Sensi Magazine - Boston (April 2018 - LAUNCH ISSUE)

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THE NEW NORMAL

THE NEWEST NEW NORMAL

BOSTON

4.2018

ISSUE 1 // VOLUME 1 // 04.2018

contents

FEATURES 26

Going Mainstream

36

Highly Topical

40

Legally Lit

To reach the coveted new demographic of cannabis users, marketers are realizing they have to reach beyond the tired old stoner strereotypes.

The localized, body-pleasing benefits of cannabis infused lotions, patches, oils, and balms are propelling topical treatments into the mainstream.

With recreational retail cannabis set to begin in the Bay State, we’ve pulled together some expert tips to help you properly throw an elevated gathering.

40

18

ISSUE

EVERY 5 Editor’s Note 6 TheBuzz 10 NewsFeed

CULTURE ROARS

14 CrossRoads

WE HAVE LIFTOFF

18 HighProfile

BAR STARS

22 TasteBuds

NOSH WATCHING

46 {SoBOS}

FOLLOW THE LIGHT

Sensi Boston is published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2018 SENSI MEDIA GROUP LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 3

sensi magazine ISSUE 1 VOLUME 1

4.2018

EXECUTIVE

FOLLOW US

Ron Kolb

CEO, SENSI MEDIA GROUP

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PRESIDENT, SENSI MEDIA GROUP

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GENERAL MANAGER

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EDITORIAL Stephanie Wilson

EDITOR IN CHIEF

STEPHANIE.WILSON@SENSIMAG.COM

sensimediagroup

Dan McCarthy

MANAGING EDITOR

Leland Rucker

SENIOR EDITOR

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CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

COLUMNIST

ART & DESIGN Jennifer Tyson

DESIGN DIRECTOR

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PUBLISHER

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4 Boston A P R I L 2018

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

GET TING

editor’s

Started

NOTE

THERE’S A DEVIOUS GRIN THAT STRETCHES ACROSS THE MUG OF THOSE IN THE LOCAL BOSTON CANNAB IS SC ENE WH O , F O R YEA R S, H AV E T R IE D TO S IGN AL B OO S T M UC H O F T H E C UR R E N T VALIDATIONS FOR THE LEGALIZATION OF WEED AROUND THE COMMONWEALTH.

That grin is associated with something akin to “told you so.” Although in the right hands (or on the right face that is), it’s less a stinging rejoinder to the prohibitionists (okay, it’s a little of that) than it is the knowing smile of someone who has spent countless hours and breaths trying to educate people on just how misled they have been for a very, very long time on what weed is, and—more importantly for such people—what it isn’t.

From the late 1800s up through the 1940s, cannabis was officially listed in the US Pharmacopeia as a treatment for everything from labor pains to alcoholism, opioid addiction (ironic!), and a host of other issues until the mass demonization largely rooted in cultural racism and federal prohibition (a mass history to dive into if you never have) put the kibosh on the US cannabis industry. And even that tide seems to be changing...slowly.

dollar US industry. Nice neighborhood to be in.

And Boston just moved in.

So consider this happy little rag as your own personal chauffeur, carting you through what for some is a whole new world to explore. Some are cautious, some are already vastly well informed and could serve as guiding Virgil for those newbies with a positive, exploratory attitude regarding the new Mass Grass reality before them, especially if years of misinformation, scare tactics, political posturing, and general social stigmas (despite all obvious conflicts of logic when turning the tides on prescription mood drugs, or booze for that matter) cause some to view it as a journey into the Inferno.

But don’t feel that way. It’s not that scary. Just ask questions. You’ll be fine.

Besides the statewide legal status around the Bay State, more and more adults (especially aging Baby Boomers and their spawn) are embracing cannabis to give them a better quality of life. Be it as someone who enjoys consumption and the standard benefits from the plant, or simply as someone trying to make a dollar and a cent in a blossoming cottage industry

Dan McCarthy

MANAGING EDITOR SENSI BOSTON

that is already in the neighborhood of a multibillion

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GreenHouse Payment Solutions // PAYMENT PROCESSING

Sira Naturals // CANNABIS PRODUCT INNOVATION

Irie Bliss Wellness // CANNABIS & HEMP WELLNESS

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 5

THE NE W N O R M A L

the

buzz

goodmeating

BOSTON-BASED MONTHLY MEAT DELIVERY SERVICE LAUNCHES.

For most carnivores, be it a rowdy bear in

used other services [and] learned

BEST buds: THE SECRET LIFE

to a LONG

CLOSE FRIENDS ARE THE REAL FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH You know how your besties just make your life better? Turns out they may be making it longer, too, according to re-

the woods or those that have yet to succumb

first-hand the frustrations customers

search revealed by Michigan State Uni-

to the tantalizing sexiness of the all-vegan life,

have with current programs—including

versity last summer. Seeking insight

the dilemma of how, where, and when to

the pressure to maintain and keep up with

into longevity and happiness, research-

procure a stellar lineup of incredible cuts of

traditional meal kits and the inconsistency

ers

animal flesh is an ongoing one. When extreme,

with freshness and quality of proteins—

the issue evolves into an existential battle

as well as their desires and wants. That

waged between the mind, the body, the

information was invaluable for us and was

stomach, and the unstoppable passage of time

the launch point for developing Karv.”

when trying to plan one’s daily feasts. Time is short, and hunger is great. It’s an ongoing war.

Lopes says after they had an idea of what was important and what wasn’t,

And that war may have just been won.

they built out the concept and then tested

Meet Karv, the new Boston-based web

the product with more people through a

service that has set out to solve how people

pilot program for additional refining

can eat cleaner food—especially in the protein

without losing the healthy lifestyle thread.

department—that is grass-fed, organic,

“There are too many options which leave

free-range everything and get it all neatly

the consumer overwhelmed,” says Lopes.

packaged in dry ice and delivered to your door

“Our foods are guaranteed to be lean, as

on a monthly basis.

well as portioned and trimmed properly.

If you’ve ever used PeaPod, Blue Apron, or

data

collected

from

during two studies and concluded that close friendships can have big impacts.

People with strong social bonds tend to have longer lifespans—up to 50 percent longer—than those without those connections. So when you make a new friend who enhances the quality of your life, BFF them stat.

—RANDY ROBINSON

The health benefits, flexibility, and

any of the variety of delivery-in-a-box systems

convenience that Karv offers is

for meals and groceries, you probably won’t

unmatched.”

need much of a tutorial here. And that’s kind of

analyzed

300,000 people around the globe

Delivery sizes depend on customer

the point. The idea, the company says, was to

orders and are customizable (i.e.: single

make something that people, at this point in

person or family of four), and all the

our technological adolescence in the home-

pretrimmed grass-finished beef, heritage

the greater Boston area, but the company

grocery-delivery arena, are familiar enough

pork, and organic free-range chicken are

plans to expand nationally this year. And in

with the idea as a concept that would allow for

from US farms and portioned out

July, the team says they plan on adding new

fast and seamless onboarding of what the Karv

depending on internal research conducted

meat options such as gourmet meatballs,

team says is already a robust user base.

to average how much consumers tend to

burgers, and hot dogs.

“We started by surveying thousands of meat

eat of each meat in order to reduce waste.

So far Karv Meals is just operating within

May your July 4 grilling be flanked by all

kit consumers through in-home interviews,”

Each delivery arrives with handsome

of them.

says Karv marketing director Paula Lopes. “We

packaging and a litany of fast recipes to

Get on the meatwagon at KARVMEALS.COM.

spoke to and even shadowed dozens while they

whip up with your parcel.

—DAN MCCARTHY

6 Boston A P R I L 2018

THE

Imagine a world without clean air and clean water, filled with burning garbage and thick smog; a world where sewage, deadly insecticides, and other toxic chemicals are dumped into our waterways. Sadly, this was the scene along the California coast, and all across America, in the late 1960s—a time when industrial pollution was almost entirely unregulated. It wasn’t until 1969, after witnessing the devastation caused by the Santa Barbara oil spill, that Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson decided to actually do something about it.

Seeking a way to promote public awareness about the disastrous effects of pollution, he created Earth Day—a holiday designed to encourage environmental activism and education. The first Earth Day was held as a teach-in on April 22, 1970. By the end of that year, the Environmental Protection Agency had been established, and Congress had passed the Clean Air and Clean Water. (The Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973.) In the years that followed, Nelson continued to promote Earth Day events around the country—an impassioned environmental effort, which earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995.

