Sensi Magazine - Boston (July 2018)

BBOOSSTTOONN

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STONER F LICKS SUPER TROOPERS FANS BE DAMNED

Canada S P E C I A L R EP OR T

THE

POET WA R R I O R OF PA I N

a veteran’s profile

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sensimag.com JULY 2018 3

4 JULY 2018 Boston

ISSUE 5 // VOLUME 1 // 7.2018

FEATURES 24

SPECIAL REPORT

ROAD TEST A socks-free product assessment of Allbirds sneakers at Boston Calling

Oh, Canna(da)

Is our neighbor to the north poised to pass us as the leading cannabis nation?

30 Standing on the

Shoulders of Giants

Before there was legalization and a blossoming industry, there were these stalwarts of Mass Grass and beyond.

36 Go Ask Alice

A Super Troopers hater’s guide to the stoner movie.

42 Poet Warrior of Pain

DOG DAYS Mandile and Syd at Blackstone Park in South End

Stephen Mandile has become a prevalent cannabis activist in the Bay State. But to get there, he almost had to die first.

every issue 9 MAGIC MEDICINE Keep this handy for your next instructional hour on cannabis. For them.

For you. For whoever. It’s pretty.

7 Editor’s Note 8 The Buzz 12 CrossRoads

22 AroundTown

18 LifeStyle

47 Here We Go

ROAD TEST

46 The Scene

EAST BOSTON THE FUTURE IS NOW OYSTERS PARTY POTTED POT PLANTS

CHEF’S CHOICE

Sensi magazine is published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2018 SENSI MEDIA GROUP LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

sensimag.com JULY 2018 5

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editor’s

NOTE

TO KEEP YOUR DUDE OR NOT… That’s the question, isn’t it? So let me save you the suspense.

Yes. The answer is yes.

Given the developments over the last month—which, remember, is the first month where the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) was slated to issue licenses meeting proper requirements—anyone still holding on to some misguided idea that, as of July 1, the entire industry will be at full operational ability, is either misinformed or has missed waves of local news in the weeks leading up to rollout day.

The CCC has faced a daunting task to be sure, and recently have faced problems from towns not understanding or adhering to the Economic Empowerment Priority applications, to establishing social equity technical assistance, as well as providing resources for entrepreneurship programs aimed at small businesses looking to get into the cannabis space amongst many other headaches. All this has led to commissioner Steve Hoffman to proclaim in the weeks leading up to the legislative deadline: “We’re going to get it right. If that means we have few or no stores on July 1 and it takes a few more weeks, I hope and expect that everybody in the state believes that’s the right thing to do. We certainly believe that’s the right thing to do.”

At best, if the handful of RMDs and shops that have been cleared for adult use rec sales are not entirely out of stock in the first week or so (that is, stock not including the 35 percent of product that must be reserved for card-carrying medical patients) it will be a feat in itself. Sure, many existing dispensaries and cultivators ramped up production back in the winter but still, after the kickoff, the only thing greater than the wailing cries from prohibitionists feeling some warped sense of satisfaction (often gnashing their teeth and howling a version of “see...SEE??...slow down, or just nix legal weed”) will be the emergence of long lines and shortages in product. And, probably more than a few verbose social media posts from seasoned black market cultivators, caregivers, and armchair worshipers at the altar of #overgrowand-

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share; an understandable if hardly magnanimous position amidst the dawn of a fully regulated legal cannabis industry and the great Gold Rush of our modern age.

For those perhaps coming across this month’s issue and reading this from a shockingly uninformed position, don’t worry—the tax windfalls won’t go to fixing your local roads or become a needed revenue stream for city coffers for changing the fiscal solvency of your public services and schools. Just ask the towns and cities in Washington State and Colorado that did the same. They’ll tell you all about it.

So if market stability is a ways off, as will be anything resembling fair product prices in comparison to the black market—which is still here and will undoubtedly remain likely for the next few years until the growing pains are over—the only difference between June 30 and July 1 will be how quick you can get your dude on the line for a delivery when everyone else is still trying to figure out if there’s parking at the dispensary they’re making a pilgrimage to. Things are just getting started, and the attention and ground-zero-ness of Massachusetts and what many are already projecting to be a robust and industry-leading example for the national industry will bring the curious from far and wide to check it out first hand. Some will be local, others will be driving from miles and even states away (we see you, southern New Hampshire). But wherever people are coming from they will all be getting to savor a sliver of success brought on by years of Bay State activism, legal efforts, organizing, de-stigmatizing and re-education at a greater cultural level.

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THE NEW NORMAL

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Magic, Man A Beverly, Mass-based publisher just released Magic Medicine: A trip through the intoxicating history and modern-day use of psychedelic plants & substances this past June, and as far as grab-and-go books for Summer 2018 go, it’s a pretty solid addition to your beach-read list. It’s also great for rolling joints on.

Using history, science, and beautiful graphic design as its modus operandi (note: it’s perfectly sized for evergreen bathroom reading), the result is an armchair reference manual written by “intrepid psychonaut and humanist” journalist covering the unexplored-states-of-conscious-

8 JULY 2018 Boston

Gorgeous new armchair reference book covers the history and modern use of psychedelics. ness beat, Cody Johnson. We thought it apt to comb through the cannabis coverage for some plum shout-outs and general (*Johnny Carson voice*) “I did not know that!”style factoids sure to enrich anyone’s understanding of the plant. Here are a few choice passages: Cannabis is the fourth most popular intoxicant in the world, after alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco. Among the safest of all inebriants, cannabis does not cause nearly as many long-term health problems as many other popular substances, nor does it lead to increased violence, risk taking, or criminal behavior. In stark contrast to alcohol and tobacco, cannabis—even accord-

ing to the DEA—has not been responsible for a single overdose death in recorded history… …The Hindu god Shiva has long held a particularly close association with the plant. According to legend, Shiva carried cannabis down from the Himalayas to the valleys where people dwelled. Shiva is also considered the Lord of bhang, an umbrella term for cannabis edibles, ranging from savory fritters to small rolled balls of cannabis paste to lassi, a sweet drink based on yogurt or milk… …A Rasta smokes ganja when he needs spiritual counsel from Jah—the Rastafari term for God—and also in communal settings. Rastas come together for “Reasoning” sessions, where adherents smoke the herb from a longnecked water pipe called a chalice, meditate together, and debate the best ways to apply their values to everyday life.

The Rastafari not only believe that cannabis improves men-

tal clarity and fosters peace, but that its use is divinely sanctioned. They see references to cannabis in the Bible— for instance, the Tree of Life is believed to refer to cannabis and likewise, the scripture from Revelation 22:2: “The herb is the healing of nations”…

–During the Colonial era, most European powers depended on hemp to fashion the sails and ropes of their ships.

In fact, the word canvas derives from cannabis. England’s Royal Navy was powered by cannabis—the crop was so essential the British Empire required colonists to grow it to keep their ships freshly stocked. The much later British Invasion of the 1960s may also have been powered by cannabis, but in an altogether different way… –Dan McCarthy

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Local Beard Masters get into the teeth whitening game, with brilliant results.

Known for their killer line of hydrating multi-use beard oils and balms made just outside of Boston in Norwood, Brother’s Artisan Oil have been winning fans and facial hairs over between their e-commerce shop, products found in local apothecaries and retail stands at the seasonal SOWA Market, and glowing praise from those whose opinions tend to matter most (read: they were awarded Best Beard Oil by the likes of Esquire and GQ Magazine).

And now they’ve hopped on the whole blackteeth-make-whiter-teeth train, with the release of their activated charcoal tooth powder made right here in Mass. The packaging is on point, as is the “whitening punch from activated charcoal”, mineral-rich clay and strengthening xylitol, and even clove powder thrown in (for healthy gums). The minty-freshness afforded those whitening their teeth with this kind of thing rather than putting some charcoal briquettes into a blender and rolling the dice is a much better method. Trust us. –DM $20. Found at local retail shops and online at brothersartisanoil.com

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The Wall Street Journal has said these suits are number one. Leonardo DiCaprio, Rob Gronkowski, Bruno Mars, Idris Alba, and Tim Gunn are all reportedly huge fans. There is an entire café—with beer, wine, and other café things—nestled within its walls on the ground floor (of a total of four floors). Its founder has a great name: Fokke de Jong.

