Sensi Magazine - Las Vegas (February 2019)

LAS VEGAS

THE NEW NORMAL

2.2019

EMERGING TERRAIN Dining on the Strip and Beyond Evolves

Hydrate and Nourish Fluid Edibles

What Just Happened?

Hemp’s Finally Legal So What’s Next?

{plus} HOME COOKING FAMILY KITCHEN INVITES EVERYONE DOWNTOWN

sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 3

4 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

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6 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

ISSUE 2 // VOLUME 2 // 2.2019

16

SAY IT LOUD Freedom to Admit Loving Cannabis.

FEATURES 32 The Culinary Landscape What is growing and what is withering in Las Vegas?

36

A Cannabis Plant by Any Other Name SP EC IAL R EP OR T

Hemp and “marijuana” come from the same plant. So, if hemp is now legal, shouldn’t “marijuana” be, too?

42 Just Add Water

Water-soluble cannabinoids and terpenes are disrupting cannabis cuisine.

every issue 9 Editor’s Note 10 The Buzz 16 CrossRoads

24 FLUID FUN Cocktails to Warm the Heart and Soul

COMING OUT

20 TasteBuds

FAMILY STYLE

24 AroundTown

BLENDED BLISS

29 LifeStyle

STARTING OVER (AGAIN)

48 The Scene

32

BEYOND DELIVERY Eating Out in Vegas Blends Joy and Disappointment

MANSION54 GRAND OPENING

50 HereWeGo

WILD RIDE

Sensi magazine is published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2019 SENSI MEDIA GROUP LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 7

sensi magazine ISSUE 2 VOLUME 2 2.2019

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

EDITORIAL sensimediagroup

Stephanie Wilson stephanie@sensimag.com EDITOR IN CHIEF

Debbie Hall debbie.hall@sensimag.com MANAGING EDITOR, SENSI LAS VEGAS

Leland Rucker leland.rucker@sensimag.com SENIOR EDITOR

Robyn Griggs Lawrence CONTRIBUTING EDITOR sensimagazine

Ricardo Baca Dr. Angie McCartney askangie@sensimag.com COLUMNISTS

Jennifer Bucko Lamplough, Lara Rondinelli Hamilton CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

A RT & D E S I G N Jamie Ezra Mark jamie@akersmediagroup.com sensimag

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

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 Susan Lugo susan.lugo@sensimag.com PUBLISHER

Daniel Asarch daniel.asarch@sensimag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Amber Orvik amber.orvik@sensimag.com CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR

Andre Velez andre.velez@sensimag.com MARKETING DIRECTOR

Hector Irizarry distribution@sensimag.com DISTRIBUTION

M E D I A PA RT N E R S Marijuana Business Daily Minority Cannabis Business Association National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy 8 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

NECESSITY ADVISORY BOARD American Cannabis Company // CONSULTING CannaPunch // INFUSED CANDIES AND JUICES Cohen Medical Centers // MEDICAL CENTERS Crooked Cactus CBD // CBD TINCTURES DigiPath Labs // CANNABIS TESTING Evergreen Organix // PREMIUM BAKED GOODS

FOR LIFE

editor’s

NOTE

Food encompasses so many meanings for people;

most importantly, it sustains our bodies. Still, the subject of food

veers off on many paths. It can offer a career, especially for celebrity-driven chefs and restaurateurs. Food generates jobs, from growing to harvesting to distribution to production. Truckers deliver it, sales reps sell it, stockers shelve it, and cashiers process its sales.

Let’s give a shoutout to cooks, wait staff, bus people, and dishwash-

GreenHouse Payment Solutions //

ers who keep the culinary industry humming. Food inspires books,

PAYMENT PROCESSING

movies, television shows, and songs (think “Sweet Cherry Pie”). Sev-

Hot Mess Kushmetics // CBD TOPICALS

eral networks are devoted exclusively to food in its many forms.

Ideal Business Partners // CORPORATE LAW & FINANCE

Jupiter Research // INHALATION HARDWARE Libra Wellness // INFUSED GOURMET CHOCOLATES

the most extreme struggles of people who eat to self-medicate.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 39.8 percent of adults over the age of 18 were obese and about 93.3 million of US adults were affected by obesity in 2015-16.

News of migrant workers enslaved, sexually abused, and mis-

Nevada Powders //

POWDER PROCESSING SERVICES FOR EDIBLES

NLVO // LAS VEGAS LUXURY CANNABIS Red Rock Fertility //

The dark side taints food. Watch TLC’s My 600-Lb. Life to witness

FERTILITY DOCTOR

treated is reported by sources including CNN, The Village Voice, Capital and Main, and The Nation. When ABC’s American Crime attempted to explore the many facets of migrant workers with a scripted TV show, its ratings plunged, and the show was canceled.

Strip Side Solutions // MARKETING

Viewers did not want to watch the plight of those who are instru-

Toast // MINDFUL CONSUMPTION

mental in bringing meals to the table.

Undoo // OVERCONSUMPTION RELIEF

On a lighter note, palates, dietary needs, and culinary wants have transformed. Boxed meals with measured ingredients to prepare and serve at home will continue to grow as a business in 2019. Delivery of any meal or snack, including from franchises such as Denny’s and 7-Eleven, dominates the desires of a less mobile society. Familiar chains such as Applebee’s and Chili’s are losing favor with the dining public, while fast food outlets including McDonald’s and KFC are offering healthier options to keep their customers happy. Food is still very vital, but also being reinvented.

The culinary scene continues to transform and change in one of the most colorful, diverse, and expansive cities in the world.

Thank you for being a part of our Sensi family; I raise my glass and then my fork to you, our readers, as we enjoy the journey together.

Yours in The New Normal,

Debbie Hall

M ANAG I NG E D I TO R SENSI LAS VEGAS

sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 9

Memorial Foundation (DJGMF.ORG) is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that ships care packages with treats to military service members far from home.

When founder Suni Chabrow’s son Douglas J. Green served overseas, her culinary experience led to the idea of sending goodies and other items to her son and his comrades in the field.

As the co-owner of Whoa! Foods as well as its director of food, product development, and marketing, Chanbrow experimented with new and traditional recipes that would ship well.

Honor Our TROOPS

Delicious snacks sent overseas show care.

SPC Green lost his life on August 28, 2011, at the age of 23 while serving his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. Chabrow became a Gold Star mother and memorialized his life and model of patriotic sacrifice by creating a foundation named after him. Care packages with Whoa! products and other donations are shipped to distant, dangerous places as well as bases lo-

When a loved one is deployed overseas in service

cated in the US and its allies. When service members

to the country, loneliness and worry can dominate as

receive their packages, they are reminded that people at

miles separate family and friends. The Douglas J. Green

home care about them.

–Debbie Hall

#OffTheMenu

SECRETBURGER.COM reveals choices and events.

People, especially foodies, love off-the-menu dining while searching for the tastiest, most Instagrammable, and exclusive dining experiences. Secret menu items and offthe-menu dishes are typically offered to those in the know, but now SECRETBURGER.COM is making the experience of an exclusive pop-up available to anyone.

Every day at SecretBurger.com’s online marketplace for #OffTheMenu dishes and events, the company offers special dishes and makes only 50 available for pre-purchase exclusively on the site. There is no other way (including walk-ins) to order them.

Now when photos of secret menu items and off-themenu dishes are posted on social media, there is the anticipation of the next experience instead of missing out on another great foodie adventure.

The company works with chefs and restaurants to create dishes with a story. Some of its partners include Edo Tapas, Other Mama, District One, Teeka Bar at Cosmopolitan, Sparrow + Wolf, The Goodwich, Good Pie, The Kitchen at Atomic, Esther’s Kitchen, Border Grill, Honey Salt, Vesta 10 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

Coffee, Le Thai, Carson’s Kitchen, The Sand Dollar, Cured and Whey, and The Nomad Hotel (Las Vegas).

