Feb. 2013 — Issue #32

NORTHWEST LEAF THE PATIENT’S VOICE

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february 2013 Issue #32

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growtech guide 24 medical strains P.64

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NORTHWEST LEAF

contents

FEBRUARY 2013

EMAIL NWLEAF@GMAIL.COM VISIT THENORTHWESTLEAF.COM LIKE US FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

26

38

64

PROFILE PROFILE

30

SAUL RAMOS is only 19 but has already learned an unfortunate fact of life: things aren’t fair. The authorized medical marijuana patient,

18

Security in Access Points

48

Tasty Recipes

26

Burning Prohibition

58

Review: Concentrate

NATIONAL NEWS..................10 QUOTED............................15 SAFETY-N-SECURITY.............18 BURNING PROHIBITION...........26 MOVING GUIDE ...................36 REAL ESTATE ..........................38 TASTY RECIPES........................48 FULL MELT DABS...................58 DEVICE OF THE MONTH.........60 STRAIN GUIDE.......................64 GLAUCOMA......................82 BEHIND THE STRAIN...............86

36

Patient Moving Guide

66

Dr. Rose’s Column

COVER & CONTENTS PHOTOS

9

who lives in an isolated area outside Wenatchee was caught by police with a gram of marijuana. Actually, he offered it up at a routine traffic stop. An aggressive prosecutor refuses to drop the case outright, even though county after county across this state have done exactly that.

You Are What You Eat

40

A plea for industry self-regulation

After robberies, changing procedures A memorial to Drug War’s victims

What to look for, and what not to ask

60

44

Strain of the Month Sneak peek of NWLeaf Calendar!

Have a special Valentine’s Day

Full-melt bubble hash you can dab

How marijuana helps glaucoma

Daniel Berman/Northwest Leaf

FEBRUARY 2013 LIKE US AT Facebook.com/nwleaf

TO ADVERTISE IN OR DISPLAY US CALL WES ABNEY 206.235.6721 OR EMAIL NWLEAF@GMAIL.COM

editor’s note TO OUR READERS, Thanks for picking up the 32nd issue of Northwest Leaf!

64 PERUSE OUR 14-PAGE STRAIN GUIDE in this month’s Growtech, with plenty of insight interesting history and commentary by Northwest Leaf contributor Dr. Scanderson. Enjoy!

the truth about the plant you thought you knew, every issue. founder & editor-in-chief

Wes Abney photographer & designer

Daniel Berman contributors kirk ericso n Ray Flores Tyler Markwart kENDRA MORGAN Dr. Scanderson DR. SCOTT D. ROSE

8/feb. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

We hope you will choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year with a little green, as opposed to the traditional options.

Nothing says love like a little Northwest Cannabis.

To celebrate all the quality local strains we put together a stunning strain guide, featuring 24 varieties in stunning macro photography.

Each strain has a unique profile, including growing tips for those trying to decide which strains to run in 2013.

On a more serious note this issue also shares the story of Casey Lee, the owner of Lacey Cross who was robbed at gunpoint on New Years Day. We also cover several recent Seattle robberies, and the steps owners are taking to prevent future incidents. The article includes important security tips for both patients and access points.

Reporter Ray Flores brings us the intense story of Saul Ramos Sanchez, a 19-year-old patient currently facing charges for possession of a single gram of Cannabis. Even as prosecutors across the state have dropped charges for recreational possession, this young man’s future is uncertain over a medicine he was legally authorized to have. Look for the story starting on page 30.

You’ll also find sweet Valentines recipes for those medicated home Chefs, and a cool tutorial on how to make homemade hemp, almond, or other nut-based milks.

Dr. Rose tackles the glaucoma and medical Cannabis connection, and we share the cause of Myo Mr. Kiefbox to “Burn Prohibition.” And for the dabbers, check out our Concentrate of the Month. It might not be what you’d expect, but it definitely exceeds expectations.

Enjoy the issue, and enjoy the safe access that we patients have to medical Cannabis. It truly is a blessing.

As always, thanks for reading and supporting Northwest Leaf.

If you have questions, comments, or even critiques we look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to reach out at facebook.com/nwleaf or email us at nwleaf@gmail.com.

-WES ABNEY // FOUNDER & EDITOR

opinion

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT For patient safety, our industr y must self-regulate what goes into all those medibles

BY KENDRA MORGAN FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

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hile visiting local access points, I have encountered a wide array of products, many of which contain the harmful preservatives listed below. These products may be given to patients with cancer, terminal illnesses or already weakened immune systems. But this is a mistake.

-SODIUM BENZOATE

combined with Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C): Alone, both preservatives are relatively harmless, but in combination, they create the harmful compound “benzene” — the same cancerous, carcinogen-containing chemical found in Naphtha, Butane, etc.

-PROPYLENE GLYCOL

(aka α-propylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,2-Dihydroxypropane, methyl ethyl glycol [MEG], methylethylene glycol, PG, Sirlene, Dowfrost).

This harmful preservative is a by-product of Di-Propylene Glycol, which is the main ingredient of Anti-Freeze and is highly toxic. It has been linked to developmental and reproductive issues — as well as cancer.

It is used in big business to cut corners because it is extremely inexpensive. It’s also a product of waste. Of some edibles I have come across, Propylene Glycol has been listed as one of the first few on the list, meaning it contains more Propylene Glycol per fluid ounce than, for example, sugar.

-POORLY PURGED HASH OILS:

Cannabis-infused butter is quickly becoming a thing of the past, and this has resulted in people making the switch to using hash oils to infuse their product.

So many products out there contain BHO,

but if that BHO has not been vacuum purged (and ideally cleaned up with ethanol, as well) chances are patients are consuming trace amounts, if not more, of cancer-causing chemicals.

Over time, this build-up of Benzene and other chemicals can be extremely harmful.

The former television host Montell Williams has spoken out about how the BHO he had purchased from dispensaries in California actually made his conditions quite worse.

Cannabis has such amazing healing properties. It’s such a shame that some vendors insist on tainting the products they send out just to save a couple dollars here and there.

This is often done to make their products

as the Department of Health and Department of Agriculture won’t touch our industry with a ten-foot pole. Solvent-less products are the future of this industry, and for that demand to be met, patients must make a stand. The same goes for preservatives that only the most evil, largest corporations use simply because they want higher profits.

P

atients are putting their trust into vendors to actually care for them and their safety by producing safe, law-abiding products.

No regulation is being enforced, no one is checking if the preservatives are within legal limits, these kitchens aren’t inspected, and neither is the Cannabis material.

This is of course due to the lack of regulation and conflicting state and federal laws, but from the patients I’ve spoken with, almost no one even knows that there is no watchful eye making sure everything is being safely administered.

Even some of the budtenders and owners of collectives I have spoken with have no idea about the harms of these chemicals, and it scares me to think of how many patients are in the same boat. If people are trying to make conscious decisions to accurately and organically heal themselves, they should actually be doing so.

CANNABIS HAS SUCH AMAZING HEALING PROPERTIES. IT’S SUCH A SHAME THAT SOME VENDORS INSIST ON TAINTING THE PRODUCTS THEY SEND OUT JUST TO SAVE A COUPLE DOLLARS HERE AND THERE. last indefinitely, but, really translates into maximizing profits solely at the expense of patients’ health.

I am hoping this letter will help to shed light into these issues, as many patients blindly trust the quality control of these collectives and access points. There are so many naturally-derived preservatives and alternatives to be used in producing top-notch concentrates that there is no need for cancer causing compounds in our industry.

We need a medical marijuana community that is well-informed, and that executes selfregulation from within our own community,

KENDRA MORGAN is co-owner & lead baker at Sensi-Sweets, a Seattle-based medible company.

She says she is excited for the future of MMJ. GOT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SAY? EMAIL US! NWLEAF@GMAIL.COM

OF SOME EDIBLES I HAVE COME ACROSS, PROPYLENE GLYCOL HAS BEEN LISTED AS ONE OF THE FIRST FEW INGREDIENTS, MEANING IT CONTAINS MORE PROPYLENE GLYCOL PER FLUID OUNCE THAN, FOR EXAMPLE, SUGAR. feb. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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national

STORIES BY NORTHWEST LEAF STAFF V E R M O N T

MAINE

R.I

PENNSYLVANIA

MISSOURI HAWAII

6 MORE STATES HOPING TO LEGALIZE RECREATIONAL USE PROPOSED INITIATIVES MIMIC WASHINGTON’S I-502; ALLOW POSSESSION OF UP TO AN OUNCE FOR THOSE OVER 21

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ix states this month are hoping to move forward with legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Hawaii, Maine, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Missouri and Vermont are the latest states wishing to join Washington and Colorado with their progressive takes on marijuana. Many of the states already have medicinal marijuana programs.

In Hawaii, House Bill 150 would legalize possession for those older than 21 for up to 1 ounce of Cannabis for recreational use. The bill would allow for cultivation and manufacturing centers, and the licensing of retail outlets — an unknown territory our own state is exploring under Initiative 502.

A poll released last month from the ACLU of Hawaii found nearly 60 percent of Hawaiians supported taxing and regulating marijuana, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

In Maine, Democratic Rep. Dianne Russell introduced a bill that would also legalize and tax marijuana. “Why can’t we be bringing this market to the white market, out of the black market, and out of the hands of the drug dealers?” Russell told the Portland (Maine) PressHerald. Russell said legalizing marijuana would raise revenue for higher education, law enforcement and a dwindling general budget.

Of course, Rhode Island legalized medicinal use of marijuana in 2006, but after more than six years, not a single dispensary has opened up, the Boston Globe reported. Legislators

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have been entangled in endless debate.

