Sensi Magazine California - Spring 2022 by Sensi Magazine

CALIFORNIA SPRING 2022

SMOKIN’

TUNES

Drop into our 4/20 playlist

MEET THE

GANJIERS

The certified masters of weed

KISSED BY A FLOWER California pioneer Flowerkist made CBD an essential ingredient in high-end skincare

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BLISS BOMBS BATH FIZZES* Bliss Bombs Bath Fizzes soothe away aches and pain, and a stressful day. Over 30mg of THC infused in delightfully fragranced bath bomb make an excellent gift. You deserve the bliss.

PANACEA HEALING SALVE* Panacea Healing Salve is a pleasant smelling potent topical with over 260mg of THC per ounce, a proprietary blend of essential oils, injuries, chronic pain, and deep seated trauma.

ROYAL COMPOUND FULL SPECTRUM CANNABIS OIL Royal Compound Full Spectrum Cannabis Oil syringes, a more pure form of Rick Simpson Oil. The oil container is a graduated syringe for oral use only, as an alternative treatment option to help severe illness like many kinds of cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy, as well as a preventative and immune booster said to prevent viral infection such as COVID-19.

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CALIFORNIA SENSI MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

sensimediagroup @sensimagazine @sensimag

FEATURES

The Deal with Barry Clark

The Flowerkist co-founder shares what it takes to launch a business in the booming CBD skincare market.

Finders, Retreaters

This Sonoma County artist offers up her land for private residencies—if you can find her.

PHOTO BY MEPHISTOPUCK VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

DEPARTMENTS

11 EDITOR’S NOTE 18 THE LIFE Contributing to your health and happiness 12 THE BUZZ HIGHER SENSES Ganjiers News, tips, and tidbits to keep you in the loop WEED WEEKENDS Book now and light out to this NoCal cannabis hotel. HEMP HEALING Ease those sore muscles. OCEAN WAVE This brand combines cannabis and seaweed. GREEN TOURS Explore the Emerald Triangle on these weed excursions. WE(ED) DELIVER CBD subscriptions sent straight to your door. GREEN THUMB Grow cannabis in your garden this spring. ORDERED HERB The feng shui of marijuana

are coming soon to top-tier dispensaries near you. LIVE FROM LA! The Green Street Festival promises a weekend of food, music, and awardwinning cannabis.

48 THE SCENE Hot happenings and hip hangouts around town THE 4/20 PLAYLIST Tune in. Turn it up. Drop into our selection that celebrates the herb.

ON THE COVER

When Flowerkist put CBD in high-end skin care products it subverted the cannabis paradigm. See page 30. PHOTO BY ZOLOTAREVA ELINA VIA ADOBE STOCK

50 THE END Dispensaries step up to support Ukraine.

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Who's Jane? The Queen of Green.

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As always, 20% OFF entire purchase for first time guests! 2074 Armory Drive Santa Rosa, CA 95401 JANEdispensary.com | @janedispensarycalifornia

EXECUTIVE

MEDIA SALES

Ron Kolb Founder ron@sensimag.com Stephanie Graziano CEO stephanie.graziano@sensimag.com

CALIFORNIA Nancy Birnbaum Media Sales Exec. Omowunmi Lykins Media Sales Exec.

ADVERTISING

Toni Tardif National Sales Director Jade Kolb Director Sales Operations and Global Recruiting PUBLISHING

COLORADO Nancy Seidel Media Sales Executive Amy Sharp Media Sales Executive Tyler Tarr Media Sales Executive FLORIDA Anthony Mckenzie Media Sales Exec. MASSACHUSETTS Jake Boynton Media Sales Exec.

Nancy Reid Market Director, Florida

MICHIGAN Eric Lutey Media Sales Executive Kyle Miller Media Sales Executive Will Oostendorp Media Sales Exec. Leah Stephens Media Sales Exec.

EDITORIAL

OKLAHOMA Diana Ramos Media Sales Executive

Jamie Cooper Market Director, Michigan Richard Guerra Market Director, Massachusetts

Stephanie Wilson Co-Founder + Editor in Chief stephanie.wilson@sensimag.com Doug Schnitzspahn Executive Editor Tracy Ross Managing Editor, Michigan Debbie Hall Managing Editor, Spark Jenny Willden Managing Editor, California Will Brendza Managing Editor, Colorado Radha Marcum Copy Editor Bevin Wallace Copy Editor DESIGN

Jamie Ezra Mark Creative Director jamie@emagency.com Rheya Tanner Art Director Wendy Mak Designer Josh Clark Designer Miguel Martinez Designer PRODUCTION

Neil Willis Production Director Richard Guerra Digital Production

NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD

NCRMA Risk Management ADVISORY BOARD

COLORADO Colorado Cannabis Company THC Coffee Concentrate Supply Co. Recreational Concentrates Higher Grade Boutique Cannabis Lab Society Extraction Expert + Lab Supplies marQaha Sublinguals + Beverages Monte Fiore Farms Recreational Cultivation Source CO Wholesale Consulting Terrapin Care Station Recreational Dispensary Uleva Hemp Products Witlon Inc. Payroll Processing

MICHIGAN Aronoff Law (Craig Aronoff) Licensing Law Firm Cannabis Counsel Cannabis Law Firm Etz Chaim Attestations Grapp Lerash Accounting/CPA Services Great Lakes Natural Remedies Lakeshore: Provisioning Center Kush Design Studio Cannabis Facility Design & Build MRB Solutions Human Resources Northern Specialty Health Upper Peninsula: Provisioning Center Pure West Compassion Club Caregiver Connection & Network Rair Medical Flower Solutions by Dr. Dave West Michigan: Hemp CBD Helping Friendly Hemp Company Hemp Topicals MASSACHUSETTS Corners Packaging Packaging Green Goddess Supply Personal Homegrown Biochamber The Holistic Center Medical Marijuana Evaluations Revolutionary Clinics Medical Dispensary Royal Gold Soil Tess Woods Public Relations Public Relations Vantage Builders Construction CALIFORNIA 365 Recreational Cannabis Dispensary: Recreational, Santa Rosa Red Door Remedies Dispensary: Cloverdale Southern Humboldt Royal Cannabis Company Mixed Light Farming Uleva Hemp Products Vaper Tip Vape Supply & Consulting Witlon Payroll

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Magazine published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC.

Our spring A-list issue

is brimming with faces of

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FAC E B O O K Like Sensi Media Group to infuse your newsfeed with more of our great cannabis lifestyle content.

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

people who are driving the cannabis industry forward. This season, we celebrate them—the innovators, the trailblazers, the humans at the heart of this all. Over the six years Sensi has been exploring and reporting on cannabis (in addition to all its adjacent lifestyle topics), we have collectively widened the scope of how we define, think about, and experience the modern cannabis lifestyle. It has never been more mainstream or had more potential: our culture has started treating the plant, the people who consume it, and the industry it powers with an importance that’s long overdue. Of course, more cannabis news out there means more work for us here at Sensi. We are working overtime on our mission to help you navigate all its highs, lows, and inevitable challenges. We—the collective—didn’t get to collectively experience 4/20/2020 or the monthlong 4/20 that surrounded it, something that we had been looking forward to ever since someone had the high thought that in April 2020, it would be 4/20 all month long. We were hoping to make up for it in April 2021, when Sensi celebrated its fifth anniversary, but alas, the world had different plans for us all. This year, Sensi is turning six and we’re celebrating as if we’re turning four in the middle of a month of 4/20s—and we’re doing it five times. Literally. In Colorado, we’re going back to our roots in the place where we started by celebrating the luminaries at the forefront of the cannabis industry, the pioneers who are pushing the conversation forward. We’re celebrating where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re heading. Sensi Nights are being held coast to coast, California to Massachusetts, Michigan to Florida, and setting up shop in new markets in between. We invite you to take this journey with us through the pages of this magazine and online where you can read every edition of Sensi we’re publishing this spring: Colorado, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Florida, Oklahoma, and Puerto Rico.

