TRAVEL
EDITION
RIDE INTO THE WOODS Biking the Rails in Mendocino
The Allure of Adventure Barcelona, Glastonbury, Morocco, & Mumbai!
Branding Humboldt
How to Market the Flowers + Trees
{plus}
VEGAN(ISH) TIPS FOR PLANT-BASED MEALS
i am
VITALITY
( n .) T h e s t a t e o f b eing.
sensimag.com MAY 2019 t: 1.833.ARTEMIS www.iamARTEMIS.com ig: @iamARTEMISca
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4 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
sensimag.com MAY 2019 5
6 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
ISSUE 4 // VOLUME 1 // 5.2019
FEATURES 34 Trip for a Lifetime
An ode to the seductive allure of travel.
40 Barcelona Unbound
This city on the Iberian Peninsula is a cannabis lover’s paradise.
30
26 PEDAL POWER Cycling on the Skunk Train
WHITEWATER DREAMS Solace and safety amid the rapids
every issue 9 Editor’s Note 10 The Buzz 14 NewsFeed
BRANDING HUMBOLDT
18 CrossRoads
WHERE IN THE WORLD
22 TasteBuds
THE STRAWHOUSE CAFÉ
26 TravelWell
THE REDWOODS ROUTE
30 LifeStyle
WHITEWATER DREAMS
50 HereWeGo VEGAN(ISH)
Sensi magazine is published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2019 SENSI MEDIA GROUP LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
sensimag.com MAY 2019 7
sensi magazine ISSUE 4 / VOLUME 1 / 5.2019
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
sensimediagroup
EDITORIAL Stephanie Wilson stephanie@sensimag.com EDITOR IN CHIEF
Nora Mounce nora.mounce@sensimag.com MANAGING EDITOR, SENSI EMERALD TRIANGLE
Leland Rucker leland.rucker@sensimag.com SENIOR EDITOR
Robyn Griggs Lawrence CONTRIBUTING EDITOR sensimagazine
Dr. Angie McCartney askangie@sensimag.com COLUMNIST
A RT & D E S I G N Jamie Ezra Mark jamie@emagency.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Rheya Tanner, Wendy Mak, Josh Clark em@sensimag.com sensimag
DESIGN & LAYOUT
BUSINESS & A D M I N I S T R AT I V E Lelehnia DuBois lelehnia.dubois@sensimag.com PUBLISHER
Tad Sarvinski tad.sarvinski@sensimag.com Shannon Golightly shannon.golightly@sensimag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Amber Orvik amber.orvik@sensimag.com Agricultural Tessng Data, Analyycs Machine Learning ArrďŹ cial Intelligence
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
@talisman.analyycs @talismanalyycs WWW.TALISMANANALYTICS.COM EUREKA CA, HUMBOLDT COUNTY, USA
8 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
Marijuana Business Daily Minority Cannabis Business Association National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy
THE REDWOOD ADVISORY BOARD Coldwell Banker Sellers, Sandi DeLuca // REAL ESTATE
Canna-Envy //
nity bound by what we are not—urban, overcrowded, and main-
EMERALD TRIANGLE CULTURAL EXPERT
Hendrx Farms // CANNABIS NURSERY Humboldt Patient Resource Center // DISPENSARY
stream—the Emerald Triangle is famously tucked away behind the redwood curtain. “What big trees you have,” said Little Redwoods as she edged closer to the county line. “The better to hide our gardens, my dear,” replied the farmer.
Humboldt Redwood Healing // Humboldt SWAG //
COMMUNITY
BRAND MANAGEMENT
Kathleen Bryson, Attorney // KC Financial Services //
LAW OFFICE
ACCOUNTING
The Kingdom Group, Inc. // SECURITY Magna Wealth Business Services // BUSINESS MANAGMENT
Mountainwise Farms // Redwood Roots //
TOPICALS
DISTRIBUTION
SoHum Royal // MIXED LIGHT FARMING Southern Humboldt Business & Visitors Bureau // TOURISM Sunnabis //
REGENERATIVE CANNABIS FARMING
Talismans Analytics //
LAB TESTING
HEMP PRODUCTS
Wildseed, LLC. //
NOTE
This far north, traveling is a way of life. A commu-
DIY CANNABIS
Forever Found //
ULEVA //
CURTAIN
editor’s
CO2 EXTRACTION
Each winter, the two-lane highways heading east, south, and north from Humboldt often close on account of landslides and downed trees. Sometimes, impossibly enough, you cannot get out of town for a few days. Flying doesn’t simplify matters; flights are often delayed or cancelled due to heavy fog. Recently, rumors have swirled about resurrecting an old railroad line, but they are quickly dismissed by healthy skepticism and the absence of requisite millions. For now, living this far removed from the rest of the world means regularly spending hours in the car to travel. But we’re just like everyone else: We love the excitement of packing bags, exploring new countries, shifting our worldview, and chasing the sun. So travel, we do! I know teachers who don’t mind “popping down” to San Francisco for a workshop (five hours each way) and parents who make weekly treks for their child’s medical appointments in Redding or Davis. And come winter, the lucky among us recharge body and mind in far-flung tropical locales, simply scheduling an extra day of driving on each end. It’s the Emerald Triangle way of life. While the lack of proximity can be daunting, we’re quick to explain it’s precisely what makes our community so damn special. No one can put a price on empty beaches, silent redwood groves, and unlimited access to some of the most rare and scenic landscapes in the world. This is why we always come home. In the spirit of sharing our green jewels with the world, we invite travelers to re-imagine the journey north. Plan ahead, upload your favorite podcast, or take in the scenery while traveling beyond your imagination into Northern California’s Emerald Triangle.
