Sensi Magazine - Coachella Valley PREMIERE (October 2019)

Premie re Issue

I C OAC H E L L A VA L L E Y

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ON THE ROCKS Joshua Tree climbers take the sport to new heights ›››

BEHIND BOB’S BURGERS

Animator Jay Howell talks ’toons

SUITE ESCAPE

Alcazar’s stylish staycation

Come grow with us

and experience more than just growing! info@coachillin.com

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COACHELLA VALLEY ISSUE 1 VOL 1 OCTOBER 2019

sensimediagroup @sensimagazine @sensimag

F E AT U R E S

24

18 The Howell Way

Cartoonist Jay Howell of Bob’s Burgers fame shares the serendipity that shaped his career.

24 Holding on to Hope

SPECIAL REPORT: Cannabis offers

an alternative treatment for what Health magazine calls “Invisible Illnesses.”

34 Leading the Pitch Friends of Joshua Tree and the climbing community begin to embrace CBD and THC in the sport.

D E PA R T M E N T S

11 EDITOR’S NOTE 12 THE BUZZ News, tips, and tidbits

to keep you in the loop.

BY THE NUMBERS Coachella tourism rakes in the revenue.

LOCAL LOOK Fashionable desert-core attire.

SENSIBILITIES Hot takes from our editor in chief.

VOX POPULI What’s so great about fall?

40 THE LIFE Contributing to your

health and happiness.

CBD RECIPES to ring in the new season.

BOOK REVIEW Etiquette gets elevated in the latest from the Emily Post Institute.

44 THE SCENE Hot happenings and hip

ON THE COVER The annual Friends of Joshua Tree Climb Smart event brings stewardship and sport to the park October 18-20.

hangouts around town.

SWANKY SANITY One local hotel makes for a sleek escape.

50 THE END

Area golfers are embracing the benefits of CBD.

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Delta 9 Technologies Automated Extraction Equipment Dr. Robb Farms Cultivation Escape Room Palm Springs Team Building & Compliance Training Five Star Extracts THC Infused Tinctures

The Lighthouse Palm Springs & Coachella Cannabis Dispensary

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FACE BOOK Like Sensi Media Group for the parties, topics, and happenings we’re obsessed with right now.

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T W I T TER Follow @sensimag to stay up-to-date on the latest news from Sensi cities.

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10 COACH EL L A VA LLEY

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I NSTAG RAM @sensimagazine is home to exclusive photos and content.

SENSI MAGAZINE Published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2019 Sensi Media Group. All rights reserved.

S

EDITOR’S NOTE

sensimediagroup @sensimagazine @sensimag

EXECUTIVE Ron Kolb CEO ron@sensimag.com Tae Darnell President tae@sensimag.com

Alex Martinez Chief Administrative Officer alex@sensimag.com EDITORIAL Stephanie Wilson Editor in Chief stephanie@sensimag.com

Doug Schnitzspahn Executive Editor doug.schnitzspahn@sensimag.com Leland Rucker Senior Editor leland.rucker@sensimag.com Dawn Garcia Contributing Editor dawn.garcia@sensimag.com

Robyn Griggs Lawrence Contributing Editor robyn.lawrence@sensimag.com Kenji Haroutunian Contributing Writer Leandra Romero Contributing Writer DESIGN Jamie Ezra Mark Creative Director jamie@emagency.com Rheya Tanner Art Director Wendy Mak Designer Josh Clark Designer em@sensimag.com B U S I N E S S /A D M I N Kristan Toth Head of People kristan.toth@sensimag.com Gregory Jelden Publisher greg.jelden@sensimag.com Jason Zahler Publisher jason.zahler@sensimag.com Sat Panesar Associate Publisher sat.panesar@sensimag.com Quentin Dusastre Associate Publisher quentin.dusastre@sensimag.com

Sensi is a lifestyle.

It’s a way of interacting

with the world and the community around us that cultivates a respect for our health and well-being. It’s a promise to live our best lives, to appreciate everything from art exhibitions to vinyasa yoga to anime conventions to the verdant green of a golf course. Sensi is about laughing and enjoying time with friends. It’s about speaking up, listening carefully, and making a difference in a world filled with so much background noise.

Sensi is a future full of promise. This is us. This is how we live our lives. We hope to share that full vibe with you and learn and grow with you.

With that philosophy in mind, we are overjoyed to welcome you to the first issue of Sensi magazine in the Coachella Valley.

We founded this magazine four years ago with a passion to speak to our community. Every month, Sensi will entertain and (we hope) educate you with both national and local content that speaks to our mission and values. Look for features and service pieces that will connect you to this magical place and the wider Sensi family.

The Coachella Valley is California’s new promised land. As this desert community continues to grow and attract a wide range of forward-thinking individuals from artists to workout junkies to foodies, we will seek to stay on top of the personalities and events that make it pump. We think it’s important to check in with everyone from climbers seeking to protect our public lands (page 34) to golfers looking to ease the pains of a life of sport (page 50).

Sensi is a natural fit for the Coachella Valley. And we are proud to launch in this community and speak to its unique mindset. We can’t wait for you to join us.

As this desert community continues to grow and attract a wide range of forward-thinking individuals, we will stay on top of the personalities and events that make it pump.

Amber Orvik Chief Administrator amber.orvik@sensimag.com Andre Velez Marketing Director andre.velez@sensimag.com Neil Willis Production Manager neil.willis@sensimag.com Hector Irizarry Distribution distribution@sensimag.com M E D I A PA R T N E R S Marijuana Business Daily Minority Cannabis Business Association National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Doug Schnitzspahn doug.schnitzspahn@sensimag.com

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CONTRIBUTORS Leandra Romero, Stephanie Wilson

THE

The Best of Both Worlds French Miso Cafe opens its doors in Palm Springs and merges two food-forward cultures.

