Sensi Magazine NorCal - February 2021 by Sensi Magazine

MUSH LOVE

Shrooms spice up the bedroom

STORIES THAT STICK

Excerpts from a new memoir

NORCAL FEBRUARY 2021

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SHREDDING SEASON Where to go and what to know on the slopes

SWEET RELEAF

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NORCAL SENSI MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2021

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FEATURE

Home Baked

The rollicking tale of Sticky Fingers Brownies, as told by the daughter of its founder

DEPARTMENTS

9 EDITOR’S NOTE 18 THE LIFE Contributing to your health and happiness 10 THE BUZZ MUSH LOVE Fungus News, tips, and tidbits

could fun up your to keep you in the loop Valentine’s Day RAD IN PLAID The newest RECIPE Homemade trending flannel shirt chocolate bombs WINE DOWN Winter HOROSCOPE What the wine tasting weekend stars hold for you returns safely. MARKETPLACE Six giftable CBD goodies THE SCENE Hot happenings and hip A.M. ADDITION New hangouts around town nondairy CBD creamer SKI SAFE Where to go PASSPORT PERKS Sip, and what to know shop, and save in when you hit the snow Calistoga. CALENDAR Live and virPRODUCT SPOTLIGHT tual events you’ll love Screaming Trumpets cannabis products from Desert Underground THE END SENSI PRESENTS The A photographer debut album from channels psychedelic our new record label benefits the community. times with a Bay Bridge abstract.

ON THE COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF KIRKWOOD

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ADVISORY BOARD

Aita and Associates Insurance Marketing, Inc Employee Benefit Specialists Canna-Envy DIY Cannabis Convergence Laboratories Cannabis Testing Laboratory Heartwood Mountain Sanctuary Eco-Retreat Center Humboldt Patient Resource Center Dispenary: Humboldt Humboldt Vape Tech Vape Accessories KC Financial Services Accounting Kushla Life Sciences Cannabis Formulation Red Door Remedies Dispenary: Cloverdale Sonoma Patient Group Dispensary: Santa Rosa Strictly Topical Inc./Sweet ReLeaf Pain Relief Topicals Trinity Outdoor Premier Properties Cannabis Real Estate Uleva Hemp Products Vaper Tip Vape Supply & Consulting Wana Brands Edible Gummies MEDIA PARTNERS

Marijuana Business Daily Minority Cannabis Business Association National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy

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 Amanda Patrizi Deputy Director of Global Reach amanda.patrizi@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 Jenny Willden Managing Editor jenny.willden@sensimag.com Robyn Griggs Lawrence Editor at Large robyn.lawrence@sensimag.com Helen Olsson Copy Chief Tracy Ross, Mona Van Joseph, Alia Volz Contributing Writers DESIGN/PRODUCTION

Jamie Ezra Mark Creative Director jamie@emagency.com Rheya Tanner Art Director Wendy Mak, Josh Clark Designers Neil Willis Production Director neil.willis@sensimag.com PUBLISHING

Nancy Birnbaum Market Director nancy.birnbaum@sensimag.com Gina George Media Sales Executive regina.george@sensimag.com Toni Malvesta Media Sales Executive toni.malvesta@sensimag.com Sam De La Paz Media Sales Executive sam.delapaz@sensimag.com

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Magazine published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC.

February marks the somber anniversary of

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TWITTER Follow @sensimag for need-to-know news and views from Sensi headquarters.

I N S TAG R A M Pretty things, pretty places, pretty awesome people: find it all on @sensimagazine

COVID-19 in California, and the pandemic’s initial explosion across America. Today, terms like social distancing and quarantining are a normal part of our vernacular, and we’ve amassed collections of face masks that I hope we can collectively burn when this pandemic ends. Sounds cathartic, doesn’t it? But this wild ride isn’t over yet. From an unlawful coup to inaugurating a new president, January was one exhausting, eventful month. While it’s foolish to think a change in leadership and vaccine rollout can immediately heal these troubled United States, I hope it’s the first step to bringing our fractured nation back together. As surging cases of the virus and full ICUs strain the Golden State, we’re all looking for a safe escape. And the best place to find a reprieve during the pandemic is outside. After all, outdoor adventure is the OG of social distancing, and whether you hike the Bay Area, surf on the coast, or cross-country ski through a forest, getting outside is an antidote to cabin fever, stress, and depression. Yes, you should still practice social distancing and bring a mask, but when you’re all alone, unmasked in the woods, you can almost forget we’re living in a dystopian thriller. If skiing is your outdoor passion, you’ll be as elated as us that California’s ski slopes remain open, despite ever-changing rules and precautions. In this issue, we’re breaking down what you need to know before heading to California resorts, and we’re featuring our favorite dispensaries along the way. If you’ve turned to this issue for the cannabis coverage, you’ll find CBD gifts for your sweetie and seriously good cannabis hot chocolate bombs to make at home. Whether you’re a longtime reader or a Sensi NorCal newbie, thanks for joining us on this journey.

We’re all looking for a safe escape. And the best place to find a reprieve during the pandemic is outside. After all, outdoor adventure is the OG of social distancing.

Yours in the new normal,

Jenny Willden @jennywillden

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Rad in Plaid In the ’90s, baggy plaid shirts added a retro touch to the grunge aesthetic. Three decades later, plaid is back, though how many times it’s come and gone since it first emerged in Scotland in the 1700s, we cannot say. It’s now the shirt of record for hip urbanites, latte-sipping millennials, and anyone, really, in the outdoor industry. From California Cowboy, which is based in San Francisco, the High Sierra up-levels the genre as a wearable happy-hour kit. With classic flannel on the outside and a cozy waffle-weave thermal inside, the 10

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shirt comes with a bottle opener built into its own dedicated pocket. At the shirt back, a reinforced holster pocket will hold a bottle of your favorite CBD-infused IPA, while a water-resistant interior pocket with a hydrophobic zipper protects smartphones from spills and precip. The pièce de résistance for the cannabis connoisseur: a slim pocket built discreetly into the breast pocket holds your vape pen at the ready. High Sierra Shirt / California Cowboy $148 / shop.californiacowboy.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF CALIFORNIA COWBOY

This hip flannel shirt is on trend, tricked out, and ready to party.

CONTRIBUTORS

Helen Olsson, Jenny Willden

BY THE NUMBERS

Giftable Goodies Show your love with cool CBD gifts.

39%

Accuracy rate of Punxsutawney Phil’s Groundhog Day winter predictions SOURCE: livescience.com

$5.6 BILLION California’s cannabis market size—the world’s largest cannabis industry

THE WINE MUST GO ON

PHOTO (TOP) BY KAILANI ANDRADE

Winter wine-tasting weekend returns with a social distanced format. After COVID-19 shutdowns and months with no wine tasting at all, Northern Sonoma County is planning to gather vinophiles for its Winter WineLove Weekend along Wine Road—in a safe and social distanced fashion. Now slated for March 19–21, tickets are just $50 per person and go on sale March 1. Note: Event subject to cancellation or postponement. Enjoy this opportunity to taste limited and new release wines in beautiful Sonoma vineyards. Tickets cover tasting fees at every winery you visit—with a minimum of three wines sampled at each. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, ticket holders must book reservations at the wineries they plan to visit; each reservation lasts for an hour. Be prepared to be seated outdoors at most wineries. Winter WineLove Weekend / wineroad.com

SOURCE: cannabisbusinessplans.com

255

PEEPS Number of the sugary Easter treats eaten in five minutes—a world record set by Californian Matt Stonie SOURCE: time.com

