Green Zone Quarterly Winter 2017 by The Inlander

G WINTER 2017 â&#x20AC;¢ FREE

GREEN

ZONE QUARTERLY

SUPPLEMENT TO THE INLANDER

2 GREEN ZONE QUARTERLY WINTER 2017

GREEN

ZONE QUARTERLY

WINTER 2017 COVER ARTIST Jonathan Hill DESIGNER Derek Harrison

ere at the Inlander, we’re all about promoting commerce — connecting customers with local businesses. We do it for local breweries, tasty new bistros and distinctive boutiques. And since July of 2014, with the opening of the legal cannabis marketplace in Washington state, we’ve been doing the same for all your favorite neighborhood retail shops. Every week since the very beginning, we’ve been publishing our Green Zone pages in the Inlander. It quickly became the go-to center of the cannabis universe in Eastern Washington, with news about growing our local businesses responsibly and details on the latest products and deals. To continue in that tradition, we’re launching GREEN ZONE QUARTERLY to keep you informed. It’s glossy, it’s green and it’ll be around for three whole months. Watch for our next issue, coming out on — you guessed it — 4/20.

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INLANDER

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BE AWARE: Marijuana is legal for adults 21 and older under Washington State law (e.g., RCW 69.50, RCW 69.51A, HB0001 Initiative 502 and Senate Bill 5052). State law does not preempt federal law; possessing, using, distributing and selling marijuana remains illegal under federal law. In Washington state, consuming marijuana in public, driving while under the influence of marijuana and transporting marijuana across state lines are all illegal. Marijuana has intoxicating effects; there may be health risks associated with its consumption, and it may be habit-forming. It can also impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. Keep out of reach of children. For more information, consult the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board at www.liq.wa.gov.

Warning: This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Smoking is hazardous to your health. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. Should not be used by women that are pregnant or breast feeding. For USE only by adults 21 and older. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination and judgement. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug.

WINTER 2017 GREEN ZONE QUARTERLY

STRAINS

Matches Made in Heaven

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALI BLACKWOOD

Picking the perfect strain for your favorite playtime activity

or many people, indulging in a little higher consciousness for years came in taking a few tokes off a joint at a concert or munching a brownie at a friend’s potluck. There was little questioning exactly what kind of cannabis was being enjoyed, it was simply a matter of “Will this get me

stoned?” In Washington state’s brave new world of legal recreational pot, casual users are suddenly faced with a world of often-confusing choices in names, potencies and strains when they visit their favorite

BY DAN NAILEN

shop. Thankfully, friendly budtenders and websites like Leafly exist to help guide you to the perfect bud for your preferred mental destination. I hit a few of Spokane’s shops to ask for cannabis strains that would be ideal for four different activities, and got the lowdown on getting efficiently high from some of our local professionals. I asked them to suggest a strain for tokers who want to go hiking, veg out in front of the TV, get creative by writing some poetry, or dance the night away at a concert or club. Here are some useful tips:

... for watching TV ... for going hiking

Evan Woolley from Simply Cannabis (827 E. Francis) suggests Chemdawg, a 50/50 hybrid of indica and sativa that he says “is enough of a kick in the face that you’re stoned, but you still have some get-up-and-go to keep hiking.” Rashae Williams from Cannabis & Glass (605 E. Francis) recommends the 100 percent sativa strain Grapefruit for enjoying a cruise up a trail. “The buds are so crystallized, they’re beautiful,” she says.

... for dancing all night

For Woolley, it’s Orange Crush, a sativa-dominant hybrid that “gives you a body high, but you’re still able to do stuff.” Johnson suggests Blue Dream as a perfect social strain that is good for groups of friends to enjoy together, capable of satisfying both everyday smokers and dabblers. “That’s for everybody, the standardized go-to high,” Johnson says. “Everybody will be able to handle the high. Everybody likes the Blue Dream.”

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Bradley Johnson, budtender at Royal’s Cannabis (7115 N. Division) says go straight to Royal Kush, an indica-leaning hybrid he says is “super heavy, and tastes delicious. It motivates you to do nothing but hang on your couch.” Sounds perfect for bingeing something on Netflix. Williams suggests the 100 percent indica strain The Hog; its two most prevalent traits (called up on Williams’ handy iPad) are “relaxed” and “sleepy.”

