Sensi Magazine - Tampa (March 2020) by Sensi Magazine

I TA M PA BAY M A R C H 2020

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F E AT U R E S

Rising to the Top

Motorcross racer Ronnie Tichenor found healing through floatation therapy.

In a New Dimension

Paper engineers create the first pop-up book to explore the world of cannabis.

D E PA R T M E N T S

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

38 THE SCENE Hot happenings and hip

hangouts around town TARPON SPRINGS The Sponge Capital of the World to keep you in the loop AROUND TOWN Sky high HEMP4WATER Using plants with the Blue Angels to filter polluted rivers HIGH SOCIETY Recapping THE NEXT VIAGRA? Product the Sensi Tampa Bay promises longer-lasting sex. launch party PI DAY Everyone’s favorite CALENDAR Spring into math-related holiday action with these events. GET APPY Happy the App is there for you. THE END GOOD READS New books for your reading list The transition from spring to summer in Tampa Bay is the perfect time for reflection. THE LIFE Contributing to your health and happiness SIZE MATTERS The wins and woes of tiny homes HOROSCOPE What the stars hold for you

ON THE COVER Floatation therapy rises in popularity as a great option for mental and physical healing.

M ARCH 2020

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

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

Alex Martinez Chief Operating Officer alex@sensimag.com EDITORIAL

Stephanie Wilson Co-Founder, Editor in Chief stephanie@sensimag.com Doug Schnitzspahn Executive Editor doug.schnitzspahn@sensimag.com Eric Hoppes Managing Editor eric.hoppes@sensimag.com Leland Rucker Senior Editor leland.rucker@sensimag.com

Robyn Griggs Lawrence Editor at Large robyn.lawrence@sensimag.com Helen Olsson Copy Chief Melissa Howsam Senior Copy Editor Bevin Wallace Copy Editor Aaron H. Bible, Dawn Garcia, Nora Mounce, Mona Van Joseph Contributing Writers DESIGN Jamie Ezra Mark Creative Director jamie@emagency.com Rheya Tanner Art Director Wendy Mak, Kiara Lopez, Josh Clark, Jason Jones Designers em@sensimag.com PUBLISHING Daniel Mitchell Publisher daniel.mitchell@sensimag.com Matthew Dunn Associate Publisher matthew.dunn@sensimag.com George Konold Associate Publisher george.konold@sensimag.com Ashley Millington Associate Publisher ashley.millington@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

As I scour the

recesses of my mind

in search of the words that best define my sentiments, for the first time in recent memory, I find myself at a loss. Advocating for the reformation of cannabis legislation on a state and federal level for the better part of the last decade-plus has changed my life and, arguably, the overall course of history. I always believed we would succeed in our mission to reintroduce the multitude of medicinal and industrial applications of the long-repressed plant to our modern society, but never did I imagine we would be moving with the swiftness and support that we see around us today. Sensi, both as a publication and as a community, is a testament to what is rapidly becoming “the new normal.” Being a native of Tampa, it brings me immense joy to see the strides taken by our society toward more sustainable and conscientious policies affecting our communities and our environment. I’ve witnessed firsthand the atrocities of prohibition, seeing neighbors and friends added to the litany of statistical incarceration or denied access to lifesaving medicine; however, moving forward, the vision for 2020 appears vibrant and clearer than ever. Our modern dark age is finally finding its illumination. With values of health, wellness, freedom, sustainability, and inclusion, our community has accomplished something few others in modern memory can boast. Simply put, the opportunities and real connections across party lines or generational gaps being made between people of diverse cultures and creeds is nothing short of miraculous. Over the course of the past year, and moving forward into this one, I have traveled far and wide to meet and mingle with some of the most passionate people propelling our industry forward. The electrifying intensity surges at events on a local and national scale from a community as diverse as the cannabis plant itself. I am honored and humbled to represent the Tampa Bay area, my hometown, in this exciting endeavor, a mission of profound personal meaning with the capability to change the world.

Being a native of Tampa, it brings me immense joy to see the strides taken by our society. Our modern dark age is finally finding its illumination.

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

Eric Hoppes eric.hoppes@sensimag.com M ARCH 2020

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Hemp2O A pilot program studies whether industrial hemp can clean up Florida’s polluted waterways. Cleaning up the environment is something all Floridians take seriously. Whether it’s an organized beach cleanup or simply picking up litter in our own neighborhoods, many of us try do our part. One Floridian in particular is taking advocacy to a whole new level, layering innovation on top of environmental initiatives. Steve Edmonds, founder of the nonprofit foundation Hemp4Water, is using an ancient plant to create modern solutions to cleaning impaired water bodies. Edmonds utilizes tethered barges that can be 10 TA M PA BAY

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tied and anchored in any flowing freshwater waterway. He plants germinated hemp seeds into floating bio-mats mostly made up of clay balls. The medium allows the plants to grow hydroponically. Edmonds, along with other volunteer researchers across the country, has begun witnessing intriguing results. Not only are juvenile plants taking longer to express sex determination, the root systems are developing into thick, woven natural filters capable of reducing the levels of nitrogen and phos-

phate, two of the leading contributors to Florida’s waterway crises. Nitrogen and phosphate are implicated in the bigger, more frequent, and unseasonal red tide and algae blooms. The algae wreak havoc on marine life and tourism, two of the largest economic drivers in Florida. While there is still a lot of research to be done and data to collect, the initial results are promising for the potential role hemp may be able to play in the effort to restore our natural ecosystem and the integrity of our wetlands.

WHAT’S THE HOLDUP? In June, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill authorizing a state hemp program. The Department of Agriculture appointed Holly Bell as Florida’s first director of cannabis to oversee implementation of the hemp program. But, so far, we’ve heard crickets. How long until hemp hits Florida?

