Sensi Magazine - Las Vegas (October 2019)

LAS VEGAS

Saving the World

One trip at a time

Start Your Engines

The law about cannabis and driving

{plus}

WHAT IS YOUR FUTURE?

THE NEW NORMAL

Say “I do!” to an uplifting ceremony

10.2019

sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 3

4 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 5

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ISSUE 10 // VOLUME 2 // 10.2019

FEATURES 26

SP EC IAL R EP OR T

Pot or Not?

How the 0.3-percent THC rule is fraying the American hemp industry.

32 Psychedelic Feminism

Cosmic Sister is working to create balance and diversity through sacred plants—an earth-centered antidote to patriarchal malware in the matrix.

40 Under the Influence

What are the legalities of driving and cannabis in Nevada?

HIGH ANTICIPATION Getting married in Vegas.

18

every issue 9 Editor’s Note 11 The Buzz 14 TasteBuds

SPOOKTACULAR DRINKS

18 AroundTown

GOING TO THE CHAPEL

22 TravelWell

PUT A RING ON IT

38 Horoscope

OCTOBER 2019

48 The Scene

AID FOR AIDS: BLACK & WHITE PARTY

50 HereWeGo

DINING WITH ART

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

sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 7

sensi magazine ISSUE 10 / VOLUME 2 / 10.2019

EXECUTIVE FOLLOW US

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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

Doug Schnitzspahn doug.schnitzspahn@sensimag.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR

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

Leland Rucker leland.rucker@sensimag.com SENIOR EDITOR

sensimagazine

Robyn Griggs Lawrence CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Danielle Eugenia, Ryan Helmick, Mona Van Joseph CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

A RT & D E S I G N Jamie Ezra Mark jamie@emagency.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR

sensimag

Rheya Tanner Wendy Mak, Josh Clark em@sensimag.com DESIGN & LAYOUT

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

Abi Wright abi.wright@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

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ALTERATION

NOTE

Look up the word “change” in the thesau-

rus, and vocabulary such as transformation, modification, adjustment, amendment, and variable come up. Change can be radical, subtle, extraordinary, inviting, horrible, or revolutionary.

The one factor about change is that it is never boring or dull.

A quote about the importance of change is attributed to our 35th president, John F. Kennedy, as he observed, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”

Las Vegas maintains its significant shift as Allegiant Stadium, the new Las Vegas home of the Raiders and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Rebel team, continues building for its scheduled completion in 2020. Owners of surrounding buildings and businesses have become multimillionaires, and rents are skyrocketing. While many locals and tourists are excited about this new era of national sports teams in Las Vegas, the changing landscape also brings trepidation.

Merriam-Webster dictionary added Mx. as a gender-neutral title akin to Ms. and Mr. The continuing shift accepting binary (gender-neutral), pansexual, and transgender celebrates differences.

Labels are becoming passé as a new generation embraces change.

It remains a bumpy ride for legalized cannabis with a moratorium on consumption lounges for up to two years in Nevada.

Hearings about awarding new dispensary licenses in Nevada brought allegations of improprieties from those who did not receive a license. The roller-coaster ride continues nationally as the cannabis terrain changes minute-by-minute.

The federal government demonstrates signs of legalizing cannabis for adult-use recreation and medicinal use nationally, promising a different social climate. There is still much work to be done with decriminalization and allowing a different set of guidelines for those who want to work in the cannabis industry.

I am confident anything can be achieved with the best outcome.

A big thank-you for joining us on this journey as the mainstream embraces the new normal with a pro-cannabis voice. It is my honor to continue to be part of Sensi magazine Yours in the new normal,

Debbie Hall

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

sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 9

10 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

Tourist Terrain

Motel Vegas records Sin City art and history.

When Americans embraced road trips mid-last-century, motor hotels became motels with neon signs and unique architecture, and they exploded in Las Vegas.

Art historian and photographer Fred Sigman captures the history, art, and human existence in Motel Vegas (SMALLWORKSPRESS.COM ). The beautiful coffee-table book engages with over 75 photos from the most historic motel locations in Las Vegas and the surrounding area.

In the mid-1990s, Sigman began photographically documenting vintage motels and their signage. While some remain in business, operating in obscurity, others have been demolished with only a sign remaining in the Neon Museum. Many fell into disarray or became havens for people living the street life. He contrasts the reality of the motels in the 1990s with picturesque postcards from the 1940s to 1960s, depicting a very different time.

Motels popped up in downtown Vegas along Fremont Street heading towards Hoover Dam along Boulder Highway into Henderson and Boulder City. Along Las Vegas Boulevard, motels were constructed south of the Strip, some on the Strip (with a couple still remaining), north into the city of North Las Vegas, and beyond.

One of the most definitive photos is of the Gateway Motel, considered one of the oldest motels in Southern Nevada still in business. Postcards from 1939 and 1954 contrast the reality of the photo of the motel in 1995 that has not changed in 24 years.

–Debbie Hall

Wake Up Sustainability Woken Coffee serves compostable espresso pods.

Sipping a cup of espresso brings nirvana for that caffeine buzz with rich flavors. Woken Coffee (WOKEN.COFFEE ) takes that cup one step further, featuring 100 percent compostable and biodegradable pods that are compatible with an OriginalLine Nespresso Machine (only).

Diverse blends include lungo, a dark and rich taste; vanilla, a creamy flavor with sweet undertones; and arabica, fragrant and intense. Arabic and robusta beans are roasted and ground in Italy.

The flavor profile skyrockets with the delight of helping to sustain the earth. The single-serve garbage predicament involves disposing cups and plastic or aluminum espresso pods.

As landfills overflow with single-serve espresso pods, the re-

ality is that the plastic and aluminum in those pods never go away. The capsules are produced using wind, hydropower, sun, and biogas, conserving energy and resources.

If you compost, after enjoying your espresso, simply toss the pod in with food waste and other material to send to a municipal composting facility. In 90 days, used pods will biodegrade back into plant and soil. If you are interested in com–DH posting, visit FINDACOMPOSTER.COM . sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 11

Tramaine Stephens, who was born in Jamaica and raised in Las Vegas. Jerk chicken is barbecue chicken seasoned with Jamaican herbs and spices. The dark meat is slightly sweeter, and the white meat is savory. Jerk chicken can be served as an entrée, pasta dish, chicken salad, and wings for snacks.

Big Jerk’s menu is based on the founders’ favorite family dishes passed on from generation to generation.

Big Jerk started as a food truck but now is a brick-andmortar restaurant with a full menu offering authentic Caribbean cuisine. Try favorites such as oxtail cooked jerk or traditional style. Sides such as mac & cheese, rice and beans, and plantains

spice

up

any

meal. Ribs, seasoned

Bold tastes define Big Jerk.

The comfort of Caribbean home cooking comes

(traditional), ja sauce (pineapple), or bomboclot sauce (hot), tempt beef

lovers.

Shrimp,

lobster, and red snap-

to Las Vegas with Big Jerk (BIGJERKCARIBBEAN.COM ). Fami-

per gratify those craving fish, and a special kids’ menu

ly recipes, traditional fare, and a fun twist on classic dish-

satisfies small appetites. Sunday brunch adds Jamaican

es, along with its specialty jerk chicken, will make it a

ackee (fruit) and saltfish (salted cod) and American favor-

favorite culinary choice.

ites including grits, French toast, and hash.