39.78 MILLION California’s 2020 population, the highest of any state SOURCE: ap.org

If flowers and candles feel overdone, gift your Valentine CBD-infused chocolate, balms, teas, and tinctures made for pain relief, wellness, and relaxation. FX Zen Chocolate: Hemp-infused chocolates give you zen vibes without a high. Each THC-free treat contains 5 mg of calming cannabinoids and dark chocolate with no sugar. $20 per box Purity Organic CBD Sleep Chamomile Tea: Unwind for the night with this blend of organic chamomile tea, lavender, and CBD in ready-to-brew tea bags designed to promote relaxation. $25 per box Defy Perform CBD Muscle Balm: Make massages better with this roll-on balm containing 800 mg CBD, 10 percent menthol, and 5 percent camphor to soothe muscles, reduce pain, and speed recovery. $50 AmourCBD Gummies: Chew these 10 mg CBD gummies to reduce pain—or even take the edge off your anxiety. All are 100 percent THC free and come in real fruit flavors. $37 Identity CBD Topical Oil: Wonder what the gifts of the Magi smelled like? This cinnamon and myrrhinfused CBD roll-on is a close approximation. Use for pain, massages, and relaxation. $30 Pure Craft CBD Water Soluble Tincture: Made with Nanotechnology, these water soluble tinctures are among the most absorbable and bioavailable on the market. They dissolve 10 times faster than leading CBD brands. $95–$145

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THE BUZZ

BILITIES BY STEPHANIE WILSON, EDITOR IN CHIEF

1 AIR TIME Don’t let the “aqua” in the name of the 11th astrological sign in the zodiac fool you—Aquarius is a visionary air sign represented by the water bearer. The 10th largest constellation in the zodiac, Aquarius is also one of the oldest, first documented in the second century by a Greek astrologer.

2 FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH Greek mythology links the constellation Aquarius with Ganymede, who, as the story goes, was the hottest dude like ever—so hot that Zeus, the god of thunder himself, just had to have him. The details vary depending on which ancient text you’re reading, but basically Zeus abducted Gany and brought him to Mount Olympus to serve as a cup-bearer and quench his thirst. (The original thirst trap?) Ganymede was rewarded with eternal youth, which explains why I, an Aquarius, don’t look a day over 39 when by the end of this month I will be 28 days over it.

3 THE AGE OF AQUARIUS But who cares? Age is just a number. Lying about your age just perpetuates the idea that whatever age you are is somehow bad, that by being that age you are worse than you were before. The Aquarian in me finds this to be bullshit. Don’t buy into the labels, don’t let anyone put you in a box, just be yourself … 4 THIS END UP Oops, I got distracted. That happens to Aquarians. We’re a bit all over the place because we’re interested in everything. But we don’t like to label ourselves as out-of-the-box thinkers, because we despise labels, we question assumptions, and we do not like being told what to do. Besides, we didn’t see the box anyway; we were lost in our thoughts, which are always flitting from one topic to another as we move through life with an aloof detachment that can come across as cold. 5 LET THE SUN SHINE IN We are cold; we’ve always been cold. We came into this world in the middle of the winter when the planet couldn’t be farther from the sun. We’ve been chasing that sun ever since. It’s fun; you should come with. 6 DON'T CHA HEAR ME CALLIN' TO YA? Think of your most free-spirited, eccentric friend—the person you call when you’re in the mood for an adventure but avoid when you’ve gotta be up early the next day: they’re probably an Aquarius. You should call and wish them a happy birthday.

A.M. Addition

Treat yo’self with this new nondairy CBD creamer. Power up your morning coffee or smoothie with Identity CBD Creamer, the world’s first CBD nondairy creamer. This coconut-based dietary supplement is made with organic ingredients in four flavors: vanilla, honey, coconut, and cacao. Each packet contains 10 mg of CBD from Oregon-farmed hemp and no THC, making it the perfect power-up or stress-relief aid. Identity creamer contains no artificial sweeteners and is soy and gluten free. We’re obsessed with blending the vanilla creamer in hot coffee, but we encourage experimentation to find your favorite flavor combination. Identity CBD Creamer / identitylife.com

PASSPORT PERKS

Sip, shop, and save this winter in Calistoga.

While international travel is on hiatus, you can explore Napa Valley this winter with an affordable vino passport for charming Calistoga. The Winter in the Wineries Passport includes complimentary wine tasting flights at 15 Calistoga wineries, complimentary corkage at select restaurants, and discounts on lodging, dining, shopping, and spa experiences. The passport program typically ends in February but has been extended to April 1 due to COVID-19 closures. Each $60 passport is valued at $400. Order yours online for home delivery, or pick one up at the Calistoga Welcome Center (1133 Washington Street) in downtown Calistoga. Calistoga Winter in the Wineries Passport / visitcalistoga.com

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THE BUZZ

VOX POPULI

Question: How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day this year?

“Spring will come and so will happiness.

JODY STARR

LANIAKEA EVANS

IAN MONAT

CAMERON HATTAN

Senior Cannabis Concierge, High Tide Distribution Sebastopol

General Manager, 365 Recreational Cannabis Santa Rosa

Co-founder/CEO, Rhythm CBD Seltzers Walnut Creek

Co-founder, Fiddler’s Greens and High Tide Distribution Sebastopol

___________________

Since I’m single this year and Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday, I’m going to take myself golfing and enjoy all the cannabis. Let’s call it ‘pandemic self-care.’

I’m making the day special by cooking my husband’s favorite meal, going for a family walk at Paradise Ridge Winery, and dancing under the stars to our favorite music.

My wife and I have a four-month-old daughter, so this year I have two Valentines. Between the new baby and COVID, we’ll keep it low-key. I’m thinking a Netflix rom-com with a glass of rosé for the wifey and me and a bottle of milk for the baby.

My wife and I are business partners in Fiddler’s Greens. We usually try to find some quiet time at a place away from the cannabis chaos where we can take a deep breath —Anita Krizzan, author and enjoy each other’s company.

Hold on. Life will get warmer.”

Wild West Weed

An eclectic group of connoisseurs promises to reinvent and elevate cannabis for the modern age. Desert Underground’s band of cultivators is forging a new cannabis frontier with its Screaming Trumpets line. These premium looseleaf packs contain everything you need to roll a joint, and the pre-ground cannabis is made from highly potent flowers grown indoors in the California desert. Balancing the latest technologies with classic growing methods, Desert Underground infuses its soil with minerals and elements to nourish its plants and create a cutting-edge, high-quality product. Choose from aromatic strains like Wedding Cake for a relaxed high or the award-winning Sundae Driver for a happy high and a creamy, grape flavor. Screaming Trumpets products are available at select dispensaries and via delivery in the Golden State. Screaming Trumpets / desertunderground.com

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Congratulations to the 2020 Feast of Flowers

WINNERS! Light Dep: Sativa 1st place - Full Moon FarmSPK (Sour Patch Kids)

2nd place - hilltop RanchPineapple Upside Down Cake

3rd place - hygro Humboldt/ Don Carlos- Mother’s Milk

Light Dep: INDICA 1st place- Old Briceland

Cannabis Co.- Ice Cream Cake

2nd place- Hygro Humboldt/ Don Carlos- Wedding Cake

3rd place- Canna Country- #3 GH7

Light Dep: HYBRID 1st place- Xotic Flavorz- Mac 1 2nd place- SoHum Royal- Orange Cookies/High Octane

3rd place- Humboldt Redwood Healing- White Runtz

Support the Businesses that Support Reform! Need Products or Services? Visit the Cannabis Marketplace on CaNORML.org

SPRINT Business Services Retailers & Delivery Services Attorneys

Productsr i n t p I copy

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Vaporizers

MARKETPLACE

Doctors

Free Listing with Business Membership:

CaNORML.org/join-the-cannabis-marketplace

Full Term: SATIVA 1st place- Whitethorn Valley Farms- Night Owl 2nd place- Sunnabis- Surfin Bird 3rd place- Hogwash Pharms-

Protecting and Expanding your Cannabis Rights since 1972 Join Us at CaNORML.org

Mountain Medicine CBD 1:1

Full Term: INDICA 1st place- Savage Farms- Savage Zittles 2nd place Huckleberry Hill Farms- Mom’s Weed 3rd place- Whitethorn Valley Farms- The Fool Full Term: HYBRID 1st place- Sunnabis- Green Dragon 2nd place- Full Moon FarmBlueberry Muffin Gelato

3rd place- SoHum Royal- Orangia

Concentrate: 1st place- Bizybee Farms- Gelato (live) 2nd place - Old Briceland Cannabis Co. Willy’s Kush Cake (live)

3rd place- Huckleberry Hill Farm- Mom’s Magic (live)

thanks to all judges & participants! Together we raised

$15,000

for our southern humboldt volunteer fire departments!

