Sensi Magazine Oklahoma - Fall 2022

Cannabis With Class...

Justice

PHOTO BY JEFF HOOTEN @CASEDGOD

“Growers tip of the day” Love Everybody

Carter Creek Cannabis, led by “Slim” and Icy Melts Solvent-less, led by “Senior”, are two of the finest brands to have emerged from the Oklahoma medical cannabis market. Our mission as a unified one, is “to improve the quality of people’s lives through the cannabis we grow and process”. This is why we focus on growing our cultivars as organically as possible and why Icy Melts only makes solvent-less infused products.

Making the cleanest cannabis products for the patients of Oklahoma is our number one priority. Our emphasis on clean medicine and the most exotic cultivars in our state has led us to meet some of the most talented breeders/pheno hunters in the world. Special thanks to Rasta from Beleaf Cannabis and Jay from Phresh Harvest for blessing us with our 2022 line up of amazing breeder-cut genetics. Chimera #2 , Peanut Butter Cookies 44 F2, and Sherbert Cream Cakes, just to name a few. Dropping in dispensaries all over Oklahoma on 4-20-22.

Sales@highsandlowsbrokerage.com https://highsandlowsbrokerage.com/ @cartercreekcannabis & @icymeltssolventless leaflink.com/menu/icy-melts-solventless/

It’s more than just a statement. It’s been our way of life and how together, we’ve grown great cannabis for over 30 years.

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

Gregory Frye National Contributor

Debbie Hall National Contributor

Hudson Lindenberger National Contributor

Bonnie Pipkin National Contributor

Will Brendza Contributor, Colorado

Christine Watkins Contributor, Colorado

Sara Brittany Somerset Contributor, Massachusetts

Eric Hoppes Contributor, Michigan

Elizabeth McWilliams Contributor, Michigan

Tracy Ross Contributor, Michigan

Matt Dinger Contributor, Oklahoma

Addison Herron-Wheeler Contributor, Oklahoma

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

Nancy Seidel Media Sales Executive

Amy Sharp Media Sales Executive

Tyler Tarr Media Sales Executive

MICHIGAN

Eric Lutey Media Sales Executive

Kyle Miller Media Sales Executive

Will Oostendorp Media Sales Exec.

Leah Stephens Media Sales Exec.

OKLAHOMA

Levi Clark Media Sales Executive

Samantha Grigsby Media Sales Exec.

Leidy Torres Media Sales Exec.

PUERTO RICO

Piper Emory Media Sales Executive

NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD

NCRMA Risk Management ADVISORY BOARD

COLORADO

Colorado Cannabis Company THC Co ee

Concentrate Supply Co. Recreational Concentrates marQaha Sublinguals + Beverages

Source CO Wholesale Consulting Terrapin Care Station Recreational Dispensary

Uleva Hemp Products Witlon Inc. Payroll Processing

MICHIGAN

Arono Law (Craig Arono )

Licensing Law Firm

Cannabis Counsel Cannabis Law Firm

Etz Chaim Attestations

Grapp Lerash Accounting/CPA Services

Great Lakes Natural Remedies

Lakeshore: Provisioning Center

Kush Design Studio Cannabis Facility Design & Build Northern Specialty Health Upper Peninsula: Provisioning Center

Pure West Compassion Club Caregiver Connection & Network Rair Medical Flower

MASSACHUSETTS

Corners Packaging Packaging Green Goddess Supply Personal Homegrown Biochamber The Holistic Center

Medical Marijuana Evaluations

Revolutionary Clinics Medical Dispensary

Royal Gold Soil

Tess Woods Public Relations Public Relations

Vantage Builders Construction

FIND US ON SOCIAL

MEDIA

Finding reason in theseason … to everything

turn, turn, turn. I’ve always been inspired by the beauty of fall. How Mother Nature dips her brush and paints a canvas of trees in a dazzling array of cranberry, golds, and greens. But as she stands back admiring her masterpiece, change is already on the way. From these breathtaking and inspiring moments of autumn, soon comes a time of reflection when the winds shift course and usher in winter.

With fall comes harvest, and a season of preparation. We dutifully take down our plants after months of tender care, then patiently wait as we cure and mature to perfection, and, perhaps in anticipation of a long winter, stockpile our headstash.

Just as we’re welcoming new changes in our grows, we celebrate the next evolution of the garden grown here in the pages of Sensi. Since May, I’ve had the pleasure of rolling up my sleeves and joining the talented team tending to the publication’s growth – and it’s remarkably true that one reaps what one sows. It’s an honor writing this letter to you knowing that under the guidance of the leadership team, this magazine will bear the cannabis industry’s fruit for many years to come – and I’m excited to see what each season will bring.

FACEBOOK

Like Sensi Media Group to infuse your newsfeed with more of our great cannabis lifestyle content.

So, as the seasons change, so do we. I hope you find pleasure and purpose in this annual shedding of leaves, and find a reason this season to turn over a new leaf.

Gratefully yours,

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

INSTAGRAM

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

Jen Bernstein @nycjamgal

Just as we’re welcoming new changes in our grows, we celebrate the next evolution of the garden grown here in the pages of Sensi.

VEGAS, BABY!

MJBizCon2022 draws the who’s who of cannabis to Sin City this November.

If you’re one of them, have fun! But don’t limit that fun to the showroom oor.

The largest cannabis expo, MJBizCon, returns, bringing the biggest and brightest to Las Vegas from November 15-18. Even with the best planning and squeezing in every moment to walk the expo, meet the canna-leaders, engage with other attendees, and gather knowledge, four days can be (almost) overwhelming. Along with the parties, valuable networking, and glitz of the Strip, this all-encompassing event expands boundaries in a mind-blowing experience away from the expo.

At the end of day, with your free conference tote bursting at the seams and your pockets stuffed with business cards, where can you go to decompress and find some peace and serenity? Fandom abounds in Vegas for those still obsessed with Princess Diana. Art lovers can surround themselves with culture, including art by Van Gogh or da Vinci, before heading back into the frenzy.

If you’re interested in exploring another side of Sin City, Sensi has uncovered some of the latest

offerings outside of the conference to renew your spirit. Join us as we peel back and discover the layers that make Las Vegas a number one travel and vacation destination.

BY KATE RUSSEL

STRIPPED BARE

Skip the insanely-famoussuperstar residencies in favor of these Vegas originals.

BILLION

US

LIGHT SHOW: Lights, motion, dance, and color create the show iLuminate at The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Skypod. Figures from another dimension, outlined in vibrant LED lights emerge from complete darkness, bringing enlightening energy of joy, sadness, friendship, and hope. The nightclub on stage, with rays of light and love streaming across the dark, celebrates the very human dance on every level. iLuminate / The Strat Hotel, Casino & Skypod thestrat.com/entertainment/featured/iluminate

RECKLESS ROCK: The Rat Pack played the Strip in the early ’60s. But with its residency at Sahara Las Vegas, the group Reckless in Vegas brings them roaring into the 2020s by reimagining iconic pop tunes as classic rock songs. Frontman and lead guitarist Michael Shapiro calls Las Vegas his hometown, which must be why the band so perfectly captures the never-ending energy of the city and the musicians who gave it life over the years. Reckless in Vegas / Sahara Las Vegas / recklessinvegas.com

TH

Nebraska’s rank among all US states for kind cannabis laws.

A World Away

Transformative yoga, art, golf and more at Area15. Minutes from the Strip, Area15 transports guests into a surreal, immersive playground with art, music, attractions, amusement, culture, and culinary delights. This is the place to see, touch, and feel.

MILLION

New Jersey’s cannabis revenue in its rst month of sales.

For the social media minded, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to take sel es against the backdrop of 360-degree panoramic views of the Strip on Lifto , an open-air balloon ride tethered to a pole that takes guests 130 feet into the sky. At night, surrounded by the estimated 12 million neon lights on the Las Vegas Strip in the distance, you’ll groove on this amazing creation in the desert.

Maximum number of grams of hard drugs— opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA—to be decriminalized in British Columbia’s 3-year pilot project starting in 2023.

Let’s face it: walking, standing, talking, engaging, and keeping it all organized can suck the energy right out of you. Trade the stress of the day with stretching, focused breathing, and movement to re-energize and rejuvenate, especially surrounded by the dreamlike environment.

Relax and revitalize with Yoga and Wellness with Dray. Explore non-ordinary states of consciousness, but do it consciously with Frequency Breathwork, modulated breathing that creates a psychedelic experience through the power and safety of your own oxygen supply.

Incorporate movement, meditation, and sound bath healing at the Sacred Lounge.

JONES SODA CO.; BY RUSSELL FERRER; COURTESY SUNDAY

L I F T E D L I Q U I D

For 25 years, Mary Jones craft soda has generated buzz by printing a fan-submitted photo on every label. Now Jones Soda Co. is creating buzz of a di erent kind.

A cold soda has always hit the spot, and adding spirits adds that tingle that tickles the tongue and the brain. But elevating that drink even further is a growing market. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global cannabis beverages market is projected to grow from $915.06 million in 2021 to $19.1 billion in 2028.

Mary Jones’ new infused sodas (available in Berry, Lemonade, Green Apple, Orange Cream, and fan-favorite Root Beer) comes in 12-ounce bottles with a 4-pack carrier to bring to a party and share with friends. Take a sip and decide for yourself if you’re ready for the zzy lifting drink of the future.

Mary Jones 10mg Cannabis-Infused Soda / gomaryjones.com

Lose the Blues

Weekends are the best and then … they end, and everyone dreads those Sunday night blues. Turn to Sunday Scaries, CBD stress-relief products to help defeat the impending doom of the impending work week.

Start your day zenned out on Vegan CBD gummies, or end it with Big Spoon CBD Sleep Oil inducing a refreshing slumber. Need both? Have your cake and eat it with the Side Piece bundle of each product. Cheer the coming week, enjoy the weekend, and chill. Sunday Scaries sundayscaries.com

(Check website for availability.)

After working the conference oor all day, it is totally therapeutic to go throw something to get the stress out. Release that frustration with ax throwing at Dueling Axes, featuring 18 throwing lanes and a full-service bar (just be careful with those sharp blades around your coworkers!).

Enjoy Five Iron Golf, an urban indoor golf experience with teaching professionals, golf simulators, and a full bar. Golf is back and bigger than ever! Embrace your inner child at Emporium by getting lost in new and classic arcade games (while imbibing like an adult at the bar).

Surround yourself with art and culture, including Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart, known as “America’s Most Exceptional Grocery Store.” In what appears to be a nondescript market, labels such as Impact Corn, Caltucky Freedom Glaze, and Americanized Beef will change that perception. Continue the surreal by entering into Wink World: Portals Into The In nite, created by Chris Wink, co-founder of Blue Man Group. Explore di erent dimensions that bend the mind as theatrics, art, music, and technology explode in cataclysmic layers.

The out-of-body inspirational experiences will motivate you to hit the ground running the next day, ready to expand your horizons in business, pleasure, and consciousness.

Step into this space and you step through a gateway into a world of inspiration and transformation.

Area15 / 3215 S. Rancho Drive / area15.com

Explore di erent dimensions that bend the mind as theatrics, art, music, and technology explode in cataclysmic layers.

Pumpkin Spiked Latte

Elevate your pumpkin spice and save some money.

Worshippers rejoiced when Pumpkin Spice Latte returned to co ee chains. But how about making your own and elevating it with cannabis oil, cannabutter, cannabis pulp, or CBD oil? Follow this recipe (special thanks to jackandbeyond.com/collections/personalized-cakes) for the perfect Cannabis Pumpkin Spice Latte:

INGREDIENTS

4 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground clove

1⁄2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 cups milk, dairy or alternative

2 tbsp pumpkin purée

1 shot espresso

1 tbsp sugar/vanilla extract (optional)

Whipped cream, cocoa powder, and 1 cinnamon stick (garnish)

Cannabis oil, cannabutter, cannabis pulp, or CBD oil (depending on availability/preference)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Combine cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutmeg to make a perfect pumpkin spice blend.

• In a pan, warm the milk, then froth with a milk frother or in a separate pan on the stove.

• In a mug or insulated glass, combine pumpkin purée, espresso, and 1/2 tsp of spice mix (set aside the rest for other drinks/recipes).

• Whisk until smooth. Add sugar or vanilla for sweetness, if desired.

• Add warm milk and cannabis product of your choice. Froth any that’s left over and stir in.

• Finish with whipped cream, a dusting of cocoa powder, and a cinnamon stick for stirring.

I

Want to Believe

Catch a glimpse of the most famous cryptid during the Honobia Bigfoot Festival & Conference.

Sasquatch enthusiasts and true-encounter veterans believe the legendary half-manhalf-ape once inhabited southeastern Oklahoma. That’s why those folks ock to Oklahoma’s densely wooded Kiamichi Mountains every fall for the Honobia Bigfoot Festival & Conference.

The two-day gathering features helicopter rides, a kid zone, crafts and food vendors, live music, and other family-friendly activities, as well as themed merchandise for sale at the Bigfoot Outpost. Admission is free (even for skeptics).

In the evening, guests gather around the camp re to hear tales of bigfoot from people who have had rsthand encounters. Guests also share bigfoot photos on social media while researchers—including Troy Hudson, David Wilbanks, Pete Bu alohead, and Shelly Covington-Montana—share new information and host Q&A sessions. Tent camping and RV camping with electric hookups are available by advance reservation only.