Over the past few decades, Earth Day has become an inspiring instrument of change across the world. The event’s 20th anniversary in 1990 mobilized nearly 200 million people from 141 countries. Today, Earth Day is one of the most prominent secular civic events in the world, with close to 200 nations now participating in the global celebration. Each April, around 17,000 different grassroots organizations hold concerts, marches, nature walks, tree plantings, trash collection and recycling drives, upcycling workshops, educational forums, and much more.

These days, our planet needs us more than ever. The environmental protections we’ve spent two generations fighting to establish are facing unprecedented attacks—both by an irresponsible administration hell-bent on rolling back regulations and dismantling protections on national parks and coastlines, and by corporations who continue to drill, frack, and dump with no regard for how it affects life on our planet. That’s why it’s imperative that we, as concerned citizens, get involved and do our part.

There are so many ways for us to help, even if it’s on a small scale: use alternative transportation, ditch the disposable cups and bottles in favor of reusable ones, decrease your landfill waste, or join a community garden. As the slogans say, “Think Green,” and “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” Be mindful of your daily choices, and you’ll begin to cultivate a different relationship with the planet.

So this Earth Day, get out there, find an event near you, connect with some like-minded eco-friendly folks, and start making a differenceFor more info, visit EARTHDAY.ORG. —APRIL PRICE

CALL IT?

Strictly from an etymological perspective, when debating what term to use to refer to our favorite elevating plant, “cannabis” is the preferred term. The word and usage has been traced back to Herodotus, who recorded cannabis use in The Histories, and is probably derived from the Greek word kannabis. The earliest known English usage dates to 1548, according to the Oxford English Dictionary.

CALL IT

honoring Earth

WATCHA

The botanical term was proposed in 1722 and its “elevating” properties first noted in 1848.

Before the 20th century, cannabis was prominently listed as an ingredient in pharmaceutical medicines made by American companies.

The term marijuana came later. It comes

from Mexican Spanish, originally marihuana, and its origins have been traced to the word

mallihuan, which means prisoner, or to the Chinese ma ren hua, or “hemp seed flower,”

depending on your source, probably in the

1890s. Marijuana came into usage here in the early 20th century, brought by immigrants

during the Mexican War. Harry Anslinger, the anti-cannabis zealot who led American drug policy from the 1930s into the 1960s, institutionalized the word in the 1937 Marihuana

Tax Act. Most laws, including the Controlled Substances Act, use the term “marijuana” (or “marihuana”), as do advocacy groups like NORML and the Marijuana Policy Project.

Dr. William Woodward of the American Medical Association explained the difference per-

fectly during hearings before the passage of the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act. “I use the word

‘cannabis’ in preference to the word ‘marijua-

na,’ because cannabis is the correct term for describing the plant and its products. The term ‘marijuana’ is a mongrel word that has crept

into this country over the Mexican border and has no general meaning, except as it relates to

the use of cannabis preparations for smoking. It is not recognized in medicine, and hardly recognized even in the Treasury Department.”

That said, you will probably find both words, along with some others terms like pot, weed, and the like, in Sensi at one time or another.

—LELAND RUCKER

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 7

THE NE W N O R M A L

the

buzz

Guac

WEIGH IN ON TASTY TINDER TERMINOLOGY.

Flirtation by food is a proven tactic that stands the test of time. Trust me. Before the digital revolution, I answered a personal ad in a local paper because the woman mentioned a love of food.

The woman turned out to be “K,” one of my co-workers and a writer. We loved to eat and talk together but our lives were on different trajectories. This year, I taught her how to make a wild blueberry pie remotely by phone and computer—she in Maine and me in Colorado.

I’ve never used any of the online dating sites but I may reconsider. On the dating app Tinder, bios that mentioned “guacamole” got the most matches, according to a recent Zoosk analysis of 3.7 million dating profiles. Guacamole was followed by “potatoes” and “chocolate” as terms that made potential matches swipe right.

But to up your “It’s a Match!” returns even higher, mention a salad in your bio.

Seriously. You’ll be 97 percent more likely to be matched, even if the only “salad” you eat is potato salad. If your profile mentions fried chicken, you’re dropping to the bottom of the hot-food-terms list. It’s also true that Tinder profiles containing the word “foodie” receive 82 percent more incoming messages of interest. Bone, I mean, bon appétit indeed. —JOHN LEHNDORFF

The people who brought us Golden Girls have joined forces with the illustrator of Super Golden Friends and created a new gang of elders for audiences to love. The Improbables is an animated graphic novel featuring five aging superheroes whose best defenders-of-justice days are probably behind them. Along with fighting con­ temporary crime, they now have to deal with their own bum knees and memory loss. You, too, can enjoy the twisted tales of life catching up to superpowers by downloading “Saving Las Vegas,” an ebook filled with an irreverent blend of comic-book sass, video, and dialogue or by watching the episodes online at THEIMPROBABLES.TV .

—LELAND RUCKER

8 Boston A P R I L 2018

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Cannabis Community Care and Research Network (C3RN) is working to create spaces for community, academic, industry, government, and civil society to engage in meaningful and respectful debate around cannabis as a medicine and its social and economic benefits.

As the winners of the 2017 Boston University School of Business Cannabis Startup Competition, C3RN has launched a series of academic, community, and healthcare events that intend to dive deep into examining and designing an impactful and evidence-based Cannabis industry in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Ardent introduces the Nova Precision Decarboxylator An at-home smart device that guarantees maximum potency from your cannabis ower or extract

ArdentCannabis.com

CannacenterOfExcellence.org • inquiries@c3researchnetwork.com @c3rn_researchnetwork sensimag.com APR I L 2018 9

{newsfeed}

by MARCUS JOHNSON-SMITH

CULTURE ROARS Cannabis culture deserves a place and a stand-alone identity in Boston.

Boston, and Massachusetts at large, has come to a

Boston, as anyone from here will tell you and ev-

crucial crossroads. For over two decades in the Hub,

eryone not from here quickly finds out, is incredibly

there has been a groundswell of support for the destig-

small—a really big small town. Often that means the

matization and legalization of adult-use recreational

classic Boston stereotypes of cultural groups persist

cannabis, grassroots movements, high-water marks

through the years. Sports bros, Harvard grads, and the

and low points, and an overall brave and onerous fight

elite. General tribalism. And lots of white people.

that culminated in the November 2016 elections.

I’m an insider. I’ve been here my entire life, and as

And now that an overwhelming majority of Bay

much as the above does paint the cultural mapping of

State voters decided that the useless war on drugs and

Boston with broad strokes. I want more when I think of

the ongoing demonization of cannabis and cannabis

what kind of a cannabis city and region Boston, and the

users—a clash in ideology with current trends as well

state at large, should be.

as racially motivated social constructionism that has

As a local with a finger on the pulse of the com-

its roots in a 50-year crusade against cannabis mostly

munities and the cultural scene as it currently exists,

as a means to incarcerate blacks and latinos—has long

I know it’s strong. But Boston wants more. We all want

past the point of diminishing returns. Furthermore, the

more, and deserve more, and as a movement and as

lack of education many residents, voters, consumers

a growing multimillion-dollar local industry, the Hub’s

and non-consumers have about cannabis in a city of

legal recreational cannabis scene could come out as a

world-class educational institutions, reflects the cul-

new leader and cultural arbiter of the way it could and

ture divide that permeates here.

should be.