“We are working with top chefs at the best restaurants—from neighborhood gems to Michelin-starred eateries—to create and share a dish with a story, from the ingredients to how that dish got to the plate,” explains SecretBurger.com Founder Jolene Mannina. “The story is what we all crave; it’s what makes someone drive across town for that special bite.”

–DH

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Dave Goodwin, the founder of Hi-5 and Goody’s Original Gourmet Popcorn, developed the brand after a long-time client reached out him about creating CBD-infused popcorn. Goodwin used his 10 years of experience operating Goody’s Original Gourmet Popcorn to bring a functional wellness botanical snack to consumers with savory, healthy, and tantalizing tastes including extra butter, white cheddar, cheddar cheese, spicy buffalo, jalapeno, and salt & vinegar.

“I knew that it would be challenging to produce a healthy, low-calorie gourmet product of a savory flavor that masked the bitter aftertaste of the CBD isolate,” says partner Marcus Tinnell. “After researching consumer feedback in regards to medicinal CBD, we found that people have been searching for alternative ways to ingest the medication. We have received positive praises and testimonials from consumer markets who have tried our popcorn.”

Hi-5 is available at Green Balance Hemp and Wellness, Strictly Hempin,’ Cultivate Dispensary, and Debbie’s Dispensaries. Private labeling is also available. –DH sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 11

Tasty Alternate Upton’s Naturals captures tasty flavors with jackfruit.

Following a plant-based diet doesn’t have to mean living only on salad. Upton’s Naturals substitutes the taste of meat with real ingredients and has launched first-tomarket seasoned and ready-to-eat jackfruit in the US. Jackfruit is the world’s largest tree-borne fruit. Native to Southeast Asia, with a spiky exterior and fibrous fruit, it yields different textures and flavors during varying stages of maturity.

Tangy Bar-B-Que Jackfruit combined with barbecue sauce makes yummy sandwiches (top with coleslaw), lettuce wraps, over rice, and combined with eggs. Sugar, agave, or maple syrup can be added for a sweet taste, or notch up the spice with hot sauce. Chili Lime Carnitas Jackfruit is wonderful in tacos, salads, sandwiches, nachos, and over rice. Thai Curry Jackfruit is a complex yellow curry to eat with rice or add to a sandwich, wrap, or salad. Kick it up with Sriracha Jackfruit chili sauce on tacos, nachos, wraps, or wings. Breakfast scrambles or sandwiches made with Sweet & Smoky Jackfruit start the day off right.

Other products include Ch’eesy Mac (vegan mac ’n’ cheese), Classic Burger (perfect for grilling), and Thai Spaghetti (spaghetti noodles mixed with tomato, basil, and green curry).

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–DH

Silky Strands Hair needs nourishment, too.

The Phyto Botanical Power (US.PHYTO.COM) line uses a scientific approach with plants and a stylist’s art to enhance every type of hair, from very limp to dry to oily to curly.

Phyto RE3 anti-gray hair treatment brings back color without using any artificial ingredients. This revolutionary technology boosts natural pigment production.

Phyto Specific hydrating shampoo addresses all types of curly hair. It fortifies and revitalizes hair, protecting it from external elements for healthy-looking curls.

Phytologist Scalp treatment is a 99 percent botanical hair treatment for men and women experiencing hair loss. The lightweight formula encourages healthy new growth and improves thickness and luster. All products are free of paraben, sulfate, silicone, and talc.

Developed by hairdresser Patrick Alès, who has been making innovations and advancements in plantbased hair care for more than 60 years, the line continues to incorporate new advancements in technology.

–DH

Colorful Notes Women of color raise their voices.

The #metoo movement continues as conversations about gender and race inequality intensify. Editor Deborah Santana compiled the anthology All The Women In My Family Sing (ALLTHEWOMENINMYFAMILYSING.COM ) to share messages from women of color using prose and poetry.

The experiences of 69 diverse women ranging from ages 16 to 77 document the essence of living as African-American, Asian, Native American, Hispanic, Muslim, Canadian, Cameroonian, Kenyan, and Iberian. The LGBTQ community speaks loud and proud. America Ferrara (NBC’s “Superstore”) Natalie Baszile (OWN’s “Queen Sugar”), and Porochista Khakpour (Sons and Other Flammable Objects author) also contributed.

Topics explore gender identity, immigration, sexuality, careers, family, beauty, social justice, travel, illness, and trauma. In Santana’s foreword, she calls the book “a chorus of cultural refrains. Each essay is a personal story of the victories and challenges women face everyday.”

In one of many thought-provoking vignettes, a woman who became a new mother at age 42 expresses a profound question. Her husband and father of her child is Jewish. Her DNA comes from a Jewish mother and a Cuban father. A jarring moment occurs when she teaches her young son about Rosa Parks and the civil rights movement. He asks if they would drink from the whites-only or colored-only water fountain. She wonders if he would pass for white or if people would be able to detect his Latin heritage and consider him “colored.”

–DH sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 13

Green Tech

CES unveils startups with advancements to reverse climate change.

Consumer Technology Association (CTA)—owner

detect leaks and send alerts in real time. Connected

and producer of CES—announced the winners of its

Garden’s Archibald helps consumers select plants for

second-annual CES Eureka Park Climate Change In-

gardens, terraces, and balconies via a smart device app.

novators (CES.TECH/GREEN ) contest. The emerging tech

GoSun Fusion is a hybrid solar cooker. Heatworks’ MOD-

innovations will improve the environment by cutting

EL 3 water heater is 99 percent more energy efficient

global greenhouse gas emissions.

than current water heater models. Lumi’in’s Flex is the

According to Walter Alcorn, vice president of envi-

first solar and LED street light that’s adaptable to any

ronmental affairs and industry sustainability for CTA,

exterior lamp post. NanoScent is a real-time detector

tech innovation is critical to combat global climate

that senses, monitors, alerts, and traces specific volatile

change. These startups embody how the next gener-

organic compounds. SmartEmbed’s Eddo.drop is ded-

ation of innovative tech—from cooking and gardening

icated to water and energy preservation developing a

to heating and lighting—can deliver lasting benefits

IoT solution that controls shower duration.

that protect the planet for future generations.

Startup winners include Blue Whale Company’s Spy Can Compact, which developed the first smart valve to

14 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

CES 2019, the world’s largest technology event featuring 4,500 exhibitors across 2.75 million net square feet of exhibit space, was held in Las Vegas January 8-11.

–DH

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{crossroads }

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

COMING

OUT

16 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

Opening up about your personal cannabis use to the people in your orbit can be a scary step—and it’s one worth taking.

At first I was slightly baffled when the overly familiar Uber Eats driver standing on my front porch gave me a

relationships with cannabis—with our friends, our families, and our neighbors.

confident fist-bump and a knowing wink. The older gen-

And this is a unique part of the normalization conver-

tleman, rocking greased-back hair and a Led Zeppelin

sation, communicating with our neighbors about our

T-shirt, had left his car running and double-parked on the

personal consumption patterns. In a way, it can be more

street, the driver’s side door flung wide open and blaring

daunting than opening up to your own family.

a classic rock jam into the dark and otherwise quiet night.

Think about it: Your house represents the biggest finan-

“The delivery dude just winked at me,” I told my wife a few

cial investment you’ll ever make. So you’re spending hun-

moments later as we excitedly unpacked our favorite Chi-

dreds of thousands of dollars (if not more) on this property

nese take-out onto the kitchen counter. “It seemed friendly

that shares boundaries with people you’ve never met be-

and all, but I still don’t know what that was all about.”

fore moving in. (Even if you’re renting instead of buying, it’s

And that’s when my lady solved the mystery: “Do you think he noticed the doormat?”

not like you were able to pick your neighbors in the process.)

Some of us are lucky enough to have quality neigh-

Of course the delivery driver saw the doormat—a du-

bors—people with whom you can communicate on im-

rable coco mat emblazoned with the word WELCOME

portant and often complex issues. But others aren’t so

underneath a large, green cannabis leaf. But the mat has

lucky, and those strained relationships with the folks liv-

been sitting outside our front door for more than a year

ing in the closest proximity to your home can complicate

now, so it was I who had forgotten it was there.

matters quickly.

