Sensi Magazine—Coachella Valley (Summer 2020) by Sensi Magazine

I C OAC H E L L A VA L L E Y S U M M E R 2020

WHAT TO DO WHEN THEREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOT MUCH TO DO MADE FOR BLISS

The untold power of the endocannabinoid system

CBN FOR ZZZ

The lesser-known compound that helps you sleep

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COACHELLA VALLEY SENSI MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020

sensimediagroup @sensimagazine @sensimag

F E AT U R E S

Pot in Pans

Why the history of eating cannabis matters.

Body Made for Bliss

Woo-Woo Woofers

Did you know you have an endocannabinoid system? You do. So why haven’t you heard about it?

The pet wellness industry is taking off across the nation.

D E PA R T M E N T S

9 EDITOR’S NOTE 18 THE LIFE Contributing to your health and happiness 12 THE BUZZ CBN FOR ZZZ Products News, tips, and tidbits to keep you in the loop PLANT NATION More Americans are buying houseplants. MARKETPLACE New hemp and CBD products to try PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT Papa & Barkley Releaf Lotion ACCESS FOR VETS The team fighting for veterans’ rights to cannabis VITAL VOICES The global nonprofit empowering women everywhere BASKIN THE GOODNESS

CBD for athletes

that help you sleep

HOROSCOPE What the

stars hold for you

42 THE SCENE Hot happenings and hip

hangouts around town HIGH PROFILE The retired sheriff who opened a dispensary in the Valley CALENDAR How to fill your days now that everything’s canceled

ON THE COVER Despite the cancelations and closures across the country, 2020 doesn’t have to be a total loss. ORIGINAL PHOTO BY KHALIGO, ADOBE STOCK

52 THE END Where to catch a wave

S U M M E R 2020

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EXECUTIVE

Ron Kolb Founder, CEO ron@sensimag.com Stephanie Wilson Co-Founder, Editor in Chief stephanie@sensimag.com Mike Mansbridge President mike@sensimag.com Fran Heitkamp Chief Operating Officer fran@sensimag.com Lou Ferris VP of Global Revenue lou@sensimag.com Chris Foltz Director of Global Reach chris@sensimag.com Jade Kolb Director of Project Management jade.kolb@sensimag.com Kristan Toth Head of People kristan.toth@sensimag.com EDITORIAL

Doug Schnitzspahn Executive Editor doug.schnitzspahn@sensimag.com Sat Panesar Managing Editor sat.panesar@sensimag.com Robyn Griggs Lawrence Editor at Large robyn.lawrence@sensimag.com Helen Olsson Copy Chief Melissa Howsam Senior Copy Editor Meryl Howsam, Bevin Wallace Copy Editors Leandra Romero, Mona Van Joseph Contributing Writers DESIGN

Jamie Ezra Mark Creative Director jamie@emagency.com Rheya Tanner Art Director em@sensimag.com Wendy Mak, Kiara Lopez, Josh Clark, Jason Jones Designers PUBLISHING

Greg Jelden Co-Publisher greg.jelden@sensimag.com Jason Zahler Co-Publisher jason.zahler@sensimag.com Quentin Dusastre Associate Publisher quentin dusastre@sensimag.com B U S I N E S S /A D M I N

Amber Orvik Administrative Director amber.orvik@sensimag.com Andre Velez Marketing Director andre.velez@sensimag.com Neil Willis Production Manager neil.willis@sensimag.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

“The new normal” is the tagline we at Sensi

have been using since our inception; it appeared on every cover prior to our redesign in December 2019—roughly 200 magazines emblazoned with the phrase. We used it to highlight cannabis’s transition into the mainstream, and during the early days of COVID-19, we watched it become the official catchphrase of the pandemic. “The New Normal.” How else could you describe it? With that, I welcome you to Sensi’s new new normal, which looks a great deal different than some five months and a lifetime ago. Way back then, we were printing local magazines in 14 markets across the country, with a 15th (Metro Maryland) slated to launch April. Our creative team was in the midst of sending those editions to print when COVID-19 started to pick up steam. After some hard conversations with our leadership team, we made the call to hit pause for a variety of reasons, namely that our points of distribution were not going to be distributing during a global pandemic. We were optimistic that we’d be back by June. Then we thought we’d return in July. I’m writing this on August 7 as those refreshed April editions work their way to being published in the next few days, if all goes as planned. Little these days is going as planned, for better and for worse. But if there’s a silver lining to this chaos, it may be that it’s forced us to slow down and examine our lives— to really consider the why and how behind it. It provided a chance to stop the constant doing and start thinking about whether those are the right goals to be aiming for at all. It allowed us to examine our business piece by piece, strip down to the basics and rebuild using the lessons we stumbled our way through. We’re guided by one mission: to serve our readers and communities by focusing on connection—to information, to each other, to businesses and brands that meet your needs. That’s why, for the first time in Sensi’s history, we won’t be printing magazines. Going all-digital this month helps us increase our reach without compromising the quality our readers expect. We hope to return to print in the not-too-distant future—perhaps no one more than me. I believe in the power of print. But I also believe in evolution, and the way people consume information is changing. By limiting ourselves to print, we were limiting our impact. But now, with a fresh digital strategy that entails both dynamic local content as well as fully designed digital magazines created by the award-winning team at Em Agency, we’ve got the best of both worlds, and I’m excited to introduce you to the first phase of Sensi’s new digital universe. We’re almost ready to take the scaffolding off Phase 2, so be sure to check back and see what we’ve got planned in order to continue to bring our new normal into the new-new normal of the world. Thank you for being here with us as we rebuild—better than we were before.

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

Stephanie Wilson @stephwilll S U M M E R 2020

S E N S I M AG .C O M

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Houseplant sales are on the rise, and researchers believe millennials are to thank for the recent boom in the bloom economy. It’s 18- to 34-year-olds who now occupy 29 percent of all gardening households, according to the annual National Gardening Survey. One theory about all of the houseplant hype is that it’s a new form of self-care. Tending to plants helps those who live in urban jungles or those who are overwhelmed 12

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with technology to feel more connected to nature. In the age of social media, millennials are said to have surpassed Generation X and baby boomers as the loneliest generation, according to a poll by YouGov. Owning a plant gives people an opportunity to nurture, providing a sense of fulfillment and purpose without the extra costs of caring for a pet. There could also be new additions to the plant culture craze

with cannabis plants. According to the National Gardening Survey, 33 million households (27 percent) say it should be legal to grow for personal use, and 19 million households (15 percent) say they would grow cannabis if it were legal to do so. As the trend continues to grow, perhaps the use of having indoor plants to help boost wellness won’t just be a short-lived fad, but, rather, a new lifestyle for those dealing with stress and anxiety.

PHOTO BY RONSTIK, ADOBE STOCK

My Plant Understands Me

C O N T R I B U TO R S

Aaron H. Bible, Rodney Burell, Leandra Romero, Stephanie Wilson

Recovery, Relief & Rejuvenation Lord Jones High CBD Formula Body Oil Not only does Lord Jones sound like someone who wears a monocle on the daily, but this highly recommended recovery oil is infused with 100 milligrams of CBD and made from a combination of safflower, avocado, jojoba, soybean, and sunflower oils. The roll-on applicator makes light work of muscle soreness, inflammation, and headaches. True Leaf Hemp Pet Chews Designed to help relax anxious dogs and help with joint pain, these chews contain hemp seeds and oil, chamomile, and lemon balm. All that’s missing is a warm bath and Kenny G. Lucent Botanicals Calm CBD Mints Nobody likes you when you’re stressed, or when your breath smells like the fifth dimension. CBD mints offer the best of both worlds, with 10 milligrams of CBD and breath fresheners. It’s the most literal version of a chill pill we can come up with. Sunday Scaries YOLO Energy Shot While we cannot endorse or approve of the use of the word “YOLO” in any situation, this energy shot contains 50 milligrams of THC-free cannabidiol extract (CBD), vitamins B6 and B12, taurine, organic green coffee, 5-HTP, and ginseng, which gives you a jolt of energy without the caffeine jitters.

