Rolen Stone Farms Cultivate Your Mind
Rolen Stone Farms has blossomed into an ever growing business, with dedication from every person involved. Each of us thrive to bring you the best quality ower there is out there. We believe in purity of our products. Which is why we are a 100% organic company. Using a multitude of sustainable ingredients from the Oregon Coast and our land. We hope to inspire you all to cultivate your minds and follow us along the way! Check out our website, Rolenstonefarms.com and Instagram (@rolenstonefarms) get yourself some gear to represent or simply check out what goes on behind the scenes!
PHOTO BY GYPSY JANE PHOTOGRAPHY
CONTENTS VOL 2 NO 3
departments
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CHRONICLES 420 GEAR POTLIGHT
DISPENSARY: Jayne PRE-ROLL REVIEW RECIPES STRAIN REPORT
columns features
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LESSONS FROM HOME Changing values, climate shape rural America
20 | 24 | CRAFT CONCENTRATES WEED FUTURES
What are marijuana’s next frontiers?
Wild Rogue Extracts has risen to meet discerning demand
32 | MEDICINE FOR THE MASSES
Jefferson Packing House is driving cannabis-industry change
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FROM THE PUBLISHER
By John Oliver
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WEEDFLECTIONS
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THE BUD BUZZ
By Rick Cipes
By QeenBee
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VOL 2 NO 3
PUBLISHER
John Oliver john@wammediallc.com
Caring for the Earth begins in your backyard THE GREEN RUSH IS UPON US … AND I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT CULTIVATING CANNABIS. If you haven’t already, it’s time to head over to your local garden-supply store and get in gear for spring. The signs are everywhere: fruit trees in bud, daffodils in flower and longer daylight hours encouraging us to get outside and coax life back into our little corners of the world. While we may be Weed Aficionados, we’re no less enthusiastic about pulling weeds to make room for the crops that treat our taste buds all summer. First come garden peas, spring onions and tender salad mixes. Beets, carrots and radishes sprout leafy tops before the days turn hot. And after the threat of frost has passed for the season, there’s no time to waste getting bean, tomato, pepper, cucumber, melon, eggplant and summer squash starts into the ground. Raised beds make gardening more accessible for newcomers to the hobby or anyone who wants to add a few plots of rich earth next to the lawn or landscaping. Want to start even smaller? Plant vegetable starts in a few window boxes or cluster some pots on the back deck for herbs … no, not that kind! The culinary type — think “parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme” (and more!) — lend color and aroma to your living space and your food. Plus you save money at the grocery store on these plants that couldn’t be easier to grow yourself. Speaking of home-grown, once your veggies are ready to harvest, WAM’s Weed Appétit brings you recipes for combining your favorite flavors with cannabis. Last summer’s spread featured tomatoes, chilies and watermelon in cannabis-infused ceviche and agua fresca. Look for more of our favorite fusion dishes in upcoming issues. But before you can enjoy those fruits of your labors, you’ve got to break a little sweat. Everything the budding and seasoned gardener needs — from tools to trellises to soil amendments — is available at your favorite, local garden-supply store. While you’re there, pick up a copy of WAM to stake out another purchase to help you unwind. Need some more inspiration? Check out this issue’s story about small farmers in parched Tucson, Ariz., feeding their community and shifting the agricultural paradigm. Their methods offer lessons for Oregon gardeners and farmers faced with water shortages and hotter growing conditions. And don’t forget about how the cannabis industry keeps it green. This issue’s 420 Gear showcases Marley Natural’s bubbler constructed of sustainably harvested American walnut and Hitman’s artisan torch crafted from previously owned glass.
EDITOR IN CHIEF
S.J. Clelland editor@wammediallc.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Dara Fowler dara@wammediallc.com WEB DESIGN
Brandon Mertz webmaster@wammediall.com SUBSCRIPTIONS | SOCIAL MEDIA REPRINTS
Kristina Stickler ks@wammediallc.com PHOTOGRAPHY Kimberly Classicks, George Kramer, Jeff Gauthier, Patrick Brennon, Liz Gilbert CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rick Cipes, S.J. Clelland, Andrew Mount , Nic Andelin, Art Cosgrove, QeenBee U.S. VETERAN LIAISON Jon K. Boy | jkb@wammediallc.com ADVERTISING | SALES
Director of Sales Jay Baker | 770-912-5825 jay@wammediallc.com Portland/Coast Robert Thomas | 541-252-1847 robert@wammediallc.com Portland Chyanne Stanley | 541-981-3140 chyanne@wammediallc.com Area Director (So. Oregon) Mike Shepard | 541-261-7498 mike@wammediallc.com © 2018 All rights reserved WAM Media, LLC. All material is copywritten and subject to approval before being reproduced. Weed Aficionado is a free publication dedicated to education of all things cannabis; for Oregon by Oregonians.
Regards,
John Oliver – Publisher
@weedaficionado @weedaficionado
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@waficionadomag
THE
Chronicles
NATIONAL NEWS
Doctors who prescribe most opioids, make the most money Federal databases show pattern of payments from opioid manufacturers Source: CNN.com
A direct link has been exposed between physicians prescribing opioids and drug manufacturers paying out huge sums of money. Analysis by CNN and researchers at Harvard University found that the more opioids a doctor prescribes, the more money he or she makes, amid tens of thousands of American deaths every year from prescription opioid overdoses. Opioid manufacturers in 2014 and 2015 paid hundreds of doctors across the country six-figure sums for speaking, consulting and other services. Thousands of other doctors were paid over $25,000 during that time. Physicians who prescribed particularly large amounts of the drugs were the most likely to get paid. “This is the first time we’ve seen this, and it’s really important,” said Dr. Andrew Kolodny, a senior scientist at the Institute for Behavioral Health at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, where he is co-director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative. “It smells like doctors being bribed to sell narcotics, and that’s very disturbing,” said Kolodny, who is also the executive director of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing. The Harvard researchers said it’s not clear whether the payments encourage doctors to prescribe a company’s drug or whether pharmaceutical companies seek out and reward doctors who are already high prescribers. “I don’t know if the money is causing the prescribing or the prescribing led to the money, but in either case, it’s potentially a vicious cycle. It’s cementing the idea for these physicians that prescribing this many opioids is creating value,” said Dr. Michael Barnett, assistant professor of health policy and management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. CNN spoke with two women who’ve struggled with opioid addiction, and they described the sense of betrayal they felt when they learned that their doctors had received large sums of money from the manufacturers of the drugs that had created such havoc in their lives. Carey Ballou said she trusted her doctor and figured that if he was prescribing opioids, it must be because they were the best option for her pain. Then she learned that opioid manufacturers paid her doctor more than a million dollars over two years “Once I found out he was being paid, I thought, ‘was it really in my
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best interest, or was it in his best interest?’ “ she said. To do the analysis, CNN — along with Barnett and Harvard’s Dr. Anupam Jena — examined two federal government databases. One tracks payments by drug companies to doctors, and the other tracks prescriptions that doctors write to Medicare recipients. The CNN/Harvard analysis looked at 2014 and 2015, during which time more than 811,000 doctors wrote prescriptions to Medicare patients. Of those, nearly half wrote at least one prescription for opioids. Fifty-four percent of those doctors — more than 200,000 physicians — received a payment from pharmaceutical companies that make opioids. Doctors were more likely to get paid by drug companies if they prescribed a lot of opioids — and they were more likely to get paid a lot of money. Among doctors in the top 25th percentile of opioid prescribers by volume, 72 percent received payments. Among those in the top fifth percentile, 84 percent received payments. Among the very biggest prescribers — those in the top 10th of 1 percent — 95 percent received payments. On average, doctors whose opioid prescription volume ranked among the top 5 percent nationally received twice as much money from the opioid manufacturers, compared with doctors whose prescription volume was in the median. Doctors in the top 1 percent of opioid prescribers received on average four times as much money as the typical doctor. Doctors in the top 10th of 1 percent, on average, received nine times more
CONSUMER NEWS
Condoms, breath mints … CBD tinctures Impulse buys could include therapeutic cannabis
money than the typical doctor. “The correlation you found is very powerful,” said David Rothman, director of the Center on Medicine as a Profession at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. “What’s amazing about the findings is not simply that money counts but that more money counts even more.” Paying doctors for speaking, consulting and other services is legal. It’s defended as a way for experts in their fields to share important experience and information about medications, but it has long been a controversial practice. Pharmaceutical company payments to doctors are not unique to opioids. Drug companies pay doctors billions of dollars for various services. In 2015, 48 percent of physicians received some pharmaceutical payment. It’s illegal, however, for doctors to prescribe the drug in exchange for kickback payments from a manufacturer. Dr. Steven Stanos, president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, said he wasn’t surprised that doctors who frequently prescribe a drug are often chosen and paid to give speeches about the drug to other doctors. “They know those medicines, and so they’re going to be more likely to prescribe those because they have a better understanding,” Stanos said, adding that some of the money paid to doctors may have been to teach other doctors about new “abuse-deterrent” opioid drugs. Stanos’ group accepted nearly $1.2 million from five of the largest opioid manufacturers in the United States between 2012 and 2017, according to a recent report by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Stanos said the money was used for various projects, including courses on safe opioid prescribing.
