TOKEWELL MAGAZINE ISSUE 20

TOKEWELL | STACK PAPER, CATCH VAPORS

20 NOV/DEC 201 7

POPCULTIVATE

WE DINE WITH GASTRO-GENIUS CHEF CHRIS YANG, AND TALK ABOUT THE COMMONALITY BETWEEN CANNABIS AND COOKING.

CV SCIENCES

WE SIT WITH ONE OF THE LARGEST CBD COMPANIES AND TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION AND HOW THEY AIM TO REDEFINE THE CBD BUSINESS AS WE KNOW IT.

GREEN STREET

WE TALK WITH THE PROPRIETORS OF THIS FULL-SERVICE CREATIVE AGENCY FOCUSED SOLELY ON CANNABIS AND HOW THEY PLAN TO CHANGE THE GAME. ISSUE 20 | NOV/DEC 2017

$4.20 U.S. $5.20 CAN.

CHONGS

CHOICE WE SESSION WITH THE LEGENDARY TOMMY CHONG AND TALK ABOUT HIS ACTIVISM AND THE VALUE OF LEADING BY EXAMPLE.

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FEATURES Healthy People Healthy 30 Keeping

We sit with one of the largest CBD companies and talk about the importance of education and how they aim to redefine the CBD business as we know it.

48 WHAT’S PoppIN’

64 Chongs ChoIce

We session with the legendary Tommy Chong and talk about his activism and the value of leading by example.

We dine with gastro-genius Chef Chris Yang, and talk about the commonality between cannabis and cooking.

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We talk with the proprietors of this full-service creative agency focused solely on cannabis and how they plan to change the game.

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WORD IS BOND

PUBLISHED BY FR3SHLAB CREATIVE GROUP, LLC PRESIDENT, FOUNDING PARTNER RICHARD COYLE RICH@TOKEWELL.COM CO-FOUNDER SENIOR V.P., OPERATIONS CINDY GALINDO CINDY@TOKEWELL.COM

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DESIGN HONEST KITTY STUDIO "NO-NONSENSE DESIGN" EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RICHARD COYLE EDITOR LEILANI ANDERSON DIRECTOR OF FINANCE YVONNE MORTON YVONNE@TOKEWELL.COM CONTRIBUTING WRITERS MAXIMILLIAN STERLING, PATRICK CALHOUN, SHEERLIE RYNGLER, SOYLA FERNANDEZ, SUPER JAYMZE AND RICK HUNTER LEAD PHOTOGRAPHERS LEAH MORIYAMA | TAADOW69K CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS BRENDAN CLEAK, BLAZERS CUP, SUPER JAYMZE AND GREEN STREET

#TogetherWeRise

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 orinaccurate material produced herein.

“Learn to be thankful for what you already have, while you pursue all that you want.” —Jim Rohn

©FREEGREATPICTURE.COM

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inding down the year's end, we have had the chance to reflect back on this wondrous journey.

This is our 20th issue and a milestone that we are thankful for. In an age where print is in decline, we are grateful to be thriving. The recipe of our longevity is an accumulation of creativity, loyalty, and passion. It has been our pleasure to provide in our opinion, the freshest and most engaging content through our pens and lenses. Our mission since day one has always been to disrupt the monotony and blur the lines that are drawn in the sand that define us.

We never wanted to be pigeonholed as a vape, or a weed magazine, but rather a true to form lifestyle movement and an amalgam of things we love. We are fortunate to be able to call all of you family because, without all of you, there is no us, and for that, we are truly blessed. We take that personally and owe it to each and every one of you to bring it every issue. Lifes too short to not be great, and we don't plan on squandering this moment.

©2017 FR3SHLAB CREATIVE GROUP LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PO BOX 444, ALHAMBRA, CA 91802 AD SALES INFO@TOKEWELL.COM TOKEWELL.COM FOLLOW US

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THE EVOLUTION OF CANNABIS STRAINS

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annabis dates back to as early as 2900 BC, with research suggesting origins in Central Asia. With human intervention, cannabis was spread all across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Although thousands of marijuana strains exist today, the origins of marijuana date back to one specific strain: landrace strains.

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SO WHAT ARE LANDRACE STRAINS, EXACTLY? According to Cannabis Culture, landrace strains are “traditional cultivars grown by indigenous peoples”. Essentially, this means that landrace is a type of cannabis strain which, over time, developed and adapted in its own natural environment and geographic location. Most hybrids used today have origins in landrace strains. Landrace strains which make up most hybrids today include: Afghani, Thai, Hindu Kush and Durban Poison among others.

All cannabis strains come from landrace strains. To understand the evolution of different marijuana strains, we have to take a good look at landrace strains and how cultivators (breeders) crossbred them in the past.

Breeders took landrace strains and crossbred them to create new types of marijuana strains in an attempt to capture the best strengths and characteristics from the strains they were breeding.

WORDS BY: PATRICK CALHOUN, FOUNDER & CEO | THE ORIGINAL GROW DADDY

TODAY, HYBRIDIZATION HAS INTRODUCED THE WORLD TO THOUSANDS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF MARIJUANA STRAINS. Landrace strains are rarely seen in the cannabis market today. In fact, because of the seemingly endless crossbreeds over several decades, it is believed that most pure landrace strains are now endangered. This is because the nonstop crossbreeding and hybridisation leaves landrace cannabis unprotected.

It wasn’t until the 1960s and 1970s that marijuana growers started breeding landrace strains on their own. This is when heirloom strains rose to prominence. Similar to landrace strains, an heirloom strain is a type of agricultural cannabis, which means humans created and cultivated it. These types of strains are removed from their geographic locations and are then cultivated in an entirely new environment.

THE POPULAR SKUNK STRAIN Haze, likely known as the most illustrious sativa hybrid in the world, was cultivated by the Haze Brothers in the early 1970’s. The brothers used the best sativa strains they could find to create this strain.

Similarly, the skunk strain, arguably the most well known cannabis strain

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in the world, was also developed in 1970s California.

In the 1980s, commercial cultivation of marijuana continued to increase in both popularity and consumption, continuing to grow as the 90’s approached. In the past two decades marijuana use and support has grown significantly. With the evolution of cultivation technology and the ever-growing popularity of marijuana use, the possibilities for marijuana hybridisation are endless.

The legalization of the plant in many parts of the United States also open doors for marijuana users as well as marijuana breeders.

USE OF THE MARIJUANA IS EXPECTED TO RISE, AND ACCORDING TO A RECENT GALLUP POLL, 45 % OF AMERICAN ADULTS HAVE AT ONE POINT IN THEIR LIVES USED IT. Today’s most popular strains of marijuana include an assortment of sativas (known for its elevating effects) and indicas (known for its calming effects), including skunk, diesel, northern lights, blueberry and haze among countless others.

ACTIVE VIGILANCE

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ctive Vigilance. Vigilance appears to be the name of the game in California. For the past year, the California Smoke Free Organization (CSFO) has been fully involved in the political landscape in Sacramento with our firm’s engagement on both the regulatory and legislative fronts.