CONTRIBUTORS

Aaron H. Bible, Dawn Garcia, Eric Hoppes, Nora Mounce, Stephanie Wilson

BY THE NUMBERS

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The average number of times lightning touches down in Florida each year

Round Numbers Every March 14, math nerds and bakers rejoice in celebrating the most unlikely of shared holidays: Pi Day. Celebrated on 3/14, the day recognizes two of humankindʼs most miraculous discoveries: the sweet combination of baked fruit, custard, and crust and the infinite numeric constant of 3.14159. A respite from the emotion and expectation of traditional holidays, partaking in Pi Day is a lighthearted break in the action. Seriously, you just eat pie!

STORMS The number of named storms, six of which became hurricanes, in 2019. The 2020 hurricane season begins June 1. SOURCE: iii.org

42 BRIDGES The number of bridges along the 113-mile journey to Key West, Florida, the longest of which is 7 miles long.

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.” —Vince Lombardi, NFL football player, coach, and executive

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THE BUZZ

BILITIES

BY STEPHANIE WILSON, EDITOR IN CHIEF

1 READING ROOM The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel (Knopf, $27). Showcasing her signature literary prowess, Mandel explores the infinite ways we search for meaning in this much-hyped new release, expected March 24. Also out this month: It’s Not All Downhill from Here by How Stella Got Her Groove Back author Terry McMillan.

2 STREAM THIS Freeform’s The Bold Type. Now in its third season, this sleeper hit could be your new favorite series. It’s mine, in no small part because it centers on three young women working for a New York mag. But also because it’s witty AF, aspirational, and depicts successful women who are defined not by their relationships but by their careers. It’s empowering, and you should watch it for free on Freeform, or on your favorite streaming platform. 3 LISTEN UP NPR’s Life Kit podcast offers tools to keep it together. And by you, I mean me; I need all the help I can get. Picking out a lightbulb last fall had me staring mouth agape in a store aisle for a half hour trying to make sense of all the options. After listening to “Picking Out a Lightbulb, Made Easy,” I know which bulb’s for me. Life Kit’s episodes are short, to the point, and offer tips on how to do things like start therapy, start a book club, master your budget, remove stains, and juggle paperwork, appointments, and repairs. Basically how to adult.

COME ON, GET APPY

Going through something? We all experience moments when we could use some support. Some of those moments are life-changing, while others are a part of everyday life. If you need to get it off your chest, you need to get Happy, the app. Described by Vice as “like Uber but for ʻHappy Givers,ʼ” Happy connects you to one of more than 2,000 trained listeners who arenʼt there to offer advice or give feedback. Theyʼre just there to support you and make you feel heard. Theyʼll give you the space to speak openly, anonymously, for as long as youʼd like. For every individual caller referred by the American Heart Association through May 31, 2021, Happy will donate a free first-time call valued at $24 to the American Heart Associationʼs Support Network, for a minimum donation of $50,000. So download the App now. Call, get support, and be happy. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play happythemovement.com

4 GROWING TREND Pot in Pots. The Swiss-cheese-leafed Monstera is last year’s “It” plant. Cannabis is the hashtagable houseplant of 2020. Get in on the trend. Depending where you live, you can find clones or seeds at select dispensaries with an easy google—while you’re at it, look up local laws regarding home grows. Cannabis cuttings (a.k.a. clones) are pretty easy to root—check Leafly.com for tips—and you should definitely bring some to your next plant swap. Spread the word, spread the love.

“Clean drinking water is a human right. I won’t stop fighting until the law sees it that way too.” —Ilhan Omar, US representative from Minnesota, on Twitter

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THE BUZZ

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GOOD READS

Add these books to your reading list. Meryl Streep on the Couch by doctor Alma H. Bond is a look at the inner workings of actress and activist Meryl Streep. Bond, a clinical psychoanalyst, is known for her couch sessions with famous women in history like Barbra Streisand, Hillary Clinton, Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, and Michelle Obama. Streep approached her when researching the role of psychoanalyst for her film The Psychotherapist and what follows are stories, insights, and a deeper appreciation for Streep as a woman, mother, activist, and actress. Bond was married to the late Streetcar Named Desire actor Rudy Bond.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF AMAZON.COM

Available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and bancroftpress.com.

Itʼs Not How Good You Are, Itʼs How Good You Want to Be by Paul Arden may possibly be the most encouraging book anyone in the marketing, publishing, or advertising worlds can read. Pages and pages of honest, inspiring anecdotes, quotes, personal stories, and failures and successes make this book a must-read. Answering everyday questions with logical responses, Arden has written a cohesive handbook for navigating through the terrain of life by altering your

conditioned mindset. The message: it doesnʼt matter what job you have or where you are in your journey. His positivity and intellect will make it near impossible not to accomplish something epic in your own life. Available on amazon.com.

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Tiny homes are an obvious solution to housing and climate issues. Why isn’t it easier to find places for them? TEXT ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

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of McMansion Mania. Shafer’s 130-square-foot home (yes, you read that right), built for $40,000, was a hard “no” to all that. It was also cozy and inviting, and Shafer described himself as a claustrophile (someone who loves closed-in spaces). Shafer won the Philosophy and Innovation Award

in our Natural Home of the Year contest because his adorable house embodied everything the magazine stood for, and he wasn’t afraid to say things. He said that we Americans like our homes like we like our food—big and cheap—and he was the first to figure out that putting a tiny house on

PHOTOS BY POVY KENDAL ATCHISON

Size Matters

I visited Jay Shafer’s meticulous American Gothic–style house in a sun-dappled Iowa City backyard shortly after we launched Natural Home magazine in 1999. The Dow had just surpassed 10,000, mortgage credit requirements were melting into oblivion, and America had a bad case

wheels makes it an RV and therefore not subject to city and county minimum-size standards and codes. He wasn’t shy about his intention to make tiny homes a revolutionary alternative in a housing market headed for disaster. “I am certainly not proposing that everyone should live in a house as small as mine,” Shafer wrote in the letter accompanying his contest entry. “Such minimalism would be excessive for most people. What I am saying is that the scale of our homes should be as varied as the spatial needs of their inhabitants, and that it is those needs rather than government regulations and conspicuous consumption that should determine house size.” Shafer’s message was radical, and largely ignored, in the frenzy

leading up to the 2008 crash. But his company, Tumbleweed Tiny Homes, built a following, and he built a name for himself as the godfather of a fledgling tiny house movement (one blogger called him “the George Washington of simple and sustainable living”). He wrote The Small House Book and was on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Then he lost the company in a business dispute and his house in a divorce, and he was homeless for a while, living in a pigpen inside a shed. Determined never to live that way again, Shafer designed a 50-square-foot home that cost $5,000 in Sebastopol, California. He gives master class workshops at tiny house festivals around the world (including the Tiny House Festival Australia in Bendigo, Victoria, March 21–22).