... for writing some poetry

Woolley recommends Cinex, a strong sativa strain grown by many producers (and also spelled Cynex at times) that he says has a “really good head high. It gets your head spinning.” Williams says a Banana Kush would be perfect since the hybrid strain allows users to “feel the sativa and indica effects separately” during the time you’re stoned. “It sparks the creativity.” Johnson says old favorite Pineapple Express is a good strain for getting creative. The sativa-leaning hybrid, he says, “opens up the pathways to let the creative side of the world flow through you.” n

EVENTS

Welcome to the Top! Seattle Hempfest is set for Aug. 18-20.

Are we in Washington? Just Barely!

MARK GLADDING PHOTO

Save the Dates W ashington state’s recreational cannabis market enters its third full operational year in 2017. Still, the growing industry offers few options in the form of public events for all those green consumers to learn about or explore marijuana’s uses and effects. One option — besides subscribing to High Times or reading this publication — is to attend an industry-focused convention. Though many are designed more for marijuana professionals, the following events welcome all curious cannabis connoisseurs.

2.3 miles north of I-90 at the Liberty Lake Exit 3 miles from Stateline

apexcannabis.com Warning: This product has intoxicating effects & may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, & judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 years & older. Keep out of reach of children.

25th Annual Seattle Hempfest

Aug. 18-20, downtown Seattle waterfront, hempfest.org This year’s quarter-century Hempfest weekend not only celebrates its namesake botanical, but also human rights, equality and freedom. In the heart of the Emerald City, Hempfest proclaims itself the “undisputed ‘King of Protestivals’ and the largest cannabis convocation in the world.” The free, volunteer-run festival hosts more than 400 vendors and six stages of speakers and live music throughout its three-day run. Check out last year’s schedule online for a preview of what to expect in 2017 if you’ve never been, and to see a list of the 25 issues on the official Hempfest platform, like pushing to allow legal home-grows and reforming marijuana regulations in banking, housing and health care.

King Cannabis Expo

Oct. 14-15, Spokane Convention Center, kingcannabisexpo.com Spokane’s first cannabis convention commences this fall, offering two days of a “seed-to-sale” expo on the Convention Center floor. While this event geared toward professionals in all phases of the industry — growers, processors, investors, marketers, retailers, legal experts and more — is largely focused on connecting the dots from farming to the consumer endpoint and everything in between, it also offers a concise look inside the billion-dollar industry for anyone who’s thought of becoming a budtender, or perhaps dreams of one day owning their own head shop. Daily admission for the public is $10; exhibition booths range from $1,800 to $10,000 and sponsorships are available. (CHEY SCOTT)

...continued on page 20

WINTER 2017 GREEN ZONE QUARTERLY

GEAR

Vapor Trail

Four of the best-selling vape pieces for pot smokers BY MITCH RYALS It’s not just tobacco smokers who are shunning traditional combustion as a vehicle for inhaling intoxicants — potheads have jumped on board, too. If you’re someone who still prefers a good ol’ joint, the idea of moving into the next wave of THC delivery systems can be daunting. With scores of different vape pens in a market bogged down by vaporizing jargon, it’s difficult to know where to start. How do these things even work? What form of marijuana and marijuana-based substances work with vape pens? And which vape pen is right for me? Lucky for you, I did some asking around. Here are four of the best-selling vape pens for potheads.

1. Vuber Atlas: The biggest points in its favor are the lifetime battery warranty and relatively modest price. At about $70 for the battery, two “atomizers” (the mechanism that heats the THC concentrate), a charger, wax tool, wax container and carrying case, the Vuber Atlas is dependable and discreet. Plus, this pen has dual quartz coils, which makes for more efficient vaping, says Skyler Keller at Piece of Mind, which has four Spokanearea locations.

3. Puffco Plus: This sleek pen breaks the mold by getting rid of coil atomizers typical in most vape pens. Instead, the Puffco Plus, about $100, uses a ceramic bowl. Vapers will tell you that coil heating mechanisms often distort the flavor, whereas the ceramic gives a cleaner hit. This pen also has a “sesh” mode that heats the marijuana concentrate for longer than most other pens. Take a massive rip, or share with your friends.