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SPRINT print I copy 707 823 3900

175 n main st

sebastopol

THE BUZZ

David Starfire

SWEET RELEAF

PHOTO COURTESY DAVID STARFIRE

The first compilation album from Sensi’s new record label drops with a mission to bring justice to those incarcerated for cannabis offenses. Sensi has always been more than just a magazine—it’s a concept and a community. And now it’s a record label, Sensi Presents. The initial offering will not just provide the soundtrack for everything from cooking at home to Zoom dance parties to ski trips, it will make a difference. Fifty percent of the proceeds for the sale of the first album, Sensi Releaf ($22, available through April at sensimag.com/presents), will go to the Last Prisoner Project (lastprisonerproject.org), a nonprofit working to reform cannabis criminal justice and fight inequity when it comes to those serving time for activities that are no longer crimes. A version of the album to be released in April will include commentary from Last Prisoner Project’s Andrew and Steve DeAngelo. “The main goal of Last Prisoner Project in 2021 is to build on the momentum of 2020,” Andrew DeAngelo

says. “We want to get more cannabis prisoners out and home. We want their records expunged. We want them re-entered into society with good paying jobs, housing, health care, etc.” Andrew is hopeful that new leadership in DC will work with the nonprofit toward that end. “LPP and many others in the cannabis social justice movement are hopeful of partnering with the Biden administration. It remains to be seen if that partnership meets our expectations, but there is optimism right now.” All the artists on Sensi Releaf are on board with the cause. “I think the Last Prisoner Project is an amazing organization. I’m a firm believer in social justice, and I think it’s wrong to incarcerate people for drug crimes,” says California-based multi-instrumentalist and producer David Starfire, who remixed Dub FX’s track “Fire Every

Day” for this project. “I hope that with this album project that there is more awareness about this issue.” Releaf will deliver positive vibes as soon as you press play. A wide range of cuts—from Tubby Love and Amber Lily (with Trevor Hall) channeling classic reggae beats in “Chant Up Zion” to transpersonal psychologist AshEL SeaAll SeaSunz dropping mindful funk on “Lady Justice”—keep this compilation moving. “Sensi Releaf raises money for the cause, and that money goes to get people out of prison,” Andrew says. “That’s the transactional benefit. The music itself also has many beneficial messages regarding justice that are done in a way that inspires and rejuvenates the soul. It’s a great album to play in the background while working. It’s also a spectacular cannabis session album for after work.” F E B R UA RY 2021

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Mush Love Fungus could fun up your Valentine’s Day.

PHOTOS (FROM LEFT) BY KICHIGIN19, ADOBE STOCK; ANDERSPHOTO, ADOBE STOCK

TEXT ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

In the South Pacific, legend tells of women writhing in sexual ecstasy after eating mushrooms they found growing wild in the forest. Normans fed grooms a dish made from a pound of mushrooms to prepare them for their wedding night, and Mataco Indians in Chiapas, Mexico, rubbed the red underside of bracket fungus on their faces to boost their sex appeal. In the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church banned highly sought-after cardoncello mushrooms for the unforgiveable sin of making parishioners horny. When it comes to sexy time, shrooms have a history. Flesh colored and globular, they come by their reputation naturally. But not all the 14,000 species of mushrooms have the

the skirt-wearing sex and erotic and lustful memories among the beard-wearing sex,” European gastronome Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote in 1825. “This honorable parallelism comes not only from the fact that this esteemed tuber is delicious, but also because it is still believed to bring about potenTruffles cy, the exercise of which Ancient Greeks believed brings sweet pleasure.” truffles were created Also known as white when lightning impregdiamonds, truffles are nated the earth with its seed, and they’ve been one of the most coveted called the earth’s testicles. foods in the world, and They have been legendary their price tag—anysince ancient Rome, when where from $1,500 to $4,000 per pound—rePliny offered six ways to flects that. Like caviar prepare the delicacies in and fine champagne, they his compendium of aphseduce by being elusive rodisiacs. Napoleon was and expensive. A fungus said to be a fan. that lives symbiotically “Truffles. As soon with tree roots, truffles as the word is spoken, it awakens lustful and can be found in only a erotic memories among few places on earth. They power of sexual persuasion. Only a handful have stood as aphrodisiac champions down through the centuries. Here’s a rundown of the naughty mushrooms and a little bit about how to eat them, something to chew on when planning your Valentine’s Day.

emit a chemical called androstenol, which is nearly identical to a male pig sex hormone and also found in men’s underarm sweat (there’s no accounting for what turns us humans on). While we swoon for the smell of truffles after they’ve been harvested, human noses don’t have what it takes to find them underground. Pigs and dogs can be trained to root them out for us, but that’s not cheap. In Brillat-Savarin’s day, the upper classes showed off by stuffing hens with truffles. That’s not the best way to enjoy them. To get the most out of truffles, serve them raw, grated or sliced with a truffle slicer (yes, there’s such a thing) over fresh pasta, sauces, soups, risotto, or scrambled eggs. You can also make truffle butter—use

MAKE YOUR OWN

TRUFFLE HONEY INGREDIENTS

½ ounce fresh black or white truffles, cleaned 8 ounces raw organic honey INSTRUCTIONS

• Using a microplane grater, grate truffle into honey. Stir until well integrated. • Replace lid and refrigerate for 48 hours. Keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

F E B R UA RY 2021

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THE LIFE

it to sauté mushrooms for a real treat—or truffle honey, which is amazing when drizzled over gorgonzola crostini or baked brie. (You can also buy truffle butter and truffle honey in gourmet stores or online.) Cordyceps In India and China, Cordyceps sinensis has been used as an aphrodisiac for centuries. Also known as “Himalayan Viagra,” it’s a rare fungus that gets inside a ghost moth caterpillar burrowed in the soil for the winter, then slowly consumes and digests it from within. In the spring, the bright yellow, wormlike fungus blossoms up and out of the ill-fated cater-

pillar’s head. Legend has it that Tibetan yak herders were the first to notice their yaks had more energy and vitality when they ate cordyceps, and now it’s being touted as an alternative to pharmaceuticals for combating sexual dysfunction. Eating powdered cordyceps supports blood flow and oxygen supply, and clinical studies have found it supports healthy blood circulation in the penis and increases sperm count and quality. Wild cordyceps will run you $20,000 per pound and up, but you can buy much cheaper cultured Cordyceps militaris, which is vegan-grown on brown rice or soy (no caterpillars have to die). Eat them raw, cooked in food, or

made into tea. They can be sautéed or stewed with meat if you’re a carnivore. Cordyceps powder can be blended into coffee or chai or added to stir-fries, soups, salads, or pasta.

