The Hemp Connoisseur, December/January 2013 - Issue #5

COLORADO’S PREMIER GUIDE TO HEMP CULTURE

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013

GROW BABY GROW!

Clean energy’s new mantra. pg 36

HEMP BIO-FUE L HE MP BIO -FU EL

CANNABIS IS LEGAL IN COLORADO. Now what? pg 25 MARISOL TAR: Curing cancer one patient at a time. pg 23 THE PEOPLE vs. ALI HILLERY pg 42

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A LETTER TO OUR READERS After countless- rallies, demonstrations, patient advocates, legal advocates, activists, non-profit organizations, entrepreneurs, bar and water cooler debates, the people have spoken. Cannabis is now legal in Washington and Colorado. The “misinformation machine” is gasping its last breath and someday soon will sputter to a halt. So what now?

Of course there is still a lot of work to be done here. There is a new regulatory framework to be developed and the growing pains that are associated with its implementation. But as for the advocacy of legalization in Colorado and Washington, I think it is safe to say that the bulk of the heavy lifting is over. So what is an advocate to do?

Might I make a suggestion? It’s time for a little cannabis nepotism.

Industrial hemp was made legal at the same time as marijuana yet you wouldn’t know it with all of the attention it has garnered. Yet the possibilities for our economy and our agricultural sector are so much larger with hemp’s legalization. Did you know that there are over 950 million acres in the U.S. designated for agriculture and 450 million of those are not being used? Hmmm . . . What could we use them for?

How about a crop: that can help lower greenhouse gases, is drought resistant, is a super food, a bio-fuel, creates bio-degradable plastic, a mold and pest resistant building material, an anti-microbial fabric, and on and on and on.

This is no small endeavor. To bring hemp to mass production is going to take years of effort and a lot of brave souls to go out on a limb. We have shown with marijuana that when there is a will there is a way. I assert that the same effort that had been behind marijuana advocacy start being shifted to her busy bee of a brother.

This country used to lead in manufacturing, innovation and exports, but at some point we morphed into a “consumer society.” Hemp alone could bring our mojo back. With every major issue we are facing today, hemp is waving to us in the corner saying, “Look at me! Look at me!” Energy independence - Hemp. Pesticides in our food - Hemp.

Poison in our soil - Hemp. Climate change - Hemp. Need more jobs - Hemp. Believe me I could keep going. You may say I am looking at the world through hemp colored glasses so don’t take my word for it, do your own research.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Hemp won’t solve all of our problems but it sure is a brilliant place to start.

Congratulations to Colorado and Washington for paving the way. Let’s keep leading the charge!!

Correction - We would like to inform you about the article we published concerning the documentary, Bringing It Home. We mistakenly presumed the film is now completed when it will actually be completed in the Spring 2013 with the help of their “Hemproots Screening Campaign.” To learn more, view the trailer, etc., please visit them at www.BringingItHomeMovie.com

David Maddalena Editor-in-Chief David@thcmag.com 4 December/January

― Margaret Mead

MOBILE APP

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The Hemp Connoisseur, LLC

3888 East Mexico Avenue Suite 218 Denver, CO 80210 719.963.1226

Editor-in-Chief

David Maddalena david@thcmag.com

Director of Editorial Artie Bergeron artie@thcmag.com

Managing Editor/Layout Design Caroline Hayes caroline@thcmag.com

Director of Sales and Marketing Christianna Lewis christianna@thcmag.com

Sales and Marketing Assistant/Graphic Design Stacey Ross stacey@thcmag.com

Contributing Partner Jason Robillard

Contributing Writers Hazy Cakes Joshua Davis Binger Hashman Shawn Hauser, Esq. Caroline Hayes Joshua Kappel, Esq. Jason Lauve Liz Mund KC Stark Matthew Snyders Christopher Tucker Monocle Man

Cover Art

Christianna Lewis

Printer

American Web 4040 Dahlia Street Denver, CO 80216 ph 303.321.2422 fax 303.321.6636 The Hemp Connoisseur magazines are presented by The Hemp Connoisseur, LLC. All contents are copyrighted 2012 by The Hemp Connoisseur, LLC. For advertising or subscription info, please email sales@thcmag.com.

6 December/January

CONTRIBUTORS

Josh Davis is a professional actor, singer and voice-over artist.

He has appeared in: Law and Order, One Life to Live, As the World Turns, Les Miserables and produced and acted in the feature film The Graduates. He first learned about hemp when he was given the book The Emperor Wears No Clothes and became a hemp enthusiast ever since. He lives in New York City.

Binger Hashman is an American advertising professional who has

lived in the Netherlands for over a decade. Binger is passionate about American Football, the UFC and anything cannabis related.

Binger hopes to entertain, educate and enlighten all THC readers with his columns, interviews and articles.

Shawn Hauser, Esq. is an associate at McAllister, Darnell, & Associates in Denver, focusing on medical marijuana law and drug policy. Shawn is a graduate of the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law and was born and raised in Austin, TX. Shawn is a board member of Colorado NORML, and has worked on the legal and policy side of marijuana, notably co-authoring a petition to the Colorado Department of Health on the benefits of medical marijuana for P.T.S.D. Shawn also is experienced in family law, criminal defense and corporate representation.

Caroline Hayes graduated from Ball State University with a

Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a focus in Magazine Design and Writing. She moved to Colorado after college to pursue a career and enjoy the scenery. Caroline started as a freelance writer for The Hemp Connoisseur and has furthered her position there designing page layout and editing. Caroline is enthusiastic about her newfound position at THC and looks forward to a bright future with the magazine.

Joshua Kappel, Esq. is the Associate Director of Sensible Colorado and the Senior Associate at Vicente Sederberg, LLC. Mr. Kappel was a part of the Amendment 64 drafting commitee and an intergral part of the Amendment 64 campaign.

Jason Lauve is the author of the Colorado Hemp Remediation Pilot Program Act, a leading Medical Cannabis patient advocate and International speaker. In August 2009, Jason beat felony possession charges and got his 2 pounds 2 ounces of Cannabis back.

He has a background in urban panning, environmental design, computers, and architecture.

Liz Mund is a freelance writer living and working in Denver, CO. Initially commissioned for a small piece in the second issue of The Hemp Connoisseur; Liz has stayed on as a contributing writer, and her enthusiasm for the hemp industry continues to grow with each assignment. Her style is playful and poignant, hoping to connect with readers on a personal level. Liz has been published in various trade magazines and art journals and is currently working on publishing a fiction novel.

KC Stark is a medical marijuana entrepreneur and MMJ advocate

in Colorado Springs who works to bring local governments, dispensaries and patients together in a free market. He has worked with hundreds of marijuana centers and thousands of patients to insure safe, affordable and legal access to MMJ. KC served on the Mayor’s Medical Marijuana Task Force and is founder of Go Green Cross, the MMJ Exchange, the MMJ Business Academy, MMJ Centers for Sale and the MMJIQ.

Matt Snyders is an award-winning journalist whose work has

appeared in Minneapolis City Pages, LA Weekly, Westword, and The Village Voice, among other publications. A graduate from the University of Iowa, he’s been a featured guest on The Ed Show on MSNBC, Fox News Live, and The Rachel Maddow Show on Air America.

Chris Tucker is a contributor for the LocalMC as a member of their review board. He does content writing/copywriting for various websites and his first novel, an action/adventure novel, is due out within the next few months.

Introducing the latest choice in alternative wellness — Dixie Elixirs and Edibles THC-infused Med-a-mints. Providing melt in your mouth medicine, sublingually, the quickest and most potent delivery system available. Precisely dosed, vegan, gluten and dairy free Med-a-mints offer complete discretion while medicating.

Call 866-928-1623 or visit us at dixieelixirs.com thcmag.com 7

Contents 4

A Letter to Our Readers

10

The Green Scene

14

In the Spotlight

15 17

The Kestral hemp car, Cannabis Indica book review, and RIDE hemp snowboards

Hemp inspired products

Tasty Meds

Hazy Cakes and Monocle Man review medicated treats

Good Eats

Hemp infused recipes to shock and persuade your tastebuds to ignite!

36

30

Planting the Seed

32

Cannabis and PTSD

36

Grow Baby Grow Health

Hemp = Healthy Soil

Why 64 is good for veterans

Clean Energy’s New Mantra

18

State of the Union

39

20

Holistic Health

42

The People vs. Ali Hillery

23

Marisol Tar

44

Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance

46

A Tribute to Cash Hyde

47

Denver Dispensary Guide

25 27

How will the Federal Government handle legalization?

A beginner’s guide to meditation

Has Mike Stetler of Marisol Therapeutics found a cancer cure?

Amendment 64

Your Colorado constitutional rights explained by the experts

Paying More For Less

57

8 December/January

The Ganja Grandma fights back!

Colorado Springs Guide

62 Index

How MMJ businesses are getting the shaft

10

20 steps to a healthier lifestyle

32

Dispensary Guide BOULDER

55 SOMA Wellness Lounge

DENVER

48 Preferred Organic Therapy and Wellness 49 Denver Relief 50 Good Meds Network 51 MBS Wellness Center 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx 53 Physician Preferred Products 54 River Rock 56 Standing Akimbo

COLORADO SPRINGS/MOUNTAINS 58 Amendment 20 59 Nature’s Own Wellness Center 60 Palmer Lake Wellness 61 Rocky Mountain Miracles

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The GREEN Scene Seeds, Weed and Cannabis Indica

by Caroline Hayes

Hemp Events Medical Marijuana Winter Markets

Arizona December 1- January 5 An AZ cardholder/caregiver event only.

Admisson $5 with non-perishable food donation/$10 without. Free stuff, hourly door prizes and samples! (www.mmjwintermarket.eventbrite. com)

A Question of Compassion: An AIDS and cancer patient explores medical marijuana Are you a fan of indicas? Tired of the same old strains? Cannabis Indica: The Essential Guide to the World’s Finest Marijuana Strains Volumes One and Two are great books to assist indica lovers in stepping outside the box. With 200 strains between the two books, I can guarantee you there is something you have never heard of.

This extensive two-book series names strains from various seed banks around the world. From classics such as Sensi Star to less known strains such as Mean Green Hillbilly and Zombie Virus, these books provide an extremely large strain guide. Many of the strains I hadn’t heard of but don’t let that discourage you from exploring these unknown beauties.

These books are for true connoisseurs.

The first few things I look for in a cannabis book are my favorite strains and pictures. S.T. Oner nailed it. The pictures are beautiful and easy to get lost in and all the favorites, such as Bubba Kush and Northern Lights, are there.

Almost every review provides valuable information including the THC content, medical effects of the strain, genetics, how it grows as well as feeding schedules and root space needed. Every strain is said to come from a different breeder, “representing every corner of the cannabis community.”

Reputable resources, such as Joint Doctors and Green House Seeds, help convey the validity of this book. It is thoughtfully dedicated to weed gods and major influences on cannabis society. To boot, Mel Thomas was involved in the writing of Volume Two. S.T. Oner proves to understand that cannabis indica is a wonderful and effective medical treatment. An author who understands that with just a couple books he might change someone’s life by helping them to find the right strain for them.

Cannabis Indica is brought to you by Green Candy Press Publishing. www.greencandypress.com

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Online December 24 An online event hosted by Peter McWilliams. Written for and by a patient. (www.youtube.com/werememberpeter)

After the Harvest Festival

Portland, OR February 9 Oregon MMJ cardholders only. Live music, food, raffle prizes and more. “We decided to wait until After the Harvest to have our Festival so all the great growers there would have time to properly harvest and trim their crops to enter the best meds available.” (www.nationalgreenfriends.com)

Spannabis

Spain February 15-17 The 10th anniversary of Spain’s most important cannabis event of the year. “We at SPANNABIS believe in the multiple qualities of hemp, in all of its applications, and will always fight for its normalization.

Thank you all for supporting us... Together we can build a hemp industry the world deserves!” (www.spannabis.com)

Hash Bash 2013

Ann Arbor, MI April 6 The 42nd annual Ann Arbor Hash Bash on the University of Michigan’s campus.

Speakers include state and national advocates.

The Kestral Car

by Liz Mund Photos courtesy of Motive Industries

O

ver the course of my research for The Hemp Connoisseur I have come to expect to be impressed with the breadth of hemp’s varied capabilities, and awed by its versatility. I wasn’t disappointed with this assignment. As a dedicated reader of this publication, you will already know hemp can be used for food, fuel, clothing and building materials. What you may not be aware of is that this (now legal to grow in Colorado) plant could change the future of the automotive industry as well. Well, it could if this country was able to peel the synthetic wool from its collective eyes.

Canadian-based Motive Industries has designed a hybrid electric car: The Kestrel, built with impact resistant bio composite made from...yup. Hemp.

The material is constructed using manufactured hemp mats, supplied by Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures and is lighter, safer and cheaper than fiberglass or carbon based composites currently used in automobile construction.

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Producing petroleum and carbon based composites requires great amounts of heat and energy as well as multiple chemical transformations, all of which are huge contributors to escalating greenhouse gases. Plastic composites are typically made using cellulose derived from petroleum, and the process is toxic, expensive and the end product will never biodegrade. Never. That new car smell some people enjoy during the early life of an automobile? That is the scent of chemical breakdown: volatile organic compounds releasing into the air, and you may as well be sniffing glue. A promising alternative is to use plant cellulose, a renewable, cheap and non-toxic option. Hemp fiber is likely the world’s most prolific producer of this type of plant cellulose, with concentrations up to 85 percent. And true to form, the production of hemp plastic towers over the competition with regard to its ‘greenability,’ requiring mostly: the sun.

The biocomposite used in the Kestrel car is just as effective as traditional materials (fiberglass, carbon plastic), safer even: pound for pound as strong as steel and actually returns to its original shape after impact. No more $1200 fender benders. What will auto body repair shops do with their time? Not to mention garbage dump workers. Currently, vehicles that have reached the end of their lives are broken down as far as possible, leaving at least 25 percent of their weight in non-biodegradable waste in our landfills. The majority of the Kestrel’s body could be buried when its time comes, perhaps in a Kestrel graveyard—where it will break down naturally in the soil over time.

Motive Industries designed The Kestrel as a prototype, a research and design project to explore the hemp composite material and to illustrate the possibility of manufacturing a sustainably manufactured commuter car that is safe, affordable (25K), easy to drive, light weight and environmentally friendly. Success? Yes. Touted as hybrid electric, the vehicle will run on rechargeable lithium batteries, with a back up gas powered engine, but boasts an adaptable drive train, meaning it will be easily modified to any current or future technologies: fuel cell, inductive charging, compressed natural gas…maybe one day hemp fuel. Cool.

