Sensi Magazine Massachusetts - Winter 2023

POT BELLY

Cannabis may hold the key to treating gut ailments

HIGH AND DRY

Exploring the new “semi-sobriety” trend

22 Pot + Belly

Can cannabis heal an ailing gut? New research may soon offer an answer.

In the Sky with Diamonds

The other-worldly glow of Space Rocks represents a giant leap for the industry.

34 Get Psyched

Felicity Pharma is disrupting the psychedelics market, bringing female-focused healing to those who are suffering in silence.

THE LIFE

Contributing to your health and happiness COMFORT FOOD Make your own infused soup with the LEVO extractor. Don’t have one? Maybe you can win one!

HIGH & DRY Exploring the newest semisobriety trend

40

THE SCENE

Hot happenings and hip hangouts around town

GET YOUR GLOW BACK A guide to winter skin care + cannabinoids. WEED+ Pu -pu -pass the popcorn

HIGH SOCIETY Sensi Night Massachusetts LAW & BORDER Coping in a nonlegal state surrounded on all sides by recreation.

EXECUTIVE

Ron Kolb Founder ron@sensimag.com

Stephanie Graziano CEO stephanie.graziano@sensimag.com

PUBLISHING

Jamie Cooper Market Director, Michigan

Richard Guerra Market Director, Massachusetts

Jake Boynton Market Director, Massachusetts Nancy Reid Market Director, National

EDITORIAL

Jen Bernstein Executive Editor

Elana Frankel National Contributor Dawn Garcia National Contributor

Debbie Hall National Contributor

Hudson Lindenberger National Contributor

Bonnie Pipkin National Contributor Matthew Solan National Contributor

Will Brendza Contributor, Colorado

Tracy Ross Contributor, Michigan Mike DiPaola Copy Editor

DESIGN

Jamie Ezra Mark Creative Director jamie@emagency.com

Rheya Tanner Art Director

Wendy Mak Designer Josh Clark Designer Andrew Ontko Designer

PRODUCTION

Jade Kolb Social Media / Global Recruiting

Neil Willis Production Director

Richard Guerra Digital Production

MEDIA SALES

COLORADO

Amy Sharp Media Sales Executive

Tyler Tarr Media Sales Executive

MICHIGAN

Will Oostendorp Media Sales Exec.

OKLAHOMA

Levi Clark Media Sales Executive

Leidy Torres Media Sales Exec.

ADVISORY BOARD

COLORADO

Concentrate Supply Co. Recreational Concentrates

marQaha Sublinguals + Beverages

Source CO Wholesale Consulting Witlon Inc. Payroll Processing

MICHIGAN

Arono Law (Craig Arono ) Licensing Law Firm

Grapp Lerash Accounting/CPA Services

Kush Design Studio Cannabis Facility Design & Build

MASSACHUSETTS

Corners Packaging Packaging

Green Goddess Supply

Personal Homegrown Biochamber

The Holistic Center

Medical Marijuana Evaluations

Revolutionary Clinics Medical Dispensary

Tess Woods Public Relations Public Relations

Vantage Builders Construction

This product has not been analyzed or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There is limited information on the side effects of using this product, and there may be associated health risks. Marijuana use during pregnancy and breast-feeding may pose potential harms. It is against the law to drive or operate machinery while under the influence of this product. KEEP THIS PRODUCT AWAY FROM CHILDREN. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. The impairment effects of Edibles may be delayed by two hours or more. In case of accidental ingestion, contact poison control hotline 1-800-222-1222 or 9-1-1. This product may be illegal outside of MA.

CLIFF NOTEZ - BOSTON MUSICIAN & ARTIST

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FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

“If you haven’t got your health, you haven’t got anything.”

Whether or not you’ve seen The Princess Bride, the cult classic movie (and one of my favorites), I’m sure you’re familiar with this quote Well, these days no truer words could be written. How you feel, both your physical and mental game, is what matters most, and if there’s one New Year’s wish for 2023 that I have for all Sensi readers—it’s that you feel good. Health truly is wealth, and since taking care of ourselves is one of the most important aspects of our lives, we planned this winter edition with you in mind.

FACEBOOK

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.

Maybe you’re one of the 20 million Americans suffering from chronic digestive issues, as Matthew Solan addresses in “Pot + Belly”? Or, perhaps as Bonnie Pipkin writes in “Get Psyched,” you’re looking for alternatives to pharmaceuticals like plant medicine to help treat women’s hormonal disorders?

If there’s one common connection among Sensi readers, it’s that we are already health aware. We know that cannabis is a healing plant known for its myriad uses—and we enjoy it in our daily lives. Instead of shoving pharmaceuticals down our throats we choose healthier alternatives. When the clock strikes midnight this New Year’s Eve, you better believe I’m gonna spark a big phatty instead of guzzling Champagne!

What I’m trying to say is, if you are already enlightened and have seen what cannabis can do for your health, you’re one of us—and I wish all of us good health for 2023 and beyond. Thank you all for a wonderful 2022, and here’s to an even better, more prosperous, and healthier new year!

We know that cannabis is a healing plant known for its myriad uses— and we enjoy it in our daily lives…. When the clock strikes midnight this New Year’s Eve, you better believe I’m gonna spark a big phatty instead of guzzling Champagne!

INSTAGRAM

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

As you wish,

Jen Bernstein @nycjamgal

Cookies SF Gears Up NYC

Never in a million years did Melvin Rodriguez, general manager for the monumental new Cookies SF store in New York City, think that they would one day be opening a five-story retail and cultural cannabis center right across the street from Macy’s in Herald Square.

“We want to be the centerpiece of the legalization movement here and be just as corporate as Macy’s. We’ve been left in the dark for way too long, and it’s time for people to notice us, and see us as a multimillion dollar business,” says Melvin.

“We are pushing the limits and pushing the culture forward,” he says. “I’m excited to teach New York.”

Melvin, who was floor supervisor at the Cookies Hayward dispensary, was born and raised in NY and so passionate about weed that he packed two bags and headed west to learn as much as he could about the cannabis industry.

“One of my good friends opened Hayward and asked me if I wanted to work. Two years later I was named “Employee of the Year,” and now I’m here,” says Melvin. “I’m super grateful.” —Jen Bernstein 58 6th Ave, New York, NY 10001 / Cookiessf.com

PHOTOS COURTESY OF COOKIES

HOLIDAY LIST KNOCKOUTS

By Executive Editor, Jen Bernstein

As adults, no one ever asks us what’s on our holiday wish lists. Why should kids have all the fun and get presents? Here are my top gift requests this season, if anyone is asking. Hint, hint! —JB

Diggin’ the D-O-G-G’s Weed-Infused O’s

It was almost love at rst bite when TSUMo Snacks brought their smorgasbord of savory snacks to weed’s biggest rap icon and ganja cannaseur, Snoop Dogg. “We delivered our full lineup,” says Caroline Yeh, a “ton of snacks,” which featured all ve of TSUMo’s salty and savory products. The feedback from Snoop was simple, “I’m more of a Funyuns guy,” he said. The team quickly got to work on Uncle Snoop’s cannabis-infused crispy avored rings and knew they had a hit the minute they hit the shelves.

Packing a powerful bow-wow-wow of 100mg per bag yippy-yay, Snoop’s Snazzle O’s garnered instant attention following their debut at one of the cannabis industry’s premiere expos, Hall of Flowers. Soon after, TSUMo’s small (but mighty) company excitedly watched as late night TV hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Myers shared their bite-sized news.

“It was shocking,” says Yeh. “Watching the global press pick up on it and seeing translations appear from all over like Croatia, Germany, and South America was overwhelming. That’s the impact of working with Snoop.”

We see a lot of gummies and the same old brownies and cookies ooding dispensary shelves, but there’s de nitely a market and place for creativity and taking chances with edibles. So if you’re on the lookout for some new, tasty, savory treats – the new-new can be found at participating dispensaries in California, such as MedMen.

“Fun is our core, and it’s one of our values. It’s part of our company and sometimes can get lost in cannabis,” says Yeh. “We’re bringing back the fun.” —JB tsumosnacks.com

1. Love the skin you’re in even more when you’re adorned with the beautifully embroidered delicates from Thistle and Spire. I’ve always imagined owning their Haze collection’s bodysuit with seductively sexy cannabis leaves, but their Monarch collection could be my latest flight of fancy. Choose the collection that speaks to you at thistleandspire.com and start your new year loving you.

