Sensi Magazine - Las Vegas (April 2018)

L AS V E G A S

THE NEW NORMAL

4.2018

SPECIAL

ISSUE

MUSIC

MARIJUANA

from Reefer Man to Method Man SPECIAL REPORT

Icon or Cliché?

High Profile: Kema Ogden How to Celebrate 4/20 in Vegas A Taste of Texas + And More!

ISSUE 2 // VOLUME 1 // 04.2018

contents

FEATURES 30

Musical Muse: From Reefer Man to Method Man SPECIAL REPORT

26

FOLLOW HER LEAD This woman’s blazing trails and breaking ceilings.

The elevating effects of cannabis take lyrical appreciation to new heights.

34 Iconography of the Fan Leaf

The pointy cannabis leaf, once a badge of the counterculture, may be in danger of becoming an overused marketing tool and cringe-worthy cliché in legal states.

40

High Holiday in Las Vegas

Join the party as 4/20 evolves from a day of protest to a day of celebration.

ISSUE

EVERY

30

5 Editor’s Note 6 TheBuzz 10 NewsFeed STATE OF

LEGALIZATION

16 CrossRoads CAPTIVE AUDIENCE

20 TravelWell AUSTIN, TX

26 HighProfile

KEMA OGDEN

40

46 {SoLV} MANNEKEN PIS

Sensi Las Vegas 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 2 VOLUME 1

4.2018

FOLLOW US

EXECUTIVE Ron Kolb

CEO, SENSI MEDIA GROUP

RON.KOLB @ SENSIMAG.COM

Tae Darnell

PRESIDENT, SENSI MEDIA GROUP

TAE.DARNELL @ SENSIMAG.COM

Alex Martinez

GENERAL MANAGER

ALEX.MARTINEZ @ SENSIMAG.COM

EDITORIAL sensimediagroup

Stephanie Wilson

EDITOR IN CHIEF

STEPHANIE.WILSON @ SENSIMAG.COM

Debbie Hall

MANAGING EDITOR, SENSI LAS VEGAS

DEBBIE.HALL @ SENSIMAG.COM

Leland Rucker

SENIOR EDITOR

LELAND.RUCKER @ SENSIMAG.COM

Robyn Griggs Lawrence CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Ricardo Baca CONTRIBUTING WRITER sensimagazine

A RT & D E S I G N Jennifer Tyson

DESIGN DIRECTOR

JENNIFER.TYSON @ SENSIMAG.COM

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sensimag

BUSINESS & ADMINISTRATIVE Susan Lugo

PUBLISHER

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M E DI A PA RT N E RS Marijuana Business Daily Minority Cannabis Business Association Nation Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy 4 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

VEGAS: cause for

Celebration

editor’s

NOTE

I AM SO EXCITED FOR OUR SECOND ISSUE OF SENSI LAS VEGAS. LAUNCHING A NEW MAGAZINE IS

ALMOST LIKE GIVING BIRTH, NOT TO A CHILD BUT TO A DYNAMIC PLATFORM THAT WILL EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT CANNABIS AS WELL AS EXPLORE THE FUN SIDE OF LIFE IN THIS CITY.

Las Vegas embraces an upscale lifestyle with the new normal of legal cannabis as part of its landscape.

April is especially exciting with the celebration of 4/20 as some colorful events and educational opportunities take place throughout the region. April is a beautiful time of year in Southern Nevada and a perfect month to celebrate achievements and all that is good.

Las Vegas continues to grow as a medical destination and the introduction of cannabis for health purposes is an important aspect of its progression. Politics, regulations, and legislation change daily, and Sensi monitors what’s happening across the country. There are some people in Las Vegas who have been a part of the movement for the past decade who continue to make certain voices are heard in all aspects of medical and recreational cannabis.

Sensi covers Southern Nevada and its lifestyle including art, culture, and entertainment. Las Vegas is a city with a heart (as witnessed during the tragedy of One October), and Sensi offers an inside view on those making a difference as well as a way to help others.

While embracing a pro-cannabis stance, Sensi is part of the mainstream and reaches out to those who are active and committed to creating a better community.

Thank you for selecting and reading Sensi, either in print or digitally. We look forward to continuing our relationship with you, our reader.

Yours in the new normal,

Debbie Hall

MANAGING EDI TOR SENSI L AS VEGAS

A D V I S O RY B OA R D American Cannabis Company // CONSULTING CannaPunch // INFUSED CANDIES & JUICES Cohen Medical Centers // MEDICAL CENTERS Emerald Harvest // NUTRIENTS Evergreen Organix // PREMIUM BAKED GOODS FlowerKist // TOPICALS GreenHouse Payment Solutions // PAYMENT PROCESSING

Grow Generation // HYDROPONICS

Hot Mess Kushmetics // CBD TOPICALS Libra Wellness // INFUSED GOURMET CHOCOLATES Nevada Powders // POWDER PROCESSING FOR EDIBLES NLVO // LAS VEGAS LUXURY CANNABIS Oasis Cannabis // DISPENSARY Spiked Soil // SOIL Strip Side Solutions // MARKETING Toast // MINDFUL CONSUMPTION Undoo // OVERCONSUMPTION RELIEF

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 5

THE NE W N O R M A L

the

buzz

LEFT: The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, opened on May 21, 2010.

BELOW: Little Church of the West, the oldest chapel on the strip, first opened its doors in 1942. Today it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

SURROUNDINGS

PHOTO COURTESY OF DIETMAR RABICH

celebrate

APRIL IS ART, ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN MONTH

Sometimes a building is more than mere brick and mortar. It is a

leaders for a gala affair. On April 6, the First Friday Art, Architecture

home, a place of business, or a house of worship. It shelters people

& Design collaborative event invites the public to an open house at

and pets from the elements, creates a gathering place for families

NOVUS Architecture Studios where members from organizations like

and friends. While it might take a village to raise a child, it takes ar-

the Nevada Preservation Foundation and the Las Vegas Design Cen-

chitects, designers, and artists to create the village. And this month,

ter will be mingling.

we honor them.

From guided home and history tours to networking and commu-

April is Art, Architecture & Design Month as proclaimed by Las Ve-

nity-enhancing workshops to scholarly lectures, networking ops, and

gas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, and there’s a lot to celebrate around

hands-on creative classes, there are a lot of ways to participate. If

here. While Las Vegas is a relatively new city, areas downtown show-

you’ve got a green thumb, consider joining the AIA COTE Committee

cases some incredible examples of mid-century modern design and

for the Garden Classrooms project on Fridays, April 13 and 27. You’ll

architecture. As new construction rises and older spaces are renovat-

help the kids at Tony Alamo Elementary School design their outdoor

ed, the resulting cityscape displays a place packed with personality.

classroom to go with their garden project. If your interests lean more

It’s got a distinct sense of place, a local vibe that’s undeniably Vegas.

toward the “art” than the “design,” consider checking out the Urban

Events throughout the month invite you to celebrate the built en-

Sketchers event on Saturday, April 14. Bring some paper and your

vironment during a series of events, demonstrations, parties, and

pencils and join the creative group at the Neon Museum. Or check

classes. On April 4, the Art, Architecture, and Design Month kick-off

out something else entirely. There are a lot of options, and a good

reception takes place at the Christopher Guy Showroom in the Las

portion of the offerings are free. View the schedule and learn more at

Vegas Design Center, bringing together creators, makers, and civic

AIALASVEGAS.ORG .

6 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

ArtON

Get Your

Art House LV

Founded in 1996, City of the World, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community arts center, keeps art alive in Southern Nevada.

Art House LV Gallery, located in a restored vintage home built in the 1940s, showcases over 60 local artists representing every art medium. There is also a dedicated gallery room for students and art teachers to display their art in a real gallery environment. All artists are welcome to show their work for a PHOTO COURTESY OF ART HOUSE LV

nominal fee and volunteer hours. All art is for sale to support the artists and the programs.

Love to paint or draw?

The center offers classes for children and adults with desire to be creative and no experience is required. The goal is for everyone to take a brush, chalk or pencil in hand and express artistically what is in his or her soul.

Want to meet other artists? The monthly Las Vegas Artists Guild meeting (free and open to the public) is held at the gallery the second Monday of the month from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The gallery participates in First Friday with evening hours, events, and artist receptions.

The multifaceted traveling arts program, Artz-to-Go, provides arts education, dance, music, theater, visual arts enrichment, and self-esteem development. It fosters a creative learning environment that was developed to enhance culturPHOTO COURTESY OF ART HOUSE LV

al awareness, spiritual growth, and educational intensity. Artists display works at Tivoli Village and Fresh52 farmers market as well as bring arts to several public parks.

Roz Knight, founder and executive director of City of the World, personifies her philosophy as an artist, art teacher, mother, grandmother, and visionary.

