Sensi Magazine - Las Vegas (February 2020)

I L A S V EG A S F E B 2020

OVER THE RAINBOW How vibrant hues can conquer the winter blues

COLIVING Find friendship and

save money in shared living spaces

People have been using cannabis since prehistoric times

For Use Only by Adults 21 Years of Age and Older. Keep Out of Reach of Children.

VISIT CURALEAF’S NEW LAS VEGAS DISPENSARY!

On the strip right behind The Strat

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LAS VEGAS SENSI MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2020

sensimediagroup @sensimagazine @sensimag

F E AT U R E S

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SPECIAL REPORT

Humans Getting High Cannabis has delighted and inspired humans since prehistoric times.

In Living Color

Seeing red, feeling blue, tickled pink. What you see is what you feel.

D E PA R T M E N T S

9 EDITOR’S NOTE 10 THE BUZZ News, tips, and tidbits

to keep you in the loop BEYOND BOOKS There’s more to your local library.

ON THE TRACKS Rail biking through history HOLY SMOKE Saving the lives of Vegas’s homeless VINTAGE VANITY Neon Cactus celebrates retro.

16 THE LIFE Contributing to your

health and happiness ROOM WITH A FEW Coliving spaces offer an all-in-one solution to skyrocketing housing prices and the loneliness epidemic.

HOROSCOPE What do the stars hold for you?

38 THE SCENE Hot happenings and hip

hangouts around town BOHO BAR This hot spot vibes with the thriving art scene in 18b.

AT THE MALL Explore the iconic street art of Banksy.

HIGH SOCIETY Recapping Sensi Night Las Vegas and the Jack Herer Cup CALENDAR Artists, musicians, and performers pour their hearts out.

50 THE END

ON THE COVER Cannabis use runs deep in the veins of human history—a truth that can be found in early literature and culture.

Don’t miss the world’s first solar-powered mural— not that you could.

LOVELY LIBATIONS

Cocktails to keep your love warm this February

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Magazine published monthly

by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2020 Sensi Media Group. All rights reserved.

EXECUTIVE Ron Kolb CEO ron@sensimag.com Mike Mansbridge President mike@sensimag.com

T

Tae Darnell Co-Founder, VP of Business Development tae@sensimag.com Alex Martinez Chief Operating Officer alex@sensimag.com EDITORIAL Stephanie Wilson Editor in Chief stephanie@sensimag.com Doug Schnitzspahn Executive Editor doug.schnitzspahn@sensimag.com Debbie Hall Managing Editor debbie.hall@sensimag.com Leland Rucker Senior Editor leland.rucker@sensimag.com

Robyn Griggs Lawrence Editor at Large robyn.lawrence@sensimag.com Helen Olsson Copy Chief Mona Van Joseph Contributing Writer DESIGN Jamie Ezra Mark Creative Director jamie@emagency.com Rheya Tanner Art Director Wendy Mak Designer Kiara Lopez Designer Josh Clark Designer Jason Jones Designer em@sensimag.com PUBLISHING Abi Wright Publisher abi.wright@sensimag.com B U S I N E S S /A D M I N Kristan Toth Head of People kristan.toth@sensimag.com Amber Orvik Administrative Director amber.orvik@sensimag.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

The heart icon expresses the emotion

of love in all senses, not just romantic. According to news site thevintagenews.com, theories abound about its creation. Before the first century A.D., Silphium, a heart-shaped seed pod, was used for birth control. Another theory suggests that early depictions of the heart as a representation of love began in France in 1250. Yet another theory involves a 14th-century Italian physicist attempting to draw the heart according to the findings of Aristotle.

Whatever its origin, we use the icon today, shaping our hands into a heart, whether for a photo or to show someone we care.

Emojis in the heart shape (pick a color) fill our texts and posts.

February is designated Heart Month to bring awareness to protecting and taking steps for better heart health.

What creates a happy heart?

Is it following your passion, also known as following your heart? Dr. Nikki Martinez, who wrote “10 Reasons to Follow Your Heart” for huffpost.com, suggests several profound reasons. She says that by following your heart, you’ll have fewer regrets, along with increased self-respect, self-knowledge, and forgiveness.

Many people follow their hearts by giving of themselves and offering aid to the disenfranchised in our community. Others teach, mentor, and volunteer to show love to their neighborhoods. Cannabis aids in combating stress, pain, and anxiety, which helps the heart physically and emotionally. Happiness and love pair well together offering many paths to a happy heart.

Sensi magazine embraces love with a pro-cannabis voice.

Thank you for reading Sensi, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with you, our readers.

Whatever its origin, we use the heart icon today, shaping our hands into a heart, whether for a photo or to show someone we care.

Yours in the new normal,

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

Debbie Hall debbie.hall@sensimag.com

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CONTRIBUTOR

Beyond Books Discover art, design, and culture at the library.

Libraries have transformed into cultural centers, and that includes the Las Vegas–Clark County Library District. Its newest branch, East Las Vegas Library, designed with high ceilings, modern architecture, and inviting spaces, is one of the most visited branches in 10 L AS V EGAS

FE BRUARY 2020

IGNITE WITH FLAVOR

the city. Art galleries in all the libraries exhibit local artists.

Of course, the magic of books endures, but music, film, and audio selections round out the library’s offerings. These resources expand horizons with a world waiting to be explored.

Dan Bilzerian, known as “The King of Instagram,” first built his empire using social media marketing. In 2017, he launched Ignite, a line of CBD products, which has since expanded to include vapes, drops, toothpicks, topicals, pet products, gummies, and lip balm. Flavor profiles include blood orange, lemon, cherry, lavender, and tropical fruit. Its all-natural CBD drops are blended with essential oils. Topicals are made with 100 percent plant-based ingredients. Its newest product is the 350 mg full-spectrum drops and bath bombs.

Clark County Libraries / lvccld.org

Ignite / $15–$65 / ignitecbd.co

GALLERY PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN FREGNAN, PRODUCT PHOTO COURTESY OF IGNITE

Debbie Hall

BY THE NUMBERS

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Industry for Creativity

The Arts Factory thrives in 18b.

HOLIDAYS The number of days off in the US, as designated by the federal government

TRACK HISTORY

ARTS FACTORY PHOTOS BY DEBBIE HALL, TRACK PHOTOS COURTESY OF RAIL EXPLORERS

Ride on rail bikes through historic Southern Nevada with Rail Explorers.

Boulder City, Nevada, 26 miles southeast of Las Vegas, was settled in the early 1930s with the building of the Hoover Dam. Today, people can ride pedal-powered vehicles with steel wheels and hydraulic disc brakes that ride along the nearby railroad tracks with Rail Explorers guided tours. The specially tricked out “rail explorers” are like bikes, but you don’t need to steer them, which keeps your hands free for those Insta moments. The Southwest Ramble is a four-mile downhill pedal-powered daytime ride.

