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 4
departments
8 12 14
CHRONICLES 420 GEAR POTLIGHT
Primo Farms
columns features
16 | 22 | THE FUTURE IS NOW VOICES IN YOUR HEART 24 | 28 | MARCH FOR MARIJUANA 30 | COSMIC CONTEMPLATION COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS 38 | ARTIST’S VISION Artist Lindy Kehoe
Toke Talks emphasize inclusivity
Where would we be without community radio? Portland a major hub for international event
Carl Sagan from beyond the ‘Cosmos’
Shango brand keeps giving back
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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
VOL 2 NO 4
PUBLISHER
John Oliver john@wammediallc.com
Could cannabis have changed the course of history? THE AUSPICIOUS DAY IS ALMOST HERE: 420! So that must mean it’s time to commemorate … Hitler’s birthday?! Yep. Long before a group of California students — who would later travel in the Grateful Dead’s circles — coined the code phrase for meeting to smoke weed, Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, in what was then Austria-Hungary. That’s right: The architect of the Third Reich … the orchestrator of the Holocaust … the instigator of a World War … the man so villainous that he became a fascist-dictator caricature left his hideous stain on the date we celebrate Mary Jane and all her virtues. If anything, the connection is a potent reminder to chill the f*** out. Because it wasn’t just Hitler’s charismatic — albeit hyperactive, paranoid and delusional — speeches that fueled Nazi mania. It’s been well-documented that the German military issued methamphetamine pills in hopes of triggering longer, harder combat with less concern for individual safety, particularly among front-line soldiers and fighter pilots. Hitler, himself, was known to favor cocaine for clearing his throat and sinuses. Regularly consuming cocktails of other speedy drugs and narcotics likely contributed to Hitler’s demise. The Fuhrer was said to suffer severe withdrawals, violent tremors, kidney failure and rotting teeth before his death. Imagine how the course of history could have taken a 180-degree turn back toward sanity if cannabis — instead of pharmaceutical stimulants — was Germany’s medicine of choice. Imagine the humanitarian progress that could have been made, instead of the mass-scale destruction that was wrought. We’re talking about an alternate reality, an alternate universe. Unraveling the universe has famously appealed to at least one Weed Aficionado. A distinguished scientist and popular figure of the last century, Carl Sagan brought us closer to understanding the furthest reaches of the cosmos. Turns out, Sagan probably did some of his finest work while stoned! WAM’s 420 issue also offers a glimpse of cannabis-inspired visionary art. We invite you to tune in some 420-worthy music, both on community radio and at the Oregon Cannabis Festival in Portland. And WeedFlections columnist Rick Cipes brings us many more reasons to keep the 420 vibe going all year! While you’re planning 420 festivities, mark your calendar for our 420 Party! Fusion food, swag bags, live music and rides on the weed bus come with each ticket to Portland’s Jupiter Hotel, from 4 to 11 p.m. Come and celebrate 420 in style!
Regards,
John Oliver – Publisher
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 Leaf Barret, Rick Cipes, Art Cosgrove, Becky Garrison, Virginia Martino, Andrew Mount, 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.
@weedaficionado @weedaficionado
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@waficionadomag
THE
Chronicles
STATE AND LOCAL NEWS
State of Oregon sued to restrict commercial marijuana operations Case stems from disagreements with Josephine County officials Source: The Associated Press
Officials in an Oregon county who have tried to restrict commercial marijuana production sued the state in federal court, asserting state laws that made pot legal are preempted by federal law that criminalize it. The lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court escalated a long-running battle between the state and the Josephine County Board of Commissioners. The panel says pot farms are a nuisance. The county is in a prime marijuana-producing region of Southern Oregon. Voters in the state legalized marijuana with a 2014 ballot measure, prompting a “green rush” as pot entrepreneurs set up shop in the fertile, rainy, mountainous area. County Commissioner Dan DeYoung has said rural residents, many of them retirees, are fed up with the proliferating farms in areas zoned as rural residential. “The good people are leaving, and the marijuana people are staying,” DeYoung said, according to the Daily Courier newspaper. The commission in December tried to ban commercial pot farming on rural residential lots of five acres or less and to drastically reduce the size of some larger grow sites. But the state Land Use Board of Appeals later put the restrictions on hold, saying the county failed to properly notify land owners.
Pearl District pot shop cries foul Lawsuit denies that odor is problematic Source: OregonLive.com
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Pete Gendron, a marijuana grower in the county and president of the Oregon SunGrowers’ Guild advocacy group, said the growers have invested large sums to start operations and were shocked when the county tried to restrict them. One grower had a letter from the county dating back a year or more stating that cannabis cultivation was farm use and was allowed, Gendron said. “He invested a half-million dollars in the county,” Gendron said. “He would not have made those investments if not for those assurances.” The lawsuit by the commission contends the state cannot dictate marijuana regulations over county restrictions because marijuana remains illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act. “Any person in any state who possesses, distributes or manufactures marijuana for medical or recreational purposes, or attempts or conspires to do so, is committing a federal crime,” Wally Hicks, a lawyer for the county, wrote in the lawsuit that names state Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum as a defendant, along with the state. Rosenblum’s spokeswoman Kristina Edmunson said she can’t comment on pending litigation but noted in an email: “We will defend the state laws of Oregon related to marijuana.”
One of Oregon’s oldest licensed pot shops — in the heart of Portland’s Pearl District — is in danger of losing its posh retail digs after its landlord received complaints about a telltale smell permeating the area. The store, Oregon’s Finest, is fighting back. The owners are suing the landlord, claiming they weren’t aware the odor poses an ongoing problem. They also contend their kerfuffle with the landlord over upgrading the ventilation system might have contributed to the marching orders. In the lawsuit filed in March in Multnomah County Circuit Court, the owners are asking a judge to intervene by declaring that the landlord has no just reason to expel them from the property they’ve leased since December 2013.
Looking for a cool place with a great vibe? Come check out Bahama Buds for all of your cannabis needs. With a great selection of flower, concentrates, and edibles Bahama Buds is your final destination. So whether you live on the coast or are just driving through, make sure you stop in.
1415 N Bayshore Dr Coos Bay, Oregon
541.808.9420 www.weedaficionadomag.com
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CONSUMER NEWS
Cannabis sales soon may surpass soda purchases Market research forecasts the switch by 2030 Source: The Washington Post
Pot may be on its way to beating pop. The U.S. legal cannabis industry is expected to reach $75 billion in sales by 2030, according to research firm Cowen & Co. That’s almost as large as the North American carbonated soft drink market in 2017. With the industries’ diverging trajectories, weed may be poised to take the mantle as the larger industry. Cannabis is growing rapidly as more states legalize the plant. Nine states and Washington, D.C. now allow for recreational pot use. That means more than one in five American adults can smoke, vape, eat or drink it however they please. Cowen previously predicted that the market, assuming federal legalization, would reach $50 billion by 2026. That seems small now, according to analyst Vivien Azer. “New forecasts suggest that the market is already that size,” she said in a note Wednesday. Meanwhile, soda sales are on the decline as increasingly health-conscious consumers eschew sugary drinks. Per capita carbonated soft drink consumption declined to a 31-year low in the U.S. in 2016, according to Beverage-Digest, a trade publication. The market in North America fell to $76.4 billion last year from $78.3 billion in 2016, data from Euromonitor International shows. While soda may be eclipsed, the industry that’s hearing alarm bells is alcohol. Binge-drinking rates declined in states with legal weed compared with states that allow only medical marijuana and those prohibiting any kind of pot, according to the note. “We have consistently argued that cannabis and alcohol are substitute social lubricants,” Azer said. 10
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Got THC on tap?