In Missouri, a statewide group called Show-Me Cannabis Regulation is inching closer to getting their referendum to legalize marijuana for people older than 21 on the 2014 ballot. The group’s spokesman, John Payne, told a Missouri TV debate audience that marijuana has tremendous medicinal properties, but they didn’t want to rely on a medicinal approach

“WE’VE BEEN TRYING THE SAME POLICY FOR 75 YEARS. IT HAS NOT CONTROLLED THE USE OF MARIJUANA IN ANY WAY.” -JOHN PAYNE, of Show-Me Cannabis Regulation, which backs legalizing marijuana in Missouri. in pitching the referendum to voters.

“Yes, when people use it recreationally, that’s not always the best thing for them. But, as adults, they should have the freedom to make their own choices.”

Payne says he believes stricter regulations have done nothing to curtail the use of marijuana in this country, which has shown an increasing appetite for the substance. He said it is remarkable that teen use of cigarettes, a controlled and legalized substance, continues to fall, while marijuana use is on the rise.

“We’ve been trying the same policy for 75 years,” he said. “It has not controlled the use of marijuana in any way.”

In Vermont, new decriminalization legislation would allow for possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana, with civil fines capped at $100 per incident for underage marijuana smokers.

A fifth incident would allow for a $500 fine.

Last month in Pennsylvania, Democratic state Sen. Daylin Leach introduced legislated that would legalize marijuana for those older than 21, regulating it “like alcohol,” while adding in fines for public intoxication, selling marijuana to minors and driving under the influence.

“Like alcohol, legalization and regulation will make marijuana safer,” Leach told the CBS station in Pittsburgh. “People will no longer have to buy it on the streets from criminals who may have laced their product with other dangerous drugs. People buying legally will know exactly what they are getting and be able to rely on the safety of what they are purchasing.”

Leach’s news release notes that about 25,000 people are arrested for marijuana possession alone in Pennsylvania annually, at a cost of more than $325 million.

The number of arrests nationwide is close to 200,000 annually, according to NORML. Remarked Leach, “This horrific policy must end. People around the nation are realizing that. And it is a moral imperative that Pennsylvania wake up and end prohibition now.”

FEDERAL CHALLENGE? GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE GOES TO WASHINGTON TO FIND OUT WHAT THE FEDS WILL DO ABOUT I-502’S UNPRECEDENTED REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

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ashington’s newly elected governor concluded that the state should continue in its efforts to implement the new rules, policies and framework established under Initiative 502 after a discussion with Attorney General Eric Holder.

Gov. Jay Inslee and Wash. Attorney General Bob Ferguson met with Holder in D.C. last month in an attempt to clear up a persistent question: Will the feds really shut down the regulatory framework that I-502 hopes to bring mainstream?

Inslee told The Seattle Times that the trio’s 45-minute conversation was “very satisfying” and a “confidence builder.” “We went in thinking we should continue with rule-making and nothing I heard should dissuade us,” Inslee said. All the same, Holder did not indicate that the Department of Justice would refrain from shuttering I-502 or crack down on it in some other way.

The Times reported that Inslee did not “press” Holder for a direct or real answer because he said he felt further, more involved discussions would take place in the near future.

“We made it very clear that while we’re moving forward, deadlines are coming up soon. I think Attorney General Holder understood that we’d need guidance in months to come,” Ferguson said.

At issue for the Department of Justice, as well as Inslee, is preventing the distribution of this new legal marijuana into bordering states, or even out of the country. Inslee has proposed a digital tracking system at each step of the cultivation and distribution process.

“We spent some time talking about how the initiative would work, how the regulatory process would work. He listened with great interest, and I appreciated that,” Inslee said.

Washington’s Liquor Control Board is tasked with inWE WENT IN THINKING WE SHOULD stituting the new rules. The board has planned five meetCONTINUE WITH RULE-MAKING ings where the public can comment on how it hopes AND NOTHING I HEARD SHOULD the rules will be implemented. The first two meetings have featured overflow crowds, all calling for their difDISSUADE US,” INSLEE TO LD ferent ideas of how the system should look to be heard.

THE SEATTLE TIMES. If the feds do try to shut down I-502’s framework, Ferguson said his office will prepare its best legal case to stand up for the will of Washington voters.

“I said we want to avoid a legal fight,” Ferguson recounted during a news conference after the meeting with Holder. “We want to find a pathway forward. But if it comes to it, the Washington Attorney General’s Office will be prepared for a legal fight.”

A landmark case to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule 1 drug, meaning it has no medical value, was rejected in a 2-1 vote by the U.S. Court of Appeals late last month. Medical marijuana advocates have said they will appeal the ruling to the nation’s highest court.

Quick Hits!

19 5 44

number of marijuana growing facilities an Alaska Man was sentenced to 10- years in federal prison for operating, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

Nanograms per militer of THC allowed in the blood college athletes, under a new N.C.A.A policy.

That’s down from 15 ng/ml of THC previously.

percent of Arizona voters that say they approve of the state’s medical marijuana program, that’s according to the Camp Verde Bugle, which notes that only 15 percent of voters there do not support the law.

2 1

votes to 1 by the U.S. Court of Appeals to reject a lawsuit that would have removed marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, or a drug with no medical use.

Number of distributions out of 6 the law calls for in New Jersey that are actually open after three years. The Garden State continues to move slowly in implementing the state’s MMJ program. Officials have said that getting the whole thing going is a “daunting task.”

300

fine for public smoking or consumption of marijuana in Wilmington, Massachusetts, as compared to the $100 fine for mere possession of an ounce or less of marijuana, Patch.com wrote.

12

number of pages in a guide sent out by Texas NORML officials in an attempt to persuade legislators in the state to reduce the mandatory sentences for marijuana possession. The group estimates that such a move would save the state as much as $750 million dollars if it pursued outright, total decriminalization.

Quoted AS MUCH AS THERE IS A LOT MORE INVESTOR INTEREST, THERE STILL IS A LOT OF SPECULATION. IN TERMS OF A SAFE INVESTMENT IN THIS INDUSTRY, IT’S VERY HARD TO FIND PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE WHO YOU CAN TRUST WITH YOUR MONEY.” -Josh Gordon, CEO of RoDawg, a “lifestyle brand” creating smoker accessories, including designer joint cases. As Washington becomes one of the first states to legalize recreational use of marijuana, investors keen on entering the industry are learning it is not going to be so easy.

national

BORDER PATROL MAKES RECORD-SETTING BUST 7 TONS OF POT WORTH $12 MIL. SEIZED LAST MONTH

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order patrol agents announced late last month that the organization had confiscated the largest amount of smuggled marijuana in history.

The 7 tons of pot is worth an estimated $12 million, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers said.

The seizure took place Jan. 15, when agents at the Mariposa Cargo Facility in Nogales, Arizona, stopped a 26-year old man driving a tractor-trailer.

Officials said inside the trailer they found 600 bales of marijuana, according to the Arizona Republic. The marijuana haul weighed a staggering 14,151 pounds. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations took the man, who has yet to be identified, into custody.

The previous record for most marijuana seized was about 6 tons back in June 2010 at the same border crossing.

MAN ARRESTED WITH 33 LBS. FOLLOWING AMTRAK RIDE

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t 5:15 a.m., Jason Alan Folland stepped off of an Amtrak train onto the platform at St. Cloud Station in Minnesota. An anonymous tip had brought police there. They watched the 38-year-old Arizona resident pull a rolling duffle bag behind him. Then they arrested him. Inside his bag, police said, was 33 pounds of pot worth about $130,000, according to the Violent Offender Task Force, the St. Cloud Press reported. Officers knew Folland had a warrant for his arrest for a driving incident and felony theft.

He faces charges of third-degree possession of a controlled substance. Its been a bad month for Arizona smugglers.

12/feb. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL CANCELS PUBLIC APPEARANCE AFTER GETTING WIND OF MARIJUANA PROTESTORS CALIFORNIA MMJ PATIENTS UPSET BY DISPENSARY CLOSURES ACROSS STATE

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ate last month, Melinda Haag, the U.S. attorney for Northern California, was scheduled to speak at a public event about prosecutorial priorities. Haag canceled her appearance at Golden Gate University in San Francisco after medical marijuana supporters announced they would be picketing the event.

Haag has been vilified by the MMJ community for her about-face, first stating her office would not MELINDA HAAG WAS interfere with medical marijuana dispensaries op- SUPPOSED TO MODERATE erating in the spirit of state law — then suddenly A PANEL DISCUSSION OF closing down eight tax-paying dispensaries this year DISTRICT ATTORNEYS ON THE PRIORITY OF FEDERAL across San Francisco, Berkeley and Fairfax.

Haag was supposed to moderate a panel discus- LAW ENFORCEMENT ON sion of district attorneys on the priority of federal MARIJUANA LAWS. law enforcement on marijuana laws. Marijuana supporters said her no-show status at the event called “The Role of the 21st Century Prosecutor,” should be counted as a victory. “Twenty-first century prosecutors ought to have the courage to show up and account for their actions,” said Caren Woodson, a spokeswoman for marijuana lobby Americans for Safe Access. “When Ms. Haag is ready to come out of hiding, SF ASA with be right there to defend state laws against her continued rogue attacks.” Reported SF Weekly, “Haag’s press people have long greeted every inquiry related to the pot crackdown with a ’no comment.’ ”

DEPARTMENT OF OBVIOUS:

D.E.A SAYS LEGALIZATION

PROMOTES DRUG USE

COLORADO MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT SHARES MEDIBLES WITH CLASSMATES UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT OBTAINED MARIJUANA EDIBLE LEGALLY, POLICE CHIEF TELLS CIT Y

THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS STILL WEIGHING ITS OPTIONS ON HOW TO RESPOND TO COLORADO, WA

T

he efforts of multiple states to legalize marijuana will increase the availability of the drug and promote drug use, the Drug Enforcement Administration said in a report released in January.

“Recently, efforts to legalize marijuana have increased.

Keeping marijuana illegal reduces its availability and lessens willingness to use it,” the DEA said in a financial statement for fiscal year 2012 made public in January.

