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NORCAL SENSI MAGAZINE JUNE 2021
sensimediagroup @sensimagazine @sensimag
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FEATURE
30
Delta-8 Dawning
It’s the hottest cannabinoid since CBD. But is it really legal? That’s complicated.
DEPARTMENTS
13 EDITOR’S NOTE 40 THE SCENE Hot happenings and hip hangouts around town 14 THE BUZZ COMING HOME News, tips, and tidbits to keep you in the loop WE BE ROLLIN’ Try prerolled, sungrown craft cannabis. PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Cannabis treats for summer fun PET-IBLES Calming cannabis chews for dogs CUSTOM CANNABIS
Choose your own high. ADVENTURE ON Gear for
Documenting the battle for safe and affordable cannabis for our nation’s heroes CALENDAR Celebrate summer at in-person events around Northern California.
52 THE END Maxfield Bala transforms blank walls into stunning street art.
summer exploration
20 THE LIFE Contributing to your
health and happiness RUFF LIFE Preparing pets for your return to work RECIPES Shoogies sips and snacks MIDCENTURY MOD Jay Z’s brand reimagines the work of photographer Slim Aarons. HOROSCOPES What the stars hold for you
ON THE COVER
Veterans served their country. Now they need help to find healing through cannabis. PHOTO COLLAGE BY JOSH CLARK ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHY VIA ADOBE STOCK
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LOVE, LOYALTY, AND EXCELLENCE IN CANNABIS
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ADVISORY BOARD
NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD COUNCIL NCRMA Risk Management COLORADO Agricor Laboratories Testing Lab Aspen Cannabis Insurance Insurance Services Canyon Cultivation Microdosing Cartology Corporation Cartridge Filling Equipment + Hardware Colorado Cannabis Company THC Coffee Concentrate Supply Co. Recreational Concentrates Emerald Construction Construction Green Edge Trimmers Trimmers Higher Grade Boutique Cannabis Hybrid Payroll Staffing & HR Benefits Jupiter Research Inhalation Hardware Lab Society Extraction Expert + Lab Supplies marQaha Sublinguals + Beverages Monte Fiore Farms Recreational Cultivation Northern Standard History of Cannabis PotGuide Cannabis Culture Source CO Wholesale Consulting Terrapin Care Station Recreational Dispensary Toast Mindful Consumption Uleva Hemp Products Wana Brands Edibles Witlon Inc. Payroll Processing SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Accucanna LLC Desert Hot Springs: Dispensary EventHI Events Flourish Software Distribution Management Helmand Valley Growers Company Medical Infrastructure Specialist HUB International Insurance Hybrid Payroll / Ms. Mary Staffing Staffing & HR Benefits Ikänik Farms Cannabis Distribution Red Rock Fertility Fertility Doctor Wana Brands Edible Gummies Witlon Payroll
NEVADA Eden Water Technologies Water System Technologies Green Leaf Money Canna Business Finanacing GreenHouse Payment Solutions Payment Processing Ideal Business Partners Corporate Law & Finance Jupiter Research Inhalatation Hardware Matrix NV Premium Live Resin Red Rock Fertility Fertility Doctor Rokin Vapes Vape Technology This Stuff Is Good For You CBD Bath and Body NEW ENGLAND Corners Packaging Packaging Curaleaf Veterans Cannabis Project Flourish Software Seed to Sale Green Goddess Supply Personal Homegrown Biochamber GreenHouse Payment Solutions Payment Processing The Holistic Center Medical Marijuana Evaluations PotGuide Travel & Tourism Revolutionary Clinics Medical Dispensary Royal Gold Soil Tess Woods Public Relations Public Relations
MICHIGAN Aronoff Law (Craig Aronoff) Licensing Law Firm Cannabis Counsel Cannabis Law Firm Etz Chaim Attestations Grapp Lerash Michigan PLLC 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 Oh, Hello Branding Promotional Marketing Perry & Drummy Inc. Commercial Insurance Pure West Compassion Club Caregiver Connection & Network Rair Medical Flower Solutions by Dr. Dave West Michigan: Hemp CBD Helping Friendly Hemp Company Hemp Topicals NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 365 Recreational Cannabis Dispensary: Recreational, Santa Rosa Green Unicorn Farms CBD Hemp Flower Humboldt CCTV Smart Ag Tech Humboldt Patient Resource Center Dispensary: Humboldt Kushla Life Sciences Cannabis Formulation and Products Red Door Remedies Dispensary: Cloverdale Southern Humboldt Royal Cannabis Company Mixed Light Farming Sonoma Patient Group Dispensary: Santa Rosa Strictly Topical Inc./Sweet ReLeaf Pain Relief Topicals Superbad inc. Premium California Cannabis Uleva Hemp Products Vaper Tip Vape Supply & Consulting Wana Brands Edible Gummies
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Women working in cannabis deserve better, so
WE BUILT BETTER
JoIN Us
womenempoweredincannabis.com/join
EDITORIAL
Stephanie Wilson Co-Founder + Editor in Chief stephanie.wilson@sensimag.com Doug Schnitzspahn Executive Editor Tracy Ross Managing Editor, Michigan Emilie-Noelle Provost Managing Editor, New England Debbie Hall Managing Editor, Nevada Jenny Willden Managing Editor, NorCal Dawn Garcia Managing Editor, Southern California Robyn Griggs Lawrence Editor at Large Mona Van Joseph Contributor, Horoscopes 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 BRAND DEVELOPMENT
Richard Guerra Director of Global Reach Amanda Patrizi Deputy Director of Global Reach Tuva Hank Music Director, Sensi Presents Neil Willis Production Director MEDIA PARTNERS
Marijuana Business Daily Minority Cannabis Business Association National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy
EXECUTIVE
Ron Kolb Founder ron@sensimag.com Stephanie Graziano CEO stephanie.graziano@sensimag.com Lou Ferris Vice President of Global Revenue Chris Foltz Vice President of Global Reach Jade Kolb Director of Project Management ADVERTISING
Nancy Reid Director, Team Building, Sensi East Joel Bergeson Director, Team Building, Sensi West PUBLISHING
Jamie Cooper Market Director, Michigan Abi Wright Market Director, Nevada Richard Guerra Market Director, New England Nancy Birnbaum Market Director, NorCal Diana Ramos Market Director, Oklahoma Rob Ball Market Director, S. California Angelique Kiss Market Director, S. California
MEDIA SALES
COLORADO Liana Cameris Media Sales Executive Tuva Hank Media Sales Executive Amanda Patrizi Media Sales Executive Tyler Tarr Media Sales Executive NEVADA Pam Hewitt Media Sales Executive NEW ENGLAND Jake Boynton Media Sales Executive MICHIGAN Kyle Miller Media Sales Executive Leah Stephens Media Sales Executive
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EDITOR’S NOTE
Magazine published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC.