Nora Mounce
M ANAG I NG E D I TO R
SENSI EMERALD TRIANGLE
sensimag.com MAY 2019 9
f o e f i L e h t n i y a AD R E D N E a BUDT
oor of g the d n ri te n e per ction of ey whis vast sele e place,” th th e t th a e rm en ust b ith a wa eyes wid “This m them w e their e g s n I ti . e ry a re .G ens products the disp ce. ers and w o fl is anythe dan is I begin lifornia , cannab a o ll C e h 4 6 ly p p d friend rving u post-Pro smile an been se e der in v n a e h t I d t u oun y. year, a b boldt C Being he past t m r u o H F f . o g bis, lks ut borin o canna e fine fo t h t rs r e thing b fo m o wc ness cals, ne ted rec is good e educa cannab soned lo a id e v s ro re p ght is to r they a in the ri my job rs , e h Whethe g m u o st hro f r my cu assing t years o elp stee my 20 or just p h re d a n h a s to dations at pride ry day. ommen me gre s e ces eve iv g fa It w . Some . e n n io h ifaceted is wit direct lt b u a n m n is a a barnder nce in c ecialist, f a bute p o s experie n t n io t e d em descrip manag a truste The job aler, or t, a pain e is h p a ra , e erson or and m a th the do il salesp a days I a t in re lk a a , w h a friend ho will ions wit tender, interact know w y r e M v . e y n . a sh td nte. I and fre ring tha confida aining, rt be wea e l t il n ins w e , I t at iting he s ra which h job exc about t e h ic t t e p o e hai, or wax p ers ke colate T o s in to custom e h C m , o d c s Re timer toward anama An old g for P er them e in t s k o y rll lo o a of usu ryear, places case, I of yeste to their In this s . e ld g few o a e G o have a ve lin Acapulc ant to hich ha w w t , s s ju in ers e stra custom landrac 2) s older e on page 1 im t e m (continued o S . igin
10 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
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laughs remem bering usually the old by the e days. It n ’s nosta d o u r excha friend a lgic, an nge the nd a tru d y leave sted m with a n edicine One of ew giver. my mo st mem ing a w orable oman e xperien who ha ces was been to d been helpld by d in a car a o c t o rs ccident new no that eve rmal. R and ryday p ather th ain wou decided an acce ld be h pting th to try c er annabis e progn tory an . I listen osis, she d curre e d to her m nt sym try a pa ptoms, edical h ck of Sp and rec isace Gem ommen These H d C e d B D gum umbold she mies in t-made with ice a 1:1 ra , gourm water h t io. et gum ash and mies are to allev h a m v e iate pa ade been kn in and own for and so inflamm h e lp othing ing a tion wit quality. h an u pensary O n p h li e ft r return , she ha ing s told m visits to existen e that h the dis t now. er pain is almo Whethe s t n onr I’m sh owing a est” live young resin, p millenn roviding ial the icals, or a grand “terpirecomm m other w e n d ith CBD in a moun g a n upliftin toptain ma g sativa n head for you pre-roll ed bac as a kn k to to the owledg hills, I a bis adv eable p m here ocate, I ro fe ssional. love offi As a ca hookup cially b nnas and y e in g the lad o ur frien always y d w ly it h n ready a eighbo the nd willi rhood b dation, ng to h udtend or just li elp, ma er, sten. ke a re comme n–Jessic a Reinu
s
www.HPRCHumboldt.com A12-18-000025TEMP 12 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
DELISH on 5th
The thousands of members of the Humboldt Foodies Facebook group were abuzz with excitement when signs for a new deli and kitchen shop appeared at the busy corner of 5th and F in Eureka. Too many years had passed since the community’s last proper cooking store shuttered its doors. If the people demanded a selection of culinary decor, cookbooks, rare ingredients, and premium cookware, executive chef Christine Silver would be the one to deliver. Finishing salts! Pomegranate molasses! Imported cheeses! Cast-iron cookware! Delish on 5th, a modern deli and kitchen store, has arrived. Delish, which opened last winter, is Silver’s third Humboldt eatery, joining 6th & E and the Humboldt Soup Company in Eureka. A passionate chef with 30 years of experience, Silver still loves to cook at home. She created Delish on 5th, her first endeavor into retail, “to bring quality items that I like to use myself to the consumer.” Popping into Delish, home chefs and foodies can peruse the growing retail section that includes Staub cast-iron cookware made in France, Zwilling’s line of pro cooking tools from Germany, and a wide range of imported beer. Those with an appetite can head straight to the deli for grab-and-go items like pastry chef Luis Lujan’s chocolate-almond-pear danish or made-to-order panini sandwiches like the French sub featuring ham, Gruyere cheese, quince paste, and arugula on a baguette ($9). Serious foodie or not, you’ll find the offerings at Delish on 5th getting more plentiful (and delicious!) every day. –Nora Mounce Delish on 5th // 440 F St., Eureka // DELISHON5TH.COM // 707-273-5155 // @DELISHON5H
sensimag.com MAY 2019 13
{newsfeed } by T H O M A S O L I V E R
BRANDING HUMBOLDT: MARKETING THE FLOWERS & THE TREES A new marketing strategy takes root. A 40-year working relationship between the City of Eu-
tential for growth. EHVB Marketing and Media Director
reka and the Eureka-Humboldt Visitors Bureau (EHVB)
and Interim Director Richard Stenger then stepped up to
may come to an end this summer over divergent views on
plead the EHVB’s case to remain the proprietor of market-
how to brand the region’s world-famous trees and flow-
ing services. The crux of the issue: Does the EHVB, which
ers. At a February 5 meeting, the Eureka City Council voted
is responsible for marketing Humboldt County as a whole,
unanimously to approve a request for proposals (RFP) for
not only Eureka, dynamically promote and represent the
marketing services. The winner will be selected on May 7
city to justify its yearly funding?
and will be under contract beginning July 1.
The city council meeting caused quite a stir. Thirty cit-
In February, Eureka’s Director of Development Services
izens of Eureka took to the podium for public comment,
Rob Holmlund presented the City of Eureka’s position on
including owners of the city’s four largest hotels, EHVB
the pitfalls of the current marketing strategy and the po-
board members, and concerned public citizens. Across
14 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
the board, support for the RFP was overwhelming, while
to navigate the legal cannabis industry. At the February
those who spoke in favor of the EHVB retaining their con-
meeting, discussion around how to best incorporate can-
tract without competition could be counted on one hand.
nabis quickly became a central theme of the debate. For
In favor of passing the RFP, Eureka citizen James Kloor
years, the EHVB’s marketing strategy can perhaps best be
argued the case with simple logic: “It would be a shame
summed up with one word: Redwoods. Redwoods. Red-
to see the City of Eureka out of touch with what could
woods. But since California’s passage of Proposition 64 in
bring interested tourists into the area by never reevaluat-
2016, some EHVB board members and councilmembers
ing our outreach campaigns,” Kloor said during the public
wondered why the legal cannabis industry has not already
comment period. His arguments echoed most in favor of
been brought into the fold. After all, Humboldt County is
passing the RFP—why not?
one third of the Emerald Triangle—the colloquial term
Yet, embedded within any conversation around market-
for Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity counties and easi-
ing and tourism in Humboldt County is the question of how
ly the most (in)famous pot-growing territory in the world. sensimag.com MAY 2019 15
Councilman Austin Allison. At the podium, Richard Stenger asked for a glass of water before answering Allison’s question about marketing cannabis—the elephant in the room. In response, Stenger emphasized the lack of “deliverables,” stating, “In order for
“We want to get the best ideas on how to market Eureka and optimize our return on investment fiscally, socially, and culturally,” —Rob Holmlund, City of Eureka Director of Development Services
an industry to succeed, it needs to create its own business
Maier and Lasseter were both central members of the re-
plan first.” Stenger compared cannabis to the burgeon-
cently created (and soon after dissolved) subcommittee on
ing Humboldt County wine market several years ago. “We
cannabis. The group was formed at the direction of the ex-
were so bully on [the wine industry] that we jumped the
ecutive board to investigate and explain how cannabis could
gun and marketed before it was ready. That resulted in a
be used as a marketing tool for Humboldt County. Until the
lose-lose situation,” explained the marketing director. “Rec-
sub-committee was dissolved, the sub-committee refuted the
reational cannabis is still in its early days,” stressed Stenger.
notion that cannabis does not have marketing deliverables.
He argued that pushing cannabis to the forefront before it’s dressed for showtime would do more harm than good.