Objectively, these are all interesting bits of information about a European suit store and overall fashion brand. But the fact they just opened their 100th location (joining Milan, London, Hong Kong, and others) right in Boston in the Back Bay is why you need to make a stop at this place on your next sartorial self-splurge, if you haven’t already. And if you have, go again. Why not? Life is short.

To get an idea of the shop, go there. If you haven’t, just picture 9,000-square-feet of space, with knowledgeable style masters and suit barons roaming the floors

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stocked with all the product knowledge about things like the “Never-Out-Of-Stock” collection and a department named “Custom Made To Measure,” which is either exactly that or a very clever name about something else entirely. Probably the first one.

But considering they lean heavy on both personal shopping experiences, master tailoring, and the fact that a blind test by the WSJ reportedly claimed that one of Suitsupply’s killer $600 suits are on par in terms of sheer quality of construction and materials, as well as style, as that of an Armani suit running over $3,000—it’s safe to say this is a good spot to keep on deck next time you need a fresh set of threads for a big meeting, or you are responsible for someone that does and can’t seem to figure out style on their own. This in no way is referencing the abilities of the person writing this. At all.

–DM

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sensimag.com JULY 2018 11

{crossroads}

by R I C A R D O B A C A

THE

IS NOW Trends we’d like to see more of in legal cannabis.

12 JULY 2018 Boston

So much this.

San Francisco Chronicle when my friend (and fellow canna-

Like any Gen Xer co-opting Millenialspeak, I’m certainly

bis journalist) David Downs pointed me in the direction of a

guilty of employing this modern linguistic device when

retail marijuana shop called Barbary Coast.

sharing something I wholeheartedly agree with on social

“Once you walk in, you’re inside the shop, of course,” he

media. In another era we might have said Exactly or I totally

said. “But keep going back, and let me know what you think.”

agree, but ultimately the meaning is the same: YAAAAS.

I headed over on my own, bought some of Kiva’s infused

So while there are countless heady conversations and de-

chocolate-covered coffee beans and walked to the back of the

bates to be had about the present and future of legal, regu-

dispensary, where a friendly gentlemen checked me into an ad-

lated cannabis—and other substances that should not be

joined lounge connected to the shop. The space was elegant and

deemed illegal—it’s summertime, and I’d like to celebrate

lush, and the leather booths were filled with lone professionals

some of the big wins we’re starting to see, some of the

on laptops, double-dates canoodling, and work meetings get-

trends born out of legalization that are beginning to develop,

ting shit done—not unlike the scene at Philz Coffee down the

some of the news stories that occasionally come across our

road—only these customers were hitting vapes, rigs, and joints.

feeds that inspire an RT with an exclamation, So much this!

So while there is still much work to be done, here are a few 420-friendly trends I’m jazzed about.

(LEGAL) SOCIAL CANNABIS USE Adult-use cannabis became the law of the land in Colorado in December 2012, when Gov. John Hickenlooper signed

It was beautiful, especially given the public consumption struggle we’ve witnessed in Colorado. But it was also painfully normal—boring, even. It felt like an elevated coffee shop or bar environment. The place wasn’t hot-boxed, but the scent of weed was certainly present. It was normalized, and as beautiful as it was, it was also frustrating knowing how much legislators and prohibitionists are fighting this kind of progress back in my home state.

Amendment 64 into the state’s constitution. Yet here we are nearly six years later, and it’s still illegal to consume marijuana almost anywhere in the state.

POST-LEGALIZATION SOCIAL EQUITY PROGRAMS

It’s just embarrassing, and even an enlightened attempt to

These kinds of headlines give me my favorite kind of

create the world’s first permitted cannabis consumption spac-

goosebumps: “San Francisco to Dismiss Thousands of

es—Denver County’s voter-approved Initiative 300—has yet

Marijuana Convictions,” National Public Radio; “Top New

to make a real impact in widening legal spaces for social use.

York Lawmaker: Expunge Convictions if Cannabis Goes Le-

So imagine Coloradans’ chagrin when they read about can-

gal,” The Associated Press; “In These States, Past Marijuana

nabis consumption lounges opening up in Northern California

Crimes Can Go Away,” HuffPost; “Details on Plan to Expunge

(San Francisco) and Southern California (West Hollywood) less

Some Vermont Pot Convictions,” CBS affiliate WCAX.

than six months after the state’s Proposition 64 was imple-

Think about it: Those four recent headlines from trusted,

mented. And as a lifelong Denverite, allow me to say to my

mainstream news organizations just took us coast-to-

friends and readers in Cali: We’re not hating, we’re just jealous.

coast-to-coast-to-coast, referencing local initiatives across

I was in the Bay Area earlier this year speaking at a Na-

the US that will expunge cannabis convictions from people’s

tional Association of Hispanic Journalists gathering at the

records now that marijuana is legal where they live. sensimag.com JULY 2018 13

This is right. This is just. This is fair. This is the future, and

based middle path ended up laying the groundwork for

thank goodness these nonviolent marijuana offenders will

much of the cannabis journalism you read today. (If you’re

no longer have to deal with the significant repercussions of

curious about those early days, check out the documenta-

having a weed citation or arrest on their criminal record.

ry Rolling Papers, which is still streaming on Netflix.)

Of course, not enough states are pushing these kinds of

And so it makes me proud to see mainstream media or-

laws, and some progressive programs appear to be falling

ganizations report responsibly on cannabis, especially

short. (Funding For Social Equity Piece of Retail Marijuana

since most of them were still repeating the garbage gate-

is Slow in Coming—Worcester (Mass.) Telegram) But still,

way-drug narrative after Washingtonians and Coloradans

California and Vermont are on the right side of history, and

became the first to legalize it in 2012.

other states will soon follow suit.

SANE, FACT-BASED REPORTING IN THE MEDIA I’m a pretty average guy when it comes down to it, but if

Enter André Picard, the health columnist at The Globe and Mail, the most widely read newspaper in Canada with roots dating back nearly 175 years. Here’s what Picard columnized on late-May 2018, as Canada prepared its federal implementation of legal, regulated recreational weed:

I have a legacy, it will likely involve the impact my col-

“As Canada prepares to go live with pot sales in a few

leagues and I had on the way cannabis is discussed and

months, what can we learn from four years of practical,

reported on in the mainstream media.

hands-on experience in the western United States?

I started The Cannabist from inside The Denver Post’s

“The first takeaway is that all the fretting about the im-

newsroom in 2013, and while we refused to repeat the

pact on children and teens is largely unwarranted. Before

many lies of prohibition, we also ignored the blind activism

legalization, 17 percent of Grade 10 students in Washington

of publications like High Times—and that modern, fact-

State said they had smoked pot in the previous month. Four

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THIS IS JUST. THIS IS RIGHT. THIS IS FAIR.

THIS IS THE FUTURE.

years of legal doobies later, 17 percent of Grade 10 students say they have smoked pot in the previous month.�

While some journalists and columnists still spread fear-

As the headline of his column hints: The kids will be alright.

And so long as journalists report on what is known, instead of what they were told as children, so will they, I hope.

based narratives with no basis in the legal market, Picard looked to the most experienced municipalities in legal cannabis and told his readers about what they have experienced, based entirely on government (state and federal) data.

RICARDO BACA is a veteran journalist, thought leader and founder of The Cannabist.