The Sunset Tour is a picturesque adventure. And the Evening Lantern Ride is a one-of-a-kind experience illuminated by the glow of the stars and the moon.

All rides start at the Nevada State Railroad Museum, and each tour includes a nostalgic journey in one of the museum’s historic trains, along with free museum entry.

Rail Explorers Tours begin at $45 per person railexplorers.net

46%

The percentage of visitors who travel to Las Vegas by plane annually

82

MILLION The population of Iran, the most populous country in the Middle East

222 GALLONS The amount of water used daily per household in Las Vegas

The Arts Factory repurposed a 50-yearold commercial warehouse building in the 1990s to create an art center and transform the neighborhood. As part of the arts district, 18b, the community flourishes today with galleries, studios, photographers, boutique shops, restaurants, and bars. Itʼs the epicenter of First Friday festival, and its purpose remains to exhibit local art along with poetry readings, performances, and concerts. The interior is a delightful maze of unique, one-of-a-kind expressions in different spaces. A city pride mural bursting with color now wraps the building, inviting all to come in and explore.

Just south of The Arts Factory facing the streets are sculptures such as Snowball in Vegas (a 10-foot-tall cat head) and Radial Symmetry (a 16-by-16-foot metal sculpture of two Paiute baskets leaning on each other) as well as the Joie de Vivre mural. These artistic conceptions offer the perfect walking excursion.

“Love in its essence is spiritual fire.”

—Seneca, Roman philosopher

Radial Symmetry

The Arts Factory 107 E. Charleston Blvd. dtlvarts.com

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PHOTO OF DOC AND TERESA COURTESY OF HOLY SMOKE

THE BUZZ

BILITIES

BY STEPHANIE WILSON, EDITOR IN CHIEF

1 PRIMARY FOCUS A New Hampshire law requires the Granite State to be the first presidential primary in the nation. This election cycle, that goes down on February 11, after which my home state becomes irrelevant for another four years.

2 LEAP OF FAITH While the calendar year is 365 days, it takes the Earth 365.24 days to orbit the sun. Every four years, we add an extra day to the month of February because without it, the calendar would be misaligned with the seasons by 25 days after just 100 years.

3 BORN THIS WAY The odds of being a “leapling”—a person born on a leap day—is 1 in 1,461.

4 RIGHT ON On February 29, some places celebrate Bachelor’s Day or Sadie Hawkins Day—both a nod to the old Irish tradition that gave women the right to propose marriage to a man on leap day. If he declined, he was required by law to pay a penalty, often in the form of gloves so she could hide the shame of her bare ring finger.

5 MODERN LOVE Since we’re not all Irish, but we are all feminists (because we all believe in the equality of the sexes, of course), any of us can propose to whomever our heart desires whenever we want.

Except Valentine’s Day. There’s no law prohibiting it but, sweetie, payas-you-go forced romance is anything but romantic.

6 PeTA VIOLATION The origins of the canned-love holiday are as cruel as a red rose delivery in February is clichéd. According to NPR, V-day traces back to the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a brutal fete during which naked men sacrificed dogs and goats—and whipped women with the animal hides. Stop, in the name of love.

“Among the things you can give and still keep are your word, a smile, and a grateful heart.”

—Zig Ziglar, author and motivational speaker

HIGH PROFILE

Off the Grid

Holy Smoke shines bright in the tunnels under the Strip.

Under the glare of the neon lights of the Strip, an estimated 1,000 people have created homes in the sewer tunnels of Las Vegas, living under the streets and sidewalks of glittering resorts.

In addition to facing pitch darkness at night, when it rains, flash floods send 10- to 20-foot walls of water into the tunnels, wiping out makeshift camps and, tragically, drowning those who were unable to reach high ground in time.

Arthur “Doc” McClenaghan, a motivational standup comedian, and his wife, Teresa, have reached out to this underground community. The couple is known for “cannabis, comedy, and charity.” In 2018, after informally volunteering in the community for years, they created Holy Smoke Misfit Missionaries, a nonprofit dedicated to alleviating homelessness.

Their goal is to connect people living in the tunnels with available resources. Doc and Teresa view this outreach as making friends and helping people out. They do bring supplies and food as a gesture for being invited into “homes.” Still, Doc and Teresa are very clear they do not want to enable anyone but assist with resources to help people get out of the tunnels. “It has been the craziest, most rewarding time of our lives,” Doc says.

Both Doc and Teresa were influenced by their respective childhoods. Docʼs mother, born with a cleft lip, was shunned by her own mother, and he witnessed his mother reaching out to the disenfranchised to invite them home. Teresaʼs father was considered the black sheep of their family. He was also drawn to the misfits of society and often brought them home.

“We want to teach society about human compassion towards the homeless,” Teresa says.

Holy Smoke / @holysmokemisfitmissionaries

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THE BUZZ

Dancing in the Streets

The Downtown Dance Conservatory trains a new generation.

Downtown Dance Conservatory founders Sara and Tru Ives are excited to train students on the technical and artistic skills required to pursue a professional career in dance. They help students achieve their dreams as the next generation of dancers who will delight audiences around the world.

The conservatory is located in the heart of downtown Las Vegas.

Bringing a new approach to dance in the community, students range from age three to adult in several styles of dance. Future Prep is for dancers to train for the next level to participate in summer programs, company auditions, and college. Students are given necessary tools, including technique lessons, headshots, video submission, and résumé assistance.

Sara and Tru have been part of the entertainment business for more than 20 years. Sara, originally from Puerto Rico, is a graduate from the University of the Arts with a degree in dance and a Vaganova Ballet teaching certification for grades 1–3. She has danced in the Orlando Ballet, Ohio Dance Theater, and Brandywine Ballet.

Tru is a Las Vegas native who has worked as a sound engineer and stagehand on the Las Vegas Strip, including Follies Bergere, David Copperfield, and Masters of Illusion.

“Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.”

—Gautama Buddha, philosopher

MIDCENTURY STYLE

Move fashion forward with vintage clothing from Neon Cactus.

Colorful clothing from all decades with a rich history comes to life worn as a modern sustainable fashion piece. Neon Cactus has opened a brick-and-mortar shop in Fergusons Downtown in an inviting space that goes beyond boundaries. Negar Hosseini, the founder, is a queer woman of color who loves fashion and self-expression in an all-inclusive environment. Neon Cactus curates vintage clothing that embraces sassy sophistication and bold statements. Hosseini also carries handmade stained-glass jewelry to accent the clothing pieces.