Blue Moon beer creator plans new brew infused with weed Source: The Sacramento Bee
In states with legal marijuana, some Americans might ditch their favorite IPAs later this year for a little THC. The maker of Blue Moon beer, Keith Villa, is planning three weed-based beverages, containing marijuana formulas intended to give consumers a buzz without containing alcohol, USA Today recently reported. The weed-beer hybrid will debut in late 2018 in Colorado, the first state to legalize recreational marijuana. Villa plans to bring it to other pot-friendly states, including California, soon after, according to ABC7. The new drinks won’t be released through Blue Moon, but through Villa’s new company called CERIA. Villa won’t be the first major brewer to introduce marijuana elements to traditionally alcoholic drinks. Lagunitas launched SuperCritical Ale, which contains essential cannabis oils, near the end of 2017. It was available in California, but according to the company website, is currently “all tapped out.” What distinguishes Villa’s new creations is that they’ll contain marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient, THC. By federal law, brewers can’t put marijuana in beers, part of the reason CERIA’s beverages will be nonalcoholic. For what it’s worth, though, marijuana is still illegal at the federal level. Weed-based, alcohol-free beers come with the promise of reducing, if not eliminating, hangovers. “You can almost dial in the sensations that you want,” Villa told Forbes. He told USA Today that the drinks are designed to impact consumers at the same pace as alcohol kicks in for regular beer drinkers. Cannabis-alcohol crossovers are a popular concept — popular enough that they were discussed in a seminar at last year’s California Craft Beer Summit in Sacramento, in preparation for the state’s legalization of recreational weed.
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Š2018 Smokiez and Smokiez Edibles are trademarks of C & R Oregon Corp. All Rights Reserved
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420GEAR
THE COOL ALL-OREGON STUFF GUIDE
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REVOLUTION SUNDAY LOUNGE CHAIR
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For outdoor lounging, most options either look great but aren’t comfortable, or they’re cushy but ugly. Now, with a tip of the cap to a previous era’s aluminum lawn chairs, the Sunday Lounge Chair arrives from Revolution Design House in Portland.. Made of steel with a double powder-coat of paint and a laser-cut pattern, each chair is wide enough for comfortable lounging and is made to stand the test of time. They look better than just about anything available for your porch or patio, and custom colors and upholstery are available on request.
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TANNER GOODS COURT CLASSIC
Tanner Goods in Portland knows a thing or two about high-quality leather products. From wallets to belts and plenty of other products, they’re no stranger to the leather game. That’s why these Tanner Goods Court Classic shoes — a collaboration with Rancourt & Co. — are a perfect progression for the brand. Designed in Portland and made in Maine, each pair features natural Horween leather and a beautiful honey Vibram sole. Rancourt’s process includes over 100 steps, further establishing the quality and care that goes into every shoe. Only 80 pairs were made, so don’t hesitate to add these to your growing collection.
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JOEY ROTH STEEL SPEAKER
Screw Alexa! Check out Joey! Designed with the same minimalist aesthetic that put Joey Roth on the map, the solitary Steel Speaker fills any room with high-end sound in style. Made entirely in Portland from steel, aluminum and maple, it’s wireless and features omnidirectional sound for a first-rate listening experience. The omnidirectional sound is achieved with the hardwood ball at the base of the speaker, pushing vibrant sound and housing the Bluetooth antenna simultaneously.
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THE PORTLAND PRESS
Made in Portland … the Mason jar: an iconic drinking vessel in much of the South and, at the very least, a reliable form of food storage everywhere else. The Portland Press is here to turn the Mason jar into something else: a French press. Made in Oregon from domestically sourced materials, the press includes a 24-ounce Mason jar, a wooden lid and handle, metal and plastic interior components, a custom-fitted cozy in grey felt and a lifetime warranty.
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TRUST CO. RESTORED AXES
Spring is still a great time to gather around a campfire in your backyard, share stories, listen to music, drink spiked cider and ward off the evening chill. Build yourself a pile of firewood with these Trust Co. Restored Axes. Each single- or double-bit steel ax has been ground, sharpened and polished in the Portland shop, returning them to their original condition. Each ax head is fixed to a high-quality, seasoned-hickory handle that will last for years. The axes come with a custom-fitted leather sheath and are available in a range of lengths and styles.
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OCTOVO X TILLEY SURFBOARDS
When you buy handmade gear, there’s shopping local — and then there’s shopping local. Octovo x Tilley Surfboards fall squarely into the latter camp. Individually crafted by hand in a Port Orford shop from locally sourced cedar native to the region, these boards are made with rugged Pacific coasts and cold water in mind. Available in five designs, the surfboards feature original graphics and paint schemes to set them apart from every other board out there. And each one comes with a custom carrying bag complete with shock-resistant padding, waterproof materials, leather covers and handles, titanium hardware and padded shoulder straps.
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MOUNT ST. HELENS ERUPTION CANDLE
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The 1980 eruption of Washington’s Mount St. Helens was the most devastating volcanic event in American history. Not only did the incident cause catastrophic damage to its surroundings, but it triggered a landslide, transforming a portion of the terrain into a mile-wide crater. That historic moment now is memorialized in the Mount St. Helens Eruption Candle. Using LiDAR elevation data and a 3-D printer, the cast concrete base is an exact replica of the mountain’s present-day topography, while the candle insert adds the summit lost during the eruption. As the candle burns, the melting wax recreates the historic destruction. Each base comes with two pure beeswax candles made in Portland.
