TOKEWELL MAGAZINE ISSUE 05 by TOKEWELL

the visionary Meet the man who helped guide the vape industry to where it is today.

the streets are watching American Crime star Richard Cabral reveals his past addictions, gang life and a life-changing opportunity from Homeboy Industries.

the artisan Some of the most proliďŹ c works of art conveyed through the hands of the incredibly talented Hash.

issue

CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

may/june2015

contents features medicinally speaking

the revolution

columns

departments

66 artisanal collective Hash

5 Editor’s Letter 6 Vapelife: The Association 10 Vapelife: Setting the Trend

CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta weighs in on the possible beneﬁts of exploring medicinal marijuana research and why he changed his stance regarding the support of its medicinal possibilities.

In the midst of all the clouds, we sat down with one of the vaping industry’s most inﬂuential luminaries - Charn Premyodhin. He’s one of the original advocates and architects who paved the way for the vape industry today. We discussed his passion for the culinary arts, innovation, evolution, and the current state of the union.

loyal to the soil

We sit down with American Crime star Richard Cabral to talk, performing arts, gang life, his incarceration and how Homeboy Industries gave him the opportunity to redeem himself.

12 New Products 76 A Guide to Edibles 80 Gastronomics

on the cover PHOTO BY JEFF HUTCHENS CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

issue 05 may/june 2015

6.2%

issue 05 | may/jun 2015

Only

of US smokers will quit this year.

(http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/mmwrs/byyear/2011/mm6044a2/intro.htm)

Do we tell the other

43 million

to just keep smoking?

Published by fr3shLAb creative group, llc President Richard Coyle

RICH@TOKEWELL.COM

Creative Director Ryan Furuya RYAN@TOKEWELL.COM Editor-in-Chief Saul Goode Senior V.P., Operations Cindy Galindo CINDY@TOKEWELL.COM Director of Finance Yvonne Morton YVONNE@TOKEWELL.COM Contributing Writers Leilani Anderson, Cindy Galindo, Mike Landers, Steve Pastel, Bradley Schaeffer, Maximilian Sterling

SUPPORT TOBACCO HARM REDUCTION POLICIES

Contributing Photographers Kenji Furutani, Leah Moriyama, Mike Nguyen, Saul Vargas Tokewell Magazine is published bi-monthly by fr3shLAb creative group, llc. Tokewell Magazine does not condone the illegal use or obtainment of cannabis. All content within this magazine is copyright protected and may not be reproduced in part or in whole without explicit written consent from the publisher. Tokewell Magazine is strictly for entertainment purposes only, and is not to be held liable for any misleading or inaccurate material produced herein.

www.CASAA.org A public service message from the Consumers Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association

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Ruben C. Galindo, you have our love and support on your ﬁght against cancer and recovery to wellness.

Here we are almost halfway through 2015 and we’ve already seen some changes, both positive and negative. The California Department of Public Health has added vaping into their anti-tobacco propaganda, “Still Blowing Smoke,” with unsubstantiated rhetoric aimed to mislead.

Within both of these paradigms, we have come to a point where good ol’ home innovation and inventiveness is meeting real world design and production. The black markets have exploded upon the legitimate business world to the tune of billions of dollars. Regulation and legislation that we have fought long and hard for, are ﬁnally coming to fruition. Yet, this is only the beginning...We as a community must remain vigilant and ensure that these ﬂedgling industries continue on the correct path on our way to freedom, health and wellness. We must monitor ourselves as well as our compatriots because we are living on the bleeding edge. There are no established experts but ourselves and as we carry our torches into the darkness, we must keep in mind that we are paving the way for all those who follow.

In direct response, we’ve fought back with our own online version called “NOT Blowing Smoke,” aimed to properly educate the masses. Here’s where we are now - David versus Goliath. The question is, what else needs to be

welcome

Welcome to Tokewell Magazine. We strive to bring you to the cutting edge of technology, design, lifestyle, and culture for both MMJ and Vapor.

done? The vape industry doesn’t have the deep pockets that big tobacco does, but what we do have is passion, numbers, and visibility. I’ve had multiple conversations with some very notable people in the vaping industry and the one thing they all agree on is a lack of unity. Does our current culture of cloud blowing competitions and import cars deﬁne who we are to the 95% of general population of non-vapers? I suppose the same could be said about the medicinal cannabis industry. Do Lil’ Wayne, Snoop, and Cheech and Chong nullify what CannaVest Corp or GW Pharmaceuticals does for the medical world? The keyword here is: Optics. How does the public perceive us? My compadre once told me, “You only know, what you know.” My friends, we still need to educate, create, and innovate - collectively. Our mission at Tokewell has always been to educate the masses about the positive elements of both of our cultures and to deliver the best content we can.

Information is our most valuable weapon and our most precious ally. With this in mind, I invite you to join us on a journey of discovery and enlightenment leading to victory and liberty. Stack Paper, Catch Vapors.

#TogetherWeRise

I hope you enjoy the issue. Sincerely,

Saul Goode Editor-in-Chief

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the association vapelife

WORDS

BRAD SCHAEFFER COO, BROKEN BOTTLE VAPE CO.

We, in the vape community, have been kept on our toes by the industry’s constant transitions and developments. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, I’m concerned that as a whole we have forgotten what brought us here in the ﬁrst place. Before buying my ﬁrst vape I had tried time and time again to quit my disgusting cigarette habit. My hair and hands reeked of smoke, I had a chronic cough that only another cigarette could temporarily cure, but I just couldn’t seem to quit cold turkey. Slowly, but surely, through this new alternative called “vaping”, I was able to do something I had come to think impossible. I was able to put down the cigs for good. THAT is why so many others and I got involved in the vape industry—to share what we had found. To encourage a healthier alternative for the many, many people looking to quit smoking

cigarettes. We can now enjoy most elements of smoking that we clung to, without the extra chemicals brought from traditional tobacco. So, in the midst of the cloud competitions, the vape meets, and the giveaways, I think it is crucial that as a community our focus remains clear. That is that we believe vaping to be a healthier option than smoking cigarettes. And we demand the right to provide people with this potentially life saving alternative. FACEB OOK: broken-bottle-vape-co I N STAGR A M: brokenbottlevapeco

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Check your local vape shop or visit vapervenue.com Wholesale inquiries: call 714-527-8086 or email hello@vmdistribution.net