BY THE NUMBERS

29% Of consumers said there was an increase in their personal cannabis consumption as a response to COVID-19. SOURCE: New Frontier Data

400

1:3 Releaf Body Lotion Papa & Barkley’s Releaf body lotion is the latest addition to the company’s skin-care products. The moisturizer is said to be the first THC lotion in the California cannabis market made using freshpressed rosin (rather than THC distillate or isolate). It combines the powerful effects of THC-rich rosin and the hydrating agents of jojoba oil, shea butter, and mango seed oil. By using full-spectrum cannabinoids, phytonutrients, terpenes, and chlorophyll, the lotion gives skin the major benefits of powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial agents—ultimately helping promote skin vitality.

MILLION Local economic impact generated by music festivals in the valley...most years.

18% Of the 5,116 cannabis cultivation licenses issued in California are held by just 20 companies.

SOURCE: New Frontier Data

“If you don’t take action now, you’ll settle for nothing later.” —”Settle for Nothing” by Rage Against the Machine. The band was scheduled to headline Coachella 2020 before COVID-19 started raging against...well, everything.

S U M M E R 2020

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PREMIUM CANNABIS F O R T H E E X P L O R E R I N YO U

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THE BUZZ

VOX POPULI

Question: What do you value most about your community?

DANTE WALKER

MICHAEL FELCI

SHELBIE VASQUEZ

EMILY LANGENBAHN

SHANE CARROLL

Photojournalist Cathedral City

PR, Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio

Account Executive Desert Hot Springs

Writer Palm Desert

Golf Host Palm Desert

___________________

I believe strength and people of a community are its greatest asset; communities are the foundation that build societies through shared culture and economic values. Also, active involvement and established relationships are vital in its prosperity. This city’s vision to reinvest in itself is a blueprint for a successful future.

I’m continually impressed by how this community rallies together and rises to the occasion—particularly the youth contributing their talents and rolling up their sleeves. There really is a sense of pride in being part of something bigger. When someone from the Valley succeeds, we all do.

I love that our community makes an effort to bring its people together by holding events. We have a variety of different things to do that cater to many different interests. We all try to support one another through being involved and showing up for each other.

I value the way we’ve preserved the natural beauty of the Coachella Valley as our community grows. I’m never tired of seeing the sunset cast shadows on the mountains or wildflowers blooming along the hiking trails.

I value the selection of great outdoor activities on offer across the Valley: countless golf courses, parks and trails to choose from, with breathtaking views of the valley. The air tram is a must. The snowcovered forest is a totally different environment, only a tram ride a way— some of the best views I’ve seen.

SPEAK UP!

PHOTO COURTESY OF VITAL VOICES

Vital Voices recognizes the power of global leadership in women.

For more than two decades, Vital Voices has partnered with more than 18,000 women leaders in 182 countries to solve the world’s greatest economic and social challenges. Co-founded by former US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Vital Voices provides programs in strategic planning, business, advocacy, leadership development, and communications that build critical skills for scaling transformational change worldwide.

The international nonprofit searches the world over for women leaders who have daring vision for change in their communities and partners with them to make that vision a reality, providing them with skills training, grants, access to a network of their peers, mentorship, visibility, and recognition. Vital Voices is self-proclaimed as a “venture catalyst,” supporting women who advance economic opportunity, increase political and public engagement, and promote human rights. Past winners of the Global Leadership Awards include Melinda Gates, Diane von Furstenberg, and Amanda Nguyen, among others. vitalvoices.org

S U M M E R 2020

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

SUMMER 2020

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THE BUZZ

BILITIES BY STEPHANIE WILSON, EDITOR IN CHIEF

1 IN CASE YOU MISSED THE IRONY of all the Great Gatsbythemed New Year’s Eve parties thrown to welcome in the second coming of the Roaring 20s, let me remind you how that decade ended: not much worse than this one is starting.

2 IN CASE YOU NEED A REMINDER: whatever you’re feeling is valid. There is no right or wrong way to process what we’re going through right now. There is a right way to interact with others right now, though: with care, through a mask, and from a distance. 3 IN CASE YOU’RE FEELING LIKE GOING OUT in public without a mask: stop watching Fox News, you’re being brainwashed. Be a good human, you’re better than that.

4 IN CASE YOU NEED A PICK-ME-UP: pick up a bouquet of blooms the next time you’re at the grocery store. Yes, funds are tight and flowers may seem like a frivolous purchase, but a $6 bouquet can brighten up rooms and moods alike. A 2018 study from the University of North Florida’s Department of Public Health finds that living with flowers “significantly alleviates daily stresses.” And we’re all a little bit stressed right now. Or we’re in denial, which is a stressful state to be in. Flowers will help. Pro tip: for the best flowers at the lowest prices, look for wholesale florists open to the public in your area. 5 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Denver’s mayor reversed his decision to leave recreational cannabis dispensaries and liquor stores off the list of essential businesses just three hours after the city’s stay-athome order was issued in March. Denverites were clear: flowers— the kind ones with THC—are definitely essential.

THE DESERT IS A NATURAL EXTENSION OF THE INNER SILENCE OF THE BODY.” —Jean Baudrillard

Get Back in the Game Baskin boasts CBD for athletes. In the sea of CBD options, Baskin’s CBD product, according to the company, delivers 18 percent more CBD to the human body than does its competitiors, and its all-natural, long-lasting, breathable formulation is ideal for active adults. “Our crop comes from various states. Regardless of legally grown resources, the CBD used is broad spectrum and derived from hemp,” says Maikel van de Mortel of Lighthouse Strategies (the parent company of Baskin). “Each batch that we create is accompanied by a COA [certificate of analysis], which is key, as this allows consumers to see exactly what they buy and where it comes from. We use a special QR code to make our COAs accessible to the consumer.” Baskin’s selling points include superior binding technology that keeps the cream bonded to the skin through washing, rubbing, or sweating; controlled release of the CBD over a prolonged period; a formulation free of alcohol, parabens, waxes, or other solvents; and a patented formula that lets an athlete’s skin breathe and retain its natural moisture. With its market saturation and all the rhetoric around CBD’s actual effectiveness for sports recovery, few brands have patented CBD personal-care items the way Baskin has. Baskin’s sport recovery cream harnesses 300 mg of CBD to create the most targeted and effective solution, without slowing you down or taking you out of the game. Baskin sport recovery cream / 300 mg CBD / $50 / baskinessentials.com

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CBN for Zzz TEXT STEPHANIE WILSON

Sleep is a vital sign of health and well-being, and I’m an insomniac— have been for as long as I’ve been an adult. I’m also a magazine junkie, so every month I read 18

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another article about the importance of restful shut-eye and tips to help me achieve it. And I’ve tried them all, to no avail. I bought blackout curtains, a white noise

machine, and an eye mask. Never much of a coffee drinker, I cut out any remaining caffeine (and became less aggro, but that’s a different story for another issue). I

avoided electronics for an hour before getting into bed; I did nightly wind-down bedtime rituals; I only got into bed when it was time to sleep; I left my devices

PHOTO BY NATA NYTIAGA, SHUTTERSTOCK

Don’t sleep on this lesser-known cannabinoid that may help you sleep.