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MAN’S FACE STUFF MOUSTACHE WAX
No Shave November yet may be a way off, but it’s never too soon to get some Man’s Face Stuff Moustache Wax! Handmade in the facial-hair mecca of Portland, it’s weather-resistant and comes in a variety of subtle scents: Gin & Tonic, tobacco- and coffee-infused All Nighter, cinnamon-tinted Red Hot, crisp, cologne-inspired Stiff Breeze and unscented for all you purists out there. www.weedaficionadomag.com
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POTLIGHT
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
PRIMO FARMS For this special 420 issue, Weed Aficionado Magazine broadened our regular Potlight feature into a “Supplier Spotlight” with one of our favorite farms. Primo Farms, as its name promises, is a premier grower of top-shelf cannabis products, available at fine Oregon dispensaries — and our 420 Party! We sat down for a one-on-one with Primo Farms founder Derek Wright, whose passion for the industry is evident in every facet of Primo’s operation. WAM: Where is your business located? And are you open to the public? PRIMO: We are in the fertile Rogue Valley, not far from where I was born. The farm is very remote, requiring four-wheel drive during certain times of the year, and is not feasible for public access. We have made exceptions for some VIPs, picking them up in town to make their journey easier. On the way in, it’s very common to come across, elk, deer, wild turkeys and quail that keep us and our workers entertained. WAM: Tell us about your business’s background and mission. PRIMO: Our 15 years of experience growing medicinal product in Southern Oregon has taught us a lot, and we are only interested in continuing to deliver the highest-quality product to licensed wholesalers and dispensaries in Oregon. I remember how inspired I got by seeing first-hand what cannabis did for my neighbor who had cancer and looked super thin and near death. After starting treatment with some medical marijuana I had grown for him that season, he started gaining weight again, improved in appearance and was healthy enough to continue his formal treatment program. His life was extended another six years and, more importantly, his quality of life seemed to significantly improve after using cannabis. Our mission is to provide Oregon licensed wholesalers with high-quality, top-shelf, recreational cannabis products for years to come. WAM: Do you serve both the recreational and medical markets? PRIMO: Due to regulations, we can only provide products to dispensaries licensed by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. Those dispensaries then can provide Oregon Medical Marijuana Program patients with our products taxfree. Our passion is medicinal, yet the financial viability is limited with Oregon’s reprioritization of the medical sector, so we are applying the same love and care to our plants as we did then. WAM: What are your most popular products? PRIMO: Our most popular product is our top-shelf flower coming from exclusive genetics. These are our top two sellers. Rogue River Shiver has become a highly sought-after strain due to its incredible taste. This 70/30 indica- dominant strain usually has THC levels over 20 percent, making it a very good choice for relaxation. The aroma is very fresh, earthy and tangy, with some nice, dark amber-colored
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trichomes. Rich, creamy-tasting smoke has hints of lemon and pine. Its eminently relaxing, dreamy sensation builds over time into bolting cerebral energy that’s unexpected from indicas. This lethargy-free strain is a great way to get a powerful dose without the side effects of other strains. Primo Stout is a GSC-leaning phenotype known for its large size, huge yields and giant frosty colas. It breaks down easily and has a nice, even burn and heavy body high. It is a sativa-hybrid strain with deep forest-greens and wild shoots of dark, orange-brown hairs. The sweet, lemony-pine aroma gets stronger as you get down to the heart of the bud. The flavor is robust, pungent and skunky. Relaxing, with a deeprooted, soothing body high, Primo Stout is an extreme mental relaxant, as well. THC levels are around 24.93 percent, CBD 0.31 percent WAM: What is the reason behind your business’ success? PRIMO: Engineered by nature, our plants get the best care, sunlight, climate, water, soil and rich nutrients, so users experience a major difference in quality. We take followthrough seriously, prioritize fair business practices and take a lot of pride in what we do. It also helps to have grown up here, so I know the subtleties of the region’s climate and soils. WAM: What inspired your passion for this industry? PRIMO: We love farming, growing amazing product and maintaining consistency. Our medicinal work sparked the original passion, and over the years we saw measurable results for patients with anxiety, back injuries, depression, sleep disorders and even Crohn’s disease. WAM: What is your favorite part of the job? PRIMO: Problem-solving is my passion, and I love overseeing operations and sales. Getting my hands dirty still happens periodically, especially when it comes to cloning and critical growing times. If you try calling, I’m often on the road somewhere in Oregon between meetings and negotiating new deals. WAM: What’s new for your business in 2018? PRIMO: We are excited to finally release some new genetics we’ve been working on. We also have been branching out and collaborating with some reputable local processors to bring high-quality extracts and concentrates to the marketplace. Our farm size will continue to get bigger, and we also are working on new and exciting collaborations to continue building a strong brand.
WAM: What do you think customers will demand in the future? PRIMO: We believe customers are developing brand loyalty and, as Wall Street moves in buying things up, we plan to stand strong as a local, top-shelf farm, taking pride in every harvest. We also believe high-quality extracts and concentrates will continue to grow as we are currently experiencing the trend going that direction. Our outdoor product also has something that we believe customers will always want, the unique energy from direct, natural sunlight, fresh air and clean rainwater, none of which can be replicated indoors; many people can tell the difference. WAM: What are the biggest challenges that cannabis business owners face in the industry? PRIMO: Turkeys! ‌ They stop by periodically trying to sample the product! In all seriousness, the real challenges are the competitive market, constantly changing regulations and complications with having a cash business in an onlinepayment world. The market has and will be changing rapidly, and we do our best to stay creative and open-minded, ready to adapt to whatever situation arises. WAM: As the cannabis industry grows and improves, what developments are you most looking forward to in the future? PRIMO: This is a great question. Having started in medical, we look forward to regulation supporting a more financially viable way to get back to prioritizing the medical market. Like everyone else, we can’t wait for the federal government to get on board, so we can move away from a cash-only business and feel a stronger sense of security in our investment. We also are looking forward to selling product beyond the state of Oregon, providing high-quality cannabis to recreational and medical consumers throughout the United States.
WE LOVE FARMING, GROWING AMAZING PRODUCT AND MAINTAINING CONSISTENCY. PHOTO BY DAILY LEAF
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ARTIST’S
Vision
‘Interdimensional cuteness’ manifests through Lindy Kehoe JEFFERSON ARTS BEAT WITH ANDREW MOUNT
DIVERSE TALENTS define Southern Oregon’s art scene locally, regionally — and beyond. Widely renowned, Ashland-based visionary artist Lindy Kehoe senses a deepening connection to higher sources of inspiration, including cannabis. “I make art because it is something I’ve always done. It is something I am designed to do,” says Kehoe, adding that she is “walking a healer’s path” as an artist. Passionate about being an inspiration for cultivating creative community, Kehoe curates and shows her paintings at a new Ashland gallery and event space, The Portal. Fantastical with a sense of color and magic, Kehoe’s whimsical works tell stories within the adorable, mythical characters and scenes that she paints. “I consider my work to be medicine for the spirit, connecting us back to our child-heart wonder,” says Kehoe. Sweet devas, imagined characters and dolls of the dreamtime emerge through Kehoe’s spirit connection with totems, deities and “a collective energy input asking for a certain essence to be seen,” she says. “I am in service this way.”
A figure in the visionary-art scene for the past 12 years, Kehoe paints live at festivals around the West Coast, including Beloved Festival for art, music and movement. A juried artist at Oregon Country Fair, she plans to travel this month for a live-paining, full-moon event to visionary artist Alex Grey’s Chapel of Sacred Mirrors in Wappingers Falls, N.Y., a hub for artists of the genre. Kehoe’s journey as a painter began in Athens, Ohio, where she studied art education at Ohio University and graduated with a teaching degree in 2002. “Once I graduated, I had a show with large paintings inspired by school-notebook doodles — and ended up selling most of the works,” recalls Kehoe. “This is when I realized I was meant to be a painter.” Her work will come full-circle this month when Kehoe visits her college town to deliver “Guardian of Ganja Gardens,” commissioned for The Cannabis Museum. Another connection made decades earlier in Athens linked Kehoe’s work to a Southern Oregon artisan-foods business, TonTon’s Artisan Affections. Owner Michael “TonTon” Antonopoulos met Kehoe 25 years before he adopted one of her images as his corporate logo, partly because the being portrayed spoke directly to his soul. The logo is in honor of peace-loving people who give their lives for “the cause.” “It has its own story that I have become a part of,” says Antonopoulos. “People immediately recognize Lindy’s work. The logo does have an esoteric history which most people don’t know. The image is a being — not just a twodimensional graphic on paper. “It has its own life,” he says. “A sense of joy and wonderment accompanies my relationship with it. Before my business had any investors or money, I was able to just sit with the image, and it made me happy.” Antonopoulos’ Talent-based Mediterranean Cafe is a gallery for the visionary arts of people like Kehoe, Raul Casillas, Snow Panneton, John Cimperman and Carey Thompson. Through communing with nature and herbalism, Kehoe has cultivated an interest in natural medicine. Evoking this curiosity for and harmony with the natural world, many animals and plants inhabit Kehoe’s images. Learning techniques of the old masters summoned Kehoe recently to The Vienna Academy of Visionary Art, where she forged ties with the international painting community of the visionary-art universe.
