Craft
cannabis cultivated in the Southern Oregon sunshine Enjoy perfect flower every time and find our all bud Tweets at the following retail locations: Skunk Rx - Rogue River Stonies - North Bend Positive Vibrations - North Bend Space Buds - Eugene Emerald City - Eugene Sweet Tree Farm - Eugene Tryke City - Brookings Cannaking - Roseburg Kindleaf - Pendleton Green Dragon Herbal - Toledo Hijinx Cannabis Co - Medford
www.littlebirdsfarm.com Follow us on Instagram @3.littlebirds.farm
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 5
departments
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CHRONICLES 420 GEAR POTLIGHT
SUPPLIER: 3 Little Birds RECIPE STRAIN REPORT BUD OF THE MONTH SHATTER
columns
6 features
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JACKEY NEYMAN JONES Oregon’s first lady of weed and horror
20 | 24 | TRISTA OKEL ‘SUCCESS HAS NO GENDER’ 28 | CANNABIS CONTRIBUTORS
Cultivation Classic highlights women in Oregon’s industry
EMPOWERing women in the cannabis space
Consultant Karen Sprague is a marijuana-market mastermind
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CANNABOOK New guide simplifies cannabis businesses’ office procedures
FROM THE PUBLISHER
By John Oliver
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DEEP THOUGHTS
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WEEDFLECTIONS
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THE BUD BUZZ
By Leaf Barret
By Rick Cipes
By QeenBee
find your favorite dispensary + deals + activities + tours + events + reviews + videos
FREE business listings
Get more exposure for your brand.
info@potguide.com
PUBLETTER
PUBLISHER
John Oliver john@wammediallc.com EDITOR IN CHIEF
Change is in the air … … It’s also full of pollen and some other crap we can’t see, but we keep pushing on. Maybe you noticed that Weed Aficionado also has been pushing through some challenges. We recently made some changes to our design and overall vibe and took a few necessary steps toward polishing our reputation. In addition, we also are making some bold moves in the industry by introducing our new, retail-focused publication, Consumable Reports, along with the OLIVER Report for all of our B2B readers needing the right solutions for their businesses. All of that and more compelled us to take a few extra weeks between issues to get back on track. What I have in store is going to be very exciting for all of us. Consumable Reports will be a well-versed, unbiased product guide that reviews all of the consumable products on the current Oregon market, very similar to how WAM’s Strain Report has been providing patients with information to help them decide which strains to smoke based on consumption and science. Change on the horizon allows me to refine WAM into the vision I’ve had since its inception, which has evolved to be even more noteworthy. You see that we are adding more bold, colorful photos along with new fonts and graphics. With the cosmetic lift, we decided to theme each issue. This one, obviously, honors “women in cannabis” with wonderful stories about some of our most interesting and brightest leaders! I was fortunate enough to sit down with innovator and visionary Karen Sprague at her Southern Oregon property to talk shop. Similar news, stories, reviews and features, along with some new elements will be WAM’s focus moving forward for each and every issue! We want to share the latest and greatest in trends, politics, legal developments and more, so please engage with us and tell us what you want to read.
S.J. Clelland editor@wammediallc.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Dara Fowler dara@wammediallc.com WEB DESIGN
Brandon Mertz webmaster@wammediall.com PHOTOGRAPHY Kristina Stickler John Oliver Liz Gilbert CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Leaf Barret, Rick Cipes, S.J. Clelland, Art Cosgrove, Becky Garrison, Andrew Mount, QeenBee ADVERTISING | MARKETING | SALES
National | Oregon John Oliver | 704-877-0681 john@wammediallc.com Southern Oregon Mike Shepard | 541-261-7498 mike@wammediallc.com JOHN OLIVER – CEO KENNETH TODD – CFO JOHN K. BOY – US VETERAN LIAISON
After all, this is your magazine, Oregon.
Regards,
John Oliver – Publisher
© 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.
@weedaficionado @weedaficionado
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@waficionadomag
Cultivators of exotic premium cannabis from the Islands
At Bryan Family Gardens our world is a creative, conscious, and kind place. We nuture our plants with intention and love. We bring decades of collective experience as stewards of the land to deliver products that are fully organic and pesticide free. Here we curate and craft one of a kind rare heirloom varietals of legend. Please check our website for locations carrying our products or give us a call to purchase.
www.bryanfamilygardens.com #bryanfamilygardens 541-788-1855
THE
Chronicles OREGON NEWS
FEDS TARGET MARIJUANA BLACK MARKET, OREGON OVERPRODUCTION New guidelines take aim at illegal grow sites Source: Oregonlive.com
Federal prosecutors will target the illicit marijuana market, organized crime, outlaw grows and operations that “pose a substantial risk of violence” under new guidelines for cannabis enforcement in Oregon. Billy Williams, the U.S. attorney for Oregon, heard from property owners across the state upset about the cannabis industry’s drain on natural resources. Williams also singled out pesticide use on illegal growing operations and consumption of large amounts of water without “proper authorization” as additional priorities. Gov. Kate Brown has pressed Williams to pledge he won’t go after legal marijuana businesses, but he said, “I will not make broad proclamations of blanket immunity from prosecution to those who violate federal law.”
Marijuana growers turning to hemp as CBD extract explodes Oregon prominently positioned in new agricultural industry Legal marijuana is driving Oregon pot prices to rockbottom levels, prompting some nervous growers to start pivoting to another type of cannabis to make ends meet — one that doesn’t come with a high. Applications for state licenses to grow hemp — marijuana’s non-intoxicating cousin — have increased more than twentyfold since 2015, making Oregon No. 2 behind Colorado among the 19 states with active hemp cultivation.
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The rapidly evolving market comes amid skyrocketing demand for the hemp-derived extract cannabidiol, or CBD, considered by many to be a health aid. In its purified, distilled form, CBD oil commands thousands of dollars per kilogram, and farmers can make more than $100,000 per acre growing hemp plants to produce it. That distillate also can be converted into a crystallized form or powder.
OHSU doc drafts cannabis primer for other physicians’ reference Guide demystifies basics to aid treatment plans You’ve heard of the Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy? Now comes a short guide for psychiatrists and other doctors to navigate the world of cannabis, helping them to treat their patients. Don’t know what BHO is? Vaping? (And is it possible that in 2018 you’ve never heard of a “bowl?”) This new primer for health practitioners, developed by two Portland doctors, will explain. It’s pretty basic stuff, but that’s what Dr. Jeramy Peters says he was after. A resident in psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University Hospital, Peters says that up to 80 percent of the patients he sees consume cannabis regularly or have in the recent past. To some doctors, the world of marijuana and terms used to describe the many ways people consume it can be as mystifying as medical jargon to someone trying to understand a treatment plan. Eager to get a better handle on the topic, Peters and a colleague, Dr. Joseph Chien, reviewed the types of cannabis available in the current market and came up with a quick rundown for physicians.
