Sensi Magazine Michigan - Spring 2023

FANS OF THE LEAF

Ode to the cannabis icon

WEED 101

Back to canna-basics

THE NEW NORMAL

An abnormal history

Meet the innovators who set the standard for the industry

POINTS TO THE FUTURE OF EXTRACTION

Quality cannabis, without compromise

Our new look is fueled by our love for cannabis and its terpenes. Carbon uses top genetics and applies the highest standards, delivering you the best possible experience. @smoke_carbon

THE PLACE TO MEET CANNABIS LEADERS & INVESTORS

We’re back again for another year at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. At our conference, you’ll enjoy exclusive opportunities for curated 1:1 networking, access to private dealflow, and hear directly from the executives of top-performing cannabis companies.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

“If you are a CEO, have a company that is in the ancillary space, are an investor, or just want to learn what’s going on in the cannabis industry, this is the palce to be.”

—Kim Rivers, CEO, Trulieve

“I would highly recommend Benzinga for any new company or existing company that’s trying to get into the space that wants to have a good 2 or 3 days of getting to reach pretty much everyone who means anything in this industry.”

—Chad Bronstein, Founder & CEO, Fyllo

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FEATURES

28 The Extraction Dream Team

Meet the men who set the standard for extraction technology.

36 Not a Fan of the Leaf?

The fan leaf, once a symbol of counterculture, is now seen by some as a tired cliche. But, like it or not, it’s ours.

DEPARTMENTS

11 EDITOR’S NOTE

12 THE BUZZ News, tips, and tidbits to keep you in the loop

FIZZY LIFT Maison Bloom’s elevated seltzer

CHEAP DATES The 10 best cities for a ordable dates BALANCE ON THE STRIP How Las Vegas navigates legalization

HISTORIC HOMES Around the state.

LIT LODGING AirBnb for the cannabis-conscious

MICHIGAN: IMPOSSIBLE Dispensaries by the border thrive as buyers from neighboring states smuggle legal weed into illegal territory.

18

THE LIFE

Contributing to your health and happiness

WEED 101 New to the high life? This is your crash course on all things cannabis.

EDBLES COMPLEX Stories of rst-time edibles users full of fun, fear, and lessons learned.

40 THE SCENE

Hot happenings and hip hangouts around town

420 REVIEWS Sensi’s executive editor weighs in on her favorite products in 2023.

THE ABNORMAL HISTORY that made today’s “New Normal” what it is today.

HIGH SOCIETY Recap of Sensi Michigan’s Fat Tuesday Party at Causeway Bay Hotel

50 THE END

ON THE COVER

Decimal’s innovative line of extraction tech made possible by four brilliant minds in engineering and business.

MICHIGAN SENSI MAGAZINE SPRING 2023

PHOTO COURTESY DECIMAL ENGINEERED SYSTEMS

PHOTOILLUSTRATION BY JOSHUA CLARK

EXECUTIVE

Ron Kolb Founder ron@sensimag.com

Jamie Cooper President jamie.cooper@sensimag.com

Jade Kolb jade@sensimag.com

PUBLISHING

Jamie Cooper Market Director, Michigan

Richard Guerra Market Director, Massachusetts

Jake Boynton Market Director, Massachusetts

Keeley Thornhill Market Director, Oklahoma

EDITORIAL

Jen Bernstein Executive Editor Jen.Bernstein@sensimag.com

Mike DiPaola Copy Editor Mike.Dipaola@sensimag.com

Aaron Bible Contributor, Colorado

Will Brendza Contributor, Colorado

Elana Frankel National Contributor

Debbie Hall National Contributor

Meredith Freed Contributor, Massachusetts

Elizabeth McWilliams Contributor, Michigan

DESIGN

Jamie Ezra Mark Creative Director jamie@emagency.com

Rheya Tanner Art Director

Wendy Mak Designer

Josh Clark Designer

Andrew Ontko Designer

PRODUCTION

Neil Willis Production Director & Client Support Specialist

MEDIA SALES

COLORADO

Tyler Tarr Media Sales Executive

FACEBOOK

Like Sensi Media Group to infuse your newsfeed with more of our great cannabis lifestyle content.

Whether you’re busy celebrating our favorite stoner holiday at home, out with your buds, or working (we see you cultivators, budtenders, and business owners), we are all so grateful to be working in the cannabis industry alongside and serving you!

In fact, it wasn’t too long ago that there wasn’t even a cannabis industry to write about. We found news and information through word of mouth, on Grateful Dead tours or worse … in the police blotter.

H Happy 420 to all our Sensi Family and Friends.

So, every year when 420 comes around, I can’t help but be amazed at how far we’ve come and still, how much further we have to go with cannabis legalization. I’ve been entrenched in the cannabis industry (which is itself a phrase I never thought imaginable) since 2011, when I first joined High Times as their number two in charge of herding professional potheads to produce the monthly magazine. Oh, and there’s also that part of the job where I was flown all over the country judging the best weed in the world.

TWITTER

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

During that time we were hosting Medical Cannabis Cups and weed-related industry events were our thing: no one else was hosting cannabusinesses (a word I first used to describe the new boom of businesses dealing in soon-to-be legal weed) at large event expos. We were watching the cannabis space evolve right before our eyes and in real time. It was mind-blowing as we made the jump from medical competitions serving patients to the recreational scene and adult-use. Standing on top of a table for a better view, and breathing in that sweet skunky smell in the air, it was absolutely thrilling watching upwards of 35,000 attendees light up at 4:20 pm on 4/20 at the first-ever Legal Cannabis Cup in Denver back in 2013. It still gives me head-totoe chills and a huge sense of accomplishment. As a kid on career development day, I never dreamt that there’d be a career responsible for weed Disneyland!

INSTAGRAM

Pretty things, pretty places, pretty awesome people: nd it all on @sensimagazine

As luck would have it, my journey advocating for cannabis and mainstreaming marijuana media continues to evolve and grow with Sensi Media Group and this 420 issue. These pages, which are chock full of cannabis lifestyle content that we’ve carefully curated for you, embrace a little something for everyone. Whether you’re a cannabis noob or aficionado, we’re so excited to continue to grow our Sensi family and community with you in it.

Hugs, nugs, and happy 420!

Jen Bernstein @nycjamgal

Every year when 420 comes around, I can’t help but be amazed at how far we’ve come and still, how much further we have to go with cannabis legalization.

Elevated RTDs

Maison Bloom introduces Elevated Seltzers for bubbly choices

Trendsetter Maison Bloom has launched its signature Elevated Seltzers, offering strain-specific, whole plant, and single-barrel beverage choices.

Ready-to-drink beverages (RTDs) are predicted to grow by double digit percentages in several choices, according to CSP Daily News. Headset Data reported in “Cannabis Beverages: Examining category performance & trends” that the “market share of beverages has increased over 40 percent in the US and Canada since the beginning of 2021.”

Maison Bloom embraces the culinary world’s farm-to-table aesthetic with sun-grown craft cannabis blended with single-origin strains from the Sun+Earth and OCal-certified sustainable ecosystem of Sonoma Hills Farm.

Its Elevated Seltzers are crafted with 100 percent all-natural botanical extracts and sparkling water offered in three flavors, with a limited-edition flavor that rotates seasonally. Choices include Strawberry Provençal + Lemongrass, Watermelon + Pink Peppercorn, Pêche + Wild Honeysuckle, and current seasonal Stone Fruit + French Vanilla, all available in 11-ounce glass bottles in various 4-pack configurations.

For more information on Maison Bloom Elevated Seltzers, visit lovemaisonbloom.com and follow @LoveMaisonBloom on socials.

BUDGET CONSCIOUS

Do you live in one of the best cities for inexpensive dating?

