The Hemp Connoisseur, March 2016 - Issue #39

MARCH 2016

COUPONS INSIDE

COLORADO’S PREMIER GUIDE TO CANNABIS

CERTIFIED ORGANIC:

THE STRUGGLE FOR INDUSTRIAL HEMP *This magazine is intended for individuals over 21 years of age.

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4 March 2016

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A LETTER TO OUR READERS

“The beautiful spring came; and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.”

-Harriet Ann Jacobs

March is upon us and it brings with it the first day of spring, March 20. I love this time of year, the end of winter, a promise of new life and longer, sunnier days to come. St. Patrick’s Day is here this month as well, March 17. A very big holiday for the alcohol/bar industry. According to nhtsa.gov, from 2011-2014 approximately two out of three traffic fatalities between midnight and 6 a.m. after St. Patrick’s Day were the result of drunk driving accidents.

Since St. Patrick’s Day is known as a “drinking holiday”, this sort of irresponsible alcohol consumption has be perpetuated year after year with no end in sight. It is traditionally a Christian holiday, the death date of St. Patrick, and is meant to be a feast celebrating the arrival of Christianity to Ireland. The drinking tradition began because the Catholic Church lifted their Lent restrictions on food and drink for the celebration and it has been subsequently bastardized into what it is today.

As an Irish American, I think it is great to have a day to celebrate Irish heritage and since it is a “green” holiday, cannabis will be a crucial part of my St. Patrick’s Day. Let’s be super classy this year and keep the green beer to a minimum. Download Uber or Lyft to your smartphone and enjoy a safe and sober ride wherever your St. Patrick’s Day takes you.

In this issue we have several great hemp articles for your reading enjoyment. We dug into the USDA certification of “organic” hemp with CBDRx, page 54. We hope you are just as excited as us about the innovative hemp companies we featured this month, Nature’s Root, PureHemp Technologies, and Cannoid just to name a few.

All of this wonderful hemp content has us revving up our figurative engines in preparation for April 1 and 2, when we will be at the third annual NoCo Hemp Expo in Loveland, CO. We hope to see you up there, stop by our booth and say hello.

Publishers Christianna Brown David Maddalena Editor-in-Chief Christianna Brown Managing Editor DJ Reetz Layout Design Caroline Hayes Director of Sales and Marketing Michael Bright sales@thcmag.com Sales Managers Jason Brown Chris Mercer Dominique Wogan Louis Zerobnik Contributing Writers Michael Bright Hazy Cakes Samuel Farley Caroline Hayes Erin Hiatt Monocle Man DJ Reetz Louis Zerobnick Contributing Photographers Christianna Brown Samuel Farley Caroline Hayes Glass Otaku We Other Contributers Kevin Smith Erik Josephson Cover Art Christianna Brown Graphic Design Christianna Brown Printer Publication Printers Corp.

2001 South Platte River Drive Denver, CO 80223 PH: 303.936.0303 www.publicationprinters.com

d /THCMagazine f @THC_magazine @thehempconnoisseur The Hemp Connoisseur is published monthly by The Hemp Connoisseur, LLC. All contents are copyrighted 2016 by The Hemp Connoisseur, LLC. All rights reserved.

For advertising and subscription info please email sales@thcmag.com.

Christianna Brown Editor-in-Chief

6 March 2016

Correction: In the February 2016 issue of THC we left out photo credit to Photographer Alex Robinson for a photo on page 27, upper right corner, of artist Brian Scott Hampton.

TM

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“2015 Best milk chocolate edible”

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Photo Courtesy: Fox & Nug

Consume Responsibly.

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In This Issue

CONTENTS March 2016

06 12 18 24 26 32 34

8 March 2016

A Letter to Our Readers The Green Scene In the Spotlight LoveandMarij Winners Featured Artist Tasty Meds Featured Strains

36 38 40 44 46 50 54

Hemp Eats Cannabis News Colorado Glass Spotlight Next Level Hemp CBD Cash in Cannabis A Hemp Revolution?

Certified Organic Hemp?

56 A Social Change in Action 58 Nature’s Root Spa 62 Pot-litcially Incorrect 65 Dispensary Guide 71 Coupons 73 Directory 74 Index

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U N V E I L I N G T H E W O R L D O F I N D U S T R I A L &

EDUC ATION INSIGHT ENTERTAINMENT NUTRITION

LETS TALK HEMP! Ben Franklin - Founding Father, Scientist, Entrepreneur Keynote - Patriotism, Humanity, Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness www.benfranklinlive.com Doug Fine - Author of Hemp Bound and First Legal Harvest Keynote - State Of The Hemp Industry 2016 Plus Dozens of Industry Experts, Thought Leaders and Educators

100+ EXHIBITORS & VENDORS Textiles, Apparel, Food, Body Care, CBD Products, Beverages, Paper, Cars, Building Material, 3D Hemp Printing, Crafts, Jewelry, Books, Grow Lighting, Soil Nutrients, Green Houses, Extractors, Lab Services, Legal Services, Investment, Real Estate Services, Processing Services, Farm Equipment, Non-Profits, and Much More.

10 March 2016

PANELS & CONVERSATIONS Roots of a Budding Industry Viable & Certified Seed Farming & Cultivation Processing & Technology Science & Genetics Distribution & Delivery Bioplastics & Composites Environmental Benefits of Hemp Economic Benefits of Hemp Nutrition, Health & Wellness The Future of Hemp & Much More

N U T R I T I O N A L H E M P AT T H E 3 R D A N N UA L N O CO H E M P E X P O

produced by COLORADO HEMP COMPANY

presented by

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E G E N E R AT I O N H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S ENTERTAINMENT

ART ZONE Featuring Tommy Nahulu Painting on Hemp Colorado Kids Connection

Live Music with The Guitar Circus featuring Dave Beegle, Jasco & Chris Jackowski Canadian Hemp Guitars and Ukuleles

WORKSHOPS

After Expo Show @ The Aggie Theater w/Euforquestra and Analog Son www.aggietheater.com

Building with Hemp Cooking with Hemp Brewing Beer with Hemp Artisan Crafting with Hemp

WHO SHOULD ATTEND Hemp Companies Entrepreneurs Retail Buyers Farmers Processors

Manufacturers Investors Legislators Consumers Press & Media

HEMP FASHION FEATURE STEP'N-OUT IN HEMP Recharge Your Wardrobe

Sat Apr 2, 3pm

HEMP INVESTMENT SUMMIT Special Investors Program with VIP Hemp Summit Access April 1 - 3pm-5pm

TICKETS STARTING AT $15 On Sale Now!

www.nocohempexpo.com

April 1-2 • 2016 The Ranch Events Complex Loveland Colorado

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The GREEN Scene

E V E N T S

March 5 - 6 2nd Annual Colorado Hemp Awards & Festival @ Boulder County Fairgrounds 9595 Nelson Road Longmont, CO www.growhempcolorado.com March 7 Trichome Institute Interprening Course Level 1-2 @ Colorado Free University 7653 E. 1st Place Denver, CO www.shop.trichomeinstitute.com March 11 Hempcrete Building Workshop @ Ras Ka 120 W Laurel St Fort Collins, CO 80524 www.nccraftsmanship.org March 15 Frank Talk: The SCIENCE! of Cannabis @ Fort Greene Bar 321 E 45th Ave Denver, CO 80216 April 1 - 2 NoCo Hemp Expo @ The Ranch Events Complex 1151 Eagle Drive #324 Loveland, CO www.nocohempexpo.com April 21 Colorado Quarterly Cannabis Caucus @ City Hall 1144 Broadway Denver, CO 80203 ncia.memberclicks.net April 26-27 BIG Industry Show @ National Complex Denver 4655 Humboldt St. Denver, CO www.bigindustryshow.com.com

12 March 2016

Photo by Yarygin

Good Reads

Sweet Treats with Mary Jane

Karin Lazarus and her Boulder-based edible company, Sweet Mary Jane, created a solid foundation for the cookbook, 75 Delicious Cannabis-Infused High End Desserts.

This entire book of recipes revolves around the best meal of the day – dessert. From cookies to cakes, puddings to pop tarts, sauces to sweets, Lazarus’ book will make your mouth water.

Not only does this book give you great cannabis-infused recipes for sweet treats, but the recipes are designed so that you can use non-medicated butters, oils and sugars to make them, so really this is a 2-in-1 recipe book.

Lazarus has won awards for her baking and maintains a well-respected edible company in Colorado. Sweet Mary Jane products can be found in more than 100 dispensaries. One can feel confident that investing time and money into baking one of her treats will turn out to be a success.

Starting out when she was eight years old with a Betty Crocker cookbook and a Sunbeam Mixer, Lazarus has always had a passion for baking and it shows in her thoughtfully designed recipes. Baking is extremely important to her and the look of joy on people’s faces when they try her goods is what it’s all about. “My goal from the beginning has been to produce baked goods that are healthful and beautiful, both to eat and to behold,” Lazarus says.

The 75 recipes in Cannabis-Infused High End Desserts are to die for. The Pop Rocks Sandwich Cookies recipe is one of the most unique in the book, definitely a recipe I’ve never seen before. If you love cupcakes and breakfast food, you will go crazy over the French Toast Cupcakes recipe, made with bacon and real maple syrup. And then there are the classic recipes, such as lemon bars and oatmeal cookies. In addition to the ‘traditional’ recipes made with regular flour, butter, eggs, etc. there are a few vegan, gluten free

and raw-based concoctions to suit everyone’s needs.

by Caroline Hayes

Ok, so the recipes sound great, but how do you get from just having the ingredients on a shelf to creating a yummy, medicated product to ease that pain or to help you sleep more soundly through the night? For starters, Lazarus provides a simple explanation of why eating cannabis is beneficial to our health. She then gives a thorough, detailed list of ingredients to buy so you aren’t left unprepared when it comes time to bake. (I would suggest to find a recipe that interests you and to refer to the checklist to see what is needed in advance.)

Baking is like a science, which requires precise measuring and Lazarus’ book couldn’t be more helpful. If you follow her instructions from start to finish, I’m sure you will end up with a deliciously medicated sweet treat.

There is a very detailed glossary of the equipment terms used throughout the book, even the most non-chef kind of guy could whip up one of these desserts with her helpful introductory chapters.

One of the most unique concepts of this book versus other cannabis cookbooks THC Mag has reviewed is the different levels of dosing and the recipe for medicated sugar. Lazarus offers three different medicated recipes, each with three levels. So for example, the Hey Sugar! recipe level one calls for a low amount of cannabis and non-medicated sugar, level two doubles that amount of cannabis and sugar, and level three triples it. The level system is a great guide for making a recipe stronger or weaker. In addition to the medicated sugar, there are recipes for Coconut Bliss, which is medicated coconut oil and Buddha Budda, which is medicated butter.

75 Delicious Cannabis-Infused High End Desserts is a wonderfully thoughtout book that should most definitely be on your cookbook shelf. Great for beginners or experts alike.

“I especially love that magical moment when you pull a baking sheet from the oven and know that what you’ve made is absolutely perfect.”

OMG Brownie Cheesecake

Sweet Temptation Mango Sorbet

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14 March 2016

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16 March 2016

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In the Spotlight Products We Love

Hemp Heart Bar

by Manitoba Harvest reviewed by Hazy Cakes Manitoba Harvest is one of the pioneers in the hemp seed game, so it’s only natural that they lead the pack when it comes to hemp seed granola-like bars. The Hemp Heart Bar has that deliciously nutty taste of hemp seeds, which are the first ingredient and the rest to follow (in the vanilla bar) are organic coconut palm sugar, organic brown rice syrup, organic vanilla flavor, sea salt, pectin, organic sunflower oil and organic rosemary. Packed full of nutrients like this, the Hemp Heart Bar is sure to carry you through those tough workdays or that grueling hike. Each bar contains 10 grams of plant-based protein and 10 grams of healthy omegas. Debuting in three flavors: vanilla, chocolate and apple cinnamon, the Hemp Heart Bar is available in most grocery stores and at under $3 a bar who can resist? Visit www.manitobaharvest.com to read more about these or to order your own box.

Headdress Hat Pin

by Chiefton Supply Company reviewed by Monocle Man

Chiefton Supply Company is a Denverbased clothing company. Their product line consists of various apparel items designed with cannabis related themes and artwork. This hat pin sports one of their most popular designs, a Colorado cannabis headdress. It’s well made and very detailed, like a tiny work of art. This stylish pin would be a welcome addition to any collection. www.chieftonsupply.com

18 March 2016

Wax Wallet by 420 Science reviewed by Samuel Farley Twitter and Instagram @THC_Samuel The Wax Wallet by 420 Science is a great silicon concentrate container that allows for discrete and safe transportation of wax or shatter. Slightly larger than a quarter, the container holds a little more than a full gram of wax or shatter. The style of the container resembles a clam shell and is hinged on one side, providing a more secure option than other plain silicone storage containers. I found myself using the container as both something I keep on my desk to safely store my concentrates and also as a great travel container when I want to bring wax or shatter while I am out and about. The containers come in a variety of colors including yellow, blue and grey and fit easily into pockets and even larger leather wallets. Overall, a great product and at $7.95 for a single container or three containers for $20, the price and usefulness make it an easy decision for daily dabbers. To shop: www.420science.com.