Honobia Bigfoot Festival & Conference Sept. 30-Oct. 1 Kiamichi Mountain Mission Campgrounds honobiabigfoot.com

ARTISTIC GLASS

MOVEMENT

Chihuly Then and Now gleams in exhibition. Artist Dale Chihuly revolutionized the studio glass medium, elevating perceptions about working in glass. Dale Chihuly: An Inaugural Exhibition opened in the new home of Oklahoma City Museum of Art on March 16, 2002. Chihuly Then and Now: The Collection at Twenty at the museum displays artwork new to Oklahoma City. Rotolo and Merletto, two of Chihuly’s most recent glass series, along with Ikebana Boat and a newly designed Oklahoma Persian Ceiling, celebrate the artist and his works. Today OKCMOA is home to one of the world’s largest public collections of Chihuly glass. Media used by Chihuly includes glass, plastic, water, and ice. In addition, he developed Polyvitro polymer, similar to resin and weighing less than glass, offering a different medium to create his unique works. Chihuly Studio supports the artist’s vision of experiences that momentarily shift reality and liberate the imagination.

Chihuly Then and Now: The Collection at Twenty / Oklahoma City Museum of Art 415 Couch Drive / Ends June 23, 2024 / okcmoa.com

Bargain Brand

How to thrift your Cheech and Chong costume this Halloween.

Cheech Marin: rocked a ’70s porn-star mustache and wore a skull cap atop his long, dark-brown locks that owed to the collar. His wife-beater tees were too small, exposing his midri but nicely framed by red suspenders.

Tommy Chong: wore silver wire-rimmed glasses with circular lenses, and pulled back his long(ish) brunette hair with a red bandana. He had a full beard but if you don’t, tape or pencil one to your face. He favored denim shirts and jeans or a solid-colored tee paired with a wild Hawaiian-print shirt. A patchwork vest seals the deal.

The changing colors of foliage, the cooler temperatures, and the scent of pumpkins (maybe in a latte) signal the fall season in Oklahoma. Take a scenic drive, hike in a recreational area or relax at one of the many lakes. Celebrate a bountiful autumn harvest, visit pumpkin patches and corn eld mazes, and rejoice.

An Abundance of Choices

77 Extracts has you covered with some of the best products in Oklahoma.

or know more about,” says Shane Shriver, the owner of 77 Extracts. “While we’re still going to be active on Instagram, we have moved a large portion of our online presence to 77extracts.com and are looking forward to interacting with people there.”

From the moment the first drops flowed in 2019, 77 Extracts established itself as one of the preeminent cannabis companies in Oklahoma. Taking pride in their clear differentiation and branding of strains, premier industry partners, and specific techniques and mediums used in the extraction process, they have shown that their products deliver precisely what they promise. After three years of working with and for Oklahoma’s patients, growers, and processors, they are making some exciting changes that should bring even more smiles to the Sooner State.

First, they have launched a new website to help loyal consumers quickly locate products. This will enable 77 Extracts to continue providing patients with quality products at fair prices, as well as information on what variables go into creating the products they see on the shelves and enjoy. The website will have continually updated product menus, drop locations and dates, lists of vendors across the state, events, and available merchandise.

“As many know too well, social media platforms don’t make it easy to pass certain information to consumers, creating a gap between customers and the companies they’d like to support

In addition to the extracts and edible products they’re known for, they have also recently added premium indoor flower to the menus. The new strains ensure a constantly rotating menu that keeps the favorites around while providing exciting new options to explore.

So if you want to score some of the finest concentrates, flower, and edibles in the state, head to 77 Extracts website to put together your shopping list. Then find a dispensary near you to fill a bag with some excellent products – and drop a line to tell these maestros what you think.

77 Extracts Cannabis Brand 77extracts.com

Pot in the Polls

State Question 820 is the adult-use legalization initiative that’s been gaining traction and support. But will it be on your ballot this November?

TEXT MATT DINGER

On a June day in 2018, nearly 900,000 Oklahomans packed the polls, many coming to vote on only one item on the ballot: State Question 788, legalization of medical cannabis. Nearly 57 per-

cent of voters approved the measure, making Oklahoma the 30th state to offer medical cannabis.

But getting adult-use— or recreational—cannabis onto the ballot has proven to be quite the fight, with

numerous measures advancing with some degree of success but none having yet been put to a vote.

As of fall 2022, the only one of the myriad ballot initiative petitions that has made it through the

signature-gathering phase is State Question 820.

“Yes On 820” is backed by New Approach, a political action committee founded in 2014 in Washington, DC with the aim of legalizing both medical

and recreational marijuana. Early attempts were made under the State Question 806 and State Question 807, with the latter making it to the signature-gathering phase in summer 2020. But the pandemic waylaid efforts and the petition was eventually withdrawn.

“In January, we refiled the petition,” said Michelle Tilley, Yes On 820 campaign manager and the petitioner for SQ820. “The legislature has come

not be printed on the November ballot due to a purported missed deadline for printing.

The Wait Isn’t Over

The problem arose because the state dragged its feet verifying voter signatures. The Yes On 820 campaign expected the count to take five to seven days. Instead it took 48.

meeting some arbitrary deadline should not stop the people from voting on it when we have followed the process to the hilt,” Tilley said.

a long way as far as their general mood on cannabis, so we thought that it’s easier for a legalization program to come alongside the current medical program as it is moving forward, as opposed to scrapping everything to start all over again.”

By the end of August, SQ820 was headed for the final step—a 10-day open challenge period—until it hit an unexpected snag. The state election board secretary announced that the measure will

“We collected over 164,000 signatures in about 60 days.... The legislature in 2020 adopted a new process to require a different way of counting. In the past, it’s been a hand-count and this time it was done with a new software by a vendor,”

Tilley said.

State statute says that petition initiative questions must be put to a vote on the next general election ballot once the process is completed, but steps ensuring that process is handled in a quick, efficient manner are not safeguarded by the law.

“Just because we’re not

If SQ820 does not make it on the ballot this November, it could take until 2024 before it gets its day at the polls. Such delays will affect people found in possession of cannabis products without a license.

“People have come around. They understand what marijuana is,

who have had that on their record in the past. And believe it or not, there’s still people sitting in jail for this stuff—we estimate about 20,000 people—so this is a real game changer,” she said.

Learning From Our Mistakes

and it’s ridiculous for us to have laws that are so harsh and ruining people’s lives,” Tilley said.

In addition to removing criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of cannabis, SQ820 also provides expanded remedies pursuant to other criminal justice reforms that have already been passed by ballot initiative petitions and put to a vote.

“Our petition does provide for an easy expungement process for people

The major difference between the current medical program and recreational cannabis will be the adultuse tax rate of 15 percent. The excise tax for retail medical marijuana sales is currently seven percent before state and local sales taxes, the combined revenue of which brought in nearly $50 million in 2019, the first full year of the program. In 2020, that number jumped to more than $127 million and nearly $150 million the following year. For the first seven months of 2022, more than $76 million in tax revenue has already been collected, according to the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority.

“People have come around. They understand what marijuana is, and it’s ridiculous for us to have laws that are so harsh and ruining people’s lives.”

—Michelle Tilley, Campaign Manager for “Yes On 820”

Tilley also said that seeing revenues from the cannabis industry has only increased its popularity across political lines. “We had signatures from all 77 counties, all the parties, all ages. I was really excited when I saw the statistics from people that had signed because it’s not a specialized group of anyone. It’s everyone,” Tilley said.

There are currently more than 383,000 licensed patients in the state—up 7,000 from the previous year—but that’s still under 10 percent of Oklahoma residents who are allowed to patronize dispensaries.

Some fear a recreational market will wash out medical businesses and open the doors for out-ofstate operators to flood the industry with companies with deep pockets and eradicate the momand-pop shops. But industry attitudes are shifting.

“From what I hear from

our membership, people want it done, but they want it done responsibly,” Oklahoma Cannabis Industry Association Membership Director and Administrator Kalin Bellmard said. “They want the program to not be how [SQ]788 was where we’ve had to build an airplane in the air to quote [former OCIA Executive Director]

Bud Scott. They want it to be more comprehensive from the beginning, it seems. They don’t want to have to deal with constant

oversight. At the same time, those following the law suffered financially for acting in good faith.

“Expanding the market is only going to help businesses. It just needs to be done in a manner in which we’re still providing good, clean quality products to patients and consumers. If we can minimize the impact of problems that we dealt with before, that we don’t have to deal with in the future,

change, like big structural changes, happening as we move forward.”

SQ788 created a skeletal framework for the medical cannabis industry, but there was little regulation in the beginning. Most notably, there was a lack of testing and enforcement, leading to illicit operations and products moving freely across state lines, allowing bad actors to rake in enormous profits without

I’m all for it. We just have to make sure we’re paying attention,” Bellmard said.

Not Without Its Flaws Jed Green is the director of Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action. This year, he challenged SQ820 on the basis of the single-subject rule, which means that an initiative petition must not put two distinct issues—in this case recreational cannabis and criminal justice re-

“Expanding the market is only going to help businesses. It just needs to be done in a manner in which we’re still providing good, clean quality products to patients and consumers.”

—Kalin Bellmard, Oklahoma Cannabis Industry Association Membership Director/Administrator

form—on the same ballot question. The challenge was unsuccessful. “I like what a [SQ]820 is doing with the retroactive criminal justice reform, but I believe that the legalization, the particulars of the marijuana law side are a debacle and will harm our medical marijuana program…. Fundamentally, I believe that marijuana is marijuana. The only difference between medical and recreational use is the intent of the consumer. It’s that simple. And so for that reason, while I support criminal justice reform, I don’t support the marijuana policy. We’ve seen that type of policy be very bad for other states, and I believe it will be bad here as well,” he said.

Green plans to regroup and do some fundraising before filing another ballot initiative petition. There is a lot of support for ORCA’s version of a state recreational cannabis program, he said.

The Takeaway

Regardless of which initiatives make it to the ballot, there is a large and growing contingent of people who have already pledged to vote for any recreational cannabis or criminal justice reform measure pertaining to marijuana possession. “If rec passes, there’s going to be growing pains like

SQ820 Ballot Title

This measure creates a state law legalizing recreational use marijuana for persons 21 or older. Marijuana use and possession remain crimes under federal law. The export of marijuana from Oklahoma is prohibited.

The law will have a fiscal impact on the State. The Oklahoma Tax Commission will collect a 15% excise tax on recreational use sales, above applicable sales taxes. Excise tax revenues will fund implementation of the law, with any surplus revenues going to public school programs to address substance abuse and improve student retention (30%), the General Revenue Fund (30%), drug addiction treatment programs (20%), courts (10%), and local governments (10%).

The law limits certain marijuana-related conduct and establishes quantity limits, safety standards, restriction, and penalties for violations.

A local government may prohibit or restrict recreational marijuana use on the property of the local government and regulate the time, place, and manner of the op-

eration of marijuana businesses within its boundaries. However, a local government may not limit the number of, or completely prohibit, such businesses. Persons who occupy, own, or control private property may prohibit or regulate marijuana-related conduct, except that a lease agreement may not prohibit a tenant from lawfully possessing and consuming marijuana by means other than smoking. The law does not a ect an employer’s ability to restrict employee marijuana use.

For the first two years, marijuana business licenses are available only to existing licensees in operation one year or more. The law does not a ect the rights of medical marijuana patients or licensees.

The law requires resentencing, reversing, modifying, and expunging certain prior marijuana-related judgements and sentences unless the State proves an unreasonable risk to a person. The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority is authorized to administer and enforce the law.

there is with everything else, but I think that we’ve got enough experience under our belt as a state and an industry, that a lot of the problems we saw with [SQ]788, we’re not going to have those

problems with [SQ]820,” Bellmard said.

“We always knew this was gonna be a battle, we always knew this was gonna be a fight. And I mean, we’ve built up our resources. We’ve built up our sup-

port. That’s what we’ve been doing since 2019 and we’ll keep doing it until we have legalized marijuana in Oklahoma … We’re going to have a vote on this. It is happening, I promise you,” Tilley said.

RetroBlakesberg

Take a little trip, take a little trip, take a little trip with Sensi as we talk to counterculture rock photographer Jay Blakesberg about his latest visual journey.

TEXT JEN BERNSTEIN

Rock and roll fans, roll up! The coolest, most introspective, mind-altering, and turned-on personal journey is finally claiming its right on the counterculture hall of fame bookshelf. Renowned pop culture photographer Jay Blakesberg’s autobiographical magical mystery of tales, RetroBlakesberg: Volume One: The Film Archives pulls from four deliciously decadent decades, including drug-fu-

eled adventures in images, spanning from Blakesberg’s first foray into photography as a high-school hippie in the ’70s through his switch to digital photography in 2008.

With each of the four chapters devoted to a decade and kicking off with an engaging essay and chronic-le of the time, we’re treated to an intimate look at Blakesberg’s own long, strange trip through visual eye candy of hangs with

friends, rock ‘n’ roll icons of the day, and the scenesters, parties, and wild adventures that inspired and led Blakesberg to be the top-tier photographer he is today.

Dazzling images of the Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snoop Dogg, among many others are on display in these pages for all to ogle, along with a special foreword by Flaming Lips frontman

Wayne Coyne and introduction by musician Michael Franti.

Sensi caught up with Jay Blakesberg, just as he was getting back to SF from shooting the music festival Borderland, to ask him what prompted him to turn the lens around on himself and share the intimacies of his rock star photog journey… and, obviously, what’s with all these cool memories of good times with weed?