in the other room. I even got my dog a heated bed that she preferred over sleeping with me. I tried all these things, but sleep still evaded me. A brief period of reprieve followed my move to Colorado, as I began experimenting with cannabis as a sleep aid. If I smoked a little before bed, I’d fall asleep only to wake up an hour or so later when the effects had worn off. I tried edibles, which helped me fall asleep and stay asleep for hours. After a few nights in a row of some solid sleep, I remember waking up feeling rested and thinking I had found my miracle cure. But then my tolerance started building, and 5 mg wasn’t doing the trick. Then 10 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, and next thing I’d be lying in the dark, high and paranoid all night long. Even if I got some decent sleep, I was waking up foggy. For so many people, cannabis works as an invaluable sleep aid with little to no side effects. That wasn’t the case with me. Enter CBD. A few years ago, CBD was nowhere; now it’s everywhere. Almost literally. Walk into a convenience store, and boom! CBD gummies by the register. CBD water in the refrigerator. Wander into Sephora, and CBD

serums, body lotions, and moisturizers await. Drive down Denver’s I-25 and you’ll see stores dedicated to the cannabinoid. Check my inbox, and you’ll be overwhelmed by a thousand unread emails from PR agencies and agents announcing the launch of a new CBD brand or the release of a first-of-itskind cannabidiol product. And those are only from the last six months. It comes in all forms: topical pain creams and tinctures, water, and wine. There’s infused water for pets, infused cereals for breakfast, suppository lubes for sex, and infused Flaming Hot Cheeto knockoffs for afternoon snacks. When it seems we’ve reached the CBD mania apex, someone somewhere thinks there’s another buck to be made off the craze, and CBD toothpicks, hair pomades, candles, workout gear, bedsheets, and pillows hit the already flooded marketplace. Ridiculous, ubiquitous. Since you’re reading Sensi, I’m going to assume I’m not telling you anything new. So far. But have you heard about CBN? Cannabinol, or CBN, is one of more than a hundred cannabinoids that have been identified in the cannabis plant.

My anecdotal evidence is in: CBN helps me fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up rested time and again. I’m feeling better than I have basically ever. A whole month with full nights of sleep feels like a miracle.

THC and CBD are the two that garner all the attention, and they are the most dominant. A lesser cannabinoid, CBN was actually the first one scientists discovered in the 1940s. It occurs in cannabis in much smaller doses until the plant ages and oxidizes, which causes THC to convert to CBN. And it’s about to get its turn in the spotlight. Since the FDA classified cannabis as a Schedule I drug in the same category as heroin during the 1970s, researchers have been prevented from studying the plant’s medicinal potential. While that’s changing, there’s a lot of catching up to do, so double-blind, controlled studies and clinical trials have yet to be completed. But anecdotal evidence is in, and CBN is being touted as an all-natural cure for insomnia by cannabis experts and outlets. So, when I saw emails with CBN in the subject line hit my inbox, I didn’t leave them unread. Instead I reached out and asked to try the product being pitched so I could offer my own anecdotal accounts of CBN as a cure for insomnia. Two months and a lot of full nights of sleep later, my anecdotS U M M E R 2020

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THE LIFE

aromatic notes of cedarwood, black pepper, and California pine, the Sleep formula is proven to help calm the mind and encourage deep, restorative sleep. All Mineral products are organically grown on a small farm in Colorado that averages a limited run of only four harvests a year. No cannabinoid acting independently will express the benefit experienced when consuming the whole plant, so Mineral utilizes the hemp plant in its entirety— stalks, stems, and buds— maximizing the omega fatty acids and vitamins in their extraction process. To keep the product consistent, the brand identified formula-specific seeds from Oregon that produce plants with characteristics incumbent to accomplish the targeted benefits of the MINERAL products. Sleep Tincture After sourcing the How they describe it: seeds from Oregon, For anxiety-induced Mineral supplies them insomnia. Because you to Waayb Organics in deserve to feel good. Longmont, Colorado, Formulated for those and Waayb leads the suffering from night time anxiety and inflam- cultivation of the plants on an outdoor, seasonmation, Sleep is a blend of calming cannabinoids al, organic grow. After and terpenes associated harvest, processing, and CO₂ extraction, the with sedation to induce a deep, restorative sleep. products go through testing for cannabinoid High in CBD and sequence, terpenes, pesnaturally occurring ticides, and quality. CBN, coupled with soft

PHOTOS (FROM LEFT): COURTESY OF MINERAL / COURTESY OF PRISMATIC PLANTS

al evidence is in: CBN helps me fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up rested time and again. I’ve incorporated the cannabinoid into my daily routine, and I’m feeling better than I have basically ever. It’s amazing what a little sleep can do. A whole month with full nights of sleep feels like a miracle. Don’t just believe me; try it yourself. Like every drug, CBN affects everybody differently. These two both worked for me.

Editor’s note: With that much quality control, it’s no wonder GQ included Mineral on its “Best Stuff of 2019” list and that Neiman Marcus picked up the line for its stores.

lief, result from gentle full-flower extraction from organically grown Colorado hemp for a complete cannabinoid profile. Other beneficial ingredients include reishi mushrooms, oatstraw, and ashwagandha $160 for 60 servings mineralhealth.co for positive mood and support of the nervous Prismatic Plants Good and immune systems; Night Tincture skullcap for stress and How they describe it: muscle-tension relief; Formulated with CBN and valerian root (a.k.a and calming adaptogens, nature’s Valium), Calthis nighttime formula ifornia poppy, and lavpromotes deep sleep and ender for anxiety and boosts immunity during insomnia relief. These the body’s overnight re- pure, effective, safe inpair mode. Its long-term gredients are formulated effects include a return to provide immediate to a natural circadian relief and continually rhythm, enhanced imenhance health through munity, improved repro- long-term use. ductive health, and more $70 for a month’s supply prismaticplants.com energy during the day. The tincture is made with an adaptogenic blend of CBD, CBN, medicinal mushrooms, and organic herbs. The CBD, for overall health and stress relief, and CBN for insomnia re-

S U M M E R 2020

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THE LIFE

A B O U T T H E AU T H O R

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

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

laxing into the feminine viLEO bration) will benefit you in Stress is caused by your ex- many ways. Allow yourself pectations of other people to be recognized for your this month. If you just accept uniqueness. the fact that you’ll have to do all the work without resent- OCT. 23–NOV. 21 ing or expecting anything, SCORPIO everything will be fine. No other sign has the ability to get as deep into a soul AUG. 23–SEPT. 22 like you. You will experience VIRGO some epiphany-like insights No coasting, you will miss this month. The most draout on a major opportunity. matic of which will be your Follow up with anything that intimate connection to the secures your future comknowledge of the Universe. fort. Awareness to detail will avoid any misunderstandNOV. 22–DEC. 21 ings with those who will con- SAGITTARIUS tribute to your success. You’ve been working hard and feeling unappreciated. The isSEPT. 23–OCT. 22 sue is not the work you’re proLIBRA ducing; it’s that your heart is Be prepared to get attention not in it. That’s why you’re not from people you don’t know getting the acclaim and recnow. The vibration of conognition you want. It’s not the necting with women (and replace; it’s you. JULY 23–AUG. 22

DEC. 22–JAN. 19

CAPRICORN

August calls for joyful seriousness of the things important to you. It doesn’t matter if you’re building tables for squirrels or changing the world. A casual awareness for your love of life draws more loving. JAN. 20–FEB. 18

AQUARIUS

A happy did-the-work breakthrough month for you! That project or idea is ready to go full fledge out there right now. What’s so cool is that you get to do this in a relaxed, “I know it’ll be fabulous” vibration…and it will! FEB. 19–MARCH 20

PISCES

So last month was sort of sucky because you had to resolve to honor your worth

LEO, IF YOU JUST ACCEPT THE FACT THAT YOU’LL HAVE TO DO ALL THE WORK WITHOUT RESENTING OR EXPECTING ANYTHING, EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE.

and dump what wasn’t working. A sign from the Universe this month validates why you had to set this new standard.

thing. The Universe is speaking to you. MAY 21–JUNE 20

GEMINI

Do not allow yourself to MARCH 21–APRIL 19 be short-changed, comproARIES mised, or cheapened. Stay Be aware that you are always strong in your worth and connected to spiritual purauthenticity. The right oppose and guidance. Take noth- portunity is about to presing for granted and be delight- ent itself. fully ready when coincidence JUNE 21–JULY 22 prompts you to action.

