Sensi Magazine Michigan - March 2022 by Sensi Magazine

THE HIGH ROAD

Stone Slade hits the air

MUSH LOVE

Fungi spice up sex

MICHIGAN MARCH 2022

TIME TRAVEL Take a road trip to the past

NO PLAIN JANE

Women-empowered cannabis

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Cannabis for Humanity Uniting people through the power of cannabis.

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MICHIGAN SENSI MAGAZINE MARCH 2022

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FEATURES

Take the High Road

Time Travel

Cannabis meets reality television in a new series starring Stone Slade.

Catch a glimpse of Earth’s prehistoric age at Dinosaur National Monument on the Utah/Colorado boarder.

DEPARTMENTS

13 EDITOR’S NOTE 58 THE SCENE Hot happenings and hip hangouts around town 14 THE BUZZ GROWING UP A guide to News, tips, and tidbits to keep you in the loop DOPE TALK Sarah Jane Cannabis Company spills the tea on women and cannabis. BEST OF GRAND RAPIDS

Eat, shop, stay VOX POPULI What the people are saying

22 THE LIFE Contributing to your

health and happiness MUSHROOM LOVE Fungus for the bedroom HUNT TO EAT Mahting Putelis believes everyone should be supporting fair and just food systems.

vertical gardening BIG O A new line of “cannagasmic” products created by women SAVVY SHOPPING Six tips for buying CBD

66 THE END

ON THE COVER

Start planning now for 420.

Dinosaur National Monument shows the past in stone. See page 30. PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

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Sourcing pure quality cannabis to create clean products our consumers can trust. www.pcpure.com @pc_pure (Available in California, Oklahoma and Michigan) CDPH-10002554

EXECUTIVE

MEDIA SALES

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

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

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

Jamie Cooper Market Director, Michigan Richard Guerra Market Director, Massachusetts Nancy Reid Market Director, Florida EDITORIAL

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

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Neil Willis Production Director Richard Guerra Digital Production

COLORADO Liana Cameris Media Sales Executive Nancy Seidel Media Sales Executive Amy Sharp Media Sales Executive Tyler Tarr Media Sales Executive FLORIDA Anthony Mckenzie Media Sales Exec. MASSACHUSETTS Jake Boynton Media Sales Exec. MICHIGAN Eric Lutey Media Sales Executive Kyle Miller Media Sales Executive Will Oostendorp Media Sales Exec. Leah Stephens Media Sales Exec. OKLAHOMA Diana Ramos Media Sales Executive NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD

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

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Magazine published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC.

Because of how publishing cycles work, I write my editor’s

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letters the month (or sometimes two months) before they’re published. So right now, I’m writing March’s letter in February. It turns out, I’m writing it the day after the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, which gives me pause to ponder whether and why athletes should be allowed to use cannabis before, during, and after the Olympics. I put the question to Sensi Michigan’s publisher, Jamie Cooper, who helped me see why the International Olympic Committee should consider allowing its athletes to use cannabis during the world’s greatest sporting event.

1. Cannabis is a substance (in 17 states) legally available for use for anyone 21 and up. We don’t test people for booze, do we? 2. These athletes deal with all kinds of ailments, such as pain from injuries and stress around competing. Cannabis could help them so much. Why deny them access to a helpful medicine? 3. It’s not a performance enhancer. In fact, there is a fear it could decrease performance. I guess that depends on who you ask. 4. The World Health Organization has recommended the rescheduling of cannabis. 5. The World Anti-Doping agency says, “athletes are role models, and cannabis is a violation of the spirit of sport.” This policy pushes a false narrative of extreme cannabis-related harm and has been enforced in incredibly racist and societally damaging ways.

This policy pushes a false narrative of extreme cannabis related harm and has been enforced in incredibly racist and societally damaging ways

Thoughts? Hit me up on Instagram at @heli_girl_1970. TWITTER Follow @sensimag for need-to-know news and views from Sensi headquarters.

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

Tracy Ross @writertracyross

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Dope Talk I love that you named your cannabis company after yourself. Why did you? We imagined what would happen if Mary Jane grew up and became a mother and businesswoman who wanted to share honest conversation around integrating cannabis into a modern woman’s lifestyle. We wanted Sarah Jane to feel like a dependable, relatable, ambitious, and open-minded friend. You are a champion for women in the cannabis space. Why so much focus on women in the industry? Women are the ultimate networkers, multitaskers, and problem solvers. We know how women work, the obstacles they face, and the products they’re looking for as consumers because we are our target market. We envision the 59 percent of new cannabis users in Michigan, all women, having better options to fit their specific needs. We also believe there is a way to do business that empowers entrepreneurs with different values, and that there is power in sharing resources. 14

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You say you believe that mothers can use cannabis intentionally to “open their minds to creativity, enjoy being present in the moment with their children, let loose, and remember what it feels like to play.” What would you say to women who are fearful of trying cannabis, related to your statement? Cannabis is fun, relaxing, and engaging. I use it for similar reasons as much of parenting culture views the use of alcohol. I reside in the Midwest, where being a “wine mom” is celebrated but being a “weed mom” is still stigmatized and misunderstood because education about the cannabis plant, its diverse range of uses, and access to trustworthy resources are significantly lacking. We know that women like to talk to women, so we’re working to bring these conversations from private whispers to public shouts. The more we talk about our experiences with cannabis, the larger our community will grow and flourish. No judgment, no stigma, no rules except what works best for you— whether you’re consuming wine, weed, or something different, we

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SARAH JANE

Five Questions with Sarah Tupper, owner of Sarah Jane Cannabis Company

CONTRIBUTOR

Tracy Ross

support women finding the support that works best for them.

