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2 September 2014
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4 September 2014
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A LETTER TO OUR READERS “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” -Commonly attributed to Albert Einstein The world of politics is a jaded one. And how can it not be? We all know that the candidate with the most money in their coffers usually wins. The game is fixed and we all know it. The problem is we have come to accept it as something that will never change. The two-party system has turned into a choice between jackass #1 and jackass #2. People cast their votes, not for someone they are inspired by, but for the person they are less afraid of being in power.
Editor-in-Chief David Maddalena Art Director Christianna Lewis Associate Editor DJ Reetz Layout Designers Caroline Hayes Christianna Lewis
A perfect example of this is apparent when I see some leaders in the cannabis industry throwing money behind Governor Hickenlooper’s campaign. It’s almost akin to a neglected child trying to impress their daddy who never gave them any love. Why are we rewarding the governor with our support? Is it because he has been oh so positive about the passing of Amendment 64? Or maybe it is the astounding waste of a 2 million dollar campaign, utilizing prison cell size rat cages that are both ineffective at deterring minors and obliviously racist at the same time.
Director of Sales and Marketing Christianna Lewis sales@thcmag.com
In this election we have an unprecedented opportunity to flex our cannabis muscles for change. Why would we squander it on someone who has shown us nothing but contempt?
Sales Managers Sam Ruderman Tom Walsh
On average in Colorado 700,000 voters turn out for non-presidential elections. We have over 105,000 patients on the marijuana registry in Colorado. That can equal 15 percent of the voter pool if they all voted this year. According to a recent state-produced study we have an average of 487,000 Colorado residents (9 percent of the population) that use cannabis at least once a month. If only half of that number came out to vote it would make up 35 percent of the average voter pool. These are not numbers to be ignored if we all collectively voted for the interests of cannabis freedom. When you keep all of this in mind you begin to understand why we have chosen to feature the Dunafon/Roberts ticket for governor this issue. I was lucky enough to sit down with Mike for an interview on The Hemp Connoisseur radio show at icannabisradio.com. One of the things that stuck out for me in my talk with Mike was that he doesn’t speak in sound-bites. He is not afraid of speaking his mind because he is not taking any donations for his campaign. That means that there are no special interests he has to appease were he to get into the governor’s mansion. The only interests that he would be beholden to are the voters that put him in office. As it should be. What is also clear when you talk with Mike is that he is 100 percent behind the cannabis industry. He wants Colorado to continue to be at the forefront of both the marijuana and industrial hemp industries. While cannabis is not the only issue he is knowledgeable on, he does recognize the potential power of the cannabis vote and his actions have shown this through and through.
Contributing Writers Hazy Cakes David Gilbert Caroline Hayes Erin Hiatt P. Aiden Hunt Rick Macey Monocle Man DJ Reetz John Schroyer Contributing Photographers Caroline Hayes Christianna Lewis Cover Art Graphic Design Christianna Lewis Printer Publication Printers Corp. 2001 South Platte River Drive Denver, CO 80223 PH: 303.936.0303 www.publicationprinters.com
It is for all of the above points that for the first time since our inception, THC Magazine is endorsing a politician. We believe Mike Dunafon is the best choice for Governor of our great state. Whether he wins or not is not actually the issue. The issue is: do we want to be recognized as a political voice that can no longer be ignored? If every cannabis company’s employees, patients and customers came out to vote Dunafon/Roberts this November we would have the opportunity to change the political landscape in Colorado and send a message to the rest of the country. That message is: we are here to stay, we are organized and we can no longer be ignored or marginalized. Here is to a high voter turnout this year. Let’s smoke the vote this November!
David Maddalena Editor-in-Chief
6 September 2014
The Hemp Connoisseur is published monthly by The Hemp Connoisseur, LLC. All contents are copyrighted 2014 by The Hemp Connoisseur, LLC. All rights reserved. For advertising and subscription info please email sales@thcmag.com.
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Contents 6
A Letter to Our Readers
14
The Green Scene
18
In The Spotlight
24
Tasty Meds
27
Hemp Eats
31
Featured events & Good Reads: Marijuana Miscellany
Products we love!
Reviews of some of Colorado’s best edibles and smokeables
Hempified after school snacks
Say No To Big Pharma Why rescheduling is a bad idea
32
20ish Questions
34
Run Mike Run!
38
A Joint Venture
49
Hemp Supercapacitator
Rare Dankness and Elite Cannabis combine forces
High Plains Correctional Facility Dank in the Clink?
Glendale’s Mayor Dunafon is banking on the cannabis vote
Dunafon’s Running Mate The Big Red Nation Goes Green Getting Kinky with Mr. Friedman
54
Walking the Legal Tightrope
56
Want to be in the weed biz?
57 63 65
Dispensary Guide Coupons Index
Former politician talks cannabis
50
8 September 2014
Is it a double edged-sword?
47
50
From governor to cannabis executive
Legal hemp grows in Nebraska
42
METRC Tracking System
Replacing graphene with hemp
Robin Roberts means business
41
34 44
18
Cannabis Clubs provide a needed service but at what risk? What to expect when looking for a canna-job
Dispensary Guide DENVER
62 The Clinic 60 The Hemp Center 58 Infinite Wellness 58 Mindful 58 MMD of Colorado 60 Northern Lights Natural Rx 61 Physician Preferred Products 59 Preferred Organic Therapy 59 River Rock 59 Rocky Mountain Organic Medicine 59 Southwest Alternative Care 58 URBA 59 Walking Raven
COLORADO SPRINGS
60 The Hemp Center 58 Mindful 58 Original Cannabis Growers
NORTHERN COLORADO 58 Infinite Wellness 58 Mindful
MOUNTAIN
58 The Kine Mine
Medical
21+
Recreational
Where Your Buds Are 2045 Sheridan Blvd
303-274-6495
NLCannabis.com
9 am - 7 pm Daily thcmag.com 9
10 September 2014
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12 September 2014
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The GREEN Scene
E V E N T S
September 9th-11th Marijuana for Medical Professionals Conference Sherman Street Events Center 1770 Sherman Street Denver, CO 80203 mmjfordoctors.com September 9th Bud Tender 101 Certification King Center (Auraria Campus) - Room 301 855 Lawrence Way Denver, CO 80204 www.cloverleafuniversity.com September 9th Start Making Sense - An NCIA Fundraiser for SSDP! Cannabis Cottage 1250 Grant St. Denver, Colorado 80203 cosept14.ezevent.com September 16th CannaSearch Job Fair and Educational Event Mile High Station 2027 Old West Colfax Ave Denver, CO 80204 www.eventbrite.com/e/cannasearch October 3rd-5th Gypsy Jane Jubilee Denver Merchandise Mart 451 East 58th Denver, CO 80216 www.gypsyjanefest.com October 4th First Annual Hemp Awards & Festival 2014 Event and camping on private farm Erie, Colorado www.growhemp.com November 15th-16th Indo Expo The Denver Mart EXPO Building 451 East 58th Denver, CO 80216 www.indoexpoco.com November 22nd Chromic Con: The World’s First Marijuana Comic/Fantasy Convention (PRIVATE EVENT) Speak Easy Vape Lounge 2508 E Bijou St Colorado Springs, CO 80909 (719) 445-9083 speakeasycolroado@gmail.com Every Friday - 10:00a.m. River Rock South Sessions 990 W. 6th Ave. Denver, CO 80204 www.riverrockcolorado.com
14 September 2014
Good Reads
Marijuana Miscellany: Stories, Techniques, Tips & Trivia of the World’s Best-Loved Herb Book by Tim Pilcher with E.M. Frost by Caroline Hayes
Now I know what you are thinking. Didn’t we review this book last month? The answer is no! Do you really believe we would do that to you, our dedicated reader? This month’s Good Read may look similar on the outside but you know what they say about judging a book by its cover or something like that. “Marijuana Miscellany” is a superbly enjoyable book that would make a great gift for anyone interested in the cannabis culture. Printed in 2014, this book has all the most current facts, quotes, lists and information for a cannabis connoisseur, but presented in a really fun way. I blew through this quick read and love having it on my coffee table for others to pick up when they are over. While “Marijuana Miscellany” is not broken up into chapters, it has dozens of little sub-heads throughout the entire 90-something page book. My personal favorite is the “Heroes of Hemp” subheads found scattered throughout the entire book. From Joe Rogan to Mr. Nice to Mark Emery, Pilcher gives props to those who have helped change the hemp and cannabis game. Other fun entries include recipes for tinctures and medicated brownies, how to roll a joint with step by step guide and pictures, the origin of words such as bong (very interesting fact that I didn’t know!), top five stoner movies, songs, books, writers and so much more. Pilcher touches on medical marijuana as a whole and specifically in California, as well as the history of it, but doesn’t really talk about it being legal in Colorado and Washington. Hmmmm…perhaps this is for edition 2 of Marijuana Miscellany. The author also includes entries on vape pens, and lists the best coffee shops in Amsterdam, should you ever find yourself in the Red Light District. Another favorite of mine are the quotes scattered throughout the book. From the president to Arnold Schwarzenegger to Snoop Dog, these fun quotes, pro pot quotes will make you chuckle. “Look, when I was a kid I inhaled. Frequently. That was the point,” Barack Obama. Marijuana Mischellany is an entertaining book that would be great for someone looking to increase their knowledge of cannabis trivia. The topics in this book are great conversation starters, perhaps just what one needs to squash those awkward stoner silences that can occur in the smoking circle. “Marijuana Miscellany” can be purchased on Amazon.com
“Marijuana has been cultivated and used by humans for at least 5,000 years, and is one of the worlds most important cash crops despite being illegal in many parts of the world. It is used in a host of different ways and has made an indelible impact on our culture and western popular culture in particular. Expert author Tim Pilcher now uncovers both the fascinating properties of this much-maligned herb and the curious story of its relationship with us. In a host of bite-sized entries, he answers the key questions: How do you make and cook with cannabutter? What is the etymology of the word “bong”? And how much does the USA spend on prosecuting marijuanalaw offenders every year? The answers to all are inside, along with a host of lists, tips, anecdotes, trivia, and recipes” -Pilcher
About the Author
Tim Pilcher is the expert author of The Cannabis Cookbook Spliffs II, and Spliffs III. He is also an expert on comics, having written Erotic Comics: A Graphic History in two volumes for Ilex, and as chair of the Comic Book Alliance has made many appearances on TV and at conferences and events.
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The Indo Expo Trade Show Denver, Colorado NOV. 15th SMOKE.
Industry Only
NOV. 16th Industry & Public
LIFESTYLE. EDUCATION. CULTIVATION. PUBLIC JOB FAIR. INDUSTRY SERVICES. NEW TECHNOLOGIES.
Seminars. Workshops. Classes. Grow 101. Consultation. Legal. Demonstrations. For Vendor & Sponsorship Opportunities, contact 720.403.4960 / indoexpo@denvermart.com
indoexpoco.com 16 September 2014
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In The Spotlight Products We Love
Nomads Hemp Clothing “Through our nomadic lifestyle, we grew to appreciate living sustainably, in harmony with our community and our surroundings. It only made sense to find and use fabrics that fit this mandate.” Definition of nomads: Nomads: Tribes of people who live in harmony with the seasons. The oldest method of human existence. People who travel to follow the generous gifts of the earth, rather than tailoring the earth to their needs. THC loves when we find a mindful company to educate our readers about. Nomads Hemp Clothing is a fantastic little clothing company based out of Nelson, British Columbia. Nomads have been making fair-trade clothing since 2000. Their fashion forward, progressive-thinking company is one any hemp connoisseur should be familiar with. With various styles for men, women and children, this small, grassroots Canadian company has great clothes. It wasn’t always so luxurious though for creators Louis Seguin and Anik Descoteau. They started Nomads out of a VW van with minimal supplies, mixing dyes in friends’ bathtubs. That was back in 2000 and they have come a long way since then. Shoppers can find Nomads clothing online and in storefronts across Canada, Australia, the U.S. and Europe. Women’s Athena Dress
The fabrics Nomads uses are wonderful. They not only use hemp but also other eco friendly fabrics such as bamboo, organic cotton and soy. They realize that standard textile manufacturing can be an extremely toxic process and don’t want to subject people to that. Being fashionable shouldn’t have to come at a cost. By now, we all know why hemp is beneficial, but why bamboo, soy and organic cotton? Well… Bamboo, or “bamboo-licious” as Nomad says, is easy to grow and does so rapidly. It grows without the need of pesticides, resists wrinkles and is bio degradable, just to name a few. The soybeans used by Nomads are a by-product of the food industry, meaning Nomads doesn’t grow soy just for clothing production – they wait for the food industry to pass along their unused portions. They call this a ‘closed loop’ process. Soy is also naturally biodegradable, absorbent, water resistant and UV resistant. The organic cotton used is produced on a fair-trade basis, meaning that fair prices are paid to workers and producers of the good. The cotton is a sturdy fiber grown without pesticides and doesn’t need chemicals to be converted to textiles. Nomads not only use eco friendly fabrics but also source them from a company who shares the same mindfulness of sustainable living. While some of their clothing may be constructed in China, they took a lot of time to find a manufacturer who was environmentally friendly and used fair trade practices.
Men’s Exo Shirt
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Louis Seguin says of their fabric “partners in crime,” “The little factory that we use is probably the most popular/respected hemp fabric and sewing facility in the world. It is currently used or was used by all the most notable eco-clothing companies like Of the Earth, Nimbus, Satori, PrAna, to name a few. It is a newer company run by young progressive people that see the need for more green clothing. We visit the place once in a while. It is quite a nice place, very modern and clean. It sits in a garden and also has a small garden inside the factory gates. It is also fair trade certified by the Fair Wear foundation and we will be granted the use of the Fair Wear logo on our garments in the next
couple of years. The fabrics that come out of this factory are cutting-edge knits of all kind. They are always stocked to develop new fabrics for us; we are constantly changing our blends and weight to find that perfect combination for the warm or cold seasons. Basically what I’m trying to say is: these guys are awesome!” Well, Nomads, we think you are awesome. Keep it up and thanks for setting a positive example for other companies. To find out where stores in the States sell Nomads Hemp gear and learn more about the company go to http://nomadshempwear.com.
Solace Tunic
Well, in addition to the leggings, this is another of our favorites from Nomads. This extra long tank (hence, tunic) is fitting so it shows off that great summer bod. Made from bamboo, organic cotton and jersey spandex, it has a great feel to the fabric. The racer back with the metal loop is sexy and classic. Rivets on the front with Nomads logo inside them give the perfect edginess. Looks great over leggings with a belt.
Euphoria Tunic
Well obviously we love this one because it’s made from hemp…. and organic cotton! The faux buttons down the front lead to the cutest ruffle skirt that is extremely flattering on any girl’s hips. Scoop neck front and back are feminine without revealing too much. Again, looks great over leggings. Add some boots and you have a great fall outfit.