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The primary investment of time and effort in 2017 went into shaping the regulatory implementation of Prop 56 (passed by California voters in November 2016). As approved, Prop 56 would summarily tax e-cigarettes and so it was important that the Board of Equalization, the state authority charged with creating the taxing scheme, have a complete and accurate picture of the vaping industry. With a complex system of retailers, device and products manufacturers and distributors – it was imperative that BOE staff and members fully understand how their proposed taxing plans would impact the vaping industry and CSFO members, specifically. Our team had positive outcomes in ensuring the least costly implementation on the industry.

During the first year of California’s two-year legislative cycle (2017-18), the progressive California legislature dealt with tobacco smoking bills

WORDS BY: SOYLA FERNÁNDEZ | PRESIDENT FERNÁNDEZ GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS, LLC

in public housing and state coastal beaches and parks, which improperly folded in vaping products. In the end, we had a positive outcome with the Governor vetoing bills dealing with smoking on coastal beaches and parks noting, “If people can't smoke even on a deserted beach, where can they? There must be some limit to the coercive power of government.”

The Governor’s stance on government overreach may prove to be useful to further our arguments on vaping products. Bills dealing with public housing became 2-year bills and will be dealt with in early 2018.

Equally notable, the vaping industry, well represented by CSFO members, conducted a successful lobby day during August 2017. CSFO met its objectives of increasing the organization’s profile within the Capitol and becoming recognized as a go-to resource on vaping issues.

But most importantly, it provided an opportunity for members to convey accurate information on non-tobacco alternatives, economic impacts, etc. to key members and staff of the legislature.

For 2018, CSFO and Fernández Government Solutions will remain vigilant so that vaping products are not indiscriminately bundled with tobacco products. Based on what

we’ve seen at the local communities’ level and other parts of the country, bills dealing with issues of labeling and flavoring of e-cigarette products will likely be introduced. Statewide implementation of harmful bills – especially flavor bans – would decimate the vaping industry in California. That is why sustained involvement with key figures in the legislature will be a top priority – including both Senate and Assembly health committee chairs, members and consultants.

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This ongoing involvement also includes CSFO members visiting their local legislative district offices to build and sustain relationships and ensure accurate information – differentiation with tobacco products is crucial to developing pro e-cigarette arguments. Members can additionally participate in strategic healthy community efforts and partnerships, etc. In order to achieve these objectives and keep the industry thriving, the CSFO is welcoming all vaping companies in the state of California, from manufacturers and distributors, to retailers. Go to www. californiasmokefreeorganization.org and make the voice of your business heard.

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HARM REDUCTION: THE TIMES THEY MAY BE A-CHANGIN’ WORDS BY: SHEERLIE RYNGLER | CREATIVE DIRECTOR, VAPE ORGANICS

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e are all probably aware of the change in policy announced

by FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb in late July, including a new, explicit focus on harm reduction and the recognition of the potential role vapor technology can play toward that end. While the vape industry celebrated a much-welcomed four-year reprieve in the most challenging (i.e. absolutely destructive) pre-market tobacco application deadline submission, additionally giving industry and trade organizations more time to advocate for crucial revisions, it’s worth exploring the preliminary implications of this stated policy change.

Before diving in, it’s important to check in about the term “harm reduction” and its meaning. Policy rooted in harm reduction prioritizes public health and human rights by recognizing that “problem-solving” approaches limited to abstinence, prevention, or the blocking of access can be very costly in terms of lives. Instead, harm can be mitigated by recognizing a continuum of risk; indeed, this exact wording has been promoted by SFATA for years regarding nicotine delivery and was seemingly sincerely used

by Commissioner Gottlieb in his announcement. In our case, harm reduction entails policy grounded in the recognition that more than one billion people worldwide are, in fact, addicted to nicotine and that exploring options for safer nicotine delivery can save lives.

“We do think there’s a potential opportunity for e-cigarettes to be a lower-risk alternative to smokers who want to quit combustible cigarettes,” FDA Commissioner Gottlieb said. This stated recognition by the commissioner that nicotine is not only a part of the problem, but also a part of the solution, is absolutely groundbreaking. It’s then not surprising (but incredibly exciting!) that he also committed to actually investing in the study of vapor technology, which may lead to product standards—a development most of the vape industry has encouraged since the deeming regulations were revealed, so long as these standards are rooted in sound science.

Practical product standards could help alleviate the incredible burden on vape companies to conduct expensive clinical studies for every product, and the agency’s investment in “regulatory science” signals its increasingly partner-oriented approach to the vape industry.

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Beyond committing to further studying the harm reduction potential of vapor technology, the FDA commissioner correctly and consistently highlighted cigarettes as the true problem at hand, announcing the agency’s interest in regulating nicotine content in analog cigarettes that would be “minimally addictive or non-addictive.” Before Gottlieb’s stated intention to change regulatory course, Big Tobacco was, compared to other “tobacco products,” the Tobacco Control Act’s main beneficiary... which may explain why Phillip Morris, the owner of Marlboro, was among the law’s primary supporters. Indeed, the law made it so that cigarette companies could introduce new products relatively easily, by demonstrating their “substantial equivalence” to products on the market as of the 2007 grandfather date. Meanwhile, completely new products introduced after this date, like vapor technology, faced a real barrier to market entry and compliance.

After the “reduced nicotine cigarette” announcement, stocks of major tobacco companies slumped.

Less than two months later, it was announced that Phillip Morris International committed to investing $80 million over the course of 12

years, totaling $1 billion, to Dr. Derek Yach’s new Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, which is tasked with developing and contributing research to the the tobacco harm reduction movement.

Why? According to Aaron Biebert, director of A Billion Lives, the writing is on the wall: the demise of the cigarette is somewhere on the horizon and tobacco companies would be wise to preserve the option of the non-combustible market as part of their long-term plan for staying in business.

With the vape industry continuing with its own harm reduction advances, through developments like certified organic nicotine and TFN, it will be interesting to follow the increasing alignment between our industry and the public health establishment. PSA: we are entering new territory, y’all—and that’s good.

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PlusCBD Oil™ is the top-selling* brand of hemp-derived CBD oil for consumers in the natural products industry with a track record of excellence. PlusCBD Oil™ has built a reputation on product quality, safety and efficacy offering the most diverse and largest supply of hemp-derived CBD oil on hand in the United States. *According to SPINS scan data.

SHOP: WWW.PLUSCBDOIL.COM

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Cloud Kicker Society has always been known for their industry collaborations throughout the years, so best believe that when they announce a new product, people anticipate it. Releasing in Fall 2017, CKS hits us with not one but two collaboration bangers! The ICON 200 v2 (VO Tech) which comes in various colorways and the Fujin 24mm (Aria Built) comes in a matte black base with gloss Fujin logo and gold accents. They're expected to be extremely limited so don't let these slip past you.