ADAPT PROGRESS EVOLVE With the progress and change in the E-Cig industry, Vaping Monkey has been there since the beginning and seen it all. We’ve adapted... We’ve progressed... We’ve Evolved. With 11 ﬂavors to choose from and the reassurance of each of them being lab tested, what are you waiting for?

setting the trend vapelife

WORDS

STEVE PASTEL CO-FOUNDER, SKELETON KEY AND LOIRE VAPEUR

Within a period of two years, I have co-founded two vape organizations– Skeleton Key and Loire Vapeur. These years have been a tremendous blessing, and I am lucky to see this industry bloom into a healthy business environment where young entrepreneurs can still chase their dreams. In these last few years I’ve seen quite a few changes. I’ve noticed the move to higher VG e-Liquids. Following this trend came sub ohm disposable coils and new chipboards that will read sub ohm coils which has shifted the hardware game into a box mod explosion. The vaping market has spoken clearly, they want more vapor production, and they want to do very little work to achieve it. Clearly the market, is rewarding those products that provide users with the vaping experience they are looking for. However, there are products in the marketplace that bring a new kind of experience to vaping that most people are not aware of yet. For instance, the wellness category of the vaping market. Products like Epothecary, which infuse vitamins into all their products, are an interesting segment of the market which have the opportunity to supply vaping products to a demographic that is untapped. There have also been rumors that several established e-Liquid brands are at the moment researching methods to infuse CBD in to their product line. Since inhaling increases the speed and efficiency that the body receives vitamins (some sources claim that inhaling

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doubles the absorption), the greatest question seems to be when will the wellness vaping market arrive? I think as inﬂuencers in the vaping industry, we need to ﬁgure out how to expand our demographic. We need to reach more people, and more kinds of people. As our group gets larger, the backlash on bad vape legislation becomes harsh, and politicians get less votes. Maybe as an industry we need to be more open minded, and bring everybody under the vaping umbrella. Only then, can our industry earn legitimacy and quell the paranoia and negativity aimed our way.

WEB SI TE: loirevapeur.com I N STAGR A M: loirevapeur WEB SI TE: skeletonkeymech.com FACEB OOK: skeletonkeymech

new products 14 tokewell magazine

If you’ve never been to France, you need to indulge and treat yourself to Loire Vapeur. Loire offers four tantalizing macaroninspired flavors to choose from so impeccable you’ll swear you’re at a Pâtisserie in Paris. The flavor profiles are complex from the aroma to the taste. The essence comes on effortlessly and elegant while the finish is so polished that it leaves you placing in juxtaposition a French macaron or e-Liquid. This is not the product you want to purchase if you’re into cloud chasing. It’s for the more distinguished palate with the appreciation of France’s prized confection. Loire’s vapeur liquide embodies the true essence of a French lifestyle where class and sophistication meet relaxation and siestes. W E B S IT E : loirevapeur.com IN STAG R A M : loirevapeur

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new products Imagine having a cup of gourmet coffee or tea while medicating yourself at the same time? This isn’t Starbucks, it’s House of Jane. Available in Sativa, Indica, Hybrid and CBD strains, you’re certainly on your way to wellness. With over 30 years of cultivating in Northern California, House of Jane produces only top shelf, high-performing varietials of medicinal cannabis for all of Jane’s Brew products. In addition, alll of their products are lab

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tested and certiﬁed by CW Analytical in Oakland, California. Currently, their products are only produced for patients in California with a veriﬁable doctor’s recommendation. House of Jane supports patients who choose to forego some pharmaceutical practices and turn to medical cannabis as a low-impact source of high-quality healing and wellness. WEB SI TE: houseofjane.com I N STAGR A M: houseofjane420

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new products 18 tokewell magazine

New Definition signifies personal rebirth and evolution. Musical icons such as Rass Kass, Nelly and NeYo just to name a few who have been spotted all around Southern California rocking New Def because it’s what they believe in. New Definition’s motto, “What Defines You?” is meant to encourage self-expression and individualism. “We’re all about being bold and staying true to yourself ”, says co- founder and owner of New Definition. With clean and timeless designs, New Definition is here to stay. Summer is around the corner so, you need to cop one of the hottest brands of self-expression in the streetwear game today. What defines you? WEB SI TE: newdefinitionla.com TWI TTER /I N STAGR A M: newdefinitionla

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BROKEN BOTTLE VAPECO DUMMIES

ROTTEN ROPE

“IT’S A SMARTIES MOUTH PARTY”

“BETTER THAN REAL RED VINES”

BROKENBOTTLEVAPECO@GMAIL.COM

310.991.3745

FLAVORTHAT SIMPLYCANNOT ANDWILLNOT BECONTAINED

TERRIBLE TANG

DIRTY STRAWBERRY

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“LIKE MAMA”S PB&J ALL DAY”

we break it

YOU BUY it

the

revolutionary WORDS

MAXIMILLIAN STERLING

SNAPS

KENJI FURUTANI

In the midst of all the clouds, we sat down with one of the vaping industry’s most inﬂuential luminaries–Charn Premyodhin. He’s one of the original advocates and architects who paved the way for the vape industry today. We discussed his passion for the culinary arts, innovation, evolution, and the current state of the union.

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Automotive historians are familiar with the legend of American industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company, Mr. Henry Ford. For those who aren’t privy to Mr. Ford’s story, he did not invent the automobile, contrary to popular belief–that distinction goes to Karl Benz. What Ford did do was develop and manufacture the ﬁrst automobile that was ﬁnancially attainable for many middle class Americans. He transformed the automobile from an expensive mode of transportation, reserved for the affluent American, into a practical conveyance that would profoundly impact the landscape of the twentieth century. Ford’s introduction of the Model-T revolutionized transportation and the automotive industry as we know it today. Ford had a global scope, identifying consumerism as the key to unity and worldwide acceptance. His rigor and commitment to systematically lowering costs resulted in many technical and business innovations, which are still employed today. That’s where the parallels end for entrepreneur Charn Premyodhin– Co-owner of VapeRev. Much like Ford’s contribution to the automotive industry, Charn didn’t invent or introduce vaping to mainstream America–he improved on the design and execution that vape industry lacked. VapeRev–the company Charn co-founded–is one of the original and premier vape shops in Southern California, one whose foundation is based on elevated levels of service and a more personal approach to vaping. Charn’s business acumen and vision has garnered him unrivaled success and respect within this still new and burgeoning industry. This is a direct result of his passion and scope for this industry. After all, vaping helped him kick the deadly habit of analog cigarettes, a temptation that still asphyxiates billions all over the globe. Charn’s core mission is to infuse vaping as a lifestyle and educate the masses. Vaping