Ambrosia Leggings
These are a new favorite in the wardrobe. Thick, soft, warm, breathable and cute. These ¾ leg leggings are made of bamboo, organic cotton and a little jersey style spandex to help with shape. The buttons on the cuffs are stylish enough to make these everyday leggings. The waistband is wide and forgiving. Put these in your wardrobe immediately.
Kid’s Isis Dress
Totem Tank
Whether you like it or not, tanks for men have never been popular. Made from hemp, organic cotton and spandex this shirt will hold up against anything. The print on the shoulders is a Canadian designed tribal print that adds some studly awesomeness.
Genesis Shorts
These shorts are perfect for so many occasions, such as a beach day, mountain day or going out to play on the last of the summer nights. Made from organic cotton and lycra, they get softer over time yet retain their shape. The Nomads logo adds a pop of flair to the leg. With eight pockets total and one being a zipper, you can carry all your stuff with you comfortably.
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20 September 2014
by Hempola by P. Aiden Hunt
“The products that we’ll be launching will be ideally suited for not only the natural products marketplace, but the patient marketplace.” Greg Herriott told THC in a February interview. “Why not eat your medicine and get your cannabis, too?” We told you about Herriott, the man behind Hempola Farms of Ontario, Canada and their line of hemp-related products (“Hemp Pioneer: Hempola Farms Plowed the Way for Today’s Market”, March 2014). The Canadian company has begun its journey into the heart of medical marijuana by releasing a line of add-your-own-cannabis mixes intended for use with medical cannabis. With a lack of dispensaries and qualified marijuana edible makers in large areas of Canada, these mixes may be the answer for home-growers and many do-it-yourself cannabis consumers. Mmedibles promotional material suggests the use of half a gram of dried cannabis for each edible, but cautions consumers to be aware of their tolerance levels for edible cannabis products before using. The mixes come in cookie, brownie or high protein pancake. Consumers can purchase mixes from Hempola’s website for $8-9 CAD plus shipping and handling charges. As a bonus for organic food lovers, Hempola says that Mmedibles products are made from “organic and locally sourced ingredient.” www.hempola.com
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The Clinic Charity Golf Classic Raises More Than $80,000 For MS
This year The Clinic celebrated the fifth year of the Charity Classic golf tournament by doubling down. The event drew a crowd of 256 players, strutting their stuff across the links at Denver’s City Park Golf Course for the noble cause of supporting multiple sclerosis research. With two separate tee-off times, this year’s event doubled last year’s attendance and charitable donations.
by DJ Reetz
With nearly 400 volunteers making things run smoothly, the charitable nature of the Charity Classic nearly eclipses what a down-right fun time it is. Even though the tournament started as a celebration, Cook says it’s become much more.
The increase in attendance of the sold-out event means more money to benefit the MS Society, this year raising slightly over $80,000 for the ColoradoWyoming chapter.
Five years ago when the tournament officially morphed from a group of college friends celebrating Cook’s birthday into a full-blown charity event, it was done to help support one of The Clinic’s growers whose father had passed from MS and was currently acting as caregiver for his wife who was dealing with the debilitating disease.
“$80,000 is a ton of money, especially since everybody had a good time,” says The Clinic’s general manager and event organizer Ryan Cook. The increased attendance, along with extra support from sponsors doubled last years $40,000 raised for the MS Society, says Cook.
“For us it has hit very close to home,” says Cook, citing not just his own personal experience but also the high number of people dealing with MS in this state. “Here in Colorado we have a very significant number of people that are suffering with MS.”
Teams filled the golf course, spread out amongst the 18 holes, each with its own sponsor. At one hole golfers could win a trip to Hawaii courtesy of Weed Maps by sinking a hole in one. While nobody managed to take home the prize, the luau-themed hole did offer a masseuse to help golfers relax before taking their shot. Other holes featured products from portable vaporizers to edibles, all sticking close to the marijuana-centric theme of the day’s festivities.
When the Charity Classic was first conceived, says Cook, there was a good deal of hesitance on the part of the MS Society to take money from marijuana businesses, mostly due to the fears the charity would run into problems from federal regulators. However, Cook says these fears have since subsided, and representatives from the MS Society have even come to watch the tournament unfold.
At the day’s end prizes were awarded for first, second and third place golf scores, in addition to prizes for longest drive and a closest to the pin competition, each with their own prizes. The first-prize winner took home a driver worth over $200.
“They are changing their tune,” Cook says. “It’s very cool to see change in policy like that.”
However, an egregious lack of golfing ability didn’t mean you had to go home empty handed, as all golfers took home a gift bag filled with goodies valued at over $300. The event drew 26 sponsors, and between direct backers and golf teams, at least 12 dispensaries and 10 edible companies were represented. “I think that we have always tried to make the point that although this is a Clinic event, it really is a community thing,” says Cook.
22 September 2014
Thanks to the endeavor, The Clinic is now accepted into the fold of the MS Society, allowing them to inform patients of the benefit of medical marijuana as a treatment for MS. “That is a huge step for us to stand in front of patients and tell them what their options might be,” says Cook. Those interested in registering for next year’s event should do so soon, as next year’s spots are likely to fill just as quickly as this year’s.
Gaia AD in folder
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Tasty Meds
Product reviews of edibles and concentrates Wana Sour Gummies 200 mg from Mountain High reviewed by Hazy Cakes
These tasty, blingy, gem shaped treats are worth every penny. While the sour isn’t as “sour” as say a Sour Patch Kid, they pack plenty of punch either way. Chewy, soft and delicious, these Sour Gummies from Wana come in five delicious flavors. At 200mg per package and about 15 gummies per package, there’s enough to share and keep some for yourself. The resealable pouch is crucial because you definitely shouldn’t eat them all in one sitting. I ate just one and in about 30 minutes my eyes felt heavy and my mood was brighter. I decided to eat another when I wasn’t sure if I wasn’t going to feel any more off just that one. Two was perfect for a 110-pound girl. I would recommend a couple more for a man. I had a great time while high on these and look forward to eating more. Another bonus, I didn’t wake up with any sort of edible hangover. I will be buying these again for sure. www.mountainhighedibles.com
NoWorries InTeaCup 50mg from Medibles, Inc.
reviewed by Hazy Cakes This company nailed it by putting two of my favorite things together: cannabis and tea. I decided to try the No Worries tea since I have been a little stressed lately, hoping that something natural would ease my troubled mind. The No Worries tea is made from 50mg of cannabis Indica and soothing herbs such as chamomile, lavender, St. John’s Wort, passionflower and grapeseed oil (which I take every day in a capsule form). The other herbs masked any taste of cannabis, providing a nice cup of tea. The effect was mild and much needed. I didn’t feel like I ate a 50mg brownie, it was different, much more bearable for me. I felt calmer and like I could go on with my stressful day. This is an affordable edible to have on hand when needed. www.mediblesinc.com
Edipure Raspberry Jellies 100mg If you are like me and are always craving something sweet the candies from Edipure will be the perfect match. Edipure offers a vast array of different infused candies with different milligram levels to choose from. One of my favorites is the Raspberry Jellies. These were 100mg for the bottle and with ten tasty treats in the bottle, they are 10mg a piece. That’s one of the things that makes Edupure so great. They offer low milligrams in small items so people can start slow and not over do it if they have are not familiar with edibles and how they will effect you. The candies them self look like little red and purple raspberries packed with sugar and THC. Edipure is available for medical patients and for people over the age of 21 at recreational dispensaries. If you are new to edibles Edipure is the perfect product to give them a try. Being a seasoned veteran with edibles, I had five candies to start with. It was hard to just have those five because the Raspberry Jellies tasted so good. There is no cannabis taste in them at all. Don’t be fooled though, there is definitely cannabis in there. After about an hour I was starting to feel the effects. A wave of euphoria came over my body and all the stress seemed to melt right off me. These little guys pack a punch so make sure you stick to what you normally take with edibles. I woke up the next morning a little groggy but that is expected with most edibles when you take them later in the night like I did. Edipure is one of the state’s most popular edible companies and it’s easy to see why. They are consistent and all of their products taste amazing. You can find their products at pretty much any center across the state. If you want to find more information on Edipure and their products check out their Facebook or website. www.facebook.com/Edipure www.edipureco.com
24 September 2014
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26 September 2014
HEMP EATS
Incorporate the nutritional benefets of hemp into your kid’s after school snacks!
Sweet n’ Healthy Fruit Dip Ingredients: ½ cup peanut or almond butter 2 Tablespoons coconut oil 2 Tablespoons hemp seeds ¼ cup honey Fruit for dipping (banana, strawberries, kiwi)
Directions: Mix first four ingredients together. Blend well until smooth. Cut fruit into pieces for dipping.
Hempy Apple Slices Serves 2-3 kids Ingredients: 1 apple 2 tablespoons peanut butter 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
Directions: Slice an apple into crescent shapes. Spread both sides with peanut butter. Press each side onto hemp seeds.
Cheddar, Hemp Seed and Carrot Cheese Balls Makes 8 servings This recipe is great for sneaking some vegetables into your child’s snack. Note: can swap out carrot for mango or cranberries. Ingredients: 1 bar of cream cheese (reduced fat works great) 4 ounces shredded cheddar 2 tablespoons hemp seeds 1 cup finely grated carrot
Apple slices and whole grain crackers Directions: Combine cream cheese, cheddar, hemp seeds and carrot by blending with the back of a large spoon. Using clean hands, roll mixture into balls. Serve immediately with apple slices and crackers.
Turkey Pinwheels Serves 6 Ingredients: 1 sundried tomato or whole wheat tortilla wrap 2 tablespoons cream cheese 1 tablespoon hemp seeds Thinly sliced turkey (ham works fine too)
Directions: Combine hemp seeds with cream cheese and spread onto tortilla. Top with turkey. Roll up and cut into ½ inch pieces.
French Bread Pizzas
Serves 4-6 kids Ingredients: 1 loaf of Italian bread, cut in half horizontally and then vertically 4 tablespoons hemp oil 1 - 15 oz. jar of marinara or pizza sauce 1 package mozzarella 1 package of pepperoni Other vegetables that your children will eat, optional Hemp Seeds Dried oregano, optional
Directions: Toast bread under the broiler. Remove and brush each piece of bread with 1 tablespoon hemp oil. Top with sauce, cheese and other toppings. Broil until bubbly. Careful to not let it burn! Sprinkle with hemp seeds. If desired, sprinkle with dried oregano before serving.
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Eyce: The Coolest Water Pipe
This is such a unique product. We have all used our bongs filled with ice cubes at least once or twice. Now imagine that icy cool feeling amplified by the entire bong being made of ice. This has to be one of the smoothest ways to smoke. I am not generally one to smoke out of a bong because it wrecks my lungs, I take a hit and then cough for 15 minutes. That was not the case with Eyce. Every hit was cool and smooth, no hacking involved. The kit wasn’t difficult to put together, as long as you follow the directions. The hardest part was waiting for it to freeze so I could try it out. It was worth the wait. I will definitely be freezing a new one up for my next social gathering. Sharing the icy experience with friends is the only thing that could possibly make Eyce any cooler. This kit comes with: •Silicone Mold •Core Pin •Grommet •Down Stem •Mouth Piece •Stand •User Manual (Slide not included) www.eycemolds.com
28 September 2014
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Photo by Thomas Bachman
30 September 2014
Keep Big Pharma Away From My Cannabis!
Rescheduling is a Bad Idea In 1969, in the midst of the fabled hippie era and the year of Woodstock, only 12 percent of Americans polled supported legalizing marijuana. Today, the number is 58 percent. 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana, with several more state ballot initiatives slated to go before voters this fall. Colorado’s constitutional amendment allowing recreational marijuana has incubated a thriving and heavily-monitored industry. Yet this sea change in American politics, fueled by nationwide grassroots activism, by necessity contends with an elephant in the room: as far as the federal government is concerned, marijuana remains not only illegal, but classified as among the most dangerous of drugs. The federal government’s stance on various drugs is defined by the 1970 Controlled Substances Act. The Act ranks the severity and threat of drugs according to a five-point system of “schedules.” Schedule V drugs, considered the least dangerous, are those considered to have a low potential for abuse or dependence, and widely recognized medical value. On the other end, schedule I drugs are those considered to have no medical value and a high potential for abuse or dependency. Marijuana, alongside heroin, ecstasy, and methaqualone, is ranked at schedule I. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the federal agency tasked with enforcing drug laws, allows for petitioning for the rescheduling of controlled substances. Marijuana has been submitted for reclassification multiple times, with the federal government sometimes taking decades to respond. Each time the answer has been: no. The dramatic shift in public opinion with regards to marijuana is not lost on politicians. In February, 18 members of Congress submitted a letter to President Obama requesting rescheduling. Attorney General Eric Holder said he would be open to working with Congress to reschedule marijuana. The DEA, though, has been sending mixed messages regarding its current stance on the prospect of rescheduling marijuana. DEA chief Michele Leonhart said in April that recreational marijuana laws in Colorado and Washington just make her agents “fight harder.” However, in June the agency sent a request to the Food and Drug Administration to reevaluate the available evidence of marijuana’s medicinal benefit.
by David Gilbert
Part of the disconnect here, explained Leonard Frieling, a Boulder-based criminal defense attorney and board member emeritus of Colorado NORML, a non-profit pro-marijuana lobbying group, is that the FDA is unlikely to recommend rescheduling of a whole plant, which can be subject to fluctuations in potency and is difficult to properly dose according to doctors’ orders. “By rescheduling it, what we do is stick it into the pharmacy,” said Frieling. “Instead of the plant, pharmacies will sell whatever drug manufacturers come up with.” Whereas the marijuana plant can contain over a hundred cannabinoids, a class of chemical compounds that act on different receptors in the brain, rescheduled and medically-approved marijuana would probably be isolated to one or two cannabinoids, potentially eliminating a host of beneficial compounds. Oddly enough, the federal government, though officially stating that marijuana has no medical benefits, holds a patent on cannabinoids, which it defines as antioxidants and neuroprotectants. Further complicating the apparent hypocrisy of marijuana’s classification – which ranks above cocaine and methamphetamine in terms of perceived danger to the public – is that alcohol and tobacco are not scheduled. “We all know alcohol and tobacco come at a tremendous social cost,” said Rachel Gillette, executive director of Colorado NORML. “But they aren’t scheduled. They’re regulated though, and we trust people to use them responsibly, and there are consequences when they don’t.” Though rescheduling would allow for greater scientific research into marijuana’s health benefits, said Gillette, “the bottom line is it needs to be de-scheduled.” Why, in the face of overwhelming public opinion and scientific evidence, does marijuana remain classified as among the most dangerous of substances? Frieling does not mince words: “It’s inexplicable except for the private prison industry. They’re funding the illegality so they can fill beds.” Still, Frieling and Gillette both see full-scale nationwide legalization as inevitable. But does that mean pro-marijuana advocates can kick back and wait for the federal government to catch up with public opinion and numerous state laws? “It’s not time to hang up our posters just yet,” said Frieling. “We’ve won the war, now it’s time to win the peace.”