2. Dr. Dabber Aura: Typically, vape pens are assembled by screwing two or three parts together. The Aura, however, uses magnets, which makes for a quicker and potentially less messy set up. At around $100, the Aura also comes with three different atomizers, which gives you some options for vaping each specific type of marijuana wax or oil. The quartz rod atomizer is best for oils with lower viscosity, for example, while the ceramic heater is better for thicker oils.

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4. Dr. Dabber Boost: This is the closest thing you’re going to get to a larger dab rig, but it’s portable and heated with a battery rather than a propane torch. This vape “erig” stands about 10 inches tall, half the height of most others. A glass percolator mouthpiece extends from the battery, at about $150, the Boost comes with three different heating mechanism materials — titanium, ceramic and quartz. n

EDIBLES

Alternative Appetites Swifts Truffles

Marijuana-infused edibles come in every form imaginable, so where does one begin? BY CHEY SCOTT

W Zoots brand lozenges

Spot fruit chews

Ray’s Infused Lemonade

hether you’re totally new to the concept of edible, recreational cannabis and its various forms, or have been baking pot-infused brownies at home for years, navigating the exploding edibles market can be daunting. With so much variety — from tinctures to chocolates and beverages to lozenges — what products fit your needs? How do you determine a safe and adequate dose for your body type or experience? What tastes best? What’s the best value? We asked two Spokane-area budtenders — Kendra Nixon at Sativa Sisters in Spokane Valley and Jeff Jenkins at The Vault in downtown Spokane — to share their best advice for edible newbies, as well as some of their favorite products on the market. Before we get to their picks, though, a few key points on edible dosing, potency and consumption: • In Washington state, a single-dose edible can contain a maximum 10 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive component of cannabis, with packaged items, like lozenges or chocolates, containing a maximum of 100 mg of THC per package. • Unlike smoking or vaping, edibles take much longer to have an effect via digestion into the bloodstream. Depending on the person (factors like size and metabolism come into play) and the product, it can take up to three hours before you’ll notice a high, which means if you’re not feelin’ it, you should definitely wait at least that long to consume more so as to avoid an unpleasant overdose. • It’s not recommended to drink alcohol simultaneously, or to consume edibles on an empty stomach.

• If you’re still totally new to edibles and feeling wary, read High Times’ “10 Commandments of Marijuana Edible Safety.” At Sativa Sisters (10525 E. Trent), one of the area’s first recreational shops to open in the summer of 2014, Nixon recommends that newbies try the Zoots brand lozenges, sold in 20-piece tins of 5 mg, sugar-free candies in lemongrass, cinnamon, berry or caramel flavors. Zoots’ discreet and sleek metal tin makes them a favorite product among customers over 50, she says. Called ZootRocks, the tins retail for $35 at Sativa Sisters. Nixon also personally recommends Spot brand fruit chews, sold in bags of six 10 mg chews for $30. At downtown Spokane’s newest recreational dispensary, The Vault (213 E. Sprague), one of Jenkins’ favorite products is Ray’s Infused Lemonade, which sells in 25 mg ($10) or 75 mg ($15) bottles. All infused beverages come with disposable plastic dosing cups to measure out 10 mg increments. Jenkins says liquids take effect a little faster than solid edibles, and can be a nice additive for users who smoke regularly and want to extend their high. Liquid products like this can also be a preferable method of consumption for people with higher tolerances, he adds. Jenkins hypes one of the more new and unusual items on The Vault’s shelves: GaGa Edibles taffy, which “tastes like pink Starbust,” he says. The chews sell for $35 in bags of ten 10 mg pieces. For users who have a more discerning tongue or strain preference for their edibles, he says the Swifts Truffles — in flavors like mint chocolate, cookies and cream, and apple crisp pie — are strain-specific, with sativa, indica or hybrid options. These truffles sell as 10 mg singles for $7 to $9. n

WINTER 2017 GREEN ZONE QUARTERLY

CULTURE

ILLUSTRATION BY JESSIE HYNES

First Impressions I entered a pot shop for the first time, and my head didn’t explode

