THE LIFE

Pie in the Sky

This infused pie crust recipe will elevate your dessert game.

According to the experts at San Diego’s March and Ash cannabis dispensary, cannabis is an extremely versatile plant, and one easy way to unlock its powerful effects is baking with cannabutter. Butter that has been infused with cannabis fl ower, also called “cannabutter,” is a simple do-it-yourself way to prepare edibles at home. Cannabutter has many uses in cooking, including cookies, sandwiches, desserts, and pasta.

Read on for a recipe to make your own cannabutter, which can then be incorporated into a pie crust recipe for the holidays … or really any time that’s appropriate for pie, which is the same as saying any time at all.

Cannabutter Pie Crust

Makes 1 pie crust

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 2⁄3 cup cannabutter (see recipe above) 5–7 tablespoons cold water 1 egg white

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine flour and cannabutter into a mixing bowl. Use a knife to cut the cannabutter into the flour. Add salt and water, mixing until a dough forms. If not using immediately, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. If ready to make your pie, roll out dough on a flat surface, between two pieces of lightly floured parchment paper. Shape into a 9-inch pie pan, leaving a half inch of dough overhanging. Pinch overhang around edge of the pan and brush the dough with the egg white. Let chill in the freezer for 30 minutes. Fill your pie with your favorite filling: pumpkin, apple, pecan, or even a refreshing fruit blend—baker’s choice. Bake according to pie recipe instructions

Cannabutter

Makes about 16 servings / Recipe from March and Ash / marchandash.com

INGREDIENTS

10 grams flower 1 cup unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 245°F. Place 10 grams of flower on a parchment-lined oven tray. Bake for 40 minutes. Rake the flower after 15 minutes to ensure even heating. Coarsely grind baked bud into a slow cooker set to low (under 200°F). Add the unsalted butter, stirring the mixture every 15 minutes. Cook for 3 hours on low. Allow to cool for a few minutes, and strain into jar or container using cheesecloth and a funnel. Refrigerate until ready to use in recipe.

Potency

The exact potency of made-at-home cannabutter will depend on many factors. No two batches will be exactly the same. You may want to test your nal product by spreading ¼ teaspoon on some toast and wait two to three hours to see how that batch a ects you. Use that as a dosage barometer and increase or decrease the amount used in each recipe as desired.

Containing the Tropics Baby it’s cold outside, but these easy-breezy houseplants can add an instant island vibe to your home no matter what’s happening out there. TEXT DIANE BLACKFORD

Your dreams for a Caribbean getaway this year get dashed by a pandemic that closed the country’s borders, too?

While it’s not quite the same as frolicking on sugary soft beaches fl anked by palm trees and lapped by shimmering turquoise waters, I’ve done my best to turn my apartment into a tropical oasis with palm trees and verdant foliage growing out of every available space. You can do the same, and I highly encourage it. Plants provide oxygen, clean the air, and are shown to elevate levels of happiness. Not to mention if you get enough of them growing, you’ll raise the humidity in your place—something everyone needs. Trust me, your hair, skin, sinuses, and more will thank you for adding more moisture to the air.

My apartment’s large southern-facing windows deserve a lot of credit for helping to transform an empty apartment into a lush landscape, no doubt. But even if your place rarely sees any direct sunlight at all, you too can grow some palm trees a mile high.

Everyone can be a tropical gardener, and thanks to the houseplant-crazed millennials demanding more—and more exotic—greenery to grow in their homes, it’s easier than ever to cultivate a true island vibe indoors—even in the coldest of climates.

(Fun fact: the fi fth-coldest temp this country has ever recorded was in Maybell, Colorado, when it dipped to -61°F on February 1, 1985. As I write this, it’s 14 degrees outside and the temps are falling into the single digits tomorrow, making Denver one of the coldest places in the country right now.)

“It may be a little tricky at times, but adding that special warmth and color to your home defi nitely can be done,” confi rms Andrea Haywood, a certifi ed master gardener from South Florida.

While Jack Frost is not a friend to most greenery native to climates where temperatures hover above 75°F, we’ve rounded up some of the easiest tropical plants that you can grow indoors all year long. You can fi nd these varieties and others like them at your local garden center, where the staff can help you pick out the right type for your home’s light and off er tips to help you care for the tropical transplant. So take your green thumbs out of your gloves and get growing on your own tropical paradise.

Bird of Paradise (above)

This colorful plant species got its moniker from its uncanny resemblance to the feathered creature with the same name. The unusual shape of its fl owers makes the plant a superb conversation starter that adds a welcome burst of color to any household where it blooms, which doesn’t happen without a TON of natural sunlight. But even without the namesake fl ower, the large plant adds a ton of tropical fl air to any room, thanks to its glossy leaves fanning out.

Bromeliad (left)

There are over 3,000 species within this standout family of tropical plants. Most have bold leaves that are often colorful, but many bromeliads’ most distinguishing characteristic is an exotic fl ower spike. Given the long-lasting blooms

and ornamental foliage, you may assume these are high-maintenance houseplants, but you’d be mistaken. They tend to be among the easiest to grow, and you can fi nd varieties in all shapes and sizes with diff erent preferences for light and heat.