up your Valentine’s Day, be aware that reishi can also put you to sleep. Reishi powder and dried reishi are readily available at health food stores and online. When buying reishi powder, Reishi look for organic brands In Asia, reishi mushrooms that use hot-water exhave been known as the traction, which retains magic mushrooms of the the most nutrients. With bedroom for thousands a smoky, almost chocoof years. Reishi supports laty flavor, reishi is great the kidney and urinary in smoothies, teas, and as system, which is the seat a coffee alternative. of sexual power in traditional Chinese medicine. Shiitake Great for the brain, emo- Fleshy and juicy, shiitational well-being, and the ke mushrooms check all immune system, reishi the aphrodisiac boxes. can help the body become They’re full of zinc, which more resilient to stress— gets the blood flowing the No. 1 cock blocker— and boosts testosterone, over time. If you’re conand lentinan, which is besidering this one to spice lieved to enhance erectile

MAKE YOUR OWN

TRUFFLE BUTTER INGREDIENTS

1 pound quality unsalted butter, room temperature 1–3 teaspoons white truffle oil Sea salt, to taste INSTRUCTIONS

• Place butter in mixing bowl and add truffle oil 1 teaspoon at a time, tasting each time. Stir to combine. Add salt to taste. • Form into a 1-inch-thick log and wrap tightly with plastic. Keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

PHOTO BY KATOBONSAI, ADOBE STOCK

(continued on p.25)

Congregating Cordyceps The “caterpillar fungus” is said to be the world’s most valuable parasite.

F E B R UA RY 2021

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Psilly Cider Recipe by Kate Avruch / Servings: 2

INGREDIENTS

3 grams dried psilocybin mushrooms 3 ounces unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, or enough to cover the mushrooms Raw honey, to taste (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Make sure shrooms are thoroughly dry. Chop or grind them into small pieces or powder. • Loosely layer mushrooms into bottom of a clean half-gallon mason jar. Add the vinegar. Place a layer of parchment paper between EQ U I P M E N T the metal lid and the top of the jar so the acidic solution Coffee grinder, blender, doesn’t deteriorate the or knife metal rim of the lid. Seal the Two 32-ounce widejar, enclosing the parchment mouth glass jars paper underneath. Wax or parchment paper • Place the jar in a warm Fine mesh strainer location (but out of direct Cheesecloth or coffee filters sunlight) and allow the Funnel vinegar to infuse for a 22

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N OT E S

•

• • •

minimum of 7 days and a maximum of 4 weeks. Shake the jar daily. Line strainer with cheesecloth or coffee filter, place over funnel, and strain the liquid into the second jar. Firmly squeeze out the mushrooms through the cheesecloth or coffee filter. If honey is cold, place the honey jar in pot of simmering water to warm gently. Taste vinegar mixture and add warmed honey, 1 tablespoon at a time, to taste. Store in a glass jar in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.

You can step up this infusion’s potency by changing the ratio of mushrooms to liquid. Enjoy it as a solo shot, in a smoothie, or in your favorite tea. Avruch also suggests adding other beneficial ingredients, including reishi mushrooms, garlic cloves, horseradish root, grated ginger, rosemary, cayenne pepper, citrus, oregano, sage, echinacea, cinnamon, black peppercorns, or rose hips.

PHOTOS (FROM LEFT) BY KICHIGIN19, ADOBE STOCK; ALEXKICH, ADOBE STOCK; JAROSLAV MACHACEK, ADOBE STOCK

THE LIFE

function. In a study of voles fed shiitake extract for three weeks, males with withering libido saw their sexual motivation restored with 1.5 times more ejaculations. Donko shiitake, which have white designs on their tops, are believed to pack the most punch. You can find shiitakes at your local grocer. Slice the meaty cap and sauté it in olive oil or duck fat. Shiitake pair well with onions, garlic, and gin-

Good Shiitake These powerful mushrooms have antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties.

ger. They’re great in stirfries and soups (miso in particular).

increased male potency and opened up worlds of possibilities, like inventing languages and having Psilocybin group sex. “Everyone If you believe ethnobotwould get loaded around anist Terence McKenna’s the campfire and hump Stoned Ape theory of in an enormous writhing human evolution, the psi- heap,” McKenna is quotlocybin mushroom’s aph- ed as saying. These magic rodisiac qualities were mushroom–fueled orgies key to humans’ survivled to genetic diversifial as a species. McKencation, making humans na wrote that primitive more disease-resistant. humans’ experimenAnd with no way to trace tation with high doses who was whose daddy, of magic mushrooms communities formed to

raise children—another leap for humankind. That’s something to think about, though it’s admittedly a little academic for Valentine’s Day. Bottom line is that many people, including famous ethnobotanists, consider psilocybin an aphrodisiac even though it doesn’t in and of itself increase libido. It does open your mind and cause your brain to pump out the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin. Your skin gets more sensitive, and touch feels more pleasurable. With the right person or persons, magic mushrooms can spark intense, intimate conversation, mind-blowing orgasms, and cosmic-level cuddling. Psilocybin mushrooms should be heated to at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit and preferably above 200 degrees Fahrenheit to release their nutrients, get rid of harmful pathogens and toxins, and soften the tissues to make them more digestible. You can eat them fresh, dried and ground, or made into tea. Pairing them with mint and lemon can help ward off any early nausea they might induce. Legality varies, so find out what you need to know based on where you live if you’re considering a Valentine’s Day trip.

MAKE YOUR OWN

VEGAN REISHI GOLDEN MILK

Servings: 2

INGREDIENTS

3 cups plant milk (almond, coconut, oat, cashew) 5 teaspoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon reishi powder 3 teaspoons ground turmeric ¼ teaspoon ground ginger 2 cinnamon sticks 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cardamom Ground pepper, to taste INSTRUCTIONS

• In a saucepan over low heat, whisk ingredients together until well combined. Pour into mugs and serve.

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THE LIFE RECIPE

Cannabis Cocoa

Spoil your sweetie with cannabis-infused hot chocolate bombs.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day and stay cozy this February with the latest trend in chocolate: hot cocoa bombs. Sonoma

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County’s Garden Society partnered with two California cannabis businesses, San Francisco’s Mellows marshmallows

and the Bay Area’s OM Edibles, to create cannabis-infused hot chocolate bombs that help you relax and unwind.

TEXT JENNY WILLDEN

Find Garden Society, OM Edibles, and Mellows products at licensed cannabis retailers throughout Northern California.

THE LIFE RECIPE

Cannabis Hot Chocolate Bombs Recipe from Garden Society / Servings: 6 / Dosage per bomb: 15 mg THC + 10 mg CBD

INGREDIENTS

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GARDEN SOCIETY

6 ounces high-quality chocolate in bar form or couverture discs, at least 65% cocoa 6 pieces infused Garden Society Spiced Dark Chocolate 6 tablespoons OM Raw CBD Cacao, divided 6 Mellows Handcrafted Marshmallows, divided Sprinkles

• Pour some chocolate on parchment paper and pop it in the fridge for 5 minutes. If it appears shiny and it snaps sharply when you break it, it’s tempered and ready to go into the molds.

PART 2: Mold First Layer

• Use the paintbrush again to spread the second coat of chocolate in the mold. • Use the virgin chocolate you set aside to add additional heft to the top rim. • Refrigerate for 5 minutes to set.