Neon Cactus at Fergusons Downtown / neon-cactus-vintage.business.site

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DANCE PHOTO COURTESY OF DOWNTOWN DANCE CONSERVATORY / CLOTHING PHOTO BY BECCA MCHAFFIE

Downtown Dance Conservatory / 700 E. St. Louis Ave. / ddcvegas.com

THE BUZZ

VOX POPULI

Question: How do you feel about love?

SHELLEY STEPANEK REGGIE BURTON

STACEY GALKA

JOHN DUNIA

DAWN SMITH

___________________

___________________

___________________

___________________

President Networking Group, Las Vegas

Marketing professional, author Henderson

It may take many years to find the one, so if you do, hang on with everything you have, because it is a rare and wondrous thing.

Rather than searching for the perfect love, figure out what you want.

It might be easier to find the partner who meets your hierarchy of needs.

___________________

Advocate Las Vegas

I think the truest form of love is that with a child. It’s the most innocent and unbiased.

A child just looks at you, and you feel loved.

Healing consultant Henderson

Love with anyone, even yourself, takes work.

The more importance and meaning a relationship has, the more effort will be required.

Founder of Nonprofit Las Vegas

I love love, whether it is felt deeply, earth-moving, or the love that leaves you so you can have true love. I am loving love in my 50s.

View Finder SCENIC PHOTO BY BERT KAUFMANN

Exploration Peak offers breathtaking vistas of Southern Nevada.

Las Vegas is home to many beautiful parks, but Exploration Park is a gateway to the 2,846-foot-high Exploration Peak with trails to walk or bike with spectacular views of the valley. Its magnificent scenery blends the natural elements of the area’s geography and history. Marvel in the vastness of the mountain ranges and blue sky as a gift of nature.

Exploration Peak at Exploration Park / 9700 S. Buffalo Dr. / clarkcountynv.gov/parks

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Room with a Few

Coliving is taking off because it addresses two of our most important social challenges: affordable housing and the loneliness epidemic.

TEXT ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

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After an artistic breakdown (complete with tequila), serial entrepreneur Mario Masitti cleared out of his townhouse in Venice Beach and hit the road. He spent a year and a half visiting clients, friends, and family, which was fun, but he eventually got pretty tired of Motel 6s. When a business opportunity came up in Denver, Masitti figured he could handle making a six-month commitment to a living space.

A 350-square-foot micro-studio in Turntable Studios, a former hotel next to Mile High Stadium, felt comfortingly familiar and provided what he was looking for—affordability and a downtown view—as well as something he had no idea he needed.

After he moved in, Masitti started noticing groups of people hanging out and drinking wine in front of the building every evening around 5 p.m. “I was like, oh, fuck yeah,” he says. “Being somebody who works from home, I’m like, this is amazing.

I don’t have to leave or set up happy hour with friends. It’s almost like a Hotel California.”

Masitti is now part of a 20-something-strong community at Turntable that not only meets

“I’ve lived in plenty of apartment complexes, and I’ve never seen an organically grown community like this.”

—Mario Masitti

every evening for happy hour but also regularly sits down to share dinners and conversation, sometimes accompanied by a guitar or two, and casually keeps track of one another’s activities and well-being. An introvert at heart, Masitti loves this fluidity. Even when he’s not feeling hugely social, he can pop outside or upstairs to the community room for quick visits.

“I’ve lived in plenty of apartment complexes, and I’ve never seen a place with an organically grown community like this,” Masitti says.

“Usually, you just kind

of keep your eyes to the ground. The pool is always empty. No one uses the amenities. This place is the opposite.”

The camaraderie has been the balm Masitti’s road-weary soul needed.

“Even my mom’s like, ‘You’re so happy again!’” he says.

“Friends Are Included” Loneliness is a killer, more dangerous than obesity and smoking. Studies have found it leads to heart disease, stroke, and immune system problems, and it could even impair cancer recovery. A researcher at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark

Serial entrepreneur Mario Masitti

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THE LIFE

found loneliness a strong predictor of premature death, declining mental health, and lower quality of life in cardiovascular patients, and a Brigham Young University professor’s meta-analysis of studies from around the world found that socially isolated adults have a 50 percent greater risk of dying from any cause than people who have community.

That’s sobering, especially when you consider that 40 percent of American adults suffer from loneliness, according to an AARP study. And it’s one reason coliving—a new form of housing in which residents with similar interests, values, or intentions share living space, costs, and amenities—is exploding.

Coliving situations run a spectrum, from the resident-driven Turntable model to small homes with a half-dozen or so people to massive corporate complexes like The Col-

“You just don’t hear the crazy stories about roommating with strangers in an unfamiliar city. When people write bad reviews, it’s usually about the Wi-Fi.” —Christine McDannell, Author of The Coliving Code: How to Find Your Tribe, Share Resources, and Design Your Life

lective tower with 550 beds in London. Residents, who stay anywhere from a few days to several years and usually don’t have to sign a lease or pay a security deposit, sleep in their own small private rooms (sometimes with bathrooms) and share common spaces such as large kitchens and dining areas, gardens, and work areas.

They’re encouraged to interact with one another, often through organized happy hours and brunches. Ollie, which operates coliving spaces in New York and other cities, advertises that “friends are included.”

“Coliving is different than just having roommates, who may be people you found on Craigslist and just happen to share [your] living space. It’s done with more intention,” says Christine McDannell, who lived in unincorporated coliving houses for years before she launched Kindred Quarters, a coliving operator with homes in San Diego and Los Angeles, in 2017.

Author of The Coliving Code: How to Find Your Tribe, Share Resources, and Design Your Life, McDannell also runs Kndrd, a software company for coliving managers and residents, and she hosts the weekly Coliving Code

Show every Wednesday on YouTube, iTunes, Soundcloud, and coliving. tv. She has watched— and helped—the industry grow up, and she’s amazed at how few, if any, horror stories she hears.

That’s largely because millennials—by far the largest demographic among colivers—are accustomed to sharing and being held accountable through online reviews, she adds.

“You just don’t hear the crazy stories about roommating with strangers in an unfamiliar city,” she says.

“When people write bad reviews, it’s usually about the Wi-Fi.”

ALL IN THIS TOGETHER Nearly a third of American adults live with roommates.

SOURCE: Pew Research Center

From Hacker Houses to Golden Girls As companies fat with funding expand into cities across the globe, coliving is newly corporatized— but it’s hardly a novel concept. Boarding houses provided rooms and shared meals for single men and women in the 19th and early 20th centuries; one of the most famous, the Barbizon Hotel in New York, was a “club residence for professional women” from 1927 until the 1980s.