There are no gimmicks, no advertising. There’s just a small sign at the entrance of a charming historic bungalow in the middle of Palm Springs that reads “French Miso Cafe.” It’s a restaurant that earns its authenticity by offering an unlikely pairing of two of the world’s best foods: French and Japanese.

This unconventional collaboration of cultures took off in 12 COACH EL L A VA LLEY

the Los Angeles home of retired Bel-Air Hotel sous-chef Eric Bovy and retired fashion stylist Tomoko Jones. “Our friends would always come over to eat and we would either cook French food because he’s from the South of France, or Japanese because I’m from Japan,” says Jones. The married couple slowly began to dream up a little café in Palm Springs that

OCTOBER 2019

would capture the essence of those dinner night parties their friends looked forward to.

Inside, old photos and artwork from the couple's home hang on the walls, making you feel that cozy atmosphere long before the food arrives on your table. The menu offers a choice between traditional Japanese foods such as bento boxes and Jones’ mom’s homemade miso soup or French

fare such as Bovy’s Paris dish with house-made lox, blinis, and crème fraîche. French Miso Cafe offers more than a culinary experience, though. The food, like the couple’s relationship, celebrates how the similarities and differences of two cultures creates a delicious sum that’s greater than its parts.

French Miso Cafe / 19-21 La Plaza, Palm Springs / frenchmisocafe.com

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

High-End Infusions Made at home with the LEVO II

It may look like a sleek espresso machine, but that’s not a caffeine buzz you’re feeling. The LEVO is the first-ever kitchen appliance designed to infuse butter or oil with any herb—including that elevating one with the herb nickname.

An herb is an herb after all, as LEVO founder Chrissy Bellman often says. She came up with the concept after watching her roommates struggle to create infusions, making a mess, smelling up the room, and arguing the whole time. She knew there had to be a better way.

The LEVO II, with its spectrum of catchy hues, also features a range of new functions and features—including the cannabis-specific “activate” mode, which preps the plant for elevated infusions.

From lavender-infused sesame oil to Blue Dreambased cannabutter, there’s no limit to the range of concoctions you can DIY. Dispense into a pretty jar and top with a bow—you have a homemade holiday gift.

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TRIPPY $704

BY THE NUMBERS

MILLION

GENERATED BY COACHELLA & STAGECOACH

Music Festivals each year in regards to total economic activity in the region.

124 Source: Coachella Valley Economic Partnership and Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau

TRIP

In middle of the desert in Niland lies Salvation Mountain, a manmade mountain used to carry out one enlightened soulʼs mission of “spreading the love.” Twenty-eight years in the making and built out of adobe and latex paint, this mud mound is now a monumental landmark, attracting tourists from all over the world.

GOLF COURSES

are sprawled out across Coachella Valley—one of the greatest concentrations of courses in the world.

1.6 MILLION TOURISTS

Stay overnight in hotels or other accomodations each year.

Source: The City of Palm Springs

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O N T H AT N O T E …

The most reputable organization for breast cancer research is the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. If in doubt, your donation will be well-spent here. bcrf.org

Ready to see a massive return on your marketing dollars?

SENSIBILITIES WHAT MATTERS THIS MONTH BY STEPHANIE WILSON

Congratulations Sensi Magazine!

We are pleased to be on the Advisory Board for Digital Marketing and Advertising!

1 NOW STREAMING The Politician on Netflix (Sept. 27). Early reviews described the dark comedy as a cross between Glee and House of Cards. It’s probably on my iPad right now.

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Search Engine Optimization Website Design & Development Strategic Consulting Branding & Design

______ 2 COOL GIRL FALL I’m still waiting for this single to drop. Hot girl summer: fun while it lasted; exhausting to maintain.

______ 3 BYE-BYE, BUNION It’s the worst word ever. Let’s call it what it is: “overex-

tended toe-joint,” often resulting from wearing pointy-toe heels to work during a hot-girl decade. Turns out cool girls wear flats.

______ 4 AN EIGHTH One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. The world is awash in pink ribbons right now—tiny reminders to book a mammogram everywhere you look. Book one.

______ 5 PINK PSA October 13 is Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. It’s also

my mom’s birthday. She would have been 72 this year, but…metastatic breast cancer has no cure. If you’re going pink this month, make sure your efforts go to organizations funding research, not just awareness.

______ 6 FURRY ACCESSORY Your dog probably doesn’t want a Halloween costume. But if he has one, I definitely want to see some photos slide into my Insta: @stephwilll.

Email campaigns

How can we help you?

Connect for a complimentary consultation.

800-208-0917 nug@nugdigitalmarketing.com www.nugdigitalmarketing.com 14 COACH EL L A VA LLEY

OCTOB ER 2019

This creed of the desert seemed inexpressible in words .

—T. E. Lawrence Also known as Lawrence of Arabia

THE BUZZ

VOX POPULI

Question: What’s the best thing about Fall in the Coachella Valley?

LISA VOSSLER SMITH

AL GEIBERGER JR.

HALEY CLAWSON

TAVO BUSTILLOS

___________________

___________________

___________________

___________________

Exec. Director, Modernism Week Palm Springs

Founder of Almigos Golf Coachella Valley

The return of Modernism Week’s Fall Preview event. Friends and visitors from around the world come to the Coachella Valley to learn about mid-century modern architecture and design and our special style of desert modernism.

It sounds basic, but the weather.

The hot, slow, sordid days of summer give way to crisp mornings. Oh, and being able to play golf all day without passing out.

Chief Meteorologist at KESQ Palm Springs

Ushering the season in ahead of the weather. Pumpkin spice is everywhere before temperatures drop below 100. In another 20°, #sweaterweather will be filling your feeds.

Owner, EnerGym Palm Desert

The ability to enjoy some of our amazing golf courses as the weather cools off.