© 2021 Sensi Media Group. All rights reserved.
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Let’s party like it’s 2019! As Californians continue
to get vaccinated and COVID-19 cases drop, life is returning to a new kind of normal. The Golden State continues to incentivize vaccinations for the hesitant, offering cash prizes and lottery entries. But the best prize of all isn’t a free donut or a $50 gift card; it’s knowing that you’ll be protected as virus variants pop up around the world. With events finally returning this June, the LGBTQ+ community and its allies are planning Pride Month celebrations at destinations across Northern California. From Pride Day rafting trips on Sacramento’s American River to Pride movie nights and art installations in San Francisco, these are the first in-person Pride events since 2019 after last year’s all-virtual celebrations. Whether you’re interested in a Pride pub crawl, yoga class, or art show, find in-person and virtual events on our event calendar (page 46). Beyond Pride, our June issue showcases local cannabis filmmaker Matt Grimshaw, whose documentary From Outlaws to In-laws: The Heroes Harvest highlights the need for cannabis donations for veterans. California’s cannabis-donation program was shuttered by marijuana’s legalization in 2018, and the film shows how it restarted in the Emerald Triangle to help veterans suffering from PTSD and other post-combat issues. As the world reopens, we’re thrilled to continue sharing stories of the transformational power of cannabis and community here in Northern California. And, in the coming months, look for the return of the glossy print copies of Sensi NorCal that we all know and love.
As the world reopens, we’re thrilled to continue sharing stories of the transformational power of cannabis and community here in Northern California.
Here’s to a brighter, better, and safer summer, TWITTER Follow @sensimag for need-to-know news and views from Sensi headquarters.
I N S TAG R A M Pretty things, pretty places, pretty awesome people: find it all on @sensimagazine
Jenny Willden @jennywillden
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We Be Rollin’ Level up with full-flower prerolls filled with sungrown, craft cannabis. These aren’t your parents’ pre-rolls! Flow Kana flower pre-rolls are packed with sungrown, craft cannabis from independent farms. Each pre-rolled joint comes in different strains and sizes; choose a 1g joint for yourself, or a six pack of 0.5g pre-rolls to share. For a unique experience, try pre-rolls combined with live resin extracts from Flow Kana’s sister brand, Caldera.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF FLOW KANA
Flow Kana flowkana.com
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CONTRIBUTOR
Jenny Willden
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Decadent Delights
Cannabis Treats for Summer Fun
BY THE NUMBERS
282 FEET Below sea level—the lowest point in North America at Death Valley’s Badwater Basin SOURCE: nps.gov
Om Edibles Melt into bliss with OM’s Belgian Chocolate bars made with Feeling Frosty nonsolvent rosin cannabis. Choose from Raw, Salted Almond, Mint Cookie Crunch, or Peanut Butter Toffee Milk Chocolate. Each bar contains 100MG THC / <2MG CBD.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF OM EDIBLES, MARIGOLD LIVE SAUCE, PLATINUM EDIBLES
omedibles.org
Marigold Live Sauce This extract is made from fresh-frozen cannabis flowers sun-grown on the company’s farm in Glenn Ellen. Thin Mint Cookie Dawg is an Indica-dominant hydrid bred by crossing Thin Mint Cookies and Cookie Dawg. It has a gassy, floral flavor with a euphoric and relieving effect. iheartjane.com
Platinum Edibles Sea Salt Chocolate Treat yo’self with these THC-infused chocolate bars made with THC, sea salt, and 75 percent dark chocolate. Each perforated square is dosed at 5mg THC, making it the perfect treat for novices and experts. houseofplatinum.com
CANNABIS PET-IBLES
Natural CBD-infused chews help Fido fight arthritis and anxiety. Whether Old Yeller can’t climb the stairs anymore or your new pup shakes in terror when you turn on the vacuum, Green Gruff Black’s natural CBDinfused daily dog chews may be just the ticket to amping up his quality of life. These chewable pup pills are made with sustainable protein, like crickets, and CBD to reduce anxiety, stress, itching, and hip and joint pain. Available at 235plus dispensaries nationwide. Green Gruff Black / greengruffblack.com
17 BILLION The dollar amount spent nationwide on Father’s Day in 2020 SOURCE: statista.com
730 FEET
Height of Placer County’s Foresthill Bridge, the tallest in California SOURCE: sierranevadageotourism.org
WE’RE AT OUR BEST WHEN WE SUPPORT EACH OTHER. NOT WHEN WE CANCEL EACH OTHER OUT FOR OUR PAST MISTAKES, BUT WHEN WE HELP EACH OTHER TO GROW.” —Joaquin Phoenix, actor
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THE BUZZ
VOX POPULI
Question: As California reopens this summer, what are you most looking forward to doing?
MAYA ELISABETH
MITCHO LEGREAT
Founder, Om Edibles Oakland
President, Phytomagic Sebastopol
___________________
___________________
Definitely attending The Emerald Cup. It’s such a wonderful time of year to get together right after harvest and celebrate Northern California‘s finest cannabis. I love showing up as a brand and also as an individual to see our friends and celebrate the most amazing plant in the world.
I miss those good ole cannabis community events—even ones outside in the freezing cold. I truly look forward to seeing all my friends someday very soon.
SHONA LEVANA GOCHENAUR CEO, Axis of Love SF San Francisco
___________________
I missed being able to have my cannabis harmreduction group meetings and end-of-the-month dinners for low-income medical cannabis patients. We’ll be doing them in open air at Golden Gate Park, just to be safer for the rest of the season, for Axis of Love SF members.
VESTA COPESTAKES Owner, Sonoma County Gazette Forestville
___________________
HUGS. I gather vaccinated friends and we hug each other!
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” ―Henry Miller, writer
Custom Cannabis
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CARE BY DESIGN
New CannaCraft CBD brand delivers a tailored high. Whether you’re looking for rest, relief, calm, balance, or uplifting vibes, there’s a Care By Design Hemp product for you. Each type features a different amount of CBD relative to the amount of THC. For example, the 30:1 ratio has 30 parts CBD to one part THC. Each of these ratios allows you to tailor your CBD and THC experience to your comfort level and preferred high. Choose from tinctures and soft gels, each designed for targeted relief or effect. Visit Care By Design Hemp for delivery nationwide. Care By Design Hemp / carebydesignhemp.com
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THE BUZZ
BILITIES BY STEPHANIE WILSON, EDITOR IN CHIEF
Adventure On
Gear for exploring California this summer.