What’s it like documenting your personal journey and professional work and turning the tables for everyone to see?

I didn’t set out to chronicle my life; I just wanted to capture the cool moments I was experiencing…somehow it all intersected and I was blessed enough to make this my job, and document this weird sliver of pop culture that all us live music freaks are consumed with and now 44 years later, here we have it!

How does your relationship with weed impact you, your life, and live music photography?

Ever heard the phrase “Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll”? Well, when we were 16 we had lots of drugs. It was mostly weed, LSD, lots of rock and roll—but no sex!

There’s photos of you with bongs, and you’ve taken shots of musicians with weed. Was it ever taboo? Now that weed is legal, do you feel different about sharing these personal photos?

I embrace my youth, and the shit we did. We lived by the rule of “adolescent stupidity”: do as much dumb shit as possible, and try not to die.

I think society can deal more now with seeing pictures of people smoking weed back in the 1970s then they could then…also, they weren’t really “retro” in 1982… now they are!

What do you think of where the cannabis industry is now compared to when you were growing up? When I was a teenager in the 1970s and smoking lots of $45-an-

ounce Colombian weed (some of it was so good you could hallucinate)… if you got caught you could do real jail time. If your parents caught you, they thought you were insane and needed to be committed, or maybe go to counseling. It was a different time, but we related to the outlaws we read about in books like The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test, and on screen in Easy Rider, or Vanishing Point. We didn’t want to be Mark Zuckerberg, we wanted to be Dennis Hopper or a Merry Prankster!

What do you hope the takeaway is for younger generations who find your work?

I want younger generations to look at my work and be inspired. Take that inspiration and continue the tradition of documenting the Long Strange Trip.

SENSIMAG.COM

EXCLUSIVE

Read Sensi’s interview with Blakesberg’s daughter, Ricki, who curated @Retroblakesberg at the beginning of the pandemic and had the vision for the RetroBlakesberg book project (plus more highlights from our interview with Jay) on our website.

Becoming Willy Wonka

Magical Brands lets you create your own edibles at home.

consumers can design edibles with dosages of THC and CBD appropriate to their needs, unlike at their local dispensaries where such things are static and controlled by the state.

On top of all that, Magical has a huge online database of cannabis recipes with easy to follow step-by-step instructions and videos. Consumers can make their own sleep aids, for example, or simply host a most memorable dinner party. Freedom is at hand.

One of the largest and most innovative cannabis companies around not only helps you fully enjoy the benefits of edible cannabis, it also will make you more popular with people in your circle. Here’s the kicker: they don’t offer cannabis-based products; instead they allow you the opportunity to make craft-batch consumables from the comfort of your own home.

We are talking about Magical Brands, the nine-year-old company that has revolutionized the world of edibles. With products available in 22 countries, it’s become a must-have for

any cannabis connoisseur. With the MB2e MagicalButter Machine, you’ll agree it has never been this easy to DIY, from infused sauces to delectable desserts and everything in between.

Magical is the answer for both amateur and professional culinary practitioners to quickly elevate their kitchen game.

“Magical Brands is successful because we care about the customer. We help patients live a happier and healthier life. When you call us, we answer, and it is our pleasure to serve you.”

The medicinal benefits of making your own edibles cannot be overstated. Using Magical’s innovative system,

Magical Brands Edibles made easy magicalbutter.com

Stephanie Shepard shares her story of unjusti ed incarceration, and how she now ghts for those imprisoned for crimes that are no longer criminal.

TEXT BONNIE PIPKIN

Stephanie Shepard is not a drug dealer. She is a woman who enjoys cannabis and who has a big, bright smile despite everything she’s been through. She is a collector of hats who embraces the simple and beautiful moments of life, such as a walk to the park or a ride on her skateboard, and is a champion for those still wrongly imprisoned in today’s cannabis climate.

In 2010, after a year on pretrial, she was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute 1000+ kilos of cannabis, and has since served nine years of her 10-year sentence. She is not a drug addict and, more importantly, she is not a threat to society, despite what the felon label she carries around may imply.

We sat down with Stephanie to hear her story. Her whole story. Who she is, what she lost, and how that loss became fuel for the fire to help those still incarcerated. As she shared her experience, she had her tissue ready because Stephanie wears her heart on her sleeve and doesn’t shy from the emotion and pain. It still overtakes her. Imagine losing ten years of time with your loved ones, ten years of making memories, of having the freedom to decide what happens next for you, and of not being able to spend time with your father as he passes away. Imagine spending 10 years locked away while others are now thriving in a legal cannabis industry.

WHERE THE NIGHTMARE BEGAN

Stephanie grew up in Sacramento, California, where she currently resides, the youngest of seven children. In 2005, she moved to Williamsburg, Brooklyn—hap-

py, hopeful, and looking forward to her future. None of her siblings had ventured away from home, but she loved the energy of New York City and so she left the nest with all the dreams in her heart. Following in her father’s footsteps, she got her real estate license, and then of course, met a guy. That guy sold cannabis. Stephanie didn’t think much about it, as it was just cannabis. Her first time smoking had been at age 28, when she sought to manage her anxiety. It helped.

There are moments in life that make you wonder how things could have been different. The whatif moments where your life path splits. Stephanie’s path split at age 40; her now-ex-boyfriend had been arrested, and she agreed to be his medical-leave guardian while he awaited sentencing. Before that, she wasn’t on anyone’s radar. A judge even told her she was a responsible person with a good place for him to be released.

On the day she was getting ready to pick him up, there was a buzz at her door, and her nightmare began.

LIFE WITHOUT AN “AFTER”

Nothing about her arrest felt real. So much so, that while she spent a year on pretrial, she begged her siblings to keep it secret. She could not bear to tell her parents.

There was no way she was going to be found guilty of any crime. That year was the hardest on her. There was a lot of shame and guilt to carry. She lost her real estate license with the pending felony and suddenly found herself trapped in New York, unable to go home where she would have had support.

On the way to her own sentencing, when her sister asked if she wanted to stop for something to eat, her response was they would get something after. There was always an “after” in her mind.

But the jury found her guilty, and ten years was the mandatory minimum sentence. She finally had to tell her 91-year-old father, and his response was, “Stephy, I don’t have ten years.”

Stephanie was found guilty of distributing cannabis illegally. She had just wanted others to benefit from the medicine that was helping with her anxiety and making her life better in general. There was never any conspiracy. But that didn’t matter now; she was a prisoner.

THE FREEDOM ULTIMATUM

Disbelief in her situation lasted for five years. Halfway through her sentence she woke up, looked around, and realized this was her reality. It was time to prepare for the rest of her life.

Stephanie is driven by helping others. While inside, not wanting to do anything to benefit the prison system, she chose to teach ESL classes to other inmates. Her goal was to help them be better when they were able to return to society. Her fellow inmates were her family. She empathized with other women incarcerated for cannabis offenses.

Funny thing though: she never

met a white woman who was incarcerated for cannabis. Only Black and Brown women. Was this a war on drugs? Or a war on people? How could this be, and how could she help? This stuck with her, and a new commitment was born.

Stephanie was offered an opportunity to shave one year off of her sentence. The catch? She had to admit she was a drug addict and enter a rehab program. She resisted. There was no reason to attach the drug addict label to herself and create even more hardships for the rest of her life. But Stephanie’s father got sick and that would make the decision for her. She desperately wanted to see him before he was gone.

Her father was a 40-minute flight away, but the powers that be dragged their feet in granting permission for her to see him one last time. By the time they finally approved the trip, it was too late; he passed away later that day. She did make it out for the fu-

neral, but what she wanted was more time to explain, to share her love for him, to hold him one last time. It’s something that’s so easy to take for granted: time and freedom to choose how you spend it.

CHANGE FOR THE BETTER AT ITS WORST

Stephanie was released. Her sister gave her a safe space to re-enter life. But wait, what is this? A billboard on their way home advertising for cannabis deliveries? How could this be when she had just been in prison for nine years? When she was going to be a felon for the rest of her life! She had to ask if that was real. Her sister said, “Oh yes, there are dispensaries all around town now and delivery services that bring it right to your door!” This wasn’t so-called back alley dealing anymore. And certainly, no one in those shops were being labeled drug dealers.

Armed with her newfound commitment to help those incarcerated for a crime that has yielded a

thriving industry in so many states, Stephanie Shepard attended Last Prisoner Project’s (LPP) first fundraiser in San Francisco in 2019 wearing her ankle monitor. It was the first real social event she experienced after her release, and she wanted to hear what they had to say. This was an important event in the trajectory of Stephanie’s life. It was there she met people who would welcome her into this community.

UNTIL EVERYONE IS OUT

LPP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cannabis criminal justice reform. Stephanie is now their Partnership Manager and was very recently appointed to their Board of Directors. “There’s nothing else I can do in my life right now other than what I’m doing. People incarcerated for cannabis offenses are feeling helpless and hopeless. I’m here to use my voice to uplift them and do right by them because they deserve it. They don’t deserve to be incarcerated for cannabis.

BE THE CHANGE

Stephanie is ghting hard for the underserved. She never stops working. So, how can we help?

The easiest way is visiting the LPP website and clicking the “Take Action” tab. It has a portal to accept donations, as well as links to petitions to sign and politicians to call. Just spreading the message on social media is a big help.

But the jury found her guilty, and ten years was the mandatory minimum sentence. She nally had to tell her 91-year-old father, and his response was, “Stephy, I don’t have ten years.”

PHOTO COURTESY

COURTESY

BREAK THE CHAIN

The Last Prisoner Project was founded in 2019 out of the belief that no one should remain incarcerated for cannabis o enses. We are a team of advocates, experts, leaders, and justice-impacted individuals who are deeply committed to freeing every last prisoner of the unjust war on drugs.

POLICY: We impact legislation that redresses the harms caused by cannabis prohibition. We work with stakeholders across the country to pass and implement bills that will (1) provide release for individuals still incarcerated for cannabis, and (2) automatically clear cannabis records.

LEGAL: We focus on clemency initiatives at the state and federal level, ling motions for compassionate release, and record relief for individuals. This all made possible through our partnership with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL).

REENTRY: We ensure our constituents have the tools and resources they need to rebuild their lives after incarceration and create pathways to employment within the legal cannabis industry.

ADVOCACY: We raise public awareness of the harsh reality of cannabis-related incarceration through a variety of advocacy campaigns, including letter-writing drives, constituent storytelling, and direct actions; and empower our supporters to join the ght to secure the full freedom of the communities we serve.

There are other things I could do to benefit myself more, but that’s not what it’s about right now. It’s not about ego.”

As Partnerships Manager, Stephanie works tirelessly for the constituents. She knows exactly how they feel sitting inside while the cannabis industry makes billions of dollars. Every dollar made is off the backs of those incarcerated. Stephanie feels this so deeply, she wishes that she could just trade places with some of the young people who are in prison. She says she would give her life so young people such as Kevin Allen, who has life in prison for selling $20 worth of weed to a friend, could be free.

Stephanie implores everyone in the industry to just do something, whether that’s their “Roll It Up For Justice” program, where people can round up their purchases at checkout with a donation, or more boots-on-the-ground efforts. Whatever it takes to prevent

anyone else from losing another day, minute or second.

Stephanie lost nine years. She lost her job, her freedom, her last chance to tell her father she loves him. But she did not lose her spirit, no matter how hard the system tried to break her. Her greater calling is now to help people in the same position. There is no stopping until everyone is out. Legalization is not enough. What’s needed is retroactive justice. With the label of felon, there are many things in society that she no longer has access to. But her voice is loud. We have heard it now and hope you have as well. How we care for each other is the most important thing. “I want to be the voice in the room for them. I’m the emotional crying, possibly screaming, voice. The collateral consequences are too large.” Stephanie knows who she is. She is more than a felon. Nothing imposed upon her is going to put out the fire inside her.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bonnie Pipkin is an author and freelance writer located in Northern California.

SPREADING THE

Carter Creek on saying the Lord’s name and bringing it all into the light.

TEXT ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER PHOTOS JEFF HOOTEN

Many folks in the modern world automatically bristle at the mention of God, Jesus, or really any higher power. Whether it’s an issue with how some churches hold space for marginalized folks, or just trauma around getting dragged to church every Sunday, it is a sore spot for many.

Slim, beloved founder of seed, clone, and flower farm Carter Creek in Oklahoma, aims to change that. Through using his platform to gently preach to the stoned masses, not about how you’re going to hell or need to do better, but about how you are loved—he aims to bring God into the grow room in the most positive way possible.

And we don’t just jump right in and start with God. We ease our way in. After all, Slim is still a businessman, and there are some very exciting new things happening with Carter Creek. In addition to buying clones from the farm, you can also buy seeds for your grow. And, just like on Noah’s Ark, Slim knows that diversity is key when it comes to a good grow.

“One of the biggest things we have going on right now is our seed bank, and I’m working with three different breeders on it right now,” Slim says proudly. “I’ve been in this game about three and a half years now, and genetics are a weakness for a lot of farms. That’s why it’s so important for me to be hooked up with the quality that I need. These days, you can’t just have OG Kush. Everyone has OG Kush. You need

new flavor, new tastes. Every week, there’s something different.”

And Slim isn’t just providing cannabis to local medical patients who come to the farm’s shop to get their medicine, though that is important. So important, in fact, that Slim often gives patients cannabis at wholesale price to make sure they have access to their medication. But to be able to afford to do that, and to keep his farm diverse and thriving, he needs to be competitive when it comes to the clones and seeds he sells, and that’s where the new seed bank strategy comes in.