L O C A L C O M PA N Y

DESERT SPIRIT, VINTAGE SOUL Want to put a little local flair in your wardrobe?

Twin Palms Clothing Co. combines all the best parts of the desert. It’s as if the Wild West merged with rock ’n’ roll, with a funky phrase sprinkled on top for that effortless type of cool. twinpalmsco.com

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18 COACH EL L A VA LLEY

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HO

O

EL L WWAY You already know cartoonist Jay Howellʼs work—but do you know how it all began?

TEXT DAWN GARCIA ILLUSTRATIONS JAY HOWELL

ife can be a catapult of chaos.

Sometimes it takes the geniuses of animation and illustration to take us far from reality and show us life from a different perspective. Cartoonist Jay Howell is among those who see the world in wild renderings with the relatable yet slightly awkward characters in his imagination.

Howell is the man behind the animation of the hysterical and sardonic Belcher Family in Bob’s Burgers and the strangely twisted children’s show, Sanjay and Craig.

Howell found cartoons to be a medium that made sense to him as a young child. “I started drawing very early in life,” he says.

“My mom bought me all these cool books called How to Draw 100 Freaks and How to Draw Cartoons. She bought me a ton of Garfield and Far Side books. That stuff O CTO BER 2019

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really spoke to me.”

His career has evolved steadily, but it’s his unrelenting happiness that exudes from the characters he draws, whether for the screen, a brand partnership, or restaurant murals.

Howell’s style is easily recognizable by the lanky features and twisted yet oddly optimistic expressions of his characters.

His style developed from self-awareness.

“Looking in the mirror is the best art supply on earth,” Howell says.

“I’m always making the same expression as the character I’m trying to draw. I’m an extremely happy person, like a cool sociopath. I put as much as possible into my work, and I’m happy it shows.”

His character studies began long before he knew what he’d be doing as a career, starting with Saturday morning cartoons. When he was growing up in the ’80s, Howell looked forward to waking up early to watch The Smurfs, Snorks, Transformers, G.I. Joe, X-Men, Jem, Batman, Plastic Man, Wacky Races, and more. “All Saturday cartoons really,” he says.

(Editor’s Note: If you haven’t watched Plastic Man, do so immediately. He was legit and one of the first cartoon superheroes of the DC

Universe to use humor as part of his character.)

Howell was inspired by old-school cartoons and legendary cartoonists; the first animation that made him feel understood and curious was Pink Panther.

“The colors and the animation still really get me,” he says. “I’ll watch them a few times a year, still.”

Those vibrant colors can be seen in Howell’s animated series Bob’s Burgers. What began as a silly idea in creator Loren Bouchard’s mind came to life when he and Howell decided to work together on the show. “We started it, just Loren Bouchard

and I, in San Francisco,” Howell says. “It’s really his show, I just drew it off of his brilliant vision.”

The odd and endearing Belcher family consists of Bob, his wife Linda, and their children Gene, Tina, and Louise. Struggling to make the American Dream their reality, they run a burger joint as a family, even when they annoy each other—which is often. The series’ stellar cast includes H. Jon Benjamin (also the voice of Sterling Archer on Archer), Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman (also the voice of Cecil in Season Eight of Archer), John Roberts,

and Kristen Schaal (costar of Last Man on Earth). “[Bouchard] taught me everything I needed to know about TV,” Howell says. “The characters came out of weeks and months of crazy hard work. I’m still amazed it happened. It’s one of my best moments.”

Howell’s unique style combines humor and joy with a tinge of twisted.

He recalls the first live comedy routine he ever heard. “Easy. Neil Hamburger. He’s always been crazier than everyone, and he continues to influence and inspire me.” Hamburger is a

Q & JAY You clarify that you are not an artist, but a cartoonist.

Of all the great cartoonists, which five would you most want to meet?

JAY: Matt Groening, Gary Larson, Jim Davis, Jack Kirby, and Tove Jansson.

As famous as I could ever get, I would never care about me. I am an observer and a nobody. Maximum effort, ultimate humility. Fly on the wall, listening and then forgetting it all.

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Come this weekend.

Come next weekend.

Stay the week.

Just move in already.

We got you. thesaguaro.com

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fictional comedic character known as America’s funny man—created

by Gregg Turkington— whose anti-comedy style has been winning over audiences since 1992.

Howell’s element of comedy also came to life with children’s show Sanjay and Craig. Created and developed by Jim Dirschberger, Andreas Trolf, and Howell, the show was meant to be fan zine but soon became a beloved Nickelodeon show that aired from 2013 to 2016. “It was a zine I made when I lived in Sacramento years and years ago,” Howell says.

“It was originally about

a snake charmer and his buddy getting up to no good in their off hours. I rewrote it, and it became a kids’ show. Wild stuff.”

That kind of opportunity is the stuff his career has been made of. Influenced by so many before him, he recalls the wildly bizarre MAD magazine. “I just love Sergio Aragones more than anything.”

Aragones is a Hispanic cartoonist best known for his work in MAD, a magazine for people who gravitated toward the strange and unusual.

In addition to animated TV series and incredibly cool illustrations, Howell also does murals. At Bir-

ba, the restaurant in the Alcazar Palm Springs hotel, a mural distinguished with the characteristics Howell is known for adorns the main wall near the bar and kitchen. The mural features a crowd with the visual nuances, gestures and bright colors

“I’M AN EXTREMELY HAPPY PERSON, LIKE A COOL SOCIOPATH.” —Jay Howell

that immediately cue his original work.

When asked what inspired the mural, Howell candidly says it is Alcazar’s hotel and restaurant owner, Tara Lazar. “She has always been a huge supporter who has believed in me from the beginning,” he says. “When you make a creative friendship connection like that, then the other stuff is easy. It’s her fault it works so well.”