Sample-sized CBD edibles, topicals and tinctures could be available at corner markets with this month’s debut of the Benihemp brand. Marijuana Company of America Inc. (MCOA) is targeting Convenient Hemp Mart for convenience stores, smoke shops, gas stations and similar types of retail businesses where CBD has a greater likelihood of purchase, on impulse, at the register. Consumers can find Benihemp packaged in one-day, two-day and 30-day supplies. CBD — cannabidiol — is the chemical compound in cannabis primarily responsible for therapeutic effects. Convenient Hemp Mart plans the official Benihemp product-line launch at ASD Market Week, July 19 through Aug. 1, in Las Vegas. The comprehensive business-to-business trade show for retail merchandise annually hosts 45,000 buyers from over 90 countries, representing major department stores, convenience stores, gift shops, grocery stores and other retail stores. Among 45,000 attending the show, the average buyer spends a total of $82,500 on product orders. “With the ever-growing convenience-store marketplace hitting a new record of over $140 billion in annual sales last year, we believe this is the perfect place to present the first industrial hemp-derived products developed specifically for this market,” said Sam Girges of Benihemp, which will be located in the lower south hall at ASD, booth SL2449. Headquartered in Escondido, Calif., MCOA invested $100,000 into Benihemp in exchange for a 25-percent equity stake in Convenient Hemp Mart.
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THE
Chronicles
OREGON NEWS
Icon Foods targets cannabis industry with launch of CannaSweet Proprietary blend offers clean-label sugar reduction for medicinal, recreational edibles PORTLAND — A new sweetener formulated for the growing industry in edible cannabis products also is ideal for consumers following low-sugar, low-carb and ketogenic diets. CannaSweet’s proprietary blend relies largely on allulose, a low-calorie sweetener balanced with stevia and monk fruit for optimum sweetness in reduced-calorie, low-calorie and calorieÐfree foods and beverages. Naturally occurring in wheat, figs, raisins, jackfruit and other plants, allulose has the same molecular formula as fructose and glucose. “CannaSweet is a game changer,” said Thom King, president and chief executive officer of Icon Foods, the creator of CannSweet. “It is specifically designed for the cannabis industry to employ clean-label sugar reduction in the medicinal and recreational edible category.” Adult consumption of cannabis is on the rise in the United States, where more than a fifth of Americans reside in a state where recreational use of cannabis is legal. The plant is legal in some fashion in 30 states and the District of Columbia. “Today’s consumers are looking for products made from nature, while at the same time limiting sugar intake to reduce calorie consumption and manage the glycemic response, but they aren’t willing to compromise on flavor,” said King. “CannaSweet delivers exceptional flavor, while also allowing developers to achieve cleanlabel sugar reduction.” Because it is not rapidly digested and absorbed, CannaSweet is safe for diabetics and suitable for people who follow low-sugar or low-carb diets and even those who have adopted a ketogenic lifestyle. It behaves similarly to erythritol and does not have a laxative effect. It already is used in a number of product formulations, including the Icon Foods KetoseSweet product line, and it holds Generally Recognized as Safe status as a sugar substitute from the Food and Drug Administration.
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“As the market for edible cannabis products continues to expand, regulators must identify and control food safety and quality concerns,” said King. Available in crystalline and liquid forms, CannaSweet is geared toward a wide range of products including carbonated and noncarbonated beverages, frostings, baked goods, such as cakes, pies, pastries, biscuits and rolls; frozen dairy desserts, jams and jellies, sweet sauces, syrups, chewing gum, confectionery, such as hard and soft candies; gummies, puddings and fillings. It is certified organic and kosher and is free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), soy, corn and allergens. The calorie savings in products formulated with CannaSweet are significant when compared with full-sugar versions. Sugar has 4 calories per gram. CannaSweet has only 0.2 calories per gram, and it doesn’t affect blood glucose or insulin levels, critical to those with diabetes. The American Heart Association considers high blood glucose a factor in metabolic syndrome and increased risk of heart disease, stroke and other health problems. For more information, visit www.iconfoods.com.
NEW 2-SErviNg SMOKiEZ EDiBLES ArE NOW AvAiLABLE
Not Your AverAge gummY™ Smokiez Edibles are now available in new 2-serving packages. Our Gummiez are bursting with flavor and are a delicious way to medicate. All of our products are handcrafted in small batches using the finest ingredients and are made with High Clarity Cannabis Extract. For more information on where to buy Smokiez Edibles please email sales@smokiez.com or visit us on the web at smokiez.com Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. For use only by adults twenty-one years of age and older. Keep out of the reach of children.
SmokiezEdibles
©2018 Smokiez and Smokiez Edibles are trademarks of C & R Oregon Corp. All Rights Reserved
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MCINTOSH MT2 PRECISION TURNTABLE
The new MT2 is a belt-driven table with moving-coil cartridge, compatible with moving-coil phono inputs and moving-magnet inputs. It also boasts a thick, solidblack, outer platter that’s dynamically balanced to resist external vibrations and noise for precise playback speed and accuracy. And because almost everything is factorypreset, you can have it unboxed and glowing McIntosh’s trademark green in minutes.
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MARLEY NATURAL BLACK WALNUT BUBBLER
Experience instant pleasure in a unique, hybrid design from Marley Natural that lets you add water when you want it, but still packs a punch when you don’t. The entire piece is crafted with high-quality, hand-blown glass enhanced with black walnut wood sustainably sourced from North America. Designed with true enthusiasts in mind, Marley’s new go-to is ready to meet your every need — including looking sharp enough to double as decor! Unlike your common corner-store bubbler, this extraordinary piece transcends the rest with an easy-fill, screw-off base that allows the bubbler to break down into five parts for easy cleaning. Filled with water, the down stem bubbles away harsh toxins through Marley’s next-level globe-shaped percolator for smooth, mellow draws.
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NECTAR COLLECTOR HONEYBIRD PRO
Introducing the Honeybird Pro, the next level in Nectar Collector dab technology. The Honeybird Pro is the world’s first fully modular dab rig. The revolutionary threadedglass to stainless-steel collar allows removal of the interior components, providing unprecedented ability to clean, replace and upgrade all the parts of this bird. This one has a lifetime guarantee on workmanship for all components except stinger tips. We give it an A+ product rating!
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HITMAN GLASS RAY GUN TORCH
Introducing the revolutionary-designed, previously owned, all-glass Ray Gun Butane Torch from Hitman Glass. This intriguing concept is a one-of-a-kind, heady collaboration between Hitman and longtime glass artist Darby Holm for a torch that features an all-glass body and base. The torch’s doughnut-shaped body features two gas valves and a spout to easily fill your torch with butane. The front of the piece showcases a realistically worked black and orange “ray gun” torch head, easily ignited with a lighter. This unique tabletop torch is perfect for any hard-core Hitman Glass fan or for a glass artist’s personal use.