operating and maintaining them costs a lot less. When the International Code Commission made changes to its residential code to facilitate tiny house construction in 2018, it reported lifetime conditioning costs as low as 7 percent of conventional homes. That reality is driving the spike in interest in tiny homes, which are getting a lot of attention as a solution to the affordable housing and homeless crises, with the added bonus of being A Status Symbol for kinder to the planet than Humble Braggers a traditional three-bedThough 82 percent of room/two-bath. Whether renters say they would like to buy a home some- they live in tiny homes for financial reasons day, according to Fannie or not, climate-aware Mae, homeownership is homebuyers get a status at its lowest point since symbol that flaunts their 1965. Ordinary people can’t afford the American honorable choice to reduce their footprint and Dream (median listing live with less—no easy price: $310,000). In the thing to do, even in this Bay Area, homebuyers post-Kondo age. paid twice their annual It doesn’t hurt that tiny income for a house in the homes—generally defined 1960s; today, they shell out nine times their year- as homes with less than ly salary. Only 13 percent 400 square feet—are now readily available in every of millennial renters in style, from your basic the United States will shed to sleek Dwell-worhave enough cash to put thy models. You can buy 20 percent down on a plans and build a tiny house in the next five house yourself or pick out years, according to an one online and have it Apartment List survey. shipped to you. You can Tiny homes are much cheaper, with prices rang- even order one on Aming from $10,000 to more azon. Used tiny homes, along with inspirational than $200,000 (averagstories and information, ing about $65,000), and “The evolution of tiny houses has paralleled the digital revolution, since this whole tiny thing started at the turn of the century,” Shafer told foxnews.com in 2014. “Once it became possible to have a remote little phone instead of a landline and a wall-mounted flat screen instead of a 2-foot-by-1foot chunk on the dresser, folks started seeing the potential for living in what basically amounts to a laptop with a roof.”

LIVE TINY AND FREE More than twice as many tiny homeowners—68 percent compared with 29 percent of all US homeowners—have no mortgage, and 78 percent own their own home. SOURCE: thetinylife.com

LEFT: The dining table in Jay Shaferʼs 130-squarefoot home can be taken down and stored in a closet when not in use.

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THE LIFE

TRY TINY

Think you might love a tiny house? airbnb.com, vrbo.com, glampinghub. com, and getaway.com all have tiny home listings to sample the lifestyle.

SECTION

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN TINY HOMES

can be found at sites like tinyhousefor.us, tinyhousetalk.com, and tinyhouselistings.com. Tiny Home Nation: 10K Strong More than half of Americans would consider a tiny home, according to a National Association of Home Builders survey. Potential buyers and just-dreamers flock to check out micro-houses, “schoolies” (converted school buses), and vans at tiny home festivals like the Florida Suncoast Tiny Home Festival in St. Petersburg (March 28–29) and the People’s Tiny House Festival in Golden, Colorado (June 6–7). But the reality is that only about 10,000 people in North America—the lucky ones who have managed to find parking spots—actually live in tiny homes. Like anything that disrupts the norm in a conformist capitalist culture, building a tiny home in a world of ticky-tacky boxes is not easy. The good news is that times are changing, as municipalities consider tiny home villages as a way to house the homeless and marginalized communities. Still, most states only allow tiny homes to be parked in rural areas (Massachusetts, California, Florida, and Oregon are somewhat more

lenient). Because most zoning laws in the United States don’t have a classification for tiny houses, most owners have to follow Shafer’s lead and register them as RVs, trailers, or mobile homes. In most places, zoning ordinances won’t allow you to buy land, park your tiny home/RV, and live happily ever after. You either have to rely on the kindness of family and friends with backyards or pay a monthly park fee to rent a space in one of the tiny home villages cropping up across the country. Park Delta Bay, an RV resort in Isleton, California, now has a row reserved for tiny homes. At Village Farm, an RV resort that’s turning into a tiny-home community in Austin, Texas, residents pay about $600 to $700 a month to park and use the services. Slowly, city and state governments are responding to homebuyers’ demands for tiny home

opportunities beyond RV resorts. Portland, Oregon, (but of course) has relaxed its ordinances to allow for everything from tiny house communities to tiny house hotels. In Rockledge, Florida, citizens demanded zoning changes allowing for a pocket neighborhood with homes ranging from 150 to 700 square feet. A tiny home community for low-income residents is under way on Detroit’s west side, and Vail, Arizona, built two dozen 300to 400-square-foot houses for schoolteachers. Advocacy groups have been paving the way for tiny homes since Shafer and a few friends founded the Small Home Society in 2002, and they’re seeing a resurgence. In 2017, a group of University of California-Berkeley students launched the Tiny House in My Backyard (THIMBY) project to promote research and development and raise awareness of tiny house communities.

Operation Tiny Home is a national nonprofit that helps people “maintain a life of dignity” through high-quality tiny housing and empowerment training programs. In Canada, activists calling themselves Tiny House Warriors are taking the revolution to the next level, placing “resistance-homes-on-wheels” along the pathway of the proposed Trans Mountain Pipeline. “We are asserting our inherent, God-given right to our lands,” says Kanahus Manuel, a leader of Tiny House Warrior. “We’re defending what’s ours, and tiny homes are how we’re doing it.” M ARCH 2020

Interior and exterior of the Letʼs Get Stoked tiny house model from Rocky Mountain Tiny Homes.