1 BONG CARTS. Did you hear the news? Bong carts are the new bar carts, and you totally need to get one.
2 OR YOU MAY ALREADY HAVE ONE if you have any piece of accent furniture on wheels where you store your stash in a decorative jar next to the water pipe you display like its a fine vase. It technically is a vase, at least as far as the dictionarians* at Merriam-Webster are concerned. 3 SENSI’S DICTIONARY OF CHOICE defines a vase as a “usually round vessel usually with greater height than width used chiefly... for holding flowers.” Sounds just like a bong, except for that “s” at the end. Bongs are for flower, singular; vases are for flowers, plural. Both will look great on the bar cart you’re about to transform into the hottest accent furniture trend of the century.
4 IF YOU HAVEN’T HIT A BONG SINCE COLLEGE, a) give it another whirl, but put some ice cubes in it first (gently, because: glass)—it’s a cool game changer; b) your bar cart could still use a refresh in prep for the roaring fun the 20s promise to provide. Despite what the name implies, bong carts aren’t just for bongs. Pipes, papers, grinders, stash jars, rolling trays, and other high-end accoutrements can mix and mingle with spirited accessories, books, and other objets d’art that you fancy.
5 YOU ALREADY HAVE A BONG CART, YOU SAY? Oh, you fancy! I like your style. And the world wants to see, so snap some pics, run them through a filter (I recommend “Food 1” on the free Photoshop camera app if you want to make your photos pop), and share using the #bongcart hashtag. Show the world what the cannabis lifestyle looks like from your eyes. *Side note: I have now known that “dictionarians” is a real word for as many seconds as its been since I finished typing it out, hit the space, and didn’t see a red squiggly line appear. So that’s fun.
Priority Classic Plus Bike Cruise around town and beyond on this three-speed, ultralight, low-maintenance bike. The grease- and rust-free Carbon Drive Belt rides longer than a traditional chain, and the whole bike is only 25 pounds. Includes kickstand, water bottle cage, puncture-resistant tires, and air pump. $549 / prioritybicycles.com
Thousand Chapter Helmet Protect your brain on bike or skateboard rides with this helmet featuring a concussion-reducing MIPS liner. A rechargeable rear taillight and interchangeable visors add to its street appeal. $135 / explorethousand.com
Lander Skateboard Whether you’re an old-school skater or a newbie, this lightweight, nylon board is a fun way to cruise around town. Made in Los Angeles. $149 / lander.la
Third Eye Headlamp Shine a light on dark trails with this made-in-California headlamp. The company offers a 100 percent return policy and will fix or recycle any returns or replace yours. $50 / thirdeyeheadlamps.com
Gregory Arrio 22 Backpack Stash water, a jacket, a first aid kit, and more in this day-hiking bag with plenty of organization. Includes a built-in safety whistle and patented reservoir system that is easy to fill and drink from. $90 / gregorypacks.com
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PHOTO BY CHARLES DELUVIO, UNSPLASH
Ruff Life
How to start training pets for your return to work. TEXT NATALIE RAGLAND, DVM, GUEST CONTRIBUTOR AT HONEST PAWS
PHOTO BY STEPHANIE WILSON
With quarantine restrictions lifted and more people getting vaccinated, many of us are returning to offices for work. This change affects not just us but our pets too. Natalie Ragland, a veterinarian and contributor to Honest Paws, shares insights and tips to help pet owners prepare their pets for life after the pandemic, shedding light on how pets are going to react when we stop working from home and go back to the office.
we realize. There are a few things we can do to make the shift easier. Here are a few tips that might help the transition for your pets, as well as decrease separation anxiety and unfavorable responses brought on by the change in company.
“If you have a pet, it’s time to prepare them for your return to normal— whatever that may look like postpandemic. And, according to some animal experts, it’s going to take time for them to adjust.”
2. Develop your routine. If you are given ample notice before returning to work, remember that most animals, including our pets, are creatures of habit. Pets know when you are due home and what time you usually leave each day. Reestablishing your routine a few days beforehand may be necessary. You can start by: • reestablishing walk times. • reinstituting normal feeding schedules. • leaving for the day and placing a camera in the house to monitor for any signs of separation anxiety.
1. Leave more often during the day as “D-day” approaches. As departure day approaches, leave your space more frequently. —CNN If you need to run an If you are like most errand or go for a walk, of the world, sheltering block out time away from in place took on a new the house to acclimate meaning because of the your pet to longer abCOVID-19 pandemic. sences. If you are going For pets, the extra time back to work in person with you has been welwithout much notice, comed. But, as we begin consider using a few vato trickle our way back cation half-days in order to working in our offices, to build in a daily routine the shock of absence may before implementing impact them more than your original schedule.
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THE LIFE
3. Look for signs of stress and anxiety. If your pet is more prone to being stressed out or anxious when you leave, watch out for such behavior as going to the bathroom in the house and destroying household items such as window blinds and furniture. Seeing these signs may warrant a call to a veterinarian or a tele-health appointment with a behavioral expert. If you are pressed for time as we are all these days, consider increasing your pet’s exercise to release stress hormones and increase endorphins, leading to longer napping times. 4. Consider in-home or daycare service. If you can arrange for someone to come to your home to either sit with your pet or walk your animal as needed, this may be the best option to start. Some local daycare centers for animals may offer inhome services and drop off and pick up. An even better option would be to have a relative or loved one come visit; coordinate the time when you will be out of the house so that there is some company when you exit.
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THE LIFE RECIPES
Pour Some Shoogies on Me Wow a crowd with these cannabisinfused mocktails and appetizers. TEXT JENNY WILLDEN
Pineapple Mockarita
Serves: 8 / Recipe by Shoogies / Batch total: 200mg THC INGREDIENTS
10 ounces Shoogies Agave (1 full box) 10 ounces limeade concentrate 10 ounces lime juice INSTRUCTIONS
• Combine the limeade, lime juice, pineapple juice, orange bitters, and Shoogies Agave in a pitcher, stirring until the agave has dissolved. • Add ice and sparkling water; stir to combine. • Fill glasses with ice. Pour drink over ice. • Top drinks with a pineapple wedge if desired. 24
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5 ounces pineapple juice ½ ounce orange bitters 1 cup lemon sparkling water 8 cups ice Pineapple wedge for garnish
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHOOGIES
Craving something sweet? Pair your sugar rush with a THC buzz using Shoogies. This California-made cannabis- and THC-infused sweetener is available in cane sugar, agave nectar, and baking sugar varieties, and it transforms everything from cocktails to baked goods. It’s portable and discreet, making it easy to add to almost anything. Here we’re mixing up infused mocktails and savory snacks perfect for your next party.