People lived communally throughout most of history until industrialization facilitated privatization of family life and housing throughout the 20th century—with a few disrupF EBRUARY 2020

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c

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is

h

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all wom g n i all o love cannab

Q: Which U.S. President Asked Congress To Decriminalize Cannabis?

A: Jimmy Carter

Within first six months of taking office, President Jimmy Carter was candid about cannabis. During a 1977 address to Congress, he asked they abolish federal penalties for possession. If we know this much about cannabis, imagine what we know to Lift Your Business.

CONNECT WITH YOURSELF AND OTHERS IN CITIES AROUND THE GLOBE

TOKEATIVITY.COM/CONNECT

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THE LIFE

LEARN MORE

Find information, news, and guidance on all things coliving at thecolivingcode.com.

“Coliving is different than just having roommates, who may be people you found on Craigslist and just happen to share [your] living space.

It’s done with more intention.”

—Christine McDannell

FOURʼS COMPANY Almost half of Gen Zers think itʼs reasonable for four or more people to share a two-bedroom apartment, and 30 percent would move in with roommates they didnʼt know.

SOURCE: Credit Karma

tions. In Israel, people have been living in communal villages called kibbutzim for more than 100 years. In the US, hippies attempted to create communes in the 1960s, but they were destroyed by free love, drugs, and egos (which did a lot to discourage coliving, even today).

At the same time in Denmark, however, cohousing (an earlier iteration of coliving) was emerging as a way to share childcare. Today, more than 700 communities thrive in Denmark. In Sweden, the government provides cohousing facilities.

A handful of cohousing communities following the Danish model have been established in the US, and hacker houses

are common in tech capitals like Silicon Valley and Austin, Texas, but the concept has been slow to catch on until recently.

As it becomes increasingly impossible for mere mortals to afford skyrocketing rents in desirable cities, Americans are coming around to coliving and finding creative solutions to all sorts of social issues. Older women are shacking up together following the Golden Girls model. Coabode.org matches single moms who want to raise kids together. At Hope Meadows in Chicago, retirees live with foster kids.

The opportunity to pay lower rent (in many but not all cases) and share expenses makes all the difference in places like

New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Los Angeles.

When New York–based coliving operator Common opened a development with 24 furnished spaces in Los Angeles for between $1,300 and $1,800 a month, more than 9,000 people applied.

McDannell says coliving is exploding because it solves important challenges that plague modern society. “People are signing away their paychecks on rent and feeling increasingly isolated,” she wrote in “Why We’re Building a CoLiving Community Ecosystem” on LinkedIn. “It is due time that HaaS (Housing as a Service) disrupts the antiquated industry of property management and real estate.”

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© 2 0 1 9 F OX FA R M S O I L & F E RT I L I Z E R C O M PA N Y

®

®

Call Us: 800-4FOXFARM

Visit Us: FoxFarm.com

THE LIFE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mona Van Joseph has been an intuitive since 2002. She is an author, columnist, and host of Psychic View Radio. She created dicewisdom.com, which also has a smartphone app. mona.vegas

HOROSCOPE

FEBRUARY HOROSCOPE

What do the stars hold for you?

TEXT MONA VAN JOSEPH

AQUARIUS, THIS MONTH IS ALL ABOUT EXPLORING YOUR OWN POTENTIAL WITHOUT THE BURDEN OF HELPING OTHERS. JAN. 20–FEB. 18

AQUARIUS

Sometimes you do know what’s best for the people you love, but this month is all about celebrating what people can do without your assistance. Explore your own potential without the burden of helping others.

rent situation, your legacy may be better served by considering what the universe is offering.

MARCH 21–APRIL 19

ARIES

Concentrate on loving yourself this month. It’s not about proving yourself; it’s about filling yourself up and supportFEB. 19–MARCH 20 ing your unique energy.

February resonates with Don’t be surprised if a the signs of Aquarius new job or major proj(power of mind) and Piect presents itself to you. sces (power of intuitive).

As reluctant as you may These are the elements be to let go of your curto balance.

PISCES

APRIL 20–MAY 20

TAURUS

You will meet two amazing people. The man is a leader in his industry who has earned everything he has. The woman is unconditional love in action. Pay attention to the impression they leave with you.

MAY 21–JUNE 20

GEMINI

You may feel frustrated that some people are questioning your credibility. They may not be the people to align with in the future. However, if

of announcements and commitments to a new future. The unjust element of last year has finally fallen away, and as such, your mojo and energy are (again) being celebrated.

AUG. 23–SEPT. 22

VIRGO

Are you being stingy with your power? Have you done for people at the same level that they have done for you? Have you kept your promises? Are you telling the truth (not your version of it)? Balthese people have struck ance the scales: reciproca nerve, that may indicate ity is your gift this month. a skill to hone.

SEPT. 23–OCT. 22 JUNE 21–JULY 22

CANCER

LIBRA

Perhaps your dream is Ignore any past “stuff” this about to be fulfilled bemonth. Although you may cause you take an interest feel an innate obligation to in your art or hobby. The heal, it is not your respon- more interested you are sibility to do so. It’s time to in the people who have forget the past and move followed their dreams, the forward. Trust yourself more ideas and inspiraenough to enjoy this life. tion come to you.

JULY 23–AUG. 22

LEO

Claim your spotlight this month. This is the month

The grudge(s) you’re hanging onto could hinder the good energy coming toward you.

There may be a new career opportunity that presents itself by the end of May, though you may hear about it this month.

NOV. 22–DEC. 21

SAGITTARIUS

You’re discovering what love means. You’ve figured out the emotional and financial issues and gotten yourself back on track.

Your priorities are moving in the right direction, and you’ve accepted what you can and cannot do. Blessings on all of this!

DEC. 22–JAN. 19

CAPRICORN

There’s a mistaken belief that Capricorns are cold and unemotional. Nothing could be further from the truth. You are drawn to puppies and kittens and are incredibly loyal to long-time relationOCT. 23–NOV. 21 ships. You feel things to the core of your being; There are people who de- it’s time to let others see serve your forgiveness. a glimpse of that.

SCORPIO

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THE LIFE

MORE COCKTAILS

For more heartwarming blends, including the Pucker Up Lovers Sangria and the Valentineʼs Gin Shrub-Tini, visit sensimag.com

Love is in the Stir Irresistable cocktails add to the romance.

TEXT DEBBIE HALL

Need a little romance for Valentine’s Day? Spectacular recipes from The Original Brand Co. in Las Vegas showcase some of the hottest new spirits, mixers, and gin. Yes, Valentine’s Day is the perfect holiday for the crisp taste of gin.