Cool it is, and very. The Kestrel is a front wheel drive, three door, four-passenger hatchback, weighing in at a mere 2200 lbs, about half the weight of similar counterparts. The car would reach about 55mph, run for 50-100 miles before recharging, and list for around 25k. And look how pretty! In addition to the green material making up the interior, the car also features pre manufactured paint film instead of traditional spray paint, (costly as well as hazardous) which is applied robotically, eliminating even more dangerous chemical emissions. Adding insult to the injury of traditional automobiles in general; the body and paint film are resistant to corrosion, scratches, dents, and my fellow Coloradoans: hail.

So: this hemp composite is lighter (thus more fuel efficient), stronger, cheaper, cleaner and infinitely greener than what is traditionally used to build cars. So what is the hempin’ hold up? Some U.S. auto companies (Ford, Chrysler, GM) are already using some bio composites in their vehicles, why isn’t everyone? With hemp’s ease and pace of growth, its renewability and low cost, using it to make plastic seems like…what’s the phrase? A no brainer.

While the car isn’t technically in production, Motive Industries continues to work on the concept, and remains willing to sell the design to any interested parties. Which made me wonder….

The automotive industry in Colorado is a ten million dollar one, with a rapidly growing number of hybrid electric car sales contributing. With the advent of Amendment 64 passing, assuming Colorado farmers were able to leap the hurdles of federal mandates and grow hemp; what if some smart manufacturer could process a bio composite, and another buy the Kestrel design and pump out these little cars here? Corner the market? Well, we could eliminate $100,000 this country pays to Canada each year to import hemp for starters, giving it to Colorado instead. And think of the jobs... I can already see the unemployment rates declining.www.motiveind.com,www.biocompositecar.

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A Snowboard Worth Riding About The snowboarding Gods of Ride Snowboards bring to you a top of the line board using Romanian hemp to create their unique hemp top sheet. The Slackcountry UL, designed with Hempbrain™ technology which is designed in-house for pure motivation of making the board stronger, lighter and better.

Ride representative Paul McGinty told me, “Hemp is hands down stronger than fiberglass strand to strand.” He goes on to say, “In an nutshell HempBrain is just a raw unprocessed hemp fabric top sheet. The science is in the molding lay-up techniques, advanced printing techniques, and composite panel layup that allows 100 percent elimination of the heavy plastic top sheet to be replaced by hemp.” There you have it, hemp proves to be stronger and lighter when compared to a plethora of other materials worldwide. With the creation of the hemp top sheet, the Slackcountry UL snowboard

sheds two reinforcing layers and 200grams.

Reverse camber, HighRize™ front rocker and Slimewall® sidewalls are just a few of the awesome features of this board.

Available for men and women, the Slackcountry UL will suit a beginner or advanced snowboarder. “I ride a 164 which actually feels like a 154 because of its design and makes this board a very nice all mountain p o w d e r y orientated board and really great for backcountry,” says Kyle of Christie Sports.

With pro riders such as Jake Blauvelt, Seb Toots and Hana Beaman to only name a few, it seems Ride not only has the (hemp) brains to advance their snowboards but the brawn behind those who venture out riding, www. ridesnowboards.com.

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Get down to earth with these hemptastic products

Earth Friendly Goods

Man’s best friend just got a little more eco-conscious thanks to the good people of Earth Friendly Goods and their 5-foot long hemp dog leash.

What a difference! I put the soft fleece lined handle around my hand and was off. I really enjoyed the softness, warmth and stability this handle provided. My grip was firm and my hand stayed warm, something I cannot say for my current leash, which slips from my hand when wet from rain or snow as my dog chases squirrels.

This eco-friendly leash can easily stand-alone or be coupled with any of Earth Friendly Goods’ matching hemp dog collars, which come in five different colors. Also, the leashes and collars are naturally dyed 100% hemp, which won’t upset a stomach if accidentally chewed on. To top it off, each leash and collar are machine washable which is something I cannot do with my synthetic retractable rope leash.

Earth Friendly Goods has it all covered with these great products. Not only do they support the smaller businesses that produce unique consumer products, they actually test every product to ensure our 100 percent satisfaction and have a customer loyalty program.

So, need a last minute holiday gift for a canine lover or maybe for yourself? Just visit their website to purchase and never go back to that hard, cold unforgiving retractable dog leash. I already put mine into the recycle bin. www.earthfriendlygoods.com

Colourful Grass Hemp Shoes

Strolling around the streets all day in Colourful Grass’ hemp shoes proved to be a rewarding purchase. The Canadian company hails from Vancouver Island in British Columbia. With a relaxed, island-feel design these shoes made me feel like I was walking along the boardwalk in Aruba instead of the streets of Denver.

As one prone to needing more arch support, this shoe lacks a little in that department, but with a quick addition of an arch support, I was back to pounding the pavement in comfort. In addition to the non-slip properties, I loved how the recycled rubber sole curved up a little at the tip of my toes to prevent rapid wear of the material.

The all around feel was very comfortable and I didn’t need to break them in. The frayed look and hemp/canvas blend works great with various outfits and seasons. The entire shoe line is constructed from not only hemp, but also other eco-friendly materials such as recycled rubber, coconut shells and organic cotton.

Colourful Grass has an amazing mission for a more sustainable future. Because of their keen sensibility towards wildlife preservation they are proud supporters of Fur Bearer Defenders and its involvement with PETA. Great company. Great shoes. www.colourfulgrass.com

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TASTY MEDICINE An alternative to smoking reviewed by Hazy Cakes

The Growing Kitchen Chill Pills

The winners of “Best Overall Product” in the THC Championship have created another great product. The Growing Kitchen’s Chill Pills are wonderful, medicated candies that come in Heavenly Honey Lemon Indica and Sublime Spearmint Sativa. The Honey Lemon is perfect to soothe a sore throat or just to relax with. The Sublime Spearmint is delightfully refreshing. These medicated treats are made from all natural ingredients including honey from The Growing Kitchen’s farm. Labeled at 10mg per candy, I found at least two are needed. The effects of the indica were very subtle. I felt relaxed but I didn’t exactly feel high. My sleep that night was deeper than usual and I felt a slight hangover in the morning but nothing a cup of coffee couldn’t shake off. The Growing Kitchen’s recipe uses the whole plant, not just the trim, which adds to the overall quality. The sativa-based candies provided the same kind of subtle relief. Sometimes sativa can make one jittery but this was just enough of a boost that kept me feeling good all day, thegrowingkitchen.org.

Mountain High Candies

Mountain High’s mixed fruit candies do the trick. Made with ethanol hash oil, these little candies give off a very strong medicated taste that I could feel in the back of my throat. I instantly felt heavy effects behind my eyes from just one of these handmade, hard candies. The label says 40 active mg per bag and there are ten candies in each. One of the things I have always liked about Mountain High is the breakdown of CBDs, CBNs and THC on the label.

Also, everything is tested by CannLabs to ensure potency and accruacy. I sucked down only one candy and never felt happier. While shopping at the mall I realized that I probably shouldn’t be in public as I felt that I looked very medicated, so I went home and enjoyed another. You definitely won’t need the whole bag to feel the initial effects. While these candies are not labeled sativa or indica, I felt both ends of the spectrum. Naturally, the product wore off and I fell fast asleep on the couch until 5 a.m., which never happens. Mountain High Candies are great to relieve your mind and body, mountainhighsuckers.com.

At Home Baked Brownies

I love this product. Remember baking brownies in college made with sub par weed, which tasted terrible because you botched the recipe somehow? At Home Baked Brownie Mix is a fabulous new twist on an old favorite and couldn’t be more user friendly. Included in this bake-at-home kit are two packages one containing all the brownie mix and the other containing dark green medicated oil made with cold-water hash—no butane. The box says there are 8 servings per batch, so I cut them accordingly. To my wonderful surprise, they tasted just like regular brownies and didn’t make my house smell like cannabis. It was a slow onset. After making dinner and getting all my work done for the night I settled on the couch to watch a slew of stupid sitcoms. Then it hit me.

I started to feel very medicated, relaxed and giggly. I thought to myself “what did I smoke?” only to realize that I in fact hadn’t puffed yet that evening. My boyfriend looked at me and laughed saying that I needed some toothpicks to prop open my very heavy eyes. I directly attribute this to the mix being indicabased. After about an hour I couldn’t stay awake and fell asleep on the couch.

I had one of the best nights of sleep I’ve had in months and woke up feeling happy and refreshed. This sweet treat should be your next edible purchase.

The Brownie Mix is offered in sativa and indica as well as the Blondie Mix, which also comes in both, athomebakedcolorado.com.

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TASTY MEDICINE reviewed by Monocle Man

Incredibles Mile High Bar

I’ve had other Incredibles products before but this was my first time trying their Mile High bar. It’s a delicious, smooth milk chocolate bar with a strong minty finish that freshened my breath. I found it similar to a chocolate after dinner mint you would get with the bill at a restaurant. All of the Incredible bars come in a sleek silver package that catches the eye. Once you tear open the package you find the bar divided into 3 sections to break apart. With the Mile High Bar being 175mgs, that puts each section at about 60mgs. This is great for patients to find their sweet spot and not over medicate. For my first dose I had one and half of the sections. I noticed the mint flavor lingered in my mouth well after eating, which was a nice change instead of tasting the cannabis like some edibles. After an hour I had the rest to put the Mile High Bar to the test. A few hours later it was in full effect, my eyes were heavy and my head felt like it was floating in the clouds. While watching television, I found myself couch locked and giggling. The Mile High bar seemed to pack more of a punch then the 100mg Strawberry Cough Crunch that I’ve had in the past.

One thing I would like to see them have in the future is a re-sealable pack for patients that are on the go or have lower tolerances. With Incredibles the name says it all, hands down one of the best edibles around. www.medicallycorrect.com

River Rock’s RockBudder-Hi Snow/Goo Berry

Many of our readers are probably familiar with River Rock Wellness. If you have not been to one of their two locations in Denver, do yourself a favor and check them out. They always have a wide selection of flower, but the real gem can be found in the form of Rock Budder. River Rock’s strain specific refinement process by Bho Johnson. I picked up a gram of HiSnow (Hawaiian Snow) and a gram of Goo Berry. I tend to lean towards Sativa-dominant products so I went with the Hi-Snow first. It was a cream, almost white powder that shimmered in the light like snow. The texture was unlike a majority of the concentrates currently on the market. As soon as you untwist the container’s top the aroma of terpenes fill the room. For this tasting I used my bubbler oil rig and a dabber with a flat scoop on one end. The flat scoop was great for handling the powder for dabs, a pointier dabber might not work as well. The Rock Budder melted instantly on the quartz nail with no sizzle or sparks. It left a dark amber oil on the bottom of the nail that I scraped up and used before dipping my dabber with a second scoop. The Hawaiian Snow was a smooth hit full of flavor with no coughing afterwards. It tasted just like smoking flowers with no chemical taste like you get with some concentrates out there. I found it to be a great daytime smoke with a nice mellow body high that had me extremely motivated. After a couple of dabs in the morning I got all the Christmas decorations up and cleaned around the house. Next up was the Goo Berry. It had the same color and consistency as the Hawaiian Snow. I did notice that if you leave them out at room temperature the powder will melt together forming little amber colored shatter balls. The Goo Berry was another smooth hit but definitely packed more of a punch. It was still a functional high but my eyes were heavier and I felt sluggish after doing a few dabs.

16 December/January

This was definitely more of a night time smoke. If you don’t have a fancy oil rig, the Rock Budder is great for sprinkling on top of a bowl or in a joint. But to get the full flavor and desired effects I would recommend getting a decent rig. Rock Budder by River Rock is for the concentrate connoisseur. My top hat goes off to Bho Johnson and the River Rock team, it’s no wonder that they’re concentrates brought home home several awards this year alone. www.riverrockcolorado.com

GOOD EATS

Spice up holiday meals with these seasonal, hemp-inspired recipes from The Hemp Cookbook: From Seed to Shining Seed

Spicy Hemp Bean Dip

You can use this as a dip for veggies, chips, rice cakes, or bread – or as a sandwich spread or burrito filing.

Makes 4 cups.

1 cup dry beans (any combination of pinto, black, lentil, mung or adzuki beans) 4 cup water ½ tsp. sea salt ¼ tsp. paprika ¼ tsp. celery seeds ¼ tsp. brown mustard powder ¼ tsp. ground allspice 5 garlic cloves 1 or 2 fresh red chili peppers (or substitute ¼ to ½ tsp. chili powder) ½ bell pepper ¼ hempseed flour ¼ cup hempseed oil Soak the beans in the water for 4 hours in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours.

Strain out all excess liquid by pouring the beans into a colander over a bowl.

Save bean juice for future soup stock.

Place the beans and the remaining ingredients in food processor. Blend on high for 3 minutes. Chill before serving.

Vegan Hempseed Stuffed Shells

Serves 4-6 4 cups tomato sauce 1 pound firm tofu ¼ cup hempseed oil ¼ cup tahini Juice of ½ lemon 2 Tbsp. hempseed butter 2 heaping Tbsp. minced garlic 2 heaping Tbsp. minced pine nuts ¼ cup minced scallions ½ cup fresh basil, chopped Splash of balsamic vinegar Palmful of oregano 1 tsp. dill weed, dried or minced fresh ½ cup sliced black olives 8 ounces large pasta shells Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan, bring the tomato sauce to a simmer and keep warm until ready to use. Meanwhile, mash the tofu in a large bowl. Add the remainder of the ingredients (except the pasta) one at a time while mashing and stirring. Bring a potful of water to a boil and add the pasta shells. Return to a boil and cool 10-15 minutes to taste; strain and rinse with cold water. With a tablespoon, stuff each shell with the tofu mixture and place close together in a lasagna pan.

Slowly pour the tomato sauce over the shells, cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Serve warm.

All recipes provided by The Hemp Cookbook: From Seed to Shining Seed

by Todd Dalotto © 2000 Healing Arts Press. Recipe reprinted with permission from the publisher Inner Traditions International. www.InnerTraditions.com

Acorn Squash Chanterelle Delight Serves 2-3

2 ¼ pounds acorn squash 10 tbsp. hempseed oil 2 tsp. ground cumin 2 tbsp. bee pollen 1 tbsp. safflower oil ¼ pound fresh chanterelle mushrooms, cut into bite-sized pieces Cut the squash in half (save the seeds for planting) and bake it at 425°F for 35 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the hempseed oil into a small saucepan and warm it over medium heat for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the cumin and bee pollen. Let the mixture sit, covered.