“Philosophically and spiritually, I believe we are not complete unless we have the arts in our lives, including our educational systems,” she said. “We won’t have new artists if people, especially children, aren’t taught to explore their artistic side and learn to create whether it becomes a career, hobby or personal enrichment.”

Visit the gallery at 1229 S. Casino Center Blvd. For more info, visit CITYOFTTHEWORLDLASVEGAS.ORG. sensimag.com APR I L 2018 7

THE NE W N O R M A L

the

buzz PHOTO COURTESY OF JOYCE BOSEN

TRY healing Experiencing trauma is more than having a bad day or breaking up with someone. It is life-altering, soul-

boosted; Bosen is a yogi so she volunteered her services of teaching soul-nurturing yoga. She soon real-

Whether intricate claws or classic square-

shaped, nails reflect health as well as beauty. Naturals by Stephanie combines beauty aesthetics with health care during a mani/ pedi. Stephanie incorporates oils including the copaiba essential oil, a derivative of cannabis oil. When applied to the skin,

shattering, and devastating. Joyce Bosen witnessed her 22-year-old son die. Her desire to help was turbo-

NAILEDIT inflammation is calmed down, especially those with swollen feet or ankles and helps

Darwin and Joyce Bosen, founders of TRY Yoga

with pain management in those areas. She

ized there were so many people who might not have access to yoga classes so she decided to create a safe place where everyone was welcome.

adds oils at the end of the pedicure to alleviate pain and also acts an antibacterial for smoother skin. She can also apply tinctures

Trauma Recovery Yoga, a nonprofit organization, was founded by Joyce and her husband to

from a client’s preferred dispensary. The oil

teach others the TRY methods including trauma recovery, resilience, and mindful movement.

is also known to promote a feeling of well

The classes provide a do no harm yoga-based practice, which emphasizes four key themes during the practice. She teaches others to experience the present moment (presence), exercise choice (empowerment), take effective action (resilience), and create internal rhythms and positive affirmations (mindfulness). The TRY method emphasizes an individual’s choice to experience yoga at their pace to their preference level, even if that

being without the any elevated effects. Although copaiba does not contain psychoactive cannabinoids, the main component caryophyllene may be neuroprotective with beneficial effects.

“Nail health is so important to the over-

means sitting still and breathing with the group and nothing more. Many of the people

all health of a person,” she says. “I tell my

reached include at-risk youth at multiple schools, traumatic brain injury patients, and

clients to not be embarrassed but to let

those suffering PTSD including veterans. TRY also helps those who have suffered trau-

me help them. Not only do well groomed

matic grief, sexual assault, and domestic violence. TRY is also being provided for first responders

through

the

Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOYCE BOSEN

Bosen walks in a yoga lifestyle and feels privileged to

nails add to their confidence but it is also a big factor to maintaining overall health.”

Stephanie also partners with health care providers and can refer clients if more medical attention is needed for conditions affecting nails, hands, and feet.

Naturals by Stephanie focuses on the

be living her Dharma helping

classic manicure and pedicure of the rich

others through her organi-

colors and shapes during the era of glam-

zation TRY.

our. “My clients embrace the look and feel

“I breathe, live, research, and educate myself on is trauma and how to help other people. I know what works from my position, what helps me, and I want to share that and continue to find other ways that work for other people,” she said.

“Through my relationship with Joyce and the agencies I served [previously], I became

“back in the day” when men and women got a manicure twice a week,” Stephanie says. “Men had well-groomed nails with a clear coat while women shined in beautiful shades of the season.” Colors range from the latest trends to pastels with blues and greens added to the mix. Naturals by

acutely aware of the prevalence of trauma throughout the community and the profound

Stephanie is fun and fanciful with classic

positive impact yoga, meditation, and breath work can have for an individual suffering from

elegance.

trauma and it’s lingering effects,” added Darwin Bosen. TRAUMARECOVERYYOGA.ORG 8 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

Naturals By Stephanie is located in Body Spa West, 8751 W. Charleston Blvd. For more info, call 702.788.8044

Our mission is to create equal access and economic empowerment for cannabis businesses, their patients, and the communities most affected by the war on drugs.

DEVELOPING A nationwide network of cannabis business owners within a variety of disciplines, including ancillary businesses ADVOCATING For creation and fair enforcement of sensible, equitable policies ACCELERATING Increased cannabis industry growth by ensuring patient and consumer access to the most people SERVING As a voice for the minority population with programs that foster opportunity, education, and equality

Visit us at MinorityCannabis.org to join the movement today!

memberships@minoritycannabis.org @MinCannBusAssoc

@MinorityCannabis

@MCIA.org

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 9

{newsfeed}

by LELAND RUCKER

THE STATE(S) OF LEGALIZATION: AN UPDATE When it comes to adult-use cannabis, “legal” is a slippery term.

How adult sales are going depends upon where you reside.

On a map of the US, if you look for states where adult

voters want. Most polls show about 60 percent of Amer-

use of recreational marijuana is legal, you’ll notice they’re

icans now favor legal marijuana, yet many elected offi-

mostly skewed to the coasts. You can buy cannabis now

cials hold outdated opinions that sound like they hav-

all along the West Coast, where the legalization land-

en’t evolved since the 1970s.

scape stretches east (skipping Utah) to Colorado.

How legalization is working depends on the state. In

On the Atlantic Coast, a new concentration of legal

Colorado, people have become used to being able to

states has cropped up in the Northeast. In 2016, regu-

purchase and consume a dizzying array of elevating

lated adult use was passed by voters in both Maine

products from a multitude of vendors. But voters in

and Massachusetts. Earlier this year, Vermont became

Massachusetts and Maine who cast ballots for legal-

the ninth state to legalize recreational marijuana—

ization in 2016 have yet to see retail stores open, and

and the first to do so by passing a law in the legislature

the latter’s governor has vetoed almost every canna-

rather than by ballot measure. Adults can possess and

bis bill that has crossed his desk. The District of Colum-

grow cannabis, but the state is eschewing the

bia, where voters overwhelmingly chose legalization in

tax-and-regulate model by not allowing retail sales.

2014, has created a gray-market barter system that

New Hampshire lawmakers, feeling the pinch from

operates at the outer limits of legality. So how exactly

surrounding states, have indicated that they are work-

is the rollout of legal cannabis going in the United

ing to establish something similar in the Granite State.

States? Here’s a breakdown of all legal states.

The state house gave preliminary approval to a bill that would allow adults to possess up to one ounce and to

ALASKA

cultivate it in limited quantities. As Rep. Keith Ammon

VOTED TO LEGALIZE ADULT USE: 2014

told USA Today, “It looks bad for the reputation of the

RECREATIONAL SALES: Began February 2015

Live Free or Die state to be an island of prohibition surrounded by a sea of freedom.”

The state of Alaska has had an up-and-down relationship with cannabis over the last three decades. The

The push in New England suggests that politicians

state decriminalized possession of up to four ounces in

in other states might be well served to listen to their

1982. Eight years later, a voter initiative recriminalized

constituents without being forced by a citizen initia-

all possession, adding prison time and hefty fines for

tive. One major obstacle to national legalization is that

offenders. That one was struck down in 2003 by the

politicians are often the last to pay attention to what

state’s Court of Appeals. A medical program was ap-

10 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

“LEGAL”

2012 2014 2016

proved in 1998, and voters in 2014 authorized a regu-

$2.75 per ounce for leaves, and many cities added

lated adult-use system that began in February of 2015.

their own 7 to 9 percent sales tax, which makes

As in most states, demand was higher than expect-

some advocates skeptical that the added cost for

ed in the first months, and shortages were reported as

consumers might not lure them in from the state’s

the regulatory system came online. In September of

long-established black market.

2017, the state announced it had collected $3,741,810 in cannabis taxes. Voters in Fairbanks and the Kenai

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Peninsula, two places where many cultivators and re-

VOTED TO LEGALIZE ADULT USE: November 2014

tailers are located, rejected, by wide margins, local bal-

RECREATIONAL SALES: Not Yet

lot measures that would have prohibited cannabis

Probably the most outrageous situation is hap-

grows and operations in those areas. Those measures

pening in Washington, DC, where an overwhelm-

cannot be brought back to voters until at least 2019.

ing 65 percent of voters approved legal marijuana for adults in a 2014 ballot initiative which went into

CALIFORNIA VOTED TO LEGALIZE ADULT USE: November 2016 RECREATIONAL SALES: Began January 2018

effect February 26, 2015. More than three years later, there are still no recreational sales.