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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

MARCH HOROSCOPE What do the stars hold for you? TEXT MONA VAN JOSEPH

you are—and totally step JULY 23–AUG. 22 back from the people Listen to the compliwho are taking advanPeople are about to ment that presents ittage of your good nature. prove to you how much self to you as a critithey love you. March is cism; energies will make MAY 21–JUNE 20 when your gratitude toyou better through jealward people who are ousy and roadblocks. It It’s time to apologize for supporting you will make could be that you realize the things you have done all the difference. it’s time for a change. to hurt people. If your ego won’t let you actual- AUG. 23–SEPT. 22 MAR. 21–APR. 19 ly call them to apologize, write them a “spiritual” There are angels surThere is something to letter telling them you rounding you. Pennies celebrate that presents were unfair to them and and feathers in your path itself to you. To thank the that you are sorry. are likely. This is a month universe for this opporof being aware of how tunity or inspiration, do- JUNE 21–JULY 22 things are lining up for nate to an organization a you. Accept all invitations. few times this month. “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” SEPT. 23–OCT. 22 APR. 20–MAY 20 The door to your future couldn’t open any wider. Coincidence will be your Do not try to impress If you want the job, you best friend this month. anyone who isn’t treating can have it. If you want It’s time to drop (old) you well. Please agree that relationship to go ideas that you can’t have with the vibration that to the next level, you what you want…you toyou are perfect the way can have it. tally can. Pay attention! FEB. 19–MAR. 20

PISCES

LEO

GEMINI

VIRGO

ARIES

CANCER

TAURUS

LIBRA

OCT. 23–NOV. 21

DEC. 22–JAN. 19

Practice saying nice things about people. Do not take on the bad karma right now of backstabbing those who truly do not deserve it. Ask yourself: “Am I basing my opinion on someone else’s agenda?”

When you focus on one thing at a time, you are a genius. Avoid multitasking this month. Better to spend the time to make sure it’s done right the first time.

SCORPIO

PISCES, ENERGIES WILL USE JEALOUSY AND ROADBLOCKS TO MAKE YOU BETTER THIS MONTH. IT COULD BE THAT IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE.

CAPRICORN

JAN. 20–FEB. 18

AQUARIUS

Embrace the high energy of spinning lots of You are the owner of this plates right now. You are lifetime and acting as the chef who has many though you do have the pots simmering, and it’s power to change things time to admit that you will make all the differlike it this way. Thrive by ence this month. You will making the magic hapget a sign that you are on pen with all the resourcthe right track. es available to you. NOV. 22–DEC. 21

SAGITTARIUS

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rising TO THE TOP Motocross racer Ronnie Tichenor hit the bottom—broken in body, personal life, and career—until he found revival in the healing waters of floatation therapy. Now, he’s giving others the chance to reemerge into a better life.

TEXT ERIC HOPPES

oaring engines, incredible jumps, and a cheering crowd would be typical responses when asking the average person to describe their idea of motocross. While those may be certain highlights of the sport, many fail to realize the athletes are always taking a risk—even when everything goes according to plan. Aside from the obvious trauma at stake, a rider’s heart rate can approach 190 beats per minute and sustain that rigorous rhythm for the full duration of the five- to seven-minute races. Ronnie Tichenor, a Florida Gulf Coast native, became a professional motocross racer in 1986, when he was only 16 years old. He

quickly found success accelerating into the top 125 ranked fastest riders, accomplished 25 podium finishes, and was known for his stylish technique. He was at the top of his game, but injuries proved to be major setbacks in his professional racing career. However, in 1993, an opportunity arose to represent Factory Suzuki, which led to a transcontinental pilgrimage to Japan—and a fresh start. Over the next four years, Tichenor flourished, rediscovering the racing style witnessed at his prime. Not only did he manage to regain personal confidence in his skills, he also picked up two championships along the way (including the Japanese national championship). M ARCH 2020

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FLOAT THEORY This phenomenal success generated more interest in Tichenor’s status as a contender, bringing him back to the United States to rejoin the ranks of the motocross elite. Unfortunately, this career high was short-lived, as he suffered a traumatic knee injury at his first major race in Troy, Ohio. In total, Tichenor has suffered nearly a dozen concussions and has undergone 13 invasive surgeries. Once his professional racing career neared its end, he officially made the transition into coaching. He is still considered one of the best trainers/ coaches in the business. Even though he was able to find success as a coach, he still suffered from the debilitating nature of the extreme injuries to his mind and body. Because of his repeated concussions, the physical damage to Tichenor’s brain was classified as a traumatic brain injury (TBI). This

condition resulted in violent mood swings requiring a laundry list of pharmaceuticals prescribed to treat his condition, including sleep aids, blood pressure stabilizers, and three other antianxiety/antidepressive drugs. He also battled the bottle as alcohol became a more prevalent supplement. RISING ABOVE IT After his body, family, and career had been compromised, Tichenor knew there had to be a better way. He removed himself from coaching and turned to meditation. With sessions of up to four hours per day, Tichenor began to peel back his personal layers in order to find some kind of respite. While researching various forms of therapeutic techniques, a PhD by the name of Justin Feinstein appeared. Feinstein works as a clinical neuropsychologist and associate professor at University of Tulsa’s Oxley College of Health Sciences and acts as the director of the Laureate Institute for Brain Research (LIBR) Float Clinic & Research Center. A rather hefty curriculum vitae for a rather modest man, but what Tichenor discovered below the surface was revolutionary. Feinstein was researching the “intimate connection between the

According to its website (laureateinstitute.org), the LIBR Float Clinicʼs research is summarized by three main components: Main Question: “Can an intervention that enhances present moment awareness for internal bodily sensations help patients with anxiety establish a healthier balance between their body and brain?”

Future Directions: “Develop floatation as an intervention approach for different mental illnesses, including anxiety, addiction, and anorexia.” Approach: “Uses floatation to help patients disconnect from the outside world and reconnect to signals coming from the inside of their body. Waterproof and wireless physiological equipment will measure blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, movement, and EEG. Functional neuroimaging will be used to determine where these changes take place inside the brain.”