SHOP: WWW.CKSBRAND.COM

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HEMPER TECH FRESHWIPES: These Alcohol Freshwipes are disposable clothes treated with a proprietary cleaning agent to remove any buildup on your apparatus. Complete with absorbent, textured microbeads on each wipe, they will actually pick up grime instead of just smearing it around. Cleaning your glass and accessories will be easier than ever before! HEMPER TECH ALCOHOL SNAP CAPS: Hemper Tech Snapcap Alcohol swabs are specially formulated for cleaning Quartz Bangers, bowl pieces, Vape Pen Atomizers & more! The cleaning agent is already contained within the stem of the cleaning swab. Simply break one end of the swab, allow the cleaning alcohol to drain into the other end, then get to cleaning!

HEMPER TECH COTTON SWABS: The Hemper Tech Cotton Swabs are carefully designed to make cleaning your bowls, bangers, and glass a breeze.

They have one rounded side for cleaning general areas, and one pointed side to get in the creases and harder to reach areas.

HEMPER TECH HEMPWICK: The Hemper Tech Hempwick provides a greener alternative to lighting your bowls with a butane lighter. The Hempwick is glazed in beeswax to ensure a slow smooth burn, while providing a controlled, cooler flame to make your smoking experience more enjoyable.Â

NEW PRODUCTS

SHOP: WWW.HEMPER.CO

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It goes without saying that the Vape Industry is leaning more towards closed systems and affordable devices. In 2016, Brewell MFG introduced us to their latest product, the PHIX. Already known for their iconic E-Liquid, Brewell reformulated their product to produce superior taste and vapor production from their closed loop system. If that isn't enough, they dropped a new flavor from their distribution line up called Infusion, which is a cool melon-infused menthol.

SHOP: WWW.PHIXVAPOR.COM

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Finally, we have a real player in the cannabis vaporizer game. STIIIZY employs technology from the e-cig industry which is at least 5 years ahead of what is currently on market, and coupled it with premium cannabis extracts from the finest strains. With potency, portability and sheer sexiness, STIIIZY has elevated the vaporizer game by standing out like LeBron James in high school. Don't sleep on this, and stay STIIIZY. SHOP: WWW.STIIIZY.COM

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Honey B Healthy Living uses American grown Hemp CBD Oil within their full range of CBD product from tinctures, vape juice, edibles, and topicals. Utilizing a whole plant Co2 extraction process, Honey B boasts high quality, concentration, and potency. Wellness never tasted so sweet. SHOP: WWW.HONEYBHEALTHYLIVING.COM

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WORDS BY: LEILANI ANDERSON SNAPS BY: LEAH MORIYAMA | BRENDAN CLEAK

KEEPING

HEALTHY PEOPLE

Healthy

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Our world is changing. Come January 2018, California will join other cannabis-friendly states in the legalized space. For the average consumer, this means that more conversation surrounding cannabis and all related topics will open up. More information will be made available to the public, and in an age where everyone has a supercomputer in the palm of their hand, the availability and clarity of reliable information are more important than ever. In the digital age, consumers are becoming more and more interested in transparency - unlike their baby boomer predecessors, millennials are all about the ‘farm to table’ idea that our culture has become so far removed from. They are more conscious and conscientious shoppers - they want to know what’s in the product, where it came from, and they appreciate the extra care and effort that went into production. It's an exciting time we live in, where people are becoming more and more empowered with the help of modern technology with the aim to take better care of themselves. A wellness revolution focused on preventative care if you will.

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his approach of consumerism is no different within the legalized cannabis space. People’s understanding of the difference between hemp and marijuana, as well as the nutrients within the plants themselves, is evolving. Cannabis may be the only health conversation that everyone from baby boomers to millennials are talking about.

Everyone is interested in the plant and eager to learn about it. As so much evidence suggests, this plant is so much more than just something to get high with.

Fantastic Cannabinoids and Where to Find Them Take cannabidiol for example. You've seen it popping up everywhere, from new products to in the news. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of many phytocannabinoids produced by the cannabis plants, second only to THC, the psychoactive component, in its abundance.

Our bodies also naturally produce similar cannabinoid compounds that are responsible for certain feelings of euphoria one may experience, such as a runner’s high. CBD can be described as an adaptogen that can help modulate your system as needed by indirectly balancing the cannabinoid receptors and other targets that regulate appetite, pain sensation, mood, stress resilience, memory and more.

If dosed correctly, CBD can be a more natural alternative to some modern day medications, and with the FDA seemingly taking the reins with how to properly regulate it, cannabidiol

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has all the makings of a perfect candidate for the natural health food market.

But think about what we really know about CBD and its preventative benefits - we all know chemical imbalances in our bodies can lead to major disruptions in normal life including weight changes and emotional wellness. And while claims about all the wonders of cannabis run amok in the industry, what the world really seems to need is a little less THC and a little more CBD, similar to the need to balance less Omega-6 fatty acids with a little more Omega-3 fatty acids in order to maintain a healthy metabolism and cellular health. This is where the natural remedies you can find at health food stores step in - there's plenty of research out there, but how do we know what's a safe amount to ingest, if we should take any at all?

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Unlike other supplements, there is no single answer. CBD is the ultimate personalized medicine, and although "take two and call me in the morning" may be an effective marketing technique, it is completely and utterly oversimplified. CBD is the ingredient that makes us challenge everything we thought we knew about nutrition - the therapeutic range for CBD could be anywhere between 2 milligrams and 300 milligrams, which is both great and cautionary news. Such a large range of dosability means that it is indeed a safe compound, but cautionary one must remember that cannabinoids do different things at different dosages, just like all other herbal

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phytocannabinoids. These guys and their team, composed of scientists, medical advisors, a sales staff, just to name a few, are one of the frontrunners within the CBD space. These guys, along with other big players within the CBD community, have been a big part of educating and understanding CBD. Everyone in the space brings their unique expertise - some grow special strains or produce special concentrated products. CV Sciences is partially composed of undisputed experts within the place where the market is taking place - natural product stores.

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medications. And while the audience for CBD is much larger than the audience for THC, we must remember that CBD, like all other supplements, may not be for everyone. Cannabis is not a cureall, and CBD is just not for everybody, as lifestyle and genetics may influence how you respond to cannabinoids.

So where do we start? In the legalized cannabis space, do we look to the internet for user reviews, do we go to our local dispensary and ask the budtender what CBD oil is best for us? Perhaps.

Or perhaps we go to our local health food store.

Different products appeal to different markets, and let's be honest, the average dispensary aims its products at the THC market. Like selling non-alcoholic beer to a liquor store, CBD would do better in a setting where wellness is already ingrained in the industry. With this in mind, one is most likely to find CBD online or on the shelf of a health food store. In the natural product industry, the fight for cannabis is just one of many fights for access to natural products for people to take care of themselves.

There's a widespread belief that the wellness market is chaotic when it comes to its marketing

and labeling criteria, which is simply untrue.

In fact, part of the FDA's criteria includes rules against products claiming to be able to cure conditions or comparing them to their current pharmaceutical alternatives on the market.

Despite this, many newcomers within the CBD industry are coming from an outside perspective, with little to no experience in the culture and community of the natural products industry and the regulations they have followed for decades. But you can't blame someone for not knowing what they don't know. What you can do, however, is make sure that the bigger players in the industry who do know what they're dealing with, both when it comes to both CBD and the FDA, to set the standard for others to follow.