• First make sure the insides of your molds are clean; any PART 5: Assemble residue will cause blemishes. • Release the half spheres from the molds. • Pour about 2 teaspoons of • In a circular motion, press the melted chocolate into each rim of the half-sphere against mold. Using a clean paintbrush, INSTRUCTIONS a warm plate to create a spread it around to make an PART 1: Temper Virgin clean, flat edge. Repeat until even layer. Refrigerate for Chocolate 5 minutes to set. Set aside you’ve completed six. These leftover chocolate. will be your bottom halves. • Finely chop bar or disc chocolate and place in each of the bottom halves PART 3: Temper Infused Chocolate • Fill microwave-safe bowl. with 1 tablespoon OM Raw • Finely chop Garden Society • Microwave for 30 Cacao and one Mellows chocolate and place in a seconds. Stir with rubber marshmallow. microwave-safe bowl. spatula, moving chocolate • Melt the rim of the remaining from the outside edges • Microwave for 30 seconds. half sphere by pressing it to the center to evenly Stir. Microwave for 15 against the warmed plate. heat it. Microwave for 15 seconds and stir again. Place it on top of the bottom seconds and stir again. Repeat in 15-second intervals half to form a full sphere. Take the temp of your until the chocolate is melted. Press gently together to seal. chocolate to make sure Repeat until all six bombs are PART 4: Mold Second Layer it’s not above 90ºF. formed. • Repeat process 2 to 5 times, • Divide the melted infused • Drizzle with chocolate and chocolate evenly between in 15-second intervals, until decorate with sprinkles. twelve 21⁄2-inch diameter chocolate is almost melted. • Place the hot chocolate bomb silicone spherical molds Then continue stirring in a mug and pour 8 ounces (about ¾ teaspoon per mold). until the chocolate is fully of hot steamed milk on top. Even distribution ensures melted from the residual even dosage. heat of the bowl. Stir and enjoy.

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THE LIFE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mona Van Joseph is a professionally licensed intuitive reader in Las Vegas since 2002. Author, radio host, and columnist, she created the Dice Wisdom app and is available for phone and in-person sessions. mona.vegas

HOROSCOPE

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

JAN. 20–FEB. 18

AQUARIUS

life. This will be the month where karma will reward you from all directions. Just be grateful; you’ve earned these marvelous gifts from the universe.

While you know you’ve worked diligently in the last two years, the reward and accolades are still a little bit of a surprise. There is an amazing offer coming to you APR. 20–MAY 20 in the next three months, TAURUS and it will be tempting. Forces are conspiring for you to pay attention to yourself FEB. 19–MAR. 20 and make sure you nurture PISCES your emotions, body, and viYou are no longer tolerant of tality. An opportunity presentserving other people just be- ed at the end of the month is cause you’re “nice.” Recent worth your consideration. news is compelling you to pay attention to your emoMAY 21–JUNE 20 tional and physical health. GEMINI Don’t sacrifice your well-be- If you would just sit still ing just to take care of some- long enough to tap into your one else’s lack of planning. creative abilities, the solution to a work issue will MAR. 21–APR. 19 present itself. Ask your highARIES er self for help. The best People have reincarnated to solution will allow you to be your co-creators in this follow your heart.

JUNE 21–JULY 22

CANCER

Avoid going down the rabbit hole and jumping to the worse possible conclusion. There is help from all the people you’ve helped in the past. Your intuition is trying to nudge you toward a better set of circumstances. JULY 23–AUG. 22

LEO

Acting on your ideas in the first seven days of the month will connect you with someone of like mind and energy. He or she could be a past work associate, and the reconnection may offer you a job or a worthwhile project. AUG. 23–SEPT. 22

VIRGO

Your “old life” has proven not to be as beneficial or enjoyable. You’ve had an eye-open-

AQUARIUS, THERE IS AN AMAZING OFFER COMING TO YOU IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, AND IT WILL BE TEMPTING.

ing event in recent weeks. has forgotten it). Act as though What you did last month has you are already a success. aided your renewed vision. Freedom from limits and pain NOV. 22–DEC. 21 is in your vibration. SAGITTARIUS One of the things you do really SEPT. 23–OCT. 22 well is looking for the best in all LIBRA the people around you. Publicly There’s super powerful vali- present the other things you do dation that the path you’ve well—cooking, sports, leaderchosen over the last two ship, innovation, connection, years will bring you the de- skill, and creativity. sired outcome. Your unique skill set will get the atten- DEC. 22–JAN. 19 tion it deserves. CAPRICORN You’ve been expecting a disOCT. 23–NOV. 21 ruption for the last several SCORPIO months. It may be your spirYou’re a star—no excuses, no it doesn’t want to be manipprocrastination, and no doubts. ulated into an uncomfortJump into the spotlight and let able situation. Your peace of the pain from the past be for- mind is more important, and gotten (because everyone else you initiate change. F E B R UA RY 2021

S E N S I M AG .C O M

Alia Volz grew up embedded deep in cannabis culture.

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H ME BAKED In the 1970s, a free-spirited woman whipped up and hand-delivered marijuana-laced brownies to hippies, artists, and activists in the Bay Area. Her daughter shares her story. INTRODUCTION TRACY ROSS, BOOK EXCERPT ALIA VOLZ

PHOTO BY DENNIS HEARNE

lia Volz grew up in San Francisco, the daughter of the cannabis connoisseur who founded Sticky Fingers Brownies. The company baked and distributed thousands of marijuana brownies per month and helped provide medical marijuana to AIDS patients in San Francisco. In her new memoir, Home Baked: My Mom, Marijuana, and the Stoning of San Francisco (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020), Volz gives a raucous account of women pioneering the cannabis industry and of a family at home on society’s fringe. What follows are excerpts from Home Baked: *** My mom, Meridy, was a cannabusiness pioneer, the driving force

behind San Francisco’s first high-volume edibles business. For more than 20 years—from the frothy 1970s through the AIDS crisis and the dawn of medical marijuana—Sticky Fingers Brownies produced up to 10,000 potent magic brownies per month in an underground bakery, long before it could be done legally. I grew up embedded in deep cannabis culture. Of all the stereotypes I’ve encountered, the one that bothers me the most is the notion that cannabusiness is a man’s world in which women are now beginning to claim space. At least here in northern California, the frontier has been female.

ing brownies was a casual way for my mom and her friends to make extra money. That quickly changed. The timing coincided with a breakthrough in the weed world. A new variety of pot was hitting the streets and sending shock waves throughout the country: California-grown sinsemilla. That summer, an executive editor at High Times dubbed it “superweed” and called its farmers “supergrowers.” Decades later, seedy weed has gone the way of VHS tapes; only people of a certain age will remember the tedium of deseeding compressed bricks of cannabis by hand—or how mediocre the buzz could be. Up to that point, the *** Sticky Fingers bakers had been Sticky Fingers started in 1976, a cooking with bricks of dusty Mexyear before I was born. At first, sell- ican gold bud. Meanwhile, one of F E B R UA RY 2021

S E N S I M AG .C O M

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my mom’s partners, Donald, had a friend up in Humboldt who was growing tall, regal sinsemilla on a hidden sunbathed hillside. The flower was gooey, pert, and garnished with crystals. Like Christmas trees for psychedelic dollhouses. So, my mom and her partners squeezed into the cab of a beater pickup and headed north across the Golden Gate Bridge in search of fresh magic. Urban civilization gave way to gnarled oaks and butterflies. Clumps of sycamores wearing slowburn autumnal colors stood in toasted brown fields dotted with cows. KSAN fuzzed out, sticking them with two Christian stations and one playing country and western. After four hours in the truck, they blew across the Humboldt County line. At Garberville, a one-horse town with a population of around 800, a funky motel, and a redneck bar called the Branding Iron Saloon, they exited the highway onto an intricate maze of dirt roads. The collapse of the logging industry had flooded the market with large tracts of unwanted land, where rough, swooping hills discouraged people from living in close proximity. Between fragrant redwood groves and slick madrones with blood-colored skin curling away from the lime-green flesh underneath, there were ugly stretches of clear-cut land, scarred and eroded, barren but for stumps and weeds. Donald’s friend was a burly mountain lesbian who went by Mumser (a nickname taken from the Yiddish word for “bastard”). She worked with a partner, whom I’ll call “Betty,” in the secretive Garberville woods—part of a community of women growers. Betty came from tending their crop to meet with the Sticky