Dating, to nd love or your person of the moment, continues throughout time. However, with costs of fuel, food, beverages, and clothing skyrocketing, dating can become very expensive. Still, some cities are more a ordable than others to go out to dinner (including wine) and then to a show or movie.

According to a survey by SmartAsset, dating is most a ordable in these 10 cities. The Sooner State features two a ordable cities, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, each costing about $50 per couple for a night out. Nearby Texas makes the list with two cities, Corpus Christi and El Paso, for an average cost of $55 per couple. Arizona can also brag about its inclusion on the list with two cities—Chandler and Mesa—featuring dinner and a show date for $57 per couple. Mobile, Alabama; Wichita, Kansas; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Spring eld, Missouri, round out the list.

Next time you’re looking for love, if you live near one of these cities, make it a date.

BY THE NUMBERS

420 HIGHWAY

King’s Highway 420, commonly referred to as Highway 420, connects the Queen Elizabeth Way with downtown Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada.

3

SPECIES

There are three species of cannabis, sativa, indica and ruderalis.

200

Slang Words for cannabis, including dope, kush, grass, and weed.

483 CHEMICALS

found in cannabis, which includes approximately 65 cannabinoids.

Pioneering Model

Consumption lounges follow Nevada’s lead

In Southern Nevada, Clark County Commissioners voted in December 2022 to allow consumption lounges to be operated within the county, which includes the Las Vegas Strip. In February, the Las Vegas City Council approved cannabis consumption lounges within city limits. However, there are strict regulations, including that each lounge must be 1,000 feet apart from the next closest lounge unless one obtains a special waiver from the city or county.

While the rest of the country watches, Southern Nevada is unique for several reasons. There is the city of Las Vegas and unincorporated Clark County, with two di erent locally governing entities. Also, the casinos located downtown and on the Strip are regulated by the federal government, so they cannot participate in consumption lounges on their properties. However, dispensaries such as Planet 13, located within walking distance of the Strip, are planning to open lounges. The cities of North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Boulder City have not yet voted on the lounges. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about three-fourths of the state’s population resides in Southern Nevada.

The city of Las Vegas attempted to pave the way for consumption lounges in 2019 with the opening of the Vegas Tasting Room. Housed in NuWu Cannabis Marketplace is owned and operated by the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe on tribal land just two blocks north of downtown Las Vegas. Then the pandemic happened and the lounge was forced to close, although there are plans to reopen later this year.

PHOTOS (FROM TOP) BY AMAURY MICHAUX; COURTESY OF PLANET 13

BY TOA HEFTIBA MAGDA VRABETZ

Aging Gracefully

The culture and beauty of historic homes.

High ceilings, hardwood floors, crown molding, and ornate details characterize the American prewar architecture prevalent in historic houses. Such houses ill-preserved or never existed in other states, but because Michigan still preserves homes built before 1939, our state is abundant with old American beauty. Stacker (stacker.com/Michigan) has compiled a list of the counties with the oldest homes, according to the US Census Bureau. The ones most dense with these historic estates are Keweenaw County, with 36 percent of its houses fitting this category; Bay County, with 24 percent, some overlooking the water; and Houghton County and Gogebic, with 37 percent.

PHOTOS (FROM TOP)

ToughestGloves

Union Bank is comprised of local leaders with local knowledge. We will help you navigate the world of cannabis and provide you with the tools and support you need to continue growing your business in this ever-changing industry.

Homes Away from Home

HiBnb is the stress-free way to explore the state and rest in canna-comfort.

Whether you are a native or transplant, Michigan offers endless opportunities for exploration and fun. All you need now is the comfort of cannabis-friendly lodging to make the trip complete. Easier said than done.

Luckily, HiBnb is here to facilitate an elevated Airbnb experience. When planning a trip around the state, enter a town or city name on its easy-to-navigate website and see a list of available hotels, houses, apartments, condos, cabins, casitas, guest rooms, and even camping grounds.

If you’re unfamiliar with the area you’re visiting, HiBnb hosts can help you get the lay of the land and find the perfect cannabis product. Examples of amenities include free parking, board games, air conditioning, and Wi-Fi—sine HiBnb listings even offer accessories such as bongs, vaporizers, grinders, and pipes. Whether exploring, traveling for business, or visiting friends and family, booking with HiBnb can keep the experience fun and stress-free.

HiBnb / hibnb.us

HOOSIER FEVER

Michigan dispensaries generate revenue from out of state.

The eight dispensaries of Niles, Michigan, are thriving with sales to Indiana residents who drive over to purchase legal cannabis. South Bend, a short distance from Niles, is Indiana’s fourth-largest city. However, any Indiana customers that bring cannabis back home have technically violated both Indiana and federal law. As reported in Indiana Public Media, many owners and operators of dispensaries say that they are performing a public service for those who need it for medicinal purposes.

According to the O ce of Fiscal and Management Analysis in Indiana, taxes collected from cannabis sales could bring the state between $36 million and $77.5 million. In addition, state Senator David Niezgodski has proposed Senate Bill 336, one of about a dozen cannabis bills introduced. If passed, SB 336 bill would enable cannabis to be sold and taxed in Indiana, which would certainly impact the economy of border towns in Michigan, including Niles.

(PHOTOS (FROM TOP) BY JESHOOTS.COM DANIEL TUTTLE

Want to get into cannabis (or get back into it after a long hiatus) but don’t know where to start? Then start here.

ORIGINAL TEXT RANDY ROBINSON

Your fi rst visit to a dispensary can be overwhelming. There are tens of thousands of exotically (and humorously) named strains, a smorgasbord of name-brand edibles, and an endless assortment of hashes and tinctures and vapes and lotions and gummies and, and, and—you get the picture.

Maybe you’re brand-new to this whole “cannabis” thing. Maybe your last encounter with the plant was last millennium. Maybe you just want a refresher, or an easy resource to introduce to others. Well, consider this your crash course in all things cannabis.

What is cannabis? Is it the same as marijuana?

Cannabis sativa is the proper name for the once-demonized plant with many benefits. “Marijuana”, The Mexican-colloquialism-turned-legal-term, is Cannabis sativa with over .3 percent THC—the stuff that gets you high. Cannabis sativa with less than .3 percent THC is considered “hemp.”

Industrial hemp was federally legalized in 2018 Farm Bill (aka the Agriculture Improvement Act). Marijuana legalization is decided on a state-by-state basis, and can range from full legalization to decriminalization, meaning possession of certain amounts is no longer a crime.

As of 2023, there are only four states—Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina and Wyoming—where cannabis remains completely criminalized. Try to avoid having weed there, if you can help it.

How does cannabis work as a medicine?

It sure does; ask the millions of Americans who say it relieved their pain, inflammation, chronic conditions, and mental or neurological disorders, when nothing else could.

In fact the human body has an entire system dedicated to synthesizing cannabis-like compounds.

Our endocannabinoid system (ECS) is like climate control; a network of receptors detect and correct imbalances in automatic processes. Normally, the ECS can only be activated by a specific type of neurotransmitter called an endocannabinoid. But there is one other type of molecule it reacts to. Cannabinoids, compounds like THC and CBD which can only be found in cannabis, are just the right shape to bind with ECS receptors and activate or alter its regulatory functions.

There’s a lot we still don’t know about the ECS (thanks, prohibition). But it may be the secret to the cannabis’s success as a breakthrough medicine.

What is a cannabinoid, anyway? Cannabinoids are the “active ingredients” of cannabis—any com-

pound that can interact with our bodies. There are at least 100 cannabinoids, but there are two that stand out from the rest. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), is the oft-maligned cannabinoid that delivers the trademark high. Its more well-mannered partner, CBD (cannabidiol), has no psychoactive effects, instead carrying many of the healing benefits.