CV Sciences isn't here to disrupt the cannabis or medical marijuana business, just helping redefine the CBD business. They've been a major contributor to the CBD conversation on a global scale for some time now. They understand that in this day and age, what people want is data, access to information, and peer-reviewed science, and it's this very value system that is going to organically align itself with where buyers are and want to be. As Stuart Tomc, VP of Human Nutrition puts it, "People

So how do they earn your trust? Just look at their labels - the federal code of regulations isn't open to interpretation, and it's no secret that not all dispensary labels are up to code. CV Sciences not only ensures that their labels meet all the strict FDA standards, but they make sure the customers they distribute to also follow any and all regulations as well with follow-ups. And this is only the beginning.

They're the Real Deal CV Sciences is a publically traded company educating people about the benefit of something that they could grow themselves. "We want people to buy our products," Stuart assures us, "but if you can't afford our products you can grow it on your own. It's a new model, a younger sort of thinking - an open access conversation."

“We have been educators, and that's something we pride ourselves on - not only understanding the science but not oversimplifying the case, and being true to the fact that we don't know everything yet.”

- Sarah Syed

Meet CV Sciences Meet Michael J. Mona III, Sarah Syed, Stuart Tomc, and Jesse Karagaines. They represent CV Sciences, a life science company aiming at providing access to low and no THC hemp derived products for people looking for the benefits of the ‘decaf’ version of medicinal cannabis. Their mission is simple - to educate people about the benefits of hemp-derived

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don't want to be sold anything, people are sick of being sold dietary supplements and cannabis products. They do want to buy, and they want to buy from companies they trust."

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“People don't want to be sold anything, people are sick of being sold dietary supplements and cannabis products. They do want to buy, and they want to buy from companies they trust.�

- Stuart Tomc

With every bit of knowledge gained, knowledge is shared. "We have been educators, and that's something we pride ourselves on," Sarah Syed, Director of Marketing, tells us. "Not only understanding the science but not oversimplifying the case, and being true to the fact that we don't know everything yet. There are so many layers to this conversation that are going to continuously flush itself out as time goes on."

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CV Sciences, after bringing on Stuart and Sarah onto their team, focused a tremendous amount of time, money, and capital into formal toxicology work to prove not only the safety but the dosage of their products. Many companies sell CBD and assume it's safe for human consumption, but only CV Sciences has the only CBD product formally tested. Why all the extra legwork? Because if the FDA declares CBD a dietary supplement, as is likely to come in the near future, then CV Sciences is already ahead of the game by having a published paper detailing their hemp derived CBD's safety profile.

And they're not even trying to hide it - they have done what they could to spread the word throughout the industry, even if it's fallen on somewhat deaf ears. Coupled with how they educate their customers on their product and why they do what they do, CV Sciences has indeed done what they can to build as much of an awareness around the benefits and science of CBD as possible.

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"It’s complicated to explain to people that individual endocannabinoid tone influences how people respond the product as much as dosage?"

Stuart says. "Or telling them that we don't know which of our products are the very best option for them or how much they should take if it's right for them at all? But if you want to be accurate and a slave to the science, which we are, then we have to give them all the information that we have.

That's how we set the stage - even before you take any of the products."

The Process and the Products To break it down, the company extracts entire hemp plants from Holland, then have them CO2

extracted in Germany. And that's…basically it.

No pesticides, no solvents, nothing. They grind it up, dry it, and extract it. No butane, just CO2, leaving a concentration of about 8-12% CBD and CBDA, another cannabinoid compound, basically whatever was naturally occurring in the plant. This product is what is used to make their Raw Formula line of products. Next, they decarboxylate the plant matter, or basically slow cook it for a few hours to release that CBDA acid molecule and turn it into CBD, leaving about a 15% concentration, lending to their Total Plant Complex line, and to further concentrate the material, they do what's called a short path distillation of the material, basically pulling

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“Once you learn what CBD does for your body and you really understand it, why wouldn’t you take it as a preventative to keep yourself healthy?”

- Michael J. Moma III

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#20 out some of the chlorophyll, leaving you with about 25% concentration, reserved for their Gold Formula line. Finally, refinement takes place with a process called winterization, which is what is used in their new vape line base material, a line aimed at helping smokers come off nicotine. "All the exact same agricultural hemp, from the raw to the most refined," Jesse Karagianes, Director of Sales, assures us after breaking down their development process.

In using the whole plant in their process, the CBD compound that is being concentrated is also aided by the plant material itself, such as hemp seeds, which are loaded with essential fatty acids, and even naturally-occurring Vitamin E, which are all things you'd lose if you try to isolate CBD by itself.

For this reason, they call their primary line PlusCBD Oil™, as it includes some remaining extracts from the hemp plant itself.

Their PlusCBD Oil line is offered in a variety of CBD delivery systems, everything from capsules to tinctures to soft gels and concentrates, and now with their Purified Liquids line, CV Sciences will venture into the vaping world. Depending on which PlusCBD Oil product you purchase, research

suggests CBD may be helpful from inflammatory ailments and muscle spasms to treatment for anxiety and depression to something for chronic, treatment-resistant issues.

And if that weren't enough, CV Sciences also has its own in-house lab where they test the newest products, both their own and their competitors', but not out of competition but concern for the industry and what's getting put on the market.

They created their PlusCBD Oil line so that they could have a finished, consistent, branded product that was regulation compliant, and that helped them set the standard for many up and coming companies in the CBD space.

What Their Message Is CV Sciences prides itself on doing what it does best and sharing what knowledge they hold with any and all who are open to learning.

Starting out as a bulk production company, the company quickly realized that their space was not necessarily the medical marijuana space, but the natural product space. "There's enormous pushback in the industry for even calling CBD medical," Stuart says. "This isn't medical anything. It's just keeping healthy people

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healthy." The recent group of FDA warning letters to companies making medical disease claims is a powerful warning about what can legally be said about the power of hempderived CBD “Of course this stuff is a wonder drug! Just don’t ever say it. Just don’t say stupid shit.” Said Stuart "Keeping healthy people healthy." One of the company's original taglines. "Once you learn what CBD does for your body and you really understand it, why wouldn't you take it to keep yourself healthy?" Michael asks. Michael is a co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at CV Sciences. "Why wait until something's wrong to then say, 'maybe I should take CBD'? A lot of the younger generation is starting to realize that and they're taking it as a precaution." And it's true - we are absolutely spending more money on 'organic' and 'all natural' labels for our health, rather than spending less for convenience and risking deteriorating health effects.

Finding the health food market was definitely the best bet they could've ever made, and having people familiar with the market has ensured they stay on top of their game. That being said, there's

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such a misconception of what CBD is and what it does - there are so many products out there misinforming people, and the messages provided

by CV Sciences and others like them are by far the most important and the ones deserving of amplification. It is truly a simple message: "If you're in the business, do your research." CV Sciences is not a group of world-class cannabis dispensary experts and they don't pretend to be. They just try to encourage cannabis companies coming into the natural product industry and the CBD space to not overplay their hand in terms of understanding the culture and the regulations involved. There is no excuse for willfully mislabeling your products or misinforming the consumer.