In an iron skillet, brown the pine nuts over medium-high heat. Add the safflower oil. After 15 seconds, add the chanterelles; keep stirring and turning until they are tender and golden and the water has evaporated. Remove from the hat and pour into the saucepan with the hempseed oil. Stir and cover. When the squash is done, scoop out the mean from the skin into a large bow.

Mash it up with a potato masher, then mold the squash into a bowl shape and fill the center with the mushroom mixture. Serve immediately.

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State of the Union

by Josh Davis

And so the people have spoken. As you know by now (if you are reading this magazine I’m going assume you know) two states, Washington and Colorado, passed cannabis legislation in this past November’s election cycle. It was a banner week to say the least. The bills are historic in that they legalize cannabis for recreational purposes. The bills also included legislation to allow for the cultivation of industrial hemp and to top it off Massachusetts became the 18th State to allow medicinal marijuana. Some week!

While both states have about a year’s worth of work ahead of them to set up regulatory practices, a “bigger” and potentially more ominous question remains: What is the White House’s next move?

probably read the writing on the wall with two states having legalized and 18 states now allowing medical marijuana.”

Though the writing on the wall might be clear to the rest of us, it can sometimes be foggy to the Federal Government whose onslaught on cannabis has lasted over 40 years, since Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act in 1970.

With two states passing historical pro-cannabis legislation the “writing on the wall” is louder than ever and President Obama has some decisions to make: enforce the federal prohibition of all cannabis in states that allow recreational and medicinal use of the plant including commercial production from industrial hemp, marijuana’s non-drug containing cousin...or don’t...or be slick about it and sort of do it.

Time will tell whether the White House finally sees the light of day concerning cannabis in all its forms or if they will continue to blow the candle out on citizen’s rights, laid out by their states, with continued federal enforcement in one way or another.

Need we forget ALL cannabis production, possession and distribution is still illegal under the watchful eye of the Federal Government.

The day after voters issued their sentiments by way of their votes both the Department of Justice and DEA issued their own sentiments through

The following graphic on the next page details some of the options that Obama could choose to go down. Here’s to hoping he chooses the “correct path.” identical

statements:

“The department’s enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act remains unchanged. In enacting the Controlled Substances Act, Congress determined that marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance. We are reviewing the ballot initiatives and have no additional comment at this time.”

If that statement seems somewhat vague you’re right. It doesn’t necessarily answer the question of how they will respond to the historical legislation.

“Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper has been in talks with Eric Holder, the U.S. Attorney General, and it seems like they are still figuring out what their path forward is,” says Brian Vicente, Executive Director of Sensible Colorado, who was one of Amendments 64’s biggest proponents. “They can

18 December/January

*A note about Hemp. While all the hubbub in the news (and this article) has been focusing on marijuana it seems that industrial hemp has gotten the shaft. As I wrote in my last article, hemp has the potential to be a great American commodity in numerous ways.

Though the talk of the town is marijuana at the moment there are states pushing forward on hemp bills as well.

According to votehemp.com, to date, thirty-one states have introduced hemp legislation and seventeen have passed legislation. Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer has been aggressively lobbying for a return of industrial hemp back to his farmlands. “We can’t let our feet drag on this,” Comer said in a statement after a hemp commission meeting in November, “We’re continuing to hand the world’s largest (industrial hemp) market to Canadian farmers and Chinese farmers, and it’s ridiculous.”

Isn’t that the truth?

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Meditation for Beginners 20 Practical Tips for Quieting the Mind

by Todd Goldfarb

20 December/January

Meditation is the art of focusing 100 percent of your attention in one area. The practice comes with a myriad of well-publicized health benefits including increased concentration, decreased anxiety, and a general feeling of happiness.

Although a great number of people try meditation at some point in their lives, a small percentage actually stick with it for the long-term. This is unfortunate, and a possible reason is that many beginners do not begin with a mindset needed to make the practice sustainable.

The purpose of this article is to provide 20 practical recommendations to help beginners get past the initial hurdles and integrate meditation over the long term:

1) Make it a formal practice. You will only get to the next level in meditation by setting aside specific time (preferably two times a day) to be still.

2) Start with the breath. Breathing deep slows the heart rate, relaxes the muscles, focuses the mind and is an ideal way

to begin practice.

3) Stretch first. Stretching loosens the muscles and tendons allowing you to sit (or lie) more comfortably. Additionally, stretching starts the process of “going inward” and brings added attention to the body.

4) Meditate with Purpose. Beginners must understand that meditation is an ACTIVE process. The art of focusing your attention to a single point is hard work, and you have to be purposefully engaged!

5) Notice frustration creep up on you. This is very common for beginners as we think “hey, what am I doing here” or “why can’t I just quiet my damn mind already.” When this happens, really focus in on your breath and let the frustrated feelings go.

6) Experiment. Although many of us think of effective meditation as a Yogi sitting cross-legged beneath a Bonzi tree, beginners should be more experimental and try different types of meditation. Try sitting, lying, eyes open, eyes closed, etc.

7) Feel your body parts. A great practice for beginning meditators is to take notice of the body when a meditative state starts to take hold. Once the mind quiets, put all your attention to the feet and then slowly move your way up the body (include your internal organs). This is very healthy and an indicator that you are on the right path.

8) Pick a specific room in your home to meditate. Make sure it is not the same room where you do work, exercise, or sleep. Place candles and other spiritual paraphernalia in the room to help you feel at ease.

9) Read a book (or two) on meditation. Preferably an instructional guide AND one that describes the benefits of deep meditative states. This will get you motivated. John Kabat-Zinn’s Wherever You Go, There You Are is terrific for beginners.

10) Commit for the long haul. Meditation is a life-long practice, and you will benefit most by NOT examining the results of your daily practice. Just do the best you can every day, and then let it go!

11) Listen to instructional tapes and CDs. 12) Generate moments of awareness during the day. Finding your breath and “being present” while not in formal practice is a wonderful way to evolve your meditation habits.

13) Make sure you will not be disturbed. One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is not insuring peaceful practice

conditions. If you have it in the back of your mind that the phone might ring, your kids might wake, or your coffee pot might whistle than you will not be able to attain a state of deep relaxation.

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14) Notice small adjustments. For beginning meditators, the slightest physical movements can transform a meditative practice from one of frustration to one of renewal. These adjustments may be barely noticeable to an observer, but they can mean everything for your practice.

15) Use a candle. Meditating with eyes closed can be challenging for a beginner. Lighting a candle and using it as your point of focus allows you to strengthen your attention with a visual cue. This can be very powerful.

16) Do NOT Stress. This may be the most important tip for beginners, and the hardest to implement. No matter what happens during your meditation practice, do not stress about it. This includes being nervous before meditating and angry afterwards. Meditation is what it is, and just do the best you can at the time.

17) Do it together. Meditating with a partner or loved one can have many wonderful benefits, and can improve your practice.

However, it is necessary to make sure that you set agreed-upon ground rules before you begin!

18) Meditate early in the morning. Without a doubt, early morning is an ideal time to practice: it is quieter, your mind is not filled with the usual clutter, and there is less chance you will be disturbed. Make it a habit to get up half an hour earlier to meditate.

19) Be Grateful at the end. Once your practice is through, spend 2-3 minutes feeling appreciative of the opportunity to practice and your mind’s ability to focus.

20) Notice when your interest in meditation begins to wane. Meditation is hard work, and you will inevitably come to a point where it seemingly does not fit into the picture anymore. THIS is when you need your practice the most and I recommend you go back to the book(s) or the CD’s you listened to and become re-invigorated with the practice. Chances are that losing the ability to focus on meditation is parallel with your inability to focus in other areas of your life!

Meditation is an absolutely wonderful practice, but can be very difficult in the beginning. Use the tips described in this article to get your practice to the next level!

Read more about personal development from Todd Goldfarb on his blog, We The Change.

22 December/January

The Marisol Tar: Mike Stetler Explains His Creation

by Caroline Hayes

Remotely tucked away in a wonderfully organized dispensary in Pueblo, CO there is a man who is working wonders.

Mike Stetler, owner and creator of Marisol Therapeutics, claims to have done what people have dreamt of for years— created a cure for cancer. Now, it may sound too good to be true but after years of research and experimentation, the Marisol Tar has proven itself to heal those in need.

Stetler is a genuine, humble man with real intentions. We sat and talked for quite sometime. He showed me around Marisol Therapeutics, which was spacious and beautiful. He told me how the scorecards at a Pueblo golf course displayed Marisol’s logos on them. The day ended with the two of us, his wife and bookkeeper sitting in an office talking about good ol’ football but not before he told me all about his creation, the Marisol Tar. Radiation and chemotherapy are the standard for any type of cancer treatment; however, they are very harsh on the body. Common side effects are and not limited to: extreme fatigue, vomiting, skin problems, the destruction of healthy cells around the cancer area, loss of appetite, loss of hair and diarrhea, according to The American Cancer Society.

Furthermore, chemotherapy can cause permanent damage to the body’s organs, according to various cancer organizations. Obviously these side effects can lessen the quality of life for the patient. The Tar has no negative side effects, can stimulate appetite and heal surrounding cells. The Tar even helps the hair to grow back around the affected area, Stetler explained.

In a case study, “The Treatment of Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma [skin cancer] with Concentrated Cannabis Extracts,” performed by Dr. Robert Melamede, Ph.D. two patients were monitored over the course of a three-month Tar application process. Patient A had what oncologists called “the worst stage of squamous cell carcinoma” they had seen. He endured 135 radiation treatments, which didn’t improve his condition. He was so bad that the surgeon wanted to “remove half of his scalp and a good portion of his skull.”

“He was ready to call it quits, family gearing up for the worst,”

Stetler explained softly, “Doctors start to give up on patients and the patients give up on themselves.” This specific patient turned to the Marisol Tar treatments. For three months he applied the Tar to the lesions on his scalp. Within weeks of the initial application he began to see positive changes.

After three months of treatment his body was rid of cancer.

The doctor no longer wanted to operate but told him to come back in a couple of months for a check up.

Stetler explained that the way that the Tar works is that it dries the cancer cell up from the root and once it’s dried up it’s dead and the cancer is gone.

According to Dr. Melamede’s case study, the endocannabinoid treatments help to regulate all the systems in the body, stimulating body temperature, appetite, mood and pain reduction. “In contrast to conventional pharmaceuticals, the Cannabis sativa plant produces well over a hundred biologically active cannabinoids, terpenes and terpenoid compounds. Thus the plant impacts the body in a holistic manner while targeting a central regulator of homeostasis, the endocannibinoid system,” said within the study.

Patient B of the case study (pictures on the next page) had skin cancer on her finger. She received a clean biopsy after three months of Tar application. In another case, not mentioned in the study, a woman moved to Colorado from Australia to establish residency, obtain her medical card and start Tar treatment. Within weeks she saw improvements and was rid of skin cancer in just a few months. In another case, Dr. Michael Coots, Ph.D. came to Stetler with skin cancer on his ear. Within weeks he saw vast improvements and within months patient B was free of cancer.

If patient testimonials aren’t enough proof, the doctors supporting it should be. A doctor, who shall remain anonymous, believes the Tar is a way to help keep people off narcotics and is actually sending cancer patients to Stetler for Tar treatments.

Stetler isn’t trying to keep this a secret by any means. He

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hopes to see this worldwide eventually. He is pro-choice when it comes to one’s treatment for illness and the use of medical cannabis in general. “If we want to live a full life and try other means besides what the government approves to be okay let us do that. This Is America. We should have a right. They call it a privilege but it isn’t. Driving a car is a privilege. It’s your life,” he said.

Of course there are determining factors as to how the Tar works, such as what stage the cancer is in and where it is in the body. Depending on what type of cancer is found is the deciding factor on how the Tar is used. For skin cancer it’s applied topically, for lung cancer it’s ingested and for colon cancer suppositories are used. Each batch is made to meet a specific patient’s needs. Things like the levels of CBDs and CBNs in a strain are considered when choosing which one to make the Tar from.

So what is the Tar made of and how? With a lot of THC and a lot of love, Stetler said. Apparently a good chef never reveals his secrets but he did say nothing artificial is added. “People have been extracting this stuff [THC] for thousands of years.

This is nothing new,” Stetler said very matter-of-factly. The Tar is exactly what it sounds like, a black sticky substance.

Not only is the Tar a different form of treatment that works but also Marisol Therapeutics offers guidance to the patient.

“When people are sick their families freak out. Doctors tell them it’s a death sentence. The family gets tired of hearing all this. Here at Marisol they can come every day and spend the whole day here,” Stetler explained enthusiastically.

The patient can talk with employees about concerns and questions regarding their condition. In addition, patients can receive massages with focus on specific pressure points for different ailments. Employees will get on the Internet with the patient and research their illness, formulate better diet plans and help clear their minds. The employees at the familyrun Marisol Therapeutics help to heal mind, body and soul “because you have to be whole to be feeling good,” Stetler said.

“It’s all about finding out what is right for each patient and we work with our patients to figure that out,” he said. You don’t have to have cancer to be a patient at Marisol Therapeutics.

Whether the condition is MS, sports injuries or migraines there are cannabis-related treatments for all. The Tar is not the right treatment for non-cancer patients as, for example, it makes MS patients jittery and hyper. Edibles and tinctures are more appropriate for most other ailments, according to Stetler.

A scientist, bookkeeper, grower and cannabis activist among father and husband, Stetler is a passionate, humble man who is fighting for the rights of the people. He fought very hard for the passing of Amendment 64, even going down to the Capitol to state his mission to the panel. “I told them that they are playing with our Constitutional right. I’m a vet. Why we go overseas, why we get killed, why we get maimed is for two reasons: our constitutional right and our freedom,” Stetler said with conviction. He is an advocate for Amendment 64 because it gives people the freedom of choice.

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The series of photos documents the disappearance of a biopsied squamous cell tumor (skin cancer) after applying topical cannabis over a three-month period. After treatment with the Tar, the tumor was expelled from below the surface, killed and healed.

“Case Study: The Treatment of Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma With Concentrated Cannabis Extracts” Robert Melamede, Ph.D, Biology Dept. UCCS, Cannabis Science, Inc.