So if Cannabis is sativa, then what is indica? Indica and sativa are two general “types” of cannabis. Indica plants grow short and bushy, while sativas grow long and thin. Indica plants usually makes a smoker feel relaxed, sluggish, and sedated. Sativas tend to provide energy, focus, and an uplifting euphoria. However, those descriptions aren’t terribly clear cut. Sativas and

indicas can be cross-bred to produce hybrids, and most commercially available cannabis is some kind of hybrid, so this distinction is really only helpful if you’re getting into the weeds with weed.

What’s the whole “420” thing about?

“420” is a sacred number within the cannabis community. It’s often used as a code word, but it also represents special times to get elevated. Some consumers ritualistically smoke at 4:20 pm every day, and April 20 is officially the unofficial cannabis holiday, when consumers may congregate to light up with friends and peers. As for where it comes from, well, no one knows. Some people claim to know, but they don’t. It’s OK, though. We can have some mystery in our lives.

How does a dispensary compare to a retail store? Both sell cannabis and cannabis products; the difference is in those products’ use. Dispensaries tend to carry cannabis tailored for medical use, while retail stores exclusively sell recreational-use products, which is why they can also be called “rec” stores. (Not to be confused with a Head Shop, which sells paraphenalia such as bongs, pipes, grinders and dab rigs, but not the cannabis itself.)

What does it feel like to get high?

It depends on a lot of factors—the dosage, the strain, the method of consumption, and the individual. That said, the average “high” has a few common effects—euphoria, relaxation, hunger, creativity, and a giggly, happy mood. It lasts a few hours, and the feeling changes over time as your blood concentration of THC increases, peaks, and then fades. The best way to understand the feeling is to experience it yourself.

Can cannabis hurt you if you take too much?

In a medical sense, no; no one has ever died or been injured from “getting too high.” But overconsumption does cause some common side effects in-

cluding increased heart rate, anxiety, paranoia and confusion. In other words, it’s a very unpleasant feeling if you’re not prepared for it—enough to scare some people out of ever trying cannabis again.

How do I avoid getting too high?

Our rule of thumb is start low and go slow. Work your way up to higher dosages. Consider inviting a trusted, experienced friend to partake with you and be there to help you if you need it.

If you do get too high, just remember to breathe. You’ll be OK in a few hours. You could also try some common cures to curb the high, such as black pepper, whole milk (for edibles) or a hot shower.

What’s the difference between “buds,” “flowers,” and “nugs”? Absolutely nothing. They all refer to the same thing: the smokeable part of the plant. While most people are familiar with the iconic cannabis leaf, the part with the highest concentration of cannabinoids is the flowering part of the plant, hence the names.

What are strains?

Anyone 21 or over can shop in a retail store, but only registered medical marijuana patients, who may be any age, can buy from a dispensary. Dispensaries offer more potent products at a lower cost, because of its use as a medical-grade product.

Also known as genotypes or cultivars, a strain is a certain breed of cannabis—the same way a chihuahua is a breed of dog. Remember your high school days when you learned about the Punnett square, named after that guy who cross-bred a bunch of pea plants to see how genes get passed down? Cannabis strains are made in pretty much

the same way, in a process called pheno hunting. A special type of grower called a breeder crosspollenates plants with different traits to create the best possible combination of those traits.

What’s with all the weird names?

It may not look like it, but strain names do usually describe some aspect of the product. Some are named for their smell (Grape Ape or Blue Cheese) or their taste like (Ice Cream Cake), characteristics defined by an entirely different set of cannabis compounds called terpenes (or terps). Others are named for their concentrations of THC and CBD to deliver specific types of “high.”

While crazy names have stuck around as holdover from and homage to classic stoner culture, they can also be a barrier of entry for the new buyer—what information is someone who’s never tried cannabis before going to glean from “Original Glue”? Luckily, most dispensaries employ knowledgable budtenders who are there to help new consumers navigate the nonsense and recommend the ideal product for their experience level.

Got a question we haven’t answered here? All you have to do is ask.

Don’t want to smoke? You’re in luck! Smoking is just one consumption method. Here are just a few popular examples of the many other ways to get cannabis into your brain and body.

VAPES. A vape heats up your buds to boil the cannabinoids and terpenes get boiled o into a vapor that you inhale. Since the bud isn’t combusted, you aren’t inhaling black ash. Some vapes feature temperature control allowing you to customize your experience. THC vaporizes at 314.6°F (157°C), while CBD vaporizes around 320°F (160°C).

EDIBLES. Eat your pot or drink it too! Edibles are, as they sound, edible products infused with cannabis extracts. And there are some delicious options out there—brownies, of course, but also gummies, chocolates, cookies, granolas, colas, co ees, anything you can think of. A standard serving is 10 mg THC, and the long-lasting e ects can take up to two hours to hit.

SUBLINGUALS. A subgenre of edibles, sublinguals are administered under the tongue, bypassing the digestive system. The resulting e ects are pretty fast-acting, and mild enough to not impair judgment or hinder performance. They tend to be used medicinally, with selections like lozenges, tablets, tinctures and sprays. If you’re new to cannabis, or are in an area/industry where it’s still taboo, you’ll love this discreet, convenient consumption method.

TOPICALS. If you want to enjoy the pain relieving bene ts without the mood-altering e ects, try topicals. These lotions, ointments, creams, and oils don’t usually contain any THC at all; CBD does all the heavy lifting here. But if THC is present, it’s only to strengthen the analgesic e ect, as it can’t reach the bloodstream through the skin. The only exception is the transdermal patch, which has chemicals that can penetrate the skin barrier.

EXTRACTS. It’s everything we love about cannabis, without the cannabis. Think of it as juicing: Pressing and rolling owers yields a yellowish, waxy substance called hash—basically raw cannabinoid goop, and it’s as potent as it sounds. Also called hashish or concentrate, hash can take on di erent textures like budder, wax, shatter, or honey oils, depending on the extraction method. Chemists are constantly developing stronger, purer extracts, which is why we don’t recommend them for rst-timers. You’re practically asking to overdo it.

Edibles Complex

Edibles users tell tales—hilarious, healing, and horrifying—of their rst time.

ORIGINAL TEXT JOHN LEHNDORFF

There’s something about edibles that sparks wild experiences, even in veteran, longtime cannabis smokers who are not unacquainted with the effects of THC.

“On the whole, edibles are a very different beast from smoking bud or a vape pen. It’s THC, but it’s a different quality of high. Because of the way it is absorbed, it affects people very differently,” says Dr. Bill Costas, a Denver-based clinical psychologist who has worked in the metro area for more than 30 years. His experience with edibles took place in the early years of legalization. “It was both a body and a head high, and I was really messed up on both levels to the point of feeling very uncomfortable. I couldn’t manage to stand up and go outside. I couldn’t do it 30 or 45 minutes later. You are along for the ride, and it’s a much longer ride than you expect,” he shares.

Part of the problem is what Costas calls the “hysteria” surrounding edibles (and cannabis in general), including a lot of alarmist headlines that prime novice users of edibles to be anxious.

Sensi asked readers to share their memories, and they responded with tales that are horrifying, healing, and hilarious. Because of sensitive employment situations or simple embarrassment, the writers are not identified. The stories are all real … or, at least as real as remembered.

“So, I took 20 mg more to get in the groove.” A reader who had stopped smoking years earlier decided to give edibles a try when she had a chance to see Furthur, a reformation of the Grateful Dead (sans Jerry Garcia).