PHOTOS (FROM LEFT) COURTESY OF SARAH JANE; LOS MARISCOS DE PANCHO

What if I’m kind of uptight as a mother. How will cannabis help me let go? Cannabis helps me ease my stress, quiet my anxiety, and soften my sharp edges as a parent. It turns my to-do list into background noise drowned out by enjoying whatever small moment is currently happening. It makes me more patient, kinder, and definitely taps into my emotionally mature side where I can help my kids learn how to control their own emotions. It even helps me to bring a level of creativity and enthusiasm to the craft table that my kids can enjoy. What do women know about cannabis that men don’t? It’s not necessarily about knowing something men don’t as much as it’s about experiencing life differently and, therefore, needing different types of support. Particularly these days, women are carrying the weight of so much responsibility on their shoulders. Between working from home, home schooling, childcare shortages, and increasing workload in the home, it’s time to demonstrate different ways of helping to ease some of that mental load. Cannabis helps and is much better for you than other ways of managing stress and anxiety to support rest and relaxation. yoursarahjane.com /

@your.sarah.jane

BY THE NUMBERS

80K

Number of pot plants the company 305 Farms will be able to grow in its new 350,000-squarefoot grow facility in Lawrence, Michigan. That’s a lot of space for a lot of plants in a village with only 300 families, six stores, and one restaurant. But the $100 million facility from a Florida-based company promises good-paying jobs, annual revenue for the village, and a viable plan for vacant land, reports the nonprofit news source, Bridge Michigan.

1971

Date that five high school students in Rafael, California, planned to search for an abandoned cannabis crop, based on a treasure map made by the grower. The first High Times mention of 4:20 smoking and a 4/20 holiday appeared in the May 1991 issue. And in 1998, the term, spread widely by Grateful Dead followers, adopted its current meaning, calling for 4:20 p.m. to be the socially accepted time of the day to consume cannabis.

EAT, SHOP, STAY It’s March and the crocuses are starting to bloom, the crickets are starting to sing, and cannabis lovers are starting to ramp up the party. Make the most of this month (and every one) with stops at our favorite places to shop, stay, and eat in Michigan. EAT: LOS MARISCOS DE PANCHO WHERE: GRAND RAPIDS Gabriel Sanchez, aka Pancho, hails from the West Coast, where people love seafood. His parents came from Jalisco, Mexico, home of the original birria. His mom always hustled to sell food on the side of her other jobs, and Pancho looked up to her. “When I arrived in Michigan and met my wife, Vanessa Sanchez, her family owned a restaurant. So, we put our heads together and came up with Los Mariscos De Pancho. Our inspiration is the love for the food, and it’s all of my family working behind us,” he says. If you go, be on the lookout for Pancho, Vanessa, their sons, and their daughter, as well as Pancho’s mom and Vanessa’s mom working together. As for food choices, he says the quesa birria, the pizza birria, and the famous cucaracha shrimp are the way to go. facebook.com/losmariscosdepancho

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PHOTOS (FROM LEFT) COURTESY OF GLAZED AND CONFUSED; VRBO

THE BUZZ

STAY: MUFFY’S WEST VILLAGE POP-ART TOWNHOUSE SUITE WHERE: WEST VILLAGE, DETROIT Muffy Kroha is a former member of an all-girl glitter band that toured around France and Serbia, and she says, “If you love a wild explosion of color, French bulldogs, and having a host who has never met a stranger, I’ve got you covered for a cannabis-friendly stay in Detroit.” Her campy townhouse lies in the West Village, with multiple bars and restaurants (including Metropolitan Kitchen, Two Birds, and Marrow) and coffee/snack houses (including Red Hook, Snack Camp, and Sister Pie) within walking distance. Or you can take a short Uber ride to downtown and the quaint medical marijuana boutique, Utopia Gardens. Visit a museum. Take in Detroit’s history. And then head back to Kroha’s suite for a cocktail or puff on the fluffy couch. Kroha says her decorating style is colorful and eclectic—her profession for 30 years was window dresser. Bonus for you if you have an interest in fashion, design, or rock-and-roll. Maybe Kroha will tell you a few stories from the latter if you can catch her at home. Price: $85/night; book: vrbo.com/1928315?unitId=2490834

SHOP: GLAZED AND CONFUSED WHERE: CRYSTAL FALLS In 2021 Glazed and Confused was named best dispensary in the country based solely on its logo, which owner Dan Rosek first drew on a napkin. But, as we all know, one shouldn’t judge the location of one’s cannabis provider based a cartoon. Good thing Glazed and Confused lives up to the award Cannabis and Tech Today magazine gave it in Las Vegas.

VOX POPULI

Question: What springtime activities go hand-in-hand with cannabis?

SARAH TUPPER

DREW S. MCCARTHY

KEVIN BEEBEE

SHEENA ROBERSON

CEO at Sarah Jane, Grand Rapids

Manager at Gage Cannabis Company, Grand Rapids

Owner at Iconic Wellness & Provisioning, Grand Haven

___________________

CEO at Cannabis Noire Marijuana Legislation Activist, Consultants and Education Group, Boston, Massachusetts Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ___________________

Picnics and parks! Camping, gardening. Cannabis is very spring honestly. New life, growth, healing from winter.

Kayaking before we should to see the young wildlife and everything starting to bud. Every pun intended.

___________________

Playing with my kids at the playground! Feels fun to run and jump and play without tracking steps, scheduling exercise, and getting lost in the moment of having fun.

___________________

Our infused tea party tour and cannabis and camping event

CHANDRA BATRA

Skinny dipping at midnight on Beltane at Walden Park.

M A R C H 2022

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Mush Love Fungus could fun up your bedroom.