“Legalizing marijuana would increase accessibility and encourage promotion and acceptance of drug use.” The Justice Department is still weighing its options on how to respond to legalization of recreational marijuana use in Colorado and Washington.

It’s all part of the growing national conversation on marijuana and drug use, said Gil Kerlikowksi, the former Seattle police chief who now heads the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

President Obama has said that targeting pot users in Colorado and Washington would not be a priority of his administration, but that neither would outright efforts to legalize marijuana across the country.

According to the DEA’s report, the agency destroyed more than 10.3 million marijuana plants in 2009, and the same amount again in 2010. That’s a sharp rise from the agency’s last report in 2004, when it destroyed just 3.2 million marijuana plants. The numbers for 2011 and 2012 have yet to be made available.

FORMER NY PROSECUTOR ACCUSED OF SELLING POT TO UNDERCOVER COP

D

avid Leung, 44, worked 11 years in the Manhattan D.A.’s Office. He was a regular in Manhattan Criminal Court. Now he was there for a different reason: one felony after allegedly selling $200 worth of pot to an undercover cop in the East Village back in Sept.

He was arrested w/o incident. Authorities found more than 8 oz. of pot in the trunk of his car, according to the indictment. He was a prosecutor from ‘93-’04, and is due back in court Feb. 19, the New York Daily News wrote.

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oveland, Colorado, police are investigating an allegation that a middle school student might have misinterpreted the meaning of show and tell. Loveland Police Chief Luke Hecker told Denver 7 News that a student brought marijuana edibles to school and had been sharing them with classmates.

Hecker said the student, who has not been named, had obtained the medible legally. No health problems were reported in connection with the goodie giving. Thompson School District spokesman Mike Hausmann said he couldn’t disclose whether LOVELAND, CO any students have been suspended because the district doesn’t comHAS A VOTERment on disciplinary procedures.

APPROVED BAN IN “The entire investigation was turned over immediately to the LovePLACE ON MEDICAL land Police Department, and we are awaiting the results of their investigation,” Hausmann said. He refused to discuss any particulars of MARIJUANA the incident, because the police investigation is still ongoing.

In November, Colorado voters passed Amendment 64, which legalized possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana for people older than 21 years, and allows growing of up to six plants — along with private smoking.

Hecker brought the student incident to light during a Loveland City Council meeting last month. Loveland has a voter-approved ban in place on medical marijuana businesses, and the council is working on an official position on Amendment 64, Denver 7 reported. Chief Heckler said the ban ought to remain in effect.

KANSAS POLICE BLAME MICE FOR MISSING MARIJUANA EVIDENCE

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ne expects evidence to be securely locked up, stowed away from sight in some facility stacked floor to ceiling with bulging baggies. But last month in Kansas, police reported some seized marijuana had gone missing.

Three bags containing marijuana from 2009 cases appeared to have been tampered with. In fact, there were mice living in them, said Wichita Police Lt. Doug Nolte. “We’ve got some mice that are stoners,” he told KMBC.com.

Nolte noted pot’s strong odor is likely to attract mice, but they’ve never had problems in the past. Wichita police photographed the tampered evidence bags, resealed and reweighed them. No charges have been filed against the suspects, who remain at-large as of press time. Dare we say, follow the cheese?

feb. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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$7/gram $180/ounce while supplies last HOME OF THE GIRLS SCOUT COOKIES

MON-SUN: 11 am to 9pm 17517 15th Ave NE | Shoreline, WA | (206)687-7787

quoted

Politics of Legalization

‘‘

EVEN AS MORE THAN 1/3 OF U.S. STATES HAVE LEGALIZED MEDICINAL USE, MARIJUANA REMAINS A TENSE SUBJECT

PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO MISINFORMATION ABOUT MARIJUANA THEIR ENTIRE LIVES. THEY’VE BEEN LED TO BELIEVE IT’S MORE HARMFUL THAN IT REALLY IS AND AS A RESULT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE TO OVERCOME -PAUL ARMENTANO, DEPUTY DIRECTOR NORML THAT CONCERN.”

“MY BELIEF IS THAT WE HAVE A LEADER IN THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WHO HAS AN HONEST INTENT TO FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO DO IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON. I THINK THAT’S A GOOD SIGN.”

-JAY INSLEE, WASHINGTON STATE GOVERNOR

‘‘

-BOB FERGUSON, WASHINGTON STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL

“THERE’S PLENTY OF STATES MOVING AHEAD DESPITE THE FEDERAL LAW. IF PEOPLE WANT TO BE OPPOSED TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA, THEY’LL FIND THEIR REASONS.”

-REP. DAN MORHAIM (D-BALTIMORE COUNTY)

“LAST WEEK, I JOINED THE BOARD OF A NEW ORGANIZATION TO OPPOSE MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION: SMART APPROACHES TO MARIJUANA... THE NEW GROUP REJECTS THE “WAR ON DRUGS” MODEL. IT AGREES THAT WE DON’T WANT TO LOCK PEOPLE UP FOR CASUAL MARIJUANA USE -- OR EVEN STIGMATIZE THEM WITH AN ARREST RECORD. BUT WHAT WE DO WANT TO DO IS SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE: MARIJUANA USE IS A BAD CHOICE.” - DAVID FRUM, SPOKESMAN

THE FIRST THING WE HAVE TO DO IS MAKE SURE OUR PEOPLE AREN’T HIGH ON MARIJUANA. THE BLACK COMMUNITY HAS BEEN THE VICTIM OF DRUGS AND THE BLACK CHURCH IS CHARGED WITH PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY AND KEEPING FAMILIES TOGETHER. WE HAVE TO BREAK TIES WITH THE NAACP ON THIS ISSUE.”

“WE HAVE EMPIRICAL PROOF THAT THE APPLICATION OF THE MARIJUANA LAWS HAS BEEN UNFAIRLY APPLIED TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR. JUSTICE IS THE QUALITY OF BEING JUST AND FAIR AND THESE LAWS HAVE BEEN NEITHER JUST NOR FAIR.”

-REV. ANTHONY EVANS, NATIONAL BLACK CHURCH INITIATIVE

-ALICE HUFFMAN, NAACP PRESIDENT

COMPILED BY NORTHWEST LEAF STAFF

I SAID WE WANT TO AVOID A LEGAL FIGHT. WE WANT TO FIND A PATHWAY FORWARD. BUT IF IT COMES TO IT, THE WASHINGTON ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE WILL BE PREPARED FOR A LEGAL FIGHT.”

“I THINK THERE WAS A SURPRISE IN COLORADO THAT IT WON SO HANDILY AND I THINK WHAT YOU’RE SEEING IS A REFLECTION OF A CHANGE IN THE DEMOGRAPHICS - THE PEOPLE THAT ARE VOTING NOW DON’T HAVE SOME OF THE SAME ATTITUDES THAT PEOPLE 10, 15, 20 YEARS AGO WOULD HAVE HAD.” -SEN. JERRY ORTIZ Y PINO (D- ALBUQUERQUE)

feb. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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CARE.co Exit Dearborn off I-5 and Right on Rainier Ave. S

FREE GIFT W/ PURCHASE OF $20 OR MORE BEFORE 2PM FOR ALL PATIENTS. EXP 2/28/13

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northwest

WHAT MAKES THAT ACCESS POINT

safe?

LIVE FEEDS, BULLETPROOF GLASS, TWO-DOOR MAN TRAPS and other ways medical marijuana collectives hope to protect patients. And themselves.

BY WES ABNEY | PHOTOS BY DANIEL BERMAN

THE FIRST DAY OF 2013 started out better than most for Casey Lee, owner of the Lacey Cross access point near Olympia. The previous several days had been busy for him and his staff. Because of a heavy and unexpected rush, he stocked up on medicine in anticipation of the next week.

In the midst of everything, he also delayed a trip to the bank. By closing that evening, Lee was in a fine mood. Everything had been locked in the safe and his last employee left out the back door, which remained unlocked for Lee, who figured he would be leaving shortly.

The back half of the building that’s home to the collective was being retrofitted into a recording studio, and Lee got distracted playing with a mixer. He heard the back door open.

Focused on his work, Lee said he didn’t look up until he sensed the presence of somebody different, something wrong. It wasn’t an employee coming back for something.

“You know what we want,” the skinny one yelled, his voice muffled behind a bandanna.

The sawed-off shotgun his partner pointed at Lee’s chest sent the rest of the message.

The gunman cocked the shotgun. “Our buddy said we should kill you.”

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FOR PATIENTS -Always keep your recommendation in your wallet or purse where it cannot fall out. Carry it wherever you go.

-Be careful when you transport your medicine.

-Keep all medicine out of sight when in public.

-Let access points know if you spot any suspicious behavior.

C O N T I N U E D PA G E 20

CASEY LEE , owner, Lacey Cross.

Suspects got away with $5,800 in cash and four lbs. of marijuana after robbing him at gunpoint, tying his hands and leaving him in the store bathroom, New Years Day.

northwest

ACCESS POINT SECURITY

CANNA RX IN FREMONT has made creating a secure access point one of its top priorities. A patient’s paperwork is taken through a bulletproof window in the lobby, and verified before they are buzzed back into the collective’s two-door “man trap” (seen above). There, clerks visually inspect all bags, and the first door must close before the next one is opened by the buzzer button.

It’s all part of doing things right according to Canna RX manager Shawn Coleri. “We have a lot of patients who say, ‘Wow you guys have a lot of security.’ or ‘You’ve really gone the extra mile.’ But I don’t think we have overdone it. We are setting a standard for what patients should expect.”

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CONTINUED FROM P.16

F

rom the moment they came, in all I could think about was my 7–year-old son,” Lee said. “I wanted to be OK for him.” The pair marched Lee into his office, demanding he open the safe. But remembering a combination with a gun to the back of your head is not easy, and Lee fumbled with the lock.

“At that moment I sat wondering what it would feel like to get shot,” Lee said. “That’s when I was the most scared.”

