Altvm is on a mission to cultivate the next great strain PHENO FINDERS MIND = BLOWN Interactive art at Meow Wolf HAPPY Canna-businessesGNOMEgrowtogether THE REAL DIRT Wisdom from the Soil King OKLAHOMA SUMMER 2022
www.zenoacanna.com@zenoacannaweedmaps.com/brands/zenoa
WithCannabisClass...
11 PUBLISHER’S NOTE 12 THE BUZZ News, tips, and tidbits to keep you in the loop
ON THE COVER Altvm uses favoritecultivateengineeringgenetictoyourfuturephenoprole. COURTESY 32
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OKLAHOMA
EMERALD IN THE ROUGH The good folks at Humboldt Social help tourists discover California’s Weed Country. 50 THE END Lady Buds elevates the stories of women in cannabis as the industry faces a drop in female executive roles. SENSISUMMERMAGAZINE2022
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THE REAL DIRT Patrick King aka “Soil King” shares the wisdom he’s gained from years as a man of the earth.
RUNNER’S HIGH Your body makes cannabis-like enzymes when on the go. ART TRIFECTA House=ArtechouseArt+Tech+-Miami
CANNABIZ Lucky Leaf Expo COSPLAY PARADISE at New World Comic Con 16 THE LIFE Contributing to your health and happiness
DEPARTMENTS
ALTVM @sensimagazinesensimediagroup@sensimag
SUMMER READING Books to while away your poolside afternoons GOOD GRASS The vegan eats at Café420
FEATURES 24 Taste Buds Quality, quantity, and individuality come together at Altvm, the pioneer cultivating genetic expansion in the cannabis industry. 32 Follow the Dopamine Meow Wolf is here to help alter your state of consciousness through immersive art. 40 Power of the People Alexandra Ruby founded her human resource consulting agency to help cannabis businesses and workers grow together.
C O U N T R Y C A N N A B I S . C O M
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Neil Willis Production Director Richard Guerra Digital Production MEDIA SALES
DESIGN Jamie Ezra Mark Creative Director jamie@emagency.com Rheya Tanner Art Director Wendy Mak Designer Josh Clark Designer Miguel Martinez Designer PRODUCTION
Stephanie Graziano stephanie.graziano@sensimag.comCEO
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Northern Specialty Health Upper Peninsula: Provisioning Center Pure West Compassion Club Caregiver Connection & Network Rair Medical Flower Solutions by Dr. Dave West Michigan: Hemp CBD Helping Friendly Hemp Company Hemp Topicals
Dispensary:
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Source CO Wholesale Consulting Terrapin Care Station Recreational Dispensary Uleva Hemp Products Witlon Inc. Payroll Processing
EDITORIAL Stephanie Wilson Co-Founder + Editor in Chief stephanie.wilson@sensimag.com
Jamie Cooper Market Director, Michigan Richard Guerra Market Director, Massachusetts Nancy Reid Market Director, Florida
ADVISORYNATIONAL BOARD NCRMA Risk Management ADVISORY BOARD ColoradoCOLORADOCannabis Company THC Co ee Concentrate Supply Co. Recreational Concentrates Higher Grade Boutique Cannabis Lab Society Extraction Expert + Lab Supplies marQaha Sublinguals + Beverages Monte Fiore Farms Recreational Cultivation
EXECUTIVE Ron Kolb ron@sensimag.comFounder
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 MRB Solutions Human Resources
Doug Schnitzspahn Executive Editor Tracy Ross Managing Editor, Michigan Debbie Hall Managing Editor, Spark Jenny Willden Managing Editor, California Will Brendza Managing Editor, Colorado Radha Marcum Copy Editor Bevin Wallace Copy Editor
Toni Tardif National Sales Director Jade Kolb Social Media / Global Recruiting PUBLISHING
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EricMICHIGANLutey Media Sales Executive Kyle Miller Media Sales Executive Will Oostendorp Media Sales Exec. Leah Stephens Media Sales Exec. OKLAHOMALeviClarkMedia Sales Executive Samantha Grigsby Media Sales Exec. PUERTO RICO Piper Emory Media Sales Executive
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
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JakeMASSACHUSETTSBoyntonMedia Sales Exec.
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.
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.
leaflink.com/menu/icy-melts-solventless/@cartercreekcannabishttps://highsandlowsbrokerage.com/Sales@highsandlowsbrokerage.com&@icymeltssolventless
“Growers tip of the day” Love Everybody
PUBLISHER’S NOTE A
We are also in the midst of an exciting revival of our brand and there are many bold changes afoot here at Sensi. In these new summer print issues of our magazine in all markets, you will see a renewed focus in support of brands who represent the roots of this industry. We are celebrating people like Patrick King, who was incarcerated for his belief in cannabis, but now stands at the forefront of a renaissance. King, along with others know the potential cannabis has to heal those suffering from chronic pain to combat-induced PTSD, and we advocate for him and his vision for the healthy cultivation of the plant. This is the future. Sensi is committed to connecting you with the important voices in our community and to celebrating the value they bring to our everyday lives.
We want Sensi to be the leader as the wellmedicine,nationentireopensitsarmstocannabistheindustryandinnovationsinthescience,asasnewimportantusesfortheplant.
SUMMER 2022 SENSIMAG.COM 11
SOCIALFINDUSONMEDIA
stephanie.graziano@sensimag.com
somenewsofnewsfeedGroupLikeFACEBOOKSensiMediatoinfuseyourwithmoreourgreatcannabislifestylecontent.TWITTERFollow@sensimagforneed-to-knowandviewsfromSensiheadquarters.INSTAGRAMPrettythings,prettyplaces,prettyawe-people:nditallon@sensimagazine.
June 2022 in Miami, Sensi had the honor of winning “Most Influential Media Source” and we couldn’t be prouder. Ever since we launched in 2016, we have been working both to reimagine the perception of cannabis culture and keep a finger on the pulse of trends and new directions in the industry. We want Sensi to be the leader as the entire nation opens its arms to cannabis medicine, the industry, and innovations in science, as well as new important uses for the plant. One disturbing trend in the cannabis industry, however, is a falloff in the number of women and people of color who serve in executive positions. We are proud to be heading in the opposite direction. There is a plurality of women in our top-level positions, and we see women as thought leaders in the business and drivers in dismissing tired old stereotypes about cannabis—and we intend to lead the way in bringing more women and people of color into important roles in the industry. We must prove that this industry can set an example that all should follow.
GrowInnovateListenLead
At the Cannabis Business Awards
Magazine published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2022 Sensi Media Group. All rights reserved.
Sensi will continue to be a leader in building our community and serving you at the highest level. We look forward to bringing you along on this journey.
With exercise, your body produces its own cannabis-like molecules of bliss. So, by now you’re probably familiar with cannabinoids—they’re the compounds in the cannabis plant that are responsible for its effects. THC is the one responsible for the psychoactive “high.” CBD is the one with all sorts of medicinal benefits. And those are just two of more than 128 phytocannabinoids (“phyto” meaning “produced by a plant”) in marijuana. But did you know that our body produces its own cannabinoids as well? Called endocannabinoids (“endo” meaning “of the body”), these tiny molecules of lipids circulate in the brain and body, working on receptors to cause a variety of effects, maintaining balance in the brain and body in a process called homeostasis. If you’ve ever experienced the elusive buzzy, euphoric I-can-do-anything feeling at the end of hard exercise known as the runner’s high, you have your endocannabinoids—not your endorphins—to thank. Research from Wayne State University School of Medicine summarizes nearly two decades of work on the topic and confirms that it’s not endorphins but rather endocannabinoids that are the star of the show. “We found that exercise consistently boosted endocannabinoid levels across studies,” says Hilary A. Marusak, a neuroscientist at the university. “The effects were most consistent for a chemical messenger known as anandamide—the so-called ‘bliss’ molecule, which was named, in part, for its positive effects on mood.” And it turns out you don’t need to go running to experience runner’s high. Running, swimming, weightlifting, and cycling are all shown to deliver a boost in endocannabinoids. What matters most is the level of intensity. Push yourself hard enough, and your body rewards you by flooding your system with cannabis-like molecules of bliss.