THE LIFE RECIPES
Pink Grapefruit-White Cranberry Sparkling Punch Serves: 8 / Recipe by Shoogies / Batch total: 50mg THC
ING REDIENTS
½ cup Shoogies Baker’s Bag Cane Sugar (approximately 50mg THC) 3 strips grapefruit zest 1 ½ cups fresh grapefruit juice, chilled 1 cup orange juice
1 ½ cups white cranberry juice (such as Ocean Spray), chilled 3 fresh bay leaves, plus more for serving 24 ounces club soda, chilled Sliced kumquats, for serving (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
• In a punch bowl or large pitcher, stir together grapefruit juice, orange juice, cranberry juice, and three bay leaves. • Rim the cocktail glasses with Shoogies Cane Sugar if desired. • Add ice, top with club soda, and garnish with bay leaves and sliced kumquats.
Party Nuts
Serves: 2 / Batch total: 30–50mg THC depending on the number of packets used.
INGREDIENTS
4–6 packets Shoogies Agave 2–4 packets Shoogies Cane Sugar ½ pound (8 ounces) nuts such as almonds, walnuts, or
pecans 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Garlic salt (to taste) 1 teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon rosemary
INSTRUCTIONS
• Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cool surface or cold sheet pan. • Add nuts and oil to a cold pan and toss to coat thoroughly. • Turn the heat to medium and stir continuously until warmed through. • Add 4 packets of Shoogies Agave (total 20mg THC), thyme, and rosemary. • Stir vigorously and continuously to prevent burning until you notice a slight color change in the nuts. • At this point, you can add an additional 2 packets of Shoogies Agave for more potent dosing (5mg each packet). • Stir until the agave starts to become sticky and clings to the nuts, then gradually sprinkle in 2–4 packets of Shoogies Cane Sugar (5mg each packet). • Stir continuously. • When sugar begins to caramelize and turn sticky, remove from heat immediately. • Pour out onto the prepared parchment paper. • Let cool for at least 15 minutes before eating. J U N E 2021
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THE LIFE IN STYLE
The Life and Times of Shawn Carter
PHOTO COURTESY OF MONOGRAM
A new campaign for Jay-Z’s Monogram cannabis brand reimagines the iconic photos of mid-20th-century American photographer Slim Aarons through a contemporary lens. This is a scene from the Life and Times of Shawn Carter, Volume Two. (Volume One, if you missed it, was that hard-knock life you heard Jay-Z —Carter’s public persona—rap about in a track that samples the famous line from the 1982 Annie movie.) It’s a good life, a high life, and the people depicted living it are good and high on cannabis. The image is the first installment of a threepart campaign for Jay Z’s (also known as HOV) new Monogram cannabis line, which launched this spring in California. The campaign is a modern take
on the legendary work of Slim Aarons, a midcentury photographer who built his fame by photographing “attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places,” as he famously described it. The photographs Aarons captured during the Rat Pack era have become synonymous with midcentury luxury, beauty, and leisure. Carter’s Monogram tapped legendary hip-hop photographer/ director Hype Williams to reimagine a series of Aaron’s most notable vignettes. Shot at the stunning Frank Sinatra House
in Palm Springs, the series has been cast with a diverse group of creative talents like Grammy nominee Chika, Ghetto Gastro, Curren$y, designer Aleali May, and model Slick Woods—all styled by High Snobiety fashion director Corey T. Stokes. The creatives are seen lounging on floats with Monogram product in hand, basking in outdoor opulence. The resulting imagery illustrates the dynamic, expanding landscape of modern luxury, and how it intersects with a new chapter in cannabis culture. “The percep-
tion around cannabis has shifted a lot since the 20th century. If you were to ask me and my peers how we’d define the good life today, weed would definitely be a part of it. Whether we’re smoking to inspire creativity or to celebrate an achievement, cannabis has a rightful place in modern-day culture,” says Williams. “HOV has a vision for the industry that he’s bringing to life through Monogram. His focus for this campaign was to showcase how beautifully cannabis fits into the good life today, and I am honored to be a part of it.” J U N E 2021
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Are you
‘Canna-Curious’? Get up-close-and-personal with 3 acres of sun-drenched cannabis plants
Happy Travelers Tours, we make Memories which last a Lifetime. Download your free copy of the Ultimate Cannabis Vacation Planning Guide and get ready to plan your Cannabis Vacation!
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THE LIFE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mona Van Joseph is a professionally licensed intuitive reader in Las Vegas since 2002. Author, radio host, and columnist, she created the Dice Wisdom app and is available for phone and in-person sessions. mona.vegas
HOROSCOPE
JUNE HOROSCOPE What do the stars hold for you? TEXT MONA VAN JOSEPH
OCT. 23-NOV. 21 earned. You have created your reality; you can change SCORPIO Yes, you typically like to or recreate that reality. You Be the ultimate politician have a plan. However, this this month. Recognize peoare still the hero of your is the month to see what ple around you for the skills own story. presents itself while you foand benefits they present. cus on what gives you peace AUG. 23-SEPT. 22 This is the month to seek and purpose. What you need VIRGO value, not to be cheap or will be easily found. The thorn is out! Past pain is thrifty. You are establishing no longer a reflection of your your long-term goals now. JUNE 21-JULY 22 future. It’s time to act as NOV. 22-DEC. 21 CANCER though all things are openAvoid highly emotional peo- ing up for you to have the cli- SAGITTARIUS ple this month because they ents, personal relationships, Handle high-maintenance are just a toxic void that and good vibes you deserve. people on your own and shield them from the peoseeks attention. Detach ple they bother. You are a from anyone who tends to SEPT. 23-OCT. 22 leader. It’s time to step back dump emotional baggage on LIBRA you. Ask them, “So, how are You will ultimately become from people you have no you going to handle that?” so skilled at a creative proj- power to change. ect that other people will JULY 23-AUG. 22 want to learn from you. Let DEC. 22-JAN. 19 LEO nature inspire you even fur- CAPRICORN No one can take away what ther. You are creating your You are being guided toyou’ve ever learned or future with your expertise. ward your priorities, and MAY 21–JUNE 20
GEMINI
GEMINI, THIS IS THE MONTH TO SEE WHAT PRESENTS ITSELF WHILE YOU FOCUS ON WHAT GIVES YOU PEACE AND PURPOSE.