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20ish Questions with
Gary Johnson Governor to Cannabis Executive by P. Aiden Hunt Gary Johnson, former two-term governor of New Mexico and 2012 presidential candidate, is adding another position to his resume: Cannabis Mogul. Cannabis Sativa, Inc. appointed Johnson as its new President and CEO on June 30. The Nevada-based company plans to sell cannabis-infused lozenges designed by activist Steve Kubby. Kubby joined Cannabis Sativa as its Chairman of the Board at the same time as Johnson’s move. The deal that led to the new management included Cannabis Sativa buying Kubby’s company KUSH and the related patents and research. Publicly traded stock in Cannabis Sativa has jumped from $4.00 per share before the leadership change was announced on June 30 to $10 per share as of end of business, August 18. Johnson agreed to the job with a salary of $1/year, but received stock in the new company. So far, that deal looks to be paying off for Johnson. THC interviewed the former governor by phone on July 17. He told us about the new company, how the cannabis industry is changing the world for the better and peaceful civil disobedience as a means for change. The Hemp Connoisseur: How did you first get involved with cannabis? Gary Johnson: Marijuana was part of growing up [for me], as it was tens of millions of people, and I just found it to be such a better alternative than alcohol. That it was safer. Today, it’s kind of an oxymoron, but I remain a competitive athlete at 61-years-old. THC: Did you ever envision that you would work in the cannabis industry? GJ: No, I never thought that that would happen. I’m excited to be working in the industry because I, perhaps as well as anyone, understand the opportunity that does exist, and it’s an opportunity that’s changed the world for the better; medically and recreationally both. THC: Why this company and why now? GJ: Well, it’s an opportunity that’s been made available to me [by] Steve Kubby, the person who’s come up with the proprietary Sativa strain and the Sativa lozenge that [he] has produced for himself medically. Having done that one on about a dozen occasions I just find it to be a very, very pleasant experience and the notion of smoking to me—I’m averse to smoking—I think most Americans are. I think smoking is something that’s happening less and less. People don’t like to smoke and here it is, a sublingual product, a lozenge, something you suck on that … takes the edge off and lasts for a long time. THC: What prior experience will you bring to your new position? GJ: I did start a one-man handyman business in Albuquerque in 1974 and I actually grew that business to over a thousand employees. That was me. One person to a thousand people. I did that. I think I was born with just an overdose of common sense and that starts with being on time or keeping your word and the integrity that you have. That’s what I bring to the equation. You can count on me to do what I say I’m going to do.
aiming for the top shelf and we really think that what we have is the best. We think what we have is the crème de la crème. THC: Can you explain your views on edibles as opposed to smoking? GJ: I find [sublingual lozenges] to be the best of all worlds. I find it interesting that New York State adopts medical marijuana, but they’re not going to allow it to be smoked. There needs to be research and I’m screaming it, “There needs to be research and development that goes along with this.” THC: How do you feel cannabis regulation should be handled? GJ: Well, it’s analogous to Dallas Buyers Club [the award-winning 2013 movie about Ron Woodroof, who worked around laws banning AIDS medication that was not approved in the U.S.] They’re arresting people buying it and they’re not allowing it on-market, while they should be going full steam ahead with, “Use it as you see fit and we’re gonna set up studies and research on it”—which ultimately did happen and that’s the medication that remains in place today. You mix the CBD lozenge with THC and all of a sudden, man, you’ve got direct competition to all of the prescription painkillers that are out there that statistically kill over a 100,000 people a year, but no reported deaths from the use of marijuana. So you look at the CBD oil side of it, you look at CBD oil with THC and that’s the medical. You apply it topically and it reduces inflammation. You eat it and it actually reduced … tumors. Nobody can tell you why and yet it’s happening. You go to the recreational side and I just continue to maintain that marijuana is much, much safer than alcohol and overall substance abuse will decline dramatically because people will find this as such a safer alternative than anything else that takes the edge off, if you wanna call it that.
THC: What can we expect from Cannabis Sativa, Inc.?
THC: So you support the peaceful breaking of laws in states without medical marijuana laws or for peaceful protest?
GJ: Well, right now, I think there are—I’m going to guess at the number—I think there are a hundred companies that if you were to take the time and do the interviews are kinda, sorta claiming the same things we are. So what we’ve gotta do, we gotta prove ourselves. We have to get our products on the shelf and we’re
GJ: Well, yeah, that’s the whole civil disobedience. That’s kind of what the country has always been based on and the more civil disobedience that exists the more there are changed laws. Tens of millions of us have engaged in that in the last 40 years and look what’s happened. Hey, we’re finally here.
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You mix the CBD lozenge with THC and all of a sudden, man, you’ve got direct competition to all of the prescription painkillers that are out there that statistically kill over a 100,000 people a year, but no reported deaths from the use of marijuana. Moving forward, I’m going to be a voice to let’s not blow this privilege that we’re now being given. I think we should view it that way. Look, mistakes have been made, but going forward let’s just be responsible and here’s how we’re going to show our responsibility. That isn’t to say that you can’t bomb yourself out of your mind, but the responsible action on your part if you’re going to do that is don’t get behind the wheel of a car and don’t put yourself in the position to do anyone else any harm. THC: What issues do you have with the way states are handling cannabis regulation? GJ: The issues, I think, start with impairment, the levels of impairment that have been established under marijuana are absolutely in no way, shape or form impairment. There’s simply a test to determine presence in your blood stream, so that’s a big issue that needs to get addressed. [Also,] products have to be produced and manufactured in each individual state. They can’t cross state lines. Would I take these issues as opposed to no legalization platform to work under? Yeah, I’d take the situation that exists now. I really, firmly believe that in 10 years most of the states will legalize pot. [S]o goes the United States, so goes the rest of the world. We’re also betting at the company for a national legalized environment and a worldwide, legalized society.
GJ: I hope so. And part of that is I think across the entire spectrum of issues that this country faces, I think I’m the voice. I think I’m the voice of reason. You can just go down the list. Go down the list and I think I’m the one that emerges as, “Well, yeah, it makes the most sense.” Let’s just start with marijuana. Over the last 2 years, in all the history of marijuana, a majority of Americans now support legalizing pot. Well, isn’t it amazing that I’m still the highest elected official to espouse that and a majority of Americans agree with that? THC: Do you think that if you do run, you’ll have to distance yourself from Cannabis Sativa, Inc. so that it doesn’t overshadow your other messages? GJ: Yeah, well, if I do, I’d have to sever my relationship and everybody is aware of this. But that doesn’t mean that the advocacy goes away. That the voice goes away. [Y]ou know, if you become the Vice President of the United States and then own Halliburton, then you go to war and all of a sudden Halliburton is the biggest supplier of the war machine. Yeah, it’s a little sticky there, isn’t it? THC: Last question, do you still use cannabis today? GJ: Well, yeah, now that this product is available I just find it to be the best of the best. I have not had a drink of alcohol in 27 years. Have I smoked marijuana over that period of time? Yes, I have, but I’ve always had that aversion to smoking and now; holy cow. I think this could be something that everybody has on the shelf for whatever that occasion might be.
McF inn ’s O rigi nal
A Healthier, Happier High!
THC: What states are you expecting to sell the products in? GJ: Well, every state that currently has a recreational program, so Washington state and Colorado, and every state that has a medical marijuana program.
• • • IE
HA
NT I F IC
THC: Are you expecting to run for president again?
IN
GJ: I do. And maybe not the company so much, but the movement. I think it will benefit the movement and I think because of my position with the company now that that also adds credibility to what it is that I’ve been saying and will continue to say. There needs to be a whole lot of education that goes along with the consumption of these products and I think I’m a good spokesperson for why that’s a good thing, not a bad thing.
Filter/remove carcinogens Cut down on unhealthy tars Reduce harmful particulates Decrease lung irritation
•
SC
THC: Do you think your political connections are going to help Cannabis Sativa with the whole industry just coming together right now?
Maintain high smoke quality:*
S
GJ: Yeah, we’re going for all of them. You can think of us as a Coca-Cola. We’re Coca-Cola Atlanta. We’ve got the secret sauce and we’re going to license in this case hundreds of bottlers to bottle our products. We’ll be able to manufacture and be able to sell in these various states.
N
THC: You’re just going to go for all of them?
L A T IO
SIpipes.com
Your Health is Your Wealth *For a full analysis, see The Werc Shop report at SIpipes.com or TheWercShop.com.
www.SIpipes.com thcmag.com 33
Run, Mike, Run! Glendale Mayor Dunafon Is First Pro-Cannabis Candidate For Governor
by Rick Macey
34 September 2014
“I don’t know why they’d vote for anybody else,” Dunafon said. “The whole idea is you don’t get one liberty, you get ‘em all. So it’s not just marijuana.” Give Me Liberty Why does Mike Dunafon want to be governor? “We’ve gone so far down the rabbit hole,” he said. By that, he means our freedom is being squandered. A couple of years ago he started uploading videos to YouTube. “The whole point was education,” he said, “to talk about the issues. People started sending emails saying, ‘Why don’t you do something about it?’” So Dunafon came up with a “60 for 60” campaign. As he turned 60 years old, he offered to run for governor if he got 60,000 likes on Facebook. Done. “It was put up or shut up,” he said. Answering his own call to action on social media, well, that’s Mike Dunafon.
Wyclef and Dunafon Glendale mayor Mike Dunafon has a vision for Colorado. The Independent candidate for governor wants the state to become the Silicon Valley of cannabis. He wants to parole every prisoner serving time for non-violent drug offenses and give tax breaks to employers who hire them. He would like to see prisons torn down and replaced by fields of hemp. He scorns the two-party system and ridicules Democrat incumbent John Hickenlooper and the Republican challenger, former Colorado Rep. Bob Beauprez. His platform includes protecting gun ownership rights, shrinking the size of government, and keeping politics out of women’s health choices. He has performed gay marriages. He wants every citizen to have maximum liberty and minimal government. Dunafon faces an uphill battle to unseat Hickenlooper, although he is the most accomplished and recognizable candidate among a handful of other Independent, Libertarian, and Green party challengers. In a wide-ranging two-hour interview at his Glendale condo in late August, Dunafon discussed why he’s running and what he would do as governor. That same evening, a fundraiser by cannabis business people was being held for Hickenlooper at Denver’s Four Seasons hotel. It was a $250 per ticket event with co-hosts forking over up to $1,100. Dunafon and his running mate, banker Robin Roberts, are not accepting money for their campaign.
His comments are laced with references to authors Ayn Rand and Robert Zubrin, economist Friedrich Hayek, and naturally, America’s Founding Fathers. Democrats and Republicans are not separate parties, Dunafon said. They are a one-party system based on social elitism and central authority.
“You got people serving life in prison for smoking a joint in Mississippi. What did we do and what are we doing on the War on Drugs? We are murdering our own population.”
In response, Dunafon held his own happy hour event at the hotel. He was stung that anybody in the cannabis industry would throw money at Hickenlooper, who opposed cannabis legalization and whose anti-marijuana campaign targeting kids includes building humansized rat cages at bus stops. Critics, including Dunafon, are calling the cages a Marijuana Prohibition scare tactic and a waste of money. A ruggedly handsome man with an edgy sense of humor, Dunafon made YouTube videos that parody those inane Most Interesting Man in the World commercials. He has teamed up with rapper Wyclef Jean on a hip-hop song that will no doubt symbolize and popularize his campaign. More than anything else, Dunafon believes he is the only gubernatorial candidate for Colorado’s cannabis community.
Government persuasion leads people to believe they can not make decisions on their own. In a word, “servitude.” He calls government policy makers “altruists,” well meaning but destructive of personal liberty. Dunafon’s Definition of Altruism: Suicide on the installment plan. Give up your life to those who can’t take care of their own. He is a board member of Step 13, a Denver non-profit that gives the down-and-out a hand up, not a handout. “Self esteem comes from purpose. Purpose comes through work,” he said. Dunafon refers to William Graham Sumner, a Yale professor who in 1876 published a series of essays that included “The Forgotten Man,” the person who pays for reforms initiated as government policy. The forgotten man is set back, sometimes ruined, by being taxed to pay for someone else. He said it’s time to help the unfortunate in other ways, that government welfare policies have failed. However, his campaign’s main theme is cannabis.
Before Amendment 64 passed in November 2012, Dunafon was the only Colorado mayor who publicly favored it. At a mayor’s caucus meeting, all he heard was “We’ve got to stop this marijuana, it’s gonna kill tourism, it’s gonna kill children.” In response, Dunafon submitted a 28-page research paper to the mayor’s caucus on the Volstead Act, also known as the National Prohibition Act, which defined alcohol prohibition from 1920 to 1933. “Half of them did not know what the Volstead Act was,” Dunafon said. “You got people serving life in prison for smoking a joint in Mississippi,” he said. “What did we do and what are we doing on the War on Drugs? We are murdering our own population.”
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“Prisons. What are we doing? [Colorado’s prison population] is 10 percent higher than the national average.” America has more people in cages than any other nation, including China. “And we’re the land of the free?” Dunafon said laws are too often about criminalizing behavior to keep prisons in business. He said it’s long overdue to release everybody behind bars for cannabis offenses. Libertarian Leanings How much government do we need? “As little as possible,” Dunafon said. He governs according to individual liberty and individual responsibility, the original American ethic. What works for a family works on the grand scale for society. “When we realize we need each other instead of Big Brother, we’re making progress,” he said. He rejects economist John Maynard Keynes’ influence on modern government spending. Keynes argued 100 years ago that nations should increase public spending - by creating debt, if necessary - during economic downturns. “If families could spend their way out of debt, they would … Try spending your way out of debt and watch government put you in prison,” Dunafon said. As mayor of Glendale, Dunafon’s policies have been much more bottom up than top down. He said it’s a simple matter of empowerment. “If you don’t empower people, you constrain them.” As an example of empowerment, he points to reform of the Glendale police. “We used to hand out four to six hundred tickets a month. Now we don’t hand out four hundred a year. The police department should not be a revenue center, it’s a service to the citizens,” he said. Glendale is known as Rugby Town USA and is home to a world-class rugby stadium, which reflects Dunafon’s love of the sport. He played competitively until age 54. So what inspired Dunafon to become politically active, to create a better police force, to abolish an old law whenever a new law was passed, and to turn Glendale into the “Luxembourg of Liberty?” His political odyssey began in defense of a strip club.