NATIONAL NEWS
CBD Schedule I … again
Port of Portland jacks up prices for Uber, Lyft parking privilege
Court ruling sets back hemp industry
Airport increase comes after years of flat rates
A federal appeals court sided with the Drug Enforcement Administration and upheld its decision that CBD is a Schedule I controlled substance — a major setback for the American hemp industry. The decision by a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit in San Francisco means that hemp producers can only sell cannabidiol where it is allowed under state law. It also means that states that allow CBD — even if they don’t allow sales of high-THC marijuana — are violating federal law, the same as states that allow recreational cannabis.
Starting in June, it will cost travelers more to park, take a taxi or shuttle or hail an Uber or Lyft to and from Portland International Airport. The Port of Portland released new prices saying it hadn’t raised its parking rate in nearby garages for four years and hadn’t changed the price to park in its Economy Parking Lot in nearly a decade. The changes begin June 11. Uber and Lyft users now will see pick-up and drop-off fees of $3 each. Taxi rates also are increasing to $3.50 per trip from $2.50 per trip. The same rate applies to on-demand shuttles. The economy parking lot’s hourly rate won’t change, but the maximum price will jump $2 to $12 per day. The long-term garage will increase to $24 per day from $21 per day.
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THE
Chronicles INDUSTRY NEWS
FORMER DISNEY DESIGNER REIMAGINES CANNABIS RETAIL STORES Architect Johnnie Rush works to ‘transport’ cannabis consumers Source: The Cannabist
It’s a journey from Disneyland to dispensaries faster than you can say “Magic Mountain.” Architectural design firm The McBride Company, headquartered in Vermont, has created everything from restaurants to hotels, theaters to casinos. Most notably over the past two decades, it’s been the sole design ambassador for the resort empire and merchandiser Margaritaville. Now the firm is lending their eye to a whole new world: cannabis retail shops. An expert at creating imaginative, impressive storylines, Johnnie Rush is the chief business innovation officer for The McBride Company, with an equally impressive resume. He used to work as Disney’s vice president of “imagineering.” Rush has made it his mission to transform the architectural frontier of cannabis dispensaries in the same unique, transporting way. Transporting how exactly? Imagine pushing a button on a fortune-telling “mystic pineapple,” which then produces a note telling you which cannabis item you should buy. Rush recently explained for The Cannabist how his year with The McBride Company has cast cannabis dispensaries in a new light. “Pat McBride started off as a musician 30 years ago. He had a very illustrious music career. When he started The McBride Company, his philosophy has been to not just look at the design industry as a design business, but he looks at it as we all do, through the business perspective. “McBride is actually the co-owner of a lot of the concepts he’s started. For the past 20 years, we have been the design ambassadors for Margaritaville. Starting with the first location, it was kind of an attempt to take a drinking song and turn it into a place. It’s grown to just this gigantic empire, burst out of this conversion. From Disney, Rush brought his success in the experientialmeets-architectural industry to the cannabis space.
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“In ‘imagineering,’ we create the suspension of disbelief. It’s in essence the same thing; telling a story that creates an emotional connection. “When you establish an emotional connection with the consumer, you create a relationship. We’re applying the same line of thinking to the cannabis industry — here’s a real new industry that’s always kind of operated in the shade, not quite legal, sketchy, even when dispensaries were legalized.” Breaking negative stereotypes of cannabis retail spaces has been among Rush’s goals. Social-media marketing, he explained, should be part of a company’s brand. “It’s usually a space that feels temporary or not inviting, not a space you should be. These kind of back-ofhouse operations moved to the limelight, so through that, there’s consolidation. Suddenly, every dispensary is going to be competing on just two things: their brand and the relationship they have with the customer. “The brand is more than just packaging and logo, a brand creates an environment — a visual experience you tell through different stories, through customer service, through the design of the space. And then, how am I leveraging my social-media tool kit? It’s great marketing.”
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
Š2018 Smokiez and Smokiez Edibles are trademarks of C & R Oregon Corp. All Rights Reserved
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420GEAR 1
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KAMMOK ROO HAMMOCK
Crafted from rugged Gravitas ripstop nylon fabric, the Kammok Roo Hammock is an ideal partner for your next backpacking or camping adventure. It folds into a tiny pouch — easily attached to a bag or belt — that weighs just 10 ounces. When unfurled, it can support up to 400 pounds and has robust carabiners at either end for added durability. For the best experience, pair it with the company’s Python Straps to make hanging the hammock as easy as toting it.
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MACHINE ERA TITANIUM WALLET
Machine Era has perfected its wallet with an even slimmer, lighter model. Made from aerospace-grade titanium with a black diamond-like carbon, physical vapor deposition coating, the wallet holds your cards and cash in place with an elastic band. Its slim, ultra-light profile is ideal for frontpocket carry. The wallet, which holds up to seven credit cards, also blocks radio-frequency identification, keeping the card chips secure from hackers. A small opening in the back allows you to quickly access items with the swipe of a thumb or open bottles with the flip of a wrist, making this a great accessory for any situation.
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THE NORTH FACE GEODOME 4 TENT
Leveraging the strength of the geodesic dome, The North Face Geodome 4 Tent is a roomy shelter able to handle tough conditions. It sleeps four and has enough space for you to stand inside, yet consists of only five main poles and one equator pole, making it both lightweight and easy to set up. It also can withstand wind speeds of nearly 60 mph, thanks in part to its dual layer, and the Geodome 4 is water-resistant.
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FPM BANK SPINNER ALUMINUM CARRY-ON
Made in Italy, entirely of aluminum, the Fabbrica Pelletterie Milano Bank Spinner 53 is a carry-on-sized masterpiece ready for any adventure. Designed by award-winning industrial designer Mark Sadler, and also available in Caviar Black, the cabin suitcase features leather handles and interior straps, maxi butterfly clasps, integrated TSA locks, a zippered pouch, divider and silent, stable wheels.
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MERCEDES OUTSIDE VAN POWER STATION
Don’t like tents?! Forget living off the grid in a tiny house — the Outside Van Power Station has everything you need without having to drag a trailer. Based on a four-wheel-drive 2016 MercedesBenz Sprinter 170 3500, Outside Van turns into a miniature home on four wheels. An ingenious design maximizes storage and living areas, fitting a refrigerator, stovetop, bunks and dining spaces into a compact, yet comfortable, footprint. And with the Sprinter platform, this is one home you can take anywhere — on- or off-road.
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TRAEGER PTG + PELLET GRILL
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The PTG+ is Traeger’s Portable Tabletop Grill for outdoor chefs on the go. It makes the perfect companion when camping, tailgating, picnicking, boating — anywhere you want a simple meal packed with flavor. Its convenient size and mobile design deliver all the taste you desire from the foods you cook.
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BOSE SLEEPBUDS
We all know that Bose makes some of the best noise-canceling headphones in the business. Now they’re applying those skills to help you sleep. These tiny earpieces use noise-isolating tips to help drown out unwanted noise, paired with a library of preloaded soothing sounds to mask any remaining disturbances. Three tip sizes make for a comfortable fit, a charging case ensures they’re juiced up and a companion app lets you customize settings like volume, your preferred sounds and alarms — perfect for camping or drowning out the travel noises that come with air travel.
