Sensi Magazine - Boston (September 2018)

BOSTON

THE NEW NORMAL

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF THE

2018 BOSTON

FREEDOM RALLY

&

BED

BREAKFAST

come get some

concentrates SPECIAL REPORT

A Glimpse at the Future of Consumption

PHOTOS

Dosed Waffles & Contemporary Art In Eastie

PATRIOTS WATCH AN OPEN LE T TER TO BOB KRAF T Q + A WITH AUTHOR OF NEW TOM BRADY REDEMPTION BOOK

9.2018

sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 3

4 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

ISSUE 7 //VOLUME 1 //9.2018

FEATURES 30

S P EC I A L RE P O RT

Big Ideas

As the cannabis market continues to mature, will we be passing the joint or heating the pipe?

30

38 So you want to be an Airbnb host

Plan on getting to know humanity—and yourself—better than you might want to.

every issue 07 Editor’s Note 08 The Buzz 14 CrossRoads

GATEWAY TO GOOD

20 TasteBuds

ONE IN AND ONE OUT

25 LifeStyle

OPEN LETTER TO ROBERT KRAFT

48 The Scene

710 SESH

50 HereWeGo

WAFFLING EAST

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

DESTINATION Raw Bar Alert

25

OPEN LETTER Dear Bob Kraft sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 5

sensi magazine ISSUE 7 / VOLUME 1 / 9.2018

EXECUTIVE FOLLOW US

Ron Kolb ron@sensimag.com CEO, SENSI MEDIA GROUP

Tae Darnell tae@sensimag.com PRESIDENT, SENSI MEDIA GROUP

Alex Martinez alex@sensimag.com CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

sensimediagroup

Make any cannabis product from the comfort of home at the press of a button

EDITORIAL Stephanie Wilson stephanie@sensimag.com EDITOR IN CHIEF

Dan McCarthy daniel.mccarthy@sensimag.com MANAGING EDITOR, SENSI BOSTON

Leland Rucker leland.rucker@sensimag.com SENIOR EDITOR

Robyn Griggs Lawrence CONTRIBUTING EDITOR sensimagazine

Ricardo Baca COLUMNIST Jameson Viens CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A RT & D E S I G N Jennifer Tyson jennifer.tyson@sensimag.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR

sensimag

TAKE YOUR DISPENSARY TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF AESTHETICS AND FUNCTIONALITY WITH OUR ADVANCED ONLINE STOREFRONT & DELIVERY PLATFORM

Jamie Ezra Mark, Rheya Tanner, Wendy Mak Josh Clark, Deb Matlock akers@sensimag.com DESIGN & LAYOUT

BUSINESS & A D M I N I S T R AT I V E Leon Drucker leon.drucker@sensimag.com PUBLISHER

Sean Curley sean.curley@sensimag.com Maia Jolicoeur maia.jolicoeur@sensimag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS

Amber Orvik amber.orvik@sensimag.com CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR

Andre Velez andre.velez@sensimag.com MARKETING DIRECTOR

Hector Irizarry hector@sensimag.com DISTRIBUTION

CUSTOM INDUSTRY COMPLIANT ECOMMERCE WEBSITE

M E D I A PA RT N E R S

DELIVERY MOBILE APP FOR DRIVERS WITH SMART ROUTING ORDERING & DELIVERY TRACKING APP FOR CONSUMERS INVENTORY MANAGEMENT & COMPLIANT ELECTORNIC PAYMENTS

Get a 3 month free trial exclusively for sensi readers at: www.stalkandbeans.com/sensifree 6 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

Marijuana Business Daily Minority Cannabis Business Association National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy

DEFEATING THE

PIGEONS ADVISORY BOARD 420 Suites //

CANNABIS FRIENDLY APARTMENT RENTALS

Ardent, LLC // DECARBOXYLATOR Beantown Greentown // CULTIVATION Boston Gardener // GARDENING SUPPLY Boston Green Health //

CONSUMER AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT

Cloud Creamery // INFUSED ICE CREAM Cloudponics //

AUTOMATED SMALL SPACE GROWING

Flourish Software // SEED TO SALE Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty // RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE

Green Goddess Supply //

PERSONAL HOMEGROWN BIOCHAMBER

Green Matters, LLC // SUPPLY CHAIN Greenhouse Payment Solutions // PAYMENT PROCESSING

The Holistic Center //

MEDICAL MARIJUANA EVALUATIONS

Irie Bliss Wellness //

CANNABIS & HEMP WELLNESS

Liberty International CBD // CBD FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT

Mass Cannabis Chefs // PRIVATE CHEFS OxyGreen, Inc. // NATURAL INSECTICIDE Positive Dif Holistics // HOLISTIC HEALTH SERVICE Pro Garden Solutions // HARVEST CONSULTING Revolutionary Clinics // MEDICAL DISPENSARY Sira Naturals // CANNABIS PRODUCT INNOVATION Stalk and Bean // eCOMMERCE

editor’s

NOTE

I tend to push writing this editor’s note off until the eleventh hour each issue.I get no sadistic glee from each cascading email inquiring on the ETA of the tome. When the sheer rate of change and breaking news in the Mass Grass Scene is one set to ludicrous speed, it’s important to have as much information before commenting on the state of cannabis in the Bay State.

For the resident prohibitionist extraordinaires at the Boston Herald, the speed of this industry moving ahead is and has been too much, too fast. A typical hair-on-fire rant about legal weed with the headline “Legalizing Pot Is A Catastrophic Call” ran in late August; an opinion piece so ridiculous I won’t even tell you who wrote it (but I’m guessing longtime media hounds will have no problem figuring it out). It basically asserted that stoned drivers are going to be mowing down schoolchildren and the state is powerless to prevent it because we shouldn’t have legalized weed to begin with. Or something, it was nonsense. It was also the Herald opining about weed, so no real shocker there.

But for every piece low-hanging prohibitionist news fruit to sound off on (and there is still more than enough to find across the state), local supporters have had to watch constant shenanigans unfold on the evolution of the industry itself since voters approved legalization in 2016. Some of those impacts are already observable. Look at the half-mile buffer rule for cannabis enterprises in Boston proper, or the fact that Salisbury reportedly approved a community host agreement for a cannabis business aiming to set up shop there on the condition they provide 5 percent of their revenue to local charities (thus violating the 3 percent demand cap towns can demand in order for a business to receive a CHA), and a variety of other matters that could be considered growing pains at best or harbingers, of a doomed future damned to be overrun by big monied interests at worst.

What remains shocking is the fact that in a country where more than 72,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2017, including illicit drugs and prescription opioids—more than double the number from a decade ago as per the National Institute of Health—cannabis for some is still a demonized plant. And those voices maintaining false or misleading data to uphold preconceived biases for a range of insidious reasons (see: the history of prohibition in the failed war on drugs was underwritten by institutional cultural racism) are still the most important voices to drown out. A simmering ember can still cause a lot of low-key damage if left unchecked...

Should the last vestiges of the Pigeon Superstitions comprising the bulk of the prohibitionist arguments against the legalization of cannabis continue, it will be at the hands of inaction. And their days are only as numbered as they are for backroom deals conducted between people valuing profits over people, especially when there’s a vocal, vigilant community working in tandem to educate, inform, and inspire—a local Praetorian guard, standing watch against various barbarians at the gates of cannabis industry in Mass.

Tess Woods Public Relations // PUBLIC RELATIONS Vicente Sederberg, LLC // LEGAL SERVICES

Dan McCarthy

M ANAG I NG E D I TO R SENSI BOSTON

sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 7

THE NEW NORMAL

sensi

buzz

Should you get your hands on this month’s issue before heading to the 29th Annual Boston Freedom Rally and this is either your first go-round on the merry merry-go-round that is the oldest and longest running cannabis celebration and educational festival in New England, or your first in some time (your return to the Common on Sept 14-16 this year no doubt inspired by the new legal landscape), below you’ll find a quick reference of the ten axioms of attendance which should ensure both a helluva good time, as well as a way to not seem like a virgin walking through your first Eyes Wide Shut-style orgy of the flesh.

Behold, your Ten Commandments, as told to us by GOD ALMIGHTY HIMSELF.*

not aware, each year when the clock strikes the celebrated minute-hour combo of 4:20 p.m. you can look skyward, just over the heads of the crowd stretching across the bucolic park, and the Great Fog rising up like an apparition signals a lot of strangers were suddenly connected through shared actions. If you’re not holding, just look around. Sharing happens.