Pastor Ed Shirley and Dunafon
Glendale Tea Party As a young man in 1979, Dunafon traded his house for a sailboat and moved to the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean, where he grew a beard and hair long enough for a ponytail and lived a carefree life. After nearly two decades, he was ready for a change. He returned to Colorado and met his wife, Debbie Matthews, at a party. It turned out his mother dated her father back in the 1940s. Three months into their relationship, she told him that Glendale politicians were putting her out of business, and she could lose her homestead in the process. Up to that point, Dunafon didn’t know she founded, owned and managed Shotgun Willie’s. She told him she kept it secret because “every jackass wants to date me because I own a strip joint.” A 1998 city ordinance foisted regulations on the strip club - brighter lighting, a tip box, and so on - that would have devastated the business, which was clearly the objective. Glendale’s politicians went so far as to bring in Reagan-era
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attorney general Edwin Meese to help produce packets for “little old ladies to testify” against the club. Dunafon wrote a slogan on a napkin targeting then-mayor Joe Rice: “Throw Rice in the Harbor.” The Glendale Tea Party was born. “We took forty strippers out and tripled the voter rolls with free beer tickets and voter registration cards. There was a regularly scheduled election coming up, so we threw them out of office.” he said with a laugh. “And now we had a city to run.” He founded the city’s chamber of commerce and steadily rose through the ranks to mayor. Dunafon has little tolerance for red tape. A good example is the city’s policy on cannabis. Glendale does not tax marijuana. It has a one-time $20 registration fee. “Why would we create a new black market? That’s totally against what we believe in,” he said. He favors “common-sense consumption” instead of a ban on public smoking. “Don’t be a jackass and enjoy your joint.” On a larger scale, Dunafon insists that cannabis “is the most important thing for the state of Colorado and people don’t recognize it. We should be the Silicon Valley of cannabis. Medical research, renewable fuel research. We have a chance now, because we are out front, to change the world and lead in doing it.” He has met with farmers in different parts of the state. Some of them complained that local laws won’t allow them to grow hemp. Dunafon called those restrictions “bullshit” and vowed to change that situation as governor. “Cannabis does not require pesticides, it uses less water, and it will grow in a ditch. I can see why Big Pharma would want to get rid of cannabis, with the cannabidiol and the cannabis receptors in our body. It’s a miraculous substance,” he said.
He proposes a tax credit to employers who hire convicts. After three years of gainful employment and abiding by law, Dunafon would expunge a parolees’ criminal record so they could be proud citizens. As for jobs for the unemployed and underemployed, Dunafon said the emerging hemp industry is the answer. Another of his jobs initiatives will be familiar to Colorado residents infrastructure. “Our roads are turning to shit,” he said. The difference would be in how infrastructure improvements would be paid for - with no federal funds. Dunafon said it’s time to stop giving money to the feds. The Denver Post asserted that with no funding, no party, and a fragmented base, Dunafon would be lucky to get 5 percent of the vote. He conceded that media needs to stir up interest in his candidacy for his campaign to succeed. “It’s important to tell your readers that they don’t have the victory they think. These two guys will legislate and regulate cannabis back into the Stone Ages. They’re not going to do anything for the prisoners. They are party hacks, both of them. And if your readers are interested in liberty, they need to get out and cast a vote for it.” As of late August his campaign has spent a bit more than $30,000, mostly on two employees, signs, and bumper stickers. Spokespeople for the Hickenlooper and Beauprez campaigns declined to comment for this article. “If we just had the marijuana vote, we’d win big,” Dunafon said.
And he is scathing about Hickenlooper’s anti-marijuana campaign. “Rat cages? Is anybody home? We should be tearing those things down. A mass of people should get together and tear those things to pieces. The insult is staggering. This jackass is putting rat cages at bus stops … and there are homeless people living in them. Those are the rats, I guess, huh?” Rat cages send the message that citizens “are a useless piece of shit,” he said. “We’ve been conditioned to the point that we can’t recognize someone telling us to fuck ourselves.” Why hasn’t Hickenlooper solved the banking issue for cannabis businesses, he’d like to know. “It’s not legal to bank the marijuana money unless you’re the state … So who’s the mob? They’re laundering the money. “ Cannabis Campaign He said Colorado needs to act boldly and build on the new cannabis industry. Families are moving to Colorado for medicinal cannabis, and the state’s hemp farmers have a head start. “Change of brand,” he said. “It’s not a laughingstock. When we are fixing seizure disorders and solving cancer, you can call us potheads all you want. But we are curing disease, we are creating renewable energy, and we are thriving.” Dunafon considers hydraulic fracturing for natural gas - fracking - as a local issue. He’s in favor of the energy supply but questions some of the methods. “We have these huge reserves of natural gas. Are we only going to frack in the schoolyard? You can’t get out of town to frack?” He would find ways to release from prison everybody serving time for nonviolent cannabis offenses. “Working with Step 13, I know it’s not as simple as letting somebody out of prison, because what you’ve done now is destroy their life. They can’t get an apartment, they can’t get a student loan, they can’t get a job. And so what’s left? Prison.”
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As Dunafon’s Running Mate, Robin Roberts Means Business by Rick Macey
Is Robin Roberts the Sarah Palin of Mike Dunafon’s gubernatorial campaign, an attractive woman to pander to superficial sensibilities of Colorado voters? Definitely not. When asked about his choice for Lt. Governor, Dunafon didn’t hesitate. “Army intelligence staff sergeant, single mom, and a proven small business banking expert.” President of Pike’s Peak National Bank since 2003, Roberts is a small business champion who has a track record of going the extra-mile for her clients. . “This is a woman who will stand by her convictions and is a marijuana banking expert and is qualified to be the governor tomorrow,” Dunafon said. Then the Glendale mayor joked, “No, I picked her because she’s a woman. I was looking for a Hispanic lesbian but I just couldn’t find one.” For our cannabis community, the 2014 election is no laughing matter. For the first time in history, Colorado voters can choose pro-cannabis and anti-prison leaders who will not kiss ass to special interests. Roberts has not held elected office. As she considered then rejected a run for mayor of Colorado Springs recently, she got Dunafon’s advice. That’s how they connected.
mid-1999 and worked her way up to president within four years. An unaffiliated voter, Roberts was surprised when Dunafon called and asked her to be his running mate. “The decision took about a week.” She thought about how the bank and her daughter would be affected. And she accepted the challenge. She’s aware that she’s part of an effort that might transform state politics the way Colorado’s Amendment 64 is changing cannabis acceptance. “I think it would be wonderful to have leadership at the state level that isn’t beholden to special interests,” she said. Roberts is not a political animal. Her focus is more on practical issues, none more important than banking services for cannabis businesses. On this topic, she is a national leader. “Access to banking is important,” she said. “I would not want to see Colorado go backwards … We have to find ways to make banking easier for legal marijuana businesses. The world is not going to come to an end because marijuana is legal.”
The Cannabis Vote
Along with Dunafon, she has contempt for the tax money being spent in Colorado on cages. Those resources would be better spent on integrating cannabis into the state’s economy.
Robin Roberts was raised in southern California’s Orange County. She went to college at the University of Redlands. She joined the Army near the end of the Cold War, specializing in counter intelligence. Her unit was based in Munich, Germany. “It was an amazing experience,” she said.
She conceded that there are other wrinkles to iron out in the cannabis industry. “The edibles issue needs to be tackled,” she said, referring to product and packaging that does little to inform consumers about effects and recommended dosages.
After her military service, she married a soldier. That’s how she ended up in Colorado Springs. She was hired as a loan officer at Pike’s Peak National Bank in
As for marijuana’s non-intoxicating sister - hemp - she admitted, “I do worry.” Banks tend to Google search suspected hemp companies. Nearly all of them are
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subsequently denied financial services. “That’s my frustration, not being able to solve those issues,” she said. A crucial obstacle is Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division, which despite state legalization, is totally absent on the question of regulating banking services.
“As Mike and I travel more and listen to people, that’s where I walk the walk … I truly believe they are the key to our economy.”
“There are banks that are banking marijuana,” Roberts said. “They don’t publicize it and I don’t blame them.” She said acquiring financial services as a cannabis business is complicated, more so than for a car dealership or doctor’s practice. Banks must conform to due diligence standards. This is sometimes impossible when a regulating agency like the MED can’t legally provide relevant information and federal law makes it a crime.
That’s her point. She has hope for critical thinkers, but wonders about those “sitting on social media and complaining about the way things are, but who go to the polls and vote for the same people who created the problems.” Roberts looks at issues as a banker. “Many banks would feel more comfortable taking that risk if cannabis is removed from drug scheduling. After all, that ship has sailed.”
Dispensaries forced to deal in large amounts of cash invite theft - or worse. A month ago, Pueblo experienced just that. That’s one problem a Dunafon-Roberts administration would solve immediately.
“My personal passion is helping small businesses be successful,” she said. She believes Colorado can have the best success rate nationally.
Cannabis Banking?
Roberts promotes the SBA’s Boots to Business initiative. “Veterans are a huge asset for us. If you look at human resources as an asset to business … we don’t always pay attention to that.”
‘What I like about Mike is his critical thinking platform,” Roberts said. “We as citizens really have responsibility to look at the issues and problems that need to be solved.” She said it helps immensely if Americans know the Constitution. “Citizens need to be involved in our own governance, instead of media telling you what to think. It requires you to be involved.” As a business person, she said results matter. “If I put out a product that no one buys, I might as well close my doors.” That’s not an issue, though. Cannabis businesses await solutions for banking problems. There are too few solutions.
“The great thing about being part of this campaign is being able to talk to people about what their concerns are,” she said. “As Mike and I travel more and listen to people, that’s where I walk the walk … I truly believe they are the key to our economy.” For decades, those on the front lines of the cannabis civil rights movement daydreamed about the day when state elections would include openly promarijuana and hemp candidates. Now here’s this trip to the governor’s mansion. We’ve got the ticket.
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Showcase your Dispensary and Products at Colorado’s FIRST CME Certified Conference on Cannabis Medicine
Sherman Street Events Center - Denver, CO - Sept. 9-11 2014 Marijuana for Medical Professionals
Got happy patients? Want to tell the world? Show doctors and health care providers what you’ve got. Colorado Dispensaries and MIPs interested in showcasing their products to conventional medical professionals, this is your chance. We expect over 800 doctors, nurses, PAs, NDs, and more to attend. These are people who can recommend your products to patients - as soon as they know what you’ve got. Booth space is limited so call us now at 720-588-3737 or visit us online at
www.marijuanaformedicalprofessionals.com 40 September 2014
the Big Red Nation Goes Green Bill Passes State Senate with Overwhelming Support by Erin Hiatt
State lawmakers often shy away from growing industrial hemp within their borders, citing its relationship to the psychoactive marijuana plant. The state of Nebraska took a stab at approving industrial hemp but was unsuccessful 13 years ago. During this year’s session, Nebraska State Senator Norm Wallman introduced a bill to allow production and marketing of industrial hemp and it cruised through virtually unopposed, 39-2. It seems the winds in Nebraska have changed. But have they? Legislative Bill 1001 made the harvest of industrial hemp legal in the Cornhusker state thanks to Provision 7606 in the 2014 Farm Bill President Obama signed. This provision allows for institutions of higher learning, like the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, to grow and study industrial hemp without federal interference.
law enforcement is having a difficult time with Colorado cannabis. Reports paint a picture of legal (in Colorado, that is) marijuana flooding the Nebraska market, law enforcement being diverted from serious drugs like methamphetamine and just generally being run ragged by lack of resources and manpower. Nebraska Senator Steve Lathrop, who was a full supporter of the bill and debated it on the Senate floor, very thoughtfully reassured the dissenters, saying firmly that “the state of Nebraska is not getting into the business of marijuana like they are in Colorado.”
This provision allows for institutions of higher learning, like the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, to grow and study industrial hemp without federal interference.
Senator Wallman introduced the bill with the intention of using industrial hemp to streamline and improve crop rotations, but he expanded his views to see that the harvest of industrial hemp could potentially be very lucrative for Nebraska farmers. Timothy Kettler, a soil scientist in the Department of Agronomy & Horticulture at UNL agrees with Wallman, telling The Daily Nebraskan that “crop rotation helps to break disease cycles that can be debilitating to a farmer’s yield. Hemp would provide a new, more profitable plant to rotate in fields.”
Some who opposed the bill trotted out the predictable objections, claiming that growing hemp is simply done to disguise marijuana grows and also offering up the “slippery slope” argument, that having industrial hemp crops in Nebraska will be the first step toward a legal cannabis market, like those in Washington and Colorado. Naysayers may have a few reasonable arguments, however. Nebraska shares their southwestern border with Colorado and nebraska.net reported that Nebraska
Lathrop continued with his very practical approach saying, “This is actually a commodity. It has certain properties that make it very useful in the manufacturing of a variety of products.” As for addressing those who say you can hide marijuana plants in a hemp field, he says, “If hemp pollinates any nearby marijuana plants, genetically, the result will always be lower-THC marijuana, not higher-THC hemp. This stuff will ruin a marijuana crop if it’s in the same location.”
It went through the Senate like a slam-dunk but that hasn’t given the green light for the bill to be put in effect. Last May, hemp.org author Steve Elliott wrote, “Nebraska won’t be harvesting a legal hemp crop this fall, despite the Legislature’s passage of a law allowing the cultivation of industrial hemp for research. State bureaucrats at the Nebraska Department of Agriculture are still working on the rules.” The Department of Agriculture wants to research the industrial hemp programs of other states before moving ahead and adopting rules to support the Farm Bill provision. Agriculture Department spokeswoman Christin Kamm summed it up pretty succinctly, saying in an email to the Lincoln Star, “There will be no hemp research projects initiated under a program this year.” A bummer of a stall tactic, but there’s always next spring. Nebraska’s waited 13 years, what’s one more?