PHOTOS (FROM LEFT) BY KICHIGIN19, ADOBE STOCK; ANDERSPHOTO, ADOBE STOCK

TEXT ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

In the South Pacific, legend tells of women writhing in sexual ecstasy after eating mushrooms they found growing wild in the forest. Normans fed grooms a dish made from a pound of mushrooms to prepare them for their wedding night, and Mataco Indians in Chiapas, Mexico, rubbed the red underside of bracket fungus on their faces to boost their sex appeal. In the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church banned highly sought-after cardoncello mushrooms for the unforgiveable sin of making parishioners horny. When it comes to sexy time, shrooms have a history. Flesh colored and globular, they come by their reputation naturally. But not all the 14,000 species of mushrooms have the

the skirt-wearing sex and erotic and lustful memories among the beard-wearing sex,” European gastronome Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote in 1825. “This honorable parallelism comes not only from the fact that this esteemed tuber is delicious, but also because it is still believed to bring about potenTruffles cy, the exercise of which Ancient Greeks believed brings sweet pleasure.” truffles were created Also known as white when lightning impregdiamonds, truffles are nated the earth with its seed, and they’ve been one of the most coveted called the earth’s testicles. foods in the world, and They have been legendary their price tag—anysince ancient Rome, when where from $1,500 to $4,000 per pound—rePliny offered six ways to flects that. Like caviar prepare the delicacies in and fine champagne, they his compendium of aphseduce by being elusive rodisiacs. Napoleon was and expensive. Fungi that said to be a fan. live symbiotically with “Truffles. As soon tree roots, truffles can be as the word is spoken, it awakens lustful and found in only a few placerotic memories among es on earth. They emit a power of sexual persuasion. Only a handful have stood as aphrodisiac champions down through the centuries. Here’s a rundown of the naughty mushrooms and a little bit about how to eat them, something to chew on when planning your next romantic interlude.

chemical called androstenol, which is nearly identical to a male pig sex hormone and also found in men’s underarm sweat (there’s no accounting for what turns us humans on). While we swoon for the smell of truffles after they’ve been harvested, human noses don’t have what it takes to find them underground. Pigs and dogs can be trained to root them out for us, but that’s not cheap. In Brillat-Savarin’s day, the upper classes showed off by stuffing hens with truffles. That’s not the best way to enjoy them. To get the most out of truffles, serve them raw, grated, or sliced with a truffle slicer (yes, there’s such a thing) over fresh pasta, sauces, soups, risotto, or scrambled eggs. You can also make truffle butter—use

MAKE YOUR OWN

TRUFFLE HONEY INGREDIENTS

½ ounce fresh black or white truffles, cleaned 8 ounces raw organic honey INSTRUCTIONS

• Using a microplane grater, grate truffle into honey. Stir until well integrated. • Replace lid and refrigerate for 48 hours. Keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

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THE LIFE

it to sauté mushrooms for a real treat—or truffle honey, which is amazing when drizzled over gorgonzola crostini or baked brie. (You can also buy truffle butter and truffle honey in gourmet stores or online.)

PHOTO BY KATOBONSAI, ADOBE STOCK

Cordyceps In India and China, Cordyceps sinensis has been used as an aphrodisiac for centuries. Also known as “Himalayan Viagra,” it’s a rare fungus that gets inside a ghost moth caterpillar burrowed in the soil for the winter then slowly consumes and digests it from within. In the spring, the bright yellow, wormlike fungus blossoms up and out of the ill-fated cater-

pillar’s head. Legend has it that Tibetan yak herders were the first to notice their yaks had more energy and vitality when they ate cordyceps, and now it’s being touted as an alternative to pharmaceuticals for combating sexual dysfunction. Eating powdered cordyceps supports blood flow and oxygen supply, and clinical studies have found it supports healthy blood circulation in the penis and increases sperm count and quality. Wild cordyceps will run you $20,000 per pound and up, but you can buy much cheaper cultured Cordyceps militaris, which are vegan-grown on brown rice or soy (no caterpillars have to die). Eat them raw, cooked in food,

or made into tea. They can be sautéed or stewed with meat if you’re a carnivore. Cordyceps powder can be blended into coffee or chai or added to stir-fries, soups, salads, or pasta.

one to spice up your love life, be aware that reishi can also put you to sleep. Reishi powder and dried reishi are readily available at health food stores and online. When buying reishi powder, Reishi look for organic brands In Asia, reishi mushrooms that use hot-water exhave been known as the traction, which retains magic mushrooms of the the most nutrients. With bedroom for thousands a smoky, almost chocoof years. Reishi supports laty flavor, reishi is great the kidney and urinary in smoothies, teas, and as system, which is the seat a coffee alternative. of sexual power in traditional Chinese mediShiitake cine. Great for the brain, Fleshy and juicy, shiitaemotional well-being, ke mushrooms check all and the immune system, the aphrodisiac boxes. reishi can help the body They’re full of zinc, which become more resilient to gets the blood flowing stress—the number-one and boosts testosterone; cock blocker—over time. and lentinan, which is beIf you’re considering this lieved to enhance erectile

MAKE YOUR OWN

TRUFFLE BUTTER INGREDIENTS

1 pound quality unsalted butter, room temperature 1–3 teaspoons white truffle oil Sea salt, to taste INSTRUCTIONS

• Place butter in mixing bowl and add truffle oil 1 teaspoon at a time, tasting each time. Stir to combine. Add salt to taste. • Form into a 1-inch-thick log and wrap tightly with plastic. Keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Congregating Cordyceps The “caterpillar fungus” is said to be the world’s most valuable parasite.

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PHOTOS (FROM LEFT) BY ALEXKICH, ADOBE STOCK; JAROSLAV MACHACEK, ADOBE STOCK

THE LIFE

raise children—another leap for humankind. That’s something to think about, though it’s admittedly a little academic. Bottom line is that many people, including famous ethnobotanists, consider psilocybin an aphrodisiac even though it doesn’t in and of itself increase libido. It does open your mind and cause your brain to pump out the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin. Your skin gets more sensitive, and touch feels more pleasurable. With the right person or persons, magic mushrooms can spark intense, intimate conversation, mind-blowing orgasms, and cosmic-level cuddling. Good Shiitake Psilocybin mushThese powerful mushrooms rooms should be heated have antiviral, antibacterial, to at least 140 degrees and antifungal properties. Fahrenheit and preferably above 200 degrees function. In a study of ger. They’re great in stir- increased male potency Fahrenheit to release voles fed shiitake extract fries and soups (miso in and opened up worlds of their nutrients, get rid for three weeks, males particular). possibilities, like invent- of harmful pathogens with withering libido saw ing languages and having and toxins, and soften their sexual motivation Psilocybin group sex. “Everyone the tissues to make them restored with 1.5 times If you believe ethnobotwould get loaded around more digestible. You can more ejaculations. Donko anist Terence McKenna’s the campfire and hump eat them fresh, dried, shiitake, which have Stoned Ape theory of in an enormous writhing and ground, or made into white designs on their human evolution, the psi- heap,” McKenna is quot- tea. Pairing them with tops, are believed to pack locybin mushroom’s aph- ed as saying. These magic mint and lemon can help the most punch. rodisiac qualities were mushroom–fueled orgies ward off any early nausea You can find shiitakes key to humans’ survivled to genetic diversifithey might induce. at your local grocer. Slice al as a species. McKencation, making humans Legality varies, so find the meaty cap and sauté na wrote that primitive more disease-resistant. out what you need to it in olive oil or duck fat. humans’ experimenAnd with no way to trace know based on where you Shiitake pair well with tation with high doses who was whose daddy, live if you’re considering onions, garlic, and ginof magic mushrooms communities formed to a psilocybin trip.