The Victory Green Celebration Pipe reviewed by Monocle Man We have featured Celebration Pipes in the past, and we really like these uniquely handcrafted pipes. With St. Patrick’s Day fast approaching, what better color could we introduce you to than Victory Green? This color was appropriately introduced in the Celebration Pipes product line after the passing of legalization measures in Colorado and Washington. The pipe’s base is created out of LAVASTONEWAREtm, and the bowl is plated in 22k gold. The gold acts as an excellent heat conductor and helps your flower to burn evenly in every bowl smoked. This Victory Green pipe is such a beautiful color and has a unique circular pattern, every pipe will look a little different due to the nature of the plating process. Each artisan pipe comes with a velvet storage bag, custom gift box, and a certificate of authenticity.

They are also signed and dated by the artist. Check them out online at www.celebrationpipes.com and read about Celebration Pipes rich 40+ year history of crafting these beautiful, artisan creations.

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Lavender Hand Balm

by Rising Sun Ranch Creations reviewed by Hazy Cakes It’s no secret that this is the time of year when proper hand care is imperative. Colorado’s winter conditions can leave hands extremely dry resulting in painful, cracked skin. Don’t fall victim to winter in the desert.

Treat yourself to Rising Sun Ranch Creation’s Lavender Hand Balm.

The ingredients list is simple and effective, containing a few unusual ingredients such as plantain and chickweed. Crowd favorites such as coconut oil, beeswax, chamomile and vitamin E make up the others on the list. In addition to suffering from the driest hands this side of the Mississippi, I suffer from dry, peely cuticles and nails. Every night for a week I have rubbed the Lavender Hand Balm all over my hands, really focusing on my nail areas, and as a result have had noticeably softer hands and stronger nails. This is a great product from a local company that really works – it’s a no brainer! Visit wwww.risingsunranch.com to order and explore other fabulous, all natural products.

Pain Relief Hemp Oil Bath Bomb by Noble Remedies reviewed by Hazy Cakes We love to support small business here at THC Magazine. Noble Remedies is a great little shop on Etsy that creates wonderful hemp personal care products. This Pain Relief Hemp Oil Bath Bomb is made with organic hemp oil and 100 percent pure essential oils of peppermint, wintergreen, clove, and lemon. This combination of natural ingredients is intended to relieve your body aches and pains. Drop this thing in your bath water and let the calm and relaxation wash over you as it releases a wonderful, stress relieving scent into the air. The warm water and oils penetrate sore muscles, leaving you feeling refreshed and very mellow, not to mention the super soft skin. Bath bombs can make your tub a tad bit slippery but it shouldn’t be a problem as long as you are being careful. Check out Noble Remedies Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/nobleremedies.

20 March 2016

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Hemp Ukulele

by Canadian Hemp Guitars reviewed by DJ Reetz This stylish little number from Canadian Hemp Guitars is an intriguing concept. With a neck made of rich mahogany, a rosewood fingerboard and fair-trade, responsible lumber used for the bridge, it’s certainly a well-made instrument. But the real draw here is the body, which is fabricated out of a bio-composite made from hemp bast and recycled polypropylene binding resin.

It’s sleek and stylish, with a solid feel that matches if not exceeds the durability of a traditional wooden ukulele.

Since my own musical ability is limited to some wicked kazoo skills, I passed the ukulele off to my friend Marcus, who from time to time uses one while leading the band Money Thinks I’m Dead and while playing solo under the name St. Stevan. He’s no stranger to playing the ukulele, and in no time he was strumming notes as though it was his own instrument. He told me that the hemp ukulele felt good in his hands, and he felt that the resonance created by the hemp chamber made for a slightly deeper, more somber sound than his usual instrument. The geared tuning pegs held the Aquila Nylgut strings in tune throughout the session without the need for readjustment, and he described the instrument as having an overall slightly softer feel than his standard uke.

For the hemp-loving musicians of the world, Canadian Hemp Guitars is offering something truly unique. Check them out at www.canadianhempguitars.com to see their entire line of full-sized guitars as well as both concert and soprano ukuleles. If you want to see the hemp ukulele in action, check out a video on our website at www.thcmag. com. And if you’re interested in seeing the musician in action, catch St. Stevan on March 20 when he opens for Social Animals at Lion’s Lair in Denver.

22 March 2016

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Love and MariJane

Love Wins!

The first ever weed wedding giveaway by loveandmarij.com

Just like its name suggests, LoveandMariJ.com is all about love, relationships, weddings…and weed! And to continue celebrating and sparking communication about how cannabis can be legally and elegantly incorporated into weddings and other formal events, LoveandMariJ.com is proud to announce the winner of the world’s first Cannabis Wedding Giveaway.

This past January, twelve trailblazing couples challenged stereotypes by publicly sharing how cannabis played a role in their love story. The prize: the world’s most sophisticated and elegant cannabis infused wedding. The winners, Matt Davenport and Rachael Carlevale, moved the judges with their Love is Real entry of how the discovery of Rachael’s uterine tumor changed their lives and relationship forever—and how their commitment was strengthened by the search for a holistic approach to healing, including their own artisanal organic regenerative cannabis, that saw Rachael’s tumor shrink by over 20 mm.

LoveandMariJ.com will celebrate Matt and Rachael’s union in August 2016 in Colorado with a full suite of prizes and services furnished by the most prestigious names in the cannabis industry, including event planning and cannabis pairing rehearsal dinner by Cultivating Spirits, a sparkling cannabis toast by Dixie Elixirs, a complimentary bud-bar by High Country Healing, grounds for hosting the wedding and other bridal activities at Bella Vista Estate, bridal bud bouquet and groom “budonniere” by Buds & Blossoms, invitations and ceremony programs by KushKards, a relationship coaching session and custom date blueprint by Highly Devoted, a signature dessert prepared by The Herbal Chef, cannabis-friendly limo transportation

by Steamboat420, three bottles of Foria, a picnic style cannabis carrying case from Stashlogix and a feature in THC Magazine.

“We are humbled to be part of this movement that is serving the greater good and we are grateful to be able to do our part,” stated Matt and Rachael.

The couple is designing their wedding around eco-conscious, sustainable principals and pride themselves as leaders in the regenerative cannabis movement.

Officiating the ceremony will be Medicine Hunter Chris Kilham, a former professor of Rachael’s from University of Massachusetts where she earned her pre-med degree. Chris’ wife Zoe Helene of Cosmic Sister, an education and networking collective that includes Cosmic Sisters of Cannabis, along with Rachael, is co-creating “Budmaid Goodie Bags” with organic,

24 March 2016

handmade gifts including heart-shaped hempseed oil soaps.

“The World’s First Weed Wedding Giveaway was a beautiful reminder, for me, of how truly versatile cannabis is,” says judge Marie Veksler from Whaxy. “Not only can it be used to relieve the symptoms of debilitating diseases or as a recreational means of blowing off steam, but it can spark, forge and strengthen friendships and love. Can anything else do all of that?”

Other contest judges included Cannabist pot critic Jake Browne, cancer survivor and cannabis publicist Tracy Henry, cannabis and sex columnist Sophie Thomas and Cannabusiness Report host Ryan Nerz, “He delivered the engagement ring on a ski slope. She fought - with his help, and the help of super pure cannabis - to shrink her tumor by 20 millimeters. Does love get more real than that?” commented Nerz.

According to LoveandMariJ’s CEO Niki Usbay McDonald, participating in the contest was a way for contestants to initiate intelligent conversations with their friends and family on cannabis use; breaking down barriers and opening minds to understanding how people they love have used cannabis to promote health, confidence and communication; three core factors that impact how you experience love.

Second place winners Chris Murphy and Shea Rossi won a three night stay at Mountain Views B&B in Spokane, Washington, (where you may use the grounds to throw your own Washington Weed Weeding, or just have a relaxing couple’s getaway!) Discounted Cultivating Spirits food, wine and cannabis or food beer and cannabis tour, a 30-minute relationship coaching session by Highly Devoted, and two bottles of Foria.

Even as opinions and legislation continues to shift in favor of legalizing marijuana, engaged couples still struggle to find cannabis-friendly vendors for their special day. The mission of LoveandMariJ.com is to shatter outdated stereotypes and define “the new normal” through promoting upscale cannabis events, educating vendors on their legal rights and generating content on how to tastefully and respectfully serve recreational cannabis at upscale events in legal markets. According to McDonald, “Most couples who don’t drink, still host alcohol at their wedding. Couples who don’t smoke should consider couples like Matt and Rachael and host cannabis at their wedding as well. I love alcohol just as much as anyone, but when I think about celebrating an occasion with class, I’d much rather host a cerebral stoner over a sloppy drunk!”

Winners Rachael and Matt

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Featured Artist

Calvin Mickle Written by Caroline Hayes Photography by Glass Otaku and We

Who are you, what do you do and where are you from?

I’m Calvin, a renaissance man from Tucson.

How long have you been blowing glass?

About 10 years.

A lot of your work seems to be inspired by birds. What can you tell us about that?

I started making bird skulls in 2010 inspired mainly by the deserts surrounding me. I adapted the birds into my graffiti and 2D art as well. As I traveled, collaborating with other artists and painting, I started to take control of my style and expand it. The bird has evolved into a more colorful, functional and cute character that I make today.

What’s your favorite real life bird?

A road runner.

Can you tell us about your different collections such as the Spectrum and Burdlock series?

I always try to make a limited series to further my abilities in glass and promote the growth of my work. Having a series allows me to grow on an idea and move on to new concepts while keeping all of the pieces unique and collectible. For these past series I was excited to finally take ideas and experiences, refine them, and preserve them into glass.

“Ariel”

Where can people find your work?

Various shops all over and online at www.calm.glass.

Other than being an artist, what other jobs have you had?

I once managed a pizza store when I was younger and right before I started blowing glass I was a colorant technician for a paint company.

Are all your pieces functional?

What kind of outlook do you have on life that you think might help your artistry?

Not always, I also love creating all facets of the glass world - millies, marbles, sculptural work, etc.

Do what you love and follow your passion: it will love you back.

What helps you get in the artist groove?

Thoughts on Denver’s art scene?

A brief getaway and most commonly a bowl gets me into the groove.

Denver is booming. There is always an event or project going on. There are endless opportunities and I feel very fortunate to be here.

Do you have any upcoming shows?

Anything else you’d like the readers to know about life, art, music, etc?

I’ll mostly be teaching in 2016 but coming up I will be part of a group show, Elbo’s Pool Party in Costa Rica, and a big 420 show called 5280 Glass Showcase in Denver. Both are glassblower-run and should be pretty entertaining.

Keep on creating!

26 March 2016

We definitely will. Thank you CalM! You can also check his work out on Instagram @calmbo.

“Invader”

“Omega Watts”

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“Vitro” CalM x Adam Reetz

“Hummer 3”

“Sabino”

28 March 2016

"Ascension"

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SLOW DOWN. BREATHE. INHALE. THIS IS PRECISION EMBODIED. THIS IS SURRENDER REFINED. BREATHE. INHALE. THIS IS INDICA.

The single-button control of the Indica vaporizer is not only ™

precise, it’s perfected. Engineered to quickly reach and consistently maintain exact temperatures, you are only moments from an ideal, sustained experience. · indicavapor.com Indica, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Patent pending.

30 March©2015 2016

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Tasty Meds

Reviews of Colorado’s finest cannabis infused products Uncut GSC x OG 18 Vape Cartridge, 500 mg by FLO: Focused Labs Oils reviewed by Samuel Farley

Focused Labs Oils, FLO, is a relatively new addition to the vape cartridge market and continue to up their game with new and improved products. FLO has a variety of strain-specific cartridge sizes including, 250 mg, 500 mg and 850 mg. One of their new products is the uncut vape cartridge, which is made with activated supercritical CO2. As a medical patient, I’m a huge fan of vape cartridges because they allow for safe medicating while out during the day without providing the heavy effect of a dab of concentrate. I had the chance to try the new uncut cartridge from Patient’s Choice filled with a hybrid strain of Girl Scout Cookies X OG 18. A great aspect of the uncut cartridge is the omission of added fillers like propylene glycol, commonly found in many other cartridges. The lack of extra filler not only means a more potent product — 75 percent active THC — but also a vape cartridge that tastes incredible and provides a substantial medicinal benefit. After taking my first few hits from the uncut cartridge, I immediately noticed the flavor and how smooth the hit was. After a few minutes (and about four hits on my pen) I really began to notice the effects. A calming head buzz that provided me with some relaxation, took away some knee pain and allowed me to focus on my tasks for the day. FLO recommends using a three to four volt battery and to keep the cartridge at least at room temperature to achieve the maximum benefit from the hash oil. Overall, a great product and one that I am excited to try again. To learn more go to focusedlabs.com.

Ice Live Resin Batter by The Lab from Herbal Remedies reviewed by Samuel Farley The Ice Live Resin Batter from Herbal Remedies, processed by The Lab is a fantastic concentrate. As soon as I opened the small container the smell erupted immediately and the flavor equaled the aroma. Ice is a hybrid strain that combines Shiva Skunk, Afghan and Northern Lights that I would consider a great example of a 50/50 hybrid. The Ice live resin batter has a medium, golden-yellow color and the consistency is accurately described as a “batter”. It was easy to measure out whatever size dab I wanted and the batter didn’t stick to the container but held on perfectly to the end of my dabber. After my first dab I felt the relaxing and uplifting head effect from the sativa split right away which was a great way to start a Sunday afternoon. A few minutes later, following a second and slightly larger dab, the body high began to kick in. I deal with chronic knee pain due to multiple torn ligaments and the Ice live resin batter provided enough of a body effect to take away my knee pain and enough of a head buzz for me to get a nice enjoyable head high as well. I only needed those two dabs for the rest my afternoon and I was able to stay pain free. The Ice live resin batter isn’t the type of concentrate I would get a ton of work done while dabbing, which is a good thing, and is great for relaxation and stress relief. The effect after two dabs was substantial in terms of both the relaxing and pain reducing effects. I would recommend the Ice live resin batter from Herbal Remedies to any medical patient that wants a concentrate option that serves as a great example of a 50/50 hybrid strain concentrate. Visit both companies’ websites to learn more www.herbalremediesdenver.com and www.thelabcolorado.com.

