Sensi Magazine - Emerald Triangle (August 2019) by Sensi Magazine

EMERALD TRIANGLE

Chinese mushrooms for every meal

THE NEW NORMAL

8.2019

FIND YOUR ROOT Rural social equity The Trinity Alps are alive with music

{plus}

STICK IT WHERE? HERBAL SUPPOSITORIES

sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 3

4 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

ISSUE 7 // VOLUME 1 // 8.2019

FEATURES 32 Remembering Us

This is life beyond brain injuries—one couple’s story-turned-documentary, coming to a film festival near you.

38 Trippy Healing

Psychedelics are the new medical marijuana.

GET COOKING DIY cannabis cuisine

every issue

DRINK UP Medicinal mushrooms and healing herbs

7 Editor’s Note 9 The Buzz 12 NewsFeed

HIGH STANDARDS

16 CrossRoads

I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S BUTTER

20 TasteBuds

FINDING YOUR ROOT

24 AroundTown

THE ART OF SHINRIN-YOKU

26 HighProfile

EQUITY FOR RURAL FARMERS

30 LifeStyle

DIGITAL HEALTHCARE

50 HereWeGo

STICK IT WHERE?

ON THE COVER Photo courtesy of Root and Bones

sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 5

sensi magazine ISSUE 7 / VOLUME 1 / 8.2019

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

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

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 DESIGN & LAYOUT

sensimag

BUSINESS & A D M I N I S T R AT I V E Kristan Toth kristan.toth@sensimag.com HEAD OF PEOPLE

Lelehnia DuBois lelehnia.dubois@sensimag.com PUBLISHER

Daniel Bridge daniel.bridge@sensimag.com Shannon Golightly shannon.golightly@sensimag.com Tad Sarvinski tad.sarvinski@sensimag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Amber Orvik amber.orvik@sensimag.com CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR

Andre Velez andre.velez@sensimag.com MARKETING DIRECTOR

Neil Willis neil.willis@sensimag.com PRODUCTION MANAGER

Hector Irizarry distribution@sensimag.com DISTRIBUTION

M E D I A PA RT N E R S BooneyAcres@gmail.com www.BooneyAcres.com LCA18-0002181

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

IN GOOD ADVISORY BOARD Coldwell Banker Sellers, Sandi DeLuca // REAL ESTATE

Canna-Envy //

DIY CANNABIS

Genius Products T, Inc. //

RECREATIONAL CANNABIS PRODUCTS

Heartwood Mountain Sanctuary // ECO-RETREAT CENTER

Hendrx Farms // CANNABIS NURSERY Humboldt Patient Resource Center // DISPENSARY

Humboldt Redwood Healing // Humboldt SWAG //

COMMUNITY

BRAND MANAGEMENT

Humboldt Vape Tech //

VAPE ACCESSORIES

Kathleen Bryson, Attorney // KC Financial Services //

LAW OFFICE

ACCOUNTING

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 // ULEVA //

LAB TESTING

HEMP PRODUCTS

Wildseed, LLC. //

CO2 EXTRACTION

HEALTH

editor’s

NOTE

It’s fitting that our

Health & Wellness issue lands in August, the most permissive month of summer. As long days of play fade into twilight, we often find ourselves surrounded with old friends and the happy laughter of kiddos running wild. Instead of minding kitchen timers and setting the table, summer invites us to light the grill and catch up under open skies. Without the tedium of school schedules and demanding holidays, finding time and space to genuinely connect can be easier in August—though still not an easy task. A sticky word to define, wellness makes our minds run to green smoothies, gym memberships, and finding the cure to cancer. In this issue, we take a deep dive into the art of forest bathing, social equity in the cannabis industry, and Chinese herbs, juxtaposing biological wellness to the health of the community. Over 20 million Americans practice yoga, over a third have sought professional therapy, and social acceptance of using cannabis “recreationally” is at an all-time high. Clearly, our society is awakening to the idea that stress management is critical to healthy living. But in the dog days of summer, I find myself wondering about social health: Could visiting with old friends and spending quality time with family be missing from our doctor’s orders? World-renowned researcher and speaker Brené Brown has dedicated her career to researching shame, vulnerability, and most importantly, connection. She writes, “We are hardwired to connect with others, it’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and without it there is suffering.” Without connection, Brown argues, happiness and health don’t stand a chance. The lucky among us are born into a family where the connection—the love—is patent, a manifestation that lasts a lifetime. For others, the hunt for a sense of belonging, immeasurably rewarding, starts far too young. But for everyone, our wellness—physical, mental, spiritual, and social—is a fire that needs tended for life. When we reap the rewards of good health via whole foods or a restorative hike, we are opening the pathways to more meaningful connections to one another and our place in the world. In the remaining days of summer, I hope your path to wellness reveals itself in new and unexpected places. Call an old friend, go to a concert, and make time for new connections to grow.

Nora Mounce

M ANAG I NG E D I TO R

SENSI EMERALD TRIANGLE

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Hops in Humboldt Gives Back

Each August, locals look forward to Hops in Humboldt, the Emerald Triangle’s favorite brew festival, to keep summer celebrations alive. On August 24, the 16th annual Hops in Humboldt will feature over 45 of the country’s best breweries at Rohner Park in Fortuna. Taps include local favorites like Eel River Brewery and the Humboldt Cider Co., along with nationally beloved brews like Sierra Nevada and 21st Amendment. With Fortuna’s mild and sunny weather, the festival attracts beer lovers from across Northern California. Established in 2004 as a small community fundraiser, today Hops in Humboldt is a registered nonprofit that generates funds to distribute to schools, seniors, and community organizations across the county. In 2017, Hops in Humboldt distributed over $43,000 to a variety of recipients including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Every 15 Minutes, the Fortuna Police Department, and Wild Souls Ranch. General admission tickets are $40 and $50 at the gate. VIP tickets are $75 (presale only) and allow early entry and exclusive access to breweries and schwag. Designated driver tickets are available at the gate for $10. 21 and over, no pets allowed. –Nora Mounce For more information and tickets, visit HOPSINHUMBOLDT.COM .

Bobfest Returns to Mendocino for 10th Annual Festival If the melancholic beauty of coastal Mendocino puts

you in the mood for Dylan, you’re not alone. This August, the 10th annual Bobfest celebrates “the singular and unique” music of Bob Dylan at the Crown Hall in Mendocino. Each night of music will feature 15 professional and working artists performing their own arrangements of Dylan’s tunes. Local organizers of the annual festival promise that Bobfest “features original arrangements with creative twists, complex harmonies, and multiple instrumentation that gives each song its own discrete identity.” Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and music starts at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, August 9 and Saturday, August 10. General admission tickets are $25 and can be purchased in advance at Out of This World and ICONS In Mendocino and at The Music Merchant in Fort Bragg. Reserved table seating is $35. Food and no-host bar available.

–NM

For more information, visit BOB-FEST.COM or @BOBFESTMENDO on Facebook.

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The Hills Are Alive with Music

The 9th Trinity Alps Chamber Music Festival celebrates classical chamber music and community with a summer concert series. Adventures in the Emerald Triangle typically center on redwoods, beaches, and recreation set against incomparably beautiful scenery. Such rare natural wonders are responsible for drawing thousands of visitors who generated a record-setting $448 million in tourist revenue in 2017, according to Humboldt County data. But amidst growth and interest in the rural paradise—additionally powered by legal cannabis—the region’s reputation for art and culture has remained a bit smoky. Ian Scarfe, a talented and classically trained pianist, has been on a mission to change this perception since founding the Trinity Alps Chamber Music Festival (TACMF) in 2011. Now in his ninth year of producing the festival, Scarfe is excited to once again bring world-class talent and classical chamber music to the hills of Northern California. Kicking off in late July, the 2019 festival will showcase a range of musical talent at a half dozen concerts from July 26-through August 11. Venues range from the traditional, the Trinity Alps Performing Art Center in Weaverville (July 26), to the prestigious, the Century Club of California in San Francisco (August 2), and the eclectic, with the festival’s ﬁnal outdoor performance at the Trailhead Pizza Café near Coffee Creek in Trinity Center (August 11). “Classical music suffers from such a bad rep these days,” explains Scarfe. “Most folks see it as kind of pretentious, or uncool, or just for old people. We are a group of fun young musicians who are dedicated to bringing this music to everyone, as it should be done,” says the director. Scarfe started the festival as a retreat for classical musicians to collaborate and rejuvenate while surrounded by the beauty of Trinity County. The Trinity Alps, located north of Weaverville and jutting east into Shasta County, are a sub-range of the Klamath Mountains. With elevations as high as 9,001 feet (Thompson Peak), the Trinity Alps are a stunning microclimate of unique ﬂora and fauna, reminiscent of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Swiss Alps. Scarfe encourages international musicians and festival-goers to enjoy the 10 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

beauty of the mountains, lakes, and rivers before gathering each night for classical music. Since TACMF was founded, Scarfe explains that his organization has expanded to become a “touring festival,” serving the rural communities of Northern California and Oregon. According to the festival’s official press release, the organization “has presented diverse programs with dozens of musicians in over 300 free public concerts and educational outreach visits to schools and summer camps.” TACMF welcomes everyone to their free concerts (donations welcome), which are designed to inspire music lovers of all kinds, regardless of their familiarity with “classical” music. Scarfe and other musicians share stories about the composers and music they’re performing, details that make the concerts more accessible and fun. Headlining the ﬁrst weekend of performances, July 26-28, soprano Jamie-Rose Guarrine and violinist Emma Steele blend their unique vocals and instrumental music. Steele will also be featured alongside clarinetist Karla Avila in Igor Stravinsky’s popular suite from “A Soldier’s Tale.” The weekend concludes with an afternoon performance on the coast at Humboldt County’s Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka. The second weekend, August 9 – 11, will feature Vivaldi’s popular “Four Seasons” in a series of outdoor concerts at stunning locations in Hyampom, Willow Creek, and Coffee Creek (Trinity Center). The ensemble will feature four different virtuoso violin soloists performing the Vivaldi, alongside other works showcasing Gabrielle Castriotta on oboe and Scarfe on harpsichord.