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is so much more than a smoking cessation product and a means to alleviate oral ﬁxation; in fact, many believe vaping could also be employed for health and wellness. A true sign of any successful entrepreneur is the ability to give back to the community. Providing a way to quit smoking is Charn’s way of paying it forward by giving people control of their lives and a deep breath of fresh air back into their lungs. Charn got into this industry by making a nearly impossible career-altering choice. “Many people don’t know this about me but, I’m a classically trained chef and a Sommelier. The culinary arts are my passion. I was also a heavy smoker at the time and vaping was the only thing that worked for me, and my side business of selling vaping supplies and consulting really started taking off. Thus, I had to make a choice. I hit the pause button on my culinary career and started VapeRev,” reveals Charn. That said, we sat down with Charn in the Hollywood Hills home and conducted this interview over some vapor, a bottle of 2012 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir, and Runyon Canyon as our backdrop. No complaints here. What were you doing before? I’m a classically trained chef and I was really focused on my culinary career back in the mid-2000’s–doing high-end catering by making dishes like Spanish Paella. Imagine cooking in front of all the guests, having them observe the preparation for two hours, and then a half hour watching the dish actually being prepared. The experience was very personalized. Your passion and affinity for the culinary arts is clear. What else are we missing? I also studied Japanese cuisine. I feel in love with the simplicity and the minimalist concept. I also became a Sommelier after my culinary studies. I knew that I

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issue 05 may/june 2015

loved wine, but I wanted to think of wine from a more educational standpoint. Tell us how you got started in the vape industry. I didn’t get into the vape game intentionally. While I was running my catering business, I was also smoking heavily and I knew I wanted to quit. I was passionate about it because I knew if it worked for me, it would work for anybody. I used vaping as a means to quit smoking and wanted to share the technology. Around 2011, I was selling hardware on Craigslist. How did you know you were onto something? I realized I was onto something when my home was super busy because of the Craigslist ads. People kept coming over and it wasn’t a good look, if you know what I mean (laughs). I was really busy educating people and it got overwhelming, so I knew had to make a decision at that point. Do I put my cooking career on hold and do this vape thing for now, or drop this and continue with my culinary career? There was just so much energy in vaping at the time and people were extremely passionate, which made me realize, “This is larger than I thought.” So, I opted to ride the momentum and go with vaping. What was your plan to differentiate VapeRev from other shops? There were two vape shops at the time. I went to one of them and had such a bad experience. The guidance and service was subpar and they only carried 18mg and 24mg levels. I asked them, “Why nothing lower?”

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Their response was, “We don’t feel the need to have anything lower. In order to be successful you need to have high nicotine.” Knowing what I told my customers and the advice I gave to them, I knew all I needed to do was to ﬁne tune the experience. Coming from a smoker’s background, you need to ask questions like, “What type of cigarettes do you smoke? How many?” I really wanted to take a much more personal approach and that would exude to our service level. That’s the core value that VapeRev was built upon–our unrivaled service experience. You’ve helped pave the way for this industry. What are your thoughts on the current hobbyist culture? I honestly feel the industry is headed into a very negative direction. Vaping is already a sub-culture. Now a sub-culture of a sub-culture spawned. You now have cloud blowing competitions and coil building environments that’s been spawned by vaping and inviting an unwanted negative perception of our industry. The industry needs to be more into the realm of positivity that the general public can identify with. For instance, your average consumer or blue-collar business professional might see cloud blowing as something they don’t want to be involved in. It just makes it challenging. We’ve been ﬁghting an uphill battle for a year and a half since this movement started. What do you think needs to be done to elevate the vape industry? Vaping is such a young market. Right now, 18-25 year olds are dominating this particular segment.

There’s a whole larger market we should be targeting. The vaping community as a whole should be focused on that versus what’s the hottest new product or when the next cloud competition is going to be. It’s hard when some companies almost seem like they’re founded solely by this hobbyist movement. We just need to change public perception. What are your thoughts on the proposed Senate Bills? You have great organizations bringing people together to ﬁght for our industry; unfortunately, the visibility of these organizations is very low. Right now it’s still a “cool kids” game, and that’s rather unfortunate, because we all know that the initial reason we all got into this industry was to help people quit smoking, which is a legitimate and noble cause.

What are you doing when you’re not enterprising, developing and manufacturing? On the weekends I’m doing some laps at the racetrack, cooking something at home, smoking some meats, or developing new concepts for LA Barbeque or a few other things I’m working on. LA Barbecue? Do tell. (Laughs) It’s a side-project. It’s interesting because you have Texas known for their BBQ or St. Louis, but there’s never been a defined LA BBQ. With as much cultural influence that LA has–from Asians, Blacks, Latinos, Europeans, you name it–it’s just ripe to create its own style. I’ve always wanted to open my own restaurant. I guess you could call it unfinished business, or my passion project.

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We know you’re an automotive enthusiast. What else are you into? Archery. I have a thing for archery. People are into guns; I’m more into the silent approach (laughs). I shoot recurve bows, single piece traditional wood bows, as well as those crazy compound bows. It’s therapeutic and Zen. Just breathing and focus. What are your thoughts on the Porsche 996? I think the 996 is probably the ugliest Porsche ever made, but the amount of car you get for your dollar is unbeatable. You could get a Turbo 996 for what, $40K? Fix it up and you got a 200mph beast with hideous headlights. And, winding down, what’s in the future for VapeRev? We just opened our Melrose lo-

cation, which we are extremely excited about. We’ve been developing products for a year now and they’re ﬁnally coming into fruition. We are focusing on our manufacturing side for e-Liquid and hardware. The market is a constantly moving target, so it’s about getting far enough in front of it and being comfortable with your product line. Being in this industry for so long, the lifespan of a product is about 3-4 months and that’s it. You have to capitalize on it while it’s relevant. I don’t want to create a product that’s got such a short lifespan. We have a lot of retail experience so we really want to build something where all our retail partners stand behind our product and do it at a good price point. The focus of our current business model needs to be stable from manufacturing to retail for our industry to thrive.