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L.L.BEAN ULTRALIGHT SLEEPING BAG
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Weighing almost nothing, yet providing outstanding insulation, aero gel is the key material in L.L.Bean’s Ultralight Sleeping Bag. This mummystyle bag is filled with a new insulation called PrimaLoft Gold with Cross-Core, which combines aero gel with other fiber technologies. As a result, the bag weighs just under 2 pounds and packs down to just 6.5 inches by 14 inches, yet it retains much of its insulating ability even when compressed. Available in regular or long versions.
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POTLIGHT SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
3 LITTLE BIRDS Deep roots in the Rogue Valley have nourished a farming tradition through several generations at 3 Little Birds Farm. Commitment to craft cannabis, cultivated with organic and sustainable practices, is ensuring the next generation’s future on this thriving, 6.5-acre property that keeps living-wage jobs local. We sat down for a one-on-one with 3 Little Birds’ Molly Nichols, who sang the farm’s praises for our Supplier Spotlight. WAM: Where is your farm located and are you open to the public? 3LB: Our farm, in beautiful Grants Pass, is open for scheduled tours Monday through Friday, with the occasional Saturday and special events. WAM: Tell us about your farm’s background and mission. 3LB: Our farm was certified organic with Oregon Tilth (operated as a fruit/veggie farm) for more than a decade before we acquired it. Our mission is to grow a business that produces not only quality, clean and stony cannabis, but also living-wage, quality jobs for our community. Our farm is located in Josephine County, one of Oregon’s poorest counties. We lost most of our living-wage jobs when logging went bust. The cannabis industry is bringing those jobs back, and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of that. WAM: Yours is a family-run business. What are some of the benefits — and challenges — of several generations working together? 3LB: Having multigenerational input is wonderful, we have the best of both youth and age: energy and enthusiasm, tempered with experience, knowledge and patience. We really haven’t run into many challenges, other than normal family squabbles, but nothing that has negatively affected our business. We all respect and value each other, so disagreements are easily resolved. WAM: Organic, sustainable agriculture is at the forefront of your business model. Why is that so important? 3LB: Foremost, it’s important on a larger scale because we only have this one planet (currently … ) to live on and pass down to future generations. Our planet (our little piece of it, at least) is our ultimate asset. In any good business, you protect, nurture and improve your assets. Organic, sustainable farming is simply good business and asset management. Secondly, we don’t want to smoke weed that has chemicals and pesticides, and we smoke our weed — a lot — so we make sure it’s organic and yummy! WAM: What are some of the hurdles in maintaining organic and sustainable status while being competitive within the larger cannabis market? 3LB: I would say our biggest hurdle has been competing with indoor gardens. We have stayed true to our sun-grown, sustainable, organic roots. We use minimal energy inputs, build our soil and don’t grow in plastic bags.
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WAM: What are your most popular products? 3LB: Our Tweets (pre-rolls), our Adventure Ready Chrontainers and our Kraken strain in straight flower! WAM: What is the reason behind your business’ success? 3LB: Hard work, tenacity, following sound advice and just enough luck … Also we sell weed, sooooooo … WAM: What inspired your passion for this industry? 3LB: I love that this is an emerging industry. Those of us now in it literally are creating the industry. We set the standards, we are creating the framework of rules and laws and we are taking a market that only previously existed in the shadows of society and bringing it into the spotlight. On top of all that fun and excitement, we are creating living-wage, quality careers for our local community. That is probably the most exciting piece of the industry for me. WAM: What is your favorite part of the job? 3LB: Being part of an emerging industry is pretty awesome. We literally are creating products that have never existed in this market — ever. It is exciting and fun, also a little scary and comes with a boatload of work, both creatively and physically. WAM: What’s new for your business in 2018? 3LB: We have a new grower! We are very excited to have Mike Hobson as our master grower. He is bringing over 25 years of organic cannabis-growing experience (in our region, nonetheless) to our farm. We also are evening out our strains. We were indica-dominant for the first two years, so this year we are adding some new sativa strains. We are collaborating with a local chef to get our edibles line up and running. We will be featuring both short-shelf life edibles and a longer-shelf line, as well. We also are offering farm tours, which has been really exciting and only will get more so as the season progresses! WAM: What do think customers will demand more of in the future? 3LB: Accountability and sustainability in growing and processing practices. WAM: What are the biggest challenges that cannabis business owners face in the industry? 3LB: Overproduction of product is our current challenge and, moving forward, finding new, innovative ways to attract and keep customers.
WAM: As the cannabis industry grows and improves, what developments are you most looking forward to in the future? 3LB: I am excited to see the industry grow up and become more professional. I hope the businesses who are operating in a businesslike manner thrive and become the standard, and that the businesses who are still operating in a casual style will start to fall out of the game. Also the continued development of our cannabis tracking system is exciting. Currently, it is very labor-intensive, and the program is not intuitive at all to the farm side of things (I have no idea about the retail side). METRC is an awesome company to work with, though, and they continually work with us to improve their system.
WE LITERALLY ARE CREATING PRODUCTS THAT HAVE NEVER EXISTED IN THIS MARKET — EVER.
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JACKEY NEYMAN JONES
Oregon’s first lady of weed and horror BY ART COSGROVE
Life gets weird
when you grow up on the big screen. It can be even weirder when you grow up in the imaginations of a cult of fans who have created their own myths around you. That’s all OK for artist, actor, filmmaker, writer and podcaster Jackey Neyman Jones. She likes to keep things weird. Born in El Paso, Texas, to Tom Neyman — an artist, actor and dreamer — Jones traveled an odd childhood path at age 6 when she was conscripted to act in a film that also would star her father. The film was “Manos: the Hands of Fate,” and Jones played little Debbie, an unsuspecting child on vacation with her parents. Her father, Tom, played “the Master,” one of the most enduring characters of B-movie lore. After the film was completed, featuring additional acting by Jones’ actual pet dog and costume design by her mom, it instantly — almost literally — disappeared into the vapor of public domain anonymity. After only one screening, it disappeared for over 25 years until a 1993 episode of the cult television classic (recently revived by Netflix, no less) “Mystery Science Theater 3000” (MST3K) mocked it so relentlessly that the film became a sensation. “It has pretty much held the title of worst movie ever made since 1993,” says Jones. The film’s charm lies in its mix of bizarre cult horror with odd directorial and editing choices. It’s almost like they knew in 1966 that the film would be best enjoyed with an audio track of people making fun of it. “Turns out there was quite a bit of ‘Manos’ mythology floating around because nobody knew anything, so they just made it up,” says Jones about its 1990s resurgence. Since then, a cottage industry of “Manos”-related games, fan fiction, films, toys and pretty much anything else brandable, has sprung up. There are “Manos” games for iOS and Android, board games, an all-puppet remake, at least two unauthorized sequels and enough merchandise to power a convention. “People were really interested because the real story is way more interesting than what they were making up,” says Jones. So she wrote a book about it, released in 2016 to coincide with the original film’s 50th anniversary, called “Growing Up With ‘Manos the Hands of Fate.’ ” Going to conventions, screenings of “Manos” and making appearances to sign her book, Jones came across all manner of fans of the Master. Mostly, people share a love of B movies and the MST3K brand of humor and nostalgia.