“One thing I like about the folk I’m working with is that they also collab with a multitude of other breeders,” Slim adds, highlighting the importance of diversity in the modern cannabis game, as well as the importance of reaching out and

working with other major players in the local and national industry. “They come up with some of the most exotic and boutique stuff. And everything we have that comes from our team compound comes sealed, with a label verifying the authenticity of the breeder, the certificate of origin, all that good stuff.”

And as he is furthering his goal of getting high-quality cannabis seeds and clones into the hands of growers and breeders, and high-quality cannabis into the hands of medical patients, he is also focusing on the other thing that is most important to him besides cannabis: spreading the word of God. He does so on social media through various messaging mediums, including #growerstipoftheday on Instagram, which is usually something that can improve one’s grow and the garden they cultivate in their mind and heart. Slim claims that God spoke to him and told him to do this in order to speak to those the church has left behind.

“It’s not just the cannabis community; it’s all kinds of communities; the homosexual community has been shunned by the churches. There’s all kinds of God’s children in this world that have been con-

demned by religious people. We’ve been made to feel bad and told, ‘You can’t go to church here.’ But God said come as you are, not as you hope to be.”

Slim believes that cannabis, and God, are for everyone, not just for those who can afford the best buds and live a conservative life free of “sin.” He wants everyone to have access to his seeds and his crops, his medicine, as well as his teachings, because he knows what it’s like to be in a dark place.

“I’ve been through ups and downs,” he continues. “But I love cannabis, and in Genesis, God said he gave us all the plants; he didn’t say some plants. I should be a statistic of opioid addiction, but now, I use cannabis instead. I’ve been in that addiction spiral, and now, I don’t take any opioids. So there are a lot of people who have been kind of pushed back by the church, and I’m not trying to scare them by screaming Jesus loves them; I just want to cast a few things here and there to let them know they are loved, and they can go to whatever church they want, or just talk about God. They don’t have to go to some big building and dress up; they can just talk and listen.

“I’ve been through ups and downs, but I love cannabis, and in Genesis, God said he gave us all the plants; he didn’t say some plants. I should be a statistic of opioid addiction, but now, I use cannabis instead.”

—Slim, founder of Carter Creek

Any time you are talking about the word of God, that’s church.”

When it comes to being called to share his faith, Slim admits that there is also a little more to it, a desire to be open that stems from living so long in the darkness. As someone who has struggled with mental health and addiction, Slim knows that sometimes, even folks who are not religious just need to hear some positive messaging. And recently, he realized he was still keeping secrets and engaging in addict behavior by hiding his cigarette smoking habit from his wife. When he was found out, he further reflected on what he could do to step into the light and out of the shadows.

“God told me that one of my gifts is speaking, and He told me straight up, I’m in a group and community where nobody gets to hear His name. And one of the ways I could do that, I realized, and tie it in with the work I do, was #growerstipoftheday. So I started that morning that God spoke to me back in July. I can’t speak to what it’s done for anybody else, but I can say what it’s done for me. It makes me stay conscious of what I’m doing, so that I don’t tell people the wrong thing or act wrong. And it makes me stay in bounds because I’m trying to love God and speak about Him.”

At the end of the day, for Slim, all the grower outreach, seed distribution, and spreading of the Good Word come back to one thing: the energy and love that you put in, both as a grower and as a human in this world.

“I tell everybody, all of my growers that I interview, the most important thing about growing cannabis is the energy you bring to the

plant,” Slim concludes. “If you’re going to bring ugly or bad energy, there’s no sense in being a grower. Your energy will come directly to your plants, so it’s important to bring love to your plants. If you work in cannabis, you shouldn’t just come for the paycheck. You should come because you love the plant and the benefit of what it can do for somebody else. A lot of people are looking for self-medication in this world, and a lot of that comes from mental illness, disability, all kinds of things. The very best thing is, cannabis can be used as that medicine, and for a lot of people, it really can make a difference.”

DEALING WISDOM BY THE ‘GRAM Follow us on Instagram or search the hashtag #growerstipoftheday for a daily dose of Carter Creek inspiration.

“The most important thing about growing cannabis is the energy you bring to the plant. Your energy will come directly to your plants, so it’s important to bring love to your plants.”

—Slim, founder of Carter Creek

Let’s Grow Your Green

Deborah Lin and Blue Sky Bank are Putting in the Hard Work for Cannabis Banking Access.

It’s almost a cliche to write in this lede that cannabis banking is a tough industry, because if you are any more than an extremely casual reader and consumer, you know it all too well. Since cannabis is still a Schedule I controlled substance and federally illegal, it is often next to impossible for cannabis

businesses, especially the plant touching ones, to get access to the banking services they need. Blue Sky Bank is working to change that.

Not at all new to the financial industry, Blue Sky Bank, established in 1905, has always focused on community banking— They work to solve small business needs instead of just focusing on the major

players. And now, cannabis is a part of that. And that’s not an industry secret— They have a clear, easily discoverable landing page where they announce in bold lettering “Blue Sky Bank Serves Cannabis Business Customers.” They go on to detail that commercial deposit and banking services are now available to Oklahoma cannabis business owners, and even offer an “In The Weeds” blog showcasing testimonials from cannabis business customers.

“We truly are a partner in banking,” explains Assistant Vice President and CRB Banking Lead Deborah Lin. “Cannabis business owners already have a sense of negativity when it comes to banking as many have had their accounts closed or pay excessive fees in order to bank,” says Lin. “Customers are often relieved after speaking with me as I’m able to provide a full education as to why we are able to support cannabis

businesses and the requirements set forth by our federal regulators.”

Having an understanding and educated partner in banking is huge for the customer. Instead of dreading a monthly bill outlining charges and being billed for services, you have the benefits of someone who truly understands the complexities of the regulations, your business’ best interests, and a true compliance partner. “I believe when you have open communication and educate the community about our program, they gain peace of mind and a clearer understanding of why we charge the fees we do.”

And the cannabis industry—not just in Oklahoma but nationally—has been largely treated like an unwanted afterthought. The narrative has been very much, “Yes, it’s technically legal in your state, but your resources, especially banking, is limited.” Blue Sky is working to make sure that is no longer the case.

Lin explains the suite of products offered to cannabis business owners is

intentional and thoughtfully provides: ACH electronic payment services, mobile deposit, pin-debit merchant services, debit cards and checks, and earnings credits. There’s also the convenience of online banking and mobile business banking. Keeping safety and security top of mind for their customers and staff, Blue Sky also provides a private deposit drop off location as well as armed cash transport services. Providing safe and efficient deposit methods along with alternative options to operating solely in cash is more inviting and purposeful. Blue Sky Bank always has the customers’ best interest in mind asking, “How can we help give these business owners their time back?”

“You truly have a partner (in us) helping you stay as compliant as possible, and you get all the business functionality of any other business,” Lin continues. “Cannabis business owners pay almost three times the amount of tax as anybody else. So why don’t they get banking opportunities and

products? Why should they have to be moving everything solely in cash when they know it’s difficult to trace and incurs additional costs. It’s labor intensive; it’s bulky, and it’s unsafe. And so for us, this is something that our community business owners were asking for, saying, ‘I already have all my other business and personal accounts with you; will you take my cannabis deposits too?’ And the short answer is, ‘Yes, we can.’”

PHOTO BY HENRY NINDE

Lin also highlights that even with the rapid growth of the cannabis industry over the past four years in the state, financial institutions are still leery of providing deposit services to cannabis businesses due to lack of understanding the cannabis industry and the impact on the financial institution.

“I’m an advocate for cannabis education and decriminalization. It’s important for our state and our country to have awareness of the medicinal benefits of cannabis and know they have alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs,” says Lin.

And on that note, Lin has her sights set even further than just on how to help local business owners in the

cannabis realm. She would love to see banking become better for the industry in general as the country moves towards legalization and is working with other financial institutions in Oklahoma and nationwide sharing best practices and creating standards for cannabis banking.

“We look to other states with successful programs and have open communications with their commissioners and regulators so we are current of the movements in this industry. Ideally, we hope that this network of like minded cannabis friendly banks will be able to have a seat at the table when federal legalization finally comes,” says Lin.

Blue Sky Bank

Banking bluesky.bank/cannabis-banking

“This way the programs that we have helped create can be carried out at the federal level and more ease of banking and cashless transactions are available to cannabis business owners.”

“I believe when you have open communication and educate the community about our program, they gain peace of mind and a clearer understanding of why we charge the fees we do.”

—Deborah Lin, Assistant Vice President and Cannabis-Related Banking Lead of Blue Sky Bank

NFTs: Fad or the Future?

Love them or hate them, you may be buying your next toke with non-fungible tokens.

So, have you bought your first non-fungible token yet? Awareness of the new technology, better known as NFTs, is steadily rising and more people are learning how to tap into the benefits. But a lot of folks are still scratching their heads, uncertain about all the fuss and downright dubious toward the idea of digital art NFTs selling for millions of dollars.

What’s the point of NFTs? Are they a silly

trend, a scam, or is there intrinsic value in this emerging technology? More important, what does all this mean for cannabis lovers and the industry as a whole?

NFTs Explained Let’s keep this simple. NFTs are essentially an evolution of cryptocurrency. They exist on a blockchain, which means any transactions are securely recorded and largely

tamper-proof. You buy an NFT, it’s yours and nobody can ever dispute that. These cryptographic tokens can represent the ownership of both digital and real-world assets. NFTs could be art, music, event tickets, and even real estate.

When you hear the term “Web3” this is a big part of what people are talking about—increased privacy, data security, and token-based economies.

Depending on the project, NFTs can also come with ongoing membership perks and community benefits. This is primarily where people find potential risks, as when NFT project organizers do not follow up on their promises. The technology itself is mostly secure with lots of potential, but mainstream adoption of NFTs is slow because of the learning curve and a clunky set-up process, which requires

ART COURTESY OF ELI ROBBINS

GREGORY FRYE

opening a crypto wallet, buying cryptocurrency, and vetting new NFTs before you buy.

Every step in this process is intimidating to the average person, for now. Even with credit-card access entering the picture, the NFT world has plenty of work to do. Just like the early days of cannabis, a lot of storytelling and education is needed to ease peoples’ minds toward the possibilities around this unfamiliar concept.

NFTs + Cannabis = Community Imagine buying a cannabis NFT where you get ongoing discounts, early access to new products, and invitations to exclusive events and online groups. Like consumer brands in other industries, many cannabis brands are already offering such NFTs.

If done right, this model could help solve the engagement and customer loyalty challenges in cannabis, which involves inspiring people with an irresistible NFT offering, educating them on how NFTs work, and then following up on the offer. Crypto Cannabis Club (CCC), which launched its first NFT in July 2021, has grown into one of the most ambitious NFT projects in cannabis. In addition to their own weed brand in

California, they also have dozens of chapters across the U.S. and in other parts of the world.

“Some people approach NFTs because they like the art and view it as an investment; other people approach NFTs out of a sense of community,” says Ryan Hunter, CEO of Crypto Cannabis Club.

“Members of our community are getting together on their own organically to socialize and sesh and to network,” Hunter says, mentioning parties in Florida and at the Indianapolis 500, as well as CCC’s own organized events for NFT holders, such as spring break in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, an event at Art Basel in Miami, and a big meetup at MJBizCon last fall.

Additionally, CCC partners with about 30 accessory brands, which gives their members discounts on everything from dab rigs to rolling papers.

On the virtual side, CCC has developed a range of virtual offerings with their followings on Discord and Twitter, where they host cannabis and psychedelics-education conversations every week on Twitter Spaces.

“Those environments create a natural platform for online communities, and our real-world experiences are an extension of that,” Hunter says.

“We love seeing our community members in the real world. We have folks that go to all of these events and travel to see one another. There’s a kindred spirit vibe mixed in with the art and culture, just like we’ve seen for decades with stoners wanting to hang out and sesh. NFTs are a natural extension of that.”

NFTs are also a way for brands and marketers to draw new members into the cannabis world and educate, notes Polly Lieberman, cofounder of thric3, a Web3 and cannabis 2.0 community. “The number one challenge that all cannabis companies have is access to customers. Web3 presents a unique marketing opportunity because there are fewer restrictions than traditional media.”

This is how cannabis brands can engage the massive demographic of canna-curious people, consumers who are interested in incorporating cannabis into their lives but don’t know where to start and need help.

To engage this untapped demographic, thric3 is preparing to unveil a new NFT collection where the art showcases everyday people as consumers, rather than as the stereotypical stoners featured on other cannabis NFTs.

“The number one challenge that all cannabis companies have is access to customers. Web3 presents a unique marketing opportunity because there are fewer restrictions than traditional media.”

—Polly Lieberman, cofounder of thric3

Insuring the Dreamers

We're talking to

put

make

START A QUOTE AT TRICHOMERISK.COM

Insurance

“We built a collection to represent everyone,” Lieberman explains.

“Our hope is that people look at our collection and see someone who looks like them and thinks, ok that’s me, this is cool, I can be open about my use. This will go a long way in helping to reduce the stigma.”

Like the Early Days of Cannabis When projects like CCC host regular shows about their projects on Twitter Spaces, it’s not about promotion. “It’s more about authentic, organic building of community. That to me feels like early cannabis,” says Amanda Reiman, Founder of Personal Plants.