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To get a closer look at the process, I visited Temple Float Spa in Palm Harbor, Florida, the headquarters of Tichenor’s latest venture. Upon entering the tucked-away “temple,” I was immediately greeted by a warm, cozy feeling and beautiful tapestries hung in the lobby, and an area reserved for post-float reflection. The soothing scents of incense and salt filled the air as I slowly started to notice the tension leave my furrowed brow and clenched jaw. Before the therapy had even begun, I was enstrating the effectiveness of a sin- amored by the calming energy that gle one-hour floatation therapy in flowed throughout the facility. the relief of many common chronNow, the float. It starts with a ic mental ailments, including anx- cool, refreshing shower to rinse iety and PTSD. the remnants of society off before In the span of merely eight entering the tank, followed by the months of meditation and regular donning of a pair of earplugs to floatation therapy, Tichenor rekeep any salt from entering the ear ports that he’s managed to elimcanal. As soon as all of the prefloat inate the necessity for all five of precautions have been taken, it’s his prescription medications and time to enter the tank. Roughly has been sober for a full six years twice the size of a backyard Jaand counting. cuzzi, the pool offers ample room When asked to describe his exto find a comfortable floating posibody and the brain, and developperience with this unique therapy tion. Once the floater has become ing new technologies to help bring he said, “My mind runs a million acquainted with their environthis connection to the forefront miles an hour anyway. Floating al- ment, he or she simply seals the of awareness,” as stated on the lows me to unplug, and it feels like lid, blocking any additional amLIBR website, by introducing floa- I hit an internal reset button.” He bient light, and drifts away. It’s a tation therapy. Floatation tanks, went on to describe our digital age, phenomenal chance for those who sometimes referred to as “sensoour constant attachment to techhave experienced trauma to find ry deprivation tanks,” are “highly nology, and how we are “always solace and self-reflection in a safe, effective at removing distractions waiting for the next notification.” private, and welcoming environfrom the external world so that ment—connecting the mind and patients can more clearly experiSEE FOR YOURSELF the body in an attempt to achieve ence their internal world.” The distractions of our modern internal harmony. In February 2018, Feinstein technology often lead to people Next time you’re feeling overpublished a groundbreaking trial exhibiting symptoms of anxiety or whelmed by the modern burden of in PLoS One, a journal committed depression, many with no form of technology, or whether you’ve exto “accelerating the publication of effective relief. After discovering perienced depression, anxiety, or peer-reviewed science,” featuring the tremendous benefits to theraPTSD symptoms and are searching a total of 50 patients as his first peutic floating, Tichenor wanted to for a new way to find effective re“proof-of-principle” study demon- share that feeling with the world. lief, consider going for a float.

BEFORE THE THERAPY HAD EVEN BEGUN, I WAS ENAMORED BY THE CALMING ENERGY THAT FLOWED THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY.

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Paper-engineering obsessives create the first pop-up book to explore the world of cannabis.

In a New TEXT LELAND RUCKER

DIMENSION 32 TAM PA BAY

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GET YOUR OWN

Dimensional Cannabis: The Pop-Up Book of Marijuana Poposition Press, $50 marijuanapopup.com

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF POPOSITION PRESS

ollaboration is a wonderful thing. When my friend Rosston Meyer told me a few years ago that he was planning a pop-up cannabis book, I thought it sounded like a great idea. I knew Meyer ran an independent publishing house designing popup books in collaboration with artists. Meyer is a designer with a passion for art and pop culture, so I imagined his books were a modern upgrade of the old-school pop-up books I played with as a child—3-D elements and foldouts, tabs to pull and wheels to spin— but with a modern aesthetic that appeals to adults. “A pop-up on pot would be cool to flip through and play with,” I remember thinking. “I hope he does it.” A few years later, Meyer came around to show me a physical mock-up of his pot-themed popup, which he’d titled Dimensional Cannabis. What he showed me was a modern art form I wasn’t aware existed. Yes, the book featured 3-D elements and foldouts, with tabs to pull and wheels to spin, but what I had pictured was similar only in concept. These were intricate and elaborate kinetic paper sculptures that painted a picture and brought it to life. I was blown away. So, when he asked if I’d be interested in writing the words to go on the pages before me, I signed on immediately. Altogether, Dimensional Cannabis took more than three years to complete, with a total of nine people contributing to the final product published by Poposition Press, Meyer’s independent publishing house. A small press, Poposition designs, publishes,

and distributes limited-edition pop-up books that feature artists or subjects that Meyer finds of deep personal interest. He got started in the genre in 2013, when he started working on a collaboration with Jim Mahfood, a comic book creator known as Food One. The resulting Pop-Up Funk features Mahfood’s diverse designs transformed into interactive three-dimensional pop-ups. The limited-edition run of 100 copies were all constructed by hand. Since then, Poposition has worked with a number of contemporary artists to publish titles like Triad by cute-culture artist Junko Mizuno and Necronomicon by macabre master Skinner. Meyer has been fascinated by pop-up books since he was a kid, and in 2013, he began concentrating on paper engineering and book production. “After making a couple books focused on just artists, I thought that creating a popup book about cannabis would be a good idea,” he says. “There’s nothing else like it in the market, and there’s an audience for adultthemed pop-up books.” For Dimensional Cannabis, Meyer collaborated with Mike Giant, a renowned American illustrator, graffiti writer, tattooer, and artist. Giant’s medium of choice is a Sharpie, and Giant’s detailed line work is instantly recognizable. An avid proponent of cannabis, Giant illustrated the entire Dimensional Cannabis book. Giant and Meyer met at a weekly open studio Giant hosted in Boulder. “When the idea of doing a pop-up book about cannabis came up, he asked if I would illustrate it,” Giant says. “I’ve been an