You know you live in a normalized state when you flaunt

Me, I’m a lucky one. My longstanding neighbor to the

your affinity for a Schedule I substance at your home’s

north is a kind-hearted older woman who loves gardening,

very entryway. An even greater sign of normalization: You

maintains a beautiful yard, and is the block’s de facto neigh-

actually forget about the larger-than-life cannabis leaf in

borhood watch. My neighbors to the south are a young Lati-

your front yard—an eye-magnet many passers-by see on

no couple who have lived next door for more than a decade;

a daily basis. And perhaps the greatest sign of this cra-

I’ve watched their son grow up, and we have each other’s

zy-normalized world we live in: I impulse-purchased that

backs—even while our Chihuahuas noisily raise hell each

doormat last year at the Bed, Bath & Beyond down the

time they’re in our abutting backyards at the same time.

street as I was refilling my SodaStream CO2 carbonators.

These are only some of the luxuries we’re afforded by the legalization of cannabis. We can walk into shops and purchase edibles as if they were a six-pack. We can at-

The first time my gardener neighbor and I talked cannabis was pretty straightforward.

“I don’t like it myself,” she quipped. “I prefer to get high on my walks. I feel so great after a good walk.”

tend luxe marijuana-infused dinner parties with open

Our conversations since then—usually spurred by her

consumption. And we can be more open about our own

hearing me interviewed on NPR or seeing my writings in the sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 17

Denver Post—usually follow the same path. I don’t preach

got home from work, I ate some edibles and put on some

to her, or anyone else for that matter. But I do step in to

music, and three hours later here I am.”

correct any of her outdated notions about cannabis as they

I must have looked like a crazy person—sweaty,

occasionally surface. Still, these over-the-fence back-and-

filthy, stinky, and smiling. And while I was immediate-

forths are significant. Here we are, neighbors of 15 years,

ly nervous about my admission as soon as the words

talking about something so complicated as cannabis use.

“I ate some edibles” escaped my mouth, when I told

I took that conversation a couple steps further one night with my other neighbors, the young couple. It was a Fri-

my dear neighbors, whom I adore and respect, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders.

day evening, and I was sweaty and covered in dirt while

And I felt even better when my admission spurred an

(appropriately) weeding our front yard. I was about 15

awesomely normal conversation with the neighbors

milligrams into some energizing edibles and finishing my

about cannabis legalization, about its known effects on

second ice-cold water bottle when the couple pulled up

our city and populace, and about my own personal con-

and started chatting me up.

sumption habits.

After a few pleasantries about their night (margarita

They laughed when I told them I didn’t smoke marijua-

happy hour at a favorite Mexican resto) and my night (yard

na, that I only eat it. And as they went inside their house

work while the wife was out with friends), they compli-

for the evening, I lingered in my front yard for another

mented my hard labor and apologized for the way I was

hour, packing the disheveled weeds into trash bags and

spending a beautiful Friday evening.

cleaning up the mess I’d made. As I surveyed my handi-

“Oh, I’m actually having a blast right now,” I told them,

work, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment.

inspiring a confused stare back in my direction. “When I

Sure, my yard looked so much better than before, but I

P: 262-893-2175 E: uneedarchangelstudios@gmail.com

F : @facbook/archangelstudio I : @instagram/archangelphoto T : @twitter/archangelphoto

18 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

PHOTOGRAPHY VIDEOGRAPHY PRODUC TS AERIAL WEDDINGS EVENTS COMMERCIAL FASHION

also felt better and more transparent about my newfound openness with my neighbors.

As soon as I felt myself say the words

“I ate some edibles” to my neighbors, whom I adore

and respect, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders.

I found that night—and it’s something that remains true to this day—that opening up about my own relationship with marijuana to the people closest to my personal orbit has been nothing but a good thing. It helps us understand one another on a deeper level, and it helps us build a better and more honest community.

This newfound depth of openness is certainly a byproduct of legalization, and something that isn’t as commonplace in prohibition states. And like the marijuana sales that have recently become so normal, this newfound ability to be more forthcoming with our opinions on cannabis—with our neighbors, with those delivering our favorite Chinese takeout, and with others—isn’t something we should ever take for granted.

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 marketing campaigns.

sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 19

{tastebuds }

by D E B B I E H A L L

ESTHER’S KITCHEN 1130 S. Casino Center Blvd., Suite 110 (702) 570-7864 // ESTHERSLV.COM

FAMILY STYLE Native Las Vegan invites all to Esther’s Kitchen.

The family kitchen is the heart of the domain of moms,

scamorza, delicata, sage, and pro-

grandmas, aunts, and other members who cook and bake.

sciutto. Vegan coconut cheese can be

When native Las Vegan chef James Trees opened Esther’s

substituted on a pie. Another new addi-

Kitchen, he wanted to honor his great aunt Esther. He ac-

tion is the mushroom panini filled with fonti-

quired both his love of cooking and his business savvy from

na, Tartufo cheese, aioli, and topped with chives

his great aunt, and wanted to create the same pulse of

and lemon and a side of housemade root chips and

home where everyone is welcome.

a simple salad.

As a native, he’s excited about the transformation

Dinner choices entice a new generation to sit and enjoy a

of downtown, and its urban feel drew him to open the

meal together. Beef cheek with red wine, mushrooms, and

restaurant there. “I really love the neighborhood, I love the

charred roots with a side of polenta transport diners to Ita-

vibe, and I love the independent spirit of all the entrepre-

ly. Heartier appetites appreciate smoked malfada nero and

neurs around us. I love the fact that we are the neighbor-

lobster topped with fennel, lemon, and truffle. A side with

hood restaurant,” Trees says.

the combination of kale, apple, honey nut squash, spiced

Virtually everything that goes on your plate at Esther’s Kitchen is meticulously sourced and has a story.

yogurt, pinenut, and pickled sultanas raises the flavor of nutrition and goodness. The chef’s favorite dishes on the

“All my purveyors are pretty much the same purveyors

menu right now include ricotta gnudi with McGrath’s beets

I’ve been using for the last 15 years,” Trees explains. “My

and the strozzapreti with clams and nduja. Ending the meal

purveyor knows all the specs and makes sure that I get

with #basicnotbasic dessert is pumpkin cheesecake with

the product that I need.”

pumpkin spiced latte ice cream, chocolate graham cracker,

Living in Los Angeles for the past 10 years and going

walnut syrup, and caramelized pepitas.

to the farmers market in Santa Monica every week, Trees

A nice glass of wine or specialty cocktail enhances the

got to know the farmers personally. “I’ve cooked for their

dining experience so the wines at Esther’s are carefully

families. I cook for their weddings. I cooked for the kids’

curated for a mix of light to heavy-bodied, from Italy and

graduations. I know the products that they have are the

France as well as domestic selections. The new specialty

best in the world, so I use those. I am very specific regard-

cocktails and classics for the season include exclusive use

ing using a certain farmer for a particular product.”

of Toro Amaro, tomato gin, black tea gin, honey gin, and a

Esther’s Kitchen’s Italian cuisine reflects Trees’ ded-

Lemon Drop with housemade limoncello.

ication to sustainability as well as his distinctive touch-

February is also the month of romance with many chefs

es. Pizzas begin with a natural sourdough crust with his

transforming their menus and service for the Valentine’s

latest update of topping with seasonal squash, smoked

Day crowd. Trees believes that “If someone chooses to

20 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

“I really love the neighborhood, I love the vibe, and I love the independent spirit of all the entrepreneurs around us. I love the fact that we are the neighborhood restaurant.�

sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 21

come to Esther’s Kitchen that night, it’s because he or she already likes what we do the way we do it—and if people think we are a good place for a romantic meal, that’s awesome,” he says. “Hopefully, they will come back for their anniversary dinner too.”