–NM

Visit TRINITYALPSCMF.ORG for updated programs, schedules, photos, and more.

Music Festival Schedule Friday, July 26, 8 p.m. Hyampom Community Hall, Hyampom

Friday, August 9, 8 p.m. Hyampom Community Hall, Hyampom

Saturday, July 27, 7 p.m. Trinity Alps Performing Arts Center, Weaverville

Saturday, August 10, 7 p.m. – Outdoor Concert China Creek Amphitheater, Willow Creek

Sunday, July 28, 2 p.m. Morris Graves Museum of Art, Eureka Friday, August 2, 8 p.m. Century Club of California, San Francisco

Sunday, August 11, 7 p.m. – Outdoor Concert Trailhead Pizza Café, Coffee Creek

sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 11

{newsfeed } by T H O M A S O L I V E R

HIGH STANDARDS Consultants help California’s cannabis farmers set new highs for the environment

California’s cannabis regulations span hundreds of pages, involve no fewer than ten governmental agencies, and even cite the International Dark Sky Association as a regulatory standard. Perusing the regs is about as interesting as reading a Terms of Service agreement and about twice as inscrutable. For example, take section 55.4.11f from Humboldt County’s Performance Standards for Cultivation and Processing Operations: “For cultivation areas for which no enrollment pursuant to NCRWQB Order No. 2015-0023 is required by that Order, compliance with the standard conditions applicable to all Tier 1 dischargers.” Do you know what that means? I sure don’t. Hell, it barely looks like English to me. The cultivation, distribution, and retail sale of cannabis is heavily regulated to an unprecedented degree in California agriculture. According to Iris Koski, founder of Tributary Biological Consultants in Eureka, “Farmers are being asked to walk through pretty intense levels of scrutiny and regulation due to years of stigma regarding cannabis.” A wildlife biologist with a graduate degree in restoration ecology, Koski adds that “criticisms of the industry are often warranted.” While some intrepid cultivators, such as Emerald Queen Farms (see “Fit for a Queen,” July 2019), opt to navigate 12 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 13

the gauntlet of permitting on their own, many farmers have turned to consultants for guidance, hand-holding, or something in between. Koski joins a diverse field of biologists, foresters, and legal advisors in operating as a cannabis industry consultant. To illustrate just how nuanced and vexing the compliance process can be, understand that no single document outlines the regulations and necessary hurdles one must clear to become a legal operator. Section 55.4.11f was just a teaser. Rather, each regulatory body has its own statutes and requirements. For example, California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) cannabis document is 13 pages long, while the California’s Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) is 74 pages. And that’s just two. To make matters more complicated, Hollie Hall, co-founder of Compliant Farms Certified, explains that there is little to no dialog between the involved agencies. “I spend most of my day sharing information and reviewing tedious details just to get everyone on the same page,” explains Hall, who holds a PhD in water resources management. In addition to following extensive regulations from multiple agencies, cultivators are essentially required to implement regenerative farming techniques to meet the high standards of compliance. Unlike grapes or almonds, two of California’s largest cash crops, synthetic pesticides are all but verboten for cannabis. For instance, the acceptable level of the fungicide Boscalid is 0.7 parts per million (ppm) on almonds, while 0.01 ppm for cannabis. Integrated pest management—the use of beneficial insects and fungi or bacteria to minimize pests and diseases—and products like neem oil, citric acid, and soybean oil must be used in lieu of pesticides. Whereas we divert massive amounts of water to support Central Valley agriculture, California’s permitted cannabis cultivators are not allowed to divert surface water from April through October. Permitted cannabis operators must rely on water caught and stored during the winter season, and culverts must be large enough survive a 100-year flood. “Standards of compliance are extremely difficult to achieve for the average farmer,” says Koski. “My hope is that the pendulum swings a little more into the realm of reason. I’m in full support of growing pesticide-free, but we need to realize that other crops are not being subjected to the same standards.” While strict regulations can be hard to swallow (and even harder to afford), Hall believes they are “a by-product of not understanding how to grow cannabis, not of malicious intent.” For Hall, one of her major obstacles in helping clients achieve compliance is farm location and history. Many sites are on old logging properties or high in the mountains. This means steep grades, shoddy roads that often cross fish-bearing streams, makeshift or improperly installed culverts, and habitat encroachment—all of which need to be remedied to stay compliant. “There is no ‘one size fits all’ fix here,” says Natalynne Delapp, Humboldt Cannabis Grower’s Alliance (HCGA) operations director and a former employee of the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC). Delapp helped write EPIC’s 2016 Farmer’s Compliance Handbook, a 24-page document meant to 14 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

be a one-stop-shop on regulations for farmers. “It’s funny looking back now, that the law has changed, like, five times,” says Delapp. “It was a great project, an optimistic labor of love, but I don’t think I’d do it again. Without site visits, it’s impossible to appropriately address these farmer’s concerns.” However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Despite implementing rigorous local regs to meet in addition to the state, Humboldt County has taken a cooperative stance with local farmers. Humboldt’s permitting standards were designed to dovetail into the California Environmental Quality Act, one of the nation’s strongest environmental protection documents and the lynchpin of the state’s permitting process. In short, the Humboldt County regs are designed to help cannabis operators succeed. In contrast, Mendocino and Trinity County have adopted more laissez-faire permitting processes, which can leave cultivators holding the proverbial bag as they adhere to state regulations. Meanwhile, Humboldt County cultivators, once compliant, are in a good position to receive state permits. “They’ve [Humboldt County] taken a very collaborative approach with cultivators, but they don’t want to be seen as giving people a free pass to grow,” says Koski. “They see potential for Humboldt to have a unique position in the market. Not only for production but for branding of the area.” The eco-friendly regenerative farming techniques required for compliant cultivators are a stark but welcome transition from the devastating effects of the black market. Illegal stream diversions, wonton pesticide and rodenticide use resulting in harmful bioaccumulation, tribal land encroachment, illegal logging, and gross negligence are hallmarks of the Emerald Triangle’s “green rush.” Environmental experts may realize that such stringent regulations and harsh penalties aren’t as malicious as they first appear. “My impression is that the government has opportunity to regulate cannabis in a way that is more sustainable,” says Hall. “And they’re taking it.”

sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 15

{crossroads } by R I C A R D O B A C A

I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S BUTTER How cooking with cannabis changed my life for the butter.

16 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

Little did I know. A few months later, our cannabutter post was the top-ranked article page on the site. A few years later, same thing. At one point along the line, I recognized that we needed to capitalize on all that traffic by embedding a smart how-to video into the popular post to increase our value to readers and their time spent with us. Since we were a small team, I knew we’d likely end up shooting that video in my kitchen. In a previous life, I founded a cannabis-centric

And again: little did I know. It turns out making cannab-

news and culture site called The Cannabist at the

utter for the first time ended up changing my consump-

Denver Post. Yeah, I was the “first marijuana edi-

tion patterns entirely, and it also changed my relationship

tor at a major newspaper” you might have seen on

with the plant.

Colbert Report or The View or CNN or MSNBC, and my goal with The Cannabist was to create a site

FROM STORE-BOUGHT TO HOMEMADE

that would cover the news and features of legal

I’m lucky because, in my house, my wife does most of the

marijuana with the same fervor and standards my

grocery shopping while I do most of the cannabis shopping.

colleagues employed to cover other industries, be it

I enjoy checking in with my favorite medical dispensary or

oil and gas or education.

ducking into a new recreational shop. It’s research, and I

And so in addition to our breaking news reporting and coverage of the ever-evolving government reg-

pride myself on being familiar with new brands, products, and retail environments.

ulations in those early days, we also dove deep into

Since I primarily consume edibles, I spend most of my

dissecting the culture of cannabis on the precipice of

time on that side of the display, asking budtenders ques-

legalization. How had the act of consumption changed in the modern era? What strain was best for introspection and creativity? And how was marijuana being used in the kitchen, both as inspiration and ingredient?

tions about specific ingredients, extraction methodologies, and customer reviews. Sometimes they have answers; sometimes they don’t. But on that particular cannabutter-making day I was on the hunt for an ounce of cannabis flower—an affordable

Once I connected with a talented Oregon chef who

sativa, since we were shooting the video in my kitchen

would pen the site’s cannabis-infused recipes, I knew we

and I was serving as the video’s star (read: glorified hand

had to start her culinary column with a rock-solid recipe

model). Once I secured a $99 recreational ounce at a local

for cannabutter, a.k.a. the building block of most infused

shop I’d never frequented before, I met my producer at the

cooking. Once we had cannabutter and canna-oil recipes

house for the video shoot.

up, we could expand into the fun stuff—from brownies to smoothies, lasagnas to tacos.