advocate for cannabis use for decades, so it didn’t take long for me to agree to work on the project.” Meyer began by sending Giant reference materials to visualize. “I’d get it drawn out, hand it off, and get some more stuff to illustrate,” Giant says. “He’d send me previews of the finished pages as we went. It was really cool to see my line drawings colored and cut to shape. That process went on for months and months until everything for the book was accounted for.” The process of making pop-up books is called “paper engineering.” I love obsessives, and the engineers who put this book together, make no mistake, are the ones who spend endless hours figuring out the tiniest details of the folds and materials necessary so that water pipe emerges every time you open the paraphernalia page. “David Carter and I started talking about the idea a couple years prior to actually starting on the book,” Meyer says. “The initial concepts for each spread were figured out, and a different paper-engineer peer was asked to design each spread so that the book had variation throughout.” Dimensional Cannabis is divided into six pages, or spreads, covering the cannabis plant’s biology, medical properties, cultivation, history, and influence on popular culture. The paraphernalia page features many items we associate with cannabis consumption over the years in America, from rolling papers and pipes to vaporizers, dabs, and concentrates—and that foot-long bong that miraculously appears as you turn the page. One spread opens to the full plant, with information on its M ARCH 2020

LEFT: Dimensional Cannabis includes six pop-up pages, including this colorful, meditating figure that dominates the medical spread. It was designed by Isabel Uria.

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Left: The paraphernalia spread shows the many ways people consume cannabis, and includes many items, including a clear, acetate bong, rolling papers, and a vaporizer. It was produced by Ray Marshall, who, Meyer says, “basically knocked it out of the park on his first version.” Below: Well-known illustrator Mike Giant provided the cover, with Kevin Steele providing the coloring for the bookʼs six pop-up spreads

unique and fascinating properties. Another opens to a colorful, meditating figure with text about the healing properties of cannabis. One page is dedicated to its cultivation possibilities, basic genetics, and the differences between indoor and outdoor growing. The history spread takes us back to the beginnings of the curious and long-standing connection between humans and cannabis. Engineer Simon Arizpe had worked with Meyer before and jumped at the chance to work on that one. “I wanted it to be Eurasian-centric as the viewer opens the page, showing the early uses

of cannabis in ancient Vietnam and China,” Arizpe says. “As the viewer engages with the pop-up, cannabis’s use in the new world spreads across the page,” he adds. “We decided [to focus] on moments in time that were either politically relevant, like weed legalization, or culturally significant, like Reefer Madness.” Arizpe feels like the entire project is an example of what can be done working with talented people outside the traditional publishing engine. “Rosston came up with an idea that has a big following and made it happen,” he says. “It is pretty exciting when people can do that out of nothing.” M ARCH 2020

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epilepsy

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For Meyer, who says he likes a good sativa when he’s working, the project was a labor of love that spans all his areas of interest. “Not only was this a great experience putting together such a unique book, but having different paper

engineers work on each spread made this a real collaboration,” he says. “There have only been a couple pop-up books produced with a roster of engineers. Dimensional Cannabis is for cannabis lovers and pop-up book collectors alike.”

POP-UPGRADE If the book alone isnʼt enough to decorate your coffee table, Poposition Press offers two more ordering tiers, complete with extra merch to maximize your enjoyment. The Collectorʼs Edition ($240) includes an enhanced pop-up book with gold-foil case wrap, a foil-stamped slipcase, The Good Stuff enamel pin, and a Hemp art print on hemp paper. The Connoisseur Edition ($420) comes with a wooden laser-etched slipcover, two sets of enamel pins, a Dope art print, and a Gramps art print, both on hemp paper.

Meyer originally conceived a scene showing people looking at the book, which morphed into a celebration of the universality of the plant in many cultures and people throughout history.

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PHOTO CREDIT 38 TA M PA BAY

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Soaking Up History

Thanks to the dedication and innovation of eager divers and dock workers, Tarpon Springs is known as the Sponge Capital of the World. TEXT ERIC HOPPES

Tarpon Springs, a hidden gem on Florida’s Gulf Coast, has the power to instantly transport locals and lucky visitors to an enchanted, old-world town reminiscent of a quiet Mediterranean village. Tarpon Springs has a rich history, including its one-of-a-kind sea sponge industry. In 1879, A.W. Ormond and his daughter, Mary, were among the first nonindigenous people to settle in the region. Mary was delighted to see fish leap from the water and splash about, and it is believed that she coined the name “Tarpon Springs.” Although the fish Mary saw were likely mullet, she called them tarpon, and the town was soon christened as Tarpon Springs. In 1880, wealthy business owner Hamilton

Disston made one of the largest land purchases in Florida state history, plucking four million central Florida west coast acres (including the town of Tarpon), at 25 cents an acre from then Florida Governor Livingston W. Bethel. The transaction effectively saved the state from certain bankruptcy. An official post office was established in 1884, and locomotives and a bustling train depot followed soon after. Tarpon Springs was officially on the map, incorporated as of 1887. Word spread quickly of Tarpon’s lush, natural beauty, and the new city soon became a winter getaway for wealthy Northerners, our first snowbirds. The Sponge Boom In the second half of the 19th century, sponge

Tarpon Springs has an eclectic and culturally iconic village thanks to the sponge divers who brought much of their native Greek culture with them as they pursued the American dream.

fishermen would spear or hook sponges from boats in shallow waters. Seeing promise, sponge merchant John K. Cheney built a warehouse in Tarpon Springs. John Cocoris, a native of Leonidio, Greece, began buying the sponges from Cheney and selling them in New York. Though it was a lucrative business, Cocoris had bigger ideas for the industry. He traveled back to Greece, where he hired several divers and diving equipment including “rubber diving suits topped by bell-shaped diving helmets,” according to visitflorida.com. Upon his return to Florida, Cocoris and his crew pooled their resources to acquire a large seaworthy vessel for diving. On the morning of June 18, 1905, the new spongM ARCH 2020

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THE SCENE

ing team headed for deeper waters and lowered a diver overboard, making him the first person to walk along the sandy floor of the Gulf of Mexico. Soon after, hundreds of sponge divers emigrat-

ed from Greece in search of the American dream. They brought a rich Greek culture to central Florida. Today, Tarpon Springs has an eclectic and culturally iconic village of more than 100

stores and internationally renowned restaurants featuring delicious, authentic Greek cuisine. The city pays tribute to Cocoris as the father of the sponge industry in Florida with a commemorative brass plaque at the Sponge Exchange on Dodecanese Boulevard, the same street that lends its land to the Sponge Factory and the Spongeorama Museum. By the mid-1930s, as many as 200 boats were harvesting sponges from the Gulf of Mexico. But in the late 1940s, a large

and unforgiving bacterial blight decimated the sponge population, causing sharp declines in revenue, threatening to destroy the industry. It wasn’t until the1980s that Florida’s sponge beds recovered. Coincidentally, another catastrophic blight simultaneously diminished the European market, bringing more opportunity to Florida’s local fisherman and solidifying, once again, the bragging rights of Tarpon Springs as the Sponge Capital of the World.