The opening of Esther’s Kitchen culminates Trees’ journey (for now), which took him from Las Vegas to New York to London to Southern California working with some of biggest celebrity chefs before returning home to Vegas.

A television stint with Chef Gordon Ramsey is one of his many culinary adventures.

Trees’ career began at Las Vegas High School, earning him an internship at the Mirage after his first two years of training. As for destiny, it was his great aunt who paid for his education at The Culinary Institute of America.

“My great aunt Esther was a wonderful person. I feel so proud that her name lives on in the restaurant,” he says.

More than learning to cook, he also spent time listening to her talk about business ethics and doing things properly.

“She had a great moral center, and without that, it’s easy to get lost in this business. People will either do things right by you or not. She told me that the people you do business with reflects upon yourself, and I believe that.”

As for following fads, Trees will not incorporate trendy food. His philosophy is that good sourcing and good techniques creates great food. “I hope whatever people bring to the table is interesting and fun, but Romans have been doing food right for 2,000 years, and I’m not about to change it,” he laughs.

As for the culinary landscape in Vegas, he has only seen a little change over the past 12 years. Every year, he witnesses a new batch of imported celebrity chefs, with very talented local chefs actually running the restaurants dayto-day. “I think the next evolution in Las Vegas dining will be local chefs getting recognition for the work they have already been doing,” he says. “I hope we get more chefs to do their own thing, find their own voices.”

Trees will expand his reach later this year when he opens Ada’s in Tivoli Village, a distinctively pizza-centric restaurant with a wider selection. He is excited about bringing a neighborhood concept to delight the northwest community.

It’s all about Trees serving up his own unique blend of elegant Italian comfort food and inviting people to enjoy it in the most comfortable place—the kitchen.

22 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

“My great aunt Esther was a wonderful person.

I feel so proud that her name lives on in the restaurant.”

sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 23

{aroundtown }

by D E B B I E H A L L

24 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

BLENDED Cocktail menus expand beyond the traditional.

A cocktail can be as simple as soda and spirits or as inspired as a beautiful sunset or waves crashing on the shore.

BLISS

Blushing Geisha Cocktail is made with Skyy raspberry vodka, Bols black raspberry liqueur, and homemade lemonade.

It’s all in how it is created and presented. Specialty drinks

Shiso Naughty Martini combines an exotic blend of Skyy

have been offered for decades, but like any art, they always

pineapple vodka and X-rated Fusion Liqueur with fresh

offer something new and exciting on the horizon. Around Ve-

flavors of yuzu Japanese shiso.

gas, wonderful concoctions pop up to toast love, happiness, and fun during the winter months.

Café Americano (CAFEAMERICANOVEGAS.COM ) at Caesars Palace perks up the day or night with its Espresso Martini. This

Pineapple Crush Punch Bowl blends Kai lychee vodka, Mugi Shochu, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, fresh pineapple, and lemon topped with MIO sparkling sake with so much punch it is meant for two people.

24-hour restaurant offers classic

PT’s Entertainment Group (PTEGLV.COM ), a division of

American dishes with a Latin twist

Golden Entertainment, is a favorite of locals as the largest

while mixologists create crafted

traditional tavern operator in Nevada with 60 locations.

cocktails at the bar and lounge.

Taverns include PT’s Pub, PT’s Gold, PT’s Ranch, PT’s Brew-

For a kick with curve, pour 1½

ing Co., Sean Patrick’s, Sierra Gold, and SG Bar. Jason Shullo,

oz. Stoli vanilla vodka in a shaker.

the corporate director of

Pour ¾ oz. Cafe Borghetti liqueur

beverage for Golden En-

next. Add ½ oz. freshly brewed

tertainment, mixed some

espresso, blend, and serve in

of the most delish cock-

martini glass garnished with cof-

tails to bring in Vegas’s

fee beans.

perpetual sunshine while

RA Sushi (RASUSHI.COM ) captures the romance of Feb-

chasing the winter blues

ruary with its Blushing Geisha, Shiso Naughty Martini, and

away. All PT’s Entertain-

Pineapple Punch Bowl cocktails. Both the Shiso Naughty

ment Group taverns are

Martini and Pineapple Crush Punch Bowl draw inspiration

open 24 hours daily and

from Japanese ingredients like shiso and sparkling sake,

serve full menus as well

but with a modern adaptation. The Blushing Geisha is RA

as specialty cocktails and

Sushi’s most popular specialty cocktail.

craft beers. sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 25

• 3 ounces of half & half • Fresh juiced cherries and fresh whole cherries INSTRUCTIONS

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice; add vodka, liqueur, and half & half. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds and pour into a large martini glass. Drizzle fresh cherry juice on top and garnish with fresh cherries.

BLUEBERRY MULE INGREDIENTS

• ¾ ounces Skyy vodka • ¾ ounces City Lights Shine blueberry • 1 ounce sweet and sour mix • Top with ginger beer INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the Skyy vodka and City Lights Shine blueberry

THE MAPLE TWIST INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces of Heritage brown sugar bourbon • ½ ounce maple syrup • 3 ounces fresh apple cider • Brown sugar bourbon candied bacon

in a mule mug. Top with ginger beer and stir gently to in-

INSTRUCTIONS

corporate ingredients. Garnish with a lime wedge.

STEP 1: Brown Sugar Candied Bacon: Preheat oven to

CHERRY-LEMON MARGARITA INGREDIENTS

• ¾ ounces City Lights Shine cherry lemon • ¾ ounces Sauza Plata tequila • ½ ounce triple sec • 1½ ounce sweet and sour mix INSTRUCTIONS

In a mixing glass, combine all ingredients and shake. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass with a half salt rim and garnish with a lime wedge.

Constellation Catering (CONSTELLATIONCATERING.COM ), a full-service liquor catering company servicing Southern Nevada, adds an astrological twist. Coasters reveal an astrological wheel and bartenders discuss the sun, moon, and stars. It is predicted that romance is in the air in February with these special drinks to inspire love.

CHERRY DREAM INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ ounce Smirnoff cherry vodka • ½ ounce Miletti Italian chocolate liqueur 26 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

400ºF. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place a wire cooling rack over the foil/paper on the baking sheet and set aside.

STEP 2: Put brown sugar bourbon into a shallow dish.

Working with one slice of bacon at a time, generously coat bacon with bourbon. Place bacon onto the cooling rack and then bake for 12 minutes. Turn bacon over and bake for an additional 6 to 7 minutes. Cool on the wire rack.

STEP 3: Heat apple cider is saucepan. Pour bourbon, maple

syrup, and hot apple cider in a 6-ounce mug. Stir until maple syrup is melted and garnish with bacon strip.

POMEGRANATE MUSE INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces champagne • 1 ounces sauvignon blanc wine • 1 healthy teaspoon of lemon juice • A dash of raw sugar • 2 tablespoons shelled pomegranate seeds • Lemon slices INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients except seeds and pour into white wine goblets. Add seeds and garnish with a slice of lemon.

sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 27

{lifestyle }

by J E N N I F E R B U C K O L A M P L O U G H and L A R A R O N D I N E L L I - H A M I LT O N

STARTING OVER (AGAIN)

PHOTO BY BRENDA GODINEZ

Begin eating healthier with these simple tips.

28 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

About a month ago, around the New Year, many of us

Cut out sugary drinks immediately. Soda, fruit drinks, en-

likely promised to make drastic changes to our diet. For

ergy drinks, and sweet tea raise your blood glucose and add

some, that meant adopting a strict (and joyless) list of

empty calories to your daily intake. Though it can be a hard

food that’s acceptable to eat. It’s no wonder these res-

habit to kick, do all you can to eliminate these drinks from

olutions are often short-lived. When it comes to making

your diet. Replace them with fresh water, low-fat milk, fla-

lasting changes to your diet and lifestyle habits, slow and

vored calorie-free carbonated water, and unsweetened tea

steady wins the race.

and coffee.

