The Good Herb: April-May 2018

APRIL-MAY 2018

MICRO-DOSING WEED IN WEED GROWN ROGUE BUD JUNCTION BUD AND BREAKFAST

Grow

YOUR Own

Winter 2017-2018 | SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB

3

FEATURES Volume 1, Issue 2

PUBLISHER

Steven Saslow

EDITOR

David Smigelski dsmigelski@rosebudmedia.com

PHOTOGRAPHERS Jamie Lusch, Andy Atkinson

GRAPHIC DESIGN Brian Fitz-Gerald

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Caroline Cabral, Rick Cipes, John Darling, Liz Gold, Damian Mann, Annette McGee-Rasch, Jimmy Neiswanger, Jefferson Reeder

ADVERTISING

Athena Fliegel, Specialty Publications & Events Manager 541-776-4385

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

For subscription services, call 541-776-4455.

Southern Oregon Good Herb is published bi-monthly by Rosebud Media, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501.

Phone: 541-776-4411.

Copyright 2018 by Rosebud Media.

All rights reserved. Reprinting in whole or in part is expressly forbidden without written permission from the publisher.

6 12 16 20 26 30 32 34 38 40 44

GROW YOUR OWN

Tips for backyard growers GETTING SMALL Micro-dosing gains in popularity

WEED GETS WEED Weed, California, gets its first dispensary

GROWN ROGUE Building a cannabis community

TREASURE TROVE OR PANDORA’S BOX? Medical Marijuana BROCK GUTCHES KNOWS ABOUT COMPETITION The greatest wrestler in SOU history finds pot industry to his liking NEW COLUMINST: RICK CIPES Straight Dope

PERSONAL TOUCH Bud Junction aims to set itself apart

RECIPE: JINNY’S CANNA COLESLAW Cooking with cannabis

BUD AND BREAKFAST Cannabis Getaways

WEED ON WHEELS Cannabis delivery comes to Medford

Rosebud Media LLC assumes no responsibility for any claims or representations in this magazine or in any advertisement. All materials contained within are for educational purposes only and intended for legal marijuana operations where allowed by state law.

Rosebud Media does not encourage the illegal use of any of the products contained within.

ON THE COVER: Photo illustration

by Brian Fitz-Gerald

4

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

Tips for Backyard Growers

GROW YOUR OWN STORY BY DAMIAN MANN

6

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

If

“

Raised bed gardens work well for vegetables, and they work for marijuana, too. The richer the soil, the bigger the plants.

you can grow tomatoes, you can grow pot.

It involves a few more steps, but we’ll walk you through them and keep cannabis cultivation as easy on your wallet as possible.

You can grow a fairly chunky cannabis plant in your backyard vegetable garden, but don’t expect it to give you those dense nuggets of THC that you find at your neighborhood store. After all, retail marijuana is grown by professionals who’ve had years, maybe even decades, of growing experience under their belts.

Before you think about growing in your backyard, make sure you’re on solid legal footing. Under Oregon law, you can grow four recreational marijuana plants, and medical marijuana cardholders can grow six plants.

In some cities such as Medford, you can’t grow in a backyard unless it’s in a greenhouse. Check with your local city before the thrill of turning tiny plants into small trees in a matter of months turns into a nightmare of running afoul of local regulations.

Once you’ve established that you can grow in your backyard, make sure the location you’ve chosen isn’t visible from the street. You can grow indoors under lights, but that’s outside the scope of this article and of keeping this project as inexpensive as possible.

First, you have to decide whether you want to grow from seed or buy a $20 clone at your local cannabis store.

Growing from seed means you’ll have to learn how to “sex” your plants, which means pulling out the males. You want to grow females because they produce flowers, and flowers are where you’ll find all the magic.

Seeds can be far cheaper than clones, but with a clone you know what kind of plant you’re getting, and you won’t have to worry about sexing it. Also, by this time of year, a clone would be your best bet, because seeds should be started earlier in the year.

“The first thing I would recommend is buying a clone,” says Jon Cunningham, who grows organic plants for sale at Breeze Botanicals, owned by his wife, Brie Malarkey.

He says a clone gives you a big head start on your backyard grow because the plant is already a foot tall or more when you put it in the ground, preferably around the time of the last frost.

Before buying your clones, carefully examine them

N

to make sure they are healthy and pest-free.

Cunningham says a lot of people get hung up on whether they should grow sativa or indica, the two primary strains of cannabis. Sativa is generally associated with a more cerebral high but is thought to take longer to grow. Indica has a more body, or “couch potato,” high, with a shorter grow time.

Most plants available today are hybrids, so growing time generally won’t be a factor. Pick a plant based on the buzz you want, or pick strains for their medicinal value. Generally you’ll want to harvest your plants before fall rains begin in earnest or you’ll risk mold, which can destroy all your hard work practically overnight.

Pick a variety that you love and just make sure it can be harvested early enough for your needs.

Cunningham says he’s got White Grapefruit, a sativa-dominant hybrid that he harvests during the second week of September.

Cannabis plants thrive in well-drained, slightly acidic soil rich in organic matter. Sticking them directly in the sticky, clay soils in the valley will give you a stunted stick of green. If you’re lucky enough to have fairly loamy soil, then adding ample amendments might be all you need.

Raised bed gardens work well for vegetables, and they work for marijuana, too. The richer the soil, the bigger the plants. Beds that are about 18 inches deep and about 6 feet in diameter will yield a pretty healthy specimen, but you can also grow in a smaller container if you don’t mind a smaller plant.

Heading down to the local hardware store and picking up bags of potting soil, chicken manure and other nutrients will work to produce a decent plant, but be careful to use amendments in moderation because they can burn leaves.

Cunningham recommends going organic for the best quality, adding worm castings, red wigglers, garden compost, kitchen compost, mushroom compost and bat guano and creating an environment that encourages microorganisms. Other ingredients that are often added to the soil include blood meal, bone meal, fish meal and kelp meal, making a kind of Irish stew to promote a green plant and healthy flowers.

“By taking care of your soil, that will take care of your plant,” Cunningham says.

Collin McLauchlin, owner of Sensi Science Organics, transplants a pot plant. Photos by JAMIE LUSCH

APRIL-MAY 2018 | SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB

7

You can start your backyard marijuana garden with seeds or starts, but seeds need to be started indoors early in the year. By the time April comes around, you’ll be better off buying starts. 123RF.com

Many people swear by Miracle Gro for tomatoes, and it will work for cannabis, too, but local growers such as Cunningham don’t like dumping chemicals on their plants.

Remember the road to excellent bud is paved with a nice bed of soil. If you want A-grade flower, you’re going to need A-grade soil.

“Between your soil and the genetic choice of the plant, the choices you make could make or break your season,” says Collin McLauchlin, owner of Sensi Science Organics on Sage Road in Medford.

He says grower needs to calculate the time the plant is in the ground to determine how much soil will be needed for the growing season.