The robbers used every possible tactic to send fear straight into Lee’s heart.

“They took my wallet out of my pocket and opened it up,” he said. “They held my ID next to my face and told me ‘Now we know who you are and where you live.’ ” Minutes later, Lee was zip-tied on the floor of the bathroom. The robbers packed up quickly, leaving with more than four pounds of dried flower and $5,800 in cash. Lee put his ear to the door, waiting five minutes before slipping out of the restraints and running out the front door, which triggered an alarm. But like any traumatic experience, the effect was not immediate.

“I had a hard time sleeping the first couple nights. Eventually I took a couple days off, but I felt the desire to be back in the shop,” Lee said. “I’m not going to live in fear.”

While he has recovered from the shock of the robbery, not all who have such experiences are so lucky. Victims of traumatic events can develop post-traumatic stress disorder or depression after similar circumstances. Lee attributes his resilience to a lifetime hobby: Skydiving.

“I guess I face death every time I jump out of a plane,” Lee said. “But there was still the shock period. The numbness hit the third day. After that, I knew I had to get back to work.”

Though he has moved on emotionally from the robbery, Lee isn’t risking another robbery. The collective is getting a new security camera system and extra panic buttons, and is reworking its opening and closing procedures. “We have to move on and chalk it up to a learning experience.”

SECURITY IN SEATTLE In Seattle, security ranges from loose to extremely strict, depending on the collective.

But even the safest places can be vulnerable if they don’t follow solid security procedures. Recently, a string of robberies and break-ins have occurred along Aurora Avenue, also known as Highway 99, which has a large concentration of access points.

Choice Wellness Center, at 8600 Aurora Avenue in Seattle, was robbed twice in December 2012 by a former contractor. Between the two robberies, almost $40,000 worth of products and cash were stolen.

For owner Dawn Darrington, its been a painful loss.

“It was actually heartbreaking,” she said in an interview with KOMO 4 TV right afterwards. “We tried to help him...”

WHAT WE RECOMMEND FOR ACCESS POINTS VIDEO SECURITY SYSTEM A minimum eight-camera system that includes video coverage of front and back entryways, and any patient/staff parking areas.

CONSISTENT BANK DROPS No business should have more than one day’s worth of cash on hand.

OPENING AND CLOSING Two employees at all times is always best, but should be mandatory during opening and closing, with an established system in the event of any emergencies.

EMERGENCY DRILLS Employees should know how to react to an emergency, and what to do in specific scenarios a collective could encounter, and not just in case of robbery. What about in a health emergency?

ALARM SYSTEMS These should includes motion, heat and sound tracking to ensure that an after-hours burglary sets off the alarm. Also, do not have a silent main alarm. Sound is a major deterrent to a robbery in progress.

PANIC BUTTONS A panic button hidden beneath the medicine counter is also useful, but response times vary by alarm company, and should not be counted on as the main protection.

Because the robber had extensive knowledge of the facility, it was easy for him to break in.

Another access point on Aurora was recently broken into, Have a Heart. The perpetrators kicked in a door, cut through a wall and, eventually, a ceiling, before setting off a security alarm. Though nothing was stolen, owner Ryan Kunkel isn’t taking any more chances with security. He recently installed new steel security doors with magnetic locks, and has an on-site security guard.

“After the robberies, we realized that we needed to reevaluate our security protocols,” Kunkel said. “We want our patients to feel safe and secure at all times.”

Have a Heart’s new security procedures include an escort from building to vehicle for all female patients, with the option for males, too. Perimeter checks are conducted by security every 15 minutes.

For other shops in Seattle, security was one of the first issues addressed. At Canna RX in Fremont, all patients must be buzzed through a two-door system known as a “man trap” before accessing medicine.

“Patients push in/push out buttons -- one door must close before the other can open,” Manager Shawn Coleri said. “We have a lot of patients who say, ‘Wow you guys have a lot of security.’ or ‘You’ve really gone the extra mile.’ But I don’t think we have overdone it. We are setting a standard for what patients should expect.”

C

oleri said the system was designed to not be too stressful. “We don’t want patients with anxiety to think it is jail-like and be put off by it.” Coleri noted that they have put more emphasis on what happens before people enter the facility.

“A lot of people [access point owners] will spend money on video systems, but what they don’t realize is that will just show people what happened after the fact, not prevent it in the first place.”

Canna RX’s security procedures include visual inspection of all bags before a patient is allowed in, and a solid verification process. All this is done from within the office, which has stage one, Bank of America-style glass and bullet-proof walls. The view from the office looks into the lobby and the man-trap, which leaves no blind spots. The man trap is also backed up with a battery system, which eliminates any fire code egress issues.

“This [type of security] really should be mandatory.

It was what everything else revolved around, for the security of our volunteers and our patients. We want a location you wouldn’t hesitate to send your mom or grandma to.”

As the medical Cannabis industry continues to grows it is important that access points take security seriously.

It will ensure better business practices and improve public perception of the industry, reinforcing that patients are safe and secure when getting their medicine.

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burning prohibition The costly, ineffective and harmful War on Drugs has ruined lives for years.

Now, one patient is making a memorial to honor them, one name at a time.

BY WES ABNEY | PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

t

he Vietnam War has a wall to remember the dead, just as the dead at Pearl Harbor are memorialized for their sacrifice. But there’s no memorial for the victims of a war that has been waged on the people of the United States for generations. It’s a war that has adversely affected the lives of more than 37 million nonviolent victims in just 40 years.

We refer to this travesty as the war on drugs. The single biggest criminal justice failure in U.S. history, this “war” has helped law enforcement and drug cartels alike profit, while the average citizen is subjected to heinous prison sentences for simple possession of often harmless drugs.

Many lives have been ruined, many families torn apart, and many lives have been lost in this war on drugs. The stories seem to never end. But they are getting worse. For Myo Mr. Keifbox, a Lacey, Wash. craftsman, enough was enough. Myo founded the Burning Prohibition project to honor those whose lives have been affected by the war on drugs and on Cannabis.

He is taking a custom piece of wood and building a memorial wall, one section at a time. The four-inch thick wall will be built in panels measuring 6-feet-by-4-feet, out of locally sourced and sustainable wood. Each panel will have 100 names burned in by hand, and eventually a website will be launched that shares each person’s story for the world to see.

In his mission statement, Myo outlines exactly who should have their name on the wall: “A victim is someone who has lost a family member to the drug war. A victim is someone with a Cannabis-related conviction. A victim is a DEA agent or police officer who has lost his life. A victim is a child who has been taken away from his family. A victim is a family that was slaughtered by a Mexican drug cartel. A victim is a direct result of an adverse action directly responsible from the prejudice and war on Cannabis. These are the names and stories I need for the Burning Prohibition Project!”

This project will bring awareness to the failure of Cannabis prohibition to the mainstream. The wall also serves as the first database of Cannabis victims that shares each individual

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MYO MR. KEIFBOX & woodburning pen

BILLIONS HAVE BEEN SPENT FIGHTING THE WAR ON DRUGS OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS

33 49 450

billion in marketing programs such as DARE, though teen drug use rates have remained consistent since 1970.

billion for police, with special drug war grants offering militarized weaponry in return for more drug arrests. billion to lock up those in fed. prisons. Half of current U.S. inmates are in for drug offenses.

story, showing the world that Cannabis users are more than statistics.

But Myo needs support from the MMJ community. Most Cannabis users know someone or have themselves been targeted for their use of the plant.

The project is asking for a $5 submission with each name, and a short story about why that person deserves to be honored on the wall. Eventually, different sections of the wall will be on display across the state in collectives, and, he hopes, nationwide as the project gets more attention.

As of print time, the first wall section is almost finished, with the first 100 names burned into the first piece of the wall. But to make this a project that attracts national media attention and support, we need to get more names!

TO GET INVOLVED: www.facebook.com/BurningProhibitionProject

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“IT’S CRAZY IT HAS GOTTEN THIS FAR.”

I N A S M A L L T O W N O U T S I D E W E N AT C H E E , A Y O U N G M E D I C A L M A R I J U A N A P AT I E N T F I N D S O U T T H E H A R D W AY T H AT A N A U T H O R I Z AT I O N DOESN’T MEAN MUCH WITH AN AGGRESSIVE PROSECUTOR

BY RAY FLORES FOR NORTHWEST LEAF PHOTOS BY DANIEL BERMAN

S

aul Ramos Sanchez lives with his mom and two brothers in a small double-wide trailer on a frostbitten hill a few miles south of Wenatchee. His family is poor and uneducated, and English is a second language. Other homes sit on the hill where they live, but otherwise the only neighbors for miles are dry shrubs and, in the winter, patches of ice and snow. The soft hum of cars from the nearby highway and the crunch of one’s footsteps on the frozen ground are the only sounds. Finding this place is not easy, as two Northwest Leaf journalists realized one frigid January afternoon. This is one part of the country where GPS, and even paper road maps, can still lead you astray.

Ramos, 19, is well-behaved and soft-spoken. His voice cracks when he talks about the effect his ongoing court case has had on his family. Ramos had never been in trouble until one day last June when he was pulled over and an East Wenatchee police officer allegedly found a gram of medically authorized Cannabis in Ramos’ glove box. The officer let Ramos go that day, but a few weeks later, Ramos received a court summons in the mail. He was being charged with drug possession for his medically authorized Cannabis.

Ramos’ case is scheduled for trial Feb. 8, about eight months after his traffic stop. At his last court date in January, the prosecutor offered to dismiss the charges if Ramos agreed to attend drug treatment and pay court costs. But Ramos said he doesn’t have a drug problem and that Cannabis has helped him manage his pain better than the pills he was taking before.

A R T I C L E C O N T I N U E S PA G E 30

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SAUL RAMOS, 19, on the steps of the small Rock Island mobile home he lives in with his mother and two younger brothers.

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“IT’S CRAZY IT HAS GOTTEN THIS FAR.”