No doubt, committing to eating healthier is an often-re-

Purge the junk food. Cookies, chips, sweets, and other

peated New Year’s resolution. But unless your new prac-

snacks are hard to resist when they are an arm’s length

tices are sustainable, any progress you make could be

away. The best way to avoid them is by removing them

short-lived. Small, minimally disruptive diet and lifestyle

from your home. Don’t worry. When you’re craving a

changes over time stand a better shot at becoming per-

snack, you can try a healthier whole food option, like slic-

manent healthy habits. Whether

es of avocado, a handful of nuts,

you want to lose 30 pounds, get

kale chips, a small serving of Greek

control of your health, or achieve better nutrition, it’s best to make small but powerful changes. You will see results that last.

If you’re ready to take some small yet mighty steps toward better

yogurt, a piece of fruit, veggies with hummus, or nut butter. These snacks are more satisfying and pack more nutrition than your processed favorites.

Do some research and identify an eating pattern. You don’t have

PHOTO BY DAN GOLD

health, give these tips a try.

When you’re craving a snack, you can try a healthier whole food option, like slices of avocado, a handful of nuts, kale chips, a small serving of Greek yogurt, a piece of fruit, veggies with hummus, or nut butter

sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 29

PHOTO GABRIEL GARCIA MARENGO

PHOTO BY CAROLINE ATTWOOD

to stick to a rigid plan that restricts

Small diet and lifestyle changes over time that aren’t too disruptive stand a better shot at becoming permanent healthy habits.

PHOTO BY JUAN JOSÉ VALENCIA ANTÍA

and tenderloin; and lean cuts of

many of your favorite foods. Some

pork, including center loin chop and

effective plans include vegetari-

tenderloin.

an or flexitarian, Mediterranean, low-carbohydrate, and low-glycemic.

Plan your meal around veggies (instead of making them the afterthought). Try to fill at least half of your plate with

Choose leaner cuts of meat. Saturated fat—the kind

vegetables like spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, car-

found in animal protein—raises blood cholesterol levels,

rots, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, and eggplant. Veggies

which is a risk factor for heart disease. An easy way to re-

like cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and Brussels sprouts are

duce your saturated fat intake is by choosing lean cuts of

delicious when roasted, and sautéeing cabbage, bell pep-

meat. Avoid or reduce your consumption of lard, fatback,

pers, and eggplant brings out their natural flavors. Start

and high-fat meats like regular ground beef, bologna, hot

any meal with a simple salad of mixed greens to help you

dogs, sausage, bacon, spareribs, and the skin from chicken

meet your veggie quota.

and other poultry. Instead, choose skinless poultry; fish;

Try lettuce wraps instead of bread. Iceberg, green leaf,

turkey; beef trimmed of fat, including round, sirloin, flank,

and butter lettuce make a surprisingly delicious bread

30 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

substitute for sandwiches. Nestle burgers or grilled chicken inside a lettuce “cup” in place of hamburger buns. Carefully wrap deli meats and toppings into a low-carb lettuce sub sandwich and secure it with wax paper and a piece of tape to hold the sandwich together while you eat it.

Eat veggie noodles in place of pasta. Veggie noodles are a delicious, lower-carb option that can be eaten in place of grain-based pasta. A spiralizer is a kitchen tool that can quickly and easily turn vegetables into noodles. You can use a standard vegetable peeler for a similar result.

For even more convenience, you can now find spiralized veggies in the freezer or produce section of many grocery

PHOTO BY SARA DUBLER

stores. Try noodles made from zucchini, sweet potato, carrot, or spaghetti squash. Top them with chili, Bolognese sauce, or use them to make a cold pasta salad or noodle dishes like Pad Thai. Also try cauliflower, butternut, or broccoli “rice” for a lower-carb option to regular rice.

If you found your New Year’s resolutions to be a little too painful, punishing, or unsustainable, you’ll find that making easier changes—that you will actually enjoy—is a better game plan for success. You can still make this the year you finally shift into a healthier lifestyle and start moving toward building a better you.

LARA RONDINELLI-HAMILTON and JENNIFER BUCKO LAMPLOUGH co-wrote The Healthy Carb Diabetes Cookbook and the best-selling Healthy Calendar Diabetic Cooking? for the American Diabetes Association. Their latest release is The Diabetes Cookbook: 300 Recipes for Healthy Living Powered by the Diabetes Food Hub. For more info, visit DIABETESFOODHUB.ORG or DIABETES.ORG .

sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 31

THE CULINARY LANDSCAPE What is growing and what is withering?

PHOTO BY XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

by D E B B I E H A L L

32 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

OV E R T H E PA S T T W O D E C A D E S , L A S V E G A S H A S S E I Z E D T H E C U L I N A RY S C E N E D U R I N G T H E

transitional explosion of the upscale tourist experience. ADDING TO THE HIGH-END NIGHTCLUBS, SHOPPING, AND ATTRACTIONS, CELEBRITY CHEFS HAVE BROUGHT

THEIR A-GAMES TO THE STRIP AND OFF STRIP. AS VEGAS’S POPULATION HAS ACCELERATED TO 2.25 MILLION, LOCALS’ DEMAND FOR DINING OPTIONS HAS ALSO EXPLODED. However, the culinary terrain in Vegas is rocky for

The restaurants offering vegan options on the Strip tend

some and thriving for others. Diverse opinions abound

to have connections to someone in the vegan community

as to price, availability, ambiance, service, selection, and

from what I have seen,” she explains. “That being said, I am

dining as a whole. What works for one does not work for

seeing more restaurants on The Strip beginning to recog-

another when asked (especially off the record).

nize vegan diners and some, like Stack at Mirage, Beauty &

The restaurant industry in Las Vegas is like a family

Essex at Cosmopolitan, all the restaurants at Wynn and En-

in many ways: dysfunctional, disjointed, joyful, happy,

core, Hussong’s Cantina, and Slice of Vegas at the Shoppes

sad, disappointed, and elated. I asked in an informal poll

at Mandalay Bay are going the extra step to cater to them.”

for opinions about culinary trends in Las Vegas for 2019.

Las Vegas locals, some in the industry and others who eat out, revealed the good, the bad, and the ugly about restaurants, cuisines, and prices in Southern Nevada.

VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN According to Vegans, Baby’s founder Diana Edelman (VEGANSBABY.COM ), veganism is predicted to be one of the leading trends for 2019, and The Economist suggested this would be the year veganism goes mainstream.

“With the astronomical growth in Vegas over the past year, I can see it growing even more so in 2019,” says Edelman. “While I don’t believe 2019 will be the year for this, there is much work going on in the food innovation

“While I don’t believe 2019 will be the year,… clean meat will be something on the table in the coming years as an alternative to farms and slaughtering animals to provide food for us.”

—Diana Edelman, founder of Vegans, Baby

scene, and clean meat will be something on the table in the coming years as an alternative to farms and slaughtering animals to provide food for us.”

Edelman recently launched a followup to her first comprehensive guide to vegan living in Las Vegas, Vegans,

Baby. As the city has embraced vegan dining, with the number of vegan restaurants increasing 400 percent, Edelman released a second edition.

Vegans, Baby: The Las Vegas Vegan Food Guide 2019 includes new categories such as Best Pop Up, Best Late Night, Best Community, Best Egyptian, and Best Steakhouse. New hot spots in its 40 categories span over 100 suggestions for readers to taste some of the finest vegan food in Las Vegas.

Edelman spent nearly three years dining out to create content for her website as well as the guidebook.

Edelman believes the Strip is far slower to catch on to vegan options. “I think that Strip dining is a different beast— and catering to the growing vegan demand isn’t necessarily a top priority for Strip restaurants because most are busy. sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 33

Jessica Williams, a 20-year resident, has seen a

Keith Norman, assistant executive chef and food safety

change. “Interestingly enough, many restaurants are

manager for South Point Hotel, advocates for food allergen

now trying to offer a vegetarian option other than just

awareness, implementing first-ever techniques to ensure

salad, which, any good vegan or vegetarian can tell you,

no allergen is taken lightly. As a result of his passion, Nor-

is not a meal,” she says. “It’s great in the summer, but

man has released his first book, Allergen Awareness: A

if you’re really hungry, it’s like the Chinese food of all

Chef’s Perspective, which helps industry professionals use

foods—it is okay, tastes pretty good, but in an hour, you’ll

proper food safety measures to serve the more than 15 mil-

be hungry again.”

lion people suffering from food allergies.