The explanation is simple—and disgusting. All

The largest state to legalize adult cannabis sales and

DC laws are subject to congressional review, and

use faced many of the same problems as others before

in this case Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, a mem-

going online with adult sales January 1, 2018. California

ber of the Freedom Caucus, decided to override

legalized medical marijuana in 1996 but didn’t set up a

voters’ wishes because, he says, they “made a bad

regulatory system until 2017, when the legislature

decision.” To emphasize the point, Harris attached

passed SB-94 to create a framework to regulate both

a rider to a federal appropriations bill that stopped

medical and adult use. After much haggling, Gov. Jerry

funding to “enact any law, rule, or regulation to le-

Brown signed it into law in June 2017, but the state still

galize or otherwise reduce penalties associated

had to scurry to get regs in place to make the January 1,

with the possession, use, or distribution of any

2018 deadline. Taxes are another question mark. The

Schedule I substance under the Controlled Sub-

state imposed a 15 percent excise tax, a state cultiva-

stances Act or any tetrahydrocannabinol deriva-

tion levy of $9.25 per ounce for cannabis flower and

tive for recreational purposes.” sensimag.com APR I L 2018 11

When the district appealed to Congress, Republican

MAINE

leaders shot it down, urging the mayor not to move

VOTED TO LEGALIZE ADULT USE: November 2016

forward and threatening prison for any officials flout-

RECREATIONAL SALES: Not yet, though it’s legal to

ing the overturn of the law. Despite a groundswell of

grow it, gift it, and possess it

bipartisan support for cannabis legalization and regu-

The thorniest state situation is Maine. Question 1, the

lation among congressional lawmakers, no legislators

2016 citizens’ initiative, passed by a squeaky 2,560

have yet stepped up to oppose the rider. Perhaps they

votes out of 753,896 cast, with Gov. Paul LePage a vo-

are embarrassed that a federally illegal product is al-

cal opponent against it before and after the election,

lowed in the district where they work.

even demanding a recount before finally conceding

Though it’s illegal to sell cannabis in DC, you can

defeat in December.

“gift” it to someone. To get around the ban on sales, a

LePage signed Question 1, but he didn’t give up. Af-

barely underground system has emerged with the tac-

ter an attempt to extend the moratorium on cannabis

it support of the city, allowing people to purchase over-

sales to 2019 failed, in October of 2017 he vetoed a bill

priced trinkets and artwork and be “gifted” something

passed by both state houses to tax and regulate recre-

a little extra, like a few grams of bud. And local officials

ational marijuana on the rationale that the bill is in

are looking the other way at cannabis-themed public

conflict with federal law, that other states have had

events advertised through social media that are equal

serious negative effects from legalization, and the

parts social gathering and cannabis trade show, with

possibility that the federal government might come in

selections of edibles, vaporizers, oils, and concentrates

and end legalization.

available for those in the know. The district and its citizens are walking a fine line.

12 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

Finally, in January of 2018, a comprehensive bill was signed by LePage that allows for both retail sales and

cannabis consumption clubs beginning in February of

to 17 percent, and lets participating municipalities tack

the same year. This would be one of the most aggres-

on another three percent for themselves.

sive timelines to institute such a broad program, and as of press time, it’s still unclear how many dispensa-

NEVADA VOTED TO LEGALIZE ADULT USE: November 2016

ries will actually open.

RECREATIONAL SALES: Began July 1, 2017 No state seemed more eager to get marijuana legal-

MASSACHUSETTS VOTED TO LEGALIZE ADULT USE: November 2016

ized than Nevada. Entrepreneurs, eager to grab a piece

RECREATIONAL SALES: Expected to begin July 2018

of the Las Vegas tourist market, flocked to the state to

Massachusetts has taken a more methodical ap-

invest in the new industry. After state voters approved

proach than other states after adult-use was approved

legalization in 2016, legislators, regulators, and busi-

by 54 percent of voters in 2016. Lawmakers fought

ness owners worked together to create rules and reg-

over how to implement the law as written before de-

ulations to get retail stores open, beating its original

laying implementation to give themselves more time

deadline by six months. One hindrance is that casinos

to come up with regulations. Recreational sales are

are not allowed to have anything to do with the indus-

scheduled to begin July 1, after Gov. Charlie Baker, a

try and shops have to be at least 1,000 feet from the

Republican who opposes legalization, signed a com-

Strip. That hasn’t stopped the green rush. Early indica-

promise bill last year that will allow towns that op-

tions were that the state would become the first to al-

posed the initiative to ban marijuana businesses until

low places for public consumption, but so far that

December. It also increased the state tax rate from 12

hasn’t happened.

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OREGON VOTED TO LEGALIZE ADULT USE: November 2014 RECREATIONAL SALES: Began October 2015 Oregon was the first state to decriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis in 1973. It voted to legalize cannabis for adults in 2014, with sales beginning in October 2015. Between January and August of 2016, the state collected $108 million in state and local taxes. After paying off an almost $10 million debt for start-up costs to get rules and regs in place, it has now distributed 85 million dollars in cannabis taxes to police, public health, schools, and local governments. The tax money has become one of the bright spots in the state’s budget, which is currently running a deficit.

After the Trump administration threatened federal enforcement, Gov. Kate Brown signed a bill in October that limits government officials’ ability to obtain data identifying customers who purchase marijuana at state-licensed retail facilities and directs retailers to destroy all customer records from their databases. She has also joined other governors in opposing Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ negative claims about legalization in states where it is legal.

WASHINGTON VOTED TO LEGALIZE ADULT USE: November 2012 (one hour later than Colorado) RECREATIONAL SALES: Began July 2014 Though voters in both Colorado and Washington legalized recreational cannabis in 2012, adult sales in Washington state got off to a rockier start. Legislators struggled with the implementation of regulations, and recreational shops didn’t open for two-and-a-half years. Sales have risen steadily since then, from $31 million in the six months stores were open in 2014 to $1.24 billion in 2017, generating more than $682 million in sales and excise revenue.

The state’s Institute for Public Policy is required to produce a report each year on marijuana use. The latest indicates that adult use has not been associated with any increase in teen consumption or abuse rates.

The researchers found that marijuana use has fallen among young people and that the lower numbers have been most pronounced among prehigh-schoolers. This lines up with recent statistics from Colorado and federal surveys in states that have legalized it. The investigators found no correlation between legal cannabis sales and overall adult use, no impact on hard drug use, and no increase in property or violent crimes.

14 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 15

{crossroads}

by RICARDO BACA

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.

16 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

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

I loved long flights when I was younger. I was ob-

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

sessed with the sheer spectacle of modern flight, and I

ping my last day at a weed business conference in San

even looked forward to those monster, double-dig-

Francisco when I remembered the edibles stash in my

it-long treks to Asia and Australia, perhaps misapplying

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

the adage of the journey being as important as the des-

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

tination.

sessment of my near future—BARTing to the airport,

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

grabbing food, flying three hours home to Denver and

two-and-a-half hours commuter flight is something I

Light Railing to the city from the airport—I saw the

don’t generally look forward to experiencing. The shrink-

opportunity ahead.

ing seats, the germy everything, the recycled air, the incessant subconscious marketing, and the travelers who inexplicably 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.

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

And that flight was fucking fantastic. From an unprecedented deep-dive into my iPhone’s psyche to organizing the busy work week ahead to going cover-to-cover on the mediocre in-flight magazine staring sensimag.com APR I L 2018 17

at me from the seat-back pocket, I was that awe-struck little kid again—finding pleasure in what was in front of me, ignoring my neighbor in the center aisle, appreciating the complimentary Canada Dry (and asking for the whole can), and legitimately dumbfounded at the immensity of what all these random people and I were doing at that very moment.

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.

And that’s one of marijuana’s wonders, right? Its ability to temporarily reset some our mind’s settings back to its childhood defaults.

Thank goodness for it, because sometimes my adult mind resents being held

18 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

HERE’S TO GETTING

LIFTED BEFORE

YOU LIFT OFF,

FRIENDS. BECAUSE EVEN

THOUGH YOUR BODY IS

ABOUT TO BE RESTRICTED

TO AN EVER-SHRINKING SEAT,

THE DOORS TO YOUR

M I N D ’ S SUBCONSCIOUSNESS ARE ALREADY FLUNG

WIDE OPEN

captive.

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

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

Pepsi Center and I enjoy the light show. In the airplane,

a corporate-sponsored rock show or a movie theater.

I look out at the Sierras, the gradient blue sky, the

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

checkerboards of houses, and the dense forest lands

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

below and take a moment to be thankful.

marketed to in the process. And that construct of me

Thankful I’m not driving cross-country. Thankful for

paying you so that you can then advertise further to

the singular views. Thankful for the quiet baby in the

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

row in front of me. Thankful that air travel remains

even for a lifelong journalist who just opened his own

mostly affordable. Thankful for the tucked-in hygiene

full-service agency.

of the beefcake in the center seat. Thankful for modern

That movie trailer before the main feature. Those

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

Rold Gold pretzels tucked inside the United Airlines

cline his seat while I was writing this column. And

napkin. The sponsored content you’re inevitably ab-

thankful for cannabis, which helps tame my aging brain

sorbing at the big rock show or professional sporting

in the dreadfully captive situations I dislike the most.

event. It can be a lot, which is why I’m thankful for the

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

respite cannabis provides when my mind is in that

Because even though your body is about to be restrict-

prison of captivity-induced anxiety.

ed to an ever-shrinking seat, the doors to your mind’s

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

subconsciousness are already flung wide open—leav-

ly lifted, I remember the excitement of the film trailers

ing your anxieties and other baggage out of sight while

and view them as entertainment instead of advertis-

amplifying your ability to focus on what matters most.