“We wanted to introduce our food and especially focus

–DH

430 E Silverado Ranch Blvd. // Las Vegas // (702) 427-5267

on authentic jerk chicken,” explains Big Jerk co-founder

Restore Balance Like the fish, Koi CBD sustains the body.

The cannabidiol (CBD) market has exploded with an array of products. However, one company, Koi CBD (KOICBD.COM ) maintains its mission of creating a standard of quality for CBD products offering full traceability from start to finish.

Koi’s products include CBD tinctures, gummies, vape juices, topicals, CBD for pets, and devices and cartridges. Koi mixes and rolls its full-spectrum CBD blend into gummies three times to distribute the CBD throughout each piece. Its CBD healing balm adds Koi PRIZM, its proprietary true spectrum oil that is THC-free, rich in phytocannabinoids, and warms on contact.

Koi’s topical CBD lotion with scents including pink grapefruit, lavender, and citrus burst combines 200 milligrams of all-natural CBD with organic aloe, organic coconut, and natural extracts.

Koi Naturals all-natural sublingual CBD tinctures are available in three strengths, each containing a blend of 13 terpenes and 12 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

potent cannabinoids, and six flavors: peppermint, strawberry, lemon-lime, spearmint, orange, and natural.

Furry friends benefit from True-Spectrum CBD-infused pet treats, including Koi CBD Soft Chews and Koi Naturals CBD Spray. Treats are made from non-psychoactive and non-toxic hemp oil with no THC and natural bacon flavor.

Sprays are 500 milligrams of Koi PRIZM full-spectrum CBD pet tincture in a 60-milliliter spray bottle without any THC or chemical residue.

–DH

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BIG JERK CARIBBEAN

Jolt Of Flavor

with sides of jerk sauce

Bikers Unite

PHOTO BY EDISON GRAFF

6th-annual Pawn Stars Poker Run. // October 6, 2019 Motorcycles will roar through Las Vegas when Rick Harrison of History Channel’s Pawn Stars leads his sixth annual Pawn Stars Poker Run (POKERRUN2019.EVENTBRITE.COM ) to benefit the Epilepsy Foundation of Nevada (EPILEPSY.COM/NEVADA ).

Beginning at the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, the ride will stop at the 105-year-old historic Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, Nevada; No Regrets Bar; and the Porchlight Grille. Riders will then return to the Pawn Plaza in downtown Las Vegas for the official after-party.

The celebration will feature a raffle, live band, and catering by Rick’s Rollin Smoke BBQ & Tavern. Participants in the ride can win $2,000 for the best hand and $1,000 for the worst hand, along with other prizes.

“When the Epilepsy Foundation and I joined forces, they were looking for a signature event for me to get involved with, and I suggested a bike run. It is a great epilepsy community get together and a lot of fun,” explains Harrison.

He serves as the spokesperson for the national Epilepsy Foundation and holds a seat on its board of directors. “I had epilepsy until I was 18, and it truly led me to my passion for books and history, which led to my work on Pawn Stars. When the Epilepsy Foundation found out, they asked me to get involved. I enjoy giving back and especially to a cause that needs so much more attention and research. We are a great team, the Epilepsy Foundation and myself.”

–DH World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop // 713 Las Vegas Blvd. S. // Las Vegas // (702) 385-7912

Repurpose Beauty

80s Rocker Mom jewelry recycles old into new.

Imagine a well-worn leather coat transformed into unique jewelry that makes a statement. Wendy Gelbart creates and designs jewelry using leather clothing, broken accessories, discarded beads, and even vinyl album covers in her ’80s Rocker Mom jewelry line (FACEBOOK.COM/80SROCKERMOM ). After Gelbart left her PhD program, she searched for a creative outlet. She loves perusing thrift shops and found a book about how to make leather jewelry. Gelbart focused on finding damaged vintage jackets for her designs.

Gelbart features bold cuff bracelets; chunky statement pieces; festival wear adorned with wood, beads, and feathers; funky earrings; and lots of skulls. She recently introduced a gift line of beaded bracelets that come on a card with either an inspirational or sarcastic quote. Her tags and hang cards are crafted from old album jackets. She is playing around with turning old cassette cases into gift boxes.

Along with searching for unique colors of leather or jewelry she can repurpose, Gelbart is involved in several women’s groups, trading pieces from her collection for old jewelry. She has partnered with nonprofit clothing closets for the community repurposing worn jackets while donating pieces for their clients.

–DH sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 13

{tastebuds }

by D E B B I E H A L L

SPOOKTACULTAR LIBATIONS Drink up some Halloween cocktails

by Constellation Catering.

Along with pumpkin spice and cooler temps, haunted

These unique twists on Halloween cocktails feature

houses, ghostly visions, and the anticipation of Hallow-

winning spirits from the PR%F Awards 2019 (PROO-

een permeate the days and nights of October. Celebrate

FAWARDS.COM ),

the entire month with these scary yet tasty cocktails by

annually in Las Vegas. A big thanks to Constellation Cater-

Constellation Catering (CONSTELLATIONCATERING.COM ), a

ing mixologist Rob Smith, who created these drinks.

an international spirits competition held

specialty Las Vegas spirits catering company.

THE BLACK WIDOW SMASH INGREDIENTS

• 1½ ounces Ryno Tequila Extra Añejo (PR%F Awards Gold/90 points) • 8 fresh blackberries, plus more for topping • 2 tsp fresh rosemary, plus a sprig for serving • Juice of a half lemon • 2 tbsp honey

INSTRUCTIONS STEP 1: Sprinkle rims with Snowy River All-Natural Cocktail Glitter (PR%F Awards Double Gold points)

STEP 2: In a cocktail shaker, combine blackberries, rosemary, lemon

juice, and honey. Muddle or shake all ingredients together.

STEP 3: Add ice, Ryno Tequila Extra Añejo Tequila, and Angostura bitters to the shaker. Shake vigorously to incorporate all ingredients.

STEP 4: Add ice to a stemless wine glass and strain the drink over the ice. Top off with sparkling water and gently stir to combine.

Garnish with a fresh sprig of rosemary.

14 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CONSTELLATION CATERING

• A couple dashes of Angostura bitters

DARK & STORMY INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces Rhumb Runner Belize Travellers Rum (PR%F Awards Double Gold/96 points)

• Ginger beer • Juice of half a lime • A couple dashes of Angostura bitters

INSTRUCTIONS STEP 1: In a highball glass filled with ice, combine Rhumb Runner/Belize Travellers Rum, lime juice, and bitters.

STEP 2: Top with ginger beer and garnish with a lime wedge.

BLOOD SUCKER COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces Belaruska Lemon Flavored Vodka (PR%F Awards Silver)

• Galliano L’Aperitivo Liqueur (PR%F Awards Century Award Winner 100 points, perfect score)

• Orange juice

INSTRUCTIONS STEP 1: Pour Belaruska Lemon Flavored Vodka and orange juice into a shaker with ice. Shake and pour into a stemless wine glass.

STEP 2: Dip the end of a drinking straw into Galliano, hold the tip of your finger over the other end, and use the straw to drip Galliano into the drink, where it will sink in red blobs. Do not stir.

BLOOD PEACH BELLINI INGREDIENTS

• 4 ounces chilled Bellissima Zero Sugar Sparkling Wine (PR%F Awards Gold/90 points)

• ½ ounce Campari • 1 ounce white peach puree • ¼ ounce grenadine

INSTRUCTIONS

In a pint glass, gently stir all of the ingredients. Pour the drink into a chilled flute.