"This is a big global conversation on wellness and balance, and I think that's why it's worth it for us to take all the time we take," Stuart says

Not On Easy Street Yet The growth of the CBD industry space is, by all means, a beneficial one. Growth in the market means an increased awareness of CBD and as awareness increases, shoppers become more educated and gravitate towards higher quality products such as CV Sciences' brands. But all this

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success hasn't been without its challenges. First, knowing which market they should be applying their products to was initially a gamble.

"We had four or five opportunities to go after, and the challenge was to allocate resources where we see best fit," Jesse explains. "It was difficult to forecast where the growth was and how quickly it would happen…We've all had to evolve and adapt and adjust internally in order to maximize our resources and our gains in terms of revenue, and market share and dominance. It's been a complete 180 from two years ago, going from flipping kilos in bulk distribution to having a sophisticated, sexy, efficacious brand that everyone knows."

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"We're starting to see exposure and attention from these retired athletes and military service men and women who see the potential promise in health while using cannabinoids," Sarah says. "The focus in the media has been CBD’s effect on childhood epilepsy, but it's important to understand that CBD applies to a variety of different health outcomes, not just the one."

"People claim (CBD) cures almost everything, but we can’t and do not make any claims," Stuart tells us. "We can say that the currently published sciences suggest that depression is now believed to be a neuroinflammatory disease. That CBD can downregulate activated Microglia into the anti-inflammatory type, causing mood to balance. That CBD enhances binding of Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter and the target for Benzodiazepines.It is illegal to talk about how the product is an alternative to pharmaceutical anxiety medications, but we can tech people about mechanisms of action

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CV Sciences is definitely a company that believes in the people. They don't believe in "dumbing it all down" for the average consumer, and they shouldn't. They have on deck at all times plenty of educational material explaining how the nutrients in their products support the structure and function of the body. Being able to talk about how

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"It's an emotional topic," Sarah says.

"Everyone has their own experiences with cannabis, and I think that's part of what drove us to where we are now and will continue to. While there's still a lot of learning to do in the industry as a whole, many are still trying to figure out how it's all gonna work, while we're here in our lane, operating within the confines of a channel that we already understand and where regulations already exist. We're just trying to ensure that we can explain what we know to people and that consumers understand what we're selling is exactly what we say it is."

“It was difficult to forecast where the growth was and how quickly it would happen…We’ve all had to evolve and adapt and adjust internally in order to maximize our resoures and our gains in terms of revenue.” - Jesse Karagaines

"It's just a botanical extract," Michael says.

"Just another tool in the toolkit."

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WHAT’S Pop p IN’ WO R DS BY : LEI LA NI A NDER S O N S NA P S BY : LEA H MO R I YA MA | P O P C U LTI VATE

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hat comes to mind when you hear the words, pop up dinner?

Does your mind conjure up images of uniquely tailored, often temporary or one-time culinary experiences? It should. Now, think about the words cannabis-infused dinner - do you immediately think of pot brownies and budder infused goods that can send you for a trip? If so, then let us introduce you to something entirely different that may change your mind.

Think of your favorite food and drink trends: night market food festivals, fusion style kitchens, edible creations so beautiful

And of course, that is no different in the professional culinary world - interest in developing lines of cannabis-infused foods, drinks, and ingredients is gaining momentum amongst culinary specialists, a few of which have been featured in our previous issues.

No longer are people solely interested in having discreet ways of getting and staying elevated, oh no - as more information and research comes out about the country’s most hotly debated plant, a growing number of professionals are not only developing cannabis-infused foods that taste good and get you buzzed, but also developing foods designed to deliver not only THC but CBD, the non-psychoactive compound in cannabis, in

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“This is supposed to be a safe space for you to do that - the discovery, seeing what cannabis is all about.”

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they blur the line between food and art contemporary chefs have brought a whole new meaning to the words “culinary arts”, and in the heart of Los Angeles is where you’ll find some of the greatest culinary masters doing what they do best - creating edible art.

In L.A., it’s no secret that people from all walks of life are becoming more and more comfortable and open to cannabis consumption, what with legalization approaching in just a few short months.

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an effort to promote wellness and openness in the cannabis space.

Meet Chris Yang, a scientist turned cannabis chef and gastro-entrepreneur. Formerly an organic chemist on his way to his master’s degree, Chris - or as he is better known these days, Cheftofer - runs PopCultivate, a cannabis-infused supper club aimed at introducing people to a whole new way of enjoying THC and CBD infused cuisine.

With dinners generally held once a month in the heart of DTLA, Chris has created

something truly special along with his partner, Chef Beeta Mohajeri. Offering medicated, non-medicated, and vegan options as well, Chris has something for everyone and does his best work making sure he offers a setting designed for discovery.

When one thinks “members only”, one generally thinks of stuffy, unapproachable snobs in reveling in whatever their little club is.

This is definitely not the case with PopCultivate; quite the opposite in fact.

Chris, along with his amazing staff, creates a welcoming and whimsical ambiance designed with their target audience in mind.

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Even the things that nobody will ever consciously notice - the way the napkins are folded, how the food is plated - is a testament to the staff’s attention. As far as ambiance goes, how does sipping on a CBD-infused lemon-herb juice pack sound while bobbing your head to A Tribe Called Quest sound?

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With such attention to detail and knowing your target demographic, you’d think that Chris was a classically trained chef from a Michelin starred restaurant, but you’d be wrong. In true millennial fashion, he is self-taught via hours and hours of YouTube videos.

He soon graduated to practicing his culinary prowess as well as his dosing techniques by cooking for his friends, hosting multiple course dinners that eventually grew as his friends invited their friends, and thus PopCultivate was born. As if all this wasn’t impressive enough, Chris participated as a featured chef on Cutthroat Kitchen, Burn TV, and has been recognized across various media platforms, from the LA Times to

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Prohbtd to Merry Jane and High Times. And now with PopCultivate in its second year and legalization on the horizon, Chris hopes to focus more on doing quality dinner events and eventually create a line of CBD other cannabis-infused foods and drinks for sale.

We had the chance to session with Cheftofer to find out more about himself, and why PopCultivate is all about helping people discover new foods, new local artists, and

“I was just trying to figure out how to do seated six people dinners…and my friends and I would be smoking weed, and someone said “Why don’t we put some weed into the food?” And I was like, “That’s a very good idea sir!”

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new experiences. It’s about time people discover the man who makes it all happen.

You're welcome

So, what made you go from organic chemistry to cannabis culinary arts?

It’s a funny story - I graduated college with a biochem degree and spent a year and a half working in an organic chemistry lab and very serendipitously developed all the skills sets involved with cannabis refinement and foods. I didn’t really know how to use that skill set until I started doing a few dinners for my friends at my house. I was just trying to figure out how to do seated six people dinners with multiple courses, and my friends and I would be smoking weed, and someone

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said “Why don’t we put some weed into the food?” And I was like, “That’s a very good idea sir!” (laughs)

Was it difficult to figure out how to dose your courses?