And it does work. Howell’s creations resonate with a universal crowd.

The characters he imagines have this normalcy and exceptionalism that make his work so recognizable. He has a way of drawing characters we understand and can see bits of ourselves in, including the joy so evident in all of his creations— even the dark ones.

Q & JAY What projects are you working on right now?

JAY: A lot of stuff with Vans Shoes, Adult Swim, and making a ton of cool mistakes.

If you could give an aspiring cartoonist some words of wisdom and insider nuggets, what would you say?

JAY: I used to be afraid I was not a good artist.

Cartoonists donʼt have to be.

Instagram: @PunksGitCut jayhowellart.blogspot.com

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hope SPECIAL REPORT

HOLDING ON TO

Autoimmune diseases are hard to diagnose—and even harder to manage. But cannabis offers a fresh alternative to those seeking treatment for the untreatable.

TEXT ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

24 COAC H EL L A VA LLEY

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K

ate Phillips’ stomach hurt for years. It grew so bloated she looked pregnant. And no one—not the gastrointestinal specialist, the neurologist, the functional medicine doctor, the nurse practitioner she drove three hours each way to see—could tell her why.

Doctors prescribed her 41 different medications. One doctor said her illness was stress-induced, another told her she had multiple sclerosis, and yet another said she had cancer (which was terrifying). Phillips gave up dairy, gluten, and sugar and spent more than $100,000 on medical specialists and snake oil doctors, like the nurse practitioner who put a coil on Phillips’ stomach to test for something that baffles her to this day.

“You’re just so desperate, so sick,” Phillips says. “You don’t care what you have to do.”

Suffering heart palpitations and seizures and no longer able to walk upstairs by herself, Phillips was forced to move in with her grandparents. When she was 21, a heart attack led her to the first of what she calls “Lyme-literate doctors” (LLMDs), who diagnosed her with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a circulation condition, and Lyme carditis, a rare infection caused by Lyme bacteria in the heart tissue. All those years, Phillips had been suffering from undiagnosed Lyme disease.

Growing up in the woods of Massachusetts, Phillips had been constantly drilled to look out for the classic symptoms of Lyme disease (named after Old Lyme,

Connecticut, where it was discovered), a tick-borne autoimmune illness that is more prevalent in New England than anywhere else in the world. Trouble is, she never got the flu-like symptoms or bullseye rash she’d been warned about. In her case, the spirochete bacteria from the tick that bit her attacked the weakest part of her body—her stomach, which Phillips jokes was ruined by a classic Irish Catholic diet of boiled meat and starch while she was growing up in Boston.

“All those medical practitioners looked at my stomach as one little box. I became a symptom, not a person,” Phillips says. “That’s why, anyone with an autoimmune disease will tell you, it can take years to get a proper diagnosis.”

Cannabinoids and Inflammation Often described as an attack on the self, autoimmune disease is triggered when the body’s immune system mistakes healthy tissues for invaders, goes into overdrive, and becomes inflamed. This can manifest as anything from Lyme disease to lupus, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, or Crohn’s disease—among some 80 to 100 diseases that Health magazine describes as “invisible illnesses” because they’re difficult to diagnose.

Traditional medical treatment for autoimmune diseases is generally heavy on long-term antibiotics, painkillers, anti-inflammatories, anti-depressants, anti-seizure drugs, and steroids, which suppress the immune system and slow down inflammation but are so hard on the body that they can only be taken for a short time. Functional medicine doctors take a more longterm, holistic approach, addressing

diet, lifestyle, and emotional health in addition to physical symptoms—and more and more often, cannabis is part of the program.

Dr. Joseph Cohen, DO, medical director of Journey 2 Life and Holos Health in Boulder, Colorado, says autoimmune diseases are tricky to diagnose because they’re difficult to differentiate and can be triggered by many things, including dietary factors (gluten is a massive trigger), environmental toxins, and stress. The key to treating them is to remove those triggers and heal the gut, because about 70 percent of the immune system lies in the gastrointestinal tract, he says. Cohen is among a growing number of doctors who are finding the immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory properties of cannabinoids helpful in treating autoimmune disease, and often prescribes treatments high in CBD. “Autoimmune diseases are such a huge collection,” says Selma Holden, MD, a family physician in southern Maine who integrates mindfulness, yoga, herbs, and other complementary techniques into her clinical repertoire. “But one common originator pathway is this process of inflammation, and the speckled evidence we have in limited clinical trials or pre-clinical animal studies is showing that administration of exogenous cannabinoids does seem to reduce the impacts of inflammation. “ Holden is intrigued by the generally accepted description of autoimmune disease as the body attacking itself. “The question is,” Holden says, “why did the body start attacking itself in the first place? There’s a piece to explore about their mental and emotional state. How can O CTO BER 2019

Functional medicine doctors take a more longterm, holistic approach to autoimmune disease treatment—and more and more often, cannabis is part of the program.

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she discovered her life’s mission.

“I became a total nerd—I just wanted to know why cannabis was working,” says Phillips. “I have this lifelong, black-hole obsession with learning about cannabis.”

Opening the Book After a stint working with a on the Crazy Stuff medical marijuana dispensary in Phillips, a Chinese herbal Steamboat, Colorado, Phillips medicine practitioner and former returned to Brookline, Massawilderness medic, says her Lyme chusetts, to be with her family disease diagnosis prompted her and got involved with the state’s to “open the book on all the crazy cannabis industry while helping stuff.” Cannabis, with its ability to modulate immune and nervous launch a boutique dispensary.