GIN & HYDE INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces Xoriguer Distillery Mahón Gin (PR%F Awards Double Gold/96 points)

• ½ ounce lemon juice • 1 tsp grenadine • Tonic water

INSTRUCTIONS STEP 1: Mix Xoriguer Distillery Mahón Gin, lemon juice, and grenadine in a cocktail shaker. Pour into a Collins glass filled with ice.

STEP 2: Top with tonic water and garnish with a glow stick. The tonic water will glow under black lights.

sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 15

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That’s where Electrum Partners comes in. We know how to help you work through complex issues, develop winning strategies and connect you with the most influential people in the business.

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sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 17

{aroundtown }

by DA N I E L L E E U G E N I A

GOING TO THE CHAPEL Take your special day to dreamy heights.

Las Vegas takes pride in being the wedding capital of the

surround private ceremony and reception sites. History

world, drawing couples with pending nuptials to Nevada

is preserved with bullet holes in the wall, the original ta-

with promises of stunning settings, adrenaline-pumping

ble from a shootout, and the original bar from the early

experiences, more celebrated shows than you could pos-

1900s. The saloon offers a private bar and a grassy area

sibly see, scenic drives, helicopter rides, and nearby natural

that can seat up to 300 people. It is located in the historic

and manmade wonders. The best part is that many venues

town of Goodsprings, Nevada, 27 miles south of Vegas off

and chapels are cannabis-friendly. So, while laws must be

State Route NV-161. Grab your cowboy boots and kick off

followed, consider the following to say your “I do’s” in Sin

your marriage with a rowdy Wild West wedding day.

sophisticated Rat Pack to the Wild West.

Get married in the style of the early 1900s.

310 NV-161 // Goodsprings // (702) 874-9362

Go back in time with an Old West country-style wedding at the Pioneer Saloon (PIONEERSALOON.INFO ), one of the oldest saloons in the state of Nevada, rich with history. Mountains, plants, and miles of desert scenery encompassing the most beautiful views of Southern Nevada 18 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PIONEER SALOON

City. Southern Nevada offers a diverse selection, from the

Enhance the ceremony with Instagramable moments.

10325 Nu-Wav Kaiv Blvd. // Las Vegas // (702) 658-1400

About 25 miles northwest of the Strip, an oasis of undisturbed beauty celebrates weddings and receptions.

The Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort (LVPAIUTEGOLF.COM ) is an international golf destination located in Vegas’ backyard. There is over 5,000 square feet of space, including a gazebo, cigar lounge, sitting room with fireplace, and a full restaurant. The banquet hall can seat 300 featuring breathtaking desert, golf course and lake views seen through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The vast sky, mountain ranges, and wildlife embrace the ambiance. A private suite for the bride and bridesmaids allows for glamorizing on this special day. The Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort, located on Native Paiute Tribe’s Land, restricts the use of cannabis on the property per tribal regulations. However, NuWu North dispensary, owned and operated by the Pauite Tribe, is conve-

THE VAST SKY, MOUNTAIN RANGES, AND WILDLIFE MATCH THE AMBIANCE.

niently located close to the property.

Plan a wedding with sophisticated elegance.

5050 Spanish Trail // Lane Las Vegas // (702) 364-5050

Five miles west of the Strip’s glittering lights, the stunning Spanish Trails Country Club (SPANISHTRAILCC.COM ) takes guests to a different world. The ceremony is centered in front of a waterfall, and the bordering areas beckon capturing the moment with photography. Its covered terrace features the experience of being in a country club setting. All of its rooms offer expansive floor-to-ceiling windows for sweeping views of green courses and the surrounding valley. The clubhouse can PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANIELLE EUGENIA

accommodate 200 guests for a sit-down dinner and up to 300 guests for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Relive the era of the Rat Pack with tuxedos and gowns.

DANIELLE ABBOTT began studying photography in 1994.

She owns and operates Danielle Eugenia Photography (DANIELLEEUGENIAPHOTOGRAPHY.COM ), providing a safe and expansive experience for women’s portraiture, boudoir, commercial, engagement, and wedding photography.

sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 19

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www.greenleafmoney.com | 702.941.0100 | www.cannabusinessfinancing.com sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 21

{travelwell }

by DA N I E L L E E U G E N I A

PUT A RING ON IT

LITTLE WHITE CHAPEL BY DIETMAR RABICH

Q&A with Clark County Clerk Lynn Goya about Vegas wedding tourism.

22 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

Wedding bells ring around the Las Vegas valley as the destination wedding industry continues to be an economic force of the community. It brings in $2.5 billion per year, employs over 18,000 people, and supports hundreds of small, mom-and-pop businesses with over 120 standalone chapels. Still, there are common clichĂŠs of gaudy Vegas weddings such as the drive-through chapel. Yes, Vegas offers several drive-through places, but there are so many other locations and experiences, including cannabis-friendly venues.

Nevada still remains the No. 1 state in the US to get married, but the number of licenses issued and ceremonies performed have declined in recent years due to several factors.

PHOTOS OF LYNN GOYA AND WEDDING BUREAU BY DANIELLE EUGENIA

Sensi magazine weighs in on wedding tourism with Clark County Clerk Lynn Goya. She is responsible for the office that issues wedding licenses and also works with private and public sectors to maintain and grow the wedding industry in Clark County, which includes the city of Las Vegas and the Strip.

How long have you worked for the county?

Since 2015. This is an elected position, so I have been elected twice.

How many marriage licenses were issued in Nevada last year?

In 2018, we issued about 74,500, but about 1.5 percent do not have a wedding certificate filed each year.

No place in the country issues the number of marriage licenses that are issued in Clark County. This is the epicenter of wedding tourism. Of the ceremonies performed, about 20 percent of the couples are local, and the other 80 percent are destination weddings from around the country with 20 percent of those coming from international destinations. sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 23

Since you started in 2015, have you seen a growth in the number of issued marriage licenses?

We are in decline right now and have been since the 2000s, so we never really recovered from the recession, but we are doing things to help change that statistic. At our peak, which was 2004, we issued over 128,000 licenses.

Do you have any statistics on same-sex marriages in Nevada?

We implemented same-sex marriage licenses when the Supreme Court ruled these marriages are legal. In the beginning, about 4.5 percent of licenses for same-sex couples were issued, and now it’s about 6 percent, so it remains consistent with some growth.

What do you need to do to get a marriage license in Clark County?

Every step you need to take starts with

MLIC.VEGAS .

If you want more infor-

mation about IDs or details about getting married, click on “Questions?” and it will take you to our main website. Once you are ready to fill out your wedding license application, go online and click the “I Want To Get Married” tab that will take you to an online marriage license application. After submitting your application, pick up your marriage license at one of our three marriage license bureau branches; our main office is located in downtown Las Vegas, and the other branches are in Laughlin (open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) and Henderson (open Wednesday and Thursday). Both people need to show up in person at the Marriage License Bureau with their government-issued ID to pick up a marriage license, which is your permission to get married in the state. Then you need to select an officiant and venue and get married. After the ceremony 24 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

is performed, the officiant will file your marriage certificate with us. As soon as it is filed, you can go online and click the “Order Certified Proof of Marriage” button to order the official copy of your marriage certificate.

What are some of the challenges in the wedding industry in Las Vegas?