“We’re educating people on the right way to grow cannabis and breaking down misconceptions,” says Lasseter. An
But some EHVB board members disagree. “I have been
effusive advocate for Southern Humboldt, Lasseter and the
trying to get the EHVB to recognize cannabis as the oppor-
SHBVB will host the first Meet the Farmers dinner series at
tunity it is for the past two years, and it has fallen on deaf
the Benbow Inn this May. “That’s a deliverable,” she adds.
ears,” explained Laura Lasseter, operations director of the
In Eureka, Ward 5 Councilwoman Natalie Arroyo agrees.
Southern Humboldt Business & Visitors Bureau (SHBVB)
“I’d like to see cannabis be included in the marketing of our
in Garberville. Meredith Maier, EHVB board member and
community, as it is unique to Humboldt, involves a lot of inno-
co-owner of McKinleyville’s Six Rivers Brewery, echoed
vation, and is a legal and important sector of local business.”
Lasseter’s sentiment. “I can tell you with certainty that
When reached for comment, Stenger described a different
the Bureau has failed the city and the county, and has not
reality. “We understand there is some frustration from certain
lived up to their obligations,” said Maier during her public
segments of the cannabis community regarding the EHVB and
comment at the February 5 meeting.
its role in marketing an important part of Humboldt’s culture. I
16 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
PHOTO CREDITS (LEFT TO RIGHT): CICELY SUHAYDA, LEW BUCKNER, CICELY SUHAYDA
“Couldn’t we be using this to our benefit?” asked Eureka
Eureka-based artist Anna Sofia Amezcua
SUNNABIS FARMER’S RESERVE PREMIUM EIGHTHS AND PRE-ROLLS Collaborating with Seed2Soul distribution to bring only the best craft cannabis from our farm to you.
think the real issue is identifying the most promising potential tourism assets within the cannabis community.” Preaching patience and process, Stenger added, “We see deliverables coming, but it’s going to take some time.” At the February council meeting, Matt Kurth, owner of the Eureka-based Humboldt Cannabis Tours, also spoke to the viability of marketing cannabis. “We’re not fully mature yet, but we have the deliverables to make it happen,” says Kurth. “I did 60 tours last year, all out of Eureka. We have bud-and-breakfasts opening up, we have lounges and dispensaries opening up. And I can start doing [tours] right now,” added Kurth. The EHVB has held a non-competitive contract with the City of Eureka since the 1970s. Annually, it receives $370,000 in funding from the City of Eureka, which comprises 43 percent of its total budget. Only three years ago, the city found itself in a similar position with the de facto Visitor’s Center, formerly operated by the Eureka Chamber of Commerce. As disillusionments grew, the city underwent a similar RFP process, resulting in a brand-new Visitor’s Center now housed in the lobby of the Clarke Historical Museum, an iconic building in historic Old Town. “We want to get the best ideas on how to market Eureka and optimize our
We believe that only cannabis grown with conscious choices results in superior product. Our multi-generational small family farm cultivates energetically dynamic plants utilizing regenerative agriculture practices so the flower that comes from fl our farm is of exceptional quality as well as maintaining minimal environmental impact. (Basically we care about our planet and our product so you can feel good about loving our flower!)
return on investment fiscally, socially, and culturally,” explains Holmlund. Humboldt County has the potential to be the vanguard for a new age of cannabis. Neither Trinity nor Mendocino county, the other two vertices of the Emerald Triangle, have officially adopted cannabis as a marketing tool. Yet, in October of 2018, the Eureka City Council voted unanimously to allow on-site cannabis consumption at permitted locations, making Eureka one of half a dozen cities in California where such innovation is legally approved. In the heart of the Emerald Triangle, such legislation is a major step forward in recognizing the region’s legendary cannabis heritage.
www.sunnabis.com Instagram: @HumboldtsFullSunFarms sensimag.com MAY 2019 17
{crossroads } by R I C A R D O B A C A
WHERE IN THE WORLD Exploring the grittier, more rewarding side of cannabis tourism.
Want to know how spoiled we are in Free America?
together as they make a similar hand gesture, mimicking
Here’s how spoiled: When we think of cannabis tourism,
the ancient hash-making technique. The modified cigarette
we think of bud-and-breakfasts in century-old Victorian
makes one more round before you and your new friends
homes, guided garden tours via swank limo buses, and
head back inside for more tea, maybe a few beers and a
Friday nights spent learning the intricacies of rolling both
more elevated conversation. Not a bad vacation, right?
sushi and joints—before consuming said sushi and joints.
Or maybe you’re reading a book inside a canal-side cof-
Not a bad vacation. But as many of us know, marijuana
feeshop in Amsterdam when a young couple asks if they
tourism throughout most of the world is less glam and more
can share your table. They’re sharing their stash from
glum. Sometimes we need to check our state-legal privi-
home, a far superior product to the dried-out garbage you
lege at the door and remind ourselves how lucky we are to
just bought from the counter, and an hour later you’re fol-
be alive right now in these sky-high times (Hamilton refer-
lowing them back to their flat, which is home to a surpris-
ence intended, weed pun definitely not).
ingly sophisticated 10-plant grow.
Most of the world still lacks access to safe cannabis prod-
They pour you a glass of wine before the tour, and when
ucts, a regulated retail environment, and sensible drug laws,
they open the door you squint your eyes to let them adjust.
and so the concept of cannabis tourism takes on an entirely
When you ask them why their flower is so much better
different meaning in Morocco, India, and even the Nether-
than the coffeeshop’s, they tell you that, while the Dutch
lands—all legitimate cannabis heritage communities.
government tolerates limited retail sales and permitted
Though let me tell you: This grittier, more dangerous side of
use, it is still illegal to cultivate cannabis in the Nether-
cannabis tourism is infinitely more rewarding than its coun-
lands, a policy regulators are contemplating changing.
terparts in Free America, hot-boxed limo bus be damned.
An intense chicken-and-egg conversation follows before
Imagine with me: You’re in a trendy Mumbai bar chat-
they bid you a lovely evening by pointing out the near-
ting up some locals over chais when one of them asks,
est tram line and sending you on your way with a week’s
“Would you like some charas?” You recognize the word as
worth of homegrown herb. Totally not a bad vacation.
the local handle for hash and nod yeah, and a few minutes
As someone who loves to travel I must add: I am not
later you’re passed a hand-rolled cigarette with the waxy
recommending you break local laws while traveling.
charas spread generously throughout.
Many of us have seen Brokedown Palace and read Mid-
The familiar sting immediately hits the back of your throat upon your first inhale, but the aftertaste is as unique
night Express, and we all know how this scenario sometimes tragically ends.
as the subcontinent itself. Your new friends tell you about
But I am telling you to live a little—and if your partner
the Himalayan tradition of charas, and you rub your hands
were to ever forward you an article about hiking among
18 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
Deep in the blue city of Chefchaouen, Morocco
sensimag.com MAY 2019 19
Business Law (Contracts & Compliance) ■ Intellectual Property ■ Cannabis Defense ■ DUIs/DMV Hearings ■ All Felonies & Misdemeanors ■
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20 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
732 5th Street, Suite C Eureka, CA 95501 info@humboldtjustice.com www.humboldtjustice.com
707.268.8600 Working in Association with
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The grittier side of cannabis tourism is
infinitely more rewarding
The Chefchaouen medina built into the side of the Rif Mountains
than its counterparts in Free America, hot-boxed limo bus be damned.
massive valleys of cannabis plants in the Rif Mountains above Chefchaouen, Morocco, a month before you’re actually traveling to Chefchaouen, Morocco, then you pack your boots and start doing your research immediately.