II

Thou shalt not ogle the wildlife. The rally is what you make of it. What some people make of

it involves the body in constant motion; moving through the people and conversations and lectures and live music and snacks and more snacks and HEY LOOK MORE SNACKS, until happily stoned and content. Others go...a different route. You’ll know them when you see them.

(Hint: look for anyone slithering out of a dab tent with a

ing sprawled and too wicked to move, as it is to notice a 58-year-old real estate salesman passed out in a margarita-stained Jimmy Buffet concert tee on the lawn of the Parrot Fest one is attending for some reason. Different strokes. Just do you.

III

Thou shalt eat all the foodstuffs. People drive from every state in New England (and

beyond) to attend the festival. If there wasn’t a stunning variety and range of flavors in the snackable department it would be a truly lost opportunity, both for the vendors in attendance as well as the attendees themselves, who you will find are not bashful about overtly overindulging. These are stressful times, people.

Let loose today. You deserve it.

IV

Thou shalt make your way to the stage and dance freely at least once.

Maybe not for long. Maybe when nobody is watching.

smile and seeming loss of general mobility). In the end

Maybe when everyone is watching because you’re

it’ll be no more cliche or off-putting to see a white bro in

good at it or you’re terrible at it but couldn’t care less

dreadlocks deep into a shatter-induced lawn snooze lay-

because America that’s why. Either way, there’ll be

8 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN McCARTHY

I

Thou shalt do as the Common-ers do, especially a little after 4 p.m. Because if you’re

plenty of grooves to move even the most stone-y and

a lecture. Ask questions and watch how eager most

grooveless in your crew. If you don’t know who that is

are to answer. Catch wind of a particularly salient con-

it’s probably you.

versation opening up worlds to the ignorant, or just

V

Thou shalt spend a little time walking the exhibitor booths. These are the people,

producers, artists, and cannabis service-related outfits currently peppering the Bay State cannabis scene in one way or another. As this industry is just getting going, a little effort goes a long way towards understanding who’s who, and doing what, why, and when. Or whatever. Just check out the Sensi booth if nothing else.

VI

Thou shalt swing by (KOP) King of Pot’s bench. It’s there for a reason. If you

need one or don’t know who we’re talking about, check out the July issue of Sensi Boston on the giants of Hub cannabis activism who came before legalization came to the state. Respect.

VII

Thou shalt stay hydrated. No, really.

It’s very important. Always. But especially

when logging several hours meandering around a historic park, sashaying your way through the funnel cake vendors and eating salty meats and tooth-cracking sweets while also ensuring the dance commandment is being attended to. You’re going to need to keep the fluids going.

Ignore at your own peril, and don’t say we didn’t warn you.

VIII

Thou shalt learn a thing or two.

Head to the education village. Sit through

adding to the communal shared knowledge de-stigmatizing a plant that is increasingly providing a livelihood for many (to say nothing about the medicinal triumphs). In an age known for misinformation and fake news, listening to hard science, common knowledge, heart wrenching patient stories, and simply leaving with more information than you arrived with is a good look to have.

IX

Thou shalt make friends. Provided you don’t have the social skills of a potted plant—

either before, during, or after consumption takes place —it’s your game to lose in the new people and friends department at the rally. As open and friendly as a large scale festival can be. (Ed. note: One year I met a girl with a giant pet bunny on a leash. Again, it was a giant pet bunny. On a leash. Noticed while stoned. Yes. I talked to it. There was a connection.)

X

Thou shalt marvel at the event. As well as the legal status of cannabis after decades of

marginalization, cultural misinformation, and needless criminality that still requires much work in the days and months ahead. It’s a great time to be pro-

pot. The festival is proof of that.

–Dan McCarthy

*Okay fine… not God, but sound logic here either way. Have fun, friends.

sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 9

THE NEW NORMAL

Healing Tree Edibles strives to use organic ingredients whenever possible. We make both THC and CBD edibles and all ingredients are non-GMO, with gluten-free and sugar-free items also available.

Edibles with CBD available for your furry friends too!

sensi

buzz

CREATE Something

An art gallery rises in Union Square with draft cocktails from Boston’s best bartenders.

“I have everyone lined up ready to go. Should be getting my drawings back from contractor. Then the permitting process. But so long as we have the money we can start building.”

So goes the battle cry of chef Louis DiBiccari, of Tavern Road fame (RIP) as well as the celebrated Create Boston yearly art/food/drink/local goods market lo these past six years. He’s talking of course of the much buzzed-about (especially if you’ve seen the viral Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign that’s been all over social media during the summer) Create Gallery + Cocktail Lounge coming to the bustling new Bow Market in Somerville’s Union Square.

If you’re woefully behind the development news of late, Bow Market will have this hyper-local, homegrown feel to it, tucked away as it is in Union Square with a host of vendors getting their first shot at taking their upstart brand to the land of brick and mortar retail. “The guys that built it had a specific vision to do something unique and fun and different with a local feel,” says DiBiccari. “Where you can get produce to local fish filets, to jewelry and relics from an antique store, and get to see Boston’s best comedians at the comedy stop opening there.”

But DiBiccari’s Create gallery and cocktail bar will stand out no matter what, given the fact it will be the city’s first all-draft cocktail bar featuring creations and special inventions by some of the best drink slingers in the Hub. But just like the Create party brought together killer local artists across various mediums with top notch culinary and cocktail talent around the city, DiBiccari says,

healingtreeedibles.com 10 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

“My hope is it’s going to be a new look for a gallery. I go to lots of them, and I want mine to feel more like our events, where the art comes to life. I want to create an atmosphere before the art for the gallery even gets there. A space that feels good and looks good, and people will want to hang out there.”

By working with his network of marquee drink masters, the space will work with 6-8 at a time yielding two dozen cocktails created just for Create to rotate in and out—seasonally, special occasions or events, you name it.

“The reason we’re doing it in the first place, our mission really, is to develop a larger platform for artists around Boston,” says DiBiccari, who hails from a lineage of professional artists in Boston. “It’s important because as a society we feel like Boston artists don’t get their due publicly, there’s no media driving notoriety the way they do with chefs and athletes here. From day one we wanted this space to bring them in with food and drink, with the art working directly in tandem with the food and drink. There are amazing artists in Boston you don’t know about, because unless it’s a First Friday you’re not walking into a gallery, you miss a lot here. At Create it will be First Friday every night.”

Resident artists for will show work for 45 to 60 days at a time, including thematic displays featuring artists collaborating together as well as with the cocktail program. Food will be small bites either featuring DiBiccari’s socko hummus delights (he’s currently manning the Hummari culinary residency at Wink and Nod in the South End), or from one of the neighbors at Bow, including the drool-worthy empanadas at Buenas Brand.

Art and empanadas are the key to a happy and healthy life. Write that down. –DM

Fit your lifestyle grow system for up to 6 medicinal plants and up to 10oz. yield

Create Gallery + Cocktail Lounge. 1 Bow Market, Somerville. www.create-boston.com

Get $250 OFF use code SENSI at checkout Fully automated nutrient dosing, odor control, climate control, LED lighting, air filter, watering

GroBox @cloudponics

1-888-534-7066 cloudponics

www.cloudponics.com

sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 11

sensi

buzz

THE NEW NORMAL

edly wolfed down a gourmand’s picnic of dozens of oyster varieties from the daily shifting menu, and stole a few minutes with one of the faces from the ICO family who make it possible to stuff yours with all the briny delights you can handle.

Jess Cagle THE DOSSIER:

Hometown Dartmouth Current denizen of Jamaica Plain Been slangin’ seafood with ICO 7 years THE SPEED ROUND

First thought when rolling up on shift at the raw bar “Did I order enough beer for the weekend?”

All-time favorite oyster Aunt Dotty (ed note: Named for Skip Bennett’s aunt who worked lobster traps into her 70s)

Oh Baby You Like It

Raw

And will even more now that Island Creek has your new destination raw bar in Duxbury.