Colorado Local Honey by B’s Treats, 350 mg reviewed by Monocle Man B’s Treats has been offering Colorado medical marijuana patients their tasty edibles since 2014. This local Colorado family makes a variety of infused products including lollipops, honey, and honey caramels. I picked up a bottle of their 350mg honey when I made a stop at Preferred Organic Therapy in Denver. This locally sourced honey comes in a glass bottle with a dropper, similar to what you would find a tincture in.

At 350 mg for 2 oz of medicated honey it packs a serious punch. The labeling informs the reader that half a dropper full equals a 10 mg dose. Leaving it out at room temperature for a few minutes to help with the viscosity to get the dropper to the halfway mark. Having infused honey is amazing because you have the control to turn your everyday meals and beverages into a medicated experience. With cold season really kicking in, I was putting the honey in my tea to soothe my sore throat and to help me sleep during the night. This honey is so delicious you may end up with your finger stuck in the jar to get every last drop.

Start off slow on your first time trying this because this honey has knocked me out every time I’ve used it. I put some on my toast in the morning for breakfast and was taking a nap by noon. It had a very strong body high and made it almost impossible for me to stay awake after a couple of hours. If you have your medical card and haven’t tried B’s Treats yet, you need to see what all the buzz is about. Check out their site at www.bstreats.com for more information and to see which medical dispensaries carry them near you.

32 March 2016

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605 N. Pueblo Boulevard, Pueblo, CO 719-471-2837 Recreational only.

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511 Orchard Street, Golden, CO 720-230-9111 Expires 3/31/2016

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5101 E. Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 303-474-4489 Expires 3/31/2016

Valid only at Newest location: 745 E. 6th Ave, Denver, CO 720-899-3040 Expires 3/31/2016

78 N. Precision Dr, Pueblo, CO 81007 719-299-3045 Expires 3/31/2016

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Featured Strains

BLACKBERRY KUSH

reviewed by Monocle Man & Samuel Farley

80/20 Indica Dominant - Blackberry x Afghani Kush Master Grower: Cory McCain and Phil Griffin Grow Medium: Coco coir Grow Cycle Duration: 65 days in flower Curation Time: 2-3 weeks Medical Applications: • Anxiety • Depression • Daytime pain relief

Recreational Effect: • Looks and smells great • Light and sweet in smell and smoke

There may be more than a few pot shops on Colfax but there is only one Colfax Pot Shop.

The friendly staff serves medical and recreational customers, offering a great selection of flower, concentrates, and infused products. I tried out their Blackberry Kush. This indica dominant strain is a cross of Afghani and Blackberry. The dense, frosty hand-trimmed buds had a beautiful green and purple hue with a few orange hairs. As soon as I opened the bottle the smell of sweet berries tickled my senses with excitement. It smelled even better when broken up and the sweet stench stayed on my fingers throughout the day. The flavor profile of the Blackberry Kush was quite enjoyable as well. The sweet fruity taste lingered and finished with mild earthy tones. The Afghani definitely came through on the experience, leaving me with a heavy body high. If you are looking for something to help with stress and pain relief this would be a great strain to try. The growers over at The Colfax Pot Shop did a tremendous job with this strain and I am looking forward to trying more of what they have to offer. If you are looking for a new place to check out make sure to stop by The Colfax Pot Shop for all your cannabis needs.

www.thecolfaxpotshop.com

MEDICAL & RECREATIONAL

WHITE TANG HAZE

Sativa Dominant Hybrid - The White x Tangerine Haze Master Grower: Stefan Wonnacott Grow Medium: Hydroponics Grow Cycle Duration: 63 - 70 Curation Time: 2 weeks Medical Applications: • Migraines • Depression • Anxiety

Recreational Effects: • Stimulating • Flavorful

White Tang Haze is a new original strain by the talented growers at Lush, a medicalonly dispensary in Denver, and is a combination of The White and Tangerine Haze. The flowers are a light green in color with orange hairs and clear trichomes covering the entire surface of the buds. White Tang Haze smells like its name, with an overflowing aroma of tangerines, and has a similarly strong flavor when smoked.

The flower was fluffy, easy to roll into a king size paper and provided a light head buzz that helped to relieve some minor anxiety I was dealing with during the day.

The buzz was not too heady or intense, and I was able to clearly focus on getting some work done without the extra feelings of anxiousness I was experiencing earlier.

Following a second joint, the stimulating feeling continued and provided a solid buzz that lingered a few hours into my evening. The strain is a sativa-dominant hybrid that I would definitely describe as uplifting and motivational. White Tang Haze is certainly a strain many on staff here at THC are excited to try again and a great flower option after a long day at work to relieve some stress and brighten up your mood.

www.lushcolorado.com

34 March 2016

MEDICAL ONLY

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36 March 2016

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Cannabis News State Level Actions on Pesticides Begin Officials with the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division have begun taking action to address the issue of improper pesticide usage in the marijuana industry. The action comes after Gov. John Hickenlooper issued an executive order in November declaring pesticide-contaminated marijuana a public health hazard and mandating state officials to act. In February, a number of grows became the target of product recalls and several crops were placed on hold after inspectors found evidence of pesticides not approved for usage on marijuana by the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

Previously, such actions have only been undertaken by officials in Denver.

This marks the first time since legal cannabis sales began in Colorado that such measures have been undertaken at the state level. Hickenlooper’s order mandates that all contaminated crops be destroyed, whereas holds placed on contaminated crops by Denver health officials required only that the pesticides be allowed to dissipate from the contaminated crops before being sold.

“We want to ensure we’ve been very thorough about the underlying circumstances and the use of the pesticides, and that we’ve identified all the product that’s been affected by this,” Lewis Koski, Deputy Senior Director for the Colorado Department of Revenue’s enforcement division told The Denver Post.

Kofi Annan Calls for Drugs to Be Legalized Former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan called for the end of the war on drugs in an op-ed piece for the online version of the German news magazine Der Spiegel. In the piece, Annan urged members of the United Nations General Assembly to adopt a more practical approach to drug policy when the group holds its upcoming special session on drugs this April. Decrying the harm that has come from the past 50 years of drug policy, which he said has empowered criminal organizations and lead to “corruption and instability”, Annan urged that drug use be treated as a public health issue rather than a criminal one and to move sales of illicit substances into the realm of governmental control and oversight.

“Scientific evidence and our concern for health and human rights must shape drug policy. This means making sure that fewer people die from drug overdoses and that small-time offenders do not end up in jail where their drug problems get worse. It is time for a smarter, health-based approach to drug policy,” writes Annan.

Obama Says No Plans for Executive Action on Cannabis The Obama administration stated plainly that there are currently no plans to re-schedule or de-schedule cannabis before the end of President Obama’s term in office. At a briefing in late January, White House press secretary John Earnest told members of the press that any effort to remove cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act would have to come

38 March 2016

through Congress, according to The Washington Post. Currently, cannabis’ scheduling indicates it has no known medicinal value and a high chance for abuse.

The announcement is disappointing to cannabis advocates, who had hoped that Obama’s own personal experience with the plant would allow for a more informed stance on the issue. Changing the scheduling of cannabis, or removing it outright from the schedule, can be done directly through executive order, as was the case when cannabis was initially categorized as Schedule I. Alternatively, the Drug Enforcement Administration can be petitioned to reclassify substances, or Congress can pass legislation doing so. Both options seem unlikely to meet success, given the contentious nature of Congress and the staunch opposition to cannabis reform that has come from the DEA. “It’s unacceptable and frankly embarrassing for a president who has so nonchalantly acknowledged his own marijuana use to allow the federal government to continue classifying cannabis in such an inappropriate category,” said Tom Angell of the advocacy group Marijuana Majority, according to The Washington Post.

Canadian Patients Can Grow Their Own Medicine The Canadian federal court has ruled that growing marijuana at home is a constitutional right for medical marijuana patients in the country. The ruling comes as a result of a lawsuit filed by Canadian patients in 2013, which challenged an overhaul of the of the country’s medical marijuana system put in place the same year. Under the Marihuana for Medical Purposes law passed by the Conservative government, patients were required to get their medicine from a limited number of designated providers licensed by the government to grow and distribute the plant.

“The access restrictions did not prove to reduce risk to health and safety or to improve access to marihuana – the purported objectives of the regulation,” wrote Federal Court Judge Michael Phelan in his decision on the verdict, according to Reuters.

In October, Canada’s Liberal party swept the election, promising to fully legalize retail sales of marijuana, though this court decision is unrelated to the change in parliament and therefore would not set precedent for nonmedical home grows.

DEA Seizures Vulnerable to Theft A report filed by the Justice Department’s inspector general points to a high potential for drugs seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration to go missing. The findings were critical of the protocols put in place to document the storage and transfer of illicit substances, and point to the potential for drugs to be misplaced or stolen.

According to the inspector general, nearly 70 percent of drugs seized were placed in temporary storage for more than the maximum allowable three day period, at which point they have not been entered into the DEA’s comprehensive tracking system. The DEA is also not doing an adequate job

Across the Globe

by DJ Reetz

of tracking third-party shipping vendors when such vendors are used to ship the drugs. In nine percent of cases found by the IG, the DEA could not produce formal receipts tracking incoming drug seizures, and in up to half of the instances examined the incoming weight of the seized drugs was not adequately documented.

FDA Issues Warning Letters to CBD Sellers The federal Food and Drug Administration issued a series of letters to several online vendors of hemp-based cannabidiol products in February, warning them of potential consequences associated with making claims of the medical efficacy of their products. The letters targeted eight companies in total, advising them that claiming health benefits of their products was a violation of federal statutes defining a substance as a drug. Most CBD products are sold under the guise of health supplements to avoid this distinction.

Additionally, the FDA found that most of the samples tested contained significantly smaller amounts of CBD than advertised on the product labels, and in many cases contained no CBD at all. This is the second time the FDA has issued such letters, with the first having come in February of 2015.

“It is important to note that these products are not approved by FDA for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of any disease.

Consumers should beware purchasing and using any such products,” warns the FDA.

schedule as many other commonly prescribed drugs so that researchers could study its effects more easily and make informed decisions about its medical applications.

“It’s almost impossible to do research on marijuana, because the DEA has it as what’s called ‘Schedule I’, and substances which are listed under ‘Schedule I’ are deemed to be inappropriate for medical use and are therefore very difficult, if not impossible, to do good, high-quality studies on like we would with other medications,” said Pennsylvania Medical Society president Scott Shapiro, according to Pittsburgh NPR station WESA. A bill allowing medical marijuana in the state is currently awaiting a vote in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives after clearing the state Senate.

The PMS did not endorse the measure when it was introduced due to a lack of clinical understanding of the effects of marijuana.

Puerto Rico Unveils Medical Cannabis Program Medical cannabis will be coming to Puerto Rico thanks to recently adopted regulations announced by the U.S. territory’s Health Department. The guidelines allow for the cultivation, manufacturing and distribution of cannabis-based medicines. Patients would be allowed to consume cannabis in various forms, though smoking marijuana remains forbidden.

California Medical Association Backs Legalization

The Health Department regulations follow an executive order signed by Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Garcia in May, 2015 that legalized cannabis medicine, which followed a failed attempt to pass medical cannabis legislation through the territory’s legislature in 2013.

The California Medical Association is backing an effort to legalize adultuse marijuana in the state that will appear on the November ballot. The organization represents more than 40,000 medical practitioners in the state.

The guidelines mandate that all cannabis be tracked from seed to sale.

Public Affairs Secretary Jesus Manuel Ortiz claims the program will be operational by the year’s end, according to the AP.

The CMA’s reasoning for the endorsement was to firstly allow for a more monitored, regulated and controlled environment that would allow for research to be conducted, and secondly to help ensure that medical marijuana was not being diverted to the recreational market.

“The California Medical Association believes the Adult Use of Marijuana Act is a comprehensive and thoughtfully constructed measure that will allow state officials to better protect public health by clarifying the role of physicians, controlling and regulating marijuana use by responsible adults and keeping it out of the hands of children,” CMA president Dr. Steven Larson said in a statement, according to The Sacramento Bee. Voters in California decide on the initiative this November, potentially creating the largest legal cannabis market in the world.

Pennsylvania Physicians Want Cannabis Reclassified Members of the Pennsylvania Medical Society are calling on the FDA to reclassify cannabis as a Schedule II controlled substance in order to allow researchers better access to the plant. Citing the difficulties in conducting clinical studies, the group asked that cannabis be moved into the same

Montana Medical Cannabis Program to be Scaled Back Montana’s medical cannabis program was struck a significant blow when the state’s Supreme Court ruled to uphold provisions from a 2011 law that would limit providers to three patients. Besides effectively putting an end to the state’s unregulated medical marijuana dispensaries, the ruling would also require review of any doctor that recommends cannabis to more than 25 patients in a given year, and ban any advertising of marijuana products.

Montana’s medical marijuana program has been in place since 2004, when a voter referendum passed with more than 60 percent of the vote.

The medical marijuana program saw an upswing in participation in 2009, following a relaxed stance on marijuana enforcement taken by the Obama Justice Department, a time period know colloquially as the “green rush”.