“You don’t have to have a large plant to have a quality plant,” he says.

You could theoretically put a healthy clone into a 10-gallon pot with good soil in August and pull out a quarter-pound plant by the end of the season, assuming you’ve got excellent sunlight and take care of your plant.

But most gardeners want to get their plants in the ground sooner than that.

McLauchlin recommends planting healthy clones from mid-May to mid-June.

His calculations are based on using high-grade, cannabis-specific soil that has all the nutrients necessary for a plant to thrive for five-plus months.

“One of the biggest mistakes new outdoor growers make is skimping on their soil,” he says. Buying cheap soil will require many trips to the store to purchase amendments as the season progresses to keep up with the appetite of your nitrogen-hungry plants.

At his store, McLauchlin sells soil from $100 to $300 per cubic yard, depending on the quality. A cubic yard is about 180 gallons. For a big healthy plant, expect to grow in 100

to 300 gallons of soil.

If you want a small backyard plant, you can buy 1.5 cubic-foot bags of dirt for $20, which contains all the nutrients needed for the full growth cycle of the plant if you plant it later in the season.

McLauchlin says you should calculate how much soil you’ll need for the full life cycle of the plant. The later in the season you start growing, the less soil and the smaller the plant. The earlier in the season you start, the more soil you’ll need for a consequently bigger plant. Turn to your local cannabis soil expert for help.

For novice gardeners, McLauchlin recommends “smart pots,” which are made out of a special fabric and vary in size depending on how big you want your plant to be.

Once the plant is in the dirt, there will be two to three months of vegetative growth before the flowering begins, sometime between Aug. 1 and Sept. 1, depending on the strain. Give the buds about two months to fatten up before you harvest.

If you already grow an abundance of vegetables in your backyard, you probably have enough sunlight to grow cannabis in the same location, but make sure you’ve got at least six hours of full sun a day. Cannabis is a sun worshiper, and it will get big and strong with the right amount of sun as long as its roots are in the right kind of soil and receive the right amount of water.

Once you’ve bought a clone and prepared your soil, it’s time to plant. Imagine 8-foot-tall plants that are 6 feet in diameter, and space them accordingly. The more space you have between each plant, the better. You can plant them closer in a small garden, but expect lower yields.

Don’t over water cannabis. Give it enough water to thoroughly wet the soil, and then let it dry before watering again. During our scorching hot summer months, check

continued on page 10

8

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

00086199

Medford City Councilor Clay Bearnson waters marijuana plants at the Oregon Farmacy in Medford. Photo by JAMIE LUSCH

continued from page 8 the soil frequently. And check the plants. If they’re wilting, they desperately need watering. Large cannabis plants can require up to 10 gallons a day when temperatures are nudging 100 degrees.

You can add fish emulsion and other amendments as the season progresses, but use small amounts so you don’t burn the plant. If you’ve picked the right kind of soil, you don’t need to add amendments.

Expect rapid growth when temperatures start hitting the 80s. When leaves are bright green, glistening in the sunlight, you know you’ve got a healthy plant that’s feeling its oats.

By the end of July, if all goes well, your plants should be standing at about 6 feet tall or more, getting ready to shift into the flowering stage. If a neighbor complains about the smell, tell him it will last only another month or so until you pull the plants out. Be respectful, not confrontational.

At this point, bugs, particularly spider mites, might rear their ugly heads and could spoil the little pot party in your backyard. If you’ve used good organic compost and mulch, it may already have predatory mites that will come to your plant’s defenses and eat those pesky spider mites.

Ladybugs also will devour spider mites, and they can be purchased at many garden centers in the valley.

Some growers recommend a strong water spray to knock the spider mites off the plant, hitting them hard three mornings in a row. Be careful not to be too aggressive and damage the plant.

Another option is to use a wet-dry vacuum to suck off

10

the mites. Still another option is to use Neem oil, which is considered organic and kills the mites on contact.

When you’re deep into the growing season, be vigilant for mites and attack them as soon as possible; otherwise, there might be tears.

Deer also have been known to destroy a crop, so in some neighborhoods fences might be needed.

A big question most novice growers have is when to harvest. When the little hairs that glisten on the flowers start to turn amber, you’re ready to reap your final reward.

Many growers recommend pulling off many of the large shade leaves as the flowering cycle begins, particularly when the shade leaves turn yellow. This allows more air to circulate through the plant and saves you some time later when you’re trimming.

Once you’ve harvested, dry the plants by hanging them indoors in a warm, well ventilated space for five to seven days.

At this point, you might as well start testing a few samples.

Store your stash in Mason-type jars to maintain freshness, and keep the jars in a cool, dry location that is secure.

But make sure to open the jars and check for moisture every few days until the buds are fully cured — about 30 to 60 days — to avoid mold problems.

If you’ve made it this far, it’s time to celebrate. We highly recommend a harvest party with friends and neighbors.

Don’t forget to play Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon.”

Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or dmann@ rosebudmedia.com. Follow him on www.twitter.com/reporterdm. 

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

APRIL-MAY 2018 | SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB

11

Cannabis Trends

Sales of edibles and concentrates continue to grow. One possible reason? It’s easier to control dosages. Photo by ANDY ATKINSON

MICRO-DOSING GAINS IN POPULARITY

GETTING SMALL STORY BY LIZ GOLD

As

the cannabis market matures here in Oregon, consumer trends continue to evolve. Stereotypes and the traditional caricature of cannabis enthusiasts are changing — as well as their chosen consumption style.

“There are a very wide range of cannabis consumers who are consuming for different reasons and for multiple reasons,” says Liz Stahura, co-founder and president of BDS Analytics, a cannabis business intelligence company that tracks four states: Washington, Colorado, California and Oregon, which has the highest percentage of consumers at 35 percent.

Since January 2015, Oregon has generated more than $1 billion in cannabis sales, and sales were up 45 percent in 2017 compared to 2016. Flower consumption continues to decrease, comprising less than 45 percent of retail sales by the end of 2017, and interest in edibles and concentrates continues to grow.

One possible reason? It’s easier to control dosages.

12

“You will see that in every different market we track, gummy candies are the most popular edible product,” Stahura says. “They are very easy to sub dose. You can buy a 10-milligram gummy and cut it in as many pieces as you like.”

And while cannabis producers and processors in other states are starting to address this trend, BDS Analytics sees an untapped market in Oregon to create more products for the micro-dosing consumer, who can tend to skew older or newer and less-experienced.

Even the “power users,” or those longtime cannabis consumers who have a higher tolerance, are opening up to the idea of micro-dosing, according to Mason Walker, CEO of East Fork Cultivars, a CBD-focused farm located outside of Cave Junction.

“Micro-dosing is increasingly popular,” Walker says. “People are interested in milder experiences. In some ways, we’ve been effectively overdosing on THC for a long time, and there is a trend of almost correcting to a more proper dose.”