His content agency Grasslands works primarily with businesses and individuals in the cannabis and hemp industries on thought leadership, publicity and marketing projects via thoughtful, personalized content campaigns.

sensimag.com JULY 2018 15

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sensimag.com JULY 2018 17

{lifestyle}

by ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

POTTED

POT PLANTS

Elevate your home décor with cannabis

I ingested cannabis for three years before I came face-

laws, which can change on a dime, isn’t easy. Still, law re-

to-face with a real, live plant. It was a moment. Wowed by

form is opening up a world of possibility for gardeners across

her muscular, fierce femininity and overwhelming aroma,

the country who—like me—embrace cannabis as an exotic

I cooed at and petted her while my friend who grew her

new houseplant.

proudly rolled his eyes. My relationship with cannabis was

Susan Sheldon, a landscape architect and master garden-

forever changed, and I began growing my own medicine. I

er in Amherst, Massachusetts, is one of them. Despite years

live in Colorado, so I can—with restrictions.

of rigorous training, Sheldon had no idea how to grow can-

A lot of other states have followed Colorado’s lead. Or-

nabis. (It’s not discussed at the Garden Club of Amherst.) She

egonians can grow four plants anywhere on their property,

learned online and now has cannabis sprinkled among the

but citizens in California, Massachusetts, and Alaska must

hyssop, borage, basil, chamomile, and mountain mint in her

keep their plants hidden and secured, and gardeners in

herb garden full of native pollinators. “The flower is amazing

Maine must also tag them. Keeping up with state and local

to watch develop,” she says. “There’s no other plant like that.”

18 JULY 2018 Boston

Growing cannabis takes knowledge, time, and attention, Sheldon adds, but anyone with good intention can do it.

You’ve gotta have the attitude that you’ll win some, you’ll lose some, and it’s a learning experience,” she says

CANNABIS IN THE HOUSE People who don’t have the luxury of enclosed, secured outdoor space—or who want to live more intimately with cannabis—are turning to another alternative to outdoor cultivation: keeping it as a houseplant.

Ganjasana yoga founder Rachael Carlevale, who lives with her husband on a hemp farm in Berthoud, Colorado, keeps plants in her living room and on a kitchen window sill alongside aloe (which she says is a great cloning agent).

Carlevale trims off leaves to make organic juice that she drinks for its health benefits. “Cannabis is a plant, like any other plant, that happens to have medicinal qualities,” she says. “It’s also very beautiful.”

And it makes an ideal houseplant because when it’s kept in its vegetative state, it provides more oxygen than any other leafy plant and an ongoing source of nutritious, delicious

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leaves, says grow expert Johnny Stash. The former president of

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keeps potted pot

plants in his home because the fresh plant tips are one of his favorite foods. He pinches them off using his pointer finger and thumb and adds them to salads, smoothies, and sandwiches. “Flavors vary from spicy mustard green to butter lettuce,” he says.

Unlike the complicated process of cultivating plants for high yields and potent flowers, growing cannabis as a perennial is fairly straightforward. Each cultivar is different, but, according to Stash, all cannabis plants have the same general needs: Light and air. A 3-gallon (or larger) pot. Organic soil. Food in the form of organic fertilizer. Root love to prevent it from getting root-bound. Pest control. Positive energy. And seaweed. According to Stash, “It’s their favorite snack.”

ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE wrote The Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook. She’s madly finishing a book chronicling the history of cannabis food and cookery, which (God willing) will be published

by Rowman & Littlefield later this year.

How the Garden Grows Susan Sheldon’s Guide to Outdoor Cannabis Obey Laws. Ensure your space complies with local regulations.

Be Discreet. Hide plants with other plants or structures.

Cannabis is still federally illegal and could invite thieves.

Plant an Ecosystem. Plant among beneficial companion plants ( PROJECTCBD.ORG/ABOUT/ SUSTAINABILITY/MARIJUANA-NOTMONOCULTURE) with good light penetration and air flow.

Give Plants Space. Cannabis needs 2.5 to 3 square feet. The more space you give the roots, the larger your plant will grow.

Feed Them. Go online or visit a

grow store to find the best nutrients for your plants. Don’t be stingy, but don’t overfeed.

Water As Needed. Let plants dry out, then saturate them. If in pots, place the pot in a tub of water and let it drink from the bottom up. If pots are in trays, don’t sit them in water.

Practice Garden Sanitation.

Remove diseased plants or pieces. Clean pruning shears with rubbing alcohol between plants.

Beware Of Mold. Mold can happen anywhere. Check once, if not twice, daily. In late season, shake off dew and fan them.

Kill Powdery Mildew.

Use PM Remover, a spray made from potassium bicarbonate, lactose, and garlic powder.

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sensimag.com JULY 2018 21

{aroundtown}

by DA N Mc C A R T H Y

ROAD TEST

This summer introduce your feet to these insanely comfy shoes made from plants.

Now that summer is in full swing, you’re always on the lookout for some seasonally appropriate gear to add into your rotation. Considering your feet are something attached to your body and flip flops are not always the right way to go when Big Fun comes calling in New England in the summer, we decided to give some shoes born from the Silicon Valley ether of startups a run through the gauntlet in order to see how they hold up to the kind of conditions the dog days of summer present to your dogs.

Grabbed fresh out of the box and thrown on a clean pair of feet with no

22 JULY 2018 Boston

socks, our highly scientific testing ground would be the 2018 Boston Calling weekend music festival this past May. After roughly eight hours of endless walking, grooving, Ferris Wheel riding, Bon Me sandwich noshing, beer guzzling, cannabis smoking, VIP tent meandering, weird IKEA-land stage hanging, Harvard Athletic Field stomping, and at least one twisted ankle after too much of all of the above, we are happy to report that as far as Merino-wool, cloud-like kicks for your feet are concerned, these things pass the muster.

Add the fact that they use moisture-zapping materials on the upper part of the shoe engineered from Eucalyptus pulp (which means using five percent of the water and about a third of the land traditional footwear materials require), it’s clear this is a brand putting its money where its sustainability is.

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sensimag.com JULY 2018 23

, Oh Canna(da) Is our neighbor to the north poised to surpass us as the leading cannabis nation?

by LEL AND RUCKER

24 JULY 2018 Boston

,

It’s happening. OUR NORTHERN NEIGHBOR

HAS

PASSED LEGISLATION THAT WILL ALLOW CANNABIS TO BE PURCHASED LEGALLY BY ADULTS. WHEN THAT DAY ARRIVES, PROBABLY IN OCTOBER, CANADA WILL BECOME THE FIRST G-7 COUNTRY IN THE WORLD TO DO SO. WITH LESS THAN A TENTH OF THE POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES, CANADA IS LEVERAGING ITSELF TO

become a major player

IN THE INTERNATIONAL CANNABIS LANDSCAPE.

Nine American states and the District of Columbia have legalized, or at least decriminalized, cannabis possession and use, and 29 have some kind of medical program. But the big difference here is that Canada is attacking legalization at a national level, says Dan Nelson, who watches financial trends as CEO of Wikileaf, a popular Canadian online guide to cannabis news, information and prices. “This removes the vast amount of ambiguity around the market which you see practically everywhere in the States as they roll things out, with each state setting its own rules and framework.”

Since they are free to export product to any country with which Canada does business, Canadian companies are signing deals to export their cannabis and beat America to the global market. Germany, for instance, which legalized medical marijuana in March last year but has faced serious shortages of product ever since, has partnered with two large Canadian growers to supply its patients.

One of Canada’s largest medical producers, Aurora Cannabis, agreed in May to buy MedReleaf, the third-largest cannabis producer, pushing Aurora’s marketing value to more than $7 billion, with the ability to grow pot on more than a million acres of farmland. That valuation is slightly larger than Canopy Growth, Canada’s second-largest producer, which has filed to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, making it the first pot stock to do so.

PreveCeutical Medical Inc., a Vancouver-based health company working on preventative medicines using plant-based products, has partnered with an Australian company to provide cannabis for its medical cannabis research. CEO Stephen Van Deventer says he would like to work with American companies, but it’s still too risky. “Even though a state might be legitimate, federal laws are illegal, and until federal law changes, there’s no point in taking those risks.”

American businesses, facing regulatory hurdles and limitations on outside investment, are now looking to be listed on the Canadian stock markets. Investors, perhaps hoping to latch on to what might become the Amazon or Google of cannabis, are buying stocks at a healthy pace. Even Canadian beer companies, fearful of the effects of cannabis legalization on their business, are investing in cannabis companies to hedge their bets.