2. Green Bee Botanicals Quench Moisturizer is pure luxury for your face. I could go through this THC & CBD, small-batch, rich and hydrating moisturizer from the women-owned company by the gallons. Greenbeebotanicals.com

3. Holy smokes, I mean, vapes! The new Pax Plus is a stunner. Not only does it look sleek and elegant, I’m sure it’s gonna produce a nice, clean hit that’s superior to any portable vaporizer on the scene.

Pax.com

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) COURTESY OF TSUMO; THISTLE AND SPIRE; GREEN BEE BOTANICALS; PAX; TSUMO

Papi’s Got a Brand New Bag

A baseball legend unrolls a legendary line of cannabis and touts the power of ower.

In July, 2022 David Ortiz – known far and wide as Big Papi – was inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame. That honor was a foregone conclusion, so it’s not even the most exciting Big Papi news this year. That would be the launch of Papi Cannabis, his new line of carefully curated cheeba products.

First up are Sweet Sluggers, lovingly rolled blunts of some of Big Papi’s favorite leaf, all grown in Fitchburg at Rev Farms. Each pack contains three 1-gram blunts made with whole flower, rolled in a tobacco-free green tea wrap.

We asked the big guy how involved he is in the process. “I was really hands-on with the development of Papi Cannabis.

I wanted to work closely with Rev to make sure the line reflected my personal journey with cannabis and helped people understand the power of flower to break the stigma around it.”

About that personal journey: “I started using cannabis about 10 years ago to help with my anxiety, stress, and to help heal my body after years of playing baseball. I grew up in a conservative Catholic family in the Dominican Republic where cannabis use was not even a thought – it was forbidden.”

Big Papi’s journey began with a THC/ CBD topical for his sports-related aches and pains, which worked wonders. “I then realized that cannabis had a place in my life. Quickly after the good experience with the cream, I started using other forms of cannabis and stopped using all pain killers.”

Fortunately for us, those other forms include some kick-ass strains. How does he choose flower? “The healing properties were a huge focus for me when selecting the strains,” he says. “I like strains that help me relax and live a better life, and Sweet Sluggers has the perfect combination of all of my favorite strains to do that. I love being a part of the cannabis farming experience.”

Next up for Big Papi and Rev Brands will be hash-oil infused, pre-rolled blunts with a bigger punch than your typical pre-rolls. And there will be more: a vape cartridge, an edible made from free-trade Dominican chocolate, and a healing salve, which is right where Big Papi’s journey began.

—Mike DiPaola papicann.com / revbrands.org

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAN MINICUCCI

The Oldest Cannabinoid

In the late 19th century, cannabinol (CBN) was the first cannabis compound to be isolated from extract. Only mildly psychoactive, CBN has emerged as a very effective sleep aid, and demand for the snooze juice is rising. Just ask Brian Edmonds, CEO of New England Hemp Farm. “CBN really works to help people get to sleep, stay asleep, with no melatonin and no hangover effect. It’s an excellent, excellent product that really works wonders,” Edmonds gushes. Since the Farm began growing non-psychoactive flower a scant three years ago, the acceptance of cannabinoids for therapeutic purposes in the public has grown a lot, and so has the demand for quality control. (The farm’s CBN extracts are developed at a facility in Florida.) ”What we’ve found over three years is that people are getting more sophisticated, they’re definitely embracing using cannabinoids for health and wellness.” The farm is in Canterbury, Connecticut, with another space – the Barn – in Groton that will eventually become its headquarters. Although the Barn is currently under-renovation, it is already hosting local live music. But Edmonds knows the focus is always on wellness. “The thing I’ve learned in the three years that we’ve been doing this is, number one, CBN, CBD, and CBG are really helping people feel better. These products really work.” —MP

HIGH FIVE

Cranberry-Pomegranate Gummies

If you’re looking for balance, Coast Cannabis has a line of gummies with equal parts CBN, CBD, and THC. These delightful nighttime 5mg bites are handcrafted with organic ingredients and full-spectrum cannabis oil. In other words, rest easy.

Celestial Sleep Gummies

Available in blueberry or black cherry, these little delights are balanced with 5mg THC and 2mg CBN. Freshly Baked Company was founded in 2018 by a pair of disabled veterans who are devoted to helping others with PTSD.

Sweet Dreams Gummies

The new gummies by Triple M have a ne-tuned formula, two parts THC to one part CBN, delivering an entourage e ect that will ensure hours of relaxing sleep for body and mind.

Theory Watermelon Chews

They are red and tasty and they are infused with both CBN and CBD. Pop one 45 minutes before bedtime and you’ll never have to count sheep again.

Sleep+

The bad news is that Garden Remedies has discontinued its Sleep+ CBN capsules, which had a robust 5:2 CBN-to-THC ratio. The good news is that their new sleep-focused edible – a supplement-enhanced recipe for their Lotis Cannabis Gummies line – is scheduled for release in December 2022. —MP

Comfort Food

A creamy cauli ower soup infused with love and cannabis.

TEXT STEPHANIE GRAZIANO

Comfy thoughts of warm gloves and sweaters, cozy nights with extra blankets, soothing candles and calming chai tea to light and delight the evening. Winter is when the hustle of life slows, leaving more time for

of year you will find me in the kitchen more often, baking fresh cookies for everyone or boiling up bowls of creamy soup to cut the winter chill.

This winter, my warming bowl of choice is a hearty, creamy cauliflower

PHOTO COURTESY OF JUSTIN GRAZIANO

INGREDIENTS

Infused Creamy Cauli ower Soup

VEGAN / Makes 2 servings

2½ cups cauliflower, chopped

2 cloves garlic leeks

3 sprigs fresh thyme

¾ cup white beans

INSTRUCTIONS

1 yellow onion, chopped

3½ cups vegetable broth

3 tbps olive oil

2-4 tbps infused canna-oil (avocado/olive/MCT oil are great)

Salt and pepper to taste

Remove the ends and outer layer of leeks. Slice in half lengthwise and dice into a bowl of water. Swirl to wash.

Coat a large pot with olive oil. Add leeks, onion, and pinch of salt and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and thyme and sauté 30 more seconds.

Add cauliflower, broth, beans, salt, pepper, and canna-oil.

Simmer 15-20 mins until cauliflower is soft.

Remove thyme sprigs with a fork. Using a highpowered blender or in-pot immersion blender, blend soup in small batches. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

NOTES

The amount of canna-oil will depend on its potency and your tolerance. 2-4 tbsps is generally a good dose for two people.

HOW TO USE A LĒVO INFUSER

1. Fill the herb pod with cannabis (up to 14g in the LĒVO II and 1oz in the LĒVO C ). You can also include other herbs such as garlic or thyme to make a avored infusion.

2. Add the silicone lids and place the pod in the basin. Select Activate to decarb.

3. When the Activate cycle is complete, add the silicone stirrer to the basin and pour in your oil. (The LĒVO II holds up to 2 cups of oil or butter, while the LĒVO C holds 41⁄4 cups.)

4. Choose your infusion time and temperature for infusion. (Varies based on the oil, but we prefer low and slow for most infusions: 165°F for 6 hours is a good baseline.)

5. When complete, pour your infusion into a jar (or press the Dispense button on LĒVO II).

6. Use an herb press to squeeze every last drop of golden oil from the herb pods.

• HINT: Save your leftover infused cannabis (aka sludge) and add some to your recipe for extra potency and nutritional bene ts. Blend dried sludge into brownie and cake mixes, or add it to smoothies.

CALLING ALL CANNA-COOKS!

Got an awesome infused dish you want to tell the world about? Tell us about it for a chance to win a LĒVO home infuser and be featured in our upcoming 420 issue!

Here’s how you enter: 1. Follow @sensimag on Instagram.

2. Post a photo and description of your one-of-a-kind cannabis infusion. (No stealing from the internet—it has to be your recipe.)

3. Tag @sensimag and three friends in your post.

The contest runs through Valentine’s Day 2023, so don’t miss out!

soup full of fresh veggies and aromatics—and a dash of homemade cannabis oil for good measure.