We’re celebrating where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re heading.

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

Steph Wilson @stephwilll

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Weed Weekends Canna-curious? Experience it on a Northern California getaway to the reimagined Scotia Lodge. This 100-year-old hotel was transformed by Humboldt Social, the team behind cannabis-friendly businesses Humboldt Bay Social Club and Papa and Barkley Social, into a place where tourists can enjoy the area’s famed marijuana. It’s located by the northern entrance to the Avenue of the Giants and will offer 12

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onsite consumption and delivery of cannabis products through a scannable QR code. Delivery takes less than 30 minutes, and available items include gummies, candies, chocolates, pre-rolled joints, oils, and more. The hotel has 22 rooms, event spaces, and a hip kitchen and bar near the entrance of Avenue of the Giants at Humboldt Redwoods State Park. scotia-lodge.com

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SCOTIA LODGE

A new cannabis hotel opens in the Northern California redwoods.

CONTRIBUTORS

Jenny Willden and Sensi Staff

HAPPY CLAM Something I learned today: the word quim is Old English slang for the female anatomy. It’s also the name of the California-based self-care brand of sexual wellness products “for humans with vaginas and humans without vaginas who love vaginas.” Quim’s mission is to break the taboos associated with sex, cannabis, and vaginal health, and it is doing so with a collection of high-quality, plant-based pleasure oils and serums that meet your intimate needs while fostering proactive self-care rituals that support vaginal health and relaxation. Happy Clam ($48) is an everyday oil designed to “keep your quim happy, healthy, and moisturized.” The official product description suggests you “think of it like eye cream for your vagina.” It’s made with tea tree oil (mother nature’s antiseptic—UTIs be gone!), damiana (natural aphrodisiac that’s been around since the Mayans), and full-spectrum hemp CBD among other plant-based ingredients. Happy customers report an increase in sexual arousal and stamina, more frequent orgasms, and reduced vaginal dryness. The brand suggests you apply after bathing, before bed, after sex, when PMSing or menstrautaing, or “anytime your quim is in need of some tender loving care.” itsquim.com

BY THE NUMBERS

Ranking of 2022 in terms of dryness over past 128 years in California SOURCE: drought.gov

39.6

SEAWEED

An innovative brand with an impressive pedigree blends marine ingredients with cannabis. SeaWeed Naturals, a new company blending the rejuvenating properties of seaweed, kelp, and algae with the healing benefits of cannabis, recently launched in California with a line of topicals and edibles. The unique brand is co-founded by legendary marine adventurer Jacques Cousteau’s grandson Philippe and his wife, Ashlan. SeaWeed Naturals provides premium cannabis products while helping restore global oceans. seaweednaturals.com

MILLION Current population of California, the most populous U.S. state SOURCE: census.gov

5 Hemp Helpers

PERCENT Californian adults who’ve used medical marijuana

SOURCE: 805beachbreaks.com

This therapeutic hemp seed oil whip soothes muscles and naturally addresses pain. Soothe your skin with Beso Wellness’s new functional topical product that is formulated with different constituents of cannabis and natural anti-inflammatory ingredients selected to address pain. This hemp seed oil-activated massage whip is available for $60 and was created by celebrity massage therapist Megan Blackwell, who uses it on her pro athlete clients from the NBA, NFL, and UFC to naturally address pain. This nonpsychoactive product is extracted from the hemp plant and contains no intoxicating marijuana. besowellness.com

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simply helping and friendly!

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THE BUZZ

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

Motoring for Marijuana

These new tour offerings showcase a world-famous cannabis-growing region. Explore Mendocino County’s famed marijuana Emerald Triangle on new cannabis-tour experiences. Two tours from Northern California Cannabis Tours’ Mendocino Experience showcase world-class weed in the largest cannabis-producing region in the United States. Both tours start in Hopland, last for four-plus hours, and include stops at various producers. Another option is hopping in one of Emerald Farm Tours’ Mercedes Sprinter buses for a drive along the Mendocino County Cannabis Trail. It departs Marin County and arrives in the redwoods for weed walks with growers and a box lunch in the forest. mendocinoexperience.com / emeraldfarmtours.com.

SHIP & SAVE

SPRING SCENTS Enjoy cannabis without leaving odor behind with Cannabolish, a plant-based, nontoxic product that absorbs cannabis odors and comes in a spray, candle, or gel. Welcome spring with the new lavender line, which uses a science-based formula to absorb and remove odors. Whether you’re in a hotel room or at home, patented Cannabolish is uniquely effective because it neutralizes cannabis odors completely and works indoors or out. Made in Los Angeles and available online and across the US. cannabolish.com

COURTESY MENDOCINO EXPERIENCE

Get CBD subscriptions delivered right to your door. Fab CBD, a High Tide subsidiary, just launched its Subscribe & Save Discount Club in the U.S. Designed to keep customers supplied and create a steady revenue stream versus one-off orders, the program allows buyers to customize their orders to suit specific needs. Choose from oils, gummies, topicals, pet treats, and superfoods with delivery frequency spanning weeks and months for each product. Discount Club members also receive a 20 percent discount for life on all Fab CBD products. fabcbd.com

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THE BUZZ

THE FENG SHUI OF CANNABIS Interior designer and feng shui master Jami Lin can’t grow hemp plants at her home in Florida. If she could, she would place them in her home’s southeastern and eastern corners, where, according to feng shui’s five elements theory, the wood element resides. Plants are wood elements, so they feel comfortable and thrive there. Lin says you can also place cannabis plants, with intention, in the southeastern or eastern part Follow this simple guide to growing cannabis in of individual rooms. In the bedroom, they would your garden this year. grow opportunities for deepening relationships; in Growing cannabis takes knowledge, time, and attention, but anythe home office, professional and financial opportuone with good intentions can do it, says Susan Sheldon, a landscape architect and master gardener in Amherst, Massachusetts. She had nities; in the zen den/meditation room, subliminal and conscious head spaces. no idea how to grow it when she first got started, but she learned online and now has cannabis sprinkled among the hyssop, borage, basil, chamomile, and mountain mint in her herb garden full of QUICK HIT native pollinators. We asked her to share some tips to help anyone who wants to give it a try themselves. Obey laws. Local regulations vary state by state, county by county, town by town. Make sure your space complies with the rules of the land. Be discreet. Hide cannabis among other plants or structures. It’s still federally illegal and could invite thieves. Plant a diverse ecosystem. If possible, plant cannabis among beneficial companion plants (a quick Google search can point you in the right direction) with good light penetration and air flow. Give plants space. Cannabis plants each need at least 2.5 to 3 square feet. The more space you give the roots, the larger your plant will grow. Feed them. Go online or visit a grow store to find the best nutrients for your plants. Don’t be stingy, but don’t overfeed them either. Water as needed. Let plants dry out between watering, then thoroughly saturate them. If plants are in pots, place the pot in a tub of The inventor of Viagra introduces water and let it drink from the bottom up. If pots are in trays, don’t a cannabis-enhanced sexuallet them sit in water. enhancement serum for women. Practice garden sanitation. Remove diseased plants or plant pieces One of the developers of Viagra co-inventimmediately. Clean pruning shears with rubbing alcohol between snips. ed Vella Women’s Pleasure Serum ($65), Beware of mold. Plants in damp climates are most susceptible, but which uses nanoencapsulated CBD to mold can happen anywhere. Check plants daily if not twice daily. In relax vaginal and clitoral muscle tissue and the late season before harvest, shake off dew and fan the plants. deliver more intense orgasms. Apply 15 Kill powdery mildew. PM Remover, a spray made from potassium minutes before having sex. bicarbonate, lactose, and garlic powder, does the trick. vellabio.com

PHOTOS (FROM TOP) BY AAPSKY VIA ADOBE STOCK; COURTESY VELLA

Inner Growth

CBD for the Big O

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Sommeliers understand the subtle beauty and intricacies of wine. A new program is certifying the cannabis equivalent, ganjiers, and they are coming soon to top-tier dispensaries near you. TEXT STEPHANIE WILSON

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PHOTO BY KARELNOPPE VIA ADOBE STOCK, EDITS BY JOSH CLARK

The Art of the Ganjier

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THE LIFE

If you’re a master of wine, you’re a sommelier. If you’re a master of beer, you’re a cicerone. The credentialed caffeinated masters of coffee are called Q Graders, and Master Tobacconists are to cigars what pommeliers are to cider—taste

authorities, sensory experts, arbiters, and evangelists in their respective fields. They are deemed qualified to distinguish the nuanced qualities of their products by organizations considered to be their industry’s higher authorities.