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

“

Micro-dosing is consuming multiple times a day, usually 2.5 milligrams or less, and comes in many forms.

Whereas heavy users, or people he dubs “moonshine chasers,” are usually looking for high THC content when they buy at dispensaries, Walker is seeing a shift to more interest in the other cannabinoids and “ratioed varieties.”

“People don’t always want to drink moonshine. It’s not a very social thing to consume. As we learn more about the science of cannabis and how it interacts with our bodies, even for the people who want to get intoxicated from THC, they want a more rounded experience,” Walker says.

Carl Venezia of Indigo Farms in the Applegate Valley shares a similar sentiment.

“The consumers (in dispensaries) are looking at very high-potency scores and using that as a guiding force for buying,” Venezia says. “But we’re finding a lot of demand for CBD-heavy products.”

As a result, his farm is focusing on more specialty strains that are CBD dominant with a bit of THC. And instead of offering one larger pre-roll, it is offering two smaller joints at .4 grams.

“When it comes to micro-dosing, you can have a low amount of THC, but it also has to do with the ‘entourage effect,’ how all these different cannabinoids and terpenes work together to enhance or detract from a feeling that you are getting from the product,” Venezia says. “When they come together they can be amplified or diminished, and that can change how the product is experienced.”

Micro-dosing is a fairly new term, according to Jackie

Carlino, an herbalist for Sun God Medicinals in Central Point. Sun God is one of three herb businesses operated

by Sun Breeze Inc., which include two dispensaries, Breeze Botanicals in Ashland and Gold Hill.

Carlino says people are already taking smaller doses to treat anxiety, depression, pain and to enhance sleep — and it’s perfect for those who have never consumed before or older folks who may have a lower tolerance.

Cannabis extracts and tinctures make it easy for users to control their dose, and they take effect more quickly than edibles such as gummies.

APRIL-MAY 2018 | SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB

13

Micro-dosing is easier with edibles like gummies, because they are easy to cut into small servings. Photo by ANDY ATKINSON

Micro-dosing is consuming multiple times a day, usually 2.5 milligrams or less, and comes in many forms — most commonly a tincture drop, one puff from a vaporizer or a small piece of an edible.

“We sell a lot of tinctures, because they make it really easy to control your dosage, and they also affect you in about 15 minutes,” Carlino says, adding tinctures for pets are becoming increasingly popular at their dispensaries. “So, you can take it every 15 minutes to get the effect you need, whereas edibles take up to 90 to 100 minutes.”

Carlino stresses the effect is different for everyone.

“Keep experimenting until you find the dose that works for you,” she says. “It’s generally recommended that firsttime micro-dosers start off at 2.5 milligrams, maintain that level for approximately three days and increase if necessary. Start low and go slow.”

That said, the market changes depending on where you are in Oregon. For instance, Dicot Farms is located in Eagle Point, but it doesn’t sell its flower in the area, according to Ria Gonzales, its Portland operations manager. The company

14

sells mostly in Central Oregon and on the coast, and it’s in the process of opening a dispensary in Portland.

“Depending on what city you are in, even sometimes the neighborhood, the market changes,” says Gonzales, who has spent several years working in Arizona’s medical market. “We sell a lot of clones in Southern Oregon. It’s hard to sell your product there because it’s so oversaturated.”

Gonzales says for the product that her farm does sell, they are holding prices at $1,000 a pound.

“In Oregon, the sheer amount of farms is remarkable to me,” she says. “When you have a small, controlled number, there’s not a lot of competition to make yourself better. It would take $50,000 a week to stock my store in Arizona, here that is a couple of months’ volume. The costs are different, and the amount of competition is different, so it’s not as lucrative of a business here in the rec market.”

You can follow Liz Gold on Twitter/Instagram @lizstacygold or read her blog at www.14karatliving.com. 

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

APRIL-MAY 2018 | SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB

15

California Cannabis

WEED GETS WEED STORY BY DAMIAN MANN • PHOTOS BY JAMIE LUSCH

The Northern California town with the perfect name for legal weed gets its first dispensary

The

town of Weed, California, has been in on the joke for years.

After all, the motto of this city of 6,000 is: “Weed like to welcome you.”

Tourists might think this is a pot-friendly area when they see T-shirts and ballcaps bearing tongue-in-cheek references to the town’s name.

Despite the playful marketing, the town, which got its name from lumber pioneer Abner Weed, has only recently taken the plunge to allow sales of medical cannabis.

When the first cannabis dispensary opened on relatively deserted Main Street in February, curious locals stuck their heads inside to see what the fuss was all about.

“I’m glad they come to see us, and then they figure out it doesn’t match the assumptions they have in their head,” says Liz Tabor, owner of La Florista.

She playfully points out that a few locals, who probably wouldn’t like their neighbors to find out, have become customers.

16

Still others are just happy to go into a store that caters exclusively to medical marijuana patients.

The name La Florista has thrown some passersby for a loop.

“People come in and ask if we have long-stem roses,” Tabor says.

What visitors discover inside is a 10,000-square-foot space that has been converted into a stylish cannabis emporium, tastefully decorated by Tabor, who wants to create a destination resort that will greet visitors on their last weed stop in California — or their first stop for those driving down from Oregon.

When you stroll into the building, a large lobby and friendly attendants greet customers and check ID. In the back, a spacious room with display cases and myriad products for sale almost fool the eye into thinking you’re not even in a dispensary.

A few pipes and other products line one display, and tucked in the back right corner are clones and soil amendments. The store has

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

“

Liz Tabor, owner of La Florista Cannabis in Weed, says she hopes to show the community that her business is responsible and not a “stoner-fest.”

Like many small towns, Main Street in Weed has many empty storefronts, and locals hope La Florista will lead to a resurgence of business.

plenty of cremes and edibles for sale, too.

In the back left of the room are two bud-tender stations where you can examine strains. Tabor even has a special magnifying screen to examine flowers close up.

Nothing in the room screams cannabis, and Tabor has invited law enforcement officials into the store to show them it’s run just like any other business.

The town has approached legal weed cautiously and, in keeping with that cautious approach, La Florista looks like any other store from the outside.

The City Council insisted the name of the store shouldn’t play on the name of the town, even though Mt. Shasta Brewing Co., which makes Weed Ales a couple of miles away, has plenty of winks and nods to cannabis, including bags with graphics depicting pot leaves and hats and T-shirts emblazoned with “Try Legal Weed,” “100% Pure Weed” and “Got Weed? We do!”

Tabor is an unlikely cannabis store owner — she also owns Mount Shasta Patients Collective — because her skin gets an allergic reaction to flower, though she does take CBDs, a buzz-free compound from cannabis that some recommend for pain or as an anti-inflammatory.

APRIL-MAY 2018 | SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB

Inside the store are loads of hemp-based products for skin care, and there are even gag gifts, such as jars filled with what looks like bud but is actually a chocolate crunch.