I’ve been experimenting more with infused recipes these days, thanks to one of my top kitchen obsessions this year: my LĒVO home infusion machine, which simplifies the process of infusing

cannabis with whatever herbs and oils I’m cooking with. It’s the only patented herbal infusion machine on the market, with precise and customizable time and temperature controls, which means I can decarb without an oven. And because everything is done inside metal pods, there’s no more

straining, no extra accessories, and they’re completely dishwasher safe.

If you’re a fellow ganja gourmet, you know the possibilities for infused dishes are endless, and the LĒVO only makes it easier to infuse your favorite foods. I’m always on the lookout for new recipes, so if you have a

killer homemade infused dish, shout it out on Insta to @sensimag. One lucky chef will win their own LĒVO home infuser and have their recipe featured in the next issue of Sensi magazine. (See sidebar.)

Until then, I’m wishing you warm days and more quality time with those you love!

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEVO

High & Dry

As alcohol falls further out of vogue, health-conscious Americans are embracing a new semi-sobriety trend known as “California sober.”

TEXT DAWN GARCIA

It’s safe to say the last two and a half years have been the strangest ever. As we navigated our way through a (still) confusing pandemic, more and more people stayed home, and during all that unstructured, uncertain time, many of us did more look inward—we reassessed every aspect

made a conscious choice to explore the newly legal— and healthy—alternative, cannabis. Thus a new trend has taken root in our lives that reified a term we’re all familiar with: moderation. Turns out people want more balance in their lives, and the reasoning is more mindful than intoxicating. This trend is about a new

Doctors and researchers alike are studying this newfound approach to a healthier “semi-sobriety.”

As cannabis regulations continue to be more thorough and less black market-esque, it’s time to take a closer look at why being California sober is catching on. California does tend to lead the way on health trends, and it’s a state devoted to longevity, mental and physical wellness, and it’s a staunch supporter of the many benefits of cannabis. Whether you are battling anxiety, feeling unsettled over the current political and financial uncertainties, or you simply want to be your best self and feel better (with more clarity), California sober is more than a growing trend. It’s an actual way of living that leads to a better quality of life.

To better understand the contrast between cannabis and alcohol, the hard data on the harmful effects of alcohol shines a rather stark light on the issue. There are nearly 385 alcohol-related deaths per day, and that 140,557 Americans die every year from the effects of alcohol? With numbers like that, it’s no wonder the general public is reconsidering whether or not to partake. According to The World Health Organization, excessive alcohol use is responsible for 7.1 percent of disease among males and 2.2 percent among females.

A CAN O’ CANNA

Cannabis beverages are California sobriety taken to its natural conclusion—social beverages that are spiked with THC and/or CBD instead of alcohol. Many are marketed as sodas, seltzers, or sparkling/tonic waters, but more booze-styled canna-concoctions such as wines and beers are growing more popular. While the cannabis beverage market is still pretty niche, its US value is estimated to reach $920 million by the end of 2023. Want to try one? Here are ve products to check out so you can tell your friends you were drinking cannabis before it was cool.

When compared to any other substance, cannabis is the least of the offenders. That’s not to say people don’t overdose on high levels of THC (yes, it can happen, but usually only when mixed with other substances), or get into car wrecks, or die in unforeseen accidents when under the influence of cannabis—because like any substance, you should never get behind the

wheel or do questionable things while high. It is to say that no matter what fear tactics anti-cannabis folks offer, cannabis is not a killer. It is far more beneficial than detrimental.

The truth is, choosing cannabis over alcohol doesn’t make you a stoner. It puts you among the 52 million Americans who partake. Does this mean you should head to California, learn to surf,

develop an undeniable love for Jack Johnson, and completely change your relationship to alcohol or other, more addictive substances? Sure, we’re all fans of healthier alternatives, but what you do is totally up to you. That said, if you are looking to cut back or cut out alcohol because hangovers aren’t as fun as they used to be, California sober might be the thing for you.

HIGHER VIBES: WATERMELON BASIL Wunder ndwunder.com

BLUE RAZZ KEEF COLA Keef Brands keefbrands.com

¡PIÑA! SOFT DRINK, PINEAPPLE FLAVOR Mari y Juana drinkmj.com

BLACK CHERRY FIZZ THC & SELTZER Wynk drinkwynk.com

SAKA SPARK MIMOSA House of Saka houseofsaka.com

TEXT MATTHEW SOLAN

An estimated 20 million Americans suffer from chronic digestive diseases and disorders.

The list includes irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), celiac disease (the body’s difficulty digesting gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley), lactose intolerance (trouble digesting the sugar in milk), and “leaky gut,” where the gut’s lining becomes damaged and cannot properly function. These symptoms can be debilitating: chronic stomach pain, cramping, bloating, constipation, nausea, and diarrhea. And finding relief is a constant struggle.

The gut is as complex and mysterious as the Milky Way. Inside it are billions of bacteria, nerves, and tissues, working alone and together to keep your digestion running smoothly. With such complexity, it’s probably no surprise that treating gut issues is difficult. Remedies

are often a matter of trial and error, and even the most successful ones don’t work for everyone.

Enter medical cannabis. Science is now looking at how cannabis may reduce pain and discomfort associated with digestive diseases and disorders. Most current research on gut health is based on people’s responses after taking cannabis: Did their symptoms improve? From this perspective, cannabis helps.

For example, a 2021 study published in the journal PLoS One found that people with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis who consumed cannabis cigarettes for eight weeks reported significant improvement of symptoms compared to those taking a placebo.

“Even though research remains in the initial stages, the results have been encouraging,” says Nicholas DiPatrizio, PhD, associate professor of biomedical sciences at the University of California, Riverside, and director of the school’s new Center for Cannabinoid Research.

These types of studies suggest a thumbs-up to cannabis for helping relieve gut issues. Still, they only show an association, not cause and effect. “Nor is it clear how much cannabis people consistently took and when and if any other variables might explain their reaction,” says DiPatrizio. “People may say cannabis works for their gut problems, and while that’s good news, it’s not nearly enough from a science perspective.”

From that science perspective, the question is not whether it works, but how it works. What mechanisms of cannabis are helping it get to the gut of gut health? The answer most likely lays in the endocannabinoid system.

THE KEY TO THE CORE

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) comprises a vast network of chemical signals and cellular receptors connected to the nervous system. More research is needed to fully understand this complex system, but what we do know is that it plays a huge role in homeostasis, regulating critical functions such as learning and memory, emotional processing, sleep, temperature control, pain management, inflammatory/immune response, and appetite.

The ECS has two primary types of receptors: CB1, found mostly in the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), and CB2, located mostly in the peripheral nervous system (the rest of the body). These receptors can only be stimulated by a specific neurotransmitter called an endocannabinoid. The ECS is activated when endocannabinoids bind to CB1 or CB2 receptors in a process that DiPatrizio compares to “a key opening a lock.”

The cannabis plant, meanwhile, contains its own unique compounds called phytocannabinoids. There are at least 100 types of cannabinoids, each with a distinct molecular structure, the most common and well-known of which is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the one that causes that trademark intoxicating effect. More interesting to researchers, though, is that THC hijacks the ECS.

“THC interacts with your ECS by binding to CB1 and CB2 receptors, just like endocannabinoids,” says DiPatrizio. “It’s a second key that fits the same lock.”

And it may be just the key that cannabis-gut researchers have been looking for.

GUT CHECK

So far, research remains in the ground-floor phase, looking at the basic correlations between the ECS and the gut. “In other words, if you remove endocannabinoid binders, does it trigger gut problems?” says DiPatrizio. “If so, then the idea of introducing more of these binders like THC could, in theory, help the gut heal.”

DiPatrizio led a recent study, published in 2022 in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, that looked at how symptoms of leaky gut caused by obesity affect ECS. The research used mice engineered to be void of CB1 receptors in their intestinal lining, feeding them an obesity-inducing diet high in fats and sugars for eight weeks to examine how leaky their gut became.

These mice had far worse inflammation and compromised gut-barrier function compared to mice with their CB1 receptors intact. The results suggest that CB1 receptors in the gut lining are protective against diet-induced leaky gut. “These types of studies serve as the foundation to next identify if adding THC can activate these receptors when digestive issues exist and help treat them,” says DiPatrizio.