A few weeks later, the video was edited and embedded on the site—all was great on the work front. Yet at home, sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 17

Your Northern California wedding enthusiasts! Sweet Basil Catering is a well established, two-chef family company that may very well be more excited about our clients' big event than even they are! We provide experiences with infused meals, and will showcase our clients' products as they request. We love doing Harvest Celebrations, Canna weddings, infused weekends, experiences, and pairing parties. We have a gourmet propane tent kitchen for off the grid celebrations and are happy to travel. Sweet Basil Catering is a happy, energetic group with a knack for food artistry, amazing ďŹ&#x201A;avors, and celebrate our local cuisine with great care for authentic recipes and that little extra "sumpin" that makes our meals memorable.

yvette@sweetbasilcatering.net |

18 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

(707) 227-1088

| www.sweetbasilcatering.net

HOMEMADE

cannabutter PAIRS WELL WITH

creativity.

experimentation only got more rigorous from there. After a few successful dishes, we realized we could try just about anything with the butter. In fact, it became a regular question when the fridge door swung open for dinner: “Infused or not tonight?” Having homemade cannabutter in the fridge is more rewarding than I ever thought it would be. While we’re not my cannabutter remained untouched in a Tupperware on the top shelf of my refrigerator. I wasn’t used to having cannabutter at the ready, and it was actually my wife who first dipped into it. I was flying to San Diego to interview Willie Nelson on his tour bus when she texted: “Decided to have a low-key night in. Making some cookies. How much of this cannabutter should I use? :)” I directed her to another story we’d written to help home chefs properly dose their homemade edibles, but she’d already moved on with her makeshift recipe. “I eyeballed it, and used half cannabutter and half regular butter.” I laughed and shared the text with my producer, who was standing next to me at the airport. “Looks like she’s in for a fun night,” he correctly predicted. We landed in California to hilarious texts from my lady, who was intensely high while walking the dogs around the park and getting existential with podcasts.

TAKING OWNERSHIP OF THE EDIBLE But her chocolate oatmeal cookie experiment was only the beginning. We evolved from baking to tossing the cannabutter into hot pasta with some garlic and oil, and the

hurting for consumption options in many legal markets, the butter opens up our possibilities even more—and many of those options are much healthier and simpler than what you can buy in the stores. When a friend told me she keeps a cannabis-infused olive oil handy at home because she prefers it to the sugars and fats present in most store-bought edibles, it opened my mind to the idea of DIY cannabis foodstuffs. Now I see where she’s coming from, and then some. Not only can I more carefully formulate and shape my desired edible experience with my cannabutter stash, but I can also answer many of the questions that often perplexed budtenders. I know the specific ingredients, and I know how it was extracted—because I made it from scratch. When you can use cannabis flower you yourself grew from seed or clone, even better. In the same way that growing marijuana completely transforms your relationship with the plant, the same is true when you begin cooking with cannabis. 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 AUGUST 2019 19

{tastebuds } by N O R A M O U N C E

FINDING YOUR ROOT Support mind and body with medicinal mu shrooms.

With a global wellness market valued at $4.2 trillion, it’s

ing” or “anti-inflammatory.” Whether it’s kombucha, CBD,

easy to feel inundated with images and ads for products

or mushroom tea, such products are often one person’s

that promise to improve your quality of life. In the US, the

snake oil and another’s salvation. While many individuals

wealthiest economy in the world, the buzzword “wellness”

want to feel better, the complexities and costs of navigat-

dominates our social media and daily lives. Though health

ing the wellness marketplace can be prohibitive.

and income are inextricably linked, the majority of Americans

Understanding the limitations of America’s healthcare

still struggle with obesity, one in four deaths are caused by

system, acupuncturist Alyssa Melody decided to invest in

heart disease, and a growing mental health crisis has spurred

natural medicine and nutrition at a young age. After earn-

increasing rates of addiction and suicide. Clearly, money

ing a degree in elementary education at Humboldt State,

doesn’t buy good health. What’s even more misleading is

Melody returned to her home town of Berkeley to study

these statistics don’t account for the millions who qualify as

at the Acupuncture & Integrative Wellness College. Spe-

“healthy” by the standards of Western medicine. Without a

cializing in acupuncture, the ancient practice of Chinese

doctor ticking a single box, a clinically disease-free human

needling, Melody also had an affinity for herbs.

can still suffer from pain, fatigue, allergies, and melancholy.

“I was always going to Chinatown to try things for my-

In response to this grim reality, a host of new prod-

self,” says Melody, a self-identified herb nerd. As a stu-

ucts have emerged in the health and wellness market in

dent, Melody remembers the first time she took a large

the past decade. While the FDA regulates dietary sup-

quantity of reishi, known in China as the queen mushroom

plements, there is still a wide margin for companies to

of immortality. After experiencing a “big bubble of bliss,”

tout various herbs, foods, and teas as “energy-boost-

she thought to herself, “Oh, damn.”

20 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

Back in Humboldt with a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine under her belt, Melody established her own acupuncture practice in downtown Arcata. She treats a diverse range of patients five days a week for “addictions, allergies, hypertension, digestive disorders, and insomnia.” Initially, Melody compounded her own custom prescriptions, ordering raw herbs in bulk and teaching patients how to boil roots and make teas at home. She noticed it was challenging for patients to incorporate the time-demanding prep into their busy lives. Still, she kept up with ordering pounds of lab-tested and certified mushrooms and herbs from China and recommended the ground powders to family and friends. She loved the ease of dosing and wanted to share. In 2016, Melody launched Root and Bones, a line of “carefully sourced, broad-spectrum adaptogenic super herbs.” Melody sources mushrooms directly from China, where they have been cultivated for centuries to guar-

ROOT & BONES RECIPE:

ShouWu Mint Matcha Latté

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup hot water • 1 cup non-dairy milk • 2 tsp matcha green tea powder • 1 to 2 tsp raw honey • 1/8 to 1/4 tsp peppermint extract or 5 to 8 fresh mint leaves • 1 tsp Root & Bones He Shou Wu INSTRUCTIONS STEP 1: Warm up milk and water on stove. STEP 2: Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed

blender for 30 seconds or until smooth and frothy.

antee the highest levels of potency and purity. When she sees patients, Melody recommends a few different mushrooms or herbs to specifically target their needs such as immunity, stress response, or the endocrine system. “Chinese medicine is very preventative medicine, which targets the root of the problem,” explains Melody. With Root & Bones, Melody enjoys connecting with a much larger public about the health benefits of medicinal mushrooms and herbs. She’s quick to stress that her products aren’t a cure-all, but best taken continuously to support a healthy diet and balanced lifestyle.

sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 21

“I don’t tend toward extreme rules,” explains Melody. “I think intuitive eating is best. People can fear so many categories with food. I tell patients to eat as seasonally and organic as possible.” Melody also stresses the importance of a healthy work-life balance and carefully maintains her own health through exercise (mostly weight-lifting and hiking) and time spent outdoors enjoying fresh air and the beauty of Humboldt County. While Melody doesn’t recommend avoiding certain food groups, her nutritional philosophy definitely favors superfoods and shies away from classic trigger foods like sugar and wheat. The Root & Bones Instagram feed features beautiful images of cakes, coffee, truffles, and teas accompanied by recipes featuring nutrient-dense ingredients like hemp milk, edible flowers, spices, raw cacao, honey, walnuts, dates, and coconut cream. Colorful works of art like Mucuna & Reishi Cheesecake Tarts (raw, vegan, and gluten-free) bookend Melody’s Gluten-free Cordyceps Cardamom Doughnuts with Coconut-Mucuna Glaze and Black Sesame He Shou Wu Iced Latté. Rather than depriving your appetite of pleasure—often considered a necessary evil in the world of natural medicine—Melody’s approach is to fill the mind and body with beautiful and medicinal food. Scrolling through Root & Bones recipes for cakes, blended coffees, and truffles featuring medicinal mushrooms and herbs, her recipes leap off the screen, a Candyland for adults. For more information about products, adaptogens, and recipes, visit ROOTANDBONES.COM or follow the holistic herb company on IG @ROOTSANDBONES .