A specialty drink trending in New Orleans in the midcentury, the fizz first appeared on bar tops in 1876 and grabbed America’s attention starting in the 1900s. Bartenders would put on a show shaking the popular drink. In 1950, the fizz was included in a French cookbook, bringing it international recognition. Enjoy.

C O C K TA I L S

Valentine’s Gin Fizz Recipe from Anna’s Kitchen Shrub / Makes 1 cocktail

INGREDIENTS

2 ounces Cape Fear Distillery Maritime Gin 1 ounce Anna’s Kitchen Strawberry Lemon Thyme Shrub (Silver Medal Winner at the PR%F Awards) Splash club soda 1 lemon wheel

INST RUCT IONS

• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.

• Add gin and Strawberry Lemon Thyme Shrub.

• Shake and strain into a martini glass.

• Add a splash of club soda.

• Garnish with lemon wheel.

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SPECIAL REPORT

HUMANS GETTING HIGH Cannabis has delighted and inspired humans since prehistoric times. We should celebrate that.

TEXT ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

C

annabis induces merriment, creativity, and divine inspiration. It gets us high. It helps us have fun. If we’re ever to win this legalization debate, we need a better word to encapsulate these blessings than “recreational.”

DELIGHT GIVER OR LIBERATOR OF SIN? Humans have been enthralled with cannabis’s gentle intoxication since the earliest foragers taste-tested sticky cannabis flowers and, if you believe ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes, subsequently invented religion.

In Cannabis: Evolution and Ethnobotany, Robert C. Clarke and Mark D. Merlin describe the cannabis plant’s most significant 26 L AS V EGAS

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evolutionary trait as “the adaptation of the female inflorescence to exude large amounts of readily apparent and easily collected psychoactive resin.” Throughout the ages, humans have both reveled with and reviled the gift of those psychoactive crystals—almost exclusively for economic and political reasons as revolutions in thought and art have exploded during the intelligentsia’s cannabis (usually hashish-eating) binges.

Though cannabis was referred to in ancient China as “liberator of sin” and “delight giver,” it was never popular for its mind-opening qualities in that nation. In India, on the other hand, cannabis in various forms—ganja, the flowering tops; charas, concentrated resin; and bhang, a drink made

from cannabis, spices, nuts, seeds, and milk—has been, for centuries, a staple for Hindus who are forbidden to drink alcohol. Believed to be Lord Shiva’s favorite food, bhang is deeply embedded in the rituals at holy festivals, weddings, and other celebrations.

Described in the ancient text Atharva Veda as an herb that relieves anxiety, ganja has been a part of daily life in India for thousands of years. Many Hindus drink bhang to relax and escape at the end of a long day, much like Americans drink beer. According to Clarke and Merlin, an 1894 Indian Hemp Drugs Commission report stated that cannabis use was generally accepted because it had positive effects like “raising a man out of himself and above mean individual worries.”

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BRANCHES OF BLISS AND THOUGHT MORSELS Cultures and religions have been defined—and divided—by their intoxicants of choice throughout history. Early Christians ordained alcohol, and in 1484 Pope Innocent VIII decreed cannabis use cause for excommunication, despite what many believe to be the Bible’s blessing in Genesis 1:29: “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, and to you it will be for meat.”

Perhaps Christians vilified cannabis because Mohammed’s followers reached for it instead of alcohol, which was forbidden to them. Cannabis is key to the myth of 11th-century Shiite zealot Hassan-Ibn-Sabbah, who reputedly lured male followers to a paradise and plied them with wine, food, women, and hashish before he forced them to kill infidels. (The word assassin is said to be derived from Hassan’s name, and centuries later, primo narc and “devil weed” hater Harry Anslinger referenced this pernicious urban legend during congressional testimony and in his famous article, “Marihuana: Assassin of Youth.”)

Arab legend credits 12th-century Islamic Sufi founder Sheik Haidar with discovering cannabis’s happiness factor after he ate some leaves while wandering in the Persian mountains, though hashish (sometimes known as “Haidar’s wine”) was widely used in the Middle East long before that. Travelers, scholars, and poets openly procured hashish— which early Arab texts refer to as “shrub of emotion,” “shrub of understanding,” “peace of mind,” “branches of bliss,” and “thought morsel”— in Egyptian bazaars. An Egyptian researcher who studied his ancestors’

predilection for hashish through 12th- and 13th-century poems found evidence of euphoria, sociability, freedom, jocularity, and amiability.

Not every story ended so well, however. “The Tale of the Hashish Eater” in One Thousand and One Nights, a compilation of Islamic Golden Age folk tales, tells of a man who’s beaten and ejected from a public bathhouse when he can’t hide the evidence of his hash-induced arousal. Despite the apologue’s unhappy ending, it sparked new literati interest in cannabis, largely for its aphrodisiac potential, when the Arabian chronicles were widely published in the West in the 18th century.

“TASTE THE HASHISH!” French physician Jacques Joseph Moreau publicly rediscovered hashish for Westerners in the mid19th century when he asked novelists and writers to let him watch as they ate copious amounts during monthly “Club de Hachichins” meetings at a Paris mansion.

In a description of his first hashish experience with this society, published in 1843, novelist Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier described a scene in which everything seemed gigantic, flamboyant, dazzling, and mysterious.

In his 1860 novel based on these experiences, Artificial Paradises, Charles Baudelaire describes muF EBRUARY 2020

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sical notes that enter his breast like luminous arrows, blue and red sounds springing forth in electric sparks. (Some people think the crew may have eaten some opium with their hash.)

“Taste the hashish!” Alexandre Dumas goaded in his wildly popular novel, The Count of Monte Cristo, which describes hashish-induced erotic visions and music that sounds like “the seven choirs of paradise.” Dumas was an influencer, and his book was blamed for all sorts of sins. In 1854, the Mexico City El Correo de España reported that it had created “a veritable ‘hashishmania’ among the European cognoscenti.”

The craze jumped the pond when American writer Fitz Hugh Ludlow wrote about how hashish stops time and expands the mind in The Hasheesh Eater, published in 1857. Imbibers can reach “the soul’s capacity for a broader being, deeper insight, grander views of Beauty, Truth and Good than she now gains through the chinks of her cell,” Ludlow wrote.