“Try one,” she offers. “There’s no cannabis in it.”

She also has a sauna room and a massage room, because the City Council wanted to emphasize to locals that the store offers a variety of health-related features, not just pot.

Like many small towns, Main Street in Weed has many empty storefronts, and Tabor and locals hope La Florista will lead to a resurgence of business in the downtown.

On international cannabis day — or 420 Day — April 20, Tabor hopes to persuade local officials to close a portion of Main Street so she can invite the public for a barbecue. She says the event will be cannabis-free, and she hopes it will show some skeptical residents that she is a responsible business owner who is trying to help the economy of the town.

“We want to show the community that it is not a stoner-fest,” Tabor says.

Weed Mayor Ken Palfini says the town is pretty much split on the issue of allowing cannabis sales.

“People still have an older impression of cannabis, weed or pot, or whatever nomenclature you want to put on it,”

17

ABOVE AND TOP LEFT: “Dirty Girl” is one of the strains sold at La Florista. TOP RIGHT: A few pipes and other products line one display at La Florista. RIGHT: La Florista has a sauna room and a massage room because the City Council wanted to emphasize to locals that the store offers a variety of health-related features, not just pot.

he says. “Reefer Madness — that’s the mentality a little bit.”

Palfini says he’s sensitive to the feelings of his constituents and wants to move slowly on allowing cannabis in the town to show that it won’t result in a “sky is falling” scenario.

“We’re kind of opening the door and halfway closing it,” he says.

With other communities in Siskiyou County such as Mt. Shasta and Dunsmuir allowing sales, Palfini says he feels an impulse to take advantage of a new industry that has swept down the West Coast.

“It could stimulate a little growth in the downtown,” Palfini says.

Like other cities, growth in Weed has clustered near the

18

Interstate 5 interchange, bringing in gas stations and fastfood restaurants while drying up the town center.

As part of its go-slow approach, the council decided to allow two dispensaries in Weed, and only on Main Street. A second dispensary has yet to open across from La Florista, and Palfini says if it doesn’t open by May the license will lapse and be given to another owner.

The City Council was scheduled this month to discuss allowing recreational sales of cannabis to adults, which would put Weed on the map for weed.

“That’s where we are moving,” he says.

Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or dmann@ rosebudmedia.com. Follow him on www.twitter.com/reporterdm. 

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

APRIL-MAY 2018 | SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB

19

Grown Rogue

Building a

Cannabis Community STORY BY JOHN DARLING PHOTOS BY JAMIE LUSCH

The owners of Grown Rogue want cannabis businesses to work together and be good citizens

Like

timber and pears before them, the cannabis industry is fast realizing it has become a major economic player in the region — and it’s time to forget the extra-legal past and start talking about projecting a positive, involved image, talking up job creation, volunteering and contributing to worthy social causes and living the life of active leaders of our communities.

That’s the message of Grown Rogue’s Obie and Sarah Strickler, who have organized a series of monthly mixers to bring together people in the local cannabis industry.

A March 21 event at the Brickroom in Ashland focused on how cannabis dispensary operators and producers can help reach the mainstream consumer and what the industry can do to shift the perceptions of cannabis in popular culture.

The first event, in February at Two Hawks Winery, was attended by people from 20-some cannabis companies, where

20

they talked about ways to orient in this direction and get the vibe that they’re all in this new industry together, so they should help and network with each other, share skills and goals and enlarge their vital roles in the community and economy.

A few weeks later, after a tour of their 17,000-square-foot cultivating factory/nursery-grow rooms/trim lab in an industrial area off Rossanley Drive in Medford, Obie says, “We’re taking a mature manufacturing industry and putting standard business practices around it. That’s why community is so important to us. We live here. We want to make sure we develop in ways the community can be proud of.”

Does that sound like the boilerplate of old-line corporate CEOs? Well, it is.

Pot has grown up and bought a nice suit of clothes. Strickler markets products throughout Oregon — even burnishes

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

LEFT: Obie Strickler, co-owner of Grown Rogue, walks through his company’s indoor cannabis growing facility in Medford. RIGHT: Grown Rogue produces an array of concentrates, including oils, wax, shatter and sugar.

“

The states have spoken.

The population across the nation supports it.

We’re not going to see any rollback.

– Obie Strickler, Grown Rogue

the “active lifestyle” image of the industry by sponsoring a professional bicycling team in Portland — but he talks about opening into the California market (using their cannabis) and, as legal strictures relax, to the whole nation and world.

Grown Rogue has 30 employees, which, he notes, “is a lot of economic stimulus. …We’re making it more approachable and taking away the old stigma associated with the industry. We’re putting this industry and the community together and getting them talking, in a nonconfrontational setting, working with our neighbors.

“We believe cannabis is a very important part of Southern Oregon’s future — jobs, quality of life, economic stimulus for everyone. We’re all in it together, so let’s not compete and fight over dollars.”

Strickler compares the new cannabis industry here to Napa Valley’s wine empire, noting you don’t go there to visit one particular winery, but to drink wine. It’s the whole thing that’s enjoyable.

“People are going to flood to the Rogue Valley, not just for the great cannabis we grow here, but also to enjoy tours, restaurants, hotels, breweries, wineries, rafting, Shakespeare,” says Sarah. “It’s an exciting new industry and a great growth opportunity.”

Grown Rogue’s marketing is based on the initials R-O-G-U-E: Relax: unwind, indulge, sleep, chill (classic indica) Optimize: be present, do chores, get creative Groove: conversation, abstract thinking, take the edge off, get in the zone Uplift: hike, bike, “perfect boost” Energize: like espresso, vigorous, charge up for that run or dance (classic sativa)

APRIL-MAY 2018 | SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB

These are not just gimmicks, they say. The company sorts its pot into those five categories and boasts of a psychologist on the payroll who interviews users to find out exactly what feeling they get from various strains.

Their “factory” includes a one-third acre indoor grow (they have two outdoor grows of an acre each). The indoor grow is dazzlingly lit with 42 blinding lights along 52-foot tables that can be rolled with one hand. He notes that the constant “sunlight” (no clouds inside), and the lack of pests and disease, produces a more visually attractive weed — and consumers like that.

The Stricklers say they are interfacing with all regulators and getting to know them on a personal basis, including code compliance officers with the city of Medford and folks from the Energy Trust of Oregon, which incentivizes lower energy use. Obie is a member of the Jackson County Marijuana Advisory Commission, an official governmental body.

They are especially proud of a recent innovation — a nitrogen-sealed glass tube with two all-bud pre-rolls, “convenient and discreet,” according to a product blurb. The company’s products are sold in seven Southern Oregon dispensaries, according to its website, including Oregon Grown Cannabis Recreational Dispensary and Kush Gardens in Medford, Top Shelf Wellness Center in Phoenix, Talent Health Club in Talent, Skunk RX and Southern Oregon Cannabis Connection in Grants Pass, and Papa’s Dispensary in Cave Junction.