ALLERGIES AND FOOD

“I think we just don’t know enough about allergens,” he says. “There are many studies, but I have not found

This is one area that did not get much of a response in

one that pinpoints what causes allergens. When I was

the poll, even though the hospitality and service indus-

growing up in the ‘60s and ‘70s, no one ever spoke about

try is significantly impacted by food allergies.

them. We are smarter now, and we have the vehicles to get the message out.”

Norman established a food allergy program at South Point so everyone can dine at ease and is working to create a culture within the culinary industry that is more educated about food allergies.

“When I was growing up in the 60s and 70s, no one ever spoke about [allergies]. We are smarter now, and we have the vehicles to get the message out.”

—Myron “Keith” Norman, author of Allergen Awareness

34 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

DIVERSITY AND CUISINE If you’re willing to search, almost all cuisines can be found in Las Vegas. While the plethora of Asian restaurants including Korean, Chinese, Vietnam, Japanese, and Thai continues to grow, lesser-known countries such as Laos and Malaysia are represented in small numbers. As for the Pacific Islands, the Philippines reigns supreme, but there is one place that serves dishes from Guam. Ethiopian is developing a following, and other opportunities include the Balkan Islands, Nigeria, Honduras, and Columbia.

diners said celebrity chefs did not influence their choices about where to eat, even though a number of chef-driven restaurants opened in 2018 and more are on the way.

“I think Las Vegas is at a fascinating time for dining,” says Eric Gladstone, a writer and public relations professional. “The Strip in the past few weeks and months has seen another explosion in very splashy, exciting highend restaurants (and some casual), nearly all concepts borrowed or adapted from other places, but helmed by local chefs committed to making them work here.”

Not everything is available in Southern Nevada, unfortunately. “One thing I’d love to find here is Native American food,” says Williams. “This is a culture we are going

“Being a resident, we should receive more incentives with more affordable prices to eat out.”

—Alaine Mobley, Radio Host

to lose if we don’t take it a bit more mainstream. We have a large population of Native Americans whose culture is kept bottled up, and I’d love nothing more than to see it get uncorked and flow freely throughout the valley.”

HIGH PRICES This is the most hotly debated item about dining out in Las Vegas. While the majority of respondents said they were willing to pay the price for an upscale, gourmet meal, most everyone complained about rising costs.

Radio host Alaine Mobley says: “We have a lot of great places to eat. My opinion is that pricing for the best should cost the most, but some pricing in Vegas can be too steep for a night out. Being a resident, we should receive more incentives with more affordable prices to eat out.”

Williams adds: “As more restaurants are becoming more inclusive, their prices are becoming more exclusive. The pricing increases over the last two years have been incredible, with some restaurants having increas-

He cautions about what he calls the “shiny object syndrome,” when everyone is excited about whatever is new and then moves on to the next new thing just as quickly. “The true test of a restaurant isn’t whether it can grab some attention in its first weeks or months, but whether you still want to go back when it is six months, a year, or three years old.”

He urges everyone to watch the places that are still delivering a consistent experience day in and day out after the hype dies down. “Let’s support solid, unique places that everyone else isn’t talking about. There are a lot of them out there.”

As a 40-plus year resident of Las Vegas, I grew up in a time of 99-cent breakfast, $2 steak dinner, and $5 buffets. As a foodie, I am ecstatic about the influx of chefs and the introduction of diverse cuisines and new places.

I appreciate the price points, I understand about aller-

es per dish of as much as $5.”

gens, and I witness the successes and failures. I patron-

FINAL THOUGHTS

many people stated, Vegas has come a long way. There is

The majority of people who responded to our informal survey gave high praise for the number of choices available as well as the gourmet options on and off the Strip. Many

ize old school places and indulge in the new ones. As always room for improvement, and kudos to those chefs and restaurateurs willing to risk everything to give the public a great dining experience. sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 35

SPEC IAL REPORT

A CANNABIS PLANT BY ANY OTHER NAME

36 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

Industrial hemp and psychoactive “marijuana” are the same plant, Cannabis sativa, bred and cultivated in very different ways. So, if hemp is now legal, shouldn’t “marijuana” be, too?

by R O BY N G R I G G S L AW R E N C E

Perhaps the most remarkable thing ABOUT THE US CONGRESS LEGALIZING HEMP LATE LAST YEAR WAS HOW UNREMARKABLE IT WAS. LEGALIZATION OF HEMP AND ITS NON-PSYCHOACTIVE CANNABINOID CBD SAILED THROUGH THE HOUSE AND SENATE WITH RARE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT AS PART OF THE 2018 FARM BILL, WHICH PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED INTO LAW WHILE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE BORDER WALL. (TRUMP TURNED DOWN SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL’S OFFER TO LOAN HIM HIS HEMP PEN FOR THE OCCASION.) For hemp farmers and entrepreneurs in the Unit-

hemp foods and demand for CBD surged, more and more

ed States, it was a watershed moment. Already, 77,000

states established hemp programs, and production

acres of hemp are being cultivated under state protec-

soared in the United States.

tions (half of them in Colorado, which legalized hemp

For all that, the Farm Bill opened up a tangled and con-

in 2014), and 750 hemp-derived foods and supplements

fusing conversation when it put the US Agriculture De-

have flooded the $2 billion CBD market. Now, this na-

partment in charge of industrial hemp, which it defined

scent industry can operate under the full protection of

as cannabis with less than 0.3 percent THC; removed the

federal law, with access to critical infrastructure such

non-psychoactive cannabinoid CBD from inclusion in

as insurance, banking, and tax write-offs it had been de-

the Controlled Substances Act; and continued the Food

nied under prohibition.

and Drug Administration’s oversight of products con-

“It’s time to figure it out and see where this market will

taining cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds.

take us,” McConnell, a Republican who hopes hemp will

Hemp cultivation had been illegal largely because au-

replace tobacco as a revenue source in his home state of

thorities in the United States couldn’t tell it apart from

Kentucky, told CNBC. “I think it’s an important new devel-

psychoactive “marijuana.” Before the bill passed, all

opment in American agriculture. There’s plenty of hemp

cannabis plants—even those that could not get anybody

around; it’s just coming from other countries. Why in the

high—had effectively been outlawed by the 1937 Marijua-

world would we want a lot of it to not come from here?”

na Tax Act, which was rammed through the House Ways

In 1999, the United States began allowing imports of

and Means Committee before members understood

hemp products with less than 0.3 percent of the psycho-

what they were doing. Most had not been informed that

active cannabinoid THC, and in the 2010s it began al-

marijuana, the scary “new” drug they’d been fed so much

lowing limited domestic cultivation of industrial hemp,

propaganda about, was in fact hemp, which people all

which was used to make everything from food and body

over the world had used as food and fiber for centuries.

care products to insulation. As consumers embraced

“That knowledge,” Robert Deitch wrote in Hemp: Amersensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 37

ican History Revisited, “would have killed the Marijuana Tax Act dead in its tracks.”

THE WORLD’S MOST MISUNDERSTOOD VEGETABLE “Surely no member of the vegetable kingdom has ever been more misunderstood than hemp,” David P. West wrote in a special report for the North American Industrial Hemp Council in 1998. “And nowhere have emotions run hotter than the debate over the distinction between industrial hemp and marijuana.”

Though they serve vastly different functions, don’t look alike, and are often referred to as “cousins,” industrial hemp and psychoactive “marijuana” are actually the same plant, Cannabis sativa, bred and cultivated in very different ways. For centuries, cannabis farmers have understood that when cannabis plants grow close together, they get less sunlight and produce longer fiber-producing stems and no psychoactive resin. To produce plants full of sticky flowers, farmers sow seeds farther apart to give each plant more sunlight and force them to secrete more resin to protect themselves from drying out.