“I do, sir,” he said sweetly. “And I think you will like this hike to the waterfall very much.” I will never forget what happened that next day. Be tween the tiresome, 8.5-mile hike and our indefatigable
And this is where the story gets personal. While friends
guide, the unsinkable people we met along the way, and
of mine had these experiences in Mumbai and Amsterdam,
the humble family we drank tea and made hash with at
my real-world cannabis tourism experience came in Chef-
our destination, the unparalleled views and the compel-
chaouen, when I approached the hotel desk after a big rush
ling cultural and political discussions, that special day lives
of check-ins and carefully introduced myself to the clerk:
on in technicolor in my memory.
“I’m a journalist. I am not looking to buy drugs. I am
As for the rest of that magical Moroccan day? I’m saving
looking to see these fields of cannabis and talk to a local
it for my memoir. Though I will add that that remarkable
villager about the hash-making process and the impor-
waterfall-less hike told me I was on the right life path.
tance of the cannabis trade for he and his family.”
This was exactly what I was supposed to be doing with
The desk clerk, who appeared to be no older than 14,
my life. Writing about cannabis, about drug policy. Travel-
looked at me assuredly and said, “Yes, sir. So you want to
ing to foreign lands and incorporating my passion for this
hike to the waterfall. I would be happy to arrange a guide
substance into my itinerary. Cherishing that off-the-beat-
for you and your wife, sir.”
en-path experience over the out-of-the-box commodities
I was mystified. Did he understand what I said? Surely
of the 420-legal world. Recognizing that we still have a
he did. I said the word cannabis like three times, and I
long way to go before this plant is fully understood the
pointed up the mountainside while making hand motions
world over.
that somehow were meant to convey entire vistas of African-grown cannabis. “You do understand what I’m hoping to see?” I asked.
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 MAY 2019 21
{tastebuds } by N O R A M O U N C E
Dining al fresco on the Trinity River. The Strawhouse CafĂŠ & Resort is perched just off
it rushes west. A mountainous country populated by
Highway 299 in Big Flat, a postage- stamp sized town
homesteaders, lumberjacks, and farmers, Trinity Coun-
in Trinity County. The scenic, twisty road hugs the frothy
ty can understandably be a challenging place to find a
whitewater and blue-green pools of the Trinity River as
square meal. But against the odds, the Strawhouse CafĂŠ
22 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
An inflatable raft loaded with smiling faces and orange life vests paddles by shouting, “Hello, Strawhouse!”
bright yellow paint. As triple-digit temperatures are common in the summer in Trinity County, the well-insulated building is ideal for minimizing air conditioning use. Ellis later added cottages along the river and across the road. He reports that occupancy has increased from 20 percent to over 65 percent, with summers typically booked to maximum capacity. Every summer, coastal dwellers from Humboldt head inland for vitamin D, while families from Redding hit the Trinity River to escape the heat. Passing the busy parking
has been serving a creative menu with organic and veg-
lot in Big Flat, it’s clear that the Strawhouse’s early days
etarian leanings for the past 20 years.
of accidental customers are a distant memory. Open year
Strawhouse owners Don and Julia Ellis arrived in Big
round, seven days a week, the entrance to the Strawhouse
Flat a few decades ago, leaving behind a successful up-
is a revolving door of locals, tourists, backpackers, bikers,
holstery business in Southern California. They arrived
and rafters. On the patio, a warm breeze blows upriver,
with a vision of living off the land, but after purchasing
where dining tables frame a sweeping river view. Families
15 acres on the river, the couple saw a need for healthy
lunch outside under cooling misters, while travelers order
dining outposts on the rural highway. Eyeballing a vacant
organic espresso drinks to fuel the remainder of their trip.
and unfinished straw bale home off the highway, they in-
An inflatable raft loaded with smiling faces and orange life
vested on their vision. Ellis took a course on straw bale
vests paddles by shouting, “Hello, Strawhouse!”
construction at the Solar Living Center in Hopland and
The green menu options at the Strawhouse are in-
finished the building with a combination of cement, sand,
fluenced by the Ellis’s philosophy that food is medicine.
and lime and a few coats of the Strawhouse’s signature
Though a hard note to hit, the Ellises have developed a sensimag.com MAY 2019 23
menu that caters to classic tastes and health-conscious appetites. Breakfast options consist of bagel sandwiches topped with a variety of eggs, cheese, bacon, and pesto, along with quiche and a selection of green smoothies. For lunch, people love the large entrée salads topped with grilled chicken or steak ($13.95), but the café’s mainstay is the Strawhouse’s signature Spicy Tri-Tip Sandwich
The Strawhouse Café has been serving a creative menu with organic and vegetarian leanings for the past 20 years.
($10.75). Stacked high with marinated tri-tip, roasted red peppers, provolone cheese, and chipotle sauce on ciabat-
the Sasquatch Special (maybe eating the pizza will help
ta, the sandwiches fly out the door on busy summer days.
their chances of a sighting!) featuring a mythical combi-
Strawhouse’s breads, including its famous cinnamon rolls
nation of pesto, goat cheese, blueberries, and rosemary.
and whole-wheat pizza dough, are made in-house from
If the eco-conscious lodging and wood-fired pizzas
scratch. Every Friday night and summer weekends, the
aren’t enough of a pull, people visit the Strawhouse for
Strawhouse stokes its brick oven to a fiery 800 degrees
the OG coffee. In line with the Ellis’s commitment to sus-
and serves pizza on the patio. Out-of-towners can’t resist
tainable agriculture, Ellis began roasting coffee during its
24 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
second year in business. By roasting his own beans, Ellis is able to understand their source and quality, guaranteeing his customers a delicious and sustainable brew. As word of mouth about Trinity County hospitality, the craft coffee, and organic pizza spreads down river, make your reservations for dinner and stay the night at the Strawhouse Café & Resorts. Be warned, there’s no cell service in Big Flat—we promise, you won’t miss it.
sensimag.com MAY 2019 25
{travelwell } by N O R A M O U N C E
THE REDWOODS ROUTE Trains on trails and bikes on rails offer a fresh perspective of Mendocino’s redwoods. Everyone has heard of California’s famous drive-through
Route. In 1925, CWR added motorcars to carry passen-
trees. If you’ve paid $5 for the experience, you know it’s a
gers, each outfitted with a gasoline-powered engine and
quick novelty thrill best enjoyed with a backseat full of kid-
pot-bellied stoves to keep travelers warm. Folks living on
dos to impress. Do it once, and you’re probably good. Yet,
the rail line nicknamed the motorcars “skunks” for the
the allure of penetrating the Emerald Triangle’s redwood
stinky blend of fumes that “you smell before you saw.” De-
forest persists. Who doesn’t want to experience the in-
spite the pungent reputation, the Skunk Train was a fash-
toxicating redwoods from a perspective typically reserved
ionable party on rails at its peak of popularity in 1930s.
for raccoons, owls, and bears? Other creative portals into
By the late 1980s, the region’s timber industry was in
the ancient giants include cozy treehouses like the One-
freefall and most American families owned a car or two.