“BEAUTY AND WARMTH FROM GAGE” Until Anslinger and his band of corrupt industrialists launched their propaganda campaign rebranding “marijuana” as a terrifying menace, cannabis tinctures and confections were readily available in the United States. The plant—referred to as “muggles,” “reefer,” “muta,” “gage,” “tea,” “Mary Warner,” “Mary Jane,” and “rosa maria”—was an essential component of the Jazz Age. Jazz singer Cab Calloway praised the gage in the lyrics of “That Funny Reefer Man” and urged sisters to “light up on these

CANNABIS USE WAS GENERALLY ACCEPTED BECAUSE IT HAD POSITIVE EFFECTS LIKE “RAISING A MAN OUT OF HIMSELF AND ABOVE INDIVIDUAL WORRIES.”

weeds and get high and forget about everything” in “The Man from Harlem.” Louis Armstrong, who called cannabis “a friend” and said it was “a thousand times better than alcohol,” tooted its horn in “Muggles.” Fats Waller sang “got to get high before I sing” in “Viper’s Drag,” and even Benny Goodman serenaded it in “Texas Tea Party” and “Sweet Marihuana Brown.”

In the 1920s and 1930s, Harlem was packed with “tea pads,” reefer-friendly speakeasies where people could smoke and dance and talk. People shared joints in dance halls and theaters throughout the city. A 1932 Broadway musical included a musical number called “Smokin’ Reefers” that called cannabis “the stuff that dreams are made of.” Perhaps most presciently, that song admitted it was also “the thing white folks are afraid of.”

Muggles didn’t stand a chance once Anslinger set loose his brigade of yellow journalists. Newspapers across the country ran articles like a 1926 Chicago Herald-Examiner one about a hash eater in Topeka, Kansas, who ended up wandering along the highway, naked and blubbering about being a white elephant while swinging his arms like a trunk. “Marihuana did it,” the paper reported.

Anslinger and his goonies won.

They got Satchmo, who said he was no longer willing to suffer the “drastic penalties” of prohibition in his later years after he was arrested while finishing a joint between sets.

“We had to put it down,” he told his biographer. “But if we get as old as Methuselah, our memories will always be lots of beauty and warmth from gage.”

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IN LIVING C LOR Seeing red, feeling blue, tickled pink. What you see is what you feel is what you are.

TEXT STEPHANIE WILSON

H

umans have used color to express ideas and emotion for thousands of years, according to color specialist and trend forecaster Leatrice Eisman.

As executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, Eisman is the world’s leading authority on the topic of color, authoring many books on the subject. In The

Complete Color Harmony, Eisman describes how even the most subtle nuances in color can result in shades that excite or calm, pacify or energize, and even suggest strength or vulnerability. “They can nurture you with their warmth, soothe you with their quiet coolness, and heighten your awareness of the world around you.

Color enriches our universe and our perception of it,” she writes.

According to her research, we all respond to color at a very visceral level, associating specific hues with another time or place. “Color invariably conveys moods that attach themselves to human feelings or reactions,” she notes. “Part of our psychic develop-

ment, color is tied to our emotions as well as our intellect. Every color has meaning that we either inherently sense or have learned by association and/or conditioning, which enables us to recognize the messages and meanings delivered.”

It’s with all this in mind that she and a team of experts choose the Pantone Color of the F EBRUARY 2020

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Year, which the institute has named annually for more than two decades, gaining more attention and having more impact with each passing declaration. So this year, expect to see a lot of blue.

The 2020 Pantone Color of the Year is known as Classic Blue.

Describing the shade as “evocative of the nighttime sky,” Eisman explains the choice: “We are living in a time that requires trust and faith It is this kind of constancy and confidence that is expressed by Classic Blue, a solid and dependable blue hue we can always rely on.”

She contends that Classic Blue encourages us to look beyond the obvious, expand our thinking, open the flow of communication. Her comments are rooted in color theory, which says that a good part of the emotions that colors evoke is tied to natural phenomena. Classic Blue is the color of outer space (look beyond), of the celestial sky (look beyond), of the deep ocean (open the flow).

“Part of our psychic development, color is tied to our emotions as well as our intellect.

Every color has meaning… which enables us to recognize the messages and meanings delivered.”

—Leatrice Eisman in The Complete Color Harmony

One of the earliest formal explorations of color theory came from German poet and politician Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. His 1820 book Theory of Colours explored the psychological impact of colors on mood and emotion.

Yellow, Goethe wrote, is the color nearest the light, yet when applied to dull, coarse surfaces, it is no longer filled with its signature energy.

“By a slight and scarcely perceptible change, the beautiful impression of fire and gold is transformed into one not undeserving the epithet foul; and the colour of honour and joy reversed to that of ignominy and aversion.”

Of red: “All that we have said of yellow is applicable here, in a higher degree.” Goethe’s theories continue to intrigue, possibly because of the

lyrical prose rather than its scientific facts.

Today, it’s generally accepted that shades of blue are associated with steady dependability, calm, and serenity.

Yellow evokes the color of the sun, associated with warmth and joy.

Green connects with nature, health, and revival. White stands for simplicity; black for sophistication.

A 1970s study on the body’s physiological responses to colors revealed that warm hues (red, orange, yellow— the colors of the sun) aroused people troubled with depression and increased muscle tone or blood pressure in hypertensive folks. Cool colors (green, blue, violet) elicited the reverse, but the important finding was

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that all colors produced clinically tangible results.

It’s not woo-woo science; humans have been using color as medicine, a practice known as chromotherapy, since ancient Egypt. In fact, chromotherapy is as tested a practice as any other alternative medicine— Ayurveda, acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology. While it is widely accepted that color affects one’s health—physically, mentally, emotionally—more studies are needed to determine the full scope of impact as well as its potential to help heal.

This isn’t a new theory, either. In the late 1800s, rays of color/light were shown to affect the blood stream. Later research found color to be “a complete therapeutic system for 123 major illnesses,” according to a

critical analysis of chromotherapy published in 2005 by Oxford University Press.

Today, bright white, full-spectrum light is being used in the treatment of cancers, seasonal affective disorder, anorexia, bulimia, insomnia, jet lag, alcohol and drug addiction, and more.

Blue light is used to help treat rheumatoid arthritis. Red light helps with cancer and constipation. And that’s just the beginning.

sions that include color wheels. Colored crystal lights. Breathing in colors through meditation.

Infrared saunas with chromotherapy add-ons.

There are actually many ways of adjusting the color in your life, and not all of them require a trip to see a specialist.

Unlike trying to self-administer acupuncture (don’t do that), techniques can be as simple as putting on colorful attire or getting some bright throw pillows or plants. You can never On the Bright Side have too many plants.

When your physical And you should eat more landscape is devoid of plants, too, filling your bright, vibrant hues, your plate with healthful emotional one is affectfruits, vegetables, and ed as well. That’s where spices from every part of color therapy comes in. the spectrum.

It has a deep effect on If a lack of sunlight physical, psychological, has you feeling a lack of and emotional aspects of joy, paint your home or our lives, and it comes office—warm, vibrant in many forms: light ses- yellows and oranges showcase excitement and warmth; browns and neutrals decidedly do not. Choose wisely.