Runner’s High
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12 OKLAHOMA SUMMER 2022
$4.6
SUMMERPLAYLIST
Stephanie Wilson
The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon What would you do if your college girlfriend joined a cult and blew up your life?
If you booked an Airbnb in the middle of nowhere this summer, you may want to skip this book. It’ll hit a bit too close to home, and you didn’t travel all that way to be feeling unsettled all week after you’ve nished it in one day because it’s too good to hit pause.
A literal lol modern metaphor involving a giant snake eating the ultra-wealthy denizens of Palm Beach. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Tears were running down our faces just 10 minutes into this YA novel about a teenage girl grappling with the very adult topics of racism, police brutality, and privilege
TEAMLABBYPHOTOSLEFT
An author locks down with friends, lovers, and rivals and lives to write ction about it.
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
$33 BILLION The accordingrevenueexpectedfromsalesofmarijuanabytheendof2022,toanewstudybyMJBiz Hall,
Artechouse Miami
SUMMER 2022 SENSIMAG.COM 13
cannabiswhichconsumeAmericanscannabisinsomeformaccordingtoMRI-Simmons’ndingsfromitsNationalCannabisStudy,capturesthefullspectrumofuseacrosstheUS.
BY NUMBERSTHE
BILLION Sales of CBD products in the US in 2020. By 2026, this market is expected to grow to 16 billion dollars in value. 26 PERCENT of
The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart
The power of a post: An out-of-this-world tale involving aliens, social media, and collective consciousness wrapped up in a witty narrative that had us laughing out loud while walking the dog.
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
Reminder: Dogs are the best.
Squeeze Me by Carl Hiassen
Art + Tech + House = Artechouse, which calls itself “the nation’s rst innovative art space for art and technology.” The art incubator is supporting and working with experiential, tech-driven art, merging art, science, and technology to stimulate the senses. You have until August 31 to check out “Renewal 2121,” an Artechouse original production created in collaboration with artists from around the globe—including visual designer Yuya Takeda, scenery from Design Foundry, and music by Mario Hammer and the Lonely Robot. Together, the artists utilize the power of creative technology to transport experiential-art-goers to an imagined future 100 years from now where they traverse through a cyberpunk cityscape, an interactive market, a busy data center, and a taiko drum experience to nd nature blooming in the most unexpected places.
CONTRIBUTORS Debbie
Libby is the free library app that makes borrowing a book (digital or audio) way easier than baking a pie. A library card and a few taps of your ngers are all you need to access your local institution’s digital catalog. Here are some suggestions from our recent Libby history.
Boutique Flower Craft Grown Hand Trimmed with Love You Can Taste The Difference 14 OKLAHOMA SUMMER 2022
New World Comic Con /July 30 / Oklahoma State Fair Park / 3001 General Pershing Blvd. / Oklahoma City / newworldcomiccon.org
Heroes and villains compete at New World Comic Con New World Comic Con is headed to the Oklahoma State Fair Park. It’ll be a mashup celebration of the comic and gaming worlds, showcasing talent, creators, and artists for a day of interactive fun. This family-friendly event promises to be a blast. Check out booths, compete in a costume contest, bid on memorabilia in the silent auction, and find your powers in superhero school.
DeliciousnessPlant-Based
Café420 / The Alkaline Plant-Based Stop / Aviare Arts District / 409 N. Walker Ave. / Oklahoma City / internalcleansellc.wixsite.com/cafe420
The Thursday Pre-Show Crash Course o ers a comprehensive set of business and entrepreneurship seminars, providing in-depth training on the cannabis supply chain. The workshop will help attendees to gain insights and strategies from expert cannabis professionals to further their businesses and careers. From seed to sale, learn about market demand and revenue growth opportunities—and everything in between.
HERNANDEZKASHAWNJIMENEZ;CAMILOOLSSON;ELLABYLEFT)FROM(CLOCKWISEPHOTOS
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CANNA BUSINESS SMARTS
Café420 serves up eats from its alkaline and vegan menu.
This B2B platform invites growers, processors, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, accountants, attorneys, marketers, journalists, and executives to the show. Learn about advances in cannabis and connect with like-minded proponents of legalization, research, and expansion.
As the 30th US state to legalize medicinal cannabis, Oklahoma will host the Lucky Leaf Expo this September. Explore over 100 exhibitors, engage with speakers, network, party, and catch up with canna-industry experts and businesses. Best of all, no medical card is needed to attend.
Café420, located in the Downtown Arts District, features yummy modern vegan cuisine here in Oklahoma City. Also known as the Alkaline Plant-Based Stop, the café promotes a gentler lifestyle, o ering alkaline plantbased meals that amaze all taste buds. The owners strive to improve the quality of life using unprocessed, sustainably sourced plants. Inspired by an alkaline plant-based lifestyle, food choices are based on herbalist Alfredo Darrington Bowman's African bio-mineral balanced way of life called Dr. EverythingSebi's.on the menu is organic and made from scratch with wholesome oils, including grapeseed, avocado, sesame, hemp seed, walnut, and olive oil. Try the hamburger fritter with that sauce or the lucky charm quinoa bowl with mock garlic atbread. Add a co ee or smoothie. The delectable avors and textures of cruelty-free ingredients make for meals with compassion.
Lucky Leaf Oklahoma City / Sept. 22-23 / Oklahoma City Convention Center / 100 Mick Cornett Drive / Oklahoma City / luckyleafexpo.com/oklahoma-city Crusaders Unite
Catch up with the industry in Oklahoma.
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The Real Dirt
The king of soil spreads seeds of wisdom when it comes to cannabis, real organic agriculture, and listening to the child within. DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN
Patrick King has been in the business since the beginning. Like so many who are now at the center of the industry, he was once incarcerated for his involvement in cannabis. Like so many others, he has shucked off those negative stereotypes to become a leader, not just in this industry, but in a larger movement toward health and wellness, and away from traditional business and agricultural structures. More than cannabis itself, King has always been fascinated by and in tune to that which grows cannabis—good soil. An instrumental voice in California’s legalization movement and coveted speaker in the industry and beyond, King is the founder of The Soil King, a marketing,remediation,ing,distribution,turalincludinglegalservicesbusinessCalifornia-basedthatprovidesdowntheentirecannabissupplychainsoils,agricul-products,genetics,manufactur-transportation,retail,cultivation,packagingand
TEXT
16 OKLAHOMA SUMMER 2022
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I’m just happy for the journey. I don’t look down the road.
A lot of times what I did yesterday or the day before is different from what I know now. That’s evolving. That’s being humble and understanding that we’re not perfect. We’re just striving to do good things.
“Regulationandtestingincannabishassetthebarsohighthattherestofagriculturehasyettomeetit.…Theplanetneedscannabisbecausecannabishassetthebarsohigh.Cannabisisnotjustmedicinaltousashumans;it’smedicinaltotheplanet.
I’m not always right.
People think I’m crazy— but, as soon as I get that certain scent and I feel it, it goes right in my cheek. You hear people say all the time that cannabis is not addictive. Everything is addictive. I know lots of people who have to have it every morning, every day, no matter what. There’s no segregation in agriculture. As long as you cultivate soil and you’re growing a living soil, you’re producing all the enzymes, fungal bacteria, and you’re feeding your soul.