MAKE YOUR OWN

VEGAN REISHI GOLDEN MILK

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

3 cups plant milk (almond, coconut, oat, cashew) 5 teaspoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon reishi powder 3 teaspoons ground turmeric ¼ teaspoon ground ginger 2 cinnamon sticks 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom Ground pepper, to taste INSTRUCTIONS

• Whisk ingredients together in a saucepan over low heat until well combined. Pour into mugs and serve.

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THE LIFE OUTDOORS

Hunt to Eat

This is why Mahting Putelis believes everyone should be supporting fair and just food systems—and how hunting can help grow diversity, equity, and inclusion.

COURTESY MAHTING PUTELIS

TEXT TRACY ROSS

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THE LIFE OUTDOORS

Michigan native Mahting Putelis wants to turn more outdoor enthusiasts into hunters because of the way hunting connects humans to land, food, and each other. Putelis now lives in Colorado, but his mission, forged early, took root during his childhood in Kalamazoo. Putelis now runs an organization called Hunt to Eat, which started as a t-shirt company making pro-hunting apparel that doesn’t slam women, environmentalists, or the animals people hunt. New hunter and Sensi Michigan managing editor Tracy Ross chatted with Putelis after he mentored her on her first deer hunt. We spoke to Putelis about his path to harvesting his own dinner, and why he believes more people should hunt. HOW OLD ARE YOU, WHERE DID YOU GROW UP, AND WHAT WERE YOU INTERESTED IN AS A KID? I just turned 39 but everyone assumes I’m 18 thanks to me never growing any legitimate facial hair! I grew up in Kalamazoo. As a kid, I was always up for an adventure—usually on a BMX bike or rollerblades, cruising around.

Once I saw the mountains of Colorado for the first time around seventh grade, I didn’t think of much else. All I wanted to do after that was make it out West. WHEN DID HUNTING SPARK YOUR INTEREST? Growing up in a hunting family, I was always aware of it, even good at the basic concepts, thanks to my dad taking my brother and me out into the woods to build blinds and look for animal signs. I carried those skills forward as a mountain guide. Once I finally settled down in Colorado at the age of 26, I felt that I would gain a greater sense of place if I started hunting elk. So I got after it. HOW DID YOU LEARN TO HUNT? My brother was a biggame hunting guide who lived in Colorado when I started. He taught me everything. WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO KILL YOUR FIRST BIG GAME ANIMAL? My first elk, my first animal, was and still is the closest I have ever felt to the idea of God. I sat with the elk as it expelled its last breath into the ether, and it was incredibly powerful. I wept. M A R C H 2022

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THE LIFE

COURTESY MAHTING PUTELIS

OUTDOORS

SHOULD PEOPLE HUNT? WHY OR WHY NOT? For people to eat, animals and plants must die. Some of us take [our food] responsibility into our own hands and kill with bows and arrows and guns and bullets. Others hunt with dollar bills at the store. But one way or another we participate in food systems, and every food system is connected to wild places and animals. We can learn how to hunt, a very involved process, or we can pay someone else to manage it for us. But rest assured that even soybean farming in-

volves hunting; often the farmers have to kill deer to prevent them from eating the plants. Vegans are not exempt from the hunting world. We should all be working toward supporting food systems that are fair and just.

feet from your face, and you get an up-close look at wildness. It’s magical. The worst part is dealing with the uncertainty that wildness brings. You never know how much it will rain, how much the wind will blow, how far the elk have gone.

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT HUNTING? THE WORST? The best part of hunting is the moments in between, when you stop and stare into the depths of the wild places you walk. Caught standing still, a bird swoops down and lands on a branch

WHAT ARE SOME MISCONCEPTIONS PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT HUNTING? I think there are three main misconceptions. One, hunters can hunt anything they want, any time. (Truth: Hunting is full of rules and regulations.) Two, hunt-

ers hunt for trophies. (Truth: Hunters are mandated to take all of the animal from the wild. Most hunters hunt for meat. A tiny percentage only want to kill.) Three, hunting is bad for animals. (Truth: Hunters are the reason why animals such as whitetail deer, turkeys, elk, ducks have made amazing comebacks from near extinction in the 1930s. Hunters care about animal populations and support scientists and wildlife managers to set the appropriate quotas for thriving wildlife populations.) M A R C H 2022

