was a beautiful thing. Many of the largest news publishers in Washington were in attendance as well, absorbing the vibe and speculating about Washington’s future. There were Cannabis and hemp products of every sort. There were utensils for enjoying your method of ingestion and companies that highly regulate their product like any major company would and provide excellent high quality, tested products. The foods were amazing. It’s a good thing I have never noticed any side effect from a high level of Cannabis in my system, because today was one of those trial and error days. And there were no errors. I had an amazing time. I met some really incredible individuals and spoke with people from all corners of the industry. As the caramels began to really take effect, I decided it was time to sit down and take some notes for the article. As I sat

sativamagazine.com

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Word was spreading like wildfire about the recent meeting between the former president of Mexico Vicente Fox and the Cannabis entrepreneur Jamen Shively, ex-Microsoft manager turned Cannabis industry investor. and wrote I began a conversation with a wonderful couple sharing the same table and they discussed their goals to start a sustainable living ranch here in Washington. Don’t forget. Washington is where all the hippies migrated, passing along their values to their children. We want to be free. So that was the discussion we had as the caramels began to really kick in. I drifted in thought somewhat in the fog of my mind as they spoke, and imagined myself running naked through fields of Cannabis and hugging everyone. I’ve stayed at a few communes in my youth and they were wonderful experiences, and very similar to the dream I was having. After we finished our conversation, I decided to get up and have some conversations personally with a number of the booth owners. Uppermost on many minds was the topic of big business. Word was spreading like wildfire about the recent meeting between the former president of Mexico Vicente Fox and the Cannabis entrepreneur Jamen Shively, ex-Microsoft manager turned Cannabis industry investor. I heard many opinions that sounded like stretched conspiracies and many that sounded like some very unattractive possibilities in the future of Cannabis and hemp as a business, but the topic on most lips was how a Vincente/Shively business marriage might affect MMJ in the state of Washington.

sativamagazine.com

Truthfully, the medical market is about to face some very serious challenges and if we do not stick together and fight together, we will lose. The state government and the liquor control board are working together to create a system for recreational Cannabis use. They will most likely never allow a dispensary or a delivery service to operate openly and will most likely treat Cannabis as it if it were moonshine. The state will be tough to fight. We need to pay attention to the bills being passed. Read them. And vote wisely. Ask your friends and family to vote. After I spent much time in debate with a number of individuals, I decided to run around and meet some more booth owners and enjoy the part of the event everyone came to experience: ALL of the AMAZING products — the oils, the hash, the shatter, the wax. I dibbed and I dabbed until I was dizzy. I asked a number of the booth owners about their products and by that time, I was already on Cloud 9. I took notes but nothing that was going to serve as solid background for an article. I decided I was pretty much done for the day. I had already been at the event for around seven hours. I missed the second day and the crowning event, but I will say, I got a feeling that there is an extremely diverse group of people involved in this entire industry — the medical,

JULY 2013 27

The Art Issue • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

recreational and hemp industries alike. The conversations were wonderful. The people were very generous. And the vibe was great. This felt a little more like the freedom they taught me about in school — euphoric, life-altering, affirming. After sitting through some well-constructed speeches from Farmer John of The 13%ers, Meditiva, MediBros, Analytical 360 and Pam Haley of the ASA, the clouds began to lift. I had a great time, learned a lot and met some great people. It was time to hop in the van and catch a ride to my car. I sat in my car for nearly four hours, thinking mostly, listening to the wildlife and listening to

The Winners Special “Best in Show” Awards: Highest THC Award: “ Blue Head” Indica PHO by Meditiva Labs Highest/Purest CBD Award: “ Sour Tsunami” BHO by Fweedom Collective Category Awards: BHO Sativa 1. “Jack Herrer” by 710 Extracts 2. “ Grand Father OG” by Rain City Medical 3. “ Lemon Skunk Shatter” by Farmer Joe BHO Indica: 1. “ Fire Alien Kush” by Cannatonics and Medicinoils 2. “ Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies” By SHH and HCC

JULY 2013

music before driving off to end my day, with a bag full of tasty treats. Special thanks for the candy bars from Medibros. They were much enjoyed the next day — and very well-medicated! The Concentrate Cup was a wonderful glimpse at what a little freedom and less government can provide to a group of people who are just like everyone else who enjoys a glass of wine or beer after work. We don’t want to feel like criminals when we eat a brownie. Special thanks to the folks at www. MMJUniverse.com and The NW Leaf for putting together the event. I had a great time and felt very welcomed. It’s a wonderful community to be a part of. S

3. “ Dutch Hawaiian” by Highway 9 Wellness and HCC Co2: 1. “High Alert” by C&E Gardens 2. “Mr. Nice Guy” by Stony and Bart 3. Blue Dream/CBD Shatter Blend by WAM Oil RSO: 1. “ Lemon Skunk” by Jeremy and Cloners Market 2. “ Harlequin X Maui Wowi” by Pam’s PLants 3. “Sativa Hybrid” by Sativa Valley Solventless: 1. “Zombie City” by A Greener Today 2. “ Pineapple Express” by A Greener Today 3. “ Sour Diesel Triple Bubble” by High Class

sativamagazine.com

E 30

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

cliff maynard

turning ordinary into

xtraordinary

Sometimes you have to see something for yourself in order to believe it to actually be true. And if I didn’t know better, had someone said that there was an artist who creates stunning mosaics made completely out of roach papers, I’d wonder why they weren’t sharing their clearly amazing bud. When he’s not putting art on a human canvas while working at Tony’s Tried & True in Port Orchard, Wash., tattoo artist Cliff Maynard is doing just that, “recycling on a higher level.”

By Karen E. Szabo sativamagazine.com

Born and raised in Ohio, Cliff moved to Pennsylvania to attend the Art Institute in Pittsburgh. While attending art school, he was studying mosaics when he came up with the idea that he could use roach paper in place of tiles. In doing so, he created his chronic art that has gained him national attention. In 1999, after collecting enough roach papers, Maynard pieced together his first masterpiece, a portrait of Jesus Christ. This particular piece has sentimental value and will never be for sale but will be

JULY 2013 31

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 33

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 35

on display at OG North, one of Seattle’s many dispensaries. The talent that this artist holds is truly phenomenal and in no way should it be hidden from the world. During the time Maynard resided in Pittsburgh, it became apparent to him that he had chosen a very conservative place in which to live. Residents marked Cannabis users quickly and in a not-so-nice way. Luckily for the Cannabis community, he made frequent trips to the west coast, more specifically, to the much more liberal and Cannabis-friendly state of Washington. During one of Cliff’s visits, he was discovered by the Seattle Hempfest Executive Director, Vivian McPeak, who asked him to do artwork for the Hempfest. Since then, Cliff has only missed one Hempfest, ironically the one at which his artwork was featured. The summer of 2011 would be the last time Cliff Maynard made the trip back to Pittsburgh from the Seattle area. Prior to heading back home, Maynard, who worked part-time at a tattoo shop while out west, secured a full-time position there. He headed home to pack up a four-foot by eight-foot U-Haul trailer and move out west. It was a move that would prove to be beneficial for his chronic art. Roach paper artwork is like no other you’ll ever see. It is truly an amazing, mind-blowing process. Cliff is able to see unlimited potential in the remnants of smoked joints. While many people would throw them away, Cliff uses them as his color palette to create unique masterpieces. His highly inspired art is made up solely of roach papers and glue; no pen, pencil or paint. Different types of papers produce different tones and in order to achieve

JULY 2013

See firsthand for yourself how one man, while using only a pile of roach papers, a bottle of glue and an x-acto knife, turns the ordinary into extraordinary. a specific color, several layers of paper will be applied, until he gets it just right. Cliff Maynard has created stunning art pieces of great icons such as Jack Herer, Bob Marley, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Cheech & Chong, Jim Morrison and Jerry Garcia. Each original is literally made up of hundreds of individual pieces collected from all over the nation. It might be an entire section or just the smallest piece of a particular color from one roach, but nonetheless, piece after piece is diligently added to create a stunning masterpiece at the end. But he doesn’t do just portraits. Cliff has given Sativa Magazine the honor of featuring a never-before-seen piece titled, “Enlightened Justice,” that he recently finished for an attorney who represents MMJ clients. See firsthand for yourself how one man, while using only a pile of roach papers, a bottle of glue and an x-acto knife, turns the ordinary into extraordinary. On the homepage of the roach paper art website (link below), Cliff features a start-to-finish, time-lapse video while piecing together “Revolution 420.” A process that took over 30 hours to create, can be seen in less than six minutes. Other videos are available at youtube/roachpaperart as well. Want to own a unique piece of Cliff Maynard’s chronic art? That’s easy, just visit the website

sativamagazine.com

all photos courtesy of cliff maynard’s roach paper art archives

Original artwork by Cliff Maynard: First page, “Enlightened Justice;” second page, “Revolution 420;” third page, “Indicia Rising;” fourth page, “420;” fifth page, “Prohibition;” above, the artist.