Nelson adds that the situation offers Canada a unique opportunity to become a major player in a multibillion-dollar industry, something few Casensimag.com JULY 2018 25

nadians could have dreamed even a few years ago. “In the

ized lettering with little use of color and have no “brand ele-

past, Canada has tended to play little brother to the US on

ments,” celebrity endorsements, or testimonials.

most major industries,” he says. “But we’re already seeing a

The bill allows any adult to purchase cannabis and possess

lot of this kind of leadership in Canada begin to take shape.”

up to 30 grams (slightly more than an ounce) in public. People

“It’s such an interesting time,” says Sarah Bain of Nesta, a

will be able to choose from flower and cannabis oil products,

private equity firm that works with Canadian cannabis com-

but there will be no edibles for the time being. Most distribu-

panies. “Historically, when there are major industries, Canada

tion will be under the jurisdiction of the individual provinces’

is rarely at the front,” she says. “Mining is one. But we’re usu-

liquor boards. Unlike US states, which impose hefty excise

ally the cousins of the United States and Europe. Now we’re

and sales taxes, Canada plans to keep the rates even lower

being invited to invest and talk to other countries.”

than it does on alcohol. The bill imposes strict national penal-

Marijuana legalization was a cornerstone of the 2015 cam-

ties for driving under the influence and purchasing for minors.

paign of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party.

Beyond that, as provinces begin to release their own rules,

Polling over the years indicated that Canadians have favored

there seems to be as much variance as in US states. Alberta and

legalization, but Trudeau was the first politician to tap into

Quebec, for instance, will allow sales to 18-year-olds, but the rest

that support, endorsing legalizing personal use of cannabis

have set 19 as the age limit. Quebec and Manitoba banned home

for adults throughout his campaign. He made good on his

grows, but the other provinces will allow a four-plant per person

promise by introducing Bill C-45, titled simply “Cannabis

limit. Only the Northwest Territories has said no to online sales.

Act,” into Parliament on April 13, 2017.

British Columbia, which includes Vancouver, will license

The reasoning behind the Cannabis Act is outlined suc-

sales through government-run liquor stores and private re-

cinctly in its own straightforward language. “The objectives

tailers. Vancouver already has an existing “gray market,”

of the act are to prevent young persons from accessing can-

with about a hundred “medical clinics” around the city with

nabis, to protect public health and public safety by estab-

loose rules where adults can get good weed at low prices with

lishing strict product safety and product quality require-

no questions asked. “It’s essentially like having a bootleg bar

ments and to deter criminal activity by imposing serious

without a peephole to get in during Prohibition,” says Leslie

criminal penalties for those operating outside the legal

Bocskor, an American investor who recently returned from

framework. The act is also intended to reduce the burden on

that city. It’s not uncommon to encounter people smoking

the criminal justice system in relation to cannabis.”

joints while walking the streets. Residents there fear that

The Cannabis Act was passed by the House of Commons in the spring, and despite opposition from some Na-

these shops will be closed and replaced by higher-priced legal cannabis outlets.

tive American groups and still-reluctant lawmakers call-

In Newfoundland, grow facility Tweed will be able to sell di-

ing for a delay, the Senate passed the bill in June. The way

rectly from its location in Smith Falls, Ontario. Loblaws, one of

it’s set up, the government will supply all cannabis

the country’s largest supermarket chains, will be allowed to sell

through licensed growers, and leave sales, distribution

recreational cannabis over the counter at 10 of their locations in

and personal-use regulations to the 10 individual provinc-

Newfoundland and Labrador. Some provinces will allow tobac-

es and three territories, which are similar to our states.

co and coffee shops to apply for retail licenses; others won’t.

The country got a head start by allowing medical canna-

Legalization is going to look a lot different than it does here.

bis nationwide beginning in 2001. The medical system today

Derek Riedle distinctly remembers the time when his think-

is robust, with more than 200,000 current patients, all who

ing began to evolve about the possibilities for the Canadian

get their medicine by mail through the National Post. “As a

cannabis market. It was Nov. 8, 2016. “That night, as the New

Canadian patient, I can sit in Toronto, buy from a cultivator

York Times electoral college meter started to tip toward the red

in Vancouver, pick online what I want and have it mailed to

states and Donald Trump, we started getting calls from Ameri-

my house,” says Canadian George Naumovski, who now

can investors who were beginning to get nervous,” he explains.

lives in and operates two dispensaries in Illinois. “Going

“Jeff Sessions hadn’t been chosen but was already being touted

across state lines is not an issue.”

as attorney general. That alone started causing panic.”

To establish product safety and restrict access to children,

Riedle, who runs Civilized, a website and company with an

the government has imposed stern limits on advertising and

emphasis on adults who use cannabis as part of their life-

branding—strict enough that a Bloomberg headline sniffed

style, said he, like many Canadians, was envious when Amer-

that it will “take the fun out of legal weed.” That’s not much of

ican states began legalizing in 2012. “It was fascinating that

an exaggeration. Every product label has to display health

there were states that were to the left of Canada, and that

warnings much like those on cigarette packs, follow standard-

didn’t sit right with us. And then it completely flipped,” he

26 JULY 2018 Boston

“Historically, when there are major industries, Canada is rarely at the front… Now we’re being invited to invest and talk to other countries.”

—SARAH BAIN, NESTA

says. “We all anticipated a Clinton presidency, and chaos ensued after Trump and Sessions took power. They absolutely squandered what good will the United States had.”

Nobody will argue, at least for the near future, that Canada, and Toronto’s Bay Street (its equivalent to Wall Street), will become the center of the international cannabis financial markets. The earliest the United States is likely to even consider legalizing cannabis nationwide is after the 2020 presidential election, which gives Canada even more time to grow its presence. “Because of our treatment of cannabis at the federal level and our market not opening up, I bet you we’ve given that up,” says Bob Hoban, a Denver lawyer whose firm works with cannabis companies worldwide. “The center of the cannabis financial world is now Toronto and always will be.”

But there are caveats. The Canadian markets are flooded with cash, but now all those well-funded companies have to ramp up and perform on a global scale, some of them for the first time. “The guys up there have raised a lot of capital, and they have huge facilities, with millions of square feet to grow,” says Naumovski. “Now they have to execute, to grow and process quality product. There are a lot of factors.”

Bocskor, who lives in Las Vegas, has been watching Canada’s growth carefully. He admits there’s still plenty of money to be made. “The market is chugging, and the regulatory

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The overall experience is excellent.”

But he sees ambiguity in Canada’s rollout, too. For instance, how the government is handling—or not handling—the Vancouver “gray market” gives him pause. “That tells me that

nia market is just getting started, and it could eclipse Cana-

there’s a problem there,” he says. “It’s not bad that it’s unregu-

da and other legal US states as it matures.

lated. But it shows a cognitive dissonance between the mes-

When federal legalization happens here and the US mar-

sage coming from the government and what’s happening on

kets open up, the balance of power could shift as quickly and

the ground in Vancouver. It’s a disconnect, and people are

dramatically as it has in the last couple of years. “It’s a great

paying attention to it.”

win for Canada, in terms of this point in time,” Bocskor says.

And there’s California to consider. Canada has about two

“I really hope they can meet all their goals and deadlines. But

million less people than California, a state which allows

it’s a heavier lift than they thought it was going to be. What I

outside investment and is seeing more interest, even from

want to make sure that people understand is that soon

Canadian companies, since it legalized Jan. 1. The Califor-

enough, the US market will be the only game in town.”

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JULY 2018 IS A FAR, FAR AWAY LAND FROM WHERE CANNABIS LEGALIZATION STARTED IN THE BAY STATE. SO WITH OUR DAY FINALLY HERE, LET’S GIVE

periodicals, personalities

A SHOUT OUT TO A FEW OF THE

prognosticators,

AND

THAT WERE IN BOSTON LONG BEFORE THE PROMISED LAND OF LEGALIZATION. Oh! We didn’t include that thing you find more important? That person with equal value to the community’s past? That champion of social justice and beacon of equality in a still-forming local industry? That magazine you swore by when you were still rolling seed-strewn swag into poorly rolled joints as a wee cherub? We have no doubt. But things are just getting started in the Commonwealth, and there’s a lot to know for noobs just starting to scratch around. So consider this both a little primer for the cannabis curious or recently converted, and a fine trip down memory lane for the seasoned smoker alike.