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HENNESSEY EXORCIST CAMARO
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WOOF! Dodge won the revamped muscle-car war last year with the 850-horsepower Demon. The only way to drive out a demon is with a proper exorcism — embodied in a 1,000-horsepower ZL1 Chevrolet Camaro modified by Hennessey Performance. The Exorcist gets an increase of 350 horsepower over the stock ZL1 courtesy of a larger supercharger. Unlike the drag racing-focused Demon, the Exorcist can brake and turn on the racetrack, as well as hit a top speed of 217 mph. Only 100 are being made, with deliveries starting soon.
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PAX 3
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This third-generation PAX transforms both dry herbs and extracts into the clean, simple vapor that’s made these engineers one of the first household names in this cutting-edge technology. Easily enhance any experience with the peaceful, easy feeling that comes from straightforward function and crisp, clean inhales. Whether gold, black or silver suits you best, one-button activation paired with a green-means-go LED light system and subtle vibration delivers gently heated vapor in under 22 seconds. Smart technology even lets you keep track of your device’s stats with an intuitive OS/Android app.
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TABLE TOP BURNER LIGHTER
For aficionados tired of holding their own lighters, Alec Bradley Cigar Company created something special. Using a push-button ignition that produces a Bunsen burner-style adjustable flame with an even burn, The Burner Table Top Lighter properly “toasts” your buds instead of simply setting them on fire. The large butane tank holds up to two hours of fuel, and its chrome finish gives it a showpiece quality. Unlike traditional lighters that you have to hold, this tabletop design keeps you 100 percent hands-free.
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ONEHITONEDA
Never before has the medical community had a consistent, measurable dosing mechanism for smoking herbs. Patients love OneHitOneDa’s ease of use, and care providers love the measured hit. The OneHitOneDa is the best way to enjoy a consistent, measured dose of cannabis in your favorite glass. When you know the potency of your pot, pack this one-hit device for a consistent, measured dose every time.
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POTLIGHT
DISPENSARY
JAYNE From more than 150 fine Portland dispensaries, Weed Aficionado Magazine tapped Jayne to tell us how it stands out from the crowd. Jayne, located at 2145 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., is open from 10 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. daily. Aaron Heisler explains how Jayne plays a vital role, not just in the cannabis community, but the wider community of Oregon.
WAM: What year did your doors open for business? JAYNE: November 2015 WAM: Do you service both recreational and medical users? JAYNE: Yes we do! WAM: What is the biggest draw at your location? JAYNE: Our atmosphere and customer-centric approach are the things that keep people coming back to Jayne. Whether it is your first time coming into a dispensary, or you are a veteran, we have a great collection of products and staff that can meet everyone’s cannabis needs. WAM: What is the reason behind your business’ success? JAYNE: On the most basic level, we have great products, a comfortable atmosphere and strive to provide great customer service. The best thing we have going for us, though, is our community. We have an absolutely amazing group of customers who not only have welcomed us into their communities; they also have helped us give back! Whether it is a food drive, clothing drive or our featured Local Cause Strain, our customers have helped us give back thousands of dollars to our community! Jayne would not be what it is today without our amazing customers! Also, being less than five minutes away from Wonder Ballroom, Moda Center and the Oregon Convention Center doesn’t hurt our cause. WAM: What inspired your passion for this industry? JAYNE: That’s a simple one, cannabis! It has had a very positive impact on the lives of all of us at Jayne. It’s incredibly rewarding to know that we have a chance to help others explore the many different ways cannabis can fit into their lives each and every day. WAM: What is your favorite part of the job? JAYNE: I have two favorite parts. The first is helping someone who has never experimented with cannabis before. Whether I’m talking them through some options for exploring pain relief with topicals or introducing them to the plethora of CBD products we feature, helping someone feel comfortable while learning about the world of cannabis is awesome! My second favorite part is getting to see the smile on a person’s face when they come back into the shop after finding the perfect cannabis product. There’s nothing better than knowing that you were able to successfully help someone find a cannabis product that brings something positive to their life.
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WAM: What’s new for your business in 2018? JAYNE: While 2017 was a year of learning for Jayne (and the cannabis industry as a whole), 2018 is going to be of year of perfecting. We have developed great relationships with some of Oregon’s best cannabis brands and will continue to search for the best products to bring to our customers, at the best prices possible. We also are very excited for First Fridays at Jayne! On the first Friday of every month, we will be holding an in-store event featuring our Local Cause Strain for the month, great deals from some of our favorite vendors who will be on site and free food from some of our favorite restaurants and food trucks in Portland! If you haven’t been in to check us out, First Fridays are an excellent time to see what Jayne is all about! WAM: What do think customers will demand more of in the future? JAYNE: As the cannabis industry in Oregon has been developing over the past two years, two things that we have seen our customers appreciate have been product options and consistency. Everyone is very unique when it comes to the effects that a particular cannabis product will have. The everexpanding product options have offered our customers more and more opportunities to find the cannabis product just right for them! Once they find that product, there is nothing worse than coming in and finding out they can’t get that same product. Whether it is a production issue or a supply-chain issue, customers have been and will continue to gravitate toward products that are consistent. WAM: What are the biggest challenges that cannabis business owners face in the industry? JAYNE: I think the biggest challenge in the industry at the moment is standing out among all the amazing cannabis options that Oregon has produced. From the dispensary side, the city of Portland has over 150 different dispensaries. Bringing something unique to the table, so customers choose us over the dozen other dispensaries they are bound to pass by in an average Portland day, has been a fun challenge to take on! On a national level, not having access to the same tax regulations and banking systems as other industries is a huge challenge. This is something that may not be on the top of cannabis consumers’ minds. While it’s awesome that we can all go into dispensaries to explore different cannabis products legally, it can be easy to forget that not everyone in this country (or world for that matter) is as lucky. It is our responsibility as a cannabis community to remember our role as advocates, as well as consumers!
WAM: As the cannabis industry grows and improves, what developments are you most looking forward to in the future? JAYNE: Thoughtful and responsible public consumption. If you don’t own your own house in Oregon there are very few options available when it comes to places where you can legally consume cannabis products. The development of cannabis lounges, festivals and educational classes where people can safely, responsibly and respectfully consume cannabis products will be a boon to both local renters and tourists alike. Until that time, it is on us as a cannabis community to continue to put our best food forward by helping to guide others on the safest and best ways to explore cannabis.
THE BEST THING WE HAVE GOING FOR US, THOUGH, IS OUR COMMUNITY.