Reiman has been around long enough to remember the early days of cannabis cooperatives where, much like NFTs,

people could buy into a community for shared benefits. That’s how she feels about much of the Web3 space. “Those of us from early cannabis have almost an advantage coming into this because we understand the culture behind how this is being built,” she says.

NFTs became a solution for Reiman’s project Personal Plants, a psychedelic-plant nursery that sells specimens like huachuma cacti and salvia cuttings. Even though the plants she sells are legal in most states, she got tired of dealing with payment-processor rejections and shadow bans on Instagram.

Reiman needed to find a subversive way to keep her business alive, and now,

thanks to NFTs, she’s co-founding a new project called Sacred Garden, where people can enter a psychedelic marketplace, safely and securely.

“In our vision, we have a network of people who grow psychedelic plants at home for hobbies, and your NFT enables you to access these farmers,” she explains.

“If you have one of our NFTs you go to our website, you connect your wallet, it sees the NFT is in there, and now you can enter the marketplace. It’s a way for us to give a benefit to our NFT holders and to vet who comes into the marketplace, which is for the safety and security of our farmers. And it’s a way to give opportunities to people to be part of the community, anonymously if they desire, and you just have to buy membership once – it’s not that different from the old cannabis collectives.”

Hype Vs Opportunity

Reiman sees two different types of NFT projects popping up in cannabis. One type of project is like what Crypto Cannabis Club is doing—authentic experiences, community, and excellent benefits that make the NFT a worthy asset.

“This is the future for cannabis companies, and it’s a great way to reach our communities because even SMS texting is shutting us down,” she says. When you’re promoting an NFT instead of a psychoactive plant, it’s a different story.

“The other type of project we’re seeing in the cannabis space, which builds on what I call the phase one of NFTs, is all flash and no substance. People are trying to capitalize on the sexiness of weed, but they don’t

really know a lot about it. They think they can create NFTs that appeal to stoners, but when you look underneath the hood, there isn’t anything there.”

The Importance of Education

To help fill those NFT knowledge gaps Reiman has teamed up with Lisa Snyder, cofounder of Tokeativity, for a virtual education series hosted by Women Employed in Cannabis.

“Web3 and NFTs are like the early days of the internet, where people are like, ‘inter-what?’ Amanda and I are trying to educate people, especially women and BIPOC folks, so they get to know it, and it’s not as scary,” Snyder says, who has been building websites since 1995 and was early to embrace

NFTs, starting her own collection out of curiosity.

Snyder, a trained graphic designer, is also the artist on the upcoming thric3 project. This project will have 9,999 NFTs, each NFT in has unique variations based on a theme, some rarer and more valuable than others.

“This is still the early days of NFTs, and like with early internet, there’s going to be a lot of experimenting. The first experiment was to make art and see if people would buy, and they did,” she says.

The Future of NFTs

Both Snyder and Reiman believe NFTs will continue to rise in popularity over the next few years, as an integral part of safer digital transactions, community building, asset ownership, and new

investment opportunities.

However, the space still requires a degree of caution on all sides. For instance, NFTs for cannabis breeding or community-owned cannabis companies open up a whole new can of worms when you consider the “fuzziness around federal and state cannabis laws combined with the fuzzy laws around NFTs and securities. Is it a company and are people buying shares and what does that mean?” Reiman asks.

Reiman explains how the Sacred Garden project required a ton of background work on legal issues, understanding what was allowed, and untangling hairy questions around crypto-based revenue versus traditional revenue. The space is still really new, and people have to be careful, she says, but that doesn’t mean NFTs aren’t worthwhile.

“If the cannabis industry taps into this now and starts educating themselves about it, they’ll have an amazing opportunity to connect with Generation X and Z and Y. That’s all the people who are embracing this technology,” Snyder says.

“They’ll be looking at cannabis companies and asking about Web3 projects. If you’re like, ‘Web3? What’s that?’ you’re going to be out of touch.”

PHOTOS

OF RACHEL JASPAN; CRYPTO CANNABIS

“This is still the early days of NFTs, and like with early internet, there’s going to be a lot of experimenting. The first experiment was to make art and see if people would buy, and they did.”

—Lisa Snyder, graphic artist, cofounder of Tokeativity

WEED+

In this brand-new segment, Sensi searches for weed’s perfect pairing.

Pot Roast

The quest for a perfect pot pairing begins the same way a perfect day begins: with co ee. TEXT JEN BERNSTEIN

What is it about coffee and cannabis that makes it the perfect combo? It’s such a powerful pairing that many of us choose to start our daily routines with a brew and a blaze. The band Sublime famously sang “I smoke two joints in the morning,” which is exactly how Amsterdam’s Queen of Hash, Mila Jansen chooses to get going. “For me, every day I smoke two joints with my first coffee,” she says. Amsterdam, of course, is home to world famous coffee shops where ganja and java are intimately linked.

But is there some type of scientific explanation behind why we’re so passionate about coffee and weed? I decided to dig in and learn more. To that end I connected with a super knowledgeable source on the

subject, Tony Bowles, an avid cannabis-and-coffee consumer of 20 years who works with Sava, a premier women-, LGBTQ-, Latinx-owned cannabis marketplace based in San Francisco. Bowles is also the creator of terpeneflashcards.com, an educational tool that helps you learn all about terpenes. Here’s what I learned: Cannabis and coffee have a powerful connection. Caffeine gives you that jolt of energy, while cannabis has the ability to take the edge off. Together they create

a mellow, yet productive kind of balance.

Coffee houses have been around since the Enlightenment. In the 18th century groups like the Club des Hachichins (Club of the Hashish Eaters), a Parisian circle dedicated to the exploration of drug-induced experiences, popped up and quickly included such literary lions as Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Charles Baudelaire, Gérard de Nerval, and Honoré de Balzac.

Coffee and weed both stimulate creativity. Research reveals that cre-

ativity is associated with the brain’s frontal lobe, and cannabis consumption increases cerebral blood flow.

There’s a link between cannabis, caffeine, and metabolism. A study in the Journal of Internal Medicine found that the more coffee you drink, the fewer blood metabolites are found in the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS helps regulate essential bodily functions such as mood, appetite, stress, inflammation, and sleep, and more.

Coffee naturally contains a variety of compounds, including caffeine, antioxidants, and terpenes, which contribute to both the beverage’s unique flavor and the well-researched physiological effects of coffee.

Coffee and cannabis both have terpenes and terpenoids, which primarily make-up the essential oils of many types of plants and flowers, including cannabis and coffee, so when you smell coffee brewing or the waft of some skunky weed—that’s the terps.

SOCIAL SMOKERS

Here’s what Twitter’s #potheads have to say about the magical combo of Weed+Co ee:

There is something about coffee and cannabis that is extra special. The mind fires right up with creativity and a certain clarity that only happens for me in the morning, with that glorious combo.

@j_ian420

The sweetness of the smoke pairs quite nicely with the bitterness of the coffee. The effects are harmonious, both energizing and relaxing at the same time. Nothing quite like the combo.

@elwoodsbrewery

It gets you grounded while it gets you moving!

@dontudoubtme

They bring out the best in each

The defog/refog combo can’t be beat! It’s like a stereo equalizer that levels everything out just right.

@dubfuq Hippie speedball for the win!

@allthesalsas

You get a little bit of the calm w/ the storm! Coffee to bring you up and cannabis to even you out and not make you jittery!

@rivamonsta

Focus, Romance, and Retribution. The work you put in, with love, can yield amazing experiences. Rise and Shine!!!

@dezdouglas

They are perfect mirror of each other, coffee revs you up while

From Oklahomans for Oklahomies

No More Risky Business

Time spent with the National Cannabis Risk Management Association can lead to long-term success.

of the National Cannabis Risk Prevention Services (NCRPS)). “So, if you can mitigate and eliminate that risk, you improve your business. Nobody has ever mitigated risk by buying insurance coverage. Insurance simply shares or transfers the risk that cant be fully reduced. What successful businesses do is take care of any risks up front.”

NCRPS is a pioneering and innovative risk management platform that solely focuses on the complexities of the cannabis world. Their members enjoy access to a whole suite of educational materials and access to cannabis-focused partners, and insurance plans. But one of their most critical offerings is their expert risk management assessment.

By crafting a complete risk assessment from time spent by one of their team, they identify and completely break down everything into easy-to-understand sections. Each facet of your business has a risk score detailing any identified issues and a list of recommendations to solve them.

Note: NCRPS recently combined with the National Cannabis Risk Management Association (NCRMA) and will serve as the lead risk solutions brand while NCRMA manages association membership and the NCRM Academy’s educational offerings

In today’s increasingly complicated cannabis marketplace, business owners must employ every tool in their toolbox to ensure success. Fresh new products, increased digital engagement, and consumer-friendly retail spaces can grab all the attention and

help drive profits. Still, there is one critical area that is routinely overlooked.

We are talking about risk management. While it’s not as sexy as many other parts of the industry, it is crucial to ensuring your long-term health and possibly survival. Ensuring that inside any cannabis business’s four walls that their property, product, worker safety, banking, and on-premises risks are secured is no simple task. While many people think that by having insurance, they are safe, they are incorrect.

“Any risk has the potential to make your business worse, period,” says Rocco Petrilli, the CEO and president

By using tried and true safety standards for non-cannabis industries and the many cannabis-specific problems, they know and understand, they can create a detailed action plan to ensure a safe workplace and peace of mind.

They are not finished once they hand over their report. That’s when NCRPS can bring their whole host of in-house and service partner resources into play to ensure their clients succeed. This hands-on execution ensures your business safety, security, and success are secured.

National Cannabis Risk Prevention Services Risk Management ncrps.com

“Any risk has the potential to make your business worse, period.”

—Rocco Petrilli, the CEO and president of the National Cannabis Risk Prevention Services (NCRPS)

BUSINESS

W e traveled from state to state while

planning for The Hive. We looked at di erent labs, grows, and research facilities to educate ourselves on top-of-the-line facilities and practices. This business was well thoughtout, well planned, and well executed; not a detail overlooked. Our product is grown with love from start to finish.

We analyze every aspect of each strain we

grow, especially those concerning terpene profiles and what benefits they can provide. Our facility features Growlink 24/7 automated controllers in conjunction with H.E. Anderson Injectors to maintain scientifically calculated conditions in our grow environments. All climate controls are set to schedules. The controls send alarm signals to our team’s cellphones if anything is wrong so that we can fix it quickly

and e iciently. We also pump CO2 into each room to further recreate the plant’s ideal environment.

After a harvest, we heat treat the grow rooms and coat them from top to bottom with Sanidate to ensure the environment is pristine before the next plants are cycled in. LED lighting is used for the vegetation stage of the plant and then they flower under HPS lighting. Our growers give the plants all the love they could

ever need, and our premium technology just makes that easier for them.

When did you start your business?

We began our journey in August 2020 with a lease on the grow building. That’s also when we started pheno-hunting in what is now the front o ice space. We completed construction and loaded vegetation in August 2021. In January 2022 we got our first testing back for our harvest and hit the market!

Where can people nd you and your products?

We can be found on LeafLink. We are also verified on Weedmaps. Our phone is 405-849-6274 and our email is info@TheHiveCollective.com. If you can’t find us in a dispensary near you, give our contact information to your local favorite!

What services or products do you o er?

We o er high-end cannabis flower. However, we do have a processing

license and dispensary license. We have exciting plans in the future!

How many employees do you have?

We, owners Dale and Christi Elston, currently have five full-time employees, as well as several others supporting our e orts.

Our growers are Anthony Farnese, a talented breeder who is always searching for new genetics, and Alex Cotton, a skilled grower who is determined to consistently improve the growing processes and keep the office vibe light and fun.

Our o ice and logistics manager, Kimi Sanchez, maintains our successfully organized facility. She played a key role in our transition to Metrc and stays on top of our OMMA compliance.

Our trim manager, Suzy Harris, consistently impresses us with her skill. She keeps the trim team e icient, the room pristine, and the buds beautiful.

Our jack of all trades, Nick Sanchez, is the newest addition to The Hive Collective, but has been an asset from the start. He is known as a jack of all trades because he fills holes wherever they exist, from flower to trim to weedmall and logistics, and eases the burden on every employee in the building.

Our daughters, Sommer and Chloe Elston, also support the team. Sommer is a computer

scientist who serves as our consultant in all things IT and works many of our events within the community. Chloe is a Graphic Designer who manages and updates our digital flower menu, designs all our graphics, stickers, and apparel. She has an Instagram account for her freelance graphic design as well (@desibychlo).

What was your mission or purpose at the start of your company?

Our mission is to provide dispensaries the quality flower that maximizes the benefits that cannabis can provide for their patients. Our vision for the brand stems from steampunk vibes because the “mad scientists” of medicinal marijuana are discovering so many new benefits of this very old plant.

What are your company’s goals?

We are a collective of like-minded, Oklahomagrown individuals transporting into the future of top-of-the-line cannabis cultivation to heal what ails you. We also strive to educate ourselves and spread knowledge in the community to improve overall.

How would you describe your workplace culture?

We are the Hive mind. Everyone’s opinions are heard and equally considered because we are all better and the flower is better for it. It is a happy,

open, welcoming environment full of people working toward a common goal.

We have a lot of fun, which includes hosting company cookouts at our house.

What makes your business important to the community?

The Hive Collective is vital to the community because Oklahoma is one of the leading prescribers of opioids in the nation. Oklahomans need alternative, natural remedies to treat their pain and heal what ails them, which is what we hope to provide.

How does your business give back to your community?