A passionate Stetler explanied, “We don’t all want this death sentence from pharmaceutical drugs.” And he should know after his own battle with pharmaceutical drugs prescribed by doctors after a neck operation nearly 22 years ago. He was left with an unfortunate opiate addiction. “I was in la la land all the time and I hated it.” Knowing the good medical cannabis can do, he kicked the drugs and started working on Marisol Therapeutics and the Tar. “Now I’m living the dreams I’ve had for years and it’s really wonderful.”

Stetler is a man who is confident and proud of his hard work. “When patients come up to you, fist bump you and say ‘thanks for saving my life’ it really gets you right here,” he said pointing to his heart.

“I’d love the government to get their hands on it to experiment because they have more money for research to see where this can go. It’s the sky out there,” he paused and looked right at me, “Keep up the good work. We need people like you because I’m a busy man. Besides, I would like to go fishing one of these days,” he said with a smile.

Colorado Ends Marijuana Prohibition

by Joshua Kappel, Esq.

On November 6, the voters of Colorado made history! Amendment 64, which received more than 55 percent of the vote, legalizes marijuana under Colorado law for adults over the age of 21.

The passage of Amendment 64 made headlines from England to India. Latin American leaders are now calling for a review of international drug policy. Other states are considering similar measures, and we have even spurred bi-partisan action by Colorado’s congressional delegation seeking to exempt states’ marijuana laws from the Federal Controlled Substances Act. Here at home, hundreds of pending marijuana cases have been dropped across the state and more will still be dismissed.

However, many questions still remain, which is why we put together a few quick facts on Amendment 64 below. For the definitive interactive A64 FAQ visit www.SensibleColorado.org.

Quick Facts on Amendment 64 F Adults over the age of 21 can possess unlimited amounts of marijuana paraphernalia and up to one ounce of marijuana publicly. The one-ounce limitation includes hash and oils.

F Adults over the age of 21 means all adults over the age of twenty-one whether they are from Colorado, New York, or China.

F Adults over the age of 21 can cultivate up to six marijuana plants in an enclosed locked space with three or less flowering plants. Adults can also possess everything they grow over an ounce provided it’s kept on the same premise where it was grown.

F Adults can consume marijuana provided it’s not done “openly and publicly.” What “openly and publicly” means will likely be defined by the state legislature.

F Retail marijuana stores should be open by January 1st, 2014. Patients must keep their registry card to purchase marijuana from a retail store before then.

F The specifics of the marijuana retail establishments will be decided by the Department of Revenue and the state legislature over the next six months.

F The state legislature has until 2014 to enact industrial hemp regulations.

F Driving under the influence of marijuana remains illegal.

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Meet the Yes on 64 Cannabis Warriors Betty Aldworth Betty is advocacy director of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol. Her work in the field of marijuana policy has focused primarily on community and public relations with patient and community advocacy organizations, educational groups, and medical marijuana centers and affiliated businesses. Betty is spokesperson for the Women’s Marijuana Movement and volunteers with Sensible Colorado, the Women’s CannaBusiness Network, and other social justice and drug policy reform organizations. Prior to her work in marijuana policy, Betty worked in the nonprofit sector in Denver for 10 years, leading large volunteer teams for Project Angel Heart and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

Mason Tvert Mason is co-director of the 2012 Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol and executive director of Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER), a Denver-based non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about the relative harms of marijuana and alcohol. Mason sits on the Denver Marijuana Policy Review Panel appointed by then Mayor, John Hickenlooper, and he is an alumnus of the Center for Progressive Leadership Colorado Political Leaders Fellowship. Mason is co-author of the book, Marijuana Is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?, and he has contributed columns to a variety of Colorado and national publications. Mason has been a guest on CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, NPR, and BBC Radio, and his work has been highlighted by USA Today, The New York Times, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Newsweek, and Rolling Stone, among others.

Brian Vicente, Esq. Brian is co-director of the 2012 Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol and one of the primary authors of the initiative. He is executive director of Sensible Colorado, the state’s leading nonprofit working on behalf of medical marijuana patients and providers, and he is a founding member of Vicente Consulting, LLC, a law firm providing legal solutions for the medical marijuana community. Brian is the chair of the Denver Mayor’s Marijuana Policy Review Panel, serves on the Colorado Department of Revenue Medical Marijuana Oversight Panel, and coordinates the Colorado Bar Association’s Drug Policy Project. He received the Gideon Award in recognition of his First Amendment advocacy during the 2008 Democratic National Convention, and his work has been highlighted in numerous state and national publications including the American Bar Association Journal, the Washington Post, and Time magazine.

Without the hard work and dedication of these, and many other individuals from the Yes on 64 campaign, Amendment 64 would not have passed. The Hemp Connoisseur thanks you for running the most organized and well thought out cannabis campaign ever executed.

Read more about Amendment 64 on pages 25, 30 and 31.

26 December/January

PAYING MORE FOR LESS

The Unfair Tax Burden Forced on the Medical Cannabis Industry

by Chris Tucker

Even though 18 states now having medical marijuana laws (and two of those states allow marijuana to be consumed without a doctor recommendation), legitimate business owners are not treated as such because of government regulations. This is because there is a conflict of interest between state and federal laws with respect to medical marijuana and the revenue that will be created from the passing of Amendment 64.

If we as citizens do not stand up and try to bring about reform, then it will become more prevalent to go after the medical marijuana community via taxes. These taxes will be the new standard for the IRS when it comes to the federal war on cannabis.

Excessive and punitive U.S. taxes are being applied to our country’s medical cannabis providers, and this outdated tax policy is a hot topic of discussion when it comes to 280E Reform agendas.

All businesses, even nonprofit dispensaries, pay taxes to the IRS each year. Yet, there is a state of disconnect between federal and state laws called IRS Code Section 280E. Designed to fight drug trafficking, this rule was put in place during the Reagan Administration; long before medical cannabis laws were passed in 18 states and in the District of Columbia.

Section 280E imposes extremely high taxes by preventing medical cannabis providers from taking the normal and usual deductions allowed for all other businesses. These deductions include items such as rent, payroll, health insurance, etc. This could cause thousands of medical cannabis providers to close if they are unable to file and pay reasonable federal taxes, leading to a dramatic reduction in safe access for qualified patients.

Legitimate medical cannabis businesses want and expect to pay their fair share of taxes, but the IRS is now using 280E to stop medical cannabis businesses from making standard business deductions, which leaves them with an insurmountable tax bill at the end of the year that they cannot afford to pay off. In a growing number of audits, the IRS is leaving dispensaries no recourse but to shut down or move to the underground economy.

The full text of Sec. 280E includes the parentheses as shown below:

The IRS has used an obscure section of the Internal Revenue Code to levy multi million-dollar back tax bills on medical cannabis providers.

“No deduction or credit shall be allowed for any amount paid or incurred during the taxable year in carrying on any trade or business if such trade or business (or the activities which comprise such trade or business) consists of trafficking in controlled substances (within the meaning of schedule I and II of the Controlled Substances Act) which is prohibited

by Federal law or the law of any State in which such trade or business is conducted.”

One may look at this and say the simple answer to what this text means is “sales other than in compliance with federal law.” But there is a key issue in the fact that there is a difference between state and federal law. If the states could control the issues themselves, then what would that mean for taxes, deductions, etc.?

This is obviously a debate that is going to require more court battles, but considering all of the revenue could be going towards schools and other community projects, doesn’t it seem to be inefficient to spend that money battling in court when the voters have spoken and have expressed what they desire and what they feel is right? The answer to that question is still to be determined…

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Amendment 64 and Excise Tax Colorado voters made their voices heard this past election by passing the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, but it has created a political uproar and paved the way for many legal battles, which lay ahead. On December 10th Governor John Hickenlooper signed a proclamation saying Amendment 64 is now part of the state constitution.

However, when all is said and done, what exactly does this mean for our state when it comes to tax revenue and the war on drugs?

According to analysts, projections for tax revenue could generate anywhere between $5 million to $22 million a year within the state, and that projection could see a substantial boost of as much as $60 million by 2017. The amendment does state the first $40 million annually from an excise tax on marijuana sales shall be devoted entirely to education capital construction, but that voters must first approve excise tax next year. The speculation is even if the voters pass the tax, the first $40 million may end up going towards legal fees for prosecutions and other regulations as a result of a rash of crimes that many seem to think the legalization of marijuana will cause.

The first $40 million of tax revenue will be going to schools and educational funding. After that, the legalization campaign has promised to use more than half of the revenue to fund substance abuse prevention, research, education and health care. Also, by regulating marijuana like alcohol, we can now help to take it out of the underground markets and directly out of the hands of criminals while putting it behind counters of retail stores that are licensed and regulated.

Estimates vary widely about exactly how much tax might be collected, but supporters say the legalization of marijuana will now provide a windfall for the state, between new tax revenues and lower criminal justice costs.

State government officials, however, counter by saying legalizing the drug will lead to expensive legal battles and new bureaucracies that would be needed for regulation. One reason it is so difficult to estimate potential tax revenue is no one knows how many people are currently buying marijuana illegally, and how demand will change now that the drug is legalized.

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Industrial Hemp: Colorado Begins Hemp Cultivation

by Jason Lauve

Prior to Amendment 64’s passing on November 6th, Colorado was already making hemp history. On June 4th, 2012, HB12-1099 was signed by Governor Hickenlooper and legalized the study of industrial hemp under Colorado law; beginning with a very important foundation, the Phytoremediation Pilot Program.

Using hemp as a phytoremediator can remove heavy metal contaminants from our soils such as magnesium, lead and others. Dump waste from gold, silver and molybdenum mines could be mitigated or cleaned up for far less money or environmental impact than any other remediation technique. As more people get involved, hemp may eventually be used to clean up Plutonium and other radioactive materials from illegal dumping at the location of the old Rocky Flats weapons facility near Boulder, Colorado.

There is evidence that the pharmaceuticals people flush down their toilet, which we shouldn’t do, can be absorbed by the non-drug industrial hemp, thus improving our drinking water. The high salinity levels in farmland soil can be reduced, which translates into more usable cropland. Downstream, the eutrophication of our waters, which results in dead sea life from agricultural farms, could be reduced if not eliminated by removing the over-nutrient-rich-runoff water before it enters our streams and rivers, using hemp as a boundary and rotation crop.

As a building material, industrial hemp will sequester substantial amounts of greenhouse gasses and contribute to a reduction in global temperatures as a carbon sink. Energy savings is also attributed to the reduced energy needed to heat and cool the structure due to hemp’s insulative properties The seeds from the crop will attract more wildlife and improve habitats for birds in their migratory pathways. It can be grown simultaneously with corn or cotton, thus reducing the need for pesticides and herbicides. Hemp will help prevent the loss of topsoil, and its tap root will help aerate soil down to almost 3 meters. This will improve the following crop when used in rotation, such as a potential increase in corn yield by an estimated 10%.

The next steps of the Industrial Hemp Phytoremediation Project involve continued studies using contaminated soils and water, while increasing our data collection points. We are currently working to meet the financial obligations of the project, as well as reviewing applications of interested companies, researchers and students who believe in the potentials of industrial hemp. In the 2013 legislative session there will be an industrial hemp bill submitted which will create the framework needed for a viable Colorado Industrial Hemp Economy, as well as creating hundreds, if not thousands of agriculture and

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Quick Facts on Colorado Industrial Hemp • • • • • • • • • • •

This is the Right of The People and built on the foundations of America’s principles.

The 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which the United States of America is a signatory to, states in Article 28 that Industrial Hemp (seed and fiber) are exempt from the controls.

The United States of America is a signatory of NAFTA and GATT which both recognize the use of industrial hemp.

There is NO United States Constitutional Amendment that prohibits industrial hemp.

There IS a Colorado State Amendment and an Act that provide for industrial hemp in Colorado.

The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution states: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

The state legislature has until 2014 to enact industrial hemp regulations under the specifics of Amendment 64.

Hemp is legal under federal law (which is different from a Constitutional Amendment), but the DEA is not in the habit of issuing permits to grow an agricultural crop.

The industrial hemp plant IS distinguishable from medical and social Cannabis plants. Law enforcement in every country that grows hemp, is able to manage and differentiate the hemp farms from illegal cannabis grows.

In respect of our Military and Peace Officers, hemp may provide a stronger tensile strength than Kevlar, which means more lives saved if it is used as a material for body armor.

The hypocrisy is just preposterous at this point. Our U.S. President had a hemp scarf for sale on their fundraiser website, and the hemp came from China. Who are we trying to support? We The People are standing back up to provide for and protect the sustainable America our Forefathers created.

For additional Industrial Hemp information and the Value Added Products that can be produced, please visit www.HempCleans.com Jason Lauve is the Author of HB12-1099, the Industrial Hemp Remediation Pilot Project and Director at HempCleans.com

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Legalization Marks the End of a Long Battle for Those Suffering from PTSD

by Shawn Hauser, Esq

Since the United States sent our soldiers to Iraq and Afghanistan to fight for us, approximately 30 percent of returned reporting symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a seriously debilitating condition that often includes severe depression, anxiety, nightmares, painful flashbacks and cognitive disability. Suicide is the leading cause of death in the army, with roughly 50-100 suicides per month for veterans. Accepted treatment for PTSD is less than promising because psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatments are often ineffective. Furthermore, opiate pain medications used to treat chronic pain in PTSD patients are highly addictive and often result in substance abuse. An increasing number of veterans are speaking out, saying that marijuana effectively treats their PTSD and improves their quality of life.

Studies have shown the many reasons why cannabis is an effective treatment for PTSD. Over the past few years, remarkable advances have been made in our understanding of the endocannabinoid system and its functions. The therapeutic value of cannabinoid modulation is highlighted by the large expression of a cannabinoid receptor in regions known to be significant for anxiety and emotional learning, particularly the basolateral amygdala. Cannabinoids can act as a therapeutic target for the treatment of diseases associated with the inappropriate retention of aversive memories, a significant aspect of PTSD. Cannabis actually aids in the extinction of aversive memories and adaptation to stress responses.

Cannabis is also very effective in cessation of nightmares

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and a reduction in nightmare intensity. This is important because disruption of sleep, one of the most debilitating parts of PTSD, makes it hard for patients to find relief through pharmaceutical treatment. Particularly, nightmares and sleep disorders are frequent symptoms of PTSD. Some patients experience severe problems such as sleep paralysis, violent or injurious behaviors during sleep, and hallucinations. In a study treating patients with synthetic cannabis, a large majority (72%) of patients experienced either cessation of nightmares or a significant reduction in nightmare intensity.