10 Boston A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 11

Boston’s cannabis culture for the better part of 20

jolt our community needs to shake things up a bit.

years has existed and operated underground and on

Ultimately, Boston needs a cannabis culture of its

the fringes of the local cultural tapestry. Social taboos

own that’s unique to the people here and reflects who

and outmoded Puritanical thinking in the communi-

we are. We don’t need to be the East Coast Colorado

ties, something still very much alive in liberal Massa-

or California. Those are fun things to say, and it makes

chusetts, has dominated the local scene and created

for a tight soundbite or shortcut to thinking, but as a

pockets of disparate pockets connected only by the

roadmap to regional identity, I’m against it. We’re not

fact they operate in the shadows. The time is now to

Colorado. We’re not California. We’re Boston. And I

bring those out into the mainstream.

dare you to find someone that doesn’t hear that and

In the city proper as well as in Dorchester, Roxbury, and the surrounding townships and social scenes, you

either beam with pride or know what it suggests as a regional identity and general ethos.

have everything from creative and artsy groups mesh-

In fact, what I love about the potential for Boston

ing the gothic and alternative stoner culture together

having a robust and thriving cannabis culture is the op-

in fun and colorful ways on one end. (I love those folks).

portunity to carve out an identity that’s unique to the

On the other, you have posh and upscale-leaning,

people, our people, the service providers, the commu-

on-demand, and custom-service operations who host

nity, and everyone who wants to participate that goes

private parties in residential homes, creating infused

about it the right way. In these early days of a legal, reg-

dinners and ad hoc personalized events for adults of

ulated industry that will create jobs and better quality

all stripe, career, sexual persuasion, political ranking,

of life in far greater ratio numbers than anything the

and celebrity status. (You’d be surprised.) And yes, the

prohibitionist crowd and those ignorant the ample re-

parties are as fun as you’d imagine.

search data already out after the first US states legal-

As it is, most of the public events citywide have

ized can throw at you, it’s important to have a vision.

been focused on education and advocacy—the im-

We have a culture of excellence here in Massachu-

portant stuff that moves agendas. The Boston Free-

setts. It is part of who we are. We value education,

dom Rally, a multiday extravaganza of (in its best form)

from the great boon of public education up to what’s

cannabis education, outreach, activism, and general

available and woven into

carnival atmosphere on Boston Common is nearing

the tapestry of the region

its third decade in annual operation, with recent years

at the highest levels of ac-

seeing more and more interest. Still, pound for pound

ademia. We value indus-

with other cities of relative legal or pro-cannabis sta-

try, technology and priding

tus, our scene lacks the very cosmopolitan scene other

our business environment

pot-friendly municipalities have. But it doesn’t have to.

as being a cultivator of tal-

I can’t say for certain why, but the dullness of the

ent and jobs at the highest

culture is possibly a reflection of a conservative polit-

levels. We have a sports

ical caucus who have been shaping social life through

culture with a tradition of

policy for years, here and nationally, and who for bet-

resilience and excellence

ter or worse are more often than not completely un-

(especially the last decade

familiar with the reality of cannabis in everyday life. I

or so in these parts). It’s

won’t make this a diatribe on the state of our political

goes on and on.

climate, but rather offer a reminder that we as a com-

Why should we expect

munity should err on the side of an open, educational

anything less from canna-

and accessible marketplace, one that will provide the

bis here in Boston?

12 Boston A P R I L 2018

Marcus Johnson-Smith is the cofounder of Kush Groove in Boston’s Mission Hill. He is also the founder of Clearwater Branding, as well as 100KCANNABISJOBS.COM. You can follow Marcus on Instagram and Twitter @mjohnsonsmith and at his website: MARCUSJOHNSONSMITH.COM

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 13

{crossroads}

by RICARDO BACA

WE HAVE LIFTOFF On celebrating cannabis, the tamer of a captive mind.

I loved long flights when I was younger. I was obsessed with the sheer spectacle of modern flight, and I even looked forward to those monster, super long treks to Asia and Australia, perhaps misapplying the ad-

still don’t understand the best way to store their roller bags in the overhead compartment.

It can get to be a lot—unless, I’ve found, you have a head full of cannabis when you’re boarding the plane.

age of the journey being as important as the destination.

I’ll never forget my first time flying high. I was wrap-

But I’ve lost most of that awe at 40, when even the

ping up my last day at a weed business conference in

two-and-a-half hours flight is something I don’t gen-

San Francisco when I remembered the edibles stash in

erally look forward to. The shrinking seats, the germy

my backpack, the one I wasn’t planning on flying home

everything, the recycled air, the incessant subcon-

with (because that’s illegal, dear friend). After a quick

scious marketing and the travelers who inexplicably

assessment of my near future—taking the train to

14 Boston A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 15

the airport, grabbing food, flying three hours home to

at the immensity of what all these random people and

Denver, and hopping another train to the city from the

I were doing at that very moment.

airport—I saw the opportunity ahead.

No driving. No heavy machinery. No real responsibility for the foreseeable future.

And that flight was fucking fantastic. From an un-

Hundreds of people, in a giant metal machine, flying. So much fuel, sigh. But still, lifting off like some magical dragon from the San Francisco Bay and landing a few hours later in the Colorado Rockies.

precedented deep-dive into my iPhone’s psyche to

And that’s one of marijuana’s wonders, right? Its

organizing the busy work week ahead to going cov-

ability to temporarily reset some our mind’s settings

er-to-cover on the mediocre in-flight magazine star-

back to its childhood defaults.

ing at me from the seat-back pocket, I was that awe-

Thank goodness for it, be-

struck little kid again—finding pleasure in what was

cause sometimes my adult

in front of me, ignoring my neighbor in the

mind resents being

center aisle, appreciating the com-

held captive.

plimentary Canada Dry and legitimately dumbfounded

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It’s pretty much the same if I’m sitting in an airplane,

Thankful I’m not driving crosscountry. Thankful for

a corporate-sponsored rock show or a movie theater.

the singular views. Thankful for the quiet baby in the

I’m getting something out of that experience, sure, but

row in front of me. Thankful that air travel remains

I’m also paying a business for a service—and I’m being

mostly affordable. Thankful for the tucked-in hygiene

marketed to in the process. And that construct of me

of the beefcake in the center seat. Thankful for modern

paying you so that you can then advertise further to

conveniences. Thankful the guy in front of me didn’t

me when I’m most captive can be tough to stomach,

recline his seat while I was writing this column. And

even for a lifelong journalist who just opened his own

thankful for cannabis, which helps tame my aging brain

full-service agency.

in the dreadfully captive situations I dislike the most.

I’m thankful for the respite cannabis provides when

So here’s to getting lifted before you lift off, friends.

my mind is in that prison of captivity-induced anxiety.

Because even though your

When I’m sitting in the movie theater ever-so-slightly

body is about to be restricted

lifted, I remember the excitement of the film trailers

to an ever-shrinking seat, the

and view them as entertainment instead of advertis-

doors to your mind’s subcon-

ing. At the rock show, I forget that I’m sitting inside the

sciousness are already flung

an arena known as the Pepsi Center and I enjoy

wide open—leaving your

the light show. In the airplane, I look out at

anxieties and other baggage

the Sierras, the gradient blue sky, the check-

out of sight while amplifying

erboards of houses and the dense forest lands

your ability to focus on what

below and take a moment to be thankful.

matters most.

Ricardo Baca is a veteran journalist, thought leader and founder of The Cannabist. His content agency Grasslands works primarily with businesses and individuals in the cannabis and hemp industries on thought leadership, publicity and marketing projects via thoughtful, personalized content campaigns.

Thank you for an incredible first year in business! Irie Bliss Wellness proudly supports the emerging New England hemp industry. Our wellness consultants and nurses will provide you with support, not just CBD. We offer a complete line of personal care products, terpene rich tinctures and vaporizers, edibles, and an array of anti-inflammatory topicals to support you on your path to wellness.

A Wellness and Lifestyle brand based in Boston, Ma. www.irieblisswellness.com • www.iriebliss.com sensimag.com APR I L 2018 17

{highprofile}

by DAN MCCARTHY

BAR STARS Two ladies of Boston’s cocktail scene drop a new a book celebrating badass female bartenders— and the historic women who inspire them.

Misty Kalkofen and Kirsten Amann could be considered decorated generals of the Great Cocktail Scene trials and tribulations, which they witnessed and fought on the front lines over the past decade in Boston.

years, signal boosting it all in a truly handsome and well designed entire package for all to benefit from.

We spoke with the authors to discuss why this very same idea was rejected over twenty times when it

And as authors of the forthcoming book Drinking

was pitched a decade ago, and how doing research for

Like Ladies: 75 Modern Cocktails From The World’s Lead-

this book caused regular moments of sheer WTF dis-

ing Female Bartenders (June 2018), the patriarchy has

belief.

officially been put on notice. The duo worked in perspectives from history that have been buried or

Q // How did you get into the cocktail scene?

passed over—great tales of heroic and inspiring

MISTY: I moved to Boston in 1994 for grad school,

women who achieved in spite of the cultural road-

and worked in hospitality to support all my higher ed-

blocks against them. Those women served as the in-

ucation goals. I had been a bartender through all of

spiration point for a cadre of some of the world’s best

that, and decided to not go for PhD when I realized I

drink slingers on the national and international scene

loved bartending. I’m a twenty year veteran, worked

Kalkofen and Amann have relationships with.

everywhere from B-side lounge to Drink. I’m on the

The result is a celebration of both cocktail culture,

supplier side now.

creativity and craftsmanship behind the bar, and more

KIRSTEN: I was always working in restaurants as

importantly something of a pedestal for elevating the

well as publishing and PR, and Misty and I met at

lost or hidden stories of great women across the

working at Tremont 647 together, which coincided

18 Boston A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 19

around time the cocktail revolution was happening, with bartenders recreating cocktails from old dusty books, etc. That’s when cocktail history and the universe beyond drinks and food, this whole new world was opened up to me. About ten years ago Misty start-

Cheers { Boston}

ed LUPEC (Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails) and invited me to the first meeting, which was big turning point for me, and really merged my interest in history, literature, and cocktails.