For sufferers of GI illnesses, this research offers plenty of reason to hope. But there are still many questions to explore with THC and gut health. Does THC work for some digestive disorders but not others? Is it possible that THC works for only certain symptoms? Maybe THC is not the only chemical in cannabis that can stimulate CB1 and CB2 receptors. And then there are the questions about appropriate amounts and whether it

GUT + INSTINCTS

Another way THC may impact gut health is related to the brain-gut axis—the two-way communication between the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the central nervous system. The gut is referred to as the body’s “second brain,” because it produces many of the same neurotransmitters—serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid play a pivotal role in regulating mood. In fact, an estimated 90 percent of serotonin is made in the digestive tract.

What a ects the gut often a ects the brain and vice-versa—which is why stress can cause queasiness or an upset stomach. It may also explain why severe areups seen in irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and chronic constipation tend to coincide with bouts of anxiety or depression.

According to DiPatrizio, cannabis may be able to leverage the brain-gut axis to treat both brains at once. “It could be that THC stimulates the brain in a way that directly reduces anxiety, stress, and depression related to digestive issues. By helping to treat the brain, you could, in e ect, treat problems in the gut.”

matters how THC is ingested—inhaled, applied topically, or eaten?

Most research focuses on the CB1 receptors, but other experts, including DiPatrizio, believe CB2 may also play an important role. “These receptors are critical to helping control our immune functioning, and it plays a role in managing intestinal inflammation, and pain in inflammatory bowel conditions,” he says. “Right now, the research approach is still at the preclinical phase in mice, and until we extend these experiments into double-blind placebo studies in humans can we definitively know the answer to these questions.”

One of the problems with medical cannabis is that it’s bound in

regulatory red tape, which makes it hard to study. It’s classified as a Schedule I substance because it is still considered a high risk for abuse and lacks sufficient evidence for medical use. Therefore, its use in clinical trials requires a special license issued by the Drug Enforcement Agency and many other approvals from researchers’ own institutions and outside agencies like the FDA. These barriers often discourage researchers and make grant funding difficult.

But the initial steps toward possibly using cannabis to treat gut problems already have been taken. Like the Milky Way, there is still much to explore—and the truth is out there.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Matthew Solan is a health, medical, and science writer in St. Petersburg, Florida (www.solanmedia.com).

IN THE SKY WITH

Under the other-worldly glow of their one-of-a-kind Space Rocks, Vapor Oil Technology is making giant leaps for the future of cannabis. TEXT JEN

Remember when moon rocks burst onto the scene? Admittedly, we were all into the craze and amazed at these nuggets soaked in hash oil and rolled in kief. They got us baked. They got us really high. They virtually sent us to the moon.

But, just like Pink Floyd warned, we were cratering on the dark side of the moon rocks. A lot of people turn to them for their supposed potency, thinking that they’re getting the best possible flower. But that idea is pretty misleading, and some producers are using the extra coating to camouflage imperfections—mold, mites, or webs—that any dispensary would give a hard “no” to buying.

That’s why good guys on the cannabis scene, such as Chad Carey, president of Vapor Oil Technology, are shedding some light on moon rock products. “With good, terpene-rich strains the flower

completely shines through. You can’t hide good flower with this liquid THCA product,” he says.

Vapor Oil Technology’s coated flower, Space Rocks, shines through with more than good flower; each perfectly cured nug is coated in THCA crystals that shimmer and refract into dazzling rainbows when the light hits them just right.

Knowing that what’s offered on store shelves has been missing from the market, Carey hopes to share the knowledge. He points out that it’s a super viable aspect for growth, and hopes more cultivators and extractors join him in creating these unique experiences for cannabis consumers. “Seeing people’s faces light up when they see it for the first time is really awesome. They say, ‘Wow, what is that?’ and it’s that wow factor, that same feeling from when they took their first hit or dab, that really gets me excited.”

BERNSTEIN

WITH DIAMONDS

PUBLIC RELATIONS CANNABIS

TessWoodsPR.com

MY GOD, IT’S FULL OF TERPS

Carey’s mission is a natural one, to bring the highest quality, freshest flower to dispensaries. And he believes that terpenes—the magical compounds that produce a strain’s unique flavor and aroma—are one of the key components ensuring that freshness. There’s just one small issue: Terpene preservation is a race against time.

The moment the cannabis plant is harvested, those precious terps start degrading. And they don’t stop degrading; the longer the flower sits, the more it loses its best qualities. Or, from a seller’s perspective, the longer a product sits unsold, the less satisfied its buyer will be. It’s always a disappointing experience to get home, smoke or vape flower, and feel … well, nothing.

Carey started thinking about ways to maximize the potential of his high quality flower on the shelf. From listening to and learning from growers, he discovered that strains with high terpene profiles help maintain the freshness of flower— in other words, terpenes are the natural preservative of cannabis.

For example, a 16% THC strain with 2 to 3% terpenes will ultimately provide an all-around better experience than a 20% THC strain with fewer terpenes, because while it may be a lower-potency flower, it maintains that potency for much longer. “There’s a lot of flower that doesn’t hit above 20% THC,” says Carey. “But by adding THCA to an already-high-terpene strain, we’re increasing the high for potency that also preserves for the effect.”

Carey’s aha moment led him to research how he could take terpene preservation even further. He wound up producing some really profound

results through self-study of his own use, thanks to his background as an extract artist. Carey has been extracting concentrates (with a focus on THCA) for 12 years—pulling it apart, analyzing hydrocarbon extracts, and separating it from the terpenes.

“With processing, we are able to treat each component and process them individually and optimally,” he says. “Terps are volatile and they get a lower temp technique, unlike higher temps of THCA. There are different parameters for different components to complete the processing in the most efficient way.”

Preservation of terps also means bigger yields. Reformulating to create high efficiency in the lab from the start, rather than deploying traditional distillation, soon paid dividends in the form of that beautiful crystallized THCA: micro-diamonds. The final product of Carey’s experimentation literally glistens with potency. The crystal coating is also the shining armor that keeps each Space Rock as fresh as the day it was cured. “It’s like a shell that preserves the flower inside,” says Carey. “It naturally creates a barrier against light degradation and has antimicrobial properties with their own huge benefits.”

And the high? Like nothing Carey and his friends had ever experienced before. Carey’s concentrates pack such a punch that consumers often tout that they need less to get high. Instead of five hits of traditional weed, maybe you just take two with Space Rocks. Overall Carey feels that less is more, especially since it’s less carcinogenic for the same end effect.

Space Rock products really are reaching a demographic of both flower and concentrate users. Carey says their products are the perfect

STAKING YOUR CLAIM

One of the things Carey has learned from creating unique extracts is the value of patents. He currently has two (Thin Film Oxidation of Crystallized Cannabis Products, and Herbage Having a Re ective Coating) and is submitting two more, and he believes all canna-business owners should use them to preserve their ideas. “Patents in cannabis are great business, especially for the little guy because it’s a protection for those who are non-corporate, and will help preserve the legacy market.”

“THERE’S A LOT OF FLOWER THAT DOESN’T HIT ABOVE 20% THC, BUT BY ADDING THCA TO AN ALREADYHIGH-TERPENE STRAIN, WE’RE INCREASING THE HIGH FOR POTENCY THAT ALSO PRESERVES FOR THE EFFECT.”

—Chad Carey, President, Vapor Oil Technology

bridge for traditional smokers who don’t want a dab rig, but are seeking a stronger, more elevated high that comes in the same manner as smoking flower.

Sammy, a store manager, raves about Space Rocks. “It’s really something different that a lot of our customers have never seen. Once they try it they continue to come back again and again for it.”

SMALL STEPS FOR MAN

From the minute he opens his eyes to the time that he’s winding down, Carey is eating and breathing passion for his business. Staying creative is important and envisioning new ideas and putting them into action informs his reality and personal motivation. Doing the hard work and going the extra mile has helped with his success. “My goal is to stay passionate about what we do, so we can keep playing and be in this game,” he says. “I wake up every morning and really take the time to talk and listen … and to answer those 100 calls. We work with good people and

doing the work is more rewarding than taking the easy route.”

Learning and growing the business along the way has naturally instilled in Carey a dedication to the preservation of the industry’s small business owners. Carey knows it’s so important to maintain relationships with original and smaller growers, and creates collabs and partnships with growers. Like Kai Cannabis in Adrian, MI, their first collab—who have great flowers, Space Rocks has been a model collaboration effort. While maneuvering through Michigan’s market changes and being part of the Michigan caregiver community, Vapor Oil Technology has always been self-funded and therefore tries to band together with other businesses trying to survive against the overproduction in big businesses—which has caused prices to bottom out.