CANCER

APRIL 20–MAY 20

TAURUS

As soon as you relax into your direct connection with Spirit, everything shifts for you. You do not need (or want) to do things the way anyone else does some-

This is not an action month. What is meant for you will just come to you. No chasing after what you want. It’s a time of concentrating on what brings you a sense of peace, harmony, and contentment.

S U M M E R 2020

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Here’s why the history of eating cannabis matters.

PHOTO CREDITS (FROM LEFT): ECATERINA SCIUCHINA, ADOBE STOCK / DMYTRO S, ADOBE STOCK / MELICA, ADOBE STOCK / CREATIVEFAMILY, ADOBE STOCK

IN PANS TEXT ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE, EXCERPTED FROM POT IN PANS: A HISTORY OF EATING CANNABIS FOOD

rom ancient India and Persia to today’s explosive new market, cannabis, the hottest new global food trend, has been providing humans with nutrition, medicine, and solace— against all odds—since the earliest cavepeople discovered its powers. We write history books, in part, so we don’t repeat our mistakes. The history of cannabis food, rich and deep, is marred with the stains of prohibition, propaganda, and persecution—abysmal mistakes we’ve only just begun to rectify. This history is a long way from being written—though many like to say we’re now on the right side of it as centuries of fearmongering finally start to unravel. Finally, but still painfully slowly, cannabis is taking its rightful place as a unique culinary ingredient that has proven through the centuries that food is medicine.

Locally, nationally, and globally, we’ve reached a pivotal moment in the history of a plant that has been beloved by the masses, reviled by the elite, and shrouded in conflict and secrecy for centuries. Cannabis has been outlawed and demonized since the powers-that-be first realized they could control the commoners by prohibiting a plant that they relied on for food, fiber, medicine, and mind and mood alteration. For the hard-working classes, who often lived in hopeless poverty, cannabis was magical for its ability to act as both stimulant and soporific and its promise of gentle relief from the drudgery and humiliations of daily life—a far cry from the sinister reputation foisted upon it by centuries of propaganda. We are reaching the end of a centuries-long story, born in the Mazanderan mountains in ancient

Persia in the 12th century and used throughout history in racist campaigns to prove that cannabis makes people violent, insane, and uncontrollably horny (parents, hold onto your white daughters!). The legend of Hassan-ibn-Sabbah, the Old Man of the Mountain who plied his disciples with splendid food, fine women, and a hashish confection so they would assassinate his enemies—popularized in the West by explorer Marco Polo—would forever associate hashish with assassins and sinister business. In the 1930s, during his successful drive toward cannabis prohibition, US Federal Bureau of Narcotics chairman Harry J. Anslinger masterfully fomented Americans’ racist and increasingly moralistic national mentality with a propaganda blitzkrieg that included a book and motion picture titled Marihuana: Assassin of S U M M E R 2020

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Youth—based upon his discovery of the Old Man of the Mountain legend. In testimony before Congress and in newspaper interviews, Anslinger said marijuana, a frightening “new” drug used primarily by Mexicans and African Americans, could turn upstanding, middle-class kids into helpless victims and raging monsters. His campaign resulted in cannabis being effectively outlawed through draconian taxes and regulations in the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. Down through the ages—through multiple prohibitions on every continent, imposed by sultans, colonialists, and a pope—cannabis had managed to somehow survive, and even thrive. But never had it faced an enemy so formidable or iron-fisted as the United States in the mid20th century. When US Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon appointed Anslinger and tasked him, for whatever reason—and speculation is rampant—to wipe out cannabis, he intended the war to be global. Throughout the rest of the 20th century and into the 21st, the United States used its considerable influence to force cannabis prohibition around the world, leaving people in countries where it had been used and enjoyed for centuries scratching their heads in confusion—and finding ways around the laws.

In Canada in the 1930s, when Royal Mounted Police officers told an elderly woman they had to eradicate the hemp plants she grew to feed her canaries, she chased them away with a broom. In Indonesia, cannabis continued to be a key ingredient in the traditional “happy” soup served at weddings and celebrations, just as it always had. India managed to keep on the right side of the United States while quietly allowing people to drink bhang, a traditional holy drink made from cannabis. By the 1970s, the Netherlands had adopted a policy of tolerance toward retailers and users while making cannabis cultivation and production illegal, creating a “back door” problem that no one wanted to replicate. It was more than clear by the 1970s that the global war on drugs was a failure. Violent cartels were ravaging South and Central America, and heroin, cocaine, and cannabis remained readily available to those who wanted them. In the early and mid-1970s, several countries and US states decriminalized cannabis, but this attitude change was short-lived, squelched by marijuana’s association with dirty hippies and the counterculture. The Nixon administration doubled down, sending military helicopters to scorch cannabis farms from Orange Hill, Jamaica, to the mountains of Colombia’s Cauca region and declaring cannabis a Schedule I drug with no medicinal value, alongside heroin and LSD. For a century now, cannabis has existed in most parts of the world only because humans’ love for it is so great that they’re willing to sacrifice being persecuted, imprisoned, having their teeth pulled out, and even being put to death for cultivating and nurturing it. The irony of prohi-

bition, of course, is that the lucrative black market made it worth the risk and only drove breeders to develop ever-mightier plants delivering whopping amounts of psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. In the face of adversity, cannabis was no shrinking violet. The plant grew stronger, better, faster, and more potent— unstoppable, no matter how much paraquat the DEA threw at it. If the history of cannabis proves anything, it is that you can’t keep a good plant down. A cabal of global elites is no match for this one, which in its cunning evolved to provide humans with nutrition, fiber, medicine, and, if you believe many ethnobotanists, the ability to make huge mental and spiritual leaps as a species. Had it not been for the latter—all due to the presence of that THC molecule—this would be a boring tale about a multifaceted, utilitarian plant that served humans in many different capacities for centuries. This is not that. This is a story with many layers, spanning many continents, held together by the thread of an Islamic confection created to inspire a band of 12th-century fedayeen, which was ported throughout the Middle East, Central Asia, and beyond, invoking hilarity and hostility wherever it went. Inspired by this legend, Western intellectuals and literati, and then the masses, discovered and enjoyed cannabis, hashish, and majoun (a Moroccan candy mixed with cannabis) for much of the mid-19th century and into the 1930s, when Anslinger shut that down. S U M M E R 2020