Q // How does the book project fit into the origin

Kalkofen and Amann’s journey working with female bartenders and their historical counterpart-inspiration point were revelations regarding some pretty incredible women through history that have done incredible things and yet have never been woven into the cultural fabric for their stories to live on. Here’s a sample from the some of Boston’s fairest barkeeps.

COCKTAIL: BADUIZM BY: Emma Hollander AT: Trina’s Starlight Lounge, Boston CHEERS TO: Erykah Badu, the Queen of Neo Soul, with a spicy-sweet cocktail that combines Old Monk rum with traditional Thai iced tea ingredients

story?

KIRSTEN: We started writing a blog when those were still “a thing” (laughs), which gave us time and opportunity to hone our writing abilities. About ten years ago we wrote the proposal for this book, and were rejected, our agent dropped us immediately.

Q // Really? How many turned you down?

KIRSTEN: About 20 publishers. The common response was that the cocktail bookshelf is small space and crowded, and no one saw room for us.

MISTY: They didn’t think people would be interested in the topic, funnily enough.

KIRSTEN: And they didn’t think ladies drank serious cocktails. Seriously.

Wow. MISTY: The one that burned my ass the most was

COCKTAIL: RIGHT HAND BY: Nicole Lebedevitch AT: Yvonne’s, Boston CHEERS TO: Missy Lehand, FDR’s righthand woman, with a blend of bourbon and apple brandy that means business

COCKTAIL: ELEMENTS OF THE STARS BY: Ezra Star AT: Drink, Boston CHEERS TO: Brilliant astronomer Cecilia Payne Goposchkin with a blend that includes bright lemon juice, an allusion to the sun and stars

when someone said it was “too niche”. We were like “are you fucking kidding me, we’re half the population!” [laughs] KIRSTEN: I don’t think this book as it has come together would have been as relevant 10 years ago the way it is in 2018. We started book in 2007 when the serious cocktail movement was nascent around Boston. It had been going, but had not yet filtered down in any way. At the time, many bars in town were just starting to adopt fresh juice programs. My friend worked at No. 9 park when they didn’t use jiggers, and they were a big cocktail bar then!

That was the era, but time had marched on and cocktails have arrived. Now, my local pub has classic, well made cocktails on the menu and it’s fucking fantastic.

20 Boston A P R I L 2018

Q // Is the book another “let’s hype the classics” trope?

MISTY: We focused on 100 women and 100 recipes to start, but wound up with thousands to choose from.

The cocktails in the book are from the current female bartenders we worked with, but they’re original, tied to pre prohibition era.

Q // What does that mean for the uninformed?

MISTY: Balanced, delicious cocktails. We had cocktails taking place right before prohibition that hit a brick wall, followed by some of the darkest times in modern cocktail history.

Q // How so?

MISTY: It coincided with the growth of packaged ingredients for your kitchen, that time of prepared Hungry Man-style dinners and stuff like that. This era of “we can make it easier and simpler”, but made more fake ingredients for drinks, if you will. So all the cocktails here are celebrate balancing fresh ingredients while paying attention to the spirits that they’re celebrating.

Q // Any unexpected takeaways from the entire experience of writing this particular book, which feels

Q // Did you get any surprises? Either from the drinks created or the women the bartenders were inspired by when creating the recipes?

extra relevant in the current cultural climate?

KIRSTEN: A sense of wonder. We talk in the book about about the degree which these incredible wom-

MISTY: What was inspiring for me as a woman, was

en were so accomplished yet unsung. I’d be reading

knowing it took so much time energy and effort from

about them and couldn’t believe I had never heard of

the bartenders to highlight the woman in history the

this person. So the writing process created a sense of

cocktail was toasting. Really digging into history, find-

awe and a wonder at these woman, so many of which

ing thoughtful aspects about the time and culture

faced tremendous adversity.

each woman came from.

MISTY: For me it was learning just because stories

KIRSTEN: I agree.

aren’t being told, doesn’t mean they’re not out there,

MISTY: When we got the recipes it was clear it

be it about women or people of color, or entire groups

wasn’t a “oh I’ll grab this cocktail and repurpose it for

held down over time, we’re starting to see a change

this project”. The care and attention paid to the task at

right now and it’s amazing. So take a look closer at the

time was clear from each of them. And then when we

history you’re being taught about anything. If it’s ho-

were researching the women and the history, we’d

mogeneous, sterile, it’s probably because there are

constantly text each other yelling “WHAT THE FUCK!”

stories not being told. Dig deeper, ask questions. You’ll

when seeing how some of these stories hadn’t been

get a bigger richer picture of whatever the story is

widely told.

you’re researching. sensimag.com APR I L 2018 21

{tastebuds}

by DAN MCCARTHY

22 Boston A P R I L 2018

NOSH WATCHING Get these bar and restaurant openings on your radar because soon you will want to eat and drink all the things.

SHORE LEAVE Spring is a time of renewal. Rebirth. Change. And no

Bar Mezzana in the still-erecting Ink Block area of

area of the city is that more pronounced than in the

the South End has been a hit since Colin and Heather

forthcoming watering holes, posh eateries, cafes, and

Lynch opened up their Italian crudo oasis. And now, on

other spots slated to open in the coming months.

the heels of the success of their approach to tropical

Here, we’ve rounded up some of the notable spots

tiki-ish drinks, the two are launching Shore Leave basi-

piquing our interest and whetting our appetite for new

cally right across the street on Harrison Ave. They’re

eats in new digs.

working with Bar Mezzana beverage director Ryan Lotz of No. 9 Park fame.

345 Harrison Ave., Boston SHORELEAVEBOSTON.COM

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 23

ALCOVE Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of experiencing the hospitality and cocktail knowledge Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli brings to dining and nightlife should be prepared to squeal with glee. Because the seasoned veteran of Garrett Harker’s Island Creek Oyster Bar and Eastern Standard, as well as previous time at the legendary Craigie on Main in Cambridge, is opening Alcove at Lovejoy Wharf in a new condo rise going up in the borderlands of the North and West End. Follow on Facebook for status updates as the space comes together.

100 Lovejoy Wharf, Boston FACEBOOK.COM/ALCOVEBOSTON

BACKYARD BETTY’S The partners behind the new-ish Southie haunt Publico Street Bistro & Garden are expanding....within the same neighborhood. So far, the intel coming out revolves around lots of talk of Nashville flavors (fingers crossed for killer fried pickles and the like), “American cult classics,” backyard grilling goods, and seating for 150. And if rumors and whispers of the spot brandishing a monstrous wood-burning rotisserie smoker and grill as the fire pumping out all the noshables are true, get ready for charred goodness across the board.

172–174 W. Broadway, Boston BAR LYON SPYCE

Fans of the Columbus Hospitality Group

What do you get when a group of MIT pals work on

and their stretch of restaurants around

robotics together and eventually come up with a way

the Hub (see: Teatro, Mistral, Ostra, Sorel-

to redesign and outfit a modern professional restau-

lina) will be particularly excited about Bar

rant kitchen with tech wizardry? Basically what Spyce

Lyon. The incoming South End 60-seat

is claiming it’ll be when it opens downtown this spring.

charmer will be an all-French wine affair,

The spot has reportedly been developed in collabora-

and other Franco fandom will be accent-

tion with global megachef Daniel Boulud (Bar Boulud

ed across the menu. Think: duck confit,

at the Mandarin Oriental) and will be creating healthy-lean-

eggs poached in red wine, insane pate,

ing fast-casual options that, if it all works like the MIT cam-

and the kind of place you’ll put a pin in for

pus version they previously built, will also mean autono-

after-work tippling or a late-night tryst at

mously functioning robotics doing their thing for you.

a corner table. Either way.