“I bought a 100 mg edible. Everyone I talked to said try 10 mg at first and see how you feel. Well, I took it at the beginning of

the show and by the end of the first set, I felt almost nothing. So, I took 20 mg more to get in the groove for the second set. Move the clock forward about 30 minutes, I could barely stand up. By “China Doll,” I thought someone had slipped me a dose of LSD 25. With about four songs to go, I asked my husband if we could go home. He looked at me like I asked him to commit murder. I couldn’t stand up without help, and I almost dragged my husband into the bathroom to help me. The end result? No one was injured or hospitalized and a lesson was learned.”

“The cops came, the paramedics came” A reader related a story about a friend who visited Colorado soon after legalization: “She hadn’t smoked in four decades but picked up some chocolate. We split like 10 mg, she freaked out and thought she was having a heart attack, and called 911. The cops came, the paramedics came. I had the giggles while the officer explained to her that she was going to be fine, and that she wasn’t the first person this happened to. In fact, she wasn’t even the first person that week. The officer noted that the worst case he had seen was a

woman who ate some edibles and was picked up running down the side of the road ‘butt naked.’”

“The only thing that got my brain to shut off” Edibles came to the rescue in the case of a Denver mother. “I got pregnant after fertility treatments. It ended up being ectopic, I nearly died and had emergency surgery. Afterwards, I had a lot of grief and anxiety that I couldn’t calm down. I spent about eight months trying everything to sleep. I finally decided to try a small amount of edible gummies. It worked immediately, and it was the only thing that got my brain to shut off so I could sleep. I rarely use them now, only once in a while in very small doses. It takes a while to metabolize, so it allows me to fall asleep as well as stay asleep. I have been very grateful for this medicinal aspect of it.”

“How edibles education happens”

“A friend said, ‘Hey, do you want some chocolate?’ and a big discussion about dosage ensued. My potophile friend said, ‘Eat the whole thing, I always do.’ My occasional-user friend said, ‘Nah, she better start off slow.’ So I had a nibble of the most

delicious mint chocolate and felt great. It was fun, like “having-a-second-glass-of-wine” fun. Fast forward a month and I found my nibbled-on chocolate sample and an extra piece. I ate one and it tasted so good I munched down the next. What could it hurt? That’s how I discovered the difference between a fun dose and a ‘now I can only crawl from my bed to the bathroom’ dose. Live and learn.”

Overcoming Overconsumption

When you’ve overdone the edibles, time really is the best medicine for its unpleasant effects. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything to alleviate the anxiety.

“First, you have to remind yourself that you are along for the ride however long it lasts. If

you are focusing your attention on time, you will spiral down the rabbit hole,” says Costas. “Next, remember that you can’t overdose on THC. It has never happened. Nobody has ever died simply from a high dose of THC.”

Costas’ number-one strategy for dealing with an edibles episode? The power of positive thinking. “Detour your thinking from fear, anxiety, paranoia. Any time your thoughts go to a negative place, intentionally redirect them. It sounds too simple, but turn the experience into having a good time,” he says.

“Think of something fun—the music, something you’re looking at or tasting. Get lost in a pleasant dreamy moment instead of, ‘When will this end?’ I know that if I can direct my thoughts, I can affect

my emotional state. It changes my awareness, my breathing, and my brain chemistry. It means that I do have control. I may not be able to become less stoned, but I can make myself less anxious.”

To have a better experience, consider some practical precautions before you swallow the THC-infused goodies. Choose your set, setting, and company carefully: Where you will you be when the full effect of the edibles happens? Who will be with you? What sort of sensory environment will you be in? Make sure you have scheduled enough time, given the slow onset and lingering effects of edibles.

Be sure to eat edibles before the big meal, not after, or the effects will linger much longer.

“For me, I’m not going to have an edibles experience at Denny’s with strangers. I might go into the mountains. It’s good to have the right music. If you watch TV, you may not want to turn on Criminal Minds,” Costas suggests. Edibles taste much better than they used to. There are advances in microdosing, rapid absorption and targeted cannabinoids for specific therapeutic effects. Better dose control, packaging, and instructions make it more likely that the first time is a good time for edibles novices. However, in the end they are still edibles and subject to the variables that make eating different from smoking and vaping. It will still be up to each users’ self-awareness and learning over time.

MEET THE INNOVATORS WHO SET—THEN EXCEED— THE STANDARD FOR EXTRACTION TECHNOLOGY.

uring the Covid pandemic, for some businesses, it was a time to scale back and retreat. A time to dive for cover and hide beneath the bed sheets, waiting for that much anticipated day when the thunderclouds

would finally stop their rumbling and roll on by. Many companies furloughed their employees, some cut their staff by half, while others simply closed shop. Other businesses opted to minimize risk by maintaining only the most essential of departments while their former creativity—perhaps one of their greatest assets—came

to a sputtering, if not a grinding, halt. This narrowing of the lens, a decision that may have proved lifesaving for some, was the opposite approach taken by Decimal Engineered Systems, a cutting-edge company headquartered in Canby, Oregon that specializes in the design and manufacture of hydrocarbon, ethanol, and CO₂

How do you plan to Grow your business this Spring?

How do you plan to Grow your business this Spring?

Our Specialty Banking Team is here to provide superior service for all your

Our Specialty Banking Team is here to provide superior service for all your

extraction equipment, in addition to other types of processing machinery. Rather than shuttering their field of vision and operating from a place of defense, Decimal treated the pandemic as an opportunity to pool some of the best talent in the industry and engineer what may very well be the most technologically sophisticated and fully accredited equipment available in today’s market.

Extraction is a method used to extract cannabinoids such as THC, CBD, and terpenes from cannabis plant material. Highly concentrated extracts can be used to create various products, many of which have important medicinal benefits. CBD alone has multiple health applications, from reducing anxiety, inflammation, and chronic pain to treating insomnia. As the demand for cannabis products has increased, the technologies used for extraction have had to keep in step. The legaliza-

tion of cannabis in certain US states has further catalyzed innovations in extraction methods, especially considering that standardization and accreditation is rapidly becoming a requisite component of the licensing process. Decimal prides itself in its ability to forecast future regulatory landscapes and designs with tomorrow’s needs in mind. As a result, Decimal is quickly emerging as the frontrunner in fully integrated lab extraction equipment. But how, exactly, has Decimal been able to position itself with such a cutting edge?

THE COVID SESSIONS: TWO YEARS OF PIONEERING, DESIGNING, ANDRETOOLING

Jonah Barber, president of Decimal and former founder of MRX Laboratories, took a hard look at how the pandemic was disrupting business: travel had come to a general stand-

MICHAEL BISHOP

MANAGING DIRECTOR. Seasoned sales and marketing executive with experience that includes laboratory equipment and cannabis post-processing technologies. Since 2015, Michael has worked with extraction equipment manufacturers to outt hundreds of cannabis processors across North America. Prior to Decimal, Michael worked closely withboth Jonah and Charlie, pairing post-extraction equipment to provide complete end-toend solutions.

VP OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. Based in Michigan, Charlie has been instrumental in planning and commissioning hundreds of cannabis processing facilities in both the US and Canada. Recognized across the industry for his expertise in cultivating long-term partnerships, Charlie exceeds client expectation by assisting private entrepreneurs evolve from pre-launch startups to multimillion dollar MSOs.

CHARLIE RICHARDSON

POINTS IN TIME

2013 MRX Labs opens in Portland, Oregon as one of the rst fully accredited testing lab in the US.

2014 MRX Xtractors forms, launches industry’s rst 100L automated CO2 extraction system.

2018

MRX introduces fully enclosed large-scale ethanol processing booths that can be operated by a single user with a tablet.

2019

MRX moves into a 20,000 sqft ASME manufacturing facility with in-house UL panel shop to keep up with demand.

2021 MRX is acquired by Peregrine Precision Systems, expanding technologies and systems to include hydrocarbon extraction and advanced post-extraction processing.