THE PARTY

Boston Freedom Rally Depending on who you talk to and how old they are or how long they’ve been a part of the Mass Grass scene, the Boston Freedom Rally is either a yearly gathering of old friends and fresh herbs going back to the origins of the soirée in the late 80s, through the first gathering in front of the Massachusetts State house in the early 90s, to the mid 90s, when it moved to the Common on the Carty Parade Field, where tens of thousands of activists, growers, showers, smokers, dabbers, publishers, educators, entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, and figureheads have been ever since.

And as with every September it has gone down, the rally has been a beacon for those demanding nationwide cannabis law reform in the country, thanks to the efforts of MassCann/ NORML, and all the participating volunteers, organizers, and so on. Considering 2018 is a new beginning for the industry in the state, expect this year’s rally to be a truly celebratory affair.

Don’t miss the annual communal smokeout at 4:20 p.m., when the entire party lights one up in unison, providing the kind of cloud cover over the crowd that for years used to be sensimag.com JULY 2018 31

low hanging fruit for bad weed puns by the Boston Herald

years went on and the internet destroyed the old print

and Boston Globe and other legacy press in town, and now

business model and there’s no seeming way to know

serves as a sort of ethereal spectre representing the spirit of

what’s going to happen next, it’s comforting to know in a

the movement, the industry, and hopefully, the days to come.

time of such uncertainty, that High Times is still out there doing the good work. That said, with the explosion of new pot publishers on the rise, this ol’ timer is looking

THE LOCAL STEWARD OF CANNABIS COVERAGE

for ways to revive itself and differentiate its value in a

When it comes to cannabis coverage in Boston, from the wonky, dry politics at the Statehouse to the marches and rallies and counter-rallies and antagonism characteristic of the alt-weekly universe

crowded landscape. Which means, like all good media, if you want them around, make sure to support them and their advertisers. // HIGHTIMES.COM THE LOCAL HIGH TIMES

Greenleaf Magazine Born in 2013, Greenleaf has be-

once so strong but now emaciated

come synonymous with the local,

down to roughly 100 still doing the

hardcore, experienced green scene.

good work while overworked and

Considering its visible presence at

underpaid (provided the alt in question hasn’t been

the annual Boston Freedom Rally—

bought by a sugar daddy like LA Weekly), DigBoston (for-

where you’ll often find howling

merly The Weekly Dig) has been the Hub’s head honcho

crowds gathered at their booth

on all things pot for two decades. Its current form, with

while the magazine crew hypes ev-

new owners and management leading it into a brave future fueled by community-focused journalism and some of the best brains in Boston weed-reading/writing for the publication (see Talking Joints Memo, their outstanding weekly, must-read cannabis newsletter, and The Tokin’

Truth, amongst others), means if you’re not picking up a print copy and checking out their social media channels (@digboston), then you’re only hurting yourself, as well as the local community that not only supports it, but in

eryone up with giveaways, prerolls, dab excellence, and plenty of branding swag—it’s an exercise of false economy to avoid checking out an issue. Think robust medical community content mixed with weed-porn plant photography and lots of throwback stoner print design and feel. Plopping one of these down to roll a spliff at the rally is something of a time-honored tradition at this point. // GREENLEAFMAG.COM

many ways relies on it to keep a finger on the pulse of weed, arts, entertainment, and news in the city proper. // DIGBOSTON.COM

1000 Watts For patients, by patients. That’s

THE GRANDDADDY

the battle cry of the great (if svelte

High Times Like Snoop Dogg, Willie Nelson, Peter Tosh, Cheech and Chong, and even Seth Rogen, some cannabis entities have transcended all forms of prohibition and entered into the lexicon of universally

understood

friends

and

champions of cannabis. In publishing, no outlet so encapsulates that as High Times. Its early days were a mishmash of activist journalism (read: not exactly objective, but who cares when the prohibitionists and general reefer madness of generational indoctrination had so lied and misinformed the public on what cannabis is/isn’t). As the 32 JULY 2018 Boston

THE PATIENT SCROLL

and rough-around-the-design-andlayout edges) that is the humble 1000

Watts magazine. If you could put on a recorder and tap into the brain trust of every patient care discussion, debate, anecdote, story of recovery and resilience, counseling shoulder, rundown of the latest medicine, and what was working and why and for whom and where to find it and on and on, you have 1000 Watts Magazine. Published in RHODE ISLAND (?), this staple-back zine is a great addition to your road reading on public transit or the next lengthy Uber sit through the glut of traffic. Because if the stories of sickness and health, of pride and prejudice, of guffawing at local law until local law caught up with it

COVERS VIA DIGBOSTON.COM, HIGHTIMES.COM, GREENLEAFMAG.COM, 1000WATTSMAGAZINE.COM AND FREEDOMLEAF.COM

Digboston

(and it has...slowly) doesn’t reaffirm your support for the plant and all the known and unknown benefits of it, nothing will. // 1000WATTSMAGAZINE.COM THE PUBLICLY TRADED OG

Freedom Leaf There’s a lot to pack in for a blurb on Freedom Leaf, considering its dense, if relatively short, time in the world (High

Times will be the metric for longevity in weed publishing for our purposes here.) From a lineage that dates back to the famed “original” weed blog, MarijuanaNews.com, noted cannabis activist, former NORML executive director, and overall thought leader Richard Cowan, whose modus operandi has since been trumpeted on Wikipedia for going after what was called “the best two-word explanation of marijuana prohibition: ‘bad journalism’.” Yee haw. (Currently, the archives are offline and being edited.) From there you had Pot TV, and then Cannabis Science, the second publicly owned medical marijuana company, and from there Cowan was last reported to be in Europe fighting for weed legalization. But at the end, he’s still co-founder of Freedom Leaf, and serves as top dog editor with a portfolio that devotes its time, products and publications, and the overall “movement marketing” manifesto brandished on its pages to be a beacon in the global fight against bad information and bad cannabis policy. // FREEDOMLEAF.COM THE PIED PIPER

Michael Malta, aka King of Pot (KOP) “Malta was this lovable guy that wanted everyone to love him, and everyone did love him. He always reminded me of Fonzie a bit from Happy Days. In the beginning, like the Fonz, he was edgy and in your face, and by the end he had a sweet goofiness that was infectious. But what people remember about him is how he invested in other people. He took you for what you were. If you wanted to be writer, a musician, whatever, he took you at that and he believed in your dreams, as well as believed in dreamers. He’d support everyone. The funny thing is he used to consider himself a comedian, and I was the straight guy persona to his entertainer in the public sphere and during our YouTube work on Two Hot-

heads. Towards the end of his life he got more political, and the last year before he passed, he was the leader—absorbed everything. And he was someone with a real story that people could get on the level with. His mom died from the same condition he had—he was on pills, had mental health issues, OCD, you name it.

Cannabis saved his life, allowed him to hold a job for 35 years and support a famPHOTO O COURTESY OF JENN MARIE SPANKS

ily with kids, and now has a grandchild that arrived after he passed. He was an amazing person. He was a force people wanted to be around, and he made things fun. A sort of Pied Piper of fun. He’s sorely missed.”

—Mike Crawford, cannabis columnist, host of The Young Jurks

sensimag.com JULY 2018 33

Bill Downing Ask seasoned veterans of the cannabis scene about Bill Downing, and you’re likely to be gifted some kind of wonderful story about how his Allston-based business, CBD Please, found the right medicine for them. His years of activism and involvement with many others in helping craft the language of the Yes on 4 campaign for recreational legalization—as well as all his work on the medicinal side—has made him a towering figure in the Mass Grass landscape. At one point he and his small team of renegade healers and dealers were servicing more than 1200 patients, growing, processing, and distributing more than 20 pounds of product per week and transforming it into all manner of CBD and THC products, topicals, balms, oils, and more. A former lecturer at the Northeastern Institute of Cannabis and a frequent sight on the trade show floors and State House cannabis gatherings, Downing is and remains a key figure in the local cannabis crowd. If you need a reminder of his commitment, take a page from what he told CBS after being the victim of raids and police arrests for his activism and patient care work: “The state can do anything they want. They can throw me in jail. They can do whatever they want. But I know I’m doing the right thing, and I’m doing it for the right reasons. I’m doing it for the patients here in the state, and I really don’t care about the bureaucracies trying to stop me because they’re immoral. And because the public does not support them.” Ho ho.