The first three dinners were pretty brutal (laughs), it always ended with six or seven guys passed out in my living room ‘til the next morning, but slowly I figured out how to refine it, how to dose it properly, and account for how much people were eating within the

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course and how many courses and all that.

You serve foods with both THC and CBD. How do you balance the two out for your dinners?

So normally what we do is we’ll serve THC in all the course until dessert, and in dessert we’ll serve you a big dose of CBD. The idea is that after you get your buzz on , the CBD helps bring you back for a little bit and helps you wrap up your night so you can get home safely. For a while, I would actually

tailor the high experience throughout the night - so a variation of different kinds of extracts in different kinds of solvents, some water-soluble, some fat soluble. Depending on the medium we use your body will absorb it at different rates. So just like with alcohol, with water-soluble extracts like our drinks, your body absorbs it instantly, giving people roughly a 3/10 high in the first thirty or so minutes that’ll last about an hour and die down, and throughout the night I’ll use budders or infused olive oils which take your body a little longer

it, it’s not too bad, and it’s not too scary, and usually by the end of the dinner about half of them are like, “Okay, let me try one course,” and that makes me really happy, because it means they feel comfortable enough to explore what cannabis is at our dinner. This is supposed to be a safe space for you to do that - the discovery, seeing what cannabis is all about.

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to digest. I’ll give you some CBD to bring you back a little bit, and then by the time you get home, you’ll get another little wave from the olive oil your body’s been digesting for the last two hours.

Is there a favorite part about everything that you do?

My favorite part about these dinners is that we usually get about 10-15% of the dinner guests will be people who haven’t tried cannabis before and they’re kinda curious about what’s going on, and then they get comfortable when they see that this is cannabis - you can smoke it, you can eat

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As a chef, do you prefer edibles or do you have a different preferred delivery method or type of strain?

I prefer sativas, and I’m starting to notice the different kinds of high from the different ways you ingest cannabis. With edibles, you get little shots of it as you’re going through the span of eight to ten hours as you digest it - it’s a prolonged experience. I much more prefer smoking, I prefer dabbing actually. My favorite dab is a mix of 30% THC and 70% CBD, that’s my favorite feel.

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Chongs

CHOICE

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Everyone's familiar with Tommy Chong and make no mistake, so are your parents. If they tell you they aren't, they're lying to you. Activist, actor, comedian, and writer, Mr. Chong is famously known for his dank brand of comedy and co-starring roles from the Cheech & Chong series and Leo from That 70's Show. We sit with this legend and talk about positivity and leading by example.

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e all know Tommy smokes. We also know that he's extremely passionate about the cannabis cause. What he's not, is your stereotypical "stoner", and an exploiter of the very culture he's trying to elevate. He's an extremely intelligent and spiritual soul.

People need to be able to differentiate what their optics are on him as a perpetrator of a decades-old negative stigma, to one of the most honest and intelligent ambassadors of the cannabis movement. That said, the guy has a perfectly crafted reputation by design and Chong's Choice is a testament to a brand that he markets brilliantly. In addition, Tommy is headlining one of the cannabis industry's most attended festivals - Blazers Cup. He's honestly more of entrepreneur of greener pastures than people give him credit for, but perhaps that was premeditated on purpose. Mr. Chong has devoted a great deal of his life to cannabis advocacy for personal and political reasons. "I've dedicated my life to the promotion of this wonderful gift from God and I've been on the road educating people about this gift.", says Chong. He currently sits on the board for NORML and contributes articles to various media outlets with an emphasis on cannabis activism. "The only thing anybody can do to improve the cannabis industry is to improve themselves.

You can only lead by example, and that's what I've been trying to do.", says Tommy.

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We had the chance to session with this living legend and really got to know Tommy Chong the celebrity and Tommy Chong the free spirit, activist, and entrepreneur.

What have you been up to the past few years?

The answer is in the smoke. You gotta educate everybody. Then you gotta vote out the Jeff Sessions and the Trumps. You know, we gotta nail them at the ballot box. God in his infinite wisdom, gave us Donald Trump and weed at the same time [laughs] We're going to give you this idiot, but enjoy this [laughs]

I've dedicated my life to the promotion of this wonderful gift from God. I've been on the road educating people about this gift.

What do you say to all the cannabis naysayers?

What does the cannabis industry need to do to thrive?

The cannabis industry has done everything it's doing. There is nothing else we could do, really.

The cannabis industry really just has to relax.

They say in the bible, "Agree quickly with your adversary." and if you do that, there's no argument. So, when somebody says to me, "cannabis is bad for you", I agree with them.

I say, "you're absolutely right. and if you don't

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... that’s the other thing with commercial weed now, you have to worry about what’s in them now like pesticides and other harmful chemicals.

They’re just in it for the money.

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want to do it, don't you do it, and if I see you doing it, i'll slap that joint right out your mouth [laughs]" On a serious note, there's nothing we can do. That's like asking how can we make summer better [laughs] It's out of our control.

How can we improve the cannabis industry?

The only thing anybody can do to improve the cannabis industry is to improve themselves.

You can only lead by example, and that's what I've been trying to do.

Talk to us about Chongs Choice.

Chongs Choice is beyond Badass Weed (my previous venture) because rather than have my own grow (which I did), I brought the best growers onboard. I've been growing plants all my life but, I never really had the patience to grow the weed how it should be. What we've done is hooked up with the best and healthiest growers. Because that's the other thing with commercial weed now, you have to worry about what's in them now like pesticides and other harmful chemicals. They're just in it for the money. You gotta work with nature. at Chongs Choice, we don't want the biggest crop, we want the healthiest crop.

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What's the misconception of cannabis contribution?

Not only are we providing jobs and taxes for the government. Were providing a positive lifestyle.

For people who have never experimented with weed, what can they expect from the legend?

Marijuana enhances what you already are. If you're lovely and soulful, it will enhance that, and if you're mean and crazy it will enhance that [laughs] That's what marijuana does.

Are you a Sativa or Indica guy?

I like Sativas man.

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The answer is in the smoke. You gotta educate everybody.

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KEEPING IT

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Green St. is a full-service creative cannabis marketing agency operating solely within the marijuana industry. With their help, brands are able to connect with consumers and influencers through nontraditional means to build their customer base and promote brand loyalty. With experts in operating in more traditional trade spaces, Green St. has the ability to leverage opportunities within the cannabis industry and negotiate partnerships and licensing agreements between big-name celebrities and brands. With experts who also specialize in not only advertising and marketing within trade spaces, but legal services, and cultivating intellectual property, it's no wonder that Green St. is one of the best cannabis agencies out there. But Green St. is so much more than just a marketing firm: they also offer conventional capabilities such as art and creative directors and development.