“The legislature determined that placing a limit on the number of registered cardholders a provider may assist serves the objectives of keeping marijuana away from large-scale manufacturing operations, making it less appealing to major traffickers,” Montana Supreme Court Justice Beth Baker wrote in her opinion of the ruling, according to the AP.

thcmag.com 39

Colorado Glass Spotlight:

TreeHouse Glass

by Samuel Farley, Twitter and Instagram @THC_Samuel

Tom Hartman, Luke Meiers, Nick Stahlin

Officially founded in 2012, the TreeHouse Glass Company was started by owners Luke Meiers, Nick Stahlin and Tom Hartman. The TreeHouse Glass team have been learning their craft since 2006 when Stahlin first began to apprentice under an older glass blower. Stahlin and Meiers were roommates at the time and when Stahlin invested in some equipment, they started using in their garage as a glass studio. Soon after, Meiers joined in and began learning how to make his own glass. It took a few years to gain the skills to make the high-quality, scientific pieces they make today but by 2008 the two had honed their skills and began to make their livings as professional glass blowers. Eventually, Meiers and Stahlin invested in a large CNC mill machine and were forced to move the business from their garage to a larger studio space in Berthoud, Colorado. Hartman joined the team around that time and the three began working together as TreeHouse Glass.

The company started out of need and common interests. The TreeHouse Glass guys were buying too many glass pieces from other companies and decided to start making their own. By 2012 they began selling their glass and spreading their brand by traveling to local Colorado head shops. Over time, the company grew and they were able to afford to attend trade shows.

The trade shows allowed them to expand their business nationally and has helped them continue to expand as a company and brand. “It’s nice not having a boss,” said Stahlin, who also designed the company logo. All three

40 March 2016

of the TreeHouse guys are very laid back, and the concept behind the logo started after they began calling their glass blowing studio their “tree house”.

It was the adult version of their favorite childhood hangout spot where they could just enjoy life, do what they love and make great glass. Meiers mentioned one of the best aspects of being a glass blower and being a part of TreeHouse, “It’s being able to work with your best friends everyday, just hanging out in the tree house.”

The TreeHouse team strives to keep up with the changing demands within cannabis culture and the glass industry. “We are always trying to expand our product line because new things come into demand and we try to stay current with fresh pieces but also stay consistent with our standard staple pieces,” said Hartman. TreeHouse focuses mostly on scientific glass pieces, with an emphasis on design, usefulness and quality. The entire TreeHouse Glass collection ranges in price with their most expensive pieces hitting the $300 zone. The real goal for everyone at TreeHouse is to have fun while they make high-quality and affordable glass pieces that cannabis consumers can feel comfortable having in their collection as everyday glass pieces that they really use. A great local Colorado company, TreeHouse Glass is making products for the people within the culture of cannabis, and everyone who enjoys glass should check out their selection of tubes, bubblers and oil rigs. on www.treehouseglass.com.

Tom Hartman

thcmag.com 41

Colorado’s Premier Hemp Event

by DJ Reetz

It’s certainly a good time to be a cannabis aficionado in Colorado. With the industry booming, paving the way for the nation and the world to follow suit, there’s no shortage of opportunities to learn, develop and network. It’s an exciting time and place for those looking to get into the marijuana game, but what is often overlooked is the equally exciting opportunities provided

by Colorado’s pioneering hemp program. There’s no shortage of events dedicated to marijuana in Colorado, but the NoCo Hemp Expo is blazing a trail as the premier hemp event in the state.

In April, NoCo will once more take over The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland, providing attendees with the opportunity to peruse over 100 vendor booths from all over the country. On April 1, the event is limited to businesses, providing an opportunity for pioneering hempsters to network and learn from one another, before opening to the public on Saturday, April 2.

“Our reach is definitely three to five times what it was last go around,” says Morris Beegle, the event’s organizer. “People are talking about it. There’s a movement, there’s a social conscious. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re moving in the right direction as far as cannabis reform and ending prohibition all together.” With nearly three times the event space as last year, NoCo looks to be continuing the trend of growth, dwarfing the event’s humble beginnings as a 300-attendee affair first held in a bar just two years ago. When NoCo was first conceived, hemp was still just a promising idea and only a single farmer had dared to harvest a hemp crop the prior season — Colorado’s own Ryan Loflin. But what started as small meeting of dedicated visionaries has grown into a massive event drawing hempminded businesses from all over the country. This year, Beegle estimates that attendance could climb to more than 3,000 people.

Ticket holders will find themselves awash in hemp products, businesses, scientists, farmers, regulators, lobbyists and rule makers. It’s all intended to offer attendees the best opportunity to network, learn and develop their businesses, and a have a fun time doing so. “If you want to find out the best information and meet the most people involved in the industry, this is where it’s at today,” says Beegle. “If you want to find out about industrial hemp and nutritional hemp, what’s happening on the state level, the local

42 March 2016

level and the global level, your best bet is to show up at this thing.”

There’s no shortage of educational opportunities at NoCo. Over 50 speakers will be lending their expertise to a host of talks and panels. Doug Fine, author of notable cannabis works such as Hemp Bound and Too High to Fail, will also be on hand to lend his talents and expertise as emcee. Product demos and workshops will also be offered, ranging from hemp construction to brewing hemp beer, as well as live music and entertainment. “We’ve got a lot of really high-end thought leaders that will be participating,” says Beegle.

However, one unfortunate black cloud hangs over the expo in the form of Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith, who last year barred vendors from bringing viable seed or live plants to the event. The decision was based on an interpretation of federal law — as The Ranch is a municipal facility that receives federal grant money —and it still stands for this year’s expo; so direct seed sales will not be allowed on premises. But Beegle doesn’t see the unfortunate attitude of the sheriff as a major setback, as vendors will still be able to take orders to be filled later, and most attendees will likely already have a good idea of what a live hemp plant looks like. “If they’re going to be kind of whinny about it and [the sheriff] doesn’t want it to be there, then so be it. It’s not that big of a deal,” he says. “There’s activity going on to pull hemp completely off the controlled substances list, and if that doesn’t happen this year it’s going to happen next year. But it’s going to happen, and once that’s done, all these stupid little petty bullshit issues go away.”

NoCo should offer a bigger and better opportunity than ever before for those interested in the hemp movement to immerse themselves in all facets of the plant, and the size could rival some of the other cannabis events taking place in Colorado. “We’re not a marijuana event,” says Beegle. “It’s all about: here’s a plant that’s a non-psychoactive [type] of the cannabis plant that you can build homes from, that you can make fuel from, you can eat and get nourishment… There’s all these other components that are really, on a social level, way more important than smoking weed.”

“The energy in the room last year was great. Hopefully this year we can attain that same energy level and just have a lot more people share in it and continue to grow this movement,” he says.

thcmag.com 43

Next Level Hemp CBD Production

No shortcuts for Cannoid and Entourage Hemp Products

by Louis “Bubba” Zerobnick

One of the most important changes that is occurring with the national legalization of the hemp plant is the advent of real clinical research being conducted in real laboratories, by real scientists. William Arnold, and his companies, Cannoid and Entourage Hemp Products are a great example of this evolution.

Although he is a scientist on the leading edge of the science of hemp, Mr. Arnold is able to take complex laboratory concepts and procedures and relate them in layman’s terms. Based in Colorado, Cannoid is a specialty refinery for a wide range of hemp-based products. The company also markets hemp products targeted to consumers under the Entourage Hemp Products label. Cleanliness, consistency and clearly labeled test results are the hallmarks.

Company goals were simply stated: “When we got into the industry we expected a higher level of cleanliness, consistency of raw materials, and testing of finished products prior to distribution. Our goal is to bring consumers the cleanest, most consistent product available at a price consumers can afford while also providing irrefutable testing results for peace of mind.” The businesses operate well within the parameters laid out by Mr. Arnold.

Arnold’s background in biology includes several years of work with large systems. He also has a plethora of experience taking medical devices and equipment through the FDA licensing process. Originally engaged as an expert on European and Canadian hemp importation, Arnold got involved with a group of doctors who wanted hemp-based products for therapeutic use and Cannoid was born.

There are no corners being cut at Cannoid/Entourage. The companies take cleanliness and sterility to a level unequaled in the medical cannabis and hemp-products manufacturing realm. Cannoid/Entourage uses a class 8 – clean room in the manufacturing of its products. This is a level of sterility that is required in the pharmaceutical industry. Yes, it costs more to produce products in this environment, but these added costs are not being passed to consumers. That is not a misprint. Arnold explains, “We can afford to make a few less pennies per unit in order to put out a product we are proud of.” A refreshing attitude to encounter in 2016 for sure.

What makes Cannoid / Entourage Hemp Products unique? GCTQA! Genetics – Cannoid has partners on every continent conducting

44 March 2016

extensive research into cannabis genetics. They have hundreds of hemp cultivars in active breeding programs and only select the best cultivars from around the globe for their bulk oil and fiber product development.

Cultivation – Cannoid uses only GMO-free, organic hemp from producers who don’t spray their plants. All of the company’s source materials are under strict control from seed to the last drop of oil.

Testing – Every lot of production material is third party tested using HPLC (High-performance liquid chromatography) to remain in compliance with the acceptable THC limits imposed on hemp product manufacturers. Every finished product can be cross-referenced with testing data by batch number.

Quality – Cannoid’s facilities employ strict quality systems and are ISO (International Standards Organization) and FDA certified. The company certifies ALL vendors to the same high standards.

Applied Science – The Cannoid research boards are composed of highlevel professionals from around the world. With participating engineers, chemists and pharmacologists having diverse backgrounds, Cannoid is extremely active in research (basic and applied) for industrial cannabis.

Cannoid researchers are quickly unlocking some of the long held secrets of this amazing plant.

One of the principles I don’t see advertised a great deal by Cannoid that impresses me and remains central to the company’s mission is the idea of giving back. Cannoid has formed partnerships with several of our nation’s leading foundations. The company strongly supports academic research. Cannoid already has “compassionate care” programs in place for low-income families that need unfettered access to the hemp products manufactured by the company. Additionally, rumor has it that there are some pretty cool programs in development for our nation’s heroes too.

(Active duty, military veterans and first responders.)

Entourage Hemp Products are the next phase in applied cannabinoid science, supplementation and functional foods. The goal is simple: to make clean and beneficial hemp-based consumer products that are precisely manufactured, rigorously tested and convenient to use.

Cannoid has two main consumer products currently available to the general public. The first Cannoid product I was introduced to is also very intriguing to me. It’s called Entourage Full-Spectrum CBD Hemp Oil.

The product comes in various quantities of 15 mg single-dose sticks. It’s a simple product, just organic cold-pressed hempseed oil and the company’s proprietary raw terpenoid/phytocannabinoid complex added. Entourage 15 mg (E-15) is the industry’s first unit dose of full spectrum CBD oil. E-15 is formulated without added colors, sweeteners, emulsifiers, or glycerin. It is a raw, natural, organic product in the truest sense. E-15 is extremely active and clean. Each package also contains a certificate of analysis.

The second Cannoid product is marketed under the name Entourage CBD E-Liquid. The e-liquids are sold in 10 ml (0.34 FL OZ) bottles containing 50 mg to 100 mg of CBD per bottle and are available in a variety of flavors.

I am told that William Arnold, the company’s founder, has sourced the absolute best natural and organic flavors from around the world for these e-liquids. Currently, all Entourage e-liquids are THC free. The company is poised to integrate the full cannabinoid spectrum into its products as laws continue to change locally, nationally and internationally. Entourage e-liquids are available in basil, limoncello, clove, black pepper, Colorado Kush and Occam’s razor flavors.

Research on use of the hemp plant has been under a complete moratorium

in the U.S. for the better part of a century. In fact, hemp cultivation and research remains largely illegal in the United States, save for academic R&D exemptions written into the 2014 Farm Bill.

Some states (Kentucky, Colorado, Oregon and others) have made progress toward establishing legal and regulated artisanal hemp economies. Unfortunately, federal agencies remain vigilant in exercising their authority over the industry, pledging continued provocation and constitutional crises at the state level. These actions are calling into question the very nature of interstate commerce (and liberty) in this representative republic.

In conclusion: Cannoid operates under the premise that by properly characterizing and scrutinizing the materials they procure, they are able to maintain a high level of confidence in the products they create. Personally, I love what they do…

For more information on Cannoid and Entourage Hemp Products visit The Entourage Hemp Products Online Store at www.entouragehemp.com/store. html.

thcmag.com 45

Cash

in Cannabis

The Growing Role of Money in Legalization

by Erin Hiatt

46 March 2016

T

he fledgling marijuana industry has been described by many as the Wild West and 2016 could be the year that the industry grows exponentially wilder. “For the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) and Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), the big one is gonna be Calfornia,” says Ethan Nadelmann, Founder and Executive Director of DPA about marijuana legalization. If passed, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act would give full legal access to 39 million more people than it does currently. That’s more than double the population of all the recreational states combined. In Colorado alone, marijuana sales in 2015 totaled nearly a billion dollars. If marijuana growth continues at that pace, industry revenues will quadruple by 2020.