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Medicinally Speaking WORDS

MIKE LANDERS

CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta weighs in on the possible beneďŹ ts of exploring medicinal marijuana research and why he changed his stance regarding the support of its medicinal possibilities.

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The medicinal marijuana community has long held a united, yet stifled voice among the mainstream medical community. Long before the acronym “MMJ” became a staple within the lexicon of marijuana subculture and a hashtag in the realm of social media, supporters of cannabis in the medical sense echoed the homeopathic virtues of the plant for decades. Everything from glaucoma to anxiety, and other neurological, psychological, and physical afflictions were credited to have been remedied or to have had their effects lessened from regular marijuana use, and those results should seemingly have been enough to yield a genuine, remedial analysis from the medical community at large. Instead, the plant has primarily been viewed as an illicit drug, and its supporters seen as “users” looking to find any reason to justify legalizing the plant for its more widely known psychoactive and stimulant nature. Given its Schedule 1 classification by the federal government and subsequent federal illegality, marijuana has remained largely overlooked in the medicinal sense, and its proponents reluctant to risk professional credibility in pursuing studies regarding the medicinal value of the plant. The fact that the plant contains nearly 480 different compounds didn’t exactly entice those interested in dissecting its medicinal possibilities either, and that stifled voice among MMJ enthusiasts has largely remained so without mainstream support – until now. Leading the most supportive charge of late within the mainstream media is CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta–a former opponent of cannabis research in the medical field. A world renowned and practicing neurosurgeon, Dr. Gupta currently serves as a member of the staff and faculty at the Emory University School of Medicine, and he’s also the associate chief of neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. He is a New York Times Best Selling author three times over, and his awards and accolades span everything from the first ever Health Com-

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munications Achievement Award from the American Medical Association, to three Emmys – all earned as CNN’s chief medical correspondent. His work with the network includes post 9/11 live reporting, overseas conﬂict live reporting, and Peabody Award winning coverage earned by the network during the wake of Hurricane Katrina. One of Forbes Magazine’s 10 most inﬂuential

celebrities, Dr. Gupta has also been a White House Advisor to Hillary Clinton, and was even offered the position of U.S. Surgeon General by the Obama Administration – a position he declined to continue to focus on his family and neurological research and reporting. Gupta’s on-air personality has led to appearances on Larry King Live, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Real Time with Bill Maher, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and special interest reports for the CBS Evening News. Though his media presence has increased tenfold since he joined CNN in 2001, Dr. Sanjay Gupta remains far removed from today’s climate of talking head hyperbole, focusing instead on legitimate healthcare breakthroughs, reform, and research. One such area of research that has piqued the good doctor’s interest is that of the medicinal potential of cannabis. Though he once penned an anti-legalization Time Magazine op-ed piece in 2009 entitled, “Why I would Vote No on Pot,” Dr. Gupta famously changed his stance in 2013, opting instead to be a voice of support for the study of marijuana in the medical sense. After offering a public apology for his previous opposition to the subject, Gupta immediately began looking into and supporting MMJ research, which spawned his two-hour 2015 CNN documentary “WEED.” The documentary received the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award and served as the springboard for two

JEFF HUTCHENS

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JONATHAN TORGOVNIK

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JONATHAN TORGOVNIK

more installments to the series, all of which encompass a variety of MMJ success stories and research statistics. So, why the change of heart? What was it that Dr. Gupta saw within the research that made him change his mind? We held a conversation with Dr. Gupta to find out these answers and learn more about what was uncovered during his latest benchmark documentary for CNN, “WEED 3.” Rejoice MMJ supporters; it looks as though in the case of Dr. Sanjay Gupta, you may finally have a friend in high places. You recently changed your stance into looking into the possible benefits of medicinal marijuana. What was the tipping point for you? I had been reporting on this issue for a long time and the tipping point really has to do with the fact that I approach these things as a scientist and a doctor. I looked at the existing literature on this topic and in the past, I was not particularly impressed with the medical literature. I think what I realized was that so much of the literature was sort of preordained, meaning that the studies that were being funded were studies that had a particular hypothesis – they were looking for harm when it comes to medicinal marijuana, and not looking for benefits. In fact, according to our research, only about 5-6% of studies over a fourteen-year period had been designed to look for benefits, while over 90% of them were looking for harm. My point is that I was seeing a distorted picture, and when I started

to travel outside the country and look at their labs and talk to their scientists, that’s when the clearer picture for me started to emerge, and that’s when I realized that my mind was changing. Given the negative stigmas attached to marijuana in terms of being seen as an illicit drug, do you think that the latest cannabidiol or CBD research has a chance to sway not only the public opinion, but maybe the political opinion in terms of supporting further research on medicinal marijuana? I think we are seeing that. I’ll conﬁrm the numbers, but I think we are seeing more studies now being done by mainstream scientists and big academic centers within the last twelve months than we had seen within the last twelve years - in terms of looking for beneﬁts. In that sense, we are already seeing an impact from CBD and all of the medicinal marijuana research. As an aside, the CBD-only legislation, even though I think it’s a step toward better understanding medicinal marijuana, may be a little shortsighted along the lines of what is called “the entourage effect.” What that refers to is the fact that the plant as a whole works in concert with all of these other chemicals; the cannabinoids, the various vehicles, messengers, and other proteins which all play a role in varying degrees. We don’t know what the roles are for all of that, but the idea of extracting only one small part–it’s unclear how effective that’s ultimately going to be. I think it’s still possible to create a

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JEFF HUTCHENS

non-psychoactive oil as in the case of Charlotte Figi, who suffers from Dravet Syndrome, and other kids with grand mal seizures, but this likely would be sourced from a whole plant extract as opposed to a CBD-only extract or even a CBD-synthesized drug. There have been rumors that CBD can act as an anti-inflammatory agent for those who chose to use the vaporizer method of ingestion, commonly known as “vaping.” Do you think CBD could be proven to ease inflammation in the lungs within a vapor form as opposed to any other form? I think that when you start to look at it from a harm standpoint, you get different data from the different forms of ingesting cannabis. We haven’t seen an increase in cancerous carcinogenic activity but I don’t know how much we’ve seen in the anti-inflammatory activity, specifically in bronchial patients - I just don’t know. That data could exist. What I think is interesting with the CBD aspects is when you look at the various locations of where the receptors are in the body, for either the CBD or the anandamide, which is circulating our own cannabinoid that we make in our bodies; when they bind to these receptors, CBD does appear to have an anti-inflammatory effect. How that translates exactly, I think is going to be very interesting to see. I think there’s been some evidence to show the impact on inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis, and having these symptoms improve with cannabis. Could you have those same anti-inflammatory effects in neurodegenerative diseases? There’s a group of researchers at the Byrd Alzheimer’s Clinic in Florida that are looking at not just CBD, but also whole plant extracts, including THC in terms of an anti-inflammatory effect on the development of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s quite fascinating. There’s a flax being developed; they’re quite bullish on it now. It’s still early, it’s still laboratory studies but there are people who are using