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Getting Kinky with Mr. Friedman by Erin Hiatt
Kinky Friedman is a man of fantastical stories, stories that sound like they’ve been spun from an urban legend brewed with a bottle of his Kinky Friedman Man in Black Tequila and told in a cloud of marijuana smoke on Willie Nelson’s tour bus. “You fail at something long enough you become a legend. That’s what Willie says,” Kinky sighs, and it’s a fair statement, it’s been a rough year for Richard Samet “Kinky” Friedman (so nicknamed for his kinky black hair), a Chicago Jew who ended up knee-deep in red state Texas. He is a prolific author of books with colorful names like Elvis, Jesus, and Coca-Cola, seller of coffee, founder of Utopia Animal Shelter, and leader of Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys, a “country band with a social conscious.” You could also add to that list aspiring politician, but, he says, “Well, I’m not in politics anymore, the people have spoken, the bastards.” Kinky has run for Justice of the Peace, Governor of Texas as an Independent against the nowindicted Rick Perry, and as recently as May lost the race for Texas Agriculture Commissioner. In Travis County, where state capitol Austin resides, Kinky lost to Republican Jim Hogan, but not by much. The statewide vote was 54 percent to 46 percent. Part of Kinky’s platform was the legalization of hemp and marijuana, or at the very least decriminalization. In true politician fashion, he supports both ideas but doesn’t commit to either. “I have to say the facts and the stats are just piling up all in favor of hemp and pot. With the legalization, the decriminalization, whatever you wanna call it, the active engagement with pot and hemp could do good for so many aspects of our lives. Colorado, to its great credit, is not only a financial pleasure but has become a real healing place, a sanctuary for a lot of people who are kinda at the end of their hemp rope. And Texas has turned a cold shoulder to those people.”
“We had the chance to make the world new there with pot and hemp and we didn’t take that opportunity. This is a mystical place, if Texas legalizes, that’s the end of the War on Drugs.”
Even though Kinky ran as a Democrat, he says it’s the Texas Democrats that did his campaign in. The hardcore Democrats just weren’t ready for Kinky’s move to make hemp and marijuana part of the Texas political conversation, and Kinky, had he been elected Agriculture Commissioner,
42 September 2014
would have made his hemp moves quickly. “That’s the job, to create new crops and technologies and give them grants.” With a $700 million budget for the agriculture office, hemp in Texas could conceivably have been fast-tracked and Kinky’s plan was to do it through the Texas courts. “We can’t look to the politicians for wisdom and advice, they’re not gonna lead the way but the courts would have. And we would have a wonderful phalanx of lawyers ready when the lawsuit came down from the state government when we gave pilot projects to grow hemp and pot.” Kinky sees this plan as foolproof, citing Texans’ support for gay-marriage, an issue that seems to run parallel with that of hemp and marijuana legalization. “In 2006, Hillary and Obama and all those folks were against gay marriage, they didn’t endorse it, they didn’t support it, they were against it. Today, hell, Ted Cruz is for it, everybody’s for it. It requires no guts or glory whatsoever to endorse gay marriage today. It took a lot of balls to do it in 2006 because it was political suicide. And it could be that pot and hemp were political suicide for me.” Texas seems to be a bipolar state when it comes to important social issues, being very conservative while also being progressive. “We had the chance to make the world new there with pot and hemp and we didn’t take that opportunity. This is a mystical place, if Texas legalizes, that’s the end of the War on Drugs.”
Kinky, who has been compared to great American satirists like Will Rogers and Mark Twain used to think that humor could be a powerful tool to blow open political rhetoric, but he doesn’t think so anymore. “That kind of humor doesn’t work anymore in politics, it’s all been brought down by political correctness and that’s very much too bad.” He says legends such as Mel Brooks, George Carlin, and Lenny Bruce would be playing in low-level comedy clubs if they started out today. “That means we have a shitty mainstream, we have a toxic, stultifyingly dull bunch of people led by the politicians that don’t inspire anybody. Can we find a JFK out there or a Churchill, or a Lincoln or an Ann Richards, anybody who stands up
for what they believe? Who’s it gonna be, Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer? They are pathetic and they are not inspirational.” So Kinky is taking his show on the road, traveling with the Texas Jewboys on their Misunderstood Genius Tour and working on his newest novel. Kinky tells the tale of the time he went to South Africa in the late 1990’s to promote his then newest book, God Bless John Wayne. Sharing airtime on the show that day was Tokyo Sexwale, an anti-apartheid activist and political prisoner who, coincidentally, had the cell next to Nelson Mandela on Robben Island. Kinky recalls that “Tokyo pulled me aside during a commercial break and said, ‘You know, Nelson is a big fan of yours.’ And I said, ‘You’re kidding, man, which book is it?’ He says ‘It’s not the books at all, it’s the music’ and I just couldn’t believe it, because most of our songs are like, “They Ain’t Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore,” or “Proud to be an Asshole from El Paso,” that kind of thing.” Cassettes were of course forbidden to prisoners but Tokyo suggested that the cassette had been smuggled in by Helen Suzman, another anti-apartheid activist, the only woman serving in Parliament at the time and the only Parliament member to visit Mandela in prison. Mandela played in his cell every night, over and over again, a song that Kinky proudly calls the best thing he’s ever written. From his album American Sold, “Ride ‘Em, Jewboy” is a song about the Holocaust in cowboy terms. Why Mandela played the song every night in his Robben Island cell for months is a mystery, but it is a testament to the unknown span of artistic effort. Kinky was worried about dj’s playing his song or if he’d have a hit, and he thinks that the coincidence is a bizarre miracle of sorts. “It should be encouraging to anyone that wants to get into politics or entertainment, any artist. You never know who you’re gonna reach.” So, Kinky, despite his political disappointments, is actually a pretty optimistic guy. He served two years in the Peace Corps and freely quotes JFK’s words to the first Peace Corps group gathered on the White House lawn: “You are important people, the young people are real damned important and they should not give up on politics, they should get involved.”
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Miles of Red Tape The Double-Edged Sword of the METRC Tracking System
by DJ Reetz
For business owners, marijuana can be tricky. In an industry fraught with perils, often viewed in a light of criminality, navigating the pitfalls of regulation and legality can be a daunting challenge. This minefield was added to at the beginning of the year when the Marijuana Enforcement Division rolled out its Marijuana Inventory Tracking System, known affectionately as MITS. Though the system has since been renamed METRC – for Marijuana Enforcement Tracking, Reporting and Compliance –its application and regulatory burden remain the same.
“That’s absolutely a job and a position that exists in the industry,” says Mark Slaugh, CEO of iComply. Slaugh’s business is understanding the myriad rules that must be followed in order to stay compliant, and he says a thorough understanding of the 500 pages of regulation governing legal marijuana is not always part of everyone’s business plan.
The idea is simple enough: spawned from the regulatory paranoia that legitimate dispensaries would funnel product into the black market, the system seeks to track every marijuana plant that is part of the legal market from seed to sale. While simple in conception, the practical realities of METRC are significantly more daunting.
“We’re dealing with more regulation than oil and gas, and it’s changing every two to three months.” While this can be a good thing for people who are compliance professionals, the added cost of hiring a compliance officer can be too much for small-scale operations.
“Getting up to speed was very painful,” says Bob Eschino, co-owner of Incredibles. “We’ve had to train people and we’ve had to employ people to understand [METRC]. It’s the most important part of what we do now.” Under the system, each plant is assigned a unique radio frequency identification chip, which it carries through its entire life cycle. The RFID chips are first assigned to sprouting plants, but must be physically attached as soon as the sapling reaches eight inches in height or is placed in a two inch by two-inch pot. When the plant is harvested, the dried flower is placed in five-pound bags that require new RFID tags. Before the product can make its way to store shelves it must be individually tagged in one-pound bags, again requiring new tags. For concentrates and edibles the process can be even more convoluted, requiring RFID stickers to be affixed to batch packages within shipments. Any trim that comes off of the plants will require a tag as well. And of course, none of these tags are reusable, meaning a new tag must be purchased for 25 cents per package and 40 cents per plant at every step in this process. Ideally, the system streamlines the jobs of regulators, allowing a quick pass through a grow with an RFID scanner to quickly determine if the plant count is as it should be, so long as all plants are tagged. It also allows for MED officials to track product as it moves about the state, and it may have been helpful tracking tainted product in the recent edible recall. The system may also allow regulators to make more informed decisions, says Eschino. “It definitely gives [regulators] more information than they had before,” he says. “There’s no way a pound of cannabis is leaving my warehouse and METRC doesn’t know about it.” The added costs aren’t just for the RFID tags, more and more businesses are having to hire a full-time staff member just to manage compliance, and it’s a position that requires technical knowledge that is accompanied by a high salary.
44 September 2014
“If we want to violate federal law legally then we have to be compliant with state law,” he says.
“Mom and pops just can’t afford to maintain compliance,” he says, and it means that larger businesses with the capital to spend on compliance are destined to overtake the industry. One notable effect that the METRC system is already having on dispensaries in aligning plant counts at medical shops with the actual number of registered patients, says Slaugh. METRC can juxtapose the number of plants in a grow with a database of registered patients in real time, meaning that if a patient has switched caregivers and the new caregiver has not alerted their previous caregiver, the system will show an overage in the old caregiver’s plant count. Slaugh estimates that this could lead to a 40 to 60 percent reduction in the plant count of many medical dispensaries. Often, says Slaugh, the system will not alert business owners to instances when they are violating the law, because that is not what it is designed to do. “It’s not efficient, nor is it meant to be efficient,” he says. “It’s not meant to help the industry.” Instead, the system is intended to help regulators and ease fears of those who observe legal marijuana from afar. “It’s an efficient system for law enforcement,” he says. The system may be working to assuage the fears of regulators and grandstanding politicians, says Eschino, but it is doing little to stem the tide of black market marijuana. “If the ultimate goal is preventing marijuana from hitting the black market, METRC is not an effective tool for doing that,” says Eschino, citing the wealth of home growers and caregivers with high plant counts that don’t fall under the umbrella of METRC. “People in this industry, people who have licenses, are really trying to do the right thing,” he says. “If they wanted to break the rules they wouldn’t be putting it in METRC.”
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thcmag.com 45
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46 September 2014
Rare Dankness and Elite Cannabis Launch
Joint Venture
by P. Aiden Hunt
Have you ever wondered how the hundreds of strains of cannabis are created? Who is it that creates the different types of greenery with all the funny names? Driven individuals and companies strive to create the next big strain, the next award-winner, even the next disease cure. They are the cannabis breeders and consultants. These mysterious cannabis experts stayed out of legal harm by congregating on chat boards during the ‘90s and many headed to Europe before that. Online communities helped cannabis pioneers share knowledge in hopes of making a better plant. As cannabis gains respect as a medicine, cannabis breeders and researchers join in knowledge and now industry. Rare Dankness and Elite Cannabis, two such cannabis “genetics” companies, announced on July 24 that they will be joining forces to provide “premium products and services to the legal cannabis marketplace,” according to a press release. The new company, known as Elite Dankness, will also bring in Kenneth Morrow, Founder of Trichome Technologies, and Green Man Cannabis, a Colorado cannabis dispensary chain. The release touts Morrow as the “author of more articles in High Times Magazine than any other contributor.” He will be acting as the company’s Chief Scientist. Scott Reach, a long-time grower and breeder, founded Rare Dankness in 2009. Before that, Internet growers and breeders knew him as “Moonshine Man” on the now-defunct chat site Overgrow.com. Since founding the company, Reach has created some great strains.
a THC level of 25.49 percent. Rare Dankness also created a special strain called Jenny Kush, named for the beloved Denver activist killed by a drunk driver last year. Elite Cannabis stands out for their high-CBD genetics. Their Hillbilly Armor won first place in April for Best High CBD Flower at the Denver Cannabis Cup. They also boast a very high CBD strain known as Shack Attack. The strain is reportedly 23 percent CBD with a CBD to THC ratio of 34:1.
“Establishment of a large, Coloradobased cultivation and processing facility to provide top-shelf, premium products to strategic dispensary partners.”
OG Ghost Train Haze won a Strongest Strain in the World award in 2012 with
High CBD strains have become very popular since the Stanley Brother’s Realm of Caring gained national prominence for their Charlotte’s Web strain helping children with seizure disorders. As more states enact laws allowing children to use CBD oil to treat their debilitating conditions, high CBD strains will mean less product needed to make it. One of the stated goals of the Elite Dankness is, “Establishment of a large, Colorado-based cultivation and processing facility to provide top-shelf, premium products to strategic dispensary partners.” Green Man Cannabis, a dispensary with two locations in Denver, will be the first of these partners. Rare Dankness and Elite Cannabis will remain independent companies managing the new venture jointly. Some form of cannabis legalization has spread to 34 states with more expected to join with ballot initiatives in November. As legalization spreads, knowledgeable consultants become more valuable.
Elite Dankness expects to be accepting wholesale accounts on a limited basis in late 2015, according to their website.
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48 September 2014
The Hemp Supercapacitor
Energy Storage May Be Getting Greener by Erin Hiatt Dr. David Mitlin, the head researcher of a group working on supercapacitors at the University of Alberta in Canada says that their project turning hemp fibers into a graphene substitute is about one thousand times cheaper than making graphene. We have legions of electronic devices, and each one of those devices has a battery inside of it. Ever experience the frustration of fully charging your smartphone just to have it die a few hours later? Or need your electric car to drive more miles before the battery is completely drained? Then read on. Let’s begin with how a basic capacitor works. A capacitor stores energy electrostatically in an electric field, i.e. a battery or electrical circuit. Capacitors store energy between its plates, or the electrical conductors, which can be thin films of metal or even aluminum foil. A supercapacitor is basically a capacitor on steroids. Something typically used as a supercapacitor is graphene, and graphene is known to conduct heat and electricity with superb efficiency. “Graphene,” explains Liming Dai, Director of the Center of Advanced Science and Engineering for Carbon at Case Western Reserve University, “is a single atomic layer of carbon sheets. You peel one layer away from graphite, you get graphene. Graphene has a huge surface area for
Hemp is a good replacement for this strong acidic process because you can produce graphene with more connective structure and a cheaper process. capacity to store the charges and it gives you more charge to store on the surface.” The American Chemical Society explains, “supercapacitors are energy storage devices that have huge potential to transform the way future electronics are powered. Unlike today’s rechargeable batteries, which sip up energy over several hours, supercapacitors can charge and discharge within seconds. But they normally can’t store nearly as much energy as batteries, an important property known as energy density. One approach researchers are taking to boost supercapacitors’ energy density is to design better electrodes.” And hemp, some think, could be that better electrode. Getting graphite, the parent of graphene, is pretty dirty business. Graphite has to be mined then chemically processed to make graphene. Dai says, “The peeled away layers of graphite use a very strong acid, like a sulfuric acid or nitric acid to oxidize the graphite to make the graphene sheet.” This acid application damages the structure, thereby losing electrical conductivity, not to mention utilizing a very harmful and environmentally unappealing chemical agent. “Hemp is a good replacement for this strong acidic process because you can produce graphene with more connective structure and a cheaper process.” In addition to the unsavory chemical treatment, there is also the issue of graphite mining, currently a very big problem in energy-hungry and pollution-laden China where a lot of our electronics are produced. Ironically, graphite is in the batteries that power Tesla Model S cars, Toyota’s plug-in Prius, and other electric cars that promise zero emissions yet pollute China’s air and water, damage crops, and create unbearable smog. Also, graphite does not store energy nearly as well as graphene does, and graphene, says Dai, “is difficult to peel off. If you peel layer by layer of graphene out of graphite it is very tedious. And you cannot get high-yield production.” And this peeling-away process makes graphene very expensive to make. Mitlin and his researchers are hoping to take energy-storing graphene from
3D illustration of graphene material
a low-yield environmental albatross to a high-yield and planet friendly supercapacitor by using the stalk of the hemp plant as a replacement for graphene. Generally discarded in landfills after use, the bast, Mitlin explains, “is a nanocomposite made up of layers of lignin, hemicellulose, and crystalline cellulose. If you process it the right way, it separates into nanosheets similar to graphene.” So how do you turn hemp fibers into a supercapacitor? Gizmag describes the Mitlin team process like this: “The researchers first heated the fibers for 24 hours at around 350° F (180° C) – essentially, pressure-cooking them in water – to dissolve the cellulose and lignin components; they then exposed the resulting material to potassium hydroxide to create graphene-like carbon nanosheets. The resulting sheets are far from perfect, as they are crumpled and riddled with holes. But as it turns out, when it comes to building supercapacitor electrodes, this is a very good thing. In order to build high-efficiency capacitors, the surface area of the electrode must be as high as possible, so that electrically charged ions can access the material easily and transport charge effectively.” The nanosheets made from hemp have a built-in crumpled-type of structure and are inherently holey and thick as far as nanosheets go, which makes them very conductive to electricity. “They are not quite as conductive as graphite,” says Mitlin, “but the supercapacitors performed remarkably well, about three times higher than commercial counterparts. The device can also operate under wider temperature margins.” And environmentally, substituting hemp for graphene just makes good sense, not only because we don’t have to mine hemp but because it doesn’t require any chemicals to grow and will take root just about anywhere. There is still work to be done for Mitlin’s team in Canada but Dai thinks that they are definitely on the right track. “The structure allows you to release energy quickly or slowly, so the process looks very good, it is very good to produce that particular type of graphene for energy application that we can grow and is also eco-friendly.”