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 19

{travelwell}

by JAKE BROWNE

TASTES WEIRD Our correspondent takes his tastebuds on a trip to the uncanny and zany dining scene in Austin, Texas.

Depending on who I ask, this is either the pinnacle of

Splitting a bottle of warm sake to reestablish a core

the food scene in Austin, Texas, or a sign of the gas-

temperature, the menu beckons my stoner heart in a

tro-pocalypse. Transplants are gentrifying neighbor-

number of directions: the son-in-law (pork shoulder with

hoods one appropriated taco at a time or breathing life

a crispy egg) and chili caramel chicken wings sound di-

back into a town reeking of stale barbecue smoke. On

vine. We settle on splitting a jungle curry so I can get a

my first trip to ATX, I’ve dedicated 48 hours to learning

taste of Texas wagyu beef and to satisfy Sam’s love of

what makes the liberal bastion tick. I’m armed with an

baby corn. It arrives with a masochistic amount of red

empty belly and—out of a healthy fear of arrest—an

chilis and peppercorns to the degree that makes you

empty bowl as well. Without the time to stand in line at

frightened of touching yourself for several hours. I will

one of the various brisket institutions, my goal is to eat

be religiously washing my hands for days.

my way through the stereotypes of the city.

Initial bites confirm an uncomfortable heat, and I stir

My fiancé Sam and I land to a rare dusting of snow

in the full dollop of coconut cream as my upper lip per-

across the metro area, which is quaint from 39,000 feet

spires. The broth is rich with traditional ginger and lem-

and loathsome when you don’t pack a winter coat. “I re-

ongrass, making each bite a Faustian flavor bargain as

fuse to freeze to death in Texas” is now my mantra for

the slow burn only intensifies. While I often fumble with

the weekend. Groggy from an early morning flight but

chopsticks like they were my first bra clasp, the wagyu

palpably hangry as lunch has almost passed us by, we

beef is cooked to perfection, and I’m peeling away layers

need a slingshot to the gut to make the most of the

of the soft yet textured meat with ease. “This is the best

day. Why not start with something that screams new

Thai food I’ve had in the states,” Sam says. Even if my

Austin? Thai food prepared by Australians: perfect

mouth could work, I wouldn’t argue.

choice. Let’s go.

New BBQ New Fusion

At times, it feels like Austin is keeping itself weird for

Having never visited Thailand, I ask Sam for her first-

weird’s sake. When applied to food, this can have un-

hand authenticity verdict when we sit down at Sway.

fortunate results. Ponying up at the EastSide Tavern’s

“You might see something like this in a fancy resort,”

bar for dinner—getting a table in this town is its own

she says to my dismay. My only resort dining experi-

special nightmare—I meet Wade, a 30-something

ence is Señor Frogs, and there is 100 percent less wacky

who works in mechanical sales. He’s local, out having

crap on the wall here. It looks upscale but in a restrained

beers and a bite with a friend, but isn’t impressed

way, with warm wood tables and bench seating that feels

with the barbecue here. “It’s good,” he says “but real-

communal even as the lunch crowd dies out. Still buzzed

ly, it’s easy to get in.” Outside of the beer, his only rec-

from a pre-flight edible, I need to avoid Texans for the

ommendation is the brisket tater tots.

moment and grab a bar seat.

20 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

The tot renaissance of late, fueled by Gen X nostal-

On my first trip to ATX, I have dedicated 48 hours to learning what makes the liberal bastion tick, armed with an empty belly and, out of a healthy fear of arrest, an empty bowl.

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 21

gia, has led to some loose interpretations of what con-

specifically, her two elementary-aged kids. This confirms

stitutes a tater tot. Here, it means something with a

that I have the eating habits of a seven year old.

texture slightly lumpier than mashed potatoes fash-

Having not seen each other in over a decade, we catch

ioned into cylinders and deep fried. If you pictured bris-

up as I navigate the daunting yet whimsical menu. Do I

ket and cheddar cheese smothering the dish, I wouldn’t

want the Mother Clucker or Salty Balls? The kids settle

blame you, but instead they’ve added chunks of both

on The Puddin’ and abandon us for a ping pong table.

to the core of the appetizer. Who’s hungry for chunks?

Cara orders a sensible salad while Sam and I split a cho-

It would be forgivable if not slightly bland without the

lesterol-laden Country Clucker: a donut topped with a

passionless chipotle mayonnaise that is too liberally ap-

potato pancake, then layered with fried chicken, creamed

plied to the basket. I’ll credit them for not serving it with

corn, and candied jalapeños. My new mantra: see a pri-

“house ketchup” that never tastes anything like ketchup,

mary care physician.

but the last few bites have the flavor profile of southwest-

What I didn’t expect was to come out of brunch with

ern mashed potatoes, something no one should ever

a new favorite drink cherished by locals. Not Tito’s Vod-

have to eat. Congrats on keeping it weird, though.

ka or one of the craft selections from (512) Brewing Company, but Topo Chico. Our resident local orders a

The Institution Waking up after a night of debauchery and honky tonk on the famed 6th Street, we are eschewing the local

round for the table, and we’re shocked at how refreshing the Monterry-based water is. We have a lot of La Croix to toss out when we get home.

favorite breakfast tacos for something more substantive:

The sandwich arrives in a pile that makes you ques-

donut sandwiches. It doesn’t hurt that Gourdough’s Pub-

tion how to attack it, like trimming a 12-foot-tall OG

lic House is an easy sell to my friend Cara and, more

harvest. Sensibly breaded and peppery, the chicken

22 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 23

breast is an homage to the south when paired with the

It is, however, an astonishing amount of cheese.

almost gravy-like consistency of the corn. I lose the

Enough to convince you that you’re in a secret com-

pancake entirely with so much going on but am getting a

mercial paid for by the American Dairy Council. A bas-

piece of jalapeno in each bite to help keep it balanced

ket of assorted chips, both veggie- and grain-based,

and not too rich. Skeptical of the donut initially, it’s not

seem insufficient to tackle the task ahead of me and

saccharine sweet and mainly serves to sop up whatever

Sam is thoroughly uninterested. I work from the out-

you have left as you’ll want to clean your plate. As a

side in, taking the caramelized edge pieces first to take

testament to the dessert options, Cara’s son ate so much

advantage of my sole ownership of the crescent-shaped

that we’re concerned he might puke.

skillet. Without my performance-enhancing vape pen, I barely take down a third of the plate, making me seri-

The New American After an afternoon of shopping on a stretch the locals call SoCo, I’ll admit we’re going in the South Congress Cafe because I have to use the restroom and every business

ously question what was going on with that manager.

It was still a hell of a send off.

ATX —> DEN

here is very protective of its facilities. Opening the door,

Leaving Austin, I feel like I have a sense of why every-

this is no cafe, but a dimly lit retro-mod dining room that

one is so up in arms over the food scene: between Tex-

reminds me of Portland. I slink over to the curvy bar with

Mex, barbecue, and breakfast tacos the city has a real food

exposed brick and look for something to order to qualify

identity. Coming from a place that celebrates green chili

as a “guest” when queso sets off alarms. The bartender

and not much else, I can’t help but be jealous of the myriad

tells me a story about a former manager who ate an entire

choices they enjoy. Fortunately, everything tastes bet-

order daily and I’m feeling great about my choice.

ter here thanks to my secret ingredient: cannabis.

24 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 25

{highprofile}

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF KEMA OGDEN

by DEBBIE HALL

26 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

FIRST AND FOREMOST Kema Ogden uses her own compass for action.

Kema Ogden encompasses her passion and devo-

amount of capital, as well as luck and persistence. I

tion to health, healing, and wellness with a determined

was advised by people in other states not to pursue

entrepreneurial spirit. A resident of Las Vegas for over

this business.”

35 years, Ogden is making an indelible mark on her

Despite the discouragement of people in an indus-

community. She’s the first minority female to own a

try dominated by men, Ogden didn’t waver in her de-

license in Nevada to operate a cannabis dispensary

termination. She let their doubt fuel her. She admits

and cultivation business. She’s part owner of Top

challenges motivate her to pursue a successful out-

Notch The Health Center, a subsidiary of Neva-

come.

da-based Global Harmony LLC, which she runs with two partners.