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P. 31

DR. ANDERSON SAID HE WOULDN’T HAVE AUTHORIZED RAMOS IF HE DIDN’T THINK RAMOS CONDITION MET THE CRITERIA FOR MEDICAL CANNABIS.

Ramos received his authorization after an injury at work. Ramos was working at a McDonald’s when he slipped on a wet floor that had just been mopped. He said he fell directly on his back, and that his employers discouraged him from going to the doctor.

When his back pain wouldn’t go away, he decided to go to the doctor and seek relief from his pain. He described his pain to Dr. Robert Anderson, an East Wenatchee family practitioner, who determined Ramos was experiencing muscle spasms as a result of his fall. Three months after his fall at work, he said he received his Cannabis authorization.

Anderson said he wouldn’t have authorized Ramos if he didn’t think Ramos’ condition met the criteria for medical Cannabis.

“There is no way Saul could have faked a muscle spasm,” Anderson said. “I found Saul’s pain and muscle spasms were consistent with his complaint and medical history.”

Anderson, who was the first medical chief of staff at Edmonds Swedish Medical Center in 1963, said he gives general medical advice to his patients and takes into consideration their entire medical history before signing a Cannabis authorization.

He conducts follow-up visits with some patients and regularly dispenses advice not related

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RAMOS PRIMARILY USES CREAMS AND LOTIONS INFUSED WITH CANNABIS, THE LEAST INTOXICATING FORM OF THE DRUG, TO MANAGE HIS BACK PAIN.

to medical Cannabis use. He said he has seen Saul since writing his recommendation and determined that Cannabis was an appropriate treatment for Saul’s pain.

“The pain is much better managed when he has the Cannabis available,” Anderson said.

Ramos was using mostly creams and lotions infused with Cannabis -- the least intoxicating form of the drug -- to manage his pain.

M

edical Cannabis still is gaining acceptance in Wenatchee. Last July, federal prosecutors sent letters to the three dispensaries, forcing them to close their storefronts. Patients in Wenatchee now rely on two delivery services for their medicine.

Pam Woodard of Wenatchee Holistic Health said doctors at the two area hospitals and most of the area’s other health-care professionals don’t accept Cannabis as a valid form of treatment.

There’s a serious lack of education and much misinformation about medical marijuana among health-care providers in the region, she added.

Woodard said law enforcement attitudes toward medical Cannabis in the city are mixed. She said she knows of instances where officers have called a patient’s clinic to verify an authorization and then let the patient go with their medicine.

But, she said, a few dozen cases have been filed in the Wenatchee courts for marijuana possession, and patients have been among the defendants.

Woodard said that Ramos’ case is an outlier. In other marijuana possession cases, she said, more serious crimes surround the Cannabis possession such as impaired driving or gun possession. But in Ramos’ case, the prosecutor is aggressively pursuing a young man who has no criminal or drug possession record, and who was not committing a crime at the time of his citation. The traffic violation he was stopped for was minor, and he volunteered his Cannabis to the officer.

“It’s crazy it has gotten this far, for him to be aggressively prosecuted for one gram after his doctor has written three letters and stood behind him in court,” Woodard said.

IN RAMOS’ CASE, THE PROSECUTOR IS AGGRESSIVELY

PURSUING A YOUNG MAN WHO HAS NO CRIMINAL OR DRUG POSSESSION RECORD, AND WHO WAS NOT COMMITTING A CRIME AT THE TIME OF HIS CITATION. THE TRAFFIC VIOLATION HE WAS STOPPED FOR 8 MONTHS AGO WAS MINOR. HE VOLUNTEERED HIS CANNABIS TO THE OFFICER.

Ramos lives in Rock Island, an isolated orchard-covered area near East Wenatchee’s Highway 28 and the Columbia River.

Ramos’ attorney succeeded in reinstating Ramos’ medical defense in court after prosecutors aggressively struck it down.

Prosecutors argued Ramos was not providing sufficient evidence of a qualifying condition for medical Cannabis.

Ramos regained recognition of his condition and medical defense in court after his doctor wrote three separate letters stating that Ramos indeed had a condition listed in Washington’s medical Cannabis law.

R

amos’ life has been turned upside down because of his criminal case. He lost his job, had to leave his home for several weeks when his mom found out about the trouble and has felt constant stress and anxiety over the case. After McDonalds, he found a job at a nursery, but a manager told him not to come back after court appearances kept him from working.

“I have been trying so hard to keep my record clean, you don’t even know,” Ramos

said. “And for this little thing to affect my record like this, it sucks.”

Ramos’ mother, Maria, stood nervously watching her son as he was interviewed by this reporter. She does not speak English and has had a hard time accepting the circumstances in which her son has found himself.

“Why are they discriminating against us?” she said in Spanish.

“My whole family is good people, maybe just because we are poor.”

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guide

Please note that neither the author of this article nor the staff at Northwest Leaf are attorneys licensed in the State of Washington — the information contained below is not legal advice but our opinions and an educated interpretation of the law.

A PATIENT’S 1

B E S TR A I GH T-FORWA RD WIT H T H E LA N DLORD OR RENTAL AGENCY

THIS IS CRITICAL when you are looking for a home. If you look like a dirty stoner, the chances of gaining the landlord’s trust are slim. Does that mean you have to wear a suit and tie to the walk-through? No, but it’s probably not a good idea to wear your “Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey … Smoke Weed Everyday” Nate Dogg T-shirt either.

If you are staying within the limits of RCW 69.51A -- 15 plants and 1 ½ pounds of useable Cannabis -- tell the owner you’re not starting a commercial grow, but that you want to maintain your personal medical supply. Most owners and Realtors will appreciate and respect that you are not trying to hide anything from them, which is a strong way to build a positive relationship with the landlord.

The owners and rental agents will want to see your medical authorization, so ensure that it is current and that the doctor can be easily contacted in event of questions. Mention that it’s for medical use; don’t use the words recreational, illegal, black market or anything else that will spook the Realtor or landlord.

Don’t make the main point about moving in you growing Cannabis. Make it a side note after you mention and explain your illness. If you want the landlord to respect your right to grow and use marijuana medicinally, respect their rights, too.

2

K E E P I N G YOUR GROW SPACE SECURE

AS YOU CONSIDER A HOUSE that might fit your needs, note its location and consider how its layout can accommodate bringing in home-growing supplies and throwing out waste. Attached garages are helpful because you can drive your vehicle into it

36/feb. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

GUIDE TO MOVING

BY TYLER MARKWART FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

G

ROWING YOUR OWN MEDICINE is an exciting and wonderful experience that can save you time and money. However, finding landlords who are comfortable with you growing Cannabis on their property often isn’t so exciting and wonderful.

Thankfully, patients have the upper hand in Washington because of equal opportunity housing laws that bar landlords from discriminating against people with disabilities. Moving and starting a personal grow can be a pain in the ass, but if you remember these points when doing a walkthrough of an apartment or house, you’ll be on your way to harvesting your own medicine in no time.

CONSIDER A HOME WITH A BASEMENT

and take out supplies such as bags of soil, mulch or light hoods without neighbors knowing.

Basements also work well for home grows because they are the coolest part of the house in summer.

Underground areas such as basements usually provide growers with an effective way to conceal their operations while still giving them the ability to entertain guests. Consider installing security

cameras. Also, a dog can be an effective alarm and can easily deter unwanted visitors. Ensure all the windows are properly sealed for light and odor leaks. It’s more important that people can’t see, smell or hear your operation than worrying about having a pinhole light leak coming into your grow room when the lights are off.

Remember: When it comes to protecting yourself and your crop, discretion is the No. 1 key to success. Giving tours of your grow room to friends and family might make you their No. 1 buddy, but it won’t keep the chitchat down about your indoor jungle of goodness.

PHOTO BY FLICKR/FUTUREATLAS.COM

3

4

G E T YOUR ELE CT RICIT Y IN ORD E R

AFTER MAKING YOUR SITE SECURE, electricity is the most important factor. You can burn down the house and ruin everything you worked for if you overload a circuit or didn’t inspect your wires for cuts, nicks or other damage.

With some simple math, you can ensure that you don’t endanger anyone’s life and continue to reap a quality harvest time after time.

Electrical wiring has many critical elements, but a major element is checking how many amps your distribution board (breaker panel) can handle. In most homes, it’s either 150 amps or 200 amps. A 200-amp breaker panel will give you enough room to work a nicesize grow. Inside the breaker panel are the individual circuit breakers for each electrical socket and appliance in the house.

Breakers act as a fuse that can be switched on and off, adding protection to an electrical device in case of an electrical surge. Most breakers are rated at 15 to 20 amps on what’s called a single- or dual-throw breaker.

That’s how many “arms” or levers are connected to the breakers. A magnetic 1,000 watt ballast uses, on average, about 3 to 5 amps. Add a fan for cooling and filtration and you’re at about 7 to 10 amps. This gives us about 10 amps to play with on that circuit.

Be aware: When the ballasts and fans start up, they are using a large amount of electricity quickly, so if you’re at or around 15 amps on your line, you might notice that it will pop the breaker. Try spreading your equipment over different breakers and vary their on and off times. Also, note on paper which electrical sockets are wired to which breaker before you plug everything in and turn it on. This will cut down on confusion in the dark and help remedy problems quickly. All electronic devices must be labeled, by law, with the amount of power they consume.

Figuring out the numbers for your breakers shouldn’t be too hard, but please remember that it’s critical to get it right. If you are worried about making a mistake, hire a Cannabis consultant who knows what they’re doing or find a trusty, discreet electrician.

RCW 69.51A does not legalize medical marijuana for patients who are Washington residents.

Under RCW 69.51A, Washington residents who have a medical Cannabis authorization have an affirmative defense in court after being arrested and charged with what would normally be considered a criminal act under the law.