This is such a wonderful industry; we have increasing competition from other states and countries for destination weddings.

The majority of couples who get married in Las Vegas are from another state or country. Couples are offered more choices now.

Our responsibility in Clark County is to make sure that couples know about all of the beautiful places and experiences we offer in Clark County. I think that’s a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity for us, which is exciting. The wedding industry has come together over the past few years and created the Las Vegas Wedding Chamber of Commerce, which is the first in the world as far as we know. All of us in the industry are working together to tell everyone what we have because I think there is a perception about Las Vegas weddings that is not real. Movies with outrageous stories and funny plots can be very entertaining for people watching them, but the reality is that you can’t get drunk, wake up in the morning, and realized you got married. That’s a myth, and it is also illegal for the officiant to marry anyone who is incapacitated. I think the biggest challenge we have is informing people of the lovely wedding experiences are really here instead of what movie or television portrays in Vegas.

How important do you feel the wedding industry is for the Las Vegas community?

I think that the wedding industry in Las Vegas is unique in the world. It’s an international brand that everyone recognizes. We did a pop-up marriage license bureau at the airport for the last two years as a courtesy and service to couples over Valentine’s Day weekend because they can get off the plane and, while waiting for their luggage, can go to the office and pick up their marriage license.

We do that on Valentine’s Day because it’s always a really big day for us. People still love Las Vegas as a wedding destination.

What else is the bureau doing with the wedding industry?

We are partnering with dot Vegas and the Las Vegas Wedding Chamber of Commerce (WEDDINGCHAMBER.VEGAS ) to offer couples a free website for the first year with a nominal fee to continue to host the site afterward. We would love to see people keep this as their personal website to share their married life online with their first house, vacations, children, and other events. sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 25

POT S PE C I A L R E PO R T

OR

HEMP IS NOW LEGAL ON A FEDERAL LEVEL, BUT LAW ENFORCEMENT STRUGGLES TO DISTINGUISH IT FROM CANNABIS. THE 2018 FARM BILL, WHICH LEGALIZED INDUSTRIAL

HEMP WITH LESS THAN 0.3 PERCENT THC, WAS HAILED BY THE US HEMP INDUSTRY AS CAUSE FOR INTENSE CELEBRATION. AN AGRICULTURAL STAPLE ONCE PRODUCED IN ABUNDANCE BEFORE WORLD WAR II, HEMP WAS, FINALLY, AGAIN TO BE TREATED LIKE ANY OTHER PLANT. The 2018 Farm Bill was lauded as the first step toward

nies on legal issues. “The hemp bill is clearly pro-farm-

giving farmers the chance to make the US a hemp na-

er and pro-cultivation. Let’s grow it, process it, create a

tion once more. “Congress clearly wanted to encourage a

thriving market, and in my opinion also turn it into in-

hemp industry. It couldn’t be more obvious,” says Frank

ternational commerce,” he says. “The language is clear

Robison, a Denver lawyer who works with hemp compa-

that it wanted to create a market.”

26 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

NOT? How the 0.3-percent THC figure is fraying the American hemp industry.

by L E L A N D R U C K E R

Some unexpected problems are threatening to under-

In January, a trailer carrying 7,000 pounds of hemp

mine this growth. And it all boils down to this: What is

was seized and the driver arrested by the Idaho State Po-

hemp, what is cannabis, and how is that determined?

lice. A truckful of hemp was apprehended in South Da-

Since the 2018 Farm Bill’s implementation, neither the

kota and the driver charged with cannabis possession

Federal Drug Administration nor the Department of Ag-

in August. A company whose shipment of hemp was

riculture have produced national rules and regulations

seized by Oklahoma police, who claimed it was marijua-

for hemp. And because most hemp is now being trans-

na, are suing the police, the county, and an attorney to

ported by trucks and trailers passing between states,

get their product back.

each with different rules and knowledge about the legality of hemp, it’s causing any number of hassles.

Police and district attorneys in several states are complaining they don’t have the equipment or knowledge to sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 27

28 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

make the distinction, either. In Florida, the State Attorney’s Office has ruled that the sight or smell of marijuana can no longer be used as probable cause for search because they both smell skanky. Charges against University of Nebraska football players for possession were dropped because the state couldn’t prove whether what they had was cannabis or hemp. In Texas, the Austin district attorney said her office would stop prosecuting possession cases involving four ounces or less unless there was a lab test, and Houston’s DA dismissed 32 felony marijuana cases, estimating that it would cost $185,000 and take up to a year to implement the testing procedure and hire people to run it.

In a sign of the significance of the problem, the US Drug Enforcement Administration put out a request for information on private companies that might have the technology for field tests sensitive enough to distinguish between hemp and marijuana. The USDA’s William Richmond said in August that the agency is grappling with the Farm Bill‘s requirement for a national THC testing protocol. “We need to have testing procedures in place,” he said, but coming up with reliable testing methods is “as complicated as you think it is.”

IS IT REALLY THAT TOUGH? Not everybody feels it’s that difficult. Cannabis, or marijuana, and hemp are the same plant species, Cannabis

sativa. Though similar in appearance and odor, they are distinctly different in composition and the chemicals they produce. The national standard written into the 2018 Farm Bill for determining whether a crop is hemp or cannabis is that hemp must contain no more than 0.3 percent of the chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on a dry-weight basis.

“And that’s just a very random, arbitrary number,” says Cindy Orser, chief scientific officer at Digipath, an independent cannabis testing lab in Las Vegas. “And you

good chance of coming in above that 0.3 percent delta-9 THC percent limit at maturity.”

THREE-TENTHS OF ONE PERCENT

know, it’s just not right to define a plant species based

In 1937, hemp and cannabis were both essentially

on a chemical that can fluctuate based on its growing

demonized and taxed out of existence. There is reason

environment and by its genetics.”

to believe that other industries—cotton, building—were

Hemp has been grown forever for its fiber and seed

behind the hemp ban, but at least one was because of

for use in a wide variety of products. “When people say

law-enforcement difficulties distinguishing between

hemp, they usually mean industrial hemp, which is also

hemp and cannabis. With both illegal, there was no need

called European hemp,” she explains. “It’s been bred for

to differentiate between the two, and no attempt was

centuries for its fiber content, and it has very low canna-

made. The number 0.3 percent delta-9 THC (3/10 of 1 per-

binoid content.”

cent) on a dry weight basis comes from a 1976 study of

Orser notes that there is also another hemp, what she calls American hemp, or resin hemp, which is grown for

cannabis taxonomy and was never intended as a legal distinction, Orser says.

its higher CBD content. “It’s not being grown for fiber,

While there are several different forms of THC, only one,

it’s not being grown for its flower,” she says. “It’s being

delta-9 THC, gets you “high.” The 0.3 percent legal limit

grown for oil, from either seeds or clones that have a

only applies to delta-9 THC. By law, this is the sole cansensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 29

30 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

nabinoid that is considered when determining whether a cannabis plant is lawful hemp or unlawful marijuana.

The issue is that gas chromatography (GC), a primary testing method used by both law enforcement agencies and state departments of agriculture, heats up a cannabis sample in order to tease out and measure delta-9 THC levels.

THCa, another of more than 100 chemicals produced by the plant which is not mentioned in the statute, converts to delta-9 THC when heated. “In other words, the GC testing method actually creates the very same cannabinoid that is being tested,” says Asheville, NC, cannabis attorney Rod Kight.