She now runs Silk Consulting, system function and decrease which assists Massachusetts inflammation, was a natural choice. She began juicing cannabis cannabis retail operations with management staffing and employfan leaves after reading about Dr. ee training, educational content, William Courtney, a California creation, and events. physician who recommends daily As part of her work, Phillips consumption of raw cannabis flowspeaks to doctor groups at presers or juiced raw cannabis based on scientific evidence showing raw tigious hospitals around the state cannabis could have a remediating about the benefits of cannabis for autoimmune diseases—often beeffect on autoimmune disorder. cause so many patients are asking Within weeks, she felt about it. “They’re very accepting,” clear-headed for the first time she says of the physicians. “But in years. She moved on to more they’re a small number of people, potent edibles and then concentrates, and with help from canna- and medication is all they understand. It’s hard for them to quantify bis-friendly (or at least tolerant) doctors, she weaned herself off all something that’s not synthesized.” her medications. In the process, cannabis help them transition to a space where they feel more compassion for themselves and at peace with how their bodies are?”

Big Pharma Steps In That’s about to change. A handful of reputable, even prestigious, studies have found cannabinoids helpful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, and the medical world is taking note. Cannabinoids have been found to slow degenerative effects in multiple sclerosis patients and reduce destructive immune response and inflammation in lupus patients. In 2014, University of South Carolina researchers found that THC can affect DNA expression through epigenetic pathways to suppress inflammation. This year, a team of Israeli researchers found medical cannabis to be “a safe and effective alternative for the treatment of fibromyalgia symptoms” but cautioned: “Standardization of treatment compounds and regimens are required.”

Biopharma companies like Katexco Therapeutics and CannBioRex, which have spent years developing synthetic cannabidiol (CBD) therapeutics to treat inflammation and autoimmune disease, have been waiting for this moment. As the political climate around cannabis relaxes and

Within weeks of beginning her cannabis treatment, Phillips felt clear-headed for the first time in years. With the help of cannabis-friendly doctors, she weaned herself off all her medications.

BY THE NUMBERS

23.5 MILLION Americans have a chronic autoimmune disease.

80 + ILLNESSES

are considered invisible illnesses.

$100 BILLION

per year is spent caring for Americans with autoimmune diseases.

Source: National Institutes of Health, Health magazine.

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Cannabis can help some people transition to a space where they feel more compassionate for themselves—at peace with how their bodies are.

legalization leads to greater acceptance, they’re preparing to put their synthetic CBD drugs through clinical trials—which Katexco CEO Jonathan Rothbard, a former Stanford University professor, says “are the only way to prove the scientific viability of cannabinoid treatments to the FDA and the only path by which medical cannabis will truly evolve.”

Every large pharmaceutical company is taking a good look at cannabis, Rothbard told Forbes, and he expects many of them to launch their own clinical trials involving synthetic cannabinoids alongside Katexco, which is developing CBD-based therapies for autoimmune conditions including arthritis, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and irritable bowel syndrome. “While beverage and alcohol companies are joining the CBD bandwagon, it makes sense that big pharma steps in, too,” he said.

CannBioRex Pharma, which is exploring cannabinoid treatments for pain, arthritis, diabetes, and obesity, was co-founded by a

powerhouse duo in the biopharma world: Sir Marc Feldmann, an Oxford University professor who won a prestigious Lasker Award for developing what is currently the best-selling class of drugs, the TNF inhibitors, including the anti-inflammatory drug Remicade; and Raphael Mechoulam, widely regarded as the godfather of cannabinoid research and the man who discovered THC and CBD. Feldmann says the company is following “tried-and-true pathways of developing medications that are known to work”—namely, FDA approval, which entails extensive research and clinical trials—because that’s what the pharmaceutical industry has successfully done for six decades to ensure that compounds are safe and effective before they’re released to the public.

“The problem with medical marijuana as it is used today is that you’re guessing when you buy a product. Many of the products you buy do not have the amount of cannabidiol they say they have,” Feldmann says. “That can be

solved, but we are also prepared to tackle the elephant in the room, which is how much cannabidiol or other cannabinoid you actually need to get the maximum benefits for what condition. We are going to do proper, lengthy, and expensive clinical trials to make sure we know exactly what is the right amount to give for maximum benefit with minimum side effects for a specific medical problem.”

Holden, for her part, is grateful for the costly and tedious work these companies and others— including GW Pharmaceuticals, which recently released Epidiolex, a synthetic CBD-based seizure medication—are doing to satisfy the medical community’s skepticism about cannabis as legitimate medicine, but she does not want to see cannabis regulated as a pharmaceutical rather than an herbal medicine, because that would restrict people’s access to it.

“What I get worried about,” Holden says, “is when the profit interests step in.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Robyn Griggs Lawrence is the author of bestselling Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook and the newly released Pot in Pans: A History of Eating Weed.

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32 COAC H EL L A VA LLEY

OCTOBER 2019

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34 COACH ELLA VA LLEY

OCTOBER 2019

Friends of Joshua Tree and the climbing community embrace the ways CBD and THC can ease pain and aid in athletic performance.

TEXT KENJI HAROUTUNIAN

COURTESY KENJI HAROUTUNIAN/FOJT

M

y love affair with climbing didn’t start with my volunteer board-member role with Friends of Joshua Tree (FOJT). But signing on with the nonprofit committed to preserving the heritage of climbing in the national park definitely helped me stay connected to this unique high-desert region that has given me so much wild beauty during countless days on the rock and evenings under the

gorgeous night sky.

This inner-city LA guy had found his calm center, and I love giving back to the place that brought so much magic to my life.

Climbers have been coming to Joshua Tree National Park (upgraded from national monument status in 1994)since the early 1960s to ply their craft on the unique tumble of quartz monzonite rock that peppers the landscape. Little did they know they were building a

movement that has taken the world by storm, pushed the limits of human ability, and created a new Olympic discipline, which will be on display in the 2020 Tokyo games.