24 Boston A P R I L 2018

241 Washington St., Boston

1750 Washington St., Boston

SPYCE.COM

BARLYON.COM

THE LONGFELLOW BAR

KICKSTARTER BONUS: P-TOWN IZAKAYA

AT ALDEN AND HARLOW

AND JAPANESE PASTRY SHOP

Nestled above chef Michael Scelfo’s

There’s a group on Cape Cod who have launched a

extremely popular and hip subterranean

new Kickstarter. And if it comes to life, it will add merri-

Harvard Square hotspot Alden + Harlow

ment and joy to anyone passing through Provincetown

will be The Longfellow Bar. Given it will

all year round. All hail the possible rise of Tanuki, a vision

be a transformation of the beloved and

of a place brandishing rare Japanese whiskey, “matcha

dearly missed legacy Cafe Algiers space,

everything,” not to mention Japanese pastries and the

a lot of eyeballs are on this one. Details

kind of noshables that mix with the vacation and lei-

so far paint a picture of a sexy lounge for

sure-seeking life at the edge of the Eastern Seaboard.

serious cocktailing before a show near-

You know, beach Bento boxes, special chef’s tastings,

by, or just a few small bites from a sep-

Asian street food specialties, and a collective as deter-

arate (and svelte) bar menu while wait-

mined to create an authentic-yet-local version of a Jap-

ing for a table downstairs.

anese Izakaya as they are making sure that the

40 Brattle St., #3, Cambridge

LGBTQIA community is properly represented and re-

LONGFELLOWHARVARD.COM

spected. Huzzah! sensimag.com APR I L 2018 25

GOING

MAINS

by LEL AND RUCKER AND STEPHANIE WILSON

26 Boston A P R I L 2018

TREAM To reach the coveted NEW DEMOGRAPHIC of cannabis users, MARKETERS are realizing they have to reach beyond the tired OLD STONER stereotypes.

If you caught

THE OFFICIAL THEATRICAL TRAILER FOR THE HERO

SPRING 2017, YOU’D THINK THE FILM WAS A CLASSIC REDEMPTION TALE ABOUT AN AGING H O L L Y W O O D S T A R P L A Y E D B Y S A M E L L I O T T, T H E S M O O T H -V O I C E D, T H I C K-M U S T A C H E D AC TOR WHO MADE HIS SILVER SCREEN DEBUT IN BUTCH C ASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID IN

19 6 9. NICK OFFERMAN, THE BURLY GUY BEST KNOWN FOR HIS PORTRAYA L O F MAN’S MA N R ON S W A N S O N I N N B C ’ S PA R K S A ND RE C RE AT ION , C O S TA R S . B U T I F YO U S AW A TRAILER FOR THE SAME FILM AT A DISPENSARY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, YOU’D THINK THE HERO IS A BUDDY COMEDY IN WHICH “SAM ELLIOT T AND NICK OFFERMAN GET STONED. REALLY, REALLY STONED.”

And rightfully so: that’s the exact phrasing that

him in the spring about how to market The Hero to

appears amid clips of Elliott and Offerman rolling

cannabis consumers. “I suggested we re-cut the trailer

joints, talking strains, getting high, and laughing

to play up the stoner buddy angle between Elliott and

about how Elliot’s deep cowboy drawl could sell “a

Offerman,” he says. “Add another level to the story.”

shit-ton of pot” during a 60-second trailer targeting

The directors agreed and collaborated with Wilfert to

cannabis consumers. The custom spot wasn’t some

create the new version. Once that was complete, the

bootleg ripoff cut together by weed-loving film afi-

challenge was getting it in front of its targeted audi-

cionados with time on their hands. It was an official

ence of legal cannabis users—a group that runs the

trailer, commissioned by The Orchard, which acquired

gamut from 21-year-old gamers to 76-year-old

the film’s distribution rights at Sundance that year, and

grandmas. Traditional methods wouldn’t work;

created by the creative agency arm of The World’s Best

there is no typical cannabis user. But there is one

Ever (TWBE), a Webby-nominated culture site.

thing that a lot of them have in common: when

David Wilfert, the advertising and marketing consultant behind TWBE, says The Orchard approached

they need some pot, they go to a dispensary to buy it. So that’s where the trailer needed to go.

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 27

Wilfert connected with an LA-based media company that operates an in-store network of televisions streaming ads and limited cannabis programming. The Hero ’s cannabis-centric trailer was soon part of the lineup. “Customers in a pot shop see a TV playing a trailer with these two guys smoking pot, and it’s very relatable,” Wilfert says. The spot was shown in 182 dispensaries in California leading up to The Hero ’s theatrical release. ( Today, you can find both trailers on YouTube, but the film’s official website only has the original weed-free version.)

This type of targeted marketing designed to reach cannabis consumers is the latest step in marijuana’s march into the mainstream, another

36 percent of consumers in

Colorado identify as very social people who enjoy the outdoors at a higher rate than those who merely accept cannabis use or reject it entirely.

AS CI TED BY BDS ANALYTICS

aspect of the new normal. And it won’t be long before more major brands follow The Orchard’s lead. Cannabis users are an untapped demographic of consumers with money to burn. With marijuana now legal for adult or medical use in 29 states and counting, people are coming out of the socalled cannabis closet, admitting they use the elevating plant themselves or support the rights of others to do so. A landmark cannabis consumer research study by BDS Analytics, a business intelligence firm, is underway, compiling demographic and psychographic data to help marketers better understand who is using marijuana, who isn’t, and why. The initial results of the ongoing study are in—and the profile of a cannabis user that’s emerged is so far removed from the tired old stoner clichés.

The average annual household income of California “Consumers”— people who use cannabis—is $93,800, while “Rejectors”—people who do not use cannabis and wouldn’t consider it—average $75,900. Twenty percent of California Consumers hold master’s degrees, compared to 12 percent of Rejectors. In Colorado, 64 percent of Consumers have full-time employment, 10 percent more than Rejectors. In California, 64 percent of Consumers are parents, and 38 percent say they volunteer their time to help others. In Colorado, data show Consumers identify as creative, social people who enjoy the fine arts and the outdoors.

Basically, the actual modern cannabis user doesn’t have much in common with the lazy pothead depicted in popular culture ever since Reefer

Madness became a cult classic 80-some years ago.

28 Boston A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 29

But that doesn’t stop modern-day marketers from

ers 2 , set to be released on 4/20/18, keep resurrecting

trotting out the same old stereotypes time and

the same old jokes while depicting pot users as stupid,

again—especially around the unofficial “high holi-

hapless, and addicted to junk food. Late-night ads rid-

day” on April 20. Last year, you may have seen a TV

dled with must-eat-all-the-food-now references may

ad for Totino’s Pizza Rolls, owned by General Mills,

have felt edgy and fresh at some point now come

depicting a 420 angle and pushing a #betterwhen-

across as stale. Taco Bell’s been making not-so-subtle

baked hashtag. If you were near the Colorado/New

references to getting high for over a decade. It’s time

Mexico border, you may have spotted a McDonald’s

to move on.

billboard likening breakfast burritos to joints with

Slowly, signs of progress emerge. In 2011, General

the slogan “Usually, when you roll something this

Mills used Cheech and Chong to reach Baby Boom-

good, it’s illegal.” Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, never one

ers with an ad for Fiber One brownies. The online-only

to shy away from pot references as evidenced by fla-

campaign sought to reassure a middle-aged audi-

vors such as Half Baked and Dave Matthews Band

ence that regular is the new high. The narrator ex-

Magic

plains it like this: “Because now that you’re getting

Brownies,

debuted

the

Chill-aco,

a

munchie-quashing waffle ice cream sandwich, on 4/20 itself.

older, you need a new kind of magic in your brownie.”