BY LAURA JOHNSON

here’s a Pizza Pipeline location next door to Green Star Cannabis. Pulling into this North Division strip mall parking lot, I think the pairing of the businesses couldn’t have been planned better. It’s a one-stop shop here. I’m a journalist who’s never entered a pot shop before. I’ve never as much as puffed a joint or munched on a weed-laced brownie. That’s why my editor sent me out to a cannabis store; I’m here to offer a newbie’s perspective. Of all the recreational marijuana shops

in town, I chose Green Star (1403 N. Division) because they have a reputation for hands-on service. Each customer gets his or her own budtender, I was told, and they show you around the store. For patrons already in the know this might be annoying; for me, it was perfect. Swinging open the glass front door, a blast of warm, slightly weed-tinged air greets me, as does budtender Erik Ellstad. He wants to see my I.D., but unlike some club bouncers, he’s not gruff in the asking. I tell him I’m here for the first time, and that I’m pretty much hopeless. He doesn’t laugh me out of the store; he says he gets that a lot, especially folks from Montana and Idaho who come to Spokane for a weekend. He says people who haven’t smoked since the 1970s, when product was far less potent, are in my same boat — everything is new. The bright and open business is bustling tonight. People of all ages (21 and over) and demographics are represented. It feels so normal, yet stores like this weren’t open in this state until the summer of 2014.

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Asking Ellstad if the job is stressful, he says it’s nothing compared to other kinds of retail. Here, he tries every type of cannabis the shop offers (between 20 and 30 strains), as encouraged by owner Sam Calvert, who demands that his employees be as knowledgeable as possible. As we walk around the various glass display cases, Ellstad shows off the edibles (he highly recommends the brownie bites for my first experience), the hard candy and fizzy soda. There are tinctures and items to vape. Getting to the cannabis leaves, I get to put my nose to the test. The chocolate chunk kind smells like its namesake, but the watermelon doesn’t. The difference between sativa and indica highs is also explained in detail. It’s recommended that I start out with a low dose. Never once am I belittled for not knowing anything. While I’m only window shopping today, I leave with a whole new sense of appreciation for the services these shops offer. Next time I darken the door, I’ll know where to start. n

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IN-DEPTH

Fitness with Cannabis More people discover that weed and working out aren’t mutually exclusive

BY TARYN PHANEUF

or Shaun Durkin, staying fit is a top priority that’s become a habit over the past decade. When he worked as a firefighter in the U.S. Air Force, it was part of his job. Now it’s more of a favorite hobby. When he got out of the service, he moved home to Spokane and started working at the TreeHouse Club, where he’s a manager. Selling recreational marijuana inspired him to experiment with how the drug

affects his body, especially during a workout. He keeps up a routine of working out five to six days a week, primarily lifting weights and running. He’s completed a handful of endurance races in the past two years, including four half-marathons and a tough mudder. He got high before each race. “I wanted to bust the stereotype that’s common that stoners can’t be physically active and in great shape,” says Durkin, 30. “My priority DEREK HARRISON PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

RECOMMENDATIONS

As budtenders at Spokane Valley’s TreeHouse Club (14421 E. Trent), Shaun Durkin and Jimmy Pugh share their experiences and make recommendations with others who also want to be active. Going that extra mile for customer service was one reason Durkin started experimenting in the first place. They suggest sativa-dominant strains to get an energetic high. They usually smoke but both have tried extracts as well. Pugh says using an extract in the morning leaves him a little more “clear-headed.” Durkin recommends Jack Herer, which he says has terpenes that act as a bronchodilator, meaning, in theory, that it increases airflow and improves lung function. Also, try Super Lemon Haze – “That’s a really energetic, uplifting strain,” Durkin says. And Sour Diesel: also uplifting, plus it has appealing terpenes — or aromas — that enhance the senses. Pugh recommends Strawberry Lemonade to get motivated. Or sativa hybrids like Allen Wrench, Pineapple Express and Chernobyl. (TARYN PHANEUF)