Obie Strickler says the industry in general seeks to overcome a significant financial services obstacle, since the decades-old federal Schedule 1 listing of cannabis (reserved for highly addictive substances with no medical value) re-

21

SURVEY AIMS TO MEASURE THE BUZZ

BY VICKIE ALDOUS

Grown Rogue is surveying customers about the buzz they get from its products — on a spectrum from relaxing to energizing.

The company partnered with Jonathan Schooler, a psychology professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara, to design a survey about marijuana effects.

People can report the impacts and effects they feel after consuming a Grown Rogue product, says Obie Strickler, CEO of the company.

“We wanted to put science behind how we classify our products,” Strickler says.

Sativa buds tend to be more stimulating, while Indica typically have a sedative effect, according to www.leafscience.com. Many growers cross breed the strains, which offers even more variety.

Grown Rogue uses the letters in the word “Rogue” to inspire five categories for its products — Relax, Optimize, Groove, Uplift and Energize.

Relax products use indica varietals to help people slow down, unwind, relax and sleep for the night.

Sativa-based Energize products are for highenergy activities, like going to a concert, dance party or on a run. Grown Rogue says the effects are comparable to an espresso drink.

ABOVE : Michelle Morrison trims buds at Grown Rogue.

BELOW: Bags of marijuana await processing at Grown Rogue.

The survey asks users about a broad array of effects, including whether they feel like laughing, want to discuss abstract concepts and explore new ideas, notice small details or beauty around them, crave a party or feel tired, worn out, relaxed, spiritual, creative or energetic.

Users can rate their moods — from sad, tired, gloomy, jittery, grouchy, nervous and frustrated to happy, lively, caring, content, calm and loving.

GROWN ROGUE INVITES CUSTOMERS TO REGISTER FOR THE SURVEY AT

WWW.GROWNROGUE.COM.

22

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

mains in place, thus obstructing banks from handling deposits, lines of credit or loans, services that are available to all other businesses.

“It’s a big challenge. Taxes and Social Security are a problem. We’re working toward cashless transactions, all digital, like Uber does. … There are solutions in software, getting all systems talking to each other. We are seeing more nimble, smaller banks solving the industry’s problems. We are going to persevere.”

Obie says the industry here is working on the Schedule 1 listing problem, but with state and local officials, not the intractable and highly conservative Congress. He also dismisses the sabre-rattling of the federal Justice Department, directed at states that have legalized weed.

“The states have spoken. The population across the nation supports it.

We’re not going to see any rollback.”

Both Stricklers are locally born and raised. Obie is from the Illinois Valley and graduated from Grants Pass High School and from Southern Oregon University, where he studied geology.

He worked in natural resources jobs before this venture.

Sarah, the community relations director of the firm, is from Ashland, has a degree from SOU and played basketball for University of Hawaii. They live near Jacksonville.

“It really excites me to see the revitalization of agriculture going on (after the collapse here of the pear industry). It’s starting to really prosper,” she says. “The area is so rich already, and then there’s the potential for export to the world. But who knows what the political environment will be?”

John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. You can reach him at jdarling@ jeffnet.org. 

APRIL-MAY 2018 | SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB

23

Medical Marijuana

Darryl Inaba

26

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

CBD: Treasure Trove or Pandora’s Box? STORY BY JEFFERSON REEDER

Local addiction expert touts CBD, but not THC

Darryl Inaba,

a local expert on addiction and recovery, says he is in a conundrum.

He sees cannabidiol — known as CBD — as a potential “treasure trove” of health and medical benefits. But he worries it might send the wrong message or the wrong buds to those looking for relief.

While CBD has amazing potential, its future is clouded by federal regulations, poor lab testing and a general confusion about THC (the psychoactive part of the herb) and CBD. CBD can be a treasure or a “Pandora’s box,” he says, depending on how it is studied and used. Inaba is firmly against THC, considering it an addictive substance. But he has done his research into CBD. Inaba is an addiction treatment clinician and director of education and research at CNS Productions Inc., a Medford company that publishes educational materials about drugs and addiction.

He maintains an associate professorship at the University of California San Francisco, has a doctor of pharmacology degree, and is a Lifetime Fellow of the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinics, where he served as director of its Drug Detoxification and After Care Services from the late 1960s through 2006.

Inaba has spent his professional career studying the medical aspects of addiction, treatment, recovery and the impact of drugs, from being in the trenches of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury drug scene in the ‘60s to working with people who are struggling with addictive issues in Southern Oregon today.

He co-wrote with William Cohen a book on addiction and recovery called “Uppers, Downers, All Arounders.”

And he pioneered medical services at concerts, starting back in the day with Led Zeppelin and The Grateful Dead.

Inaba is a firm proponent of CBD, but he says he sees challenges to it becoming part of mainstream medicine.

APRIL-MAY 2018 | SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB

CBD seems to have benefits for epilepsy, cancer, multiple sclerosis and a host of other illnesses. It works as an anti-inflammatory — for people with diabetes, for instance — and has been touted as a way for people to get off harder drugs, including opioids, which are at epidemic levels in many communities. Throw in anti-anxiety properties and you have what appears to be a miracle drug with untold uses.

So why isn’t this treasure trove being unlocked, explored, cataloged and analyzed to a greater degree?

Perhaps the biggest hurdle, Inaba says, is that CBD is lumped in with Schedule I drugs, so scientific research into its benefits has been limited in the U.S. More research is going on in Europe, he says, where studies indicate real progress with CBD as an anti-cancer treatment. Anecdotal evidence suggests that CBD “can eliminate breast or stomach cancer — for men, too,” Inaba says.

He points to strong CBD proponents such as WAMM, WoMen’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana, out of Santa Cruz, which has been a leading cooperative and advocate for legal, medical cannabis for going on 25 years.

There are other challenges besides the Schedule I listing that can affect the mainstreaming of CBD, Inaba says.

“It’s an inconvenient truth” that marijuana is addictive, while CBD is not, Inaba says, although THC and CBD are often combined.

Many marijuana advocates tout what’s called the “entourage effect,” saying the combination of THC and CBD provides benefits beyond what either delivers by itself.

Most local dispensaries sell products — including buds — with varying ratios of THC and CBD. There are also CBD/THC hybrids on the medical market, especially in Europe. For example, Sativex by GW Pharmaceuticals is the first cannabis-based medicine to be fully approved and brought to market and is now available in

27

“

Inaba says one factor that concerns him is how much stronger cannabis is these days. Some substances can have a concentration as high as 95 percent THC. 22-plus countries worldwide. Originally it was marketed as a treatment for MS sufferers and is currently in cancer trials in Europe. It contains an equal mix of CBD and THC. Inaba is leery of the trend.

“Combining marijuana with CBD is wrong,” Inaba says flatly.