But what’s the word for a certified master of weed? It’s not “cannabis sommelier,” as many would assume, because by its very definition, a sommelier is someone who is a steward of wine, so a cannabis sommelier would be an expert in the pairing of food and wine. “Ganjier” is the trademarked title that the industry-leading cannabis educators at Green Flower are bestowing upon the professionals who complete its new cannabis sommelier certification program and pass the exams to become Masters of Cannabis Service. The Ganjier program is training students to assess cannabis products and guide consumers through the newly (and still only

somewhat) legal marketplace, which can be more than a little murky for even experienced users. And with more and more Americans joining the ranks of cannabis consumers as legalization spreads across the country, there’s a growing need for experienced guides to help them navigate the offerings on dispensary menus. They come to cannabis for different reasons, with different experience levels, expectations, and goals, but they’re all seeking the same thing: good weed. Certified Guides What that looks like, smells like, tastes like, or makes them feel like, however, is not quite as clear. Not able to see, smell, or touch

PHOTOS COURTESY THE GANJIER PROGRAM

Ganjier Council member, the late Frenchy Cannoli, teaches cannabis history and consumption methods with Ganjier program managing director Derek Gilman.

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PHOTOS COURTESY THE GANJIER PROGRAM

THE LIFE

the products themselves, customers rely on shop employees or budtenders to help guide them to quality products within their budget, but in nearly every instance, the budtenders are not qualified to do so. Instead, they promote products based on THC percentages

with a mentality of “the higher the better.” That disconnect is what led Green Flower to develop its cannabis sommelier program. “We are looking to elevate the service standard in the cannabis industry,” says Derek Gilman, managing director for the Ganjier program. “Cannabis is an

epicurean product, similar to wine or cheese or coffee. And the quality of coffee isn’t dictated by its caffeine content, we don’t judge wine by its alcohol percentage. The desirability of those products is based on their appearance, their aroma, their flavor, and ultimately the experience they deliver.”

Gilman and his colleagues feel that at a retail level, the people on the frontlines guiding all these new cannanbis consumers—the budtenders—are mostly entry-level employees who don’t have the foundational knowledge necessary to accurately and reliably guide consumers in their decisions.

Clockwise from top left: Legendary Ganjier Council member Swami Chaitanya of Swami Select; Judges at the prestigious Emerald Cup cannabis competition used the Ganjier's Systematic Assessment Protocol app to determine the quality of over 250 entries; Ganjier program managing director Derek Gilman holds sun-grown cannabis.

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“Many of the budtenders have experience consuming cannabis,” Gilman says. “They know what they like. But in nearly every instance, they don’t have the education about how cannabis interacts with the body, the science of cannabis, the nature, the individuality of how it affects different people.” Max Simon, Green Flower CEO, agrees. “In cannabis right now, there is no standardized way to provide quality service,” he says. “As a result, you have all these completely untrained people who are essentially making things up. They’re using the wrong terminology; they’re giving completely inaccurate suggestions; they don’t have any good training in terms of how to guide people to the right products; and, Renowned cannabis cultivator Kevin Jodrey instructs on the art of cultivation and how to unravel genetics.

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To gain a Ganjier certification, students must show they have the ability to confidently discern, educate, and articulate the difference between cannabis that’s good enough to smoke and cannabis that’s exquisite enough to celebrate.

many times, they don’t even fundamentally understand what makes for a high quality product in the first place.” Convene the Council To develop this deep and thorough knowledge base, Gilman and his colleagues at Green Flower recruited a council comprising 18 of the cannabis world’s most respected experts, covering every aspect of the plant and the industry. The Ganjier Council includes cultivators, botany experts, geneticists, breeders, advocates, hash masters, legal experts, retailers, and educators. Over the course of two years, the council collaborated to create the Ganjier certification program, which spans 10 online courses and a two-day live training in

Humboldt County, part of which takes place on a craft cannabis farm. The online courses include the history and botany of cannabis, consumption methods, botany and genetics, cultivating techniques, processing methodologies, and successful cannabis sales. But it’s not, to be clear, a masterclass about how to grow weed. “We’re not looking to teach a student how to be a cultivator,” says Gilman. “We don’t teach them nutrient levels to put in at different stages of the plant’s growth life. What we teach them in the cultivation course is every single decision that the cultivator makes that affects the final quality of the cannabis flower, from the genetics they choose to the cultivation methodologies and light sources—artificial

PHOTO COURTESY THE GANJIER PROGRAM

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PHOTO COURTESY THE GANJIER PROGRAM

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light versus sunlight—to the type of medium they grow in.” (In case you’re wondering, Gilman says that “most experts tend to agree that cannabis grown under the full sun has more nuance and character to it than something grown under artificial light.”) A lab test may tell you the cannabinoid content and terpene profile of any given flower or concentrate sample, but it won’t tell you if you want to put it in your pipe and smoke it to achieve your desired results. The program trains students’ senses to cultivate a palate that recognizes the nuances and complexities in flavor and aroma and know how these translate into the desired effects for the consumer. Most consumers can’t palpably and regularly distinguish between one brand’s OG Kush and another’s—not to mention that strain names are a pretty useless metric by which to judge the effects of what’s in a dispensary’s jars—so the Ganjier program doesn’t focus on arbitrary metrics like strain names or whether the cannabis in question is an indica or sativa. Instead, ganjiers are tasked with assessing the quality.

5 RANDOM CANNABIS FACTS

I LEARNED FROM THE GANJIER COUNCIL

I previewed all 10 courses in Ganjier’s online training curriculum taught by the 18 leading cannabis experts on the Ganjier Council and picked up some fun facts. The courses range from “The History of Cannabis & Cannabis Consumption” with the late master hashishin Frenchie Cannoli and “The Art and Science of Cannabis Cultivation” with legendary grower and industry icon Swami Chaitanya to “Accurately Assessing Cannabis Flower and Concentrates” with hash master Nikka T. Here’s what I learned. 1. NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH HASHISH, a cannabis concentrate made using dried cannabis flowers, charas is a type of live resin made by caressing fresh, live cannabis flower between the palms.

2. THE FAN LEAF, ONCE THE ICON OF THE COUNTERCULTURE and now a cannabis marketing staple, is likely a sativa strain, which has longer “blades” or leaflets that are a lighter green in color compared to the short, broad, darkgreen or purple blades on an indica plant. 3. THE BLUE DREAM STRAIN GETS A BAD RAP for being one of those commercial options that you can find everywhere, but it’s actually one of the most unique strains out there that’s commonly available, thanks to its rare pinene-dominant terpene profile that has almost equal parts myrcene. Terpenes are the naturally occurring chemical compounds that give cannabis its aromas and flavors while playing a part in its effects, and pinene is shown to be stimulating or uplifting while myrcene is a known sedative. 4. EVIDENCE INDICATES THE MICROBES IN THE SOIL where a cannabis plant is grown impact the overall terpene quality and diversity in the finished flowers. High-quality craft cannabis is almost always grown in organic living soil. 5. TO CHECK THE QUALITY OF A SOLVENTLESS CONCENTRATE, look at the color. If it’s got any dark brown or green coloration, it’s off. Ideal, typical coloration should be light, buttery, and/or golden.—S.W. Course previews are available for free at ganjier.com.