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is being healthy.” Whether to push through the monotony of a workout or recover from a tough training session, hearing stories of people using weed before or after exercising isn’t uncommon, especially now that more states have elected to allow recreational use. But research in the area has lagged, partly because federal rules and regulations remain roadblocks. In October 2015, scientists in the University of Colorado Boulder’s Psychology and Neuroscience Department called for further study, saying reports on the effects of cannabis are completely anecdotal. That includes claims that weed decreases motivation. “Given recent political, cultural, and legal trends, and the growing acceptance of recreational cannabis use, it is important to develop a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between cannabis and exercise, specifically the potential effects of use on exercise performance, motivation, and recovery,” the authors wrote in an article in Sports Medicine. Glen Duncan, chair of the nutrition and exercise physiology program at the Washington State University medical school, says he doubts that marijuana enhances athletic performance. He’s most familiar with it being used as a recovery aid, but says there isn’t any evidence that cannabis has qualities to make anyone run faster or anything. But it could have desirable indirect effects, he says. It’s known to reduce pain and relieve anxiety. The second factor could include breaking down mental barriers athletes encounter when pushing toward a new goal. An increased appetite would be useful in some sports. “It’d be another tool in the toolbox, just like any other drug — over the counter or otherwise,” Duncan says. “That would be why the research would be important. It could be better than existing ones, could be the same, could be worse. That’s why you’d really have to find out what kind of effects it has.” Durkin and fellow TreeHouse budtender Jimmy Pugh testify to feeling extra motivated while they’re high. Durkin says the zen-like state of mind gives him a deeper focus that helps him get through long workouts. Pugh admits he was surprised by that particular side effect. “It does give me a heightened sense of excitement to do the workouts that I’m doing,” Pugh says. “It’s hard to explain why it helps. But it’s a state of mind that I have a hard time achieving without cannabis. It gives me quite a drive.” At 31, Pugh says he’s been focused on bodybuilding for about a year. He’s at it five days a week. He used to keep his pot-smoking separate from exercise, but once he tried it, he realized a mind-muscle connection that seems to take his lifting to a new level. “I would imagine it’s probably no different than people who use cannabis before they do yoga or before they meditate,” he says. “I think the most important thing in body-building is to know yourself. Cannabis helps me do that.” n

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Q&A

Youth and Cannabis A conversation with Paige McGowan, the Spokane Regional Health District’s youth marijuana prevention and education coordinator BY WILSON CRISCIONE INLANDER: After a few years of legalization, what are some things that we know about legal marijuana’s impact on public health? We know that we have a lot more questions and things that we still need to learn more about. We’ve seen an increase in calls to the poison centers for kids getting their hands on marijuana products. We’ve also seen an increase to poison centers for people over the age of 17. We’ve seen an increase in people driving under the influence. We’ve seen an increase in the number of students who are being caught with marijuana at school and therefore suspended for possession or consumption. There was a recent federal study that showed teen marijuana use in Washington and Colorado has actually dipped since legalization. Is that not consistent with what we’ve seen here, locally? We’re relying on 2017 Healthy Youth Survey data because the first snapshot of data we got (in 2014) after legalization was right after the first stores opened. So our environment hadn’t changed yet. We didn’t have billboards like we do now. We didn’t have retail stores. Our

convenience stores weren’t selling marijuana paraphernalia like they are now. So to say anything about that is a little premature still. But we’ll know more in March or April when the data comes out. What do people need to know about edibles and vape pens that they may not hear from their budtender? We emphasize if you have them at home, store them safe and out of sight. Vape pens have been known to explode, catch fire and cause injury. Even more so, the product that people use in them — usually liquid nicotine — is poisonous, and it can also burn you.

Have school officials you’ve talked to had any concern about edibles or vape pens being easier for kids to hide from teachers? Absolutely. It’s really hard to detect … You can have bracelets that contain liquid nicotine or contain marijuana. I’ve seen all kinds of different concealment trends, like pop cans that look just like a regular pop can. Instead of Dasani water bottles, they look like a water bottle. I’ve had teachers tell me that they pick up a water bottle, think it’s totally normal, put it aside and then learn that you can actually unscrew it. What’s the biggest concern, moving forward, for cannabis in our community? If we’re going to have a legal rec marijuana market, we need to protect youth from accessing marijuana. And that takes a community. That takes all of our retailers. It takes our parents. It takes our schools. It takes every person to recognize that if this substance is going to be legal, we need to make sure that the vulnerable people in our community, our little ones, don’t use it. n

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