Fingers crew topless—wearing nothing but dirty jeans and muck books—and my mom was in awe. “They just completely owned the running-around-topless-with-saggy-boobs-and-pooping-in-an-outhouse thing,” she says, looking back. She had never met women so unconcerned with how society might judge them. My mom, who always struggled with her body image, thought they were fabulous: Amazons of Humboldt. *** “It was all for fun,” Mumser says now, reflecting on the early days. “We didn’t come up here to grow. We didn’t! We just wanted to be in the country.” She and Betty had left San Francisco for the woods in about 1972, enamored with the notion of living on the fat of the earth. Donald helped Mumser build her cabin using homesteading catalogs and how-to manuals. The result was rickety, full of chinks and corners that didn’t quite meet. This was during a rare moment in US history when the pace of urban migration slowed to a crawl. The once-flourishing Humboldt lumber industry was dying out from over-logging, and land was cheap. Back-to-the-landers erected cabins and outhouses, planted sustenance gardens, raised goats and chickens, and set about living rustically. But while you’re planting tomatoes—and buying weed from someone else— you might as well plant your own weed. Then, while you’re planting your own weed, you might as well plant extra to sell. Perhaps you’ll want to upgrade from an outhouse to a flushing toilet. And how are you going to pay for a septic tank on or-

ganic tomatoes and welfare checks? Volz with her mother, Back then, sinsemilla techniques Meridy. were new to California. One had to kill the male cannabis plants before they could pollinate the females, so that the females would ooze gooey psychoactive resin instead of producing seeds. But the differences between male and female plants are subtle and apparent only at certain stages. And you couldn’t take your questions to Google. Friends taught one another. The 1976 publication of Sinsemilla: Marijuana Flowers by Jim Richardson and Arik Woods was a turning point. It’s a handsome coffee-table book with more space dedicated to photographs than words. The sparse writing makes an impact. Part practical manual, part pot porn, it gives step-by-step instructions that one doesn’t have to be a horticulturist to understand. And the language is so suggestive that it’s tempting to read it aloud in a phone-sex voice: “The virgin blossoms swell with sexual energy eager for consummation. But the breeze brings no pollen and the rhythm continues to intensify.... As F E B R UA RY 2021

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the last pistils come into the tips, the clusters turn pure white. The pods swell and the resinous coating thickens. The true sweetness of the flowers comes forth and becomes so strong it is almost too much to bear.” Macrophotography shot with the same erotic sensibility accompanies the writing. Seed pods shaped like vulvas, pistils that look like erect penises. It’s over the top but also useful. Woods’s sensual photos taught new growers to identify the sex organs at various stages—when to kill males, when to wait, and when to harvest mature females. This book passed from hippie to hippie in the California backwoods. It made the delicate art of farming sinsemilla appear accessible, even fun. In reality, it was hard labor. Mumser and Betty built a hilltop water tank and ran lines to their patch, then lugged soil and fertilizer into the woods in 50-pound sacks. Rabbits, deer, caterpillars, molds, fungi, and human thieves posed constant threats. In late summer, when the females produced psychoactive resin, every day of sunshine made the product stronger. But an early frost could ruin everything. Timing was crucial. Once harvested, the plants hung to dry on hooks in the cabins, where the growers watched obsessively for signs of mildew. At any stage, local police or federal drug enforcement could seize everything—including their freedom at a time when growing a single plant was a felony. By the time Sticky Fingers came around, they had it down. Their farm was small but mighty, and their homegrown packed a punch.

All these years later, the aroma of our home bakery remains sharp in my mind. It was round and earthy: notes of crushed ponderosa pine needles, dusty manzanita, moss from the lazy Eel River, and backroad dirt.

In the ’70s, Meridy Volz was a cannabusiness pioneer.

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My mom and her crew crammed garbage bags of shake into ... the pickup and drove slowly, carefully home, crossing the Golden Gate with a profound sense of relief. *** As impressed as my mom was with the flower from Mumser’s farm, she was looking for something else. Their bud was too expensive—and too strong—to use in high-volume baking. Through experimenting, Sticky Fingers had discovered they could use sinsemilla “shake”—the leafy detritus left over from trimming—and still come out with brownies that were more potent than anything made with the bricks of Mexican gold they’d been buying. This benefitted everyone. The shake left over after trimming was a liability to the growers. Though it lacked street value, it would count the same as expensive bud in a bust. In the eyes of the law, a pound was a pound. The Garberville women had been mulching or burning

their shake to get rid of it. They sold it to Sticky Fingers for just $50 a pound—one sixth of what they paid for Mexican gold. This increased the bakery’s profit exponentially while also helping the growers. My mom and her crew crammed garbage bags of shake into an antique icebox in the back of the pickup and drove slowly, carefully home, crossing the Golden Gate with a profound sense of relief. The new extra-potent sinsemilla brownies caused a sensation in San Francisco, and the rest is history. *** Between 1976 and 1998, Sticky Fingers Brownies went through several iterations, growing or shrinking with the demands of each era. In the mid-80s, when HIV/AIDS was rampant in San Francisco, Sticky

Fingers became part of the medical-marijuana underground, getting soothing cannabis into the bodies of those who needed it most. Through all its changes, Sticky Fingers remained a woman-run business with close ties to the wholesome outdoor growing communities of Humboldt and Mendocino counties, and the nature-worshipping gardeners who made their homes among the redwoods. All these years later, the aroma of our home bakery remains sharp in my mind. In the days before hybridization brought us strains smelling of blueberry muffins and Girl Scout cookies, the odor was tied to the land. It was round and earthy: notes of crushed ponderosa pine needles, dusty manzanita, moss from the lazy Eel River, and backroad dirt. The scent of Northern California. F E B R UA RY 2021

S E N S I M AG .C O M

Let’s Go Skiing Find out where and how to safely shred this season in California. TEXT JENNY WILLDEN

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Despite high COVID-19 cases, California’s ski resorts are open for the season. Sure, you’ll have to comply with numerous rules to visit, but these regulations keep the mountains open to all. And some good news: Skiing and snowboarding are arguably

the best winter-time social distancing activities around. Expect COVID-19 precautions like anywhere else in the Golden State: stay home if you’re sick, wear face coverings (masks or neck gaiters), keep a six-foot distance in lift lines, ride lifts

PHOTO COURTESTY OF SQUAW VALLEY-ALPINE MEADOWS

Skiing at Squaw Valley

PHOTO COURTESTY OF NORTHSTAR

with your quarantine crew, and social distance whenever possible. The secret to riding this season is planning ahead. Some areas are requiring reservations and many are not selling day-of lift tickets. Lodging is open to California residents, but leisure stays aren’t available if the area is under a stayat-home order. Be aware, these regulations could change at any time, and resorts are subject to unexpected closures. Use this guide to get the scoop on how our favorite California resorts are handling COVID-19 as well as the lowdown on the best dispensaries nearby. (Note: Cannabis is not allowed on most slopes in California. Follow all laws and resort rules regarding consumption.) Squaw Valley-Alpine Meadows Precautions: This soonto-be-renamed resort is a local favorite, and the discontinuation of the regional stay-at-home order means Californians can now stay overnight. Reservations are not required, but tickets must be purchased in advance. Ski lodges are open only for rental and restroom access. Outdoor dining is available (with heaters),

and guests can expect expanded deck seating at Alpine Meadows Base Lodge, Gold Coast Lodge, and KT Base. Where to Ski & Ride: Don’t miss riding North America’s best chairlift: KT-22 Express. Nicknamed “The Mothership,” it’s been repeatedly recognized as one of the continent’s best. Take KT-22 on powder days to access 2,000 vertical feet of snowy steeps and open bowls. Here for the view? Expect postcard-worthy Lake Tahoe vistas on the 10-minute Aerial Tram ride to High Camp. Local Dispensary: NuLeaf is technical-