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P R O M O T I O N A L F E AT U R E DOOBIE NIGHTS

North Bay’s Experiential Dispensary Doobie Nights offers up a retail experience that rivals Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.

wo years ago, a unique cannabis dispensary swung open its doors in Santa Rosa, inviting its neighbors to go on a trip like no other. Part Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, part Van Gogh’s fever dream, and part Grateful Dead show, the sales floor of Doobie Nights (greatest name ever) is one of the most memorable retail experiences ever. Designed by a team of talented individuals, the store draws you in from the moment you step through the front door. It is adorned with sculptural installations infused with state-ofthe-art architecturally mapped LED

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lighting. Carey Thompson and Brian Pinkham (two of the four local friends who founded Doobie Nights), laid the groundwork for the facility before heading to Las Vegas to work on the newly opened Meow Wolf in Sin City. Your eyes are immediately drawn to a massive, pulsing and shifting wall that dominates the entry area and is built around the Portal of Wonder that leads back to the main sales floor. It’s hard to decide where to head upon entering the expansive retail section. Three large walls employ groundbreaking lighting systems, continually shifting and swaying between intricate designs and evolving artistic patterns.

At the same time, perfectly synced music pulsates from speakers. All of that hits you before you can look over the expansive selection of products—one of the largest in California. Due to its proximity to the nearby Emerald Triangle, a dizzying array of local flower, edibles, concentrates, pre-rolls, tinctures, and topicals are displayed from the region. Those items are surrounded by excellent cannabis products from Northern California and across the state. Everything is artfully displayed on a honeycomb of shelves. Just window shopping is a pleasure, but when you interact with the knowledgeable budtenders, the experience jumps up a level, if that’s possible. Due to its focus on being connected to the local community, the store often hosts local musicians, artists, and growers. By allowing them access to its fantastic facility, Doobie Nights helps spread its gospel and connects with people who might become fans. So, do yourself a favor and plan a visit to Doobie Nights. You won’t regret it.

Doobie Nights Cannabis Retail Store doobienights.com

PHOTOS (FROM TOP) BY ONEINCHPUNCH VIA ADOBE STOCK; COURTESY THE GANJIER PROGRAM

THE LIFE

That’s a more nuanced determination that ganjiers rely on their senses to make, looking at the appearance, aroma, flavor, and experience a cannabis product provides. Students are taught to rate or classify 31 different characteristics of cannabis samples, from the color of quality of its trim technique to its aromas and flavor profile. Similar to a wine sommelier, a ganjier evaluates how the cannabis looks, how it smells, how it tastes. But unlike the masters of other gustatory professions, ganjiers are also tasked with assessing the experience the product delivers. To

gain Ganjier certification, students must show they have the ability to confidently discern, educate, and articulate the difference between cannabis that’s good enough to smoke and cannabis that’s exquisite enough to celebrate. Enrollment in the 2022 Ganjier class is now open, and Gilman expects it to fill up quickly—the first class in 2021 sold out in just two weeks. Those who take the course and pass the exams will join an elite group that as of now includes just 36 certified ganjiers around the world. Among those masters of cannabis are the directors of sales for

two of the world’s largest cannabis companies; the director of employee training for mega-dispensary Planet 13; medical doctors and nurses interested in learning more about the medical potential of cannabis; self-motivated budtenders wanting to excel at their trade; consultants interested in launching cannabis tour companies and bud-bar

services for private parties, weddings, and corporate events; and even the director of the California Cannabis Tourism Association. Enrollment isn’t reserved for cannabis industry professionals, and anyone can sign up—all it takes is an interest in the subject matter and $2,997 to cover the costs. Learn more at ganjier.com. Ganjier students learn about the latest sustainable cannabis cultivation techniques, including the importance of living soil.

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THE LIFE HAPPENINGS

Party in the Heart of the City

The Green Street Festival promises a weekend of food, music, and award-winning cannabis.

Get ready for the Green Street Festival, one of the hottest cannabis-and-music events of the year. Over two packed days during the second weekend in May, the Green Street Festival combines live music, art activations, carnival games, a vendor village, a VIP industry mixer, and more. Tickets are available now for the May 13–14 event at the 28

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Green Street Building in downtown Los Angeles. The festival kicks off Friday night with an exclusive Alta Rooftop and Penthouse event at the Green Street Building. Here, in extremely limited numbers, honored guests will enjoy a private dinner event including Gary and Harry, The Quickest Minds of Our Generation, and a live performance by

Harry Mack. The live performances will be paired with complimentary food, drinks, and entertainment. Friday night’s events will also include the Emerald Cup Lifetime Achievement Award presentation. A statement from the Emerald Cup says: “In 2021, we threw the coolest cannabis celebration of the year with the

Emerald Cup Harvest Ball. In 2022, we take the show on the road down to Los Angeles to party with Green Street.” The main festival begins on Saturday at noon, when additional guests will enjoy the world’s best cannabis, food, and live music all in one place. Saturday’s events also include the Emerald Cup Awards ceremony.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WEEDFEED

TEXT CHRIS VAN LEUVEN

THE LIFE HAPPENINGS

clude Juicy J & Friends, Dâm-Funk, Gary Vaynerchuk Keynote, Harry Mack (Live), DJ Nu-Mark, Full Crate, and Mike Glazer. In addition to incredible music and award-winning cannabis, palate-tantalizing food will include offerings from Broad Street Oyster Co, Yeastie Boys, Uncle Paulie’s Deli, Gusto Green, Afters Ice Cream, Shrimp Daddy, and Petite Peso. Sponsors include No Jumper, WeedFeed, Beard Bros Pharms, Alta DTLA, Gusto Green, The High Rise, One37PM, Uncle Paulie’s, and Yeastie Boys. largest cannabis market in the world,” says Emerald Cup founder Tim Blake. “This is a truly historic moment for Los Angeles, as it opens the doors to consumer cannabis events

downtown. We’re eager to unify our northern and southern communities as we raise the Cup and recognize the best of California Cannabis.” Saturday’s events in-

All-access passes, $1000—limited to 400 guests—allow entry to all official Green Street Festival activities on May 13 and 14. Tickets for Saturday’s main event, starting at noon on May 14, are $25 for general admission. Single-day VIP tickets for Saturday are $120. To learn more, visit greenstreetfest. com and follow the organizers on Instagram @greenstreetfestival.