they may not align with tapped for a project where what you’re doing now. It’s your awesomeness is actualtime to let go of anything ly appreciated. that causes you pain. Things MAR. 21-APR. 19 are lining up for the outcome you desire. ARIES Be open and imagine some JAN. 20-FEB. 18 people as though they are AQUARIUS a slot machine that doesn’t When you realize that no pay off. It’s difficult for you one does what you do exto stay still, so transfer that actly the way you do it, you energy to finally tackle forare magic. It is time to enjoy gotten home projects. what you’ve created and allow the big rewards to mani- APR. 20-MAY 20 fest for you later this year. TAURUS Your actions and words repFEB. 19-MAR. 20 resent the truth. Step onto PISCES that soapbox with the right Do what you love, be with group and keep expressthe people you love, and de- ing your truth. Your writer’s cide your next step based on block is suddenly lifted, and that vibration. You will be words flow from you now. J U N E 2021
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The hottest cannabinoid to emerge since CBD, DELTA-8 THC gets you high and is being sold as a legal product made from hemp—even in nonlegal markets. But is it really legal? That’s complicated. TEXT ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE
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DELTA-
DAWNING
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he deeper Flip Croft-Caderao and his sister-in-law, Kayla Croft, delved into writing their business plan, the more apparent it became: they would never have enough capital to establish and maintain a licensed cannabis business in California. Disappointed but determined, they refused to pivot from their dream. Instead, they sidestepped into hemp, a much more accessible commodity. They figured selling CBD and other nonpsychoactive cannabinoids would give them a good understanding of the plant and the cannabis business, and might even generate the capital they needed to migrate over to THC down the road. In early 2020, Croft and CroftCaderao launched Goodekind (goodekind.com) and sold a decent amount of The Notorious CBG Crumble and Hawaiian Haze hemp flower online. Then, last December, they added delta-8 THC gummies and vapes to the menu, and their business exploded. “Delta-8 freaking took off,” Croft-Caderao says. “Oh, gosh, it is crazy. It is definitely our top-selling product by a ridiculous amount.” Chances are good you’ve heard of delta-8 by now. Derived from hemp, it’s the hottest cannabinoid to hit the market since CBD, and its appeal lies in what it does that CBD doesn’t. Like its kissing cousin, delta-9 THC, delta-8 will get you high—just not nearly as high as you get from delta-9. And—for now, anyway—it’s legal (or legal enough) under the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill that allows hemp
“IT’S NOT AN INCREDIBLE HIGH OR ANYTHING, BUT IF I’M OUT AND ACTIVE AND JUST WANT SOMETHING TO GIVE ME A BIT OF A LIFT, I’LL PUFF ON A CART AND GET TO A NICE SPOT.” —One Reddit user describing their experience with delta-8
cultivation and production of hemp-based products. Entrepreneurs like Croft-Caderao saw a loophole in the Farm Bill’s definition of hemp-based products as having less than .3 percent delta-9 THC. The bill doesn’t address delta-8 THC, which is essentially degraded delta-9, because hemp has miniscule amounts of it—not nearly enough for commercial production. What lawmakers didn’t see coming was innovation born of desperation. Hemp entrepreneurs with a lot of product on their hands found a way to chemically synthesize delta-8 from CBD distillate, creating a new gray market that the feds are ignoring—for now—and states are just starting to address. Croft-Caderao sees delta-8 as a perfect blend of the hemp and cannabis industries. “It gets you high, but it’s also unregulated, so you can ship it to people and have an entire e-commerce platform,” he says. “It’s an entrepreneur’s dream.” LANGUAGE LESSON
THE NEW “IT” CANNABINOID By all accounts, delta-8 is fulfilling consumers’ dreams as well. It’s the fastest-growing segment of the hemp-derived product market, New Leaf Data Services reports, with U.S. sales of around $10 million last year. It’s getting a lot of attention—and that’s a little bit worrying for Erica Stark, executive director of the National Hemp Association, which is having a tough time coming up with a position on delta-8. “On the one hand, we’re still of the mindset that we literally spent years convincing legislators that hemp is not about getting high— and this is really undermining that message and, I think, providing some skepticism about what
“Delta” is a term used to describe a chemical reaction that requires heat as a catalyst in a process known as decarboxylation. The numbers that follow that designation show where the cannabinoids bond to the carbon chain.
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we say,” Stark says. “On the other hand, the CBD market has suffered with oversaturation. This is a way for farmers to find outlets for their biomass and hopefully recoup some of their losses, which might be a nice bridge until some of the markets even themselves out. We don’t want to shut the door on it or demonize it, but we don’t necessarily want to endorse some of the practices we’ve seen with products that are wildly unregulated and potentially harmful.” In June, the Hemp Industries Association announced its support for delta-8 based on legal advice that it was not a controlled substance under federal law. “Busi-
nesses, farmers, and consumers all deserve regulations that support the exploration of the hemp plant’s full potential,” says HIA Executive Director Jody McGinness. And of course, delta-8 has plenty of critics, both inside and outside the industry. The U.S. Hemp Authority, a third-party auditor for hemp and CBD businesses, refuses to certify delta-8 products. The U.S. Hemp Roundtable called marketing hemp products with any intoxicating value or euphoric effect “irresponsible.” The Roundtable is calling for delta-8 to be regulated like adult-use cannabis. Individual states are taking radically different and sometimes un-
predictable approaches to delta-8, just as they have with CBD and delta-9. A random consortium of states that are as far apart as could be on legalizing delta-9—Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont—have banned delta-8, and several more are threatening to. Florida, being Florida, is moving in the opposite direction, toward establishing a legal delta-8 marketplace. Texas legislators struck down a provision to make delta-8 illegal earlier this summer. U.S. Hemp Authority president Michelle Weintraub has not been
WILL I FAIL A DRUG TEST? When it comes down to it, THC is THC. Anything with THC in the name will show up as THC in a drug test and cause you to fail. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
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shy about how angry she is that delta-8 is muddying the waters of her “won’t get you high” industry. Stark, for her part, is annoyed because she never gets to talk about fiber and grain hemp, her passion, because delta-8 takes up everyone’s time and attention. “I love seeing farmers have opportunities,” she says. “But it does just suck all the oxygen out of the room.”