“I pushed it into a higher gear, met some industry experts who became my two partners, and we were

Before jumping into the cannabis space, Ogden

granted a provisional license,” she shares. Ogden

spent 11 years in health and wellness. In 2007, she

broke down a big barrier when she became the first

opened LA Boxing, which was rebranded as the UFC

female minority owner of cannabis dispensary and

Gym in 2014. “I was always active in sports and want-

cultivation business in Nevada. “Yes, it was a very

ed to promote that healthy lifestyle,” she says.

challenging process. No one in the industry looks like

During that period, she watched as several of her

me, and most are very wealthy.”

family members developed severe health issues, in-

She is especially proud of the quality of products

cluding cancer. “I was seeing the pain they were expe-

and services her Top Notch dispensary provides pa-

riencing, seeing my husband’s severe pain,” she says.

tients. Along with the high-quality variety of lab-test-

“That was when I started to research holistic, alterna-

ed medicine—including rare strains with hard-to-find

tive medicines. I started to educate myself on the

cannabinoid makeups—Top Notch is set up to help

components of cannabis. When I realized how power-

people obtain medical marijuana cards. The medi-

ful cannabis could be in helping with medical issues,

cal-only dispensary offers a wide range of elevating

my thinking evolved to: how can I become a part of this

products, with a menu that features everything from

movement and bring this to the community?”

edibles and topicals to concentrates, cartridges, and

But the leap from researching cannabis to becoming

pre-roll cones.

a license owner was a complicated road for Ogden. “At

While her dispensary is strictly medical, she’s full

the beginning, it seemed almost impossible,” she

spectrum. A pioneering advocate for adult-use canna-

shares. “Along with the process, it takes an enormous

bis, she recently joined the board of directors of Docsensimag.com APR I L 2018 27

tors for Cannabis Regulation. DFCR is the first and only

Racial bias is at the very root of the War on Drugs

nonprofit national physicians organization dedicated

that’s been waging for decades. An ACLU report found

to the legalization, taxation, and effective regulation of

that between 2001 and 2010, a black person was 3.73

adult-use cannabis. While the majority of members

times more likely to be arrested for marijuana posses-

are physicians—one of whom is a former US Surgeon

sion than a white person, despite similar usage rates.

As more states legalize or decriminalize cannabis in

WHEN I REALIZED HOW

POWERFUL CANNABIS COULD BE

IN HELPING WITH

MEDICAL ISSUES,

MY THINKING EVOLVED TO, HOW CAN I BECOME

A PART OF THIS

MOVEMENT

AND BRING THIS TO THE

COMMUNITY.

some capacity, the total number of arrests has dropped significantly—but not equally. In Colorado, the marijuana arrest rate reduced by 51 percent for white people but only by 25 percent for African Americans.

Now that Nevada has legalized adult use, Ogden hopes to address social injustice issues. She wants to help more African Americans succeed in the industry.

Outside of the industry, she is no less passionate about helping others. The altruistic entrepreneur is the

On April 22, the Ogden Family Foundation fourth annual Celebrity Bowl takes place at Red Rock VIP Bowling Suites inside of the Red Rock Hotel & Casino. The star-studded event benefits the Ogden Family Foundation and Community Outreach Medical Center.

galization rather than just medical initiatives. Ogden is

April 22 // 12 p.m.–4 p.m.

11011 West Charleston Blvd.

now a part of the eight-member board of the Wash-

FB.COM/OGDENCELEBRITYBOWL

General—DFCR’s activities focus primarily on full le-

ington, DC-based advocacy group and will serve on the development committee.

“Just as public support for cannabis legalization has been growing for the past 40 years, physicians are now increasingly willing to voice their pro-legalization views,” says Dr. David Nathan, founder and board president of DFCR. “DFCR is committed to rebuilding communities most affected by the senseless war on marijuana. Kema will play a leading role in that effort,” Ogden adds, “This is extremely important for those in the industry to get behind an organization such as this one because they strive for accuracy and evidence-based strategies. They advocate for regulation reform, decriminalization, and social justice issues, which is very important to me. As an African American woman in the industry, I am very passionate about these issues and want to have a voice in this industry.”

28 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

Kema Ogden (left) and Jonathan Ogden (right) celebrate with one of the participants in a previous Celebrity Bowl.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF KEMA OGDEN

NOW THAT

ADULT-USE AND MEDICAL

CANNABIS IS LEGAL, SHE

WANTS TO ADDRESS

SOCIAL INJUSTICE

ISSUES AND HELP MORE

AFRICAN-AMERICANS

SUCCEED IN THE INDUSTRY.

executive director of the Community Outreach Medical

on the body, mind, and spirit. That ultimately led to a

Center, a nonprofit community clinic that provides

partnership with the Community Outreach Center and

medical and behavior services for low-income and at-

the creation of an integrated health program. The

risk residents of Southern Nevada.

foundation puts its ethos into action throughout the

She’s also the president of the nonprofit Ogden Foundation, which she cofounded in 2008 with her

year, adopting families and helping with various needs—and not just during the holidays.

husband Jonathan. Yes, that Jonathan Ogden, the NFL

A graduate of Chaparral High School, Ogden showed

Hall of Famer who played offensive tackle for the Bal-

erly interest in business pursuits. She was managing a

timore Ravens. The couple was introduced by a mutu-

restaurant by the time she was 18. She was working in

al friend and dated for awhile before they got married

marketing while she got her business degree from

in 2004. Today, they are parents of two children, a

UNLV. She then worked in the hospitality industry until

13-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter, both very

she opened her fitness business.

active in the foundation and other community efforts.

Now that she’s in the cannabis space, her husband

The Ogden Foundation is dedicated to helping un-

is as supportive as ever but make no mistake: she

derserved members of the southern Nevada commu-

made it here on her own accord.

nity through a variety of programs and services that do

“I hope to be very involved for many years to come

more than just meet basic needs. They enhance lives

as an active leader in inspiring Nevada individuals to

with programs such as F.I.T. For A Fighting Chance,

pursue both healthy bodies and strong minds,” she

which teaches the importance of exercise. Ogden is a

says. “I believe people should support organizations

big proponent of a full-circle approach to health and

that are making a difference and giving a voice to the

wellness, and the foundation places equal emphasis

many who need to be heard.” sensimag.com APR I L 2018 29

MUSIC & MARIJUANA The Muse: From REEFER MAN to METHOD MAN

#thenewnormal

by LELAND RUCKER

Where there's MUSIC, there's often CANNABIS. GANJA AND SONG SEEM TO CROSS ALL BORDERS. TODAY MORE THAN EVER. THE OCTOGENARIAN COUNTRY ICON WILLIE NELSON (“ROLL ME UP AND SMOKE ME WHEN I DIE”) IS PEDDLING HIS BRANDED WILLIE’S RESERVE STRAINS JUST AS HE DOES HIS ALBUMS. YOU CAN PICK UP A COUPLE GRAMS OF KHALIFA KUSH TO ENJOY ALONGSIDE THE LATEST WIZ KHALIFA RECORD, AND SNOOP DOGG AND THE CHILDREN OF BOB MARLEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN BRANDS. EVEN COUNTRY SUPERSTAR TOBY KEITH, THE BIG DOG DADDY HIMS E L F , L A S T F A L L R E L E A S E D “ W A C K Y T O B A C C Y ,” A N O T - S O - S U B T L E W E E D E N D O R S E M E N T .

30 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

It’s really no secret. Musicians love marijuana. Always have. I have spoken with many of them about it over the years. Some love to perform while under the influence, others only for composing, and many like to do both. As guitarist and oud master Neil Haverstick, who uses it for creativity, puts it: “I surprise myself. And that is the key word: surprise. I am often able to create new shapes, patterns, something that did not previously exist. And I assure you that, for many artists, that's the greatest moment of all—the moment of discovery.”

Or as Louis Armstrong, and we’ll get back to him in a bit, told his biographer, “We always looked at pot as a sort of medicine, a cheap drunk and with much better thoughts than one that’s full of liquor.”

Not surprisingly, it’s not only musicians. Many people who listen to music like it even better after a little ele-

REGGAE {&}CANNABIS FOR MOST LISTENERS, REGGAE AND CANNABIS ARE A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN. Even more than jazz or rock or hip-hop, reggae music has always been associated with marijuana, mostly because of its association with Rastafari, a loosely defined religion and social movement developed in Jamaica in the 1930s that celebrates a god named Jah who lives inside humans. Many Rastas believe that Haile Selassie, the Ethiopian emperor from 1930-1974, was the reincarnation of God on earth.

More importantly in this context, Rastas consider cannabis as a sacrament. Its most famous musical disciple was Bob Marley, an ardent Rasta who became an international musical star and celebrity, who talked openly about his marijuana use and was often pictured with a large spliff between his fingers.