Here’s what Project CBD says about the number. “The 0.3 percent THC legal limit is an arbitrary, impractical, euphoria-phobic relic of reefer madness. Although it lacks a scientific basis, it has become the latest lynchpin of cannabis prohibition, a dishonest, anachronistic policy that impedes medical discovery and blocks patient access to valuable therapeutic options, including herbal extracts with various combinations of CBD and THC.”

A POSSIBLE SOLUTION Farmers are uncertain, too, and for good reason. If any portion of a hemp crop comes up at 0.4 percent delta-9 THC or higher at harvest time, that entire crop would have to be destroyed. Orser is trying to empirically determine a representative value for THC that would enable farmers and not confuse law enforcement. She has done testing on American hemp and has found that more than half of the plant samples of CBD resin hemp, turn up “hot,” or above the 0.3 percent number. Digipath is currently beta-testing a molecular or DNA-based assay that distinguishes industrial hemp from resin hemp and drug-type cannabis within two hours.

Growing hemp for CBD is difficult enough, Kight says, and limiting the strains a farmer can use places an undue and unnecessary burden. “Aside from legal considerations, the reason that this issue is important is because widespread adoption of the total THC position would be harmful to the hemp industry—in particular hemp farmers,” Kight says. “Requiring total THC concentrations to remain within 0.3 percent, rather than just limiting delta-9 THC, severely limits the hemp strains a farmer can grow.”

Although the gas chromotography test is the most widely used, Kight and others argue that another test— high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)—does

“We’re talking about such minuscule amounts [of THC]. On or off the record, WHO CARES?”

not use heat to separate and measure delta-9 THC con-

—Frank Robison, Lawyer

be sold or used instead as recreational or medical canna-

centrations, which means it’s testing the actual amount of delta-9 THC in any sample.

The HPLC test doesn’t create higher concentrations of the same molecule that determines whether a plant is lawful or an illegal controlled substance. Because GC testing creates delta-9 THC, Kight says that using it to test hemp is contrary to law and can even amount to evidence tampering in the context of a criminal case.

One final thing to remember here is that we are talking about minuscule amounts of delta-9 THC. There are no concerns that a hemp crop that comes in at 0.4 percent, or 0.7 percent, or even 1.0 percent delta-9 THC, is going to bis. Most legally available cannabis begins at around 15 percent delta-9 THC and goes up from there. Nobody will ever get high using any hemp product, even if it comes in over the limit. And it’s the farmers, the ones who find out whether their crop is legal or not after it has grown to maturity, who are paying the price for such a fickle number.

“Farmers work on razor-thin margins. We should be giving them the most latitude possible and have this uniform from state to state,” says Robison. “We’re talking about such minuscule amounts. On or off the record, who cares? It doesn’t make any sense. Why not give farmers the chance?” sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 31

32 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

With Cosmic Sister, Zoe Helene is working to create balance and diversity through sacred plants—an earth-centered antidote to patriarchal malware in the matrix.

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

DELIC FEMINISM TWELVE YEARS AND MANY JOURNEYS AGO, DURING AN AYAHUASCA

CEREMONY IN THE PERUVIAN AMAZON, ZOE HELENE WAS CHALLENGED BY A POWERFUL, ANCIENT GODDESS ARCHETYPE TO STEP UP AND DO SOMETHING WITH THE PRIVILEGE OF HAVING GROWN UP IN A PLACE WHERE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TRACEY ELLER / PHOTO EDITS BY JOSH CLARK

SHE FELT SAFE, WITH PARENTS WHO ENCOURAGED HER TO FOLLOW HER NATURAL CREATIVE TALENTS. Helene saw during this vision that she had turned inward and given up on her artistic dreams after being

cybin mushrooms, and cannabis, which she calls “nature’s evolutionary allies,” in a safe, legal set and setting.

sexually harassed by a graduate school professor. “We

A few years after she founded Cosmic Sister, Helene—

know now, with the #metoo movement, that what I sur-

who has worked in the arts, high tech, and the natural

vived happens to most females in this male-dominated

products industry—came up with the term Psychedel-

world,” Helene says. “It harms us into silence, which is

ic Feminism as a way to describe the feminism that

a type of censoring. Finding and freeing our voice is

embraces psychedelic plants as evolutionary allies for

something a lot of women deal with.”

women’s healing and empowerment and to popularize

Blown away by the power of her own transformation, He-

Cosmic Sister’s core educational advocacy work.

lene went home to Amherst, Massachusetts, and founded

A tireless and passionate environmental advocate for

Cosmic Sister, an environmental feminist collective that

decades, Helene is convinced that Psychedelic Fem-

advocates for women, wilderness, and wildlife and for hu-

inism is the key to saving the planet from patriarchal

mans’ natural right to work with “sacred” plants and fungi

malware fouling up the matrix. “The entire idea of Psy-

such as ayahuasca, peyote, iboga, San Pedro cactus, psilo-

chedelic Feminism, in a nutshell, is that we humans, as sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 33

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34 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

FROM LEFT: Dawn Musil, Shipibo Ancestral Healer Laura Lopez Sanchez, and Sabrina Pilet-Jones

a species, have survived male-domination for thousands

and post-psychedelic integration. She and her hus-

of years and that system has brought us to where we are

band, ethnobotanist Chris Kilham, who wrote The Aya-

today—destroying our own home and taking everything

huasca Test Pilots Handbook, have been taking groups

else down with us,” she says. “Cannabis and other plant

of pasajeros (journeyers) to experience ayahuasca with

medicines such as ayahuasca, peyote, iboga, and psilo-

Indigenous healers in safe retreat centers in the Pe-

cybin may help save us from ourselves.”

ruvian Amazon for more than a decade. In 2013, she

Helene believes it’s high time women took center

launched the merit-based Cosmic Sister Plant Spirit

stage, and psychedelics can help make that happen

grant, which provides support for women to experi-

by bringing them inspiration, clarity, and perspective,

ence ayahuasca ceremony in the Peruvian Amazon,

as well as liberation from old wounds, self-sabotaging

where ayahuasca is legal. She’s seen la medicina

thoughts and thought patterns, and disempowering so-

work magic on women whose superpowers had been

cial programming. “In the medicine space, women can

blocked by trauma or grief, often the result of a world

explore conditioning and wounds that stunt and si-

that is inherently harsh to women.

lence,” she says. “We can make sense of them, learn to live with them differently, or purge them altogether.”

“So many cases of PTSD from sexual misconduct and assault, ancestral trauma, and abusive relationships,

Psychedelic feminism has nothing to do with promot-

so much anxiety and depression, repressed rage, low

ing victim consciousness, Helene adds. “We’re about

self-esteem,” Helene says. “So many women living with

moving forward. Facing wounds and demons resulting

debilitating eating disorders and body image dysmorphia,

from having been victimized is an essential step to-

with addictions, with obsessive compulsive disorders. So

wards healing.“

much strength and so much needless suffering. Why?”

FINDING OUR VOICE AND POWER

Ayahuasca, a powerful blend of two plants native to the Amazon, is an intense psychedelic that can “help

Helene has worked with dozens of women in

us access and communicate with our subconscious

pre-psychedelic preparation, immersive journeying,

selves—our pysche—the wilderness within” through visensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 35

36 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

sions, which Helene describes as “life-enhancing messages that show up in abstract, symbolic, archetypal, and universal poetic languages.”