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Lessons FROM
HOME
Changing values, climate shape rural America BY NIC ANDELIN WITH ANDREW MOUNT
T
he motivations
of money and nice cars unfortunately flow in direct opposition to global peace, restorative practice and regenerative social ecology. Transcending materialistic values requires a whole-systems redesign of the everyday economy to address the greater needs of humanity as they mesh with the intrinsic value of natural, living systems. That’s about as easy as forgetting everything you thought you knew and replacing it with all new operating software. The question quickly becomes: Where to start? On a brief sojourn to my home town, I found myself pondering what motivates people to initiate the kind of change needed in the world. If experience is any indicator, perhaps you’d better start from the beginning. And here I am: back in my home town, Tucson, Ariz., starting from my own beginning. I remember Tucson always seemed boring while growing up. Sometimes it would get so hot in the summertime, we’d mostly stay indoors until nightfall. Teenagers would wander the late-night streets, roast food on small pit fires, camouflage in overgrown areas of the wild Sonoran Desert vegetation — vigilant enough to avoid unnecessary encounters with law enforcement, incited by the police plane that seemed to circle tirelessly in the night sky. During those days, I often dreamed of moving to Southern Oregon, the green, forest-dream paradise where weed was virtually legal, even back then … Oregon thus became my transplanted home where, for the past decade, I have learned about farming, food production, wild-crafting and community organizing. Little did I know, people with similar values were cultivating and implementing these same novel approaches to food and natural-remedy production right here in my home town. With this realization, it dawned on me: The invaluable opportunity to make this trip is about so much more than just helping myself and my family. It’s about the bigger picture of allnatural, whole foods and how local, organic-food systems operate. Developing a better understanding of these small-scale food-production systems in Tucson — where the climate is unforgiving, where fertile soil and groundwater are scarce — would help to inform methods in Oregon (and elsewhere) relative to future farming potential in the face of climate change. Consistent record highs throughout the summer and persistent drought conditions across the West are worrisome to agriculturists like me. After all, if cabbage and broccoli grow well in Tucson, they can be grown anywhere! So how do they do it, actually? Tucson has more sunny days than Oregon; the growing season is just that much longer. Farms utilize
“There is a magic created by the ownership of picking your own food.” shade-cloth structures to protect more delicate vegetables from the intense desert sun. However, climate change may indeed produce similar conditions back in usually temperate Oregon. We must be prepared, given the Pacific Northwest’s historically mild winter. I decided to visit the old Food Conspiracy Co-op on Fourth Avenue. Although some things had changed, a walk around downtown brought back memories of my younger, rebellious years when I couldn’t care less where my food came from. Now, almost 20 years later, I’m very fascinated trying to imagine how all these different, moving parts fit together in the larger scope of food access. I gained some insight from Todd Statdlander, produce manager for Food Conspiracy Co-op. He explained that high volume is key in the co-op’s long-term relationships with local, organic farmers. Farmers markets, he said, are the alternative for farmers who produce lower volumes. Local produce at Food Conspiracy Co-op comes from a handful of family-owned farms just south of Tucson. These types of farms often are subsistence farms growing a variety of vegetables to support their own household nutrition needs. Selling extra produce to the co-op and other retail outlets provides necessary income to pay the bills. To do this, farmers must become certified naturally grown (CNG) by an independent agency based in New York. Despite being so far away, CNG offers peer-review certification to farmers and beekeepers producing food for their local communities and working in harmony with nature without relying on synthetic chemicals or genetically modified organisms, as stated on their website. Perhaps it is relevant to talk about the name “Food Conspiracy,” which I like because it is so subversive. I understand this co-op has been in Tucson a long time. The store seems to have undergone some updates, but the name remains the same. So what is the food conspiracy of our times? Is it a conspiracy on behalf of the industry executives? On behalf of the common people? Or both? Is it about where our food comes from in terms of food miles and soil fertility?
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Ultimately, is the conspiracy about where the money goes and who the stakeholders are and their bottom-line motivations about food? After all, businesses need to make money, but people and the environment have the greater stake in accessing healthy, sustainable foods. So I wonder if the overall food conspiracy is about trying to realign these conflicting interests between profits and people. Searching for more insight about these general concepts, I discovered Tucson Village Farm, a working, urban farm built by and for Tucson youth. A program of Pima County Cooperative Extension and University of Arizona, TVF is a seed-totable program designed to reconnect young people to a healthy food system, teach them to grow and prepare fresh foods and empower them to make healthy life choices. This farm gives anyone a chance to pick their own vegetables for a fraction of the price vegetables normally cost in stores. I have spent some time volunteering there, and I was elated to see the number of young people actively redefining their relationship with food. The farm’s volunteer coordinator, Kayla Purigraski, shared some insight about what motivates people to change. “There is a magic created by the ownership of picking your own food,” she said. This gets people involved in the production aspect of food in a sustainable way. Also, eating food this fresh from the garden changes perceptions of flavor. It raises awareness about picking food when ripe. I had great fun volunteering at Tucson Village Farm, helping to dig up the biggest yams I had ever seen in my life and transplant kohlrabi into garden beds. This is when I learned about Tank’s Green Stuff, the organic compost made from local yard debris and resold to local farms in this region. It was a great lesson amid the process of building organic garden beds at the new house of old schoolyard chum Stuart Smith. He has a family now and wants to grow his own vegetables at home. I made some calls and found out I could get free manure from Tanque Verde Guest Ranch, layer it with kitchen scraps and biochar and top it all off with Tanks Green Stuff and a little native soil. I even procured some seeds from Tucson Village Farm. Now Stuart is basically ready to start planting his home garden. Like Kayla said, ownership is what really motivates people to change. Perhaps this even means ownership of our own destiny.
WHAT ARE MARIJUANA’S NEXT FRONTIERS? BY ART COSGROVE
oncentrates became major players in the cannabis scene only within the past two years. As mass legalization and commercialization happen all over the country, this unprecedented period of innovation ushered us from smoking weed out of soda cans to elegant, incognito vaping with blazing speed. But where will we go next? What does the future hold for America’s new favorite pastime? The past few years have brought cosmic leaps forward in terms of new things we’ve learned about terpenes. These tiny molecules in the essential oils of cannabis — not mention a host of other plants and flowers — are the quiet drivers of taste and scent. Their name derives from the same word as turpentine, a similarly pungent distillation of pine. These little clusters of unsaturated hydrocarbons essentially are the foundation, the smallest indivisible portion, of the base concepts of natural tastes that we encounter in nature. This is to say the limonene terpene found in lemon peel could be chemically identical to the one found in your Super Lemon Haze strain of marijuana, meaning that citrus taste you’re getting in the strain isn’t a simulation — it’s actually citrus. And if that’s the case, that means the implications for flavoring strains and concentrates are mind-boggling. Imagine new terpene profiles being discovered every day, new ways to fine-tune the flavor and aroma of your cannabis. Now stop imagining … because it’s already happening. As if that weren’t enough reason to pay attention, here’s where things get really interesting. “Entourage effect” is the term scientists have given to the synergy between terpenes and CBD — cannabidiol. This was discovered because testing on CBD in laboratories was using synthetic CBD created in a lab without being extracted from the plant. The CBD that comes out of plants
comes with trace amounts of hundreds of terpenes and other compounds. We now know those hundreds of other compounds create an “entourage” that enhances the performance of the star — in this case, CBD — on whose couch they metaphorically crash. Until very recently, the same type of testing was not happening with THC, tetrahydrocannbinol, because of legal issues. With those barriers mostly gone or disappearing, scientists now are going to discover how the entourage effect might work with THC. This could prove to be a whole new world of enjoying cannabis. The old calculus of THC percentage will become a lot more complicated when terpene profiles that accentuate or alter a strain’s high can be dialed in. Talk to a marijuana grower, and they’ll undoubtedly get very excited about tissue culture propagation. In the past, the strains you love, like Sour Diesel or Lamb’s Bread, were grown from seeds or clones. A seed is basically like a kid — genetically it will be similar, maybe even nearly identical, to its parent plant. But it won’t be exactly the same. A clone, on the other hand, which is taken off a plant and replanted to create a new identical plant, is more like a VHS duplication — with each generation, a little something is lost. This means that strains would be in danger of being lost to history. Tissue culture propagation (or cloning) involves suspending a portion of the plant in a nutrient-rich medium that allows a truly identical clone to be created, with no loss, preserving the strain’s genetics indefinitely. This will become even more important in the next phase of cannabis science, which will use DNA modification to promote terpenes, accentuate THC and CBD levels and foster a host of other possibilities. Preserving strains and creating truly identical clones for research purposes will be key. In short, tissue culture propagation will be the name of the game for growers. Vaping has blown through the cannabis marketplace like a tornado. Providing an alternative to actual combustion of flower or ingestion (edibles) was a game changer. But that doesn’t mean everyone loves it. There are a host of downsides to vaping, in the eyes of some, including the clogging, the oily mess and the heat of the vapor. In fact, there are even cases of people inhaling hot oil and burning their throats. Plus there’s emerging research that suggests vaporizing e-juice and cannabis concentrates activates the exact same pathways in the lungs and causes the same type of inflammation that can lead to long-term health consequences, such as cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. That means there’s a whole new marketplace for people looking to inhale their weed with no heat. A cold vape, if you will. Into the void comes the nebulizer. Long a tool to deliver medications, particularly for people with pulmonary disorders, the nebulizer launches microscopic molecules into one’s lungs without activating through heat, as in the case of a pipe or vaporizer. There already are a few players in the cannabis market occupying the nebulizer space, notably CannaNeb, whose system primarily is tailored for patients using CBD medication. Pearl20 introduced their marijuana-infused water some time ago, but its newly released nebulizer, which uses its “vitamin water,” is a whole new animal, one that portends a whole new direction for the market. Whether it’s a new way to grow marijuana, make it better or get it in you, the future couldn’t be brighter.