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Kehoe collaborated in 2010 on a children’s book with best-selling novelist and environmentalist Starhawk. Titled “The Last Wild Witch,” the book won a Silver Nautilus Book Award. Kehoe also illustrated the children’s poetry book “Remind Me That I’m Wild,” written by Tera Freese. Several album covers also number among Kehoe’s works. Folk-musician activist Diane Patterson, who has Southern Oregon roots, recently released Kehoe’s art on the cover of her new album, “Open Road, a collaboration with Ani DiFranco. Kehoe shares her own wonder at the process of calling beings forth from invisible realms. “It is always fascinating to see who is drawn to create a collaborative field with me. When starting these works, I ask myself, ‘How can cuteness be profound?’ Babies already come into the world in a perfect form — with wisdom and an essence of purity. “My soul is in this work. This is my soul; there is no separation.” When asked how she feels about cannabis legalization, she commented, “I have a sense that we will begin to differentiate legalization from liberation, and that once we do, we will be free to truly heal ourselves — and our Earth.” See more of Kehoe’s work at her online gallery, www.lindykehoe.com. She enjoys doing commissions, illustrative work and murals.
“My soul is in this work. This is my soul; there is .”
no separation
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The FUTURE is
NOW TOKE TALKS EMPHASIZE INCLUSIVITY IN CANNABIS INDUSTRY BY BECKY GARRISON
“We prevailed. And we are going to prevail in the days ahead because of the votes that were cast ... ” mulating the popularity of interactive TED Talks, Portland’s Toke Talks took participants down the path of cannabis’s future. A daylong event, “The Future of Cannabis is Now” also immersed participants in the plant’s sights, sounds and smells at unconventional “un-booths.” The Path to Marijuana Reform and the journey toward social justice led much of the day’s discussion. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) championed their efforts at the national level to reverse outdated laws, including descheduling cannabis, and to offer new protections against housing discrimination, immigration actions and drug testing. “We all know too well what the casualties have been with respect to the war on drugs and the needless, gratuitous harm done to minority and low-income communities,” said Wyden, who is co-sponsoring Sen. Corey Booker’s bill in the U.S. Senate. Also sponsored by Wyden, the Path to Marijuana Reform dramatically overhauls cannabis regulations and taxes by treating the plant in similar fashion to alcohol and tobacco products. Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) introduced the legislation, which also addresses unfair practices largely affecting minorities, to the House of Representatives. Echoing Wyden’s remarks about the impact on people of color from the war on drugs, several experts offered perspective on the failed government policy. Journalist Amanda Chicago Lewis contrasted the war on drugs’ mass incarceration of people of color to white people’s relative clemency. Shifts in legislation, however, do not indicate the war is over, said Mowgli Holmes of Phylos Bioscience. “Now that those laws are being rolled back, a bunch of white people who already have a lot of money are coming in and making more,” said Holmes. Building economic and political power for black and brown communities is the mission of Hood Incubator,
a community-centered nonprofit organization. Lanese Martin shed some light on the economic inequality inherent within the cannabis industry. Full inclusion, she says, enables people of color to access the capital needed so they can become viable players in the cannabis industry. The double standard that plagues the industry’s taxation was decried by Wyden, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee. The federal government essentially has been infringing on states’ rights when it comes to cannabis industries, he said. “If you’re engaged in an activity that’s deemed as legal (in that state), you ought to be able to access the tax law,” he said. “What they’re really saying is they believe in states’ rights if they think the state is right.” An optimistic note concluded Wyden’s presentation, which drew parallels between current cannabis legislation and the Death with Dignity Act passed by Oregon voters. After the U.S. House of Representative scuttled the physician-assisted suicide law, it came to the United States Senate. “I was a pretty young U.S. Senator, recalled Wyden. I said, ‘You guys may think you can roll us because we’re small and we’re at the other end of the United States. If you think that’s the case, you better realize I’m going to go to my post and I’m going to talk for a long, long, long, long time.’ “We prevailed. And we are going to prevail in the days ahead because of the votes that were cast in Oregon, California and in states where folks didn’t think we would have the votes. So I think the march goes on. You’re on the right side of history.” The Oregon Justice Resource Center benefitted from the March 16 Toke Talks, sponsored by Oregon Cannabis Association, which is committed to restorative justice and creating an equitable industry. Future events include their fourth annual Washington, D.C. lobby, slated for June 6-7, to schedule strategic meetings with government officials.
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BY ANDREW MOUNT
Where would we be without community radio?
WHEN WE THINK OF INSTITUTIONS CENTRAL TO SOCIETY’S ADVANCEMENT, WE CANNOT IGNORE COMMUNITY RADIO. A very real distinction exists between the more widely known public radio and the aforementioned, singularly sovereign instrument of media. Public radio often is funded by quasi-corporate and government interests vested in the status quo to one extent or another, keeping it bound to conventional modes of social discourse. Independence from such influence, on the other hand, makes community radio capable of challenging every assumption we have about where we are headed as a civilization. One of the most enduring and dynamic community radio stations in Southern Oregon is KSKQ, 89.5 FM (Ashland) and 94.1 FM (Medford). A project of the Multicultural Association of Southern Oregon, the station has operated continuously on “volunteer power” since 2005. A large founding group of independent media enthusiasts sprung up spontaneously to support KSKQ’s birth. Some are still with the station 13 years later. As a rule, public radio stations are associated with National Public Radio (NPR) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which receives the majority of its funding from the federal government. The smallest station that can receive general funding from CPB must have a budget of at least $300,000. NPR affiliates have a much broader national and international focus than community radio. KSKQ itself lives in the shadow of Jefferson Public Radio, the geographically largest NPR affiliate in the country. Holding the license for KSKQ, the Multicultural Association of Southern Oregon was founded in 1994 to promote appreciation between cultures,
to fight against racism and other forms of discrimination. KSKQ was founded on a deep belief that the airwaves serve a public good by broadcasting voices that would not be heard on commercial radio. The station’s overarching commitment to social, economic and environmental justice grants grassroots organizations the opportunities to amplify their messages through public-service announcements, interviews, recordings and live broadcasts. Uniquely diverse programming generated by KSKQ’s broad array of hosts is insightful, poignant and regularly controversial. The first radio station to bring Amy Goodman’s “Democracy Now!” to the region, KSKQ is the only Pacifica Radio affiliate in the mythical State of Jefferson and for hundreds of miles in every direction. Although KSKQ plays many high-quality, syndicated shows from Pacifica and Public Radio Exchange, the basis of community radio is locally produced content — both music and talk. Community radio can empower local voices and highlight local issues. KSKQ is now taking this to the next level with its first crowdfunding campaign aimed at fostering both a local news department and greater community activism. Among the defining moments in KSKQ’s history: The station applied for a low-power FM construction permit in 2000, received it in December 2004, began web-streaming KSKQ content in 2005, received a 100-watt LPFM FCC license in November 2007 (the first community radio station in the Rogue Valley), received a construction permit for non-commercial educational license in 2008 and began broadcasting via propane generator from Table Rock above Hyatt Lake at 18 watts in June 2011.