Our persistent goal to serve the community is through bettering ourselves and the product we have to o er them.

This includes the constant search for the most medicinal and unique phenotypes on the market. We love attending events to meet members of the community and educate them both about the plant and what makes ours special.

What are three things you want consumers to know about you?

We will never be satisfied in our goal to provide the consumer with the perfect product.

We love feedback and are always looking for opportunities to learn and grow.

We will always be transparent about our practices and accessible to the patients.

Describe your perfect customer. How do your products bene t them? We cater our products to the customer who wants to feel secure about the substance they’re putting into their body, and we want them to know that they will always be safe with us. We strive to educate all patients in the industry because knowledge is power, and the consumer deserves it.

What are you looking forward to in 2023?

January 2023 will mark one year since our first test came back. That’s one year of growing into a brandnew facility, learning from our mistakes, and adjusting to an ever-changing industry. We are so excited to take on 2023 as we gain our footing in the cannabis community and get better every day. We’re ready to make our mark.

“Oklahoma is one of the leading prescribers of opioids in the nation. Oklahomans need alternative, natural remedies to treat their pain and heal what ails them, which is what we hope to provide.”

@OXDISTRIBUTION / OXMMJ.COM / TULSA

We aim to make life easier for growers and brand owners by supplementing their sales and marketing with our sales force of 10+. We also want to make life easier for dispensary owners, growers and processors by o ering a wide variety of cannabis services and by o ering a wide variety of cannabis

products at all price points so that we easily fill all of their needs.

When did you start your business?

Ox Distribution started in 2020

How many employees do you have?

We have 35 to 40 regular employees. We occasionally bring in contractors as well.

What services or products do you o er?

We o er distribution, processing, white labeling, co-packing, custom packaging and design, sticker production, as well as vape cart filling and preroll services. We also partner with unique and strategic partners and rent out space to several smaller companies within our 140,000 sq foot

warehouse facility in midtown Tulsa. We are quickly building a complete ‘Cannaplex’ to not only provide all cannabis services but to also create a diverse cannabis community all in one location.

Where can people nd you and your products?

We sell wholesale only to dispensaries through Leaflink. But we work

with growers, processors and anyone in the industry. You can also follow us and our original content on Google Business Profile, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

What was your mission or vision at the start of your company?

In the beginning we wanted to create a one stop shop for all cannabis

operators and give even the smallest mom and pop business owners a chance. We also hope to stabilize the market by streamlining the ordering and receiving process for dispensary owners so they can focus more on patients and less on tracking product, paying bills and receiving shipments from 40 plus vendors every month.

What are your company’s goals?

We aim to be the most reputable and largest company in the state of Oklahoma, and when the laws change, we will grow beyond the borders of Oklahoma.

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

We’ve been in the agricultural industry our whole lives and joining the cannabis community was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. The Oklahoma cannabis industry has been exciting from the start and we were eager to get into this quickly expanding industry from the ground up!

How would you describe your workplace culture?

Our workplace culture is fun and family oriented.

We are known for having tie dye Fridays and roundup meetings every morning of the week where management from all departments all touch base with each other about our clients needs, which works as a springboard for

what needs to be prioritized for the rest of the day and week. The morning meetings also allow us to have some needed morning laughs and to keep in mind why we work so hard for the patients of Oklahoma in such a fast paced industry. We also have the spouses and kids of our workers stopping by dropping o cookies and goodies for the team on a regular basis.

What makes your business vital to the community?

We feel like distribution services got a bad wrap at the beginning of the legalized industry in Oklahoma.

We wanted to change that perspective and become a valuable middle man for the growers, brand owners and dispensary owners. Our services help mom and pop businesses grow quickly in this industry. We believe the more that dispensary owners and growers have time to focus on what they do best, the better the industry will be as a whole. We are happy to help lighten their load by o ering several of the intermediary services and connecting the brightest brands and dispensaries together.

What are three things you want consumers to know about you?

1. We put patients first and are careful about which brands we choose to represent.

2.We strive to be transparent on what we can and can’t accomplish.

3. We make mistakes just like everyone else, but what sets us apart is our determination to always make things right. We use these experiences to implement change so we can create better processes moving forward.

How would you describe your perfect customer?

We are excited to work with ethical, professional go-with-the-flow cannabis

folks who know what they want and have no trouble following through on it!

We also very much appreciate open communication with our clients. Their understanding that we have many clients to take care of in one day, and that we all play an important role in making the industry grow and work for the better. Our services help growers and dispensary owners to focus more

on what they do best, while we do the administrative and middleman work that will save them time and money.

What are you looking forward to in 2023?

We are looking forward to the market going back up and the growing pains of METRC to lessen. We also hope to see lab testing and METRC turn around times on products vastly improved.

“We feel like distribution services got a bad wrap at the beginning of the legalized industry in Oklahoma. We wanted to change that perspective and become a valuable middle man for the growers, brand owners and dispensary owners.”

CANNABIS COMPANY

Z CANNABIS COMPANY / ZCANNABIS.NET

We have been in business since 2006, however we diversified into the cannabis industry in late 2020. We sold our first product, our Fillz-n-Pack’r, on Amazon on April 11, 2021.

Where can people nd you and your products?

We o er some of our products on Amazon, but our full complement of o erings, including all three variations of our Titanium Twister precision manufactured grinders, our Grindzn-Pack’r grinder/cone loader and Fillz-n-Pack’r cone loader, are on our website.

How many employees do you have?

The reason we diversified into the cannabis industry at the onset of the pandemic was to preserve jobs. Our primary industry is aerospace and with air travel down over 90%, we needed to transition to new products to keep people working. I’m incredibly pleased that we never had to lay o any of our eight exceptionally talented team members.

What services or products do you o er?

We supply precision manufactured products for

the aerospace, automotive, medical and cannabis industries.

What was your mission or vision at the start of your company?

To step back from the corporate world wherein people do not matter. I discovered years ago that it is all about personal relationships.

What got you started in this industry?

We were already in areas that were deemed necessary and essential so it seemed logical to find an industry that might be fun. Really, is there a cooler industry to be in? Not to mention the growth potential is unlimited.

After we developed and manufactured our initial products, we set out on the trade show circuit. At our first show,

we had so many other exhibitors stop by our booth and tell us how cool our products were, and that they had never seen anything like them before. Right then we knew there was a place for us in the industry, and this was where we wanted to be.

What are your company’s goals?

To continue to grow—not in the brick-and-mortar sense, but as a champion of everything that is great. We want to manufacture products of the highest quality that make people’s lives better, whether that is aerospace parts you can trust at 30,000 feet, automobile parts that keep you moving, medical devices that improve your health, or cannabis accessories that enhance your overall experience.

What makes your business important to the community?

I personally fell victim to the Nancy Reagan “just say no,” and “this is your brain on drugs” propaganda. I was not anti-cannabis, just not pro-cannabis. Fastforward to now, when father time is catching up, and my entire opinion changed. I had a misguided opinion and I want to help others know the truth. In support of that, I feel our products can assist new people to integrate into the cannabis community.

Let’s face it: Cannabis can be overwhelming in the beginning, and it is probably fair to say most do not know how to roll. But our cone loaders and grinders can help. They are convenient, easy to use, and can save you money.

How do you give back to your community?

Because of the virus, we entered the cannabis industry and now, I am a strong proponent. Regarding my own health issues, cannabis has helped me with pain relief, and because of that I am committed to the promotion of cannabis.

It is really simple; Z Cannabis Company provides products that will assist new consumers as they join our ranks. New consumers means commitment, and collective commitment means power that can initiate change.

We received our grow license on April 19, 2019. We had plans and budgets for a Persian cucumber farm, but changed course to planning for a cannabis farm with the passage of SQ788. Growing cannabis was always a dream of ours and we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity arise in 2019.

Where can people nd you and your products?

We are working on installing a store tracker on our website. Currently, you can find content with stores, product drops, and more on our Instagram.

What products do you o er?

We have top-shelf flower available across the state

with wide-ranging cannabinoid and terpene profiles. We provide clones for farms that need rooms filled, as well as many home growers across the state. We run our fresh frozen material through Cicada Labs and have worked with other great companies along the way. The majority of our trim is with 5-Leaf labs, a great partner that makes an even better full-spectrum cartridge. Our flower prerolls will be available this fall as well.

Keep an eye out for them.

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

The plan was to start with Persian cucumbers, then cannabis, then large-scale indoor wheat and corn. Cannabis

holds a special place in our lives, so being able to share that with our community brings us happiness.

What was your mission or vision at the start of your company?

Jubel stands for happiness, and we wanted to provide that through our gardens and our high-quality genetics. We also have dreams of better commercial agriculture practices for the future and hope to someday expand into that space.

How many employees do you have?

We’re an eight-person team and two owner-operators.

What are your goals?

To provide high-quality medicine in di erent strains and forms, and to bring people together. We also want to help local growers with their businesses and pass along

knowledge about the industry and their grows.

What makes your business important to the community?

We take pride in our ability to be here to share and learn about this plant, and give back to the community. We’re trying to make Oklahoma happier one town at a time.

How do you give back to your community?

Because we donate our old irrigation equipment to Oklahoma State University’s Agriculture Department, they have been able to start a new class called Hydro 101. This focus is vital to us because it provides young people with access to hydroponics and agriculture that they may not otherwise have.

We want to bridge the gap between people and plant and inspire the next generation of farmers.

“We take pride in our ability to be here to share and learn about this plant, and give back to the community. We’re trying to make Oklahoma happier one town at a time.”

We grow for the terps! Growing in living soil and having the right environment dialed in with proper flushing and a curing process to help create the best final products that we can provide. We really think about the end user experience and hold very high standards in our growing processes. We truly love the plant and we look forward to showing that in every product line that we o er.

When did you start your business?

We launched in July 2021

Where can people nd you and your products?

Our products are in over 400 stores in Oklahoma, as well as Toronto, Canada. Soon to be in California and Mississippi, too.

How many employees does your company have?

We currently have 60 employees working with us.

What services or products do you o er?

We o er high-end exotic flower, full flower prerolls, infused prerolls, live rosin disposable carts, and live rosin.

What was your mission or vision at the start of your company?

I have a true passion for the culture and business. It feels great to be part of a movement that has been looked down upon and given limited access to now being embraced by all cultures

and states. We are part of the prohibition of cannabis. That’s badass.

What are your company’s goals?

Our goal is to be able to provide the consistency of products through markets and build our footprint organically and through strategic partnerships. We want to become a household name in the cannabis industry.

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

Truly the passion for the plant and the opportunities of being a part of a growing industry.

How would you describe your workplace culture?

I’m blessed to have some of the best people around me. I’m a true believer that the people in your organization are an extension of yourself. We work hard, we love what we do, but we are totally a results driven company.

What makes your business vital to the community?

I believe Bodega Boyz brings the medical benefits of cannabis and the recreational feeling we all have been used to packaged together. Being 100% individually owned and already operational in two states and internationally with six dispensaries, having celebrity acknowledgement, and being able to be on over four hundred shelves in the first year

has been incredible. We are fully vertically integrated allowing us to really set ourselves up for success. We hope people find that they can really be part of an industry and community that is growing dramatically every year and still do it for the culture.

How do you give back to your community?

Bodega Boyz constantly connects with the community by running food drives and school supply drives. Patients will bring in canned foods or school supplies and in return will receive discounts on our products. We have seen great

outcomes and look forward to doing a lot more for our local community.

What are three things you want consumers to know about you?

We do extensive pheno hunts and collabs with the best breeders to provide you the most unique flavors and terpenes. We are a strain specific company. You can find our Bodega Boyz strains that you enjoyed in every form such as pre rolls, live resin pens, and live rosin. Originally from NYC (born and raised) that is how we got the name Bodega Boyz. I came out here with my boys to create something epic.

Describe your perfect customer. How do your products bene t them?

We work on quality! We appreciate a customer that really understands and appreciates the work that goes into launching a new strain or keeping the consistency throughout all our products. We really do it for that type of customer, the real connoisseur.

What are you looking forward to in 2023?

Global Domination! We’re looking to keep collaborating and working with strategic partners to bring consistency and great products to the market, not only locally, but globally.

“It feels great to be part of a movement that has been looked down upon and given limited access to now being embraced by all cultures and states. We are part of the prohibition of cannabis. That’s badass.”

Where can people nd you and your products?

We are currently in 350 dispensaries throughout Oklahoma. You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok. What products do you o er?

We have a full line of consumer packaged cannabis goods: edibles,

tinctures, topicals, cartridges, FECO, and more.

We currently o er approximately 50 SKUs.

What was your mission or vision at the start of your company?

To establish an industry-leading cannabis company that focuses on the end users. Since March 2020, our team

has taken great pride in educating dispensaries and end users, along with helping patients with their ailments.

How many employees do you have?

We have 18, but will have 25 by end of the year.

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

We felt there was a void (and an opportunity) in the Oklahoma market for a ordable, high-quality medicine. The

opportunities for growth and expansion are limitless at this point in the industry. We are currently in the process of expanding to additional states.

What are your company’s goals?

Educate end users on the benefits of cannabis, both medically and in everyday life.

What makes your business important to the community?

We provide high quality, 100% compliant

medicine to Oklahoma patients at a ordable prices. It is a win-win for everyone. We want people to feel satisfied when they purchase and use our products. Our team works extremely hard to keep our top-tier medicine a ordable.

Do you give back to your community?