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CONCENTRATES WILD ROGUE EXTRACTS
HAS RISEN TO MEET DISCERNING DEMAND BY S.J. CLELLAND
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DERIVING ITS NAME FROM A DEFINING FEATURE OF THE SOUTHERN OREGON LANDSCAPE, WILD ROGUE EXTRACTS DERIVES CANNABIS PRODUCTS THAT REDEFINE THE INDUSTRY. Owner Ken Remington describes how flower connoisseurs feel a thrill from Wild Rogue’s single-origin, single-strain formulas, unique in the vape oil market. Branching out into full-spectrum, essential-oil balms, body creams and other topical products, Wild Rogue also is widening partnerships with Southern Oregon growers and producers, bringing cannabis to more consumers — and connoisseurs in the making.
WAM: When did Wild Rogue officially launch? WRE: Wild Rogue launched in June 2015 under the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program. WAM: Where is Wild Rogue Extracts located? Is your facility open to the public? WRE: We are located in beautiful White City, Oregon. Because we are an Oregon Liquor Control Commission processor, we are not typically open to the general public. However, we are open to producers, wholesalers and retailers for tours of the facility by appointment. WAM: Hemp and cannabis companies usually can’t secure straightforward business loans like other ventures can. How did you fund your business startup? WRE: We are a self-funded startup with our initial investment and subsequent investments to scale and streamline operations. To date, we have $750,000 invested in the company. We also have been able to work with open-minded leasing companies to acquire additional equipment for our next phase of growth. WAM: We have heard that your process is a little different from others; tell us what sets Wild Rogue apart from other extraction companies in Oregon. WRE: Glad to! Wild Rogue has developed CO2 extraction using ultra-cold-processing techniques that preserve the full spectrum of flavonoid, terpene, terpenoid and cannabinoid profiles to deliver strain-specific flavors, botanical effects and an experience that flower connoisseurs can appreciate. Other processors may choose to use extract material in what is termed “super-critical” phase, which is more effective in pulling all the cannabinoids from the plant material, but which essentially kills off the lighter compounds that impart the full effect of the strain you so dearly love. Most then take this crude oil and distill it further into a THC or CBD distillate. Once this is done, the extract or concentrate is devoid of any flavor or smell and has lost its true identity as the strain from which it was derived. These processors then reinfuse terpenes they may have captured during their process, or they infuse this distillate with foreign terpenes from other sources (be they cannabis or non-cannabis-derived). WAM: How did you approach selecting the right equipment to meet your needs and ensure success? WRE: We did a ton of research, spoke to a lot of industry experts and conducted tours of various types of operations to select the type of extraction equipment and processing that we would eventually take on. We ended up selecting the Apeks CO2 Supercritical medium-scale production platform. It has been a true workhorse that gives us the ability to run in a true subcritical phase, where others did not. In our next phase of growth, we have decided to go with a super-cooled ethanol platform for high-capacity extraction, mostly for our CBD hemp operations.
STRAIN-SPECIFIC FLAVORS, BOTANICAL EFFECTS AND AN EXPERIENCE THAT FLOWER CONNOISSEURS
can appreciate
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WAM: Tell us about business partnerships? Does Wild Rogue Extracts have any key collaborations? WRE: Yes, we work closely with our equipment vendors, like Apeks and Cascade Botanicals, to collaborate on tweaks and innovations to their equipment to support our approach. We also work with over a dozen producers here in Southern Oregon to process their sun-grown cannabis and promote their farms. We also white-label concentrates for some of these producers, like SugarTree, Graves Farm, Millerville and Bigsby Farms. Lastly, we are speaking with several companies on distribution channels for our new CBD Hemp & Botanicals product line. WAM: In 2017, there were a lot of ruling changes that added expenses to your type of business by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission; how did that affect your bottom line? WRE: I think most cannabis businesses were affected in some way in both 2016 and 2017 as the OLCC and OHA worked their way through legalization and regulatory compliance. We found ourselves in two situations. One was: “hurry up and wait” when it came to licensing, approvals, changes/additions in regulations, etc. The second was the delay in our re-launch into the recreational market. We had to wait for testing regulations and costs to be ironed out. Both of these took a toll on operating capital and cash flow. WAM: What are the typical obstacles to getting into the black as a new business? WRE: Besides the regulatory and compliance issues that we faced, we found ourselves challenged with the switch over to GEM (glass and metal) vape oil cartridges. Almost every processor who decided to use this new hardware had issues with leaking, clogging, etc. This particular challenge hurt our brand in the market that we had to rectify with our strategic vendor, Vaporous Technologies, and that we are just now recovering from. This made it a tough year, but you have to plan for things to not go your way in business. If there’s no risk, then there’s no reward. WAM: In terms of your target market, how has medicinal and nontraditional use of cannabis influenced your product development? WRE: Great question. Our target demographic is the 35-and-older market, with an eye toward health, stress relief and coping with the day-to-day aches and pains that we all experience as we mature. That said, recreational use is part of that, and people are always looking to let loose. So we decided to target those users who want a full-spectrum concentrate that gives the same flavor and effects of their favorite flower strains. This required us to hone our processes for a cleaner product, and to increase our THC potencies to appeal to this slightly younger demographic in the recreational market. We also have had to broaden our product lines, to serve both demographics, and increase our overall presence in the market as more than just “a vape oil company.” We always have had other concentrate products, like dabs and RSO. We recently added our new CBD Hemp & Botanicals product line, and very shortly we will add rosin to the family. WAM: How do you appeal to cannabis connoisseurs? WRE: As we discussed earlier, we developed a full-spectrum concentrate to deliver strain-specific flavors, botanical effects and an experience that flower connoisseurs can appreciate. Our customers also really appreciate the single-origin/single-strain approach that we take, highlighting local farms and their unique strains. WAM: We see that Rogue has a lot of new CBD products coming to market; is there a particular product you’re proud of that our readers need to know about? WRE: Sure, I think our full-spectrum CBD Muscle Balms and Body Creams are tremendous! We use shea butter with jojoba for absorption. We are currently working on a more aggressive version of the muscle cream, as we have heard from those with severe muscle or joint pain that they need a little more staying power. WAM: What’s the difference between full-spectrum essential oils versus distillates or “clear”? WRE: I want to be clear, that THC and CBD distillates have their place in the market. They work quite nicely when processing edibles, like chocolates, etc., as do isolates for the gummy and hard-candy sector. That said, there are two things to consider when discussing the difference between a full-spectrum concentrate and a distillate. The first
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is just the amount of processing and extra equipment it takes to produce a finished distilled concentrate. This is a minor difference, but good to note from a business perspective. When we consider personal preference and health components, then we start to realize the true differences between a full-spectrum essential-oil concentrate and a distillate. A full-spectrum product gives you the closest to a full effect of the plant material being processed — be that for medicinal or recreational uses. A distillate is just that: a full-spectrum product that has been distilled down to a single component. In the case of cannabis, this is either THC or CBD, or several other noteworthy compounds. By definition, a distillate is typically devoid of any flavor or smell and has lost its true identity as the strain from which it was derived. Some processors will then re-infuse flavor. WAM: Tell us about “terps.” We have been hearing so much lately on terpene profiles; what makes Wild Rogue Extracts’ terpenes unique and why are they so important? WRE: First off, Snoop says this about terps: “It makes me feel the way I needs to feel.” The consumer is starting to become educated on the “entourage effect” of the cannabis plant. It is not all about THC or even CBD. It’s the synergistic effect of the cannabis plant — the flavonoid, terpene, terpenoid and cannabinoid profiles — that give you the feeling Snoop talks about. Terps have a big part to play if you enjoy the different effects that various strains give you. Even when you add them or infuse them to a distillate, the effects are not the same because you tore it down into one or two components and then try to recreate the effect. WAM: What does the cannabis industry mean in referencing “single origin” and “single strain” and why does that distinction matter? What about craft-style products? WRE: When we discuss “single origin, single strain” we are talking about the different cultivation techniques employed by various producers and the strains they decide to grow for the year. “Single origin” means we do not combine different farms’ materials, as each one is unique, even if they are the same strain. I have experienced dozens of Sour Diesel or Jager strain samples, for example, and they can vary widely in taste, smell and effect. When we process concentrates for Millerville (originators of the Jager strain), we know what we are getting. I wouldn’t even think about combining their Jager with another farm’s Jager. Essentially, this is the essence of “craft-style” concentrates. WAM: How do “split” contracts, including filling, packaging, labeling and “seed to sale” delivery, come into play for your business? WRE: Well, we work with our producer partners in several ways when it comes to delivery to market. Split contracts come in three types: The first is bulk 50-50 arrangements, where we process a producer’s material and split it with them once compliance test results are passed. This requires a wholesale license for the producer
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I STARTED TO LOOK TO ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE AND FOUND RELIEF WITHOUT SIDE EFFECTS, AND A PATH TO LEARNING AND FIXING THE ROOT CAUSE. THIS HAS BEEN
the inspiration
BEHIND WILD ROGUE.