LEARN MORE Soil King / soilking.com Instagram @thesoilking more. He took the time to share a lifetime of wisdom with Sensi. I was born for a purpose. That purpose is being a steward of the planet and building a platform to help educate about the planet. I’ve never grown a plant, but I have grown healthy soil that produced a plant. People always laughed at me. I have a garden center and I quit carrying all bottle nutrients. And people laughed and told me I was stupid. They said that’s the stuff that sells. I just said that’s not my future; that’s not the future of this world. Today, I have a complete team, an army of likeminded stewards of the environment right alongside me who are teaching me as I’m teaching them. If I went to a vineyard, took a leaf sample, and tested it for nants—heavycontami-metals, herbicides, pesticides—they would pop significantly. You could never apply any of that on a cannabis farm because regulation and testing in cannabis has set the bar so high that the rest of agriculture has yet to meet it. Now, everybody says that’s bad, but as a guy who has knowledge of this stuff, I love the bar being set that high. The planet needs cannabis because cannabis has set the bar so high. Cannabis is not just medicinal to us as humans; it’s medicinal to the planet. We have this world of commercial agriculture destroying the planet quickly with unhealthy poison. These commercial guys were just growing, growing, growing. Then all of a sudden, there’s this little circle in the middle—us—and now we’re growing. Now, I see all these massive companies—even totheytalkingganics.andwhatingScotts—areMonsanto,allnowturn-backwardstowardwewerescreamingcomingoutwithor-Now,they’reallthelanguagethattolduswewerecrazyevendiscussbackthen.
I always talk about this 12-year-old boy who’s inside of me. He’s been the only one in my life who told me I can; I will. He’s proud of me. I check in with him all the time and he reminds me that we’ve come a long way. We did this together and he’s never quit on me and I never quit on him. Your biofilm, the good enzymes your gut holds— it’s all the same enzymes the soil generates. When I’m digging in the forest on the big island, Hawaii, and I come across this certain smell and it feels so rich and so pure, I take a pinch of it and I put it in my cheek like it’s tobacco. I’m feeding my whole body and my soul with that. That’s my hospital; that’s the pharmacy; that’s everything you really need to keep yourself healthy.
SUMMER 2022 SENSIMAG.COM 17
TEXT STEPHANIE WILSON
THE LIFE TRAVEL 18 OKLAHOMA SUMMER 2022
Enter EmeraldtheTriangle
Humboldt County is to weed what Napa is to wine, and the good people at Humboldt Social are here to elevate your California cannacation.
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THE LIFE TRAVEL SUMMER 2022 SENSIMAG.COM 19
coast along Highway 101. It’s a long drive, but you’ll see once you get there that it’s totally worth it. This region known as the Emerald Triangle— Trinity, Mendocino, and Humboldt counties—is to high-grade cannabis what the Napa Valley is to wine: a tentpole of the Northern California economy. By some estimates, this marijuana trifecta produced between 40 and 60 percent of all the pot consumed in America before legalization began to spread state by state. While lumber mills and salmon canneries used to fuel the local economy, today, cannabis is the mainstay, largely on the cultivation side of things. But as interest in cannabis tourism continues to rise worldwide, Humboldt County is poised to step out of the traditional market and into the spotlight to claim the title of marijuana mecca. CNBC estimates that cannabis accounts for two-thirds of the local economy, with about 20 percent of the local population making a living in cultivation across a network of small cities, farms, and tiny agriculture-centric villages. All it will take for the notoriously tightlipped community that housed the largest concentration of black-market grows for the last half-centu-
Head to forcar,orflcheap.ten,intheandtotimefavoriteicsofindustry,thenia)other(especiallysparselyHumboldtCalifornia’sCounty.ThispopulatedregioncomparedtopartsofCalifor-istheepicenterofAmericancannabisthebirthplacethecultureandgenet-behindsomeofyourstrains.It’shighyoupaidavisit.Notthatit’ssupereasygetthere.AmericanUnitedbothflyintosmallregionalairportArcata,butnotveryof-sotheticketsaren’tYou’rebetteroffyingintoSanFranciscoSacramento,rentingaandhittingtheroadasix-hourdriveupthe
VILLAGOMEZLEONRICHARDS,MADELINEHYLAND,DREWLEFT:TOPFROMCLOCKWISEPHOTOS
Wanna canna getaway?
ry to rightfully claim its title as the world’s most sacred holy land is a little more hospitality. It’s All Happening The dramatic cultural shift in conversation away from illegal grows to mainstream marketing campaigns declaring Humboldt to be America’s cannabis heartland is already underway, with local tourism boards launching nationwide campaigns spreading the good word far and wide. Closer to home, a host of fresh cannabis-centric properties and activities cater to a higher class of traveler. We’re not talking about 420-friendly Airbnbs or
Humboldt Bay Social Club brings visitors together under a shared appreciation of the good things in life.
20 OKLAHOMA SUMMER 2022
T here are 1440 minutes in each day, and the team at 1440 Processing strives to use each one of them to be Oklahoma’s foremost leader in clean and transparent medical cannabis. Located in Choctaw, the company values transparency and accuracy with strict product quality and testing procedures to ensure patients know exactly what enters their bodies. These stringent safety guidelines ensure that every concentrate, vape cartridge, pre-roll, tincture, and edible that comes out of the 1440 facility meets and exceeds the safety and testing standards required by the state of Oklahoma. With patient satisfaction in mind, innovative proprietary formulations provide top-quality ingredients, terpenes, flavors, and effects.
1440 Processing Medical Cannabis Manufacturer madeby1440.com
Make the Most of the Day 1440 Processing is Oklahoma’s premier choice for processing clean and transparent medical cannabis.
PROMOTIONAL FEATURE 1440 PROCESSING
1440 is ready to help your dispensary, farm, or brand succeed in the market. For businesses looking for a partner they can trust and rely on, 1440 Processing is prepared with an abundance of products and solutions that can be tailored to fit your needs.
As proud supporters of the military, 1440 has garnered a partnership with Scars and Stripes (scarsandstripeswellness.com) to manufacture and supply a multitude of CBD products to the market. Scars and Stripes’ mission is to help provide resources, training, and support to veterans reintegrating into civilian life. By developing a 100% veteranonly salesforce, it has been able to empower teams of veterans to learn how to sell high-quality CBD lotions, salves, tinctures, and mints, creating an opportunity for camaraderie and an earned individual income. These CBD products have made Scars and Stripes the top choice for customers looking for clean THC-free medicine.
With over 110 proprietary in-house formulations, 1440’s scientists are proven reliable manufacturers of high-quality, clean medicine. The team is capable and ready to help with a plethora of business-to-business needs, including a variety of brand-manufacturing, toll-processing, formulations, and white-label solutions completed with exacting standards. 1440 takes great pride in its scalable capacity with options in consulting, lab construction, and training (on-site or off-site at another facility). As one of the few GMP-ready labs in Oklahoma, 1440 is standing by, ready for the change in laws at the federal level, to become an officially recognized GMP laboratory.
smoking tours catering to heavy-lidded stoners, but rather nuanced establishments that match the sensibilities of discretionary thecannabisheartlandpilgrimagetravelerslyknowtopoor-qualityclichéchaincializedaswithjustnia’sverywhotravelers—travelersaren’tgonnatakethelongtriptoCalifor-remoteNorthCoasttogethighonabusblackenedwindowsitrollsfromcommer-indoorgrowtodispensarysellingmerchtogowithpre-rollsconsumerswhodon’tanybetterandreal-don’tcareeither.Cannabis-seekingwhomaketheuptotheofAmericandososeekingprofound.Theycome
The people behind Humboldt Social are all about the details. Their aesthetic is inspired by the history and beauty of the North Coast, with an emphasis on reclaimed materials, vintage furnishings, and lots of natural light. The resulting spaces are welcoming low-key retreats that invite travelers and locals alike to enjoy an elevated way of life. Founded by husbandand-wife duo Jon and Amy O’Connor, this new hospitality group—which now consists of boutique hotels, waterfront cabins, and the Social Nature cannabis brand—is in the business of normalization. At any of the venues in Comfort and cannabis go hand-in-hand at Scotia Lodge.