“Most important to me was my dad, the Master, and getting him the opportunity to
feel the love from the fans...” “I’m an artist, always have been, and I’m self-employed, so the ‘Mystery Science Theater’ community suits me perfectly,” says Jones of the legions of fans, filmmakers and cult-film lovers who have flocked to see her at events and become partners in her artistic escapades. “We get each other.” After settling in Falls City and falling in love with Oregon, Jones continued her art career, painting and pursuing acting opportunities. She also cultivated a longtime love of cannabis, becoming a grower along with nearly everyone else in her small town. “I’ve just seen so much healing, and if I had a whole other life, that’s what I’d do,” says Jones about her fondness for cannabis. She likens it to growing grapes for wine, another industry in which she’s dabbled in the past. “Along the way, I’ve met the most interesting people and invited them into my projects and been invited into theirs,” says Jones. One of those road-born collaborations was meeting “Manos” fans Tonija Atomic, Rachel Jackson and Joe Sherlock, filmmakers from Seattle-Tacoma and Corvallis areas. Together, they mounted a successful Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for a sequel. “Manos Returns” was filmed in Falls City and Dallas, Ore., and brought together former stars of the original, their children and, most importantly, both Jones and her father, Tom, in what would be his last performance before dying in November 2016. The film made its world premiere in May at the Crypticon horror convention in Seattle. “Most important to me was my dad, the Master, and getting him the opportunity to feel the love from the fans,” says Jones of getting her father to reprise his role in the sequel, “and he had a blast. He just loved it.” Jones has a full schedule appearing at conventions and film festivals. She also hosts a podcast, “Jackey’s Hand of Horror,” which airs every two weeks and is co-hosted by Jackson and Atomic. “Manos: the Debbie Chronicles,” from Pulsar Entertainment, is an upcoming comic-book series she co-created that follows the continuing adventures of her character. It may sound like a hectic schedule, but for Jones, the weird, wild world of fun and horror is a family tradition.
photos courtesy of Jackey Neyman Jones.
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CANNABIS
CONTRIBUTORS
Cultivation Classic highlights women in Oregon’s industry Story and photos by Becky Garrison
THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN TO OREGON’S CANNABIS COMMUNITY WERE FRONT AND CENTER AT THIS YEAR’S CULTIVATION CLASSIC IN PORTLAND. Among the 28 main-stage speakers, 19 were women, including six women of color. Andi Bixel, creator of Drip Sweets, served as main-stage emcee. Also, every presenter for the May event’s four workshops identified as female. The Truth About Women in Cannabis, a panel led by Lisa Snyder and Samantha Montanaro, co-creators of Tokeativity, a cannabis community for women, highlighted the realities of women working in the cannabis industry. Seven female entrepreneurs, representing diverse ethnicities and sexual orientations, offered short testimonies to the unique struggles they face as women in their endeavors. From sexual harassment to racial profiling, these women painted a picture that illuminates the dichotomy between the cannabis plant that brought them healing and the growth of a commercialized cannabis industry that discounts their experiences and contributions. Sara Batterby, principal of The Batterby Group, led a workshop that laid the groundwork for how cannabis entrepreneurs can successfully raise capital in their business’s early phases. While much of the conversation has centered on changing investors’ behaviors, Batterby seeks to arm founders with the skills and confidence they need to raise money. She addressed via an email exchange the inequality that women experience in trying to secure capital for their products. “In 2015, Oregon had 44-percent female participation in ownership and management in cannabis. That has eroded to 27 percent or so, and I believe that is because, as companies scaled and needed capital to grow, most women were excluded from that capital or did not feel ready or knowledgeable enough to ask for it.” An accelerator program, The Initiative, for women in cannabis is the latest venture of attorney Amy Margolis. The program will offer a 90-day, intensive program taught by professionals from all over the world. Graduates will get seed funding and introductions to a group of institutional investors who have made a commitment to fund women in cannabis. Applications for this program will be available by the end of this summer. “As institutional capital comes into this space, we’re seeing women being pushed out of leadership roles as more traditional business is coming in,” said Margolis. Female health experts presented the latest research on cannabis as a painrelieving substitute for opioids. Dr. Adie Wilson-Poe, chief scientific officer for habu health, returned to the Cultivation Classic to present her latest research alongside doctorate-degree holders Amanda Rieman, of Flow Kana, and Philippe Lucas, of Tilray. Representation for communities most impacted by the War on Drugs was the focus of three women of color: Coco Madrid, event curator, plus-size model and body-positive advocate; Nicolle Callier, cannabis culture and lifestyle writer; and
28 MAIN-STAGE SPEAKERS, 19 WERE WOMEN AMONG THE
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Amanya Maloba of Women.Weed.Wifi. Moderated by Tiara Darnell, host of the podcast High, Good People, the women addressed how they use their art to make the cannabis industry more diverse. The first hip-hop dispensary in the world is the brainchild of Nicole Wilke and Karanja (KC) Crews, co-founders of Green Hop. The women plan to offer an art, digital technology and cannabis experience at their shop. Also, they introduced Green Hop Academy, an incubator program designed to help young people of color seeking to become cannabis entrepreneurs. Additionally, a panel of four women cannabis growers discussed the challenges of remaining sustainable and environmentally conscious as their grassroots operations evolve in this ever-changing legal cannabis market. Women are key organizers behind many of Portland’s cannabis events, which include in addition to the third-annual Cultivation Classic, the Oregon Cannabis Association Summer Fair, Arcane Revelry’s CBD events, the Cannabis Collaborative Conference (CCC) and the event spaces Tillamook Station and Prism House. In Cultivation Classic founder Steph Barnhart’s estimation, “Event planning demands multi, multitasking which lends themselves to feminine individuals who are comfortable with and enjoy having so many balls in the air. We can create platforms that bring a lot of people together to curate the conversations around cannabis.”
For more information about the Cultivation Classic, go to https:// cultivationclassic.cc
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Trista Okel
EMPOWERing women in the cannabis space BY BECKY GARRISON
Jailed in Washington D.C., Trista Okel coined the acronym EMPOWER (End Marijuana Prohibition, Organize Women to Enact Reform). Okel and a dozen other volunteers from Americans for Safe Access were arrested after staging a protest outside the office of then Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson in 2004. They came armed with a list of doctors who recommended medical marijuana for their patients, hoping to persuade Thompson to remove cannabis from the list of Schedule I drugs. Okel has since continued her mission to help people through her development of nontoxic oil, soaking salts, sensual oil and lotion. “By helping people find relief with my products, I am able to win hearts and minds for the therapeutic properties of the cannabis plant while building the Empower brand,” said Okel. Yet despite winning such awards as Dope Magazine’s 2016 and 2017 Best Topical Company and High Times’ Top Ten Topical Companies nationwide, Okel faces considerable obstacles as a female cannabis entrepreneur. “In the cannabis market, capital is difficult to come by, in general, and when the startup is women-owned, it’s even more difficult,” she said. According to Marijuana Business, women hold 27 percent of executive-level roles in the cannabis industry, down from 36 percent in a previous survey. This number compares U.S. businesses as a whole, in which women assume 23 percent of executive positions. Female entrepreneurs, overall, have many more difficulties obtaining capital for business ventures than men do. As cited in 2018 by Fortune, female founders got only 2 percent of venture-capital dollars in 2017.