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you saw at the park, kept that rainbow trout to fry it in a pan, or remembered to plant your tomatoes on time, you’re enriching your life with real food. You know where it came from. You know how it died. You know how the meat was handled. No pesticides, growth hormones, or added preservatives. Real food is food you feel proud to consume and share with your family and friends. As for conservation, we mean conservation in North America, which, unfortunately, has an ugly history. Genocide, war, and the over-harvesting of wildlife and other natural resources are realities that must be acknowledged and discussed when talking about modern conservation. The pubWHAT IS HUNT TO EAT? and take these things foraging, and existing in lic lands we love today Hunt To Eat is a way of home to be cooked with nature are things that were stolen from the life. Seven years ago we care for themselves or human beings have done Indigenous peoples that wanted a cool T-shirt their friends and family. to survive since the populated this continent that represented that These folks see the imdawn of our existence. prior to colonialism. way of life. It didn’t exportance of wildlife and Everyone who exists Historically, conservaist, so we created a life- nature. They take time in nature is part of the tion was weaponized to style apparel brand. It out of their day to smell Hunt to Eat communiremove Indigenous peois now a lifestyle brand the flowers or admire a ty. And it can only grow ples from their homes, that offers a slew of gear, doe’s footsteps through from here. lands, histories, and media, and education. a marsh, and to share As for real food, yes, cultures. To say “conWe focus on our three these observations with we believe yes, all food servation” and ignore pillars: community, real others. The commuis “real.” But our focus is the word’s negative confood, and conservanity is not defined by on food people obtained notations will hinder tion. By community, we race, politics, education, themselves. Whether diversity and inclusion mean the folks who go wealth, or gender; it’s you shot a pronghorn in the outdoors. Howoutdoors, harvest wild simply a human commu- with your bow in Wyoever, without conservameat, plants, or fungi, nity. Hunting, fishing, ming, picked that morel tion as we know it today, M A R C H 2022

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many of the wildlife species we love and admire would be extinct, their habitats developed for human use, fragmenting natural ecological processes or destroying them altogether. While there is no good replacement word for “conservation,” we hope someday there will be. Regardless of nomenclature, we will continue to do meaningful work toward increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoors and supporting the ecological biodiversity and connectivity crucial to all the animals we eat.

When you wear Hunt to Eat, you’re representing thoughtful, ethical, and kind hunters and anglers that put community, real food, and conservation first.

derstand how they affect the ecology of their environment, the better our world will be.

YOU HAVE ANY THAT MIGHT GO WELL WITH A CANNABIS INFUSION? My favorite dish is Wild Turkey Schnitzel. It IS HUNTING DIVERSE makes the best “chicken” ENOUGH? AND IF NOT, sandwich you’ve ever SHOULD IT BE MORE had. I think it would WHO IS HUNT TO EAT’S DIVERSE? WHY OR WHY be really cool to render DEMOGRAPHIC? NOT? down bear fat and infuse Generally anyone inter- It is not. It should be. it with cannabis. Then I ested in where their food Again, when you have a would make a pie crust comes from. more diverse population, with that infused bear you have a healthier fat. Then I would make WHY DO YOU WANT TO ecosystem. an apple pie! TEACH PEOPLE TO HUNT? Understanding oneself as ON HUNT TO EAT’S ANYTHING HUNTERS AND a predator is a life-alter- FACEBOOK PAGE, CANNABIS USERS HAVE ing experience. It grows PEOPLE SHARE DISHES IN COMMON? you as an individual and THEY MAKE WITH THEIR We like to sit in the as a part of our humani- GAME. WHAT’S YOUR woods and be in awe of ty. The more people unFAVORITE? AND DO wild places. M A R C H 2022

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tone Slade was born for this. Literally. The reality TV star’s first breath, at a hospital in Guadalajara in 1971, was laced with cannabis smoke from a hit his father shotgunned in his newborn face—a rite of passage that seemed completely normal among the big, crazy family of rock stars, drug smugglers, and assorted other characters Slade grew up with. Slade’s dad, whom he describes on Instagram as an “OG Legacy market player,” toured with the Grateful Dead and was a member

of the Pleasure Crew (your guess is as good as Slade’s as to what that means—but we’re talking the Dead here, so make it your best guess). Slade spent his first 10 years hanging out on tour buses and running around arenas before his family settled in Austin and started hanging out on Willie Nelson’s ranch. Slade describes his childhood as “something between Almost Famous and a light episode of Narcos.” Everyone smoked weed—they

called it “whistle” so an unwitting kid wouldn’t accidentally out them to a teacher or another parent— and Slade was often a designated joint passer. As a teenager, he dipped into his dad’s stash. “Cannabis is as American as apple pie,” Slade says. “Those weren’t criminals who were smoking around me; those were my parents, dear friends, people I saw every day.” Then, when he was a junior in high school, his dad didn’t come home one night. Slade’s father had gone to help a friend buy a pound of weed and got caught in a DEA sting. “Of all the way more crazy things he was involved with, this is what got him,” Slade says. “He was gone for five years—the end of my high school years.”

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A CANNABIS ROAD TRIP Slade’s lifelong love for cannabis and extremely personal reasons for pushing legalization are the impetus for Hittin’ the High Road with Stone Slade & Sensi Magazine (stream the show here: hittinthehighroad.com), a show he is hosting and co-producing with Justin Netti. Best known for his role on A&E’s Modern Dads series, Slade is bringing his content creation skills and on-screen cred to a show designed to demystify and destigmatize cannabis and the cannabis industry. The show concept came to Slade as he and his wife were waiting in line at a Los Angeles dispensary on 4/20. He was

thinking about the current state of cannabis TV. “I like what’s out there, but I feel like I like it because I’m a stoner,” Slade says. “We all know there’s a much larger contingent of people who just might not stay tuned for the goofiness in most of the stoner shows out there.” Hittin’ the High Road follows Slade on a cannabis road trip across America, meeting with the people behind the industry, from dispensary owners to medical patients to farmers, for lighthearted yet serious No Reservations-esque segments. The show is meant to appeal to a broader spectrum of viewers, from connoisseurs to the canna-curious.