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This is the story of how Brion Gysin, an ex-patriot artist and writer in Tangier, discovered majoun, typed up a recipe, and sent it to Alice B. Toklas, an ex-pat writer in Paris, to include in a cookbook published in New York and London, causing a minor scandal in the mid20th century and leading to a major mix-up in a major motion picture that morphed majoun into the pot brownie, and turned the pot brownie into a Western icon forevermore. It’s the story of the rowdy band of artists, rebels, and intellectuals who partook of majoun’s charms and an activist who made the pot brownie a symbol of compassion. Down through the ages, the cannabis plant has gathered about it a charismatic and eclectic assortment of protectors and advocates, from the Hindu lord Shiva, who was said to sustain himself for long periods by eating cannabis, to Brownie Mary, whose insistence on baking cannabis-laced brownies as medicine for AIDS patients in San Francisco, despite several arrests, drew huge public sympathy in the 1990s and eased the way for California to legalize medical marijuana in 1996. And that, really, may have been the beginning of the end of the pot brownie. Several states and countries followed California in approving cannabis for medical use, and in 2012, Colorado and Washington voters took the game-changing step of legalizing all adult use. More states followed, then Uruguay, then Canada. Cannabis-in-

fused edibles grew into a robust and well-regulated industry with no room for crumbly chocolate cakes that had miserable shelf lives and were impossible to imprint with the new THC warning stamp some states began requiring. In most cases, pot brownies have evolved into shelf-stable, easier-to-dose chocolate bars, one skew in a wildly popular category of cannabis-infused products that no one saw coming in the early 2010s. In addition to a range of chocolate products from gourmet truffles to peanut butter cups, today’s cannabis consumers can enjoy infused potato chips, gummies, hard candies, raw cacao butter, soda pop, caramel corn, coffee, tea, cookies, pies, and nuts—all readily available at cannabis stores in legal states. They can buy water-soluble cannabis-infused liquids and powders to stir into beverages or add to any recipe for immediate gratification. With such a wide range of culinary opportunities and resources literally at their fingertips, only the laziest or most unimaginative eaters are choosing the brownie. We stand on a precipice. Once criminalized, cannabis is now being rapidly commodified, and there’s no putting that genie back in the bottle. Analysts predict cannabis will be a global industry worth $57 billion by 2027—investment firm Cowen and

Company suggests that will reach $75 billion by 2030—numbers that are respectful enough to prevent cannabis haters like US Attorney General Jeff Sessions (the 21st-century’s answer to Anslinger with legislative power) from prosecuting companies working within legal state infrastructures. Money talks. Money’s talking. Scotts Miracle-Gro and Monsanto are circling. Food conglomerates are dipping toes, preparing to jump in when— and everyone now agrees it’s a matter of when—federal cannabis prohibition ends in the United States. Hemp is legal, and a bill has been submitted to Congress to legalize psychoactive cannabis. Cannabis is now the second most valuable crop in the United States after corn. Chefs, foodies, and nutritionists are playing with this new functional food ingredient, finding creative uses for every part of the plant, as the world’s attitude toward cannabis normalizes. This may sound far-fetched, particularly to people who live in places where cannabis remains illegal, where citizens—inordinately, people of color—are rotting in jail because of a plant. It will never be okay that (mostly) white men in suits rake in millions of dollars on cannabis and cannabis products while others go to jail over the very same plant. As we celebrate the strides we’ve made toward liberating cannabis, we must never forget that this progress has been made on the backs of those willing to pay the price before us. S U M M E R 2020

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lis s b BODY MADE FOR

Do you know you have an endocannabinoid system? You do. Your self is full of cellular receptors that bind with the active ingredients in cannabis known as cannabinoids. So why have we just now started to hear about it? TEXT LELAND RUCKER PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS JOSH CLARK

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ne thing I’ve noticed over the years, when talking with my cannabis-using friends, is that they are more likely to say it makes them feel “normal” rather than “stoned.” I generally answer that “it keeps me balanced” or something

ORIGINAL PHOTO BY CHARLIE, ADOBE STOCK

s along those lines. I would never say that about other mind-altering substances (alcohol, for instance), and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at least one reason millions of us keep coming back for more. But why do so many people who use cannabis feel that way? A couple of years ago, I began reading about

something called the endocannabinoid system, a regulating procedure within the body that works in much the same way cannabis does. My bs detector turned bright red. Yeah, right. Even for an advocate, that seemed a little too much to swallow, a little too good to be true.

There is much evidence that cannabis, or whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in cannabis, has been used to treat symptoms of human illnesses, disorders, and diseases in many cultures for centuries and that it was a standard pharmaceutical product in the United States. Today, after decades of lies

This article was originally published in Sensi Denver/Boulder August 2017 edition

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from the government and popular culture’s continuing depiction of marijuana users as inept “stoners,” we’re finding that ordinary people are using cannabis for pain, arthritis, and muscle relief and—surprise—just to relax. But why? Cannabinoids are chemical compounds found in cannabis plants, more than a hundred different ones so far. For the most part, no other plant accumulates them quite like cannabis, and these cannabinoids provide the plant with everything from pest resistance to relief from the sun’s UV rays. The most recognized are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), known for its psychoactive properties, and cannabidiol (CBD), recognized for its medical applications. “Many people have tried THC and CBD. Those are called phytocannabinoids,” says biochemist Samantha Miller, founder of Pure Analytics, a cannabis testing facility in California. Scientists have also discovered cannabinoids that are produced naturally in the body. Called endocannabinoids, they have structures similar to phytocannabinoids. Raphael Mechoulam, William Devane, and Dr. Lumir Hanus found the first endocannabinoid and called it anandamide after the Sanskrit word for bliss, in 1992, and later found another, called 2-arachidonoylglycero, or 2-AG. So far, so good. In 1988, scientists found receptors in all mammals that respond to cannabinoids, CB-1 receptors found in the brain and CB-2 receptors found throughout the body. These endocannabinoids hook up with these receptors. In biochemistry, it’s called the “lock-and-key” model, where the cannabinoid molecules act like

this natural architecture to interact with cannabinoids,” Miller says. “You find these all over the body, in the nervous system, the immune system, everywhere. The endocannabinoids control and influence a lot of different things, like sleep, appetite, anxiety, addiction, the cardiovascular system, immune system—everything to do with quality of life.” Perry Solomon is the former chief medical officer at HelloMD, a popular wellness website with a growing number of patients using cannabis. He describes the endocannabinoid system as a feedback mechanism that helps keep the body in equilibrium. “When you get excessive stimulation, pain, emotions, or bad experiences, chemicals are released that can overwhelm the body,” he says. “Endocannabinoids are a way to keep the body in balance.” There are literally thousands of —Perry Solomon, HelloMD research papers and studies around the world on cannabinoids. But cannabis research remains a somewhat arcane branch of science in the United States, which, under the “keys” that fit into the CB receptor auspices of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, until recently would “locks.” When the CB receptor is fund only projects that were aimed “unlocked” by a particular cannaat the abuse side of the equation. binoid, it changes its shape, and US researchers still encounter how it changes shape determines how it regulates cell signaling (how bureaucratic hassles, lack of adequate study product, and the fact cells communicate within themthat cannabis remains a Schedule selves and how they communicate I drug, which by definition means with other cells). From a chemical standpoint, THC is structurally it has no medical purpose. “Consimilar to anandamide, and CBD is ventional medicine traditionally has concentrated on opioids,” says comparable to 2-AG. THC “unDr. Selma Holden, a physician and locks” the CB-1 receptor in almost assistant clinical professor at the the same way anandamide does, and CBD “unlocks” the CB-2 recep- University of New England. But even US scientists and doctors are tor much like 2-AG. beginning to recognize that some“The reason we interact with cannabis so strongly is that we have thing’s going on.

“WHEN YOU GET EXCESSIVE STIMULATION, PAIN, EMOTIONS, OR BAD EXPERIENCES, CHEMICALS ARE RELEASED THAT CAN OVERWHELM THE BODY. ENDOCANNABINOIDS ARE A WAY TO KEEP THE BODY IN BALANCE."