to fill, package, label and distribute the final product. The second type is 50-50 grossmargin payout arrangements, in which we process a producer’s material and keep all the concentrate for sale under our brand. We pay out the producer once we know the yield and what the product will sell for after we remove our cost of goods. Essentially, we split the gross profits. The producer’s half of the obligation is the material; our half is the processing. Lastly, white-label, end-to-end service is how we process a producer’s material to create a sellable product for market by the producer. This is typically a 60-40 split, where 60 percent is Wild Rogue’s to sell under our brand. WAM: What inspired your passion for this industry? WRE: I have been a connoisseur of marijuana since my early teens, and throughout my life. When I learned about the medicinal value of the plant and the convenience of concentrates in various forms, I was hooked. I have a hard time with traditional western medicine as they tend to fix the symptom rather than the root cause. I started to look to alternative medicine and found relief without side effects, and a path to learning and fixing the root cause. This has been the inspiration behind Wild Rogue. WAM: What is your favorite part of the job? WRE: Working with all facets of the business. But mostly, I just find joy in the interactions with our producers, wholesalers, retailers and, most importantly, consumers. The cannabis community has a unique position in society. They are the folks, for the most part, who have looked to make a simpler life for themselves and the people they care for and help. WAM: What do think customers will demand more of in the future? WRE: The demand here in Oregon has started to change, especially with the choices now available. We are seeing the most demand for convenience in these choices. Vapes, dabs, shatter, RSO, edibles make up the majority of the concentrate market and demand. However, we are starting to see an uptick for cooking oil for people to make their own edibles, bath and beauty products that have either THC or CBD for various purposes, etc. WAM: What are the biggest challenges that cannabis business owners face in the industry? WRE: I know a lot of folks would say legal risk, or compliance. For us, it is working capital. There are very few sources for loans to help with cash flow and to grow the business. This has to be done via private investors, who have to weigh the risk versus reward, and institutional investors who are few and far between, typically due to scaling with federal and state limitations. WAM: As the cannabis industry grows and improves, what developments are you most looking forward to in the future? WRE: I would say that opening up limited interstate commerce (between connected states that have state-based recreational or medical programs) would help at this point. I would prefer that federal laws remain as they are for now, letting states manage their own programs. This allows the little guy, like us, a head start to building a meaningful, state-based market without large pharma, tobacco and liquor companies coming in and turning this into just a money thing.
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MEDICINE for the
MASSES Jefferson efferson Packing House’s cannabis-industry hub is driving change BY NATALIE SUSTAIRE CASTAÑEDA
Cannabis is both a medicine and an antidote, says Matthew Ochoa. The plant
is a reminder that the human experience is driven by our states of mind, he says. “When we remember that, we realize that we are enough — and we have enough.” This philosophy drives Ochoa’s Jefferson Packing House, founded to make cannabis accessible. Ochoa’s efforts came to a halt in 2004, when he was sentenced to serve time in federal prison for “possession of marijuana and intent to distribute a controlled substance,” which many of us dismiss as a “crime.” Separated from his infant daughter for two and half years, Ochoa experienced first-hand the pain caused by yet another hurdle in the cannabis industry, but his ordeal illuminated more than that. “It’s wrong how this country treats cannabis, and I want to re-educate the general public that this is actually a good medicine and a good thing that my friends and I are doing.” Raised in “weed-friendly” Ashland, with a background in the industry since age 16, Ochoa recognized the plant’s benefits from the beginning. It was solace for the gardener, creative tool for the artist, escape for the busy parent, income source for many and, in countless different ways, vital medicine for many more. A simple plant, cannabis created the surrounding community that Ochoa respected and admired. But it wasn’t until his first personal experience with cannabis that it became more than a hustle. “A friend was treating himself for cancer and asked if I’d try RSO (Rick Simpson oil) with him. I took probably a rice-kernel size of RSO, and it totally
blasted me, like up all night understanding the universe in a whole new way! I really saw that this guy was dealing with this cancer as a result of his belief that he wasn’t enough as himself in the world, so he was acting from a place of angst — wanting to drive himself so hard and give so much but felt that he wasn’t good enough still. And I saw that in myself, as well. He was really sick with this sense that he couldn’t provide enough, and in that night it clicked that this is our cultural illness. “We live in this consumer- and progress-driven culture that’s programmed to want more, better, faster … All that translates to ‘not enough right now.’ Then I remembered many of my friends that were stoners being so content while I run around being a hustler, and I realized I had this opportunity to create a mechanism that brings the product from the field to the consumer with the brand identity of quality of life and wellbeing. This mechanism, this company, could deliver this medicine to remember.” After more than 20 years in the cannabis industry, Ochoa shaped his observation into a team that facilitates, since 2016, the process between producers and retailers, laying the foundation for Jefferson Packing House. Ease and peace of mind is JPH’s goal; that’s why it provides harvest service and a one-stop shop after harvest time. The facility is suited to drying, curing, grading, trimming, packaging and freeze-drying, as well as distribution. Offering all of these services under one roof consolidates post-harvest work and conserves resources needed to profit from the crop that producers put their hearts into all year long. Work to get product onto shelves doesn’t have to be the daunting task for producers that it’s been in the past. That’s the driving force behind JPH and what Ochoa set in motion when operations began in August 2017, just in time for outdoor harvest in Southern Oregon. It was a trying season for everyone in the recreational market, and JPH proved its grit by servicing more than 30 farms around the region, filling 19,000 square feet of temperature- and humidity-controlled dry-room space and employing more than 50 local residents. In the heart of Southern Oregon, JPH also is creating a niche opportunity for all industry professionals to connect and
benefit. Because of its position with producers, the company has become a hub of information and a central marketplace for wholesalers, who can view and simultaneously shop multiple farms’ products — a great alternative to spending all day driving between farms. JPH also furnishes a compliance solution for many producers and wholesalers. Within its secured facility, JPH provides storage that minimizes products’ vulnerability to theft. An 8-foot razor-wire fence surrounds the 19,000-square-foot, licensed and insured facility within minutes’ response time of local police. In addition to daily operations and services during harvest and the off-season, JPH is preparing for the day when lines in the sand are erased and national legalization creates more opportunity for Oregon. “We (in Oregon) know we’re an export state, and we don’t have that ability ... yet,” says Ochoa. “I built this business model to be able to function within the restricted market and also be able to scale fast for when we get national and international distribution. If we can just hold on until that time ... it’s been a struggle but we’re still here!” With strong hope for the future, JPH’s outreach team is putting local effort toward upholding Oregon as an industry example to other states. The company is active in local cannabis community groups, including the Jackson County Marijuana Advisory Committee, Josephine County Growers Association and Oregon Retailers of Cannabis Association in Portland. “The DEA is giving more airtime to the opioid epidemic and the harm it brings, but what you don’t hear is that, simultaneously, there’s been a 15- to 25-percent decrease of these opioid overdoses in states that have legal recreational markets,” says Ochoa. “We are hoping to get these facts to those outside the cannabis community who aren’t hearing enough about the benefits of states having legal ‘rec’ markets. “Ultimately, I believe in it, and I know that we can see this industry scale if we keep going,” he says. “You can either stand by and wonder — or go for it. And that’s what I plan to keep doing: giving it everything I have. “I know that what I can give every day is, and will always be, enough.” www.weedaficionadomag.com
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WILD ROGUE PREMIUM CANNABIS OIL C02 EXTRACT! NO ADDITIVES! FOR THE CANNABIS CANNASSEUR IN YOU. (510) 520-1683 | EXTRACTED IN WHITE CITY, OREGON
Ask for us by name
PRE-ROLLREVIEW TRAVELERS PRE-ROLL PACK
INDICA
Playboy OG
Pb
STRAIN: PLAYBOY OG
Similar to a product we saw last month, Travelers is another really cool concept, but they added a lighter to their box, instead of matches. If we break this down by the numbers, in our opinion you’re buying a novelty … But then again, that’s what this all about! We are at the forefront of cannabis retail and retail display, and these packs are very convenient, allowing you to have smaller joints on hand when you don’t want to smoke an entire gram in one sitting. We, of course, smoked an entire pack of four joints in the pack, and the flower itself was wonderful! Pb is a great indica that calms the nerves, and it carries you off to dreamland when you’re ready. Travelers also come with a Boveda moisture-control bag-insert to ensure quality and freshness. All in all, the price was a little steep, but if you’re a true Weed Aficionado, that won’t bother you. However, if you think about paying almost $12.50 per gram — and you get a free lighter — then this all makes sense.