“So many people are about to enter this journey,” Slade says, referring to the flood of new cannabis patients and consumers stepping into the market as more and more states legalize. Hittin’ the High Road will make it easier for first timers and consumers who have been away from cannabis for a long time. “The first time M A R C H 2022

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I walked into a dispensary, I felt so weird,” Slade says, “like I was doing something wrong.” With such a great concept, his extensive network of industry contacts, and what seemed like perfect timing, Slade figured he’d have the show on the air in no time. He couldn’t believe it when the mainstream networks shut him down again and again, even after he showed them how his concept was different, better, educational. No one picked up on his vision. “It’s still taboo, really,” he says. “Until cannabis loses that Schedule I designation, we’re not going to see a big flood of normalcy in television.” CANNABIS FOR LIFE In 2013, just as Slade was dadding it up with his daughter Danica on Modern Dads, his own father was diagnosed with liver cancer. The only thing that could ease his father’s pain, aside from hard-core, stupor-inducing pharmaceuticals, were Bhang chocolate bars smuggled in from Colorado. Slade’s father passed on November 1, Day of the Dead. If that weren’t symbolic enough, he died at an oddly apropos time. “We were mourning him,” Slade says, “but when the guy read out the time of death at 4:20 p.m., we couldn’t help but just laugh.” Under his father’s influence, Slade adds, he has embraced cannabis for his entire life. “I spent the majority of my life as a casual user,” he says, “then the legal end came in when I lost Dad for those five years and the medical side when we lost him for good in 2013.” M A R C H 2022

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arry McMurtry doesn’t just speak for himself when he admits in his book Roads: Driving America’s Great Highways that one of the best things about the US interstate system is that you can travel with almost no interaction or communication with human beings. All you need is a credit card, and you’re on your way. No offense to McMurtry, one of my favorite authors, but when Ms. Billie and I travel, we prefer people over cash machines and avoid the interstate system whenever possible. It’s a good way to get from

one place to another quickly, but if that’s not what you’re seeking… Well, Wendy’s is the same, no matter where you order. When its time for a road trip, one of our favorite off-the-interstate location is Dinosaur National Monument, which straddles the border of Utah in the northwest corner of Colorado. It is one of the most remote and spectacular destinations in the monument system. (Monuments are a step below national parks and generally include fewer amenities, less information, and little signage.) Dinosaur National Monument was created in 1915, not long after

a paleontologist with the Carnegie Museum discovered prehistoric fossils in a rock formation north of Jensen, Utah, in 1909. That rock formation soon became a quarry, and the surrounding 80 acres were given the monument designation to preserve the outstanding fossil resources. Today, Dinosaur National Monument encompasses over 200,000 acres, most of which are in Colorado. It has few roads, easy access to petroglyphs and pictographs, and mind-boggling scenery as well as being a major repository of dinosaur fossils. You can’t just drive in, spend M A R C H 2022

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a couple of hours, and say you’ve been there. You need at least two days, which means you really have to want to go, but it’s so worth it. The more time you spend, the more remote you can get. We start our visit at the quarry Visitor’s Center just a few miles north of Jensen. The road hugs the Green River, which meanders through the monument before

two levels. You won’t find something like it anywhere else. After a couple of hours at the wall, we head north for Split Mountain. Long story short, it’s the place where, over millions of years, the Green River changed its original course and took some of the topography with it. Even if you don’t understand the geology, it’s easy to see what looks like

on Highway 40, aka Brontosaurus Boulevard, for the best homemade, locally sourced malts and shakes in the area.) And though there are some remarkable overlooks on the way out, nothing can really prepare you for the epic drive into the depths of Echo Canyon. Standing at the overlook at the top, we think twice before heading down the dizzying DINOSAUR RIDGE

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Perfect for families, this National Natural Landmark is a huge shelf that features more than 300 footprints encased in sandstone. You will also find life-sized dinosaur models, guided shuttle-bus tours of the ridge, self-guided walking tours, and various other geologic activities. It’s open seven days a week, and it’s free. Complete information and hours at dinoridge.org.

heading south for its rendezvous with the Colorado River in Canyonlands National Park near Moab. A giant, black and white wooden Stegosaurus greets visitors, and there are lots of exhibits and fossils with historical information about the area. Near the visitor’s center is the quarry wall itself. The huge ledge, one of hundreds found so far in the area, contains fossilized remains of dozens of different creatures pretty much as archeologists found them. The building was literally constructed around it (and recently remodeled), so visitors can see the kinds of historical artifacts and individual fossils the scientists unearthed. The ledge is fifty feet high and three times that length, with closeup viewing on

an oversized, sandstone ship that just slid into the river, exposing millions of years of geologic history in the process. Best time for photography is at sunset, with the dimming light glowing on these primeval rocks. Further on, we stop and walk on short trails to petroglyph and pictographs made by the Fremont, Ute, and Shoshone tribes who once lived here, leaving their art for the rest of us to ponder. Nearby, wooden farm fences still stand in almost perpetual quiet at the Josie Morris cabin, where a pioneer woman lived for more than 50 years without any modern conveniences. The second day, we drive the Harpers Corner Road out of the visitor’s center at Dinosaur, Colorado. (Stop by the Bedrock Café

series of switchbacks that begin the 12-mile journey to the enormous Steamboat Rock at the bottom. About two thirds of the way down, we pass Rial Chew Ranch Historic District, the well-preserved remains of a working ranch from the early 20th century. At the base of the canyon, where the Green and Yampa Rivers converge, we find ourselves in magnificent isolation a couple thousand feet below ground level. We’re surrounded by towering cliffs reaching toward the sky. Across the river, Steamboat Rock rises like a massive sentry. There are 22 camping spots down here—easily some of the best night-viewing spots in the US. There’s absolutely no light pollution to disturb your view of M A R C H 2022

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the hundreds of satellites skimming past the eerie brightness of the Milky Way. Make your reservations far in advance and check with the rangers before heading down into Echo Park, especially when roads are wet. The drive back up is just as spectacular as the one down. On the way out, we stop by the overlook again. From this vantage point, it looks like Echo Park is in miniature: Steamboat Rock is little more than a pebble, the river just a sliver of brown against the hardscrabble landscape. Looking down, I am reminded of the time when, in the 1950s, as part of a Colorado River Storage Project, a dam proposed here unleashed a torrent of opposition led by the Sierra Club and Wilderness Society that ultimately helped kickstart the environmental movement that led to the Wilderness Act and the National Scenic Rivers Act. There are some lodging options just outside the Colorado and Utah centers of the monument, but most who visit stay in Vernal, Utah, 15 miles west of the park. It’s an oil town of 10,000 people with all amenities, and it revels in its dinosaur proximity. At the eastern entrance, a 30-foot pink dino right out of The Flintstones coyly flicks her eyelids at visitors. The major attraction is the Field House of Natural History downtown. A fossil-lover’s dreamscape, it includes a complete diplodocus skeleton stalking the mezzanine, as well as rooms of exhibits and dioramas that trace the area’s history and creatures. The dinosaur garden outside is stocked with colorful, life-sized reproductions of various plant- and meat-eating dinos.