Log House, a carved-out 7-foot by 32-foot “home” built
Like most historic railroads in the US, the CWR was in
inside a 2,100-year-old redwood. (The One Log Lounge, a
danger of being ripped up until a group of investors res-
permitted dispensary, opened next to the tourist attrac-
cued the adorable little Skunk. Today, the Skunk Train is
tion last year). Further north at the Trees of Mystery in Del
a world-famous tourist attraction that appeals to all
Norte, visitors can hop in a gondola for a bird’s eye view of
ages as it chugs along the rails with old-timey charm,
the famous forests. Ziplines through the redwoods have
an open-platform viewing car, and a bar car serving local
come and gone. Overall, the majority of the estimated 31
beer, wine, and snacks. A very family-friendly experience,
million people who visit the redwoods each year absorb
even Fido is welcome (with a ticket!) onboard.
the towering beauties from hiking trails and car windows.
After the train lumbers back into the Fort Bragg sta-
It seemed as though every angle had been considered. But
tion, it’s time to clear the tracks for the Emerald Triangle’s
in late 2017, a brand-new mode of exploration material-
newest immersive redwoods experience—rail bikes! The
ized right where we’d been looking.
new-fangled bikes debuted last August, making 2019 the
Stationed in the coastal city of Fort Bragg, the historic
first full season for the Mendocino County attraction. Just
Skunk Train dates back to 1885, when the railroad played
as the name suggests, each two-person motor-assisted
a pivotal role for the region’s robust lumber industry. Lat-
bicycle sits directly on the railroad tracks. Comfortable
er known as the California Western Railroad (CWR), the
leather seats allow two cyclists to sit side-by-side in a
train transported lumber and cargo through 40 miles of
slightly reclined position while pedaling (imagine paddle-
thick redwoods from Fort Bragg to Ukiah on The Redwood
boats without water!). But unlike a rowboat scenario, rail
26 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
sensimag.com MAY 2019 27
bikes don’t require steering, nor do riders need to match pace while pumping the pedals. Humming gently along the tracks, the soundtrack is a blend of bird songs, babbling streams, and the peaceful solitude of the redwoods. Setting off for an hour ride along the Pudding Creek Express, each Rail Bike maintains an easy distance from the next by simply easing off the pedals or dialing back the motorized “assist.” During orientation, enthusiastic guides explain how the rail bikes function, including how to operate the throttle. Cyclists can dial up the throttle to take it easy and enjoy the scenery. More athletic riders can dial the throttle down and rely on their heart and legs and to pump their rail bikes back up the hill from the abandoned logging town of Glen Blair. When the cyclists hop off to stretch their legs at the Glen Blair turnaround, the guides point out the blocked-off tunnel across a narrow wooden bridge. Here, the Redwood Route used to continue, chugging through the mountainside and connecting the eastern rail line from Fort Bragg to Willits. After Tunnel #1 collapsed in 2013, erosion and damage were further exacerbated by powerful el nino storms in 2016. The Mendocino Railway, who now owns the Skunk Train, hopes to unblock the tunnel and re-open the historic route.
WHO DOESN’T WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE
intoxicating redwoods
FROM A PERSPECTIVE TYPICALLY RESERVED FOR RACCOONS, OWLS, AND BEARS?
28 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
Until the tunnel is cleared, longer excursions originate from Willits, where passengers can enjoy a two-hour ride along the Wolf Tree Turn. Too relaxing to qualify as a workout but uniquely appealing to non-tourists and visitors alike, rail bikes offer a new entrée into the redwoods’ special brand of romance and tranquility. From March through November, duos and couples can book rides along the Pudding Express ($79) to experience old-world scenery on an innovative new ride. While dogs aren’t allowed on the rail bikes and there’s no bar serving cocktails at Glen Blair, just give it time. In Mendocino, they are busy dreaming up new ways to re-event nature and recreation on the Redwood Route.
sensimag.com MAY 2019 29
{lifestyle } by J E S S A R E G O
WHITEWATER DREAMS
a shuttle or sticking out your thumb). For those who do want to paddle, most rivers have several distinct reaches that range from “the gnar” you see on Red Bull commercials to flat, slow, and beginner-friendly. The first time I sat in a river kayak, in flat water on the
Your guide to getting on the river.
Mad River, I was simultaneously terrified and in love. Fear is a sign that you respect the river. But local outfitters have plenty of knowledge and experience to get you started.
When I was baptized by my first “combat” kayak roll 10
Also, it’s a great idea for everyone who gets on the river to
years ago in the Trinity River, I thought I was living in the
take a swift water-rescue course to learn basic safety pro-
mecca of river running. In the Emerald Triangle, it was easy
tocol and emergency rescue techniques. Always remem-
to find boating buddies and mentors. As my skills improved,
ber that getting in moving water without basic knowledge,
the list of new runs becoming available to me in the local
skills, and equipment can be fatal. Yet engaging the right in-
watershed felt endless. After I moved away from the area in 2012, a boating friend back in Humboldt lamented that it was becoming harder and harder to find people to kayak with. Despite the region’s stunning beauty and abundant whitewater, the paddling community up north seems to have grown smaller in recent years. We always knew our calling was niche because of the high bar to entry: Whitewater kayaking can be scary, dangerous, and gear-intensive. It can also be safe with the proper precautions, and it’s totally worth it. With rain still falling across California this spring and snow pack at 150 percent of normal, 2019 should be a banner year to convert new devotees to the river. When people decide to try whitewater paddling, they often ask which river is best or whether a particular river is easy or hard. I revel in every opportunity to spread the gospel: every river has something for everybody. A river, like life, is constantly changing. From the top to the bottom, along with daily conditions, throughout the four seasons, and over the years, its character revolves and evolves countless times over. Emerald Triangle rivers have a ton of whitewater to offer locals and visitors alike. For those not interested in downriver travel, river-side picnicking and sunbathing are sublime. To sweeten the scenario even more, your paddling buddies will happily pay in beer for being their “shuttle bunny.” (Once you go down the river, the logistics of getting back requires 30 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
So Many Boats! Different types of kayaks and rafts vary based on a paddler’s experience and type of water. Raft: Large inflatable rafts carry one to 10 paddlers led by a rafting guide. Sit-on-Top Kayak or IK (inflatable kayak): Designed for one to two paddlers, it’s easy to fall off and get back on (imagine a seal and do as they do). Great for beginners! Whitewater Kayak: Paddlers sit in a cockpit covered by a neoprene skirt. These are the least stable type of boat, but give the paddler maximum control. Kayakers need to know how to “roll” their kayak up after capsizing.