THE LIFE TRAVEL SUMMER 2022 SENSIMAG.COM 21
to get a taste of the local culture, to get a glimpse behind the redwood curtain, and to hear crazy firsthand stories about what’s it’s been like to have a hand in shaping modern cannabis culture from the very people responsible for creating the genetics of some of the world’s top strains. The people who heard the government’s demand to just say no and replied no way. The people who risked their lives and their freedom to bring us access of what they refer to simply as the plant. The travelers who come to Humboldt for the cannabis come seeking more than the surface-level experience. They come to get immersed in the details. Humboldt Social Is Here Enter Humboldt Social. This boutique hospitality company friendly to cannabis “creates unique lodging, dining and event spaces that welcome visitors as family. We are boutique lodging with two very different locations: Scotia, nestled in the redwoods, and Humboldt Bay Social Club, on the beach. We also curate authentic, integrated travel experiences that reflect the richness of our region. We are passionate about introducing our guests to Humboldt’s most unique resources—our redwoods, beaches, cannabis farms, and creative community.”
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AwardConcentratesGeneticsWinning,Flowerwww.ALTVM.comsales@altvm.comgenetics@altvm.com KushmintsAltoidzXGarlic Breath Contact us about Genetics! $15 - 1/8 $100 - Ounce Farm to Table Top Shelf Flower Available at Electraleaf Edmond! 22 OKLAHOMA SUMMER 2022
HS’s portfolio, consuming cannabis is as normal as drinking wine. This is how it should be. After all, at wineries in Napa, people don’t think twice about raising toasts until their lips are purple. The O’Connors wanted to afford cannabis consumers the same sense of freedom to indulge in the region’s bounties in whatever ways they like. Spark a joint while soaking in a clawfoot tub in the open-air bathhouse at Oyster Beach and watch the storm roll in over the water. Enjoy the food-truck-inspired fare at Jetty restaurant, tucked inside the clubhouse at HS’s boutique hotel property, Social Club. Light up with your friends while sitting around a firepit at Papa & Barkley Social’s smoking lounge in Eureka. If that revs up your appetite, satiate yourself and raise a glass of high seltzer at Pig & Leaf, the on-site food truck. Hit your vape pen in the designated smoking area at the cannabis-friendly Scotia Lodge before deep-diving into a redwood forest bath on the Avenue of Giants. Or don’t—you do whatever makes you most comfortable.Whichofcourse means booking a THC-activated massage at the Papa & Barley Social Day Spa. While you’ve no doubt seen the proliferation of CBD massages on spa menus, THC had yet to make an appearance at any American day spa until HS partnered with Nicole Fryer, co-founder of Social Spas. “I’m the first day spa in the country to be able to have THC activation,” Nicole tells Sensi. She had been interested in creating THC massages for a while, but after speaking with a woman at the department of health, she realized that the state was adamant about topicals being a type of consumption. She couldn’t offer the service unless she had a social-consumption license, which at the time seemed out of reach. Then Humboldt Social approached. “They were like, ‘we’re gonna do this spa thing,’” she says. “And I was like, ‘cool. Let’s do it.’” And so they did. And they’re the first to have done it. Which is almost as amazing as a THC massage. Seriously, you gotta get one. When is the best time to go? Now. You should go right now. Think about it: You’ll be taking a trip to explore America’s cannabis heartland at a pivotal time in our nation’s history, as marijuana prohibition comes to a stuttering end. While you’re there, be among the very first to have a THC-activated massage. You can tour cannabis farms where legendary strains came to be and meet the legacy cultivators and former outlaws who helped shape the culture of cannabis in America. Stay at a cannabis-friendly hotel where you can inhale nature’s bounty out in the open surrounded by stunning scenery and other pioneering travelers like andYouHumboldtthem:don’tyourself—althoughexpecttoomanyofyoudon’tcometoforthecrowds.cometohangoutrelax.
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humboldt-social.com Papa and Barkley’s Social spa melds THC and TLC.
Quality, quantity, and individuality come together at Altvm, the pioneer cultivating genetic expansion in the cannabis industry. TEXT LUCIE HANES 24 OKLAHOMA SUMMER 2022
Over the course of a year, Altvm performs three breeding projects and produces 40 crosses each time for a total of 120 new unique strains. They’ll then sift through the results and select the cream of the crop to feed into the next round. The winner’s circle is a pretty exclusive club. It takes more than an interesting terpene profile for a certain cultivar to qualify. Altvm prioritizes taste, but taste alone won’t cut it. “The seeds that we pick have to check all the boxes,” says Altvm cofounder Ricki Rebeiro. “The right one has to have a good terpene profile, great nose, bag appeal, and a quick turnaround time.” Plus, as we’ve already covered, taste is different from person to
ALTVMOFCOURTESYPHOTOS
T aste discriminates. What catches your eye on a menu says a lot about who you are as a person. Rich and savory, light and fruity, warm and sweet—the flavor profiles we prefer become defining parts of our personalities. For example, I quickly became known for my peanut butter penchant once my friends found out I stash a spare jar in my back seat for emergencies. I know that there are few problems a spoonful or two can’t help me solve, so I keep the option close at hand. Offer the same to my partner, on the other hand, and he’ll scoff so hard you’d think it was an insult and go off in search of yet another bag of BBQ Lay’s. Different people naturally appreciate different culinary experiences and forcing someone to eat in a way that doesn’t match their tastes or needs will do a number on their soul before long. But those preferences apply to more than just food. There’s no onetaste-fits-all formula when it comes to cannabis either. The same strain that helps one person wind down from a stressful day might make another too anxious to even catch a breath. The aroma that energizes me might put you straight to sleep. That’s why it matters to have options in this industry. Cannabis has the power to impact an incredibly wide range of people for a list of reasons that’s only growing in number day by day. It’s not just 20-something stoner bros lighting up on the couch when the beer runs out anymore. It’s also menopausal women, anxiety-ridden workaholics, hardworking athletes, sleepless over-thinkers, and anyone at the mercy of a chronic condition. So many members of that potential audience, though, will never know the benefits if they can’t access the strains that speak to them—or if those versions don’t even exist yet.
THE NEXT BLUE-RIBBON RECIPE Enter Altvm: the team of cannabis cultivators on a mission to expand the scope of cannabis culture. As the market spikes and legalization spreads, there’s no shortage of producers. It’s just that no one does high-quality quite like Altvm yet. Maybe that’s for good reason. The brand’s take on the cultivation process isn’t exactly for the faint of heart. Altvm doesn’t just grow its own product from established strains—the brand leaves a mark on the entire industry by breeding its own“Wecreations.startby planting seeds… a lot of seeds,” explains David Dodson, Altvm’s chief cultivation officer. But Dodson sees those seeds as more than just merchandise in the making. “Each seed is an opportunity to discover new genetics that can help produce a new cultivar.”
—David Dodson, Chief Cultivation O cer, Altvm
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[NEWER“SOMETIMESGROWERSINTHEINDUSTRY]FOCUSALLTHEIRENERGYINTOBUILDINGOUTTHEROOMS,DEVELOPINGTHESYSTEMS,ANDDIALINGINTHEMARKETINGTHATTHEYOVERLOOKTHEQUALITYOFWHATTHEY’REACTUALLYGROWING.”
Quality First, Always. Oklahoma’s best Exotic Flower, hand curated just for you! 109021412thelighthousedispensary1@gmail.comlighthousedispo405.768.3093@thelighthousedispensarySE44th,OklahomaCity,OK,73129NMayAve,OklahomaCity,OK,73120 26 OKLAHOMA SUMMER 2022
THINGSTHETHATIMPORTANTWETOUCHEVERYONE’SPALATE.SOMEPEOPLEWANTFRUIT,SOMEWANTTHEGAS…WEWANTTOFINDTHETHATTOUCHDIFFERENTPEOPLES’WANTSANDNEEDSMOREVIBRANTLY.”
person. “It’s about more than just growing what we like,” says Ronan Gorman, Altvm’s COO. If Altvm’s employees were just growing for themselves, it would be easy. Well, easier, at least—the whole team still enjoys the thrill of the chase for its own sake. “Some people are foodies,” says Pedro Sotomayor. “We’re foodies too. We like to hunt down the next flavor and unique set of characteristics of each plant. It’s like finding the next blue-ribbon recipe.” He and Rebeiro partnered with Dodson after opening Electraleaf, one of the first dispensaries in Oklahoma City. But there’s a big difference between satisfying just a handful of cannabis connoisseurs versus a wide-ranging and ever-growing consumer base. “It’s important that we touch everyone’s palate,” says Rebeiro. “Some people want the fruit, some want the gas. We want to find the things that touch different people’s wants and needs more vibrantly.” The more options available, the more consumers have to choose from—and the more likely their chances of finding the perfect match to suit their taste buds. Sotomayor sees the potential in each new cross for that very reason: “Every plant is unique like every human being has its own unique traits. We’re looking for the ones that connect well with different people.”