Your authorization allows you to grow at home, and access collective gardens and Cannabis farmers markets. Most importantly,

WATER, WATER, EVERYW HERE

ENSURING A RELIABLE WATER SUPPLY is one of the major keys to producing a quality Cannabis crop. Remember, you’re a gardener. Starting with quality materials will give you a better chance at producing a quality product. Well water has several advantages -- it tends to be clean, it has a sufficient amount of dissolved minerals and wells tend to be renewable.

However, some well water is too hard and must be filtered and softened. According to the website for Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle’s water supply is both fluorinated and chlorinated. Destruction of microbial life from treated city water will result in slower growth and a decreased harvest. A water filter like the Small Boy by Hydro-Logic can remove the chlorine and sediment that comes with city water, leaving cleaner water.

Remember that water helps destroy pretty much everything it comes in contact with. Leaving the water running when filling up your hydroponic reservoir or tea brewer and going to smoke a bowl isn’t the best idea. Flooding a room can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage that will not make your landlord happy, even if you offer to pay for the damage. Mopping up gallons of water is not how you want to spend your weekend. The moral of the story? Always keep a hand on your hose.

5

HOW TO MAKE MOVI NG DAY BETTER

NOW THAT YOU’VE FOUND A HOME, you need to figure out how to move everything in. Starting with new equipment and genetics is the easiest, but what about those who already have grows going? Consider the size of the plants you’re moving. Careful planning plays a major role in how well your transition from old home to new home goes.

Taking clones a few weeks before moving and ensuring they are well-rooted will cut down on the size of boxes needed to move and can let you add a financial boost by donating extra clones to a collective after you’re settled in. If you can move everything in stages, that works better. Having a place locked down a month before your lease ends allows you to gradually set up your equipment in the new place while still managing your harvest at the old place.

Clean and prep the room(s) before you move anything into MOVE IN them; stretching and leaning over equipment and plants won’t STAGES make life easier for you or your plants. Some patients need help FOR LESS moving because of illness, which makes it tricky because you need OF A to either hire a moving service or entrust some close friends with SECURITY knowledge of your grow. Moving plants and equipment into a RISK TO YOU locked room w/ help of friends will allow for a bit more privacy.

it allows you the ability to possess a larger amount of dried medicine than is allowed to adults 21 and older under Initiative 502. This is crucial if you are under 21 and a medical patient.

Under Washington Administrative Code WAC 162-38-120, medical marijuana patients are given protection against discrimination in applying for housing. This doesn’t mean that you can just sue anyone who doesn’t rent you a house because they don’t want you growing there. What it does mean

is that the landlord cannot discriminate against you because you are disabled.

If you have any questions about how the current laws affect you or if you have a legal problem, hire a lawyer who specializes in criminal and medical marijuana law. Paying an attorney money now to answer questions about the law can keep you from spending thousands of dollars and losing everything you have later. Ignorance is bliss, unless you’re growing marijuana.

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guide

It’s not a home if you can’t grow in it Cathy Shelly and Rachel Rensvold of Green Friendly Real Estate are connecting patients with properties they can cultivate at

BY WES ABNEY | PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

F

or patients trying to find a MMJfriendly rental or house, the classic Rolling Stones song, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” will pretty much sum it up.

Restrictive leases, unsympathetic landlords and even prying neighbors can make living with alternative medicine both a risk and a hassle, especially when looking for a place to live. Recognizing the need for MMJ realty services, Rachel Rensvold and Cathy Shelly launched Green Friendly Real Estate in 2011, and the innovators haven’t looked back.

“People deserve to grow their own medicine in their home, whether it’s a rental or their own,” Rensvold said.

“That small garden supports their needs without being dependent on another source.”

They have been licensed real estate agents working in Seattle and Western

In their experience, patients who don’t tell their landlord they’re growing have run into many problems.

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Washington since 2002, and for the past four years have specialized in distressed properties. With the housing market and the economy in the dumps when they started two years ago, some investors saw potential in buying properties at auction or at bargain prices. Those investors turn around and rent out the homes — that’s where the connection to patients begins.

“We have a process that we go through to connect MMJ-friendly property owners with patients looking to rent,” Rensvold explained. “But it’s a normal process just like renting any other property.”

To qualify for Green Friendly Real Estate services, seven requirements must be met: 1. The renter must have a current MMJ authorization, and renew it as needed through the length of the lease.

2. The renter must qualify for the property based on income.

3. The renter must pass a credit and background check.

4. The renter must be able to pay rent

without using garden revenue.

5. The renter must file a garden plan with the landlord.

6. All changes to a house to accommodate a garden must be built to code.

7. The lease must have a RCW 69.51a addendum.

Of all the requirements, No. 7 can have the biggest effect in securing MMJ patient rights. With most leases, especially those that come from apartment complexes or real estate renting services, any drug use is considered illegal and can be grounds

To protect tenant security, the landlord, the two agents and anybody on the lease is required to sign a nondisclosure agreement.

so what do i have to do?

TO QUALIFY FOR GREEN FRIENDLY REAL ESTATE SERVICES, SEVEN DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET:

1. The renter must have a current MMJ authorization,

and renew it as needed through the length of the lease.

2. The renter must qualify for the property based on income.

3. The renter must pass a credit and background check.

4. The renter must be able to pay rent w/o garden revenue.

5. The renter must file a garden plan with the landlord.

6. All changes to house to accommodate garden must be built to code.

7. The lease must have a RCW 69.51a addendum added by agents.

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N Rachel Rensvold (206) 271-6303 Cathy Shelly (206) 714-8984 greenfriendlyrealestate@gmail.com

for eviction and loss of any security deposit. This includes marijuana use, even if the renter is an authorized MMJ patient. Similar clauses can also be found in homeowners associations.

The solution is an addendum that protects patients under 69.51a.

The agents can add that addendum.

“It’s amazing how many people don’t know the law,” Rensvold said.

“There are many patients growing in rentals where they don’t tell their landlord. We can help renegotiate leases, and look at them to see where the patient stands.”

In their experience, patients who

don’t tell their landlord they’re growing have run into many problems. Issues with electrical setups, flooding in basements or even just a routine home inspection can expose a landlord to the grow. Almost without exception, a landlord will assume the grow is illegal and contact law enforcement, a position no patient wants to be in.

“Why even have the issue? You have enough to worry about,” Cathy Shelly said. “We work in situations that are respectful of patients’ gardens, equipment, plants and legal rights.”

To protect tenant security, both the landlord, the two agents and anybody

on the lease is required to sign a nondisclosure agreement. This ensures privacy and peace of mind, a musthave for an urban garden. Overall, they said they have only run into one problem with the entire process: They need more properties!

“We are out looking for new properties on a daily basis,” Shelly explained. “It’s a constant hunt to find that perfect house for somebody.”

Both agents are patients themselves and they understand the particular needs of those using medical marijuana.

If a person wants a basement with high ceilings, or an building out back separate from the house — a so-called mother-in-law unit — no problem.

Want help getting a loan for a home as a patient? They can handle it. It takes the stress and uncertainty out of the process, and for anyone moving, that is a major help.

“We can openly talk with patients and their landlord, and let them know that they have nothing to worry about,” Shelly said. “We’re just helping people find homes.”

feb. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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TASTY

Recipes

COMPILED BY NORTHWEST LEAF

f o r a m e d i c at e d va l e n t i n e ’ s d ay caramel Banana Bundles CARAMEL SAUCE: 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 tbs. water 3 tbs. Medicated cold butter 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract Dash salt

Blue Cheese Heart Tarts Try these tarts for a little snack before you (turn the page) and have a go at some tasty recipes for a sumptuous dinner.

BANANA BUNDLES (4 servings): 1 cup sliced firm bananas 1 tablespoon butter, melted 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger Dash ground cinnamon 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed Confectioners’ sugar

PREP: 35 MIN. • COOK: 10 MIN.

2 PKGS, 3. OZ. EA. Cream Cheese, Softened 3 PKGS, 15 OZ. EA. Refrigerated Pie Pastry 1 CUP (4 OZ.) Crumbled Blue Cheese 3 TBS. Medicated Butter, Softened 1/4 CUP Heavy Whipping Cream 2 TSP. Minced Chives 1/4 TSP. SALT 1/8 TSP. CAYENNE PEPPER 1/8 TSP. PEPPER 3 Eggs

1. In a small bowl

beat cheeses until well blended. Add the butter, cream, eggs, chives and seasonings.

Beat until light and fluffy; set aside.

2. Using

a 2-1/2-in. heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut pastry into 102 hearts.

Gently press cutouts onto the bottom and up the sides of greased miniature muffin cups or miniature heart-shaped muffin cups. Spoon 1 teaspoon filling into each.

3. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing. Serve warm.

(YIELDS 102 TARTS)

48/feb 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine have a good morning: Chocolate Medicated Waffles For a romantic start to Valentine’s Day, try surprising your sweetie with breakfast in bed.

They’ll appreciate the tasty medicated treat and that you prepared something special.

PREP: 5 MIN. • COOK: 4 MIN.

1 1/2 CUPS All-Purpose Flour 3 TSP. Baking Powder 1/2 TSP. Salt 1/2 CUP White Sugar 3 TBS. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder 1 CUP Whole Milk 2 Eggs 4 TBS. Medicated Butter, Melted 1 TBS. Unsalted Butter, Softened 3/4 CUP Confectioners’ Sugar 1/2 TSP. Vanilla Extract 1 TSP. Milk, for the sauce

1. Preheat waffle iron. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cocoa. Stir in milk, eggs and butter until mixture is smooth.

2. To make sauce:

stir together softened butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Sauce should be fairly stiff.

3. Spray

preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown.

Serve hot with hard sauce.

PHOTOS BY TASTEOFHOME.COM & FLICKR/EL-FINCO

brown sugar, water and 1 tbs. butter.

Bring to a boil over med. heat w/o stirring. Cover & cook 3 min. Stir in cream.

2. Cook & stir over med-high heat

until mixture comes to a boil, or 1 min.