34 JULY 2018 Boston

PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL DOWNING

THE MEDICINE MAN

THE FIGUREHEAD

Mickey Martin “The first day I heard Mickey speak was at a cannabis event in Lowell in 2013. He mentioned a cannabis school he was putting together (Ed. note: That was the Northeastern Institute of Cannabis—now closed—where members of Sensi have previously taught.). He gave a speech he gave often, which amounted to, ‘I like weed, and I’m a good person, so don’t be afraid to be a good person and tell people you like weed.’ Something clicked for me.

“All the kids knew [Mickey] but I was just stepping out of the closet on the cannabis scene. I had been growing since 2008, but it was later, at my first Freedom Rally, and I see everyone looking up to Mickey, which made it all the more touching that a guy like that was willing to put me in charge of one of the educational villages of a cultural gathering that was so important to him. He opened up my eyes to the way I saw how people reacted to his story and

philosophy. Edibles companies wouldn’t exist today without Mickey. His company, Tainted Inc., was one of the first commercial edibles companies to package products in creative branding and marketing to the masses.

“But it was seeing the way he stood up and fought for patients that made me want to stand up. He was always ready to help another, and lift someone up to success before him.

He believed if you can help someone succeed, they’ll remember it and pay it back or forward. It was inspiring. Knowing you had Mickey behind you made you feel invincible. He also was behind an early bible for the cannabis community that dealt with snakes in the grass in this industry. When he passed away in 2017, I felt like the walls caved in. And since his passing, I have tried to live every day by his motto: Be a good person and don’t be afraid to like weed.”

—Phil Hardy, MassCann board member and founder, The Hardy Consultants

sensimag.com JULY 2018 35

Go Ask Alice

A Super Troopers Hater’s Guide to Stoner Movies,

by ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

36 JULY 2018 Boston

"You shouldn' t be allowed to write about stoner movies," SAID MY FRIEND AND FORMER ROOMMATE AFTER I TRIED—AND FAILED—TO WATCH SUPER TROOPERS WITH HIM, WHICH ISN’T EVEN FAIR. I NEVER JUDGED HIM FOR THINKING BULLETPROOF PENIS CUPS, CHEEKY SHENANIGANS, AND BEAR BUGGERS WERE FUNNY. (OR MAYBE I DID, A LITTLE.) And he’s probably right. I haven’t liked stoner movies since I went with a date to see Cheech and Chong’s Nice Dreams in high school, which went about as well as Super Troopers did with my roomie. I mean, I laughed with everyone else when we played Cheech and Chong’s “Sister Mary Elephant” record back in junior high (we could recite all the lines, even), but all I could think about during Nice Dreams was how much I hated being harassed by guys like those two.

My date thought the film was hilarious. The last thing he was interested in was my feminist take on it—and, after that, me.

He was cute. I might hold a little grudge against the genre.

I’m a nerd. A snob. Too critical for my own good. Never able to let loose and have fun. Friends, boyfriends, husbands, and my kids told me this every time I refused to watch another version of a maniacal journey involving super-stoned guys who won’t grow up, but whom we’re supposed to find lovable, sometimes involving a nudgey hot girl who disapproves of their copious weed smoking, and always riding on jokes involving dicks and scatological functions along with a few good chase scenes (preferably involving cops).

Those flicks aren’t my jam. I can’t let my brain rot through Dazed &

Confused when it could be getting lost in Carl Sagan’s fascinating original docu-series Cosmos or Akira Kurosawa’s mesmerizing magical realism film Dreams, or watching my all-time favorite movie, The

Graduate, which I do every year, religiously.

OK. I could lighten up.

But I can’t be the only person who loves to get high and watch a film that expands my mind, even frivolously, and represents cannabis with dignity, without Seth Rogan or references to God’s vagina.

sensimag.com JULY 2018 37

Raising the Whole Standard of a Nation

from having sexual relations with white people in mov-

In 1930, the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors

ies, have gotten even less screen time, and respect, than

of America laid down the Hays Code, censoring every-

cannabis has in cinematic history.)

thing from sex to profanity to drug and alcohol use in

As these things tend to go, real self-enforcement didn’t

movies because “entertainment and art are important in-

kick in until public pressure forced the industry’s hand.

fluences in the life of a nation.”

In 1934, Shirley Temple, “America’s sweetheart,” replaced

The code was enacted out of duress, after Hollywood

Mae West, “the sweetheart of Sigma Chi,” as Hollywood’s

scandals on and off screen drew the ire of religious and

box-office darling. For the next couple of decades, direc-

temperance groups with names like Legion of Decency.

tors and producers insinuated and teased, but, for the

Censorship had become a cumbersome states’ rights is-

most part, followed the rules.

sue, with some states banning D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a

Nation for its obscene racism and others declaring Mar-

Married couples slept in separate beds. Adulterous women were punished. Movie stars didn’t do drugs.

garet Sanger’s Birth Control an offense to public decency.

To avoid federal oversight, which appeared imminent,

1968: The Year of the Stoner Film

the MPPDA drafted a Jesuit priest and an industry jour-

Fifty years ago this year, the Hays Code was officially

nalist to write a set of moralizing self-regulations, based

rescinded and replaced with the MPAA film rating sys-

on Catholic theology, to help the industry represent “cor-

tem (G for general audiences, M for mature content, R for

rect standards of life.”

restricted, and X for sexually explicit). Movies got fun

“Correct entertainment raises the whole standard of a

again—really, really fun. X-rated Midnight Cowboy won

nation,” the code stated. “Wrong entertainment lowers

the Oscar for Best Picture in 1969 … and then there was

the whole living conditions and moral ideals of a race.”

1970’s Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (I blush).

(Which race the code was referring to is clear in the

Enforcement of the Hays Code had been unraveling

all-whiteness of my own favorite films. People of color,

throughout the 1960s, but Mrs. Robinson was still pretty

shut out of Hollywood and prohibited by the Hays Code

edgy when I was 3 years old in 1967, watching The Gradu-

This Nerd’s Top 5 Stoner Movies (post-1968) Annie Hall (1977)

Diane Keaton was the first leading lady I ever saw smoke weed. It still didn’t make Woody Allen tolerable, but my love for her made me love this film.

9 to 5 (1980) Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton smoking weed in the “Just Say No” ‘80s is just too good, and their #metoo message was decades before its time.

The Breakfast Club (1985) I made my kids watch this at way too early an age. It’s still painfully relevant. Can’t we all smoke weed and get along?

38 JULY 2018 Boston

Almost Famous (2000) This movie came out when my kids were in preschool.

I wanted to be spliff-smoking Penny Lane so bad that I ran out and bought a version of that coat. I still feel like a badass when I wear it.

Rolling Papers (2015)

What self-respecting nerd doesn’t include a documentary? This one covers the birth of an industry in a fun, lighthearted way.

ate on the drive-in screen from the back seat of the station

sense of the weird places consciousness reached that

wagon while my parents drank martinis in front. (Don’t

year. (Not that I’ve done this or anything, kids.)

judge. I think all of that might have been legal back then.)