Dawn Musil, a scientist and pollinator advocate who went to Temple of the Way of Light in Peru with Helene last March, says ayahuasca taught her to face fear, guilt, her rapist, family pain, and the loss of a loved one—all things she thought would kill her but actually taught her how strong she was. Raised in a family that valued women less than men and taught females to keep quiet, Musil came to a deep understanding while she was in the medicine space that her voice had as much value as men’s.

“Mama Ayahuasca taught me that my power and strength as a female reflects the feminine power of ayahuasca as a plant spirit and that through plant spirit, we will find our voice and power as females to lead the future of gender equality and human rights,” says Musil, who came home from Peru determined to work with plant spirit medicine. “The medicine taught me who I can be and to know that my voice has as much value as the voices of men in the plant medicine space.”

AMBASSADOR PLANT Cosmic Sister founder Zoe Helene sees cannabis as an “ambassador plant” that is moving the greater plant medicine conversation forward. She considers it a sacred (and sometimes psychedelic) medicine for journeying and an ally for post-ayahuasca integration work. “In the right set and setting, with the right medicine and the right dose, cannabis can get you there,” Helene says.

Whenever possible, she implements cannabis into the Temeno (an indigenous Greek word for “sacred space”) Talking Circles she conducts to explore the effects of damaging patriarchal programming and gender imbalance as well as women’s work in the medicine space.

Sabrina Pilet-Jones, an urban gardener who also traveled to Temple with Cosmic Sister last March, had a similar experience of tapping into the essence of all that she could be, empowered by the lineage of her ancestors—an entirely new perception of herself. “Ayahuasca is not a magical pill. It’s hard, deep, transformative shamanic work that forces you into the deepest, darkest parts of yourself to find the unique light we all hold,” Pilet-Jones says. “I left with a strong desire to expand my connection with plants and to continue my research into indigenous plant remedies and now psychedelic plants for healing.”

COEXISTING IN EXQUISITE DIVERSITY The Cosmic Sister Plant Spirit grant is part of an interconnected quartet of merit-based grants that support women’s voices in psychedelics and cannabis. Psychedelic Feminism grants make it possible for women from diverse backgrounds to be heard through writing, photography, and speaking engagements and media placements. Cosmic Sister will play a key role in the upcoming Spirit Plant Medicine Conference (SPMC) in Vancouver, BC, this year, sponsoring all seven of the female speakers, including Helene.

The Cosmic Sister Women of the Psychedelic Renaissance and Cosmic Sisters of Cannabis grants help get widespread media placement for women’s stories in support of cannabis liberation and responsible psychedelic use. Launched just last month in partnership with the Sleeping Octopus Assembly on Psychedelics (SOAP) conference in Pittsburgh and Vancouver’s SPMC the first

week of November, the new Emerging Voices Award supports talented newcomers who demonstrate potential in the field of psychedelics by strengthening their visibility and gifting them tickets to important conferences.

One of Helene’s goals with the grants is to help more minority women achieve name and face recognition in the psychedelic community because, she says, “the psychedelic scene is white, cis-gendered, and male-heavy— and our psychedelic culture is supposed to be leading in a more enlightened way.”

Helene’s also quick to point out that Psychedelic Feminism is about promoting gender balance, and she doesn’t believe matriarchy would be any better than the patriarchy we’ve had for thousands of years because “power over” naturally corrupts. Blaming men for everything is sexist, Helene says, and it’s important for the movement to welcome male allies who are interested in growing when it comes to their own archaic gender programming.

“Matriarchy would not be balanced, and it would not be healthy,” Helene says. “It’s all about working together and coexisting in exquisite diversity.”

ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE, author of the bestselling Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook and Pot in Pans: A History of Eating Cannabis, traveled to Peru on one of the first Cosmic Sister Plant Spirit grants in 2013

sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 37

{horoscope }

by M O N A VA N J O S E P H

OCTOBER

HOROSCOPES

Las Vegas intuitive MONA VAN JOSEPH has been predicting her clients’ potential since 2002. She’s an author, columnist, host of "Psychic View Radio," and created the Dice Wisdom (DICEWISDOM.COM ) app for iPhone and Android.

your success will be procrasti-

the people for whom you care)

nation. Whether or not you own

your version of perfect. From

your own company, behave as

vacillation and boredom comes

though you are the owner. This

a new perspective.

is your month to be proactive, not to coast. The things and adventures you want are there for the asking…so ask.

LIBRA

Sept 23–Oct 22

yourself out there for what you want, but that’s precisely the

CAPRICORN

Dec 22–Jan 19

AQUARIUS

Jan 20–Feb 18

The fastest way to motivate you is to piss you off. That’s unfortunate for whoever has tapped into your ire because

This is not a month of initi-

vibration upon you this month.

Define your version of happi-

no one can hold a grudge like

ation for you; it is a month of

No one can live your life.

ness and success this month.

an Aquarian. This month, give

Do not look at what other

yourself the gift of forgive-

people are doing (or worse,

ness. People are pulling at you,

compare your life to theirs) to

and it’s time to decide. Ask

self-healing. October is a “one” vibration, and for you, that means taking care of health

SAGITTARIUS

Nov 22–Dec 21

issues. Consult your doctor

Start asking the questions that

define your happiness. Do not

yourself, “Have these people

about whatever you’ve been

show people how bright you

dwell on the unfairness of life;

been good or bad for me?”

putting off. Avoid using other

are and that you are paying at-

instead, notice that birds still

Step away from anyone in the

people as an excuse for not

tention. Prepare for something

fly, kittens and puppies are irre-

“bad” category and align with

taking care of yourself. You’ve

big to present itself next month.

sistible, and you are here for a

people in the “good” category.

been

assumptions

An opportunity for you to be all-

reason. Contemplate what you

Stop taking so many things so

lately about people and events.

in with your work will come, so

do have control over and do not

seriously. It’s time to get back

Stop that! Ask the question

have things lined up so you can

brood about things out of your

to where your genius resides:

and avoid assuming you know

respond. The only enemy to

control. Make your world (and

this precious moment.

making

what someone will tell you or

PISCES

how they will act, especially when it comes to your emotional and physical well-being.

SCORPIO

Oct 23–Nov 21

It’s not so much about the money anymore, but you’re making it about the money.

Feb 19–Mar 20

Libra, this is not a month of initiation for you; it’s a month of self-healing.

You’ve been fighting many egos lately. It’s time to withdraw from any issue that will cause a conflict, in romance and career.

It’s been a year of readjustment and finding the place that allows you to flow with the times.

You are making yourself stay

Unless your dream job comes

in a situation that no longer

along, don’t seek to change jobs

serves you by using it as an

until next year. Avoid romantic

excuse. If your work is too

conflict; you can’t control other

easy for you and you’re bored

people and have to accept their

with it, it’s time to find some-

nature as a reflection of who

thing you truly enjoy. Now is

they are. People’s dramatic be-

the time to prepare for your

havior isn’t about you; it’s about

next adventure, even if it’s on

them protecting their (alleged)

the side. It’s challenging to put

territory. Don’t engage.

38 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

ARIES

Mar 21–Apr 19 October vibrates to the number 1, which is Aries’s favorite number. “First at the buffet,” Aries will

Okay Gemini, stop putting off what you want this month. It’s time to be completely transparent with all your relationships.

say. In October, it is absolutely okay to be first in whatever you do. The first three weeks are success-driven, and any new projects started then will be meaningful. You must be willing to be totally committed and step into your limelight. Pursue any nagging projects and follow up with leads. Not necessarily a month for romance, but your charm will attract significant people. It’s okay to coast the last week of the month.