When distinguishing between the two types of cannabis plants became important as stricter drug laws were enacted worldwide in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Canadian researcher Ernest Small somewhat randomly tossed out a formula—hemp has less than 0.3 percent THC—that, for no real reason other than his authority as a renowned ethnobotanist became the internationally accepted standard written into most legislation outlawing marijuana.

Small was merely continuing a taxonomical conversation that dates back to Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus, who in 1753 introduced Cannabis sativa, a resilient, prolific plant species he named after the Greek word kannabis, meaning “hemp,” and sativa, meaning “cultivated.” When Linnaeus recorded the plant, he documented one species with five variants, launching a debate that rages to this day.

Thirty years after Linnaeus recorded C. sativa, French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck introduced what he described as a second “very distinct” species, C. indica, based on plant samples from India. Unlike the tall, lanky

C. sativa (hemp) common in Europe, Lamarck described C. indica as smaller and more densely branched, with consistently alternating leaves and a woodier stem that made the plant unsuitable for making fiber. Lamarck believed there were two separate species of cannabis,

Chanvre cultive (“cultivated hemp”) and Chanvre des Indes (“Indian cannabis”), which he believed was valued more for its psychoactive effects than its fiber.

38 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

A Nutritional Powerhouse Through the Ages Traditionally eaten as a staple food by people in the lower classes, nutritious hemp seeds carried Chinese peasants through times of famine and were the foundation for a gritty peanut butter-type preparation that carried Europeans through long winters. Every Russian and Polish household kept a store of hemp seeds and hemp seed oil in the pantry. Russians commonly bruised and roasted the seeds, mixed them with salt, and spread them onto slabs of crusty bread. When major famines under the Soviets made beef and pork nearly impossible to come by, people survived on hemp seed oil as a major source of edible protein. In Poland, stewed hemp seed porridge was subsistence food in monasteries, military barracks, and among poor people.

The soft, white kernels inside cannabis seeds’ hard shells produce high-protein oil high in essential fatty acids (EFAs), phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, zinc, carotene (a precursor to vitamin A), tocopherols (major antioxidants that include the vitamin E group), 30 thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin B6, chlorophyll, sulfur, phosphorus, phosphosolipids, and phytosterols.

Cannabis is the only current natural food source of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which affects vital metabolic roles ranging from control of inflammation and vascular tone to hormone balancing.

Cannabis seeds have extremely low THC content and taste creamy and nutty, without the bitterness of the plant material. They can be shelled and eaten like sunflower seeds or ground into a powder for snacking and cooking.

They’re high in roughage and easily digestible edestin protein, which is likely why they became a staple for healing digestive issues in Traditional Chinese Medicine and other healing modalities.

The seeds’ ideal 1:3 ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 EFAs provides more of these compounds—which are called “essential” because they must come from a source outside the body—than fish.

Cannabis seeds are high in linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, which are difficult to come by in Western diets and act as raw materials for cell structure and as biosynthesis precursors for many of the body’s regulatory biochemicals.

“The principal effect of this plant consists of going to the head, disrupting the brain, where it produces a sort of drunkenness that makes one forget one’s sorrows, and produces a strong gaiety,” Lamarck wrote, making him the first to suggest a distinction between two separate cannabis species based on C. indica’s psychoactive effects.

In a Cannabinoids 2014 article, Jacob L. Erkelens and Arno Hazenkamp explained that Lamarck’s purpose in classifying C. indica as a separate species was to provide a more generally acceptable description of cannabis. “Unfortunately, the long-term effects of his publication would turn out to do the exact opposite,” they wrote, “and well over two hundred years later we are still left in confusion.”

ONE SPECIES OR TWO? In 1893, the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission conducted one of the most thoroughly investigated, comprehensive studies of cannabis use and culture ever, and commissioners spent considerable time and energy investigating the long-burning question of whether the narcotic-yielding plant (later known as “marijuana”) was identical to the non-narcotic fiber-yielding plant (later known as “hemp’). They surmised, quite presciently, that inquiring into the longstanding argument about wheth-

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er C. indica and C. sativa were one species or two would

ernment has bestowed its blessings upon C. sativa and

be important in the future because of the possibility that

suggest that the plant is legal, regardless of how it grows

“the restriction of the production of the narcotic by lim-

and what it’s grown for? I’m pretty sure we could find a

iting the cultivation may affect a product and an indus-

few botanists who would stand behind that.

try which are above suspicion.”

The commission based its findings on studies by botanical researcher Dr. J.M. Watt, who concluded, “With

Cannabis indica differing in so marked a degree according to the climate, soil, and mode of cultivation, it was rightly concluded that its separation from the hemp plant of Europe could not be maintained.” Watt compared the hemp plant to potatoes, tobacco, and poppies, all of which “seem to have the power of growing with equal luxuriance under almost any climatic condition, changing or modifying some important function as if to adapt themselves to the altered circumstances.”

His opinions were replicated by Dr. D. Prain, who observed: “There are no botanical characters to separate the Indian plant from Cannabis sativa, and they do not differ as regard the structure of stem, leaves, flowers, or fruit. … Hemp, therefore, as a fibre-yielding plant in no way differs from hemp as a narcotic-producing one.”

Well, hello. Couldn’t we—shouldn’t we—take this debate to its next logical conclusion now that the US gov-

40 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

It’s time to revive this debate.

ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE’S new book, Pot in Pans: A History of Eating Cannabis, will be published by Rowman & Littlefield in May.

A new life is always on the horizon.

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sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 41

Just Add

Water Like cake mixes and TV dinners, which revolutionized home cooking in the mid-20th century, water-soluble cannabinoids and terpenes are disrupting cannabis cuisine.

by R O BY N G R I G G S L AW R E N C E

42 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

fat-soluble (adj)

CAPABLE OF DISSOLVING IN NONPOLAR SUBSTANCES SUCH AS ETHER, CHLOROFORM, AND OILS; FAT-SOLUBLE COMPOUNDS ARE OFTEN INSOLUBLE IN WATER

water-soluble (adj)

CAPABLE OF DISSOLVING IN WATER Well, this changes everything.

tough to homogenize throughout a recipe, so if you don’t

Cooking with cannabis was once relatively straightfor-

know what you’re doing, one bite could deliver a massive

ward, if not all that simple. To extract the plant’s fat-sol-

dose of cannabinoids while another has none at all.

uble terpenes and cannabinoids (THC and CBD, primar-

Anyone who cooks with cannabis has dreamt of a

ily), you had to slowly simmer the flowers and leaves in

workaround. We’ve all known that finding a way to dis-

something oleaginous (butter, oil, cream) or macerate

solve cannabinoids and terpenes homogenously into

them in a spirit (gin, vodka, everclear). Heat and alcohol

water and other liquids as simply as we stir in baking

gave the added benefit of converting non-psychoactive

soda or tamari would be a giant leap for cannabis chefs

THC-A into mind-altering THC, unlocking the cannabis

and eaters everywhere.

plant’s unique magic.

The demise of prohibition brings new miracles every

This technique has been the core of cannabis cookery

day. Water-soluble cannabinoids and terpenes are now a

for centuries, even though every cannabis chef knows it’s

thing, available in dispensaries and retail stores in legal

far from perfect. It doesn’t give people on raw and low-fat

states and countries. Hydrophilic THC and CBD is sold in

diets a lot of options, and lipids are one of the least efficient

various formulations of easily doseable powders and liq-

ways to deliver cannabinoids and terpenes to the blood,

uids that can be folded into any dish or beverage just as

which is about 80 percent water. When THC and CBD are

you would add water, salt, or stevia. Processed through

ingested and processed through the liver, they’re less

the intestines rather than the liver, these cannabinoids

bioavailable and take longer to come on, with potential-

deliver predictable effects in about 10 minutes.

ly more potent and unpredictable effects. Finally, fats are

We are getting what we wished for.

sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 43

No more time spent simmering oils, straining out messy plant matter, calculating dosage!