As more and more states are putting legalization initiatives on their ballots, there may be a bit of a reckoning for the industry as it could be a case of “careful what you wish for.” Corporations replete with anonymous hedge fund backers could swoop in with their big budgets and ready-to-go infrastructure, potentially muscling out scrappy mom-and-pop shops that carved out the legal space. It also adds weight to the prohibitionist warning of Big Tobacco type business models taking over the space as lawmakers and regulators may grow more and more friendly to moneyed investors who may be inclined to serve their own bottom line and leave out medical marijuana patient concerns. These corporations also have the financial resources to lobby more effectively than smaller businesses. With so many interests, and let’s not forget, so much money in play, many are contemplating the big question: what form should marijuana legalization take?

other words, ten millionaire backers would have had pretty much the whole marijuana revenue pie all to themselves, essentially an oligopoly. In direct response to Issue 3, lawmakers in Ohio crafted Proposition 2, designed specifically to not allow oligopolies at all. “It’s the only opposition campaign that was led by anti-marijuana folks and also co-led by legalization folks,” Nadelmann explains. “I think Ohio really tells us one big thing. When folks want to get in the industry, overreach, you’re gonna create a sense of revulsion. Putting in that oligopoly provision really put off everybody.”

Around the same time as the Ohio defeat, MPP announced its partnership with turnkey marijuana management firm MedMen. MedMen contracts with cannabusinesses and navigates them through the often confusing and labyrinthine state-by-state application and business set-up process. It also includes a long-term management relationship, much like a Subway or McDonald’s franchise. MedMen gives you the menu, designs the stores, etc., and all you as the business owner have to do is “turn the key” while they collect fees. The partnership, called Pledge4Growth, asks marijuana businesses to donate .420 percent of their profits to fund marijuana legalization initiatives. To kick off the campaign, MedMen gave MPP $100,000. Perhaps coincidentally, on the heels of this announcement, Dan Riffle, the head of federal policy for the MPP at the time, quit, saying in an email to colleagues that “the industry is taking over the legalization movement and I’m not interested in the industry.” The Pledge4Growth partnership and Riffle’s departure raised many industry-insider eyebrows, as some worried that industry overreach was already a-brewing.

As the industry struggles to balance those interested in sheer profit making, protecting the needs of medicinal marijuana patients and defending its borders against big pharma/tobacco/alcohol-type intrusions, what is the best way forward?

Colorado’s Amendment 64 is the legalization model that inspired many of the initiatives following it. Marijuana reform groups like DPA and MPP do the business of working with lobbyists, politicians and business owners to craft voter initiatives that are palatable to the ever-important voter in the middle and not just the enthusiastic full legalization supporter. Nadelmann explains “the four legalization campaigns (CO, WA, OR, AK) hammered home on two main issues: A) we need to end prohibition so police can stop arresting so many kids for smoking a joint and focus on real crime, and B), that the money being made in this thing doesn’t go into the hands of criminals but goes into the public treasury to pay for things like school, construction, public safety, what have you.”

When it comes to legalizing recreational marijuana, it seems that voters are much more likely to vote yes when there’s something in it for them.

In Colorado, Washington and Oregon, a percentage of marijuana revenues collected go to school construction, substance abuse prevention, healthcare, and police agencies. Ohio’s legalization attempt, Issue 3, was soundly voted down by voters in 2015 and the first big defeat for marijuana reform, largely due to its perceived money-grubbing platform.

Headed by the group Responsible Ohio, Issue 3 was endorsed only tepidly by one marijuana reform organization, National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). Featuring an odd superhero-gonewrong marijuana bud mascot un-ironically named “Buddie”, Ohio voters, reformers, and prohibitionists alike were put off by the entire scheme, considered a blatant money grab, something voters most decidedly do not like. Funded by millionaire backers including boyband footnote Nick Lachey, Issue 3 called for a constitutional amendment to “endow exclusive rights for commercial marijuana growth, cultivation, and extraction to selfdesignated landowners who own ten predetermined parcels of land.” Had it passed, it would have given the legislature and local governments little to no say in how marijuana products would be manufactured, sold, and used. In

MedMen prides itself on being, as co-founder and CEO Adam Bierman said, “the most institutional organization in the space.” They practice a corporate business model and have hard-to-track hedge fund donors that thus far have not demonstrated any skin in the marijuana reform game. This sets many, as MedMen calls them, “old school activists” bristling, especially given the literal decades of activist work and current industry infrastructure that the “old school” activists created, and under which MedMen currently thrives. Bierman says that the “old school” activists are a group who don’t have the proclivity or interest in lobbying and policy efforts. “It’s disruptive when you take something that is operating status quo and make assertions and say ‘this is the status quo,’” he explains. “Either you will participate or you will drift into irrelevance. That’s how we say it. We want to be legacy people.”

One of the costs of doing business in any industry is having the financial means to lobby to protect and expand your company’s interests. But if you are a small business without the resources of a MedMen-like company, one with hedge fund donors and the ear of MPP, where does that leave their interests? “You don’t have to be embarrassed,” says Bierman. “Words like ‘money’ and ‘profits’ and ‘capitalism’ and ‘opportunity’ aren’t evil or bad words. And that’s just ill-informed. You can be opportunistic.”

Bierman refers often to “conscious capitalism”, but when pressed to clarify what that means he cites the book written by Whole Foods founder John Mackey — probably not the most “conscious” example given that Whole Foods in 2014 was fined more than $58,000 for overcharging customers. As the industry struggles to balance those interested in sheer profit making, protecting the needs of medicinal marijuana patients and defending its borders against big pharma/tobacco/alcohol-type intrusions, what is the best way forward? “Our goal is to build the most institutional platform that has the ability to actually convert something that has [been] traditionally

thcmag.com 47

piecemeal and mom-and-pop, and make it a very corporate, very institutional platform,” Bierman explains. MedMen also has a line of edibles and a dispensary in Los Angeles that is MedMen branded. “This business and this platform was conceived, created and executed based on following the way in which states were choosing and creating new programs, meritbased oligopolies with restricted licenses. The states are making it corporate.

We’re filling a niche and a void.”

Hilary Dulaney, Director of Operations at Accuvape, a Michigan-based small business operating in the cannabis space said she would like to find a way for all business interests, corporate, mom-and-pop, and medicinal, to have a seat at the table. “This industry exists because patients and advocates fought for decades for the medicinal, legal use of cannabis as an alternative to traditional medications,” wrote Dulaney in an email. “They shoved their foot in the door, so to speak, and pried it open enough for some infrastructure to follow. That infrastructure was/is necessary to continue to support patients as well as mainstream industry growth. What both sides (patient advocates and cannabusiness professionals) don’t seem to fully understand yet is they have to co-exist and on some level work together for this industry to develop sustainably and with the solid foundations it requires to continue current growth rates.” The last thing Dulaney wants to see is an industry that, as she describes it, turns into a Monsanto-like beast that claims to help the situation but rather makes the situation infinitely worse, all while raking in record sales and propping up the 1-percenters of the world.

Part of MPP’s vision statement is to legalize and regulate marijuana like alcohol, and many others in the industry, including Dulaney, see that as the best way to protect the interests of small businesses and patients while still including corporate interests. Nadelmann agrees that the alcohol prohibition model is a good road to follow, where federal prohibition was removed and left states free to make their own policies. As an example, he points to states like Utah that have a very limited and slowly growing medical marijuana program that would not necessarily be open to a legalization model like Oregon’s. “I would like to see a proliferation of models that are even more different than the four states that have l e g a l i z e d ,” he says. “Elements of the microbrew model is [sic] more interesting to me than a Budweiser model or Marlboro model.”

The upcoming California initiative drafted by DPA, MPP, and others has gone to great pains to address every possible concern, even including gray market interests like the growers in the Emerald Triangle and inner-city communities who have a lot to lose should marijuana become legal. “For California,” Nadelmann says, “they developed a three-tier licensing system, so the big players have a cap on how much they produce up to 10 years, and we have a system in place to encourage a microbrewery type model. I mean, dedicating some of this money to schools and construction is a huge win.

We’re also seeing money going to inner-city communities, so we’re trying to do this thing right.”

Vermont, whose residents per capita consume two to three times more marijuana than any other state, commissioned a RAND report to study legalization scenarios within their borders, and following in the footsteps of their very own, self-proclaimed democratic socialist presidential candidate, are looking seriously at a socialist model. Built on cooperatives, it is designed to keep farms small and set a cap on grow operations with the intent of keeping “big marijuana” out while still making it desirable to tourists. The real find of the RAND Report is that legalization doesn’t have to be an either/or proposition. “Marijuana policy should not be viewed as a binary choice between prohibition and the for-profit commercial model we see in Colorado and Washington. Legalization encompasses a wide range of possible regimes, distinguished along at least four dimensions: the kinds of organizations that are allowed to provide the drug, the regulations under which those organizations operate, the nature of the products that can be distributed, and price.

48 March 2016

These choices could have profound consequences for health and social wellbeing, as well as job creation and government revenue.”

As to whether a “Budweiserization” or “Marlboroization” of marijuana is preventable, Nadelmann is unsure. “I’ll also say when I talk to people in the industry, some of them are all for legalization at the state level but not the federal level, and what I hear from them is that if we ever get to the point where Congress eliminates the federal prohibition, that’s the reform that will allow big alcohol, Big Tobacco, Big Pharma to enter into this with all their strength over production and modeling.” Given that this is an election year and the marijuana industry is currently at the whim of whoever runs the show, the entire industry could be upended with a newly elected president opposed to marijuana legalization in whatever form it takes. Hopefully, there are more than just corporate or small business models to choose from.

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thcmag.com 49

You Say You Want A Hemp Revolution?

PureHemp Technology is on the Forefront

by Michael Bright

IS ALL OF THIS TRUE? I asked Ed Lehrburger, CEO of PureHemp Technology LLC, when I saw his presentation at NOCO last year. Could industrial hemp be that important of a plant?

Did PureHemp actually build a machine that would turn hemp into industrial products that could be sold commercially?

“Yes, but don’t take my word for it,” said Ed. And I didn’t. I knew a little, I wanted to learn more. It turned out I didn’t even know what I didn’t know. For example, the hemp seed is a superfood, the stalks can be used to make building products, the long stalk fibers can be made into clothing, and we’re all now learning about the health benefits of CBD. At first it sounded too far out to me, but when I started reading up on industrial hemp a whole new world seemed to open up.

Library time, Google time, Amazon time. I read Ed Rosenthal, Jack Herer and Doug Fine. I Googled Canadian hemp farming, peeked into the future with a video on the homepage of www. hempflax.com, became an MJ news junkie with the Marijuana Business Daily, THC Magazine and other cannabis news sources. As I learned more I started meeting really interesting people and asking lots of really naive questions.

When Ed talked about biorefining hemp and making several brand new product streams with ready markets, I almost swooned. Instead of a tree growing for 40 years, chopping it down, grinding it up, converting it to sugars, extracting the undesired lignin out all to make pulp for paper products – we could grow hemp up to three times per year depending on the latitude, and

PureHemp’s one-of-a-kind continuous countercurrent reactor (CCR). © PureVision Technology, Inc.

manufacture industrial products. Well, I started talking in run-on sentences!

I saw intelligent, thoughtful people wanting to make a difference in their world.

I asked Ed where his operation was and would he be willing to meet with me.

“Fort Lupton, Colorado and I’ll be in my office Monday morning,” he said.

Great, I thought to myself, I don’t have to try to talk my wife into moving to Saskatchewan or wherever to work with PureHemp. Ed was gracious and accepted my request for an interview.

The tour of the facility revealed the source of this great mystery and awe.

Two Colorado natives, Ed and his brother Carl had created PureVision Technology, Inc. and along with Dr. Dick Wingerson, an MIT PhD, they had been hard at work doing real biomass recovery and utilization research and development. When industrial hemp was legalized, they saw the vision immediately and formed PureHemp Technology LLC, as a subsidiary of PureVision.

Finally, I had found a real company with high integrity, high ideals, amazing vision, and an interest in making the world a better place. AND, they have a whiz-bang extraction machine

50 March 2016

called the Counter Current Reactor, THE CCR! Six patents support the 15-foot-long CCR extruder that rapidly turns hemp into pulp, sugars and lignin. Lignin is the binder that holds all plant life together, like sap, only not really sap.

Ed Lehrburger at PureVision/PureHemp Technology, ready to test hemp grown in Sterling Colorado, April 29th, 2015

OK, I’m learning things now! I was enthralled. Touring the PureHemp facility and seeing the CCR operate has that effect on people. And these product streams – pulps, lignin and sugars - are valuable. They are valuable to industry as a source of very strong fibers, to create green consumer and industrial products, to people for health, and to the earth as a substitute for cutting trees down to make toilet tissue and other paper products.

I was drinking the Kool-Aid now!

Canadian farmers in 2014 grew 100,000 acres of industrial hemp, mostly for seeds to make into hemp seed oil, and sold it to the United States for about $50,000,000. Chinese, Australian and European manufacturers sold another $600,000,000 of mostly fiber and other hemp products to the U.S. in 2014. The key to unlocking industrial hemp’s riches lies in processing. It not only must be fully legalized and farmed, but economically processed into useful products. Only about one percent of Americans have ever used a hemp product. The market potential is truly huge! Here are some examples: Food: Hemp seed provides nearly complete nutrition with all ten essential amino acids, and all four essential fatty acids (EFAs) in the ratio recommended by health experts. It has over 30 percent protein in its most easily digestible forms, making hemp the ideal protein, and ideal food for human consumption thereby opening the door for various opportunities in the food industry.

Body Care: Because of hemp oil’s high EFA content, especially gamma linoleic acid (GLA), hemp helps cells communicate to rebuild cell membranes, which keeps the skin from becoming dry by enabling skin cells to hold onto moisture in their natural lipid layers. This makes hemp oil a perfect ingredient for use in various skin care products.

Automobile parts: European auto companies are making panels (e.g. doors, headliners) from hemp-based composites which can be less than half the weight of, more durable, and safer than traditional components.