ly in Nevada, but its Incline Village location is the closest to Squaw’s slopes. Free delivery is available throughout the Lake Tahoe region. Northstar California Precautions: Northstar and all other Vail Resorts ski areas require reservations this season—for passholders and ticket holders. Weekends can fill fast, so book in advance. On-mountain restaurants are open for grab-and-go and outdoor dining. All transactions are cashless, and any lessons must be booked 48 hours in advance. Masks must be worn in lift areas and whenever you

cannot social distance from others. Where to Ski & Ride: From beginner magic carpets to black diamond glades, there’s something for everyone at Northstar. If it’s a powder day, head to the Backside for challenging tree skiing on Sawtooth Ridge or Monument Glade. Test your quad strength with a groomed cruise down Logger’s Loop, Northstar’s longest run at 1.4 miles. Local Dispensary: When traveling to Northstar by way of Nevada City, pop by Elevation 2477’, a hip hub for cannabis wellness and education.

Sunrise over Northstar California

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THE SCENE

PHOTOS (FROM TOP) COURTESTY OF HEAVENLY, KIRKWOOD

Lake Tahoe views at Heavenly

Heavenly Precautions: Ready to ski and ride Heavenly’s famed slopes this season? Reservations are required and are available in Vail Resorts’ EpicMix app. (You’ll need a face covering too.) Lessons are offered in ultrasmall groups but must be booked 48 hours in advance. On-mountain restaurants are open for limited outdoor seating and grab-and-go only. No indoor shelter is available, so dress for the weather. Where to Ski & Ride: Heavenly is the largest and highest ski resort in Lake Tahoe, and you can’t beat the azure lake views from its summits. Enjoy them in California on the 2.5-mile gondola ride from the village, or take Nevada’s Sky Ex-

press chair to Ridge Run for expansive vistas on a steep, wide-open bowl. Local Dispensary: Styled more like a spa than a dispensary, South Lake Tahoe’s Embarc is the town’s newest cannabis shop, and it’s located right across from Heavenly Village. Kirkwood Precautions: As with all Vail Resorts areas, masks and reservations are required at the ’Wood; all lift tickets must be purchased in advance. Book them on the EpicMix app or website ASAP to avoid disappointment. Fuel with grab-andgo options during the week, or enjoy hot food on weekends at Timber Creek Lodge and Monte

Wolfe’s. All transactions must be cashless. Where to Ski & Ride: Away from the hustle and bustle of Lake Tahoe, Kirkwood is a peaceful, forested bliss for all levels of riders. Send it on steeps like The Wall, or stick to the lower resort for groomer cruisers like Free ‘N’ Easy off Timber Creek Express. Local Dispensary: Stop by South Lake Tahoe’s Cannablue for connoisseur-grade flower, concentrates, vape, and edible products. Sierra at Tahoe Resort Precautions: Sierra at Tahoe is not requiring reservations this season, making it a great choice when other resorts are full. Tickets are avail-

able online and priced lower when purchased in advance. All mountain restaurants are closed to indoor dining and accept cash or credit cards. Masks are required in lift lines, on lifts, and until you’re clear of the unloading area. Where to Ski & Ride: Often overlooked for bigger, flashier resorts, Sierra is a family-friendly classic with terrain for everyone and few crowds. Learn to ski in the dedicated beginner area, then progress to the West Bowl and El Dorado lifts. Cruise groomers and pop into powder stashes in the trees, or challenge yourself in the Grandview glades. Local Dispensary: Stock up in Sacramento F E B R UA RY 2021

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Ski Safe Gear No doubt about it, this ski season is different from any before it. Gone are the days of packed lodges and carefree maskless après gatherings. But luckily, one thing remains the same: the slopes. If you’re skiing and riding in California this season, invest in fresh gear that protects against weather, germs, and accidents.

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Sadly, no uphill passes or day tickets will be available this year. Where to Ski & Ride: Fun fact: Sugar Bowl, which opened in 1939, Sugar Bowl Resort is one of the country’s Precautions: Sugar oldest ski resorts and Bowl is the closest resort was the site of Califorto Sacramento and the nia’s first chairlift. Come Bay Area—an easy day to explore its 1,500 acres trip. Reservations are spread over 12 lifts on not required, but all lift multiple peaks. Ski Mt. tickets, rentals, and les- Judah for family-friendly sons must be purchased cruisers or Mt. Lincoln in advance. Sugar Bowl for intense steeps. For Hotel is closed until next groups with mixed season. Some outdoor abilities, ride the Disney dining is available, but Express, where newbies many resort restaurants can stick to groomers and bars are closed. and pros can race down

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Skiers and riders need a balaclava to stay warm. Now make it pandemic-proof. Stay compliant with ski resort mask requirements with this 2021 iteration of a Buff. It fits like a classic neck tube, but it’s outfitted with a replaceable 3-layer filter offering 98 percent bacterial filtration. Saxx Viewfinder Tights $75 / saxxunderwear.com

Cold days send you running for the lodge. Unfortunately, California’s aren’t open to skiers this season. Stay warm with ultra-cozy (continued on next page) F E B R UA RY 2021

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THE SCENE

merino wool baselayer tights built with Saxx’s BallPark Pouch for supporting your gents.

Blenders Face Mask and Aura Goggles $12 face mask, $95 goggles / blenderseyewear.com

What’s more on-brand for 2021 than a line of goggles matched to face masks? It’s a lewk, but the Aura’s wide fit boosts safety with improved visibility. Every pair includes a low-light lens and pairs with a breathable, antimicrobial face mask. Smith Vida Helmet

Heavenly

$180 / smithoptics.com

Face coverings aren’t the only protection you need this ski season. Upgrade to this ultralight helmet with a brain-protecting MIPS liner that reduces the rotational forces of angled impacts in a crash.

SKI PHOTO COURTESY OF HEAVENLY; PRODUCT PHOTOS (FROM TOP) COURTESY OF BLENDERS, SMITH, SEIRUS, K2

Seirus Heatwave Base Layers $120–$130 / seirus.com

Skip piling on layers and stave off a chill with these innovative tops and tights. Built with a thermal reflective layer, these long undies amplify your body heat to keep you 20 percent warmer. A wicking antimicrobial Polygiene mesh in sweat zones keeps you smelling fresh all day long. K2 Estate Boots $360 / k2snow.com

Snowboarders craving warm feet and a stable fit will love this mid-flexing, BOA Fit System boot. Since lodge closures mean warming your feet by a fire is a no-go this season, invest in a boot you can twist to tighten on the fly and wear from a.m. to après without complaining.

open powder-covered bowls. If skinny skis are your jam, head next door to Royal Gorge, North America’s largest cross-country ski resort. Local Dispensary: Enjoy front door service in nearby Truckee from Winter Greens, a delivery-only dispensary.

outdoors at West Shore Cafe. Where to Ski & Ride: Located on the quiet west shores of Lake Tahoe, Homewood Mountain Resort offers an unrivaled peak-to-shore experience with close-up Lake Tahoe views. It’s just 288 steps from the lake to the Madden chairlift—the nearest Homewood Mountain of any in Tahoe. Most Resort Homewood terrain is for Precautions: Homeintermediates, but when wood is limiting skiers other resorts are on wind by requiring parking res- hold, go to experience ervations every day you sheltered glade skiing on visit. Lift tickets must be powder days. Beginners purchased online and in will love cruising the sigadvance, an option that nature two-mile Rainbow also saves you money Ridge run for majestic from day-of pricing. Lake Tahoe panoramas. While this old-school Local Dispensary: resort has no village, Order online for free deyou can order online for livery or in-store pickup takeout at Homewood’s at Tahoe Green in South restaurants or dine Lake Tahoe. F E B R UA RY 2021