While Okel admits it would be easier to grow the company with investment capital, she notes that Empower is turning a profit without venture-capital funding. Sara Batterby of The Batterby Group, formed to help cannabis entrepreneurs secure funding, observes how Okel grew her company organically in Oregon and Washington without venture capital. “She scaled slowly from revenue. This is a tough road to take, and I saw her go through some very lean and stressful times, but she hung in there and pushed through. She was smart about scaling through licensing and other strategies, and now she is in a stable growth cycle.” Okel faced obstacles encountered by anyone trying to market cannabisinfused topicals. Topicals such as those made by Empower constitute only about 5 percent of all legal cannabis sales. This small, overall market share makes the chances of getting funded become even smaller. Interest in cannabis from a health and wellness perspective indicate that body-care products containing cannabis have the most growth potential of all segments within the cannabis industry. However, venture capitalists tend to seek out businesses that can produce a quick turnaround in lieu of playing a five- to seven-year game. Furthermore, federal prohibition on cannabis creates a number of barriers for entrepreneurs like Okel. For instance, regulations, as well as banking and tax laws, are more challenging and strenuous than with most other industries. Also, if one is doing business in a state that doesn’t have a bank or credit union willing to do business with the cannabis industry, it can be a dangerous proposition to run any cash business. Okel’s business demonstrates how the ever-changing state and local regulations have a significant impact on a small business’s ability to operate smoothly. For example, changes in packaging and labeling regulations can cost upward of $50,000 each time. In the five years that Okel has owned Empower BodyCare, she had to redesign her packaging and labeling five times to comply with regulation changes. Unlike small businesses operating in other markets, she cannot take advantage of money-saving opportunities afforded by buying packaging and labels in bulk. “Regulations will continue to change, and we will continue to pivot and adjust to meet the requirements,” said Okel. “I don’t see federal prohibition ending anytime in the near future, at least not in the next couple of years.” Once cannabis is legal at the federal level, Okel predicts an entirely new set of challenges will arise. “Those VCs and companies who are too riskadverse to enter the cannabis industry at this time (or five years ago, like I did), will enter the market with a lot more money. By that time, my hope is to have built Empower large enough to be bought instead of crushed.” Still, Okel remains optimistic. “What gives me hope is that women are overcoming barriers in this industry, which is working with a therapeutic plant that is relieving the suffering of so many people. Seeing other women succeed in the industry gives me hope. Seeing women flock to this industry because they want to help people also gives me hope for the future.”
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Trista Okel attend an Oregon cannabis-industry event.
“Seeing women flock to this industry because they want to help people
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‘Success has no gender’
Consultant Karen Sprague is a marijuana-market mastermind BY S.J. CLELLAND
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dvisor. Activist. Aficionado. Expertly — almost effortlessly — consultant Karen Sprague
plays numerous roles in the Oregon cannabis industry. Her visionary business ventures go hand in hand with her crusade for change on the national level. A model for entrepreneurs, particularly women making their marks in the marijuana market, Sprague gives us a one-on-one insider’s look at how she launched a laudable career and still drives innovation.
A
WAM: How did you get started in the cannabis industry? KAREN: I started growing for medical reasons, specifically for myself and others around me. I started experimenting with different formulations for products that would be effective for people with a wide variety of conditions. My timing turned out to be pretty great, and when the laws changed, I realized that it could be a real business. That became the Co2 Company. WAM: Why are you still so passionate about cannabis, particularly its medicinal potential? KAREN: I see the benefits that people get from it, from seizure control and pain relief, to helping manage the really difficult effects of chemotherapy. On top of that, hemp provides raw material for just about anything you can think of: food, clothing, housing, rope and medicine, just to name a few things. WAM: What are some of the most significant benefits you’ve seen from medical marijuana use? KAREN: There are so many applications. I have seen cannabis help people manage posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), control pain, relieve muscle spasms and help folks cope with autism. A Food and Drug Administration panel just recommended approval of a CBD-based drug for epileptic seizures. And we’ve only scratched the surface of what the cannabis plant can do. The federal government needs to make it easier for us to conduct research in the United States. In Israel, it takes four days for research doctors to have their studies approved. We will fall behind if we don’t give our scientists and our universities the same opportunities. WAM: Speaking of those cannabis-focused research doctors in Israel — why is their work so groundbreaking? KAREN: Israel has taken an important step in legalizing cannabis research. Dr. David (Dedi) Meiri works with his team to test the effects of different medical cannabis treatments on mice and in petri dishes. He grows one patient’s cancer cells in 96 petri dishes. He then applies different cannabinoids to each dish and determines which will affect the cancer cells. Based on the results, he creates a formulation unique to that patient. He discovered that every patient requires a formulation specific to his or her condition, even if they have the same type of cancer. WAM: What is the next frontier for cannabis in the medical realm? KAREN: As this point, I would say the sky is the limit. I’ve already mentioned this, but the most important, next step is to legalize and fund scientific research in the U.S. WAM: Much of the industry is beginning to focus on hemp rather than marijuana. Why is that? KAREN: If you’re growing hemp for CBD, it’s the same plant minus most of the THC. In most states 0.3 percent THC or less is considered hemp (a few states have different requirements). Hemp is less heavily regulated and less expensive to grow than marijuana. Plus, there’s a larger potential market for hemp products.
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“My timing turned out to be pretty great, and when the laws changed, I realized that it could be a real business.�
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WAM: Why is organic farming important? KAREN: Fundamentally, it’s because whatever we put into plants becomes part of our bodies. This is especially true when we are working with extracts and concentrates, in which even trace amounts of things like pesticides are present in much higher ratios within final products, having major health effects on people. Farmers should not only be careful about what they put on their plants, but also should test what’s present in the soil before they plant. That’s because plants will take in whatever is in the surrounding environment. Hemp historically has been used to clean up toxic sites in phytoremediation. WAM: Why is strain-specific farming such an important thing to consider? KAREN: There are a couple of benefits and reasons. First, because having a distinct strain means that there is a diverse profile of cannabinoids and terpenes available for formulation in a variety of products. The second is a bit more surface-level, but consumers have different preferences in terms of taste, region, smell, etc. The movements in regional coffees, local wines and craft beers are great examples. WAM: What is the competitive advantage of craft cannabis? How will Oregon compete in a larger national market? KAREN: This is different for hemp and marijuana. Hemp most likely will be a commodity product because of its many uses and fewer regulations. For example, you can grow many more acres. We’re also seeing an emerging, trimmed hempflower market, which will be interesting to watch over the next couple of years. For marijuana, there will be specialty and niche markets, as it’s a more consumeroriented business, similar to craft beer or small-batch food products. When interstate commerce becomes legal, that likely will be a competitive advantage for Oregon and California growers, who have the climates to grow outdoors. WAM: What are the greatest challenges and opportunities you see in the political sphere? KAREN: Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) introduced a stand-alone bill in the U.S. Senate that would remove non-psychoactive cannabis varieties (aka hemp) from the definition of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act. They fast-tracked this bill, using Rule 14, which represents a huge shift in public attitudes. When I first went to Washington D.C. to talk about these issues, there was very little discussion on the floor. Now, it’s not unusual to hear people talking about banking regulations, removing marijuana from Schedule I or descheduling hemp like we’re seeing now. WAM: What changes can Americans expect to see in government regulation by the end of this decade? KAREN: We’re moving in the right direction, and I’m hoping that we’ll see full legalization within a decade. WAM: What kind of shift can we expect in the relationship between traditional financial services — like banking — and the cannabis industry? KAREN: Lack of access to banking infrastructure is a huge problem for marijuana growers, although hemp may present a partial solution. Running a business can be a nightmare without access to formal banking infrastructure. Here’s an example from my experience, just with accounting: I had to lease an old bank and hire a vault teller to control the cash and accounting for my business. Having that much cash on hand represents a real safety issue for business operators, in addition to all of the other obvious issues that a lack of banking causes. I expect that as legalization continues, banking will become more open to supporting people and businesses at all points in the supply chain.