病从口入 (bìng cóng kou rù)

“The disease comes through the mouth.” – Chinese proverb

22 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

HPRC

"Cultivating Well Being Since 1999"

Humboldt County's Longest Operating Cannabis Dispensary

ROOT & BONES RECIPE:

Chaga Carrot Cake Oatmeal with Pine Pollen INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup grated carrot • 3/4 cup almond milk, add more as needed • 1 tbsp maple syrup • 1 tsp Root & Bones chaga • 1 tsp Root & Bones pine pollen • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon • 1/4 tsp ground ginger • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg • pinch sea salt • 1/3 cup gluten-free rolled oats • 1 tsp vanilla extract

In House Product Lines Exceptional Staff Service Oriented HPRC Arcata 980 6th St. Arcata, CA

INSTRUCTIONS STEP 1: Peel and grate carrot. STEP 2: In a medium-sized pot on medium heat, whisk together

almond milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until smooth. STEP 3: Stir in grated carrots and oats. STEP 4: Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 8 to 11 minutes, stirring as it thickens. STEP 5: Add more almond milk as needed. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, chaga, and pine pollen. STEP 6: Garnish with your favorite toppings.

www.HPRCHumboldt.com A12-18-000025TEMP sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 23

{aroundtown } by J E S S I C A R E I N U S

Brewery Gulch Inn

9401 North Highway One Mendocino// (707) 937-4752

THE ART OF SHINRIN-YOKU Let go of preconceived notions about your health and hiking and surrender to the forest. Hiking boots slowly trudge along the forest floor, qui-

aimlessly through the woods is exactly what shinrin-yoku,

etly crunching along well-worn paths. Feathers flutter,

also called nature therapy, is all about. Deeply breathing in

leaves rustle, and a breeze blows across the sea of green

the scent of cedar, pines, and redwoods allows one to fully

redwoods. The smell of air and earth permeate the sens-

bathe in the energy of the trees. In the Emerald Triangle, the

es and a blanket of nettles cushion every mindful step.

opportunity to immerse yourself is the redwoods is every-

The varying hues of the ferns softens the view, while the

where. Surrendering to the flow of forest allows the mind

moist forest air envelops every sense, washing you clean.

to unwind, body to heal, and spirit to lift.

Forest bathing, also known as shinrin-yoku, is the prac-

The many known effects of forest bathing include stress

tice of using the forest as therapy for preventative health

relief, mood elevation, hormone regulation, improved con-

care and healing. Developed by the Japanese government

centration, and boosted immunity. Researchers have even

in the 1980s, shinrin-yoku is still used to improve physical

noted a decrease in blood pressure for many patients who

and mental wellbeing in Japan today.

use forest bathing as a therapeutic remedy. As the body

The general idea of forest bathing is to interact with the

begins to relax, the parasympathetic nerve pathways are

natural sights of the forest in a relaxing manner. Stopping

stimulated, leading to a decrease in blood pressure. Anoth-

frequently to look at flora is encouraged, and wandering

er benefit is the presence of compounds found in the forest

24 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

air, known as phytoncides (wood essential oils). Phytocides

guided meditation, and locally made herbal tea. The second

are produced to help plants and trees protect themselves

package, The Full Body Immersion ($450) is an all-day cus-

from harmful insects and germs. When inhaled by humans,

tomized experience to meet your individual needs through

phytoncides provide beneficial and uplifting effects. Japa-

forest bathing. After a wholesome breakfast at Brewery

nese researchers have also discovered that when forest air

Gulch, Davidson creates a holistic health strategy for each

is inhaled, it increases the activity of white blood cells, or

participant, including a customized tea blend targeted for

leukocytes, the body’s natural immune defense system.

total wellness. Next, Davidson, a certified yoga instructor,

In Japan, the National Forest Agency has constructed over

herbalist, and health coach, leads an hour of gentle yoga

40 trails throughout the country exclusively dedicated to

with a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean, followed by a

forest bathing. Because the government understands how

light lunch before heading into the woods. After a senso-

important a mind-spirit connection is to the overall health

ry-awakening forest stroll, the experience concludes with a

of the country, they encourage the public to experience the

long soak at Mendocino’s Sweetwater Spa and a light din-

stress-relieving and calming qualities of shinrin-yoku.

ner buffet.

Here in the Emerald Triangle, there are thousands of trails

Forest or nature therapy can be a private, individual

with endless forest bathing possibilities. As shinrin-yoku

practice, enjoyed in a group setting, or perfect for a couple.

spreads worldwide, forest bathing groups are popping up

Sometimes a barefoot silent walk through the redwoods is

nationally and even locally. At the Brewery Gulch Inn in

simply the practice. Other times a technology-free forest

Mendocino, shinrin-yoku sessions that incorporate yoga,

stroll may be exactly what the body (and mind) needs most.

guided meditation, and massage are open to the public. The

The relationship between nature and humans is undeni-

Brewery Gulch’s wellness guide, Delphine Davidson, leads

ably real, ever-present, and relatable, especially in the Em-

two experiences: Dipping Your Toes ($150) is a 1.5-hour

erald Triangle. As Albert Einstein once said, “Look deep into

experience that includes a gentle group walk, quiet sitting,

nature, and then you will understand everything better.” sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 25

{highprofile } by M E L I S S A H U T S E L L

EQUITY FOR RURAL FARMERS When cannabis industry operators win, the entire community wins.

26 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

Speaking with John Ehrlichman, a former aide to Presi-

“Equity is a fluid term,” explains Terra Carver, co-founder of

dent Nixon, in 2016, writer Dan Baum recorded Ehrichman’s

the Humboldt County Growers Alliance (HCGA), a grassroots

candid memories of Nixon’s infamous War on Drugs:

trade organization that represents the needs of regional

“The Nixon White House [...] had two enemies: the anti-

cannabis industry operators, a catchall for cultivators, man-

war left and Black people. [...] We knew we couldn’t make

ufacturers, distributors, etc. “Equity comes in many forms,”

it illegal to be either against the war or Black, but by get-

says Carver. “So have prohibition and legalization.”

ting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and

The War on Drugs affected communities across Cali-

Blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we

fornia differently, with the biggest impact on minorities

could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their

in urban communities. Today, equity models continue to

leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vil-

play out differently in these communities. While equity ad-

ify them night after night on the evening news.”

dresses structural racism in Oakland and LA, in Humboldt,

Nixon launched America’s War on Drugs in 1971, which

Mendocino, and Trinity counties, it’s about recognizing the

played out just as Ehrlichman described. In urban America,

incalculable economic and cultural contributions from early

people of color were (and continue to be) arrested at alarm-

operators who risked everything for their livelihoods. Today,

ingly disproportionate rates. African-Americans are nearly

social equity translates to protecting heritage and small in-

four times—and in some regions, 30 times—more likely

dependent operators because without them, there is no

to be incarcerated for cannabis possession despite compa-

Emerald Triangle.

rable usage rates to white Americans. According to a 2013 ACLU report, the drug war initially focused on “the relentless

HISTORY, HERITAGE, AND PROSPERITY

enforcement of heroin and crack cocaine laws in poor com-

In the late 1960s, an influx of people from Berkeley and

munities of color.” Then law enforcement agencies shifted to

Haight-Ashbury arrived in Northern California as part of

an easier target: cannabis.

the back-to-the-land movement, wherein young people,

Cannabis arrests continue to account for more than half

disillusioned with mainstream society and the Vietnam

of drug arrests in the US. In Northern California, the War

War, sought independence and the opportunity to live off

on Drugs was fought with helicopters and militia-style

the land. Many settled in the Emerald Triangle, where the

task forces who swept through rural Emerald Triangle

timber industry had begun to crumble and land was cheap.

communities. Many local families lived through this histo-

They grew cannabis from seeds collected across the world

ry and their children were raised to fear the government.

and practiced sinsemilla, separating female plants to pre-

The racially stratified and penal origins of cannabis pro-

vent pollination and yielding higher resin content. Over

hibition are still grave realities today, even as states and

time, operators got innovative, using light deprivation to

municipalities are starting to address historical injustices

encourage premature flowering. Times were changing and

with social equity legislation.

so was the cannabis plant.

WHAT IS EQUITY?

The supplemental income from cannabis didn’t just attract hippies, but former lumberjacks, locals, and im-

Social equity in the cannabis industry focuses on giv-

migrants. Industry pioneers brought ecologically minded,

ing those disadvantaged by the drug war an opportunity

community-building values. They built schools, hospitals,

to participate in the legal market. The California Cannabis

fire departments, and hospices.

Equity Act of 2018 allotted $10 million to help fund lo-

Cannabis became the backbone of the community, says

cal equity programs throughout the state. In Los Angeles,

Drew Barber, owner of East Mill Creek Farms. Barber is a

Oakland, San Francisco, and soon Humboldt County, gov-

lieutenant at the Petrolia Volunteer Fire Department in the

ernment and industry leaders have collaborated to design

Mattole Valley, where the only emergency services are an

programs like the Los Angeles Cannabis Social Equity Pro-

hour and a half away. The station relies on volunteers—

gram, “intended to decrease disparities in life outcomes

many from the cannabis industry. Without them, such ser-

for marginalized communities.”

vices wouldn’t exist, Barber explains. sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 27

THE CONSEQUENCES OF PROHIBITION Prohibition catalyzed the success of the cannabis industry. While Nixon’s Drug War

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made cannabis more lucrative. In 1977, an effort between local, state, and federal agencies known as Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), was launched to focus on eradication. Humboldt County was CAMP’s primary target. Vietnam-style helicopters, spy planes, troops—the very military industrial complex the homesteaders migrated to avoid—were used to “disrupt communities” once again. In 1983 alone, “$130 million worth of marijuana” was eradicated in California, according to CAMP Reports. Such efforts restricted supplies “to the degree that prices remained high for 25 to 30 years,” explains Dominic Corva, co-director of the Humboldt Interdisciplinary Institute on Marijuana Research (HIIMR) and founder of The Center for the Study of Cannabis and Social Policy. Next came the medical movement with Proposition 215 in 1996. The gray area regulating the medical market gave operators the green light to grow more cannabis—especially outdoor—explains Corva. Prop 215 attracted a proliferation of people to the Emerald Triangle. The industry grew, drawing bad actors, and became increasingly detached from back-to-the-land values. These conditions triggered a radical wholesale price drop starting around 2010, which has forced many out of the industry, says Corva. Today, recreational legalization has exacerbated the issue.