Staying creative, innovative, and growth-minded has been his greatest weapon. Carey credits his company’s ability to bring new ideas to market quickly and shifting with

AN EXPANDING UNIVERSE

This isn’t the end of the discovery and product perfection for Carey—in fact, it’s only the beginning. Since perfecting his formulations, he feels he’s barely scratched the surface of what his extracts are capable of, and plans to create di erent coatings for di erent user experiences. There could be a sleep formulation, which helps patients get a better night’s rest, or an energy product that helps with that get-upand-go feeling. Not even the sky is the limit.

market trends as another tool for success. And here’s something that Carey said that we haven’t heard in awhile: “We are growing and hiring, rather than firing.” It’s clear as concentrates that Carey’s business outlook is on the right path.

Knowing that coated products have had a good growth rate in Michigan, Vapor Oil Technology wants to replicate their success in other markets. “Our Michigan buyers’ next orders are always larger than the one before. We know people like our products and are happy. If we can get to other states and find the like-minded people who share our same values—the ones who want to pick up the phone, talk, and share the same excitement … not just of the product, but for the people—we want to talk to you.”

Space Rocks will be coming to Arizona and Missouri at the beginning of 2023. “I’ve had great conversations with every dispensary we’ve talked to in these markets—and we can’t wait to blow their minds.”

Until then, Vapor Oil Technology’s latest product launch gives you the chance to do your own experimentation. Space Dust is nothing more and nothing less than pure THCA micro-diamond dust to DIY your own stash; sprinkle it on a bowl, add it to a blunt, or roll your favorite ower in it to make your own Space Rocks.

Olivia Mannix and her team at Felicity Pharma are disrupting the psychedelics market, bringing female-focused healing to those who have been su ering in silence.

TEXT BONNIE PIPKIN PHOTOGRAPHY KIM SIDWELL, CANNABISCAMERA.COM

GET PSYCHED

GET PSYCHED GET PSYCHED

Since the advent of hormonal contraception in 1960, there has been little to no innovation in women’s health. And that isn’t just in reproductive matters; because early medicine didn’t recognize the impact of sex on health, women were historically underrepresented—if not outright excluded—in clinical trials for nearly every modern over-thecounter medication.

This patriarchal disinterest in women’s health has serious implications. Generations of women have endured monthly pain, discomfort, depression, anxiety, infertility, and long-term post-partum health issues, in shame and silence. In its study published in the journal Contemporary Clinical Trials, the Brigham and Women’s Hospital concluded that due to “potential sex-based differences in treatment responses and toxicities, adequate inclusion of females in clinical trials remains critical.”

Now, more than ever, we need to study women. We need be heard.

And yet, we continue not to be heard. It seems like every woman has a story of a doctor who outright dismissed her health concerns, choosing to write a prescription instead of really listening. Why isn’t there more of a conversation?

Enter Olivia Mannix: woman, entrepreneur, innovator, risk-taker, and advocate of plant medicines and research. She founded Felicity Pharma, the leading women’s health biotech company, to lead a distinctly female charge into a climate that has long neglected them.

“Biotech is very male dominated, and so is psychedelics,” says Mannix. “I have to always show up and work my tail off in a very competitive space.”

Felicity Pharma is taking on female mood disorders and sexual dysfunction with an integrated approach. “I am a healer and I want to help people,” Mannix says. “Psychedelics have a lot of potential. We are changing things and making female-specific drugs.”

She and her team are hard at

work on solutions with natural psychedelics, and these explorations are breaking boundaries for what we’ve come to expect for women and their treatment plans.

A DIFFERENT DEPRESSION

It is well known that women are disproportionately affected by mood disorders, with two to three times more diagnoses than men. It is less well known that there is one mood disorder that only affects women—one so intense that it leads 30% of its sufferers to attempt suicide.

That disorder is known as Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, or PMDD. A severe form of PMS, PMDD affects one in 20 women of reproductive age. With an estimated five million sufferers in the United States, it’s likely that you know someone who has it. That someone might even be you.

This was the case for one woman, whom we’ll call MJ. MJ has always had intense PMS. But whatever physiological symptoms she had

were vastly overshadowed by the emotional symptoms: MJ would, in her words, “reach the brink every month.” She felt nothing but hopelessness and despair until the moment her period began. Then, the feeling would completely disappear.

MJ recalls people trying to sympathize with her by sharing their own accounts of cramps and mood swings, and she would nod along. But she knew what she was feeling, and it was not “crabby.” Something more was happening.

Despite its evident links to hormone fluctuation, PMDD is treated as any other mood disorder, typically with antidepressants. MJ’s gynecologist prescribed Prozac, but it didn’t help. She tried to explain her symptoms to her psychiatrist, that she just knew it was tied to her period. But he could see no other treatment than antidepressants—since those weren’t working, he basically told her she would just have to white-knuckle through it, month after month, until menopause.

To MJ, this advice was nothing less than a death sentence.

MASK OFF

Modern medicine is obsessed with symptom management. Rather than working to end illness, medications are designed to mask illness by treating only the symptoms. Keeping the mask intact means staying on that medication for the rest of your life.

Holistic medicine, on the other hand, aims to reach the root of pain and disorder. This is the approach Felicity Pharma prefers, and it sees psychedelic medicine derived from psilocybin as the best way to get there.

MULTITUDES MULTITUDES THE MANY MULTITUDES OF MANNIX

Olivia Mannix entered the cannabis space in 2013 with her company Cannabrand, a full-service marketing agency and the rst ancillary cannabis brand. Long before the industry weas widely accepted, Cannabrand helped cannabis companies brand and position themselves. In 2019, Cannabrand created a subsidiary, Psilocybrand, to o er similar services the emerging psychedelics space.

As her company grew, so did her in uence. Mannix began speaking at cannabis and psychedelics trade shows and conferences, where her ambitions only grew. She was already a destigmatization pioneer in an otherwise male-dominated industry. But for Mannix, branding and marketing was the tip of the iceberg; what she wanted now was to directly contribute to the development of the naturally derived

medicines she spent the better part of a decade advocating for.

And it was when she was introduced to Geraldine “Gigi” Kuo, MD, a medical expert specializing in pain management and traumatic brain injury—with a particular interest in psychedelic pharma—that those plans would be set in motion.

Mannix and Kuo immediately clicked. “We are both go-getters and high energy and experts in our elds. It was an energetic t!” says Mannix.

Both saw the need for solutions in women’s healthcare; both were condent that psychedelics could help; and both realized their skill sets happened to complement each other perfectly. From there, Mannix and Kuo decided to go into business together, a dedicion that would soon begin to transform modern medicine.

Psilocybin is a serotonergic psychedelic that works in harmony with your biochemistry. It causes your neurons become malleable, giving you the ability to alter the fundamental beliefs and traumas that are otherwise immutable aspects of your identity. The idea is that, rather than concealing your illness, psychedelics reveal your true self for examination and change.

It is the single most effective method for getting to the true roots of mental disorder, and Mannix believes it will do more than heal—it will bring out the best in you. “It can make you realize how beautiful life really is and how lucky you are to be alive,” she says.

MJ finally discovered this for herself after doing her own research. She found other people with similar stories, many of whom reported that these alternative treatments were what actually worked. So, without the guidance of a doctor (hers had already given up) MJ sought these more natural treatments. She even tried microdosing, though she didn’t always get the levels right.

MJ, now 45 years old, says she didn’t think she would live this long.

CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION

We know more about PMDD now than when MJ was first diagnosed. But we are still missing the conversation about its most viable treatment. What if her doctor had told her about this breakthrough psychedelic treatment and had her sign up for a clinical trial? How many months of suffering would she have been spared if she knew she had more options?

Despite working against our natural systems and being unreliable in their effectiveness, antidepressants remain incredibly profitable, with the global antidepressant market set to earn $21.28 billion by 2025.

Felicity Pharma knows it must disrupt the antidepressant market to shift toward a more natural and beneficial solution for those in need. Step one of this shift is licensing its natural extract of psilocybin, which is currently in Phase IIa clinical trials. The first trial will be a single “megadose,” 25mg, which will take the patient on a six- to eighthour journey guided by at least two people—a therapist or psychiatrist will be one of them. Following these larger doses, Mannix and her team would like to make a smaller maintenance amount (a microdose) to extend and deepen the impact of the megadose.