Americans caught onto the music in the 1970s, and there were plenty of ready/steady musicians on the island to accommodate the growing taste for the music. Reggae today is considered world music and still almost perfect for enjoying with cannabis. —LR

vation. And if you don’t, you know somebody who does.

Keith’s “Wacky Tobaccy” represents perhaps the

Besotho people who settled there:

complete mainstreamization of marijuana songs,

We smoke it and it reminds us of different things.

and the most recent example of how music about

We remember the miracles of the world.

cannabis has always reflected the culture in which

We remember those far and near.

it is created. Here’s a guy who’s as all-American as

We remember.

they come, who’s known for his patriotic songs, and on the video for “Wacky,” Keith and his boys are grin-

The Jazz Age: Vipers and Reefer Men

nin’ and tokin’ on the tour bus just like Snoop or Dr.

Perhaps the first popular song to be upfront

Dre or Uncle Willie Nelson (who appears in the video)

about cannabis in the United States was “Have You

might.

Ever Met That Funny Reefer Man?” The tune, a.k.a.

You can bake it in some brownies, smoke it through a bong Roll up a great big fat one like ol’ Cheech and Chong

“The Reefer Man,” ostensibly about a guy, obviously stoned, who “trades dimes for nickels and calls watermelon pickles,” was performed by Cab Calloway in

Burn it through a hole in a can of Budweiser

the 1933 film International House and is still popular.

If you can't take the heat, son, vaporizer

Likewise, jazz violinist Stuff Smith, playing off the

Before Recording: The Smoking of Dagga It hasn’t always been out in the open like that. Before sound could be recorded, there are, of course, no

Harlem term for a pot user, had a regional hit with his “You’se a Viper,” in 1936, and it became perhaps the best-known cannabis song after pianist Fats Waller became the first of many to record it in 1943.

concrete examples of pot songs. But to imagine that

What we know of the connection of jazz and can-

marijuana was first used by musicians after they

nabis in that period comes at least in part from the

started recording in the last 100 years sounds pretty

autobiography of Milton “Mezz” Mezzrow, a white

unrealistic, right?

clarinetist better known for his pot dealing during

We know there was music for the Parisian elite

the 1930s than for his own musical prowess. Mez-

that included Charles Baudelaire and Alexandre Du-

zrow was an odd fellow who considered himself a

mas, who came to Club des Hashischins for séances

black man, even getting himself placed in the black

and hashish experiments. Cannabis historian Chris

prison ward after being arrested in 1937. But his writ-

Bennett has found written records of dervish sects

ing about how cannabis was intertwined with jazz

and African tribes with music dedicated to hashish.

reached far beyond his own generation.

A 1913 report, “The smoking of dagga (Indian hemp)

Mezzrow’s book included passages like this one,

among the native races of South Africa and the resul-

recounting a dancing woman at a party: “The rhythm

tant evils,” included a cannabis smoking song of the

really had this queen; her eyes almost jumped out of sensimag.com APR I L 2018 31

their sockets and the cords in her neck stood out stiff and hard like ropes.”

Lyrics like “The Reefer Man” and comments like that also drew the attention of Harry Anslinger, who, upon being appointed director of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in 1930, began waging a campaign of arrests and disinformation against cannabis that lasted several decades. By all accounts a nasty piece of work, Anslinger peddled the cockamamie story that jazz musicians on marijuana were creating extra beats in the music that were making listeners, like the Mezzrow woman depicted above, go crazy. As silly as this seems today, Anslinger was able to use it to harass black musicians, especially those who flouted him.

Then there was Louie Armstrong, who began using it in the 1920s and whose affinity for the plant became legendary. Though busted a couple of times, he somehow escaped Anslinger’s wrath—I even found a clip of him joking about getting high while a contestant on the 1960s TV quiz show What’s My Line.

“One reason why we appreciated pot, as y’all calls it now, the warmth it always brought forth from the other person—especially the ones that lit up a good stick of that ‘shuzzit’ or gage,” Armstrong once said. Anyone who has shared a joint at a concert with the stranger next to you surely can appreciate exactly what Armstrong was talking about.

But relatively speaking, during World War II and beyond there were few references to cannabis in popular song. General public acceptance for cannabis was at a low. But jazz culture, and Mezzrow’s book, caught the attention of others, like influential poet Allen Ginsberg, writer Jack Kerouac, and others of the socalled Beat Generation, who picked up on his language and style, which they found wasn’t that different from their fledging, marijuana-influenced writings.

The 1960s and Beyond: Everybody Must Get Stoned Perhaps the most important beneficiary of the Beats was Robert Zimmerman, who changed his name to Bob Dylan after moving to New York in 1961 and became close friends with Allen Ginsberg soon afterwards. (That’s Ginsberg hanging in the alleyway behind Dylan in his iconic video for “Subterranean Homesick Blues.”) One early song, “Mr. Tambourine Man,” seemed to many listeners to be about someone under the influence (“Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin’ ship/My senses have been stripped, my hands can’t feel to grip/My toes too numb to step”), especially after it became a massive hit for the Byrds in the summer of 1965.

Less than a year later, his own single, “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35,” with its leering, wheezing horn chorus screaming “everybody must get stoned,” reached No. 2 on the US charts, which, not surprisingly, most listeners took as an appeal to indulge. Interestingly enough, neither song mentions cannabis, but both were immediately and have been forever associated with it.

The floodgates opened, and as the youth counterculture embraced rock and roll as its music of choice, those musicians began writing and recording songs about cannabis. For anyone growing up then, there seemed to be a tune for every situation. Anyone growing up back then knew exactly what Commander Cody was talking about when he sang about being down to “Seeds and Stems Again,” or what an “Illegal Smile,” as described by folkie John Prine, looked like in the mirror. High-end strains like Panama Red and Acapulco Gold were celebrated in song, and titles like “Don’t Bogart That Joint” became buzzwords.

Country star Merle Haggard even penned a reaction to the hippies’ cultural dominance, and “Okie From Muskogee” (“a place where even squares can have a ball”) became a monster hit in 1969. Most listeners never realized that the song’s point of view was written tongue-in-cheek by Haggard, a user himself, who in 32 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

2015 wrote and sang, with Willie Nelson, “It’s All Going to Pot.”

{high-minded}MEDLEYS JAZZ //Compiled by LELAND RUCKER 1 “Have You Ever Seen the Funny Reefer Man,” Cab Calloway and his Orchestra 2 “You’se a Viper,” Fats Waller 3 “When I Get Low I Get High,” Chick Webb & His Orchestra 4 “Here Comes The Man with the Jive,” Stuff Smith & his Onyx Club Boys 5 “Wacky Dust,” Ella Fitzgerald & the Chick Webb Orchestra REGGAE

Compiled by JOHN LJFRESH GRAY 1. “Easy Skanking,” Bob Marley 2. “Smoke Two Joints,” Sublime 3. “Come Around,” Collie Buddz 4. “Police in Helicopter,” John Holt 5. “Unda Mi Sensi,” Barrington Levy

HIP-HOP

Compiled by JOHN LJFRESH GRAY 1. “I Got 5 On It,” Luniz 2. “The Weed Song,” Bone Thugs ‘N’ Harmony 3. “The Recipe,” Kendrick Lamar 4. “Mary Jane,” Rick James 5. “Blueberry Yum Yum,” Ludacris

ROCK AND ROLL //Compiled by LELAND RUCKER 1 “Planet of Weed,” Fountains of Wayne 2 “One Toke Over the Line,” Brewer & Shipley 3 “Seeds and Stems (Again),” Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen 4 “Illegal Smile,” John Prine 5 “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35,” Bob Dylan Nelson is his own story, and except for perhaps Bob Marley, the most iconic marijuana character of all time. He worked the outside fringes of the country music industry for a couple of decades, living off a couple of standards he wrote while his career went nowhere, before finally chucking Nashville for Austin, where he hooked up with a nascent batch of other similarly minded, former Nashville has-beens and wanna-bes like Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson who became known as leaders of the Outlaw movement.

Today, at 84, Nelson is arguably the best-known musician espousing the new normal, a common-sense voice for cannabis, seniors, and sensible drug laws. As he puts it, marijuana won’t kill you “unless you let a bale of it fall on you.”

Hip-Hop: Snoop, Wiz and Cypress Hill With the ascendance of hip-hop as the dominant music form in the US, marijuana made the complete transition to the mainstream. Before hip-hop, there was generally always the wink and the clever turn of phrase to alert those in the know to what was going on.

That went totally out the door with hip-hop. Using the relatively new medium of video—which debuted on MTV in 1981—hip-hop musicians ran with it. Everybody was hitting the blunts and the bongs and celebrating the wicked weed in song and rhyme, all in front of the camera. Rappers and reefer became synonymous.