“IT’S
—Ricki Rebiero, Cofounder, Altvm Altvm owners Ronan Gorman (left), Ricki Rebeiro, Sotomayor,Pedroand David Dodson inspect the plants.
TAKING IT PUBLIC Quality and variety aren’t the only factors under consideration when it comes to craft cannabis, though. There also has to be enough of the good stuff to go around. “Focusing on strains that finish faster allows us to get more crops each year,” Dodson says. “That allows those strains to be more competitive.”
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Competitive strains benefit both producer and consumer. Care for their community comes first at Altvm—that’s obvious from the sheer amount of effort that goes into selecting and producing each
Craft CommercialQuality.Scale. sales@vertical-acres.comVerticalAcres1.0Tulsa,OK 28 OKLAHOMA SUMMER 2022
The breadth and depth of success that Altvm has in mind doesn’t come easy. No one goes from the bottom of the standings to the World Series overnight and without hitting countless roadblocks along the way. But hard work doesn’t feel quite so hard when passion’s in the driver’s seat, and that’s what keeps this ambitious team powering ahead.
Featured at the Sensi Magazine Party, June 30 THE HISTORY OF THE PHENO HUNT
As Altvm brings a wrap to its latest pheno hunt, the brand would like to invite the medical marijuana community out to be a part of its new strain release tasting experience. The rst 200 card holders to arrive will receive a tasting kit consisting of 10 .5g prerolls of Altvm’s unreleased hand-selected strains. Each kit comes with a menu including information on lineage and a brief tasting notes. Also included will be a scorecard to collect feedback from participants. The kits will be available for $.01 at the Cheers dispensary located right next to the venue of the event. The ower will be on display at the event for each participant to check out in person as well.
About six months ago, Altvm planted 850 new seeds from 48 crosses. The brand used the rst initial hunt to separate the males from the females, and to weed out any cultivars that didn’t show vigor right o the bat. This allowed Altvm to whittle down to 157 cultivars out of the original 850 seeds planted. From there, it handselected the best 10 cultivars to present to the community for the Pheno Hunt Tasting event. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this great R&D selection process.
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WHERE’S THE PARTY?
product right there.” If you want to play your own role in the genetic advancement of cannabis cultivation, you can join Altvm and Sensi on June 30 (see sidebar) for the chance to share your take on their latest batch of phenohunt discoveries. Ten different strains will be on hand, ready to run the gauntlet of popular opinion. And if you’re a grower yourself, you just might be able to get your hands on some of the winning seeds to bring into your ownThat’spractices.where Altvm sees another avenue for its future: helping growers, within both personal and commercial spheres, take their crops to the next level. Beyond seeds, Altvm can provide unreleased genetics in clone form to other cultivation companies looking to add something unique to their menus—something no one else has that yields, finishes fast, and excels in hash making for a competitive edge in the market.
PHENOALTVMHUNTTASTING
“As the market matures, there’s a huge influx of growers coming in,” Dodson says. “Sometimes they focus all their energy into building out the rooms, developing the systems, and dialing in the marketing that they overlook the quality of what they’re actually growing.” Putting the genetic blueprints out there alongside the final products helps fill the gap to the advantage of everyone involved.
“I can see the passion in David’s eyes when he finds something that does check all the boxes,” Rebeiro says. “It’s hard to find something that brings out everything we’re looking for. When we find one of those winners, that means a lot to us.” new batch. There’s just no way to spread the love without cultivars that can hold their own in the currentDodsonmarket.doesn’t beat around the bush. “Growing cannabis is an art and a craft, but it’s also a business. Those two things have to coincide to succeed,” he says. The long process results in cannabis that stands at the crossroads of exceptional and commercial. Altvm simply doesn’t believe in either/ or, which certainly ensures that the team has its work cut out for it— but that ethos also fills Atlvm with unparalleled pride in its work. “We produce the Olympic athlete child that can outrun the rest in all categories,” says Sotomayor. But you don’t have to just take his word for it. Once the team settles on its own top choices, it puts the finalists through one last filter. “We set up a tasting session where we invite connoisseurs to come out, consume, taste, and experience the cannabis and give us feedback,” Dodson says. “We use their feedback to guide us forward.” Only after receiving a thumbs up from an outside source does the Altvm team finally release its creations to the public. By then, you can be sure that you’re walking away with a product that meets standards higher than you ever even knew existed. Altvm’s people-first approach means that they want the consumer to be intimately involved with the process. On top of open tastings, they pull back the curtains on the whole process at Altvm’s home dispensary, opening on July 9. “We provide a farm to table experience here,” illustrates Rebeiro. “People can come in, see the plants at all stages, then purchase the finished
TRY IT YOURSELF!
Sensi Magazine Party, June 30 7–10:30 p.m. at Made With Love 1738 NW 16th St., Ste. A, Oklahoma eatmadewithlove.comCity
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Supporting the Local Team
Today, Country Cannabis’ stable of brands is impressive: Weedsy provides high-quality, small-batchinfused cannabis in a convenient preroll format; Chronic Buds offers some of the purest cannabinoid isolations on the edible market; and Baked Bowwow peanut butter dog treats gives CBD relief to an often-overlooked segment, your fur babies. Sublime and BLVK are two of Country Cannabis’ more exciting offerings. Sublime’s primary focus is edibles; you have to try the infamous Lemon Tea Cake. In contrast, BLVK is an ultra-premium cannabis brand that provides a unique and exquisite high to consumers. The Alchemist vape line is made from highgrade distillates with a full terpene profile for customers looking for one of the finest vape products on the market. Perhaps Country Cannabis’ most exciting brand is Native Nations Cannabis. Owned by the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, Native Nations Cannabis is grown in a state-of-the-art cultivation facility that houses over 65 strains. This growth led Country Cannabis to do something that a cannabis brand had never done before—become a corporate sponsor of a professional sports team, the Tulsa Oilers. It’s part of the company’s plan to introduce cannabis to the broad market. Educating the public about cannabis will help destigmatize the plant while also sharing the medicinal and healing nature of one of nature’s gifts.
“It’s surreal to see our logo in the Ice at the BOK Center in Tulsa,” says Lisa Pyatt, CMO of Country Cannabis. “Having equality in advertising feels like a huge win for cannabis. Plants are real medicine. People should not fear social ridicule because they choose a plant-based remedy.” Country Cannabis Cannabis Producer countrycannabis.com
PROMOTIONAL FEATURE COUNTRY CANNABIS
Country Cannabis is dedicated to selling the finest cannabis in the state of Oklahoma, destigmatizing the plant, and supporting local hockey.
I n the crowded cannabis market that’s now thriving across Oklahoma, one company has quickly risen to the top, establishing itself and its multiple brands as some of the best cannabis products you can buy. Meet Wilburton-based, Country Cannabis.Founded in 2019 by fourth-generation Oklahomans who were dedicated to delivering only the finest medical cannabis and CBD-derived pproducts, Country Cannabis soon began to expand its portfolio of products to help consumers manage everything from illness to injury. Grateful users welcomed those products and quickly elevated Country Cannabis as a brand to trust.
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Meow Wolf is here to help alter your state of consciousness through art STEPHANIE WILSON
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FOLLOW THE DOPAMINE
WOLFMEOWCOURTESYPHOTOS
immersive
My mind is blown. I’m on the ground floor of a threestory space that’s both biological and cosmic, larger than life, ethereal— and somehow swampy, too. Everything is alive. The walls breathe color and sound. It’s an ineffable phantasmagorical landscape that seems to exist outside time and space. Not only are there sculptures all around, the room itself is a sculpture, floor to ceiling, visceral and vast. It feels like a sentient being. I’m also on mushrooms.