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“Historically, people just thought cannabis was something that got you high and concentrated on the THC. Because of medical-marijuana efforts and a little increase in evidence, they’re starting to come around,” she explains. “And more patients are turning to their medical doctors and saying, ‘this stuff works for me.’” As recently as 2017, the University of Vermont was the only medical school in the country with an accredited course on the endocannabinoid system in its curriculum. “The people who should know about it aren’t taught it in medical school,” says Solomon, and he understands some doctors’ initial reluctance to deal with the endocannabinoid system. “Until doctors come out and become familiar with what’s involved in the system, there’s a hesitancy.” Oncologists, who already know it helps relieve the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, are among the leading edge of physicians beginning to take cannabis seriously, and other specialists are looking into cannabinoid alternatives, Solomon says. “A recent National Academies of Science study found that cannabinoids are being used to treat chronic pain in adults, and it does work,” he says. “So anesthesiologists are saying, ‘Maybe this is something we should look at.’” Holden says that some of the most exciting research today concerns cannabinoids’ anti-inflammatory qualities. “When you think of it, a lot of diseases, not all of them, have an inflammation component,” she says. “In dementia, in asthma, it’s all inflammation. That’s what’s interesting about the endocannabinoid system. It’s influencing these inflammation markers.”

“WE CAN'T FALL TOO MUCH INTO THE BELIEF SYSTEM THAT HAVING AN ALTERED STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS IS BAD." —Dr. Selma Holden, University of New England

Much of the research is being done at the behest of drug companies eager to create new products from cannabinoids and able to afford the expensive re-search needed for approval. GW Pharmaceuticals has developed a couple of cannabidiol products to combat epilepsy, and its Epidiolex was approved by the FDA in 2018 for the treatment of seizures—the first cannabis plant-derived medicine ever approved by the FDA. Arizona company Insys Therapeutics recently received preliminary DEA approval for a synthetic cannabis drug called Syndros. (The company also contributed to the successful effort to stop a marijuana legalization initiative in that state last year.) Much of the emphasis on cannabis healing these days is concentrated around CBD and marketed for its non-psychoactive effects. Hold-

en cautions that if someone is using cannabis for a chronic condition like back pain or Crohn’s disease, the feeling of elevation can be an important part of the therapy, too. “We can’t fall too much into the belief system that having an altered state of consciousness is bad.” And that gets us back to where we began. That altered state of consciousness that has offered me and so many people a feeling of relaxation, of being in a place where they can be creative and focused or as a way to deal with common maladies. “Our brains are ideally suited for cannabis,” Chris Kilham, an author and ethnobiologist who studies plant-based remedies as the Medicine Hunter on Fox News, told me. “There’s no substance other than water that has the health benefits and continued significance of those benefits.” S U M M E R 2020

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WOO-WOO

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WOOFERS The pet wellness industry is taking off, with a barkload of new ways to give your pooch some extra pampering. TEXT STEPHANIE WILSON

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’m sitting at my desk in the early hours of the morning struggling to write the anecdotal opener to this story. There’s soft music playing, so soft I can hear Gidget’s content snores coming from the pineapple dome she sleeps in when I’m at my desk. If the music were too loud, she would stomp as much as a chihuahua could out to the living room to get in her pressure-activated heated bed, engulfed by the soft white throw blanket I bought for myself. Gidget saw it, she liked it, she want it, she got it. This is the way it works. The nails on my fingertips are past due for a manicure; Gidget got hers done today. My dinner was peanut butter spooned from the jar; Gidget dined on a gour-

whole host of things.* Really, we’re just redirecting our limited discretionary funds to things we deem more worthy than, say, an intrinsically worthless shiny stone that De Beers’ marketing firm convinced Americans is a token of love and esteem that lasts forever. (Read: millennials are killing diamonds.) Millennials do spend HOOMANS AND FLOOFERS money on pets. This I wouldn’t have it any year, the US pet indusother way. Gidget may try is projected to rake in be a furry freeloader, but $75.28 billion, up more she’s my furry freeloadthan 30 percent since er and I love her hard. 2010 according to the Because she is awesome. American Pet Product All dogs are. Fight me: Association (APPA). A I’m an elder millennial, majority of millennials and I’ve got a genera(76 percent) would be tional army of pet-pammore likely to splurge on pering 20- and 30-some- luxury items like expenthings to back me up. sive treats or a custom Millennials have been bed for their pets than accused of killing a for themselves. met blend specially formulated to deliver the exact level of antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, probiotics, and minerals she needs for optimal health. After dinner, she got a bath and a towel massage before she tucked into the pineapple. That’s when I sat down to start writing. I work hard so my dog can have a better life. The meme is real.

KILLING SPREE I typed “millennials killed” into the search bar and autocomplete results included “mayo,” “Hooters,” “golf,” “romance,” and “malls.” We should be thanked, all those needed to go—yes, including romance as defined by the patriarchal archetype, but that’s a different topic for a different day. We’re talking about dogs here.

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PHOTO BY FABIAN FABER, ADOBE STOCK

“The pet care industry is booming, as people around the world—especially millennials—blur the line between human child and animal,” according to Business Insider. The senior brand manager of Purina, Ryan Gass, suggests that millennials are putting off marriage and having children, turning to pets to “fill that void,” but I don’t know what void he’s talking about, so we’re moving on. Millennials’ love for their pups is so intense, it’s spawned its own language. Us hoomans chase our heckin floofers, iPhones in hand, snapping pics of their snoots and bleps to share with frens, posting with captions about the goodest boy in the world. This has all led to a rise in what more serious folks call the “humanization of pets.” Sounds ominous. But it indicates how much our lives and our pets’ lives are intertwined—and therefore following the same trends. And what’s trendier or more millennial than wellness, wellness everywhere? In 1979, veteran journalist Dan Rather quipped during an episode of 60 Minutes, “Wellness…that’s a word you don’t hear every day.” Fast forward 40 years, and we’re hearing the word so much every

as well as sensory-based experiences, like the use of crystals, sound baths, and aromatherapy.” In Denver, Zen Pet is all about these modalities. Run by Dr. Becca Klobuchar, the mobile holistic veterinary medicine’s range of services is rooted in energy balancing and Chinese medicine. “I began exploring holistic therapies in an effort to provide pets with additional healing options when traditional treatments were unsuccessful,” says Klobuchar. “The intuitive treatment modalities I use approach pets’ health from the physical, energetic, and spiritual perspectives.” The energy balancing service is based on the concept that all living things have their own energy field that, when not in balance, can lead to disease, emotional LAYING ON HANDS Oh, yeah, and dog Reiki is stress, and pain. During a session, the ancient a thing here, too. Gidget practice of “laying on hasn’t tried it yet; she— like me—thinks it sounds of hands” transmits the healing energy of the a little bit woo-woo. This is how Health mag universe through the practitioner to the anidescribes the basic prinmal for healing effects. ciple: “Energy medicine While energy medicine (or biofield therapies) is the act of channeling and is the farthest mystical extreme of the modern manipulating the energy that courses through your wellness world, there are some forms backed by body in order to heal it. science. Acupuncture, This can be done with for one, and even Reiki. hands-on practices such as acupuncture and Reiki, Health reports that a 2010 day it’s almost lost all meaning. The fresh “pet wellness” phrase could mean pets are doing well overall or it could mean pets are judging you for not drinking kombucha. Don’t worry, dogs don’t judge. But they are getting more probiotics in their diets, just not from kombucha. Probiotics in sales of pet foods grew by 139 percent in 2018, according to the Nielsen market report, “Trends in Pet Care Mirror Those of Pet Owners.” We eat superfoods; our dogs eat superfoods. We take CBD; our pups take CBD. We get massages; our dogs get massages. There are fitness studios where we can workout alongside our pooches, acupuncturists we can visit for healing sessions, and day spas we can rent out for puppy playdates. Our pets don’t have it ruff.