Patients also saw improvements in sleep time, the quality of sleep, the reduction of daytime flashbacks and night sweats.

The benefit of cannabis for depression in anxiety has long been established and continues to be studied. Cannabinoids promote neurogenesis and produce anxiolytic and antidepressant like effects. It is justifiable that cannabis and its major psychoactive component – tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) -- have profound effects on mood and can modulate anxiety and mood states. Stimulating the cannabinoid system with natural cannabinoids could be a major therapeutic target for the treatment of anxiety-related and mood disorders such as PTSD. The potential for cannabis as a safe, effective alternative to treat PTSD cannot be understated. Dr. Todd Mikuriya said, “Cannabis relieves pain, enables sleep, normalizes gastrointestinal function and restores peristalsis. Fortified by improved digestion and adequate rest, the patient can resist being overwhelmed by triggering stimuli. There is no

other psychotherapeutic drug with these synergistic and complementary effects.”

The legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington was a historical landmark and evidence that we are becoming more educated on the real facts about marijuana, its safety and its medicinal benefits. Legalization is also life changing for those who suffer from PTSD because despite the medical efficacy of marijuana for PTSD, the condition was only approved for medical marijuana in two out of seventeen medical marijuana states, New Mexico and California. Despite a long fight by veterans and Sensible Colorado, Colorado rejected petitions to add PTSD to qualifying medical conditions twice in the past two years.

Other countries acknowledge the importance of marijuana to treat PTSD. In Canada, the government pays for medical marijuana for their veterans, acknowledging that for many, it is more effective than available alternatives, with fewer side effects. In Israel, the Ministry of Health grants licenses

for people who have PTSD to use medical marijuana. Even Croatia, a country with a zero-tolerance policy, acknowledges cannabis as a treatment for PTSD. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s failure to even consider the studies, and not even grant petitioners a hearing, highlights the broken pieces in the medical system and the stigma surrounding psychological disorders.

For so many PTSD patients, legalization means they no longer have to fight for their rights for a safe alternative treatment by proving their case to a Health Department who won’t even listen. Cannabis can help relieve these patients of psychological trauma. It can stop horrible nightmares and stress related sleep disorders and it can provide them with a better quality of life. As Colorado leads our country in safely regulating marijuana, we should encourage more research and education in the many medical benefits of cannabis. As we celebrate this historical victory, we can also celebrate the end of a long fight for many veterans and others suffering from PTSD.

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Euro Hemp-penings: Hemp Use and Appreciation Are On the Rise

By Binger Hashman

Hello there America! Even though there is always serious hemp news happening in the U.S. on a daily basis, across the “pond” hemp news is happening on a much different level. Throughout Europe, there has recently been a huge increase in demand for European hemp fibers. Hemp is being grown in increasing quantities throughout Europe to meet the growing demand for hemp-based products, such as textiles, composite materials, construction supplies, paper products, foods and nutritional supplements.

I hope to alert you all to these latest hemp-penings that are creating a buzz overseas. That’s why I will be penning this column, in a blatant effort to dazzle, entertain and enlighten you. So stay tuned, relax, and get ready to learn about what is hemp-pening in Europe.

Just very small samples of some of the latest hemp news in Europe are:

New hemp applications in the automotive industry

There’s a strong desire in Europe for automotive manufacturers to display bio-based materials to their customers. Up until now, natural fiber construction parts have disappeared under a lamination, thus appearing invisible to customers. However, in the near future, vehicles will be released that exhibit the natural fibers under transparent films or lacquers, which will show hemp has new surface effects.

Sales of bio-based products such as these could reach 40,000 to 50,000 tons of natural fibers in Europe by 2015, at least 10-20% of which could be supplied by European hemp.

Insulation hemp materials with many other applications

About 3,000 to 4,000 tons of hemp insulation materials are being produced annually and put on the market in the EU. The most important manufacturers and users are Germany, France and Great Britain respectively.

Apart from the automotive and construction industry, there are numerous applications with a smaller volume such as briefcases, and various consumer goods (e.g. letter scales, battery chargers, toys) or trays of grinding/sanding disc and urns. The latter are a good example of a 100% bio-based product: The urns are produced from PLA, reinforced by hemp fibers, and are fully biodegradable.

New processing techniques emerging

For some decades, there has been intense research taking place in the US and Europe on new processing techniques for developing flax and hemp. Two outstanding processing techniques are close to commercial implementation: The Crailar Process from Canada focuses on the use of hemp fibers in the textile industry, and, the ultrasonic processing technique of the Ecco Group Company from Germany which focuses on high-grade technical fibers. Both techniques are already producing several hundred tons of modified hemp fibers per year.

34 December/January

thcmag.com 35

Grow Baby Grow:

Clean Energy’s New Mantra

By Matt Snyders

With the passage of Amendment 64, hemp bio-fuel is ready for its close-up

36 December/January

On a warm evening in early November, a few dozen cannabis/hemp activists gather inside HoodLab’s retail storefront on Denver’s Larimer Street. The hemp clothing outfitter-slash-art gallery tonight will host one of the more cautiously optimistic victory parties to come out of the 2012 elections. Amendment 64—a state constitutional amendment legalizing small amounts of cannabis and paving the way for honest-to-god cannabis and industrial hemp industries within Colorado—passed just three days ago. But in an industry hardened by three-plus years of fluctuating state regulations, raids by the feds, and a lingering stench of uncertainty, there’s a justified reluctance to get one’s hopes up too high.

But then you see a paunch elfin old man, his ample gray beard unable to conceal perpetual smile, making his way through the various partygoers and artwork, darting off to missions unseen. No time for cynicism or second-guessing, his body language seems to say, it’s time for action. He has the solution to America’s dependence on foreign oil, after all. Incidentally, he also has something that will put a permanent end to world deforestation— he just needs a few hands to help him move the damned thing off his flatbed.

an expensive niche item; the vast majority of hemp seed currently winds up in the nutrition and supplement market where it demands a premium.

“For example, right now the seed—just the seed— it takes to make one gallon of hemp oil costs more than $100,” says Das. “But we’ve been importing all the stuff from Canada. We should be growing it here in America providing opportunities for farmers and producers. Now we can.”

Amendment 64 opens the opportunity for a large scale production, or at least it will by this summer, by which time the Department of Revenue will have devised a regulatory framework for the production, sales, and distribution of recreational cannabis and industrial hemp. While most attention centered on recreational cannabis, it’s industrial hemp that stands poised for a cross continental revival.

Unlike cannabis, processed hemp material is legal in the United States (it’s only illegal to grow and tend living hemp stalks on U.S. soil), making the industrial hemp subclause of Proposition 64 a potential paradigm-shifter on a national, even international level: for the first time in 75 years American farmers will be able to produce hemp within American borders, eventually opening the door for exports. With a few caveats, Das estimates that the market value for a gallon of hemp biofuel—if totally legal and grown at full capacity—should not exceed one dollar.

“One dollar a gallon generates $300 per acre for the farmer... that doesn’t factor in the fibers, the hurds, the main organic material that goes into fiber, paper, concrete, what have you.”

Meet Agua Das: electrical engineer, hemp ice cream connectionist, founder of Hemp Sources, Inc.. and patentholder on an engine gasification process too esoteric to explain without the assistance of a cigarette which One of the first (some say only) Americans to refine hemp bio-diesel since the plant was outlawed in 1937, Das conforms somewhat to the absent-minded inventor archetype, although in listening to him you begin suspect the real absent minds are the ones opposed to his work.

“One dollar a gallon generates $300 per acre for the farmer,” he says. “But remember, that just from the seed. That doesn’t factor in the fibers, the hurds, the main organic material that goes into fiber, paper, concrete, what have you.”

-Agua Das

“What I did was press my own virgin hemp oil from seed,” he says, as a handful volunteers accompany him out to the parking lot to help haul his mystery machine which turns out to be a 200-pound steel hemp-papermaker. “A lot of birdseed companies still use hemp seed in their feed. That’s where I got it. Des Moines, Iowa, where the seed went through.

This was in 1990. Very few people were interested in hemp biofuel at the time. It’s just as true now as it was then: you don’t need to modify the car. Just modify the fuel!”

Some experts put the figure at 50 cents. Others higher. No one has a crystal ball, but the main point to take away is that the current price of hemp is artificially inflated, its demand artificially suppressed. Compare that to the our current biofuel crop-of-choice. Corn is a grain of very little use outside of food and fuel— and yet its production is not only allowed, but subsidized, by the federal government. Hemp is capable of providing everything maize does, ethanol included, and then some.

Hemp biofuel, as Das would discover, boasts a superior cloud point and cetane value than biodiesel derived from other plants such as soy or canola. It burns cleaner, in other words. The problem with hemp biodiesel, though, is that it remains cost-prohibitive. The various prohibitions, regulations, and de facto tariffs on hemp have rendered it

But that’s not the only advantages. Ed Lehrburger, President and CEO of PureVision Technologies—a Colorado-based renewable energy company which focuses on converting biomass into fuel—has long touted the advantages of hemp, not just in terms of its excellent cellulose content for processers, but the ease and affordability with which farmers

thcmag.com 37

can grow it.

“This is a plant requires less water and less fertilizer than most, easy to harvest, grows in many soil types, you don’t have to replant every year, you can harvest not only the biomass, but the seeds to make different products,” he says.

“But the main point I want to emphasize is you can’t get high from industrial hemp.”

That said, you can get pretty much everything else from it.

Virtually every material of human use today every can be made from hemp: fabrics, plastics, concrete, oil, food, paper, cosmetics, soaps, medicine. Glass is about the only material hemp is can’t provide. Any state or that nation harnesses the full potential of industrial hemp for these uses is going to be left with a stockpile of waste material that can be converted into fuel, according to Das and Lehrburger, at which point the term “energy independence” moves from politicized buzzword to concrete attainable reality.

Hemp’s versatility is why Henry Ford had it in mind when he designed his first cars— at the time hemp production was not only allowed but encouraged by the United States government and hemp materials were comparatively cheaper and more readily available. The first Model-T Fords not only featured hemp-based bodies which boasted greater collision impact than their steel counterparts despite being lighter and more fuel efficient, but indeed ran on hemp-based ethanol.

In fact Ford never intended his vehicles to run on gasoline.

38 December/January

“The fuel of the future is going to come from fruit like the sumach out by the road, or from apples, weeds, sawdust— almost anything,” he told the New York Times in 1925. There is fuel in every bit of vegetable matter that can be fermented.

There’s enough alcohol in one year’s yield of an acre of potatoes to drive the machinery necessary to cultivate the fields for a hundred years.”

A couple of caveats: don’t expect hemp to revolutionize the biofuel industry in the immediate short term. Until and unless the federal government lifts its impossible-to-justify ban on the most vital cash crop in human history, it will be next tom impossible for the industry to hit critical mass. Hemp’s sizeable infrastructure and start-up requirements will deter investors and large-scale farmers from jumping on board until they can produce at full capacity without having to worry about armed agents banging down their door and seizing their life savings.

“It’s not like opening up a little dispensary retail storefront and taking your chances with the feds,” points out Lehrburger.

“You’re talking thousands of acres. That’s not a small deal.

Which is why there needs to a law at the federal level that legalizes hemp before things really rev up. That’s the bottom line.”

Two dominos down. Forty-eight to go.

20 Simple Strategies for Getting Healthy

by Leo Babauta

thcmag.com 39

While most people want to lose weight, get fitter, get healthier … it can be tough forming the habits. It took me many starts and frustrations before I learned how to live a healthier lifestyle. In 2005, I was 70 lbs. heavier, a smoker, addicted to junk food, sedentary, couldn’t exercise for more than a few days without quitting. Today, I am much healthier, leaner, fitter. I eat healthily most of the time (with regular indulgences) and I’m able to stick to a meal plan if I want, and avoid junk food most of the time. How did I change? I learned a few simple strategies. These aren’t for everyone, so pick and choose the ones that might fit in your life, and give them a try!

1) Toss out the junk food. Having junk food in your house or workplace makes it too hard to stick to a healthy diet. If at

all possible, toss everything out that’s sugary, fatty, greasy, salty. The best strategy is not having it around. Clean out your pantry and fridge!

2) Find some healthy recipes and buy the ingredients. There are thousands online. Find one or two to start with, easy ones that don’t take an hour to prepare, and go buy the ingredients today.

3) Cook in bulk. I find it easiest to stick to a healthy meal plan if I prepare things in advance. So cook big batches of veggie

chili or soup, or tofu veggie stir fry, and put the bulk of it in containers in the fridge or freezer. I like to divide things into mealsized containers so I just heat things up when it’s mealtime.

4) Stock up on healthy snacks. When you’re hungry for a snack, what will you eat? Have healthy things to munch on at home, at work, and for the road. Fresh fruits, chopped veggies, raw nuts, dried fruits are some of my favorites.

5) Socialize in healthier ways. Instead of going out to bars or unhealthy restaurants, can you get together for tea, or a game of basketball, or a walk in the park? Or find a healthy restaurant to eat at?

6) Find a workout partner. Get your spouse or good friend or coworker to go on walks or runs with you, or meet you at the

gym or a workout class. Having someone do it with you makes it fun and easier, and you’re more likely to show up if you have an appointment to meet someone.

7) Use social media for motivation. You can use Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or your favorite online forums for motivation and accountability. Publicly announce 2-week or month-long health challenges, and have people keep you accountable. Try Fitocracy — it’s a social fitness game that can make getting fit fun.

KC Stark and Ali Hillery

8) Play outside. It’s important to go outside every day and get some fresh air and sunshine. Move around, take the kids out and play, find a friend and take a walk or throw or kick a ball around.

9) Find healthy options for eating out. Instead of eating at fast food or chain restaurants where everything is deep fried, can you find more local restaurants where there are some healthy options? Make a list, and go to those places when you go out.

10) Make water & tea your default drink. Many people drink soda or sugar coffee drinks all day. This is not necessary for a healthy or enjoyable life. Water can become your favorite drink, and (unsweetened) tea can be very healthy. I love a mindful green tea ritual once a day.

11) Schedule active breaks. If you’re on the computer

all day, schedule short breaks every 30-60 minutes where you stretch, walk around, maybe do some squats or pushups, drink some water. Exercise doesn’t have to be just once a day.

12) Get your spouse on board. It’s hard to make changes if your significant other is resistant. So early on in the process (read: right now), share your thinking, share your reading materials, and ask them to help you get healthy.

Don’t ever force them to change, but see if they can be on your team.