Mannix has stood against the odds since the day she launched Cannabrand. As a woman who had to fight to be taken seriously, this push to deliver psychedelic medicine is not just business. This is personal.

Psylocybin is not the first powerful plant. Mannix knows it won’t be the last, and understands that by not fighting for better medicine and better information, women like MJ will continue to suffer needlessly.

Felicity Pharma is breaking down the barriers of women’s health. We will be heard.

WORTH A TRIAL

There are clinical trials happening right now to further develop and re ne this medicine, and they are speci cally seeking women and those with uteruses to participate. Similar trials have gotten extensive positive feedback from PMDD patients.

Learn more at clinicaltrials.gov

MANNIX HAS STOOD AGAINST THE ODDS SINCE THE DAY SHE LAUNCHED CANNABRAND. AS A WOMAN WHO HAD TO FIGHT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY, THIS IS NOT JUST BUSINESS. THIS IS PERSONAL.

Get Your Glow Back

A guide to winter skin care + cannabinoids.

TEXT ELANA FRANKEL

It’s that time: cold-weather, drops in temperature, precipitation, and wind. Brrr. Indoor heater? Dehydrating. Strengthen your skin’s barriers before the big freeze; boost your daily care routine; and break out of the seasonal cycle for skin that is healthy and hydrated.

“The skin is one of the largest organs of the body,” says Dr. Junella Chin, an integrative med-

ical cannabis physician. “It protects us against environmental damages and is a highly active structure in itself.” Our skin has its own endocannabinoid (EC) and immune systems. “So, as temperatures drop and the air gets frigid and dry (and your skin follows suit), the skin’s delicate homeostasis, from cell growth to moisture production and immune protection, can get out

of balance, leading to irritating conditions.”

CANNABINOID 101

“Cannabinoids standout in skincare products because of their anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties,” says Brittany Carbone, founder at TONIC. “While many cannabinoids share these benefits, understanding the difference between cannabinoids like CBD,

CBG, THC, and CBC help ensure you are providing your skin with targeted support where you need it most.”

CBD: CALM

A natural anti-inflammatory, CBD addresses inflammatory skin conditions, reducing redness and irritation, and calming down stressed-out skin. CBD also restores and strengthens the skin barrier, which is key

to locking in moisture, preventing damage, and smoothing out texture and tone. “CBD is gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin,” says Dr. Chin, “and can offer relief by reducing the symptoms of rosacea and eczema.”

CBG: DEEP

This mother of all cannabinoids can increase the process of lipogenesis, effectively increasing skin’s natural moisture levels and addressing dryness by spurring lipid (oil) production in the pores. Another effect: “During the winter months,” says Laurel (Lo) Friesen the founder, CEO and Chief Extractor of Heylo, “cannabis can help support the endocannabinoid system as daylight gets shorter. Cannabinoids like CBG, especially in combination with THC and CBD, can boost energy levels and help alleviate the winter blues.” Happy inside, happy outside.

CBC: SLOW

Brittany Carbone explains that this minor cannabinoid has been shown to slow down lipogenesis, making it a great solution for oily skin. CBC is also a powerful antibacterial that is effective in fighting acne-causing bacteria and preventing breakouts.

PRODUCT GUIDE

Green Bee Botanicals

Many skincare products fight winter dryness, “but only cannabis skincare works hand-in-glove with your endocannabinoid system,” says Green Bee Botanicals founder Bridget May. “In winter months when your skin gets extra dry, chapped, red or itchy, supplement the endocannabinoid system with cannabis serums, oils, eye creams, lip balms, and lotions. Cannabis skin care — especially when made with full-spectrum extracts to include as much of the plant as possible, including both CBD and THC — rebalances your skin naturally, and the relief is fast and effective.”

If you’re looking for an anti-inflammatory powerhouse, try Green Bee Botanical’s full-spectrum cannabis Renewing Serum. With 1:1 CBD to THC, this fast-acting moisturizer includes jojoba oil, which mimics our own skin oil

to quickly absorb and soothe all skin types, but especially dry ones. A true winter win.

consultant. “The rich yet light formula is super moisturizing and leaves a lovely glow.”

Heylo

Tonic Renewal Oil includes CBD, CBC, and hemp seed oil, along with rose hip, meadow foam seed, tamanu, and black seed. These ingredients work synergistically with cannabinoids by providing a diverse, balanced fatty-acid profi le.

Body Butter features CBD and CBG (along with a combination of shea, cocoa and mango butters. “I like to use TONIC’s Outer Space Body Butter after I apply lotion on chilly mornings,” says Kassia Graham, a cannabis

Dry skin can be exacerbated by an inflammatory response to dryness and the cold. Topical products, like Heylotion Body Budder, are used to moisturize or combat dry skin and prevent further inflammation. CBGeezus is an excellent strain to support energy and happiness during the winter months. CBGeezus, a 3:1 CBG:THC ratio product, offers these benefits without intoxication.

AGES AND STAGES

Risa Morimoto, founder of Modern Aging, focuses on products for winter and aging. “As we get older,” she says, “dry and drier skin is something to combat. CBD topicals like Commons salve or Planetarie’s topical salve (I love the pink grapefruit scent) help cracking and drier skin.”

FROM TOP) COURTESY OF GREEN BEE BOTANICALS; TONIC; HEYLO

Puff-Puff-Pass the Popcorn

Top hits for your next marijuana meh-movie marathon. TEXT

There are three categories of movies that pair nicely with marijuana. The first is the stoner film where weed plays a central role in the narrative arc, a genre pioneered by Cheech & Chong with Up In Smoke and followed by

their later spaced-out offerings. Other exemplars of the genre include Dazed and Confused, Pineapple Express, and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.

The second category is the visually or aurally arresting movie. 2001: A

MIKE DIPAOLA

Space Odyssey set the standard in this genre. Since then the rise of the superhero film has exploded on screen with epic feasts for the eyes and ears. Any stop within the Marvel Cinematic or DC Extended Universes will do.

The third category, and the focus for today, is the “meh” movie—not great, not terrible, but can be delightfully enhanced by herbal elevation. Here a few “meh” movie recommendations to get the ball and the blunts rolling.

Hollow Man (2000)

Consider the oeuvre of director Paul Verhoeven. (Robocop and Starship Troopers, don’t count, since they are in fact great movies with or without a cheeba boost.)

But Hollow Man is not so great. Critic A.O. Scott wrote that the story “can’t even muster the intelligence to be pretentious or the bravado to be amusingly bad.” Ouch.

But with a little weed, the film is quite engrossing, if a bit gross. There is some decent CGI (considering it was made more than two decades ago), an engaging narrative, and you get to watch Kevin Bacon’s skeletal and circulatory systems appear and disappear before your eyes.

One might appreciate these virtues without getting high, but why chance it? Try Cerebro Haze if you can find it, as there won’t be very much cerebral activity on screen.

Metropolis (1927)

Cinephiles will disagree with the inclusion of this Fritz Lang classic in the not-so-great category because it is (now) considered one of the most influential fi lms ever made. But not everybody thought so at the time. H. G. Wells described it as “silly,” the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction said it was “trite” and “ludicrously simplistic,” and almost everybody agreed it was too long at 153 minutes.

It’s got robots, flying cars, class warfare, gorgeous Art Deco sets, and all manner of old-timey sci-fi gadgetry. Whatever, it is lit. And it is well-lit for the elevated viewer. Pair with Pink Boost Goddess, because why not?

La Belle et la Bête (1946)

Not a fan of black-andwhite moviemaking? Well expand your horizons, because we’re offering another one for consideration. Jean Cocteau’s “Beauty and the Beast” (as it translates from French) features costumes and sets that are artistic creations, inspired by the likes of Pierre Cardin for the former and Gustave Doré and Johannes Vermeer for the latter. Even the Beast looks pretty damn good.

“Love can make an ugly man beautiful,” according to the voice-over narration, and a little weed will make this lovely film sumptuous. The strain: American Beauty.

Viva Las Vegas (1964)

Of the 30-plus movies Elvis Presley starred in between 1956 and 1969, some regard Viva Las Vegas as his best. It did rack up his highest box-office receipts. But “good for an Elvis Presley movie” is a pretty low bar, and as cinema goes it’s still mostly meh.