AS TESTED:
3.5 GRAMS
THC:
19.71 PERCENT
CBD:
0 PERCENT
MSRP:
$37.50
OVERALL RATING: B Uses: SLEEP, PAIN, STRESS
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Taste: SWEET EARTH DIESEL
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WEEDAppetit ` MÜRU MERRY MAKER INGREDIENTS: • Ice, as needed • ½ cup kombucha of choice • ½ cup grapefruit-flavored soda water • 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon Müru Cannabis Syrup of choice • 1 orange slice, for garnish • 1 fresh rosemary sprig, for garnish DIRECTIONS: 1 | Fill a cocktail glass with the ice and pour over the kombucha and soda water. Stir in the Müru Cannbis Syrup. 2 | Garnish glass with the orange slice and rosemary sprig. Makes 1 serving.
MÜRU MULE INGREDIENTS: • 1 lime, divided • Ice, as needed • 1 bottle ginger beer • 1 to 2 tablespoons Müru Cannabis Syrup of choice DIRECTIONS: 1 | Cut the lime in half. Muddle half in bottom of a cocktail glass. Fill glass with the ice. Cut remaining lime half into wedges for garnish.2 | Fill glass with the ginger beer and top with the Müru Cannabis Syrup; stir until combined. Garnish glass with the lime wedge. Makes 1 serving. Note: 1 tablespoon syrup is equivalent to 12.5 milligrams.
STRAINREPORT
Images in report may not be actual photos of images that are on the shelves.
MAGELLAN
PROUDLY GROWN IN OREGON BY:
EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE AT:
… That’s it! …Stones you, you may ask? YES! Mln is a hybrid strain crossed between OC9 and Gorilla Glue. It’s a powerhouse of gas aromas and a surprising hint of strawberry! This strain is pretty amazing; you’ll find yourself letting go and feeling the moment of a nice body buzz and a real balanced cerebral high.
THC: 30.08 PERCENT CBD: 0 PERCENT OVERALL RATING: B+ HYBRID
STRAIN ATTRIBUTES:
Magellan
Relieves stress
Mln
Fights depression
OG KUSH — BHO SHATTER POP!!!!! Right in the face!! Whoa … Yes, this review is being written under the influence of this shatter. Great job! It hits you hard and fast, right in the forehead! After that, it travels very nicely throughout, giving the user a wonderful, relaxing body buzz. With a high THC content, this OG Kush packs a punch! We can attest that it makes you very creative, although effects may verge on too intoxicating for some.
THC: 85.5 PERCENT CBD: 0 PERCENT OVERALL RATING: B+
STRAIN ATTRIBUTES: Relieves stress Relieves pain Fights depression
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HYBRID
OG Kush — BHO shatter
Ogk
PROUDLY PREPARED IN OREGON BY: FLAT EARTH ORGANICS
AVAILABLE AT MOST DISPENSARIES IN OREGON
PROUDLY GROWN IN OREGON BY:
BHU
EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE AT:
RARE!!! If you see it, BUY IT! This lineage is stoney!! Packed with great flavors, this unique strain is definitely an indica-dominant and puts you into a pretty zombie-like state. Grown indoors, this one smokes very, VERY flavorful with amazing undertones of berry and floral; not a super great one for pain, but it’s great for sleep.
OVERALL RATING: B
STRAIN ATTRIBUTES:
HYBRID BHU
Fights depression
Bhu
Helps with sleep Relieves pain
PROUDLY GROWN IN OREGON BY:
LEMON MERINGUE Lemon Meringue is a classic strain with full-body effects that pleases the pickiest of people, including women experiencing menstrual cramps! The high starts with a subtle, motivating lift that offers a boost of focus and sense of creative inspiration. The head high gives you a little burst of energy that’s not overwhelming, but rather somehow like relaxing in nature. Lemon Meringue is said to be the perfect strain for treating such conditions as chronic fatigue, depression, mood swings, headaches or migraines, as well as chronic pain.
THC: 25.7 PERCENT CBD: 3.13 PERCENT OVERALL RATING: B STRAIN ATTRIBUTES: Relieves stress Improves appetite Eases menstrual cramps
SATIVA
Lemon Meringue
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STRAINREPORT L.A. CONFIDENTIAL Strong and heavy with a great body buzz!! Sweet-smelling with hints of citrus and spice, this cross with a superb indica makes a nice version of L.A. Confidential. Complete with laid-back effects to curb stress and help those with aches and pains.
OVERALL RATING: B
STRAIN ATTRIBUTES: Helps with sleep Relieves pain Relieves stress
INDICA
LA Confidential
Lac
AFGHAN KUSH Afghan bursts you with an immediate, uplifted, happy and energetic body buzz that provides significant mental-pain relief, as well as blissful euphoria. This is accompanied by a mellow, relaxing body buzz that starts in the neck and slowly spreads throughout the body. Afghan Kush can be heavily sedating, making it great for relieving insomnia. Experienced smokers may find it more relaxing than sleepy, but it depends on how much and your tolerance.
OVERALL RATING: B STRAIN ATTRIBUTES: Relieves stress Helps with sleep Soothes muscle pain
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INDICA
Afghan Kush
Afk
AVAILABLE AT SELECT DISPENSARIES IN OREGON
MAUI WOWIE The Mw may seem a little stronger than most are use to; it will leave your body buzzing and impart an excellent mood. That being said, the Maui Wowie also is quite effective against various medical conditions, including stress, chronic pain and depression. Keeping this in mind, there is no doubt this strain will leave you feeling relaxed and energized, regardless of how horrible your day has been.
OVERALL RATING: B
STRAIN ATTRIBUTES: Relieves stress Soothes muscle spasms Fights depression
SATIVA
Maui Wowie
Mw AVAILABLE AT FINE DISPENSARIES IN OREGON
ACDC CBD With only 1 percent THC, this version of ACDC is a wonderful CBD strain that should be smoked daily! We do! Pinch a little off and mix it with another favorite flower for a medicinal boost. ACDC calms us greatly and combats depression greatly! One of our employees has not taken her Zoloft in two months since starting a regimen of ACDC CBD.