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After a summer that volunteers spent digging a 165-foot-long, 30-inch-deep trench through solid rock and installing lightning grounding, KSKQ finally connected to grid power in December after the first disabling snowstorm. KSKQ at last reached its assigned full power of 560 watts in early 2012 after its “power to the tower” campaign enabled the purchase of digital transmitter equipment and specially tuned antenna. Without this proactive voice of community, passage of Jackson County’s landmark non-GMO ordinance would have been potentially problematic. Yet, partly as a result of KSKQ’s access to the airwaves, 66 percent of the electorate was enrolled in this triumph of social and environmental justice. As we approach an era of accelerated change on Earth, one that may reformulate the very foundations of social order, how will the voice of the people rise above the tumult? Satellites and Internet nodes are vulnerable to solar flares and global warfare. We even face legislative edicts that may undermine net neutrality and thus overall access to information. Local radio transmissions seldom are subject to such calamity. More to the point, when we are not asked to filter our information through the lens of corporate/consumer culture, a whole spectrum of new perspectives becomes available. The essential truth is this: Community radio is a creative commons that belongs to everyone. If you want to speak to the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon, you could today be heard on whatever topic you feel relevant to the times. The only caveat is that no one is permitted to marginalize people, demonize cultures or unfairly polarize the political climate while using this community resource. KSKQ does not discriminate between legitimate voices of social accord. Yet it has drawn the line at voices that might be perceived as overtly racist. Case in point: KSKQ confronted the potential violation of its charter when a popular programmer sought to address the question of Zionism as a global conspiracy. For perhaps predictable reasons, this was one show that, in the eyes of station management, could not air, and the program was “pre-empted.” Thus, a difficult decision was made, one that preserved some cultural sensibilities in the area, but ruffled more than a few
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fellow community-radio advocates. The programmer no longer is with the station. Societies undergo predictable cycles of evolution. After democracy follows the potential for totalitarianism if the principles of an egalitarian society are not preserved. If there are actual conspiracies behind the gross consumerism and eco-cidal tendencies of our political economy, they should be revealed unfailingly. Yet if community radio’s key function is to unite people under a banner of common vision, one would like to guard against any and all extremism in our speech. Many KSKQ programs are devoted to wholesystems solutions and practical changes that each of us can embrace more fully if supported by popular sentiment. Ultimately, the work of community radio is to keep society transparent to itself, helping to inform a consensus reality that will heal our lives. Without a safeguard against the deterioration of participatory democracy, which is of course wholly dependent upon people being informed by instruments of free speech, we are asking for trouble. If everything is reduced to a marketable quantity, what is information then but a tool of the corporate state? Political realities aside, we at the local level are directly served by greater access to a free flow of information about our communities. KSKQ believes it represents this voice in Southern Oregon. With a 100-strong volunteer force of programmers and manager/directors, this pioneering station has no fundamental bias but simply employs the airwaves to public benefit. What will it take to grow a deeper and more cohesive democracy in America? It will take less commercialism and more mutually supportive cooperation. If everything is denominated in dollars and cents, we cannot have a hopeful society. Instead, we redeem our ideals by keeping attuned to the wider voice of the people — always available on community radio. It is arguable that without community radio, there would be no mythical State of Jefferson. Wherever society wishes to evolve and flourish, there must be an unexpurgated, unfiltered, freely accessible well of truth(s). Let us commit to preserving this cornerstone of freedom in these propitious times. SEE KSKQ.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO LISTEN LIVE.
...the work of community radio is to keep society transparent to itself, helping to inform a consensus reality that will heal our lives.
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March for Marijuana PORTLAND A MAJOR HUB FOR INTERNATIONAL EVENT BY ART COSGROVE
CANNABIS FREEDOM
IS A GLOBAL CAUSE THAT DRAWS ENTHUSIASTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO PORTLAND.
The Global Cannabis March commences at noon Saturday, May 5, at downtown Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square, Also known as the Oregon Cannabis Festival, this annual expression of marijuana rights features speakers and bands all singing the praises — some literally — of cannabis and the people’s freedom to use it. Portland’s favorite, intentionally weed-infused group, Mack & Dub and the Smokin Section, headlines the festival. Mack & Dub’s Jay Mack, formerly of The U-Krew, is expected to speak about the movement to spread legalization and normalization to states that haven’t embraced marijuana as broadly as Oregon. “I was a rapper with The U-Krew, and Dub was an artist who had started a studio called Trillion Cuts,” recalls Mack of how the group started. Mack already is a member of the Oregon Music Hall of Fame for his contributions with The U-Krew, who had national charting hits in the burgeoning rap scene of the late ’80s and early ’90s. Mack and Dub got together at Portland’s World Famous Cannabis Cafe in 2010 and birthed the concept of a rap/funk/ soul band focused on promoting marijuana culture. “At this particular event, Madeline Martinez spoke,” recalls Mack. “And her words were so powerful and so meaningful, that as an artist I felt that I need to transcribe her words into music to get people out to vote, to legalize marijuana.” Martinez is a festival organizer and speaker who also heads Oregon’s chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. “We continue to march for freedom here in Oregon,” says Martinez of the event. “It was legalized a couple years ago, and now we’re sitting here with more roadblocks being put in front of our industry’s growth.” One of the main obstacles Martinez cites is the prohibition on using any form of cannabis anywhere in public, at any time. And unlike alcohol, which has a much more established and well-financed industry behind it, marijuana still can’t get even temporary licensing for major events, such as the march or dozens of industry happenings that take place all over Oregon and the West Coast. “We’re trying to create a space where we can be treated with dignity and respect — and consume cannabis out of public view,” says Martinez. More maddening for legal advocates is the fact that the Oregon Indoor Clean Air Act,
which went into effect in 2016, effectively killed the potential market for indoor vaping lounges — or any hope of actual smoking lounges — by making all vaping of any kind illegal in public spaces. This is a personal battle for Martinez, who founded the World Famous Cannabis Café, widely recognized as the first venue in the United States for publically enjoying cannabis. Open from 2009 to 2016, the cafe closed in response to the new indoor air-quality law. “Patients came there to utilize their cannabis in a group and enjoy some entertainment,” says Martinez of the Cafe. “The Indoor Clean Air Act stops me from having a business.” When Martinez got involved with the Global Cannabis March and Festival in 1999, it was called the Million Marijuana March, organized primarily from the East Coast. It now goes on in over 200 cities across the world, with its main goal the removal of cannabis from the federal government’s schedule of controlled substances, where it’s currently Schedule I, denoting no medicinal value whatsoever. “And we all know that it’s a wonderful medicine, a medicine for our bodies and for our planet,” says Martinez. In addition to Mack & Dub and the Smokin Section, the musical lineup also features the eclectic and soulful Portland band Gaea, a three piece with strings and vocals that is hard to classify and a perfect fit for the melange of social missions and societal visions gathering at the festival. “Music has a way of breaking color barriers; it’s always been a part of every revolution and every real movement in America,” says Mack of his plans for the band, his speech and the whole event. “Artists are always able to find that one common ground — and it’s music.” The Oregon Cannabis Festival is from noon to 5 p.m. at S.W. Sixth and Morrison streets in downtown Portland.