40 December/January

13) Start small — don’t overdo it. Big changes tend to be hard to sustain. Make one small change on this list, and then try another, then another. Each step along the way, you’ll get used it and it will become your new normal. No step needs to be very difficult.

14) Have fun exercising. Create challenges for yourself, and your friends. Find sports you like to play. Use running as a form of meditation. Exercising doesn’t need to be boring or hard — it can be one of the best parts of your day.

15) Drink red wine. One or two glasses of red wine can be very healthy, and can add some pleasure to your new healthy lifestyle. I’m a believer in making a healthy lifestyle one that you enjoy, so add healthy foods you love, activities you enjoy, a mindful tea ritual, and an end-of-the-day wine ritual.

16) Explore berries, kale, raw almonds and walnuts, avocado, flaxseeds, quinoa, tofu, tempeh. These are foods that

many people don’t eat on a regular basis, and some people have never tried some of these. One by one, explore these foods, as I find them to be very healthy. Some of them take some time to acquire the taste, and others (like tofu and tempeh) just need the right seasonings — they don’t have to be bland!

17) Add healthy ingredients to your meals. If you don’t want to change your entire diet, start adding some healthy stuff to your usual meals. For example, if you normally eat spaghetti, try ground turkey or meatless grounds instead of beef. Add some finely-diced kale and carrots, and some flaxseeds. You can do this to many recipes.

18) Try new ethnic foods. Don’t look at changing your diet as a sacrifice. Think of it as a joyous adventure. Want to try going meatless a few days a week? Try some healthy dishes from India, Japan, Thailand, the Mediterranean. It can be a lot of fun, even for the whole family.

19) Stop smoking. OK, this isn’t the easiest strategy, but it is one of the most important. I quit smoking on Nov. 18, 2005, and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life. It takes about a month of focused effort. Here are my tips.

20) Diet before exercise. One of the easiest ways to start getting healthier is to start improving your diet — it’s fairly easy to add some fruits and veggies, for example, and maybe cut back on some of the sweets. Starting exercise takes a bit more focus, and doesn’t always get results as quickly. On the flip side, if you start exercising, don’t let that be an excuse to eat whatever you want — it’s easy to negate the benefits of your morning run with a donut and sugary and fatty coffee drink.

thcmag.com 41

A True Rocky Mountain Miracle

by KC Stark

Sean McAllister and Ali Hillery It all began on March, 19th, 2012, as the sun was rising over Ali Hillery, “the Granny of Ganja” decided to fight. Accepting the Rockies in Colorado Springs, the MMED was preparing any plea deals would mean the end of her business, the end of dreams and a financial apocalypse for her for a surprise inspection of Rocky Mountain family. Ali was ready to fight and fight she did.

Miracles. In a matter of moments, what began as a miracle turned into a 9-month Accepting any legal nightmare for Ali Hillery, her family The DA’s case was based on a black and white plea deals would definition of the evidence found on the day of the and her business. raid. The had 600 plants and over 36 pounds of mean the end of Rocky Mountain Miracles was founded by evidence. It looked like a slam dunk for the DA’s her business, the office and ‘Granny’ was going to jail. Period.

Ali after cannabis helped her son overcome stage 4 cancer. With that ‘miracle’ in end of dreams mind, Ali and her family opened their Not so fast, claimed the defense. Lead by her and a financial own marijuana center and started helping attorney, Sean McAllister, the defense called and others find relief from chronic pain, cancer subpoenaed the kings and queens of MMED to apocalypse for and other ailments. the stand. The subpoena list included MMED her family heads, Dan Hartman, Julie Postlethwait, Laura Harris, VNI agents, CSPD agents and officers Miracle to nightmare: on inspection of as well as the CDPHE supervisor. The court was RMM’s retail and grow operations, the MMED claimed that RMM had 613 plants too many and 36 filled with a who’s who of medical marijuana enforcement pounds too heavy. Within 24 hours, local police, VNI, and in Colorado. Sean’s strategy is well known - ‘aggressive MMED returned to RMM in force and confiscated 36 pounds offense is the best defense.’ and cut down over 600 plants. It was devastating financially and emotionally.

Ali was facing felony drug charges of cultivation and intent to distribute a controlled substance. Everything was on line. If After months and months of struggle, and plea deal offers, she would lose, it would truly turn her ‘miracle’ into a financial

42 December/January

nightmare and a prison cell for ‘Granny.’

keeping or a major criminal offense?

After 3 days of testimony, Ali took the stand. She explained how she had worked diligently to keep good records, always paid her fees on time, and believed in good faith that she was right and the plant counts and pounds seized that day were done in total disregard of the rules and the regulations established by the MMED. Specifically, penalties for ‘minor’ and ‘major’ offenses. At worst, the plant count and pound count were a minor matter of book keeping but not major criminal intent.

On Nov 6th, 2012, the jury of 6 gals and 6 lads returned to court, the verdict was read aloud - “Not guilty.”

Indeed, the testimony of Dan Hartman and Laura Harris both clearly stated that a policy of ‘progressive enforcement’ was preferred to a policy of prosecution for ‘minor’ offenses, i.e., book keeping. Did her case call for a ‘warning’ or ‘imprisonment’?

The “Granny of Ganja” fought the law. And she won. It was a win for Rocky Mountain Miracles, a win for liberty and a win for all medical marijuana center owners and operators in Colorado.

The mood in the court room was tense. Ali’s freedom and family business was on the line. Was it minor matter of book

The court room erupted in applause! Tears of joy and relief filled almost every eye in the room. It was an amazing moment for Ali, her family and all medical marijuana centers in Colorado. The nightmare had come to an end. The business that was based on a miracle had risen from the ashes and a phoenix of hope rose in the courtroom.

Ali is now free. And the phoenix will rise again. Rocky Mountain Miracles is back.

...the plant count and pounds seized that day were done in total disregard of the rules and the regulations, established by the MMED.

KC Stark | Founder of the MMJ Business Academy | 719.930.9846 www.rockymountainmiracles.com www.MMJBuisnessAcademy.com

thcmag.com 43

Alberta, Canada Hosts The Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance

by Jason Lauve

Lake Louise Alberta, Canada

Welcome to the bio-composite materials age. Imagine products made from hemp and flax. Materials like these are already available as automotive parts and building blocks in other countries. Just around the corner we will see insulation, medical casts, transportation and aerospace components manufactured from industrial hemp and other natural bio-sustainable materials. The potential for fuel pellets made from municipal waste for energy or other naturally occurring sources of energy may also be as normal as apple pie.

The Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance held its annual convention in Edmonton, Alberta on November 4-7th, addressing the growing sector of industrial hemp and the related producers, products, and scientists were there. The common goal is to create an economically sustainable hemp industry while enhancing the health of the natural environment.

Representatives from the international hemp arena from around the world came from Russia, China, Pakistan, Australia, United Kingdom, United States, Germany and others to address the progress and future of bio sustainable products made from industrial hemp and other natural fibers.

The presentations consisted of people ranging from students, and fashion designers to scientists researching areas such as bio-synthesis of natural products in plants, cannabinoids in hemp, genetics and genomics of fiber development in hemp and flax. Even one of the co-leads on a recent effort to sequence the cannabis genome presented his work. The “Colorado Project,� formally known as the Industrial Hemp Phytoremediation Pilot Project was also presented.

Many of us are familiar with the highly nutritious foods that hemp oil and seed offer and the great building materials and clothes made from hemp, but few are aware of the processing it takes to get it to your table, on your back, or in your house.

We can’t just take random seed from a field in Nebraska and produce the quality Industrial hemp, when production requires consistency and quality for the specific use, such as soft shirts, tough body armor, rocket parts, or soap and food for human consumption.

44 December/January

Fortunately, Alberta Bio-Materials Composite Development offered a tour of their facility in Vegreville, about 1-1/2 hours northeast of Edmonton. The facility was massive and consisted of many separate areas of development, including a laboratory for germplasm development. There were two large gasifiers, one pancake format and another in a horizontal configuration on a flatbed trailer. These are capable of burring pellets made from bio-materials like hemp and running engines and generators to produce electricity and heat. Having the opportunity to observe their research on the fiber processing and seeing the machines in person really puts the potential of the hemp industry into perspective. There is still a lot of research to be done to standardize many of the things we would like to see made from hemp.

Hemp felt, is the base material that is placed into a mold and injected with epoxy type resins to make trucks, cars and bus parts. It is about 20-30 percent lighter and stronger, depending on the application, and thus more efficient in protecting the occupants of a vehicle in case of an accident; Henry Ford built a car body from hemp in 1941, and it is happening again today.

Some interesting points that were shared in the presentations: • • • •

There is 25 percent protein in the leaves of a hemp plant The fabric is anti-microbial, which is reason enough to add hemp to your wardrobe Hemp building blocks and HempCrete resist black mold and our homes could last longer using a lot less energy to heat and cool. (The mortar in the Great Wall of China has hemp in it) America consumed almost $9,000,000 wholesale in Canadian hemp seed last year

These products are examples of the thousands of additional developments. By implementing hemp and other bio-sustainable materials into the production of products, the health of our environment will improve.

All of the people at the conference have a fantastic amount to offer. The ability to feed people, repair the land and provide homes is in of itself incredible, but there is an area of research that is absolutely amazing, Polymer matrix composites (PMCs). These materials have commercial and defense applications such as advanced thermoplastic PMCs for the Department of Defense. What is possible is up to your imagination, science and reaching out to organizations like CHTA, HIA, NAIHC and HempCleans.com

www.hemptrade.ca thcmag.com 45

Cashy Hyde: A Bright Light Burned Out Too Soon On November 14, 2012 the world lost a brave little guy. Four-year-old Cash “Cashy” Michael Hyde passed away after a two and a half year battle with brain cancer. Born in Missoula, Montana, Cashy was supported and loved by two brothers Colten and John, sister Catherine Joy and parents Michael and Kalli, along with many other family members and fans around the world.

Born on June 21, 2009, he was diagnosed with reoccurring brain tumors 20 months later. His parents turned to cannabis oil to help with nausea caused by chemotherapy and radiation. He went through 30 rounds of grueling, standard cancer treatments without any pain or nausea medication, purely relying on cannabis oil twice a day. In 2011 he was declared cancer free. The Hyde's had won the battle against cancer.

Sadly, it returned. He always had a smile on his face, reminding everyone of how brave he was. Unfortunately this alternative treatment didn’t save Cashy’s life, but it did help him along his battle. The Hyde’s paved the way for many other families using cannabis as an alternative form of treatment. This and Cashy’s positive attitude will forever be remembered.

To make a donation or to read more about Cashy's life, go to

www.cashhydefoundation.com or mail checks to: First Montana Bank 3309 Brooks Street Missoula, Mt 59801

46 December/January

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The sun shines a little brighter now that the cloud of prohibition has been lifted.

48 December/January

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Featured Strains

Edibles

Death Star

Good Medibles Carrot Cake & Baby Carrot Cakes Good Medibles Brownies & Baby Cake Brownies Good Medibles Cereal Mix & Oyster Crackers Good Medibles Cheesecakes Canna Punch Dixie Elixers Cheeba Chews

Boston OG

Concentrates

Good Meds' signature strain comes directly from Cannabis Cup winner Team Death Star's strain, and is not available anywhere else in the state. This trichome-encrusted plant is a cross of Sour Diesel and Sensi Star, delivering diesel notes with a hint of skunk. The indicadominant strain consistently tests between 22% and 24% THC, and offers extreme relief for chronic pain and insomnia.

CannaCritiques opined that "the fine golden THC bulbs of [our Boston OG] form a sea of sparkling sugar the color of wheat beer" with a "sticky, lemony grind." The subtle citrus notes yield an immediate sativa mental elevation partnered with gradual body relaxation, as well as appetite stimulation. This super sativa offers 24.74% total cannabinoids.

Staff Favorites Northern Lights (H/S) Peyton Manning (S) Eli Manning (S) Black Domina (I) Banana Kush (I) Crimson Tide (S) Bordello (I) Pure Power Plant (I) Sensi Star (I) *Lakewood location is moving soon to 8420 W. Colfax Ave.

50 December/January

OrganaLabs Oils & Tablets Atmos & Stratus Cartridges Assorted Strain-Specific BHO Hash

Lakewood’s best kept secret! Help get the word out. MBS has the best selection of any shop in Lakewood. They are always stocked with a huge selection of edibles, concentrates, accessories and also maintain over 30 strains on their shelf. A small neighborhood dispensary with a focus on quality medicine, everyone at Mind, Body Spirit sees Medical Marijuana as a true alternative to prescription medications. They grow organically and only carry products that have been throughly tested in-house. Their staff is mature, friendly and knowledgeable and can always help you find the best medicine to help with your medicinal needs. Don’t be fooled by the casual appearance, they love what they do and believe in helping their patients. Stop in and check them out, you won’t be disappointed.

Staff Favorites

Afghan Kush Blue Dream O.G. Kush Sage n Sour Sour Diesel Boulder Kush White Shark Flo Bordello Blueberry Yum Yum Grape Ape And our very own Green Hornet

6745 W. Mississippi Ave Lakewood, CO 80226 303-934-9750 Monday-Friday 8:00am-7:00pm Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm Sunday 11:00am-4:00pm

Edibles

Growing Kitchen Cookies, Brownies & Chocolava Incredibles Chocolates Dixie Truffles Healthy Creations Chai High Tea Dixie Marquaha Canna Punch Green Dragon Red Dragon

Concentrates

Mahatma Extreme Wax, Oil & Caviar Moonrock Ear Wax Growing Kitchen Pain Pills Flower of Life Canna Caps Flower of Life Has Oil Green Dragon C02 Oil

Topicals

Mary’s Way Salves Mary Janes Medicinals Salves & Bath Salts

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Lakewood

www.mbswellnessclinic.com

www.nlnaturalrx.com

2045 Sheridan Blvd.

Edgewater, CO 80214 Suite B 303-274-6495 Monday-Sunday 11am-7pm

Professional care and personal attention - are in full bloom at Northern Lights Natural Rx. Husband-and-wife team Mitch and Eva Woolhiser use their healthcare and business acumen to provide patients a unique and comfortable experience. A true mom-and-pop dispensary with a knowledgeable and engaging staff, Northern Lights works intimately with patients to help them decide which strains and products suit their specific needs. The Woolhisers are passionate about the plant and their raw product is patiently soilgrown from hand-picked plants offering the best genetic profiles, then cured slowly to ensure that quality shines through. Along with a robust selection of strains, Northern Lights features 10 different lines of edible products that are tested in-house to ensure potency and effectiveness. A flexible exchange policy ensures that patients are fully satisfied, making it easy to see why Northern Lights is also a favorite with people in the industry. Their convenient Edgewater location makes Northern Lights a favorite citywide.