US HOOMANS CHASE OUR HECKIN FLOOFERS, IPHONES IN HAND, SNAPPING PICS OF THEIR SNOOTS AND BLEPS TO SHARE WITH FRENS, POSTING WITH CAPTIONS ABOUT THE GOODEST BOY IN THE WORLD.

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review of research in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine found strong evidence that biofield therapies such as Reiki and therapeutic touch can alleviate pain. The caveat: It could be a placebo effect, and our pups aren’t swayed by the power of suggestion. But if you think it’s working for her, then the session is working—for you. It’s called the “caregiver placebo effect,” and there’s nothing wrong with it. As long as it’s used in conjunction with traditional vet visits—a supplemental part of a whole wellness plan. CHIRO FOR CANINES Dog chiropractic is an another emerging field gaining traction as a beneficial supplemental treatment therapy. At Denver Central Chiropractic (DCC) in Centennial, Dr. Erin Moran is providing holistic health care to both people and pets—“holistic health care for you and your dogs.” Animal chiropractic at its core follows the same principles and practices as the human kind. Moran suggests you consider chiropractic treatments if your pooch is showing signs of pain: reluctant to climb stairs, difficulty getting up after laying down, constantly licking or chewing paws, walking differently.

LIVING WITH A DOG IS GOOD FOR HUMAN HEALTH AS WELL. SO SAYS SCIENCE. SO THEY DESERVE TO LIVE A HEALTHIER LIFE RIGHT ALONG WITH US.

“Dogs get the same back issues as people, and chiropractic is a great option to address those issues without the use of drugs or surgery,” says Moran. “People get great results from seeing a chiropractor, and I want people to know that their dog can experience the same benefits.” It’s a nonsurgical, drugfree option for correcting disorders related to a fixation in the spine or joint. When vertebrae become immovable through trauma, injury, or standard wear-and-tear, the joints between them become jammed, often affecting the nerves in the congested area. Those nerves are the communication link between the brain and the spinal cord, so when they are out of order, it can set off a cascade of effects that leads to pain and loss of function. But pets can’t tell us where they hurt or why they’re limping, so treatments are a bit more complicated. When working with animals, Moran looks for abnormal or restricted movement, with a goal of restoring it to reduce pain and improve mobility. “The results I’ve seen have been amazing,” she says. Moran has helped dogs who have lost the use of their back legs because of slipped discs; after adjustments, they’re able to regain use of their legs and

walk again. She also treats arthritic dogs, “getting the pep back in their step so they can have a better quality of life.” If she could communicate with more than her eyes, Gidget would attest to the benefits of an adjustment. I can attest to the additional pep in her tiny steps after a session with Moran. Healthy pets can experience benefits of spine checkups, too, the doctor points out—especially active and athletic ones. The DCC website is clear that the practice is not meant to replace veterinary medicine. Rather, animal chiropractors work in conjunction with veterinarians, treating areas that often go unnoticed by traditional care. And that pain in your back as a result of hunching over your desk spoon-feeding yourself peanut butter while your pooch snuggles in your new comforter? As it turns out, living with a dog is good for human health as well. Having a pet lowers stress, reduces blood pressure, and may even help you live longer. So says science. So they deserve to live the same aspirational lifestyle to which we have made them accustomed. It’s the least we can do to repay the unconditional love Rebecca Treon contributed to this piece.

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Highly Trained

After fighting crime in San Diego for 25 years, retired Sheriff Sergeant Rich Eaton decided to take on a new business venture and open up the Vault cannabis dispensary and lounge in Cathedral City.

The Vault Dispensary Lounge in Cathedral City is one of the Coachella Valley’s most compelling cannabis endeavors to date. Like a plot from a movie, a retired sheriff sergeant invests in a former bank building and opens up a cannabis dis42

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pensary named the Vault in a dynamic shopping center that sits in the middle of the community’s crossroads of country clubs and trailer parks. It was a new business venture about which owner and retired sheriff detective sergeant Rich

Eaton didn’t think. After working for the San Diego Sheriff ’s Department for 25 years, he realized he could continue helping people—but in a very different way. Opened last fall, the Vault offers flower, prerolls, vape pens, topicals, concen-

trates, edibles, THC-infused beverages, and a consumption lounge. Eaton’s experience in law enforcement has not only helped him with the ins and outs of licensing and regulations (which could be tricky for a lot of businesses), but it also

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE VAULT DISPENSARY AND LOUNGE

TEXT LEANDRA ROMERO

DISCLAIMER

This interview took place before COVID-19 caused the global shutdown.

I was involved in the purchase of a property that was going to be used by a cultivation business. I became intrigued by the plant and its benefits. The science was undeniably squashing any untruths and/or lies that we have lived with for far too long. Once I educated myself and saw how many people were and are still being helped by cannabis, it was a no-brainer. I became a deputy sheriff to help people, and I am continuing to help people here at the Vault. Those in law enforcement are fooling themselves with their thinking that it’s OK to drink a fifth of vodka and What inspired you to take an Ambien to get to go from being a retired sleep vs. putting a few sheriff ’s detective sergeant to opening up a all-natural tincture drops cannabis dispensary and under the tongue to relounge in Cathedral City? lieve stress, anxiety, and Shortly after retirement, PTSD. The quicker they gave him a new opportunity to be a part of the ever-growing cannabis community, even leading to him solidifying the role of the official retail and license host of Hall of Flowers this year before it was cancelled. (It was scheduled to take place in April; dates for next year’s event have not been announced as of press time.) Here, Eaton discusses why he decided to join the cannabis business after his two-decadelong police career, and how the Vault became involved in one of the most highly regarded local cannabis events.

realize the difference, the laws, and regulations, better off all of us will be. it’s a no-brainer. It’s easily followed and easily agreed upon to all the What has your rules, where a lot of experience in the people who are working industry been like since in that gray area don’t opening the Vault? necessarily follow the I liken the cannabis rules to the T. You don’t industry to dog years. I have to follow the rules have been involved for to a T to succeed, but you three years, but it feels have to follow the rules. like 20. We have had a few bumps, as some legacy cannabis people have Did you ever arrest anyone on a trouble evolving in this marijuana-related over-regulated market, offense? What do you but, overall, the experience has been fantastic. think about that today? Of course, yes. When How has your insight it was 5,000 pounds, 10,000 pounds, and with laws and 25,000 pounds comregulations helped ing from Mexico and you in the business? internationally coming Yes, see that’s easy for into the country illegalme. The regulations for ly with cartel, yes. The a lot of people are hard, kid with a dime bag and hard to assimilate to, hard to evolve to. For me, a joint, no. You won’t find one kid that says I coming from 25 years arrested them for a joint. of following rules, and

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None of that. Personal use? None, zero. Multithousand pound cartel loads? Yes.

How or why they picked this location over DHS? I don’t know that reason. I’d like to think the Vault has something to do Hall of Flowers is using with it, but I don’t know. the Vault’s license to run And, yeah, they could’ve the event in Cathedral picked other dispensaCity. How did the Vault ries to be their host, but become involved? they picked us. It was basically pure So you are the official luck is how I feel. I feel that we’ve built a place Host of Hall of Flowers? that is comfortable and We’re the retail host and next-level cannabis retail license behind Hall consumption and retail. of Flowers. So they will I think we brought it to build a temporary Vault traditional retail style. inside Hall of Flowers, Traditional cigar room and all of the attendees and smoke room rather will be buying product than ‘dank’ and ‘green from us inside the show. walls,’ ya know? I think So there will be booths we’re past that. I think set up with over 400 the other side of it was vendors, and if you’re that Hall of Flowers was in attendee, then they’ll looking at this location say, ‘Oh, you can go buy a across the street from sample of our product at us and another location the Vault,’ and then you’ll in Desert Hot Springs. get a sample for a couple

of bucks. Then, you get the tickets for the product you want and go to the Vault over there and make your purchase.