This Old House: Fossil Cabin If you don’t have the time or inclination to get far off-grid, you could try a trip to Wyoming to see “the oldest building in the world.” Fossil Cabin was constructed in 1933 by Thomas Boylan, who made it of bone fragments from the nearby site, hence the designation. It’s not a tourist attraction anymore, and you can’t get inside (in fact, the property is for sale). But there’s still a lot of dinosaur history in this area. The Como Bluffs ridge visible to the north is the site of major dino discoveries and international intrigue that dates back to the 19th century. The ridge is also home to thousands of diamondback rattlesnakes that like to nestle amid the bones and keep the foot traffic to a minimum. Some of the finest dinosaur specimens came from this graveyard. They were transported around the world on the first transcontinental railroad, which rumbled by here on the way from Laramie to Rawlins, and on the first transcontinental highway, which passed Como Bluffs.

One exception is a wooly mammoth, the large, extinct elephant ancestor. This particular replica’s guard coat is, inexplicably, made from hemp. The local avian population admires the hair as much as visitors do, plucking chunks of it for their

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Upward Growth Maximize the beauty and harvests of vertical gardening.

This spring, consider going vertical to expand your outdoor gardening space, create privacy, and add beauty to bare walls and fences. This centuries-old technique has been used to grow food and flowers, cultivating productivity from the ground up. Gardening on a small city lot, balcony, or deck? Maximize the space to expand your gardening opportunities. Ideal vertical plants include pole beans, peas, squash, melons, tomatoes, and other vining edible plants. With supports, growing these crops vertically saves space, reduces the risk of disease, and makes harvesting much easier. Include trellises and arbors in raised beds and elevated gardens 58

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to further maximize growing space. Trellises train vines upward while arches allow you to grow two layers of plants— one over the trellis and one below. Grow annual vines for quick cover and perennial vines for years of beauty. Mix the two to quickly cover the trellis with the annual vine while waiting for the perennial to establish and reach its mature size. Plant two vines with different bloom times on one trellis to extend the colorful flower display. Or look for those that bloom at the same time to double the floral impact. Vertical gardening techniques can also be used when gardening in containers. Create your own or purchase a support that securely

fits and supports vines growing in the container. Some containers come with an integrated trellis. Further reduce maintenance by utilizing a self-watering pot like the City Jungle Self-Watering Tomato Planter large enough to grow and support two indeterminate tomatoes. Some containers can be mounted on a wall or fence or stacked and secured vertically to increase growing space. Systems like the Vigoroot 4-Tiered Balcony Garden provide lots of planting space in just a few square feet. Decorative supports add beauty or a focal point year-round. Select the style—rustic, formal or colorful—that complements your garden design, furnishings, and personality. Make sure

whatever you choose is strong enough to support the plants you grow. Mask rain barrels, compost bins and other functional areas in the landscape with a wall of plants. Leave space for easy access as you fill your compost bin or harvest finished compost and rainwater. Use trellises and arbors to brighten often overlooked spaces. A vine-covered arbor makes a nice floral welcome at the entrance to a walkway or colorful transition between garden areas. Make sure the opening is large enough to accommodate visitors and any equipment needed. Dress up a lamp or mailbox post with a vine covered support. Create your own from chicken wire or

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purchase a curved trellis like the Bosmere Trellis (gardeners.com) suitable for this application. You can easily dress up a bare wall or fence,

screen a bad view, or create privacy with a plant-covered trellis. Leave space between the wall and trellis when gardening next to a

building. This space allows airflow between the building and plants, reducing the risk of mildew on the wall and diseases infecting the plants.

No matter your style and location, vertical gardening can help you maximize your growing space and garden’s beauty. M A R C H 2022

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Sex, Drugs, and Rock-n-Roll: oOYes

Get to know the groovy, sex-positive woman behind this new line of “cannagasmic” products created by women—for anyone who enjoys a good f*cking. Founded in 2018, oOYes isn’t just another lube company—it’s a whole sex-positive lifestyle. “The focus is on creating sex-forward experiences that open communication and remind people that sex is fun and good for 60

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you,” says Tanya Griffin, whose love affair with sex runs deep. A badass businesswoman based in Denver, Griffin spent the last 30 years opening retail stores, restaurants, and dispensaries, creating products

focused on women’s and family health while she hopped continents and industries, working in everything from cannabis to financial services to software development— all while raising four kids. With the launch of her

latest venture, oOYes, she can add an “ecstatic sex, experience-driven lifestyle brand” to her list of entrepreneurial ventures. “I like to say that I’ve gone from colostrum to cannabis to cum,” Griffin says with an easy laugh.

PHOTO BY BINGHAM X

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THE SCENE

PHOTO BY BINGHAM X

BODY AND SEX

Colostrum is a type of breastmilk, and Griffin was a lactation specialist early in her career. She transitioned into cannabis in 2014, joining The Green Solution to help build the first vertically integrated cultivation, manufacturing, and retail national franchise opportunity in the industry—a highly successful effort. The multistate dispensary chain was bought by Columbia Care in 2019 for $140 million. Which brings us to the third C in that triple alliteration: cum. The oOYes line of sex products is created to help you do just that; and they’re formulated with cannabis-derived terpenes and cannabinoids, so oOYes combines two of the Cs into a brand that exudes a 1960s mod-hippie sex-drugsand-rock-n-roll vibe. It’s a whole mood—and it’s a good one, if not a little bit forward. There’s a sex quiz featured frontand-center on the oOYes homepage that calculates your kink score by asking whether you’d be down to try sex acts that range from the basic (oral sex, sensual massage) to the extreme (foot jobs, swinging, anal fisting, so much more). Have your partner take the quiz as well, and find out where your kinks align, perhaps