sensimag.com MAY 2019 31
Shelter Cove
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Whitewater Outfitters Center Activities at Humboldt State University Arcata // (707) 826-3357
HUMBOLDT.EDU/CENTERACTIVITIES
6 Rivers Rafting, Willow Creek & Big Flat // (707) 599-4221 SIXRIVERSRAFTING.COM
Redwoods & Rivers
Big Bar // (800) 429-0090 REDWOODS-RIVERS.COM
Bigfoot Rafting, Willow Creek & Big Flat // (530) 629-3033 BIGFOOTRAFTING.COM
Trinity River Rafting
Big Flat // (530) 623-3033 TRINITYRIVERRAFTING.COM
Redwood Rides in Crescent City Crescent City // (707) 951-6559 REDWOODRIDES.COM
Liquid Fusion Kayaking
Fort Bragg // (707) 962-1623 LIQUIDFUSIONKAYAK.COM
In addition to the number of quality outfitters that can help you get on the river in the Emerald Triangle, two nonprofit organizations specialize in access: Disabled Adventure Outfitters hosts teen and adult camps for people with rare bleeding disorders from across the United States. While DAO could host the camps in a more centralized location like Sac-
struction and guidance can make river boating arguably
ramento’s American River drainage, it values the peace and
safer than driving a car, according to American Whitewater.
solitude of life behind the “redwood curtain” (and spotty ser-
“I think the public should be reminded that [this year] we will
vice helps to keep teens off their phones). Further north on
have higher-than-normal flows,” cautions Michael Charlton,
the Hoopa Valley Reservation, the Warrior Institute’s white-
co-owner of Redwoods & Rivers in Trinity County. “I strongly
water program for native youth is interwoven with STEM,
recommend that everyone exercise caution in and around the
team sports, CrossFit, and cultural programs. Founder and
river and only go boating with experienced boaters.” Charlton
Executive Director Joseph Marshall says, “Our tribes have al-
and his wife, Wanda, have operated Redwoods & Rivers since
ways had a symbiotic relationship with the river. The river is
1994 and are widely known for treating everyone like family.
our lifeline, and we are stewards for the water. Whitewater
Down the highway at Six Rivers Rafting, head guide Pete
rafting helps us stay connected to our local rivers.”
Harrison explains that big water years can be the most
For me, it’s hard to remember how I existed before find-
fun—when proper training and equipment are employed.
ing the support of this river community and the life lessons
“Traditionally, the media scares people out of rafting due
I’ve learned from whitewater. For anyone unfamiliar with
to high flows, yet this is when the commercial companies
the Emerald Triangle’s breathtaking watersheds, you can’t
should be the busiest with specialty runs that aren’t avail-
get a better perspective of the region—and of yourself—
able every year or all season,” says Harrison.
by embarking on your own downstream journey. sensimag.com MAY 2019 33
An ode to the seductive allure of travel. by L E L A N D R U C K E R
34 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
A few decades ago, on a drive ACROSS SALISBURY PLAIN IN SOUTHWESTERN
ENGLAND, MY LOVE BILLIE AND I WERE SPENDING A NIGHT IN THE VILLAGE OF WELLS. AFTER FINISHING DINNER AT A LOCAL PUB, IT WAS STILL LIGHT, AND WE HEADED OUT A WINDING COUNTRY ROAD TO GET A LOOK OVER THE MOORS OF SOMERSET AT SUNSET. Near the top of the Mendip hills, we were startled by
We had noticed it earlier looming over Glastonbury
a raucous herd of sheep, and I pulled off the road along
Abbey ruins while we stood before a thorn tree that the
a low stone wall and parked at the edge of a field to lis-
signage explained bloomed from a cutting that grew
ten. The receding sun shone across the gently sloping
from a staff that Joseph of Arimathea himself stuck in
hills and dales, manicured fields, fences, and farmhouses
the ground right here. Huh? The hill loomed above us
while hundreds of rams and ewes bleated in the twilight.
while we examined the spot where medieval monks
But my eye went straight to a mound rising out of the
found mysterious bones that they proclaimed were the
mist. A pyramidal hill with something at its crest, look-
very skeletons of King Arthur and Guinevere. What?
ing for all the world like the lowest rung on the stair-
This was long before the internet, and we left the next
way to heaven. The mysterious prominence reached
morning, so it wasn’t until I got back home and did some
out, shimmering in its ghostly light. “I’m here,” it said.
research that I found out that structure was the Glaston-
“Come on over and see me some time.” I was spellbound,
bury Tor, beckoning to me was the just as it has to hu-
unable to take my eyes away. What was this hill calling
mans for centuries. I found out more about how Joseph,
me like a siren?
a minor New Testament character, got mixed in with
sensimag.com MAY 2019 35
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36 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
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Humboldt Redwood Healing
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the legends of the Knights of the Round Table. I learned that some stories claim that Joseph, while spreading the Gospel, brought the Holy Grail to the Glastonbury area—a place where many Arthurian legends linger. In the early 19th century, poet William Blake imagined the possibility that Jesus even came to this spot when he was young, and his piece titled “Jerusalem” notes the below passage:
And did those feet in ancient times Walk upon England’s mountains green And was the Holy Lamb of God On England’s pleasant pastures seen? Even earlier, the Tor was considered the place where fairies entered and left the earth. The more I studied and learned about the area, the more fascinating it all became. Two years later, Billie and I returned, this time to climb and stand atop the Tor and breathe in all that mythology/history/splendor for ourselves. Our Glastonbury experience taught us perhaps the two most important tenets of travel: You never know when or where the really cool stuff is going to happen, and sometimes the trip itself is only the beginning of the journey.
Vacation is Static; Travel is Action No matter the convenience or conveyance—we started by walking, remember—humans have always loved to travel. Lusted to travel. To go places we haven’t seen. To see things we didn’t know existed. To cross impassable rivers and climb distant mountains. We will go to incredible lengths to reach out-of-the-way places for that moment of complete, total, gobsmacking surprise that stays with us forever. Travel expands our boundaries and expands our worldview. Moving from one place to another and seeing locales that were once no more than dots on a map is easier than ever, although almost anyone who’s been flying for more than 20 years knows it can be a lot less fun than it used to be, too. Early travelers used natural landmarks as guideposts to other places. Today, we just dial in the GPS and sit back. Soon we’ll have driverless vehicles and, if the billionaires have their way, tourist space vehicles, and people will pony up and stand in line to board, no matter the cost. Vacations are one thing, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with hopping a jet and sitting in a beach chair contemplating the horizon while sipping fruity rum drinks. We can all use that tropical getaway every now and again. sensimag.com MAY 2019 37
38 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
But travel is something else. Vacation is static; travel
Or there was that time I made the mistake of eating
is action. It is doing something you might not ordinari-
smoked salmon just before climbing on a tour boat for
ly do, something distinct from your daily routine, and
Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska. I saw mostly the
it involves an ability to sometimes just let go and allow
interior of a commode, but still managed to view icebergs
things to happen. It isn’t magic. You might return from
calving and the breaching of sperm whales around us.
a vacation tanned and rested, but travel might leave you
Then there was the eight-hour flight in the middle of
more tired and worn out than when you left. But taking
the 80th row of the largest jumbo jet I’ve ever seen that
that chance makes moments like finding Glastonbury
included a metal pipe where my right leg was supposed
Tor out there in the mist even greater experiences.
to reside—really unpleasant. The payoff: a week up close
That doesn’t mean you don’t plan for your travels. Today, you can seriously research before you depart on your ad-
and personal with African elephants. Worth every second of torture. I’d sign up again in a flash.
venture to help you make better decisions on the road. To
And that’s why we keep coming back. Traveling can do
find places otherwise hidden. To look for out-of-the-way
wonders for your self-confidence and esteem. I was ter-
places. One resource I mine regularly for ideas is Atlas Ob-
rified about all aspects of spending four days camping
scura, a simple guide to little-known curiosities all over
at McNeil River in Alaska with brown bears everywhere.
the world. Think things through before you leave, know-
But in the process, I lost my fear of small airplanes and
ing you can’t plan for everything. And after you get home
learned to respect grizzlies as the intelligent creatures
from any trip, head for the library or the internet to find
they are. Today I’m more afraid to drive from one city to
out as much as you can about what you’ve seen and done.
another than I was walking out there with the bears.