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CARL SAGAN from beyond the‘Cosmos’ BY LEAF BARRET
templat ion “If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.” … OK, that guy must have been stoned! Some of you may remember the noteworthy — or notorious — Carl Sagan. For others of you, this may be your first brush with the name. So who was this man deciphering infinite intricacies in a humble slice of apple pie? For me, Sagan verged on what kids today would consider cruel and unusual punishment! LOL! The year was 1980, when my father would tune into the PBS series “Cosmos” each and every Friday night, 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, for 13 weeks! Needless to say, at the age of 8, I was bored beyond the cosmos! The show itself was both futuristic and informative
— like nothing ever before seen at the time. Each episode focused on a subject or person, demonstrating the synergy of the universe. “Cosmos” covered a wide range of scientific subjects, including the origin of life and a perspective of humans’ place on Earth. The most widely watched series in American public television history, “Cosmos” was released in 2000 as a remastered set of DVDs, in case you want to pick it up and see for yourself. Now new generations of kids can be bored by the show that, with the force of a rocket launch, propelled me from the room. Never mind that “Cosmos” captivated at least 500 million viewers across 60 different countries. www.weedaficionadomag.com
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“The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly
mad and
dangerous world.” To accompany the series, Sagan published the book “Cosmos,” one of more than 20 literary titles to his credit. “Billions and Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium” is the last book Sagan wrote shortly before his 1996 death of pneumonia. Born in 1934 in Brooklyn, N.Y., Sagan was an astronomer, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist and author in the fields of astronomy and other natural sciences. Yet he is best known for his work as a science popularizer and communicator. Among his accomplishments — which seem almost as numerous as the stars themselves — are the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, the National Academy of Sciences Public Welfare Medal, the Pulitzer Prize, two Emmy Awards, the Peabody Award and the Hugo Award. His most well-known scientific contribution is research on extraterrestrial life, including experimental demonstration of the production of amino acids from basic chemicals by radiation. Sagan assembled the first tangible messages sent into space: the Pioneer plaques and the Voyager Golden Record, universal missives that potentially could be understood by any extraterrestrial intelligence that might encounter them. Sagan argued the now-accepted hypothesis that the high surface temperatures of Venus can be attributed to and calculated using the greenhouse effect. All this is to say: If Sagan was such a space buff, how did he get so close to the cosmos without traveling there? Greenhouse effect … weed … OK … makes sense now! Yes, Sagan was a huge weed aficionado! “The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world.” Sagan’s words only ring more true today. At least some of Sagan’s genius was influenced by, if not attributed to, smoking marijuana. Before he went public as a smoker, he extolled the virtues of pot under a pseudonym, Mr. X. Sources close to Sagan later revealed that he likely used cannabis nearly every day and almost certainly made breakthroughs in scientific thought while stoned. “It all began about 10 years ago,” Sagan wrote. “I had
reached a considerably more relaxed period in my life — a time when I had come to feel that there was more to living than science, a time of awakening of my social consciousness and amiability, a time when I was open to new experiences. I had become friendly with a group of people who occasionally smoked cannabis, irregularly, but with evident pleasure. Initially, I was unwilling to partake, but the apparent euphoria that cannabis produced and the fact that there was no physiological addiction to the plant eventually persuaded me to try. My initial experiences were entirely disappointing; there was no effect at all, and I began to entertain a variety of hypotheses about cannabis being a placebo which worked by expectation and hyperventilation rather than by chemistry. After about five or six unsuccessful attempts, however, it happened. “I was lying on my back in a friend’s living room idly examining the pattern of shadows on the ceiling cast by a potted plant (not cannabis!). I suddenly realized that I was examining an intricately detailed miniature Volkswagen, distinctly outlined by the shadows. I was very skeptical at this perception and tried to find inconsistencies between Volkswagens and what I viewed on the ceiling. But it was all there, down to hubcaps, license plate, chrome and even the small handle used for opening the trunk. “When I closed my eyes, I was stunned to find that there was a movie going on the inside of my eyelids. Flash … a simple country scene with red farmhouse, a blue sky, white clouds, yellow path meandering over green hills to the horizon … Flash … same scene, orange house, brown sky, red clouds, yellow path, violet fields … Flash … Flash … Flash. The flashes came about once a heartbeat. Each flash brought the same simple scene into view, but each time with a different set of colors … exquisitely deep hues and astonishingly harmonious in their juxtaposition. “Since then I have smoked occasionally and enjoyed it thoroughly. It amplifies torpid sensibilities and produces what to me are even more interesting effects … ” The effect of Sagan’s mind on science and popular understanding — childhood memories, aside — is undeniable. In the Sagan equation, the value of cannabis may not be quantifiable, yet it’s cosmically profound.
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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
SHANGO BRAND KEEPS GIVING BACK By Virginia Martino
CHARITABLE GIVING PROJECTS that go hand in hand with a global brand define Shango Premium Cannabis. The network of dispensaries has forged partnerships with nonprofit groups benefitting veterans and breast cancer patients. A strong connection to the communities they serve inspired Shango’s Oregon stores to “adopt” their local VFW organizations. Among the numerous efforts to support breast cancer survivors, Shango selected local groups that help women and men directly. “We are dedicated to becoming part of the community where we do business,” said Brandon Rexroad, Shango founder and chief executive officer. “We have determined that the largest community impact lies in assisting veterans groups and those fighting breast cancer.” Representing the vital force compelling people to live with joy and intensity, the Shango mythical icon signifies passion, intelligence, wealth and masculine beauty. He is the “owner” of the drums, music, dance and entertainment. Shango translates to “Sky Father,” an African warrior king who became the god of lightning, thunder and fire in the Yoruba religion. His name combines the words “shan,” which means “to strike hard,” and “go,” which means “to bewilder.” His symbol is the double-headed axe, representing swift and balanced justice. SHANGO CORE BRAND IDENTITY Offering quality medical and recreational products, the Shango brand’s fundamental characteristics are its humanity and authenticity. Shango is licensed to a full range of award-winning cannabis products, including
flower, extracts and cannabis-infused edibles, produced by select cultivators and processors in Oregon, Nevada and Washington. In the spirit of traditional cannabis culture, some of Shango’s flower names reflect each strain’s horticultural heritage, providing experienced consumers with a known frame of reference for strain characteristics and effects. The Shango brand also is licensed to six full-service recreational and medical cannabis dispensaries in Oregon and Nevada. Shango creates its own state-tested THC and CBD offerings and also carries reputable brands in a framework that delivers top-shelf products. A recognized leader in the cannabis marketplace and industry, Shango sets the highest standards for product quality and consistency, as well as business conduct. Shango is committed to cannabis education and is an active advocate of the safe and responsible use of cannabis products. Shango’s proprietary cultivation and processing methods often vastly improve generic strains. Shango edible and topical product names and packaging are created to compete for optimal retail shelf space with other national brands in confections, baked goods, health and beauty. Comprehensive descriptions of Shango’s flower, extract, edible, topical and vapingcartridge products also differentiate them from others in the marketplace. With products from strategic partners such as Chong’s Choice Cannabis, Neuro XPF and Mary’s Medicinals, the Shango menu expands to include distinguished and proven products currently available. “Building this kind of trusted brand is essential for