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High Plains Correctional Facility: Brush Colorado Dank sub head for this article in the Clink? by Caroline Hayes
by Caroline Hayes
High Plains Correctional Facility in Brush, CO
How often does one leaving the bustling city of Denver to drive two hours east? Don’t most usually travel west into the mountains? Not in this situation. Imagine you are driving on highway 76 and get off an exit in Brush, Colorado. You are driving on barren country roads until you reach a parking lot with a few cars in it. You pull up to a building that sits on 21 acres surrounded by high metal fences with razor sharp barbwire stretching across the top. You park and enter the High Plains Correctional Facility. Immediately, you feel an eerie vibe. The abandoned building was a medium security jail, home to many women years ago. Walking down the halls, I couldn’t help but wonder what went on in this prison when it was just that. After watching the two seasons of Orange is the New Black, I wonder to myself if this place was a home to people like Piper and Red. Was this a funny community of women? Where was the solitary confinement? Did the inmates run the kitchen? Either way, this was all a thing of the past. Nicholas Erker has new plans for this facility. The High Plains Correctional Facility was purchased by Erker in attempts to turn it into a place of business, but he didn’t know when he bought it that he would have plans to turn it into a cannabis dispensary and grow house. The idea to turn it into such a place started off as a rumor Erker heard from an employee of his. All it took was one mention of the rumor and Erker’s wheels were turning. In order to get this thing going, Erker has to convince the people of Brush along with the City Council to overturn the existing moratorium, which bans the sell of medical and adult use marijuana in this small farm town.
The open forum held that Sunday in the gym of the prison was extremely informative and convincing. Had I had any doubts about the overall benefits of cannabis, I would have left singing a different tune. Erker and activist Teri Robnett led the forum, providing the audience with positive facts about what growing and selling cannabis can bring in for the community, as well as how wonderful it can be as a form of medical treatment. Robnett gave her own stories of how cannabis helped her with her treatment of fibromyalgia pain. She also passionately explained that under Amendment 64, everyone has the right to use cannabis and that’s it’s always going to be there, so why not regulate it?
This is the best opportunity for the community. [It would] keep Brush strong.
In attempts to convince as to why this is a good idea, Erker held an open house, open forum at the prison on Sunday August 17th. He invited people from all over to come take a tour of the prison, as well as ask questions about what this kind of business would entail. Walking the halls of the prison, I notice that informative posters lined the walls of claiming the financial benefits of selling cannabis, what a bud tender is, job opportunities and so on. Upon meeting Erker, I saw genuine niceness in his demeanor. He came right up to me and shook my hand before the open forum began. It was said by one patron at the open house that the people in Brush have a sort of “reefer madness” mindset, fearing that opening up the sale of cannabis would create harder drug use. Also because they were unsure of what was going on with legal cannabis in Colorado and wanted to see what would happen with the rest of the state, so these posters helped paint the picture of the positive benefits.
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Erker’s family are have been residents of Morgan County for more than 100 years. This kind of dedication to his hometown lies the groundwork for the “family philosophy” he wants to implement with this dispensary in Brush.
Erker’s brother and wife sat on the sidelines of the open forum, proving that he’s quite the family man.
Erker spoke from the heart saying that he wants to do this for the town of Brush. “This is the best opportunity for the community,” he said. He explained that it would create jobs and taxes and “keep Brush strong.” In a short interview after the open forum on Sunday, he told me that he’d like this to be a place where young adults come to work after college while searching for that career job. He guesses he can create at least 31 jobs right away. When the prison shut down, 83 people in Brush lost their jobs and the city lost more than $20,000 annually. The future plans for the abandoned prison are to cultivate and sell adult use marijuana, as well as opening it up for doctors from all over to come stay and do developmental research. Robnett mentioned something about a museum of prison and cannabis artifacts. And finally, Erker wants to offer on site testing of infused products. What it comes down to is that Erker is just a good ol’ boy that wants to do something positive for his community. From what I could see, he didn’t have any ill intentions and just wants to help provide extra money and jobs. “It’s a breath of fresh air to see two brothers come in who want to do something good for the community,” Robnett expressed gratefully to the crowd. Robnett is helping Erker and his brother with the legislation issues, and how to present this to City Council. She assisted Brush’s neighboring town Log Lane Village, awhile back with overturning their moratorium, and they are getting ready to open their first dispensary.
The town of Brush should give this a chance. What’s the worst that could happen? Those who do medicate around Brush and Fort Morgan have to drive to Garden City or Denver to get their meds. Why not allow them to purchase in their own town so the money goes right back in? 1.5 percent of tax comes back to local community from retail sales, according to Robnett. The town of Brush should give this a chance. What’s the worst that could happen? Those who do medicate around Brush and Fort Morgan have to drive to Garden City or Denver to get their meds. Why not allow them to purchase in their own town so the money goes right back in? 1.5 percent of tax comes back to local community from retail sales, according to Robnett. Erker told me on August 17th that if City Council allows this, he could be growing by the end of the year in hopes to have product for sale by Christmas time, however, at a City Council meeting held on August 18th denied him the right to put this in cannabis facility in motion. Erker says this is not over, and that he will keep fighting this. Leaving the prison I met a man named Butch who was the grounds keeper for the prison grounds years ago. He told me a few stories of working there back in the day and said there were definitely some inmates convicted of marijuana crimes. Oh the irony. Erker is awaiting paperwork to get this on the ballot in November but needs five percent of registered voters signatures to do so. I am rooting for you Nick Erker. The people of small town Brush deserve the same access to wonderful cannabis as “big city people.” Erker and Robnett speadking at the open forum on Sunday August 17th
Hallway in the High Plains Correctional Facility
Each cell is 420 square feet
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Hemp in Paradise
Hawaiian No Mans Land May Become a Hemp Haven by Erin Hiatt
52 September 2014
A
erial views of the Hawaiian Islands show the island chain as gloriously lush and green, conjuring images of ziplining through the jungles, sunning on their amazing beaches, and surfing in that warm expanse of Pacific blue. If you look closely, though, you will see an anomaly; a small brown island in the ocean that looks ravaged and wrecked. And sadly, it has been. This island, Kahoolawe, is one you’ve probably never heard of. Nobody lives there because it’s a former bombing range for the U.S. military, and instead of resembling an idyllic island in the Pacific, it looks more like the surface of the moon. The 2014 Farm Bill signed by President Obama may change the landscape of this neglected island if Dr. Harry Ako, a professor in the College of Molecular Sciences and Bioengineering at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, could get his research, which Hawaii State Bill 2175 will now allow, off the ground. This bill authorizes the growth and cultivation of industrial hemp in accordance with the Section 7606 of the Farm Bill. This section is notable because it allows institutions of higher education to grow and conduct research on industrial hemp absent a federal reclassification. Importantly, it also protects those working on the research from criminal prosecution, a legitimate danger when working on what is still considered a Schedule I substance. While waiting for the University to cut through all the bureaucratic red tape, Dr. Ako is chomping at the bit to hire some grad students because he only has a two-year timeframe for the study. At the end of his single-site study (the bill did not designate how big the site could be), the results will have to be reported to the Hawaii State Legislature. According to language of S.B. 2175, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture has to certify that the plants grown for the study are indeed hemp and not marijuana. The legislature also put in a one-strike-and-you’re-out piece of language, saying that if the Department of Agriculture does not certify the plants as hemp, the project is dead. The Honolulu police have chimed in too, promising that the project will immediately cease if any marijuana plants are found on site. Rep. Cynthia Thielen, a Republican from Oahu, threw her full support behind the bill, saying “This progressive, bipartisan bill will keep Hawaii on the cutting edge of agricultural research, help the state realize the economic capabilities of the crop, and potentially restore land previously damaged by earlier contamination.” Dr. Ako has some priorities in mind for the project. “We want to grow it, see how fast it grows, how many crops a year we can grow, that is one kind of objective. And we know we can get rid of petroleum waste, kind of. We did a really crummy experiment, and that’s from the scientific point of view, some parts of it showed, and some didn’t, but we want to clearly show that hemp cleans the environment.”
Dr. Ako is quick to point out the power of hemp in the city of Chernobyl in the former USSR where the most disastrous nuclear power plant accident in history occurred. It was a level 7, the worst designation, and only the Fukushima Daiichi disaster (the catastrophe sparked by Japan’s earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 2011) shares this dubious honor. Chernobyl killed 31 people at its onset in 1986 but deformities and cancer due to radiation exposure are still being accounted for. Dr. Ako says, “In Chernobyl, they planted industrial hemp everywhere and they gathered all the hemp plants and dug a great big hole somewhere else, they buried them all. Those hemp plants full of radiation get taken to another site where they will be buried and though that particular site will be unusable, the rest of the land will be free of radiation.” This happens through a process called phytoremediation. Using the plant’s natural composition it degrades, make harmless, or bioaccumulates (meaning that a plant collects contaminants within itself, as hemp does) toxins in our air, water, and soil. “At one time,” he continues, “the average life span in Chernobyl was 27 years, can you imagine that? Well it was, and now it’s okay.” Dr. Ako would like to take the Chernobyl model and apply it to Kahoolawe, their bombed-out island. “In Hawaii, we have explosives-contaminated land -military training sites, sites used as bombing practice sites, and you know, it’s all contaminated with explosive residues, and I’m thinking of other contaminated sites like that.” The phytoremediation process can clear up otherwise unusable land for agriculture and population growth in the very limited geographic space available to islanders. He would also like to see studies on biofuel and making hempcrete, but first, he has to hire those grad students.
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Walking the Legal Tightrope Cannabis Clubs provide a needed service but at what risk? by DJ Reetz
Nearly two years after voters in Colorado passed Amendment 64, much of the promise of treating marijuana like alcohol is still falling short. While the legal market is thriving, and tax dollars are filling state and municipal coffers, the notable absence of establishments allowing the consumption of marijuana is felt by residents and visitors alike. A safe and comfortable place where like-minded individuals can congregate and recreate in whatever legal manner they see fit is still elusive, leaving many confined to their homes or the often-yet-ill-advised vehicle. But in the peripheries, pot clubs have been clandestinely operating, skirting Amendment 64’s ban on “open and public consumption” by designating themselves as private social clubs. They are scattered across the state, and while they can be hard to find, these clubs are available to those in need of a place to consume. Unfortunately, starting such a venture can be a risky choice. The city of Denver in particular has shown a certain zeal in shutting down venues that allow marijuana consumption, shuttering clubs and threatening the liquor licenses of bars and venues that look the other way.
it also explicitly states that marijuana use in private is legal. This mandate in the state constitution trumps all state and municipal laws, says Corry. While it may seem like these businesses operate in the fringes of legality, Corry sees them as strictly compliant with state law. “I don’t think [marijuana social clubs] operate in a grey area,” he says. Instead it is the overzealous law enforcers that shut them down that are operating in the legal grey area. “It’s striking to me that the marijuana industry and the marijuana consumer stand for this,” he says. One establishment pushing these perceived limits is Gary’s Rec Room, which opened in July on south Broadway.
“There are different levels of pushback statewide,” says Rob Corry, outspoken marijuana activist and one of the attorneys that helped to craft Amendment 64. Corry is legal counsel for several marijuana social clubs around the state, and he’s often had to take legal action to defend what he says is the constitutionally protected right of such clubs to exist.
“I never expected I’d find a place on Broadway, right here in the green mile,” says Gary Trueblood, the owner, operator and namesake. Gary doesn’t operate a business, as that would require licenses that would surely be in Jeopardy from the city. Instead, Gary opens his home – the other half of the duplex in which he lives – to all who would like a place to congregate and relax. There is a suggested five-dollar donation for upkeep, but entry entitles you to a relaxed, clean space in which to responsibly consume. ID’s are checked at the door, not because it’s law, says Trueblood, but because he isn’t interested in having friends over who can’t legally consume as adults.
“I think these clubs are 100 percent compliant under Colorado law,” says Corry. While Amendment 64 does explicitly mention open and public consumption,
It’s one of the only such places within Denver County, a problem that became glaringly apparent to Trueblood when he visited with his wife in April of this
54 September 2014
year. He says he was forced to huddle in his hotel bathroom, blowing hits into the exhaust fan, an experience that didn’t reflect marijuana’s legal status in the state. “That’s a fucking problem,” says Trueblood. He set out to rectify the issue, and came back in June to create such a place. “I’m here not just providing a service to the dispensaries,” he says, “I’m providing a service to the city of Denver.” An unfortunate reality of the city’s approach to marijuana policy is the surplus of people who have nowhere to smoke their legally purchased marijuana, leading to more people consuming where they shouldn’t, more unwelcome second-hand smoke, and ultimately more tickets, says Trueblood. While Gary’s Rec Room gets around the idiotic enforcement strategies of the city by remaining a private residence, others are forced to outside of city limits. Places like Ibake Lounge and Three Kings Dab Supply are open to new members, just outside of Denver in Commerce City and Wheatridge respectively. Ironically, Colorado Springs seems to be welcoming enough to the idea of a smoking lounge, with mainstays like The Speakeasy and the Lazy Lion. Both have been in operation for over a year without notable interference from law enforcement. However, in the right legal light, all are potentially in jeopardy – whether it be for violations of Colorado’s Clean Indoor Air Act, a loose definition of the term “public”, or something else that might tickle an official’s fancy – and that is something Corry sees as an integral part of marijuana thus far. “We’ve built this industry around pushing [the law],” says Corry. “We didn’t ask for anyone’s permission, we knew our rights and we grabbed them.” If you are looking for a place to enjoy your legal marijuana legally (or just a place to enjoy and meet new people) check out any of the places mentioned here. You are sure to find the patrons open and accommodating, and the bathrooms immaculate.