A few years later, in 2014, just days after Colorado

Whereas the legal cannabis marketplace is still

became the first state with a legal recreational mar-

new, mainstream brands creating campaigns laden

ket, Spirit Airlines released an ad with this state-

with old tropes is not—especially when it comes to

ment: “The no-smoking sign is off in Colorado.” An-

the movies and/or the munchies. The stoner comedy

other declared, “If you want to make a beeline for

genre debuted with the release of Cheech and Chong’s

Colorado right now, we don’t blame you—but we’re

Up in Smoke in 1978, and flicks like Half Baked, Dude,

up to take you to plenty of chill destinations.” The

Where’s My Car?, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle,

absence of stereotypical references at first glance

Pineapple Express, and the upcoming Super Troop-

seemed promising. But, alas, one step forward was

30 Boston A P R I L 2018

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followed by one step back. The ad concluded: “Book

agency is called Redefining Cannabis, and the firm’s

today…and be sure to pack some munchies.” ( Be-

goal is just that: create brand campaigns that “de-

cause there aren’t any snacks in Colorado, obviously,

fine a new era of cannabis culture,” as the website

the stoners ate them all.)

states. Redefining Cannabis grew out of Gabbay’s

That part aside, these big-name brands were among

U2R1 Media agency, which worked mainly with life-

the first to dip a toe into what is on track to become

style and hospitality clients such as Hilton Los An-

a marketing mainstay as more states legalize can-

geles and Égard luxury watches. Today, Redefin-

nabis use. In the interim, companies have to be careful

ing Cannabis lists Cannabis Retreats, Erbanna high

not to alienate customers who still believe what they

fashion, and a selection of gourmet edible compa-

were taught in D.A.R.E.—cannabis is a no good, aw-

nies among its array of clients. Gabbay launched

ful, very bad drug—while also appealing to people

the new firm a few years ago to deal with cannabis

who know better.

branding and marketing for small businesses try-

Wilfert explains that any company marketing to

ing to distinguish themselves from other similar

cannabis consumers, young or old, needs to under-

companies—all of which are new to the newly legal

stand that users have a special connection that sets

consumer. It’s taken over most of her time. “I’m a

them apart from the status quo. “Pot smokers relate

cannabis entrepreneur now,” she says.

to each other,” he says. “Because of how marijuana

She explains that cannabis brands aren’t that much

has been criminalized over the past century, we’ve

different from companies in any other industry look-

been placed into a secret club where we have shared

ing to market themselves without playing into the

the wonders of this plant. Now it is our duty to open

stereotypes. “More companies are looking to us for

the club’s doors to everyone.”

expertise in how to break into the market without

Sari Gabbay, a marketing consultant and creative

looking like stoners themselves,” she says in our in-

director in Los Angeles, spends most of her ti me

terview. “People come to me and say, ‘I know what I do,

these days trying to fulfill that duty. Her creative

but I don’t know how to market myself.’” So she fo-

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www.CannAssistconsulting.com 32 Boston A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 33

cuses her efforts on research, working with the client

cannabis growers. Hawthorne Garden Company is

to develop a plan to connect consumers with the brand

the umbrella over a portfolio that includes acquired

in a meaningful way. “We are their voice,” she says of

companies such as General Hydroponics as well as

her cannabis accounts. “How they communicate will

craft brands like Black Magic Performance Hydro-

help change people’s perspective about the plant.”

ponics sold at Home Depots in select markets where

She tells her clients that consumer education is

cannabis is legal. The hydroponics subsidiary is pro-

the key to getting rid of the stigma that continues to

ducing upwards of $250 million a year, according to

surround cannabis use—especially when it comes

an October 2016 report by Bloomberg.

to the medical benefits. (She does note that in Cali-

This is big business, and it’s charting new terri-

fornia, where cannabis has been a fully established

tory. The first television ad for Black Magic could be

The average annual household income among California cannabis consumers is $ 93,000, with 20 percent of those consumers holding master’s degrees. 64 percent of California consumers are

PARENTS.

AS CI TED BY BDS ANALYTICS

part of the wellness community, the stigma isn’t as

used as an example of the right way to market to

strong as it is in other states.) “We’re developing prod-

cannabis users and growers. First step: just say no

ucts that are science-based, that have real science

to stereotypes. Black Magic’s ad didn’t portray pot

behind them. Cannabis is real medicine, and we’re

growers as tie-dye-wearing slackers. It showed clips

working with other brands to spread that message,

of clean-cut guys in their 20s and 30s, dressed like

to drive consumers to that space. Big companies are

guys that age do, tending to plants in a variety of

not going to sit back [while cannabis brands target

Instagram-worthy urban settings. The look was so-

their customers with new products].”

phisticated, the message modern and inspiring, the

Scotts Miracle-Gro is one of those big compa-

takeaway clear: Black Magic is leading the charge

nies—one of the biggest names in the lawn and

into a future where cannabis growers (and users)

garden realm in fact. Under chief executive Jim

can come out of hiding, emerging from literal base-

Hagedorn, Scotts has invested more than a half bil-

ment grows and proverbial closets empowered to

lion dollars into the pot industry in recent years,

garden with a “higher purpose.” To yield to no one.

launching a hydroponics subsidiary in 2014 that’s

This is the future. And under the grow lights, the

focused on cornering the ever-expanding market of

future looks bright.

34 Boston A P R I L 2018

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HIGHLY

TOPICAL

by ROBYN GRIGGS L AWRENCE

The localized, body-pleasing benefits of cannabis-infused LOTIONS, PATCHES, OILS, and BALMS are propelling topical treatments into the mainstream.

36 Boston A P R I L 2018

Kim Frazier,

A LOUISVILLE, COLORADO-BASED HEALTH COACH AND MEDICAL

MARIJUANA PATIENT, USES MEDICAL CANNABIS FOR ONGOING PAIN FROM TWO HERNIATED DISKS IN HER LUMBAR SPINE AND PINCHED NERVES AND OSTEOPOROSIS IN HER NECK. A FEW YEARS AGO, SHE DISCOVERED THAT APPLYING CANNABIS-INFUSED TOPICAL OINTMENTS EASED HER PAIN WITHOUT FOGGING HER MIND, SO SHE BEGAN BUYING THEM AT DISPENSARIES AND MAKING HER OWN AT HOME. LAST YEAR, FRAZIER HAD HER FIRST MASSAGE WITH CANNABIS-INFUSED OIL AND FELT A “NOTICEABLE AND PROFOUND BENEFIT AND RELAXATION RESPONSE” THAT LASTED FOUR DAYS. WEEKLY MASSAGES WITH CBD OIL ARE NOW AN IMPORTANT P ART OF HER HEALTH PROTOCOL. “It’s just logical,” Frazier says. “The skin is our largest organ. Topicals are a great way to get cannabis into the system and still be functional. They’re

ment using cannabis treatment but would prefer not to ingest it or experience any kind of mental high.”

Medicine Hunter Chris Kilham, a Massachusetts-

also a great way to introduce ‘newbies’ to cannabis, and even longtime smokers find benefits.” After applying cannabis-infused oil for three days, Frazier says, her husband’s eczema cleared up, and he was able to stop using steroidal creams.

An up-and-coming segment of the medical cannabis industry, “topicals” include cannabis-infused balms, lotions, oils, alcohol solutions, and transdermal patches that penetrate the skin to deliver cannabinoids, including THC and CBD. Cannabinoids are specialized signaling chemicals in cannabis that

HOW TO USE

{ TOPICALS }

Adam Stone, who developed SweetStone Candy Luscious Lemondrop Lotion, an award winner at a recent Cannabis Cup, offers the following advice for safe, effective topical use.

bind with CB receptors in our bodies and skin, influ-

1. Read the labels and warnings.

encing and regulating appetite, pain sensation, in-

2. Don’t eat it, no matter how

flammation, temperature regulation, muscle control, metabolism, stress response, mood, and memory.

Because cannabinoids don’t reach the brain or cen-

delicious it smells.

3. Always test on a small area first in

tral nervous system through topical delivery, most

medical researchers don’t believe they can deliver

4. Apply to clean skin at a time when

psychoactive effects.

Adam Stone, who developed and sells the canna-

case of skin irritations or allergic reactions. you won’t wash or sweat it off.

bis-infused SweetStone Candy Luscious Lemondrop Lotion that took second place at the 2016 Michigan

based ethnobotanist and medical marijuana patient

Medical Cannabis Cup, believes that’s the biggest

who writes extensively about cannabis and other me-

benefit of using topicals. “They won’t get users high,”

dicinal plants, points out that “it’s entirely possible that

he says. “There definitely seems to be a body buzz,

some people taking transdermal THC-based lotion might

but they are a gentler way to medicate, which opens

get quite high.” His preferred method for a painful shoul-

the door for many patients who would like to experi-

der issue is a cannabis-based lotion from his local dis-

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 37

pensary. Kilham learned of cannabis’s ability to relieve

former obstetrician, who delivered 10,000 babies in

pain when he began smoking and eating it after a car

Colorado and was named “Best Delivery Man” by a lo-

crash many years ago, and he discovered topicals when

cal weekly in the 1990s, uses Apothecanna Extra

he applied tamanu oil to areas of his skin where he had

Strength Cream with arnica, juniper, peppermint, CBD,

residual nerve damage from the accident. “It’s actually

and THC for his own aches and pains.

quite miraculous,” he says. “We’re in the very, very early

CBD-only formulas, which are becoming very popu-

stages of what’s likely to be a pretty exciting category in

lar, appeal to people concerned about legality, psycho-

the cannabis industry.”

active effects, or passing a drug test—even though

Graham Sorkin, director of business development

that’s highly unlikely with creams and oils because

for Mary’s Medicinals, which sells transdermal patch-

topically applied cannabis doesn’t enter the blood-

es, gels, and topical compounds in Colorado, Wash-

stream—but Cohen prefers a combination of THC and

ington, California, Oregon, Vermont, and Arizona

CBD. “The two generally work better together than one

(coming soon to Massachusetts), says more patients—

does alone,” he says. This is what’s known as the “en-

particularly older ones—are willing to try topicals be-

tourage effect,” meaning the combination of cannabi-

cause they carry less stigma. “My grandma is never

noids found in cannabis is greater than the sum of its

“

T H E R E D E F I N I T E LY S E E M S T O B E A B O D Y B U Z Z ,

B U T T H E Y A R E A G E N T L E R WAY T O M E D I C AT E ,

WHICH OPENS THE DOOR FOR MANY PATIENTS WHO WOULD LIKE TO EXPERIMENT USING CANNABIS TREATMENT BUT WOULD PREFER NOT TO INGEST IT OR EXPERIENCE ANY KIND OF MENTAL HIGH.