Top Strains Catatonic 50/50

Flavor: Cirtus and peppers. extremely clear headed and utterly unlike a "normal" high THC strain. Uses: Perfect for muscle spasms, appetite stimulation, anxiety or chronic pain.

Sour Diesel Sativa 90/10

Flavor: an "extreme sport" version of cannabis; the stone pulls smokers into the sky fast with a viscerally uplifting pleasure and lots of consciousness expansion in the direction of spirituality. Uses: ADD, Alzheimer’s disease, psychosis, bi-polar disorder, depression, Lou Gehrig’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and stress.

Chernobyl Sativa 60/40 Flavor:

Purple Indica Indica 100

Uses: Strong and pleasant very good for pain relief without paranoia

Flavor: relaxation while enhancing ones jovial mood; may induce couch lock. Uses menstrual cramps, muscle tension, nausea, and stress

: Promotes extreme

Kaboom Sativa 80/20 Flavor good ol' skunk.

: Speedy, trippy, intense, motivating, pain relief. Uses: The high that results from smoking Kaboom medicinal cannabis is

Hawaiian Banana Sativa 80/20

Flavor Because the high leaves your brain wide-awake and functional, she's a good candidate for those who can freely toke all day Uses: Hawaiian sativa possesses analgesic properties that have increased its popularity among medical patients seeking pain relief; anecdotal evidence suggests that Hawaiian sativa provides good visual ocular release, making it a preferred variety for glaucoma patients

Ace of Spades Indica 70/30

Flavor: Skunk, Berry, Sandelwood, Lemon powerful medicince for pain and depression.

Jack the Ripper Sativa 70/30

: strong and hard hitting with a fast onset of laughter ending in a strong body high. Uses: very

Flavor: Lemon : the duration and intensity is strong and thought provoking, described as "trippy," "visual" and "phase shifting." Uses: known worldwide for its strong pain relief and analgesic properties.

52 December/January

Physician Preferred Products is proud and honored to have been serving the North metro community for over two years! We are extremely excited to be a part of this historical time for the Medical Marijuana industry and want to thank our loyal customers for their devotion throughout the years. It is this customer support that drives us here at PPP to create a comfortable, friendly environment for your MMJ needs.

Up front, our Budtenders strive to continually update their knowledge of strains and products in order to provide you with the most educated MMJ shopping experience around. In the back, our growers have worked tirelessly to bring nothing but top quality strains into our garden. These strains have been, for the most part, grown from seed and hand selected from many phenotypes to insure top quality, award winning genetics. We feel this combination of customer service and absolute dedication to quality amounts to a superior MMJ experience!

Strains

Durban Poison Green Crack Blue Dream Jacky White Golden Goat Amnesia Haze Super Lemon Haze Blackwater Rocky Mountain Fire (3rd place, Best Indica, The Hemp Connoisseur Championship) Grape God OG Kush Lavender WS1 (Best Tested Award in The Hemp Connoisseur Championship) House Strains Emo Kush Wet Dream

Concentrates

Moonrock Hash Oil Cartridges-300mg & 500mg cartridges Rmr Hash Oil Cartridges-250mg Hash Oil Cartridges

Solventless Full Melt Hash- 30g Solventless Bubble Hash- 20g Moonrock Wax 30g-Multiple strain selections to choose from!

2100 E. 112th Ave. Suite #5 Northglenn, CO 80233 303-974-5966 Monday-Saturday 10:00am-7:00pm

Edibles

At Home Baked-Brownie And Blondie Mixes -Sativa or Indica!

Greenfroggy-1000Mg Brownies 1000Mg Infused Olive Oil 500 Mg Natural Honey Edipure-Assorted Flavors 500Mg, Assorted Flavors 250Mg Dabba-Mint Chocolate Hybrid Bar-200mg, Indica or Sativa-100mg each.

Incredibles-Fire Berry 375mg- NEW item!

Mile High Mint, Monkey Bar, Strawberry Cough Crunch, Boulder Bar, Blueberry Bliss Mountain High Suckers-Large Hard Candies, Small Hard Candies Dixie-Crispy Rice Treats-150mg, Dixie Rolls Dr J's White Chocolate Cheeba Chews-Quad Dose Sativa, Indica, Hybrid, Deca Dose Hybrid and Green Hornet Gummies The Growing Kitchen-Choclava, 200mgFantastic Brownie Sativa or Indica, Chocolate Chip Cookies Sativa or Indica100mg, White Chocolate Macadamia Cookie Sativa or Indica- 100mg

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De n v e r

www.riverrockcolorado.com

4395 York St. Denver, CO 80216 303-474-4136 Monday-Friday 9am-7pm Saturday-Sunday 10am-7pm 990 W. 6th Ave. Denver, CO 80204 303-825-331 Monday-Friday 8am-7pm Saturday-Sunday 10am-7pm

RiverRock's proprietary organic growing techniques deliver award winning medical cannabis - free of- harsh chemicals - that is safer for our patients and the environment. Artisan growing methods combined with cutting edge technology ensure the consistency, value, and potency of all RiverRock products. We oversee the production of our cannabis, edibles, concentrates, extracts, and supplements allowing us to offer more affordable prices to our patients across-the-board.

RiverRock's professional staff is dedicated to developing effective cannabis treatments that address the particular needs of our patients.

We offer daily incentives to our patients with discounts of 15%-25%, loyalty points, complimentary wellness services, weekly patient appreciation parties with monthly giveaways including glass, concert venues, restaurant deals, and merchandise. We sponsor a range of patients including; SSDI, SSI, Veterans, and patients with terminal illnesses to ensure the most affordable access to all of our medical cannabis products.

Strains

We offer our patients over 100 organically grown strains in rotation between both our centers. We provide one of the largest selections of the highest tested THC & CBD based genetics found world wide. We provide patients with only the highest quality lab tested edibles, extracts, topicals, supplements, and concentrates.

Awards Include: Jack Frost, OGiesel, OG18, Cataract Kush, Moonshine Haze, Ghost Train Haze

TOP FLIGHT 501 OG (RD) Bruce Banner #3 Cateract Kush Chem Dawg #4 Face Wreck (RD) Fire OG Ghost Train Haze (RD) Inferno OG Larry OG Lee Roy Maui Diesel Dawg OG-18 OGiesel Tahoe OG Tangerine Haze (RD) Tokin OG Venom OG Porple Alien OG Rude Queen Scott’s OG (RD) Scott’s (RD) Tahoe OG

PREMIUM Alaskan Ice Amnesia Haze Black Domina Blackberry Kush Bubba Kush (RD) Bbubblegum (T.H.Seeds) Jack Frost Jillybean #4 Dead Head OG Ed Rosenthal Flo Golden Goat Goo Grape Ape (RD) Pineapple Platinum Kush Pure Kush Purple Buddha Purple Indica

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Sour Tsunami #2 Trinity Urkle OG Urkle Trainwreck Wwillie jack Haze Riverrock CBD1 Sour Diesel (RD) White Berry

Edibles, Extracts and Concentrates

Health Creations 100mg (S/H/I/OG) Healthy Creations 200mg (S/H/I/OG) Essential Extracts Solvent-less Wax & Hash RockBudder (Compound/Shatter) Award Wining Activated CBD Oil Activated Sativa, Hybrid, Indica, and OG Oil CBD & THC Tinctures (Glycerin/MCT) CBD & THC Tea's CBD & THC Salves Fresh Cannabis Juice

SOMA cannabis is organically grown in coco with only the highest quality nutrients and additives. Our commitment is to create dense, aromatic buds with incredible trichome (resin) development and high cannabinoid production. There have never been any pesticides, fungicides, or pathogen products administered to our plants and at the end of the flowering cycle we flush thoroughly so that the final product is safe, incredibly powerful, medical grade marijuana.

SOMA caregiver programs are full of perks, rewards, and exclusive access to our reserve genetics. Our patients also have access to a network of certified healers. Designed to accommodate an eclectic and growing patient base our eco-friendly retail space features local artists and supports our patients fund.

Strains

Super Lemon Haze, Sativa D Grape Ape, Indica D C4, Hybrid Bruce Banner, Sativa D L'Eagle, Sativa D F'n Wrecked, Sativa D Great White Shark, Indica D White Widow, Sativa D Sour Diesel, Sativa D Golden Goat, Sativa D Blueberry Skunk, Sativa D White Rabbit Chem Dawg, FLO, Hybrid Bubba Kush, Sativa D Master Kush, Indica D

1810 30th St. Suite C Boulder, CO 80301 720-432-SOMA (7662) Monday-Friday 10:00am-6:00pm Saturday 12:00pm-5:00pm Sunday-Closed

Concentrates BHO Wax BHO Budder BHO Shatter BHO Earl BHO Sexy Oil BHO Moonrock Cold Water {solvent-less} Cooking Hash Red Dragon CO2 Oil

Edibles

The Growing Kitchen Twirling Hippy Chai High Edi-Pure Mountain High Edibles Honest Abe's Incredibles Green Dragon Marquaha

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Boulder

www.somacolorado.com

Denver

www.standingakimbo.org

3801 N. Jason St. Denver, CO 80211 303--997-4526

Monday-Saturday 10am-7pm Sunday 11am-5pm

Strains

Sour Diesel Bruce Banner #3 Maui-99 Banana Kush Sister Bling Casey Jones A-Train Toob-Wreck The Cough Akimbo's Snow Grape Emperor Kush Blue Jack City Alien Dawg White Dawg

56 December/January

Fire Grapes Durban Poison Agent Orange Sour Berry Grape Ape S.A.G.E. Grape Stomper Grand Doggy Purps NL#5 Purple Urkle Cantolope Haze Recon Blue Apollo Ortega

Conveniently located in northwest Denver, Standing Akimbo brings patients more than just potent strains and high-grade hash. Standing Akimbo is also one of the state's premier producers of eminently delicious edibles like the award-winning PeCanna Bar and the hard-to-put-down Bubble Brownie. Located in an old bar on 38th Avenue, this dispensary uses an onsite kitchen to craft these grandma-caliber treats. The knowledgeable, friendly staff is always happy to guide patients toward the proper product for their medical needs and Standing Akimbo keeps ample varieties of indica, sativa, and blends on-hand so you're sure to find a cure for whatever ails you. The doors stay open until 7pm six nights a week and until 5pm on Sundays, making it easy to pop in after work, which is always a good idea, because you never know what they'll be cooking up next!

Signature Edibles

Pecanna Bar 2011 High Times Award winner Bubble Brownie 2012 High Times Award winner Chronic Crispies Buddy Mix Comfey Crackers Party Mix Rock n Rollz New* Pecanna Bites New* Brownie Bites

DISPENSARY GUIDE

COLORADO SPRINGS 58 Amendment 20 60 Palmer Lake Wellness 61 Rocky Mountain Miracles

MOUNTAIN

59 Nature’s Own Wellness

TSCAN THE

QR CODES AT THE TOP OF THE PAGES FOR MORE INFO AND SPECIAL OFFERS!

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Colorado Springs

www.amendment20cos.com

2727 Palmer Park Blvd.

Colorado Springs, CO 80909 719-375-5610 Monday-Saturday 11am-6:30pm Sunday 12pm-4pm

Amendment 20 Caregivers is a family-owned and operated Colorado MMJ center dedicated to quality medicine and a satisfying patient experience. The friendly staff works tirelessly to ensure every patient has an enjoyable visit and that they are receiving the best medicine available for their condition. The medicine is only top-shelf but is available at reasonable prices that everyone can afford (and most cannot believe). Member patients enjoy even lower pricing, daily specials, and patient appreciation events. Bud-tenders are friendly, knowledgeable, and enjoy helping patients feel better. Amendment 20 Caregivers is conveniently located in central Colorado Springs with plenty of free parking and with safe, private, and easy access for every patient. The wide variety of edibles and high-quality meds make this the perfect stop. Come visit them today to learn about and sign up for member pricing and other daily discounts blasts.

Staff Favorites

New York Power Diesel sativa dominant 70/30

The New York Power Diesel (NYPD) is an indoor power strain with a radical mix of Sativa Mexicana father and Afghan/Dutch indica mother. The Nirvana addition to the diesel family stays close to the New York variant. NYPD is an F1 hybrid that is balanced but sativa-dominant, with potential for gardeners and home breeders. Its mother plant, the Aurora Indica, is a combination of Northern Lights and an Afghan strain that was stabilized especially for use in this cross. The heavy, greasy narcotic effects of the Aurora Indica beautifully cut the edge of the crispy, speedy Oaxacan sativa father known as Eldorado. The resulting terpenoids have a powerful diesel aroma with a lemon-edged fuel flavor.

Aurora Indica indica dominant 90/10

Aurora Indica's leaves are dark and impressively wide and its smell is dense and spicy, leading gardeners to anticipate the cosmic indica experience its name suggests. The buds are thick and greasy to the touch, with a deep Afghani flavor that is more apparent when grown in soil. A great stone before bed, this heavy buzz comes on quickly and can be quite sedative. People have reported hot ears as a common side effect when vaporizing.

This strain has medicinal potential for treating hyperactivity and insomnia.

Concentrates Scissor Hash-Rainbow Bubble Hash-Rainbow Style Moonrocks Kief

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Top Strains Aurora Indica Grapefruit Blue Dream Hong Kong Star Chem Dogg Matanuska Tundra (aka Mountain Thunder) Cindy 99 Jilly Bean Skunk #6 Headband Sage 'n' Sour Cream Cheeze Roadblock-15 Thai Blueberry 2 LA Confidential Lemon Skunk NYPD White Widow Sour Diesel Pez Kt Kush Blue City Diesel NYPD

Under new ownership and management, Nature’s Own Wellness Center strives to give every patient a quality experience that is only surpassed by the quality of their medicine. The dispensary offers a wide variety of strains and products to help all patients with their particular needs. Nature’s Own Wellness Center offers only the best edibles and marijuana infused products from around the state. All strains our house-grown and special care is taken to make sure they are of the highest quality.

Nature’s Own Wellness Center offers a clean, safe, comfortable, environment run by medical professionals who are focused on the well-being of their patients. The dispensary takes their caregiver responsibility seriously and will work with the patients to be sure that the care they are receiving is helpful and provides relief. The focus is on real patients who can benefit from this type of therapy, and the dispensary is establishing a patient-oriented approach while complying with all Colorado laws and statutes. Nature’s Own Wellness Center offers a place of healing for patients with a compassionate and knowledgeable staff of providers you can trust.