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“People often ask, ‘Should I go on mushrooms? Should I go on weed?’ But it’s already mind-blowing on its own,” says artist Andi Todoro. “You don’t really need to be on anything to feel like you might be on something when you’re in there.”
I’m a balloon floating in the sky. I’m spinning in space. And my face must show it, because while I whirl in place with my eyes upward trying to make sense of this complex, maximalist jungle, a costumed character known here as a “creative operator” arrives playing a guitar. He begins to circumnavigate me, singing something. I don’t catch the lyrics at first, but as he gets closer his message is clear: “You are Indeed,safe.”Iam. This is not some alien abduction. This is opening day at Meow Wolf’s new Convergence Station in Denver. More than an art show, it’s an emotional odyssey delivered through lights, sound, and visuals, summoning deep wells of emotion, vibrant hallucinatory patterns, and an every-day-is-a-trip vibe in a building awash with technicolor and joy. You’re meant to get a little lost in it all. I did. I separated from my friends within minutes (only kinda-sorta on purpose). They were here to solve the mystery of the exhibition’s narrative, which has something to do with four alien worlds joined together during a cosmic event. The bigger mystery to me was how the artists all collaborated to make these universes come alive.
All I need to know is that I’m in Numina, one of four multidimensional universes inside the 90,000-square-foot Convergence Station in downtown Denver, close to Mile High Stadium, and, yes, I’m safe. The creative operator keeps reminding me. As he circles me, I spin in place with my head tilted back, jaw slightly dropped, eyebrows raised, eyes wide, trying to process the enormity and complexity of this sentient universe the Meow Wolf artists somehow created—in the middle of a pandemic. Now where was I? Oh, right. In the midst of an immersive art world at Meow Wolf, traversing
three routes to altered states of consciousness (ASC) at once: on drugs, immersed in art, and in awe. Oh my. While “on drugs” has such a negative connotation, psychedelic drugs are shedding that rep. We’re in a psychedelic renaissance, a time when people are increasingly turning to them not for recreation, but for healing. More and more studies are confirming what hippies and creative types have been saying for decades: psychedelic drugs have a way of shaking us out of our ordinary concerns and pointing our attention toward something higher, perhaps even greater versions of ourselves and others.
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AWE.EXPERIENCECATALYSTCANOFNARYEXTRAORDI-VIEWINGWORKSARTBEATO
AWE IMMERSION Today, when we talk about psychedelics, we’re talking about a mental health movement. And after two years and colossal cultural changes—after seasons of isolation— taking mushrooms to facilitate positive changes to one’s mindset feels like a power move. It’s not a new one, nor is it the only means of accomplishing it. Contemplative practices have similar, albeit substance-free, effects. ASCs have been part of the human cognitive repertoire for at least 100,000 years, and these transcendent states can be achieved any number of ways: through psychedelics, meditation, or breathing exercises (like holotropic breath work). Other methods include ecstatic dance, ritual drumming, fasting, and selfflagellation, which deactivate the brain’s default settings. Oh, and so can Meow Wolf. But drugs offer a shortcut, promising “transcendence on demand,” as the late British neurologist Oliver Sacks noted in “Altered States,” his 2012 essay on self-experiments in chemistry published by The New Yorker—and the ability of art to transport us to other realms is outstanding.Viewingextraordinary works of art can be a catalyst to experience awe. A 2012 Stanford study found that encounters with perceptual vastness triggers a self-negating, time-dilating sense of awe. “Experiences of awe bring people into the present moment, and being in the present moment underlies awe’s capacity to adjust time perception, influence decisions, and make life feel a little more satisfying than it would otherwise,” the study’s authors concluded.
House of Eternal Return, Santa Fe, est. 2016. A mind-bending explorable art experience housed in an old bowling alley, the 20,000-square-foot exhibit changed the very notion of what immersive art can be. It’s funky, raw, real, and really fun to explore.
Three years in the making with art from 300 creatives (including over 110 from Colorado), this four-story maximalist playground features interactive exhibits interconnected through vertical travel and secret passageways. General admission is $45 ($35 for locals); make your reservations in advance to secure your entry date and time. It’s a family-friendly attraction, so mentally prepare to mingle with all ages. Or look for tickets to the Adulti-Verse, Meow Wolf’s adults-only evenings reserved for a 21-plus crowd. meowwolf.com/visit/denver
Omega Mart, Las Vegas, est. 2021. Set inside Area15, an entertainment district a few minutes o the Strip, this location is a surreal supermarket where you can discover portals leading to unexpected landscapes.
Coming Soon to Texas. In May, Meow Wolf announced its universe is expanding to Texas, where two new locations are in the works. Meow Wolf’s portal in Grapevine Mills, part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, is set to open next year, with another immersive spot coming to Houston’s Fifth Ward neighborhood and historic district in 2024.
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EXPERIENCE THE AWE
OTHER LOCATIONS
Todaro says the work is probably better because of it. “I just started painting, and I didn’t stop until it was done. Every ounce of how I was feeling ended up in those brush strokes. It’s like it actually flowed out of me,” she says. She was experiencing the elusive and rewarding “flow”—a kind of intense focus and clarity where you forget yourself, lose track of time, and feel like you’re part of somethingWhilebigger.inthe
of neurochemicals like endorphins, norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, and anandamide, aka the “bliss molecule” cannabinoid that’s similar to THC. These pleasure-inducing, performance-enhancing molecules combine forces to amp up focus, block out noise, boost imaginative possibilities, and improve our ability to link ideas together in new ways. So, yes, I am on mushrooms and they are augmenting my experience of the flow here in the Convergence Station. But I don’t have to be. This place is constructed to tap into creativity—the convergence. To make you safe in the best way“That’spossible.all that meditation or doing some kinds of drugs is getting to you: that place where you can see things newly from a different perspective, to jumpstart things you take for granted all the time.”
flow, the brain releases a highly potent cocktail SO YES, I AM HAVEBUTEXPERIENCE…MENTINGAREANDMUSHROOMSONTHEYAUG-MYIDON’TTOBE. SUMMER 2022 SENSIMAG.COM 37
Experiencing awe puts you on a readily accessible path to self-transcendent experiences, or STEs, which include mindfulness and flow as well as peak and mystical experiences. These are the sorts of things that make the judgy voice in your head calm down and you feel more absorbed in whatever it is you are doing, and awe is the easiest way to get there.
BACON FLOW Denver-based multimedia artist Andi Todaro’s work appears in Meow Wolf’s original location in Santa Fe, as well as its latest outpost in Denver. Her installation, Bacon Faces, is an 1,800-squarefoot mural depicting raw portrait paintings in the distinct, distorted style of British figurative painter Francis Bacon. The macabre depictions resemble figures you’d expect to meet in a fever dream—all distorted faces appearing on the edge of dissolution. Todaro’s interpretations are made all the more ominous by her discomforting palette marked by blood/organ reds and metallic browns—inspired by the colors of raw bacon, she says, “for the Meow Wolf twist.” The portraits offer a lens through which we see Todaro’s experience painting them in the middle of a construction zone amid a pandemic. Think: donning the full protective gear of a construction worker every day while submitting to pee tests to ensure you’re not under the influence of any mind-altering substances, not even a beer. Constantly bombarded by a cacophony of screeching noise, endless concrete dust, suffocating fumes, and erratic temperatures making it unbearably hot or freezing took a toll. “There were so many variables, and I didn’t know how to handle them all at the same time,” she says. “I might get sick at any moment, I’m so frustrated with the lighting, I can’t seem to pull this thing out of me. I’m under so much pressure, and I don’t even know how to start… I absolutely had a mental breakdown during it.”