Remove from heat.

3. whisk in vanilla and salt. Cut

remaining butter into small pieces; whisk into sauce, a few pieces at a time, until smooth. Set aside and keep warm.

4. In a small bowl, combine

bananas, butter, brown sugar, ginger & cinnamon. Unfold puff pastry. On lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to a 12-in. square. Cut into 4 squares; lightly brush edges with water. Place 1/4 cup banana mixture in the center of each square.

Bring pastry corners over filling & twist to form bundle; pinch edges.

5. Place on an ungreased baking

sheet. Bake 400° 15-18 min. until golden brown. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar; serve warm with caramel sauce.

Mocha

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Enjoy the rich, warm avor of our new dàmà mocha.

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Featured Collectives The Seattle Medical Marijuana Association (SMMA)

Mountain Medicine Clinic

Fusion

Highway 9 Wellness Center

The Joint

Tacoma Cross

www.medicalmarijuanaseattle.com 4465 Fremont Avenue North Seattle, WA. 98103 Phone: (206) 883-0573 www.hwy9wellness.com 16510 Highway 9 SE Snohomish, WA. 98296 Phone: (360) 243-3399

facebook.com/damaoil

www.mountainmedicineclinic.com 10217 128th Street East, Suite E Puyallup, WA. 98374 Phone: (253) 256-4015 www.thejointcoop.com 5265 University Way NE Seattle, WA. 98105 Phone: (206) 283-3333

visit damaoil.com

www.fusionmedicalmarijuana.com 1602 Dexter Avenue North Seattle, WA. 98109 Phone: (206) 402-3957 www.tacomacross.org 1126 Commerce Street Tacoma, WA. 98402 Phone: (253) 627-1377

TASTY

Recipes Boston Cream Sponge Cakes

COMPILED BY NORTHWEST LEAF

f or a medic ated va l e n tin e ’s day

A delicious recipe for dessert that is sure to thrill your date PREP: 10 MIN. • COOK: 20 MIN.

2 Eggs 6 TBS. Sugar 1/4 TSP. Salt 1/2 TSP. Vanilla Extract 1/2 CUP All-Purpose Flour CUSTARD FILLING: 1/4 CUP Sugar 2 TSP. Cornstarch 1/2 CUP 2% Milk 2 Egg Yolks, Lightly Beaten 1/2 TSP. Vanilla Extract 3 TBS. Medicated Butter, Softened CHOCOLATE FROSTING: 1/2 CUP Confectioners’ Sugar 5 TSP. Heavy Whipping Cream 1 TBS. Medicated Butter, Softened 1/2 OZ. Unsweetened Chocolate 1/2 TSP. Vanilla Extract

In small bowl, beat eggs ‘til light & fluffy. Gradually add sugar and salt, beating ‘til thick and lemon-colored, about 5 min. Stir in vanilla. Fold in flour, 2 tbs. at a time.

Gently spoon into 2 4-in. springform pans coated w/ cook. spray (pans will be full). Bake 350° 15-20 min. until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool 10 min. before removing from pans to wire rack to cool completely.

For custard, in small saucepan, combine sugar & cornstarch.

Stir in milk ‘til smooth. Cook and stir over med. heat ‘til thickened & bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 min.

Remove from heat. Stir small amount hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to gentle boil; cook & stir 2 min.

Remove from heat. Gently stir in vanilla. Cool to room temp w/o stirring. In a small bowl, cream butter. Gradually beat in custard.

To assemble, cut each cake horizontally in half. Place bottom layers on two serving plates; spread with filling. Replace cake tops. In a small bowl, beat the frosting ingredients. Spread over top of cakes. Refrigerate until serving.

50/feb 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

as day turns to night, how about medicated Shrimp Scampi with Pasta?

This dish allows you to easily adjust the level of medicine to individual tastes. It keeps well, not that you’ll have a lot left.

PREP: 20 MIN. • COOK: 20 MIN.

1 16 OZ. PACKAGE Linguine Pasta 2 TBS. Medicated Butter 2 TBS. Extra-Virgin Medicated Olive Oil 2 Shallots, Finely Diced 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced 1 PINCH Red Pepper Flakes (Optional) 1 LB. Shrimp, Peeled And Deveined 1 PINCH Kosher Salt, Fresh-ground Pepper 1/2 CUP Dry White Wine 1 Lemon, Juiced 2 TBS. Unsalted Butter 2 TBS. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil 1/4 CUP Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley Leaves 1 TSP. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Or To Taste

1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil; cook linguine in boiling water until nearly tender, 6-8 min. Drain.

2. Melt, 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes in the hot butter and oil until shallots are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Season shrimp with kosher salt and black pepper; add to the skillet and cook until pink, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove shrimp from skillet and keep warm.

3. Pour white wine and lemon juice into skillet and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet, stir 2 tablespoons olive oil into butter mixture, and bring to a simmer.

4. Toss linguine, shrimp, and parsley in the butter mixture until coated; season with salt and black pepper.

Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil to serve.

PHOTOS BY FLICKR/JOHNNYSTILETTO & FLICKR/DANNYNGAN

DELIVERY

Delivers to Seattle w/free delivery to CAPITOL HILL

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RAIN CITY MEDICAL

$10 a gram, $250 an ounce New Patients get one free gram, with no minimum for delivery

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www.raincitymedical.com 206.552.9444 or leafly.com & www.weedmaps.com

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We get the power to the flower and help patients get results.

OPEN Mon-Fri 11-9p • Sat-Sun 12-5

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360-990-6009

Give us a call for more info!

ANCIENT MEDICINE

A collective experience

TASTY

PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

Recipes

DAIRY MILK ALTERNATIVES T WO TAST Y AND SIMPLE RECIPES YOU C AN EASILY MAKE AT HOME. (YOU’LL NEED A BLENDER!)

ALMOND MILK

HEMP MILK

INGREDIENT S FOR 3 CUPS ALMOND MILK

INGREDIENT S FOR 3 CUPS HEMP MILK

OTHER FUN IDEAS Try adding 1 teaspoon of cacao powder for chocolate milk

-

1 3 1 3

CUP OF ALMONDS SOAKED FOR 7 HOURS D AT E S O R 1 TA B L E S P O O N O F H O N E Y T E A S P O O N O F VA N I L L A E X T R A C T C U P S O F W AT E R

POP ALMONDS FROM SKINS. BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH.

54/feb. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

-

1 3 3 1

CUP OF HEMP SEEDS C U P S O F W AT E R D AT E S O R 1 TA B L E S P O O N O F H O N E Y T E A S P O O N O F VA N I L L A E X T R A C T

ADD ALL INGREDIENTS TO BLENDER; BLEND ‘TIL SMOOTH.

or adding 1/2 cup strawberries to make strawberry milk!

AS SEEN ON THEEARTHDIET.COM

YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN MEDICATED DRINKS JUST

BY ADDING A DROPPER...

TASTY

REVIEW BY NORTHWEST LEAF STAFF PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

Reviews

THE HASH DROPS have a deep and powerful hash flavor to them that compliments the glycerin nicely. With large doses of 2 to 3 droppers full, the tongue and mouth go numb with the potency, a rarity that is often associated with alcohol based tinctures.

The Drops also come labeled and in three versions, Indica, Sativa & Hybrid. This takes the guessing game out of choosing random tincture with unknown strains, and allows for basic pain management throughout a day. The labeling is clear, and includes expected effects.

For the Hybrid it warns of “Pain relief, personal enjoyment, euphoria, sounder sleep and general wellness.”

Sativa and Indica reports are typical of strain effects, though patients should expect more significant onset with any medible or tincture.

The newest form of drops tested at 6.01 mg of THC per dropper, with 30 total servings in each bottle. For new patients, a single dropper (not a drop, a dropper) should be an effective dosage. For those more experienced or with higher tolerances, 2-5 droppers will have heavy effects.

Arguably the best aspect of tinctures is the versatility. Hash Drops or other similar products can be mixed into a variety of drinks, including soda and tea. Glycerin tincture is also tasty used in place of honey to top any food with. You got to try it on ice cream!

EXPERIENCED TINCTURE TAKERS WILL WANT TO OPT FOR 2-5 DROPPERS. BEGINNERS, START WITH 1 AND WAIT.

TINCTURE HASH DROPS

VISIT FACEBOOK.COM/INFUSIONFACTORY FOR LOCATIONS AND AVAILABILITY

56/feb 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

GLYCERIN -B A SE D HA SH T INC T URE T HAT IS A S P O T E NT A S IT IS TA S T Y.

THE HYBRID VARIETY WARNS OF “PAIN RELIEF, PERSONAL ENJOYMENT, EUPHORIA, SOUNDER SLEEP AND GENERAL WELLNESS.”

6.01MG THC-TOTAL • 0.03MG CBD-TOTAL PER FULL 0.80ML DROPPER

Tested By

ANALYTICAL 360 Cannabis Analysis Laboratory

CONCENTRATES

REVIEW BY NORTHWEST LEAF STAFF | PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

THIS SATIVA SMACKS THE FRONTAL LOBES WITH LOVE AND ENERGY

Expect the first hit to bubble and then melt into the flower

DEADHEAD OG FIVE STAR BUBBLE HASH THERE EXIS T S A GOL DEN S TANDA RD F O R B UB B LE HA SH T HAT IS A S M UC H URB A N LE G E N D A S I T I S FAN TA S Y.

H

ERE AT NORTHWEST LEAF we have been working hard to find concentrate options for dab lovers that are both safe and potent for medical use. That brings us to a Dabble solvent-less wax called Deadhead OG Five Star bubble hash, and we are excited to share it. Looking at this hash in a jar it appears exactly like wax. During testing, several experienced patients were actually fooled believing the substance was BHO. Only after a potent dab did we inform them, and the impact was fun to watch. It’s agreed. This is the future of bubble hash.