roach paper art for a complete list of originals, limited-edition prints and mini-prints available. Better yet, surprise someone with a gift unlike any other, and place an order. His chronic artwork is also featured on custom made-toorder keif boxes by Mr. Keif box Woodworking. Hempfest Central has dedicated a full section to his artwork. Annually as a vendor, Cliff Maynard and his chronic art can found every April 20th in Denver at the 420 Rally or the third weekend in August at the Seattle Hempfest. At this year’s protestival, Cliff can be found in the four-booth block of 516–520

sativamagazine.com

along with Happy Daddy and Oil Slick. So, stop on by, say high and meet the man who turns ordinary into extraordinary. S Make sure to check out Cliff Maynard’s Roach Paper Art website to see him at work and some of his stunning creations.



http://www.roachpaperart.com/# To view Cliff Maynard’s YouTube videos: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_ query=roach+paper+art

JULY 2013 37

Tapping into success:

creativity cannabusiness Steve Jobs, Abraham Lincoln, Carl Sagan, Stephen Jay Gould, Bob Marley, Thomas Jefferson... 38

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

By Sarrah Safi Illustration by Josh Clappe/Photo by Heidi Hemp’ography

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 39

Cannabis use results in increased All of these famous people shared something in common. Not only were they very successful in their individual endeavors, but they also were extremely creative and had what it takes to grab the world’s attention as they accomplished the various achievements we’ve come to remember them for today. But do you know what else they shared in common? Every one of these men were avid Cannabis enjoyers. It should come as no surprise that the most successful businesses are also the most advanced in both creative advertising and product design. In fact, they are the most known about as we venture through our lives with billboards and commercials advertising the newest inventions that will “improve” our lives. But which ones stand out the most? Which commercial can you reflect back on and remember laughing about as the product enters your thoughts? Maybe an advertisement made you pause and take a good look as you recognized its clever appeal. Perhaps it was the product itself that caught your attention — something that caused you to think, “Wow! That’s a great idea!” All of these ingenious ways to grab your attention stem from the act of being creative. Creativity is the vision that drives us to do something new and fresh, the motivation that arises from intelligence and recognition of an idea that calls for a singular solution or invention. And that’s exactly what creative business advertising must do: earn a person or company respect while grabbing people’s attention to expand knowledge about a product or service in order to grow a solid customer

JULY 2013

base. Look around you. Many of the things you see that are manmade came from the creative thinking of someone. And the best part is that Cannabis may be able to help in providing the creative innovation every business desires. First, let’s look at creativity and how it comes to fruition. Many people might assume creativity can only come from individuals who have a wild imagination, but the fact is anyone can be creative. It’s a matter of biology and chemistry. When a creative mind is at work, there are increased levels of dopamine flowing in the person’s brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in regulating attention, cognition, and pleasure as well as a few other physiological traits. It is often referred to as the “pleasure” or “motivation” neurotransmitter. With increased levels of dopamine in the brain, it is able to generate more synaptic connections between neurons (more links firing between brain cells). That means more thought patterns, more connections, more divergent thinking, more epiphanies, and more eureka moments. For what is creativity other than untypical thoughts that cease to run parallel with other similar ideas? According to a case report titled, “Cannabis Induced Dopamine Release: An In-Vivo SPECT Study,” with Lakshmi Voruganti from the University of Western Ontario’s Departments of Psychiatry and Nuclear Medicine, the findings state that “Cannabis use results in increased synaptic dopamine activity,” as well as “…THC might additionally exert its effects by directly influencing synaptic

sativamagazine.com

synaptic dopamine activity plasticity.” In other words, Cannabis use increases thought flow. It has the ability to induce divergent thinking through mediating the dopamine levels a brain needs to not only experience the “pleasure” effects, but the creative effects that accompany it.

creating new products ranging from the Apple 1 to the iPad. Facing a continuously growing and diverse market, they’ve been able to stay ahead of the game by using their creative edge in developing technology that nearly every family in America keeps in their households.

In a study led by Rebecca Kuepper, who works for the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at the Maastricht University Medical Centre in the Netherlands, her findings indicated that “THC has been shown to affect endocannabinoid neurotransmission and much evidence indicates that eCBs are key components in the regulation of dopamine neurotransmission.” So, Cannabis affects endocannabinoids that affect dopamine — a domino effect of biological and chemical functions once THC is introduced to the brain that has the possibility to lead to that creative kick many individuals need to jumpstart a great idea.

Products such as Kit Kat or Reese’s candy bars have changed little since the 1920s, yet they are still being gobbled up by the millions each year in America. Do they need innovation for something that has already been perfected? Absolutely! Their employees come up with new and exciting ways to advertise their product each year, giving it the spark that continues to create revenue.

For each of you ganjapreneurs out there risking your life’s savings, credit score, and reputation as you venture into the world of economic discovery, remember that the key to success lies in the innovative efforts put into your product, service, and advertising. Linkedln defines innovation concisely as “the development of new customer value through solutions that meet new needs, unarticulated, or old customer and market needs in new ways.” Take Apple, for example. The company has been in the computer market since the 1970s and is still one of the top leaders in technology sales today. Consistently they have found the right innovation to succeed through the years by

sativamagazine.com

As far as the Cannabis industry goes, the possibilities are endless. Not only can one use Cannabis to induce creative thinking, but as we explored in the June issue of Sativa Magazine, the uses for hemp are endless. Already it is used to make fabrics, food, body-care products, paper, textiles, rope, fuel, building materials and plastic alternatives. But as we shall explore further at a later point in time, the hemp industry today is just a small fraction of what it could be. Opportunity is knocking, but whether we answer or allow them to wither away in our thick web of bureaucracy remains to be seen. The educated ganjapreneur whose honed their business skills and can tap into their creative side to develop innovative offerings will fuel the green rush. The industry awaits innovators to bring hemp products into the mainstream consciousness, to transform the industry from a small side show to a major driver of the American economy. S

JULY 2013 41

This month’s cover was drawn by Australian artist TrOG. Karen E. Szabo takes a peek inside the creative mind of one of the world’s most original and respected 420 artists.

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

hen looking at a drawing created by trog, the saying “a picture’s worth a thousand words” comes to mind because the art speaks volumes. if you’re a member of the 420 community, chances are you’ve seen something drawn by trog — or maybe you’re even lucky enough to own one of his masterpieces. Born and raised in perth, australia, trog is a self-taught artist who’s been drawing his entire life, or at least for as long as he can remember. after making his debut in the united states roughly 8 years ago when he drew a poster for the kottonmouth kings, trog has since

sativamagazine.com

created custom artwork for many well-known cannabis events such as the seattle hempfest, kush kup, emerald empire hempfest, kush expo, harvest Fest 1 and 2, hempstock, green gathering, hempcon, Beyond Boro and many, many more. he has also done a fair amount of winning cannabis strain posters, and most recently for one of sativa magazine’s own, hippy kk and JD culpepper’s great lakes ice strain, which was featured in may’s nuggshots. with a list of influential and favorite artists including gilbert shelton, stanley mouse, robert crumb, victor moscosso and s. clay wilson, it comes as no surprise that trog’s initial inspiration came from one of the greatest

JULY 2013

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TROG ARCHIVES

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 45

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TROG ARCHIVES

Anatomy of a drawing: From left to right, the pencil sketch of the Great Lakes Ice poster, the drawing in progress, and the finished artwork.

underground comix known, Ben Brown. TROG began creating his own style and originality, later discovering Rick Griffin — who ultimately became his favorite artist to date, and who will always remain such. Not to mention, TROG really digs the work of Dirty Donny and DH, believing these two will go down as some of the greatest artists of their time. TROG lives in a country where only a few jurisdictions have decriminalized “small amounts” for personal use — Cannabis is otherwise considered an illicit drug by Australian law. He has remained an underground artist due to the lack of a Cannabis industry to support his art, basically leaving him labeled as an “outlawed artist” within his own country.