opening both your eyes (and other orifices) to experiences you hadn’t realized were on the proverbial table. The whole thing is very sex positive, as are the products, all of which feature a rock-nroll theme and a groovy 1970s-inspired branding. Created and formulated by women, oOYes sex lubricants and wellness products have a subtle orange blossom flavor and feature plant-based botanicals, active terpenes, and minor and major cannabinoids including cannabigerol (CBG), cannabidiol (CBD), as well as patented BeeFused Superhoney. While cannabis sexual product lines grow in popularity, the brands behind them tend to play it safe, with vibes that are clinical, possibly sensual. But fun? Heavens, no! That’s not how they roll baby roll at oOYes, as evidenced by the products themselves: Roll Baby Roll is a sex oil with BeeFused Honey and CBD. It’s oral friendly, vegan, gluten free, and safe to ingest. “The bottle has a roller ball that you roll right onto your clitoris—and it feels so good,” Griffin says (she’s not lying). Going Down is an oral sex elixer that combines sunflower oil, BeeFused honey, and orange blossom with CBD that tastes

delightful. Love Me Too, a sensual moisturizer “for your other lips,” features CBG and cannabinoid-rich honey. Start Me Up is a lickable glide that, according to the product description, is “crafted to rock your world while your partner gets to taste a subtle yet sweet orange blossom flavor. Made to encourage licking, sucking, and f*cking.” Many of the products feature the brand’s Bee Wild tantric honey, which uses BeeFused patented technology where freerange bees organically feed on nectar made from hemp-derived cannabinoids, cannabis strains, and superfoods to create highly bioavailable, cannabinoid-rich raw honey. “Bees do all the work!” Griffin says. “Nothing is added, nothing is made in a lab. This is nature doing what it does best.” Griffin says, “oOYes is sex forward and by no means shy.” And if it’s not clear yet, neither is she. The Denver-based entrepreneur loves sex, and she loves talking about sex—not in a sterile, clinical way, but not in an omg-TMI-please-stop way either. She just enjoys it, and she’s passionate about helping others enjoy it too. For her, it’s about creating experiences for people. “That’s why all the products are travel sized,

that’s why everything is tied to rock-n-roll. It’s all designed around how you feel, it’s about getting your mind in the right place, and—yes—using drugs to do it. Having fun with it in a nice way.” And it all comes down to basic biology: sex is fun, and having more of it is good for you. Science backs this up: There are a ton of emotional and psychological benefits of getting busy, and sex is strongly linked to a better quality of life, offering both mental and physical benefits ranging from better self-image and higher rates of happiness to enhanced brain function. “I freaking love sex,” Griffin continues. “I think it’s like eating and sleeping and everything else. oOYes founder Tanya I think everybody should Griffin is having fun in be having lots of it.” the sex space.

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THE SCENE SMART SHOPPING

Be a Savvy CBD Shopper Try these six tips for finding the product that’s just right for you.

With the flood of CBD products on the market these days, here’s everything you need to know to ensure you’re getting the best bang for your CBD bucks. 1. Review the test results. Trustworthy companies test their CBD-infused products to ensure safety and accuracy. Always ask the retailer or brand for testing 62

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results to make sure you’re getting toxins entering your body. the advertised CBD milligram con- Choose CBD products that use tent and no harmful residuals. USA-grown hemp, preferably from states like Colorado, where 2. Inquire where the hemp the Department of Agriculture was grown. inspects for illegal pesticides and Hemp is a hyper-accumulator THC content. (say what?), meaning it greatly absorbs pollutants like heavy 3. Know the difference between metals and radioactive contamCBD isolate and full-spectrum. inants—you don’t want those Full-spectrum refers to a whole

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TEXT ABIGAIL NUEVE, SOCIAL COORDINATOR, MEDICALLY CORRECT

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SMART SHOPPING

plant extract, and scientists have found that the synergy of all-natural cannabinoids and compounds (called the “entourage effect”) create greater effectiveness than other formulas. However, if you’re undergoing drug testing or are concerned about any potential psychoactive effects, choose a product that uses CBD isolate. These are THC-free and won’t put your job in jeopardy. 4. Consider what you’re looking to achieve. There are CBD products in gas stations and groceries, in everything from gummy bears

to toothpaste. Consider your needs and each product’s perks. Fast-acting tinctures suit various ailments, with short-term, heightened effects; whereas long-lasting edibles promote all-day relief. Try a topical or bath soak for localized external issues.

money in purchasing a product infused with a nonsuitable nutraceutical like caffeine. Even with CBD, it won’t help you sleep.

6. Trust your gut. Testimonies offer some validity, but don’t waste your time and money with brands that boast 5. Read the whole label. unfounded medical claims. If a You may be able to reduce your product seems too good to be dose when using a CBD product true, claiming to cure all your that features other nutraceuticals, ailments and life’s problems, be often made for specific effects. aware the company may be taking If you’re seeking insomnia relief, advantage of consumers’ vulneraperhaps consider a CBD product bilities. There are dozens of other infused with melatonin. Alterna- great brands that truly have your tively, be cautious not to waste best interest in mind.

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THE END

It’s coming. Start prepping now. TEXT TRACY ROSS

Even though it’s a month away, 1. Get as stoned as possible and Grab Bag, by following us on Inwe can’t stop thinking about 420 eat all day. (Check out our Febstagram, where we’ll announce day. Cannabis’s birthday? Noooo. ruary 2022 issue for a tasty canour official distribution list over Cannabis’s most beloved holiday? nabis-infused fudge recipe.) the next month). Noooo. Cannabis smokers’ favorite 2. Use it as an excuse to avoid 4. Educate people about cannaholiday? Maaayyybbbeee? Whatworking (it’s practically a federbis. After all, more people are ever 420 means to you, here are al holiday, yo!). thinking about it today than five ways to make the most of our 3. Get all the of the sweet dispenany other day of the year. favorite day. sary deals (including a Sensi 4/20 5. See live music. Obviously. 66

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THE BUZZ

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EDITOR’S NOTE

THE END