The brains and brawn stocking the mollusk magnificence produced at Skip Bennett’s magisterial oyster farm in Duxbury, Island Creek Oysters, decided to make you very happy. How they did it was simply a matter of transforming an underutilized patch of lawn on their home turf, plop a few potted trees and communal benches down on a patio, lay some lawn games out on the grass for the cornhole-ing, pour some concrete for an outdoor lean-bar, park a food truck right there to handle the vittles, and boom—the brand new Raw Bar at Island Creek Oyster emerged.

Think: Outdoor noshing, flowing Rosé wine, taught cocktails, and craft local beers. Forthcoming private events and chef dinner series al fresco, not to mention a daily selection of prized shellfish harvested from their own plots or through a wide and familial network of local producers and farmers.

It’s about 30 minutes south of Boston (traffic depending, naturally), but it may as well be a world away.

After a sun-drenched trip down there in July, we excit12 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

Favorite oyster of the summer Island Creek Future of the ICO Raw Bar Chef’s dinners and special events Reason to make the trip The bay views, the great friends, and the delish oysters!

WORD ASSOCIATION TIME

Ocean Bay Calcium Deposit Fatty Acid Beer Yum –DM

sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 13

{crossroads}

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

Multiple major studies agree: legal cannabis laws make for lower opioid use rates. So why aren’t we combating the opioid epidemic with weed?

14 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

There it is again: Another high-level study telling the world there is a legitimate geographic connection between legal marijuana laws and lower opioid use rates.

And before anyone questions the validity of this July 2018 study, know that it was conducted by researchers from the University of California San Diego and the Weill Cornell Medical College, the latter of which is the medical school at Ivy League institution Cornell University.

Ivy League’s pretty legit. And so is the University of Georgia, where researchers recently found that there are “substantial reductions in opiate use” in states that have implemented medical marijuana laws—findings they reported in JAMA Internal Medicine, a medical journal that is published by the Journal of the American Medical Association, which is also pretty legit.

There are even more studies pointing to the same conclusion—including studies authored by researchers from the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, Emory University, and other respected academic institutions.

GATEWAY TO GOOD But how many encouraging studies published in the world’s most respected peer-reviewed medical journals do there need to be before the US federal government starts seriously discussing cannabis as a viable and effective alternative to the opioids that are ravaging everyday Americans daily?

That cannabis is in fact an effective exit drug from the more dangerous-and-deadly opioids that are killing more than 115 Americans every day (according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse) shouldn’t surprise anybody who has been paying attention.

The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine told us in 2017 there is “conclusive or substantial evidence” that cannabis is effective at treating pain. A few years earlier a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the esteemed Journal of the American Medical Association (remember them?) told us there was “moderate-quality evidence to support the use of cannabinoids for the treatment of chronic pain.” sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 15

“If you call something an emergency,” he said, “urgent action should immediately follow.”

You’d think, right? And yet all we’ve seen is inaction, which is unfortunately what we’ve come to expect from Trump and his administration of inept yes-men.

But just think about the common sense here, and how So the positioning of cannabis as an effective treatment for pain goes beyond your Uncle Al’s vouching for it.

And yet President Donald Trump, who has called the

we’re completely ignoring a life-saving solution amid a tragic epidemic that is killing 3,500 Americans every month.

opioid epidemic “the worst drug crisis in American history,”

Americans are in tremendous pain—and not just of the

stopped short of declaring a national emergency, as his

divisive, existential variety often associated with the man

opioid commission had recommended—instead opting to

residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. More than 10 percent of

call it a public health emergency.

Americans experience a lot of pain, and more than 55 per-

Dr. Andrew Kolodny, co-director of the Opioid Policy Re-

cent reported some type of pain in the three months leading

search Collaborative at Brandeis University, told USA To-

up to a recent survey funded by the National Institutes of

day that Trump was right in calling the epidemic an emer-

Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integra-

gency—but Kolodny found the president’s lack of action

tive Health (NCCIH) and published in The Journal of Pain.

surprising.

While severely addictive and deadly opioids are com-

rganic, handcrafte d herbal tea blends 100% O

Loose-leaf teas for an organic lifestyle

Three unique blends for nourishment, revitalization, and grounding straight from Mother Earth to you! coastalrootsapothecary.com • 16 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

coastalrootsapothecary

monly prescribed for this pain, top-level research tells us that cannabis—a non-deadly, less-addictive substance— can effectively treat many of these types of pain. And yet do you see the federal government mentioning marijuana as a potential alternative to this tragic state we’re in, a.k.a. “the worst drug crisis in American history”? Nope.

At least some states are starting to catch on. In mid-July,“New York State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker filed

Kudos to New York, and more importantly, bravo to

emergency regulations adding any condition for which an opi-

Zucker! If prescribing physicians in the Empire State adapt

oid could be prescribed as a qualifying condition for medical

to these emergency regulations, his common-sense mo-

marijuana,” reported Leafly, a leading cannabis news site.

tion will save untold lives.

As Zucker’s office wrote: “Effective immediately, regis-

And meanwhile the federal government twiddles its

tered practitioners may certify patients to use medical

thumbs as more than 100 families from San Diego to Ban-

marijuana as a replacement for opioids, provided that the

gor say goodbye forever to their loved ones with each

precise underlying condition for which an opioid would

passing sunset.

otherwise be prescribed is stated on the patient’s certification. This allows patients with severe pain that doesn’t meet the definition of chronic pain to use medical marijuana as a replacement for opioids.”

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 SEPTEMBER 2018 17

18 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 19

{tastebuds} ONE IN AND

ONE OUT

A snapshot of two attention-worthy eateries in and out of Boston proper.

Stone Cow Brewery 50 (B) West St., Rt. 122 / Barre MA

by Jameson Viens— Maybe it’s the smell of fresh-cut hay on the breeze, or of smoke drifting from the wood-burning grill in the open air kitchen nearby. A leisurely 90-minute drive from Boston gets you out to Barre, Massachusetts and away from the chaos of urban life. Call it magic. Call it a sojourn into a bucolic American farmland. Or just call it by its name: Stone Cow Brewery (STONECOWBREWERY.COM).

Currently in its fifth generation of ownership, the Carter & Stevens family farm serves mainly as a dairy farm, but is also home to the two-year-old brewery—an odd if affable mashup. But manager Sean DuBois says diversifying was vital if the farm was to see a sixth generation. “Dairy is at the heart of this project,” DuBois says. “It’s farm first, then brewery.”

20 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

With wholesale milk prices at an all-time low, the farm decided to broaden its consumer appeal, expanding into selling produce, local provisions, and even from-scratch ice cream made with the milk from their 200 milking cows.

Stone Cow is also one of the few places you can buy fresh unpasteurized milk which, despite getting the kibosh from the FDA, is worth buying a gallon or two.

As a brewery, Stone Cow is an open-fermentation setting where suds are exposed to the open air while yeast works its magic in the brewing vessels. Modern-day brewers tend to avoid this practice, as it requires more attention and maintenance, but the reward is a depth of character and flavor.

“People crave authenticity, and we’re doing things in the purest and hardest way possible,” DuBois says. The hard work is paying off, as the brewery has grown from two to

40 employees since 2016, and regularly sees upwards of

brewed with strawberries from Hadley, Massachusetts.

6000 visitors on any given weekend.

The farm grows its own hops and plans to grow barley and

While the current craft beer craze for New England-style

rye in the coming year.

IPAs (see: pork broth) is at fever pitch, the brewery offers a

“We try to control as much as we can, all the way to

variety of styles for the hops snob and pedestrian sipper

hand-splitting wood for the hot [water] tank, and heating

alike. Head brewer Chris Courtney, formerly of Worcester’s

the barns in the winter,” says DuBois. “Not to get too spiri-

Wormtown Brewing, says they are close to capacity on the

tual, but I look out at the farm and think about all the people

14-barrel brew system. They fire up the kettles two to

that have cultivated this land, and how we are connected

three times per week like clockwork and are already consid-

through time, and what my role is in this.”

ering an expansion. Also on the radar are barrel-aged beers and a more robust canning operation and product line.