Painting not an option?

Consider temporary wallpaper or hanging large artworks. On a budget? Head to the thrift shop and repurpose an old canvas by painting it white and then adding whatever hues you are vibing with this winter. If it doesn’t turn out well, cover it up with more white paint and start

again. Have fun with it, consider it art therapy.

There are also an array of therapeutic options popping up as add-ons, as wellness studios, spas, and alternative medicine practices incorporate chromotherapy treatments into their offerings. Many infrared saunas are starting to offer chromotherapy benefits, and the combination of the full-light spectrum and the heat effectively tricks the brain into thinking it spent a full day basking in the sun, causing it to release those sweet endorphins that flood your body when the warm rays of spring hit your face when you step outside. It feels good And really, that is everything. Color is everything.

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GO THERE

18bin 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Ste. 150 18bin.business.site

The Artful Diner

The Bohemian neighborhood bar 18bin feeds the soul in the arts district.

The historic arts district in downtown Las Vegas, 18b, pulsates with art, culture, and the soul of the community. Its newest gathering place for food, drink, and live entertainment, 18bin, draws diners for lunch, 38 L AS V EGAS

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happy hour, dinner, and late-night fun.

The bar’s menu combines classic diner and bistro dishes with inspired vegetarian fare. Appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, and small and medium plates

PHOTOS BY EMILY WILSON

TEXT DEBBIE HALL

incorporate Cajun, Mediterranean, and southof-the-border influences.

The menu changes to include locally sourced and fresh ingredients in their peak season.

The plant-based Roasted Balsamic Vegetable Sandwich stacks eggplant, zucchini, Roma tomato, and artichoke hearts on focaccia, and tops it all with mushrooms, fresh mozzarella, and olive tapenade. Carnivores devour the Diner Burger, a 5.5-ounce griddled burger topped with Big John’s Cajun Cheddar.

A favorite, Cajun Jambalaya is made with spicy andouille sausage and herb-marinated chicken with Cajun seasoning served over

long-grain rice with a side of southern-style Sticky-Sauce Chicken Lollipops. Ropa Vieja Shepherd’s Pie puts a twist on the traditional dish with twice-braised beef, chilies, olives, and Manchego cheese.

The full bar at 18bin offers an extensive liquor and spirits list, cocktails, and diverse selection of domestic and international beers.

For connoisseurs of the grape, the curated wine list beckons a sip of red or white.

Located in The Arts Factory, this new hot spot encompasses a 4,000-square-foot indoor space and a 5,000-square-foot outdoor patio. Its eclectic decor reflects artists,

galleries, murals, and public art. Vintage light fi xtures, intricate lamps, and midcentury furniture ramp up the ambience. Sunshine can be enjoyed on the trellis-covered terrace,

especially when the weather warms up. Live entertainment adds to the creative vibe along with special programs and activations held on the outdoor stage during First Friday.

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THE SCENE

GO THERE

The exhibit is located in Fashion Show 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. S. banksy.vegas

AT T H E M A L L

Mystery and Intrigue Banksy: Genius or Vandal? exhibition invades Vegas TEXT DEBBIE HALL

Covering one of the most controversial and influential artists of this time, the unofficial exhibition Banksy: Genius or Vandal? brings together more than 70 works from private, international collections displayed in Las Vegas for the first time. Original works, sculptures, videos, photographs, and other installations create themes from the mind and heart of the mysterious influencer.

An anonymous street artist, political activist, and film director, Banksy creates debate and controversy with his messages. His art combines graffiti with a stenciling technique using a canvas of exterior walls, bridges, and streets. The artist challenges the status quo with social and political commentaries using dark humor.

Bansky, who is based in England, started

out in the Bristol underground art scene in 1990 and expanded his work over the decade traveling around the world and creating his art. He presented his fi rst US exhibition in Los Angeles in 2002.

His documentary film Exit Through the Gift Shop debuted at the Sundance Film Festival

in 2010. When Banksy was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2011, there were rumors that he would show up on stage if he won the award. (He didn’t.)

The ambiguity of his identity has intrigued the public and created a following within the art community. The “Banksy effect” refers to street art being incorporated into mainstream culture. The genius of Banksy’s art is that it’s funny, grim, heartbreaking, and hopeful all at once. It can make you laugh or cry.

The ambiguity of Banksy’s identity has intrigued the public and created a following within the art community.

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THE SCENE

SENSI NIGHT LAS VEGAS WHERE: THE DOYLE WHEN: DEC. 30, 2019 PHOTOS: DANIELLE EUGENIA PHOTOGRAPHY

HIGH SOCIETY

Party Like It’s 2020

The start of New Yearʼs week in Las Vegas began with Sensi Night Las Vegas at The Doyle. Two adorable alpacas greeted guests before everyone walked into the first party room with OG Serg hitting the beats.

Wrestling legend Rob Van Dam and Sober Junkie posed with fans on the red carpet with more Insta moments captured at the SocialBooth LV. Guests enjoyed Sensi Spiced Old Fashioned drinks mixed by Craft Cocktail Catering. Throughout the evening, guitarist Shawn Eiferman entertained, and Michael De Los Santos dazzled with live art along with artwork exhibited by Steven Spann. What a way to begin 2020!

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CANNABIS BUSINESS AWARDS WHERE: HAKKASAN MGM GRAND WHEN: DEC. 10, 2019 PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SENSI

A

THE SCENE HIGH SOCIETY

A Winning Year The anticipation and excitement built up during the Cannabis Business Awards 2019 when Sensi magazine was awarded the CBA Globe for Publication of the Year for the third consecutive year. The publisher of Sensi Las Vegas, Abi Wright, was selected as one of the Cannabis MVPs of the year. The awards celebrated the achievements with industry trailblazers and influencers during the show and afterparty. The event coincided with MJBizcon and SensiExchange, with a significant presence by Sensi Media, which is exploding into more markets in 2020.

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THE SCENE CA L E N DA R

LEFT: A STEADY RAIN BELOW: BACKYARD BIRD COUNT

deal with domestic calls, violence, and street life. Their friendship is tested when a domestic disturbance call turns serious.

Dam Short Film Festival Feb. 13–16 Boulder Theatre, Boulder City damshortfilm.org

On the Calendar

This month, catch an opera, count birds, and wear red to raise awareness for heart disease.

TEXT DEBBIE HALL

February has arrived with the year in full swing. Concerts, plays, and a film festival fill the days and nights. Step out of your comfort zone and try something new. Step into nature with a new appreciation. Valentine’s Day doesn’t just mean dinner and drinks.

This is Vegas with fun activities for singles and couples on that day of love and throughout the month. Expand your boundaries while developing a new outlook on the world today.