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP) COURTESY OF WEEDFEED; GREEN STREET FESTIVAL

“We are absolutely thrilled to join the Green Street Festival team as they bring our community together in the heart of the city and lift our awards to the stage of the

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T H E

DEAL BARRY CLARK W I T H

The Flowerkist co-founder shares what it takes to launch a business in the booming CBD skincare market. TEXT DIANE BLACKFORD

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COURTESY FLOWERKIST

hasn’t been simple. “It’s easy for everybody else to spend the money, but it’s really hard for me to raise it,” he says. Especially since it’s a cannabis-related business, and operating in the space is a whole lot harder than in more traditional industries. Working with cannabis comes with a whole lot of inherent risk. Barry hopes it’ll turn out to be a risk worth taking.

to do a deal,” he says. “I had to do a deal; I had to think of something, had to think of something we could do.” Seeing the emerging market in medical cannabis, they decided to focus on topical hemp-based products, choosing to explore the idea of adding CBD to skincare products or face creams—something no one was really doing at the time. Sure, there were a handful of lotions and pain creams that incorporated the powerful canKISSED BY THE FLOWER arry Clark’s in the business of mak- Barry’s company’s origin story be- nabinoid, but none of them were ing money off of money, but that’s gins back in 2014 when he and his destined for high-end med spas or the shelves of Neiman Marcus. A (now-ex) wife Stephanie moved not how he describes himself. back to California from Montana. luxury CBD skincare product line “I’m a deal guy,” he says, and didn’t yet exist, and they set out They were relatively new parhis bio describes him as a “capito change that. ents of triplets—two girls and a tal markets professional”— aka boy, age 6 at the time. “We’d been The idea inspired Barry to put the money guy, the man who everything on the line. “I went hearing about this legalization of raises big funds so brands can do out and borrowed $1.2 million in marijuana coming for a couple business. He knows more than unsecured notes to get this thing most that businesses need money of years,” he tells me over Zoom started,” he says. “I didn’t have in early March from his Califorto make money. So he’s made a any money to put into it, I didn’t nia home. “I’m a guy who’s in career out of helping companies even have so much as a business recovery, I haven’t had a drink or raise some—and he’s good at it. plan. I had an idea, I stood on a Like, really good. For awhile there illegal drug in 23 years now. And podium, and I told a story. And in the 1980s, he was a top-produc- so I thought, oh my God, they’re ing financial consultant for Merril gonna legalize marijuana, I’ve got I got guys to loan me 300 grand. That was enough to get the first Lynch, then he became the VP of three little kids, this is the worst samples [of a CBD pain cream thing I’ve ever heard of.” investments for Prudential SecuFlowerkist developed] in. Then He needed to understand the rities. In the decades since, he’s I went back to those guys and let taken six companies public, run a market, and he was shocked by what he found out. Turns out, the them try the pain cream. And I microcap investor relations firm, got another million dollars within and handled corporate developWar on Drugs propaganda he’d ment for a company that literally been hearing all his life was wrong. 20 minutes.” With the initial funding in place mines for gold. He’s the man with “I learned, wow, there are these a plan for raising capital, and Bar- cannabinoids that have medicinal and a product with a ton of potenry Clark is all business. properties that are helping people, tial on the way, the Clarks realized Lately, Barry’s been raising curing cancer, stopping seizures,” it was time to build a brand. While he says, an incredulous edge to his laying in bed one night, inspiramoney for a business of his own. tone. “It got my attention.” tion struck Barry once again. “We It’s a change of pace for him, beLaying in bed with Stephanie were trying to think of a name ing on the operations side of the one night, flipping through a mag- for the company, and I’m flipping startup thing. From this fresh perspective, he’s got a new appre- azine, Barry felt a familiar pangs through a cannabis magazine and see this beautiful purple glistening ciation for just how hard it is to of an addiction demanding to be do what he does. Raising money met. “Let me put it this way: I had female marijuana plant with all S P R I N G 2022

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the resin, and it’s just gorgeous, so I think ‘kissed by the flower’— which became Flowerkist.” Stephanie focused on the development of beauty products and makeup, letting her creative side shine. As the company’s co-founder, she wanted Flowerkist to reflect her interests and personality, her refined sensibilities. “Stephanie is a 51-year-old mother of triplets and she’s stunningly gorgeous,” Barry says. “She’s a grandmother, an entrepreneur, a visionary, taking care of three little kids as a single mother—and she could be a Victoria’s Secret model. She’s a drop-dead gorgeous bombshell woman.” Fittingly, Stephanie envisioned a brand that was elegant, feminine, and fun. She developed a CBD-infused lipgloss and encased it in a luxe container topped with a folding mirror. It would have looked at home at the cosmetics counter at a high-end department store. Her insistance on elegant, functional packaging and branding elevated Flowerkist above other CBD products entering the market in 2017. That may not sound like it was that long ago, but things in cannabis operate in dog years, so 2017 was forever ago. Back then, most Americans hadn’t even heard of CBD yet. So when Flowerkist introduced one of the world’s first CBD-infused lipsticks at a marijuana conference in 2017, the market was theirs for the taking. “A distributor approached us to buy 10,000 units a month,” Barry says. “Stephanie was making these CBD lipsticks at the kitchen table, so we could only produce about a hundred of them a month, so that was out the window. But at

that point, we knew we had something,” he says. “And we also knew that we weren’t smart enough to market it.” WINDOWS TO THE WORLD Barry went on a search for a marketing guy, and he wound up connecting with the marketing guy, Rowland Hanson. You may not know the name, but you know his work: if it weren’t for him, Bill Gates might have prevailed

with naming Microsoft’s graphical user computer system “Interface Manager” instead of what Hanson suggested: “Windows.” (The marketing genius is also behind the 1990s infomercial for Bowflex, once ubiquitous on late-night television and said to be the highest-revenue-generating infomercial of all time. He knows how to make a brand or a product connect with target audiences.) Barry says Hanson took one S P R I N G 2022

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Growing the Industr y.

From Seed to Seed Money Find Everything You Need to Grow Your Business at CannaCon Oklahoma City • March 31-April 1st at the Oklahoma Convention Center Detroit • July 22-23rd at the TCF Center Chicago • August 26-27th at the Rosemont Center Denver • September 24-25th at the Denver Convention Center Richmond Virginia • October 14-15th at the Greater Richmond Convention Center Learn More at CannaCon.org

PHOTO BY ZOLOTAREVA ELINA VIA ADOBE STOCK

look at the licensing agreement Flowerkist had with the company that had developed Flowerkist’s pain cream. “And Rowland being Rowland, he blew it full of holes. So we wound up going to London and meeting with a group called the Dabur Research Foundation [DRF], a $5 billion pharmaceutical company in India that is the number one ayurvedic medicine company in the world.” Over the last several years, DRF has been evaluating how to optimize the benefits of CBD-infused skincare products, and they’ve concluded that CBD alone won’t deliver optimal results. But combine some CBD with specific plant stem cells and select ayurvedic essential oils, and you just may see some incredible results. According to Derm Store dermatologist Dr. Ava Shamban, plant stem cells can help stimulate better cell turnover, and their strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects help to protect against sun damage and prevent wrinkles, leading to more youthful skin cells at the surface of the skin. There is evidence that plant stem cells can promote the production of new collagen, which can make skin appear more youthful. Dermatologist Dr. Sonoa Au adds that using products that contain plant stem cells can help keep your skin looking young by fighting off wrinkles, protecting against sun damage, and reducing inflammation. While developing its new skincare line, Flowerkist leveraged DRF’s expertise in plant-based ingredients to explore the healthful benefits of selected plant stem cells. They screened over 35,000 plant species for their medical

Combine CBD with specific plant stem cells and select ayurvedic essential oils, and you just may see some incredible results.

use, settling on blends that incorporate the all-natural power of ginseng, grapeseed, bilberry, licorice, curcumin, and sea buckthorn. They opted for broad-spectrum CBD, which contains a wider array of naturally occurring cannabinoids, plant terpenes, flavinoids, vitamins, minerals, and plant proteins of the original hemp source than CBD isolate does. Using a patent-pending