An added complication, says Inaba, is that “lab tests are not always regulated.” He sees standardized, regulated testing as a way to ensure that your CBD is pure.

The bottom line is that THC is addictive, says Inaba.

Recent studies have shown that about 17 percent of those who are treated for substance-related and addictive disorders in the United States list marijuana as their primary drug, he says, and many list it as their secondary or tertiary drug of choice. It is the substance most often listed by the 1.8 million to 1.9 million people treated for addiction each year in this country.

Inaba says one factor that concerns him is how much stronger cannabis is these days. Some substances can have a concentration as high as 95 percent THC. And people now have easy access to edibles, vapes, gel caps and other forms of potent THC products.

“We are starting to identify the great medical effects of the non-psychoactive chemicals in pot like cannabidiol and the brain-damaging effects of its psychoactive chemicals,” Inaba says.

It’s up to labs, researchers, growers and suppliers to make sure that we don’t lose this potential treasure amidst the hurly-burly of the Green Rush.

Jefferson Reeder is a freelance writer living in Medford. You can reach him at jeffersonreeder@hotmail.com. 

28

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

Grower Profile

BROCK GUTCHES KNOWS ABOUT

COMPETITION STORY BY JOHN DARLING

The greatest wrestler in the history of SOU finds pot industry to his liking

After

champion wrestler Brock Gutches graduated from Southern Oregon University, he saw the potential for immense profits in cannabis and decided to launch his own business, which he called The Grow.

It’s fun and he likes the people in the business — “the responsible ones,” he cautions — but it’s like any farming.

You have to learn a lot, it takes a piece of change to do it, you’re dealing with a lot of government regulation, and a lot can go wrong.

Now 27, the four-time NAIA wrestling champion says he personally has no use for weed, but he is deeply inspired

30

by the fact that Oregon consumes an estimated 400,000 pounds of it a year — and this region sits in the middle of the Jefferson Pot Paradise, with excellent weather and soil for the crop.

The learning curve of a pot farmer is steep, Gutches acknowledges, and you have to learn to fight the brush fires of the trade — weather, thieves (he has scads of surveillance cameras now), rapidly increasing competition, and long delays in licensing by a state choked with applicants.

“I had to fail a lot to learn a lot, and I still don’t know half of it,” he says. “But I’m having a good time. It’s fun. I like the

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

LEFT: Brock Gutches, owner of The Grow, holds a sample of dried bud. BELOW: Dried marijuana from The Grow is packaged for sale to local dispensaries. Photos by LARRY STAUTH JR.

community, though there’s still a lot of flakes in it. That’s my favorite part, the community. I like farming, working with cattle, working with my hands, out in the sun. It can be a nightmare, but it’s also relaxing.”

Gutches has three employees, farms 30 different strains, and works with clones. One of his big lessons is that it’s harder to prosper being a grow-only farmer. He aims at vertical integration, meaning he owns and runs all the many aspects of the cannabis chain, including extraction for oils and other variations.

Looking over his 14 mulched rows, each 474 feet long, covering 40,000 square feet, Gutches says, “I got in it 100 percent for the money. It’s a gold rush.”

Or, rather, it used to be.

“There are so many growers at the moment, so much excess product on the market. Sometimes, you can’t sell your product. Oregon consumes 400,000 pounds of it a year, but the whole system is choking on itself … I hear some people are sitting on 2,500 pounds of it and can’t get rid of it. It does

APRIL-MAY 2018 | SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB

have a shelf life, not more than eight months. After that, you have product that’s going to pot.”

The industry is changing, too. Dispensaries and consumers have learned a lot in recent years and have become connoisseurs. He recalls the days when “dirty hippies” could wander into shops and sell their weed, but “now we are seeing a lot of big businessmen in suits getting into it with lots of money.

You have to look and play the part.”

With the normalization, success and growing respectability of the new industry, competition is bringing prices and profit margins down.

His margin is still far beyond that realized by his father (and grandfather, before that) at Gutches Lumber near White City.

Is the gold rush over?

“That’s a good question. I hope it’s not, for me. The competition is crazy, and you have to have a perfect product. That’s my standard.”

John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. You can reach him at jdarling@jeffnet.org. 

31

Straight Dope

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN SMOKING MARIJUANA FOR THE FIRST TIME

BY RICK CIPES

Meet

our “first-timers” focus group: Madge, age 78, lives at a local senior home. Terry, 54, is a divorced father of two. And Johnny is fresh out of high school.

STRAIGHT DOPE: Let’s start with why you decided to get stoned.

MADGE: Boredom. And trying to spice up my sex life.

JOHNNY: All my friends were getting high, and I wanted to see what the hype was about.

TERRY: My back kills me. And, sometimes, trying to raise two kids gets kind of stressful.

I needed an escape.

SD: And? TERRY: Well, my muscles seemed to relax more, but I probably shouldn’t have indulged on a homework night.

SD: How did that go?

TERRY: We ended up baking cookies.

SD: So, set aside time when you don’t have responsibilities?

TERRY: Absolutely.

MADGE: I definitely agree. I tried it right before my Bridge game.

SD: And? MADGE: I don’t remember anything about Bridge.

Only playing footsie with my beau Conrad.

SD: Has marijuana helped your sex life?

MADGE: My mother always told me not to kiss and tell, but, heck, yeah.

SD: What about you Johnny?

JOHNNY: A buddy of mine and I got high and played video games. Only, I couldn’t focus, so I went outside and stared at the creek for a couple hours.

SD: I highly recommend being out in nature when you get high, rather than being in public, where you might get paranoid. But, a couple hours?

JOHNNY: Yeah. We ate brownies. Apparently

32

too many.

SD: That’s a good warning to first-timers: How much stronger ingesting marijuana is. When you smoke, or vape, you can lighten your load by splashing cold water on your face and/or eating something.

MADGE: That’s all I’ve been doing! I’ve been ordering out a lot of pizzas.

SD: How about you Terry? How did you use it?

TERRY: I bought a pre-rolled joint at a dispensary.

They sold me an Indica strain, which they thought was better for pain management.

SD: Yes, an Indica can knock you out. It is typically more powerful than Sativa, which is supposed to be more heady, and maybe better for recreational use.

JOHNNY: I tried a Sativa. It was definitely more heady. I even got inspired to paint.

SD: Marijuana can definitely aid your creative process, and help you let down your inhibitions.

MADGE: Claude would agree. Last week, we got stoned and he danced around to Frank Sinatra in his underwear.

SD: That must’ve been fun.

MADGE: Oh, yes. Marijuana has allowed me to let go of a lot of my fears and just live, for the moment.

SD: Any last comments?

MADGE: Try just a little at a time and see how it affects you. Everyone is different.

JOHNNY: Don’t expect any “miracle cures,” and be on alert for people who try to sell you one.

TERRY: Don’t listen to Jeff Sessions. Many respectable people smoke marijuana. You’re not going to turn into Cheech and Chong with a few puffs.