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marijuana to try and improve some of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s–not even just memory, but also the mood swings, the agitation, the insomnia problems, and everything else. You have been of the opinion that rescheduling marijuana federally would be a huge help to the MMJ communities. Why? The anti-inﬂammatory effect is probably one of the big effects of cannabis in terms of how it works, in different areas, even including pain–although with pain, it may also be a direct impact on the pain receptors–we just don’t know for sure. But I think that is part of the reason that there should be some legislation that would lead to rescheduling, which would really lead to opening up the avenues for more research, given the current federally illegal status of the plant. Your “WEED” documentary series for CNN takes a big look into the possibility that MMJ can effectively treat patients with PTSD. What has research shown? When you hear the scientists who are leading the way with PTSD in particular, they explain that there are several things that come into play. The anterior cingulate cortex area of the brain seems to be affected by people who are using marijuana daily as a medicine. They see increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex – that’s an area of the brain that is in large part associated with empathy, emotion; it’s sort of one of the switchboards of the brain. That area of the brain tends to be more efficient in the follow up scans among

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DANIELLE DELLORTO

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JONATHAN TORGOVNIK

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those regular users of marijuana. With PTSD, you are dealing with heightened anxiety, perseveration of thought regarding a certain topic, thus the idea that increasing activity within the anterior cingulate cortex could have an impact on PTSD seems very plausible. MMJ has also been rumored to be especially effective in the case of military veterans suffering from PTSD. Have you seen any evidence to support this? What I will tell you is that we had the chance to see the dawn of this new study, really follow it along from the start, and meet some of the people who are the first participants in this study. It was pretty remarkable. First of all, the options that many of these people are left with are really not very good. That’s part of the reason why you have 22 veterans killing themselves every day – I mean that’s one per hour. Second of all, one of the guys that we profiled throughout was a very high functioning guy, with a seemingly good life, and things going relatively well for him, but he wanted to die – he wanted to be one of those 22 veterans who commit suicide daily because nothing was working for him. Now, he lives in a medicinal marijuana supported state, California, and he can be treated. He’s self treating, and for him, it’s definitely working. He is living a very functional life again, his wife, who is a very conservative woman, said, “I’ve got my husband back. I don’t know what the studies will show exactly in terms of how well it works or what the side effects could be, but there’s no way we would give it up.” We had another woman who is a 34-year-old stay-at-home mom, who is not a veteran, but she still suffers from PTSD because she witnessed the murder of a very close friend of hers. This woman turned into a complete hermit, could not go outside, couldn’t function anymore, had classic telltale signs of PTSD and nothing was working. She decides that there’s enough talk about this, says “I’m ready to get my life back,” and she tries medicinal marijuana. For the first time in her life, she got on a plane in October of 2014, and flew down to spend time meeting with me in regards to the study. I mean

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DANIELLE DELLORTO

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This is science now; this is not anecdote, this is science and what we are seeing, early on, admittedly, is that it looks promising. What would you say to the naysayers who still feel that marijuana is solely an illegal drug and should be treated as such? In my reporting, in all these documentaries, I tried to stay away from the idea of moral equivalency. I stayed away from saying, “It’s not as bad as X, Y, and Z; It’s not as bad as alcohol.” I tried to stay away from that because I think it should be given the same merits as any other medicine. We don’t look at medicine and say, “It’s not as bad as X, Y, Z”; we take medicine because we think it’s going to help us in some way and it should have a certain amount of respect. The options that some people who have epilepsy, or PTSD have are often not very good, and I think the PTSD thing is so concrete because we are having more veterans killing themselves at home than have died on the battleﬁeld. What we have been doing to treat them is not working. This idea that something else, a plant, could work and have a very low side effect proﬁle and still return people to a functional life – if you say you don’t even want to explore that – it borders on being immoral. It’s not right. But I’ll get off my soapbox now.

TOP: JONATHAN TORGOVNIK; LEFT: JEFF HUTCHENS

she couldn’t even leave her house, couldn’t even get into a car, and she ﬂew down to meet with us?! She is part of a study where they are looking at her brain to see what is happening in the brain, for good and for bad. What they ﬁnd is that increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and really no evidence of damage to the brain. The idea that it could be helping and not hurting, and in fact, could be protecting and defending the brain–as opposed to assaulting the brain–is a very important concept. Especially because we tend to think of marijuana in the decades of stigma surrounding the “this is your brain on drugs” commercials and now we really get to see what your brain on marijuana looks like.

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WORDS

MAXIMILIAN STERLING

SNAPS

LEAH MORIYAMA

“...If you had one shot, or one opportunity. To seize everything you ever wanted. One moment Would you capture it or just let it slip?” –Eminem issue 05 may/june 2015

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rowing up as a young Chicano in the barrio of East Los Angeles, exposure to drugs and gang life is not an uncommon thing. One would automatically assume that’s the life you’re destined for as a product of your environment. Most people wouldn’t bet that the barrio would produce a hungry young actor by the name of Richard Cabral, formerly “Baby Jokes” in a past life, if you’re familiar. Richard changed his occupation from hustling corner blocks to starring on ABC’s award nominated

series American Crime. His “gang” today consists of Felicity Huffman, Timothy Hutton, and Regina King, just to name a few. It’s certainly a long way from the time he blasted a rival gangster on the streets in Montebello. He was addicted to crack cocaine at the age of ﬁfteen and ﬁve years later, he was charged for attempted murder. Facing 35 to life, he entered a plea deal and received a reduced sentence of 5 years, of which he served 27 months. ”I wouldn’t change shit. I come from a generation of 1970’s gangster mentali-

ty. I became a product of my environment. Very few get out, but it made me who I am today,” says Cabral when asked if could go back and change anything. After being released, he found solace in Homeboy Industries, an opportunity in which he is forever grateful for. “Without Homeboy Industries, there’s no telling where I would be. It’s not just a place to get a job, but there’s people going through the same struggle as you,” says Richard. Little did he know, his life was drastically about to change. When opportunity