More than just a medical cannabis center; Nature's Own Wellness Center is here to help you experience a better quality of life and a healing of mind, body, and spirit.

Strains (variable from harvest to harvest) Cherry Lime Afghani Bullrider Herijuana Romulan Purple Kush Bubba Kush Banana Kush Bubba Bruce Bruce Banner Master Kush Rom Rider Ray Charles Grand Daddy Nosebleed UK Cheese Lava Berry Kush Flo Lemon Skunk Green Crack Island Sweet Skunk Lambs Bread

927 Highway 3 Durango, CO 81301 970-259-0283 Monday-Saturday 10am-6:30pm Sunday 12pm-5pm

Edibles (call for availability) Bakked - Cake Balls, Hash Oil Cheeba Chews - Indica, Sativa, Hybrid, CBD Dr. J's - Caramellows, Star Barz Dixie Elixir - Dew Drop, CBD Dew Drop, Dixie Rolls, Truffles, Dixie Scripts EdiPure - 100 mg, 250 mg assorted Julie and Kate - Cannabutter, Granola, Nut mixes Standing Akimbo - Pecanna Bars, Bubble Brownies, Rock n Rolls, Buddy Mix, Chronic Crispies Tincture Belle - Suckers, Tinctures, Dab-O-Honey, Dabba Zabba, Dabby Nut Rolls, Punches, Caramel Popcorn Mountain High Edibles - Chocolate Rolls

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Durango

www.nowcdurango.com

Palmer Lake Wellness 850 Commerical Lane Palmer Lake, CO 80133 719-488-9900 Open Daily 9:00am-7:00pm

Top Strains

Right off of I-25, nestled in the foothills between Denver and Colorado Springs is a hidden treasure—Palmer Lake Wellness Center.

Owners hand tend over 27 strains from start to finish with only the best organic soils, purest waters, expertise, and lots of love. From the coveted Durban Poison, Chocolate Chunk, Maui, AK-47, White Rhino, and Island Sweet Skunk to their own in-demand Palmer Poison, the owners grow plants that others only dream about. All of this reaps a harvest of some of the best and most potent high altitude medicinal marijuana found along the Front Range.Palmer Lake Wellness Center’s small staff is passionately dedicated and highly educated about the power of medicinal marijuana.

They pride themselves on working to find the best medicinal fit for each individual patient. Throw in some gourmet edibles, potent concentrates, and a varied selection of local artwork and you've got an unbeatable wellness shop. Come experience the small town difference.

Agent Orange Sativa Chocolate Chunk IndicaAK-47 Sativa heavy Hybrid Blue Dream Sativa 21 Indica Connie Chung Sativa Blue Kush Indica Durban Poison Sativa Blue Widow Indica Great White Shark Sativa Bubble Gum Kush Indica Island Sweet Skunk Sativa Lavendar Kush Indica Moby Dick Sativa Purple Elephant Indica Paint Can Sativa White Rhino Indica Skywalker Sativa Sour Cream Sativa White Widow Sativa Maui Hybrid NYCD Hybrid Palmer Poison Hybrid Blueberry Indica-dominant Hybrid

Concentrates Canna Caps Earwax Keif Bubble Hash THC Tinctures

December/January 6060 December/January

Edibles Dr J’s Hash Infusion Cheeba chews-Deca dose HO Boys Fruit bard Green Dragon 300mg and 700 mg, Dixie Drinks 75 mg, THC Lotions, salves and lip balm

In the heart of Colorado Springs, Rocky Mountain Miracles prides itself on delivering all-natural MMJ products for patients all over Colorado. Family is very important to owner Ali, who operates Rocky Mountain Miracles with daughters Jessica, Mandy, Shelly, and son Mike. The growers and trimmers are all family. You are welcomed and cared for like family too. Part of what makes RMM stand out is its quality selection of medication. RMM offers over 80 top-shelf quality, handtrimmed strains, with new strains introduced regularly, as well as hash and caviar.

It's all about providing the right medication for your medical needs, from severe physical pain to PTSD. Also, RMM boasts a wealth of medicated edibles—from cooking ingredients to snacks, teas, coffees, and drinks, plus items for diabetics.

Medicated tablets, chewables, tinctures, and more provide great alternatives to smoking. But there's more to this dispensary than the products. Trained staff members happily provide consultation on marijuana questions, pain management, and offer evaluations for patients to determine how MMJ could help alleviate pain and improve quality of life. At Rocky Mountain Miracles, MMJ is provided with expert counseling while friendly service offers unparalleled relief.

Staff Favorites

LA Confidential Tested at 23% THC Durga Mata Tested at 18.4% THC Chocolope Tested at 20.7% THC Mango 13 Tested at 17.7% THC Orange Bud Tested at 18.8% THC Hawaiian Skunk Tested at 16.7% THC Skywalker Tested at 18.9% THC AK-47 Tested at 21% THC Blue Dream Tested at 22.8% THC Black Cherry Tested at 21% THC Super Lemon Haze Tested at 20.4% THC Jack the Ripper Tested at 18.3% THC

2316 E. Bijou St. Colorado Springs, CO 80909 719-473-9333 Tuesday-Saturday 12pm-6:45pm Sunday-Monday Closed

Edibles

Green Chili Brownies Cookies Hard Candy/Taffys Apple Butter/Peanut Butter Marinara Macaroni and Cheese Chicken Noodle Soup Hot Chocolate/Coffees/Teas Oatmeal Trail Mix/Sunflower Seeds

Patient Testimonials

Testimonial #1 “I like Rocky Mountain Miracles because it’s run by a family. They care very much about their patients, all of them, especially ones with real health problems or who are on disability, like myself. I’ve received very good advice on certain edibles that have helped me tremendously with my PTSD, my immune disease, and chronic problems with my back. It has helped take me off most of my medications, where I’m not having to take as many pharmaceutical drugs anymore and I can rely more on natural medicine.” —Jannae, patient at Rocky Mountain Miracles Testimonial #2 “Shopping at Rocky Mountain Miracles is fun. I laugh with Ali and her daughters every time I come in and they are so friendly and knowledgeable. There are always new products to try and they take the time to explain how the medication can affect me and answer my questions.

They have a great selection of edibles. I have horrible back pain and prefer edibles during the day—my favorites are the Jolly Drops. I always feel like I’m getting a good deal—like I’m part of the family.” —Susie, Rocky Mountain Miracles patient

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Colorado Springs

www.rockymountainmiracles.com

DISPENSARY INDEX Resource Index by amenity Acupuncture 49 Denver Relief 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness

Chiropractic 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness

All Natural 07 Catnips 03 Dr. J’s Hash Infusion 07 Medimints

Clone Bar 51 MBS Wellness Center 05 MMD of Colorado 09 The Giving Tree of Denver 60 Palmer Lake Wellness

ATM On Site 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx 54 River Rock 61 Rocky Mountain Miracles 60 Palmer Lake Wellness Award Winning 49 Denver Relief 50 Good Meds Network 31 Incredibles 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx 53 Physician Preferred Products 54 River Rock 56 Standing Akimbo Books & Education 49 Denver Relief 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness Cash Only 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness 54 River Rock 61 Rocky Mountain Miracles Charity/Community Outreach 49 Denver Relief 60 Palmer Lake Wellness 54 River Rock

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Clothing Items 49 Denver Relief 09 The Giving Tree of Denver 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx 54 River Rock 61 Rocky Mountain Miracles Credit/Debit Cards Accepted 49 Denver Relief 09 The Giving Tree of Denver 50 Good Meds Network 05 MMD of Colorado 53 Physician Preferred Products Daily Specials 49 Denver Relief 09 The Giving Tree of Denver 50 Good Meds Network 51 MBS Wellness Center 05 MMD of Colorado 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx 53 Physician Preferred Products 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness 54 River Rock 56 Standing Akimbo Educational Classes 49 Denver Relief 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx 51 MBS Wellness Center 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness

Free Parking 58 Amendment 20 49 Denver Relief 09 The Giving Tree of Denver 50 Good Meds Network 51 MBS Wellness Center 05 MMD of Colorado 59 Nature’s Own 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx 60 Palmer Lake Wellness 53 Physician Preferred Products 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness 54 River Rock 61 Rocky Mountain Miracles 55 SOMA 56 Standing Akimbo Gift Certificates 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx Gluten Free 07 Catnips 07 Medimints Happy Hour 56 Standing Akimbo Healthy Options 07 Catnips 07 Medimints 13 Canyon Cultivation Holistic Health 60 Palmer Lake Wellness 61 Rocky Mountain Miracles Infused Products 66 Apothecanna 09 Bakked 07 Catnips 13 Canyon Cultivation 07 Dixie Elixirs 03 Dr. J’s Hash Infusion 31 Incredibles 07 Medimints 29 Solace Meds

Internet Wi-Fi 05 MMD of Colorado 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness 54 River Rock 56 Standing Akimbo 55 SOMA Labeled Nutritional Information 07 Catnips 13 Canyon Cultivation 03 Dr. J’s Hash Infusion 31 Incredibles 07 Medimints 29 Solace Meds Live Music 54 River Rock Local Artist Program 54 River Rock Massage Therapy 49 Denver Relief 51 MBS Wellness Center 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness 54 River Rock Meditation/Yoga 49 Denver Relief Member Discounts 49 Denver Relief 09 The Giving Tree of Denver 50 Good Meds Network 51 MBS Wellness Center 05 MMD of Colorado 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx 53 Physician Preferred Products 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness 54 River Rock 55 SOMA 56 Standing Akimbo Member Loyalty Program 54 River Rock

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Nutritional Consulting 49 Denver Relief 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness Patient Appreciation Events 49 Denver Relief 54 River Rock Pain Management Consulting 60 Palmer Lake Wellness 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness 54 River Rock Pre-Order Medication 58 Amendment 20 49 Denver Relief 09 The Giving Tree of Denver 50 Good Meds Network 51 MBS Wellness Center 53 Physician Preferred Products 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness 54 River Rock 61 Rocky Mountain Miracles 55 SOMA 56 Standing Akimbo Private Dispensing Rooms 51 MBS Wellness Center 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness 54 River Rock 55 SOMA Senior Discounts 49 Denver Relief 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness Signature Edibles 49 Denver Relief 09 The Giving Tree of Denver 50 Good Meds Network 60 Palmer Lake Wellness 53 Physician Preferred Products 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness 54 River Rock 56 Standing Akimbo

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Signature Strains 58 Amendment 20 49 Denver Relief 50 Good Meds Network 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx 53 Physician Preferred Products 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness 54 River Rock 61 Rocky Mountain Miracles 55 SOMA 56 Standing Akimbo Specialty Glass 49 Denver Relief 09 The Giving Tree of Denver 51 MBS Wellness Center 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx 60 Palmer Lake Wellness 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness 54 River Rock 61 Rocky Mountain Miracles 56 Standing Akimbo Specialized Treatment Programs 54 River Rock Sub-Lingual 07 Catnips 07 Medimints Sugar Free 07 Catnips 07 Medimints Topicals 49 Denver Relief 09 The Giving Tree of Denver 51 MBS Wellness 05 MMD of Colorado 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx 60 Palmer Lake Wellness 53 Physician Preferred Products 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness 54 River Rock

Vegetarian 13 Canyon Cultivation 07 Catnips 03 Dr. J’s Hash Infusion 31 Incredibles 07 Medimints 29 Solace Meds Vendor Merchandise 58 Amendment 20 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx 53 Physician Preferred Products 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness 54 River Rock 61 Rocky Mountain Miracles 55 SOMA Veteran Discounts 49 Denver Relief 09 The Giving Tree of Denver 51 MBS Wellness Center 05 MMD of Colorado 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx 53 Physician Preferred Products 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness 54 River Rock 61 Rocky Mountain Miracles 55 SOMA

Denver North 53 Physician Preferred Products 54 River Rock 56 Standing Akimbo Denver South 48 Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness 54 River Rock Durango 59 Nature’s Own Wellness Edgewater 52 Northern Lights Natural Rx Englewood 50 Good Meds Network Georgetown 50 Good Meds Network Lakewood 50 Good Meds Network 51 MBS Wellness Mountain 50 Good Meds Network 59 Nature’s Own Wellness

Boulder 55 SOMA

Northglenn 53 Physician Preferred Products

Colorado Springs 58 Amendment 20 60 Palmer Lake Wellness 61 Rocky Mountain Miracles

Palmer Lake 60 Palmer Lake Wellness

Denver Central 49 Denver Relief 54 River Rock Denver Downtown 05 MMD of Colorado Denver Highlands 09 The Giving Tree of Denver

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66 December/January AVAILABLE JANUARY 2013 IN FINE COLORADO MMCs

FAST ACTING, PAIN RELIEVING BODY SPRAY WITH ORGANIC ESSENTIAL OILS AND PLANT EXTRACTS

pain spray

4 FL.OZ 120 ML

multi-functional skincare

apothecanna.com • facebook.com/apothecanna

Outdated federal law is crushing legitimate cannabis businesses...

But there is a solution: Join the National Cannabis Industry Association, the only trade association working for your industry in Washington, DC. Join NCIA today for…

• National Industry Advocacy • Informational events and B2B networking • Industry legitimization • Exposure to a national market Join online now at TheCannabisIndustry.org or call (202) 379-4861, ex. 1.

NCIA thanks our Colorado membership for standing up for the industry: 3-D Denver's Discreet Dispensary B*GOOD Broadway Wellness Canna Security America CannaPages.com CannLabs Christopher Taylor, CPA Cloverleaf Consulting Denver Relief Consulting

EZ Trim Fusion Pharm, Inc. Herban Medicinals Indispensary Jim Marty and Assoc., CPAs KiMSiDELL.COM/MMJ Kind Love Lightshade Labs Local Product of Colorado LoHi Cannabis Club

McAllister, Darnell & Associates MJ Freeway MMC Depot Natural Remedies North Boulder Wellness Organa Labs Otoke Horticulture, LLC Preferred Organic Therapy & Wellness

Pure Essentia Robert J. Corry, Jr., Esq Roberto's MMJ List Rocky Mountain Business Products The Clinic Colorado The Hemp Connoisseur Vicente-Sederberg, LLC We Grow Colorado

NCIA is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade organization. • P.O. Box 78062 • Washington, DC 20013

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