Certainly a major part of that role is as a hub for the community. The farm hosts various obstacle courses and races

As with most things in New England, almost every struc-

such as the Navy SEAL-inspired Bonefrog Challenge and the

ture on the farm has a story, including the barn itself. Following

Reebok Spartan race, which draws close to 13,000 guests.

a tragic fire in 2014 (thanks to twenty-somethings, fireworks,

Between the yoga nights, farm workshops, weekly local mu-

and dry hay), the original structure was destroyed. Neighbors

sic, and the upcoming Harvest Fest on Columbus Day week-

came to the rescue with an 1820s post-and-beam barn from

end, it’s no wonder those suffering at the hands of the MBTA

down the road, which was moved and re-sided by DuBois and

during the week are venturing out to get a dose of the good

his family to become the main brewing facility.

life on the brew farm. There’s an unmistakable sense of

“The thing about dairy farming is you have to be able to

peace and tranquility here. Families, older couples, and beer

fix your own situation.” DuBois says. The whole family

geeks alike converge on some of the most fertile and verdant

works on the farm. Even the massive wood-fueled barbe-

space in the state. “Breweries are the new public house,” Du-

cue smoker is a product of DIY Yankee ingenuity.

Bois said. “I’m just along for the ride.”

Seeing themselves as part of a growing grassroots

One tip before you go: Wear dark clothes. It helps hide

movement in Massachusetts, the brewery and farm at

the stains from a wide-impact blast radius after you dive

large use as much local product as possible. Their excep-

face-first into a plate of ribs and endless pints of ale. It’s the

tionally approachable strawberry sour, for example, is

American way, really. sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 21

Orá Trattorizza

653 Boyslton St. / Boston / 617-247-1212

by Dan McCarthy— One of life’s greatest lessons embraced by those of a particular philosophical disposition, is that whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Nietzsche is the source of that axiom.

And while there’s no hard proof that he added “Also, when there’s a new spot for killer Neapolitan style pizza in Boston’s Back Bay, forged in an imported handbuilt brick oven from the mother country for a proper taste of Italy, you go and eat there,” if he had the chance, and many other factors involved came together, he would have. Maybe. Shut up.

Anyway, feast your pie-lovin’ eyes on Orá Trattorizza, (ORATRATTORIZZA.COM) which recently threw open its doors and arms for the good of the house-made sausage, balsamic cipollini onion, and ricotta Salsiccia pizza-consuming masses.

Owner Josephine Megwa, (also owner of nearby tourist and local-loved Piattini),

22 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

aims to bring in the classic elements of a trattoria and pizzeria under the same roof. Hence the mashup description as being a “trattorizza” (much better than “pizzattoria,” which sounds like the name of a crappy slice joint in Idaho trying to sound authentic).

Besides the pies, which use the coveted 00 flour to achieve the primo chewycrispy crust in the Marra Forni oven, you can look forward to other apropos delights of the homeland (Mediterranean Branzino in wild mushroom sauce, killer fried calamari, Saltimbocca with prosciutto, mozzarella, arugula).

Be sure to offset all the patio lounging and people watching with a glass or three of the house Ora red or white wine sourced from their own stretch of vineyard in Tuscany.

Which reminds you—you should really look back into landing your own winery in Italy.

sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 23

24 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

{lifestyle} IM E N O W IS TtriHotsEchariTma n and CEO Robert Kraft.

An open letter to Pa Dear Robert Kraft, dollars to many charities to the You and your family give millions of sch. men a ’re You : first gs thin t Firs especially in Israel, the home ady made a difference in the world— arlre ’ve you ple, peo y man of ent betterm

up. of our people. That’s great. Keep it in 2028. One of the highlights the World Cup back to North America g brin to ing help on ions ulat grat Con and helping launch MLS and credentialed for the 1994 World Cup ing gett was er care ng asti rtsc spo of my played professionally?) the only TV color analyst who never still I (Am ion. olut Rev NE the of the birth ue from the horizon, emitting : 2020 is already sneering at the leag here s tack s bras to n dow get let’s But ortant negotiations with the NFL be considered one of the most imp can t wha from nd sou ning moa , a low history.

Players Association in the league’s chance to do the right thing. down to an opportunity for you—a s boil , then rt, spo the of re futu The lling with the turning of the tide right here in our home Bay State, swe on g goin nt eme mov al soci a re’s The public’s perception of the use of l of voices calling out to change the wel nds grou the bt dou no and e, wer as it your ears by now. cannabis in our society has reached to say nothing of the impact you a leadership role in the movement, take to ed pois uely uniq is NFL The ply put, cannabis has changed lives, e social and public muscle into it. Sim rabl side con r you g win thro e hav ld wou robust supply about the effect canrce of life for so many. Stories are in sou a be to es tinu con and , lives d save are fans of your teams), as well as from pain and PTSD (many of which g erin suff rans vete US on has is nab e, but until cannabis is rescheduled ase, and on and on. I’d love to list mor Dise n’s inso Park psy, epile d hoo child ral medical research can’t happen. by the DEA, official full-strength fede n on the internet, read a major not alien to you. I’m sure you’ve bee I’d wager echoes of such tales are a team in Massachusetts where news in the last 36 months. You run ning eve the d che wat or per, spa new for dispensary at Patriots Place. years ago. Hopefully there’s room two ion lizat lega for d vote ple peo the

Maybe next to TB12? other former gridiron warriors are y Williams, Marvin Washington, and But I’ll bring it back home for you: Rick , after years of being prescribed the use of cannabis. And these athletes for g catin advo licly pub e mor and e mor to regain better quality of life, speed mercially produced cannabis products com to ing turn are y, cand like ids opio off synthetic drugs altogether. chronic pain, not to mention getting them ced indu jobof nt tme trea and very reco le I realize this is big business, at care about your own family. And whi You care about your players like you the time. profit margins. I say again sir: Now is some point humanity must outweigh for continuing to push a prohibiers should be ashamed of themselves Broadly speaking, I hold that NFL own ies, and available major research anecdotal evidence, peer-reviewed stud tionist agenda toward cannabis. The idered right and wrong on and off ly identifiable hypocrisies of what’s cons that exists have often exposed the easi lives to play a game they love, the e of players who give years off their the field. It amounts to taking advantag you take right to the bank. public loves to watch, and titans like players. But you know this. g the decreasing career lifespan of NFL If I was a dimmer bulb, I’d consider citin ed to when they agre onal sportssensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 the worst collective bargain in professi Your players have already negotiated

25

non-guaranteed contracts (especia lly if they get hurt). That has allo wed you to amass billions of doll ars of profits at the expense of your players. Gre ed, in fact, is not good.

Offer lifetime health benefits to you r players. Again, right thing to do.

You are a mensch. It’s in your sou you to consider the plight of eve l. I implore ry one of the former players who se bodies have been destroyed from game that continues on without playing a them; broken timber washing up on the surging and unforgiving rive rba mighty National Football League nks of the , so deep do its pockets run.

Factor in the small matter (and now public record) regarding how the NFL omitted or withheld information from players about the dangers and dep its th of concussions.Some more dark ened souls may caw: “The public and knew the dangers they signed up the players to get rich playing a game for oth ers to enjoy.” Fair enough. But don ’t you post-career bodies, their physical think their and mental health, are worth look ing after? Especially given the brutalit y of the game, and not to mention the chicanery of bygone days where a cracked skull and a fistful of pills were just wha paid) NFL doctor ordered? t the (wellIt’s time to enter a new era for your league. You are the man wh o can get it done. You lead, the You’re Bob Kraft. And you can fina y’ll follow. lly do the right thing.

Sincerely Jimmy Young PS: Where was Malcolm?

JIMM Y YOU NG is a Boston-b ased Emmy Award winning sport s broadcaster and co-host of Behin d the Media.

Side Note: Wedge Salad

Co-author of new bestselling book on Tom Brady’s Deflategate redemption on the inside story

by Dan McCarthy— If you somehow managed to stay away from the internet, social media, local print, digital journalism, and just about every New England Patriots fan, then you’d be forgiven for not hearing about the newest Tom Brady book to hit the shelves: 12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady’s Fight For Redemption.

But this isn’t your average fan-zine-turned-cash-cow airport book. It was co-authored by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge, the same team who wrote Boston Strong (later turned into the film Patriots Day). And it’s already being shopped around by the producers of The Fighter and The Finest Hours (the latter also written by Sherman). If the chart ratings the first few days of its release are anything to go by, there’s a good chance you’re going to have to get in a tizzy about who they cast as The Golden Boy. 26 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

We caught up with Wedge for a quick chat about the book, what makes good sports theater, and the sweet sting of revenge by way of a championship win.