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“applied emulsion technology,” which aids in rapid absorption, the formulations deliver the natural nutrients deep into the skin, amplifying their effectiveness. The resulting three-part product line (The Silver Collection, $249) is formulated with some seriously effective all-natural ingredients, including broad-spectrum CBD, plant stem cells, and ayurvedic oils and water. “We developed a serum, a face cream, and a night cream,” Barry says, “and the results are incredible.” Barry says that in 60-day clinical trials—backed up by actual scientific data—the products in Flowerkist’s Silver Collection were “proven to have the ability to

reduce the appearance of a woman’s age on her facial skin by up to eight years by decreasing the fine lines and wrinkles and a reduction in pore cell size, and elimination of up to 96 percent of the bacteria on the face.” The Silver Collection is available now on Flowerkist’s website, and the proven regimen is destined for medispa offices and dermatologist offices in short order. Keep an eye out for the flower-of-life-inspired logo—it’s going to start popping up in more and more places as more mainstream beauty editors get their hands on the product line and become evangelists themselves. Flowerkist’s already started

grabbing attention in beauty circles: Aesthetic Everything’s 2019 Aesthetic and Cosmetic Medicine Awards honored Flowerkist as the “top breakout company,” and the 2021 CEW Beauty Creators Awards recognized Flowerkist as a finalist in the CBD beauty category. The brand’s on the brink of blowing up. So Barry’s handing over the reigns to a new CEO to run the business side of things. “I am a guy who can raise money, but I’m not an operator,” he says. “We just got to the point where this is way too sophisticated. We’ve got these products that are real, so I resigned as CEO—the thing got bigger than I ever dreamed.” S P R I N G 2022

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FINDERS,

RETREATERS This Sonoma County artist offers up her land for private resdencies. She can change the course of your life—if you can find her. TEXT TRACY ROSS

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COURTESY JAMES MORGAN

ears before Merlin Coleman knew that her mother would bestow her family’s eightacre plot of fertile farmland in northern California to her, she was identifying herself as a “drawer”—of the kind not that holds pants but that puts pencil to paper. That was the 1970s, and the region was shifting. There were hippies and alternative folks wanting to “get back to nature,” and Sonoma County was an agrarian idyll, replete with rolling hills, salt-scented air, and fertile soil. On Coleman’s mother’s invitation, the back-to-the-landers would drive up from places like Berkeley or San Francisco to work on the barn, soak in the sun, and make art. “It wasn’t an intentional community in the sense of buying food, but they spent a lot of time together,” says Coleman. “And everybody was always naked. I still hold that value. The right to be naked.” Another element from those times that stuck: the enjoyment, and dedication to, making art. “I was always sketching as a kid, (hence the self-identification of drawer) “and that transferred into music, in the sense of drawing with sounds,” says Coleman.

As a teen, she attended the artsy Northwest School in Seattle, studying cello, but, “I wasn’t very connected to myself,” she adds. That lasted until one day when she was 19 in a practice room at Cornish College of the Arts and a light went on. “I was playing around on the piano and started to write things down,” she says. “I had this huge moment where I knew I wanted to write music instead of being an instrumentalist or a singer. And I have never looked back on that aspect of my life.” Since that time, Coleman has performed and recorded experimental music for a multitude of instruments, including voice, cello, piano, and found sounds, with an emphasis on text and word play. She performs solo or with small ensembles and has written scores for numerous choreographers, made recorded works for multi-channel sound spaces, engaged in performance art happenings, and directed a gargling chorus. And she has held on to the cherished piece of family land in a part of California that has attracted pioneers and the Grateful Dead, Joan Didion and John Steinbeck, and, more recently, every-

one from organic farmers seeking to live closer to the rhythms of the earth to burnt-out tech execs fleeing Silicon Valley. Coleman still exudes an air of the dreamy kid who wandered around her mother’s land with her sketchpad or cello in her hands, the one who also dreamed of one day working the ground to help it produce fruit and vegetables. In 2012, after a 10-year stint of living and performing in Berkeley, she returned to the land and has since added a sizable garden (she had visions of building a commercial farm but zoning regulations wouldn’t allow it). In the years since, while raising her two sons, she has opened the space once again to the same kind of people that formed her childhood visions of the future. She still dedicates her days to the creation of art, which she has done in collaboration with a choreographer and video artist since 1999. Their first workspace was a warehouse in Oakland across from the Mother’s Cookies factory they fittingly dubbed Milk Bar. After 12 years, U-Haul moved in, so they relocated to Bridge Arts in Richmond. And since 2004,

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: COURTESY MERLIN COLEMAN (X3); KRISTINA ISLAS

TOP: Artists have to be comfortable with the beauty (and lack of conveniences) that come with rustic living. BOTTOM: Merlin Coleman has always been dedicated to making art.

they’ve curated “MilkBar salons” in a vibrant 40-seat venue. The salons host a dynamic and diverse range of artists, creating a unique collage effect of mixed disciplines such as local butoh (a form of Japanese dance), experimental Russian and Turkish film, mixed media photo installations, rooftop performance art with audience participation, and singer-songwriter performances. On the weekend of March 12, the founders celebrated their 50th salon. But all along, Coleman wanted to share her own space with a community of artists. So, since 2018, she has offered a residency on her land. It’s very grassroots— private and word of mouth. Here’s how she views it: “an antidote to other big residencies, which are shiny and pedigreed—you need your art résumé and samples and to have a fancy art degree. That’s not bad, but it’s highly competitive. Meanwhile I take it on the face that you are really dedicated to your work. I do care that peo-

ple who come here are making quality art. But, sort of like body positive, I’m art positive. I just want to provide a place where you can come if you’re really serious about your work and you have heard about me from a friend or rumored person in the Bay Area. If you know your boss’s daughter needs a retreat, send them my way. That kind of thing.” Once an artist finds Coleman, and Coleman vets their work and them, she says they have a call— or better yet, the candidate visits in person—to talk about logistics. Housing for the residency is in a three-story-high tower that you access via ladder and has no running water inside. “So I ask, ‘is a tower going to work for you?” she says. “Are you okay with the rustic nature of having a bathroom outside? We talk about some of the guidelines. There are kids running around, so I make sure they’re okay with that. I also have a media rule of no cell phones of any kind being out in a common area.”

Artists prepare their food in a shared kitchen, often with vegetables from Coleman’s prodigious garden. She invites artists in for one family dinner, mainly so her kids can meet a variety of different makers. And, at some point during the residency, she will arrange “a little show and tell— that’s what I call it. Part of what I don’t want to do is scare people— this is time for them to regenerate and make art,” she says. But she does want to give artists a chance to showcase their work to the local community, so she sets up a gathering complete with snacks and drinks for community members to come and witness them. Ultimately, Coleman wants to offer a place where artists can rest and regenerate. “Oftentimes artists will come here and sleep for the first two days,” she says. “That’s fine with me, because I don’t believe you can do good work unless you’re rested.” But there is one catch. Coleman let artists find her through word of mouth. Consider S P R I N G 2022

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P R O M O T I O N A L F E AT U R E NCRMA

Risky Business The National Cannabis Risk Management Association (NCRMA) is here for businesses looking to assess—and mitigate—risks that threaten their success in this ever-changing market.

n business, as in life, the biggest risk you run is not knowing what you don’t know. That’s why risk management is an integral part of any successful business’s operational plans—even more so in the emerging cannabis industry. The reality is that running a business—let alone a cannabis business—comes with a lot of complexities, and a lot of pitfalls that could derail your business goals. That’s why

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it’s imperative to not only have practices and policies in place to mitigate those risks, but also to be prepared to minimize the impacts should they become reality. But for new business owners—which by some estimates more than 60 percent of cannabis entrepreneurs are—it can be difficult to even know where to begin. This is where the National Cannabis Risk Management Association (NCRMA) trade organization comes in. The nation’s

only dedicated cannabis risk management association, NCRMA has put together a disruptively innovative risk management platform for the cannabis industry, supplemented by an insurance platform that offers businesses committed to the risk management process access to lower-cost coverage designed for this nontraditional industry. The platform includes robust risk assessment and consulting services through the National Cannabis Risk Prevention Services (NCRPS); the NCRM Academy, a virtual educational platform where NCRMA members can access discounted courses, webinars, and customized trainings; and exclusive access to insurance products designed for cannabis businesses through Trichome innovative Risk Protection TM Insurance. Together, these benefits offer NCRMA members tools, procedures, knowledge, and support. “We first created NCRMA about four years ago because we recognized that emerging markets and industries like cannabis require fundamentally sound risk management in order to be successful,” says Rocco Petrilli, chairman of NCRMA. “Growth in cannabis is not guaranteed, and one of the major derailers is the weak states of risk management and insurance, which threaten the industry’s ability to reach its projected potential. But with the right solutions, these threats can be mitigated and overcome.” This is the first of a three-part series discussing risk management in the cannabis industry with NCRMA. To read the entire series, visit sensimag.com

NCRMA Risk Management Company ncrma.net

LEFT: Why, yes, I’m the black sheep. RIGHT: Coleman offers artists a place where they can unplug from the frenzy of contemporary life.