OFF TO A NICE SPOT Delta-8 delivers about half to three-quarters the high that delta-9 does, a space somewhere between THC and CBD, more body than head. It’s like drinking a Bud Light instead of a Long Island iced tea. Croft-Caderao says you get about 50 to 60 percent of what you’d get when you vape delta-9, but people are reporting they they’re not getting anxious or paranoid with the less-potent cannabinoid. “They’re saying, ‘I can smoke sativas again. I can enjoy myself without getting too high,’” he says. Reddit users describe delta-8 as a “productive buzz”—great for when you need help with anxiety or pain but can’t be intoxicated, and “like weed without the anxiety or introspective thoughts.” An occasional delta-8 smoker wrote: “It’s not an incredible high or anything, but if I’m out and active and just want something to give me a bit of a lift, I’ll puff on a cart and get to a nice spot.” That’s all good for users who have built up a little tolerance, but people trying THC of any kind for the first time (or the first time in a long time) generally have no idea how much to ingest. Because delta-8 is completely
“…THE CBD MARKET HAS SUFFERED WITH OVERSATURATION. THIS IS A WAY FOR FARMERS TO FIND OUTLETS FOR THEIR BIOMASS AND HOPEFULLY RECOUP SOME OF THEIR LOSSES, WHICH MIGHT BE A NICE BRIDGE UNTIL SOME OF THE MARKETS EVEN THEMSELVES OUT.” —Erica Stark, Executive Director of the National Hemp Association
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SO, HOW IS THIS LEGAL?
Here Comes Delta-10
In the new THC numbers game, delta-10 is up next. Another cannabinoid found only in trace amounts in hemp and cannabis, delta-10 THC is often mistaken for minor cannabinoids CBC and CBL. Like delta-8, it can be synthesized from CBD. Delta-10 has mild psychoactive effects but is said to be more uplifting and energizing than delta-8. Users say it’s more like a sativa, while delta-8 leans more indica.
unregulated, dosage is pretty much up to each user. Overdose stories are surfacing, surprisingly common among heavy delta-9 users who underestimate delta-8’s potency (or overestimate their own tolerance). This can be es-
pecially dangerous when it comes to edibles. Our bodies metabolize delta-8 the same way they metabolize delta-9, by turning it into 11-hydroxy THC, a compound that can be up to 10 times more potent than delta-8.
It’s not entirely clear that it is. The DEA released an Interim Final Rule, open for review until October, that states, “all synthetically derived tetrahydrocannabinols remain Schedule I controlled substances.” That appears to make delta-8, which is chemically synthesized, illegal. But the DEA hasn’t taken any action against companies selling delta-8, and a lot of companies are betting it never will. Stark says she asked Sean Mitchell, chief of intergovernmental affairs at the Drug Enforcement Administration, about delta-8 during a panel discussion, and he confirmed that any hemp product that is delta-9 compliant is federally legal. That’s just one guy from the DEA, though, and not a final ruling. In the end, Stark is as uncertain as everyone else about legality. “What’s our position?” she says. “I don’t know.” Croft-Caderao, for his part, expects the market to be regulated—if not outlawed—eventually, and he’s determined to make the most of this window of opportunity while it remains open. “This is the golden era right now,” he says. “This is something that gets you high that is unregulated and that is kind of unfettered.” He’s already plotting how to keep his business thriving if and when the feds crack down on delta-8. “Business owners like myself have to be thinking, OK, if this gets regulated, this is how I will be able to pivot and use the skills I’ve learned to enter the cannabis market,” he says. “That’s what I’m thinking about, because who knows how much time we have?” J U N E 2021
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Coming Home
A veterans’ advocate documents the battle for safe and affordable cannabis for our nation’s heroes.
PHOTO COLLAGE BY JOSH CLARK / ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHY VIA ADOBE STOCK
TEXT JENNY WILLDEN
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Matt Grimshaw didn’t set out to be a cannabis and veteran advocate, but once he fell down the rabbit hole of this important topic, he couldn’t escape. And that’s exactly how he prefers it. A documentary filmmaker with an eye for a good story, Grimshaw hails from London, but his accent sounds more Australian than British. This is perhaps because he’s lived in the Bay Area for 18 years and feels more at home here than in his native England. Grimshaw calls himself the “Documattarian” on social media, but he discovered his accidental-activist career by way of content creation, working as a freelance creator on YouTube. In his previous life, he worked for science and technology publications; when that career collapsed, Grimshaw stepped into content creation and began to teach himself to be a filmmaker. “I was building a crowdfunding campaign for a tech company that needed a video, and I learned to edit by watching YouTube tutorials,” says Grimshaw. “The crowdfunder sadly failed, but the video got me noticed by a cannabis YouTube channel called Monster Gardens.” As a Monster Gardens contractor, Grimshaw did everything from writing
“I was studying for my US citizenship test when I discovered the horrible truths about combat PTSD and veteran suicide rates. I was stunned, as I’d always assumed the VA took care of everything.” —Matt Grimshaw, filmmaker, VETSGROW
scripts to testing grow lights, all while teaching himself filmmaking. Through his work on a new cannabis grow show for the platform, he stumbled on a story about medical cannabis use among veterans. “I was studying for my US citizenship test when I discovered the horrible truths about combat PTSD and veteran suicide rates,” says Grimshaw. “I was stunned, as I’d always assumed the VA took care of everything. When I read the statistics, it exposed an epidemic.” Grimshaw learned that veterans suffering from PTSD experience pain, insomnia, and suicidal thoughts at high rates, but read that, for many vets, cannabis use can reduce or prevent these symptoms. Unfortunately, the continued federal designation
of cannabis as a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance makes it difficult for veterans—especially those who rely on Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare—to legally obtain and use it. Plus, many are on a fixed income and simply can’t afford the high costs of legalized marijuana. This information launched Grimshaw into work on a new video series called VETSGROW. “At the end of 2017, I decided to try and teach veterans to grow their own cannabis at home legally by making a docuseries about it,” Grimshaw says. “I want to make sure veterans have the right to home grow. I’ve seen firsthand how a relationship with the plant can change someone’s life, especially someone suffering from combat PTSD. Growing their own medicine helps them create a nurturing relationship with the plant.” Through this project, Grimshaw grew more passionate about the cause of cannabis access for veterans and stepped up his filmmaking skills through online courses. “I found out what I wanted to be when I grew up, when I was already grown up,” he says. “After losing my publishing career, I had to start again and fell into filmmaking by accident. I realized it J U N E 2021
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didn’t feel like work and wanted to make documentaries of my own.” Grimshaw is an avid watcher of documentaries, but an August 2020 phone introduction to veteran cannabis advocate Jacob “Big Jake” Lawrence set him on the course to launch his documentary film career. Big Jake was restarting a veteran cannabis-donation program in the Emerald Triangle that had been shuttered by California’s cannabis-legalization laws in 2018, and Grimshaw knew it was a story waiting to be told. He joined Big Jake in a COVID bubble to document the return of cannabis donations for veterans after the passage of Senate Bill 34 in 2019 made this possible.