Freedom for the cannabis chef!

Revolutionizing Archaic Processes The ability to easily stir reliable doses of THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids and terpenes into any food or beverage shakes up the cannabis food scene as considerably as TV dinners and cake mixes revolutionized home cooking in the mid-20th century. No more time spent simmering oils, straining out messy plant matter, calculating dosage!

Freedom for the cannabis chef! A whole new world!

I’m excited about this—and selfishly, I can’t help but worry a little as a cannabis cookbook author. Will anyone ever need directions for foolproof coconut oil infusions or ask for my favorite Bubba Kush-infused bone broth recipe again?

Juan Ayala, chief technology officer for Seattle-based Tarukino, which sells water-soluble cannabis liquids and powders to the wholesale market and to consumers via drinks like Happy Apple and Utopia sparkling water, assures me they will. The former worldwide marketing director for Microsoft, whose new mission is to “revolutionize the archaic processes associated with the bio-delivery of cannabis to patients and consumers,” says people who love the cannabis plant–“the people who say even the terroir, the minerals from where and how the plant was grown, has meaningful impact”–will continue to make up a credible, if small, premium market.

Fake News Before Fake News In late summer 2016, just as the media was desperately seeking dog-days diversions from the impending election, a report about THC being found in wells in Hugo, Colorado–complete with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment encouraging residents not to drink, cook with, or bathe in the water–was almost too good to be true.

And of course, as anyone who understands even the basic chemistry of fat-soluble cannabinoids could tell you, it was. Tests found no THC in the water supply, because that would be impossible.

Christopher Hudalla, PhD, chief scientific officer of Massachusetts-based medical marijuana testing company ProVerdeLabs, told Self.com that even if massive amounts of THC did get into a well, the cannabinoids would stick to the muck on the sides rather than dispersing into the water because it isn’t water-soluble.

“You can make cannabinoids water-soluble, but it would be very, very expensive and very difficult,” said Hudalla, who went on to explain what a huge challenge this has been for the cannabis industry. “People in the industry have been working on this for years, and a few people have achieved water-soluble cannabinoids–but it requires very sophisticated technology.”

Warp speed, 2019. Cannabinoids dissolve in water, and Donald Trump is president. If we’ve learned anything over the past three years, it is this: you can’t make this stuff up.

44 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

Tarukino (named after the Maori word for cannabis)

ty. The company is also targeting home cooks with its Pro

is reaching out to that market with strain-specific can-

20 and Pro-Mini water sold in bottles with dosing cups.

nabinoid and terpene formulations made using its Sorse

The biggest hurdle, Ayala says, is getting people to under-

emulsion technology. The Tarukino team is investing

stand how simple the product is to use.

heavily in water-soluble technology because it believes

“People are having a really hard time understanding it’s

that is the cannabis industry’s future. The company’s

just water,” he says. “You can make pancakes, soup, ramen,

scientists have worked for more than two years to break

guacamole…anything. The only dishes you can’t make are

cannabinoids and terpenes into ever-tinier particles for

ones in which you throw away the water, like spaghetti.”

maximum absorption while removing or improving their

Colorado-based Stillwater Brands ran into similar issues

bitter taste. “Our first version was kind of like the original

when it started marketing Ripple cold-water soluble powders

iPhone,” Ayala says. “It was good, it did some things, but

derived from distillate, says brand director Missy Bradley.

there’s no comparison to where the technology is today.”

The team had to explain again and again that Ripple was not

Reliable Dosing, No Hashy Taste

a sugar packet and that the powder was tasteless, odorless, calorie-free, and could be stirred into anything. Stillwater’s

Since Naturally Splendid USA claimed the first USPTO pat-

lead food scientist Keith Woelfel, who left Mars, Inc., to join the

ent for water-soluble cannabinoids, which are essential to its

startup in 2016, says his team has “spent considerable time

hemp-based Natera nutraceuticals, in 2014, several cannabis

and gone to great lengths to achieve consistency in dosing

companies have won or are seeking patents that tweak the

and clean, consistent flavor without green, hashy bitterness.”

process of emulsifying cannabinoids into nano-size particles

Los Angeles-based cannabis chef Chris Sayegh, who has

that dissolve into water and mix more easily into blood. In the

been cooking with water-soluble cannabinoid solutions

cannabis industry, water-soluble is the new black.

for several years, will soon sell bottles of water-soluble CBD

At Tarukino, Ayala says soccer moms—who can just as

solution through his company, The Herbal Chef. Sayegh

easily and discreetly sip a Utopia sparkling water as they

says the liquid is more stable, easier to dose, and “probably

would a LaCroix–represent the biggest growth opportuni-

the best way to homogenize because on a molecular level,

sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 45

nanoparticles work to create a nice, even net, if you will.”

All of this is why Jon Cooper, founder and CEO of Colorado-based Ebbu—which sells liquid cannabinoid formulations engineered to produce certain moods to the wholesale and consumer markets—predicts water-soluble technology will create “some fairly seismic shifts in the food and alcohol world in the next five years.” (Canopy Growth Corp., which acquired Ebbu late last year for $330 million, appears to agree.)

“[Our team has] gone to great lengths to achieve…clean, consistent flavor without green, hashy bitterness.”

—Keith Woelfel, Stillwater Brands

“Our most important message as we move forward as an says. “People will never trust products that don’t deliver consistent experiences. Big companies coming into this space will have no choice but to achieve that.”

ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE is the author of the bestselling Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook and Pot in Pans: A History of Eating Cannabis, out in May.

Not So Hot Cooking with water-soluble cannabinoids and terpenes is relatively simple, but you still need to understand the plant’s science to get the most out of the liquids and powders.

Heat degrades cannabinoids and terpenes, so never put them in an oven hotter than 200˚F. It’s best to stir in the cannabinoids at the very end of cooking, just before serving, if possible.

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Get in touch: sales@ellementa.com | ellementa.com Get in touch sales@ellementa.com / 303.918.8404 /| 303.918.8404 ellementa.com 46 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

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industry is trust, control, responsibility, and safety,” Cooper

sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 47

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BROOKSPETERSON AND STEVEN SALAZAR PHOTOGRAPHY

MANSION54 OPENING

Mansion54, formerly the historic Hartland Mansion, celebrated its opening with a VIP party. The 25,000-square-foot venue offers an outdoor terrace and two pools to rent for weddings, parties, galas, and events and is a proud participant in the downtown Las Vegas community.

48 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

What: Grand Opening Where: Mansion54 When: December 7, 2018

sensimag.com FEBRUARY 2019 49

{HereWeGo }

by D E B B I E H A L L

WILD RIDE Evel Pie honors 1970s-era stunt motorcyclist Evel Knievel.

In the 1970s, stunt motorcyclist Evel Knievel thrilled

Knievel attempted to jump the fountains at Caesars Pal-

global audiences with his legendary stunts in Vegas. Evel

ace on December 31, 1967. When he hit the takeoff ramp,

Pie (EVELPIE.COM ), a pizza shop and bar, pays homage to

his motorcycle unexpectedly decelerated, causing him to

Knievel. The space showcases a hanging motorcycle, pin-

land on the safety ramp. Knievel suffered a crushed pel-

ball machines, photos, paintings, Schwinn Stingray bicy-

vis, extensive fractures, and a concussion. At 141 feet, the

cles, Dogtown skateboards, a hanging motorcycle, and

stunt was Knievel’s longest attempted motorcycle jump

other Knievel memorabilia from ceiling to floor.

and

Between the Knievel-related knickknacks are

fame to Knievel during

American flags, band stickers, vintage beer ads,

a

and other dive saloon touches. A long bar with

from the 1950s to his

the padded edges adds to the ambiance of the

passing in 2007.

old-school pizzeria.

50 FEBRUARY 2019 Las Vegas

brought career

more

spanning