“Anyone who limits who they work with is missing out on a lot of great business opportunities. I focus on working with people who want do good business.”
WAM: Female entrepreneurs, research shows, often face barriers that male counterparts don’t. Can you walk us through some of those, and what might help to break those down? KAREN: I believe you’re speaking of “the boys’ club.” Let’s talk about that for a minute. Female entrepreneurs have to deal with that on regular basis, which doesn’t make business sense. Running a successful company takes 100 percent of your time and focus. Founders don’t have time to waste on anything but driving their companies forward. Anyone who limits who they work with is missing out on a lot of great business opportunities. I focus on working with people who want do good business. Success has no gender. WAM: What’s new for your business ventures in the upcoming year? KAREN: I’m looking at three big priorities for the upcoming year: managing multiple hemp farms, a hemp product line and setting up a new company, Bzaar. I’m currently managing multiple locations for growing flower, biomass and extraction while supporting a line of hemp products. My newest venture — Bzaar — is a new tech startup serving the hemp industry. It’s a digital marketplace for businesses to buy, sell and manage bulk hemp products (including seeds, biomass, trimmed flower, extracted oil, distillate and isolate). I started the business with my son because we saw a fundamental problem: Farmers, processors and other businesses were struggling to find or buy the right product. That’s an issue that tech is uniquely situated to handle. We think that we can help people and businesses across the supply chain to quickly, easily and transparently manage transactions, which is a win for everyone.
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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
CannaBook New guide simplifies cannabis businesses’ office procedures BY ANDREW MOUNT
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An Oregon transplant
who helped to start a wholesale cannabis company, Lorinda Olsen is a no-nonsense businesswoman. Arriving two years ago, the Idaho native established three- to five-year goals and, despite busting her butt helping to create a foundation for growth from a bookkeeping perspective, the business grew and shrunk, never progressing to the point of success. Within two years, she was one of many laid off and wondering: “What happened?” This is a scenario repeated throughout Oregon’s cannabis industry. According to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, half of the cannabis licenses issued in 2017 will not be renewed in 2018. “While business structure and management focus is a critical part of any new business, other factors make it even more difficult in this industry,” said Olsen. “Because of the vertical integration now predominate in the industry, wholesalers are no longer as essential as they once were due to the ability of license-holders to source from one another. Dealing directly with retailers is becoming much more common, increasing the competitive character of the industry.” Mother to four, including a 14-year old son, Olsen had nothing to do but find a job. “He didn’t want to go back to Idaho because his social life was beginning to blossom here. And Idaho was not going to create anything new for me,” said Olsen. “I had struggled there for years, and even my family is not in a position to help me move forward. So I decided to stay in Oregon in the cannabis industry because of the knowledge I had gained over the past two years.” Then she thought: “I will create a calling card, a resume of sorts, and help people in this industry put out their fires and get themselves out of the holes they have found themselves in.” Teaching others to do what she knows how to do, Olsen realized, would be more beneficial. Her calling card grew to “The CannaBook of SOPs,” a 129-page cannabis business guide to organizing and simplifying office procedures. Olsen explains: “In the cannabis industry, compliance is public perception, and those who do not follow the rules are going to struggle to maintain their business. In the not-too-distant future, the medical world will also be thrust into compliance with regulations. Within the manual are embedded links to online resources (state regulations, training videos, etc.), and the education continues with membership to our online community designed to be a hands-on tool for us to share tips and tricks on navigating this highly regulated industry. The manual will also be published nationally with minor changes for any state that is legal.”
CannaBook focuses on five areas (in particular order) that will establish robust standard operating procedures (SOPs): bookkeeper, timekeeper, compliance, customer relations and sales and vendors and inventory. Olsen wasted no time promoting her new venture. “I introduced myself to Pete Gendron of Oregon SunGrowers Guild at the THC Fair in January 2018. Their mission is sustainability and organic certification for sun-growers. I went to a monthly general meeting and decided to join the Guild. I requested to become a volunteer board member and was soon approved to join the board. In April, I presented the guide to their membership and received very positive feedback. I believe this manual will play a big part in helping bring awareness and education to the industry as a whole.” Olsen planned to introduce this resource at the Grants Pass OLCC grow-site administrator training on the use of METRC for medical operations. Volume medical growers in Oregon must begin using the METRC system by July 1 to catalog their crop details from seed to sale. One of Olsen’s key partners, Katie Thompson, involved in CannaBook since February, has focused primarily on editing, organization, artistic design and assisting Olsen with writing. Thompson offers a different perspective by not being immersed deeply in the cannabis industry. “I can clearly see the beneficial impact that this book will have on the industry, and it will be a game-changer, without a doubt.” Olsen’s other key partner, Camille Smith, who has worked in cannabis bookkeeping from the producer perspective, is sanguine on CannaBook’s importance. “I think it will be a positive contribution to the industry,” said Smith. “Our main goal in writing this manual is to prove that compliance procedures can be simplified and manageable when following a well-structured system. Lorinda and I have both experienced the hardships that come along with lack of structure and created this manual to show that it doesn’t have to be so complicated. It is just a matter of documenting your current operations into a system that is duplicatable and easy to reference. “My primary focus is to educate licensees on the usability of this wonderful operations system. We have visions to continue to move forward and expand and couldn’t be more excited!”
“The CannaBook of SOPs: How to Organize and Simplify Your Office Procedures” is available at www.gotsops.com
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WEED Appetit
COOKING WITH KUSH Are you a fan of big, bold flavors? If so, you’ll love this delicious, moist lemon cake recipe that’s made completely from scratch in one hour, with less than 15 minutes hands-on time. Canna Kush Lemon Cake is fluffy, tangy and so easy to make! Every bite of this supremely moist pound cake is bursting with lemon flavor. If you like Starbucks’ Lemon Loaf, then you’ll love this homemade lemon pound cake!