SPONGE EXHIBITION To get a taste of history, take a cruise on the St. Nicholas Boat Line, established in 1924 by Captain Michael J. Billiris and owned and operated today by his son, George. The St. Nicholas offers tours of Tarponʼs historic sponge docks on the Anclote River. The trips include a live demonstration of sponge harvesting by a diver clad in period gear. The St. Nicholas has been featured in 77 documentaries in seven languages.

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THE SCENE

GO THERE

Tampa Bay AirFest March 28–29 tampabayairfest.com Limited premium seating available

A R O U N D TOW N

Sky High Soar with Angels at the Tampa Bay AirFest. TEXT ERIC HOPPES

MacDill Air Force Base—originally Southeast Air Base, Tampa, and, later, MacDill Field—was founded just before the dawn of World War II in 1939. Upon the establishment of the newly formed military branch known as the Air Force in September 1947, the Field was officially upgraded to what would soon become a high-priority air force base. Throughout the ’50s and ’60s MacDill became a Strategic Air Command (SAC) hub for B-47 bombers, eventually becoming a Tactical Air Command (TAC) operating aircraft such

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“In my 22-plus years of service in the Air Force, I have never seen a community relationship like this. There is none better out there.” —Col. Stephen Snelson

as the F-4 Phantom II and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The air force base now serves as headquarters to both the United States Central Command and United States Special Operations Command, both commanded by a different four-star general or admiral. It is also home to the United States Marine Corps Central Command, operated by a three-star general; and Special Operations Command Central, formerly referred to as the Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command, led by a two-star general. Needless to say, the “bases are loaded.” In honor of the rich history and strong community relationship surrounding both active-duty personnel and local veterans, every two years, MacDill AFB hosts a freeto-attend event featuring what has become one of the largest Department of Defense air shows. With both military and civilian

flight demonstrations, AirFest typically draws a local crowd of well over 100,000 attendees. It’s all about “bringing the community of Tampa and all the surrounding areas [together] to show what MacDill has to offer,” says Col. Stephen Snelson, base commander. “In my 22-plus years of service in the Air Force, I have never seen a community relationship like this. There is none better out there.” Featured exhibits at AirFest include antique and military aircraft on display, as well as a special performance by one of the US Navy’s elite precision flying teams, the Blue Angels. Flying at lightning-fast speeds high above the crowd, separated at times by as little as 18 inches, the Blue Angels are a spectacular headline thrill. They headlined the event in 2018, which led to MacDill AirFest receiving national recognition as the best military air show of the year.

TAMPA BAY LAUNCH PARTY WHERE: STATION HOUSE, ST. PETE WHEN: JAN 31 PHOTOS: RYAN KELLER, PETER LE

THE SCENE HIGH SOCIETY

First of Many On the last day of January, Sensi threw a joyous party to celebrate our new Tampa Bay launch. There were balloon crowns, platters of nibbles, a DJ spinning tunes, and champagne served by a waitress who donned a rolling hoop skirt engineered, miraculously, to hold dozens of flutes filled to the brim with bubbly. Miss Tampa 2019 made an appearance, complete with her Miss America sash, and a circus performer wowed the crowd with acrobatics executed while dangling from a hoop. Thank you all for your unbelievable support. We canÊ¼t wait to see you at the next one.

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THE SCENE CA L E N DA R

On the Calendar

Keep living large with this full schedule of events. TEXT ERIC HOPPES

From the Blue Angels up on high to brews in the zoo (and beyond) to lunch with the Bronx Bombers, if beautiful weather and community fun sounds dreamy, we’ve got your March all planned out for you, with events citywide.

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Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts 50th Anniversary

Gasparilla Music Festival, Presented by Cigar City Brewing

Florida Brewers Guild 2020 Craft Beer Fest

Mar. 1, 10 a.m. Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, Tampa gasparillaarts.com

Mar. 7–8, 11:30 a.m. Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Tampa gasparillamusic.com

Mar. 7, 2 p.m. Perry Harvey, Sr. Park, Tampa floridabrewersguild.org

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Zoo Brews Mar. 7, 7 p.m. Zoo Tampa zootampa.org

Zoo Brews is part of several exciting events featuring local craft beer brewers such as Cigar City Brewing and even the Florida Brewers Guild. If craft beer and community fun sounds like a match made in heaven, you’ll certainly want to stop by these amazing events taking place throughout the city.

Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Mar. 13–15, 8 a.m. Waterfront Street Course, Downtown St. Petersburg, gpstpete.com

Kicking off the NTT INDYCAR season in style, the 16th annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg has long held a special place in the eyes of fans. The course runs 1.8 miles, with a total of 14 turns, racing drivers through Pioneer Park, Downtown St. Pete, along Bay Shore Drive, and

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even the on runways of the Albert Whitted Airport. “It all starts here,” touts Kim Green, co-owner, chairman, and CEO of Green Savoree Racing Promotions, which organizes the event. Be sure to check it out (event end time subject to change)!

Tarpon Springs Fine Arts Festival on the Bayou Mar. 14–15, 9 a.m. Craig Park, Tarpon Springs tarponspringsfineartsfestival.com

GRAND PRIX PHOTO COURTESY FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

Rough Riders Spring is festival 2020 St. Patrick’s season throughNight Parade out the Bay Area.