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When Zanon started in the cannabis industry in 2008, the typical trappings that consumers have come to expect today didn’t exist. Multiple strain selections, terpene profiles, cannabinoid testing, and friendly budtenders were only dreams. The goal then was to produce a consistent flower, something the market desperately needed. But when medical cannabis laws passed in Colorado and California, Zanon’s home state, he realized that one day the country would embrace cannabis for all its healing properties. Dedicating every spare moment to the cause, he and several friends, many of whom are now industry-leading growers, continually experimented with the plant. Their goal was to create the best cannabis possible. Many of their strains are now world famous. Luckily for Oklahomans, Zanon has relocated to our state, and Zenoa Cannabis is his gift to his new home. The brand’s recently opened state-ofthe-art facility has an entire flower room dedicated to hunting genetics and is running through hundreds of seeds bred by himself and several other breeders. This will create an ever-revolving door of new genetics to enter its production rooms and allows Zenoa to drop limited batches of new fire every month. Be on the lookout for genetics from Exotic Genetics, Fresh Coast Seed Co, 3rd Coast Seeds, Compound Genetics, Ethos, Altvm Genetics, Jimbo Slice, and many Zenoa in-house lines.
PROMOTIONAL FEATURE ZENOA CANNABIS
For the Love of the Hunt
Just in time for summer, Zenoa is debuting a live rosin line. It will offer almost all of its most popular varieties in live hash forms for dabbing and easy-to-use discreet pens. Zenoa always washes and presses the flower in-house, so you will know that, when you’re buying Zenoa rosin, you’re getting some of the most premiumsourced hash in the state. Zenoa is especially excited to wash varieties like GMO, Kush Mints, and Ice Cream Cake, to name a few. So, if you’re looking for a product from one of the OGs of the cannabis industry, head over to Zenoa Cannabis and see for yourself what all the hype is about. Zenoa Cannabis Cannabis Brand zenoacanna.com
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Famous for its experimentation and development of new strains, Zeona Cannabis is now happily residing in Oklahoma. ne thing that sets Zenoa apart from many cannabis companies out there is its unmatched drive for improvement. This has led to a focus on making its products better, not necessarily bigger as many other brands have done. That ethos stems from founder David Zanon’s desire to elevate the highs that cannabis can aim for these days.
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PEOPLE
It takes resources to make it— resources like capital and materials and industry know-how. And perhaps most importantly human ones. People power businesses, and a company’s employees are its most important assets. “It’s like that Richard Branson quote: ‘Take care of your people, they will take care of your business,” says Ruby. “It sounds ALEXANDRA RUBY founded her human resource consulting agency to help cannabis businesses and workers grow together.
TEXT STEPHANIE WILSON THEOF
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As the legal cannabis industry grows, the rate of women in leadership roles is declining. In 2017, women held 37% of executive-level roles, according to the “Women & Minorities in the Marijuana industry” report released by Marijuana Business Journal. Today, that number has dropped to 22%. Which is why the industry needs more leaders like Alexandra Ruby. Ruby’s energetically infectious. Her excitement is contagious, even if it does stem from an unexpected source—from the less glamorous side of the cannabis industry. She’s got an innate entrepreneurial spirit that drew her to cannabis back in its earliest days, and she knew she wanted to start her own business long before she knew what its purpose would be. She came to the industry searching for her why. From a unique vantage point smack dab in its center as it grew from the seeds of change, she found her purpose. And, much like the leading female founders who inspire her—Sara Blakey of Spanx, Whitney Wolfe Herd of Bumble, Melanie Perkins of Canva—once she found a problem in her industry, she came up with a way to address it and is owning the solution. The cannabis industry has a people problem. Ruby founded Happy Gnome HR to be the solution.
PLANTING THE SEEDS Ruby knows a lot of people in the cannabis industry—she’s worked in it since the earliest days of adult-use legalization in Colorado, so she’s seen how they operate. “Many of them are not exactly trained to be taking care of people while running a business,” she says—not that she faults the business owners who are trying to navigate the complexities of operating in the federally prohibited but state-legal cannabis industry. “It’s very difficult to find that balance and to find the time. I understand the whole life cycle of a new startup industry. I understand where they’ve been, the hardships they’ve faced, and where they’re going.”
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simple, but it’s not that simple for business owners to execute.” She founded her human resources consulting agency in January 2021 to help transformative businesses support and engage their employees “from hire to retire,” Ruby says. “Happy Gnome is really here to change how people think about HR, and what better industry than cannabis to do just that? We have a golden opportunity to reframe people’s thinking, and this gives me life. It makes me so excited to be able to effect change in people’s lives.”
FINDING THE WHY Ruby’s been working in cannabis since 2012, which makes her a true pioneer, her career born the same year Colorado voters just said yes to legalizing cannabis—some two years before the country’s first recreational dispensaries opened their doors. And as anyone who works in the industry loves to tell you, cannabis operates in dog years—one year in the industry is equivalent to seven out. Ergo, she’s seen a lot of chaos. And she loves it. Chaos motivates her, helps her focus. She came to Colorado seeking it or seeking a little taste of something like it. Something different than the flavors of her hometown in Minnesota. “I had to break out of the four walls—high school, marrying, having kids, and all the norms and social constructs of the Midwest—I was never destined for that,” Ruby says. Instead, she enrolled at Colorado State University in Fort Collins to study business and marketing, taking classes in philosophy and psychology. Basically, studying humans: what motivates them, influences their behaviors, gives their lives meaning, helps them thrive—understanding their why. Meanwhile, the legal cannabis industry’s origin story was unfolding just an hour or so to the south of CSU. A creator at heart, Ruby found herself drawn to Denver in search of her own why. “I realized there was something exciting going on in cannabis, and I just gravitated toward it,” she says. “It was fun, it was risky, and it just fit my ‘little black sheep’ personality a bit. There was this fun, wild feeling in the early days—all the business owners, all the events, all of this buzz was happening here, and it was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I wanted on thatShetrain.”started getting into business development, working with different organizations and brands, helping with promotions
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“Everyone benefits from HR,” Ruby says, and there’s a lot of research to back her up. HR management will help an organization clarify the meaning of purpose, value, and culture—and that leads to stronger financial performance, increased employee engagement, and higher customer trust. New business owners may want to dismiss HR as a budget-draining growth-stifler. But they’d be wrong: “HR is traditionally a money saver,” says Ruby. But because its impact on financials is indirect, many business operators don’t give it the attention or resources HR services deserve. HR man-
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GNOMEHAPPYCOURTESY and advertising, and representing companies at MJBiz. Every day was something new. “Everybody was working at places for six months tops. There wasn’t any structure or career paths at that point,” she says. “You were lucky if you were related to or knew someone who owned the businesses so you could get a foot in theOncedoor.”they got in, they realized the building was still under construction.“Isawfrom a mile away that the business was going to experience tremendous ups and downs and growing pains because of its uniqueness and the risks associated with it,” Ruby recalls. Over the next couple of years, she gained experience working in operations, sales, and compliance, and later joined reputable consulting groups focused in compliance and business services. Along the way, Ruby’s why became clear: the humans running the businesses needed help with the humans they hired, and Ruby realized she could be the resource they needed.