2022 MRX relaunches as Decimal Engineered Systems, o ering full lab design with turnkey Hydrocarbon, Ethanol, CO2, and Solventless extraction from Craft to Industrial scale.

still, trade shows were being canceled left and right, and no one was visiting facilities. Determined to avoid a complete shut-down, Barber decided to do a deep dive into research and development with a particular eye on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). But he needed a team to catapult him forward. Looking at a multitude of different industries, from brewing, distilling, vinting, computer numerical control, and robotic automation technologies, Barber found his talent in the engineering expertise of Ryan Benelli and Lance Gunter, and the business development and advertising skill set of Charlie Richardson and Michael Bishop.

“One of the reasons I was so excited to join this team is because we

have the greatest level of experience in the industry,” said Ryan Bonelli. “I don’t know of a team who has as muchexperience as we do touching as many facilities of various sizes, from what could be considered a small facility to an industrial scale facility.” Collectively, the leading talent at Decimal have upwards of forty years in the industry, to say nothing of their combined years of experience gleaned from other industries, such as distilling and automation technologies.

“Ultimately what brought us to this company,” explained Bishop, “are the incredibly skilled engineers and fabricators that can manufacture highly automated machines built to any standard, including GMP. Decimal and our predeces-

sor, MRX Technologies, have always been at the forefront of achieving very high standards of compliance with their equipment. Our anticipation of higher compliance standards, particularly for the international market, is a challenge Decimal can meet head-on.”

Their team thus assembled, Decimal took advantage of the introspection forced upon them by the pandemic, rolled up their sleeves, and went to work. What was born from that periodof brainstorming, designing, and retooling are upwards of fourteen new products, ranging from fully automated extractors to post-processing equipment, including decarboxylation reactors, inline filtration, falling film recovery, thin film distillation, and

crystallization. “We’re always innovating... developing constantly,” explains Bishop. “During Covid, we just put our heads down and started R&D. Always designing something new, trying to find ways to make things easier to operate.”

True to their word, the engineering team at Decimal kept operator ease a top priority. In order to design toward the needs of their clients, they closely interviewed multiple extraction teams at companies at leading multi-state operators to better understand the various obstacles their operators experience on a daily basis. Then Decimal embedded the solutions to those problems into their new systems. For example, extraction equipment has to be used within a controlled environment and cannot be successfully rendered in extreme climates, such as a Midwest winter or a Mojave summer. As a result, many companies manufacture within what’s known as an extraction pod. In order to minimize the discomfort and inefficiency of having to exit a pod to adjust exterior equipment or temperature control units, the Decimal systems includetechnology in which the operators can communicate within the pod via a network or user tablet. Decimal has also included other functionalities that enhance operator use, such as workstations for tools, coded valve systems, CIP systems, or “clean-inplace,” which allows operators to

cleanthe machine on the fly while it’s still in use (a GMP requirement). “All these advantages and newest technologies are included in our systems,” explains Charles Richardson, “and there reallyis no other system like it in the industry.” Barber further explains that the covid brainstorm was essentially dedicated to “identifying the holes in the process flow of extraction and coming up with GMP across all the parts. We really engage with the customer and learn about what their production needs are, what kind of throughput goals and products they have. And then we reverse engineer into the exact equipment packages they need instead of trying to make them fit into a box.” Decimal doesn’t stop there. Since worker safety is also an essential component to their design and accreditation process, their collaborative efforts extend beyond the customer base to include municipalities as well. As an example, hydrocarbon extractors can be extremely dangerous since they use volatile gasses under heat and pressure. In order to safeguard and comply with operator safety, Decimal works closely with the municipalities of their various clients, including fire and building inspectors, thereby helping their clients navigate through the individual approval process. Indeed, Decimal designs to very strict parameters and rating standards with a peer-review-

JONAH BARBER

PRESIDENT. As former founder of MRX Labs & MRX Xtractors, Jonah has extensive experience in building one of the largest fully accredited testing labs in the country. His analytical background exposed the need for automated extraction equipment capable of increasing compliance and repeatability, ultimately resulting in Decimal. Jonah holds a business and accounting degree from Western Oregon University and is a popular and frequent speaker in the cannabis and hemp industry.

LANCE GUNTER

VP of Engineering. Passionate about the substantial bene ts cannabis brings to people’s lives, Lance comes from a diverse background in electronics and equipment engineering in the semiconductor, aviation and cannabis industries. Lance coordinates with all departments to ensure alignment between engineering and business objectives, including compliance with industry standards and regulations.

RYAN

BONELLI

Cofounder and COO, Peregrine Precision Systems Serves on the Board of Directors.

al process. Today, their systems are compliant in all fifty states and they are also working toward compliance in the Canadian provinces.

MAKING AND BREAKING THE MOLD

“Something that’s important to note,” says Barber, “is that we’ve always been at the forefront of staying ahead of need and compliance. This saves our customers considerable moneysince they will not have to go back and retrofit.” The proof, as they say, is really in the pudding. According to Bishop, “All of our equipment can be manufactured to the highest standards of compliance and we anticipate that as this industry gets more regulated and eventually achieves federal legal that the standards around equipment and the manufacture of extracts will rise to the same levels that we currently see in food production and that would specifically be GMP standards.” Today, Decimal systems can meet the demands of any current or future regulatory landscape, and come with the following accreditations: an ASME certified manufacturing facility, equipment that meets the European Union’s GMP standards, a UL-tested electronic panel shop, NFPA certifications, CIDI (Center for Innovative Design & Instruction) & ATEX workspaces and global compliance.

“We’re at an advantage because of our automation controls, experienced team of engineers, and in-house manufacturing. We have a unique ability to provide tailored solutions to our customers needs and scale, because we manufacture all of the components of an end-toend process,” explains Bishop. “Let’s say a client wants to manufacture a

certain product. We’re able to customize a process for that client. To simplify, a business wants to make a product starting with biomass, with plant material, so they’re going to need many different pieces of machinery inthat process chain. Often, that necessitates working with a number of different vendors. They may buy their extraction equipment from one vendor, and their post-processing from several others. Now they’ve got all these pieces of equipment and they’re having to deal with all these different companies. Then it’s up to the operator to bring it all together into one complete processchain. Here at Decimal, we take a more holistic approach. We manufacture all of those pieces of equipment right here, in house.”

Finally, Decimal also offers a lifetime warranty on domestic steel, thereby eliminating potential supply-chain issues. Decimal understands that, much like creativity, customers are a pivotal asset and they are therefore dedicated to partnering with their clients for a lifetime; their steel warranty reflects this pledge of lifetime partnership. The comprehensive package that Decimal offers—fully accredited and complete lab solutions from craft to industrial scale, including design, installation, and tutorials— is surely the best return on investment anywhere in the industry.

Nobody could have predicted the spark of creativity that was born at Decimal from the unhappy, if not tragic, reality of the covid pandemic. Talk about a lesson in turning lemons into lemonade! So much is possible in this life, especially when we take the time to run an internal inventory. What is our attitude? What do we experience as

a problem vs. what do we perceive as an opportunity? How do we respond when challenged? What do we believe is possible vs.impossible? Barber and his team asked themselves these same hard questions and stepped forward into possibility. This adjustment in attitude— this determination to stand up as opposed to lying down—birthed a whole new series of fully integrated lab equipment which has every potential, if used with medicinal purpose in mind—to extract all kinds of new health remedies. Who is to say that all strains of cannabinoids have even been discovered? Or who is to say that, through the use of Decimal equipment, some new treatment for Crohn’s disease won’t someday take center stage? It seems that the sky can, in fact, be the limit and that Decimal Engineered Systems can quite easily engineer the launching pad. Goodness knows they certainly designed their own.