Dracaena Marginata (below)

Often called the dragon tree, the spiky houseplant is native to Africa. The tricolor cultivar, also known as the rainbow plant, adds an instant island vibe to any household with its pink, cream, and yellow stripes on narrow, green leaves.

Hibiscus (left)

Huge, dramatic blooms up to eight inches in diameter add terrifi c splashes of color (albeit short-lived) to this shrub. It needs plenty of water and well-drained soil to survive, and it needs lots of sunlight to bloom, which it can do from late spring through fall in the right conditions. You can fi nd versions with fl owers in a dizzying array of colors, making it easy to match your home’s color palette. If you don’t have bright, direct sunlight, don’t let that stop you from adding this stunner to your collection. Keep it indoors during the winter then move it to the balcony or porch when it warms up outside to enjoy its seasonal blooms.

EDITOR’S CHOICE: PONYTAIL PALM The cascading curls owing from the top of this plant just make it seem like all sorts of bubbly fun. It’s technically a succulent, not a palm tree, but we won’t tell if you don’t. A native of the dry desert states of eastern Mexico, it does well in low humidity, and its bulbous base stores water like a camel’s hump, making it a good choice for people who tend to neglect their plants.

Risk Management

What you don’t know can hurt you.

Every business owner knows about risk; it is a constant presence in their lives. The specter of risk drives critical business decisions, from funding and hiring to liability coverage.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the fast-changing and continually evolving cannabis industry. Cannabis is one of the most highly scrutinized industries in the country, so operators owe it to themselves to ensure that they have properly protected their investment. That’s where the National Cannabis Risk Management Association (NCRMA) comes in.

As the nation’s only dedicated risk management association focused solely on cannabis, NCRMA brings a level of expertise to its members that enables long-term sustainability and success. It provides the education, support, and expertise necessary to mitigate potential threats and help cannabis industry professionals keep their businesses safe, compliant, and thriving.

NCRMA lives its mission statement: making our members better through education, support, and expertise.

“Our level of expertise spans from seed to the consumer with a team of consultants bringing a combined 75 years of experience in property and liability, risk, cannabis operations, occupational safety, compliance, and agriculture,” says NCRMA Chief Risk Management Offi cer Alex Hearding. “This culmination of experience and expertise allows us to offer one-ofa-kind tools and cannabis-specifi c solutions designed to improve overall business results, optimize daily operational effi ciencies, decrease unnecessary expenses, and increase the bottom line.” Through the use of the NCRMA’s proprietary cloudbased platform, CRP2 (Cannabis Risk Prevention Platform), its consultants are equipped to quickly identify potential threats through a scorecard and detailed report. These results allow the NCRMA to address risks in a holistic manner and create customized solutions that minimize the potential for business interruptions.

Recognizing the explosive growth in the cannabis industry, NCRMA has regional offi ces and vetted service partners across the country, which work directly with NCRMA members to provide knowledge, profi ciency, and support—and much more.

NCRMA’s Chronic Risk podcast offers detailed insights from cannabis industry leaders. Through its innovative association-owned captive model, NCRMA has a network of Appointed Brokers who offer insurance products and coverages. Then, there is NCRM Academy—an online learning platform that provides members access to over 30 different courses on all aspects of cannabis operations. All of this combined ensures that your business is prepared and your risks addressed.

“A common cannabis industry myth is that by having insurance, you are properly managing your risks. In reality, insurance is only a small part of the risk management framework,” says NCRMA Chairman Rocco Petrilli. “Having a fi rm grasp over risk management is vital to the success of any business.” “A common cannabis industry myth is that by having insurance, you are properly managing your risks, when in reality, insurance is only a small part of the risk management framework.”

—NCRMA Chairman Rocco Petrilli

National Cannabis Risk Management Association

The nation’s only cannabis risk management association ncrma.net

NOT DOWN AND OUT BUT THRIVING

IN LAS VEGAS

TEXT DEBBIE HALL

The Las Vegas cannabis vibe was off the charts during the week-long 10th annual MJBizCon, the largest cannabis trade show in the industry. Sensi had a prominent presence during the convention, including hosting one of the hottest parties, Sensi’s Sunset Soirée at The Strat. Guests enjoyed the Las Vegas sunset 108 fl oors above the Strip with unlimited cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, thrill rides, and an all-around excellent networking experience. The next evening, the sold-out Zodiac Party rocked the entire night as partygoers celebrated.

Down the street, Sapphire Las Vegas, the world’s largest gentlemen’s club and adult entertainment complex, hosted an evening fi lled with unforgettable 4-20–inspired décor and entertainment with an open bar. Platinum recording artist and rap sensation Mike Jones, infamous for anthems like “Still Tippin” and “Back Then,” performed as guests reveled in cannabis couture.

During the day, Daymond John—co-star of ABC’s Shark Tank and founder/CEO of Fubu— amped up attendees as the keynote speaker of MJBiz, while over 1,000 cannabis industry suppliers made deals on the expo fl oor. MJ Unpacked brought together passionate cannabis retailers, THC CPG brands, and accredited investors.

It was quite the week for all who attended! Sensi Media Group looks forward to 2022.

THRIVING