They will be staying in local hotels, Airbnb’s and spending money locally. It will also shed a light on the great cannabis community that has evolved Why do you think an in Coachella over the last event like Hall of flowers three years. is important to have in our community? Hall of Flowers will bring thousands of people to our community, all seeking cannabis-related products and deals.

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Empty Calendar What to do when there’s nothing to do.

The dog days of summer are upon us. In our modern lexicon, that popular term has dual meanings: 1) the period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer occurs in the Northern Hemisphere; 46

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2) a period of stagnation or inactivity. In 2020, the dog days of summer were mauled by the pandemic, which continues to force people around the globe to endure lengthy periods of inactivity. But just because travel dreams were

dashed this year doesn’t mean you can’t take your mind to new places. Here are some quick suggestions about ways to fill the long days ahead. Get Lost in a Good Book Because your brain can’t take any. more. Netflix.

And you can’t take any more…well, anything. As the Book of Disquiet author Fernando Pessoa wrote, “Literature is the most agreeable way of ignoring life.” Not much of a reader? No problem. Trevor Noah, Jamie Lee Curtis,

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PHOTO CREDITS (FROM TOP): SOMEMEANS, ADOBE STOCK / ALFA27, ADOBE STOCK

Mariah Carey, Kevin Bacon, Alicia Silverstone, James McAvoy, and so many other leading performers can do the reading. All you’ve got to do is listen, which you can do while going about your day. Or while not going anywhere: your call. A 2018 University College London study showed that listening to audiobooks is more emotionally engaging than watching TV and movies—findings consistent across all demographics regardless of the genre. Audible is your go-to source for premium offerings available on demand

If you haven’t already done the Audible free trial, what better time than now to take advantage of the deal: 60-day free trial plus two free audiobooks, then $14.95 for one credit per month, good for any book regardless of price, and you can cancel anytime . Got a library card? Download the Libby app, which allows you to borrow and read ebooks and audiobooks from your local public library for free. Don’t have a library card? Well now you have something else to do right now when there’s not a whole lot to do.

Make (Bad?) Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City may be temporarily closed (as of press time), but its website, moma.org, invites you to experience the world through its artistic lens. Take in the Virtual Views by exploring NYC architecture online. Listen to hours of art-inspired music on summer playlists curated by MoMa staffers. From artists’ musical inspirations to cinema soundtracks to the “alien” sounds of the avant-garde, the museum’s Spotify playlists include one dedicated

to the music of Miró; The “Rosanne Cash, the River, and the Thread” includes some thoughts the singer-songwriter shared about weaving, making art, and writing music—and made a playlist to accompany the exhibition. The set featuring songs about and inspired by works of art sets the perfect soundtrack to an afternoon spent engrossed in any of the museum’s free online courses, including “Fashion as Design” and “Postwar Abstract Painting,” taught through online portal Coursera (coursera.org/moma).

QUARANTINE LISTENING PARTY Our editor in chief Stephanie Wilson ranks the seven novels she “read” during shutdown.

7. Trust Exercise by Susan Choi 6. Men Without Women by Huraki Murakami 5. Writers & Lovers by Lily King 4. Normal People by Sally Rooney 3. Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld 2. All Adults Here by Emma Straub 1. Weather by Jenny Offill

“We have art so that we shall not die of reality.” —Friedrich Nietzsche

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The New Normal

tween them. From cultivation to brand building to retail and delivery, they have been involved in every aspect of the supply chain. What sets their boutique agency apart Everything is the fact that they are vertically intecan be grated in the industry. By working with clients from the beginning of the supply counted on to chain—farms, indoor cultivation, and communities, cannabis and noncanlabs—to the end of the supply chain, evolve and nabis businesses, local municipalities, with manufacturing facilities and retail fluctuate. city chambers, and trade associations, shops, CMG is able to keep an eye out like the Coachella Valley Cannabis for upcoming trends and advise clients —Canna Management Alliance Network, to bridge the gap and on when changes need to be made. Group normalise the industry. Removing the As more changes loom on the indusstigma surrounding the plant and all try horizon, CMG’s skills and expertise its derivatives is one of the company’s will be crucial in both building a main goals, and why, as publishers of network of businesses to support each Sensi Coachella Valley, CMG is commit- other and helping owners execute ted to the media group’s national and their business visions successfully. regional normalization efforts. CMG’s secret sauce for staying onestep ahead of the industry is that both managing partners, Jason Zahler and Canna Management Company Greg Jelden, are industry insiders with Consulting and Management Agency more than 35 years of experience becannamanagementgroup.com

Canna Management Group is building community one step at a time.

hange. It’s the one thing for certain in the cannabis industry. Government regulations, exciting product innovations, and shifting business models are the norm. Everything can be counted on to evolve and fluctuate. That can be both refreshing and terrifying to veterans as well as folks new to the industry. Luckily, the team at Canna Management Group (CMG) has created an interconnected platform that ensures the pathway forward remains as smooth as possible. Using an innovative and multipronged approach of print, experiential, and digital, CMG brings together local

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Managing Risk

voice that can save you in the end.” “People are As a risk manager, Joslin specialputting izes in both commercial and personal their heart coverage—including cannabis insurance, personal liability, business and soul liability, product liability, D&O, and into these investment properties. She works endeavors; hand-in-hand with clients so they have in some all the coverage they need, regardless of circumstances. Insurance should be cases it’s something that is handled quickly and everything simply, not a cause of heartache. they have. As the recent vaping issues highThey need lighted, it’s important for businesses to to be toward the burgeoning cannabis industry be protected in case things go south. protected in in California. A vice president at HUB Product recalls, liability, property coverInternational Limited, Joslin realized age, and board of directors are all issues case things that there was a need for professional that HUB ensures clients are protected go bad.” advice in the industry. By harnessing the around—starting today and moving strength of HUB, one of the largest insur- forward. Insurance need not be a pain —Mindy Joslin, vice ance brokers in the world, she is able to point for businesses; instead it should be president, HUB offer an array of services that business International Limited something that shields them daily. owners need, including insurance carriers that focus solely on cannabis. “People are putting their heart and soul into these endeavors; in some HUB International Limited cases it’s everything they have. They Insurance Brokers need to be protected in case things go hubinternational.com bad,” she says. “I am the professional @HUBInsurance

An insurance specialist offers protection for cannabis businesses.

wning and operating any business can be risky, but the cannabis industry can be even trickier. Dealing with myriad local, state, and federal government regulations, coupled with the everyday issues business owners face, like taxes and payroll can be stressful. Well, lucky for you there is someone out there to help ensure that all your insurance needs are taken care of. A highly respected individual in the insurance industry, Mindy Joslin decided four years ago to turn her attention

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As one of three Surf Parks scheduled to break ground in the Coachella Valley, DSRT Surf is a destination 52

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resort opening in Palm Desert in 2021. With an expected cost of around $200 million and consisting of a surf

center, hotel, spa, villas, and beach amenities organized around a surf pool purpose-built for surfi ng, DSRT Surf

will use the quickly emerging frontrunner Wavegarden Cove technology and promises net-zero water use.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BAR ARCHITECTS

Surfs Up

Catch a wave in the Valley at DSRT Surf.

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