TAURUS

Apr 20–May 20 This is the month to explore partnerships and, more importantly, how you are regarded.

This applies to both your business and personal life. Make

October is your lucky month.

anything; you’re just irritating

be grateful you’ve earned the

sure you are exploring legal

You will be in the right place

people around you. Rediscov-

right to do what you love—

agreements thoroughly and

at the right time. There are all

er reading and old movies and

and it’s okay to be self aware.

not taking someone’s word

sorts of spiritual and human an-

creating magic.

for a deal or arrangement. Call

gels working in your favor this

in that favor with an attorney

month, so please pay attention.

friend who owes you and ask

Accept all social invitations.

for advice. Taurus is frequently reluctant to call in favors, but this is the month to do so.

CANCER

June 22–July 22

LEO

July 23–Aug 22

VIRGO

Aug 23–Sept 22 Finally, the catalyst year of

It’s time for you to learn to

struggle is over. You have

have fun again. I don’t care

been (or will very soon be)

what age you are because,

acknowledged for what you

What you do this month sets

Get out of your own way. It’s

as quoted by Ayn Rand, “All

bring to the table. It has been

up your freedom or limitations.

not about making anything

pleasures are personal.” Your

a personally challenging year

happen; it’s about letting

personal pleasure has nothing

of facing demons, protecting

things happen. No one is de-

to do with finding what’s “out

your family, and rejection. I am

liberately out to hurt you or

there” to make you happy; it’s

happy to report that you have

Okay, Gemini, stop putting off

betray you. Your big lesson

about that profound thing that

faced the firewalk, done the

what you want this month. It’s

this month is to learn to trust

you can lose yourself in the

right karmic thing, and evolved

time to be completely trans-

the process. Sincerely, thank

doing. It’s a creative month for

as an even better human as a

parent with all relationships.

the universe for even the sim-

you, Leo. Write that frigging

result. You didn’t need me to

You’ve been great at working

ple things, like toilet paper.

novel, throw paint on a can-

tell you this; you know this in

your environment to your favor,

Good news arrives by Octo-

vas, or learn to make the per-

your heart of hearts. Now the

but it’s time to state your truth,

ber 21…and until then? Do

fect soufflé. Do this to please

anchor is no longer holding

your worth, and what you want.

not verbally complain about

you. Everyone around you will

you back, and you can soar.

GEMINI

May 21–June 21

sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 39

UNDER THE What are the legalities of driving and cannabis in Nevada?

by RYA N H E L M I C K , T H E D E F E N D E R S

It has been just over two years SINCE THE PASSAGE OF QUESTION 2, WHICH APPROVED THE RECREATIONAL

USE OF CANNABIS FOR ADULTS 21 AND OLDER. WHILE USERS MAY PURCHASE AND CARRY UP TO AN OUNCE OF CANNABIS, THEY SHOULD THINK TWICE BEFORE HOPPING BEHIND THE WHEEL AFTER USING IT, AS CANNABIS-IMPAIRED DRIVING IS STILL

DUI charge UNDER NEVADA LAW.

40 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

treated as a

INFLUENCE

sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 41

Although cannabis is now legal to use in the privacy of your home, impaired driving laws will continue to be enforced. Nevada law says a driver can be charged with DUI if the driver’s blood contains 2 nanograms per milliliter of cannabis (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) or 5 nanograms per milliliter of cannabis metabolite (11-OH-tetrahydrocannabinol). The first is the active component of cannabis―the part that gets a person elevated. The second (the cannabis metabolite) is the inactive component and has no physiological effects whatsoever. It is the Criminal Defense Bar’s goal to ultimately get this metabolite type of DUI charge off the books because it makes no sense to be arrested and possibly convicted for driving under the influence of something that does not impair your driving in any way.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A DUI STOP

Police officers rely on training to recognize signs of impairment. Through

behavior observation and field sobriety exercises, law enforcement can determine probable cause for driver impairment and make an arrest. Once a driver is taken into custody, police can request a blood test to determine if the driver is over the state’s cannabis limit. The person has a right to refuse a blood test and require the officer to get a search warrant. However, if this is requested, the officer has the right to revoke that person’s driver’s license for one year.

CONSEQUENCES OF CANNABIS-IMPAIRED DRIVING

A DUI can have a serious impact on your life and driving privileges. A blood

test above the legal limit for cannabis will result in the suspension of your driver’s license, and with a DUI conviction, you could face multiple classes, a hefty fine, community service, drug evaluation with a certified counselor, and even jail time in some cases.

The severity of your sentence increases with each DUI conviction, and a third DUI charge becomes a felony if the person has had two prior DUI convictions within seven years or if the incident resulted in severe injury or death to another person.

Navigating the tricky landscape of the court system can be intimidating, and when facing serious charges, such as driving under the influence, you need a law firm with a proven track record and expertise that will work relentlessly to get the best possible result.

42 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’VE BEEN PULLED OVER

• Stay calm and pull the car over as soon and as safely as possible.

• Make sure your insurance card, registration card, and driver’s license are easily accessible ahead of time.

• Roll your window down just enough to hear the officer and for him or her to hear you.

• Be polite and courteous.

• Don’t admit anything, not even that you have a medical cannabis card.

• Refuse politely to do any Field Sobriety Exercises or any Portable Breath Test. (Law enforcement is currently working on a portable roadside saliva test to detect the presence of cannabis.)

• Think carefully before consenting to any blood test.

• Call a lawyer as soon as you can.

If you or a loved one has been arrested and charged with DUI, it’s imperative you get legal help right away. Navigating the tricky landscape of the court system can be intimidating, and when facing serious charges, such as driving under the influence, you need a law firm with a proven track record and expertise that will work relentlessly to get the best possible result.

In DUI cases, there is potential for error on the part of the arresting officer. An expert attorney can often find an error in many cases, but the real question is how big of a mistake law enforcement made or whether law enforcement made enough small errors for reasonable doubt to bloom. Additionally, medical personnel involved in the case and eyewitnesses make errors, which allow the defense attorney to call into question certain claims made by the officer. In short, strict protocols must be followed during a DUI arrest, and if the law enforcement officer does not adhere to the procedures, you could have a solid defense.

If you or someone you know is faced with a DUI arrest, know your legal rights and contact an attorney with expertise in the field.

As a trial lawyer with The Defenders (THEDEFENDERS.NET ), K. RYAN HELMICK has focused exclusively on criminal defense with passion and drive. Helmick has successfully handled nearly 2,000 DUI and criminal cases and trained at Gerry Spence’s world-renowned Trial Lawyers College. He has been recognized as National Trial Lawyers “Top 40 Under 40,” received “10 Best Award in Client Satisfaction” by The American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys and was honored with the Clients Choice Award from Avvo, the lawyer rating service.

sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 43

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44 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

GREENHOUSE PAYMENT SOLUTIONS

Getting to the Heart of a Tough Issue GREENHOUSE PAYMENT SOLUTIONS OFFERS BANKING AID FOR CANNABIS BUSINESSES.

The lack of banking in the cannabis industry is as dif-

he says. “So we will see how it goes. People want to

ficult for a cannabis business owner to deal with as it is

pay with their cards or their phones. People don’t carry

easy for everyone to understand: Businesses need banks.

around cash anymore.”