CANNA KUSH LEMON CAKE INGREDIENTS: For the pound cake: • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour • 1 teaspoon baking powder • Zest of 1 lemon • ½ teaspoon salt • ½ cup cannabis-infused butter, at room temperature • 1 cup cannabis-infused granulated sugar (may substitute regular granulated sugar) • 2 large eggs, at room temperature • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • Juice of ½ lemon • ½ cup buttermilk
For the lemon syrup: • Juice of 1 lemon • 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar For the lemon icing: • cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted • 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice • 1 tablespoon milk
DIRECTIONS: 1 | Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 5-by-9-inch (or 4-by-8-inch) loaf pan. 2 | In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, lemon zest and salt. Set aside. 3 | In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or using an electric mixer), cream the butter and sugar together at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, for about 4 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl as needed. 4 | With mixer running on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla extract and lemon juice. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. 5 | With mixer on low, add about one-third of flour mixture and mix until almost combined, then add half the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Repeat with another third of flour mixture and then last half of buttermilk, ending with last third of flour. Beat until just incorporated. 6 | Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan and bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes until cake is golden-brown and a toothpick comes out mostly clean with only a few moist crumbs. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. 7 | Let cake cool for about 10 minutes in pan. Stir together the lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar for lemon syrup. Carefully invert loaf pan and transfer cake to a cooling rack, then brush syrup on cake while it’s still warm. Allow cake to cool completely. 8 | When cake is cool, combine the icing ingredients, starting with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and milk and adding remaining lemon juice, as needed. Icing should be thick, not runny. Pour icing over cake and let dry before serving. Makes 10 servings.
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STRAINREPORT Images in report may not be actual photos of images on shelves.
AFGHAN OG
PROUDLY GROWN IN OREGON BY:
AVAILABLE AT: AND OTHER DISPENSARIES IN OREGON
This straight indica is a powerhouse of spice, earth and a surprising hint of ginger. With a very spongy, but yet tight bud structure, it smokes clean and aromatic and has some pretty amazing end results. You’ll find yourself letting go and feeling the moment of a nice body buzz and real balanced head high.
THC: 23.38 PERCENT CBD: 0 PERCENT OVERALL RATING: B INDICA
STRAIN ATTRIBUTES:
Afghan OG
A fk
Relieves stress Fights depression Relieves pain
WOW
PROUDLY GROWN IN OREGON BY:
AVAILABLE AT MOST DISPENSARIES IN OREGON
WOW is derived from very dense southern sativa strains with indica to match, making this a perfect 50/50 blend. If you like to be productive throughout the day, or have some anxiety issues, then this is the strain for you. With an aboveaverage THC content, this WOW packs a punch! We can attest that it makes you pretty happy, relaxed, yet creative. If you have anxiety, this is your better option.
THC: 22.17 PERCENT CBD: 0 PERCENT OVERALL RATING: B STRAIN ATTRIBUTES: Relieves anxiety Fights depression Calms the nerves
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HYBRID WOW
Wo
PROUDLY GROWN IN OREGON BY:
OG 18
AVAILABLE AT MOST DISPENSARIES IN OREGON
OG 18 is a very aromatic strain that truly gives you a hint of cheese. OG18 offers a perfect mix of body and cerebral high that will increase focus and concentration. Although it packs a punch, it will not floor you. You’ll find it very relaxing and clean without any negative effects or crashes. Perfect for those who suffer from migraines.
THC: 24.64 PERCENT CBD: 0 PERCENT OVERALL RATING: B+ HYBRID OG 18
O18 AVAILABLE AT MOST DISPENSARIES IN OREGON
STRAIN ATTRIBUTES: Fights depression Alleviates migraines Relieves pain
HARLEQUIN OG Harlequin OG has a relaxing, clear-headed, euphoric and contemplative head high that leaves you active and focused without any sedative effects. It’s an ideal wake-and-bake strain, especially for those who are in need of intense pain relief. Harlequin OG is one of the best strains for treating pain and anxiety, as the high CBD levels counteract the paranoia normally associated with THC and amplify its painkilling effects. We like this one A LOT too.
CBD: 33.33 PERCENT THC: 7.6 PERCENT OVERALL RATING: A CBD-DOMINANT HYBRID Harlequin OG
STRAIN ATTRIBUTES: Relieves stress Soothes muscle spasms Fights depression
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BUDOF THE MONTH INSANE ‘CANDY’ KUSH
INSANE “CANDY” KUSH is a proprietary strain grown proudly in Southern Oregon by Moonshine Gardens. Although Ikk is a hybrid, it leans heavily on the indica side with a 70-percent/30-percent tilt. Crossed with Lemon Kush and Bubblegum, this flower is just that — insane! It comes on with a bold, sweet, fruity flavor with light flower and more sweet undertones. B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L-looking too! Ikk is a prefect hybrid for just plain relaxing, or getting a giddy. Lots of euphoria and happiness is packed in these light and tight, sun-grown nugs. This flower is guaranteed not to disappoint!
HYBRID
Insane ‘Candy’ Kush
Ikk
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STRAIN ATTRIBUTES: Helps with anxiety Helps with pain management Helps with insomnia
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SHATTER 2018 Shatter Nominee
SHATTER BY SUGARTREE FARMS
This ain’t your grandma’s shatter, that’s for sure. POW! The Strawberry Banana will sock ya right in the flavor wheel! With bold, crisp notes of fruit and “nanna,” the SugarTree shatter gets an A+ from us on taste and clarity. Stb is a hybrid that leans heavily to the indica side, allowing users to feel ultimate relaxation, but it keeps you alert enough to get through the day. Smooth and flavorful, this shatter comes with a full body high that won’t disappoint. Since trying this trio of new strains that SugarTree put together, we can’t wait to see what they come out with next!