NOT A FAN OF THE LEAF?

Iown two pieces of clothing with cannabis leaves on them: warm, fuzzy socks that were a gift from a dear friend and a three-year-old Women Grow t-shirt, vintage in this young industry and soft from many washings. I love wearing both in Colorado and California, where they spark good conversation.

When I visit my family and friends in the conservative Midwestern state where I grew up, I leave those items at home. I’m a sissy rebel—or maybe no rebel at all—because I wear them only in legal states, where the fan leaf is a ubiquitous in cannabis marketing and networking. So ubiquitous, in fact, that I’ve considered not wearing my socks or shirt to industry events because I’m slightly embarrassed about what a cliché it has become.

Maybe there are more subtle symbols for cannabis. Some say that pineapples are the new pot leaf; others wear jewelry shaped like THC and CBD molecules. Even modern bongs and pipes are crafted with aesthetics in mind, able to be displayed in the open like modern art. But in the end, whetner you love it or hate it, nothing says “I love weed” quite like the leaf.

THE LEAF’S LONG LINEAGE

If you’ve been in the cannabis industry for a minute, you can’t help but catch the yawn. We’ve all gotten used to seeing A-listers like Rihanna, Bella Hadid, and Miley Cyrus subtly (and not-subtly) working fan leaves into their looks and products. It’s been nearly a decade since Mara Hoffman dressed her New York Fashion Week models in dresses and pants

woven with green cannabis leaves.

Mara wasn’t breaking new ground; she was following in the well-worn footsteps of Gram Parson, who had suits embroidered with cannabis leaves made for him and his Flying Burritos Brothers bandmates to wear on the cover of their first album in 1968.

But even that is far from the beginning of the leaf’s history. Its earliest known depiction dates to the Neolithic era (10,000–5,000 BC), painted on a cave wall on the coast of Kyushu, Japan. Many believe the pointy leaf often shown above the head of the ancient Egyptian idol Seshat, goddess of architecture, astronomy, astrology, and mathematics, was a cannabis leaf.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, when cannabis was a common ingredient in over-the-counter elixirs, the leaf could be spotted on medicine bottle labels—

The fan leaf, once a badge of counterculture, is now seen by some as a tired cliché. But, like it or not, we’re stuck with it—we might as well make it classy.

ORIGINAL STORY ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

though not nearly as often as today. It went underground with the prohibition in 1937, largely forgotten until it re-emerged alongside tie-dye and peace signs in the ’60s as a countercultural icon.

Jerry Rubin, the flamboyant radical who told hippies never to trust anyone over 30, anointed the leaf when he said: “Smoking pot makes you a criminal and a revolutionary. As soon as you take your first puff, you are an enemy of society.”

In 1966, the Saturday Evening Post described college students who used marijuana as fitting into “a general pattern of rebellion against society’s values.” The very fact that marijuana was illegal, according to a 1967 Life magazine article, was part of its appeal for young people. “Seeing themselves in rebellion against the empty, materialistic striving of their parents, they turn the whole pot scene into a protest tool which they use to mock a middle-class culture they disdain,” the article stated.

We all know what happened next. Hippies became yuppies. Nancy Reagan told us to “Just Say No.” Cannabis leaves went underground again—disappearing even from rolling paper labels and dorm room posters—and it stayed down. When Adidas attempted to unearth it by replacing its corporate logo with a cannabis leaf to market hemp sports shoes in 1998, US drug czar Lee P. Brown slammed the company for attempting to “capitalize on the drug culture.”

Despite the best efforts of reefer madness reactionaries, prohibition is ending. Attitudes are changing, and the leaf has never been more popular—for better or worse.

IF YOU CAN’T BEAT ‘EM

The mainstream fashion world still thinks the fan leaf is edgy. We in the industry have seen that guyin-a-pot-leaf-suit often enough to know better. (You don’t see leggings covered in grapes or earrings shaped like grapevines at wine festivals, do you?)

But our ennui is a problem of privilege—albeit one that should be a right for all—and I do know how lucky we are that we can display cannabis leaves as a universal symbol of pride, solidarity, and advocacy without fear of persecution.

More than half of the US continues to criminalize recreational use, and there are still 13 states where even medical use is outlawed. Currently, cannabis has only been legalized in around 40 countries. Emojis have become practically part of the written language, but even in 2023, we are stuck with the “maple leaf” and “wind” emojis to express our 420-friendliness.

So let’s not pretend that cannabis has “made it” completely. We could talk all day about the irony of Baby Boomers exploiting cannabis for profit as part of the very middle class they once disdained—but let’s save that for a sesh. The fan leaf is our icon, and we’re stuck with it. Let’s try to be respectful of its defiance. Those of us who get to experience the normalization of a symbol that once sparked conflict and controversy need to keep working toward universal acceptance, even as we fold it into our marketing materials.

We’ve come far, but we’re not there yet. We will have arrived when our phones come equipped with cannabis leaf emojis.

EAT YOUR GREENS

Fan leaves, once considered a waste product, have come into their own as a nutritional and medicinal powerhouse packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They have a distinctly earthy, slightly bitter taste that makes a tasteful addition to smoothies, juices, salads, pesto and tabbouleh, or as a garnish for soups or sh.

DESPITE THE BEST EFFORTS OF REEFER MADNESS REACTIONARIES, PROHIBITION IS ENDING. ATTITUDES ARE CHANGING, AND THE LEAF HAS NEVER BEEN MORE POPULAR—FOR BETTER OR WORSE.

420 Reviews

What’s grabbing my attention this 420?

This quintessential quartet exempli es the best of the best during our favorite festival season.

TEXT JEN BERNSTEIN, EXECUTIVE EDITOR

INTENTION-ALLY ELEVATED

Make your 420 mean something and commit to setting a cannabis intention – by keeping a cannabis journal. Whether setting intentions or creating a more mindful practice, educational design company Goldleaf makes it easy to follow through with their guided journals, informational art prints, and educational cards. The company empowers through education, elevates through beautiful botanic design, and has helped cannabis patients, growers, and your coworkers since their start in 2016. Make your marijuana memories meaningful. shopgol eaf.com

EDIBLE EDIFICATION

Life shouldn’t have to be hard — that’s why I reach out for fast-acting Betty’s Eddies chews when the going gets tough. And, it’s like their tastemakers KNEW I’d be reaching for their delicious, 100% all-natural fruit chews every chance I could get … whether popping the pineapple Take It Easy Eddies ta y-like chew that tastefully includes lightly infused THC and other minor cannabinoids for stress; or needing to peacefully unwind from my day with the perfectly curated Bedtime Betty’s raspberry creams that include dreamy CBD and CBN designed for a restful sleep. Dosed perfectly at 5mg with additional cannabinoids included for desired e ect — Betty’s Eddies are my go-to day changer when my vibe needs lifting. Available in: Massachusetts, Maryland, Puerto Rico, Delaware, Maine, and Rhode Island, www.bettyseddies.com

HOBBIT-FORMING MASTERY

Hey Pu co, the Council of the Wise called and they want to know your spellbinding secrets. How is it humanly possible to one-up the intense magic that goes into the high-tech design and functionality of the Pu co Proxy? Concentrate cannaseurs who invest in only the highest quality vaping apparati will reach that coveted Gandalf-level status/stature when they bring their Pu co Proxy Kit to elevate their sessions. If you’re still in search of a superior crafted handheld vaporizer, look no further than the Proxy Wizard*, which will no doubt make you the envy of the Shire.