MADGE: Speak for yourself, Terry.

Rick Cipes has written for more than 40 publications including L.A. Times, Playboy and ESPN Magazine. See his 420 T-Shirt Collection at www.420tsc.com. 

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

APRIL-MAY 2018 | SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB

33

Bud Junction

Personal Touch

34

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

LEFT: A sampling of cannabis flowers at Bud Junction in Kerby.

BELOW: Buds are displayed at Bud Junction. Photos by LARRY STAUTH JR.

Kerby store aims to set itself apart with focus on relationships and education STORY BY ANNETTE MCGEE RASCH

There

may be a green gold rush on, but for one Illinois Valley cannabis store, the business model is more about heart and service.

“Our tag line is ‘Cultivated to Serve,’ ” says Bud Junction co-owner Kriss Williams. “Treating people right — that’s what we want to be best known for.”

Located in Kerby, 27 miles down Highway 199 from Grants Pass, Bud Junction is spacious, modern and welllit. The store’s staff, or “bud mentors,” often can be found kicking back on cozy couches, chatting with customers, or maybe looking over the latest cannabis industry literature together.

“Some customers know exactly what they want, and we’re happy to serve them,” Williams says. “But if folks are interested in learning more about the products or want to talk about their own cannabis consumption, this is where Bud Junction shines.”

“I’m really happy going in there because they’re so pro-

APRIL-MAY 2018 | SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB

fessional,” says Maureen “Mo” Connolly, a retired critical care nurse who uses cannabis to treat her rheumatoid arthritis. “They really listen and they answer questions.

They help me make decisions about products that give me the best outcomes. And it’s so nice and comfortable and clean in there. It’s not a hippie shack.”

Connolly, 75, says she once used opioids to cope with pain, but now that she uses a CBD topical product and smokes a little cannabis at night, she’s narcotic-free. “I could go to a doctor tomorrow who’ll give me Vicodin,” she says, “but this is so much better for me.”

Bud Junction does a vigorous business with both medical and recreational users, though store manager Denise Fry notes how “many” recreational users are in fact consuming cannabis products medicinally.

“Medical marijuana cards are expensive, involve multiple appointments, and many people won’t go through all that,” Fry says.

35

RIGHT: Bud Junction “bud mentor” Chelsie Ives does some of her morning prep work at the dispensary in Kerby.

TOP: Bud Junction is on Redwood Highway, Oregon Highway 199, in Kerby.

BOTTOM: Bud Junction “managing mentor” Denise Fry. Photos by LARRY STAUTH JR.

And while readily acknowledging that bud tenders are not medical professionals, she says, “it’s an awesome feeling matching customers’ needs with the right products.”

Williams emphasizes that the premium placed on developing human connections with customers extends to all Bud Junction employees, partners, growers, farmers and distributors. Even with regulators, he says, “it’s always about relationship-building.”

Southwestern Oregon has been a marijuana grower’s stronghold for decades, and Williams seems both savvy and humble about learning from the local professionals. “There’s a lot of knowledge to be found throughout this valley.

“The industry is growing so fast — things are always

36

changing, there’s always new information,” Fry adds. “So if there’s something we don’t understand, or want to better explain to a customer, our bud tenders will look it up, right on the spot. We’re eager and willing to work to keep up with the learning curve.”

Many customers remain “hung up” on THC levels (one of the active ingredients in cannabis that produces the high), but Williams says “terpenes,” another natural ingredient in cannabis, are also key in producing various effects, so the bud tenders are educating about this aspect, as well.

According to Williams, Bud Junction offers 24 top-shelf indoor strains for $11 a gram, while eight outdoor strains from local farms cost $6 per gram. High-quality, light-deprived, greenhouse-grown cannabis is also on tap.

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

“

Bud Junction has partnered with a local glassblower, Sir Pyro, to sell pipes, dab rigs and pendants.

The store also sells a wide range of other popular cannabis products, including shatter, resin, rosin, pre-rolls, a variety of cartridges and several edibles. Bud Junction has partnered with a local glassblower, Sir Pyro, to sell pipes, dab rigs and pendants. Also available is a line of Zabado products and an assortment of bongs and other products — all made in the U.S. There’s also a “hemp closet” with clothing and belts.

Bud Junction is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Learn more at www.budjunction.net.

You can reach Illinois Valley freelance writer Annette McGee Rasch at annetterasch@ yahoo.com. 

APRIL-MAY 2018 | SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB

37

Cooking with Cannabis Recipe and photos by JINNY NEISWANGER

JINNY’S CANNA COLESLAW Makes two 1 cup servings Ingredients: 2 cups of shredded cabbage, radicchio and carrots 1 tablespoon hemp hearts ½ teaspoon poppy seeds ½ teaspoon celery seed 1/8 teaspoon dill seed 4 to 5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 to 2 tablespoons sunflower oil 1 pea-size drop of cannabis distillate; about 1/8 gram or .125 ml (I use Select brand Cannabis Oil Extract sold at Southern Oregon Cannabis Connection, 1950 N.E. Seventh St., Grants Pass. It comes in a 1 ml vial and contains THC 85.5 percent and CBD 1.34 percent) ¼ teaspoon sugar (optional) ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Directions: Heat sunflower oil on very low temp in small frying pan. Add distillate.

Stir completely until oil and distillate are bonded.

Create an emulsion of the vinegar and the oil, blending thoroughly.

Add sugar if desired.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Marinate shredded vegetables, hemp hearts, poppy seeds, celery seed and dill seed in the mixture. Chill until quite cold (about 2 hours).

Add additional oil or vinegar if desired.

What to expect: The dose allows a comfortable buzz. I have a low tone tolerance, and I ate a onecup serving. I had a comfortable high that lasted for hours. I always dose on the conservative side with edibles. It won’t get you loaded.

LEFT: Jinny’s Canna Coleslaw calls for a pea-size drop of cannabis distillate.

38

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

APRIL-MAY 2018 | SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB

39

Cannabis Getaways

Sahalie Falls Bedroom at McKenzie Orchards B&B. Photo courtesy WWW.MKOBB.COM

Bud and Breakfast Enjoy beauty and cannabis at Oregon’s special B&Bs STORY BY JEFFERSON REEDER

Imagine

this: You’ve spent a day motoring through wine country or walking through the Columbia Gorge or perhaps exploring the Nehalem River.

You’re on a romantic getaway, or just taking time for yourself. You check into a beautiful, welcoming inn and find your room. On a serving tray you notice a place to put your vape leftovers, a grinder and a top-of-the-line vaporizer, home-made cookies and a list of local dispensaries.

You take a contented sigh, smoke a vape, then go out on the spacious deck and light up your joint or pipe with fellow cannabis-friendly visitors. You’re gearing up for a delicious, farm-to-table dinner.