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THE SCENE CALENDAR

Cultural Calendar

Celebrate life and love this February at virtual and socially distanced events across Northern California. TEXT JENNY WILLDEN

Unless your ideal Valentine’s Day is spent Netflix and chilling, it’s probably not happening in 2021. Embrace this strange season and mix it up. Sign up for a romantic at-home cooking class, attend an outdoor comedy show, participate in a virtual speed dating bash, or support a small business at in-person markets. 44

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Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

Davis Farmers Market

Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays Ferry Plaza, San Francisco ferrybuildingmarketplace.com

Wednesdays & Saturdays Central Park, Davis davisfarmersmarket.org

Wednesdays at Winn Wednesdays Winn Park, Sacramento wednesdaysatwinn.com

Calistoga Farmers Market Saturdays Sharpsteen Plaza, Washington Street, Calistoga calistogafarmersmarket.org

Midtown Farmers Market Saturdays 20th Street, between J and L Streets, Sacramento exploremidtown.org

PHOTOS (FROM TOP) COURTESY OF CALISTOGA FARMERS MARKET, WEDNESDAYS AT WINN

LEFT: EVENT NAME BELOW: EVENT NAME RIGHT: EVENT NAME

THE SCENE CALENDAR

LEFT: CALISTOGA FARMERS MARKET BELOW: VALENTINE’S DATE PAINT NIGHT BOTTOM RIGHT: VALENTINE’S DAY COMEDY WITH TONY BAKER

D’Sean Ross Valentine’s Day Special Event: Inside Jokes, Outside Laughs Feb. 11 Outdoors at Laughs Unlimited, Sacramento laughsunlimited.com

Yountville International Short Film Festival Napa Farmers Market

PHOTOS (FROM TOP) COURTESY OF HEADWIND VODKA, PHILADELPHIA CHAMBER, VEGAS THEATER

Saturdays City of Napa Parking Lot (1100 West St.), Downtown Napa napafarmersmarket.org

Valentine Run/ Walk: Virtual Race for Justice Feb. 1–14 Virtual event valentine.run

Outdoor Yoga Feb. 7 Spark Social, San Francisco divineyogastudiosf.com

Vallejo Farmers Market

Valentine’s Date Paint Night

Hessel Grange Virtual Cannabis & Hemp Member Meeting

Saturdays Georgia and Marin Streets, Vallejo pcfma.org

Feb. 3 The Union, Roseville paintingandvino.com

February 9 Virtual event hesselfarmersgrange.com

Sebastopol Farmers Market Sundays Sebastopol Plaza, Sebastopol sebastopolfarmmarket.org

Winter in the Wineries Passport Now–Apr. 1 Participating wineries, Calistoga visitcalistoga.com

Sip wine while learning to recreate a pretty heart-shaped rock painting with master painter Kathy Breault. Hessel Farmers Grange welcomes Feb. 4, 11 & 18 agricultural producVirtual event ers but primarily stsupery.com comprises cannabis and hemp farmers. Granite City Join this agricultural Pop-up community to band Feb. 6–7 together with other Sociology Coffee Bar, Folsom growers. Member granitecitycoworking.com meetings currently held via Zoom due to COVID-19.

St. Supery #InJoy at Home

Feb. 11–15 Virtual event yisff.com

Aphrodisiac V-Day Cooking Class Feb. 12 Virtual event appetite4seduction.com

class featuring aphrodisiac dishes and romantic vibes.

Bacchus Events Valentine’s Day at Home Feb. 14 Virtual event Tickets on Eventbrite

Be My Valentine Bash: Virtual Speed Dating Event Feb. 14 Virtual event speedsacramentodating.com

Valentine’s Day Comedy with Tony Baker Feb. 14 Laughs Unlimited, Sacramento laughsunlimited.com

This special event will feature live comedy, champagne toast, and sweet treats. Don’t let COVID-19 ruin Valentine’s Day. Enjoy an at-home date night with this couples’ cooking

CA Museum Live: Coming to California Feb. 27 Virtual event godowntownsac.com

F E B R UA RY 2021

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SPARXLABS.NET | LICENSE # C11-0000972-LIC | @SPARXLABS

P R O M OT I O N A L F E AT U R E RED DOOR REMEDIES

Quality and Compassion The owners of Red Door Remedies are dedicated to supporting local growers and educating the community.

here’s a sense of community that is interwoven into the fiber of Northern California. Intimate wineries dot the hillsides, cozy little towns welcome visitors, and stunning landscapes wow your senses. It is a place that instantly feels comfortable, a place that you can call home. So, it only makes sense that it would be home to Red Door Remedies. A dispensary owned by two mothers who happen to be the matriarchs of award-winning cannabis families. Located in the town of Cloverdale, just off of the 101, Red Door is instantly

try for decades, and we want to ensure “We’re just that folks know what they are buying.” a couple of By partnering with local farms in the moms trying region, they are able to offer one of the best lineups of outdoor sun-grown to bring cannabis cannabis in the state, plus a wide array of other products that highlight education the expertise and skills that are to our endemic to the area. They also offer community.” a vast array of products, from vapes —Jammie King of to concentrates, edibles to tinctures, as well as an impressive selection of Red Door Remedies other locally crafted items. Known locally as “Mom’s Pot Shop,” Red Door Remedies is fast becoming a fixture in Sonoma County. It should be on your must-visit list the next time you’re in the area. Stop in to meet the dispensary’s friendly and approachable team. Taking the best care of your well-being, the staff will take the time to answer any questions you have.

recognizable by its bright red barn doors and the relaxing homey feeling that envelops visitors the moment they step inside. That’s because owners Jammie King and Diana Schraner have spent untold hours working to create a welcoming environment. Their team of locals is continually expanding its knowledge, and here you’ll find some of the most well-versed budtenders around. Plus, they greet everyone with a smile. When you are there, you are family. “We’re just a couple of moms trying to bring cannabis education to our Red Door Remedies community,” King says. “Members of our Premium Cannabis Dispensary families have been involved in the indus- reddoorremedies.com

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THE END

San Francisco Dreamin’ A photographer channels psychedelic times with a Bay Bridge abstract. TEXT JENNY WILLDEN

MORE INFO

San Francisco Dreamin’ Jude Bartlett judebartlett.com

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After months of travel restrictions, former Bay Area photographer Jude Bartlett was desperate for an escape—and found it through imagination. Feeling nostalgic for the Bay, Bartlett (who goes by the pronouns they/ their) scanned their gallery of San Francisco F E B R UA RY 2 02 1

images before landing on one of the Golden Gate Bridge. “Spontaneously, I held up a reflective glass against the screen, which produced this optical illusion—the reflection of many tiny bridges in rivets of kaleidoscopic, Lichtenstein-like dots,” Bartlett says. “I quickly

picked up my iPhone to click away, capturing this image.” Sharing the shot on a social media group of Bay Area street photographers led to a viral response, hundreds of views, and plenty of reshares. “I knew by the responses that I had found my audience, sending them on a visual journey—a trippy flashback to psychedelic times.” After a lifetime spent behind a lens and a decade of teaching iPhone photography for Apple, digital technologies have become a big influence

on Bartlett’s creative process. “As much as I rely on my early training in documentary photography, I love where technology is taking photography now,” Bartlett says. “Discovering new apps, adding layers of digital textures, double exposures, and using editing software with the latest artificial intelligence, each of these techniques is moving my creative journey ever forward.” When not capturing and crafting new images, Bartlett is teaching tech classes and exhibiting their award-winning work.

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