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Politico Magazine reported that approximately 10 percent of Emerald Triangle farms have shut down because of upfront fees and stricter regulations combined with a lack of access to bank loans, reported Politico’s Natalie Fertig. “Farmers can’t afford to remain in the legal market,” writes Fertig.

POSTCARD CIRCA 1981. IMAGE COURTESY OF “REMEMBER IN SOUTHERN HUMBOLDT WHEN... “ FACEBOOK GROUP

pushed growers deeper behind the redwood curtain, the scarcity and risk required

BUILDING BRAND EQUITY Emerald Triangle operators hold decades of knowledge and reverence for the land. Carver says the HCGA works to “protect, preserve, and enhance” those values—which she calls the “cultural intellectual property of Humboldt County.” “We are 60 years into this industry,” says Carver. The search for independence and freedom is what brought back-to-the-landers to the hills. Carver explains that a strong, independent economy is “something we want to continue.” In 2018, Barber founded Uplift Cannabis Co-Op, a cooperative of seven small farmers including his family-owned and licensed 10,000 square foot farm. Uplift operates under a shared set of values—volunteerism, environmental stewardship, and sustainably produced cannabis. “We’re hoping to build our own brand that speaks to who we are as family farmers [...],” says Barber. “Our members want to help consumers see that when they buy our products, they’re contributing to something much larger—building community.” In order for rural operators like Barber to continue to invest—and participate—in the community, they need an equity model that invests in them. This spring, the HCGA asked Humboldt County leaders to build an equity program that focuses on the needs of independent operators, including access to funding and marketing efforts that enrich brand equity. In response, Humboldt County is currently developing a social equity cannabis program called Project Trellis, alongside opportunities for micro-grants and marketing. Carver describes Project Trellis as the first local equity program in the cannabis industry. Learn more about Project Trellis in the next installment of our series on cannabis and social justice in the September issue of Sensi Emerald Triangle.

TODAY, SOCIAL EQUITY TRANSLATES TO PROTECTING HERITAGE AND SMALL, INDEPENDENT OPERATORS BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM, THERE IS NO “EMERALD TRIANGLE.”

sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 29

{lifestyle } by I S A B E L L A VA N D E R H E I D E N

DIGITAL HEALTHCARE:

AN APP FOR EVERYTHING A writer gives health and wellness apps the college try. In the last few years, health/fitness apps have been on the rise, promising to help you lose weight, gain peace of mind through I-meditation, or better connect with hikers or bicyclists in your community. So, how successful are they? Utility is obviously dependent on the user, but are health apps truly helpful in finding more motivation and mindfulness? While my friends with fancy Fitbits sang their praises, I—by no means a health nut—was skeptical, but I gave it the college try. Considering there are no less than 300,000 health apps floating around the digital sphere, I wasn’t sure where to begin. Starting with two “classic” apps, MyFitnessPal and Calm, I committed myself to both for a week. Would I become a vegan, a yoga instructor, and a health app addict? I had to know. MyFitnessPal helps users track what they eat and calorie consumption while monitoring activity level to help achieve weight loss goals. Each day you search through a vast food database to track your meals for the day and, God willing, stay within the boundaries of your suggested caloric intake. The most challenging aspect of MyFitnessPal was remembering what I had eaten each day and taking time to enter it into my food diary. It was also challenging to identify foods comparable in nutrition to the meals I prepared at home, despite the app having over 300,000,000 items in its database. Weirdly, I did find some lesser-known items including a few of my favorite Emerald Triangle craft beers. 30 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

More than anything, it seems that these apps are about motivating users rather than improving their health for them.

I was also surprised to learn that a Taco Bell Crunch Wrap

I asked my healthy friends about their experiences with

Supreme only has 530 calories! MyFitnessPal would be a

apps. Many are runners or bicyclists, and they all talked

great tool for someone trying to closely monitor their diet

about Strava, which utilizes your phone’s GPS to track

and learn more about the nutritional value of food, but I was

your speed metrics as you move from Point A to Point B;

eager to be free from my food diary by the end of the week.

when you’re done riding or running, you can look at a Stra-

I also tried the meditation app, Calm. Being a hardworking

va-generated map detailing your route and performance

gal (not to mention a Virgo), I find myself stressing over trivial

metrics. You can also connect with friends to share trails

things constantly, so learning how to meditate seemed like

and even initiate competitions.

it might do my body good. When you sign up for the Calm,

Eureka resident Mike D. uses Strava to track his running,

the app asks you to choose between a few things to focus

biking, and swimming. “For me, it’s been super helpful,” he

on, such as better sleep, meditation, or managing stress.

says. “I think the main thing is rounding up. If I’m running, and

When you open the app, a blue screen appears and tells you

I see I’ve gone 3.7 miles—I can’t leave that hanging there. I’ll

to “take a deep breath” and fills your ears with the delicate

go around the block a few times until it’s a solid 4 miles.”

sound of a babbling brook. From there, users choose from a

Strava’s social media component is a key motivational tool

variety of recordings that guide them through meditation or

for Mike. “I wasn’t an athlete in school,” he says. “I was the

fall asleep to a story read by Matthew McConaughey (no

opposite. So I’m always, always in favor of being supportive.

joke). “Alright, alright, alright!” For me, the bedtime stories were most effective. I was out after just a few minutes—but never got to finish any

Getting out the door is the hardest part, so if someone built a thing that helps hold me accountable, I’m all for it. Maybe it’s sort of like AA—some people need a sponsor.”

of the stories. (Unfortunately, McConaughey’s number

Dave Larson, an employee at Revolution Bikes in Eu-

isn’t provided through the app, so I couldn’t text him to

reka, says the app has motivated him to ride harder and

find out what happened next.) While I enjoyed the guid-

longer. “You can see where your friends are riding, and it

ed meditations, it was difficult to sit through an entire

inspires you to check out new spots,” says Larson. “Some-

session. I wondered if this was the point.

times you’ll compete with them and be like, ‘Ahhh they

By the end of the week, I didn’t feel any different, and I certainly didn’t become a vegan yoga

took that trophy away, so I’ll go ride harder.’ Somebody else sets a goal, but I’m still working for myself.”

instructor. While I found myself more interest-

More than anything, it seems that these health/fitness

ed in my general wellbeing, I couldn’t connect

apps are about motivating users rather than improving

enough with either app to actually change

their health for them. Daily reminders to engage with the

my eating patterns or manage my stress.

app are a polite little nudge to get your 10,000 steps in or to login to your food diary to report the shameful number of tacos you had for dinner last night. I can’t say any of the apps I tried worked for me, but learning how they have motivated other people was inspiring in itself.

sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 31

REMEMBERING There is life beyond brain injuries—and one couple is telling their story through film, coming to a festival through you. by L E L A N D R U C K E R

It was just another night at home: JANUARY 9, 2016, TO BE EXACT. SCOTT TAKEDA AND LORI ALLRED WERE IN THEIR LIVING ROOM WATCHING FREAKS AND GEEKS ON NETFLIX WHEN SCOTT, INSPIRED BY THE FILM’S ’80S SOUNDTRACK, GOT UP TO DANCE IN FRONT OF THE TV. “The music was just really good, and I started danc-

for him not to be working was a huge red ﬂag to begin with.

ing,” he says. “And my feet slipped out, and I fell.” Scott

And he would forget what he was doing kind of in the mid-

wasn’t too concerned; he went to bed about a half hour

dle of what he was doing, like leaving food on the counter.”

later. The next morning, he awoke feeling groggy and out

They ﬁnally decided to have a doctor check him out,

of sorts. “I didn’t think I had hit my head,” he says. “There

and that’s when they found that Scott, then 49, had suf-

was no immediate reaction. It’s like I was a little sore.”

fered a traumatic brain injury.

Beyond the fatigue, he didn’t think that much about it. You may know the couple. Scott and Lori both work in

Mind Matters

the ﬁlm industry. Their company, BS Filmworks, makes

Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is one of the most mis-

and produces videos for corporate and local clients.

understood medical conditions of our time. It is caused

Scott, who began as a television news reporter (includ-

by a jolt to the head that disturbs the brain’s normal func-

ing some time in Denver), also has appeared as an actor

tion. Not every blow to the head causes TBI, and there are

in television (The Resident, Mr. Mercedes) and ﬁlms, in-

degrees of injury. Most, called concussions, are mild. Ef-

cluding Gone Girl and the recent HBO movie, The Tale.

fects can subside after awhile or last the rest of your life.

After Scott’s fall, Lori began to notice subtle but real

Falls account for almost half of TBI injuries, affecting

changes in his behavior. Usually a workaholic, he was

both younger and older people, but they also can come

spending more time snoozing, and was slurring his words

from being struck by an object or in a motor vehicle inci-

and repeating himself. “For him to be sleeping all the

dent. Falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain inju-

time—I mean he wasn’t a napper or anything,” Lori says. “So

ry death for people 65 or older.