LEFT TO RIGHT: COURTESY MERLIN COLEMAN, JAMES MORGAN

this story a starter map to doing that. But like any good drawer, you will have to connect the dots. You can start by checking out merlinman.com. Then find these other three California idylls, which are perfect for resting and creating. The Mesa Refuge, Point Reyes Station Since its founding in 1997, Mesa Refuge in Point Reyes Station has supported more than 600 writers addressing compelling issues related to the current time. They come for two-week deep dives into their projects, staying in cottages placed among paths winding through colorful gardens. Explore your way to your space and work, undisturbed, into the wee hours. Then group up with your co-writers and cook together (or not) in the communal kitchen. Mesa’s priority is to support writers focusing on “ideas at the edge” of the areas of nature, human economy, and social equity. Spring and fall residencies are two-weeks long, and there is no fee (though you

are responsible for your travel and food). Application directions and more can be at mesarefuge.org/ residencies/application. Chalk Hill Artists Residency, Healdsburg Founded in 2010 on a 280-acre ranch and vineyard bordering the Russian River, Chalk Hill is the vision of the late John Carl Warnecke, a renowned architect who championed “contextual architecture,” a design response to the literal and abstract characteristics of one’s surrounding environment. Warnecke wanted artists to live and work together in what he deemed the most beautiful place in the world, and that’s what they get when they come to the ranch at Chalk Hill. Stays last two to six weeks. Residents use the artist house, studio space, and ranch property. They have the opportunity to exhibit and sell their work at Open Studio events. And applications are open to artist of all mediums, including but not limited to fine arts, multi-media,

design, singing/songwriting, and poetry. Residencies cost $400 per week, but scholarships are available. Check out chalkhillresidency.com for details. Wilbur Hot Springs, Williams Wilbur isn’t technically an artists’ retreat, but you should visit anyway. The property offers natural hot mineral springs in the heart of an 1,800-acre nature preserve located two and a half hours north of San Francisco. Here, you can hike or bike on the reserve’s many trails and then bathe, clothed or naked, in the medicinal healing pools. Expect an ambiance of earthly calm—Wilbur uses only solar energy, and the water comes from natural springs. The indoor lodging—small cabins, a hotel, or the solar lodge—is airy and clean; six separate campsites are also available. Leave your technology at home: Wilbur is a Wifi- and cellular-free property. Let the digital detox, soothing waters, and immersion in nature fuel your creativity. Go to wilburhotsprings.com for more information. S P R I N G 2022

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P R O M O T I O N A L F E AT U R E ISPIRE

Strategy, Devices Ispire elevates high-quality products, partnerships, U.S. manufacturing, and energy to the next level—all while proving new innovation.

here are two sides to Ispire, and this fact drives its product strategy. On the vape hardware side, Ispire works directly

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with brands as their white label partner on hardware with a complete line to support them with cartridges, batteries, and disposables. Ispire also offers packaging and creative

services to help the brands imagine who they are and create the right structure to let them do what they do best: make great products to put in cannabis devices.

P R O M OT I O N A L F E AT U R E ISPIRE

The Consumer Devices division features several dab devices that utilize induction heating. The team at Ispire decided to use induction heating in its devices to create a greater range of heating temperatures that better service the different ways people consume concentrates. As with all of its product decisions, Ispire places the consumer at the forefront. As the company moves forward, it continues to expand on both product lines to create the best experience for the customer. Ispire’s team of experts is highly invested in advancing the industry. “I’ve been an advocate for the industry since medical was first passed in California,” explains Rick Egan, chief marketing officer. “While I was watching the industry, an opportunity to get into cannabis did not immediately presented itself to me. One of my mentors, Michael Wang, had been considering joining Aspire Global to help start a cannabis division. Based on my interactions with him, I had gotten to know a lot about the company and what made it different.

“As with all startups, you have to wear a lot of hats, but it’s also important to know your strengths and weaknesses and look for help to overcome those weaknesses. Social media was one of those for me.” —Rick Egan, Chief Marketing Officer

When he decided to join, he asked if I would help him start the Ispire brand. I jumped at the opportunity to help him build the brand and to do it with him. I knew if he was joining, then it was going to be an opportunity to create a brand that would be loved within the cannabis industry.” Ispire and its team assist startups in building and establishing a brand. It includes one phrase in all of its branding: “For the perfect hit, every time.” This encompasses Ispire’s drive to deliver a great, consistent experience. Anyone can do something once, but few can do it over time. “For any startup, it is important to find your north star and then start building your narrative that aligns to that north star. That helps to create the thread through everything that you do,” says Egan. As a company, the goal has always been to make products that gave consumers a better experience. The Ispire team realized from the beginning that cannabis hardware tended to be inferior, and consumers were both typically overcharged and left with a lackluster experience. It was important that, as a hardware company, Ipsire needed to be part of the community to make sure that what it makes serves the community’s needs. Ispire prioritizes getting its people out in the community, supporting charitable groups, and giving back. Ispire created a charitable arm of the company, Wespire—its three pillars are environmental, homeless, and local community, and Wespire supports organizations focused on these pillars. The team is also visible at many events and present on social media. “As with all startups, you have to wear a lot of hats, but it’s also important to know your strengths and weaknesses and look for help to overcome those weaknesses. Social S P R I N G 2022

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P R O M O T I O N A L F E AT U R E ISPIRE

media was one of those for me,” says Egan. “I am strong in many areas, but that was one where I knew I needed to build a good team. So, initially, I outsourced while I looked for a good team. Experience had taught me that social needed to be done in-house and that, for cannabis, it was a critical part of how we were going to tell our story. I’ve been blessed to this point to have a great team of passionate folks who are helping tell our brand story through our social channels.” Ispire founder Tony Liu develops much of its technology himself, which led him to develop Ducore. He founded Aspire in 2010 and helped create many vape innovations taken for granted today. In 2018, he started looking into the current technology and concluded that it was not serving the consumer. Innovation was lacking, and compared to the E-cigarette industry, change was slow, and the

consumer was suffering because of it. Ducore changed many of the core features by allowing for improved airflow and, lower burning temperatures, as well as solving other problems. Adjustable airflow control puts the customer in control. By changing the airflow, the customer can select the experience they want, whether looking for a big rip or just a mellow toke. Airflow control lets the customer decide rather than having it decided for them. With Ispire business can also stop outsourcing manufacturing. Its USbased team eliminates the hassles of liaising with various vendors and factories to create the perfect product. Ispire operates its own 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and it’s able to provide advice during every step of the process. Ispire also offers its partners premium packaging solutions that, like its hardware, are fully customizable with OEM/ODM

options, making it a one-stop shop for all business needs. To remain in the US was a critical decision in Ispire’s evolution. “Along with the importance of customer experience, being a part of the cannabis community was important to our brand and why we are doing what we are doing,” says Egan. “Having a team in the U.S. was the only way we could create products that would deliver on our charter of creating better customer experiences.” Ispire connects—plugging its partners into a vast community of elite professionals and providing access to a network of cannabis aficionados from fillers to distributors, extractors to retailers, and beyond. Ispire supports. Ispire cares.