JULY 2013

Being so open about Cannabis has resulted in TROG losing some work in the past. With initial intentions of doing band posters, he found himself being turned down because of his Cannabis-related artwork. At the same time, however, the Cannabis community was loving it, helping him realize he was a true 420 artist. Although he has done artwork for bands, his true calling is in creating posters for Cannabis shows and the 420 movement as a whole. It’s very refreshing to run across someone who isn’t simply interested in making a buck — but rather, in making a difference. TROG has been featured in and on several U.S. and European magazines, and worked on a custom glass line with Goat Glassware — nothing short of some sweet detailed work. His artwork can also be found featured on

sativamagazine.com

Visit TROG’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/#!/artofTROG?fref=ts

a custom, made-to-order keif box from Mr. Keif box Woodworking. TROG pays a lot of credit for his success to the guys at the Kush Expo, who heavily promote his stuff, as well as Facebook, which he feels has opened many doors for him. Although his artwork is spreading among the global Cannabis community, TROG’s roots are still in his beautiful homeland. He resides in Melbourne, Australia with his number one fan, his wife Danni. They are also currently expecting their first child. Despite his vast success, TROG still has more he wishes to accomplish. When asked what events he would like to draw for that he hasn’t already, he responded with the High Times Cannabis Cup and an Emerald Cup poster —

sativamagazine.com

“the whole growing in the dirt with the sun, the natural way it was intended really appeals to me.” TROG would also like to one day do artwork for the bands Pearl Jam, Primus and the Foo Fighters. TROG says, “It’s on.” For the first time ever, he’ll be attending the Seattle Hempfest during the third weekend in August of this year. Sativa Magazine’s staff looks forward to celebrating with TROG and the hundreds of thousands of others bound to turn out for the first Hempfest following legalization. Look forward to our coverage of the event come September, and perhaps you’ll even see which lucky Sativa Magazine staff members get to meet this amazing artist who is well on the way to accomplishing his goal to be remembered through his artwork. S

JULY 2013 47

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 49

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 51

The Internet

a Business mod 52

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

t Art Gallery

el for stoners sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013

By Michael Carter and Mercedys M. Illustration by Emily Cain

Since this month’s issue focuses on art, we thought it would be a great opportunity to take that theme and use it to show you, awesome reader, one example of how easy it is to extrapolate everyday goods and, in this case, services into the cannabusiness universe. So get out your favorite method of relaxation, sit back and follow along as we lead you down the path of prosperity with the theoretical cannabusiness business model for an online art gallery. Then, let your mind wander. What is your passion and how will you parlay that passion into a successful cannabusiness? We submit for your approval the creation of a digital art gallery which rivals the experience visitors have at many fine art galleries located in major metropolitan cities around the country. By creating this experience online, we bring our art into the homes of art lovers from the Cannabis community across the globe. The tools we utilize to provide a world-class digital art gallery are too numerous to name here, but all website additions and extras are on the table as we grow. We have created an atmosphere of simple elegance, choosing to focus on art exclusively. As we grow, we will remain open to any idea or tool which can solidify our success.

Highly inspired: our Internet art gallery At Highly Inspired, we offer visitors the opportunity to experience a beautifully designed website featuring artwork from over

JULY 2013

40 artists, all of whom are experts in their own unique styles. Our connection to such talented artists and craftspeople from so many unique facets of the artistic tradition provides us with the fountain of talent needed to make this business a success. Our success lies in the bond we have with our artists, the quality of our art, and our wide-ranging connections in the community we are bringing together. Joni Doe, the imaginary leader and visionary of the project, has spent her career building up the connections that form the foundation of our company. While managing The Amazing Sativa Art Studio in downtown New York City, Joni attracted a targeted and elite group of art lovers interested in the unique offerings of each show. Her vast experience working with numerous artistic genres allows Joni to attract a target market that appreciates the distinctive style being featured and realizes the value that it holds. True art has a story, and Joni is like Jesus on a stage, captivating and passionate as she communicates the distinct tale behind each genre or piece of artwork. But her intrinsic communication abilities also allow her to direct our web-design team, and become a networking expert as well. Joni has made connections with talented web designers, IT specialists, graphic designers, writers, public-relations gurus and has built strategic relationships within the industry over

sativamagazine.com

Here’s how the budget might work:

Website establishment

$10,000

Website hosting, maintenance and updates

$10,000

Contract Attorney

$5,000

Marketing / Advertisements

$15,000

Petty cash

$10,000

Total budget for two-years

$50,000

the years. She is able to manage nearly all of the tasks that keep the organization afloat, but Gary Drecker, MBA, and Chris, MFA, also help direct and manage projects, keeping expenditures to a minimum. Specifically, Gary will handle financial aspects while Chris utilizes his design and IT experience to perform most of the maintenance of the website. As our budget shows, building and maintaining the web infrastructure capable of providing a world-class, online art gallery is one of our biggest ongoing projects. Every month the displays will change to highlight a new theme which allows our marketers to target to a very specific audience. By utilizing Joni’s connections in artistic communities around the world and various online formats, especially social sites for elite art lovers and the artists themselves, we will drive traffic to our site. Highly Inspired is also creating a community between artists and their fans through interactive features and personalized profiles. Since we have painstakingly crafted a highclass image at Highly Inspired, and only work with the most brilliantly deranged artists available, we can charge a premium for the beautiful products we sell. We offer both custom and finished work, all sold at

sativamagazine.com

a premium price. Since we have developed exclusive connections with the best artists the industry has to offer, we provide a high return to the artists for the hard work which makes their creative brilliance come to life. Because our high-class image and unparalleled offerings allow us to charge premium rates for the highquality art we are selling, we can still earn a profit and create jobs with our generous 60–40 profit-sharing arrangement. Our artists receive a majority of the sale price for every piece of work sold without being charged service fees of any kind. In exchange for our 40 percent, we will perform most of the heavy lifting when it comes to finding and engaging customers as well as providing them a unique buying experience unparalleled by any of our competitors. The artwork we have listed ranges continued on page 107//



Enjoy reading our abridged executive summary? Get tips and tricks on how to write one for your business from the Small Business Administration: http://www.sba.gov/category/ navigation-structure/starting-managingbusiness/starting-business/how-writebusiness-plan

JULY 2013 55

By Karen E. Szabo 56

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

PROUDLY made in the u.s.a. Mr. Keifbox woodworking

It’s amazing how far and wide the reach within the Cannabis community stretches — a unique group of people standing firm, fighting for something they all believe in. So, it comes as no surprise that when someone’s asked to help out, they offer unquestioned assistance and respond with, “I’ve got your back.” With appreciation being reward enough, unselfish acts within the 420 community are routine, but often go unrecognized in the public eye. Even though this husband and wife team behind this company recently received some much-deserved recognition for their acts, appreciation for what they continue to do is endless.

With hours of operation from 8:19 a.m. to 4:19 p.m. Monday through Friday, the Keif boxes know the importance of 4:20, leaving that time to be celebrated in ways other than creating unique pieces of art for their customers. But this story isn’t about their hours of operation or the fact that their business is located in their one-car garage. It’s about one couple’s activism in the 420 movement and the ways in which they use their woodworking talents to perform acts of kindness for the Cannabis community. More specifically, it’s about two projects they’ve been working on in addition to their regular day-to-day commitments.

M r. K eifbox Woodworking is located in a Washington suburb with a staff of three that consists of the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Keif box, and one employee who have been making custom, made-to-order keif boxes and other wooden products for Cannabis since 2008.

The Cash Hyde medicine chest is a truly epic chest. Cash Michael Hyde, a young boy from Missoula, Montana, was one month shy of his second birthday when he was diagnosed with Stage IV brain cancer. In spite of his age, Cashy was a true fighter in every aspect.

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 57

photos courtesy Mr. Keifbox Woodworking archives

Left: Myo Keifbox with the Cash Hyde Medicine Chest. Above: Looking into the chest. Right: A portion of the Burning Prohibition Project.