Nobody wants to tote around garbage bags of cash.

The new products have been a long time coming,

Congress recently held hearings on the Secure and

Mills says, but he believes in staying prudent. “People

Fair Enforcement Banking Act of 2019 (SAFE) and get-

come and go in the payment and banking side of this

ting loans for cannabusinesses from the Small Business

business, and we have been here almost 11 years now,”

Administration. But it still seems as if the banking issue

he says. “We are here for the long term and not just to

is a long way from resolution.

make money. We try to stay cutting edge and have solu-

Chris Mills, CEO of GreenHouse Payment Solutions, says that the conundrum continues to confound bank-

tions that no one else has. Honesty, integrity, and service are at the heart of GreenHouse Payment Solutions.”

ers and bank-service providers, especially with so many CBD companies looking for guidance now. “The FDIC has not put in place any kind of information to the regulators,” he says. “The big banks that look at it and who

For more information, visit:

GREENHOUSEPAYMENTSOLUTIONS.COM

have the formula about percentage of assets and bank money on hand can facilitate having cannabis businesses. It’s all nice and dandy that things are getting discussed in Washington and all. But the banks still need direction.”

He thinks that medical cannabis will be legalized in all 50 states before banks make any real decisions. “The general business community is pushing their elected representatives, telling them that this is coming and asking them, ‘Do you want to regulate this or not?’”

GreenHouse is about to launch two new banking solutions for the industry, one this month and another later this year, both designed to avoid the mistakes Mills sees with other banking solutions. It makes it easy for the customer to use, it’s inexpensive for merchants to operate, and it won’t be shut down. “Those are our parameters.”

One is styled after a Google Pay app, where a user will be able to pay either online or use a credit card at dispensaries. “Both use bank accounts, but we won’t charge for the bank account, unlike some other banks,” sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 45

MAKES SENSE TO

ADVERTISERS INCOME

AG E

E D U C AT I O N

$100K

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PLUS THE ANNUAL INCOME OF

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OVERALL

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35-75 YEAR OLDS 56.8% OF OUR READERS

$200K+ 24-34 EARN PER HOUSEHOLD 11.8% OF OUR READERSHIP

THE AGES OF OUR 2ND STRONGEST

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(720) 504-6557 INFO@SENSIMAG.COM 46 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

Numbers are based on a 2019 independent audit of the Denver/Boulder Edition from MEDIA AUDIT

GENIUS PRODUCTS

Genius Cannabis FINDING THE RIGHT FIT FOR THE RIGHT CUSTOMER.

As matchmakers around the world say, “There’s a lid

The plan is to launch additional brands later this

for every pot.” That’s true even in cannabis. The fast-grow-

summer, with a focus on reaching the natural wellness

ing industry has said goodbye to the days of marijuana

market. That includes casual consumers looking to in-

as a blanket term for whatever wound up in the bottom

troduce CBD products such as skincare into their daily

of a plastic baggie and is becoming a forward-think-

routines and debuting multiple entries into the food

ing industry. Cannabis brands can more clearly identify

and beverage space.

who their customers are and exactly what they want. At

At Genius Products, the secret sauce is more than just

the forefront of this new focus on targeted marketing

creating new brands to target different customer seg-

is Genius Products, the Los Angeles-base parent com-

ments. Instead of cobbling together a supplier network,

pany producing cannabis-based brands that appeal to

the company is truly vertically integrated, overseeing

every segment of the cannabis market.

the entire product lifecycle from seed to shelf. It grows

“The next phase of cannabis growth mirrors the cu-

its own cannabis and hemp on organic farms that are

linary world,” says Chris Clifford, CEO of Genius Prod-

committed to sustainability. It has dedicated design

ucts. “Everyone has their own tastes, and our goal is to

teams dreaming up new product lines, and Genius has

make the right products for every flavor of cannabis

its first two brick-and-mortar dispensaries opening in

consumer.”

Los Angeles later this summer to be one-stop shops for

It’s the same approach that beer giants like Anheus-

Genius Products.

er-Busch, InBev, and SABMiller take: find your customer

“I think the best way to find success with any product

by tailoring brands to specific identities. To that end,

is to try to impact the entire process from start to finish,”

Genius Products has a range of brands focused on THC,

says Clifford. Genius Products will launch more brands

CBD, and natural hemp. Gen!us THC, its first foray into

in the cannabis market. With Genius Products, seed to

the market, launched in May at Hall of Flowers in Santa

shelf is the company ethos, and it’s all about finding the

Rosa, California. The brand’s tagline is “Strains for Brains”,

right seeds for the right shelves.

and it caters to the creative professional by using high art collaborations with cannabis-inspired photographers Maggie West and Justin Jerrod. The idea behind Gen!us THC is that there’s a genius inside everyone. Its

For more information, visit:

GENIUSTHC.COM

THC products are geared towards unlocking this potential. The goal is to connect with agency creative directors, writers, executives, and other professionals who incorporate cannabis into their lives as a healing mechanism without letting it interfere with their work.

“We want to provide a level of sophistication with our products,” says Clifford. The look and feel of Gen!us THC aligns with that goal. Packaging comes in bright, Instagram-friendly colors and the products themselves range from flower and pre-rolls to vape cartridges and disposable vape pens. sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 47

AID FOR AIDS OF NEVADA’S 33RD ANNUAL BLACK & WHITE PARTY

Partygoers created a sea of over-thetop (and some barely-there) black-andwhite fashions, costumes, and outfits to celebrate Aid for AIDS of Nevada’s 33rd annual Black & White Party and AFAN’s 35th anniversary, hosted by Penn & Teller. Eye-catching performances included Brooke Lynn Hytes from Emmy award-winning show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and Strip shows Celestia, Chippendales, Human Nature, Legends in Concert, Little Miss Nasty, and Magic Mike.

48 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

Where: The Joint inside The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino When: August 10, 2019

sensimag.com OCTOBER 2019 49

{HereWeGo }

by D E B B I E H A L L

DINING WITH ART Pasta Shop Ristorante serves original artwork.

Pasta Shop Ristorante

2525 W Horizon Ridge Parkway // Henderson // (702) 451-1893

at Tropicana and Eastern avenues. She created its interior design and hung her original artwork to demonstrate her personal expression in the family-owned business.

“I made three pieces and hung them on the wall as part of its décor. So many customers wanted to buy them, and I would tell them that it was part of the restaurant.”

Eventually, she started selling her pieces and opened an

Ann Alenik displays her passion for art created out of

art gallery with the restaurant and travels to other shows.

metal. She started as an electrical engineer who could weld

Working in steel, aluminum, and fused glass, Ale-

and fix cars. Alenik then entered the culinary world, eventu-

nik welds and operates a plasma cutter to cut different

ally becoming a restaurateur with her thriving Pasta Shop

shapes. She has also added painting to her mixed me-

Ristorante (PASTASHOP.COM ) while continuing her love of art.

dia repertoire, using metal and automotive paints. Flying

Over 30 years ago, Alenik and her late husband, Chef Da-

sparks of metal add to the formation of artworks, which

vid, opened Pasta Shop Ristorante in its original location

50 OCTOBER 2019 Las Vegas

are abstract in the style of Picasso.

PHOTO BY DEBBIE HALL

art gallery in the Holsom Lofts. Today she combines her