Stoner version of “Fantasy Island?” Nope, “bud and breakfasts” are a real thing here in Oregon. And if this sounds like an ideal weekend away, you’re in luck. Oregon is seeing an increase in cannabis-friendly bed and breakfasts that provide a welcoming environment and services catering to marijuana users.

40

While hotels and motels qualify as public spaces under state rules — which means no cannabis consumption on the premises — smaller lodging opportunities such as bed and breakfasts have the possibility to be friendly pot oases.

Add this to the fact that Oregon is known for its excellent marijuana, and you’ve got a recipe for success.

Who is the clientele? Everyone from “day trippers to pot tourists from out-of-state to international visitors,” says Della Dugger, host of B&B Mt. Scott Manor, a Tudor-style inn in Happy Valley.

The benefits for visitors at these cannabis-friendly resorts are privacy, convenience and the atmosphere of travelers who share the same interest. Of course, you could have your edibles at a traditional hotel, but this is a new and different experience.

Cannabis tourism is now a budding industry, and B&Bs are in a great position to capitalize on that. For example, tourist interest in states and cities where it is legal to

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

APRIL-MAY 2018 | SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB

41

PLACES TO TRY

These getaways may add a sparkle to your romance, or just provide you with secluded time alone.

The point is to enjoy yourself and all the beauty and adventure Oregon has to offer.

North Fork 53 Retreat Center, Nehalem 503-368-5382 www.northfork53.com This inn combines the best of Oregon experiences: great things to do, a beautiful setting and excellent organic food. North Fork specializes in farm-to-table meals and activities, including music, yoga and even mushroom hunts.

Mt. Scott Manor 12570 S.E. Callahan Road, Happy Valley 503-477-4949 www.mtscottmanor.com Mt. Scott Manor’s website describes the house as a modern home inspired by the grand old Tudor manor houses of England. Placed between a breathtaking mountain view and a private forest, yet just minutes from the city, the B&B allows outdoor cannabis use.

A beautiful food photo from the website at 1431 NW 53rd B&B. Photo courtesy WWW.1431NW53RD.COM

buy and consume cannabis without a medical license is shooting up, shows a study by Hotels.com (using its own search data).

Meanwhile, many owners look at cannabis as just another service that they can facilitate for their customers.

For Margie Rikert, host of 1431 NW 53rd, a B&B near Portland’s Forest Park, marijuana use is “more of an ancillary service we provide.”

Or as Tom Reid of McKenzie Orchards B&B in Springfield says, “We’re in the hospitality business, and this is hospitality.”

B&B owners are not allowed to sell or even give away cannabis, so you’ll have to bring your own bud. Also, some B&Bs allow smoking outside or in your room, but not in the common rooms. Know the rules and have a great time.

Jefferson Reeder is a freelance writer living in Medford. You can reach him at jeffersonreeder@hotmail.com. 

42

McKenzie Orchards B&B 34694 McKenzie View Drive, Springfield 541-515-8153 www.mkobb.com A B&B with a cooking school? Count us in!

McKenzie Orchards has that and more. It’s pet-friendly, and its tagline is “Not your typical B&B.” Situated on the McKenzie River, it offers fly-fishing and wine tasting as well, and is an easy drive from the coast.

1431 NW 53rd B&B, Portland 503-228-1036 www.1431nw53rd.com This B&B is in Northwest Portland, five minutes from downtown, and right on the edge of Forest Park, a majestic 5,000-acre preserve full of hiking trails. No indoor smoking here, but who needs it?

Smoke on the Water 2700 Lakeshore Drive, Selma 541-597-2277 See leckielakeselmac on Facebook Smoke on the Water is the first cannabis-friendly campground in Southern Oregon. Safe, family-friendly and fun, the resort is located on Lake Selmac in Josephine County. Amenities include tent and RV camping, with full and partial hookups, two cabins available to rent, as well as a convenience store and boat rentals.

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

APRIL-MAY 2018 | SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB

43

Cannabis Delivery

Emerald Triangle Dispensary in Medford is the first local cannabis store to begin deliveries. Photos by JAMIE LUSCH

Pot delivery has arrived in Medford

Weed on Wheels STORY BY JEFFERSON REEDER

Not only

can you enjoy your favorite flowers, edibles and concentrates in the privacy of your own home, Medford residents now can have them delivered straight to their door by Emerald Triangle Dispensary, 246 E. 10th St. Privacy and convenience are the key drivers here (no pun intended), along with the needs of homebound medical marijuana patients, for whom delivery can be a lifeline.

With a clientele that includes veterans (who get a good discount), the elderly, and people who may have started partying and sensibly don’t want to drive, Emerald is busy, says store manager Brenna Moore.

For that latter group, delivery is an especially great option — nobody wants stoned drivers on the road.

“Sometimes you’re just in movie-watching mode,” Moore says.

According to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission

website, 11 Jackson County dispensaries and four in Josephine County have signed up to deliver cannabis. When we called around last month asking whether those stores delivered, however, Emerald Triangle was the only one, though several said they hoped to be delivering soon.

In time, users here will be able to use smartphone apps to order their sticky, which is happening in other markets.

But for now, you’ll have to use your phone to call Emerald Dispensary and sign up for deliveries.

The rules are simple: You must be in Medford city limits, have a valid ID, and order a minimum of $50 worth of product, according to its website. Delivery fee is $5 to $10. Like all cannabis transactions, delivery is a cash-only proposition.

Emerald would like you to visit its store before you place your first order, so you know what it offers. But if that is not convenient, you can do research on its website — www.etmedford.com — or talk to their bud tenders over

continued on page 46

44

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

Leo Silva, bud tender at Emerald Triangle Dispensary in Medford, prepares for a delivery.

APRIL-MAY 2018 | SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB

45

continued from page 44

TOP: Leo Silva loads up his delivery box at Emerald Triangle Dispensary.

BOTTOM: Emerald Triangle offers 385 products in-store or for delivery, from flowers to edibles to concentrates. Photos by JAMIE LUSCH

the phone (541-500-1332).

Emerald is committed to local bud and in fact grows much of its own product at Emerald Fields Recreational Farm in Central Point. It also buys from local growers, including Atlas Farm in Medford and Oregon Grown Organics in Ashland.

Emerald currently offers 385 products in-store or for delivery, from flowers to edibles to concentrates, in all the usual variations: CBD, indica, sativa and hybrids.

Moore says that because Emerald’s license is for Medford only, she must turn down many deliveries to Jacksonville and Ashland.

There are other rules as well. For example, each delivery vehicle must have a lock box, which can carry no more than $3,000 worth of cannabis. Insurance is also a challenge because, well, you’ve got a driver going around with pot and money.

But the market is there, and it is only going to get bigger. The store is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Jefferson Reeder is a freelance writer living in Medford.

You can reach him at jeffersonreeder@hotmail.com. 

46

SOUTHERN OREGON GOOD HERB | APRIL-MAY 2018

00084918