Without getting into private details, the Hydes began administering Cannabis oil to their son. After a short remission, Cashy’s cancer returned and he passed in the arms of his loving parents, Mike and Kalli Hyde. Joshua McGuire reached out to the Keif boxes, who didn’t hesitate to begin building a Peruvian Black Walnut medicine chest to help raise money for the Cash Hyde Foundation. To contain all the goods generously donated by businesses and members of the 420 community, the chest dimensions grew from 12 inches long by 18 inches wide by 12 inches deep to its completed dimensions of 18 inches long by 18 inches wide by 24 inches deep. The chest has several removable trays and a pull-out

JULY 2013

drawer the length of the chest and comes full of goodies donated by businesses and members of the 420 community. For $150.00, sponsors were able to have their logo burned on the inside of the lid. After four months in the making, the chest is complete and was recently unveiled at the Concentrate Cup on June 2, 2013. Want a chance to win this one-of-a-kind chest and everything it holds inside? To help benefit the Cash Hyde Foundation, raffle tickets are still available at My Hemp Revolution. The winner of the chest will be announced the third weekend in August, at the Seattle Hempfest. All proceeds go to the Cash Hyde Foundation in loving memory of Cash Michael Hyde (June 21, 2008 – November 14, 2012).

sativamagazine.com

organizations for public display. Providing enough sponsors come forward, the panels will be assembled together for the public to view as a whole, much like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The permanent location of the Burning Prohibition wall is currently undecided. Each name represents a victim, and each victim has a story. For $5.00, names can be submitted and burned into the wall. Mr. Keif box asks that with each name, a story be provided. Eventually, a website will be created that will give viewers the ability to read the story behind each name. Without the participation of sponsors, this project is only a dream. Help make it a reality — sponsor a name, or, better yet, a whole panel.

The burning prohibition project is a wall of remembrance. It is estimated that over 800,000 people annually are affected by the war on drugs in some form or another — arrests and incarcerations happen on a daily basis due to Cannabis. The Keif boxes have thought of a way to create a monument to remember these victims. Made of individual panels, the monument, once completed, will be placed together to create a wall of remembrance — a project that’s bound to take years to finish. Each panel will be made of solid maple, roughly 2½ to 3 inches thick by approximately 6 to 8 feet long by 4 feet wide, and holding a total of 250 names per panel. As each panel is complete, they will be placed with various

According to M r. K eifbox, “A victim is someone who has lost a family member to the drug war. A victim is someone with a Cannabis-related conviction. A victim is a DEA agent or police officer who has lost his life. A victim is a child who has been taken away from his family. A victim is a family that was slaughtered by a Mexican drug cartel. A victim is a direct result of an adverse action directly responsible from the prejudice and war on Cannabis. These are the names and stories I need for the Burning Prohibition Project.” Although the first name on the wall is Richard Giles Flor, it is impossible to predict who will be the last. By sponsoring a name on this wall of remembrance, hopefully members of the public will remember not only those affected, but the trillions of dollars wasted on a senseless war against a plant. Even before this interview, I was aware of Mr. Keif box Woodworking and the quality craftsmanship he and his wife put into each and every piece they make, but never had the continued on page 100//

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 59

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 61

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 63

How to sell yo By Mercedys M. and Carly Hofer Illustration by Mekinsey M. Molinaro

tarving artists can now use the internet to put food on their tables. no longer is their fan base restricted to their local population. instead, anyone with internet access becomes a potential customer. creating an online presence is very

simple, but utilizing it properly to build up a large fan-base of potential customers will take dedication and consistency.

JULY 2013

iStockphoto

of course the easiest way to establish your online art business is to work with an already established company who will do the marketing for you. istockphoto is the leader of the industry, allowing artists to list their media, photography and design work for sale, royalty-free. establishing an account is easy and the process is designed to help you become familiar with their website and programs. on the downside, they claim 85 percent of the sale

sativamagazine.com

our art online| price of products unless you reach the elite “exclusive member” status.

Web hosting

Building a website is an option worth considering. urls are cheap as are many of the web-hosting options available. unfortunately, the cheaper options also tend to be less user-friendly, so unless you have experience it can be a real investment to create a professional site, both of time and money. on

sativamagazine.com

the plus side, hosting your own site allows for customization of the brand you create and the experiences of the customers.

Online art gallery: the easier way

creating an online gallery is the easiest option for time-strapped ganjapreneurs. it’s faster, simpler and generally cheaper than hosting your own website. many such services are free or relatively inexpensive, but picking one

JULY 2013

should be done carefully as they each offer unique features. On top of allowing an artist to sell goods, the various features include blogging, user portals optimized for easy use and navigation, interaction with customers, page-view tracking, and easy connection with social media sites. Be prepared to make a few concessions in order to have the features most important to you. Two good options we found are deviantart.com and Yessy.com.

Deviantart.com

Deviantart.com allows artists from a wide range of genres to upload and sell their artwork, which the site calls “deviations.” They accept work from 21 unique categories including Fine Art, Photography, Motion Books, and Cartoons & Comics. Artists simply create a personalized profile which can be customized with numerous widgets including journaling, featuring specific pieces of artwork, polling visitors to your profile, and displaying who has visited your profile. Potential customers can also interact with artists by leaving comments on pages and creating a list of their “favorites.” All this comes with the free membership. For $4.95 per month or $29.95 for a year, artists gain access to new features such as ad-free browsing, custom journal designs, extra storage space for displaying more artwork and extra widgets, among others.

Yessy.com

Yessy.com allows artists to list unlimited pieces of art with an annual membership of $59. Yessy.com charges a 10 percent commission on all sales. The site comes with few frills and whistles on top of handling the processing of

JULY 2013

orders and transfer of funds, a personalized biography page, a contact page and a feedback system where potential buyers can offer critique of your offerings. But if their claim that the “Average artist on Yessy receives several thousand hits per month and you can view your statistics at any time” is true, your sales could skyrocket. Other options:

Behance.net and Prosite.com

Behance.net is an online networking tool which allows artists to not only search for related jobs, but will also help to build their portfolio. In many ways it is comparable to Linkedln. Artists can add information about their work experience, artwork and personal information. For a more personalized touch, artists can create a unique website through ProSite which they can link to Behance.net, online art stores, and social media sites. For $11 a month or $99 a year, artists can create a custom website using the user-friendly software ProsSite provides. They offer a vast array of layout options, and templates, allowing for a completely customized website for attracting and interacting with customers.

Getting started

Once the decision on where has been made, the how is pretty simple. Basic information is required to create a personal profile. Then the fun begins. Spending time customizing your profile and online store is important. Good first impressions are crucial to your success. Potential customers will likely spend mere seconds checking out a site before deciding whether or not to keep looking. So put your

sativamagazine.com

artistic talents to work so your page represents your personality, tastes and talents.

Social media marketing

Once an online presence has been established, it’s time to connect with customers. The beauty of being online is... so is everyone else! For this very reason, social media marketing is taking over. It is a proven, cost-effective strategy for building on your already established connections to create a whole new market for your materials.

Options

Many online media can be utilized in your quest for expanding your customer base, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram, just to name a few. Each has unique benefits and drawbacks but could be useful depending on your exact goals and target customer. No matter which site(s) you use, there are some important considerations to keep in mind as you build your online presence.

Establishing yourself

Establishing your social media profiles are just as important as creating your online store, perhaps even more so. It will be what most of your potential customers base their

sativamagazine.com

first impression upon and, as noted earlier, a good first impression is critical. So spend time customizing your accounts and learning about the features of the sites you want to use for social media marketing.

Your online presence

Maintaining an online presence consistently is crucial. It is very easy to put off your social media marketing, but potential customers are only going to see you if you are actively and correctly using the tools are your disposal. Be careful to tow the fine line of posting enough to make sure you stay at the top of people’s feeds, but not so frequently that they feel spammed and start mentally zoning out when they see another post from you. Likewise, keep posts engaging. Keep strictly personal posts, like those we all make about what we ate for dinner or the cool spot we found while walking our dog, to a minimum. With every post, try to convey a message which is relevant to your potential customers or conveys information that helps them grasp who you are as an artist. You could discuss your artistic influences, breaking news in your community, new techniques you are learning, or fun facts. The topics you could choose are endless, just keep it professional, humorous and engaging.