How did you approach the project to ensure a fresh and revealing angle to telling the whole story?

Dave Wedge (DW): We approached this like news reporters (we’re not sports beat reporters).

We did a lot of digging through the court case, and interviewed as many people as possible. The real story was bigger than just Brady. It was really about the Players Association’s ongoing fight against Roger Goodell and the NFL.

What we found was that the league has relentlessly

happy. We have a great anecdote in the book where he

run roughshod over players, and the union, in a variety of

watched the press conference, called DeMaurice Smith,

scandals—Bountygate, Bullygate, Spygate, the Ray Rice

head of the NFLPA, to say "what the fuck?"

case, and more. Deflategate was Goodell’s chance to

Brady was pissed, alone on an island. He turned to the

show the league he was the boss—and no one else.

union to get his back, but what unfolded was a power

Brady and the Pats had the last laugh though, when

struggle between the union and the NFL, with Brady in the

Goodell had to hand them that Lombardi Trophy.

middle. He was the target, being that he's the poster boy for the league. The overriding message was that if Goodell

How much was the non-Patriots nation response to deflategate a driver for how you assembled the book? Did it influence it directly?

and the NFL could bring Brady to his knees, he could con-

DW: As admitted Pats fans, we had to balance fandom with

obscure college in the Midwest?

facts. It’s a wild story from start to finish, and whether you love or hate Tom Brady, and there’s a lot of intrigue about the inner workings of the NFL and how it treats its players.

The Patriots “hater” factor is a big part of this story. Everyone who is not a fan was rooting against Brady throughout the ordeal, but even the most hardened Brady hater had to concede his greatness after the Super Bowl.

trol the entire league. If they could do this to Tom Brady, then what could they do to a sixth round pick out of some So the question of whether Brady did or didn't deflate footballs is a side note. It's a minor equipment violation.

What this was about was a power struggle of epic proportions, one that the NFL won in the courtroom. But on the field, it was Brady who had the last laugh, winning that great Super Bowl and forcing Goodell to hand him the Lombardi as thousands jeered him. It's great sports theater.

Do you think Brady will read it? If he does, what's the hope for his take on it?

DW: Well he talked to us for it, so I hope he reads it. I’m sure when he’s done playing he’ll reflect more on this type of story. For now I think he’s focused on winning another Super Bowl. I do hope he appreciates how much his legacy means to his fans and how amazing that game was for so many people who have followed the Pats through the best and worst for decades, like me.

What’s the most salient takeaway about the entire tale, or just something that in context is emblematic of the “Story of Tom Brady” writ large?

DW: Spygate was about Belichick, his coaches, and the organization, but Deflategate was all about Tom Brady. This ultimate team player who had done everything throughout his career to do things the “Patriot Way” was labeled a cheater. When it happened, Belichick was quick to distance himself from it, telling the media, "go ask Tom." When Bob Kraft abruptly dropped the team's appeal, Brady was not

sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 27

301 Newbury Street Boston • (617)421-9944 /// 36 JFK Street Cambridge • (617)868-HEMP 2 Conz Street Northampton • 413-585-9707 /// Hempest.com

Largest selection of Hemp Gear and CBD oil in the World Receive 20% off entire purchase by mentioning this ad 28 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

kljl

TRIM MACHINE RENTALS

Enjoythe Journey

American Made!!

High End Functional Glass Art NEW Production Line Wholesale • Retail Custom Work Available 401-648-8668

PROGARDENSOLUTIONS.COM

Venture-Glass.com • @venture-glass ventureglass.sales@gmail.com

Home Growing

Revolutionized Super Simple Process Discreet - Looks like furniture!

Complete System / No Assembly Whisper Quiet / No Odor Community App / Remote Viewing State Compliant / Childproof

If you can water a houseplant, you can grow a quarter pound in 60 days!

www.greengoddesssupply.com sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 29

BGI SPECIAL REPORT

Are Concentrates Taking Over the Marijuana Market? The popularity of vaporizers and concentrates have created new products and delivery methods for users. As we move ahead, will we be passing the joint or heating the pipe?

by L E L A N D R U CK E R

30 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

DEAS AS THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO GROW AND MATURE, SALES OF LOOSE FLOWER, OR BUD MARIJUANA,

con-

tinue to decline , WHILE PRODUCTS MADE WITH CANNABIS OIL ARE ON THE RISE. AND THAT HAS LED TO DISCUSSIONS AND SOME DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER CONCENTRATES WILL ULTIMATELY

supplant flower/bud

AS THE MAJOR DELIV-

ERY METHOD FOR CANNABIS USERS. It’s an interesting discussion because it has to do with what products will drive marijuana sales in the future. For many erstwhile American cannabis users, flower marijuana, crushed and usually smoked through a pipe, is the accepted, and for many years, pretty much the only way to ingest and enjoy cannabis.

Today that’s completely changed. Technically, a cannabis concentrate is any product made from cannabis oil extracted from the plant with solvents like butane, CO2, and ethanol. This includes a wide array of products. Vaporizers that

turn oil into vapor instead of smoke, especially the portable ones, have really caught on. Edible candies, gummies, and chocolates are infused with cannabis oil, as well as the growing number of tinctures, salves, ointments, sublinguals, and suppositories that many medical patients are finding useful.

But when most people talk about concentrates, they are referring to the high-potency substances derived from hash oil—budder, shatter, wax, rosin, hash, live resin, kief, etc.—that are extracted by using butane and are more commonly known as dabs. Shatter and wax dabbing products can test at up to 90-95 percent THC, while most flower products these days range from 15 to 30 percent THC. Dabbing gives the user a powerful, concentrated dosage, and requires special preparation and equipment for proper use. Some dabbers use torches to heat special glass pipes, while others incorporate e-nails, powered by electricity or batteries, to get the desired consistency and temperature. A proper dab rig can cost hundreds of dollars. sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 31

That cannabis-oil products in general, especially vaporiz-

“Marijuana was so often the means of introduction, and

ers, are becoming more popular is without question. “There

there is a certain intimacy that I think fuels that commu-

is no doubt that concentrate sales have been on a tear, thanks

nity thing, the sharing of a joint with a person you don’t

in large part by the popularity of vape products and the pro-

know,” says attorney Judd Golden, a longtime user and for-

liferation of competitors and choices in the category,” ex-

mer member of NORML. “It has lots of social reinforce-

plains Greg Shoenfeld, vice president of operations for BDS

ment, and I think it helped make the experience of that

Analytics, which follows cannabis sales and trends in legal states.

In January 2014, when BDS began tracking sales at Colorado dispensaries, 70 percent of combined revenues across adult-use and medical dispensaries were contributed by loose flower/bud. Concentrates, the second largest category, commanded only a 15 percent share of the market. Since 2014, the concentrates share of the market has doubled as vape products have enjoyed hearty growth. Over the same time frame, flower sales have grown at a slower rate—in June 2018, flower’s share of Colorado sales was

generation, it helped fuel that spirit.”

Since 2014, the concentrates share of the market has doubled as vape products have enjoyed hearty growth.

Over the same time frame, flower sales have grown at a slower rate.

down to 43 percent.

Besides, flower marijuana just has an interesting quality, says Tyler Manning, hemp educator with Steve’s Goods, a wholesale seller of full-spectrum, hempoil products. “People always enjoy breaking it down, the smell of the flower, enjoying the herb,” he says. “There is an addiction to rolling joints, and there will always be that desire.”