“I’m the wrong person to be a veteran activist, considering I’ve only been a citizen for a few years. In a way, that makes me the perfect person to do it. But I want to pass the baton back to veterans.” —Matt Grimshaw, filmmaker, VETSGROW
“Senate Bill 34 created a loophole that reopened a pathway to free cannabis donations,” says Grimshaw. “But you still have to pay for licensing, testing, packaging. Most nonprofits can’t afford to do this.” Big Jake was the founder of one such nonprofit. Called MEDVETS and based out of Fort Bragg, the 501c3 organization offers cannabis donations and is working on new projects to help rehouse and rehabilitate
homeless veterans. Once Grimshaw met Big Jake and heard about his new cannabis-donation program, he was all in on documenting it. “I spent six weeks in a COVID bubble with Big Jake,” says Grimshaw. “We volunteered together at a charity event to get tested, after which I spent six weeks tracking this guy starting his new program, the Heroes Harvest, while meeting amazing farmers and advocates at dispensaries.” J U N E 2021
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Heroes Harvest is a direct farm-to-dispensary program for veterans living in Humboldt and Mendocino counties. All the cannabis is tested to create a safe, regular supply for veterans. This rebirth of the MEDVETS program is compliant with Senate Bill 34’s donation rules and places free cannabis donations in veterans’ hands through a partnership with two dispensaries in the Emerald Triangle. Grimshaw’s time spent with Big Jake became the subject of his first cannabis documentary, From Outlaws to In-laws: The Hero’s Harvest Story. The film launched in April and is available to watch on YouTube. Though it’s an hour and 20 minutes long, Grimshaw knew there was more to share and immediately planned a sequel. His next film, From Outlaws to In-laws: The Medicine Mountains
Story continues the story but takes more of a farm’s-eye view of the cannabis world. The other spin-out project, Mary Jane to Miracle: The Cannabis Science Story, was filmed in parallel and will look at cannabis’s journey from illicit substance to medicine. Although none of the films have “vet” in the title (to avoid typecasting the content), all center around sharing veterans’ stories and the fight to
bring them safe, legal access to cannabis. As a British-born American transplant with no military service, Grimshaw may seem an unlikely candidate to tell these cannabis-related veterans’ stories, but his lack of experience may just make him the perfect spokesperson. “I’m the wrong person to be a veteran activist, considering I’ve only been a citizen for a few years. In a way, that makes me the
perfect person to do it,” he says. “But I want to pass the baton back to veterans. The idea of training veterans to do what I do and tell their own story is very intriguing.” Grimshaw’s eventual goal is to train veterans to share their own stories, but for now he’s focusing on documentaries, with a goal to finish all three films in a year. Watch his films and learn more about his work online.
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THE SCENE
Cultural Calendar
Kick off summer in Northern California at these markets, concerts, and socials. TEXT JENNY WILLDEN
After a year of repeated closures and hopeful reopenings, Northern California is finally seeing the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel. The countdown is on for California’s full reopening, and with it comes the return of new and beloved events to our summer calendar. Whether you’re looking to laugh, shop, drink, or just celebrate, get out into your community for these exciting, in-person activities. 46
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Sonoma County Pride
Shot for Shot Wednesdays
Throughout June Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa sonomacountypride.org
Every Wednesday Flatstick Pub, Sacramento tipsyputt.com
R Street Tour
Wednesdays at Winn
Dates vary R Street Corridor, Sacramento localrootsfoodtours.com
Every Wednesday Winn Park, Sacramento wednesdaysatwinn.com
This Sacramento walking tour allows you to sample some of the best food in America’s farm-tofork capital and get to know the history of this corridor.
Wine & Sunsets Wednesdays in June Paradise Ridge Winery, Santa Rosa prwinery.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF LOCAL ROOTS FOOD TOURS
CALENDAR
THE SCENE CALENDAR
LEFT: R STREET TOUR BELOW: AN EVENING WITH DAMIEN ESCOBAR FROM BLUE NOTE NAPA RIGHT: PRIDE MOVIE NIGHT
Summer FriYAY Weekly Social
Upcycle Pop: Eco Pride Movie Art Market Night
Fridays in June Cakebread Cellars, Napa cakebread.com
Every Saturday Atrium 916, Sacramento atrium916.com
Free Museum Admission Days
Best of the Valley Wine Tastings
June 11 & 12 Oracle Park, San Francisco sfpride.org
Sebastopol Makers Market
Celebrate SF Pride at two film screenings at Oracle Park in cooperation Saturdays in June with the nation’s Silverado Resort & Spa, Napa longest-running silveradoresort.com LGBTQ+ film festival and the San Transcendence Francisco Giants. Theatre Company: A ticketed, socially My Hero distanced event.
Every Saturday Sebastopol Plaza, Sebastopol sebastopoldowntown.com
Various dates, June 4–20 Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds, Petaluma transcendencetheatre.org
Midtown Farmers Market
Music on the Merryvale Terrace
Every Saturday Legion of Honor and de Young Museum, San Francisco sf.funcheap.com
Every Saturday Between J and L Streets, Sacramento exploremidtown.org
Calistoga Farmers Market Every Saturday Washington Street, Calistoga visitcalistoga.com
June 4 & 18 Merryvale Vineyards, St. Helena merryvale.com
Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival Jun 10–13 Virtual event sebastopolfilmfestival.org
Wine Country Yoga June 12 Mine & Farm Inn, Guerneville Tickets on Eventbrite
An Evening with Damien Escobar from Blue Note Napa June 12–13 Charles Krug Winery, St Helena bluenotenapa.com
See this Emmyaward-winning violinist perform
live outdoors on the grounds of Napa Valley’s oldest wine estate.
Railroad Square Music Festival June 13 Historic Railroad Square, Sebastopol railroadsquaremusicfestival.com
Healdsburg Jazz Festival June 17–20 Various locations, Healdsburg healdsburgjazz.org
Pride 2021 Comedy Show with Jason Stewart June 18 Charles Krug Winery, St. Helena crushersofcomedy.com
The Cannabis Trail Landmark Unveiling June 19 Hemp Connection, Garberville thecannabistrail.org
Attend the unveiling of two new Southern Humboldt County cultural landmarks along the Cannabis Trail.
Self-Care Sundays: Spa in the Park June 20 Esther’s Park, Sacramento Tickets on Eventbrite
Fortune Feamster from Blue Note Napa
Summer SLAM: Showcase of Local Art Movement
June 25 Charles Krug Winery, St. Helena bluenotenapa.com
June 19 CLARA (E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts), Sacramento Tickets on Eventbrite
Osprey Days June 25–27 Various locations, Vallejo Event info on Facebook
Forest Therapy Waterfront Wine Tasting June 19 Riggers Loft Wine Company (R&B Cellars), Point Richmond Tickets on Eventbrite
Sacramento Spring Vegan Food Festival
June 26 Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, Kenwood sugarloafpark.org
Open Farm Day June 27 Various farms, Vacaville visitvacaville.com
June 19 Southside Park, Sacramento Tickets on Eventbrite
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ADVISORY BOARD NCRMA
Stay Safe Here’s what you need to know about budtender safety and OSHA compliance in a dispensary.