JULY 2013 67

Consistency

Scheduling your posts in advance helps ensure consistent posting and allows even the busiest ganjapreneurs to maintain a consistent social media marketing schedule. Many social media sites allow for prior scheduling of posts for free. There are also online tools which will do the same and more for a fee, such as www. sproutsocial.com.

Engaging

Consistent posting of relevant, interesting material is not enough. The goal of social media marketing is to actively engage your customers so you build a relationship with them and have them help you expand your potential customer base. Every time someone likes, shares or comments on a post, their friends know it and might just decide to check you out. So keep in mind that research shows shorter posts have a much higher chance of actually being read, and those with graphics get seen, liked, commented on, etc. at significantly higher rates. Asking questions encourages interaction, and posts that have a call to action, such as “please like my page,” “check out my newest piece of art” or blog, are effective strategies to engage people online. Be sure to frequently post links to your online gallery or website. Fun fact: When posting a picture on many online platforms, if you include a URL in the description or related post, the link will stay with it and be seen by countless other potential customers.

Branching out

Another important step is joining and interacting in online groups and/or forums

JULY 2013

Every time someone likes, shares or comments on a post, their friends know it and might just decide to check you out. which have a large number of individuals who might be interested in your artwork. This will allow you to network, attract attention from potential customers and learn more about the trends and topics of interest within the industry.

Connecting the dots

Setting up an online art gallery is inexpensive and simple. Research your options, pick the one which you like the most, and spend some time making it represent your artistic abilities. Then the hard part comes. Driving traffic to your site is harder, but possible to do cheaply using social media marketing. Once again, weigh your options, develop a plan for reaching out to new customers and engaging those you meet and follow it consistently. Although your sales might be slow to begin with, the bottom line is sales is a numbers game. If you are good at what you do, people will want a part of it. It’s just a matter of finding the right people. And with abundant and free social media marketing options, potential customers are awaiting around the world. You just have to make the connection. S

sativamagazine.com

SEX in the

Part Four: From hybrid to strain

In the previous three installments of this series we learned how to cross two different Cannabis strains to begin creating one of our own. We learned about the selection of parent plants, the difference between dominant and recessive traits, and the distinction between genotype and phenotype. Up to this point we have made selections in our breeding program to approach our goal and we are making good progress.

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

gaRDen

By Paul Josephs Photo by Josh clappe sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013

++++++++ Hybrids and strains When we crossed the two parent plants of our hypothetical cross in part one we created a hybrid. Hybrids are the result of crossing two genetically distinct individual plants. As we saw earlier in this series, the first F1 generation was quite uniform in appearance (the phenotype) yet the genetics were a mix of traits from both parents that were not all expressed (the genotype). The second F2 generation showed much more variety in the resulting plants phenotypes. Hybrids have a tendency to contain or express a variety of gene combinations for traits. Once those traits become more uniform the resulting progeny becomes quite similar in appearance and genetic makeup. At this point the population has become a stable strain, and siblings crossed together will produce predictable offspring.

F3 and beyond In the last part of the series we crossed a male and female plant of our new hybrid that both exhibited the recessive purple calyx trait we desired in our breeding goal. The resulting F3 generation should breed true for this trait now. We did notice, however, that the potency trait was somewhat diminished in the selected plants that expressed the recessive trait. On the advice of a friend with some Cannabis breeding

JULY 2013

experience we took a cutting of the most potent F2 female that didn’t have the purple calyx trait expressed, but did have the clear upbeat high we desired in our breeding goal and have been keeping it as a mother plant while waiting for the F3 generation to mature.

Inbred lines and back-crosses Our F3 generation did in fact express the purple calyx trait in all the resulting plants. We will select a male and female plant that come closest to our goal and cross them to make an F4 generation. This is the beginning of an inbred line (IBL) we will continue by crossing plants that come from the same lineage to reinforce the traits in our strain. We are not completely satisfied in reaching our goal so we will also use the same F3 male plant and backcross it with the green calyx female we kept from the F2 generation that has the potency trait we desire. This will be our back-cross line.

Now what? Now we are working with two similar, yet slightly different breeding lines. We should continue the inbred line, as our friends really like the look and taste of the purple calyx buds. We could offer seeds for sale as a true breeding strain. At the same time, however, we can work with introducing the back-cross line sativamagazine.com

ven though science can explain why we get the results seen in breeding projects, it is the discerning eye of the breeder that allows for the best plant selections.

into our inbred line strain in an attempt to get the potency aspect fixed into the stable purple strain’s genetics. Even if we are unsuccessful, it will bring a bit of vigor back into the breeding program, and we now know how to select parents to get the purple trait to breed true. An inbred line can exhibit a gradual decline in vigor after several generations, so it’s a good idea to mix up the gene pairs every now and then. We could even back-cross with the original King’s Conquest strain to reintroduce the potency and a shot of vigor to our program, if we have any seeds left or someone we know has a cutting of that strain.

Advanced concepts We have covered a complex subject in this series. Now we should have a good grasp of what happens when we breed two strains together and what we can generally expect for results. There are a few variables that we did not consider in our breeding exercise in order to keep it manageable to understand. One is that some genes may be linked to the sex of the parent plant. Sometimes breeders will do a reverse cross, that is using a male strain A plant with a female strain B and then making the reverse cross using a female strain A with a male strain B. By evaluating the progeny of the two crosses there may be distinct differences

sativamagazine.com

seen. Another variable that comes up is the interaction between genes. Sometimes genes will not express if there is not a corresponding gene present. A hypothetical example in the strain we created in this series might be that only plants with purple calyxes and wide leaves have a fruity, citrus aroma. Plants with wide leaves and green calyxes won’t have that fragrance nor will plants with narrow leaves and purple calyxes. In this hypothetical example, seemingly unrelated genes produce unexpected phenotype ratios in the progeny of a cross.

The artful science of breeding Even though science can explain why we get the results seen in breeding projects, it is the discerning eye of the breeder that allows for the best plant selections. Sometimes a hunch will have an unexpected yet desirable result. Environmental factors can also influence the expression or repression of certain traits. This is called epigenetics and is a fast-growing field of genetic research. It takes research, patience and time to really dial in a breeding project, but what could be a more rewarding way to learn about Cannabis than to do some breeding of your own? Who knows, maybe your project will produce an iconic strain that is much desired! S

JULY 2013 73

featured artist: Adriel Restrepo

Fractal Family 74

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

Trick or Trees sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 75

featured artist: Adriel Restrepo

Loosey Goosey 76

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

Man on the Moon sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 77

featured artist: Adriel Restrepo

Burning Bud in Theaters 78

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

Goofy Laugh sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 79

featured artist: cathy lee

Haze 80

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

Rosenthal sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 81

featured artist: cathy lee

Sputnik 82

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

EZTRIM RENTALS

WORLD’S BEST LEAF TRIMMERS Hu mb ol dt Ha rv e s t e r by E Z TR I M

Speed | Quality | Control Call TODAY to Reserve Your Rental — 303.635.6281 Ext. 3 The D rone

T h e S a t e l lit e

by E ZTRIM

by E Z TR IM

Made in Colorado

303.635.6281 Ext. 3 | info@eztrimming.com | www.eztrimming.com

Made in USA

For more information visit www.eztrimming.com

HAVenS

For THe groWing

ArTiSTS By emily riopelle

hen you’re a starving artist, it can be tempting to choose renting or living out of your van over the commitment of buying a home. But if you’re also a medical mar ijuana patient, it’s hard to grow bud in a van and the costs of growing can add up. that’s why we collected a list of communities where you can still find some cheap housing and legally grow your meds too. Buying a house can ultimately be cheaper than renting, as it’s an investment and with these picks you’ll be close to communities with other artists. when you’re a starving artist, it can be tempting to choose renting or living.

facility. michigan law gets pretty specific about this. according to norml, outdoor cannabis plants must not be “visible to the unaided eye from an adjacent property when viewed by an individual at ground level or from a permanent structure” and must be “grown within a stationary structure that is enclosed on all sides except the base, by chain-link fencing, wooden slats, or a similar material that prevents access by the general public and that is anchored, attached or affixed to the ground, located on land that is owned, leased, or rented” by the registered grower and restricted to that grower’s access. got all that?

in Michigan, patients can have up to 12 marijuana plants kept in an enclosed, locked

once you do, check out Detroit’s rapidly growing art community in midtown. the area

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

contains seven museums, over 30 restaurants, 13 galleries and multiple annual art events. Last year, they held the first annual Dlectricity, an electronic light and art festival. Since Detroit is a city making a comeback, now is the time to get some cheap housing, especially if you’re interested in putting in some elbow grease. Detroit has some beautiful, historical houses for under $20,000. If you’re hesitant about exploring the gritty streets of Detroit, check out Grand Rapids on the West side of the state. Grand Rapids holds the biggest art contest in the world every fall, called ArtPrize. People come from all over the world to enter the democratically run contest and view the artwork displayed all over the city. Grand Rapids is a charming college town, Grand Valley State University is just outside the city, with 2–3 bedroom houses outside downtown between $20-$30,000!