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comes knocking, you need to answer it. For Richard, this happened when a Hollywood casting agency came to Homeboy looking to cast some “authentic” street guys. Needless to say, Richard was selected and he’s been cast in everything from Bruno Mars videos to the silver screen ﬁlms like Paranormal Activity and End of Watch along with TV series’ like Southland and currently, American Crime. There’s no stopping Richard’s upward trajectory, but he is living proof to all the troubled youth that the streets can produce positivity. There is another life and opportunity out there. Richard makes time out of his extremely hectic schedule to give back to the community through performing arts. Whether it’s teaching acting classes to inner city youths or organizing spoken word evenings like Eastside Poetry, Richard is giving back. He’s done the crime; he did the time and is sharing his blessings to the less fortunate by giving back to the streets that made him. Tell us about the altercation you got into for the attempted murder? I capped the guy over some macho bullshit. These little wanna-be g’s pulled a shotgun out on me and at the time and I thought, “How dare they!” Things happened and next thing I know SWAT comes and hits up my grandma’s pad looking for me and it was over then. I wasn’t even home at the time, but I knew. You used to rap under the moniker Baby Jokes back in the day. Any chance of revisiting that? I grew up on a generation of storytelling musicians talking about real shit in the 90’s. That was my passion. Before the rap, it was poetry, which lead to rapping. We as humans were born to evolve, I’m still doing the same thing with the poetry, but I’m constantly evolving. I’m done with the rapping, though.

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How did you know you wanted to be an actor? I never saw myself as being average - not that there’s anything wrong with being average - I just could never see myself working in a blue-collar job. I’m just so blessed to be able to do what I do. Even when I was sitting in a prison cell, I thought I could be one of those guys on TV and I was blessed to have the opportunity. You’re a very spiritual person. Were you always that way? My spirituality has been with me since I was born. Growing up Mexican and Catholic, I was always around spiritual things. The highest form of art is when spirit meets the art. When god intervenes and uses man as his vessel to do amazing things. That’s the highest form. Why is giving back to the community so important to you? So many people are still lost. It’s about inspiring. I want to give art back to the community. This city has been in my blood. I grew up here. My mom graduated from Montebello high school and my uncles were gangbanging here since the 70’s. This community now has a chance to embrace the arts like Echo Park, Silverlake, the West side and Hollywood has. This is something I’ll always continue to do. It’s about opportunity for people who otherwise don’t have a place to artistically express themselves. How important are not-proﬁt organizations like Homeboy Industries? Extremely important. If it wasn’t for Homeboy, there’s no telling where I would be. It’s not just a place to get a job, but there’s people there going through the same struggle as you. You even get outside sources coming in just to see what they’re about. I mean you have the opportunity to network with different people as well. Hollywood came to Homeboy and if that didn’t happen, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I don’t know where I would be. If there were more places like Homeboy, the world would be better.

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Tell us about your philanthropic projects for the community. Eastside Poetry was created to give the community a chance to embrace the arts at the Daily Brew Coffee bar teaming up with Terry to allow us to perform art. This is a safe haven so people can express themselves. I also have this organization called Lineage Entertainment Group. Our mission is to share with the world through the art of storytelling, so that it may save our future generations, our lineage, and remind us that we must live today as if it’s our last day!

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What are your thoughts on cannabis becoming legal? I haven’t really put a lot of thought into it other than when I used to sell it back in the day (laughs). I’m not a politician but as long as the rest of the 50 states come to an agreement, I’m sure they will legalize it. The government just wants to tax it and make their money.

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A R T I S A N A L

C O L L E C T I V E

Hash WORDS

TOKEWELL STAFF

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In today’s world of art, it’s exceedingly rare that you’ll bear witness to once-in-a-lifetime talent. Hash, born and bred in North Jersey, is one of those talents. His genius lies in the attention to detail he conveys with every brush stroke - evidenced by his fascinating micro pieces and staggering currency art - all of which he does “just to stay on point.” Not one to emulate others, he draws influence from artisans such as Retna, Alec Monopoly, Keith Haring, and of course, Andy Warhol. “Those are the pioneers I follow religiously. I need to see their work, and they never cease to wow me everytime”, says Hash. His eclectic taste in music is extremely evident within his works. “It’s the global language that anybody can relate to and understand, and It’s as old as mankind, so how could you not be influenced?” His mind-blowing style has drawn the attention of many notable figures, such has Swizz Beats, Diddy, Beyonce, and Alicia Keys, just to name a few. He also has an aptitude for typography, and refers to it as “modern day hieroglyphics.” Drugs and smoking usually run rampant in the artist world, but for Hash, vaping is his vice. Smoking for nearly seventeen years, he knew that he needed to quit. So he did the only thing that worked for him - vaping. Watching the vape world evolve into what it is today is amazing to him, especially since he’s been a part of the movement from the start.

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When asked about the proposed FDA regulations, he had this to say: “It’s here to stay. I don’t care what they do - people will do it on their own. I have friends that smoked for twenty years, and vaping got them to quit. Sure, there’s some of these idiots that make us look bad, but I hope the FDA sees the positive side of what vaping has done for us.” When asked about the type of artist he is, Hash said, “I don’t think I’m deﬁned. I’m still evolving, but I’m down with everything. I can’t pinpoint what I am. I don’t know if I ever will.” A prodigious and inconceivable statement, from one as talented as he. With that in mind, the art community better brace itself; it hasn’t seen anything yet. WEB SI TE:

lovehash.com ilovehash

TWI TTER /I N STAGR A M:

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Edible Pairings WORDS LEILANI

ANDERSON COURT OF MASTERS LEVEL I SOMMELIER

Summer is just around the corner, and when you think of those hot days, you know nothing sounds better than a snack and a cold one. With the popularity of cannabis growing, so has interest in cannabis-infused food pairings. This summer would be the perfect time to try some of these fantastic pairings! *Note: Mixing alcohol and THC in large quantities is NOT recommended. Please adhere to all labels and instructions as well as local laws before trying any of these.