The problem: the King essentially made one movie, a rather bland romantic musical, and starred in it 30-plus times. Viva doesn’t stray far from the formula: Our hero croons his way to Sin City and becomes entangled with a smoking-hot AnnMargret playing a pool manager (unconvincingly but who cares?).

It is wholesome, easygoing fun and if you haven’t seen it—or haven’t seen it under the influence—roll yourself a blunt fit for the King and settle in. And the strain? There happens to be an AK-47 x Skunk #1 hybrid called Elvis. Thankyouverymuch.

HIGH-CONCEPT CINEMA

We get it; sometimes you want to watch a movie that’s actually good—maybe something from one of those rst two categories we breezed over. Well, we’ve got pairings for those, too:

STONER: smoke along with their heroes on the screen. They pu , you pu . We recommend any OG Kush.

SPECTACLE: the energy is on the screen, so go with a relaxing indica-heavy smoke. May we suggest GG #4?

Sensi-sational Evening

Resinate and Green Gold Presents Sensi Night went o on October 24, 2022 at Royale Boston. It was Sensi Massachusetts’ triumphant return to the venue and to Boston since the pandemic shut down events in the community in early 2020. Attendees interacted with more than 35 licensed cannabis brands and businesses who activated throughout the venue. Co-Market Directors Richard Guerra and Jake Boynton hosted and curated the line-up of local performers including Green Monstar, Minnie Clay & Currell of Tiny Trap Concerts, Saucy Lady, and a headlining performance by Cappadonna (of Wu-Tang Clan) with The Sensi Allstars.

SENSI NIGHT WHERE: ROYALE BOSTON WHEN: OCTOBER 24 PHOTOS: PATRICK ROGERS

“I looked at this as the most organized, classy, brand focused, and well attended event in the Massachusetts market yet.”

—Kyle Johnson, Educator and Customer Analyst at Revolutionary Clinics

Borderline Issues

Where do you go when your home state still has dinosaur-era cannabis laws?

TEXT MIKE DIPAOLA

The good news for New Hampshirites is that they are surrounded by states with recreational cannabis regimes either already in place or coming soon. In New Hampshire weed possession is decriminalized, but only for carrying up to three-quarters of an ounce; beyond that you’re looking at possible jail time. There is medical maijuana available, but only for a limited number of “debilitating medical conditions,” and only after all conventional medications have been tried. There is a reduced penalty for possessing cannabis-infused products purchased in legal states – if they are stored in labeled, child-proof containers. Something to keep in mind before you drive south to fully legal Massachusetts.

Live Free or Die denizens who live near the Massachusetts border enjoy proximity to a thriving cannabis marketplace. As long as they’re 21 or over, they can taste the fruits of the

growing and fully legal industry enjoyed by their neighbors to the south. Cannabis companies like Silver Therapeutics invite potential customers to investigate “Recreational Cannabis Dispensaries in New Hampshire” via their website, but when you hit the “Order Online!” button you’re delivered to a page listing a handful of dispensary locations – none of them actually in New Hampshire. Keep scrolling and clicking to fi nd “Recreational Dispensaries Near New Hampshire,” and then take your pick of sites close to the border.

Nature’s Remedy has a dispensary in Tyngsborough, which not only has a cool street address – 420 Middlesex Road – but is also just a few hundred feet from the New Hampshire line. Their parent company (national cannabiz player Jushi Holdings Inc.) is a little bit coy about targeting non-state customers. While they will happily serve the out-of-staters, there is a

reluctance to lean into the idea with overt marketing. However, nested in their website’s “Areas We Serve” section, the New Hampshire town of Nashua is noted, an outlier among the other 16 Massachusetts towns in the list. And the question, “Can I visit if I’m not a Massachusetts resident?” must be a frequently asked one because there it is, in the FAQ. Answer: “Yes! Out-of-state residents who are age 21+ are not precluded from purchasing Adult-Use cannabis sold in Massachusetts.”

Come on down!

Wes Ritchie, the co-CEO of Tree House Craft Cannabis in

Dracut is more upfront about wooing customers from north of the border. The Granite State customer base is “pretty sizable,” says Ritchie. “We do outreach. We are the closest dispensary to Route 3 on the New Hampshire line, you know, coming out of New Hampshire. So we do have billboards in the area.” Tree House woos people from everywhere though, with live music three nights a week and a very welcoming vibe, especially for LGBTQ customers. Ritchie says the intent was to avoid looking like so many other dispensaries that exude an “Apple store meets the DMV” expe-

PHOTO COURTESY OF NATURE’S REMEDY

Nature’s Remedy Exterior

rience. They keep track of their customers’ state of origin on a heat map, which has documented customers “from every state in the country except New Mexico.”

Not bad for a place that’s been in business less than a year.

Alternative Therapies Group, more familiarly known as ATG Cannabis, has three dispen-

sary locations, two of them – in Amesbury and Salisbury – situated nicely near the New Hampshire border. (The third locale, in Salem, was the very fi rst Mas-

sachusetts dispensary to serve registered medical marijuana patients, on June 24th, 2015.) The Salisbury site is close enough that one can walk over from nearby

Tree House Craft Cannabis Interior

PHOTO COURTESY OF TREE HOUSE CRAFT CANNABIS

100% Sourced from Mass Certified Industrial Hemp

www.baystatehemp.com 508.514.7411

Fullharvestmoonz.com atgma.org

Seebrook, New Hampshire; if you’re driving, ATG is positioned close to two major northsouth thoroughfares – Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1. Although conveniently located to bring in New Hampshirites, ATG is mostly low-key about it, letting customers know with a sign on the door that, while buying cannabis in Massachusetts is legal, bringing it across state lines is not, so take care of your stash.

We seriously doubt there is a Bay State dispensary closer to New Hampshire than Full Harvest Moonz in Haverhill. The women-owned and operated recreational

shop is tucked up in the northeast corner of Massachusetts, and it is steps from the border. Correction, it is on the border. “The corner of our building is literally in New Hampshire,” says the budtender we talked to. For a relaxing afternoon, one might take a post-dispensary outing to the very beautiful Winnekenni Castle overlooking Kenoza Lake.

BeWell of Merrimac doesn’t yet serve out-of-state customers but they’re about to, as they begin recreational sales in the New Year. They are less than three miles from the border, with the nearest NH town, Newton, a mere ten-minute drive away.

Although a whopping 74 percent of New Hampshire voters support cannabis legalization, prohibition still reigns here, the only state in New England not on the path to full legalization for adult-use cannabis. The state’s house of representatives has passed many legalization bills in recent years, but they all go belly up when they

reach the reactionary senate. There is some glimmer of light on the horizon, however. The Marijuana Policy Project, which tracks this sort of thing, believes the 2022 election could deliver a greener senate than the drab gray one currently in power. For now, New Hampshire residents will have to rely on the KINDness of its neighbors.

BeWell of Merrimac

Full Harvest Moonz

JOYIBLES

@JOYIBLESCO / JOYIBLES.COM

As one of the fi rst license holders in Colorado’s groundbreaking legal cannabis industry, Don Novak has seen fi rsthand how cannabis change s lives. For over a decade , Don and his team have developed THC products that have benefi ted both medical patients and everyday consumers across Colorado . Now they’re taking a sweet leap into Massachusetts and other new markets with Joyibles – a standout edibles brand inspired by throwback candies

What kinds of edibles do you produce?

Joyibles is a collaborative group of cannabis pioneers and experienced candy makers who’ve joined forces to create second-to-none cannabis sweets for discerning adults.

Our signature products include Joygum (the first and only THC gum in the regulated US market) and Joy Bombs Candy- Coated Fruit Chews, which have quickly become a sensation since their 2021 launch.

What was your mission when you started your business?

Our mission has remained the same since day one. We want to create better cannabis experiences. That’s why we focus on developing products that feel comfortable and familiar to use, especially if you’re new to cannabis. Edibles in particular have a bit of a reputation, because it isn’t much fun to have your day come to a screeching halt after eating only half of a potent brownie. With Joyibles we’re creating a more classic candy experience, with nom-worthy handmade edibles that are easy to share, pocket-friendly, non-melting, and perfectly dosed in bite-size pieces to suit everyone’s preferred amount of THC.