Travel involves risks, many unseen. At Glastonbury,
Travel builds the spirit, even if you aren’t always in
we mistakenly left all our travel cash on a bench inside
control. That evening in Glastonbury was 45 years ago.
the church grounds, and we spent 45 nervous minutes
Even without cellphones and selfies, I can still be on the
searching before a wonderful English lady returned it to
Tor looking out over the moors anytime I want.
us just as she found it.
May all your travels be adventures.
We will go to incredible lengths to reach out-of-the-way places for that moment of
complete, total, gobsmacking surprise that stays with us forever.
sensimag.com MAY 2019 39
BARCE UNBOUND With legendary seed banks, social consumption clubs, psychedelic architecture, the Mediterranean Sea, and nightlife that never ends, this city on the Iberian Peninsula is a cannabis lover’s paradise. by R O BY N G R I G G S L AW R E N C E
40 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
ELONA! LOOKING TO ENJOY FINE LOCALLY GROWN CANNABIS
in a spectacular setting
WITH PALM TREES AND BEACHES? CALIFORNIA’S NOT YOUR ONLY OPTION. A QUICK HOP ACROSS THE STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR FROM MOROCCO— WHERE SOME OF THE WORLD’S BEST HASHISH HAS BEEN MADE FOR CENTURIES—SPAIN HAS
BEEN A NATURAL PORT OF ENTRY FOR CANNABIS INTO EUROPE SINCE THE TRADE BEGAN. The country was generally tolerant of its use until the UN Single Convention on Narcotics pressured it (along with the rest of the world) to outlaw the plant in 1967. Even so, for the hippies and other pilgrims who rebelled against the iron fist of global prohibition throughout the next couple decades, Spain remained a pot of gold at the end of the Hashish Trail. Never happy with prohibition, Spaniards have done what they could to dance around it. In the 1980s, the Supreme Court ruled that cannabis possession for self-consumption couldn’t be prosecuted, and the government decriminalized all drug use. Then, alarmed by the amount of Moroccan hashish flooding Spanish streets, the government cracked down in 1992 with a decree that anyone carrying cannabis in public could be searched and fined (from €350 on up to €30,000), leading to the arrest of 300,000 people—and a new name for Spanish stoners: “kangaroos,” because they stashed joints in their underpants where the police couldn’t search. Unwilling to risk being harassed on the street, Spaniards turned to home cultivation in a huge way. In 1994, activists planted 200 cannabis plants in Catalonia, and five years later, legendary Australian breeder Scott Blakey, aka Shantibaba, sprinkled Spain with 25,000 seeds of strains he had created for a Dutch company, forever changing the gene pool—for the better. sensimag.com MAY 2019 41
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¡VIVA LA CANNABIS! Spaniards celebrate their love for the leaf (Spain is behind only the United States and Iceland in per capita consumption) during Spannabis and the World Cannabis Conference, which brings more than 30,000 aficionados from Europe and around the world to Barcelona during the second weekend of every March for an expo that rivals Northern California’s famed Emerald Cup as the world’s largest. Reflecting Spaniards’ preference for smoking flower over vaping and edibles, the show is a deep dive into the serious genetics that have landed in the country as well as the tools and inputs necessary to grow them. It’s a plant lover’s paradise—and if you’re into CBD, even better. CBD is being heavily marketed as a wellness product and tobacco substitute throughout Europe, and Spaniards’ appetite for CBD and hemp products has soared. SPANNABIS.COM
selling CBD products and cannabis seeds are as common as tapas bars. Though home growers are technically supposed to keep their plants away from public view, it’s not uncommon to catch a glimpse of one or two on a Barcelona balcony. Today’s freedom is the result of an active cannabis rights movement that grew up in the 1990s and saw opportunity in provisions of Spanish law that allowed for private cultivation and shared consumption. The group used those as the basis for founding the country’s first cannabis club, Club de Catadores de Cannabis de Barcelona, a collective that pooled its resources to grow cannabis for members’ personal consumption in members-only establishments, in 2001. Immediately slapped with lawsuits that went all the way to the Supreme Court—which ruled in the club’s favor—Club de Catadores paved the way for cannabis social clubs to start popping up throughout Spain. And pop up they did. Ranging in style from hippie living rooms to sleek wellness centers to a famous Barcelona collective open only to women in their 80s, the clubs offer cannabis flower, hashish, concentrates, and edibles for members’ shared consumption on the premises. In 2017,
Today, Spain, where cannabis may or may not be legal
consumers were estimated to have spent about €1 billion
(depending on where you are and who you ask), is a grow-
in Spain’s more than 700 cannabis clubs, clustered largely
er’s mecca—and by default, an imbiber’s mecca as well. A
in Catalonia, where rules are most lenient. With 300 clubs
healthy domestic crop that flourishes in abandoned urban
within its limits, Barcelona has become known as the Am-
warehouses and once-fallow farms along Spain’s Mediter-
sterdam of southern Europe. Some call it New Amsterdam.
ranean coast has long since usurped Moroccan imports and, in fact, makes up much of the stocks on the shelves
Not Just Another Amsterdam…
of Amsterdam’s infamous coffeehouses. “We could have
To be sure, the scent of cannabis hangs over Barcelona,
Europe’s main plantation here and be the California of the
wafting above the streets and sidewalks and out from un-
south,” Pedro Perez, president of the La Santa cannabis as-
der doorways in less-expensive hotels. Cannabis is readily
sociation in Madrid, told El Pais. “We know how to do it, we
available from street dealers if you’re paying any attention
have the sun, the tradition, and the best seed banks.”
(and don’t have a problem with breaking the law—a terrible
Spanish citizens are allowed to cultivate and consume
idea even when you’re not in a foreign country), and social
their own cannabis as long as they do it on private property,
clubs are easy to find online. Entrance to the clubs, reserved
and it’s legal to buy and sell seeds, paraphernalia, and hemp
for Spanish citizens with a local address (a technicality
products. In tourist areas like Barcelona’s Las Ramblas, stores
that’s easy to get around, if the
sensimag.com MAY 2019 43
44 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
GET SMART When you’re in Barcelona, make sure to visit the Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum, a fascinating collection chronicling cannabis’s rich history as well as its promising future. Located in a stunning 15th-century building in central Barcelona, the museum features a permanent exhibition that shows how the plant has been and continues to be used for industrial, nutritional, medicinal, sacramental, and recreational purposes and how modern citizens have fought against repressive government measures and prohibition. HASHMUSEUM.COM
imports—and no one seemed concerned about the legality of that—but there’s really no need to go down that road, because the flower grown in Spain is out of this world. In 2017, the Catalonian government voted overwhelmingly to regulate cannabis clubs, and it now oversees transportation, packaging, hygienic storage, testing, and distribution of the cannabis that clubs cultivate. Though the industry is legitimizing and even has an agreed-upon code of ethics and set of rules (such as limiting members to receiving three grams per day and 25 grams per week), the responsibility for enforcing cannabis laws falls to police agencies and the courts. This can be inconsistent, and the threat of police raids has forced many clubs to stop growing their own and buy products from the black market (which explains the California connection). A serious effort to legalize is under way throughout Spain, but until that happens, social clubs operate in a legal vacuum—which is a shame. A study by Autonomous University
club even asks), can be obtained by following and contact-
of Barcelona found that the cannabis industry could put
ing a club on social media, then paying a yearly member-
€3.3 billion in taxes and Social Security into Spain’s coffers,
ship fee of anywhere from €5 to €80 (for your share of the
and lord knows the country could use it. With spectacular
harvest) to gain access. Inside the club, cannabis is “shared”
seed banks and legendary growers, psychedelic architec-
rather than sold and can be procured through “donations.”