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1. French Macarons & Brut Sparkling Wine THC CONTENT: 160 mg, 3 pack SERVING SUGGESTION: 1 macaron NOTES: Macarons are a light dessert, so don’t pair it with anything that might overpower it. I went with a Pistachio Cream macaron, which had lots of pistachio overtones and a burst of sweet, almost savory creaminess in the middle. A tasty little treat. PAIRED WITH: Le Grand CourtǮge Blanc de Blancs Brut APPELLATION: France ABV: 11.5% TASTING NOTES: Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Colombard, and Ugni Blanc collide to create a French sparkling that exhibits green apple and toasted bread aromas and ﬂavors of sweet lemon, tart green apple, and has lots of little bubbles. A versatile wine for most any occasion. WHY THIS WORKS: For sweet and savory fans, pairing salty delicacies with dry sparkling wines will always make sense. Brut style sparkling wines usually have just enough sugar that makes them a refreshing pairing with these desserts. The zesty notes of the wine are a bright note in the creamy, almost salty macaron’s ﬂavor. Macarons are the dessert you want when you’re hanging out on your porch on a late summer afternoon, watching the world wind down. And what sounds better than a nice glass of sparkling wine to go with it?

2. Cookies & Cream Bar & Riesling THC CONTENT: 250 mg (whole bar), 8 squares SERVING SUGGESTION: 2 - 4 squares, approximately 32 - 63 mg NOTES: About a half hour in, you’ll feel like there’s nothing you’d rather do more than lay out on the beach, feeling the warm rays on your back. Full body relaxation indeed. PAIRED WITH: St Urbans-Hof Riesling Bockstein Ockfen Kabinett, 2013 APPELLATION: Mosel, Germany ABV: 9.5% TASTING NOTES: Aromas of red apple, Asian pear, and tangerine lead into bright minerality, ripe floral notes, and subtle orange and apple flavors on the palate. WHY THIS WORKS: The overwhelming creaminess in white chocolate generally needs something at least semi-sweet to cut through it, and red wines may end up tasting bitter when paired with such intense flavors. Sweeter Rieslings have a unique, almost exotic characteristic to them to compliment that vanilla flavor in white chocolate, and the right Alsace or German Riesling will even leave some of those petrol notes behind. For something sweeter, a nice Muscat, Tawny Port, or Ice Wine is always welcome in dessert pairings. Looking for less sweet? A slightly sweet sparkling Rosé could work just as well. Perfect pairing for a breather on one of those warm, breezy days where the temperature’s just right.

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3. Sugar Cookie & Vin Santo THC CONTENT: 75 mg SERVING SUGGESTION: 1 cookie NOTES: Sugar cookies are notoriously sweet, and canna-sugar cookies are no different. Best left to someone with a sweet tooth, these cookies have an almost creamy flavor that’s begging to be paired with something equally delicious and are a great treat any time of day. PAIRED WITH: San Felice Vin Santo del Chianti Classico, 2005 APPELLATION: Tuscany, Italy ABV: 16.5% TASTING NOTES: Amber-honey in color, this Italian dessert wine is a blend of Trebbiano and Malvasia that is picked late in the year and essentially dried out in order to get the highest concentration of sugar possible. The result is an aromatic dessert wine with flavors of orange and dried fruit with undertones of caramel and almonds. WHY THIS WORKS: The creamy flavors of the cookies mellow out the high acidity of the wine and create a wonderful mix of dried fruit flavors that end with a mild, smooth and sweet finish. Not a fan of dessert wine? Try the cookie with a demi-sec sparkling wine or Prosecco instead for a bubbly alternative!

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4. Milk Chocolate Almond Bar & Brown Ale THC CONTENT: 500 mg (whole bar), 8 squares SERVING SUGGESTION: 2 squares, 63 mg NOTES: Try this pairing for movie night. You, your favorite person, a couple beers, chocolate, maybe some popcorn, and Netflix. Admit it: it sounds pretty appealing. PAIRED WITH: Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar BREWED BY: Rogue Ales, Newport, OR ABV: 6% TASTING NOTES: Yes, yes, I know. Brown ales are boring. Hear me out. In this beer, aromas of hazelnut and a little bit of banana bread greet you. Drinking it tastes like drinking a thin hazelnut coffee, with finishing notes of brown bread. An easily drinkable beer that isn’t too sweet or too bitter, and whose nutty overtones are what make it the perfect pairing here. WHY THIS WORKS: Brown ales tend to have chocolate, caramel, and nutty flavors, which compliment chocolate and nuts exceptionally well. So why not have chocolate with almonds with it? Another neat compliment to try - chocolate with dried fruit. Bright acidity from the fruit will do well with this malty beer. And come on… who says no to chocolate and Netflix?

5. Dark Covered Pretzels & Imperial Stout THC CONTENT: 80 mg THC each, 2 pack SERVING SUGGESTION: 1 pretzel NOTES: Dark chocolate covered salted pretzels and beer? You can’t go wrong! PAIRED WITH: Stone Imperial Russian Stout BREWED BY: Stone Brewing Co., San Diego, CA ABV: 10.6% TASTING NOTES: The 2015 classic release is a good solid stout. It’s big and heavy and a sturdy contender for its class as we’ve all come to expect from Stone’s beers. Intense coffee aromas and roasted smoky flavors rule over the front of this beer while notes of dried fruit and bitter chocolate lie beneath, and a citrusy bitterness perks up right at the end. This heavyweight beer is definitely not for the feint of heart. WHY THIS WORKS: Beer and pretzels! When has this ever failed? The classic pairing is only made better by the combination of sweet and bitter that you get from pairing a robust stout with bittersweet dark chocolate. A hint of salt on the pretzels gives the combination that extra kick to take it all the way home to flavor heaven.

There you have it. Something to go on your summer to do list. What’s that? You don’t have one? Now you do. Item number one: take a day off and give one of these pairings a try.

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gastronomics

bollini’s pizzeria napolitana

uthenticity, heart, and passion are the trifecta that accurately deﬁnes Bollini’s Pizzeria Napolitana. Cristiano Bollini, the owner/ chef was born and bred in the Rampart district and migrated to the Monterey Park area at 12 years old. Raised with his Grandmother’s recipes and being around the restaurant business growing up, it was only natural that Cristiano had an affinity for cooking. “We owned family restaurants and I just

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fell into it. I always had a passion for food, cooking, and the restaurant business - and how food always brings people together. My family, we always had good times around food and why not make a career out of it?,” says Cristiano. He attended Cordon Bleu, saved up some money, and spent a few years in Italy trekking from Venice to Napoli while studying and sponging up the closely guarded secrets that were passed on from generations of regional

rigor Cristiano brings to his cooking. It’s extremely evident that all of his dishes are prepared with heart, soul, and passion. It’s not just a place to eat; it’s comfort–it’s famiglia.