Medicine: Manufacturers are forbidden from saying it, but maybe this really is medicine that will work on some human and animal disorders.

Back to Ed and PureHemp. PureVision and PureHemp are located in Ft.

Lupton, about 30 minutes north of Denver. Many people from around the world have flown into DIA, found Ft. Lupton, taken a tour, and tried to figure out how their companies can benefit from this disruptive technology.

PureHemp is now working with many companies and continues to seek out strategic partners and investors to scale-up their operations.

The cannabis industry exists in the world of creativity, and what we are all witnessing is a convergence of the creative people innovating, the entrepreneurs developing, the environmentalists nodding approval, the medical community researching and prescribing, the naysayers starting to move on to the next battle, and the hemp enthusiasts finally starting to see some rational thinking and progress toward legalization. While the U.S. is playing catch-up after 75 years of prohibition, after touring PureHemp I can say the hemp industry is moving forward with new technologies, green entrepreneurs and growing markets.

thcmag.com 51

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thcmag.com 53

Certified organic

The struggle for idustrial hemp

by DJ Reetz

Organic cannabis. It’s an idea that has been elusive, existing mostly in the intentions of growers and generally ill-informed marketing materials of companies ignorant of the word’s ownership. The “organic” designation belongs to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a federal agency that, in accordance with federal standards, must treat cannabis as a Schedule I controlled substance. No wonder then that marijuana retailers are forced to get by without this standard afforded to other consumer crops. But when it comes to hemp, the standard may be slightly different.

It’s an issue that was highlighted in late January when a Colorado hemp company received the USDA organic seal. CBDRx, a company operating out of Longmont and Pueblo, achieved the lauded designation, adding the company to just a handful of domestic hemp producers to be granted the label. While there is no shortage of companies importing hemp that have had their product designated organic, only an extremely limited number of domestic producers have earned the label, and CBDRx may now be the only such company producing the plant for the purpose of cannabinoid extraction.

It’s not an easy process, especially given the legal gray area surrounding the plant on the federal level. Under federal law, all extracts taken from the flowers of the cannabis plant can be considered marijuana, and therefore fall into the category of a controlled substance. For this reason many of the companies currently importing CBD products from overseas obfuscate their source, claiming that the cannabinoid is extracted from stems and seeds, rather than cannabinoid-rich flowers. For companies in Colorado — where commercial hemp farming and cannabinoid extraction of all kinds is legal — this dilemma is nonexistent, though exporting product out of state may not be as clearly legal.

54 March 2016

None the less, federal standards still apply with the term “organic” and it’s an issue faced by all cannabis growers, whether they be of the hemp or marijuana variety. But while it’s a challenge, for Tim Gordon, CBDRx’s Chief Operations Officer, it’s not one that can’t be overcome.

“I don’t see it as an obstacle,” says Gordon of hemp’s tricky legal status.

“I’m a cannabis person. I respect the plant in general, but I’ve been in the marijuana industry and now the hemp industry and I decipher the cannabis plant as such. So [we are] dealing in agriculture now in the hemp industry, because that’s where we are; we’re agriculture, we’re commodity traded agriculture. It’s much different than me pursuing the department of agriculture for marijuana certification.”

Gordon, who’s worked in cannabis for 20 years with only the last 18 months spent in hemp, is no stranger to the thin legal ice on which marijuana growers build their businesses. But with hemp the industry has slightly more legal leeway thanks at least in part to a provision in the 2014 Farm Bill that allowed for some federally legal hemp farming, though it is limited to experimental crops controlled by state departments of agriculture and institutes of higher learning.

“The bright, shining line got blurred by the Farm Bill,” says Amy Stafford, Organic Program Manager with the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

The CDA is one of the entities granted the ability to certify crops as organic by the USDA, though the program is currently not accepting new certification applicants due to a lack of staffing and a glut of applicants.

However, last year a single farm in Colorado gained the distinction of producing organic hemp according to USDA listings. Eagle Springs Organic, which was certified by the CDA, produces a variety of organic crops not limited to simply hemp, but operators have since discontinued

their hemp production. If Eagle Springs managed to quietly sneak their hemp into the federally recognized organic program through the CDA, it is because they operate a wholly organic farm, with hemp gaining the distinction incidentally, according to Stafford. “Anyone that we certified also had other types of produce,” she says.

The CDA is just one entity able to certify crops however, and for CBDRx, which only grows hemp mainly for the purpose of cannabinoid extraction, a third party certification through a private company was the most viable option. For CBDRx the private certification company OneCert, which operates out of Nebraska, was brought in to certify the crop. While the aforementioned gray area has vexed many in the cannabis industry, president of OneCert Sam Welsch doesn’t see the poorly defined legality of commercial hemp farming as an obstacle for its certification.

“I think hemp has always been certifiable.

Hemp is an agricultural crop. The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) and the National Organic Program (NOP) regulations are the U.S. standards for certification of agricultural products.

There is nothing in OFPA or NOP that would prevent certification of hemp. As an organic certification agency, OneCert is only verifying compliance with organic standards. Applicants for certification are subject to many other laws and regulations but those are beyond the scope of organic certification,” writes Welsch, in an email statement to THC. “Organic certification does not change the legal status of any form of cannabis. The attention that organic certification may bring from law enforcement may not be desired by growers of other forms of cannabis,” he continues.

to know where that came from, what it was used for, how it was extracted.

If people are using this in a supplementary manner like you’d take a vitamin C every day, if you’re putting something in your body every day, one should definitely take note of where that came from,” says Gordon.

Tim Gordon, CBDRx's COO

“I’m a cannabis person. I respect the plant in general, but I’ve been in the marijuana industry and now the hemp industry and I decipher the cannabis plant as such.”

The process of certifying CBDRx was just as rigorous and involved as it is for the myriad other crops that OneCert typically certifies, says Welsch. It’s a multi-step process that includes submitting a detailed plan for the continuing organic operation, a thorough site inspection and a review of all data and application work after the fact.

“It’s a quite lengthy process,” says Gordon. “There’s a lot that goes into it.” For CBDRx, the process took months, and was only possible after the company could prove that their farmland hadn’t been used to grow inorganic crops for at least several years prior. “It was a lot of ups and downs, a lot of dedicated time, a lot of paper work,” he says. “It is a very tedious process, and it very well should be. It takes a lot of comprehension and a lot of attention to detail to do something like this. The USDA has done a great job of putting that detail into form.”

The process may be lengthy, but the end result is a seal that provides consumers with an easily understandable assurance of quality, demonstrating that CBDRx has a level of oversight that is largely absent from other operators in the CBD business arena. “As an end user you want

And while there is certainly a competitive advantage that organic certification affords CBDRx, Gordon says that it’s more about ensuring consumers have access to the healthiest product possible and that the company’s hemp is farmed in the most responsible manner that it can be. “We’re not looking at it opportunistically, we’re looking at it more agronomically. We are, number one, stewards of the land here, so there’s no other choice in our respect than to farm organically and pursue that in all aspects,” he says. Hemp is an inherently healthy crop, both for its rich nutritional benefits to consumers and its beneficial effects on farmland, which makes it an easy fit for organic farming, he says. “To be able to [provide these benefits] in an organic fashion is, in my opinion, the only way to do that.”

The excitement of having a cannabis crop certified is palpable, but less than a month after CBDRx’s announcement another announcement came with potentially wide-reaching effect for the nascent industry: the USDA was placing a moratorium on further organic certification of hemp crops.

“USDA is working with other federal partners to interpret the 2014 Farm Bill provision on hemp and, until that process is finished, USDA instructed certifying agents to not certify additional domestic hemp producers as organic. USDA will address the existing certified producers once guidance is available,” reads a statement from a spokesperson from the USDA’s National Organics Program.

While the decision doesn’t affect those few hemp cultivators that have already achieved organic designation, it does mean that no other domestic hemp crops will enjoy the consumer assurance afforded to CBDRx any time soon. It is unclear just when the USDA will arrive at a decision as to how to proceed with hemp certification.

In the mean time, Gordon says he is eager to assist the USDA in any way possible so that other domestic hemp producers can join in the organic club. “It’s definitely a conundrum,” he says. “We’re just going to assist the USDA in any way we can and keep pushing forward.”

“I hope the industry comes along quickly so other folks can be certified and share in the same practices,” says Gordon. He’s hopeful that someday soon cannabis of all varieties will be certifiable as organic, not just hemp. “That’s going to come, it really will,” he says. “The federal/national landscape is ever evolving. Five years down the road, ten years, who knows. The cannabis plant will soon be a norm in the United States again like it was pre prohibition.”

thcmag.com 55

Social Change in Action

What cannabis activists can learn from the LGBT movement

by Erin Hiatt

56 March 2016

V

ince McLeod, author of The Cannabis Activist’s Handbook, wrote of people interested in marijuana reform that, “A common lament in the movement is that organizing people is like herding cats,” a phrase more likely to describe three-year old ballerinas or peewee soccer players. There have been many history-changing reform movements: Civil Rights, LGBT Equality, Women’s Rights, environmental policy, and income inequality to name but a few. What makes these movements remarkable is their success in changing public perception and thereby changing the rules of society. Successful social reform movements have several things in common, such as strong leaders who are clear in articulating core values, dedicated membership, well-managed structure, and money. Lots of money.

But marijuana reformers are generally a more eclectic group with various and some not-necessarily politically obtainable demands.

The list of reasons why people may be attracted to marijuana reform are numerous; from Wall Street-type players looking to cash in, to medical crusaders, and those who simply want to use the plant for recreational or even spiritual purposes. How do all these people lobbying for such disparate interests decide what to agitate for? There are also many competing interests and in fact a lack of consensus about what the industry should represent in general. It has proven difficult to articulate industry goals as people are unsure as to whether marijuana should be federally legal, decriminalized, a medical/ wellness industry, or focused on harm reduction and ending mass incarceration.

There is also the larger philosophical question as to whether the industry should be geared toward what is best for society or best for the individual.

David Korten wrote of social change for Yes! Magazine that “a story of unrealized possibility gradually replaces the falsified story that affirmed the status quo. The prevailing culture begins to shift, and the collective behavior of the society shifts with it.” Marijuana reform seems to be in the “unrealized possibility” stage, since many who were previously unconvinced prohibitionists are seeing patients healing, schools getting an influx of money, and tax dollars rolling into state coffers because of marijuana revenues.

party politics.” One could never accuse LGBT activists of not showing up, demonstrating, and answering calls to action. Marijuana reformers, not so much.

“For many,” writes McLeod, “the cannabis movement has already been tried in the court of public opinion. Cannabis users are frequently seen as lazy, dishonest, stupid, arrogant, and naive, if not outright vicious criminals.”

This decades-old stereotype has proven difficult to shake as those who relish in the counterculture aspects of marijuana attract more frequent media coverage, discouraging people in the middle from actively participating in reform. Nadelmann has acknowledged that there are always going to be people in social justice movements making missteps and emphasizes that you have to be smart about messaging. Once again placing marijuana and gay rights reform side by side, Nadelmann continues, “the things that people are so passionate about are not necessarily the things you want to convey to try to persuade skeptical voters who are uncomfortable with gay people and gayness and want to keep their eyes closed. And in ways, with marijuana it’s really the same thing.”

Industry leaders like the DPA, Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), and the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) have had success in writing initiatives and lobbying, but bemoan the lack of funding from industry players. Polling, broad-based education and messaging necessary to sway crucial voters in the middle don’t pay for themselves.

“What we’re seeing so far is that the industry is stepping up more but we’re not seeing the sort of financial commitment in the industry to ensure that this movement is sustained,” noted Nadelmann, who has been transparent about the DPA’s funding from billionaire investor George Soros. In order to raise more funds, MPP recently partnered with turnkey marijuana management firm MedMen, who contributed $100,000 to Pledge 4 Growth, asking industry players to contribute .420 percent of their profits to MPP campaigns.

Gay rights reformers have had decades of practice, starting with the Stonewall Riots in 1968...the AIDS crisis...it was a[n] intensely troublesome time for the gay community, from this grew the national and union partnerships that gave the LGBT movement a robust membership and formalized feel.

Perhaps the most stunning reform movement success in recent history is the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges which granted the right for same sex couples in all 50 states to marry. Gay rights reformers have had decades of practice, starting with the Stonewall Riots in 1968 and sharpening and coalescing around the AIDS crisis in 1980s. Though it was a fraught and intensely troublesome time for the gay community, from this grew the national and union partnerships that gave the LGBT movement a robust membership and formalized feel. In other words, they got organized and secured financial backing. Ethan Nadelmann, founder and executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) has called the Gay Rights Movement the elder sibling of marijuana reform, describing the LGBT movement as disciplined, strategic, and clear on language and messaging.

“In a way, we’re the two issues that are kicking butt over the last ten years,” he said. “We’re the two in terms of marriage equality and the acceptance level of marijuana. It’s almost inconceivable, ten years ago, people would not have believed [sic].”

People within LGBT activism have said that their campaigns are designed to establish commonality and normality with their straight brothers and sisters. It seems very clear that LGBT reformers are battling for equal rights in all segments of society, but for marijuana, that’s an opaque question.