ture and palm trees, the Mediterranean Sea and nightlife
Even if you’ve spent time in Amsterdam, Colorado, or Cal-
that never ends, Barcelona is much more than just anoth-
ifornia, Barcelona’s social clubs are revelatory—in that their
er Amsterdam. This place is paradise, and the homegrown
products compete. Though the edibles selection isn’t as ro-
makes it even more so.
bust as you’ll find in other places, the homegrown flower and concentrates, from blingy Moroccan dry sift to pungent rosin, can’t be beat. Some menus include California
ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE is the author of the bestselling Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook: Feel-Good Food for Home Cooks and the newly released Pot in Pans: A History of Eating Cannabis.
sensimag.com MAY 2019 45
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SUNNABIS
Sunnabis HUMBOLDT’S FULL SUN FARMS.
Sunnabis is a small family-owned farm specializing in craft cannabis located on the banks of the South
country as part of her family’s commitment to natural farming and sustaining the environment.
Fork of the Eel River in beautiful Southern Humboldt.
In Southern Humboldt, Sunnabis focuses on their
Led by Wendy Kornberg and her husband Doug, Sun-
profile of terpenes and cannabinoids, rather than try-
nabis is recognized as a “Humboldt’s Full Sun Farm”
ing to produce the most weight possible. Trichomes
and based on two generations of experience. A pas-
are carefully monitored to ensure peak production
sion to incorporate natural values into the cultivation
and every plant is carefully handpicked by the family
process is what ensures the high quality of farm’s sun-
to support exceptional quality outcomes.
grown plants.
The knowledge behind Sunnabis extends deeply
The Sunnabis natural farming methods that Wen-
into their genetics by offering a unique range of cul-
dy’s family has used for generations are now receiving
tivars for people who truly care about healthy living.
national attention: Closed-loop growing techniques
Count on Sunnabis to always be creating and growing
ensure that almost everything used on the Sunnabis
for a full-service, hand crafted, cannabis experience.
farm comes directly from their land. Sunnabis is also committed to having supplemental lighting on the farm and aiming for a zero-carbon footprint. Sustainable values and practices are extremely important to
For more information, visit:
SUNNABIS.COM
Kornberg and her family. “Our regenerative farming practices create happy-healthy plants!” says Kornberg. “Consumers know they can trust our products because we would never compromise our farming techniques.” Sunnabis is proud to be a woman-owned family farm. Kornberg’s passion extends far beyond the garden and she loves sharing knowledge about regenerative farming. Recently, Kornberg has been busy spreading her joy in educational speaking engagements around the sensimag.com MAY 2019 47
LICENSED, BONDED, INSURED EST. 2014 WALKING YOU THROUGH THE WHITE DOOR OF LEGALIZATION. Magna Wealth is the expert at the essential nuts and bolts of business: Human Resources, Bookkeeping and Accounting, Permitting, and Compliance issues. We handle the day-to-day business chores, freeing you to focus on what you do best to help your business grow and thrive. In-House Services Include: -Administrative & Secretarial -Bookkeeping & Payroll -Business Development Consulting -Human Resources & Notary
48 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
-Licensing Application Assistance -Environmental Compliance -Management Consulting -Track & Trace Setup
KATHLEEN BRYSON
Working for Humboldt KATHLEEN BRYSON, ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
Attorney-at-law Kathleen Bryson has been practicing law in Humboldt County since 2005. An experienced criminal defense attorney, Bryson
“I want people in this business to know that we’re counting on them to succeed,” says Bryson. “I will do anything I can to help support them.”
specializes in representing clients charged with felo-
In every case and for every client, Kathleen Bryson
nies, drug possession, marijuana cultivation/possession,
never stops advocating for justice and opportunity. She
and more. Bryson has represented hundreds of com-
believes in people, the community, and the heritage
munity members in criminal defense matters, giving
of Humboldt County’s cannabis industry. With over
every client the attention and respect they deserve.
two decades of practicing law, Bryson has a long track
Today, Bryson’s team is also dedicated in helping
record of success in defending those charged with a
cannabis businesses get established in the complicat-
crime including reduced penalties, reduced charges,
ed regulatory landscape of the legal industry. Since the
dismissal of charges and probation rather than prison.
passage of Prop 64 in 2016, the cannabis industry has
From arraignment and pre-trial to trial and post-trial,
witnessed rapid transformation overseen by legal reg-
attorney Kathleen Bryson is right by your side.
ulations that seemingly change overnight. For farmers working hard to stay on the pathway to compliance,
For more information, visit:
they must quickly adapt to both state and jurisdictional
HUMBOLDTJUSTICE.COM
policy. As the cannabis industry sets new standards for quality control and sustainability, Kathleen Bryson’s team of trusted legal advisers help entrepreneurs and family farms succeed in the legal market.
sensimag.com MAY 2019 49
{HereWeGo } by L I Z W I L S O N
VEGAN(ISH) Incorporating plant-based meals into everyday diets. One of the simplest ways to live a more sustainable, healthy lifestyle is to incorporate more whole plant foods
bles into your daily diet is as easy as making a morning smoothie.
into our daily diet. At Rebel Fitness & Nutrition in Eureka,
“Greens pair perfectly with citrus, cucumber, and fresh
owner and plant-based nutrition coach Katie Berrey em-
herbs. Everything goes with a banana,” says McCluskey,
phasizes that small, incremental changes in your everyday
adding that if the colors flow, they probably go. McCluskey
routine are key. “Instead of focusing on all the things you
encourages her students to invest in themselves by learn-
can’t have, work on adding more whole plant-based foods
ing to create a few super-satisfying plant-based meals to
into your daily diet,” explains Berrey. “It’s all about fruits,
help jumpstart their journeys into plant-based cooking.
vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and healthy
Making intentional food choices has never been easier.
plant-based fats. Go for whole, unprocessed foods and
The key to incorporating more plants into your diet is to
you can’t go wrong.”
add them in slowly and keep it simple with whole foods.
In Arcata, Foodwise Kitchen specializes in plant-based
Every time we eat, we have the power to make decisions
cooking classes and meal-prep services. Owner Rachele
that have profound effects on our personal health and the
McCluskey says incorporating more fruits and vegeta-
health of our planet.
50 MAY 2019 Emerald Triangle