When rock climbing was in its golden age of development in the ’60s and ’70s, the techniques developed in Yosemite and other high-mountain areas in the Sierra came south with those pioneers of the sport during the colder, snowier months of the year.

This put the small town of Joshua Tree and its eponymous monument on the map of international visitors and helped turn it into a national treasure.

The history of climbing here follows the development of the sport.

Serious training regimens for climbing athletes began to be applied in earnest in the 1990s to fuel power, endurance, and advanced techniques to tackle steeper, more difficult towers of stone.

Around this time,

the first indoor rock gyms appeared, as well as competitions on artificial climbing walls. Repeat attempts at difficult moves and energetic (over)training resulted in a slew of overuse injuries.

Remedies like rest days, massage tools, diet, stretching, yoga, and preventative workouts came into play as American climbers, steeped in the traditional ethics of Yosemite and Joshua Tree, wanted to perform well in modern competitions too.

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CDPH-100003232

COURTESY KENJI HAROUTUNIAN/FOJT

BIG-WALL BRAIN TRUST: FOJTʼs annual Climb Smart event gathers climbers and conservationists who want to maintain the long legacy of the sport in the iconic national park.

The park attracted over three million visitors in 2018, a 100 percent increase from 2014. The climbing shop in town, Nomad Ventures, has doubled its square footage since 2010, and is renowned for its expert staff experienced in tackling the crags with a traditional climbing ethic. You won’t find easy clip-up routes here, like in the gym.

The ethic of Joshua Tree climbing— in which climbers insert gear into existing features in the rock as opposed to relying on bolts and artificial anchors— means opportunities to place fall-prevent-

ing gear can be few and far between, and the falls can be long and consequential.

I’m not a competitive climber, but I make it my business to know how the sport is developing. Recently, I’ve noticed a jump in the number of companies in the outdoor recreation marketplace that are bringing the benefits of cannabis to athletes in trail running, mountain biking, paddling, surfing, distance hiking/trekking, skiing, and of course climbing.

Where just a few years ago, there were zero brands with CBD stories at the industry trade

shows, there are now twenty that exhibited this past June at the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Denver, Colorado. Former pro cyclist Floyd Landis has hopped on the CBD train with his brand, Floyd’s of Leadville. Ultra runner Avery Collins also swears by cannabis in his training, and climbers like Olivia Hsu have advocated for CBD in the Yoga Journal as an aid for the aches of high-performance sports.

For the first time, three different CBD brands have inquired about participating in FOJT’s annual event, the

The 25th Annual Climb Smart Festival Oct. 18–20

Climb Smart Festival. With 300-plus attendees, it’s the year’s largest gathering of climbers in Joshua Tree, and an excellent place to open the conversation up about cannabis and climbing.

In a sport whose roots are synonymous with counterculture, the use of cannabis as an après-rock activity has always been popular. But climbing continues to evolve into a high-performance routine. And cannabis as a specific naturopathic vehi-

cle for recovery and performance is a recent development within the climbing community.

Climbing can be exacting and hard on the body. It also requires precise mental focus. In CBD especially, climbers are finding a treatment for pain and inflammation and an aid in getting rest.

“Getting a solid night sleep is one of the best predictors of top climbing performance next day,” says longtime Joshua Tree climber John Long. Long is

This gathering of outdoor enthusiasts, environmentalists, and desert dwellers kicks off the climbing season in Joshua Tree.

Climb Smart hosts a vendor village where climbing brands, local businesses, native groups, and national park staff can mingle and educate attendees. Experts and novices alike will learn the benefits and latest developments in gear, treatments, and conservation.

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COURTESY KENJI HAROUTUNIAN/FOJT

PRESERAVTION SOCIETY: For park rangers, the legacy of Joshua Tree reaches beyond the sport of climbing.

The 789,745-acre park sits in a unique ecosystem where the Mojave Desert meets the Colorado Plateau.

immortalized in the history of the sport as the first to climb The Nose on Yosemite’s El Capitan in a day, along with Jim Bridwell and Billy Westbay, in 1975.

But when he suffered a complicated lower leg break after taking a fall in a climbing gym in 2012, pain management became a daily affair. For a time, he wasn’t even positive he’d be able to save the leg.

Top performers in climbing competitions also use CBD products to minimize pain and stem inflammation, the culprit behind many overuse and joint damage injuries.

And with climbing making its Olympic debut, the athletes vying for medals will be talking more about how and why they use CBD. Famously, the decorated Olympic swim champion Michael Phelps openly touted his

use of cannabis as a pain management regime to improve recovery. And this is one of the strongest claims of the CBD product lines for top athletes: It’s a natural, plant- derivative recovery enhancement tool that’s an important

ROCK SOLID: Haroutunian shows off his skills on some of J-Treeʼs grippy monzogranite.

arrow in their quiver of training aids.

“As we approach the Olympics, it’ll be important to manage performance-enhancing substances more carefully,” says Chloe Mandell, a competition organizer and expert in the Olympics climbing discipline.

In 2018, the World Anti-Doping Agency stopped considering CBD a prohibited substance, meaning athletes could begin experimenting with its performance-enhancing potential.

The research on CBD effectiveness is hammering now, with over twenty studies in mid-

stream as this goes to print.

It’s still the early days with CBD products and their applications to outdoor athletic performance. But it has a place at Climb Smart.

We look forward to learning more and hearing from more of you on your experience with this more natural form of treatment to make outdoor adventuring a bit more comfortable, if not to perform at the top of your game. We hope to see you out on the rock with us.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR A 2010 Access Fund “Sharp End” awardee, Kenji Haroutunian serves on the board of directors of the Access Fund, is president emeritus of Friends of Joshua Tree, and is a founding director of TeccSociety, an events-industry technology organization.

Friends of Joshua Tree friendsofjosh.org

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THE

A Beautiful Change of Seasons CBD gets the Michelin treatment with Chef Tony Esnault.