Wiz Khalifa, Snoop Dogg, Method Man and bands like Cypress Hill built their songs, recordings and live shows around cannabis use. That hasn’t stopped, and today rappers who deny cannabis use are in the minority. The smell of cannabis can be detected at nearly every live music event—trance and EDM to country—especially in states where cannabis is legal. “Wacky Tobaccy” rules. The reefer man has become the method man. Cannabis and music have finally come full circle, and perhaps we have reached a time when they are just indicative of #thenewnormal.

“It has a lot to do with calming the nerves,” good old Louie Armstrong once said, “which makes the creative juices flow a little easier.” Snoop Dogg adds, “It makes me feel the way I need to feel.” May it ever be so.

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 33

34 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

iconogr a phy OF THE FAN LEAF: FAN

Leaf?

NOT A

OF THE

by ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

The pointy cannabis leaf, ONCE A BADGE OF THE COUNTERCULTURE, MAY BE IN DANGER OF BECOMING AN OVERUSED MARKETING TOOL AND CRINGE-WORTHY CLICHÉ IN LEGAL STATES—BUT IT’S OUR ICON, AND WE’RE STUCK WITH IT. LET’S LEAD WITH TASTE AND RESPECT.

I own two pieces of clothing with cannabis leaves

When I visit my family and friends in the conserva-

on them: warm, fuzzy socks that were a gift from a

tive Midwestern state where I grew up, I leave those

dear friend and a three-year-old Women Grow t-shirt,

items at home. I’m a sissy rebel—or maybe no rebel at

vintage in this young industry and soft from many

all—because I wear them only in legal states, where

washings. I love wearing both in Colorado and Califor-

cannabis leaves are a networking tool, not a counter-

nia, where they spark good conversation.

cultural icon. They’re so ubiquitous in Colorado and sensimag.com APR I L 2018 35

California these days, in fact, that I might not wear my

Jacquie Aiche Sweet Leaf jewelry and clutches featur-

socks and shirt to industry events because I’m slightly

ing that leaf.

embarrassed about what a cliché that pointy leaf has become.

But let’s face it: Mara and Margot weren’t breaking new ground. They’re all following Gram Parson, who

If you’ve been in the cannabis industry for a minute

had suits with cannabis leaves embroidered on them

or two, you can’t help but catch the yawn. It’s been

made for him and his Flying Burritos Brothers band-

three years since Mara Hoffman dressed her New

mates to wear on the cover of their first album in 1968.

York Fashion Week models in dresses and pants wo-

The mainstream fashion world may still get a little

ven with green cannabis leaves and two years since

titillated by the leaf’s countercultural edge—*so* Che

Alexander Wang worked them into a black leather

Guevara—but in the cannabis industry, we’ve all seen

skirt that Margot Robbie wore on Saturday Night Live.

that guy wearing a suit plastered with leaves at a few

We’ve all gotten used to seeing celebrities flash their

too many events. (Just because you can doesn’t mean

RESPECT: eat your leaves Fan leaves, still considered a waste product by industrial and home growers because they deliver very minimal THC, are coming into their own as a nutritional and medicinal powerhouse, largely thanks to the work of Dr. William Courtney. The physician credits cannabis leaf juice with putting his domestic partner into remission from lupus, interstitial cystitis, and rheumatoid arthritis. As food and medicine, the non-psychoactive leaves are finally getting the respect they deserve.

If you don’t or can’t grow your own cannabis, fresh fan leaves can be a hard-to-come-by delicacy. Here’s to seeing that change.

If you do grow your own, stop composting fan leaves when you remove them. Wash them in water and vinegar, then blend them into juices and smoothies, toss them into salads, sprinkle them into soups and over fish, and add them to pesto and tabbouleh. They add an earthy, slightly bitter taste and deliver vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

you should.) We’re classing up this industry, and as a friend recently pointed out, you don’t see people walking around wine festivals wearing leggings covered in grapes or earrings shaped like grapevines.

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. Because in the end, though there are more subtle ways of letting the world know we’re pro-cannabis—jewelry shaped like THC and CBD molecules make great gifts for friends in the Midwest— nothing says “I love weed” like the leaf.

It’s our icon, and we’re stuck with it. Let’s try to be tasteful.

Enemies of Society, Waiting for Our Emoji The cannabis leaf has history. The oldest depiction found so far dates to the Neolithic era (10,000–5,000 BC) and was 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— though it wasn’t nearly as ubiquitous as it is on cannabis products today. It went underground with the advent of prohibition in 1937, largely forgotten until it re-emerged, along with tie-dye and peace signs, in the 1960s.

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

36 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 37

general pattern of rebellion against society’s values.”

with animals (54.6 percent) and basketball teams with

The very fact that marijuana was illegal, according to

basketballs (52.6 percent) scored higher—and it’s not

a 1967 Life magazine article, was part of its appeal for

just about pictures. Think about how many cannabis

PEACE OUT

A HANDFUL OF YEARS BEFORE THE CANNABIS LEAF EMERGED AND BECAME FOREVER INTERTWINED WITH IT AS SYMBOLS OF REBELLIOUS TIMES, THE PEACE SIGN WAS INVENTED AS A BADGE FOR THE CAMPAIGN FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT. THE COLD WAR WAS ESCALATING WHEN BRITISH DESIGNER GERALD HORTON CREATED THE PEACE SYMBOL FOR A 1958 ANTI-NUCLEAR MARCH IN LONDON. HE BASED THE DESIGN ON HIS OWN PERSONAL DESPAIR, REPRESENTING AN INDIVIDUAL WITH HANDS STRETCHED DOWNWARD AND OUTWARD LIKE SPANISH PAINTER FRANCISCO GOYA’S DEPICTION OF TERRIFIED PEASANTS BEFORE THE FIRING SQUAD DURING THE SPANISH RESISTANCE TO NAPOLEON’S ARMIES IN 1808.

HORTON’S ORIGINAL DESIGN LOOKED MORE LIKE A PERSON, WITH THE LINES WIDENING TO MEET THE CIRCLE WHERE FEET, HANDS AND A HEAD WOULD BE, BUT THE LINES WERE STRAIGHTENED AND SLIMMED DOWN IN THE 1960S UNTIL HIS DESIGN BECAME THE BOLD, UNIVERSALLY RECOGNIZED ICON WE KNOW AND LOVE TODAY.

companies you know with the word “leaf” in the name.

the empty, materialistic striving of their parents, they

We could talk all day about the irony of baby boom-

turn the whole pot scene into a protest tool which they

ers exploiting the freedom leaf to make money as part

use to mock a middle-class culture they disdain,” the

of the very middle-class culture they once disdained—

article stated.

but let’s save that for a sesh.

We all know what happened next. Hippies became

The fan leaf is our icon, and

yuppies, Nancy Reagan told us to “just say no,” and can-

we’re stuck with it. Let’s try to

nabis leaves disappeared even from rolling paper la-

be respectful of its defiance.

bels and dorm room posters as the plant was forced

Those of us who get to experi-

deep underground. When Adidas attempted to unearth

ence the normalization of a

it by replacing its corporate logo with a cannabis leaf

symbol that once sparked con-

to market hemp sports shoes in 1998, US drug czar Lee

flict and controversy need to

P. Brown slammed the company for attempting to “cap-

keep working toward universal

italize on the drug culture” and implying that drugs are

acceptance, even as we fold it

associated with the “magic” of sporting achievement.

into our marketing materials.

Prohibition is ending. Despite Attorney General Jeff Sessions, attitudes are changing, and the leaf has nev-

We’ve come far, but we’re not there yet.

er been more popular. In 2016, a survey found that 44

We will have arrived when

percent of logos registered as trademarks for canna-

our phones come equipped

bis businesses included leaves—only veterinarians

with cannabis leaf emojis.

38 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook author Robyn Griggs Lawrence recently launched a company, Cannabis Kitchen Events, that includes a tiny turquoise cannabis leaf in the logo.

PHOTOGRAPHS © POVY KENDAL ATCHISON

young people. “Seeing themselves in rebellion against

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 39

high

L A HOLIDAY

by DEBBIE HALL and KEIKO BEATIE

420 CELEBRATIONS IN

VEGAS

Not just a STONER’S HEYDAY, April 20— a.k.a. 4/20—has evolved beyond a day of protest into a day to CELEBRATE.

40 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

WHAT BEGAN WITH

a nerdy group of San Rafael teenagers

C A L L I N G T H E M S E L V E S T H E W A L D O S M E E T I N G T O S E A R C H F O R A L O S T P O T G A R D E N A FT E R S C H O O L B A C K I N 1971 H A S S I N C E E V O L V E D I N T O A W O R L D W I D E C U L T U R A L P H E N O M E N O N . T O D A Y , T H E N U M B E R 420 H A S B E C O M E S Y N O N Y M O U S W I T H C A N N A B I S , M A K I N G 4 :2 0 T H E P R E F E R R E D T I M E O F D A Y T O T O K E U P A N D A P R I L 20 ( 4/20 ) T H E O F F I C I A L D A Y OF EDUCATION AND CELEBRATION FOR CANNABIS LOVERS EVERYWHERE.