32 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

US Remembering Us cast members (l to r) Dani Payne, Nev Scharrel, Mike Ostroski and Merlot the corgi.

The most surprising thing about TBI is that it is a major

that only Lori could notice, and they tried to keep it that

cause of death and disability, according to statistics from the

way. “It isn’t that he wasn’t nice before,” she says. “But he

National Center for Disease Control, contributing to almost

seemed to slow his roll.”

30 percent of all injury deaths. It’s a serious problem. But as Scott and Lori learned shortly after Scott’s diagnoses, there is a stigma about even discussing the topic of brain injury. “No one talks about traumatic brain injuries,” says Scott.

It’s Personal

C D C S TAT I S T I C S TO R E M E M B E R

Every day, 153 Americans die from injuries associated with traumatic brain injury.

Scott and Lori’s life changed dramatically after the diagnosis. Equal partners in life and work, they had those titles

Or as Scott puts it, “I don’t have the energy to be as

suddenly changed to patient and caregiver, which origi-

driven. I still think I’m well on the driven side of the

nally left Lori scrambling to keep up with the changes.

whole spectrum, but not where I was.”

Takeda developed what he calls the Shiny Object Syn-

Personality changes are common with head injuries. “You

drome. “I would just start doing something, then see

will hear a lot, especially when you hear the football player

something else, get distracted, and just go around and

stories, that their personalities change,” Lori says. “And usu-

around. And I would ﬁnd myself, by about three o’clock in

ally that’s a very negative comment, but that doesn’t mean

the afternoon, ﬁnally getting back to the start of the trail.”

it always is. And you know, we got lucky.” Besides slowing

Some of the personality changes were subtle enough

down, Scott found it easier to memorize parts. sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 33

34 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

Lori says one of the main frustrations was not be-

that’s known for its medicinal potential. They became es-

ing able to share their knowledge. Beyond their fam-

pecially interested in CBD after watching the specials from

ilies, agents, and managers, they felt they couldn’t, or

CNN’s chief medical correspondent and well-known neu-

shouldn’t, talk with anyone. “I would get frustrated,” she

rosurgeon Sanjay Gupta on cannabis’ medical potential,

admits. “There was no one to bounce things off of.”

thinking that cannabis may help ease Scott’s symptoms.

There was a deﬁnite downturn in their income during

This is an area where cannabis might be helpful. Dr.

the ﬁrst year, and they discovered ways to cover Scott’s

Helena Yardley, a neuroscientist, cannabis researcher, and

disability at work. Since Scott had the lead in some cli-

founder of Colorado-based 6 Degrees Wellness, says there

ent relationships, they would let him be the ﬁgurehead,

are a lot of data on the protective effects of CBD on the

and then Lori would take over from there. “Income needs

brain. “There’s not a lot of human data because it’s unethi-

to come in whether your brain hurts or not,” she explains.

cal to smack someone over the head to see how they fare,”

Lori started looking into the medicinal potential of CBD, a

she says. “But neuroprotection is one of the indications

chemical compound derived from certain cannabis plants

where there are the most data. There’s something there.”

C D C S TAT I S T I C S TO R E M E M B E R

Five years after a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, 1 in 5 die. Nearly 3 in 5 remain disabled, and more than half have lost their jobs.

Scott (right) and Lori (center), pictured with producer Brock Sherman (left). sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 35

10% DISCOUNT CODE:

SENSIMAG

36 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

Scott was skeptical. He had never been curious about

They have ﬁnished a 30-minute version of Remember-

or used cannabis—plus, he’s allergic to smoke. Lori found

ing Us that portrays a man who slips on ice, and the effects

Dr. Alan Shackelford, the ﬁrst medical person with whom

the injury has on him and his relationships with his wife,

Scott felt comfortable. The ﬁrst time they met, Shackelford

family, friends, and colleagues. It’s a gripping, emotional

told Scott that he thought cannabis could really help him,

ride, one that many of the couple’s friends didn’t know

and he prescribed a speciﬁc strain. When Scott told Shack-

was about them until they read the script or saw the ﬁlm.

elford about his allergy, Scott shares, “He went, ‘Oh, I don’t want you to smoke it,’ and prescribed me a tincture.” (A can-

C D C S TAT I S T I C S TO R E M E M B E R

nabis tincture is an alcohol-based extract used as a form of

2.8 million Americans suffer a traumatic brain injury every year—more than double the number who are diagnosed with a top-10 cancer.

medicine, taken typically as drops under the tongue.) Even though he felt relief from his traumatic brain injury soon after starting the tincture, it still took Scott awhile to actually use his medical marijuana card. “I didn’t do anything for a full month,” he says. “It’s like I still couldn’t get like myself to do it.” But once he did, Lori began noticing a lessening of his symptoms. Since then, Scott has gone back to work. He says he has good and bad days, and

They are entering the half-hour version in ﬁlm festivals

that the couple has learned to work around his disability.

around the country in hopes that someone will see the

Worth Remembering

possibilities and turn it into a full-length picture. “Like a lot of storytellers, we turn our pain into art,” Scott says.

Since part of their goal as ﬁlmmakers has been to

“There’s a shame and stigma that sits around brain injuries

show real things that happen in people’s lives, they de-

and cannabis and forces people into the shadows. We kind

cided to make Remembering Us, a dramatic ﬁlm—not a

of touch on the fact that people fear what they can’t see.”

documentary—based around their experience to raise

Scott and Lori want Remembering Us (trailer available

awareness about the difﬁculties in dealing with trau-

on Vimeo) to help everyone better understand traumatic

matic brain injuries and, to a lesser degree, to let people

brain injury as well as reinforce the fact that cannabis is

know about the possibilities of cannabis as medicine.

being used by Americans of all backgrounds and persua-

Neither believe cannabis is a cure or magic potion, but

sions, not just the stereotypical stoners you see in many

both think it needs to be there as a tool for those who

ﬁlms and television series. “We started saying that this is

want it. “We’re not here to promote cannabis, but it’s an

our chance to start the conversation,” Scott says. “It’s be-

option if you’re struggling and not getting relief.”

ing used by regular family people. That is the reality.”

KOA newsman Ed Greene (left) talked with Lori and Scott and the cast of Remembering Us at a private screening in Denver on May 5.

sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 37

Trippy

Healing Psychedelics are the new medical marijuana. by R O BY N G R I G G S L AW R E N CE

38 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

I keep a photo of myself from the bad year, WHEN I LEFT THE JOB I THOUGHT DEFINED ME AND BROKE UP WITH THE MAN I’D PLANNED TO MARRY. I’M WEARING A SLEEVELESS DRESS NO ADULT WHO WEIGHS 93 POUNDS SHOULD BE WEARING, WITH MY UNDERNOURISHED LIMBS AND OVERSIZED HEAD. I MAKE MYSELF LOOK AT IT ONCE IN A WHILE BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO FORGET. My life once felt so bleak that I didn’t want to be here.

four hellish nights in the rainforest, wrestling with anger

I couldn’t kill myself because I love my children, but I

and despair about my father dying before I was born—

thought about it all the time. I starved myself and told

deep, pre-language demons I thought I’d dealt with in the

people my new retirement plan was to die young.

Landmark Forum, with God knows how many therapists.

Around that time, private ayahuasca ceremonies were

My journeys were desolate and brutal, total annihila-

becoming a thing from Laurel Canyon to Park Slope, so I

tion of the universe and terrifying solo rocket launches

went to one in a multimillion-dollar house with a Jewish

into empty orbits. I felt my father’s heart attack, and his

shaman who played new-age music on a boom box. I had

crushing angst about who would take care of me was the

read everything I could get my hands on about this an-

sword that finally cut through the dark energy I’d been

cient medicine made from sacred Amazonian plants—

born with. I forgave him for dying and myself for thinking

not all that much at the time, and a lot of it pretty terrify-

he didn’t care enough to stick around and meet me. I told

ing—and I waited with more than a little trepidation for

him he could let go, I would take care of myself now. Free

the big bang that would fix me. When the mood wasn’t

for the first time in my life, I spent the last night juggling

right and nothing happened, I was disappointed and

exclamation points, tossing them up to pop pink balloons

then bored, listening to the guy next to me groan and sob

that rained down sparkles of love on everyone around me.

and watching the guy across from me paint pictures in the air with his hands. I snuck into the garage to vape.

The pink glow lasted. I went home and started rebuilding my skeletal self and reinventing my career—as

I took that experience as another sign of what a hope-

a cannabis cookbook author and chef, no less. I met a

less, crusty loser I had become. Not even drinking this

nice guy who feeds me when I’m in work mode. I never

legendary brew could bring back my appetite for food,

considered suicide again.

for life. I figured this ayahuasca thing was just more bullshit, a hallucinogenic Landmark Forum for entitled people who have exhausted their therapists’ patience.