significant, long-term growth, profitability and return on investment in any industry, especially in the cannabis industry,” Rexroad said. “Most cannabis companies are unable to venture beyond their local or statewide marketplaces. Few have the vision and commitment to empower expansion into multiple state markets. Since its inception, all of our brand’s development, production, product, marketing and sales strategies and tactics have been designed and driven to serve the same primary objectives.” With that reach, Shango has become America’s first multifaceted national cannabis brand. This valued product base combined with the strength of community connections is the true measure of Shango’s enterprise. SHANGO CBD PRODUCTS Shango also is developing a complete CBD product line to diversify its portfolio and take advantage of emerging conditions in the American marketplace. There is a rapidly growing mainstream consumer awareness and acceptance of cannabidiol (CBD) and other non-psychoactive cannabinoids derived from cannabis plants, especially industrial hemp, as effective therapeutic agents for treating a wide range of physical and medical conditions. U.S. federal legislation known as The Farm Bill of
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2014 made it legal to sell CBD derived from industrial hemp in all 50 states. Unlike Shango’s THC cannabis products, which currently can be sold only in Oregon, Nevada, Washington and our emerging California and Michigan markets, Shango CBD will be able to capitalize on the enormous potential of this consumer trend in a truly national, even global market through local, regional and internet distribution. OREGON VETERANS GROUPS Shango’s Oregon stores, in addition to “adopting” their community VFW organizations, also support a cannabis group that employs veterans to grow cannabis for veterans. Shango Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Harold and Win Sivers adopted their local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) posts. Shango Molalla adopted Veterans Cannabis Collective (VCC). “Shango is committed to helping the men and women whose military service and personal sacrifices have protected our nation and our freedom. Many of our veterans suffer from medical conditions related to their service,” Rexroad said. “We are gratified that our products provide effective treatment and relief for many of these conditions. We are also honored that so many veterans choose Shango for their medical cannabis needs.” The five Shango Premium Cannabis dispensaries
in the Portland area collaborated to give more than $3,000 to two VFW groups and one national veteran’s cannabis organization as part of its Veterans Day fundraising efforts. Shango Premium Cannabis dispensaries in Oregon are located at Shango Forest Grove, 3821 Pacific Ave., Building A, Forest Grove; Shango Harold, 8056 S.E. Harold St., (Located at 82nd and Foster), Portland; Shango Hillsboro, 1775 S.E. Tualatin Valley Highway, Building A, Hillsboro; Shango Molalla, 109 W. Main St., Molalla; and Shango Win Sivers, 6033 N.E. Win Sivers Drive (by the airport), Portland. Store contributions have helped rebuild the roof on the Hillsboro VFW Hall and fund a Portland VFW’s program for elementary, middle- and high-school students. The Molalla giving program also helped empower VCC to create a hemp farm that will provide transitional therapy for veterans as they return to civilian life. The Hillsboro and Forest Grove locations’ donated funds from sales paid for a new roof for VFW Hillsboro Post 2666. “ This will go a long way toward completing the job,” said Dan Fink, post commander. Fink said not only was the donation a welcome sight, but some of the vets from the post have since tried the non-psychoactive CBD tinctures sold at Shango dispensaries.
“A couple guys tried the CBD roll-on for some knee problems, and I think you picked up some new customers,” Fink said. “Now we have the understanding that it is not marijuana and you don’t have to smoke it. I think there is a tremendous market for CBD products.” Fink said the federal government needs to change the way cannabis is treated by the Food and Drug Administration. “The government needs to quit making it a Schedule I drug,” he said. “It’s stupid.” Shango’s Harold and Win Sivers locations teamed up to help fund the writing contest and teacher awards at Patriot’s Pen Middle School and Voice of Democracy High School, sponsored by Peninsula Pep VFW Post 1325. The program was judged by students from University of Portland. “The money will help a lot,” said Bruce Hall, post commander. The Shango dispensary in Molalla raised funds for VCC in New York for their new hemp farm that will be run by veterans for veterans. VCC founder Mark Dipasquale said the donation will go toward the farm, as well as toward transition therapy for vets. “Getting them on the farm and getting them to work is highly important to us,” Dipasquale. The VCC farm will be located in Rochester, N.Y. The group also is opening a chapter soon in Portland. Dipasquale
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“WE ARE DEDICATED TO BECOMING PART OF THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE DO BUSINESS ...” said the group just received its nonprofit status and the Shango donation was the first it has received as a national nonprofit group. “We branded VCC for vets, and it’s all about veterans,” Dipasquale said. “We’re excited that Shango sees something special in us.” “We are committed to helping veteran’s groups wherever we can,” Rexroad said. “We want all vets to know they can come to us for relief of the many maladies they face. We know the help our products can provide vets, and we want to educate them as well as support their endeavors to help other local veterans.” BREAST FRIENDS The perseverance of Shango’s owners in the Portland area paid off for the Breast Friends charity, beneficiaries of a check for $6,264.50 from sales of pink merchandise for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. After being turned down by three national breast cancer charities, the owners of five Shango dispensaries turned to Breast Friends, a smaller national group based in Tigard. “We’ve gotten a whole new perspective for cannabis,” said Breast Friends co-founder Becky Olson. Shango owners representing five area dispensaries presented the check from pink merchandise sales at the Breast Friends annual open house. The group was celebrating receiving funds of nearly $30,000 from October events. The money will go toward support services. “It was fabulous,” Olson said of the event. “I could not believe how big that check was both in physical size and the amount it was. That was incredible. We are so thankful. It was quite the surprise, and they sent a large contingent to deliver it.” Breast Friends believes that no woman should go
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through the cancer experience alone. Unfortunately, it happens. Women without friends and family nearby often fail to receive the kind of emotional, spiritual or physical support they need. “If you want to do something to help breast cancer, we should look everywhere,” Olson said. “We’re happy to become partners with Shango. We would love to make this a permanent relationship.” “This was an amazing opportunity for Shango to be able to help out a charity with the foresight to recognize the potential benefits of medical cannabis for both pre- and post-surgery situations.” said Julie Dubocq, controller at Shango. “We admire their courage and plan on working with them as partners in helping those who need it most. If someone fighting cancer needs special attention, we will give it to them,” Dubocq said. Breast Friends also has taken a pro-cannabis approach during their weekly internet radio show. “There is so much of a misconception out there about marijuana, and it was sad for me that some tuned out, but in the end it was awesome that so many did. We’re going to make even more strides with awareness of therapies to turn to,” Olson said. Olson said the show draws 10,000 to 15,000 downloads a month to the web outlet VoiceAmerica. com, a health and wellness channel. Shango representatives have been guests on the show. “Breast Friends’ mission is helping women survive the trauma of cancer one friend at a time,” said Allison Hancock, event and volunteer coordinator for the Oregon chapter. “We are thankful for the support that Shango is giving to Breast Friends to raise awareness and help us continue to offer services and programs to women who are going through the cancer journey.” See www.goshango.com for more information.