Gary’s Rec Room 2487 South Broadway, Denver $5 dollar suggested donation. Feels like your friend’s home, and it will be once you get to know Gary. Pipes, rigs and papers are available to those in need, but strictly BYO bud. Alcohol is not allowed. Speak Easy Vape Lounge 2508 Bijou St., Colorado Springs $5 membership. Probably the closest in feel to an actual bar, Speakeasy offers lockers for patrons to rent if they would like to bring in their own alcohol (thereby making it their own property, for legal reasons.) iBake 6125 Washington St., Commerce City. $10 membership. This smoke shop and hangout feels a lot like a club house used for table-top gamming. A friendly, subdued crowd, don’t expect anything too fancy. Be sure to have your own bud when you show up, but making friends here is no problem. Three Kings Dab Supply 12390 W 44th Ave., Wheatridge Variable membership rates available. A place that really feels like hanging out at your buddy’s house, if your buddy had a glass blowing area next to his large backyard patio. Equipped with various glass to be used should club members need and an Xbob One for all to enjoy. The Lazy Lion 2502 E Bijou St., Colorado Springs $5 entry. Probably the only place on this list that can qualify as an actual dab bar, The Lion has a selection of flowers and concentrates available for donated compensation, though the suggested donation can be fairly steep. The interior feels sterile and probably the less homey than the others listed, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
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So You Want to Be in the Weed Biz? What to Expect When Looking For a Canna-Job by DJ Reetz
The marijuana industry can seem like a dream come true for those who love the herb, an industry that rewards a passion for the cannabis plant, rather than punishing it. In the era of legalization many are drawn to Colorado for a shot at working in the industry, and those already here clamor to fill the estimated 10,000 jobs in the adult-use and medical marijuana markets. A plethora of websites now serve to connect would-be employees to their potential careers in the industry, but a career is more than just a click away. “The first thing would be to get badged,” says Shannon Foreman, owner of Hemp Temps, a company that claims to be “the original, first, and only cannabis industry full-staffing company that focuses on meeting all staffing needs.” The badge Foreman refers to is Marijuana Enforcement Division certification, and those interested in a starting position will require a support badge before they can hope to be employed in the industry. This means submitting to a background check, disclosing any prior arrests, and verifying age and identity. All this is accompanied by a fee that recently increased to $150, a fee that is nonrefundable should the applicant be found to be withholding information. For those thinking that the marijuana industry is a quick path to making legal money selling, trimming, growing, or otherwise working with marijuana, Foreman says you have to ask yourself a few questions first. “How committed are you to this industry? How badly do you want this job?” The fee for the support badge is almost never footed by a potential employer, so those interested in starting out will need the money to do so before they can even start. Once you’ve gotten your foot in the door, wages are aren’t that notably better than other retail jobs, with hourly wages generally averaging around $10/hour, working out to an average weekly take home of $400 per week for a 40-hour work week before taxes. This is slightly below the average weekly wage of retail trade workers according to the Colorado department of labor’s fourth quarter assessment for 2013 which places the average statewide $554. His average is even higher in Denver where it comes in at $597.
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The average entry wage in the dispensary world is probably closest to the wage of the average sporting good, hobby, book, or music store, which clocks in at $388 per week statewide and $387 per week in Denver, according to the department of labor. Still, those interested in overcoming the initial financial obstacle of getting badged and the less than spectacular pay shouldn’t be discouraged says Foreman. “There’s lots of room to grow,” she says. For those willing to put in the hours, much of it spent standing on your feet, management can offer wages closer to $18 to $20 per hour depending on the profitability of the particular dispensary, closer to the compensation rate of other skilled professionals; though this will require a key badge from the state MED rather than a mere support badge. Also important to note for potential job seekers, says Foreman, is the fact that just because you are working with cannabis all day doesn’t mean you will be using cannabis all day. “A lot of people think, ‘If I work in the industry, I can get high all day,’ and it’s not like that,” she says. “This industry is more hands on, people don’t understand how much work is involved.” For workers going through Hemp Temps, employment usually begins in a back of the house position, such as a trimmer. There, says Foreman, depending on skill and speed a solid trimmer can be paid between $11 and $12 per hour. “We make sure people get the ins and outs behind the scenes first.” If you’re considering breaking into the field of legal marijuana, don’t shy away from listing previous experience she says, even if some of it wasn’t quite legal. Foreman suggests listing a skill set on a résumé, rather than previous job experience. For those that do make the cut, the industry can be rewarding and fulfilling. All it takes is a little passion and dedication.
DISPENSARY GUIDE by DJ Reetz
DENVER
62 The Clinic 60 The Hemp Center 58 Infinite Wellness 58 Mindful 58 MMD of Colorado 60 Northern Lights Natural Rx 58 Physician Preferred Products 61 Preferred Organic Therapy 59 River Rock 59 Rocky Mountain Organic Medicine 59 Southwest Alternative Care 58 URBA 59 Walking Raven
COLORADO SPRINGS 60 The Hemp Center 58 Mindful 58 Original Cannabis Growers
NORTHERN COLORADO 58 Infinite Wellness 58 Mindful
MOUNTAIN 58 The Kine Mine
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Infinite Wellness Center 2 Locations www.infinitewellness8.com
We believe in the infinite possibility of total wellness and in the infinite modalities to achieving this wellness within and without. We offer our patients a dignified environment with friendly compassionate staff here to facilitate the needs of our patients. It is one of our goals to help dispel the negative press, thoughts and attitudes toward utilizing marijuana as a multi-beneficial medicine. We have set a standard to provide quality medical marijuana and edibles in a wonderful variety while upholding the laws set forth by both state and local governments. We plan to participate in fund raisers and charity events to engage in the needs of our community. It is our intention to bring light and awareness to a fresh view of well being and peace.
URBA at MMD of Colorado 2609 Walnut St. Denver, CO 80205 www.mmdofcolorado.com
A recreational store and a medical marijuana center serving individuals 21 and up. Located in the River North Neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. In compliance with Amendment 20, Amendment 64 and all subsequent rules and regulations. Our goal is to provide excellent marijuana in a comfortable, inviting environment. Our staff is dedicated to aiding in the best health and wellness possible for our customers. Our marijuana is grown in an environment that produces the best product, in the healthiest manner knowing our customers only want the best. We know you will find we have the best prices. Best quality. Best staff.
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The Kine Mine
2818 Colorado Blvd Idaho Springs, CO www.thekinemine.com Recreational Marijuana at The Kine Mine Colorado 303-567-2018 Our goal, to become the finest provider of medicinal marijuana in the world. Paving the path for innovative processes that may lead to cures, preventive medicines that the world is now just beginning to understand. Kine Mine is one of 17 marijuana dispensaries to get retail marijuana license in Colorado effective January 1, 2014! Stop by and see the selection!
Original Cannabis Growers 2625 E St Vrain St Colorado Springs, CO 80909 www.OGChome.com
Simply the best cannabis for less. We’re the first and oldest Center in our Platte Ave. neighborhood in Colorado Springs. Call for mature guidance for your personal needs from growers with over 15 years experience. We offer Happy Hour 4p.m. to 6p.m. Every day. Our friendly staff will be happy to assist you with all your medical cannabis needs.
Mindful
4 Locations www.bemindful.today Mindful is a Colorado business made up of caregivers to provide services and products in Colorado. In addition to our store services, we are also doing the following: •Actively lobbying at the state and local levels for patients’ rights and “safe access” to MMJ •Members of CBA (Cannabis Business Alliance) •Contributing at least 5% of our sales to various charity organizations •Running a need-based program to help defray the cost of medication for those without the means to afford MMJ •Working with other dispensary groups to build alliances around products and services •Working with other grower groups to ensure quality medication which is mold and chemical free
Physician Preferred Products 2100 East 112th Ave. Suite #5 Northglenn, CO 80233 www.pppmeds.com
Northglenn’s premier medical dispensary, Physician Preferred Products is proud and honored to continue to provide the highest quality products and customer service to the North Metro community! Up front, our bud-tenders strive to continually update their knowledge of strains and products in order to provide you with the most educated MMJ shopping experience around. In the back, our growers work tirelessly to bring only top quality strains into our garden. These strains have been, for the most part, grown from seed and hand selected from many phenotypes to ensure top quality, award winning genetics. We feel this combination of customer service and absolute dedication to quality amounts to a superior MMJ experience!
Preferred Organic
1569 South Colorado Boulevard Denver, CO 80222 www.preferredorganictherapy.com Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness is a medical marijuana center that empowers quality-minded patients with a revolutionary approach for treating the mind and the body. Together, the staff ensures that their patients are the most well-informed in the state of Colorado. They do this by combining patient-driven strain testing that breaks down the distinct properties of each strain, as well as its unique effects, with visual educational aids and enhanced strain titles. Their second-to-none selection of additional treatment products are made even more valuable given that they are combined with the ability to browse detailed information at a leisurely pace. Come see why Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness patients are raving about them.
Southwest Alternative Care
2 locations www.southwestalternativecare.com Southwest Alternative Care, your neighborhood medical marijuana center. Their mission is to provide Colorado patients with the best alternative medicine and services at the lowest possible prices. At Southwest you’ll find a large selection of top shelf medicines and edibles, all at affordable prices. With an award-winning grow team, legendary genetics, and perhaps the cleanest facility in the state, Southwest Alternative Care has redefined what it means to produce top shelf medicine. Southwest Alternative Care has over 25 top shelf strains, all hand trimmed, including Glass Slipper, Kool Aid Kush, OGre 99, Bubba Kush, Golden Goat, Moonshine Haze, Tangerine Haze, Dairy Queen and many more. The extracts they cull from these highgrade selections set a new standard in terms of quality. Find them on Facebook for a current menu.
River Rock
2 Locations www.riverrockcolorado.com RiverRock’s proprietary organic growing techniques deliver award winning medical cannabis - free of harsh chemicals - that is safer for our patients and the environment. RiverRock’s professional staff is dedicated to developing effective cannabis treatments that address the particular needs of our patients. We offer daily incentives to our patients with discounts of 15 to 25 percent, loyalty points, complimentary wellness services, weekly patient appreciation parties with monthly giveaways including glass, concert venues, restaurant deals, and merchandise. We sponsor a range of patients including; SSDI, SSI, Veterans, and patients with terminal illnesses to ensure the most affordable access to all of our medical cannabis products.
Rocky Mountain Organic Medicine 511 Orchard Street Golden, CO 80401 www.rockymountainorganicmedicine.com
RMOM offers an extremely professional atmosphere, knowledgable staff and always top quality, organically grown medical cannabis. If you are ready for a better dispensary experience, come visit our facility at the base of the Rockies in Golden. Meet John, the owner of Rocky Mountain Organic Medicine. The road that lead him to start RMOM was an unfortunate one. In February of 2009 John’s wife was diagnosed with colon cancer. She went through surgery followed by eight months of aggressive chemotherapy and radiation. As an alternative to the anti-nausea medication, she used cannabis to ease her discomfort. When John visited many of the dispensaries open at the time, he didn’t find one that he would feel comfortable sending his wife to by herself. They were all seedy in some form or another, and he knew there had to be a better way. In September 2009 he opened RMOM and brought a new level of professionalism to this industry.
Walking Raven
2001 S. Broadway Denver, CO www.mmjmenu.com/walkingraven NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 21+, NO MEDICAL CARD REQUIRED. Walking Raven Retail and Medical Marijuana Center is one of the first dispensaries in Denver. Our mission is to provide high quality products and care at an affordable price. All prices are out the door and we have different tier levels of bud quality. We also offer a range of edibles, concentrates, and novelty items. We take pride in our organic and meticulous cultivation process; we do not cut any corners and give our cultivators access to the best nutrients and equipment for their hand trimmed buds. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff is trained to assist you in finding a specific products for your desires. Walking Raven MMC is home to the Hong Kong Diesel, our top selling hybrid. Never settle, only shop PREMIUM QUALITY!
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L I T T L E T O N
www.the-hemp-center.com The Hemp Center is a hemp boutique as well as a top-shelf medical marijuana center, offering a myriad of holistic health services. Our educated and friendly staff strives to provide a safe, comfortable, and inviting atmosphere. By offering many different products and treatment options — Each personalized to an individuals‘ needs — we reach a wider spectrum than your ordinary medical marijuana center. 2430 West Main Street Littleton, CO 80120 303-993-7824 2501 West Colorado Ave #106 Colorado Springs, CO 80904 (719) 633-1611 Monday-Friday 10:00am-7:00pm Saturday 11:00am-6:00pm Sunday 12:00pm-5:00pm
E D G E W A T E R
Our dispensary section provides top shelf cannabis, concentrates, a wide variety of edibles and topical solutions. Our other passion is holistic health and the versatile uses for hemp. We offer vitamins, supplements, holistic health treatments, hemp purses and other textiles, body care products, storage containers, delivery devices and much more!! We have great member benefits accompanied by daily deals that make anytime you visit us a good day. There is also a rotating variety of our very best strains on special as our MDTHC Features. The Hemp Center is handicapped accessible, with two convenient locations one in Historic Downtown Littleton or check us out in Colorado Springs at 25th & Co Ave.
www.NLCannabis.com January 1 2014, at 8 AM the first legal cannabis sale took place here at Northern Lights Cannabis Co, one of only 24 retail stores to open that day for recreational sales! The history made that day continues to resonate with every legal cannabis transaction, including yours. Shop with us and make history! 2045 Sheridan Blvd. Suite B Edgewater, CO 80214 303-274-6495 9:00am-7:00pm Daily
Our staff is friendly and our knowledgeable budtenders will guide you to the perfect product. No pre-packaged here. Your purchase comes from the jar you sampled. Our shop has provided the finest Medical Cannabis since March 2010. Today we provide that same quality Medical and Recreational Cannabis to adults 21 and over from around the world. Coco grown, our frosty genetics are provided by TGA Sub Cool Seeds, DNA Genetics, Paradise Seeds and other reputable producers. Stop by and discover “Where Your Buds Are”!