The number of products made from cannabis oil continues to expand. “Everybody loves flower,” says Chris Driessen, president of cannabis distributor Organa Brands, whose cannabis oil is used for O.penVAPE cartridges,

Bakked

cannabis

ex-

Data for California didn’t start becoming available until

tracts, and District Edibles. “But infused products can

March 2017, but the same trends are holding. In June of this

take on a thousand different forms and cast a much

year, flower’s share of California sales was even lower than in

wider net. Some people don’t like to smoke. Now you

Colorado, just 38 percent vs. concentrates share of 30 percent.

don’t have to. There is such a wide spectrum of uses. A

There are plenty of reasons vaporizers have become so

lot of people like to dab. Older people use topicals. They

popular, but discretion is the foremost. Currently, no state

offer much more appeal to a wider audience.”

allows public marijuana consumption, and portable va-

All cannabis use comes with some risks, but the jury is

porizers have the advantage that they emit vapor, not

still out on whether smoking bud or concentrates is safer.

smoke, making vaping an inconspicuous way to consume,

Shawn Honaker, who owns Colorado-based Yeti Farms

a must for many tourists in legal states these days.

and has been making concentrates for more than a de-

But it’s not like passing the pipe. Humans have been

cade, says that in his experience they are by far the best

smoking flower for a long time, and it’s part of the culture

way of ingestion. “It’s the safest way,” he says. “You can

that surrounds the plant, especially among the generation

take a small dab and fill your endocannabinoid system.

of Americans who grew up using it even though the US

As far as I’m concerned, they are far safer, followed by ed-

government was hell-bent on stopping us. The passing of

ibles and suppositories. I’ll smoke concentrate all day

the joint and the community that entailed has been, and

long. You don’t need the carcinogens. Plant material is not

still is, an integral part of the experience.

necessarily good for you.”

32 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

Mimi Friedman has been using cannabis to treat a va-

itive information out there on treating chronic pain with

riety of conditions, but primarily for digestive issues. After

cannabis,” he explains. “It’s not taught in medical schools,

moving to Colorado, she started using flower cannabis, but

and patients have been getting information from bud-

it wasn’t until she began dabbing concentrates that she

tenders. This is a remarkable medicine, and few people

was able to control the symptoms. She’s been using it now

know how to use it appropriately.”

for six years. “It’s allowed me to eat adult portions of solid food,” she says.

Though he recommends and advises patients on using tinctures, ointments, and vaporizers to control pain, after

Steve’s Goods owner Steven Schultheis says the sky’s

seeing younger patients dabbing concentrates, he’s

the limit for products made with THC and CBD cannabis

sounding the alarm. “The problem is that all people I

oils, and that things will only get better for consumers as

meet who dab do it all the time. They do it multiple times

we learn more about the science. “They will let us pinpoint

a day,” he says. “There is a higher risk in brains that are

what we want,” he says. “A few years from now, medicine

still developing until the mid-20s, and the people who

will be custom formulated. That’s when it will take over.”

seem to be most interested are in that age group.”

Not everybody is as enthusiastic about concentrates. Dr.

Ivker points me to a study published from Portland

Rav Ivker has a holistic practice in Boulder, Colorado, where

State University researchers that found that dabbing re-

he treats patients, mostly for respiratory problems, asthma,

sults in the production of toxic products which may

and allergies. Most of the patients he treats experience

cause significant harm to users. A University of Colora-

chronic pain, and after using it on himself after a severe

do study of dabbing’s effects on young people is planned

case of shingles, he recommends cannabis for his patients.

but doesn’t have the necessary funding in place yet.

His book, Cannabis for Chronic Pain: A Proven Prescription

“We know that THC releases dopamine in your brain,”

for Using Marijuana to Relieve You Pain and Heal Your Life,

Ivker says. “Anything that affects the reward system in

was recently published by Touchstone Press.

the brain and affects dopamine can be addicting—sex, TV,

“I became a fervent believer in the healing power of

food—because they impact our reward system. It’s not as

cannabis, especially for pain, and there’s very little defin-

addicting as heroin, and it has more to do with the person

Fulfilling all Your Cannabis Needs Reliable Bud aims to connect, inspire, and empower entrepreneurs in the Cannabis Industry by creating a safe e-commerce platform allowing enthusiasts to rate, review and sell their products reliably.

Our BYOC events allow for vendors to personally connect with enthusiasts and learn about the industry and products available. Networking opportunities at every event.

BYOC EVENTS July 21 | Aug 18 Sep 29 | Oct 13

Holiday Event in Dec to be Announced

The Spencer Fairgrounds 48 Smithville Rd. Spencer, MA 01562

reliablebud.com @reliablebud contact@reliablebud.com Text 22828 to join our mailing list

DOWNLOAD OUR APP! sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 33

using the drug than the drug itself. It’s an educated guess,

prices fall, bud might regain some share. “While concen-

but at higher concentrations, it’s got to be more addicting.”

trate/vape sales continue to rise, and as the category gets

One thing that will have to improve is the rig you need to

larger,” he says, “the rate of growth slows, and we can an-

ingest concentrates properly. When I first encountered a

ticipate the angles of the trend lines straighten out further

dab rig, my first thought was that I would never use a blow-

over time.”

torch to use cannabis. “The torch is definitely what turns a lot of people off,” says Honaker. “There’s a crack connotation,

something

negative

when they think about a torch.”

Manning says it took him a while to get his mother to try a dab. To old-schoolers, rigs are expensive and harder to use than just sitting down and firing up some bud. “Even as it becomes easier to dab,” he says, “there’s still gonna be that desire to roll that joint and sit back.”

BDS’s Schoenfeld says that if trends continue, it would be reasonable to assume that concentrates will overtake

Technology will improve and easi-

[if] trends continue, it would be reasonable to assume that concentrates will overtake flower sales sometime in the near future, although questions remain around pricing and how that might impact sales.

flower sales sometime in the near fu-

er-to-use rigs will make it more acceptable and to give users a standard dosage. “People under 21 shouldn’t be doing it,” says Driessen. “And they should always be done in moderation. Because they are so potent, you should take a much smaller dose. Today the word dab has been stretched out to mean a glob.”

Honaker says anyone curious about dabbing should educate themselves first. Find someone at a consumption party who’s making dabs for guests.

“Go to a dab session,” he says. “Find somebody that you trust, and learn from them. You will see this entire industry move to concentrates. I still

ture, although he says questions remain around pricing

love to roll and smoke a joint. But it’s going to be a little

and how that might impact sales. In California, as flower

farther from the mainstream.”

When you look great you feel great.

Sublinguals • Topicals • Edibles Various CBD products CBD Pet Supplements • and much more..

Find us online or at either of our convenient locations 45 Main Street Amesbury, MA 01913 (978) 834-5502

169 East Street Methuen, MA 01844 (978) 655-6082

TEAMHEMPIRE.COM • TEAMHEMPIRE@YAHOO.COM 34 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

KRISTEN SALON Come visit us at 21 Vinal Square North Chelmsford, MA. Call or book appointments on line.

KristenSalon.com • 978-251-7767

'S ON T S Y BO ONL HOP S W O GR

Boston Gardener is Bostons first and only full service indoor and outdoor garden center. We have everything the cannabis grower needs, including seeds!

(617)606-7065

2131 Washington Street Boston 02119 www.boston-gardener.com

sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 35

www.hippychickllc.com 207-343-0636

HIPPY CHICK NATURAL SOLUTIONS, LLC HOLISTIC / CBD PRODUCTS

RETAIL

WHOLESALE

hippychickns

DISTRIBUTION

Hippy Chick Natural Solutions

ORDER ON THE WEBSITE AND SAVE 10% WITH THIS CODE: SENSI18

36 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

“The country’s first powerhouse marijuana law firm.” —

BOSTON . DENVER . LOS ANGELES . LAS VEGAS Call our Boston office for legal assistance with all facets of the marijuana industry

(617) 934-2121 www.vicentesederberg.com

sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 37

So you want to be an Airbnb host Plan on getting to know humanity–and yourself–better than you might want to.

by ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

38 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

I’M RIDING THE TAIL OF THE SLOWPOKE IN FRONT OF ME, AND I’VE JUST STARTED GESTURING FOR THEM TO PULL OVER SO I CAN PASS, THE WAY WE DO ON THIS TWO-LANE CANYON ROAD— THOUGH NOT EVERYONE IS AS OBNOXIOUS AS I CAN BE ABOUT IT, I’LL ADMIT—WHEN I NOTICE THEIR UTAH LICENSE PLATE. SHIT. OH, SHIT. IT’S MY SWEET AIRBNB GUESTS. I PUT A RESPECTFUL DISTANCE BETWEEN MY TRUCK AND THEIR CAR AND SETTLE IN FOR A SLOW RIDE HOME, HOPING THEY COULDN’T TELL IT WAS ME.