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

My father died of cancer in the 80’s. I watched him wither down to a fraction of his former self. He would have never considered using cannabis because of the blatant negative propaganda that saturated his perspective, but it

could have helped him immensely. In the last decade, we have helped hundreds of people going through similar situations maintain a quality of life that allows them to stay positive, disconnect from pain, relax, sleep, and maintain an appetite to nourish and heal.

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

I can’t think of anything more important than giving people access to better solutions for their health and wellbeing. As we move our brands

and products into new states, we want to share what we’ve learned on our journey with consumers and cannabis businesses alike. We spent the last 10 years helping normalize cannabis in Colorado and we want to spend the next 10 years making sure new operators don›t make the same mistakes we did.

Where can people nd your products?

Our Joy Bombs Candy-Coated Fruit Chews will hit Massachusetts dispensary shelves this winter.

We want to create better cannabis experiences. That’s why we focus on developing products that feel comfortable and familiar to use, especially if you’re new to cannabis.

to figure out where I would hide a big, ugly tent filled with plants. So it was just a pipedream of mine for years.

Then one day I got a call from a long-time business associate of mine, Vincent Bitetti. We worked together in the tech industry for years. A veteran grower and botany expert, he had invented a home grow system that was more than just hardware – it was an entirely re-imagined grow process. All it required was that you watered your plants once a day, just as you would a houseplant.

“I can handle that!” I thought to myself.

Even better, it had a small 2-footsquare footprint and was designed to look like furniture to fly under the radar, and it emitted no smell! A discreet, stealth grow box that you can stick in the corner of any room? I was sold!

Now Anyone Can Grow at Home

The Armoire grow system looks great and takes all the effort out of home cultivation.

For over 20 years I have enjoyed cannabis but, while I have always wanted to grow my own cannabis at home, I always assumed it would be too expensive and far too complicated. I watched other people growing and the

process just seemed too complex, with all the nutrient regimens, over-watering, under-watering, temperature issues, humidity, CO2, and other factors one had to control. Plus, there was a wide array of required equipment that I knew nothing about, on top of trying

We built a prototype and I gave it a whirl. I was nervous the first time we set out to cultivate a crop, because I had no intention of growing low-grade bud: I wanted to grow only the best. I had standards after all. The results blew me away! It was fast and easy, and it yielded six ounces of amazing Blueberry Bliss in sixty-five days. It was so clean and fresh! No pesticides, no mold, properly dried and cured. It was utterly amazing! That was four years ago, and I have never looked back.

We have taken our system to market with Green Goddess Supply and have shipped over 600 units of the Armoire so far. We’re on a mission to empower everyone to grow their own clean organic flower at home, and so our handson “Concierge Support Service” will be there for you every step of the way.

Green

Goddess Supply Cannabis Grow Solutions greengoddesssupply.com

“We believe that medicine shouldn’t just be for those who can afford it!”

Eric G. Robichaud, CEO of Green Goddess

Trulieve’s Cultivar Collection: Power to the Flower

The Company’s in-house brand of premium cannabis is elevating the craft for connoisseurs.

Thirty thousand.

That’s the number of seeds Trulieve’s cultivation team grew in its state-of-the-art Massachusetts facility as part of their initial hunt to determine flagship strains in the Bay State. Of those 30,000 seeds, only a handful made it through the team’s rigorous testing process to be introduced to Massachusetts consumers as Trulieve’s premium flower – Cultivar Collection.

Cultivar Collection is Trulieve’s artisan brand of top-shelf cannabis featuring unique genetics, rich in potency and flavor. Grown by Trulieve’s master growers and senior cultivators,

the Cultivar Collection represents the elevation of craft cannabis.

Trulieve’s grow rooms for Cultivar are small craft-style setups designed around individual cultivars, allowing each to grow in the ideal environmental setting. All this, combined with state-of-the-art LED lighting, allows the Cultivar Collection flower to achieve its full genetic potential.

Sought-after strains in the Cultivar Collection include:

GMO – One of Trulieve’s flagship strains in MA, it’s an uber-gassy hybrid that consistently tests around 30% with 2.5% terps.

Banana Bliss – First Place Winner

in the flower category of the 2022 Fyre Cup, this indica-leaning hybrid offers sweet banana and citrus aromas.

The Goddess – One of Trulieve’s newest sativa strains testing as high as 35%, it’s quickly becoming a staple for cannabis connoisseurs.

Trulieve’s other in-house brands include:

Momenta – Trulieve’s staple cannabis line for everyday wellness and overall well-being, the product lineup includes tinctures, nano tinctures, capsules, RSO, and a topical muscle gel.

Sweet Talk – Trulieve’s line of tasty edibles, including craveable chocolates and gummies infused with premium quality cannabis.

Muse – Trulieve’s line of premium cannabis concentrates and cartridges.

In addition to Trulieve’s proprietary brands, customers have access to beloved partner brands such as Bhang, Blue River, O.pen, Puffco, and Firefly, with exciting new brands launching on a regular basis. Trulieve was also the first to offer clones in the Massachusetts market and will be releasing their Clones Menu for Spring/Summer 2023 in March.

Visit Trulieve dispensaries in Framingham, Northampton, or Worcester, and follow @trulieve_MA on social to stay up to date on the latest launches and events!

Trulieve Cannabis Dispensaries trulieve.com

Time to Win the Battle of the Sexes

The i-Test allows home growers to focus on healthy plants.

Their vice president, Evan Friedman, is a member of several cannabis chemistry organizations, including AOAC CASP, which sets performance requirements and official methods for analytical testing labs, and the Educational Steering Committee for the Cannabis Science Conference. Friedman’s passion for the industry is helping to drive it forward.

If you are a home cannabis grower, then you intimately understand the focus, hard work, and passion it takes to produce healthy plants with great buds. Working with a limited number of plants, the home cultivator often spends the first months after planting hoping for an optimal number of female plants that will grow to mature adults. For a long time, growers have had to pull the males and hope their next batch of plants would fill the gap.

It is a waste of time, money, and effort that can be avoided nowadays thanks to the team at the Scientific Cell Company. A master distributor and solutions development partner for novel onsite analytical testing, based in central Long Island, New York, they have recently entered the cannabis industry with a simple-to-use solution. Their sixty years of experience offer home growers professional solutions that would fit with any commercial grow operation.

Scientific Cell offers the i-Test from Verne Bioanalytics for home growers to solve their own personal battle-ofthe-sexes problem. An easy-to-use, high-quality plant genetic or pathogen testing kit, it is a must-have for any grower. By being able to identify the sex of any sproutling you can quickly make decisions the moment the first cotyle leaf arrives, thereby avoiding weeks and

weeks of wasted time. Besides helping growers identify a plant’s sex, the same technique can also allow on-site tests for Hops Latent Viroid (HpLVd).

By bringing their professionalism into the cannabis space, Scientific Cell Company is hoping to promote the development and health of the growing cannabis industry across the country.

So, if you are looking to make your home growing a little easier and achieve higher yields, reach out to Scientific Cell Company for the i-Test. Make sure to mention this promo code SensiXY10 to receive a discount. Happy growing. Scientific Cell Company Cannabis Testing Equipment scientificcell.com

Sun, THC, and Sand

Camp Laughing Grass Jamaican Getaway

TEXT JEN BERNSTEIN

Say goodbye to your winter blues and seasonal affective disorder, and trade up for vitamin THC at Camp Laughing Grass’s destination trip to Milbrooks Estate in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Paradise awaits! While the trip is slated for next February, 2024, in true stoner fashion we should all start saving and planning for this dream vacay now.

From the minute you arrive at Milbrooks you’ll be greeted with every weed accouterment you can imagine, from bongs to rolling papers to grinders. Laughing Grass will have everything you need at the ready, complete with a full cannabis bar featuring five or more strains to choose from.

“Just like an open bar with flower, joints, and

pre-rolls, you can select what you want and light up anywhere outside on the property,” says Trinity. “I can’t wait for our private shuttle to the beautiful beachfront where we’ve arranged for a cannabis smoking area. Just look for the Camp Laughing Grass sign of the little guy smoking weed.”

Taking weed hospitality to the next level on this vacation seems to be Laughing Grass’s mission. There’s two cannabis-infused dinners planned featuring local cuisine; poolside infused drinks and teas; excursions that include Bob Marley’s childhood home and a local greenhouse; and a turndown service that leaves a joint on your pillow. Did somebody say sweet dreams?