OVERALL RATING: A
STRAIN ATTRIBUTES: Relieves stress Relieves pain Fights depression
HYBRID
ACDC CBD
Acd www.weedaficionadomag.com
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STRAINREPORT AVAILABLE AT FINE DISPENSARIES IN OREGON
CADILLAC PURPLE What another rock star of a strain! WOW! This indica is great for those suffering from headaches and muscle pain. Patients with multiple sclerosis also may take some comfort from this one. Sweetly flavored with grape and hints of cherry, this strain will calm the body while stimulating the mind into deep bliss.
OVERALL RATING: A
STRAIN ATTRIBUTES:
INDICA
Cadillac Purple
Relieves pain Relieves stress Helps with sleep
Cp Online
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WeedFlections WeedFlections BY
RICK CIPES
A conversation from the 2018 Winter Small Penis Games SCENE: AN UNDISCLOSED MAN-CAVE LOCATION SOMEWHERE IN ONE OF THE KOREAS. TWO LITTLE MEN TAKE BONG HITS AND TALK SMACK. LITTLE MAN 1: Shaun White is sick. Any man who can score an almost-perfect 10 in halfpipe while previously scoring an almostperfect 10 in sexual harassment ... By the way, my bong is so much bigger than yours. It’s a GREAT bong, like the BEST bong ever. LITTLE MAN 2: You’re such an ignorant dotard. LITTLE MAN 1: Wait a second … I know that word! I had someone look it up for me once… Well, maybe twice. LITTLE MAN 2: In my country, people who look things up for me one day can be rocket-launched to smithereens the next. LITTLE MAN 1: You know, that’s the kind of tough leadership I envy. That’s why I call you Rocket Man. I come up with the greatest nicknames. Better than any fourth-grader ever could, Little Rocket Man. LITTLE MAN 2: YOU are little! LITTLE MAN 1: Am not! LITTLE MAN 2: Are too. LITTLE MAN 1: I’m rubber, and you’re glue … Whatever ... Hold it! What was I talking about? This shithole-country weed is good. You say Rodman gave it to you? LITTLE MAN 2: Yes. Smuggled in up his butt. LITTLE MAN 1: That’s gotta hurt. LITTLE MAN 2: Not as much as removing his Carmen Electra tattoo. LITTLE MAN 1: I had sex with Carmen Electra. It was GREAT sex! She told me how large my penis was, is, always going to be. It’s the greatest penis in the world. LITTLE MAN 2: Grab her by the puss? LITTLE MAN 1: Hey! How did you know that? LITTLE MAN 2: We also read Enquirer here. LITTLE MAN 1: New York Times? CNN? NBC? LITTLE MAN 2: Nah. Fake News. Little Man 1 does a double take; he is almost smitten. LITTLE MAN 1: Maybe we have more in common than I thought, Little Dong. LITTLE MAN 2: You think so? LITTLE MAN 1: I’m not quite sure; I’m not really good at forming my own thoughts, opinions or anything beyond demanding another Diet Coke — 12 a day, ya know? But, ‘some people’ have said that, yes, we might have a lot in common. LITTLE MAN 2: Such as? LITTLE MAN 1: Awful fathers. LITTLE MAN 2: Check. LITTLE MAN 1: Insufficient love from our mothers. LITTLE MAN 2: Double-check. LITTLE MAN 1: Small hands, small feet, small … LITTLE MAN 2: Do not go there!!
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LITTLE MAN 1: Why not? LITTLE MAN 2: Why not what? LITTLE MAN 1: Why not all get along? LITTLE MAN 2: Um … Because you’re a batshit, fucking, mental dotard? LITTLE MAN 1: Oh, Kimmikins, you know it’s just an act. LITTLE MAN 2: This act threatens to annihilate the world. LITTLE MAN 1: The world is my great sandbox, Little Kimmikins LITTLE MAN 2: Stop calling me Kimmikins, Dotard! LITTLE MAN 1: My button’s bigger than yours, Little, very little, Kimmikins. LITTLE MAN 2: Is not, Donnie Dotard! LITTLE MAN 1: Is too! LITTLE MAN 2: Is not! LITTLE MAN 1: Do you like to dance? LITTLE MAN 2: I never thought you’d ask. LITTLE MAN 1: Really? LITTLE MAN 2: Totes. LITTLE MAN 1: After that, we’ll ‘Netflix and chill.’ LITTLE MAN 2: I’d request ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ but some snowflake listening in on this conversation probably would object. LITTLE MAN 1: Little Kimmy, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Rick Cipes has written for over 40 publications including L.A. Times, Playboy and ESPN Magazine. He owns the 420 T-Shirt Collection, where they also offer graphic design and brand consultation. www.420tsc.com
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THE
BUD
BUZZ BY
QEENBEE
Social media cracking down concerns cannabis advocates FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE AND GOOGLE
have made advertising difficult for businesses involved with CBD, THC — or anything related. It’s even hard maintaining a social media profile as an individual cannabis advocate. Some of the most respected influencers recently have been deleted, seen posts removed or were banned outright. These users receive messages from Instagram, Youtube, etc., stating they abused rules defined by the site, which can no longer maintain their pages. I own a head shop in a fully cannabis-legal state. But I cannot pay to advertise my business on any of those platforms. I am just one of the thousands being denied a service that can help to generate the income for which we work so hard. Where is the replacement social media platform that will allow cannabis influencers and ancillary businesses to advertise and share their products with those who want to see them? One thing that doesn’t seem to stop or get blocked is unsolicited photos of genitalia in my direct messages! I see so many other girls getting these pictures from men. Isn’t it time that these platforms start taking responsibility for allowing sexual harassment via unwanted sexually explicit photos? Or how about the constant threats that we see daily from bullies and terrorists? The social media platforms allow so much distasteful and harmful and communication yet ban users’ rights to speak the truth about cannabis, share the lifestyle of cannabis or make a truly fulfilling income. What do we do about these roadblocks? Amid social media becoming more and more restrictive of cannabis influencers and ancillary businesses, do we wait it out in hopes they respect our hard work? Or do we wait to get deleted? Do we stand up and say enough is enough and move to a whole other platform? I think we could protest and initiate change to social media regulations. We know we have the power to stand up and do something, but it’s going to take thousands if not millions to do that, and it needs to start now. Instagram has made a hugely positive influence in my life. I am so glad I started it. I have made an income from it. I have had many opportunities personally and for work and have met some incredible people! It also encouraged
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me to find myself, be confident in who I am and fulfill my dreams of who I want to be in this world. While posting pictures of myself and getting praised is fun, empowering and influencing others’ lives has been beyond gratifying. Despite my frustration with Instagram or Youtube, I credit these sites with allowing me to be me, show support for others in my industry, educate followers on products and cannabis, give advice and be a positive role model in my followers’ lives. I have over 1,000 posts to my Instagram page and have worked hard on developing a strong network and reputation. I have been able to grow my business across the country, and I couldn’t have done it without my page. But almost every morning, I wake up wondering if my page was deleted; I worry about all the hard work I have done just disappearing, my legacy on social media taken from me and forgotten. QeenBee would have to start all over. I know there will always be challenges in our industry, and as a cannabis advocate and a business owner, whining and using hashtags isn’t going to help anyone. I feel like it’s up to all in our industry to take a stand and protest that the cannabis guidelines be changed. There could be 21-and-older verification for pages like mine. And for those who don’t like weed, well you can just not follow us. As my last column acknowledged, cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, the major factor behind social media shutting us down one at a time. But cannabis legalization is happening, also one state at a time. It will be a huge loss to social media platforms that do not support it! We are the children of change. They will not slow us down. If you want to share thoughts on this subject, feel free to email me at qeenbeelife@gmail.com. QeenBee writes about the modern, cannabis-centered lifestyle, as well as political viewpoints on the future of cannabis. Follow her Instagram profile, queenbee.66
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