Constantly. We did a campaign recently entitled “Kisses For Cancers,” benefiting Oklahoma Pediatric Cancer. Our company made 500 “Chef Joey Heads” and passed them out. Each time a person gave the Chef Joey a “kiss” and posted it to Instagram, we donated money. This was a fun and very successful endeavor. Additionally, we have participated in clothes and food drives for the less fortunate in the Oklahoma community. We enjoy the ability to give to others.

“We want people to feel satisfied when they purchase and use our products. Our team works extremely hard to keep our top-tier medicine affordable.”

REIGN GARDENS

@REIGN_GARDENS

Why did you start your business?

Reign Gardens was fired up in November 2020.

We planted ourselves in the Oklahoma cannabis industry to bring our 15 years of knowledge and experience to the community and patients here.

Where can people nd your products?

We and our products can be found at local dispensaries, events, and collaborations we have with other brands.

What services or products do you o er?

We are built for cultivation and mainly provide top-shelf flower. However with our other collaborators we have moved into providing flower for top-tier hash products.

What was your mission at the start of the company?

Our mission at Reign Gardens is to produce high quality clean medicine for the patients of Oklahoma.

What makes your business important to the community?

Reign Gardens is important to the community because they deserve a company they can rely on for consistent and safe products.

How does your business give back to the community?

We love doing pop-up events at stores that sell our products and interacting with patients. We love running specials with the

dispensary to give back to the patients.

The youth of our community are very important to us. We’ve done numerous little league sponsorships to support our local youth as well.

Where can people nd your products?

We’re based out of Weatherford, and our products can be found in the OKC metro area. Joe’s Herb Cabinet, Mosaic, Sage, and Oasis are some of our regulars.

What services or products do you o er?

We provide living-soil cannabis cultivated with Probiotic/KNF practices while also maintaining our Hermetic Philosophy.

What was your mission or vision at the start of your company?

We began our company in 2020 with the sole purpose of helping people self-actualize through cannabis use. We wanted to provide not only

a product but an experience that lingers and lasts a lifetime.

What makes your business important to the community?

We stand for a tradition that’s dying. We believe cannabis to be a spiritual plant. We provide a service that helps others self-actualize and integrate their experiences into life. This allows people to have a profound relationship with the world around them. In a world that’s so focused on material things, we strive to value the spiritual side of life and everything that entails. We’re important because we represent the essence of the ancient cannabis tradition.

How does your business give back to the community?

The #1 thing we do for our community is provide endless knowledge that usually isn’t discussed.

We educate home growers and commercial cultivators, and host lectures where most proceeds are donated to the veteran community. The lectures are usually teamed with esoteric religions and philosophical insights that spark the mind and tug at the heart.

We want to empower our community through knowledge and education; both from a cannabis and agricultural perspective to a soul and philosophical approach.

HERMETIC FLOWER

@HERMETICFLOWERCOMPANY / WEATHERFORD

HIGH GUYS

@HIGHGUYSOK / @HIGHGUYSOKC GETHIGHGUYS.COM / OKLAHOMA CITY

We are a group of passionate individuals who have been on a mission to secure the cannabis supply chain in Oklahoma over the last several years. We are a sales and fulfillment solution for growers and processors, a dispensary for dispensaries, your brand partner when you need a kitchen to make edibles, and your sales network. We love throwing

parties, executing ideas, and saving people money. Our High Guys team is composed of talented, e icient, passionate, and one of a kind individuals dedicated to going above and beyond when helping others. We believe the more we have, the more we have to give back to the industry and our members. We want our members to devote more time to growing their business or coming

to the High Guys campus to hangout. We have a passion to help people do what they love.

When did you start your business?

High Guys was built from Hemp back in 2014 right after the passing of new hemp laws in Oklahoma.

The High Guys plan has been unfolding in front of us ever since, but we are o icially celebrating our first anniversary in November 2022.

Where can people nd you and your products?

High Guys products can be found in most dispensaries across the state. You can find us on Google, Instagram, Facebook, and on our website. If you subscribe to our mailing list, you can find us in your inbox and in your text messages, keeping you in the know on all things High Guys. If you’d like to see us in person you can find us at our High Guys Campus in Oklahoma City hosting budtender trainings, throwing brand release parties, and developing and designing new brands.

How many employees do you have?

We have just under 50 full-time, dedicated team members who do everything from solventless extraction, edible cooking and formulation, to packaging and manufacturing, graphic design, sales and procurement, fulfillment and delivery, event coordination, and more!

What services or products do you o er?

We are home to many brands—Smack!, Day Changers, Entourage Effect, Exotixx, and Edify, just to name a few. We offer a variety of services including warehousing, fulfillment and delivery, cash collection, and white label production. Co-work space, sales and distribution, event planning and coordination, and so

much more to come! We aim to fill any need that exists within the cannabis space.

Describe the key highlights and bene ts of your product.

We are dedicated to manufacturing medicine with the highest quality ingredients at the most a ordable cost. Our services include sales, distribution, storage, fulfillment, delivery, and event planning.

What was your mission or vision at the start of your company?

High Guys is a solution-based company created to streamline the cannabis buying process. We make it easy. Call us, text us, or come in and see us!

What are your company's goals?

We exist so our customers can focus on the core aspects of running their business. Supply chain management is our main focus. Our goal is to be your go-to cannabis solution.

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

We started in cannabis to help people get quality medicine at an a ordable cost. Before we came together as High Guys, we were working on di erent, but complementary aspects of the supply chain; manufacturing, dispensaries, sales, storage, fulfillment and delivery. It was a no-brainer to merge everything into one and call it “High Guys”. We are stronger together.

How would you describe your workplace culture?

Teamwork is the backbone of High Guys. We always listen to our team, bring positive vibes to work, and operate with the understanding of our core values: integrity, inclusion, courage, compassion, communication, results, and relationships. Everything we do is a collaborative e ort showcasing the highest level of skill and commitment.

What makes your business vital to the community?

The community needs High Guys because we aren’t just in it for ourselves. We put forth every e ort to fight the stigma of cannabis usage while striving to make the world a better place. We o er products and services specifically to enhance the cannabis industry in a way that benefits businesses and patients alike. We are facilitators who have brought members of the cannabis industry together with the common goal of easing access to those in need of cannabis therapy and creating a culture that is the antithesis of the reefer madness mindset that has dominated the political landscape for decades.

How does your business give back to your community?

We appreciate our customers and give back to our community in various ways. We believe the more we have, the more

we get to share with the industry and our members. We keep our product quality high and our prices low so our dispensary network can pass the savings on to patients daily.

We host free events that bring our community together to celebrate cannabis in the light of day. We sponsor events and donate accordingly. We host budtender trainings to ensure the patients of Oklahoma are being educated properly. We o er co-work space for talented individuals looking to create a brand or start a cannabis business. In addition to giving back to patients, businesses and our community, we do our part to take care of those less fortunate as well. We set up temporary soup kitchens in areas where

the homeless population is most concentrated and donate food and clothes to those in need.

It’s important that we support those who support us. Without our community, we would not exist. We appreciate the support we receive and are so thankful to be at the forefront of Oklahoma cannabis.

What are three things you want consumers to know about you?

Our team has a vast range of experience that we utilize to tackle any problem. We have sales people, artists, designers, systems architects, experts in the fields of procurement, warehouse management and so much more.

Our products are 100% made from scratch by us.

We never take shortcuts like spraying distillate on edibles as a coating or relying on stock images and graphics for promotion. We are dedicated to providing a truly unique experience.

We are always adding services to our platform as we continue to find ways to help our customers. There is no job too big, or too small as we will always strive to go above and beyond to make our customers happy.

Describe your perfect customer. How do your products or services bene t them?

Whether you own a dispensary, a grow, or a manufacturing facility, we have products and services to fit your every need. Our perfect customer has an active license

to buy or sell Oklahoma cannabis, needs product to sell, has product to sell, needs a place to store and fulfill their inventory, needs a team to sell it, and/or needs transportation services.

What are you looking forward to in 2023?

In 2023, we look forward to unveiling our High Guys expansion projects and inviting the community in to enjoy the fruits of our labor. We are patiently waiting to see recreational cannabis in our great state of Oklahoma. We are hopeful that state pressure on the federal government might lead to banking regulations, federal legalization, decriminalization, and the possibility of international commerce.

“The community needs High Guys because we aren’t just in it for ourselves. We put forth every effort to fight the stigma of cannabis usage while striving to make the world a better place.”

OKLAHOMA FARMERS PUBLIC MARKET

When did you start your business?

The Oklahoma Farmers Public Market opened in 1928. (The first event ever held on the property was three, ten-round bare

knuckle boxing matches for a crowd of 3,000.)

Since then, countless concerts, boxing matches, art shows, weddings, rallies, and in recent

years, cannabis events, have taken place here. Our family has been the stewards of this living antique for 20 years, and our mission has always been

to maintain its history and culture, while interweaving the creativity and free expression of today.

Where can people nd your business?

The Oklahoma City–based venue and the land it sits on are both on the national historic register. We were once home to the largest amusement park West of the Mississippi. Duke Ellington, Hank Williams, and Buddy Guy are just a few of the musicians who have performed here.

What makes your business important to the community?

We donate spaces for charitable events, host an all-local farmers market featuring local

products from over 40 local farmers and artisans, and accept SNAP payments for lower income families. We also donate space for a volunteer youth boxing gym.

What services does your business o er?

We o er leasable areas for events, including the 40,000sqft main venue, a food truck park, and outdoor 10,000 capacity area, as well as micro venues for events of varying sizes. The whole property is cannabisfriendly. We also have craft cocktail bars, restaurants, food trucks, local plant and flower producers, breweries, a yoga studio, an antique mall, a grow facility and a dispensary.

What was your mission at the start of the company?

EVOKCO / @EVOKCANNABIS / EVOKCO.COM

When did you start your business?

We first moved plants into our facility on 4/20 of 2020.

Where are your products? Stores all over Oklahoma. Check us out on Instagram

to find an updated drop list and a store near you!

What services or products do you o er? Outside of growing our own flower and producing our own

single-source concentrates, we love to collaborate with other growers and processors on our full line of solventless and hydrocarbon-based concentrates. From rosin and live heads to BHO sugars and badders, cartridges and pre-rolls, we tackle it all and do it well!

To create a vertically integrated cannabis company that can excel in multiple facets of the industry. There are plenty of niche companies that do one thing really well, but with our diverse industry knowledge, we can culminate many products that you can trust to be safe, clean, and handled with care!

What makes your business important to the community?

We feel there is a large disconnect between growers and processors. We focus on quality control by keeping

all our production under one roof; growing and processing all our favorite products to share with the community. We wanted to create a brand you can trust to have the same quality in every package, no matter your preference!

How do you give back to your community?

Education is one of the most important building blocks we are missing in Oklahoma and the cannabis community overall. We focus on educating our dispensaries, bud tenders, and consumers, as well as growers and processors alike, to push the industry standard toward a higher plane.

WELLEVATE FARMS

Wellevate Farms began as an idea in December 2019. Oil prices were at historic lows, so Gary Lewis II and Blaine Haag, partners in the oil and gas industry, were looking for a new venture to steady the booms and busts of the oil market. After evaluating the opportunities, they went all in and broke ground on the Wellevate Farms grow and processing build in Spring 2021. After a year of construction, demo and rebuilding, Wellevate Farms is now hitting shelves with products we are very excited about and proud to put our name on.

Where can people nd your products?

Wellevate Farms is located in Skiatook, just North of Tulsa. This location has indoor and outdoor grows, as well as multifaceted

solventless processing.

Our products are currently on shelves locally.

How many employees do you have?

We currently have a family of 10 industry-savvy employees guided by the experience of Adam Stockman, grower/processor.

We anticipate adding employees once we complete our newest indoor grow rooms this fall.

What services or products do you o er?

We specialize in freezing and vacuum processing fresh cut or fresh frozen flower to create a product that, until now, was a rarity on the shelves of Oklahoma dispensaries. Utilizing state-of-the-art, pharmaceutical-grade equipment, our products go from plant to jar to shelf faster than lab tests are processed. This creates a superior product

with all the volume and color of fresh cut.

We also utilize solventless ice water processing for hash and hash rosin to minimize our process time and carbon footprint while passing on unparalleled final products to consumers. Custom processing is available as well. As we enter our second year, plans are underway for more surprising products, with strains, topicals and edibles currently in development.

What was your mission or vision at the start of your company?

The partners at Wellevate farms have an entrepreneurial spirit and a history of job creation and success. With an underutilized 18,000 square foot commercial building space and 20 acres of outdoor space, a grow and processing business was a clear choice in

Oklahoma's newest boom industry. Maintaining the integrity of medical marijuana, our goal was to provide products that help our families, friends, and customers. Through consistency and quality, we hope to increase the wellness of our community.

What are your goals? Our goal as a company is simply to revolutionize the cannabis and processing industry, doing what we love while helping others.

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

There is just something about farming. The honesty of the work, the selection of the strains, the care of popping seeds or cloning new plants, countless watering and feedings followed by the harvest after hours of work and care—there isn't anything quite like it. Add in the design of grow rooms,

processes, machinery, storage, tracking and finally marketing and distributing a labor of love, and it makes it even sweeter to see your products in the hands of end users improving their quality of life.

What makes your business important to the community?

Wellevate has developed its grow and processing systems with quality and consistency at the forefront. In an industry where quality can vary from batch to batch, we strive to provide a product our customers can always rely on.

How do you give back to your community?