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he company, run by co-founders Rama Mayo (President) and Joshua Shelton (CEO), was intended as an environment meant to pay homage to the history of the community they represent, as well as a future aesthetic they deem necessary for the transition of cannabis into the mainstream market. Rama has an extensive background in the music and fashion industries, having managed bands such as The Distillers, Jimmy Eat World & At The Drive-In and organizing fashion trade shows, while Josh is an attorney by trade, having worked as the managing attorney at Winston Wolfe Law Firm, which he founded in 2010, and has represented hundreds of cannabis related companies over the last 7 years. Together, with Josh's legal expertise and connection to the cannabis community and Rama's background in the music and fashion industries, they formed the base of the incredible team the world knows today as Green St. Agency.

What They're All About Green St. is broken up into three 'buckets', as Rama likes to call them. The first bucket is the advertising and marketing agency within the marijuana industry. "A full-service ad agency dedicated to cannabis," he calls it. "That's everything from style guides to websites to social media strategies and brand logos. All the typical ad agency stuff. "

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“Almost everyone who’s had (an edible) has had one bad edible experience, and I don’t want the industry around cannabis to start getting a bad rap because of some people taking advantage of the rest.” - Rama TOKEWELL MAGAZINE

Second bucket - celebrity licensing and brand management. Even in this day and age, you cannot simply buy ad space on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube due to the sensitive legality issue surrounding cannabis. The people behind Green St. knew, however, that celebrity endorsements would be an entirely different game. "We knew they wouldn't shut down Snoop's Instagram," says Rama. "So we went to them and cut a deal with them and Grenco Science, creators of the G-Pen." Celebrities have been selling and backing products for over 100 years - Nike for example, has LeBron James. And now with the growing cannabis industry space, it only makes sense that this would be the next step in advertising, and Green St. has got a jump on the practice.

"The cannabis industry hasn't really seen celebrity licensing deals yet," Rama continues.

"Some small things here and there, but not gigantic campaigns with advertising agencies dedicated to (the industry). So we did really well with the celebrities, and a bunch came back and asked us to represent them directly."

Green St. now represents about fifteen celebrities and fine-artists exclusively in the ‘cannabusiness’ sector, including big musical names such as The Game, 2 Chainz, Sublime with Rome, Dirty Heads, and contemporary artists like Kenny Scharf and Ron English.

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"We're a full-service company dedicated to supporting the cannabis community, first and foremost," agrees Josh. "And we have been fortunate to work with both great people and brands in a time where we all feel like we're creating the future together."

The third is their office/showroom/event space, which they call Silibong Valley, a play on Silicon Valley, the name given to the area where the tech industry exploded. Silibong Valley is a showroom with space for a dozen or so of the best brands in the industry to come and showcase their brands and products. "It's a communal space," Rama tells us. "We have events here, cannabis brands can have offices, showcase their products, we have performances here. In fact, the (Tokewell cover

artist) Dirty Heads performed there just the other night." The idea for the showroom where brands can connect with influencers and customers alike was inspired by their commitment to supporting the ‘community’ aspect of this industry, and Rama's background in fashion and trade shows, which featured similar showrooms where brands could reach out to potential buyers, share stylists, and the like. “It’s still a cottage industry but fragmented” explains Josh, “and that’s exactly why we looked to bring the community together in a way that encourages conversation.”

Why Their Model Matters Marketing agency? Event space? Aren't there enough of those things already? Actually, dear reader, there really isn't. Up until recently, there

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was no real need for either of these things when the industry was still the illicit industry is has been in the past. But times are changing, and with the likelihood that cannabis is slowly going to become the next alcohol industry, things like trade showrooms and marketing agencies dedicated to the cannabis space are in high demand, and only will the best of the best do. That's what Green St. is - a company as passionate about the market it represents as the market itself is. Even the president does not refer to the industry space as "the industry." In fact, he refers to it as a "the community", just like everyone else in the cannabis space, and believes that remembering that that's what the cannabis market really is, a community, is a big part of what's necessary to help the cannabis

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#20 industry thrive. "That's such an important part of this.

I don't know a lot of industries, but I know the music and fashion industries, and I watched them get to pick apart just like that. That's what happens when all the major players come into the space." In other words, the industry must remember what makes ours special.

And Green St's main mission is to do their part ensure that. "Our goal has always been to use our space as a central hub for the community, collaboration, and collective success," says Josh.

"Every major industry has a geographical location where the best in the world congregate to push the boundaries and grow together, and that's something that we felt was still missing in our industry, likely the result of the quick transition that's been made from the criminal to gray to legal marketplace. We simply hope to provide a platform that enables the very best in the world to be better together."

"I think our mission is also to be an expert on the cannabis consumer," Rama adds. "To help guide the community over the next couple decades as it gets bigger."

It Ain't Easy Being Green The road to building Green St was not without its hurdles. Being early adopters into the early stages of a budding industry makes for some interesting obstacles to get past.

"We started with a simple mission," Josh explains.

"A mission of providing creative services specifically to clients in the cannabis space. Logos, websites, pitch decks, style guides, trade show build outs, experimental activations, that sort of thing. We were definitely early for that type of service offering for the community, and that forced us to be patient as the marketplace matured, and as the notions of "brand" and "strategy" around that brand became required by companies to differentiate their products from their competitors on the shelves."

The toughest part? Lack of experience in traditional trade industries and lack of traditionally standard business-related services in the industry.

"In traditional advertising firms all over the world, you'll get RFPs (Request for Proposal) from brands telling you exactly what they want, what their budget is, and so on," Rama tells us. "Like instead

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of a menu being given to the customer at the restaurant, the customer tells the restaurant what they want, how they want it, and how much they're willing to spend on it. And I have received exactly one since I started in the cannabis space (laughs)."

working with some of the most amazing members of the cannabis community, and fortunate that some enjoyed their experience with working with us enough to ask that we manage and develop all of their 'cannabusiness.'"

This is one we here at Tokewell have heard before.

Many an entrepreneur have told us the exact same thing, that being part of a new and less than the squeaky clean imaged industry has a lack of knowledge or access to traditional services that are standard to any other industry.

Another obstacle has been finding effective ways to communicate with and educate young owners and executives in the community. "My role as an attorney and business consultant has always been one of a counselor, and my focus has always been on creating business and profits for my clients‌The downside is that it's difficult to provide perspective on things like profitability, efficiency, etc., to someone who is making millions on his/ her first real business, is 27 years old, and is 100% self-made," Josh says. "Despite massive successes, which is absolutely happening, the mistakes and losses that could've been avoided are piling up, and it's a shame that some of these owners have had to suffer through these mistakes unnecessarily."

"Banking, insurance, marketing and sponsorships, social media‌" Josh lists out. "All greatly restricted by an ongoing fear of federal involvement at one level or another. As a result of these restrictions, we were forced to get creative on how we brought the positive image and message of the brands we represented to the masses. " This is where they began to reach out to well-known celebrities and influencers who have the freedom to share their lifestyle through social media and other marketing channels without fear of restriction.

"Through these campaigns, we've had the honor of

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When The Dust Settles So when the dust settles after all the excitement that has been building since the first announcement of legalization in the state

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of California, what then? What will happen, who will the major players be, what should the consumers expect, and how do we know where to find reliable brands for products we as consumers might be interested in. Will the so-called Green Rush lead to an overproduction of cheaply made products aimed at an industry hungry for all the new and exciting possibilities?