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1st Place SATIVA
Patient’s Choice SATIVA
Connoisseur’s Choice SATIVA
www.pppmeds.com
Northglenn’s premier medical dispensary, Physician Preferred Products is proud and honored to continue to provide the highest quality products and customer service to the North Metro community! We are extremely excited to be a part of this historical time for the Medical Marijuana industry and want to thank our loyal customers for their devotion throughout the years. It is this customer support that drives us here at PPP to create a comfortable, friendly environment for your MMJ needs. Up front, our Bud-tenders strive to continually update their knowledge of strains and products in order to provide you with the most educated MMJ shopping experience around. In the back, our growers work tirelessly to bring only top quality strains into our garden. These strains have been, for the most part, grown from seed and hand selected from many phenotypes to ensure top quality, award winning genetics. We feel this combination of customer service and absolute dedication to quality amounts to a superior MMJ experience!
58 February 2014
2100 East 112th Avenue Suite #5 Northglenn, CO 80233 303-974-5966 Monday-Saturday 10:00am-7:00pm
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N O R T H G L E N N
D E N V E R
www.thecliniccolorado.com The Clinic Colorado 3888 East Mexico Ave., Ste. 110 Denver, CO 80210 303-758-9114 The Clinic Highlands 3460 West 32nd Avenue Denver, CO 80211 303-997-7130 The Clinic Capitol Hill 745 East 6th Avenue Denver, CO 80203 720-536-5229 The Clinic on Wadsworth 3600 South Wadsworth Blvd. Lakewood, CO 80235 303-484-8853 The Clinic on Colfax 4625 East Colfax Avenue Denver, CO 80220 303-333-3644 The Clinic On Jewell 12018 W Jewell Ave Lakewood, CO 80228 303-997-9171
The Clinic is an award winning medical marijuana center with six Denver metro locations! The Clinic is Denver’s premier medical marijuana center having won over 20 awards for both it’s high quality cannabis, concentrates and charitable contributions! The Clinic’s staff is extremely knowledgeable and friendly while the atmosphere at their locations reflect the immense amount of care that they provide to their patients as well as their medicine. The Clinic is also a long time supporter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, as it’s a cause that directly affects their patients, friends and family. As such, The Clinic has raised more than $100,000 for the Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the National MS Society since they first opened their doors in 2009. The Clinic has remained at the forefront of the medical marijuana movement by raising the standard for medical marijuana centers everywhere, not only through their patient driven mission but through their dedication to the community! Make sure to stop by The Clinic and see why their mantra holds true: Our Patients Live Better.
9:00am - 7:00pm Daily
Concentrates
Budder & Shatter The Clinic offers both budder and shatter, which are butane extracted concentrates, from our award winning marijuana infused products division, The Lab.
Awards
2014 High Times Cannabis Cup
1st Place US Cup Concentrate - 303 OG Nugrun Live Resin Budder 3rd Place Medical Sativa - Cherry Pie
2013 High Times Cannabis Cup 1st Place Sativa - Tangie 3rd Place Sativa - Stardawg Guava 3rd Place Hybrid - Ghost OG
2012 High Times Medical Cannabis Cup
1st Place Best Sativa - Stardawg Guava 1st Place Patient’s Choice - Kosher Kush 2nd Place Best Concentrate - Strawberry Cough Nectar 3rd Place Best Hybrid - Raskal OG
Pre ‘98 Bubba Kush
High Times Cannabis Cup: Highest CBD Strain
Grape God Bud
Spring 2010 Colorado Caregiver’s Cup Winner: Patient’s Choice, Best Aroma, Most Photogenic 2011 Aspen Cannabis
Crown, 2nd Place Overall
2013 The 710 Cup
2nd Place Best Sativa Shatter - Tangie 1st Place Best Sativa Shatter Terps Tangie
Strains Kosher Kush
2012 High Times Cannabis Cup (Denver) Patient’s Choice Winner
Stardawg Guava
2012 High Times Medical Cannabis Cup (Denver) 1st Place Best Sativa
Grape God Bud
2010 CO Caregiver’s The Hemp Connoisseur Cup Triple Crown-winChampionship 2012 ner and 2nd place 2011 2nd Place Indica and Connoisseur’s Aspen Cannabis Crown, Choice - Kosher Kush 1st Place Sativa and Patient’s Choice - this is the hottest indica in town. Stardawg Guava 3rd Place Hybrid and Patient’s Choice Ghost OG 1st Place Concentrate and Connoisseur’s Choice - Earth OG Nectar
Raskal OG
One of the most visually appealing and potent OG kushes around with The Hemp Connoisseur a distinct diesel fuel aroChampionship 2013 1st Place Indica, Connoisseur’s Choice ma. 2012 High Times and Best Tested - Kosher Kush Medical Cannabis Cup Patient’s Choice Hybrid - Grunk (Denver) 3rd Place Best 2nd Place Shatter and Patient’s ChoiceHybrid Tangie
Ghost OG
THC Champions Cup 3rd Place Overall Hybrid & Patients’ Choice Hybrid. 2013 High Times US Cannabis Cup 3rd place best hybrid winner
Fall ‘97
This indica-dominant strain is a sweet tasting cross between OG Kush and Purple Urkle.
Skywalker OG
This clone only pheno of OG Kush has quickly become a patient and staff favorite.
Super Lemon Haze
Winner of the 2008 and 2009 Sativa High Times Cannabis Cup
Edibles Beverages
CannaPunch, Dixie Elixirs, Keef Cola, Green Dragon, and MarQaha
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Tangie
2013 High Times US Cannabis Cup 1st place best sativa winner
Pre ‘98 Bubba Kush
2011 High Times Denver Medical Cannabis Cup highest CBD strain winner
Cherry Pie
GDP and F1 Durban cross that won 3rd Place Medical Sativa at the 2014 US Cannabis Cup
Durban Poison
A classic landrace sativa from Africa that is mouth watering and known for it’s soaring cerebral effects.
Baked Goods/Candies
Sweet Grass Kitchen, Julie & Kate Baked Goods, Mountain High Suckers, The Growing Kitchen, Mile Hi, Incredibles, and Cheeba Chews.
Reserva Privada Colorado: The Clinic carries the full line of Reserva Privada Colorado’s Confidential Collection and Sour Series.
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64 September 2014
21+ Retail Store
Credit Cards
07 Dr. J’s Hash Infusion
4, 62 The Clinic
60 The Hemp Center
13 Edipure
03, 59 Southwest Alternative Care
14 Incredibles
Nutritional Consulting
23, 58 Mindful
Daily Specials
05 Julie’s Baked Goods
60 The Hemp Center
9, 60 Northern Lights Natural Rx
60 The Hemp Center
14 Medically Correct
17, 59 River Rock
9, 60 Northern Lights Natural Rx
40 Mountain High Suckers
40, 58 URBA
09, 58 Original Cannabis Growers
02, 59 Walking Raven
61 Physician Preferred Products
Internet Wi-Fi
60 The Hemp Center
12, 59 Preferred Organic Therapy
60 The Hemp Center
04, 59 Preferred Organic Therapy
17, 59 River Rock
43, 58 The Kine Mine
17, 59 River Rock
43, 58 The Kine Mine
ATM On Site
Pain Management Consulting 4, 62 The Clinic
17, 59 River Rock
9, 60 Northern Lights Natural Rx 61 Physician Preferred Products
Educational Classes
17, 59 River Rock
9, 60 Northern Lights Natural Rx
Patient Appreciation Events Legal Services
17, 59 River Rock
30 Legal Shield
02, 59 Walking Raven
Award Winning
Evaluation Clinic/MMJ Doctor
4, 62 The Clinic
63 CannaQual
Live Music
Private Dispensing Rooms
60 The Hemp Center
40 Healthy Choices Unlimited
25 Chromic Con
60 The Hemp Center
26 Gypsy Jane Jubilee
9, 60 Northern Lights Natural Rx
9, 60 Northern Lights Natural Rx 61 Physician Preferred Products
Events
17, 59 River Rock
09, 58 Original Cannabis Growers
17, 59 River Rock
61 CannaSearch Job Fair
10 THC Championship
61 Physician Preferred Products
02, 59 Walking Raven
25 Chromic Con
12, 59 Preferred Organic Therapy
26 Gypsy Jane Jubilee
Local Artist Program
17, 59 River Rock
Body Care Products
16 Indo Expo
21, 59 River Rock
03, 59 Southwest Alternative Care
60 The Hemp Center
10 THC Championship
61 Physician Preferred Products
21 Walking Raven Golf Tournament
Massage Therapy
Pre-Order Medication
60 The Hemp Center
60 The Hemp Center
21, 59 River Rock
43, 58 The Kine Mine
Books & Education
Free Parking
60 The Hemp Center
60 The Hemp Center
9, 60 Northern Lights Natural Rx
43, 58 The Kine Mine
Member Discounts
12, 59 Preferred Organic Therapy
23, 58 Mindful
4, 62 The Clinic
17, 59 River Rock
Cash Only
40, 58 MMD of Colorado
60 The Hemp Center
03, 59 Southwest Alternative Care
43, 58 The Kine Mine
9, 60 Northern Lights Natural Rx
43, 58 The Kine Mine
9, 60 Northern Lights Natural Rx
09, 58 Original Cannabis Growers
9, 60 Northern Lights Natural Rx
Seeds
09, 58 Original Cannabis Growers
61 Physician Preferred Products
61 Physician Preferred Products
4, 62 The Clinic
17, 59 River Rock
12, 59 Preferred Organic Therapy
12, 59 Preferred Organic Therapy
17, 59 River Rock
17, 59 River Rock
17, 59 River Rock
Charity/Community Outreach
20, 59 Rocky Mountain Organic Medicine
20, 59 Rocky Mountain Organic Medicine
Senior Discounts
4, 62 The Clinic
03, 59 Southwest Alternative Care
03, 59 Southwest Alternative Care
60 The Hemp Center
17, 59 River Rock
40, 58 URBA
21 Walking Raven Golf Tournament
02, 59 Walking Raven
Clothing Items
Happy Hour
4, 62 The Clinic
09, 58 Original Cannabis Growers
09, 58 Original Cannabis Growers
10,58 Northern Lights Natural Rx Member Loyalty Program 61 Physician Preferred Products
Signature Concentrates
17, 59 River Rock
4, 62 The Clinic 17, 59 River Rock
MMJ Doctor/Evaluation Clinic
60 The Hemp Center 43, 58 The Kine Mine
Hemp Products
63 CannaQual
Signature Edibles
9, 60 Northern Lights Natural Rx
60 The Hemp Center
40 Healthy Choices Unlimited
07 Dr. J’s Hash Infusion
61 Physician Preferred Products
17, 59 River Rock
Business Couriers
13 Edipure Multiple Locations
60 The Hemp Center
Holistic Health
4, 62 The Clinic
14 Incredibles
60 The Hemp Center
60 The Hemp Center
05 Julie’s Baked Goods
23, 58 Mindful
14 Medically Correct
17, 59 River Rock
40 Mountain High Suckers
17, 59 River Rock
46 Green Cross Couriers Infused Products
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THANK YOU TO OUR ADVERTISERS
63 710 Pipes 30 Canna Cabins 46 Cannabase 55 Cannabistube.net 63 CannaQual 61 CannaSearch Job Fair 25 Chromic Con 4, 62 The Clinic 68 Cloud Penz 07 Dr. J’s Hash Infusion 13 Edipure 46 Green Cross Couriers 26 Gypsy Jane Jubilee 40 Healthy Choices Unlimited 60 The Hemp Center 10 THC Championship 37 iCannabisradio.com 14 Incredibles 45 Indica Vape 16 Indo Expo 58, 63 Infinite Wellness 05 Julie’s Baked Goods 43, 58 The Kine Mine 30 Legal Shield 14 Medically Correct 23, 58 Mindful 40, 58 MMD of Colorado 40 Mountain High Suckers 48 NCIA 9,60 Northern Lights Natural Rx 09, 58 Original Cannabis Growers 61 Physician Preferred Products 12, 59 Preferred Organic Therapy 17, 59 River Rock 20, 59 Rocky Mountain Organic Medicine 33 Scientific Inhalations 33 SI Pipes 3, 59 Southwest Alternative Care 40, 58 URBA 02, 59 Walking Raven 21 Walking Raven Golf Tourn.
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9, 60 Northern Lights Natural Rx
Veteran Discounts
17, 59 River Rock
60 The Hemp Center 43, 58 The Kine Mine
Signature Strains
10,58 Northern Lights Natural Rx
4, 62 The Clinic
17, 59 River Rock
60 The Hemp Center 43, 58 The Kine Mine
Berthoud
23, 58 Mindful
23, 58 Mindful
40, 58 MMD of Colorado 9, 60 Northern Lights Natural Rx
Colorado Springs
09, 58 Original Cannabis Growers
60 The Hemp Center
61 Physician Preferred Products
23, 58 Mindful
04, 59 Preferred Organic Therapy
09, 58 Original Cannabis Growers
17, 59 River Rock 20, 59 Rocky Mountain Organic Medicine
Denver Central
03, 59 Southwest Alternative Care40, 58
4, 62 The Clinic
URBA
40, 58 MMD of Colorado
02, 59 Walking Raven
17, 59 River Rock 03, 59 Southwest Alternative Care
Smoking Accessories
40, 58 URBA
63 710 Pipes 68 Cloud Penz
Denver East
45 Indica Vape
4, 62 The Clinic
33 Scientific Inhalations
25 Healthy Choices Unlimited
33 SI Pipes
23, 58 Mindful
Specialty Glass
Denver Highlands
9, 60 Northern Lights Natural Rx
4, 62 The Clinic
17, 59 River Rock Denver North Specialized Treatment Programs
17, 59 River Rock
4, 62 The Clinic
03 The Trimmer Store
17, 59 River Rock Denver South Topicals
63 CannaQual
4, 62 The Clinic
4, 62 The Clinic
60 The Hemp Center
12, 59 Preferred Organic Therapy
43, 58 The Kine Mine
17, 59 River Rock
9, 60 Northern Lights Natural Rx
02, 59 Walking Raven
09, 58 Original Cannabis Growers 61 Physician Preferred Products
Denver Southwest
12, 59 Preferred Organic Therapy
03, 59 Southwest Alternative Care
17, 59 River Rock Edgewater Vegetarian
9, 60 Northern Lights Natural Rx
07 Dr. J’s Hash Infusion 13 Edipure
Fort Collins
14 Incredibles
58, 63 Infinite Wellness Center
05 Julie’s Baked Goods
23, 58 Mindful
14 Medically Correct 40 Mountain High Suckers
Golden 20, 59 Rocky Mountain Organic Medicine
thcmag.com 67
68 September 2014