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deep
thoughts BY
LEAF BARRET
Leaf on Labels IF YOU HAVE WALKED into an Oregon dispensary lately, you may have walked out feeling very confused after reading your cannabis product’s label. The worst part of this experience: The budtender was just as confused while trying to explain the dosage. For example, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission states that recreational marijuana products cannot exceed 50 milligrams of THC. But we just purchased a product that indicates 110 milligrams in the bottle. OK … How is that possible? …Say it’s 400 milligrams non-medical, but when you break down the serving and dosage sizes, you count only 109.5 milligrams in the bottle — that same bottle claiming 110 milligrams! This is fine if we’re talking estimates, but if we expect a truly accurate number, this does not compute. That brings us back to our first unanswered question: How can the OLCC impose a rule that recreational products can’t exceed 50 milligrams? Yet we see a slew of newer items that have more THC than other, similar products. It’s very confusing! Not to mention it gives some of us the feeling of being “duped” by embellished labels. With all this being said, here is what to expect from OLCC products in the marketplace. (These standards may change next week … LOL!)
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EDIBLES: 5 milligrams of THC per serving with a maximum 50 milligrams of THC in the product. Topicals: 6 percent THC per volume (Still confused? So are we!) TINCTURES: 1,000 milligrams of THC per “bottle” maximum … which is how some can claim over 400 milligrams on the recreational side. It’s allowing for more servings. CAPSULES: 10 milligrams of THC per serving, not to exceed 100 milligrams (no, this is not medical) … Still confused? You don’t chew a capsule, so this makes it OK … EXTRACTS (THC): 1,000 milligrams with no serving size required, but there is no cartridge out there allowing for that level of THC, so if you see anything that big, BUY IT! Take a photo! And email it to me!! OLCC labels imply classification as edibles of products that simply are not; they’re tinctures and/or capsules. Be sure to read the labels and ask questions if you’re confused. So many of us are. So don’t feel bad.
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WeedFlections WeedFlections BY
RICK CIPES
Mark your calendar for cannabis celebrations all year IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN, 420 Day approaching, and
you’re probably wondering: What’s that all about? Where the hell did that come from? What’s the story behind it? And I’m here to say: Who f-ing cares, been done to death, take your Google to another page for that answer. I’m here to provide you with a list of NEW, super-duper, possible 420 holidays. Because what kind of religion only gets one f-ing holiday a year?! Take a toke, pass go and read on, Kemosabe. BRING YOUR BONG TO WORK DAY Sure, every day should be Bring Your Bong to Work Day, but can we start with just one? I’m guessing some hipster, tech startup already has this written into policy. However we have yet to see it in writing — or action. It would be really simple: You don’t bring a bong to work, you don’t get paid that day and you have to watch all the other “model” employees sit around on their bean-bag chairs comparing load size. A strict BYOM (Bring Your Own Munchies) policy also would be in effect. We can’t think of anything better to build morale at the local bank. POTHEAD REMEMBRANCE DAY Simple concept. No getting high for one whole day so you can remember WTF you did that day. Yes, sometimes holidays can be painful (see: family dysfunction and Santa Claus caught banging all his reindeer). DANK WEED BUYBACK DAY By now it’s pretty obvious that there aren’t going to be too many gun buyback days in the good ol’ USA. But what about a day to sell back all the crappy weed we got from the local dealers and dispensaries? Ya know, the “organic” shit saturated with pesticides that make your heart go thumpa-thumpa-thumpa in the night! A curse on your pot farm! BLACK FRIED DAY OK, this has NOTHING to do with race, and it falls on the same day as Black Friday. But the f*ck if you’re getting out of bed at 4 a.m. for a chance to get stampeded to death at Walmart. Does anyone know how much turkey you ate last night, how much dope you smoked and what kind of liberties were taken? I’m sleeping in. F*ck off.
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ST. POTHEAD DAYS Do we really need another St. Paddy’s Day in the States? I mean, are there like four Irish here? Instead, we need a day to immortalize our heroes: Jack Herer, Cheech and Chong, Snoop Lion (Dog, or whatever the f*ck he’s going by this week) and Carrot Top. I just like throwing in Mr. Top for any punch line. Try it — it never fails to elicit a laugh. Tee-hee. NATIONAL GET YOUR CAT HIGH DAY This is one of our favorites because not only will it chill all the snobby little felines the f*ck out, but the skateboarding cat videos on YouTube will get so much more creative! “Watch this ollie off that mountaintop, dude. Spot me if I go over.” 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
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Head shop owner wants to colonize a nationwide dynasty THE DREAM JOB that I never knew I wanted has been mine for the past year. Every day I go into The Bee Dynasty, turn on the lights, wipe down the glass cabinets and light some incense to set the mood. I proudly prance around looking at all the beautiful pieces we have found all over the country. I have customers who admire all that we have. When I first started remodeling The Bee Dynasty, it was a lot of work, and we started on a small budget. But I envisioned a welcoming, bright and captivating store. I envisioned all the beautiful pieces I would have and imagined happy customers in love with everything about it. I want my customers to feel like they can hang out and take the time they want to admire every piece and find the right one. The funny and sad thing is: glass breaks. Although that’s good for me, I wanted to give customers a 15-percent discount when they bring in broken pieces. There’s just one catch: You have to let us take a picture of you sad and distraught with your broken glass. Then once you select your new piece, we take a happy after picture. It has been a lot of fun, and the customers seem to value their purchases more. Because some of our customers elsewhere in the country are not eligible for this discount, we still customize the sales experience for them. We want our customers nationwide to have the same rewards, so opening more stores all over the nation is a top priority. Just like a colony of bees, The Bee Dynasty is a family and team working hard together and for each other. I may be the Queen Bee, but I could not run my Dynasty without all my worker bees. The goal is to have multiple Dynasties throughout the country — with each Dynasty having its own queen bee. Trust me: There is some serious interest. Each location will have a selection of glass that The Bee Dynasty is known to have, a certain look and feel, as well as top-notch customer service. When a customer wants to see a piece, we take it out and make sure they know everything about it. When you present a piece like it’s a million dollars, even if it’s $10, they can’t help but feel excited about it, too! Selling CBD is an honor. So we decided that we would only carry the best, as well as our own line of CBD products that will launch this summer! Queen Bee CBD
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products will be a part of each Bee Dynasty franchise. CBD is a huge medical benefit, and it is legal in all states, meaning we can help many people. In my opinion, that’s what owning a head shop is about! My shop is a safe place to talk about cannabis and ask questions about CBD. A lot of people still have so much to learn about the benefits and are still in fear of the unknown. The more we can educate our communities, the more accessible it is and the more the health of our community improves. I want to ensure that the CBD products we carry in our stores are top-quality — and actually work. There are many CBD products on the market right now. As an Instagram influencer and promoter, I have seen and tried so many. I have been able to feel the difference between good-quality and poor-quality CBD, so it is very important to me that we do it correctly — that people can depend on our product to help them get through their day. The Bee Dynasty is a brand. We have apparel that I print in house, and our logo is distinctive — bold and beautiful. Proudly standing guard over our building, it’s on the door, business cards and apparel. So when you buy into the Dynasty, you are getting a full package! I am so excited to get my first five going in the next five years. That’s my goal, and I am committed to making it happen! Who knows? Maybe one day you will own your Dynasty, and together we will make our colony bigger.
... it is very important to me that we do it correctly — that people can depend on our product to help them get through their day. 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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