Coffee, Tea, or Ayahuasca? Psychedelics are the new medical marijuana, offering a

I was wrong, of course, as Cosmic Sister founder Zoe

world of therapeutic possibilities for so many things that

Helene, a seasoned journeyer who drinks ayahuasca only

ail us, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), de-

in Peru, where it’s legal and revered, would prove. Helene

bilitating grief, opiate addiction, depression, anxiety, eat-

awarded me one of the first Cosmic Sister Plant Spirit

ing disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)—

grants so I could travel to the Nihue Rao healing center

and Americans are more interested in them than they’ve

outside of Iquitos and experience traditional ayahuasca

been since the 1960s. In a recent YouGov survey, 53 percent

ceremonies with shamans where Mama Aya lives. I spent

of Americans said they support medical research into psysensimag.com AUGUST 2019 39

40 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

chedelic medicines, and 63 percent said they would be

ences that normally leave them overwhelmed. MDMA,

open to having medical treatment with psilocybin, ket-

which emerged in the late 1970s as a tool for psychother-

amine, or MDMA if the substances were proven safe.

apists and made its way into the hands of ravers and yup-

In December 2016, the Journal of Psychoparmacology

pies, was “the drug that LSD was supposed to be, coming

dedicated its entire issue to psychedelics. Michael Pol-

20 years too late to change the world,” Newsweek wrote in

len’s recent book about psychedelic therapy, How to

1985, the year the DEA made it a Schedule I substance.

Change Your Mind, which he said took him to “places

Recently, the FDA gave MDMA breakthrough therapy sta-

I’ve never been—indeed, places I didn’t know existed,”

tus based on its effectiveness in PTSD studies, and it

was an immediate bestseller. Last year in the widely ac-

could be approved for legal therapeutic use by 2021.

claimed book A Really Good Day, Ayelet Waldman wrote

As for ayahuasca, scores of medical journal articles

that microdosing, or taking about one-tenth of a normal

are now exploring how journeying changes the very

dose of LSD on a regular basis, helped her deal with se-

brain chemistry to beat back the anxiety and depression.

vere mood swings. Silicon Valley executives microdose

Every weekend across North America, thousands of

LSD for a gentle blast of focus and creativity.

seekers gather for not-so-underground ceremonies like

Psilocybin from “magic mushrooms” is emerging as a

the one that didn’t work for me. For $11,000, San Francis-

treatment for smoking cessation, alcoholism and cocaine

co-area startup professionals can travel to the Amazon

dependence, and terminal-cancer anxiety, while MDMA,

with Entrepreneurs Awakening for the real deal—but

aka Ecstasy or Molly, is showing great promise for treat-

they don’t have to go to all that effort. In San Francisco,

ing PTSD and autistic adults with social anxiety because

self-help guru Tim Ferriss told the New Yorker in 2016,

it lets them relive and safely reprocess traumatic experi-

drinking ayahuasca is “like having a cup of coffee.”

KNOW YOUR Ayahuasca

Made in the Amazon from the ayahuasca vine and the chacruna leaf containing the psychoactive substance DMT

psychedelics

LSD

Synthetic psychedelic made from lysergic acid in the fungus that grows on rye

Effects: Helps journeyers come to terms with deep trauma

Effects: Produces visuals, intensified sensory perception, synesthesia, sense of deep interconnectedness

Potential Treatment for: PTSD, depression, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts

Potential Treatment for: PTSD, alcoholism, anxiety, depression

Ibogaine

A compound in the bark and roots of taberanthi, a small African bush tree Effects: As activist Dana Beal described, “your entire life and those spooky archetypes you see distantly in your dreams are projected on the back of your eyelids” Potential Treatment for: Alcoholism and addiction

Ketamine

A disassociative anesthetic discovered in 1961 and used during the Vietnam War Effects: Induces deep relaxation, out-ofbody experiences Potential Treatment for: Depression, suicidal thoughts

MDMA (Also known as Ecstasy, Molly.)

Enactogen developed by German scientists during WWI with properties similar to amphetamine and mescaline Effects: Soaks the brain with serotonin, oxytocin, dopamine and prolactin to invoke what psychologist Ralph Metzner described as “a natural state of innocence, before guilt and unworthiness arose”

nists reported that eating the plant’s top “causes those devouring it to be able to foresee and to predict things” Potential Treatment for: Alcoholism and addiction

Psilocybin

Entheogenic (meaning “to generate god within”) found in over 75 mushroom species Effects: Disturbs normal nerve cell interaction and serotonin functioning, creating heightened sensory experiences, perceptual distortions, hallucinations, and synesthesia Potential Treatment for: Depression, end-of-life anxiety, trauma, addiction, couples therapy

Potential Treatment for: Couples therapy, PTSD

Peyote

Vision-inducing woolly cactus used by indigenous people containing mescaline, a psychedelic phenethylamine Effects: Seventeenth-century ethnobotasensimag.com AUGUST 2019 41

42 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

LSD, Past Lives, and Outer Space Psychedelics affect the brain by binding to the same receptors as the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin and facilitating communication between disparate regions that normally don’t talk to each other. Kenneth Tupper, director of implementation and partnerships at the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, told NBC News that under carefully controlled conditions, psy-

PEOPLE HAD A MORE “OPEN” PERSONALITY AND

enhanced curiosity AND IMAGINATION…

chedelics “can create experiences of wonder and awe and a connection to a ‘divine realm’ that leads to signif-

about LSD. Leary told Playboy in 1966 that it was “the most

icant behavioral changes.”

powerful aphrodisiac ever discovered by man,” kicking up

At a recent international conference on the science

those age-old fears about young people’s virtue and predict-

of psychedelics in London, psychiatrist Ben Sessa ex-

ed it would “enable each person to realize that he is not a

plained that psychedelic therapy “offers an opportunity

game-playing robot put on this planet to be given a Social

to dig down and get to the heart of the problems that

Security number and to be spun on the assembly line of

drive long-term mental illness in a much more effective

school, college, career, insurance, funeral, goodbye. … In-

way than our current model, which is take daily medi-

stead of relying on canned, static, dead knowledge passed

cations to mask systems.”

on from other symbol producers, he will be using his span

At the Johns Hopkins University’s Psilocybin Research Project, studies found that people had a more

of 80 or so years on this planet to live out every possibility of the human, prehuman, and even subhuman adventure.”

“open” personality, greater appreciation for new experi-

Or, as Hunter S. Thompson would explain in Playboy

ences, and enhanced curiosity and imagination—ef-

eight years later, “If acid helps people see through con-

fects that persisted for at least 14 months—after a single

ditioned hallucinations, then acid’s a threat to such po-

psilocybin session. And earlier this year, a study pub-

lice states as now exist in America and in Russia.”

lished in the Journal of Psychopharmacology found

All too much for the U.S. government. In 1968, a year

that people feel more connected to nature and less sup-

after the Summer of Love, LSD possession was banned.

portive of authoritarian views after a psychedelic trip.

Two years later, nearly every psychedelic known, in-

That anti-authority effect is, of course, the reason

cluding LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, peyote, and canna-

psychedelics—which encouraged an entire generation

bis, was declared a Schedule 1 drug with no medical val-

to drop out and make love when the government des-

ue. The message–drugs are bad–would be impossible to

perately needed them to join up and make war—are ille-

ignore for the next several decades.

gal. In the 1950s, LSD was sold under the name Delvsid

That message is antiquated. As we wrestle with so

and used in conjunction with psychotherapy to treat

many seemingly intractable issues—opioid abuse, men-

anxiety and obsessive neuroses. A good number of re-

tal illness, mass shootings and violence, PTSD, and sky-

searchers and therapists were studying the effects of

rocketing suicide rates—we can no longer afford to ig-

drugs like LSD, which Canadian psychiatrist Humphrey

nore tools that psychiatrist Stanislav Grof wrote, in the

Osmond called “psychedelics” from the Greek word for

foreword to Albert Hoffman’s 2005 book, LSD: My Prob-

“mind manifesting.” Hollywood stars including Esther

lem Child, “make it possible to study undercurrents that

Williams and Cary Grant were outspoken about its ef-

govern our experiences and behaviors to a depth that is

fectiveness, Anais Nin wrote about experimenting with

not by any other method and tool available in modern

it, Alcoholics Anonymous founder Bill Wilson tried it as

mainstream psychiatry.”

a means to sobriety, and the CIA slipped it to unsuspect-

Perhaps Amanda Fielding, founder of the think tank

ing victims to see how they would respond.