”

going to smoke a joint, but she likes the patch,” he

parts, and it’s why Stone uses cannabis cultivars with

says. Mary’s Medicinals’ customers range in age from

a balance of both CBD and THC for SweetStone Candy

2 to 92, he says, and most use the products for local-

Luscious Lemondrop Lotion. “Research has shown

ized and broad-spectrum pain such as arthritis. Pa-

that this potentially has more therapeutic advantages

tients also use them to help treat epilepsy, insomnia,

than CBD alone,” he says.

and sleep disorders.

Frazier has found this to be true in her own exper-

At Holos Health, in Boulder, Colorado, Dr. Joe Cohen,

iments with massage at Nature’s Root spa in Long-

DO, who integrates cannabis into his holistic function-

mont, Colorado, where the same 90-minute massage

al medicine practice, often recommends sprays,

is exponentially more relaxing and effective when

creams, and lotions with a one-to-one THC-to-CBD ra-

she upgrades from hemp-based oil to cannabis oil

tio to patients with joint and neuropathic pain and

with a high CBD content. “I can honestly tell you, the

muscle spasms. Cohen says topicals work locally to

difference is night and day,” she says. “With the ad-

reduce pain, inflammation, and spasms and can be

dition of CBD oil, I have to be able to go home and not

used as frequently as needed because of their limited

do anything that requires a lot of energy and brain

psychoactive effects. When applied along with a heat

power. I’m arranging my schedule so that I can al-

source such as a neck warmer, they’re particularly ef-

ways go home and chill”.

fective for neck and lower back pain, Cohen says. The

38 Boston A P R I L 2018

MAKE {YOUR OWN} TOPICAL Health coach and medical marijuana patient Kim Frazier makes this edible topical oil by combining a one-to-one ratio of foodgrade oil with some cannabis that has been decarboxylated and some that has not. Decarbed cannabis contains THC, CBD, and other beneficial cannabinoids, and non-decarbed cannabis contains THC-A (acid) and CBD-A. The oil is cooked at a temperature too low to decarb the cannabis.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ounce cannabis, coarsely ground 1 cup food-grade oil Mason jar Cheesecloth or nut milk bag (both available from Amazon) Fine mesh strainer To decarb cannabis, place it in an oven-safe container, seal the container with a lid or aluminum foil and cook at 220 degrees for an hour. Remove from oven and let cool.

Remove lid. Place oil and cannabis in a mason jar. Leave some room free at the top of the jar; don’t fill completely.

Seal jar.

Preheat oven to lowest setting, typically 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a water bath in an oven-safe pot or Dutch oven by pouring enough water to cover the material in the jar. Place jar in water bath.

Place pot in oven and slow cook for at least 10 hours.

The oil can cook for up to 24 hours. If you need to leave the house (or go to sleep), it’s fine to turn it off and restart the process when you return home (or wake up).

Note: You can use a crockpot or slow cooker if it has a setting around 170 degrees or less.

About every two hours, check container to ensure the water level remains higher than the material in the jar. Add water if necessary. Remove jar and shake it for a few seconds, then return it to the water bath. After 10–24 hours, remove jar and let cool.

Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth or nut milk bag. Place strainer over a bowl or jar and pour oil through until all plant material has been strained out. (You can keep the cannabis “sludge” in your fridge or freezer to use in the bathtub. Simply place some in a piece of mesh fabric along with some Epsom salts, tie up the mesh fabric and put it in the bathtub for a relaxing, therapeutic soak.)

Store in the refrigerator for up to six months.

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by ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

recreational retail cannabis market WITH THE

S E T T O B E G I N I N T H E BAY STATE, W E ’ V E P U L L E D TOGETHER SOME EXPERT TIPS TO HELP YOU PROPERLY THROW AN ELEVATED GATHERING.

I’ve thrown some damn good parties since I start-

ning, serving cannabis to guests was cripplingly in-

ed cooking with cannabis in 2009. I’d even say some

timidating. For me, hosting a cannabis dinner is a lot

were epic. There’s nothing like reaching the crescen-

like teaching a yoga class. As the leader, I’m respon-

do of a meal orchestrated to open people’s minds and

sible for every person’s well-being and experience,

senses and connect them with their dinner partners,

from understanding their physical limitations and

the food’s tastes and aromas, and the finer notes of

apprehensions to curating a playlist that keeps them

everything. Everyone blossoms, blissed and blessed.

motivated, relaxed, and flowing. They should leave

This is no small thing to pull off, and of course I’ve

happier than they came.

had disasters—thankfully none too epic and way less

That level of culpability makes me nama-cray-

frequent now than when I first started. In the begin-

cray. It kept me from teaching yoga after I got certi-

40 Boston A P R I L 2018

fied and could have strangled my inner canna-host-

Bong Appétit are inspiring would-be Snoop Marthas

ess, too, if I hadn’t stumbled onto the opportunity to

around the world. Mainstream media are stepping

learn from the very best while writing and promot-

out with how-to articles, which is encouraging but

ing my work, The Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook. When

not terribly enlightening when you consider lines

you need confidence, there’s nothing like going

like this one in Bon Appétit magazine’s October 2017

straight to the rock stars—and a beautiful thing about

entertaining etiquette guide: “Getting your guests

the cannabis community is how willing anyone who

high shouldn’t feel like unearthing a bong from a pile

loves this plant is to educate and share.

of sweatshirts in a dark corner of your closet.”

Eight years after I started entertaining with cannabis, normalization and shows like Viceland’s

Do we have to keep saying this? It’s 2018, people.

Let’s talk to the experts. sensimag.com APR I L 2018 41

In legal states, where a thriving cannabis hospitality industry employs professionals in everything from event planning to budtending, most party people haven’t touched a bong in decades, unless they were bringing it to a green elephant exchange. They dab in elegant lounges, sip canna-mocktails, and indulge in CBD coffee stations and s’mores bars stocked with infused chocolate. They taste cultivars as they’re paired with courses like wine, and they dine on infused foie gras custard while inhaling from bowls of terpene vapor at $500-a-plate dinners where the only sweatshirts are by Vetements.

Chris Sayegh, the Herbal Chef and the man behind those half-grand-a-head banquets, considers himself a shaman. He conducts every dinner, explaining at the beginning how the night will go and how the journeyers can expect to feel. His servers are trained to act as guides, keeping people on track and helping them if they get uncomfortable or overwhelmed. Diners’ glasses are constantly filled with water throughout a dinner engineered to keep them in what Sayegh calls the “euphoric zone.” Afterward, they retreat to a decompression lounge, where they can wipe their faces with cold eucalyptus-scented towels and get a massage.

Sayegh says his specialty is “understanding how people can get this really beautiful effect without ever being overwhelmed,” a skill anyone who entertains with cannabis should be honing. Stupefied or paranoid guests suck the soul out of a party as quickly as obnoxious or passed-out-drunk ones—and then there’s that part about being responsible for their well-being.

If you haven’t had nightmares about diners slumped over their plates and leaving in wheelbarrows like the hobbits at Bilbo Baggins’ 111th birthday party, you probably shouldn’t be hosting a cannabis shindig.

Jeff the 420 Chef, who travels the country feeding people fine cannabis food, is well aware of his responsibility. He finds out every diner’s experience, tolerance level, and fears about what might happen before the meal begins, always serves “virgin sisters” (non-infused versions of the cannabis-laced dishes), and limits the overall amount of THC to 10 milligrams—which he says sends guests home with a solid, drama-free buzz.