HOW THE GARDEN GROWS
agement entails more than just administrative paperwork and payroll, it is the heartbeat of an organization. It’s about recruiting, training, and education; it’s about career development, benefit packages, and safeguarding worklife balance. HR is how employers ensure their employees are happy. Without it, employees suffer the consequences—and so too does the bottom line. “HR is how you can gauge the return on investment in your people,” says Ruby. And if you’re a business owner, you’d better be investing in your people—at least if you want your company to survive. A growing body of research shows companies that fail to invest in their employees jeopardize their own Treatingsuccess.employees like the assets they are by investing in their development boosts returns long-term. It makes them happy, and happy employees are more productive. They’re less likely to take unscheduled sick days, more likely to stick around for a while. The cost of replacing an individual employee can range from one-half to two times the position’s annual salary—and that’s a conservative estimate, according to Gallop Research. Either way, it adds up to big bucks employers are effectively just tossing out the door as their team members depart for greener pastures and better working environments. An IBM study revealed that employees who do not feel like they are developing in a company are 12 times more likely to leave it. Not to mention engaged employees offer better customer service, and by some estimates boost sales by up to 20 percent. They also have a way of spreading the word to their networks, helping to attract top talent to companies that value theirIt’speople.notthat difficult, as long as owners are open to learning and growing, Ruby says, and it’s not going to cost a company a ton of money to get the HR ball rolling, RubyWhatsays.isdifficult is the industry, and to effectively guide cannabis companies you’ve got to understand cannabis. Hard rule, no exceptions. And, no, smoking pot a bunch in high school does not count (nor does experience in a different highly regulated industry). Cannabis is a different beast—and it can’t be tamed by the same traditional tools and tactics built for traditional industries. Cannabis just is not traditional.Cannabis businesses need cannabis business services. A mainstream service provider just won’t cut it. Or maybe it will, but, in a bad way—it’ll cut into profits or get licenses cut off. Why? It’s complicated. As in, the industry: cannabis is complicated. The answer is simple: traditional service providers have a history of suddenly dropping cannabis clients without warning. According to a 2019 Benzinga report by Javier Hasse, big-box payroll and HR companies (think: ADP, QuickBooks) have strict corporate messaging about not supporting the cannabis industry, but that doesn’t stop salespeople on the ground from selling their products to legal cannabisHasse’scompanies.advice?
SUMMER 2022 SENSIMAG.COM 45
—Alexandra Ruby, Happy Gnome
“It’s certainly “WE TONEEDREALLYTORETURNOURWHYASANINDUSTRY,ANDTHATBEGINSWITH THE PLANT WE’RE ABOUT.”PASSIONATESO
Single Source Solventless, Live Resin, RSO and Edibles Fire In Fire Out info@headofhoney.com@headofhoney SINGLE SOLVENTLESSSOURCEHASHROSINFromOklahomansforOklahomiesBringingyouthebestexpressionofthe6thchromosome.chromosome6inc@gmail.com,405.338.7944, @chromsix Garfield County, OK FAMILY BRANDSOF Insuring the Dreamers START A QUOTE AT TRICHOMERISK.COM We're talking to you: the independently owned cannabis businesses working to change the face of the industry, the small business owners who've put their life savings into pursuing their passion, to anyone and everyone on a quest to make their cannabis industry dreams a reality. We exist to make sure YOU are covered. Insurance Crafted for Cannabis 46 OKLAHOMA SUMMER 2022
dustry’s regulatory minefield for over a decade now, and new business owners entering the space would be wise to tap into her wealth of knowledge.
Happy Gnome is the manifestation of her desire to help inspire other entrepreneurs in the cannabis space meet whatever fresh challenges their businesses face with a spirit of determination, empathy, and grace. Ruby’s been navigating the cannabis in-
advantageous to choose a provider well versed in the issues within the cannabis industry rather than partnering with an inexperienced company that may initially promise you success but drop you as soon as problems arise.”
WORD ON STREETTHE
Happy Gnome won’t do that. “These companies are selling the industry a product they don’t need. They don’t have the end user in mind, they’re just looking to fill their pockets,” Ruby says. This upsets her. She’s protective of cannabis business owners and their employees because she relates to them. She knows them, she’s worked alongside them, she’s one of them. She knows the obstacles they’ve faced and the challenges they will encounter— she’s faced them herself, both as an employee and now as an employer and business owner.
SUMMER 2022 SENSIMAG.COM 47
For more information about Happy Gnome HR happygnomehr.com or 720-248-8147
“Happy Gnome has shown us a new way to look at HR,” says hasresourcesadaptedhowamongandhasrewardingevenalsodriveonlyHappyMarzario.DispensariesTumbleweedCEOMadison“WorkingwithGnomehasnothelpedusgaugeandperformancebuthasbroughtourteamscloser.Themostpartthusfarbeenthecollaborationsupportwe’veseenourteamsandquicklytheyhavetoutilizingtheHappyGnomeprovidedus.”
GNOMEHAPPYCOURTESY
“The sooner we can get in, the better things are going to be,” she says. “Employers can avoid making so many mistakes that are going to cost them. Let’s do it earlier so we can help increase the valuation of your organization. Happy Gnome can help your garden grow.”
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Dime Industries Cannabis Vape Pens dimeindustries.com
PROMOTIONAL FEATURE DIME INDUSTRIES
Dime Industries’ award-winning luxury vape pens are now available in Oklahoma. F rom the moment Dime Industries was founded in Southern California in 2016, it has been committed to being one of the leading cannabis brands available. It’s safe to say it has been quite successful, racking up awards from a veritable who’s who in the cannabis industry. High Times, Kushstock, Weedcon, Haze Cup, and many others have all bestowed honors upon Dime’s products. Now, with its recent entry into Oklahoma, people in the Sooner State can partake in its fantastic lineup of vape pens. Artfully crafted, these vapes boast a sleek, elegant look, with a smooth, white body crowned by a gold mouthpiece that skillfully hides the cutting-edge innovation and technology inside each pen.
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Cannabis for Connoisseurs
Dime Industries’ patented zero-waste atomizer elevates its pens to a different level and ensures that users will be wowed with each draw. It’s crafted from food-grade glass and stainless steel, with two inverted ceramic plates that evenly heat distillates to ensure the entire terpene profile is available and not cooked off as it is by other products. Each puff comes out full and smooth with no off-putting tastes or cooked flavors. You’ll want that because the 10 Signature Line flavors are made from pure cannabinoids, with 100 percent of the solvent being separated out by a wiped film-distillation method. Terpenes extracted from cannabis strains and natural fruits are then introduced to the refined cannabinoids, creating something that will both deliver a memorable high and fantastic taste. To ensure consumers are getting what they want, Dime Industries puts every product it creates through vigorous lab testing procedures and vetting by cannabis connoisseurs to ensure that they meet the high standards the brand has set for itself since day one. Dime even posts the results online to ensure transparency. A powerful 4.2V high-capacity battery comes with all Dime Industries’ 510 thread cartridges. Pair that up with one of its 1,000mg tanks, and you will be able to enjoy one of the best experiences on the market. Each Signature Line flavor is also available in 600mg disposables specially designed for convenience that will help you to “think higher.”
TEXT DOUG
of women in the industry, however. They are executives, inersoutmakercannabisandmanufacturers,cultivators,retailers,commentatorsintheworld,andfilm-ChrisJ.Russosettodocumentachiev-inallthosecareersheraward-winning
RUSSOC.J.OFCOURTESYPHOTO
Cannabis is booming, and the industry posits itself as
Grass Ceiling?
The lm Lady Buds elevates the stories of women in cannabis at the same time the industry is experiencing a disturbing drop of women in executive roles. SCHNITZSPAHN
THE END 50 OKLAHOMA SUMMER 2022
ingDon’tnewershipencethinking—butprogressive,innovative,andforwardthepres-ofwomeninlead-rolesinthisbravespaceisdecreasing.letthatdisconcert-factdiminishtherole
film Lady Buds, which is currently airing on the STARZ network and can be streamed on services including andwomenprisedAppleTV+,Amazon,andiTunes.“Iwaspleasantlysur-bythenumberofentrepreneurswomeninleadership roles in the cannabis industry,” says Russo. “But that was back in 2017, since then, things have changed quite a bit. When I envisioned the film, it was important to me to include diverse voices that spoke to different areas of cannabis history in order for the film to include the LGBTQ history of cannabis activism and highlight the barriers to entry for marginalized communities who were impacted by the War on Drugs.” To make the film, Russo headed to Women In Cannabis networking events and farmers markets and conducted over 100 interviews with mothers, businesswomen, and elders, hoping to bring these diverse stories to a broad audience. Russo wants to create real change, too, with an impact campaign of cannabis panels and events that focus on cannabis policy running alongside screenings of the film. “It’s greatly disappointing that the numbers of women in cannabis are declining,” says Russo. “But I hope my film shows that women have been the backbone of the cannabis industry for decades and inspires women entrepreneurs to reach for their dreams despite the challenges.” ladybudsmovie.com
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