I’ve rented my Airstream, whom we affectionately call

I’m a Superhost, a status I will do almost anything to

Sallie, on Airbnb for two summers. I do feel a little guilty

maintain because potential guests can filter for it. I’m

about pimping out my girl to pay for her time on the road,

embarrassingly proud of the little Superhost badge on

but she hasn’t really complained. Guests adore her, and

my profile, even though it can’t be all that special—there

she gets a thorough cleaning every couple of days by a

are literally hundreds of Superhosts in my oversaturated

host obsessed with maintaining all five-star reviews.

market. Still, I’m as attached to it as I once was to my Pre-

For the most part, really, this Airbnb thing has been

miere status on United.

amazing. It pays for Sallie and me to spend winters in

I smile and say it’s okay when people show up with

warmer climes, and it brings a lot of delightful, interest-

kids, even though my listing clearly states no kids (and,

ing people with vacay energy to our spot in the canyon.

wouldn’t you know, they end up being some of the clean-

We’ve had a wedding/elopement, two marriage propos-

est, most respectful guests we’ve had).

als, and a string of people on a new thing I didn’t know

I smile and clean up the mess when a guest puts a pa-

about called a “babymoon,” one last romantic trip cou-

per towel down the toilet, despite little reminders every-

ples take while pregnant with their first child. One guest

where about the sensitive plumbing, posted after abso-

gave us coffee he roasted in Austin; another left a mixed-

lutely no one seemed to read the directions, digital or

pack from a trendy local brewery.

printed, about some of the quirks of staying in an Air-

My listing states that Sallie is 420-friendly, and I nev-

stream (including using only the toilet paper provided).

er want for cannabis and pipes, left behind by out-of-

Most guests don’t get that we will eventually see every.

staters who can’t take them. A couple people have left

single. thing they put down the toilet. (I’m talking to you,

really nice vape pens with full cartridges, and I’ve

people who brought the pink toilet paper.)

scored a few THC-infused chocolate bars with one

I give the lady from a certain large Southern state an

10-milligram square eaten (one couple left two!) — indi-

immediate refund for a four-day stay (ouch!) when the

cating that maybe cannabis-infused food wasn’t their

temperature inside the Airstream won’t get cooler than

thing, but I love that they followed instructions and

70 degrees during the peak heat of a 95-degree day.

didn’t pull a Maureen Dowd in my Airstream.

I was the editor of a green-living magazine for eleven

Sometimes I see guests’ receipts when I’m sorting the

years, and the AC thing hurts my heart. It’s torture for me

recycling, and it’s truly astonishing how much money

to hear Sallie’s air conditioners working like dogs to cool

people spend to get high for a couple days—almost as

empty space while my guests are out hiking all day.

much and sometimes more than they pay to stay in Sallie. I’m pretty certain that’s another reason they love staying here so much.

Eco-Nazi or Superhost: You Can’t Be Both Being an Airbnb host has taught me a lot about humanity—and, most of all, myself.

I’ve learned to let that shit go. You don’t get to be an eco-nazi and a Superhost at the same time.

Clueless to Criminal, Persnickety to Predatory In the Airbnb world (as observed through Reddit), climate-control entitlement is a huge thing. Posts about fights between guests and hosts over air condisensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 39

tioning are among the most frequent – and virulent.

In one case, Airbnb required the host to have an HVAC technician come out when the AC couldn’t keep up with

The number of posts about racist guests who freak out when they arrive and realize they’re in a neighborhood with people of color makes me lose faith in humanity.

106-degree temperatures in the Northeast; he found nothing wrong except that it was too hot for any air con-

Cat Dabs, Babysitting, Sex, and Shrek

ditioner to keep up. In another, Airbnb gave a partial re-

Probably the thing that stands out most about humani-

fund to guests because the temperature wouldn’t go be-

ty on the Airbnb subReddit is the sheer number of air-

low 76. So, I did the right thing giving that lady her refund

heads out there. One guest wanted compensation for a

and not risking a bad review. (No one wanted her around,

parking ticket she was warned about in the instructions

anyway. She was a yeller.)

she didn’t read because they were “too long” (sigh); one

Both guests and hosts can post on the Airbnb subRed-

walked for two hours and through two villages even

dit, and it makes for enlightening and highly entertain-

though the directions said the house was 200 yards from

ing reading. I’ve learned a ton about what to do—and

the bus stop. I was super concerned about a young woman

what not to do—to keep my coveted Superhost status,

who posted that guests “poisoned” her cat until I read that

diminished as it is by what one post described as the

she advertised her shared space as 420-friendly and left

“Uber effect, where anything less than five stars is a

her highly allergic cat out all night with “scary” guests

failure, when five should mean exceptional.”

who burned the carpet, blasted the TV until 4 a.m., and

Hosts tell horror stories about guests ranging from

blew dabs into the cat’s face. I still feel bad for the cat.

clueless (by far the most prevalent) to criminal. Guests

Or they’re entitled. There was a mother who wanted

tell of hosts who are overly persnickety and sometimes

to drop off her 15-year-old son to stay for a week while

predatory. (I don’t completely get this shared economy

he attended hockey camp, which may have been less

thing, I guess, but I wouldn’t let my twenty-year-old

annoying than the older couple who asked the hosts for

daughter rent bedrooms to strangers, and I wouldn’t do

help with everything from downloading Uber to getting

it myself. There are some pretty creepy stories.)

out the ice cube tray and claimed their key didn’t work

How to Be a Superhost NO. 1 RULE: THE GUEST IS ALWAYS RIGHT. If you can’t deal with that, don’t do this. Never let anyone break your rules or do anything that makes you uncomfortable, but you can’t treat guests like they are your roommates or your children. You’re running a business, and customer service is everything.

OVER-COMMUNICATE. Welcome guests when they book, send clear directions and information a couple days before their stay, welcome them when they arrive, check in the first morning to make sure they have everything they need, then determine what level of communication they’d like to have throughout their stay. You may never hear from some guests again until checkout—or even ever. Everybody’s communication style is different, and having good instincts about that—as well as tolerance for people whose style isn’t like yours—is crucial. It’s not worth getting frantic about a guest who’s not responding to you only to find out he doesn’t know how to use the Airbnb app.

CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS. Have a thorough cleaning checklist for yourself or your cleaner. Accept that you’ll constantly need to buy new sheets and towels to replace stained ones (it’s a business expense). Cleaning up hair, especially when it’s wet, is gross. Get good at it. Guests will ding you if they find someone else’s hair in their shower or sheets—and I would, too.

DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD DO UNTO YOURSELF. As long as we’re pulling out old sayings…this seems obvious, but provide guests with the essentials for a relaxing first night and morning. There is seriously nothing worse than staying in an Airbnb with no means of making coffee (I’m an addict, and it’s happened twice), and Superhosts also provide creamers, sweeteners, and possibly granola and yogurt. If they’re over 21 and you’re in a legal state, leaving a couple beers from a local craft brewer or a small taste from a local cannabis store also goes a long way with weary travelers.

MAKE THINGS EASY. If your place is tricky to find, provide detailed directions with landmarks. Label drawers and cupboards with what’s inside and leave instructions for operating the TV and appliances next to them. Clearly label trash and recycling bins.

STAY IN YOUR PLACE. Try out the sheets, use the towels, figure out what little touches and conveniences would make it five-star.

40 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

so the hosts had to let them in and chat about their every move. Another older couple showed up with a wet, dirty service dog despite the host’s no-pets rule. (There’s no shortage of comments about what a pain in the ass older guests can be—largely because they don’t understand the platform and think they’re staying in a hotel— and I won’t comment because I don’t want to piss off all my wonderful boomer guests and Sensi readers. I will say that any time I’ve had the slightest problem, the person has been over fifty.)

Or they’re smelly. There was a guest who never showered during a three-week stay and left massive sweat stains on the mattress. One host complained that a guy hauled in his camp stove and fried a pound of bacon in his bedroom; another left a bad review for a guest because he left an epic stink bomb in her bathroom.

The real fun starts when people post about sex— which is rampant. I read about a sixty-something European man who walked around a young woman’s house in teeny tiny underwear and a “brother and sister” who woke everyone up in the middle of the night with their sexual ecstasy. People had gobs of

How to Be a Superguest COMPLETE YOUR PROFILE and include a photo. It’s reassuring for hosts to learn a little bit about you. Do not post a photo of your dog or a shadow of you doing a handstand against a sunset.