We are passionate about creating and processing, and are equally committed to the quality-of-life of our employees, our communities, and those who protect the freedoms we enjoy. In that spirit, a portion of all proceeds from Wellevate Farms goes to Folds of Honor, an organization committed to lifelong aid for our veterans.

PHRESH

Our consistency has not changed since we founded in

2019. From the time we started we’ve made it easy for patients to identify our brand in store by high-quality marketing.

What services or products do you o er? We o er indoor premium small-batch craft cannabis, small-batch edibles, and have a single-source rosin on the way!

What was your mission or vision at the start of your company?

To preserve the tradition of growing high-quality cannabis to change lives. We are the Quality Control of cannabis. We wanted to create a long lasting impact on the community and our phamily’s lives.

What are your goals? Create positive changes to improve our quality of service, stay dedicated and focused on educating others and keeping the flame of the culture lit for generations to enjoy.

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

It's been my lifelong passion to grow this plant. I don't see a life or vision personally anywhere else.

How would you describe your workplace culture? True-to-the-bone loyal. We always look after our own.

How many employees do you have?

We are a small-batch facility with seven to ten “Phamily” members.

What makes your business important to the community?

We produce our meds with higher standards than the big-box cultivators, giving the patients a chance to taste and see how it can be done without cutting corners.

How do you give back to your community?

We've thrown B2C events in the past to help network our industry in a way that can help others connect to other like minded people. We’re looking forward to having an outdoor “Phrestival” next year!

What are three things you want consumers to know about you?

When you see the photo on the bag you'll know we took the steps to ensure a forever customer. Single source rosin is coming soon. We let our pack talk for us.

Describe your perfect customer. How do your products bene t them?

Our perfect customer is looking for a flavor unlike anything else and won't stop at the "middle" shelf to get it. Our customer ideally is a true terpene hunter with a love for the culture in almost a nostalgic way. Connoisseurs where are ya!

What are you looking forward to in 2023?

The genetic lineup we are implementing for this new season is full of heavy hitters from the legacy brands that started this journey.

DRIP CULTIVATION

WOODWARD, OK / @DRIPCULTIVATION

Why did you start your business?

The business began from a desire to help one of our closest family members. He was in horrible pain and pain medicines made him sick. We needed an alternative medicine to help him with his

pain. We found out about the medicinal benefits of MMJ. That’s when DRIP was formed.

We have been in the medical grow business for over two years. We are fourth-generation Oklahomans—farmers, ranchers,

and oil men. Our family is from here and we are proud to serve this community.

What products do you o er?

We hope to o er everything someday, but have mostly focused on our

grow, ensuring we have GMP standards to meet medical grade requirements. We have cured resin vape pens, ice water hash, and flower-infused pre rolls. We are very excited about our new line of DRIP Drop edibles, and new strains: Figi sunset, ZsaZsa, Pink Grapes, El Chivo, Box wine, First class Funk, Candy Rain and more.

What was your mission at the start of the company?

Our mission first came from our desire to help our family member. We took over a year to build out and begin growing; making a state-of-the-art grow that could produce

truly incredible products was our priority.

What makes your business important to the community?

We are driven by our desire to bring the best possible products at the lowest possible prices for our friends and family: Oklahomans.

We made it our mission to open a store, DRIP M.D., before launching our processing company so we could guarantee the ability for anyone in this region to get exceptional quality product at working-man prices.

With a team that DRIPs this hard, it’s hard not to make a splash in the industry. #JoinTheCult

When did you start your business?

We tested our first sample in November of 2018.

Where are you located? Our main facility is in OKC, but we will open a second location in Tulsa by the end of the year. We have a dedicated transport team that picks up samples around the state.

What products or services do you o er?

We o er analytical testing services to all facets of the industry, including growers, processors, and patients.

What was your mission or vision at the start of your company?

With a unique background in environmental testing, our goal has always been

to help elevate and legitimize the cannabis industry by producing accurate, precise data, utilizing strict quality control elements and a robust quality program while still staying flexible to the needs of the industry.

What makes your business important to the community?

Oklahomans have poured their heart and soul into building their brands; building them on good science and legally defensible data is paramount for long-term success.

Beyond that, ensuring that patients are receiving the medication they need has always been our number one priority. If a patient is looking for

flower with particular terpenes or RSO with a certain potency, it’s important that they can trust the labels on the products they purchase. Otherwise they won’t get the e ects they’re looking for at best, or at worst, it could make them sicker.

How do you give back to the community?

We produce data without ego. Knowing that the cannabis analytical industry is still mostly unregulated, we have no problem retesting samples at no charge if the result is di erent than the client anticipated. We want growers and processors to feel confident in their products and the data on their labels.

SARAH LEE GOSSETT PARRISH PLLC

Iam a third-generation attorney who maintains a business law practice in Oklahoma’s hemp and medical marijuana industries (also admitted in Texas and Colorado [single client]). I represent OMMA-licensed businesses and ancillary businesses within the cannabis space. I am blessed with several national and statewide recognitions, National Law Journal Cannabis Trailblazer, American Lawyer Women Leaders in the Law, Global Top 200 Cannabis Legal Professionals, and Top Cannabis Business Law Firm (Journal Record’s 2020, ’21, and ’22 Reader’s Choice Awards).

When did you start your business?

I began practicing law in 1986, and in the summer of 2018, after Oklahoma passed SQ 788, I shifted the focus of my law practice to the cannabis industry and have never looked back. I love it!

How many employees do you have?

I realized my dream to become a solo

practitioner in 2019. I have 2 paralegals.

What services do you o er?

I o er a full menu of legal services for cannabis businesses, including entity selection and formation, contract preparation, SOPS, investment negotiations, mergers and acquisitions, and handle all other corporate, transactional, and regulatory matters. I also serve as outside general counsel for several clients. I am a certified civil mediator and conduct mediations for cannabis businesses (non-clients) to resolve issues outside the courtroom.

What was your mission or vision at the start of your company?

My mission is to help others—to assist businesses in legally operating within the cannabis space and help patients gain access to the highest quality medicine available.

What are your company’s goals?

My goal is to represent each client to the best of my ability, with

excellence, e iciency, and integrity, and when appropriate, to connect my clients for their mutual benefit. I counsel clients in best practices and sound decisions concerning operations within the legal Oklahoma and Texas supply chains.

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

I am passionate about the healing power of cannabis and believe outstanding legal services and education are necessities for cannabis businesses to thrive. My background and experience enable me to provide such services, and I am blessed with amazing clients who I enjoy representing.

What makes your business important to the community?

Sarah Lee Gossett Parrish PLLC is important to Oklahoma because we provide experience, encouragement, and expertise for every stage of medical marijuana and hemp businesses. We are an incubator for clients’ ideas,

and assist them in implementing their plans with excellence, e iciency, and integrity, in compliance with Oklahoma law.

How do you give back to your community?

I give back to the community through pro bono work and providing discussions of relevant legal information and topics of interest to cannabis businesses via speaking engagements, webinars, guest columns in periodicals both digital and written, and my Canna Law Biz blog posts, which can be found at cannalawbiz. wpcomstaging.com.

“After Oklahoma passed SQ 788, I shifted the focus of my law practice to the cannabis industry and have never looked back. I love it!”

SLGPARRISHLAW.COM / SLGPARRISH@SLGPARRISHLAW.COM

Our goal has always been to provide the highest quality of products. Our team conducted a lot of research to find the best hardware for our all-in-one disposable vape pens. Working, partnering, and collaborating with quality growers and extractors to provide top notch medicine.

When did you start your business?

We started our business in September 2020.

What services or products do you o er?

We provide various products: All in one 1g Disposable Vape Pen that includes cured and live resin as well as live rosin, a 1:1 topical called Okie Muscle, and a gummy line that we are currently working on. (More to come!)

What are your goals?

To provide as much comfort and joy to others as possible. We would like to expand our patient base here in Oklahoma and expand into other markets to provide the same quality medicine as we provide here in Oklahoma.

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

We wanted to make an impact on the community by providing targeted medicine to patients and to give back to others. We truly believe in the beneficial properties that this amazing plant gives us.

How many employees do you have?

We currently have three employees.

What was your mission or vision at the start of your company?

Our mission was, and continues to be, to provide quality products that provide patients with effects to fit their environment and to also bring joy to our customer base while experiencing joy.

How would you describe your workplace culture? Have fun while putting the work in.

What makes your business vital to the community?

We take the time to ensure that our products are of the highest quality and truly believe in giving back to the community.

How do you give back to your community?

We are currently working with High Hopes to provide assistance to families of pediatric patients. We continuously look into

other philanthropic opportunities such as veterans’ groups, the elderly, etc. A portion of our sales go towards philanthropic endeavors. Our goal is to help people have access to quality medicine.

Describe your perfect customer.

Perfectly imperfect people are our favorite customers! Our hope is that our products provide comfort to them, be it stress, anxiety, pain, or an ailment that once held them back from living their life.

What are three things you want people to know about you?

1. We are passionate about helping others.

2.We all believe in experiencing as much as you can have in this life.

3.We are continuously getting out of our comfort zone to make sure we are well educated and able to create quality products for our customer base. And we love passing that knowledge along to our patients and partnered companies.

What are you looking forward to in 2023?

Getting more products out to market. We’re eager to build deeper relationships within our community, and excited for a lot of the new genetics we are pheno hunting that have super unique terpene profiles. We are also looking forward to experiencing more joy and giving it!

“Perfectly imperfect people are our favorite customers! Our hope is that our products provide comfort to them.”

OKIE WONDERLAND

Okie Wonderland has everything that a medical cannabis patient would need. We pride ourselves on having one of the largest inventories in Oklahoma and carrying a wide variety of products including – flower, edibles, cartridges, wax, live rosin, drinks, slushies, patches, tablets, creams, tinctures, dog treats, prerolls, and much more! We also carry a nice array of smoking accessories for the convenience of our customers.

When did you start your business?

Our first Okie Wonderland location opened on January 1, 2020.

Where can people nd you and your products?

We currently have three dispensaries open in the Tulsa metro area. Our first location is in Catoosa, second location in Tulsa, and third location in West Tulsa/Sapulpa.

We are currently working on opening our new locations in Broken Arrow, Coweta, Owasso, and Midtown Tulsa.

How many employees do you have?

Our company currently has around 25 employees.

What was your mission or vision at the start of your company?

The mission and purpose at the start of our company was to provide the

absolute BEST products to customers for the absolute BEST price. While providing these amazing deals we also always wanted our dispensary to have the most “family style” atmosphere. We have patients from all different backgrounds, races, religions, genders and we want everyone to be happier when they leave our store than when they walk in!

What are your company’s goals?

Our company’s goals are to solidify ourselves as one of the best dispensaries, not only in Tulsa, but in the entire state of Oklahoma. The way we can achieve that is to

continue to provide high quality products for budget prices, superior customer service, a great work environment, and most of all trust. We want our patients to trust us to the point that they know we won’t carry any products that won’t benefit them in a positive way.

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

The reason I decided to start a company in this industry is the genuine happiness I get when I see medical cannabis put a smile on an unhappy patient’s face. That feeling itself is so satisfying. Additionally, I was working for a successful

dispensary in California, MedMen, and decided that I needed to take the next step in my personal career.

How would you describe your workplace culture?

Our company’s workplace culture would be described as free-flowing, busy, fun, open-minded, and a place where it’s okay to ask questions. Everyone on our team learns something new every day and is continuously being educated on cannabis & business. We all work together as a team, so that everyone works on a little bit of everything, rather than putting so much pressure on our managers.

What are three things you want consumers to know about you?

1. Our team is concise and organized about the way we run our business! All prices are out the door and tax included as well.

2.Our owner is only 27 years old, and works seven days a week to ensure that Okie Wonderland is always in tip top shape. You can always personally reach out to him if you have an issue.

3.We are not just a group of random budtenders that sell weed, we are a legitimate family. Everyone genuinely cares about Okie!

them carefully and make sure we are doing our best to steer them toward the correct products. What makes your business important to the community?

We have been on the forefront of the cannabis industry in Oklahoma since early 2020 and have established relationships that will never be forgotten. Our customers know we always provide the absolute best price on products that we can. We are never trying to price gouge or focused on meeting a “minimum margin.” We treat customers the same whether they

are giving back is by always providing amazing deals, so that customers will always have extra spending money for their families.

In addition, we are always a part of all cannabis networking events. We are giving out free t-shirts. We hold patient drives monthly to help people renew or get their medical card. We always

have days where free food is given at the dispensaries. When customers can’t a ord a product or they are short on money, 9/10 times we try to spot the di erence for them. We continuously set up pop ups for customers so that they can meet vendors and get penny products! We have done free RSO for cancer patients as well.

What are you looking forward to in 2023?

Okie Wonderland is looking forward to expanding and opening all our new locations so that customers in areas that are a little further away will finally realize what they have been missing out on! We are also excited for our third anniversary and bringing in the new year with all our loyal Okie patients.

Describe your perfect customer. How do your products bene t them?

There is no such thing as a perfect customer! Every patient is an individual and their experience should always be tailored to their needs. It is our job as a team to listen to

spend $1 on a single gummy or over $400 for an ounce of concentrate.

How does your business give back to your community?

We are continuously giving back to the community! The main way we

“The reason I decided to start a company in this industry is the genuine happiness I get when I see medical cannabis put a smile on an unhappy patient’s face. That feeling itself is so satisfying.”

Another fallanother turned page

—WALLACE