LGBT reform leaders say that when it comes to gay rights and marijuana reform, what the movements have in common is a dislike of government poking into their private lives and forging policies that micromanage their choices. But when it comes to marijuana reform, McLeod wrote that “reality is that many people interested in cannabis law reform have no interest in

Though many have said that millennials don’t like to participate in grassroots activism and show the most ambivalence to the political process, they seem to turn out in droves for causes and people that they really believe in, demonstrated perfectly in the astounding percentage of millennial voters rallying for the Sanders presidential campaign. When the message rings true to their ear, they show up. They are also more cued in to social media, podcasts, and the technology to spread calls to action. Not to be underestimated is the role of television, movies, and web series. Much as “Will and Grace” introduced us to “Just Jack” and “Modern Family” shows us a gay family functioning just fine in mainstream society, we have also seen shows like “High Maintenance” and “Weeds” where marijuana is driving the plot.

Knowing that establishing normalcy is part of acceptance, LGBT organizations taught their activists how to “come out”. And Nadelmann believes that something that will help marijuana become more and more accepted is for those who support marijuana reform to also “come out” to their family members and colleagues. And McLeod counsels to “live as if it were legal, the goal being to normalize use and public perception.”

Michael Levitin wrote for The Atlantic that grassroots movements are necessary to drive new policies into being and “as millions of Americans learned following the election of Barack Obama, real change doesn’t come in slogans: It comes when the people demand it.” So if you support marijuana reform, do a little research and donate to the organization whose mission you support, then thoughtfully and energetically show up. Be willing to convince others that it is in their own personal interest to reform marijuana laws. But never, McLeod warns, “compare prohibitionists to Hitler”. Duly noted.

thcmag.com 57

Dani and hemp plants in Sterling

58 March 2016

Nature’s Root Spa & All Things Hemp

Longmont’s Own Hemp Pioneers

by Louis “Bubba” Zerobnick

W

hoever coined the phrase “big things come in small packages” must have been familiar with a young lady named Dani Fontaine. She exudes a brilliant energy, excitement and a palatable positive vibration, especially when you talk to her about the cool things she and her family are doing with the hemp plant.

On March 4, 2016, the reintegration of hemp into the fabric of American Culture took another giant stride forward. That was the day that the Nature’s Root Spa & All Things Hemp storefront opened its doors to the public in Longmont, Colorado. At first glance, the spa might appear like any ordinary day spa. It isn’t…

Nature’s Root is the world’s first hemp-based day spa and hemp product retail store. We’re not just talking about a couple of hemp products shoved into the corner here; This spa was thoughtfully designed to incorporate and integrate different forms of the hemp plant throughout the physical space. From its colorful hempcrete reception desk to the towels, massage lotions and custom made hemp sheets, everything here is eco-friendly and hemp-based.

Hemp is also a major component of the spa treatments and services offered. Spa Treatments can be customized with options from added CBD to a full nutraceutical line of hemp products from Nature’s Root and other selected purveyors.

The massage, treatment and services menu at Nature’s Root is extensive! Massage styles available include: deep tissue, integrative, sports, stress relieving, Swedish, Vodder-Foldi lymphatic drainage treatment, medical, rain drop therapy, pre-natal and reflexology.

Other treatments and services include: A full array of waxing services, facials, lash extensions, tinting and popular “add ons” such as CBD oil, glycolic peel and aromatherapy.

It all started with a seed.

On May 19, 2014, The Colorado Hemp Project’s two-acre industrial hemp crop was planted in Sterling, Colorado. It was among the first American hemp farms to be licensed since hemp production was fully outlawed in 1957. The farm was licensed by the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

Five months later, the hemp plants were harvested. Now, many people are able to reap the benefits of this extraordinary plant.

The Nature’s Root product line (made from 100 percent Colorado-grown hemp) has obtained preliminary approval from the USDA for organic labeling. However, Fontaine cautions that there are still a few steps until the process is complete. Nature’s Root products are currently available at Alfalfa’s Markets in Boulder and will be launching into Whole Foods and Natural Grocers stores sometime this year.

The Colorado Hemp Project has exclusive access and a pending lease-to-own agreement for the full 196acre farm where the original two acres of industrial hemp were planted and harvested in 2014. This coming summer, the family hopes to plant twenty-acres of high CBD hemp cultivars on the farm in Sterling alone. Fontaine Nature’s Root Spa &All Things Hemp said this 20 acres will include proprietary cultivars like “Hope, R4 and one of the most promising CBD providers we’ve heard of called Chinese Cherry. This plant produces CBD levels as high as 28 percent.” Fontaine explained that the increased CBD levels are just one component of a fuller spectrum hemp plant.

Whole-plant integration makes hemp an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, iron and protein in addition to the full spectrum of available cannabinoids that work homogenously to create the “Entourage Effect”. #WholePlantFreeMarket

Nature’s Root is the world’s first hemp-based day spa and hemp product retail store. We’re not just talking about a couple of hemp products shoved into the corner here; This spa was thoughtfully designed to incorporate and integrate different forms of the hemp plant throughout the physical space.

Within the Nature’s Root Spa & All Things Hemp, a community center is being established for conducting hemp education classes, cannabis health and whole healing seminars as well as other community centric activities.

One of my favorite aspects of this story is just how involved Fontaine, her father Bill Billings, mother Tracee Box and the family are in every aspect of their hemp operations. They don’t have just one thing going on in this family…

Some of the other intended industrial hemp planting locations in Colorado for the summer season 2016 includes acreages in Longmont, Boulder, Eaton, Greeley, Loveland and, on the Western Slope, Rocky Ford. Industrial hemp will also be planted in other states like Oregon, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina in the United States this summer. This is all happening with The Colorado Hemp Project and Nature’s Root leading the way.

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Finally, there is this: Billings, Fontaine and their teams from The Colorado Hemp Project and Nature’s Root have taken their operations international.

On December 1, 2015, the first legal industrial hemp field was planted in Jamaica with the blessing of the Jamaican Government. This month Dani, Bill, Tracee and their teams will be moving decorticating machinery to the site, building equipment and even bringing John Patterson of Tiny Hemp Houses to Jamaica for the harvest. The intention is to localize, create jobs, create happiness and prove that the idea is sustainable.

Nature’s Root Organic Hemp Peppermint Body Scrub

To find out more about The Colorado Hemp Project, visit them at www. coloradohempproject.com and for more information on Nature’s Root including the full menu of spa treatments and services, go to www. naturesroot.com.

Hemp plants in Sterling

Father and daughter, Bill and Dani Billings

Hemp seedlings

60 March 2016

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Pot-litically Incorrect

Pot-induced Paranoia

by DJ Reetz

62 March 2016

I

find it so easy to sit in my castle of cannabis sanctimony, casting shade on those whose ideas differ from my own, deriding the outdated notions of prohibitionists and the ideals that they claim to support. Here, in the first city in the world to fully legalize cannabis, it’s all too easy to rest on the progress that so many others have fought for for so long, content to relax in the comfort afforded me by the efforts of others and the good fortune I have had to have been born in a place that was rife with these progressive ideals before I was even of age to vote.

But sometimes I take a puff off of something I shouldn’t. Perhaps it’s the wrong strain, the wrong state of mind, or some combination of the two.

I find myself lost in self-doubt, afraid that all I believe in is wrong. The creeping paranoia that overcomes me serves as evidence in its own right; half a lifetime of marijuana use has done irreparable damage to my psyche.

I contemplate this dilemma, that perhaps it is too late for me, that perhaps the damage is done and I will never be the person that society would want me to be. As my marijuana-ravaged brain processes these thoughts, my mind drifts further from reality, into a world dominated by nefarious schemes orchestrated by those who would seek to do harm for their own gain.

The anti-drug ads of my youth were right, I’ve lost my mind thanks to my experience with cannabis. My ever-mounting paranoia that the world is out to get me and the powers that be are disinterested in the well being of the populace is a direct result of this experience with cannabis. They were right all along; marijuana is bad for mental health. I can’t trust my own perceptions, I can’t trust anything at all. Cannabis has destroyed this part of me, and all that’s left is the paranoia and the aberrant thoughts that form a delusional mind. These thoughts I cannot escape, that perhaps we are being lied to…

What if the government knows cannabis shouldn’t be Schedule I? What a revelation that would be; that this government and the people who fought to make growing, distributing and possessing this plant knew all along of the beneficial applications of cannabis.

No, I tell myself, I must believe that the path of prohibition, while ignorant, is not guided by maliciousness. There may have been scant evidence for the criminalization of cannabis, but the decision must surely have been made with good intentions.

These intentions must have continued when cannabis was added to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act— thereby designating it as having no known beneficial use. Surely, the government continuing to keep cannabis in this category, despite a majority of states now legalizing some beneficial application of cannabis, must be done in some kind of good faith.

The fact that cannabis, prior to its criminalization, was widely used as medicine must be a result of the ill-informed practices of doctors at the time.

After all, heroin was once also a widely prescribed pain killer. So then, current medical standards, which view cannabis as a dangerous and addictive drug, must be more informed than those of generations past. Furthermore the patent (US6630507 B1) held by the US Department of Health and Human Services on the application of cannabinoids as neural protectants must amount to something other than the direct acknowledgement that cannabis can be used as medicine and therefore doesn’t belong in Schedule I. This must be the case, or else I am truly losing my mind.

What if the people who fight to keep cannabis illegal don’t have good intentions?

This is the point at which I can’t help but to recognize how truly insane my ramblings have become. When you start believing in global conspiracies led by a cabal of wealthy despots bent on manipulating the public for their own gain, you have certainly crossed the threshold of believability.

When I start to theorize that there is a monetary incentive for pharmaceutical companies to keep cannabis illegal so that they can maintain a monopoly on human well being, all the while selling highly addictive and dangerous drugs that could easily be replaced by a plant that can be grown at home, I

know that I have left sanity behind. That’s not possible, I tell myself. These companies that spent $4.5 billion on advertising to consumers in 2014 are healers, interested only in easing the pain of the sick.

On some level I know that private prison companies, whose bottom lines are intricately tied to mass incarceration, would never push for socially irresponsible policy just for the sake of profit. That would be unthinkably unethical as well as flagrantly immoral. Surely if these companies, that have been burdened with the somber task of doling out justice at the most affordable price possible, were to engage in behavior like this they would be cast out as pariahs by our elected officials. To think otherwise would be insane.

So too must be the case with the law enforcement organizations that oppose legalization. These are the selfless men and women who fight to keep the citizenry safe, endangering their lives in the name of the public good. To think that these entities, which seize billions of dollars from suspected drug offenders each year, would lobby against the welfare of society just to ensure that they can have nicer cars and equipment is truly a deranged line of thinking.

And then there is of course the rehabilitation industry, which deals solely in the dangers of drug use. The source of this group’s opposition to legalization must stem from the wealth of human suffering they see on a daily basis, and not from the easy boost to their success rates that comes from treating marijuana addiction. These are people who are professionally motivated to make informed decisions about substance abuse, they would never advocate for policies just because it ensures that wealthy kids caught with marijuana are forced into their costly programs.

I know these things, that these people would never willfully harm the public; the nature of humanity is too well intentioned for that to be the case.

Yet still, my marijuana-addled brain can’t help but wonder.

What if the war on drugs is racist?

The sane, grounded part of me that has been slowly eroded by years of cannabis use knows that racism stopped existing promptly on July 2, 1964 when the Civil Rights Act was signed into law. We now live in a postracial America, where a black man can be elected president without facing a barrage of thinly veiled racism centered on his birthplace and religious affiliation. This is a country in which every person is judged solely on the content of their character, and no one is at a disadvantage because of their skin color.

Certainly, there have been some examples of racist drug laws in the past — such as the very first of such laws in the United States that targeted Chinese opium users — but that’s behind us now. Contemporarily, we are a nation that would never allow such blatant racism; I know this in my heart of hearts. Yet sometimes the cannabis overtakes me and I start to interpret things differently.

Is it possible that the clear racial disparity that continues to exist in the rates of drug arrests is the result of something other than just good police work?

No, I must reassure myself, just because whites use cannabis at roughly the same rate as blacks yet are a quarter as likely to be arrested for it nationally doesn’t mean that there is something unscrupulous at work here. That would be impossible in a post-racial America.

Even though in post-legalization Colorado, blacks continue to be arrested for marijuana offenses at 2.4 times the rate of whites according to a report from the Drug Policy Alliance, there must be something else at play. The part of my being that doesn’t question every aspect of our country’s drug policy as a result of my own cannabis use tells me this is true.

As I ponder these thoughts I find myself drifting farther and farther from the reality shared by those who don’t use cannabis. This disquieting line of thought, undoubtedly the result of my own first-hand experience with cannabis, is now inescapable for me. The damage has been done, and I am now lost in a world of paranoia from which there seems to be no escape.

It’s too late for me, but hopefully others will learn from what I have written here.

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64 March 2016

DISPENSARY GUIDE

by DJ Reetz

DENVER 66 B•Good 66 The Clinic 66 The Health Center 66 Infinite Wellness 66 Karmaceuticals 67 LivWell 67 Northern Lights Cannabis Company 67 Preferred Organic Therapy 67 Sticky Buds 67 Walking Raven

COLORADO SPRINGS 66 Canna Caregivers 67 LivWell

NORTHERN COLORADO 66 Infinite Wellness 67 LivWell

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B•Good

80 S Pennsylvania Street Denver, CO 80209 mastergrowers.com If you haven’t visited B•GOOD yet, you should.

Here’s why: • • • • •

Boutique-style store creates a comfortable environment for you.

We offer top quality strains so you know what to expect.

In-store and patient specials ensure you always get the best value.

Our discreet storefront puts you at ease from the moment you walk in.

Our experienced staff will help you get the medicine that is right for you.

Our patients also have this to say about our Denver dispensary: “Medicine That Works!” We’ve added that to some of our advertising because it’s reflects on our commitment to quality medicine.