“No one’s hallucinating or going to the hospital,” he says. “It’s a really nice moment.”

chef and restaurateur Payton Curry, owner of Flourish edibles, stocks up on water with electrolytes and Undoo

Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook author Robyn Griggs Lawrence is the owner of Cannabis Kitchen Events, an elevated entity.

softgels (a mixture of vitamin E, olive oil, and olivetol that promises to “unhaze t h e blaze”) when he hosts cannabis-infused dinners. For a few larger events, he’s even hired nurse practitioners to administer IV bags.

“Americans have been programmed to sleep it off or make themselves throw up if they have too much to drink,” Curry says. “With cannabis, it’s different. We say, ‘Here’s a pizza, a movie, and six gallons of water.’”

At Denver-based Irie Weddings and Events, owner Bec Koop and her staff have an Oh, Shit Kit full of homeopathic rescue remedies; lavender, eucalyptus, and chamomile essential oils; 5-Hour Energy; and groundup pepper (said to mitigate anxiety and paranoia). Some­times they offer a CBD-dominant flower cultivar or tincture, but that can be scary for people who don’t understand CBD’s ability to mitigate THC’s psychoactive effects. The heat of the moment is not the time for a cannabinoid lesson.

“If they’re already uncomfortable,” Koop says, “they’re like, ‘Hell no! No more weed!’”

Budtenders at Koop’s events always ask about guests’ experience and tolerance, and signs at the bud bars remind people to sit down or call over a friend if they feel lightheaded or dizzy (which happens a lot at Colorado altitude).

No matter what, Koop’s staff never lets anyone suffer alone. “If you’re too drunk at a bar, they kick your ass out,” she says. “If you’ve overconsumed at one of our events, you’re probably going to get 90 percent of our attention.”

KNOW YOUR OPERATIONAL CONSUMPTION LEVELS Hosting with the most means being there for someone who thinks they’re dying. (It’s physically impossible to overdose on cannabis, but again, the time for a biology lesson is not while someone

HAVE AN 'OH, SHIT' KIT Overconsumption happens, even to the pros. Though he rarely has to use them, Scottsdale, Arizona-based 42 Boston A P R I L 2018

thinks it’s happening.) You need to control your own consumption—or even wait until after the party—and you better know your “operational con-

PHOTOGRAPHS © POVY KENDAL ATCHISON

KEEP THEM IN THE EUPHORIC ZONE

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Networking opportunities at every event.

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sumption levels,” says Philip Wolf, whose company

present a holistic introduction to the plant’s botany,

Cultivating Spirits hosts cannabis-pairing dinners

tastes, aromas, and effects. Top Shelf budtenders tai-

and other events.

lor servings based on tolerance questionnaires and

The heart-racing energy you feel after consuming

actively monitor guests’ consumption using a tick-

a high-THC cultivar with energetic terpenes infects

et or wristband system. Should someone have a bad

everyone, Wolf says. “If people recognize an anx-

trip, the team can help them ride it out.

{Expert Tips} your best

PARTY ever

HIRE PROS IF YOU CAN. It sounds a little self-serving. But cannabis has been legal for less than a decade, and laws vary by state. Experienced professionals can walk you through legal and logistical gray areas and customs, plus do the hard work during the event so you can socialize.

“You get to simply show up and be the butterfly,” says Irie Weddings and Events’ Bec Koop.

IF YOU’RE USING AN OUTSIDE VENUE, KNOW ITS CANNABIS POLICIES. This should be the first thing you ask about, well before you book.

FOR LARGER AFFAIRS, GET SECURITY. It’s required at some venues now, and it’s CRAZY not to have professionals watching the door and checking IDs and/or medical cards.

HAVE A POLICY FOR MINORS. Are kids allowed?

Do they need to be isolated from the area where adults are consuming?

CREATE A DESIGNATED CONSUMPTION ROOM OR AREA. A dab or smoking lounge protects other guests from fumes and frames a ceremonial space. “People can celebrate their coming together, even if only for 15 or 20 minutes,” says Cultivating Spirits’ Philip Wolf. “There’s a more memorable aspect to it than getting high on the back stoop.”

GET TO KNOW YOUR GUESTS. Top Shelf Budtending’s Andrew Mieure suggests including a questionnaire with your RSVP that will help you understand how you should serve guests, individually and collectively.

TAILOR CONSUMPTION METHODS TO YOUR REVELERS. Dabs are probably a little much for Midwestern relatives who haven’t smoked since senior prom. Wolf prefers flower because it’s the least potent, and Koop says half-gram minijoints are popular because they’re familiar, shareable, and guests can try several strains without overdoing it. Canna-mocktails allow for accurate microservings and are more discreet.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT STRAINS. Work with a professional budtender or grower to find cultivars with terpene and cannabinoid profiles that will drive the mood you want throughout the night.

CREATE A SOUNDTRACK. If you won’t have a DJ or a band, make a playlist long enough to last throughout your soiree, and test it. Even at operational consumption levels, you don’t want to be messing with the music—or worse, not have any.

“CHEAT” WITH STORE-BOUGHT INGREDIENTS. With all the premade tinctures, oils, butters, chocolates, beverages, and even water-soluble additives on the shelves, there will be no reason to spend hours making your own infusions. Accurate servings are easier to pull off with tested ingredients from a trusted establishment. When Jeff the 420 Chef makes his 420 Irish Cream for the holidays, he grinds and sprinkles one Kiva Confections chocolate-covered espresso bean on top of each mug, guaranteeing 5 milligrams of THC. START WITH A CANNA-MOCKTAIL. A nonalcoholic drink made with cannabis tincture takes effect in 15 minutes and might discourage guests from starting the night with booze.

MODERATE ALCOHOL. Drinking alcohol thins blood, allowing for more active THC to enter, says Mieure, whose slogan is: “Alcohol before cannabis gets you higher, cannabis before alcohol is wiser.” If both are being served, he suggests limiting the servings and potency of each.

WATER, WATER, MORE WATER. Keeping guests hydrated is beyond crucial.

THINK BRUNCH INSTEAD OF DINNER. Chef Randy Placeres of Aspen Culinary Solutions prefers late-morning gatherings when he serves infused food so his guests have the afternoon to enjoy being high and happy. “After dinner,” he says, “you kind of just go to bed.”

KEEP IT CLEAN. If guests are smoking, keep ashtrays emptied. Glass one-hitters are more sanitary than joints, especially during cold and flu season. At Top Shelf, budtenders wear gloves and clean dab rigs between every guest, no exceptions.

COOK WITH CANNABIS that has at least a 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD. Flourish’s Payton Curry tells people CBD is their “seatbelt” because it can mitigate THC’s psychoactive effects. Offering CBD-dominant food lets newcomers and people who don’t want to get high experience infused food.

BE A WITNESS PROTECTOR. Make sure you have every guest’s consent (in writing for larger events) before photos and videos are taken and posted.

MAKE SURE NO ONE DRIVES HOME IMPAIRED. Lyft and Uber make it so easy.

iousness within you and you’re the focal point of

Mieure specializes in serving first-timers and peo-

the event, they’ll feel the anxiousness within them-

ple returning to cannabis after a long while, and

selves, and your party has bad vibes.”

they heighten his sense of obligation to deliver only

That’s why you hire pros, says Andrew Mieure, owner of Colorado’s Top Shelf Budtending, a service that offers certified “cannabis sommeliers” who 44 Boston A P R I L 2018

smooth, groovy adventures.

“Their experiences,” he says, “can make or break the future of cannabis in America.”

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 45

{soBOS }

by STEPHANIE WILSON

island Light Up

46 Boston A P R I L 2018

If you’re more of a savvy traveler than a scenester who summers, you already know that the shoulder seasons are the best times to spring for a Nantucket trip. But did you also know that the charming island was once the epicenter of the American whaling industry? Or that it’s home to the highest concentration of pre-Civil War homes? Feel free to drop these trivia tidbits on deck as your ferry passes the historic landmark lighthouse by the entrance to the inner harbor.

Brant Point Light, circa 1746, was the second lighthouse established in colonial America. The original structure is long gone; this is the 10th iteration, and it’s about 596 feet away from the first. According to the National Park Service, which runs the historic registry and therefore knows about these things, Brant Point Light has been moved and rebuilt more times than any other lighthouse in the nation. The current wooden structure went up in 1901. And at 26 feet tall, it’s the shortest lighthouse in New England.

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 47

48 Boston A P R I L 2018

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4 Boston A P R I L 2018