TEXT DAWN GARCIA RECIPES CHEF TONY ESNAULT PHOTOS ART YANG

As fall sweeps in to give pause to the sweltering heat of summer, Los Angeles based, Michelin-starred chef Tony Esnault created an autumn cocktail and entrée you can prepare at home.

Infused with CBD elixir and hemp protein powder, these two recipes are perfect to enjoy while you watch the seasons change.

40 COACH ELLA VA LLEY

OCTOBER 2019

Beach Dream CBD Infused Cocktail—Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

1⁄2 oz Aperol 1⁄2 oz orange Juice 1 dropper Super CBD 1 1⁄2 oz Johnny Walker Black whisky 2 oz club soda Ice cubes 1 orange slice for garnish

INST RUCT IO N S

• In a Collin’s glass, combine Aperol, orange juice, CBD, and whisky.

• Add club soda and lightly stir.

• Fill with ice until it reaches the brim.

• Garnish with orange slice and enjoy.

Butternut Squash Salad Makes 4 servings

IN G RE DIE N TS

1 Butternut squash, around 2 1⁄2 lbs 2 sprigs Thyme 1 sprig Sage 4 cloves Garlic 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil 1 cup Quinoa 2 cups Water or vegetable broth 3 tbsp Sunflower seeds 1 small bunch Chives, sliced 1 Granny Smith apple, diced small 1 stalk Celery, diced small Lemon juice, to taste 4 tsp CBD Hemp Protein Powder Salt and pepper to taste

IN STRUCT IONS

FOR T HE SAL AD

FINIS HING TOUCHES

• Put quinoa in a pot • Cut both squash • Preheat oven to 450º F. with water/broth and pieces in half and Line a baking sheet with bring to a boil. serve quarters onto parchment paper and • Reduce to medium 4 serving plates. sprinkle with thyme, and let simmer for 15 Divide quinoa salad sage, and garlic. minutes. When fully and serve on top of • Cut squash in half cooked, quinoa is each piece of squash. longways. Remove open with a ring.

Sprinkle with hemp innards with a spoon. • As quinoa is cooking, protein powder and • Generously rub place sunflower seeds enjoy! interior and exterior onto a baking tray with olive oil. Season and toast in your 450º with salt and pepper.

F oven for around 2 • Place squash fleshminutes until slightly side down onto sheet. brown. Season with Let roast, uncovered, salt and set aside. for 1 hour. The flesh • Remove quinoa from will be tender with no heat. Strain and cool give when poked. in the refrigerator.

• Remove from oven.

• In a mixing bowl, mix Remove and discard quinoa, sunflower aromatics. Let cool seeds, chives, apples, to room temperature and celery. Season and refrigerate until with lemon juice, ready to be eaten. olive oil, and salt.

FOR TH E SQUAS H

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MEET THE CHEF Tony Esnault grew up in the South of France and has worked with some of the best chefs in the world including Alain Ducasse. He has earned five Michelin stars in the span of his career, and continues to create cuisine that exceeds culinary expectation.

Chef Esnault and his partner and wife Yassmin Sarmadi run Church and State Bistro in Los Angeles.

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CREATIVE CANNABIS EXPERIENCES

YYr Own Private PPty CCsumptii Bus to shuule yy nd Palm Springs and beyyd.

THE LIFE BOOK REVIEW

Proper Puff Piece Lizzie Post follows her great-great grandmotherʼs path and defines the rules for cannabis etiquette.

TEXT STEPHANIE WILSON

Whether you’ve been on the giving or receiving end of the phrase, “According to Emily Post [insert standard practice followed by polite society here],” you’ve been subject to her advice—or the advice of her decedents given through subsequent books, syndicated advice columns, and other teachings of the Emily Post Institute. The original manners mastermind literally wrote the book on etiquette, dictating the rules for social conduct in her 1922 bestseller Etiquette: In Society, In Business, In Politics and At Home.

While times have changed, many of the principals of good manners she outlined almost a century ago are still widely followed today.

Getting excited about etiquette is elevated to high fashion with a new installment by Lizzie Post, great-great-granddaughter to grand dame of all-things gracious and co-president of her family’s Vermont-based institute. Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of Cannabis, from Dispensaries to Dinner Parties is the most concrete example to date of just how far we’ve come in removing the stigma surrounding cannabis. When the world’s most respected etiquette brand deems the formerly controversial plant a topic for polite society, it’s a milestone moment.

The topics covered include everything from basic lingo to ro-

tation etiquette to pairing parties and “weedcations.” [Full disclosure: Sensi president Tae Darnell is among the industry experts consulted for the project.] At the heart of the book’s message is the communal spirit of the plant, which is meant to be shared.

The preface answers with the question undoubtedly on everyone’s mind when they learn of the book’s existence: What would Emily Post think of it all?

According to Lizzie Post, the OG of etiquette would support it.

Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of Cannabis, from Dispensaries to Dinner Parties $18.99, Penguin Random House emilypost.com

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THE

Swanky Sanity How two days in Palm Springs brought this Angelino some calm.

TEXT DAWN GARCIA

44 COACH ELLA VA LLEY

OCTOB ER 2019

PHOTOS OF ALCAZAR HOTEL BY AUDREY MA

The world around me is usually buzzing at alarming speeds—deadlines, creating stories for film and television, motherhood—and as a woman in her 40s, that also means more anxiety and less sleep. On the edge of burnout, I needed two days far from the chaos of the city.

Palm Springs may be a common summer escape for many Angelinos, but I admit it became a total refuge for me when I needed it most.

A two-hour drive from LA (less if traffic is forgiving), the remodeled Alcazar Hotel, built in 1927, is where I laid my head. Upon arrival, I was greeted by towering palms; Robert Hunt, the general manager; Casha Miller at the front desk, and Jade Rechler, who works with PR at Parade Agency. The entire team treats everyone who walks through their palm-adorned doors with warm hospitality from the moment they check in. That impeccable service never wavered once throughout my stay.