E
mployees are a company’s most valuable assets, thus requiring every business to have a safety program that aims to prevent injury and illness in its workers. In addition to the threat of personal injury, there are also financial reasons to keep employees safe, including direct costs such as lost time, replacing workers, increased workers’ compensation, and lost or damaged equipment. And then there are Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violations, which can exceed $136,000. OSHA and state agencies enforcing occupation-safety standards have begun writing violations to cannabis businesses. The General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety & Health Act of 1970 requires that, in addition to compliance with hazard-specific standards, all employers provide a work environment that is “free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause
death or serious physical harm.” The question is, how do dispensaries keep their budtenders safe and become OSHA compliant? The answer is to develop that program. The first step in developing a safety program is to identify a facility’s hazards. Then establish controls to prevent or mitigate them. While it is impossible to identify all hazards a dispensary may have, there are some basic safety plans that should be a part of every business. Hazardous Communication Plans protect workers from the hazards of chemicals. Identify and list all chemicals on site, ensuring chemical containers are labeled, and then keep all chemical-safety data sheets accessible to all employees. Training must be established to inform personnel about chemical hazards, especially training personnel who do special tasks such as cleaning chemicals. There must also be procedures to update and maintain the plan as new chemicals come on site.
Fire Prevention Plans must include a list of all major fire hazards, proper handling and storage procedures for hazardous materials, potential ignition sources and their control, and the type of fire-protection equipment necessary to control each major hazard. Emergency Action Plans must include at a minimum: procedures for reporting a fire or other emergencies (i.e., robberies and natural disasters); procedures for emergency evacuation, including the type of evacuation and exit route assignments; procedures to be followed by employees who remain to operate critical plant operations before they evacuate; procedures to account for all employees after evacuation; procedures to be followed by employees performing rescue or medical duties; and alarm systems maintenance and training. First Aid Plans should also be a part of every business and, at minimum, include adequate first aid supplies, a list of all local emergency numbers, and, in the absence of an infirmary, clinic, or hospital in proximity to the workplace that is used for treatment of all injured employees, a person or persons should be adequately trained to render first aid.
Category: Safety and Training Author: Alex Hearding is the Chief Risk Management Officer for the NCRMA, providing services including occupational safety and health training and risk management for the cannabis industry. To learn more about Hearding and the NCRMA, visit ncrma.net.
The Sensi Advisory Board comprises select industry leaders in a variety of fields, from education to cultivation. They are invited to share specialized insight in this dedicated section. For a full list of board members, see page 9.
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oCal-based PodTones isn’t your average vape. Launched early last year, this premium all-in-one live rosin vaporizer is the first of its kind. Featuring full-spectrum bud-only extract in four “Tones” that let you choose your high, PodTones delivers a prestigious, rigorously tested live rosin experience with true entourage effects. Not into the dab rig and blow torch? Co-founder and CEO Alex LeVine gets it. Taking a dab, and the intense high that follows, isn’t for everyone. That’s exactly why PodTones was created. “When I first learned about and tasted rosin, it was just clear to me that it was the best extract yet. And once we started making it from fresh-frozen hash, it was clear that was the ultimate extract—it was the actual flavor and high of the plant on day of harvest,” says LeVine. “But I wanted
live rosin. The extract is then put into the all-in-one vaporizers, without any additives, via a proprietary process that preserves all the cannabinoids and terpenes, delivering the best possible fidelity to the plant’s flavor and high in each hit. The result? You experience the full essence of the plant with a pure, delicious taste and a true entourage effect. While a young company, PodTones is growing fast and gaining traction across the industry, especially with cannasseurs, budtenders, and dispensary owners. PodTones confidently delivers a curated, full-spectrum experience—from sativa to indica, or more simply from morning to night— with each hit delivered at the perfect temperature and through a simplified, easy-to-use design. The company’s full lineup of rosin vaporizers—Up, Fun, Chill, and Dream—is available at dispensaries and via delivery services across southern California and up to the Bay Area. To find out how you can taste and feel the difference, check out PodTones.co.
to find a way to make the magic of live rosin accessible for everyone, not just hardcore smokers.” With an electrical engineering degree from Harvard, Alex used his expertise to design PodTones’ unique vaporizers and patented manufacturing processes. But he is also a master grower. “I personally have been cultivating in Los Angeles for a decade and a half now,” he says. “Starting in the mid-2000s, I was supplying the top-shelf at some of the biggest dispensaries in Hollywood, and within a couple years, I was supplying medicine to Snoop Dogg directly.” LeVine’s high-ranking clients are a testament to his expertise, and now, to the quality of PodTones. The product is made with organically grown cannabis flower, harvested at peak ripeness and PodTones flash frozen then extracted without Live Rosin Cannabis Vaporizers solvents to create 100 percent pure PodTones.co
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THE END
Mural Mania Maxfield Bala transforms blank walls into stunning street art.
If you’ve driven down Petaluma Boulevard South in Sonoma County, you’ve likely seen Sonoma—a colorful, collagestyle mural depicting the area’s agriculture, history, and natural setting. It’s the work of famed mural artist Maxfield Bala, who was raised and currently lives in Sonoma County. Bala’s love for painting and illustration began in childhood, but he was eager to expand the size and public interaction of his work. After a series of gallery shows, he began painting small mural com52
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missions in San Francisco in 2014. “The ability to transform a street corner, build community, and paint ideas at a larger-thanlife scale really drove me outside of the studio’s small canvas and paper pieces to building walls and scissor lifts,” Bala says. These small commissions rapidly grew to large-scale mural paintings across the United States and Mexico, and Bala was soon painting 14 to 18 murals a year. A favorite recent project was painting an old pumphouse at Sonoma Hills Farm, a premium craft
cannabis farm in Sonoma Valley’s Petaluma Gap appellation. “They really let me dive into my artistic style while I incorporated images relevant to the farm—like roosters, cannabis leaves, their classic farm truck, vegetables, and an iconic greeting from a Sonoma postcard—into the composition,” Bala says. His paints transformed this blank rural building into eye-catching art. View it at Sonoma Hills Farm in Two Rock and find more of Bala’s mural masterpieces at maxfieldbala.com.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MAXFIELD BALA
TEXT JENNY WILLDEN
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