Ispire Hardware Manufacturer getispire.com S P R I N G 2022

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Sensi’s 4/20 Playlist Tune in. Turn it up. Drop into our selection that celebrates the herb that goes handin-hand with great music.

As the voice of the Beat Generation, poet Ginsburg, once put it: “Marijuana is a useful catalyst for specific optical and aural aesthetic perceptions. I apprehended the structure of certain pieces of jazz and classical music in a new manner under the influence of marijuana, and these apprehensions have remained valid in years of normal consciousness.” With that in mind, we give you our annual 4/20 playlist, guaranteed to both up the vibe of the day and celebrate musicians who appreciate the plant. 48

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Snoop Dog Gin and Juice The modern poster child for cannabis as a recreational pleasure, a medicinal alternative, a symbol of counterculture, an F-you to racism, and an entrepreneurial goldmine, Snoop has never been apologetic about being himself and enjoying his smoke. His biggest song gives the finger to society unwilling to accept him and elevates partying to a social statement. Essential Lyric: “Rollin’ down the street, smokin’ indo / Sippin’ on gin and juice, laid back”

The Beatles Got to Get You Into My Life

from Revolver is, according to Paul McCartney, a paean to the the green leaf. Essential Lyric: “I didn’t know what I would find there / Another road where maybe I / Could see another kind of mind there”

The Fab Four is most associated with hallucinogenics—often credited with the cosmic shift of experimentation that gave us Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which changed pop music forever—but marijuana first loosened them up. By all appearances a love song, this often overlooked gem

Bob Dylan Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 Sure everybody must get stoned but don’t fall for the obvious here. Yes, Dylan was talking about the favorite herb of the counterculture but the Nobel-prize winning poet was also calling on the Biblical sense of getting stoned: his haters tossing rocks at him. There’s also

SNOOP DOGG VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS (TOP), WEST MIDLANDS POLICE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS (BOTTOM)

TEXT DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: TIM DUNCAN VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, ELI WATSON VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, DWIGHT MCCANN VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Black Sabbath Sweet Leaf Marijuana and metal together symbolize a powEssential Lyric: “They’ll stone you erful rejection of societal and then say you are brave / They’ll norms and the original stone you when you are set down in Prince of Darkness and your grave” crew made that evident in this banger that always Peter Tosh seems to boost testosLegalize It terone and call for the volume to go up to 11.

Childish Gambino Redbone The multi-talented Donald Glover, producer of TV series Atlanta and musically known as Childish Gambino, has made it Essential Lyric: “Roll me up and clear that Black people smoke me when I die / And if anyone smoke weed to deal with don’t like it, just look ‘em in the eye” the trauma and PTSD of simply being Black and Manu Chao living in this country. He Essential Lyric: “You introduced me Clandestino also admits that cannato my mind / And left me wanting Singing in English, Span- bis helps him work. His you and your kind” ish, French, and Catalan, rap clicks all the boxes Manu Chao is housewhen it comes to scaring Sublime hold name in Europe your parents and pushes Smoke Two Joints and should be far better boundaries in exploiting This is a mandatory track It would be a crime to known here in the states. the ugliness of racism in on this mix. The Bush leave this anthem off this A proponent of global love this country. And, damn, Doctor was way ahead of playlist. Sublime, who and an unabashed canna- does this slow groove of his time both in seeing recently launched their bis advocate, he has been a song sound good when the spiritual and medicown cannabis brand, in semi-retirement for the you are in the mood. inal values of marijuana unapologetically loved the past decade but his music Essential Lyric: “If you need it, you better believe in something” and in calling for an end life of punk rockers and still makes you want to to the racist power syspartying. While that left get up and move. tem that made it illegal. lead singer Bradley Nowell Essential Lyric: “Mexicano, clandes- Kacey Musgraves tino / Marihuana, ilegal” Essential Lyric: “Doctors smoke it / Slow Burn tragically dead from an Nurses smoke it / Judges smoke it / overdose in 1996, the Country singer and Even lawyer, too” Rihanna songwriter Musgraves music that he left behind proved she’s not afraid continues to inspire a will- Same Ol’ Mistakes ingness to reject norms The pop sensation is to shock anyone when and seek individualism in front-and-center when she performed naked a world where it’s nearly it comes to her love of under a jacket on a recent impossible to escape con- cannabis—just scroll her episode of Saturday Night sumerism and sameness. Instagram feed. And her Live. She has also been Essential Lyric: “’I work good and support of the plant goes forward about singing I work fine, / But first take care a long way in breakthe praises of cannabis of head’” ing stereotypes about to audiences that might weed. This is not stoner not be as open to it. Like Willie Nelson music—it’s get up, move most complex tunes, Roll Me Up and Smoke Me your booty, and feel good this song plays with the When I Die music. This cover of a sensual and destructive The frontman of the Tame Impala tune unites double entendres of a cannabis movement for hipsters and hip shakers. slow burn. decades, Willie actually Essential Lyric: “Not thinking in Essential Lyric: “I’m alright with a released this tune on April black and white / Thinking it’s worth slow burn / Takin’ my time, let the the fight” world turn” 20, 2012 (the year when biting criticism about the civil rights struggles of the day and the Vietnam War in this song.

Colorado became the first state to legalize recreational cannabis), to make his un-subtle point about where he stands. For extra emphasis, Snoop Dogg provides backup vocals.

LISTEN UP Be sure to check out an expanded version of this playlist on the Sensi Spotify channel.

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Green Goes Blue and Gold

California's MediThrive paints its walls the national colors of Ukraine to show support.

Dispensaries step up to support Ukrainians ravaged by war.

CALL TO ACTION If you want to help those affected by the war in Ukraine, you can support the businesses mentioned here and donate to World Kitchen (wck. org), Hope for Ukraine (hopeforukraine.net), and Sunflower of Peace (sunflowerofpeace.com).

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Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine has displaced more than 6.5 million people and continues to devastate a nation determined to fight for its sovereignty. Ukrainians have fought bravely on the ground against a far superior force, but this modern war is also being waged across the globe on social media and in the power of a global economy uniting against it. The cannabis industry has even joined in the effort to bring aid to Ukrainians and protest the immorality of Putin’s war. San Francisco-based dispensary MediThS P R I N G 2 02 2

irve (medithrive.com), which is owned by Ukrainian-Americans, painted its outside walls blue and gold (Ukraine’s national colors) and donated 100 percent sales on March 6 and 10 percent of sales thereafter for the week, to Sunflower of Peace, which is providing medical and humanitarian aid to the beleaguered nation. “I hope to do more as time goes on and be more hands on in the next effort,” says CEO Misha Breyburg. “Anything and everything helps. This is a time in the world where a social post or a financial donation

is of the utmost importance. Every voice that speaks up with disgust about the war in Ukraine contributes to something bigger. It’s akin to that old idiom that a butterfly flapping its wings creates a tsunami.” MediThrive is not alone in its efforts. Homeland Growers Company (hvgcompany. com) normally donates 100 percent of its profits to aid veterans, but is dedicating that money to help Ukrainians through World Kitchen this month. California cannabis manufacturer Lime (limecannabis.co), with 30

percent of its workforce from countries affected by the war, donated a portion of its March sales to nonprofit Hope for Ukraine. “In my 50 years, I’ve never seen people so ubiquitously on the same page as they are to help Ukrainians against the Russian invasion,” says Breyburg. “There are so many issues that divide us and, in the past 20 years, it feels as if we’ve been stuck in polarizing positions on those issues. We’re on the same page with Ukraine, and I hope that’s an opportunity to build bridges.”

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TEXT DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

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EDITOR’S NOTE