MAXIMILLIAN STERLING MIKE NGUYEN /// SAUL VARGAS

WORDS SNAPS

cuisine recipes. Bollini’s serves the ﬁnest Neapolitan-style pizza in Southern California hands down and pairs them with a masterful selection of pasta entrees that rival anything available at Locanda Veneto, Valentinos, Il Moro, Giorgio Baldi’s or anywhere else in this uber-competitive gastro-mecca called Los Angeles. What stands out the most is the attention to detail found in every dish that leaves his kitchen, a testament to the diligence and

How did you get started in the restaurant business? It all started with my family. My dad was one of the biggest bookies in LA so we aquired a lot of restaurants during the process. I worked in some of them when I was a kid during the summertime and I just fell into it. I always had a passion for food, cooking, and the restaurant business, and how food always brings people together. My family, we always had good times around food and why not make a career out of it? When did you know you wanted to get serious about the culinary arts? Growing up in the restaurant business, I knew I wanted to be part of it. I saved enough money to

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gastronomics put myself through Cordon Bleu. No loans, no grants, no scholarships back then. I had to save 26K for tuition. I left a job making 75K to go to culinary school for 2 ½ years. I barely scraped by and it was the hardest thing I had to do, but it was the most rewarding. I got classically trained in French food. You’re the example of “follow your dreams.” What did you do once you graduated? I’ve always wanted to go to Italy and specialize in regional Italian cuisine. I wanted to learn first hand and not through school, or online. I saved money again, and rented a room with a family in Rome. I was there back and forth for 3 ½ years. I was in South of France in Nice, I did time in Paris but I fell in love with Italian cooking, especially in the South. I took a one week vacation to Napoli Positano where my family is from and it was over after that. Tell us about this legendary oven you imported from Napoli. I brought it in from Napoli and had it encased and shipped here. It’s my pride and joy. It busts out 900 degrees to a thousand plus. If you want quality product and end result, you definitely have to cook with wood fire. It forms it’s own natural convection. We had to have a crane come in and block the street. It weighs 11,000 lbs so they had to build scaffolding and roll it on metal pipes to that spot.

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When did you realize this is for real? Once the dude told me, “Are you sure you want it here? It’s never going to move.” The ground shook when he put it in it’s permanent resting place. The first thing I thought was, “Fuck, I hope I don’t fail (laughs) I better make this shit happen.” What makes Bollini’s different from other Italian restaurants? It’s the fine details that make the food great. The usage of herbs, cooking experience, and exceptional products. I spare no expense here from Spanish saffron, prime ribeye, and truffle oil. All those flavors combined makes for exceptional food. Did you know you would have the impact you have right now? I had no idea it would be this big. I was so humbled by just being able to open my own business for one, because I knew I only had one shot and a limited budget. I had 21 seats when we first opened. We scraped by for the first 6 months, and now we have lines out the door. Before that, I had to make decisions like, “Do I pay rent, or do I let my house go?” I let my house go. I kept my business and expanded now we have the whole building. I never thought I would be where I am now. How long have you been open for? 8 years. I’m so blessed and fortunate and just so

gastronomics humbled by how much people love this place. I’ll be on my Harley in Malibu wearing a Bollini’s shirt and people would yell, “We love your place!” Being praised, it’s so rewarding. Who are your top 5 culinary influences? My influences, Thomas Keller, Tom Colicchio, Vito Grassano from Rome. Michael Cimarusti and Angelo Auriana are my top five.

You’re very well known for your philanthropy, how did that come about? I became an orphan and lost my father early on. In the 80’s I pretty much lost all my family and it was just my brother and I. I was pretty much raised by my neighbor back then and they’re from East Los Angeles. I was the only Italian kid playing football at the boys club with all these dudes that were cholos. I got to know all the homies.

Is it true that pizzas in New York are better because of the water? It’s bullshit. It’s all in the starter, in the process. Water, yeast flour. Thats it. You create a good starter, that’s what breeds the flavor. We’ve had our starter going for about 3 years now. We just keep feeding it, fermenting and building flavor. It’s a baby you have to nourish for sure.

Did you ever get caught up? Yes I did. Being in and out of trouble when I was a kid, I was part of this youth group called Operation Street Kidz run by a youth pastor, JoJo Sanchez, who pretty much saved my life. We get kids from the inner city who graduate his program and they’ll come here and I’ll feed them and tell them my story. It’s so important to educate

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just hope to leave something for my kids and do well. You’re fully blasted from head to toe. Do you ever get people that look at you sideways? People that don’t know me will look at me and judge like, “He’s a loser,” but it’s cool. Once people get to know me, the respect comes. They know there’s something on top of these shoulders. I’m passionate and pour my heart into everything I do. Theres a lot of hard knocks with these tattoos as well. I was getting tattoos before tattoos were cool. Now, it’s more accepted. I see soccer moms in HD with full sleeves.

the youth and show them a positive way of life. I think It’s important for successful entrepreneurs to give back. This is my passion because I was one of those kids. We need to help our kids here. Where is your brother now? My brother is doing 38 to life. He fell victim to the streets, drugs, and gangs, I could have easily been right there. We just went in different directions. I just decided I didn’t want that life and if I could help save some kids from making bad decisions, that would make me so happy. What would you be doing if you didn’t have your restaurant? This is my passion. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I had a lot of naysayers and people telling me I would fail in life and that’s been my motivation. I

What do you think about cooking shows on TV? I think cooking shows help the culinary industry because people are being more educated. People are stepping up their game. It’s gloriﬁed, but once people get in the industry and they realize how hard it is, they get weeded out. Would you ever go on Chopped? I could totally kill it on that show. Maybe the dessert round I would have trouble with. I really want to go on that show though. What are your thoughts on MMJ? I think MMJ is cool. It’s more forgiving than alcohol. It’s rare that you’ll see somebody on cannabis that’s going to throw a rager at a bar. All they’ll do is eat everything in the fridge (laughs). I think they should legalize it all the way through medicinally and recreationally. 2315 S. Garﬁeld Avenue Monterey Park, CA 91754 W EB SI TE: bollinispizzeria.com

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