The hotel’s sprawling white walls lend a feeling of utter calm. Founded by Tara Lazar, who created F10 Creative to bring a unique culinary and hospitality approach to Palm Springs, Alcazar is simple, design-centric,

and contemporary with vintage and mid-century modern linear accents.

My deluxe king poolside room was stark white with a red sofa and a fantastical red painting by artist Kelly Tunstall that could be a story all its own.

This room was my writing haven, and the culinary adventures, incredible company, and everything I would experience there would prove to be exactly what I needed to unwind and find my center.

Seymours + Mr. Lyons Two totally different experiences happen at these two phenomenal spots located within a five-minute drive from Alcazar. Seymours (seymoursps.com) is a speakeasy that offers a glimpse into a time in history when a little secret bar was all you really needed.

Under the direction of Steen Bojsen-Møller, Seymours crafts beautiful, thought-provoking cocktails.

Steen joined me for a few drinks made behind the bar by mixologist Zane, who asked what flavor profiles and spirits I liked, then created a bourbon-based drink that put the wind back in my sails. A balanced yet boozy libation, the Zany Zane, as I labeled it, was herbaceous and light in

The entire team at Alcazar Hotel treats everyone who walks through their palmadorned doors with warm hospitality from the moment they check in.

spite of being a brownbased spirit.

The dinner that followed at Mr. Lyons (mrlyonsps.com) was prepared by executive chef Eddie Moran, who introduced wonderful entrées and sides, including other-worldly sweet corn prepared with chili peppers and a flurry of flavor. Moran’s approach to dining is like all of the F10 restaurants—sustainable, locally sourced, and allowing the ingredients to shine. I recommend the Scottish salmon and fried potatoes.

Design highlights include a Bocce ball court, hand-laid blackand-white vintage tile, rounded vintage booths, deco lighting with modern fixtures.

Cheeky’s and Birba Hanging monkeys on nautical rope and Bob’s Burgers animator Jay Howell’s mural on the wall—that’s what

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THE SCENE HOT HANGOUT

PHOTO COURTESY OF F10 CREATIVE

This hotel became my writing haven.

The culinary adventures and everything I experienced here proved to be exactly what I needed to unwind and find my center.

you’ll see at these two restaurants, Cheeky’s (cheeksps.com) and Birba (birbaps.com) at Alcazar. Cheeky’s name is a term of endearment given to Lazar by her grandmother, and its menu by executive chef Jose Ramirez includes a secret item: a gluten-free BLT and avocado on a waffle. I’d call this this the best spot for break-

fast, brunch, and lunch.

When it comes to dinner, few places rival the innovation of chef Erik Dandee at Birba. With a playful ambiance and strung lanterns on the patio, Birba (which in Italian means “little rascal,” a nickname Lazar’s hubby was given as a child) is a rare culinary treat.

Beginning with a pour of unique Italian red

wine, I listen as manager and Spanish-born Brian Gil walks me through the bar program, and soon Chef Dandee comes out to talk food. Utilizing a kitchen with no conventional fire, Dandee prepares everything using minimal heat and resources. My favorite dishes are the Birba pizza (made gluten-free), the Bolognese, the

charred octopus on the polenta cake with edible pansies, and the strawberry caponata.

Other highlights include the Spicy Diablo cocktail, avocado toast, charred octopus, Hello Nancy cocktail, pizza, and salted butterscotch pudding.

Alcazar Hotel, Palm Springs alcazarpalmsprings.com

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CVCAN and @WORK are combining forces for CVCAN’s monthly member meeting in November!

Cannabis HR & Staffing Symposium Luncheon Friday November 8th, 2019 | Hotel Paseo | Palm Desert, CA Lunch, Learn and Network with leading Cannabis Industry employers. Featuring expert speakers specializing in HR Law, Staffing and Employment Screening. CVCAN Mixer follows symposium. Tickets are limited. Visit hrcannabis.org for details.

Friday November 8th, 2019 Corporate Sponsorships Available

Tickets: www.hrcannabis.org | Sponsorships: Lisa - ldeluna@atwork.com | 760-346-3945

Staffing & Screening Solutions for Employers Staffing Services • • • • Temecula: 951-297-3591 Palm Desert: 760-346-3945 Carlsbad: 442-287-0300 Riverside: 951-588-5517 atworksocal.com

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48 COACH ELLA VA LLEY

OCTOB ER 2019

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Boomers on the Green

Golfers are embracing the benefits of CBD to up their performance out on the desert links.

TEXT LEANDRA ROMERO

50 COACH ELLA VA LLEY

OCTOB ER 2019

Since the 1950s, a community of die-hard golfers of all ages has flocked to the desert of the Coachella Valley from near and far. It’s a long-standing, traditional sport that’s now opening its clubhouse doors to the not-so-traditional industry of CBD. One brand in particular is pioneering the cause: Boomer Natural Wellness. The Nevada-based company created one of the first THC-free CBD product lines specifically geared toward golfers.

Boomer also recently announced a new brand ambassador in PGA Tour Champions winner Brandt Jobe. The pro golfer is part of a

new wave of professional players using and endorsing CBD, which is slowly eliminating any negative stigma in the golf industry.

“CBD is great for improving not only your game but your quality of life,” says Jobe. It’s not the easiest of barriers to break down, but with PGA players giving the green light and more people opening up to the idea of using a natural anti-inflammatory to reduce their aches, pains, and anxiety, it could very well become just as much a part of the desert lifestyle as golf.

BOOMER NATURAL WELLNESS boomernaturalwellness.com

PHOTO BY LEANDRA ROMERO

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