*Beard not required, www.pu co.com/products/proxy-kit-desert

ESCAPE ARTISTS

Remember the thrill of sneaking a quick toke in between work meetings or while hiding out in the bathroom dodging your toddler? The team over at Escape Artists brings that discrete level to an all-time high with their fast-acting, no odor, refreshing Escape Artists Flights mint strips. You don’t have to feel naughty about doing something good for you, not with the bene ts of 2.5mg of THC and 2.5mg CBD found in the appropriately dosed strips, 30 to a pack – all secured for you in a child-resistant tin. As your mint strip dissolves so will your stumbling blocks – leaving you to enjoy an energetic, microdosed high. letsescape.com

This article was originally published in November 2018. It has been edited for length and clarity.

An Abnormal History of The New Normal

I don’t know about you, but I’m glad Dave’s still here.

ORIGINAL TEXT LELAND RUCKER

There was a time when Cheech & Chong kept me sane. It was winter 1971–72, and the world was warning me that smoking pot was going to destroy my ambition, rob me of my motivation and, for all I knew, send me straight to hell. Everything I read said that marijuana would turn me into a low-IQ couch potato, yet here I was smoking a joint then cleaning the house and weeding the yard. It just made no sense.

And in the midst of the madness, along came Cheech & Chong and Big Bambú, two records that amplified and crucified the stoner clichés of the era. Those albums kept me, and as it turns out,

millions of other tokers, laughing our asses off, whether at Bob Bitchen enthusiastically going for the hash on the C&C’s 1980 Let’s Make a Dope Deal album, the hapless “Pedro and the Man at the Drive-Inn” downing their stash to keep from getting busted by the police on 1973’s Los Cochinos, or Sister Mary Elephant screaming at her class to “SHUUUUUDDUP!” in the skit bearing her name. Nobody said “far out, man” better than Tommy Chong. Their most famous routine, “Dave’s Not Here,” became part of stoner mythology. Everybody knew “Dave’s Not Here.”

Cheech & Chong’s comedy, far ahead of its time and with a minority focus—Richard “Cheech” Marin is Mexican-American, and Tommy Chong is of Scottish-Irish/Chinese descent—provided a secret language for our then-illegal, secret society. C&C made it so much less clandestine. They

poked holes in marijuana myths—wink, wink— which made us giggle, and at the same time convinced the anti-pot crowd that that’s how people act when they’re high. We knew better. But the stoner stereotype was born.

Fast forward about 46 years to September 2018, and I’m eating catered Cracker Barrel pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs on paper plates chatting with Tommy Chong in Lucy Sky, a Denver dispensary that carries Chong’s Choice, his brand of cannabis products. What once was an underground cult with its own code and buzzwords is now a worldwide, multibillion-dollar industry that even Coca-Cola is interested in investing in.

Darkness and Lies

Thinking back, it’s pretty amazing the lengths that the federal government went to—and still does, the budget for the Drug War this year is about 36 billion dollars—to try

to keep Americans from “getting high.” Despite that pharmaceutical drugs and alcohol get you “high,” too, American leaders on both sides of the political aisle have tried their damnedest to stop millions of Americans who use cannabis as a part of their lives.

International cannabis policy is still governed by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, convened in 1961 and updated in 1971 and 1988 by the United Nations. The Single Convention was based on the idea that addiction “constitutes a serious evil for the individual” and is a social and economic obstruction to mankind’s progress.

The “solution” was an approach that included incarceration for users and dealers and, except for medical and scientific purposes, total elimination of all illegal drugs. To be honest, it hasn’t worked out very well after a half-century and who knows how many dollars

PHOTOS BY ANDRE VELEZ

spent, and it’s not surprising that some signatories are beginning to question this wisdom, especially in light of legalization efforts in the US. At this point, American states that allow legal marijuana are technically breaking international law.

The Convention was used by President Richard Nixon and Congress to help pass the Controlled Substances Act in 1970, and since then, the federal government has desperately tried to stop you and me and lots of other people from doing something they find enjoyable and that, given the alternatives, seems fairly benign. So pleasurable, in fact, that millions of Americans are willing to continue to break federal and international law to do it.

Nixon, who wandered the White House corridors drunk and babbling to paintings in the dark days before his resignation, was phobic about a lot of

things—Jews, gays, hippies, and drug use among them. His aide John Ehrlichman later admitted the administration put cannabis in the same classification as heroin to give Nixon extra legal leverage over hippies and minorities—that period’s “enemies of the state.” This was after the administration’s Shafer Commission concluded the only problem with marijuana was its illegality. For a short period, the US government helped Mexico spray its fields with the herbicide paraquat to kill pot plants in the early 1970s in an effort to curtail use. In March 1978, 33 percent of marijuana samples found in the US were found to be contaminated with the chemical, a known pulmonary toxin.

But even then, the hypocrisy was already beginning to unravel. I remember reading about a 20-something-yearold man named Robert

Randall, who, after years of court battles, won the right to have the US government supply him with marijuana to keep him from going blind back in the 1970s.

Randall’s eye doctor had given him the unfortunate news that severe glaucoma would render him unable to see by age 30. After smoking a joint, he noted that the halos he usually saw around streetlights, a symptom of his disease, had disappeared. He started self-medicating and working with his ophthalmologist, who noted that cannabis was lessening the glaucoma symptoms. He began growing his own plants, and in 1975 was arrested after a search warrant was executed on his property. Instead of pleading guilty to a misdemeanor possession charge, Randall challenged the government, arguing that he was forced to break the law to keep from going

blind. And he won. When he found that the feds were growing marijuana on a farm in Mississippi, he demanded that the government supply him with marijuana to keep his disease in check, and Randall became the first recipient of the shortlived Compassionate Investigational New Drug program, which supplied him with a tin filled with 300 hand-rolled joints every month for many years. The label on the bottle: “Smoke as directed.”

When Randall died in 2001 at age 53 of AIDS-related complications, he still had his sight. So marijuana was as bad as heroin, the

government was telling us, unless you had glaucoma. Did they think we weren’t paying attention because we were all as stupid as Cheech & Chong were pretending to be when in character?

Ah, and then there were the Reagan years. Ronald Reagan, the handsome former actor and corporate spokesperson, became president in 1980 and reinstated the goal of zero tolerance for all drug users and sellers. Richard Nixon reborn, Reagan demonized marijuana much as he did communism, calling for a nationwide crusade “to rid America of this scourge.”

The dope jokes were running thin, but Cheech & Chong’s string of hit films after 1978’s Up in Smoke coincided with the

who could forget President Bill Clinton claiming that he never inhaled?

Still, attitudes toward legalization began to change in the 1990s, as the numbers of people incarcerated for cannabis continued to rise, and states, beginning with California in 1996, petitioned to allow cannabis for medical purposes.

sophisticated gadgetry, mandatory sentencing, and harsher punishments, the government hasn’t been able to stop anybody who really wants to from using cannabis.

Reagan years and found another eager generation, this one the recipients of Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” and the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) abstinence campaigns. I’m always reminded of those two failures every time I attend a cannabis function, since many of the brightest people in the modern cannabis industry grew up in the clutches of those programs.

If anything, President George H. Bush was even worse, hiring William Bennett, a compulsive gambler and nicotine addict, as his first Drug Czar.

“The white middle-class user needs to be coerced, needs to be told that his behavior won’t be tolerated,” Bennett once said. He still believes that. And

Undaunted, the DEA, unable to stop the flow of cannabis into the country from our borders, targeted American growers, unwittingly leading to cannabis becoming the largest cash crop in America. On several occasions, the government went after paraphernalia shops. During one of those, 2003’s Operation Pipe Dreams, Tommy Chong was arrested and served nine months in prison.