Beijing Opera Madame White Snake Feb. 3, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Judy Bayley Theatre, University of Nevada, Las Vegas unlv.edu

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National Wear Red Day Feb. 7 heart.org

Millions nationwide wear red to raise awareness

about heart disease and stroke.

First Friday Feb. 7, 5–10 p.m.

Arts District, Las Vegas ffflv.org

Feb. 13–15 Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas usacbdexpo.com

A Steady Rain February 7–23 The Usual Place, Las Vegas apublicfit.org

Presented by A Public Fit Theatre Company, this play follows childhood friends Joey and Denny, now serving as Chicago policemen, as they

Broadway’s Next Hit Musical Feb. 14, 7 p.m.

Charleston Heights Arts Center, Las Vegas artslasvegas.org

Audience members interact in Broadway’s Next Hit Musical, an unscripted theatrical awards

STEADY RAIN PHOTO BY MATTHIAS KINSELLA, BIRD PHOTO BY MICHELLE WALCOTT

USA CBD Expo

THE SCENE CA L E N DA R

TOP: BILLY HAYES BOTTOM: DAVID PERRICO & POP STRINGS ORCHESTRA

show. The audience submits made-up song titles, and the improvisational group will present them as “nominated songs” for the “coveted” Phony Award. Everyone then votes for their favorite song, which becomes an improvised musical production.

Great Backyard Bird Count Feb. 15, 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m.

Winchester Dondero Cultural Center, Las Vegas clarkcountynv.gov

Yes, even in the desert, there are birds, and here is the chance to learn and connect with these feathered friends. Presented by the Winchester Nesters and Red Rock Audubon, this event is an opportunity to learn about the natural environment of Southern Nevada while promoting conservation and protection of habitats. All ages and families are welcome to attend.

Flute. Spellbinding performances of classical and popular performances will appear—poof— all night long. Enjoy inspired cuisine and libations while mingling with Sin City’s social glitterati.

Tales of Billy Hayes: Cannabis Activist Feb. 20, 6–7:30 p.m.

Sahara West Library, Las Vegas lvccld.org

Medical cannabis and CBD-use advocate Billy Hayes will speak about being sentenced to life imprisonment in Turkey after trying to smuggle two kilos of hashish in 1970.

His book about his experience, Midnight Express, and Oliver Stone’s film adaptation generated controversy internationally. Dr. Scott Jacobson, medical director of Wishing Wellness and a specialist in

the use of cannabis to manage chronic disease, will also speak.

A Night of Magical Delights Feb. 22, 6 p.m.

Paris Resort, Las Vegas operalasvegas.com

Opera Las Vegas celebrates its 20th anniversary with a star-studded evening of revelry showcasing Mozart’s The Magic

Voices of Women Concert Series: Coretta Scott King Feb. 23, 3 p.m.

Summerlin Library and Performing Arts Center, Las Vegas vegascityopera.org

Ethnic Express International Folk Dancing

Hal Savar Acoustic Guitar Feb. 28, 7 p.m.

Mermaids Lounge at Silverton Casino, Las Vegas silvertoncasino.com

The Dirty at 12:30 Comedy Show Feb. 28, 12:30 a.m.

South Point Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas southpointcasino.com

David Perrico & Pop Strings Orchestra Feb. 28–29, 10 p.m.–12 a.m.

Cleopatraʼs Barge at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas caesars.com

Feb. 26, 6:30–8:45 p.m.

Charleston Heights Arts Center, Las Vegas ethnicexpresslasvegas.org

Men on Boats Feb. 19–March 15 Vegas Theatre Company, Las Vegas theatre.vegas

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narrative around drug discovery, he says, and broadening our idea of plant-based medicine.

“Plant-based medicine is now being looked at as serious medicine,” he says. “We are showing that the cannabis plants and plants in general can provide therapeutic value without “What the the amount of processing and overar- environment ching, small molecule-based science is today in eslie Bocskor, executive Electrum Partners Bocskor and that we have seen in the traditional cannabis chairman of Electrum four other key associates have been pharmaceutical industry. and hemp Partners, a venture able to help start-ups work success“There are all of these hemp farmers development company, fully in an industry that has thrown who have a huge amount of cash flow is not truly understands and offers critical challenges around that are tricky to and now have the opportunity to create what it’s discussion points on most of the predict and manage, from sudden a business that will have a higher value going to be complicated twists and turns that the state regulatory changes to the vaping future possibility in brand development, tomorrow.” cannabis business has undergone and crisis to banking confusion to the way technology, and intellectual property —Leslie Bocskor, continues to undergo. consumers are reacting to the market. development,” Bocskor says. “That executive chairman “What the environment is today in Bocskor sees medical cannabis as is one of the trends that I am paying cannabis and hemp is not what it’s go- an evolving market that will begin to attention to right now: what are they ing to be tomorrow,” Bocskor says. “It’s decline after federal prohibition ends. doing to create a future for themselves all changing very quickly. It’s critically “There will still be some medical dis- as hemp turns into a commodity?” important for all of us in this industry, pensaries, but not as big as it is now,” as an operator, investor, or policymaker, he says. “When your doctor is able to to understand the perspective of where prescribe it for you, why would you we actually are in the greater arc of need to go to a medical dispensary?” Electrum Partners history. That is how I can navigate for The bigger picture is that the Venture Development myself and our business.” cannabis plant is changing the electrumpartners.com

Electrum Partners offers outlook, insight, and predictions for venture development.

L

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THE END

GO THERE

Neon Lit Mural Ogden Ave. and 7th St. Corner justkidsofficial.com

Zig and Zag Geometric shapes and light shine in Neon Lit Mural.

Company (YESCO) and Bombard Renewable Energy collaborated on the project, transforming a neglected building into a work of art and hope.

The monochromatic base contrasts with the abstract shapes and bright

hues, drawing everyone’s attention. The renovation of downtown extends beyond the central hub to create communities.

Justkids is a global creative house that brings international artists together on inspirational projects.

Pantone, an Argentine and Spanish artist, specializes in kinetic and street art using bold geometrical patterns and colors. Life is Beautiful returns to downtown Las Vegas September 18 to 20, with innovative installation and a celebration of art, music, comedy, and culinary delights.

PHOTO BY DEBBIE HALL

When downtown Las Vegas becomes the playground for the Life is Beautiful festival (lifeisbeautiful.com), street art becomes its canvas. Justkids, with artist Felipe Pantone, developed, curated, and co-produced the first-ever solar-powered mural for the 2017 festival.

Young Electric Sign

PHOTO BY DEBBIE HALL

TEXT DEBBIE HALL

50 L AS V EGAS

FE BRUARY 2020