Colorado’s medical laws allow a patient to grow up to six plants. Denver is a known creative/hippie mecca, but it’s not so cheap to live there. We suggest checking out the neighboring community of Aurora. Aurora is 20 minutes away from Downtown Denver, but they also have an emerging art community of their own. Every year they have their Aurora

sativamagazine.com

Arts festival providing a venue for local artist to sell their wares. Small houses or condos around there start around $40,000. You don’t normally think of Vegas when you’re looking for fellow artists, but flavorwire.com listed Vegas as one of the “best cities for young artists.” Indeed, Vegas has a growing arts district just North of the strip. In Nevada, patients or caregivers may grow up to seven marijuana plants, of which no more than three may be mature. There are many small houses in the area starting at $30,000. Finally, the beautiful city of Spokane, Washington has a three-day art festival every summer featuring over 100 artists. The landscape in and around the city itself is enough to inspire, but they also have 12 galleries and several museums. Patients can grow a 60-day supply of marijuana; in 2008 the state established that this means up to 15 plants. Spokane has 2 bedroom houses from $30–$40,000. There are many, many affordable places to grow and nurture your creative abilities at the same time if you know where to look. Investing in communities that are up and coming can have a huge pay off. S

JULY 2013 85

Cannabusiness plan

n a l p s s e n i s u b -

! e M a n

e r u t n e v - joint ng o b g n o - ping p ax m x a w - ear

- structur gROW

- call

JULY 2013

dis

festivals

lawyer

sativamagazine.com

nning 101

sp.

INFUSE

GET

$$$ By Karen E. Szabo Avatar by Heidi Hemp’ography

sativamagazine.com

starts with an idea and begins with a well thought out business plan. Owning your own business can be very rewarding. However, if not properly planned, it also has the potential to be short-lived. Cannabusinesses are no exception. Know the necessary steps to plan your cannabusiness. Follow them, and you will have the best chance for success. JULY 2013 87

Business opportunity Look around you: What type of cannabusiness does your community need? Are there any niches currently in short demand that you would benefit from filling? If you are undecided as to what type of cannabusiness you should open, looking at it from another direction might help make your decision easier. For example, say you live in a town that has a dozen dispensaries but only one grow supply store. If it’s financially feasible, it might be more beneficial to you to open a supply store rather than adding another dispensary to the list. It’s obvious many people are growing Cannabis, and they’re all buying supplies — from that one store. Consumers enjoy having options because it leads to better prices and selection. So spend some time figuring out what consumers in your area actually need and want before you decide on the nature of your business venture.

Create a business plan A business plan is a crucial step to the success of a business and should never be eliminated in the process of launching your business. Basically, a business plan is a road map showing the direction intended for your business. It is a clear outline of your planned activities and goals; a clear structural outline for the business as it shall be laid out. A business plan is generally required when applying for a business loan or investment capital. Keep in mind that having a business plan does not mean you qualify for a business loan or will find investors. But this document will be scrutinized by future investors or lending institutions. A well-written business plan documents that you have a clear plan

JULY 2013

for establishing yourself in the market and a thorough understanding of the factors which will ultimately determine if your business is successful. If you need assistance in writing out your business plan, the U.S. Small Business Administration offers a great step-by-step description of the process and many tips on how to improve your plan. Having a business plan on paper gives you as well as others the ability to see the future laid out before your eyes, so do not rush this step. A great business plan is the first step to accomplishing your goals, succeeding and even surpassing them!

Startup capital All businesses require at least some startup capital, but some require far more than others. The type of business you can launch greatly depends on how much startup capital you have access to. Keep in mind that at this point a business loan is pretty much out of the question for the simple fact that it’s a startup business and stability has not yet been established. If you find yourself short of startup funds, private investors such as family or friends might be an option for you. If you need to use outside investors, go to them prepared and present the business plan you created. Show them you mean business! Before you establish your cannabusiness, make sure you have enough financial backing to launch the venture and survive until you start earning a profit. The type of cannabusiness to be opened has been decided, a business plan has been created and finances are set as far as startup costs are concerned. So now what? Well, there are three parts to this next step: first is to name your business; second, determine the appropriate

sativamagazine.com

to e r suh all t e k Masea rc feren re e dif ss th sin e ures d bu ruct le an o f st ailab ote tax a v ke n an y an d ta e m ag es es th vant ntag ha ve . ad adva ight ther dis e m he o o n er t ov

business structure; and finally, perform a legal name search and register the business.

Part 1: Name your baby Choosing the name of your business can be quite challenging. You need something unique and memorable. Preferably, make your business name unique to what you sell or represent. For instance, Double J Family Farm & Greenhouse represents Jack and Jill, whose business is growing Cannabis. Until Cannabis becomes legal on a federal level, use discretion when naming your cannabusiness. You don’t want to draw unnecessary negative attention by the community members or federal officials. Also avoid names that will confuse or deter customers. For example, there’s a local dispensary that has the word “ickie” in their name. Just using that word may mean lost customers. Really — who wants to buy something ickie? Remember, be creative and have fun with it but don’t overdo it!

Part 2: Determine your business structure Deciding on the structure of the business means whether the business will be a sole proprietorship, LLC or S Corporation. Simply put, a sole proprietorship is a business with a sole owner. In other words, has only one owner. This owner accepts full personal responsibility of the debts incurred by the business. It’s simple, and costs the least to set up. A business structured as a sole proprietorship can be operated either under the owner’s legal name or under Doing Business As, otherwise known as DBA. A limited liability company, otherwise known as an LLC, protects owners from personal responsibility of debt acquired by the business, however if an owner or member of an LLC

sativamagazine.com

accrues debt by securing it with personal property and defaults, that individual could possibly lose their personal property. Most LLCs have at least two owners but most states do not have member or owner limitations. An S Corporation or S Corp is made up of a board of directors with at least four members. The required members are president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. The financial responsibility is strictly limited to the business. One difference between an S Corp and an LLC is that an S Corp is limited to 75 owners or shareholders whereas an LLC has no minimum or maximum limitations. DBAs can be used in all structures but are not required in a sole proprietorship. Make sure to research all the different business structures available and take note of the many tax advantages and disadvantages one might

JULY 2013 89

have over the other, as well the personal responsibility associated with each. Find the best structure that suits your business and, once all the appropriate paperwork has been completed, add the extension onto the business name. For example, Double J Family Farm and Greenhouse, LLC., is a limited liability corporation. Do not file for a LLC or S Corp until you have completed the legal name search as stated in part 3. It costs money to file the appropriate paperwork to become a corporation and if a legal name search has not been performed prior to applying for a corporation, it could be money wasted if you choose a business name that is already taken.

State ID Number, it’s gonna cost you and even more so if the business is an LLC or S Corp. Now it’s county time. Everything must trickle down, so why should the county be left out? Once the federal and state are out of the way, you need to register your business with the county. This step has to be done after obtaining your FEIN and State ID Number, as they are both required on the application. In order to successfully run your business legally, you’ll most likely have to obtain a business license and/or permit. Since every state is different in requirements, visit sba.gov to learn how to obtain the appropriate business license and/or permit for your cannabusiness.