Hosts want to see who you are.

DON’T GHOST YOUR HOST. Let them know why you’re visiting, when you plan to arrive, when you’ve checked in, when you plan to check out, and when you’ve checked out. Acknowledge their messages.

LET YOUR HOST KNOW if you need anything or something isn’t to your liking. Do not say nothing and then give them a bad review.

Everyone deserves a chance to make things right.

FOLLOW THE RULES (read them first) and clean up after yourself.

Most people do. The ones who don’t really suck.

fun talking about the “drunken nympho” who slept

sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 41

with one guest, gave hand and blow jobs to two oth-

Nothing like those horror stories has happened to me

ers, and tried to get it on with contractors working in

(knock on wood). I honestly enjoy sharing Sallie and a

the bathroom—until the host pointed out that she

spectacular part of the world with people who have the

was too drunk to be having consensual sex and he

time of their lives. I love hearing their laughter ring

was liable. There was a post from a woman who acci-

through the canyon as they enjoy a sunset on the patio

dentally turned on the VCR and started playing Shrek

and hearing about the concerts they go to. A lot of them

in the shared living room where she was watching a

say they have the best vacation of their lives.

couple get it on through a security camera. They never noticed.

Their appreciation is contagious. That may be the greatest gift I get from this Airbnb thing.

For the most part, really, this Airbnb thing has been amazing. It pays for Sallie and me to spend winters in warmer climes, and it brings a lot of delightful, interesting people with vacay energy to our spot in the canyon.

www.masscannabischefs.com

42 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 43

HEY MASSACHUSETTS, MAYFLOWER MEDICINALS IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE ARE OPEN AND READY TO SERVE YOU. 230 Harvard Ave. Allston, MA 02134

Cultivation Experts

Accessible Dispensary

Crafted with Care

Your local source for high-quality medical cannabis.

44 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

Visit www.mayflowermedicinals.com or call (508) 356-6600 to learn more!

Our mission is to create equal access and economic empowerment for cannabis businesses, their patients, and the communities most affected by the war on drugs.

DEVELOPING A nationwide network of cannabis business owners within a variety of disciplines, including ancillary businesses ADVOCATING For creation and fair enforcement of sensible, equitable policies ACCELERATING Increased cannabis industry growth by ensuring patient and consumer access to the most people SERVING As a voice for the minority population with programs that foster opportunity, education, and equality

Visit us at MinorityCannabis.org to join the movement today!

memberships@minoritycannabis.org @MinCannBusAssoc

@MinorityCannabis

@MCIA.org

sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 45

ADVISORY BOARD

AS THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY GROWS, SO DO THE NUMBER OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERTS WITHIN IT. THESE PEOPLE ARE INCREDIBLE SOURCES OF NICHE, INSIDER INFO ABOUT THE TRENDS AND ISSUES DRIVING THIS THRIVING MARKETPLACE FORWARD. THE SENSI ADVISORY BOARD IS COMPRISED OF A SELECT GROUP OF CANNABIS INDUSTRY LEADERS IN A VARIETY OF FIELDS, FROM COMPLIANCE AND EDUCATION TO CONCENTRATES AND CULTIVATION. EACH ISSUE, THEY ARE INVITED TO SHARE SOME OF THEIR SPECIALIZED INSIGHT AND PERSPECTIVE IN THIS DEDICATED SECTION. THIS MONTH, WE HEAR FROM ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS IN THE MEDICAL DISPENSARY CATEGORY. F O R A F U L L L I S T O F A DV I S O RY B OA R D ME MB E R S , T U R N T O T HE M A S T HE A D O N PAG E 7.

2

Education often leads to support. Educating your personal support system–whether by bringing fam-

ily or friends to an education night or showing them some of the educational tools available online, makes a huge difference in the long run. Talking about cannabis use with your support system is a great start. And you’ll find it gets exponentially easier when you can, say, bring

COMING OUT

AS A CANNABIS USER

by SAR AH-JA ANA NODELL

your own mother to see the dispensary where you get your medicine, education, and better quality of life through cannabis.

Revolutionary Clinics hosts education nights at our dispensary at 67 Broadway in Somerville every Thursday from 5-8PM, where attendees can ask questions, learn about the endocannabinoid system, and so much more. The supportiveness people get from the groups

As a Patient Advocate at Revolutionary Clinics, I get

that come together every Thursday is infectious. And,

the opportunity every day to hear from patients about

the people in the room have had or are getting ready to

their wellness, and how cannabis is improving their

have the same conversations as you are.

lives. In addition to working with patients on fulfilling the plan they’ve developed with their doctors, a conversation I find myself having often is how patients can begin to talk to their loved ones about their cannabis use.

3

Expect the unexpected. If you’re telling your family members “I’m feeling better and this is working for

me,” in my experience, people will meet you where you

So many patients are worried that this revelation will

are. Bring your positivity to the table. When I was diag-

change the perception of themselves in the eyes and

nosed with cancer I was ashamed to tell everyone I was

minds of their friends and family. They worry how

using marijuana. But the minute I stopped feeling

they’ll be viewed as a parent, as a professional, as a per-

ashamed of what was working for me and started advo-

son, and that they may be at risk of losing their support

cating for this plant, was the minute that everyone in my

group the minute they proclaim themselves a cannabis

community saw that I was able to drop 100 pounds, stop

advocate, user, businessperson, or even educator.

having all the issues I was experiencing, and get off all

Here are three tips for people who are getting ready to

the pain meds that weren’t working for me. You will get

come out as cannabis users publicly:

the support you believe you deserve.

1

SARAH-JAANA NODELL is a Patient Advocate at Revolutionary Clinics’ dispensary at 67 Broadway in Somerville. She is a cancer survivor passionate about helping others experience the many benefits of medical marijuana use.

Your comfort is priority. It’s your medicine. Feel confident knowing that you get to use it how you need.

46 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

sensimag.com SEPTEMBER 2018 47

the

SCENE

BOSTON 7 1 0 S E S H

OUTCOME: About as happy as you would expect a community focused group dab session and burgeoning cannabis product marketplace, services, organizations and all around let’s-hang-with-our-pals kind of event can produce.

48 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston

What: 710 SESH Where: Secret Location on Newbury Street When: July 10, 2018

YOUR BUSINESS CATALYST FOR THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY 22,000+ cannabis business leaders and investors 900+ exhibitors ready for serious business discussions 120+ informative industry leading speakers

“After I went to my first conference, I got all of the info I needed to start myVegas dispensary.

Las Convention”Center November 14-16, - Chanda Macias, Ph.D.2018 Owner & General

Manager, National Holistic Healing Center

Las Vegas Convention Center November 14-16, 2018

Use promo code SensiVegas50 to save $50.00 Register @ MJBIZCON.COM/VEGAS ©2018 Marijuana Business Conference & Expo® sensimag.com

SEPTEMBER 2018 49

{HereWeGo}

by DAN McCARTHY

Waffling East

A wet Saturday. A Belgian waffle maker.

Contemporary Art. Meat Pies. Let’s boogie.

William S. Burroughs, in a series of interviews for The Paris Review in 1965, said: “If drugs weren’t forbidden in America, they would be the perfect middle-class vice.”

If only he knew where the long, slow fight to legalize recreational cannabis would be a little over 50 years later, with the robust new cultural normal slowly taking root in the Bay State, the lauded literary genius behind The Naked Lunch may have even added: “And they’re great for taking down some contemporary art and Australian meat pies on a rainy Saturday in East Boston.”

And it was with that in mind your pals at Sensi decided to pop across the harbor under soggy skies after whipping up some dosed cannabis waffles to spend a few hours awash in multimedia art vis-a-vis the temporary ICA Watershed pop-up installation (open until October 8, 256 Marginal Street) and a few other motherships of merriment to be found there (see: KO Pies at The Shipyard, DownEast Cider, the sporadic local murals, sculptures, and wall art as part of the public HarborArts Shipyard Gallery work visible all around).

The result was one hell of a way to beat Mother Nature at her own game using one of her prized flowers (and a marvel of home precision cannabis decarboxylation courtesy of Ardent Technologies), a standard electric Belgian waffle maker, a gorgeous temporary art installation, and the Big Fun found at the other end of the water taxi service in the Harbor

50 SEPTEMBER 2018 Boston