Again, this is where Green St steps in and hopes to make the transition easier. Rama believes it'll mirror the music and alcohol industries, with big players, like big record labels, will come swooping in and work with the core players in the cannabis game, but there will still be room for the little guy, and a variety of products still to come that we can't even begin to imagine.

"Corporate guys are gonna partner with the best of the core guys and the core guys will lead it all," he says. "They'll have an amazing infrastructure. I see these (corporate) guys coming in and making sure the core guys don't run out of gas and have the right plan. I've met some of these corporate people, and they know what they're doing, but they don't know how to grow weed or how to sell it, or anything about the community really - they don't work in cannabis out of passion. Not that you have to smoke weed to be a part of it, but it helps a lot in order to understand and get the community."

Hard to sell Kool-Aid if you don't drink it, right?

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time in the music business. "I know what's gonna pop, where it's going, what's getting bigger, guys that will always stay cool, the ones that'll make it big, " he says. "I got this feeling the first time I saw Jimmy Eat World or At the Drive-In or The Hives playing in front of literally a dozen people. Jimmy Eat World was on my label and I was their booking agent, and I paid $2 to sit on a washing machine and see them play.

Now, fifteen years later, they're bigger than ever.

I get that exact same feeling when I talk to these cultivators and young brand owners."

So what can we expect from Green St in the future? Nothing but the best it seems. Having worked already with the biggest names in cannabis space brands such as Grenco Science,

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Highly Educated, Eaze, CannaCraft, Apothecanna and Bhang Chocolate, the only place to go is up, and up means working with all the newest up and coming names and helping them in real ways now that cannabis is turning into what could be deemed a "real" business in the mainstream. "We're building style guides for brands, things that include brand attributes, what the brand stands for, just like any other real company in the real world," Rama explains.

"Even if you haven't made any money and you're making a product, you've got a style guide, but the cannabis industry never saw or needed this before, and when we started it just kind of exploded. We've got a style guide for a brand 2 Chainz is coming out with called GAS, it's not even finished yet, and it's already blowing

when I drink I can't work at all, even just a beer.

I can smoke weed though and still crush it. The funny thing is, when I go on vacation, I don't really smoke that much weed at all, I don't need to. But it's great for anything I have to do creatively, and it helps with my anxiety.

Do you guys prefer to smoke indicas or sativas during your downtime?

JOSH: Indicas.

RAMA: Indica. Baseball bat to the head, please (laughs). Downtime, please stop my brain from working for just a couple minutes.

Is there anything, in particular, you think the industry needs to do in order to thrive?

JOSH: Invest in talent, invest in the future, invest in themselves. Be aware of "business guys" who take chunks of equity, salaries, commissions, and revenue for doing nothing. These men live off ignorance and your fear that they might be more qualified than you to run your own business.

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RAMA: I think we need to find the balance in

people's minds! We've thought out an entire brand family and social media strategies and brand values and video content ideas, integrations with the artists, things we'd do with any other company." When you can bring the best of the best type of business acumen to the table, there's absolutely no reason not to.

"We hope to continue to support this community for years to come, and to play a substantial role in the evolution of this industry together," Josh says.

Let's Get A Little Closer Now Now that we've got the business side of things taken care of, let's loosen up a bit. We seshed with Josh and Rama about both the little things and the bigger picture.

So how did you guys get into the cannabis space?

JOSH: It was while working for a law firm that I was approached by my first dispensary

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client looking to make the transition into the legal cannabis market. After working with the one client and having some level of success, I began to get referrals in waves, and was really embraced by what was then, and is still in some ways, a small cottage industry. After six years of working as a general counsel for some of the best in class cannabis brands in the industry, Rama and I partnered on Greet St to provide a full service platform for our clients.

RAMA: I didn't even start smoking weed until I was 25, and now I'm 40. Back when I was working in music, most events I worked featured a lot of punk and hardcore music, and honestly a lot of them didn't smoke or even drink or anything, but everyone else around me at the time was like, "Rama, you gotta smoke this weed, you gotta try this," and I never did, didn't really drink either. Then one day I hung out with my friend Liz (it's all her fault, we say) - it changed my life. I understood it. Unlike alcohol,

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order to find success like we saw with the G-Pen from Grenco Science. Their product was kind of a bridge between two worlds, fulfilling and respecting the core of the cannabis community and using that to reach out beyond just the cannabis community and bringing it to Conan and Snoop. Some of the biggest musicians in the world today are trying to launch cannabis brands and even though they've got all the money in the world, they don't get taken all that seriously.

The core cannabis community doesn't respect it - they want to know where the money is going, and they want it to be about cannabis. I think what's changed is people are finally realizing that they have to take it seriously because the best guys out there were mostly got started with this as a hobby and now they're rich. It's about the brands and what they want to do with their business - if they want to compete with the big dogs or if they want to stay tiny.

Any worries about the future of the cannabis industry?

RAMA: The thing I'm worried about is the people that Josh mentioned. The people that will get kinda taken by the industry or the things surrounding the industry. There's going to be so many brands that'll go to a trade show and

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don't have a good time and won't come back, or won't buy up ad space or hire influencers because they've had bad experiences, you know? You know, kinda like edibles - almost everyone who's had them has had one bad edible experience, and I don't want the industry around cannabis to start getting a bad rap because of some people taking advantage of the rest. There are people who are looking at this green rush as a gold rush, and they're coming in and trying to pump and dump work, and that takes money away from the industry.

Is there any form of marketing you won't do?

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RAMA: Our number one rule is "brand first."

We want to build our brands, not just have a product. We aren't trying to do one-off marketing or one-off promotions like some of our competitors. We get hit up by music video people all the time, and I tell them I'll never put money into a music video ever in my life unless it is part of a much larger campaign.

Some companies crush it with music videos because that's what they do, they've got a strategy built around pushing a hundred different music videos, but that's not us.

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Where do you think the cannabis space is headed?

JOSH: At a minimum…. It’s headed in the right direction. I’ve watched it evolve over the last

“We’re a full-service company, first and foremost, and we have been fortunate enough to work great with both the people and brands.” - Josh TOKEWELL MAGAZINE

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“Our number one rule is “brand first.” We want to build our brands, not just have a product. We aren’t trying to do oneoff marketing or one-off promotions.” - Rama

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ten years, and the changes are happening faster and with more effect everyday.

RAMA: I'm interested in seeing what will happen in the next ten years. Maybe there'll be different types of places with different product staples, just like how you have your bars that carry all your standard stuff and then bars that carry all your small batch, craft microbrews…I see the future being a combination of big corporate players and some indie guys who go it alone. Some will win, some won't. Just like in the music business - the big labels came in and bought them all up, some shook out, some came out as almost manufactured punk bands, and no one in the mainstream can tell the difference. I definitely also think that the big tech giants - Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon - they're gonna come in on this too. Everyone wants part of the money, so we'll see what happens.

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