Part 3: Legal search and registering

Now that the majority of the paperwork process is taken care of, determining a location and setting up and establishing a successful cannabusiness are your next steps. But in doing so, it is always in the best interest of a business and owner to retain an attorney, accountant and/or financial advisor. If a cannabusiness is your dream, be sure to have a copy of your state by-laws, know your rights and operate within the limitations of your state. Your cannabusiness will most likely be more accepted in a Cannabis-friendly community and never attempt to open up shop in an area that doesn’t either have state or medicaluse legalization. Good luck and may your cannabusiness prosper! S

Once a name and business structure is settled upon, a business name search and registration must be completed. Depending on the location, this will either be through the state, county or possibly both. A business name search elevates duplication and avoids potential litigation that can be brought upon by the original first named business. Now, after the search is complete, the business must be registered. To find out how to go about this process, visit the U.S. Small Business Administration website.

Federal & state identification numbers and business license Yep, more paperwork! Once the business name has been registered, it’s now time to apply for a Federal Employer Identification Number or FEIN. To do so, visit IRS.gov to fill out the application. Once complete, you’ll be able to print off a temporary registration while waiting for the permanent one from the IRS. Now you need to apply for a State Identification Number. This can be done on the state website where the business is located. Although obtaining an FEIN is free, when filing for a

JULY 2013

Small Business Administration website: www. sba.gov



SBA’s help page for writing a business plan: http:// www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/ starting-managing-business/starting-business/ how-write-business-plan%20%20 Internal Revenue Service: www.irs.gov

sativamagazine.com

You don’t need another season of Mad Men to tell you that we live in a hyper-advertised nation. Turn on your TV, open a newspaper, check your Facebook page — you’ll see them everywhere. Most bars have advertisements for all sorts of things plastered right above the urinals. There is no escape. Even with this glaring fact, in our market-driven country, Cannabis dispensaries have to give a great deal more thought to their product placement than simply choosing the most-often-used pisser in a local dive bar. After all, Nike and Coca-Cola don’t contend with an ever-changing legal landscape to the same extent as legalized cannabusiness.

JULY 2013

The precarious realm of advertising Cannabis

The 18 states that have approved medical Cannabis (and you too, D.C.) approach the rules surrounding advertising in different ways, unique to each state’s specific legislation. These regulations cover both sides of the spectrum — from Maine and Michigan, where advertising isn’t even mentioned in the laws, to states like Vermont and Montana, where advertising is expressly prohibited. Section 6.26.8 of the Rules Governing the Vermont Marijuana Program actually reads like this: “A registered dispensary shall not communicate

sativamagazine.com

By Kip Jarvis illustration by Jordan dusek

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013

with a registered patient or registered caregiver unless they have received specific permission in writing to do so. A registered dispensary shall not advertise through any means including electronic means or through social networks, a registered dispensary shall not advertise any results of customer satisfaction surveys, their location of business or any information that would identify them as a marijuana dispensary.” Wrap your head around that next time you watch the Super Bowl or visit the bathroom at a bar. In these particular states, the government itself assigns patients to a specific dispensary and forwards them the location and necessary information to make contact. It’s a little bit like trying to buy vodka in Sovietcontrolled Ukraine in the 1960s, only harder. Even for dispensaries in states with less-strict policies, advertising can be more precarious than a simple, modestly priced investment to draw in vital customers to your business. While that six-foot-tall neon ganja leaf in your front window may be a fetching lure for legitimate cardholders and buyers, it also “advertises” in a negative way to the antiCannabis crusaders who would prefer to see your business shut down and you behind bars.

Rock down to electric avenue

The good news is that we currently live in the digital age, and the world of advertising has an entirely new arena in which to operate. Although signs or ads in print might be nice, if not a bit quaint, if I were really interested in checking out the range of dispensaries in

JULY 2013

a given area, I would simply fire up Uncle Google and seek his sagely advice. The leading players in dispensary advertising you’ll likely encounter are Potspot411, Weedmaps, and THCFinder (all of which are .coms). These advertising providers all give location, contact information and website links, paid for by the dispensary in varying packages at reasonable prices. Potspot411’s pricing is tiered in three packages, ranging from $30/month to $75/ month, a price that also provides a dispensary with its own account and login, granting the

if I were really interested in checking out the range of dispensaries in a given area, I would simply fire up Uncle Google and seek his sagely advice. proprietor free reign to update any evolving information. Advertising online also helps curb the threat of inflaming local members of the community who took Reefer Madness to heart. The fact that there are already three companies in the game should help to ensure competitive

sativamagazine.com

pricing and continuously improving features. As Cannabis becomes more acceptable/legal in the United States, more companies are sure to join the cause. Marketing, advertising and public relations industries employ nearly threequarters of a million people in this country; it’s refreshing that these companies have already begun tapping into the cannabusiness market. Or perhaps this is just all that jazz Adam Smith droned on about a couple of centuries ago.

The future is now...almost

As most optimistic analysts keep telling me, Cannabis prohibition will cease to exist in about five years. Zeroing in on this mark will depend largely on the outcomes of decriminalization in Washington and Colorado — plus any states that choose to follow their lead in the near future — and how the various players involved choose to act. Advertising is addressed in each state’s legislation in fairly common-sense terms, comparative to alcohol and tobacco. The Washington State Liquor Control Board stated that retailers are limited to one 1,600-square-foot sign to mark the location of their business. In addition, advertisements cannot be placed on public transport vehicles or stops (or any publicly owned/operated property), nor can they be within 1,000 feet of public parks, libraries, school grounds, playgrounds, child-care facilities or arcades that allow minors. This seems a fair compromise, and leaves plenty of viable space for a savvy retailer to explore. Colorado, with regard to retailer advertising,



Links to Medical Cannabis State Laws: Alaska: http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/ sourcefiles/alaska-ballot-measure-8.pdf Arizona: http://www.azdhs.gov/prop203/ California: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/ mmp/Pages/default.aspx Colorado: http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/ CLICS2010A/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/0C6B6577EC6DB1 E8872576A80029D7E2?Open&file=1284_rer.pdf Connecticut: http://www.ct.gov/dcp/lib/dcp/pdf/ laws_and_regulations/mmpregs5-7-13.pdf Delaware: http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis146. nsf/vwLegislation/SB+17/$file/legis.html?open District of Columbia: http://medicalmarijuana. procon.org/sourcefiles/DCMJLawMay2010.pdf Hawaii: http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/ sourcefiles/hawaii-senate-bill-862.pdf Maine: http://norml.org/pdf_files/ME_Medicinal_ Marijuana_Regulations_Summary.pdf Massachusetts: http://www.mass.gov/ago/docs/ government/2011-petitions/11-11.pdf Michigan: http://www.michigan. gov/lara/0,4601,7-15435299_63294_63303_51869---,00.html Montana: http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/ marijuanaprogram/ New Hampshire: http://www.gencourt.state. nh.us/legislation/2013/HB0573.html New Jersey: http://www.state.nj.us/health/ medicalmarijuana/ New Mexico: http://nmhealth.org/mcp/ Nevada: http://health.nv.gov/medicalmarijuana.htm Oregon: http://public.health.oregon. gov/diseasesconditions/chronicdisease/ medicalmarijuanaprogram/pages/legal.aspx Vermont: http://vcic.vermont.gov/marijuana_ registry/marijuana_dispensaries Washington: http://www.doh.wa.gov/ PublicHealthandHealthcareProviders/ HealthcareProfessionsandFacilities/ MedicalMarijuanaCannabis.aspx

continued on page 100//

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 95

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

By Richard Drew Illustration by Josh Clappe

On your mark, get set … WAIT!

Taxes!

Potential business interests in Washington, waiting for the legislature to promulgate the rules and regulations under which said businesses will be allowed to grow, distribute or sell Cannabis, gained some direction from state representatives on May 14, 2013.

While the announcement of the rules for licensing may be cheered by businesses in Washington and Colorado, potential investors should take a closer look. While the Feds don’t seem eager to prosecute such entities criminally, they have an ace up their sleeves in the Internal Revenue Service. The specific provision is found in the IRS Code, Sec. 280E.

Washington announced its draft rules and fees for gaining a license akin to a liquor license for potential Cannabis investors. The state, after passage of law by voters in the fall of 2012, has until the end of 2013 to finalize the rules. However, the legalization of Cannabis for recreational or medicinal uses has a significant caveat when it comes to business interests.

Simply put, any business found to have broken Federal law loses any and all business deductions when filing its tax returns. Thus, the normal expenses a business would deduct from its taxable income in any year — rent, power, salaries, inventory costs to name a few — would be disallowed by the IRS.