Without the girdle of the Hays Code, celluloid psychedelia exploded. Cannabis, and a lot of other drugs, landed

Because I wrote a cannabis cookbook and am just fin-

firmly in the American cinemascape as both muse and

ishing up writing a history of cannabis food (once a

new-age plot hook. The stoner movie was born.

nerd, always a nerd), my favorite 1968 stoner movie is I

There was The Beatles’ fantastical animated Yellow

Love You, Alice B. Toklas, the film that put the pot

Submarine, which Beat writer Ken Kesey said “looks bet-

brownie on the map. It was the first major motion pic-

ter stoned, but that’s true of all movies,” and 2001: A Space

ture to make cannabis an integral part of the plot—the

Odyssey, the sci-fi classic that spawned conspiracy the-

first stoner movie.

ories about Stanley Kubrick faking the moon landing and

I Love You, Alice B. Toklas, with its breezy, sitar-laden

the first movie to be marketed directly to a new and

soundtrack and campy hippie jokes, was considered

quickly expanding stoner class.

something of a lightweight in the year of Yellow Subma-

Both movies were celebrated with special 50th-anni-

rine and Head, but I like it. It has exchanges like this one

versary releases in theaters across the country this year,

(and I know my deep nerd is showing):

but they were hardly alone in emancipating drugs and

Nancy: Beautiful. Is that Ginsberg?

consciousness on the big screen during that banner year

Guru: No, Tennyson.

between the Summer of Love and Woodstock, and the films played to appreciative audiences.

kljl

Mad Men, on Edibles, with Sitar

In the film, Peter Sellers plays Harold Fine, a dissatisfied L.A. lawyer who leaves his shrewish secretary-fian-

If you’ve ever eaten a mega-dose of cannabis-infused

cée (because why else did women become secretaries?)

chocolate mousse, which is kind of like eating acid, and

Joyce for dreamy flower girl Nancy after eating “groovy”

watched The Monkees’ Head or Walt Disney’s Alice in

brownies, which Nancy says were made from a recipe in

Wonderland, both released in 1968, you get a pretty good

Toklas’s “freaky” cookbook.

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(They weren’t, and the recipe for improperly named “Haschich Fudge” that made Toklas’s 1954 cookbook famous was actually for majoun, a Moroccan confection made from dates, figs, nuts, and cannabis that Toklas’s friend, Beat artist and writer Brion Gysin, had learned to make while living as an expat in Morocco. But I’m talking over the movie.)

Harold shares the brownies with his parents, who laugh hysterically as his fiancée rips off his clothes and begs him to take her in a scene reminiscent of Reefer Madness.

(You’ve seen that one, right?)

The brownie trip changes Harold’s life. He leaves Joyce at the altar, grows his hair long (seemingly overnight), lives for a while with Nancy in his car, then moves back home and gets annoyed about her friends and free love, gets back together with Joyce, and leaves her at the altar again. The movie ends with Harold running out of the synagogue, yelling that there’s got to be something beautiful out there.

I’m a sucker for movies that end with people running from the altar, I get it. But I Love You, Alice B. Toklas made me think, about what the world was like 50 years ago and what it’s like today. About whether or not there really is something beautiful out there, and what it might be.

That, to me, is what a great stoner flick is all about.

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THE POET WARRIOR OF PAIN

42 JULY 2018 Boston

Stephen Mandile is a rising Bay State cannabis activist leading veterans and anyone seeking relief from life-altering pain to the promised land of pain-management cannabis provides. But to get there, he almost had to die first. by DA N McCARTHY For the better part of a decade, Stephen Mandile was a living zombie.

The former US Army reserve sergeant and artillery gunman

much of anything when home, and most likely would be confined to a wheelchair before he turned 50.

He was 27.

had, like so many other veterans of the myriad of wars in the

According to the 2015 US Census, there were more than

Middle East over the past two decades, become reliant on the

300,000 veterans living in Massachusetts, and out of those,

military-issued pain relief issued to him—pharmaceuticals

roughly 8,000 have a service-connected disability rating by

like oxycodone, Xanax, Ambien, Percocet, and a host of others.

the VA of 100 percent. Which means there are almost 10,000

“I would wake up most mornings to my thirty-day pill

Bay State residents living with a disability that the US gov-

dispenser, which came with an alarm to signal when it was

ernment promised it would take care of.

time to get numb again—which was all day,” Mandile says.

“The VA and troops have a contract,” Mandile says. “If you

It would take him up to four hours to even muster the ener-

go to war for your country, and you get hurt, they take care of

gy to get up and out of bed for the day before embarking on

you when you get home. I’m just trying to get them to keep

to his frightening daily regiment. “That schedule was my

up their part of the bargain.”

life for most of my thirties,” he says.

The VA doesn’t include cannabis on the roster of medi-

At present, the US continues to struggle amidst the malaise

cines it works with, relying instead on pharmaceuticals

of the opioid epidemic. In downtown Boston, there are trashcan

dolled out like Skittles to open-handed children. But if the

posters alerting to the signs of an overdose on the streets. On the

VA or any lawmaker in Massachusetts would like concrete

coast of Seattle’s Puget Sound, filter-feeding shellfish are testing

proof of the efficacy of cannabis for veterans, Mandile’s sto-

positive for opioids from munching on the people-manure

ry is as good as they could ask for.

landing in the waters there. And as evidenced in any given day’s

After his accident overseas, Mandile was given a cornu-

news from Maine to southern California, medicine that was os-

copia of pills and pain-relief medications from the govern-

tensibly administered to veterans to provide better quali-

ment—morphine, sleeping pills, Xanax, Klonopin, you name

ty-of-life is becoming the very thing holding them back from it.

it. By the time he reached the hotel in Germany, where he

For years, Mandile’s cycle of medication formed the head

and other wounded vets were staying en route to the Wound-

and tail of the proverbial snake consuming itself, beginning

ed Warrior unit in Virginia after a brief stop at Walter Reed,

with the traumatic physical injury the hulking Massachu-

he was pounding fistfuls of pills and guzzling the 25-cent

setts native suffered while serving in Iraq. After a Humvee

Heinekens in a desperate attempt to curb his chronic pain.

collision while transferring a prisoner to Abu Ghraib prison,

By the time he reached Virginia, he was under doctor’s or-

Mandile was temporarily paralyzed from the waist down,

ders that prevented him from doing anything that required

and later regained elements of feeling, just enough to realize

simply walking up or down stairs. In classic military-excel-

how much pain he was actually suffering. The medic he saw

lence-in-planning form, those orders were accompanied by a

at the time issued the standard 1600 mg dose of ibuprofen

bunk assignment on the second floor of the barracks, and

and sent him on his way, which left Mandile serving his post

Mandile being forced to participate in jumping jacks and

at the prison that night while lying prone on the floor. Soon a

morning exercises by people unaware—or uncaring—about

new string of physical therapy treatments was suggested

his condition. Bunkmates would steal, sell, or trade each oth-

without knowing what Mandile was suffering from.

er’s pills. There was ready availability to alcohol amongst

He was forced to leave the base for an MRI in a Kuwaiti

people just experiencing the onset of PTSD. “We were like a

public hospital, where a doctor found ruptured spinal discs

barracks of misfit toys…all broken,” Mandile says. “Nobody

going in opposite directions. A Navy doctor who reviewed

knew what to do with us individually, so they shoved us to-

his case told him he wouldn’t be able to hold down a job or do

gether. It’s a recipe for disaster.” sensimag.com JULY 2018 43

Between 2005 and 2013, he was taking 50 separate medi-

He agrees. “Back then I was looking down my nose at canna-

cations, nine different forms of opioids, and more than 100

bis,” he says. “But I was getting withdrawals every 20 hours from

pills a week. Towards the end, he was regularly being pre-

the stuff the government was giving me. It feels like a giant is

scribed transdermal fentanyl patches (on top of oxycodone,

squishing your body in a fist with diarrhea, stomachaches, and

Ambien, Xanax, and a rainbow of muscle relaxers and an-

making you want to pull your bones out of your skin and wring

ti-depressants). And before fentanyl was made the new face

it out like a towel. Death became the better choice.”

of the opioid crisis, he was casually wearing up to three or

That suicide attempt, and his wife, became the catalysts

four patches—over his heart, no less—to quell the raging

to finally push him to give cannabis a try. She had seen first-

pain wracking his body every moment.

hand its enormous potential for helping manage chronic

Fentanyl is the purest synthesized version of heroin, cre-

pain, as well as being an exit drug from pharmaceuticals.

ated to ease people into a soft death at the end of their mortal

This was the early days of the MMJ program in the Bay

coil, and Mandile says he would tell doctors at the VA he

State and involved navigating the gray market of patient

needed something else that would work better for him,

care providers. The experiences were varied and uneven (a

which he explains would label him as a “drug seeker.” Vets

familiar lament given the lack of access), but by 2015, with

sign a contract every time they get VA pills, saying you’re

the opening of local medical dispensaries, Mandile got on a

taking them “as prescribed,” and any deviation or question-

cannabis routine that really began to work for him.

ing of alternative methods, he says, would result in a “scarlet letter” on his file.