Beckley Foundation, summed it up best in a recent

A Threat to Police States

that synergize amazingly well with the human body

Timothy Leary, the ex-Harvard professor who told people

Wired interview. “There are these incredible compounds and can be used to have incredibly positive results,”

to “turn on, tune in, and drop out,” probably did more than

Fielding said. “And what do we do?

anyone else to antagonize the government into making

We criminalize it. I mean, they are

psychedelics illegal. President Richard Nixon called Leary

more carefully controlled than nu-

“the most dangerous man in America” for his proselytizing

clear weapons. It is mad.” sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 43

Business Law (Contracts & Compliance) ■ Intellectual Property ■ Cannabis Defense ■ DUIs/DMV Hearings ■ All Felonies & Misdemeanors ■

FREE CONSULTATION FOR DEFENSE WORK ONLY

Kathleen Bryson Attorney

Former Humboldt County Deputy District Attorney Member of National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Member California DUI Lawyers Association Voted North Coast Journal’s Best of Humboldt - Attorney & Law Office (2015-2018)

44 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

732 5th Street, Suite C Eureka, CA 95501 info@humboldtjustice.com www.humboldtjustice.com

707.268.8600 Working in Association with

Shay Aaron Gilmore Business Law

www.shaygilmorelaw.com Phone/Text: 415.846.6397

sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 45

46 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

HUMBOLDT COUNTY FAIR

The Place to Be HUMBOLDT COUNTY CELEBRATES 123RD COUNTY FAIR.

performing free hands-on activities and a literal dog and pony show. Horseracing has been a memorable part of the Humboldt County Fair experience for over 50 years. This year the race track area has been improved to be more welcoming to children and families. Each weekend during The Humboldt County Fair is a perfect culmination of everything that makes Humboldt County such a fascinating place. The longest continuously running fair in California history, it operated in Hydesville for decades before moving to its current home at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds in Ferndale in 1896. Agricultural events have always been a big part of the fair, which has grown and changed along with the rest of Humboldt County over the years. Now you can enjoy all the traditional Americana fair activities, plus see exhibits and shows that are unique to Humboldt County. Animals and livestock are exhibited by both adults and youth, alongside other displays that show off the best of the region’s arts and crafts. For adventure-seek-

the fair, August 16-18 and August 23-25, entry to the horseraces is free with fair admission. The fair celebrates the diversity of Humboldt County. People from all across Northern California come to exhibit and perform. It’s a platform for the community to support and celebrate one another, made possible by the volunteers who donate their time to bring the fair to life. The Humboldt County Fair is an enduring tradition that keeps improving with every year. Don’t miss the fair this year, August 15-25, in historic Ferndale. For more information, visit:

HUMBOLDTCOUNTYFAIR.ORG

ers, there are plenty of fun carnival rides, plus this year’s new death-defying act, where you can watch motorcyclists ride in a steel cage. Children can have a blast at the expanded kid’s zone, designed for safety and fun. Catch local youth groups sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 47

48 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

NORTHERN NIGHTS MUSIC FESTIVAL

Celebrating the Culture and Beauty of the Emerald Triangle REDWOODS. MUSIC. RIVER. CAMPING. ART. YOGA. CANNABIS.

Protecting the Emerald Triangle’s fragile environment is a big part of the Northern Nights philosophy. Each year brings different sustainability initiatives, from competitions to pick up the most trash to a special team of divers who clean the riverbed at the festival’s end. Another core value of Northern Nights is honoring the heritage of the Emerald Triangle by integrating cannabis into everyday culture. In 2019, the Northern Nights producers are proud to debut the Tree Lounge, a temporary recreational dispensary. The Tree Lounge features its own stage, where festival-goers mingle with local farmers while learning about about the rich history of Northern California’s legendary cannabis. The Northern Nights Music Festival has become an integral part of Emerald Triangle culture. The inﬂuential The Northern Nights Music Festival has brought an eclectic celebration of music and arts to the banks of the beautiful Eel River for the past seven years. Located at the Mendocino-Humboldt county line in the Emerald Triangle, Northern Lights offers more to experience every July at the Cook’s Valley Campground in Northern California. The main attraction is a full three-day weekend of

festival invites popular artists behind the redwood curtain, while also promoting underground legends who will one day become headliners. Northern Nights is the perfect gathering to showcase the unique beauty and culture that make the Emerald Triangle so special. For more information, visit:

NORTHERNNIGHTS.ORG

music spanning different genres. This year’s headliners included acts like Zhu, Big Wild, Berner, and Fuego, along with a Desert Hearts takeover. On top of music and art, Nothern Nights offers a range of daytime activities like yoga and sound healing. Once the main stages go quiet, it’s time for silent disco, giving you an opportunity to party into the night. For many, the best part of Northern Nights is the natural beauty of the Cook’s Valley Campground. Festival-goers enjoy relaxing under magniﬁcent redwoods by the Grove Stage and ﬂoating around in the pristine waters of the Eel by the River Stage. Few music festivals offer such a range of natural wonders and music. sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 49

{HereWeGo } by N O R A M O U N C E

STICK IT WHERE? As a cannabis writer living in Humboldt, I don’t shy away

oils are compatible with your birth control!) and agree that

from trying new things. CBD eye cream? Sure, my crow’s

every chance to swap out synthetic drugs for natural ther-

feet aren’t going to erase themselves. Sea salt caramels

apies is worth taking. But break up with my Midol? Never.

with a micro-dose of THC? Obviously! But just when I’d

Nearly every woman has traumatic memories of men-

started to think I’d tried it all—tinctures, edibles, infused

strual pain. Even lucky women who experience light symp-

salad dressing, CBD turmeric lattes, and bath bombs—a

toms remember a particular month or year when, without

new delivery revealed itself in the shape of a sleek yellow

warning, her cycle suddenly delivered a blow of misery. Not

torpedo designed to stick up your body cavity of choice.

limited to the mechanical cramping of the uterus, a wom-

When it came time to try vaginal cannabis supposito-

an’s cycle can inspire a host of yucky symptoms including

ries, I didn’t blink. A firm believer in the medicinal power of

headaches, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, and depression, which

plants, I’ve made my own infused lubricant (make sure the

vary wildly from person to person. But mention it at work?

50 AUGUST 2019 Emerald Triangle

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KISKANUCANNABIS

Cannabis suppositories offer relief and pleasure.

Call in sick? Slacker, whiner, hypochondriac!

One Friday afternoon, I found myself at home with a

What if there were another way? Kiskanu is a plant-

few hours that could be squandered on “research.” Though

based skincare company in Eureka, owned and operated

not menstruating at the time, I was eager to try the sup-

by CEO Gretchen Miller. Designed to support women’s

positories without the specific goal of treating cramps.

vaginal health and offer holistic relief from menstru-

Enjoying (key word, enjoying) 60 milligrams of THC in my

al woes, the Humboldt County business has developed

body would be a new experience for me, as inhaling or

cannabis suppositories for anal or vaginal usage. To test-

eating that quantity of THC is usually a total buzzkill. Fol-

drive the new product (a hemp CBD suppository is also in

lowing Miller’s tips, I popped the suppository in the fridge

development), I took home a tidy package of mini “weed

for 15 minutes and made myself a comfy nest on the

tampons” along with some advice from Miller on how to

sofa. Though I didn’t need it, I kept a hand towel nearby

administer (never underestimate gravity and body tem-

for leaks along with a big mug of herbal tea and a good

perature).

book. (Chilling out is the entire point). After inserting the

Each of Kiskanu’s yellow suppositories is packed with

suppository, I popped a pillow under my bum (be mindful

coconut and calendula oil, along with 60 milligrams of THC

of gravity) and relaxed. It was nice! Though I might have

and 15 milligrams of CBD. Typically, that’s way over my

gotten a touch “high,” it was only a garden-variety mood

nut, but Miller explained that cannabinoids are absorbed

elevation that comes from carving out time for self-care.

directly by the pelvic region’s many blood vessels.

A lovely afternoon well-spent, I was eager to try it again.

“Using this method, the majority of cannabinoids bypass

The following week, my cycle inevitably arrived, so I

the liver and are not metabolized into psychoactive THC,”

used Kiskanu’s suppository as a medical application to dial

explains Miller. Careful to explain that the experience varies

down menstrual cramps, digestive woes, and general fa-

per individual, Kiskanu includes an FAQ stating, “You may

tigue. Again, I didn’t feel significantly altered, but the sup-

feel a difference in your disposition when using supposito-

pository helped take off the edge of pain and I felt more at

ries; you’ll find yourself calmer, relaxed, and at ease.”

ease in my body. By Day 2, I was in enough discomfort to

It all sounded pretty dreamy to me, though Miller did

pop a Midol, but coupling the pharmaceutical with a holis-

caution that some users reported getting high. But after

tic therapy felt empowering and supportive. Like all can-

conducting a Google search on using cannabis where the

nabis therapies, I recommend everyone try new products

sun don’t shine, I found little evidence of improper dosage.

for themselves to see how their own unique bodies react.

The Florida-based company Foria leads the canna-

In the US, controlling women’s bodies through a mech-

bis-for-sexual-pleasure market and has sold THC/CBD

anized and patriarchal lens has a long (and still unwrit-

lubricants and suppositories in California, Colorado, and

ten) history. Women need and deserve every opportunity

online (check legal guidelines in your state) since 2013.

to control their own health and bodies, especially when it

Online testimonials largely report reduced pain from sci-

comes to sexual and reproductive health. It’s exciting to see

atica, endometriosis, and menstruation, along with im-

innovative holistic therapies emerge, but also important to

proved lubrication and pleasure in sexual relations.

remember that relaxation and emotional support are equal-

Foria’s products are particularly hot with the

ly important factors in overall wellness. I plan to

LGBTQ community (some products use Jojoba

continue using vaginal cannabis suppositories as

oil for its compatibility with latex), and many us-

regular care keeps my vagina healthy and well

ers appreciate the benefits of reduced anxiety

loved all month, regardless of the moon.

during intimacy. Still, it’s noteworthy that risk (or bonus, depending on the user) of psychoactivity increases with anal applications; without multi-

Look for Kiskanu products and suppositories from licensed retailers and dispensaries in California and beyond. For more information, visit KISKANUCANNABIS.COM or KISKANUHEMP.COM .

ple layers of tissue to cross, like in the vagina, cannabinoids are even more rapidly released and absorbed into the body. sensimag.com AUGUST 2019 51

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