The growing, selling and distribution of Cannabis continues to be a violation of Federal law. Why is this significant when the Federal government seemingly has taken a handsoff approach to the criminality of Cannabis interests in Washington and Colorado?

Take a simplified calculation, based on a potential cannabusinesses in Washington that earns $1,000,000 in 2014. Normally, say, that business pays $100,000 in salaries, rent is $75,000 a year, and seed and operational costs are another $125,000.

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 97

The proposed rules “create a very tightly controlled and regulated market but at the same time allow for reasonable access for small and large businesses to participate.” – Mikhail Carpenter

Taxable income, just from these numbers, is reduced immediately from that $1 million to $700,000. At a taxable rate of 39 percent, that means the business would owe $273,000 — leaving a net profit of $427,000. Due to the 280E violation, however, that tax bill is actually $390,000. The difference is significant. Businesses in California already have been hit by the IRS, and are in the process of appealing rulings from the tax court. “You better take that into account,” said Nicholas Paleveda, CEO of National Pension Partners, speaking to a group of lawyers the week of May 20. “It’s like a really big B&O [business and occupation] tax. And you will be audited.” For those businesses whose business plans can account for the potential tax implications of a Cannabis enterprise, the Washington draft rules are out. Under the proposed guidelines issued by the Washington State Liquor Control Board, licenses to grow, process and sell the marijuana would each cost $1,000 per year, in addition to a $250 application fee. Growers and processors cannot double as retailers.

will be issued on a county by county basis. In counties with more qualified applicants than there are licenses available, a lottery system will be held to see which businesses are granted the licenses. By contrast, no limits are expected to be set on the number of grower and processor licenses, nor on the size of those operations. The draft rules do say that Cannabis must be grown indoors, and tested for contaminants and potency. The proposed rules “create a very tightly controlled and regulated market but at the same time allow for reasonable access for small and large businesses to participate,” said Mikhail Carpenter, a spokesman for the Liquor Control Board, in a statement. “We’ve been working on this for eight months and we’re still working on it, but it’s the first time that people get to see what it’s going to look like.” These rules are only a draft at this point, and could be tweaked before the end of 2013. So come back for monthly updates on emerging regulations. S Take a look at the rules: https://lcb.box.com/initial-draft-rules



Exactly how many retail licenses will be issued by the state remains uncertain. Those licenses

JULY 2013

sativamagazine.com

MSeeds TG Godfather Kush

Covelo

Prezidential Kush

Sour Diesel

Turbo Diesel

Cherry OG

Prezidential 1.2 Kingston Confidential

Pi単a Collision

Mendo Mind Warp

Grow BIG... or grow home!

www.mtgseeds.com Medical Cannabis Seeds, not for illegal use.

Advertising //from page 91

still appears to be using their established rules for medical dispensaries. The Colorado Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division Rules cover advertising in Chapter 6, and to paraphrase, simply state that local advertising laws (for any retailer) must be adhered to and cannot be false or misleading. Although some differences do exist if a cannabusiness designates itself as retail or medical, the only recent change is that cartoon characters cannot be used in advertising or packaging. Bad news for Happy the “Super-High” Skunk but acceptable news for everyone else.

Closing thoughts

Still, as a Cannabis retailer or medical dispensary owner, one should always be upto-date on the laws governing advertising in their specific state, as these can change

Keifbox //from page 59

pleasure of meeting them. Regardless of the thousands of miles between us, a friendship has been formed. The first time I talked to Mrs. Keif box on the phone, she spoke as if she had known me for years. They are some of the friendliest, most caring people I have ever met. If there ever comes a time when they need to reach out to me, I won’t have to respond — they know I’ll have their back. S

100

JULY 2013

with each revision of the legislation. A sound investment one day can become an unwanted civil infraction the next. Also, consider the entirety of who has access to your advertisements and how this may affect your business. Equally important is to remember that advertising doesn’t necessarily mean flashy signs or contracted agreements. Often, effective advertising can come in the form of community outreach and sponsored, informative programs that not only highlight the quality of your dispensary, but also enlighten the public sphere on the more positive aspects of Cannabis. Successful advertising isn’t just about selling your products; it’s also about staying engaged with your consumers and winning over the hearts and minds of potential customers. S Mr. Keifbox Woodworking: http://www. mrkeifbox.com/index.html



Burning Prohibition: http://www.mrkeifbox.com/ burning-prohibition-project.html To purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win the Cash Hyde Medicine Chest, visit My Hemp Revolution: http://myhemprevolution.com/ bighempy/CashysMedicineChest/ For information on the Cash Hyde Foundation: http://www.cashhydefoundation.com/

sativamagazine.com

Did you hear? //from page 17

June 19: New Hampshire’s house and senate negotiated terms for the state’s medical Cannabis bill, HB 573. The bill qualifies nearly 20 conditions for a medical Cannabis license, and patients may possess up to two ounces of Cannabis at any given time. Although patients are allowed to grow their own medicine, posttraumatic stress disorder, which was originally listed as a qualifying condition in the first drafts of the bill, was eliminated by Democrat Maggie Hassan.

House Bill 3460 which would regulate the network of dispensaries within the state and protect them from prosecution by local authorities. The vote came after Ellen Rosenblum, the Attorney General of Oregon State, said passage of the bill would allow compliant patients to obtain their medication “safely, predictably, promptly and legally.”

June 20th: New Jersey’s senate approved a bill to expand medical Cannabis prescriptions to minors. Until now, child medical patients required a recommendation from a psychiatrist or pediatrician. The new law will allow any licensed medical doctor to authorize a juvenile for medical Cannabis. The law also permits the sale and distribution of Cannabis-infused medibles, which were previously banned in the state.

Ongoing: The debate about Cannabis is heating up in Mexico. This month, ex-President Vicente Fox made a series of public statements outlining the benefits of legalizing the herb in order to weaken drug cartels, going as far as saying he’d grow it himself if he could do so legally. The left-wing Party of the Democratic Revolution is taking the movement a step further by announcing that they are planning to introduce legislation in September which would make smoking Cannabis legal within the borders of Mexico City.

June 20th: The Oregon State Legislature passed

– Mercedys M. and R. Robinson

Faster! Easier! Cleaner! Multiple Grade Extraction with the Ease of Dry Ice! Get yours today at bubblebowlkits.com 106

JULY 2013

SATIVAMAGAZINE.COM

sativamagazine.com JULY 2013

105

Art gallery //from page 55

in price from $1,000 to $5,000. Besides the maintenance costs outlined below, shipping is our biggest expense. Selling just 50 pieces of art per month will give us a minimum monthly revenue of $50,000 from which we will deduct the profit shares paid to artists as well as our overhead costs. The included two-year budget outlines our overhead costs, which come in at just below $2,100 per month. Joni, Gary and Chris have agreed on a profit-sharing system as their monthly salaries, to take effect once monthly sales exceed $50,000, so salary expenditures are not included in the budget. Major art galleries have explored many NCIAwclAd_v.1 PM Page 1 different business 2/8/11 models,4:00 including auctions,

collectives and offering goods for sale from independent artists. We at Highly Inspired have studied their business models, learned from their successes and failures, and developed a thorough plan to launch our world-class art gallery on the web. Our internet venue allows Highly Inspired to cultivate relationships with art connoisseurs and artists from around the world. Our target customers need not be limited to the physical locale of our gallery, but rather we connect artists with those that see the magic in the artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creation, regardless of how great the distance is between the two. S

The National Cannabis Industry Association is the only national trade association fighting for the cannabis industry on the federal level. Whether it's reforming criminal justice policy or the tax code, NCIA is working hard to defend and advance the interests of our growing industry. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a cannabis professional and want respected and effective representation on the national stage, join NCIA today! For more information, visit www.TheCannabisIndustry.org/join or call (202) 379-4861 National Cannabis Industry Association P.O. Box 78062 - Washington, D.C. 20013 sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 107

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 109

110

JULY 2013â&#x20AC;

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 111

112

JULY 2013â&#x20AC;

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 113

114

JULY 2013â&#x20AC;

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 115

116

JULY 2013â&#x20AC;

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 117

118

JULY 2013â&#x20AC;

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 119

120

JULY 2013â&#x20AC;

sativamagazine.com

JULY 2013 121

124

JULY 2013â&#x20AC;

sativamagazine.com