By that winter he says he had an “ah-ha” moment that involved the simple and loathsome task of shoveling one’s drive-

“I wasn’t a drug-seeker,” he says. “I was a relief-seeker.” Most

way after a snowstorm. “I was tired of my driveway having to be

days he’d put on his fentanyl patches at the VA at 8 a.m., and

shoveled or plowed by other people, tired of other people having

then casually drive home. “It was crazy,” he says.

to do things for me because of my injuries,” he says.

With a never-ending haze of comatose slouching through

He told his wife he was going to smoke some weed, he

whatever life he could muster for himself, his wife, and children,

says, just enough to help ease his daily pain and maybe even

by 2013 he had had enough and at-

make it so that this hulking, former instrument of war could

tempted suicide. His wife, who worked

clear a small patch of snow from behind his truck. It was less

with women in withdrawal from opioid

about executing a mundane chore and more about testing

abuse at MCI-Framingham, noted be-

the waters of self-reliance so treacherous and near-impossi-

fore it happened that when his fentanyl

ble for the previous decade while the former tank gunner

patch wore off, he would begin to act

bounced aimlessly and without steerage through life aboard

like other addicts in withdrawal.

the S.S. Opioid.

"I WASN' T A DRUG-SEEKER. I WAS A RELIEF-SEEKER." So he did it, and then smoked another bowl. “Before I knew it, I cleared the whole driveway,” he says. “I felt like I was in the third grade getting an A on a big test. Feeling satisfaction—for anything—was new to me again, and it felt weird.” But what really parted the clouds and let him see what this could do as a medicine was that sudden realization that he and millions of other responsible users weren’t using marijuana to get high. It was helping him become himself again.

Within five months—after a decade of forced addiction— Mandile weaned himself from every single pill and synthetic pain reliever he had been a slave to for so long. The withdrawals were terrible, but he says cannabis eased him out of it, and now he is living a fuller, richer life as a functioning adult again 44 JULY 2018 Boston

(though still wracked with pain). Without it, he says, he would surely be dead.

There was no charge for the pharmaceutical drugs he got from the VA. But until the VA changes its stance officially on cannabis as medicine, veterans like Mandile are faced with another dilemma: Paying for this life-saving medicine out of their own pockets.

That may be changing. In April, new legislation aimed at reversing decades of policy that keeps the VA from researching the benefits of cannabis for veterans was introduced. The VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2018, a bill that veterans’ news site Task and Purpose reported to have the support of the top Republican and Democrat on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, would finally open up the VA’s ability to research different kinds of cannabis and delivery methods, including topicals, ingestibles, and both combustible and non-combustible inhalation.

“As a 100-percent-disabled military veteran, all of my income is coming through the federal government,” Mandile says. “So I have to figure out a way to live on government assistance and have medicine, yet the medicine I earned [and the VA covered] was the one that was killing me.”

Now that he’s become a voice for other veterans trying to reframe the cannabis discussion for military personnel, Mandile and his two-year-old Great Dane service dog, Syd, have become fixtures in local pro-cannabis media and streaming radio, and regulars at the Massachusetts State House. As the industry gets off the ground, he says, it needs to service the needs of veterans as well as other medical patients, especially for those who don’t have their medicine covered by the government. So he’s planning to open his own dispensary for veterans.

Mandile says that there’s still plenty of work to do in that department. “I don’t want to knock dispensaries, but a 10-20 percent discount works for those that are still working and earning some kind of living,” he says. In the past he’s had to resort to paying for his cannabis by selling scrap metal out of his basement. It’s a problem amplified when dispensaries don’t offer discounts for disabled veterans (there is at least one dispensary in Massachusetts like that). While it isn’t illegal for doctors at the VA to recommend cannabis to patients in legal states, general VA policy shies away from it. Mandile’s doctor was open to it, which eventually resulted in cannabis over pills entirely.

But after you strip away his advocacy, his involvement with a grow facility in Bellingham and the R+D group at Evergreen Farms, and his own plans of dispensary ownership helping disabled veterans get their cannabis medicine at discounted costs, at the end of the day there is the pain. Always. The never-ending pain. And for someone like Mandile, who requires at least a 200 mg edible every night to sleep (he also recently made the switch to concentrates and Rick Simpson Oil after learning he’s allergic to inhaling combusted cannabis), there has never been a greater need to start rethinking how the country at large—and current states that have legalized cannabis—work for the needs of the soldiers and wounded warriors who for so long have been all but prevented from access to what is proving more and more to be lifesaving, life-changing, and in Mandile’s case, life-affirming medicine simply due to policy and the backwards cannabis laws of our prohibitionist past.

“I’ve never met one person using cannabis as medicine that says their quality of life had gone down,” says Mandile. “I tried eight different opioids before fentanyl, and now I had a new choice, so why wasn’t cannabis one of those options beforehand?”

Why indeed. sensimag.com JULY 2018 45

the

PHOTOS COURTESY OF EAST BOSTON OYSTERS

SCENE

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MOLLUSK MIGHT: If you haven’t heard of East Boston Oysters, the roving series of secret invite-only oyster and caviar culinary pop-up parties that happen primarily in East Boston (not to mention the occasional road trip to a local oyster farm, or just NYC), you’re either not paying attention, not on “the list”, or not in the know. So let this be a tonic to fix all of those conditions, because if the pictures of their first foray into the world of CBD-infused cocktail parties while flanked by beautiful people, DJ-spun beats, and all the pleasures of the sea (and potato chips!) doesn’t get you itching to get to their next soirée, there’s a good chance you never will.

Get on the list at EASTBOSTONOYSTERS.COM.

46 JULY 2018 Boston

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{HereWeGo}

by DA N Mc C A R T H Y

Chef’s Choice Dinner. You eat it. Often. If you don’t, start. It’s a great time for a meal.

Speaking of great times around meals, we had been hearing about Mass Cannabis Chefs for some time around the old Mass Grass communal campfires (read: social media, word of mouth, satisfied patrons telling all about their experience). And on a sun-kissed evening on the cusp of June last month in East Bridgewater, Sensi Boston decided to check out one of their dinners firsthand.

The result was one hell of a dinner party, filled with laughter, incredible fresh-made ramen (that broth!) and Asian gastro-delights at the hands of Chef Joe and his crew of capable culinary wizards (yes, there was much Koto string instrumentals providing an ambient soundtrack). But this isn’t your average “let’s just dump some weed into a broth and get people rocked” kind of affair. Instead, the evening began with a social hour as attendees made their way to the private home where the outdoor dinner took place on white linens and lush grass in the backyard.

Once everyone arrived, guests were given a quick lecture on the genesis of the particular menu, what these events are

50 JULY 2018 Boston

all about for both the crew and the people that have attended before, and a rundown on how the dosing portion works. In this instance, each attendee is counseled for a few minutes one at a time, so that the crew can ascertain just where they want to be dosage-wise by the end of the night. Those looking to keep things very relaxed and control their intake vis-avis the food as well as the endless dabs, blunts, joints, bowls, vapes, and other consumption junction methods could keep the dinner on the light side, and conversely those looking to go full throttle could get the max across the five courses (amounting to 500mg of sponsor-donated cannabis oil).

By the end, there wasn’t an unhappy patron in the house, and what began as a tentative social interaction evolved by the end of the affair into a communal rouser where everyone were longtime friends bound together by the unifying powers of both food, good times, and cannabis.

Note: The crew said they are looking to throw more of these in Boston proper at private residences. If someone has a roofdeck they’re looking to turn into one of these affairs, they’re all ears. (And so are we, for that matter.)

GET EATING AT MASSCANNABISCHEFS.COM

FOOD IMAGES COURTESY OF MASS CANNABIS CHEFS

A dosed evening in Japan by way of East Bridgewater.