The Health Center 2 Locations www.thchealth.com

The Health Center is a top notch cannabis dispensary with two convenient locations in the heart of Denver.

Boasting upwards of 70 varieties of award winning strains at any given time, the individuals who comprise the THC team pride ourselves on offering the best variety, potency and effectiveness of any cannabis in the region. Not only is The Health Center focused on cultivating the finest quality medicine, but also employing the finest quality staff. Each time you visit, you will be greeted with knowledgeable, friendly associates who take pride in working with you to find the best available options to meet your medical needs.

66 March 2016

Canna Caregivers

Canna Caregivers - West The Canna Center www.facebook.com/CannaCaregiversTheCannacenter The CC Group consists of three leading medical dispensaries in Colorado Springs. Their knowledgeable and friendly staff will make you feel right at home.

Visit one of their three locations: 3220 N Academy Blvd #4 Colorado Springs, CO 80917 1914 W. Uintah St. Colorado Springs, CO 2306 N Powers Blvd Colorado Springs, CO 80915

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.

The Clinic

5 Locations www.thecliniccolorado.com The Clinic is an award winning marijuana center with five 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 and has raised more than $100,000 for the Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the National MS Society since they first opened their doors in 2009.

Make sure to stop by The Clinic and see why their mantra holds true: Our Patients Live Better.

Karmaceuticals

4 South Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80223 www.mmjkarma.com Karmaceuticals strives to maintain the highest quality available in patient care. We are in the business of helping people, by making their live’s better. We cater to each patient’s individual need, demanding a higher quality of life for each and every patient with which we interact. Whether it’s advice over the phone or internet, or carrying an exotic, hard to find strain or product, we are here for the Earth’s patients. Life simply must be better, and with our focus in cannabis products, we believe our karma based philosophy can and will drastically improve the world’s health.

Come in for a Karma Klone. We guarantee healthy klones with no mold or mites. Any klone you purchase will be fully rooted and strong!

LivWell

Northern Lights

2 Locations www.nlcannabis.com

8 Locations www.livwell.com Colorado’s Price Leader since 2009 LivWell dispensaries are your one-stop cannabis shop, offering a wide range of high quality concentrates, edibles, premium flower strains, glass and cannabis accessories.

Our mission is to provide outstanding cannabis to our customers at the most competitive price, with excellent service.

We offer Colorado Cannabis at 9 front range locations; in Denver, Lakewood, Garden City, and Colorado Springs.

Please note: medical patients visiting our Broadway and Larimer locations must be aged 21+. All other medical locations are 18+.

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! 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”!

ORGANIC THERAPY ESTD 2009

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.

Sticky Buds

2 Locations stickybuds5280.com With a dedicated focus on quality – in service and product – we infuse every interaction with compassion and care. From hand-watering and hand-trimming our own locally grown plants to using only organic pesticides to provide the healthiest, safest nugs, we ensure our medical and recreational cannabis is the greatest quality we can produce. Whether this is your first time visiting our dispensary or you’re an old friend, we know the experience of purchasing the right cannabis can be a bit overwhelming. That’s why we take great care in making sure every guest is given personalized, one-on-one service. Our knowledgeable budtenders take pride in knowing the lineage of each strain, allowing them to answer your specific questions and offer strain specific joints. This focus on understanding our plants and products allows our budtenders to educate you – from seed to smoke – giving you the confidence that you’re getting exactly what you need.

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!

thcmag.com 67

COTTON FARMING USES 25% OF ALL PESTICIDES WORLDWIDE

HEMP IS NATURALLY WEED RESISTANT AND REQUIRES VIRTUALLY NO PESTICIDES HEMP IS ALSO 4 TIMES MORE DURABLE THAN COTTON AND PRODUCES TWICE AS MUCH FIBER PER ACRE

HEMP IS THE ANSWER BROUGHT TO YOU BY: NATIONALHEMPASSOCIATION.ORG 68 March 2016



58 February 2014

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70 March 2016

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72 March 2016

DIRECTORY DISPENSERIES: COLORADO SPRINGS

Canna Caregivers Medical Only 3220 No. Academy Blvd., Ste #4 Colorado Springs, CO 719-597-6685 Canna Caregivers - West Medical Only 1914 W. Uintah St Colorado Springs, CO 80904 (719) 637-0420 The Canna Center Medical Only 2306 N. Powers Blvd., #100 Colorado Springs, CO 719-597-9333 Healing Canna 3692 E Bijou Street Colorado Springs, CO 80909 719-637-7645 www.healingcanna.com LivWell on Murray Medical Only 570 N Murray CO Springs, CO 80915 719-574-8443 livwell.com LivWell on Nevada Medical Only 3234 N Nevada Ave CO Springs, CO 80907 719-622-6652 livwell.com LivWell on Tejon Medical Only 1414 S Tejon St CO Springs, CO 80905 719-634-0420 livwell.com The Organic Seed Medical Only 2304 E Platte Colorado Springs, CO. 80909 719-465-1845 coloradospringsmmj.com Original Cannabis Growers Medical Only 2625 E Saint Vrain St Ste A Colorado Springs, CO 80909 路 719-475-9333 www.ocghome.com Speak Easy Vape Lounge Vape Club 2508 E Bijou St Colorado Springs, CO 80909 719-445-9083 speakeasycannabisclub.com

DENVER - CENTRAL Advanced Medical Alternatives Medical & Adult Use 21+ 1269 Elati Street Denver, CO 80204 303-993-4547 www.amadispensary.com B GOOD Medical Only 80 S Pennsylvania St Denver, CO 80209 303-777-5239 mastergrowers.com The Health Center Medical & Adult Use 21+ 1736 Downing St. Denver, CO 80218 303-622-3787 thchealth.com Karmaceuticals Medical Only 4 S Santa Fe Dr Denver, CO 80233 303-765-2762 www.mmjkarma.com LivWell on Larimer Medical & Adult Use 21+ 2863 Larimer St Denver, CO 80205 303-484-1662 livwell.com SweetLeaf Medical & Adult Use 21+ 2609 Walnut Street Denver, CO 80205 720-328-2227 www.mmdofcolorado.com

DENVER - EAST The Clinic on Colfax Medical Only 4625 E. Colfax Ave. Denver, CO 80220 303-333-3644 www.thecliniccolorado.com Sticky Buds Colfax Medical & Adult Use 21+ 4615 E Colfax Ave Denver, CO 80220 720-398-8805 stickybuds5280.com

DENVER - HIGHLANDS The Clinic Highlands Medical & Adult Use 21+ 3460 W. 32nd Ave. Denver, CO 80211 303-997-7130 www.thecliniccolorado.com The Giving Tree of Denver Medical & Adult Use 21+ 2707 W. 38th Ave. Denver, CO 80211 303-477-8888 www.tgtree.com SweetLeaf Medical & Adult Use 21+ 2647 W. 38th Ave. Denver, CO 80211 720-389-7911 www.mmdofcolorado.com

Urban Dispensary Medical & Adult Use 21+ 2675 W. 38th Ave. Denver, CO 80211 720-389-9179 www.urbandispensary.com

DENVER - SOUTH The Clinic Colorado Medical & Adult Use 21+ 3888 E. Mexico Ave Denver, CO 80210 303.758.9114 www.thecliniccolorado.com The Health Center Medical & Adult Use 21+ 2777 S. Colorado Blvd Denver, CO 80222 303-622-3787 thchealth.com LivWell on Broadway Medical & Adult Use 21+ 432 S Broadway Denver, CO 80209 720-428-2550 livwell.com Preferred Organic Therapy Medical & Adult Use 21+ 1569 S Colorado Blvd Denver, CO 80222 303-867-4768 preferredorganictherapy.com Sticky Buds Broadway Medical & Adult Use 21+ 2262 S. Broadway Denver, CO 80210 303-282-0200 stickybuds5280.com Walking Raven Adult Use 21+ 2001 S Broadway Denver, CO 80210 (720) 327-5613 thewalkingraven.com

DENVER - WEST LivWell on Evans Medical & Adult Use 21+ 2193 W Evans Ave Denver, CO 80223 720-361-2981 livwell.com

EDGEWATER Northern Lights Cannabis Co. Medical & Adult Use 21+ 2045 Sheridan Blvd.

Edgewater, CO 80214 303-274-6495 www.nlcannabis.com

FORT COLLINS Infinite Wellness Medical & Adult Use 21+ 900 N College Ave. Ft. Collins, CO 80524 (970) 484-8380 infinitewellness8.com

GARDEN CITY LivWell Garden City Medical & Adult Use 21+ 2647 8th Ave Garden City, CO 80631 970-616-6007 livwell.com

GOLDEN Rocky Mtn. Organic Medicine Medical Only 511 Orchard Street Golden, CO 80401 720-230-9111 rockymountainorganicmedicine.com

LAKEWOOD The Clinic on Jewell Medical Only 12018 W Jewell Ave Lakewood, CO 80228 303-997-9171 www.thecliniccolorado.com The Clinic on Wadsworth Medical Only 3600 S Wadsworth Blvd.

Lakewood, CO 80235 303-484-8853 www.thecliniccolorado.com Ajoya Medical Only 11950 West Colfax Lakewood CO, 80215 303-232-3620 compassionatepm.com Infinite Wellness Medical & Adult Use 21+ 1701 Kipling St. #104 Lakewood, CO 80215 720-458-0277 infinitewellness8.com Kind Pain Management Medical Only 2636 Youngfield St Lakewood CO 303-237-5463 kindpainmanagement.com LivWell Lakewood Medical Only 5660 W Alameda Ave Lakewood, CO 80226 303-922-9479 livwell.com

LOUISVILLE Ajoya Medical & Adult Use 21+ 1116-7 W. Dillon Rd. Louisville CO, 80027 303-665-5596 compassionatepm.com

PUEBLO Leaf on the Mesa Medical & Adult Use 21+ 1917 Santa Fe Drive.

Pueblo, Co 81006 719-544-5323 www.leafonthemesa.com

thcmag.com 73

THANK YOU TO OUR ADVERTISERS 49,66 B Good 04 BIG Industry Show 64 Bluebird Botanicals 66 Canna Caregivers 66 The Canna Center 64 Cannabis Clinicians Colorado 45 CannaQual 53 Canyon Cultivation 05,09 The Clinic 16 Dabsolute 49 Dr Green Plumb 29 Dr. J’s 35 Edipure 52 Green Remedy 71 Healing Canna 37,66 The Health Center 41 Healthy Choices Unlimited 04 Horticulture 360 07 Incredibles 30 Indica Vape 31,66 Infinite Wellness 61 JustSayNow.co 21,66 Karmaceuticals 69 Kind Pain Management 33 Leafbuyer.com 05 Medically Correct 68 National Hemp Association 10 NoCo Hemp Expo 67,76 Northern Lights Cannabis Co. 33 Organix 75,67 Preferred Organic Therapy 14 Speak Easy Vape Lounge 17,67 Sticky Buds 49 Toker Poker 03 The Trimmer Store 02,67 Walking Raven

OTHER: EVENTS

BIG Insustry Show bigindustryshow.com Indo Expo Trade Show indoexpoco.com

GLASS BLOWING Glasscraft Glasscraftinc.com

Edipure edipure.com GH Labs gh-labs.com Incredibles incrediblescolorado.com Julie’s Natural Edibles juliesnaturaledibles.com Mahatma mahatmaconcentrates.com

HEMP

Medically Correct medicallycorrect.com

Colorado Cultivars www.coloradocultivars.com

Mountain High Suckers mountainhighsuckers.com

Green Remedy www.greenremedy.com Bluebird Botanicals www.bluebird-botanicals.com

INDUSTRY GROUPS

MMJ EVALUATION Amerimed 2257 S Broadway Denver, CO 720-532-4744 www.amerimed.com

Cannabis Consumers Coalition cannabisconsumer.org

CannaQual 6795 E. Tennessee Ave., Ste #175 Denver, Colorado 80224 303-690-4882 www.cannaqual.com

Colorado NORML www.coloradonorml.org

SERVICES

NCIA www.thecannabisindustry.org

Dr Green Plumb 720-470-9197 drgreenplunb@gmail.com

Cannabis Business Alliance cannabisalliance.org

Marijuana Policy Project www.mpp.org consumeresponsibly.org

SMOKING ACCESSORIES

INDUSTRY SERVICES

Dabsolute www.thedabsolutepen.com

Best Buds bestbudsapp.com

Indica Vape www.indica2.com

Cannabase cannabase.io

PURR purrsmoking.com

Cannabis Camera www.cannabiscamera.com

Scientific Inhalations sipipes.com

Colorado Pot Guide coloradopotguide.com

SI Pipes sipipes.com

General Cannabis generalcann.com

TOURISM

iCannabis Radio www.icannabisradio.com

Cultivating Spirits cultivatingspirits.com

NHA National Hemp Association nationalhempassociation.org

High Country Cannabis Tours highcountrycannabistours.com

Leafbuyer Leafbuyer.com

TRIMMING SERVICES

INFUSED PRODUCTS

The Trimmer Store 800-429-6034 thetrimmerstore.com

Canna Creations 720-483-8228 Canyon Cultivation canyoncultivation.com

74 March 2016

Dr. J’s www.drjsllc.com

Mention this ad for 5 prerolls for $40 Elite Cannabis • Grown Clean • Zero Pesticides

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Make us your Primary MMC for additional benefits and savings Veteran & Compassionate Discounts Available

Located at I-25 & Colorado Blvd 1569 S. Colorado Blvd. Denver, Co 80222 Open Daily 9:00am - 6:45pm

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