MEDICAL USES: Relieves stress Fights depression Relieves pain
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deep
thoughts BY
LEAF BARRET
The doctor is in, but just for a minute … LIVING IN OREGON has been a treat for me, coming from one of the largest cities in the world. Oregon is definitely one of the least densely populated states in which I’ve lived and, given that, a very pleasant and relaxing place for me. However, with a lower population comes fewer people (i.e., doctors) who specialize in certain areas. You may know of an “urgent care” or some other medical facility near you, maybe one that already existed, before it was remodeled or expanded. GREAT! Right? More facilities would imply the availability of more doctors, but that is clearly not the case … at least not here in Oregon. Last week, I scheduled a doctor’s appointment with my primary-care doctor, who is a knee “specialist” here in Southern Oregon, for a cortisone injection. The office informed me that my doctor was not available until July 26 for an appointment, but that they can get me in to see one of his team members to do the injection. I showed up for my appointment on time and was called back by the nurse. After all the preliminary stuff, I was asked to wait and told that my “doctor” would be in shortly. After about 10 minutes, the “doctor” came in unaware of why I was there. I began to explain my need, and she immediately told me that she was not qualified to do such an injection and that I would have to see my primary-care doctor. “OK,” I said with a puzzled look on my face. “When do you think he can fit me in?” She asked me to wait while she found the doctor to ask when he might be able to squeeze me in. She returned about five minutes later and asked if I could wait awhile for my doctor. “Sure,” I said, still kind of puzzled how he could squeeze me in today if his scheduling team didn’t offer me that same option. Fast-forward about another 20 minutes, when they called me back to the care room where, after a few minutes, my doctor pops in. I tell him what’s going on and what I need. (Now, understand that I get these injections usually every four to six months, but this time I’d been OK for almost 12 months. He poked me in the knee and looked at my leg a little and then instantly said he was going to prescribe me pills … “Nope, that’s not going to help me at all.” Masking the pain and the problem seems to be Play No. 1 in every doctor’s book here — everywhere, in fact. I asked him if he thought that an injection would be better because I have had them almost every year for the past 16 years,
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and he replied, “If it keeps bothering you come back, and we can take care of it then.” … Um, “OK.” And that was it. … Well that and $600 for the visit that didn’t result in anything that helped me. We literally spent five minutes together for an ailment that was never tended to, nor was the issue resolved. So why would I go back now?! Just to spend another $600 and maybe get the injection I asked for the first time! … Wait, now that bill would be $1,040 if you add their charge to inject one knee!! That’s silly in itself! Lack of doctors, and narrow windows of time for appointments are the way everything has been going, but for those desperately in need, is this really a smart play by health care facilities? What is happening to our society and our health care? How can five minutes with a patient be enough to get to the root of the problem? It’s time for a change, and most certainly it’s time for holistic medicine to be recognized as more than just “witchcraft.” We need to take a stand as patients and tell doctors that five minutes is not enough time, and that pills are not the answer. Spend time with us; get to know the real us and not what it says on a computer screen.
Online
VOL2.NO3
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WeedFlections WeedFlections BY
RICK CIPES
A guide to quitting weed (without dying first) I WAS CONVINCED I MIGHT NEED TO CHECK MYSELF INTO THE PSYCH WARD. My brain was like a pinball game
on tilt, the silver ball ricocheting around my brain like a mouse on crack. Sound familiar? Yup, I had stopped smoking weed. I quit because, after indulging several times a day, for too many years to count, my body started doing freaky shit. Hand and foot cramps, pins and needles, numbness kind of shit. At first, I tried everything else to help my obviously damaged nervous system. Stuff like adding magnesium to my diet. That worked! For like a day. I tapered off gradually, and was down to a hit a day, when one afternoon, driving my car, my feet went totally numb. Needless to say, it scared the shit out of me, and I recognized it was time to kiss my little, green, best friend goodbye. Let the games begin! Feverish night sweats and chills, vivid nightmares and large doses of anger directed at the slightest provocation. Cut me off in traffic, and I was liable to go Mad Mel Gibson on you. Because of the intensity of the withdrawal symptoms, the majority of stoners who try to quit DO NOT last long. Why not? Because they fail to explore the underlying emotions that the weed held down in the first place. As for me, I felt like a shaken-up soda can. And looking back, it was the “emotional” soda that caused my physical problems. Those emotions were trying to escape my can, but they couldn’t. When I finally did pop the lid, they came spraying out all over the place. I got myself a journal and proceeded to write down everything that came up for the next several months. Sometimes, psychological insights would occur during waking hours. But more often than not, shit would come from my subconscious and wake me at 3 a.m. with spine-tingling nightmares. At the crux of those nightmares, at first, was massive anger. FYI: Anger is always a cover for the more delicate emotions lying below our surfaces. It took me weeks and weeks of chipping away, and working on that anger, before I was able to break through to my pot of gold: actually a big, heaping pot of sadness.
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WTF? Like, this is a good thing, dude? My belief is we all have a psychological thorn embedded deep inside. The thorn I discovered had to do with pain I had buried since I was 12. Pain from my parent’s divorce. Heavy stuff. But once I tweezed it out, I never felt such a sense of relief in my life, and all those hand and foot sensations magically disappeared. The next time I got high, it wouldn’t be to keep the lid on any emotional baggage (which is where everyone’s addictions come in). I would use it to enhance the newfound joy and lightness in my soul. Try it sometime. I’ll help talk you down before the psych ward even comes into play. 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
Columnist calls for the end of cannabis prohibition IS THE END OF PROHIBITION NEAR?
Many of us hope so, and with more and more politicians and celebrities around the world showing their support, it seems more realistic than ever! Watching the news can be such a drag these days with all the political high-school drama. It seems the only time to watch is when I hear the word: “cannabis.” Regulated and taxable sales have made drastic changes in our economy, our health care and, hopefully soon, our prisons. There are many more hurdles we face before the end of prohibition and cannabis reclassification. With more states choosing to decriminalize and allow sales, it only makes sense that the next step is federal legalization. I almost thought the “weed era” was going to be short-lived and the government was going to snatch it out of our grasp. There was so much to figure out and no real education or rules. For a while, it was hard to have faith in long-lasting change. The stigma of weed was still so strong. I guess that’s why my city, Grand Junction, Colo., didn’t take it seriously and said: “no more sales!” “It’s a stupid reason for dumb people to be stoned all day! It’s not medicine!!!” Some people had this idea that allowing sales would create all these unproductive pot-heads who wouldn’t do anything for the economy, that crime would go up, that teen use would be out of control, etc. But what have we seen? Only the opposite. There are some amazing people coming out of the weed-smoker closet, choosing to publicly support cannabis. Many politicians across the globe are seeing the research and overall benefits of consumption. When I think of a mayor or governor or president choosing to say “yes” to cannabis, I believe they want what’s best for the health of their people and their communities. When they say “no,” they vote against better health, freedom of choice and better futures. Here’s what should happen: Cannabis becomes rescheduled or just taken off the list in general. The federal government legalizes use across the country and allows each state to make its own regulations. Cannabis consumption in public areas and events will be allowed, just as an event with alcohol would. The Internet and
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social-media platforms stop discriminating against cannabis users and businesses by allowing them to advertise and publish posts related to weed. More legal consumption of weed just means more people with munchies, happily fulfilling their lives. That sounds terrible! I am so ready; sign me up! Our world is evolving and changing. We live in a time when gender is a choice, when a woman’s voice is being heard louder than ever and when weird is good and change is being demanded. Right now, every topic is up for discussion, so let’s discuss it. Let’s look at the facts and see the studies. We can’t let those who do not know the truth about cannabis continue to live in the darkness. Times have changed since states have legalized recreational use of cannabis. You can go to events and smoke it, eat it, drink it and party down! There are many weed-related classes: smoke and paint, yoga and ganja, cannabis cooking classes and so much more. We are able to enjoy doing normal activities and enjoy our herbs. People don’t always want to go out and get drunk! Is it safe to say that being a cannabis user in a legal state is normal? There are many people who do not use it, and that is their choice! U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions doesn’t want it; that’s obvious. But we do have other politicians standing stronger on the legalization side, and President Trump may be more in favor than he originally indicated. But that could be fake news, so let’s just say we hope that’s the case.
I almost thought the “weed era” was going to be short-lived and the government was going to snatch it out of our grasp. 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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