Mar. 14, 8 p.m. Ybor City, Tampa tamparoughriders.org

Tampa Shamrock River Festival Mar. 14, 10 a.m. Water Works Park, Tampa yourtampamarkets.com

Tampa Bay Yoga Festival Mar. 15, 10 a.m. Water Works Park creativewaystohealth.com

One noteworthy community event takes place in gorgeous Tarpon Springs. Celebrating its 46th year, the Tarpon Springs Fine Arts Festival on the Bayou is among the area’s most iconic of local art displays. Voted “Best Historic Small Town,” by the USA Today in 2018, Tar-

pon Springs is sure to please guests of all ages. You won’t want to miss this!

2020 New York Yankees Luncheon Mar. 18, 11 a.m. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Event Center, Hollywood bgctampa.org

This year marks an incredible 25 years of NY Yankees Luncheons,

honoring the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay. Hosted at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Event Center, and headed by the generous Steinbrenner family, this will be the only place fans can find the entire Yankees’ roster and coaching staff signing autographs for attendees. Thus far, these luncheons have raised more than $5,000,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay.

Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular Mar. 20, 8 p.m. The Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg themahaffey.com

Tampa Bay AirFest 2020 Mar. 28–29, 8 a.m. MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa tampabayairfest.com

Turn to page 43 for more information on this exciting event.

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Treating the Colon with Natural medicine One doctor has created a specialty medical cannabis treatment for one of the most important organs in the human body.

o one really wants to talk about their colon. Yet the colon is one of the most important organs in the human body. It should be a top priority on everyone’s health agenda. Medical cannabis can help. A Tampa-based company, ColoWell America, is one of the first to offer cannabis as a way of treating and managing colon health. “I take care of a lot of patients with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and other digestive issues,” says Shiraz Farooq, a colorectal surgeon and founder of ColoWell America. “I feel like the gut,

the gastro-intestinal (GI) track, is a very important organ for the body. Its various hormones regulate everything in the body, like nutrition, emotions, and overall health.” Farooq says that his company is showing how important cannabis medicine can be in a specialty field, which most GI doctors won’t even consider. “Most doctors who have medical cannabis in their practice are using it for general health and wellness,” he says. “But there are no specialty practices that are promoting medical cannabis. Cannabis is here to stay, whether in the hemp form or in marijuana form. And I

feel like I can really make a difference with my patients by using cannabis.” Farooq plans to open offices in Orlando and Miami in the near future, slowly adding nurse practitioners and then more doctors. He currently has five staff members along with a team that he outsources. Not a lot of doctors are getting on- “Whether board with medical cannabis, he says, you’re because of the banking issues. “That scares them away. And the other issue using is concerns with their federal licenses cannabis as being at risk. That is huge.” an edible Farooq says that many doctors don’t or smoking know about cannabis to treat human health issues in general because they it, it all goes into the haven’t been trained on it. “It’s not in the textbooks, and there is no research gut with on it,” he says. “The information we the colon have on GI health comes mainly from bacteria. other countries right now.” These Patients need to know that everything they eat is medicine, he bacteria says. “Food is medicine.” Whether and human you’re using cannabis as an edible cells coexist or smoking it—or using other plant to improve medicines—it all goes into the gut with the colon bacteria. A multitude the health of organisms live together in the colon. of our “These bacteria and human cells bodies.” coexist to improve the health of our bodies,” Farooq says. —Dr. Shiraz Farooq, Eating processed meals like burgers founder of ColoWell and pizzas, which changes the bacteria America in the gut, has led to more issues of poor colon health. “That’s causing us to get all kinds of metabolic problems, like diabetes and high blood pressure and arthritis,” Farooq says. “All this is related, and more doctors are seeing that relationship now.”

ColoWell America Cannabis-Based Colon Treatment colowellamerica.com M ARCH 2020

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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 has now opened two new banking solutions for the industry, 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 “People banks,” he says. “So we will see how want to it goes. People want to pay with their pay with cards or their phones. People don’t their cards carry around cash anymore.” The new products have been a or their long time coming, Mills says, but he phones. believes in staying prudent. “People People come and go in the payment and banking side of this business, and we don’t carry in the Senate so the banking issue is a have been here almost 11 years now,” around he says. “We are here for the long long way from resolution. cash Chris Mills, CEO of GreenHouse Pay- term and not just to make money. We anymore.” try to stay cutting edge and have solument Solutions, says that the conun—Chris Mills, CEO of tions that no one else has. Honesty, drum continues to confound bankers GreenHouse Payment and bank-service providers, especially integrity, and service are at the heart Solutions with so many CBD companies looking of GreenHouse Payment Solutions.” 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 have the GreenHouse Payment Solutions formula about percentage of assets Cannabis Business Finance and bank money on hand can facilitate greenhousepaymentsolutions.com

Getting to the Heart of a Tough Issue

GreenHouse Payment Solutions offers banking aid for cannabis businesses.

he lack of banking in the cannabis industry is as difficult for a cannabis business owner to deal with as it is easy for everyone to understand: Businesses need banks. Nobody wants to tote around garbage bags of cash. Last fall, Congress passed the Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act of 2019 (SAFE), which would give cannabusinesses access to banking. But the bill faces an uncertain future

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THE END

Set Sail An ode to the end of the Gasparilla season.

Society’s a vessel Curiously, it navigates To comprehend the sea. Through stormy night, Through windless day, Eyes on the horizon.

Both compasses, The stars above, As Tampa Bay prepares for summer, not only is it a good time for Pointing our direction. some spring cleaning, it’s also a great time for reevaluating New Year’s resolutions. This reflective poem is written to honor this philosophy The glassy surface of transition and renewal. Always beckons, Yearning for reflection. TEXT ERIC HOPPES

Though hubris, Humorously frolics, In the recess of the conscious. Imperfect flames Flicker through salty breeze, Illuminating a silent call. Adventure only steps away, Destiny within reach— Quantum flux awaiting the decision.

50 TAM PA BAY

M A RCH 2020

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