As the legalization of both medical and recreation-

performances, which wrap at 11 p.m.

al cannabis has continued to expand, so too have the

Tickets start at $42 for general admission lawn

4/20 celebrations. The secret seshes of the past have

seats, or you can opt for the $65 VIP option. If you’re

fast been replaced by huge, sophisticated, and legal-

feeling flush, go full high roller with the $125 VIP Ele-

ly permitted events filled with music, food, seminars,

vated Experience. It comes with 2 VIP reserved seats,

and, of course, designated smoking areas. While each

a reserved table on the second level of the Vendor

of these gatherings is different, there’s one aspect

Pavilion overlooking the concert, and a VIP meet and

they all share: a countdown to that magical moment

greet with the artists. If you want to make a whole

at precisely 4:20 p.m. when the cheers of revelers and

night of it, a block of rooms has been reserved and

billowy clouds of smoke fill the air.

are available for reduced rates at the Stratosphere

While Las Vegas loves a good party, in the new

Casino, Hotel & Tower. Check the festival website for

arena of legalized cannabis, the high holiday is be-

full details.

ing celebrated by one prominent gathering and one

When: April 20 // Tickets: $42–$125

bowling party. But like dayclubs, there sure to be

Where: Desert Pines Golf Club

more on the way. It’s a good bet that more elevated

HIGHINTHESKYEXPOANDFESTIVAL.COM

celebrations will soon spring up in Southern Nevada.

In 2018, pick a party (some involving a little travel),

420 Strikeout

and join in the revelry. Regardless of where you de-

The Big Lebongski Bowling Tournament series

cide to spend your April 20 this year, we wish you a

will strike for HeroGrown Foundation in a charitable

safe and stony good time.

split. For every strike recorded, Supreme Organics,

High In The Sky Expo & Festival This one-day event invites you to “elevate your life

cultivator and manufacturer of cannabis edibles, will make a $4.20 donation to the organization.

Put on those cool bowling shirts on for The Big

experience.” It’s bringing together music and festival

Lebongski “Let ‘er Rip” Lebowski Challenge at 4:20

lovers for a high-minded celebration for adults only.

p.m. For single bowlers, join a mish-mash team of

There won’t be cannabis offered or sold at the festi-

six like-minded 420 bowlers. For a single entry fee

val, but there will be plenty of lush green all around— seven acres of lush green, in fact. Held at the Desert Pines Golf Club on Bonanza Road, the festival offers pretty mind-blowing views of downtown and the Las Vegas Strip, which makes for some great eye candy should you zone out at any point during the day and find yourself staring in the distance. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and settle in for an evening of music and laughter. The gates open at 4:20 p.m., and the entertainment kicks off at 5:30 p.m. The lineup features performances by R&B artists Keith Washington and local favorites Al B Sure, plus Lady S., 3081, Fred No, Miles Low, and Mr.Sin Sity. DJ Benzo

SENSINIGHT

—a free event that brings the local cannabis community together—is coming to Las Vegas.

It’s part of the publication’s mission to bring people together, connecting our readers with other like-minded locals as well as the area’s top cannabis companies during an event that’s both educational and a hell of a good time.

Keep an eye on the Sensi Mag Facebook page for details. FB.COM/SENSIMAG

will keep everyone dancing under the stars between sensimag.com APR I L 2018 41

of $70, dress up as any Big Lebowski character and, if you roll a strike, you play for free and $4.20 will be donated in your name.

At 8:40 p.m., The Big Lebongski Bowling Tournament will begin and the good times will continue to roll. The winning tournament team will claim The Little Lebongski bowling trophy plus each team member scores a nifty bowling pin pipe. The victorious bowlers will also be invited to compete in The Big Lebongsk Tournament of Champions held in Burbank, California on April 29.

When: April 20 // Tickets: $70–$420 Where: Santa Fe Bowling Center, 4949 N. Rancho Dr. THEBIGLEBONGSKI.COM

Sell-SMaRT For those who want to educate themselves and learn more about the cannabis industry, April is the perfect month to begin that journey.

Interested in pursuing cannabis retail sales? The ins-and-outs can be daunting but Sell-SMaRT with Maureen McNamara can guide any novice or experienced retailer. Responsibility is key for safe sales.

Potential losses for mistakes (whether innocent or not) include fines, imprisonment, and suspension of licenses, increased insurance costs, or getting shut down. Education decreases those risks and knowledge is power. Who should attend? Those interested in becoming or currently are budtenders, cannabis consultants, owners or managers. This is also recommended for all front line store staff since management is responsible for personnel.

When: April 3 // Tickets: $87 Where: Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Rd. NVDISPENSE.COM

CBD Sales Ready for a change in career? If considering becoming a dispensary agent, then attorney Amanda Conner can help. She will instruct on the basics each dispensary agent must know to be effective and responsible. This includes security protocols, rejecting entry and sales, and regulations (state and federal).

It’s useful info for anyone in the cannabis industry, a complicated field that’s growing...like a weed.

When: April 10 // Tickets: No cost Where: Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Rd. NVDISPENSE.COM

42 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

CELEBRATE OUTSIDE NEVADA 3RD ANNUAL NATIONAL CANNABIS FESTIVAL

Where: RFK Stadium // Washington D.C. When: Saturday, April 21, 12 p.m.

What: A celebration of cannabis in our country’s capital featuring an exhibitor fair, education and wellness pavilions, a munchie zone, and a live music lineup headlined by herban hip-hop icons Cypress Hill.

Tickets: $35 (21+ only) NATIONALCANNABISFESTIVAL.COM

COLORADO CANNABIS WEEK

Where: Denver & Colorado Springs, Colorado When: April 18–22 What: Colorado hosts a number of events for 4/20 week.

In Denver, there’s the annual 420 rally in Civic Center Park, some cannabis bus tours, infused dinner parties and art classes. And down in Colorado Springs, the Colorado 420 Fest at the Speak Easy Cannabis Event Center will also offer the kind of vendors, music, food, and smoking you’ve come to expect from a 420 event.

COLODAROCANNABISTOURS.COM/COLORADO-CANNABISWEEK-420 // COLORADO420FEST.COM

BAKED ON THE BEACH

Where: Coral Cove Cannabis Health & Wellness Resort // Little Bay, Jamaica When: April 19–23 What: This ultimate weekend of relaxation and intoxication at a secluded, all-inclusive resort features infused dinners, an on-site ganja greenhouse, chalice ceremony, live reggae, tie-dying, snorkeling, yoga, airport shuttle, and much more. Presented by Higher Way Travel.

Tickets: Single occupancy, $1600; Double occupancy, $2500 HIGHERWAYTRAVEL.COM/BAKEDONTHEBEACH

CANNACIENCIA

Where: Hotel Estelar la Fontana // Bogota, Colombia When: April 20-21 What: A two-day cannabis symposium that brings together world-renowned scientists, academics, doctors, industry leaders, policymakers, and entrepreneurs to discuss the latest advancements in the field of medicinal marijuana.

Tickets: One day, $10–$60; Two day, $100–$130 CANNACIENCIA.COM

THE TORONTO 420

Where: Nathan Phillips Square // Toronto, Canada When: Friday, April 20 What: Toronto’s largest outdoor 420 celebration consisting of vendors, food trucks, music and a long list of speakers. Sponsored by Weeedmaps and Crop King Seeds.

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 43

44 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 45

{soLV }

by DEBBIE HALL

TOM DONOGHUE PHOTOGRAPHY

Mannekin Pis:

MAKIN’ A

SPLA SH Las Vegas lives up to its moniker, Sin City, with the hundred-year residency of the totally nude statue Manneken Pis. A large-scale bronze replica of the 17th-century statue in Brussels, Belgium, Manneken Pis is located on the corner of Carson Avenue and 3rd Street in front of the D Las Vegas.

Dutch for “Little Man Pee,” Manneken Pis depicts a young boy cheerfully relieving himself into a fountain’s basin. Manneken Pis demonstrates a rebellious spirit while embracing hard work and fun with a loving, affable, and slightly irreverent attitude. The statue is on display 24 hours a day.

Owners of the D Las Vegas, Derek and Greg Stevens, are of Belgian descent and visited the statue in Brussels often. A lifelong fan of the work of art, Derek wanted to incorporate Manneken Pis into his space to represent the fun of the city.

Manneken Pis has played an important role in the history of Belgium as part of a central water source. Created by Hiëroynmus Duquesnoy the Elder and put on display in 1619, Manneken Pis was a survivor of the bombardment of Brussels in 1695.

Weighing in at 500 pounds, the Downtown Vegas version has been embraced by tourists and locals who are drawn by his international appeal and mischievous ways.

46 Las Vegas A P R I L 2018

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