The New Normal

The fact is, as Cheech & Chong continue to remind us, that humans are always going to find ways to change their consciousness. Always have, always will. The War on Drugs has been extremely effective at putting Americans, especially minorities, behind bars. (In 2017, 659,700 Americans were arrested for marijuana offenses.) But despite endless cash, “Just Say No” and D.A.R.E. campaigns, zealous border patrols,

More than 30 states allow some kind of medical marijuana, and nine states and the District of Columbia allow adults over 21 to purchase cannabis. More than 200 million Americans have access to legal marijuana. Celebrity brands are growing, with Tommy’s Choice among them.

Chong, who turned 80 in May, has never been the character he plays on stage and screen, and he says he’s pretty much a one-toker these days. Almost as many people recognize him from his appearances on television’s Dancing with the Stars as from his routines with Marin. “It’s pretty funny having young fans come over and grab the old stoner for a selfie,” he says, grinning.

Daves not here

He and Marin do about two months worth of live gigs every year, many of them in casinos, he says. The Cheech & Chong act has transformed from a series of skits about stoners into a kind of a play. It’s somehow still comforting to know that Dave’s still here.

L

Laissez les bons temps rouler

On February 21, our Sensi Michigan team threw its annual bangin’ Fat Tuesday Party at Causeway Bay Hotel & Conference Center in Lansing. 650+ people showed up to celebrate Mardi Gras with the Sensi family. We had a couple dozen vendors on hand, giving out promotional swag and samples. A big THANK YOU to Farechild Events for helping co-produce the memorable celebration. Proceeds of the event were donated to bene t the Great Lakes Expungement Network. DJ Jodi Dro and DJ PRIM were on hand as usual, keeping the vibe fresh for the crowd. Street Chef Shaw was also on hand serving up birria tacos, a Michigan crowd favorite.

WHERE: LANSING, MI

WHEN: FEBRUARY 21, 2023

PHOTOS: MIKE BUCK AT M-BUCK STUDIO

VIDEO: BRADY GILLIAM OF BUDBIZ MEDIA

SENSI NIGHT MARDI GRAS PARTY

NOBO

We are NOBO. We planted our roots in Michigan in 2020 and opened our grow. We opened our first of three retail locations in 2021. We have a long history of growing in Colorado and running cannabis retail businesses. As Michigan opened up we were afforded the opportunity to bring our expertise and experience to a new and growing market.

Where can people nd your products?

Our products can be found across Michigan and primarily in our stores in Edwardsburg, Muskegon and Benton Harbor.

How many employees do you have?

We have over 100 employees

What services or products do you o er?

We are a vertically integrated multistate operator who offers cannabis products for wholesale and retail sales. We sell flower in bulk for wholesale as well as prepackaged. We sell gummies, prerolls, carts, and solventless products.

What is your company mission?

To grow the acceptance of cannabis and remove the stigma associated with it. We strive to grow and sell very high quality and consistently

sumers to enjoy.

Why do you feel your business is important to the community?

Our business is important to the communities in which we operate as we provide jobs and deliver new tax revenue. We try to hire from within our communities and provide training to grow the skillset of the community. In addition, we run a program called NOBO Cares that delivers goods and services back to the communities through various outreach programs including supporting local shelters, donations to causes, and the like.

How does your business give back to your community?

We have a “round-up your change program” and we put the round-ups back into

the community through donations to local causes. At the holidays we have a personal needs drive whereby we collect toothpaste, diapers, formula, soap, and other personal care items and we donate them to shelters in the community. In conjunction with Pride Month, we sell a limited edition product with a portion of the proceeds going to various LGBTQ+ organizations. In October we sell specially packaged flower with a portion of the proceeds going to Michigan-based

breast cancer organizations. We also do organized trash pick ups to go beyond just using money to show our community support. We are proud to be in the communities where we operate and it is an important focus for us. We are bringing a new industry with jobs and tax revenue to help grow the communities. It is a two-way street for us. We want to give back while providing a much sought after product. We want to be the hometown cannabis company of choice.

We try to hire from within our communities and provide training to grow the skillset of the community.

TEND. HARVEST. CULTIVATE.

LINKEDIN.COM/COMPANY/TENDHARVESTCULTIVATE / FLURESH.COM/THC

Tend. Harvest. Cultivate. (T.H.C.) is proud to have owned Grand Rapids’ first medical and recreational provisioning center. Since our doors opened as Fluresh in 2018, we’ve worked hard to build spaces where people feel welcomed, seen, and empowered. Our brands and products can be found across the state.

How many employees do you have?

Across T.H.C., we’re extremely proud to have about 250 active team members. Every member of the T.H.C. team, from growers, to budtenders, to executives, plays an integral role in making T.H.C. grow and thrive.

What services or products do you o er?

T.H.C. provides quality cannabis flower & products, production services, and of course, exceptional customer service across our house of brands. Each facility

was carefully designed to give our production team the tools they need to get the best results possible. We’ve invested in the right equipment, people, and practices so our consumers can be sure they’re getting the best every time they buy.

What is your company mission?

As the cannabis industry continues to grow and evolve, so does our company’s mission. Our new name, Tend. Harvest. Cultivate., reflects a renewed commitment to being a leader in driving a positive change in our communities and in creating a more equitable and sustainable cannabis industry.

What made you choose to start a company in this industry?

Our CEO and co-founder, Brandon Kanitz, always believed in the power of cannabis. His father is a longstanding caregiver, and Brandon benefited from hands-on

experience—helping grow his father’s first crop. As states began to regulate the cannabis industry, Brandon started investing in out-of-state cannabis businesses. So, when Michigan entered the industry, it was a chance to build his own business close to home.

What makes your business important to the community?

With a renewed focus on social responsibility, we will continue to invest in programs and initiatives that promote

workforce development, environmental sustainability, and community advocacy. We believe our commitment to creating great products and uplifting the communities around us will allow us to become a force for positive change.

How do you give back to your community?

Our refined vision ensures that T.H.C, along with our house of brands, grow and deliver products with equity, sustainability, and accessibility in

mind so we can lead the industry to a better way of doing business, while improving the everyday life of the communities around us.

Our mission drives us to work alongside local organizations, to make our community and industry a better place.

• The Cannabis Entrepreneurship Program

• Partnerships with local community organizations

• Volunteering opportunities for our team

• Donations to those committed to social change

Each facility was carefully designed to give our production team the tools they need to get the best results possible.

Rob Robar

Michigan Mourns the Loss of Known Cannabis Advocate and Entrepreneur

TEXT COLLEEN ROBAR

Robert Joseph Robar, 54, passed away on March 8, 2023 surrounded by family and friends with his beloved Billy Strings, Phish, and Grateful Dead playing in the background. He was known widely in Michigan cannabis circles for his big smile, kind spirit, and the companies he founded and led: Fancy, Headway Graphics, Heady Times, Helping Friendly Hemp Company, and Weekapaug Collective. He was an advocate of alternative-plant medicine – CBD, cannabis, and mushrooms.

“Rob was a big shining light for Michigan’s cannabis industry,” says Jamie Cooper, Michigan’s Market Director. “You’d be hard-pressed to meet a single person who didn’t love Rob. You would often see his smiling face at our Sensi events or at any Phish show across the country. Rob loved contributing to Sensi and the community – he even designed posters for a couple of our Sensi events last year. He was a very talented, good-hearted man, and he is already very missed.”

Rob attended Ferris State University and is a 1984 graduate of Milford High School.

Rob lived in Waterford and is survived by his wife, Carrie, his son Ben, his daughter Lauren, and his pug, Jedi. He is the son of Richard Wayne Robar (deceased) and Susan Robar of Highland. He had four brothers and sisters: David (Wendy) Robar of Cleveland, Daniel (Colleen) Robar of Detroit, Susan (Paul) Settle of Highland, and Carolyn (David) Zenisek of Chelsea.