The smell is pure OG, with a pungent and sour smell that can fill a room simply by opening a gram container. The consistency is perfect, with small to medium chunks that easily fit on a dab tool. The taste is exceptionally clean, and, because it is solvent-free, the Deadhead essence is preserved. The smoke is barely expansive, allowing for massive hits that don’t leave a throaty/coughy feeling in the aftermath.

Effects wise, this Sativa smacks the frontal lobes with love and energy. It is perfect for the daytime, or even that first dab of the morning. The hash also works well topping a bowl of flower. Expect the first hit to bubble and then melt into the flower, creating a caviar-like experience over future hits. It also makes a regular bowl last much longer, allowing patients to stretch their medicine and get a potent dose.

AVAILABLE FROM A GREENER TODAY 9509 RAINIER AVE S. SEATTLE, WA 98118 (206) 257-0894 • AGREENERTODAY.COM

58/feb. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

THE SMELL IS PURE OG, WITH A PUNGENT AND SOUR SMELL THAT CAN FILL A ROOM SIMPLY BY OPENING A GRAM CONTAINER.

51.33% THC-TOTAL • 0.20% CBD-TOTAL Tested By

ANALYTICAL 360 Cannabis Analysis Laboratory

device of the month

PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

BEAUTIFUL GLASS, FOR A PRICE. $ 1 , 0 0 0 — T O B E E X A C T.

THE HILLBILLY DELUXE

BY GLASS ARTIST WHITNEY HARMON THIS INTRICATE AND INCREDIBLY DELICATE dab rig is truly one of a kind. It features a built-in glass dabber tool, two dab glob trays, and a swappable pair of dabbing methods.

Shown in the photograph is a Health Stone domeless rig. The piece includes a standard nail and dome set worked with the theme colors, but not shown. The multi-percolating bubbler delivers smoke through each of the waving tubes, making for a beautiful experience that delivers strongly. Find this piece and other devices by Whitney at Northern Cross.

AVAILABLE FROM NORTHERN CROSS COLLECTIVE 1311 CORNWALL AVE. BELLINGHAM, WA 98155 (360) 778-2959 • NORTHERNCROSSNW.COM

60/feb. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

GREEN RUSH

CO AL I

IS AB N

N FOR CA O N I T

Coalition for Cannabis Standards and Ethics An industry association for cannabusiness trades

Subcommittees Executive Compliance Organizational Political Conflict Resolution Outreach, Web

CCSE strives to establish minimum standards in the cannabis industry to raise the standard of care to cannabis users in Washington State.

Disciplines Access Points Producers Processors Extractors Medical Clinics Educators Allied Professionals

.............................................................................................................................

If you are in the cannabis industry, call today and learn how you can benefit from a C.C.S.E. membership.

Attend our OPEN meetings every 2nd Tuesday of the month at 12pm (206) 466-1766

www.ccsewa.org

5267 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105

facebook.com/ ActivateWashington

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Initiate members :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 360 Mag/SOS, Albion Whitman Inc, Bonezink LLC, Cannabis Creations Body, Cannatest, Care Wellness, CCC, Choice Wellness, Collective Health, Cotton Head Candy, Dockside Coop, Dream Cream, Fusion, Giant Gong, Green Couriers, Happy Cakes, Herban Legends, Kush Creams, Medicine Jar, Muddy Waters, New Leaf Botanicals, Seattle Quality, Sound Health Plus, Stefani Quane, SureCan, Tetra Labs, Tetra Medical Corporation, Vita Verde, WAM, West Coast Wellness

r / Liquo l team politica rd meeting E S C C l Boa 2 Contro ia Nov. 201 p - Olym

vism

Maryam

John Davis (NWPRC) / activism - Fed. bulding Sept. 2012

(Fusion ) July 20 / Actvism 12

Cale Morgan (Vita Verde) / political meeting Dec. 2012

Act )/ ide 2 s k c 1 (Do ly 20 ar Ju Osc

a gelo and Gret Steven DeAn p Fest 2012 Carter / Hem

The Joint Home of Free Joint Friday (206) 283-3333

5265 University Way Seattle, WA 98105

Northwest Patient Resource Center Downtown

West Seattle

1809 Minor Avenue Seattle WA 98101 206.623.0848

9456 35th Avenue SW Seattle WA 98126 206.588.2841

14314 Greenwood Ave N; Seattle, WA 98133 (206) 420-3296 http://wcwellnesscenter.org/

74 S Lucile St. Seattle, WA 98134 (888) 972-1555 www.thecpc.org Mon-Fri 12 pm - 7 pm

www.cannabiscreationsbody.com

J P

oin The Coalition for cannabis Standards and Ethics today and learn how you can become a C.C.S.E. COMPLIANT member.

................................................................................................................ atients, choose C.C.S.E. businesses to ensure the best possible experience. We hold ourselves to the highest industry standards

CO AL I Kriste nF activis lor (Monta n m- Fe d. buld a) / Sept.

2012 ing

st) / annate 2 Klaus C ng, Dec 201 ti e e m l politica

Jere my ( - Fe d. bu CPC ) / act lding Sept ivism . 20 12

Wellness) / Greta Car ter (CARE g activism- Fed. buldin Sept. 2012

Rach al Ku rt polit ical m z (CARE W eetin g, De ellness) / c 20 12

IS AB N

N FOR CA N TIO

Picket signs /activ ism - Fed. bulding, Sep t. 2012

OUR EXCLUSIVE

growtech

GUIDE TO

24 STRAINS MEDICAL

SOME STRAINS ARE CLEARLY FAMILIAR AND READILY AVAIL ABLE, while others are a bit more obscure and harder to find. Each strain we chose, however, is either a proven gardener’s choice or shows up so frequently in collectives that it is helpful to understand their common qualities & medical benefits.

BY DR. SCANDERSON FOR NORTHWEST LEAF | PHOTOS BY DANIEL BERMAN

AK-47

AFGHOOEY

(SATIVA DOMINANT) One of the most decorated strains in history, AK-47 is strong medication. A medium height, sativa dominant plant, she produces heavy yields of large resin-coated kolas with odor of the strongest order.

A relatively fast and easy grower, she makes an excellent choice for private and commercial gardeners.

(INDICA DOMINANT)

GENETICS: COLUMBIAN X MEXICAN X THAI X AFGHANI WHO SHOULD GROW: PRIVATE, COMMERCIAL FLOWER TIME: 8-9 WEEKS YIELD: VERY HEAVY POTENCY: VERY HIGH SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER HELPS: MOOD & ENERGY

GROW TIP: She grows well in SCROG and SOG set

ups. Be sure to keep plenty of air on flowers and humidity low to avoid bud rot that can be a problem due to the size and amount of resin that she amasses.

64/feb. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

AVAILABLE FROM FWEEDOM COLLECTIVE 12001 AURORA AVE. N. SEATTLE, WA (206) 734-9333 • FWEEDOM.COM

Tangy citrus and grapefruit smells and pale green frosted nuggets are the mark of the remarkable Afgoo. An indica dominant plant providing potent pain relief for the aches of the body as well as relief from a host of other ailments. Her Hawaiian haze influence rewards skill in training the plant to maximize yield, as well as accommodating her flower time to fully mature.

GENETICS: AFGHANI X MAUI HAZE WHO SHOULD GROW: COMMERCIAL FLOWER TIME: 9-10 WEEKS YIELD: AVERAGE TO HEAVY POTENCY: HIGH TO VERY HIGH SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE HELPS: M.S., ARTHRITIS, MIGRAINES,

CHRONIC PAIN, ANXIETY & MUSCLE SPASMS

AVAILABLE FROM T.H.C.O 511 N 85TH ST. SEATTLE, WA 98103 (206) 829-9435 • THCOMMA.COM

CINDERELLA 99 (INDICA HYBRID)

Cinderella 99 is a rare and highly selected Jack Herer that was meticulously backcrossed.

The result is a plant specifically bred for indoor gardening.

The medium height beauty features heavy, long, resin-covered kolas on well-supported branches. She usually finishes in 50 days, making her a leading choice for parent stock for breeders. Cinderella 99 seems to improve almost every strain she is crossed with.

GENETICS: PRINCESS X CINDERELLA 88 WHO SHOULD GROW: ALL GROWERS FLOWER TIME: 7-8 WEEKS YIELD: VERY HEAVY POTENCY: HIGH SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE HELPS: SERIOUS PAIN RELIEF AVAILABLE FROM T.H.C.O 511 N 85TH ST. SEATTLE, WA 98103 (206) 829-9435 • THCOMMA.COM

BUBBLE GUM GENETICS: INDIANA BUBBLEGUM, UNKNOWN HYBRID WHO SHOULD GROW: PRIVATE & PROFESSIONALS FLOWER TIME: 8 WEEKS YIELD: HEAVY TO VERY HEAVY POTENCY: MEDIUM AVAILABLE FROM COLLECTIVE HEALTH SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER 8554 GREENWOOD AVE. N. SEATTLE 98103 HELPS: LONG-LASTING PAIN RELIEF (206) 497-1007•YOURCOLLECTIVEHEALTH.COM

NORTHERN LIGHTS (INDICA DOMINANT)

No strain on earth has perhaps had as much impact on modern day cannabis as Northern Lights. The archetype indica plant that has been popular since the 80’s grows a plentiful yield of resinous flowers that are incredibly well balanced in growth structure. Surprisingly low odor in flower along with vigor and tolerant growth characteristics make this an excellent choice for private and commercial cultivators alike. A sweet honey, grapey, musky smell explodes during the drying and curing process and leaves a finished product of bright green flowers, densely coated in resin and orange hair.

GENETICS: NL#1 X NL#2 X NL #3 WHO SHOULD GROW: PRIVATE, COMMERCIAL FLOWER TIME: 7-8 WEEKS YIELD: HEAVY POTENCY: HIGH SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER GROW TIP: RESPONDS WELL TO TOPPING,

DOESN’T NEED HEAVY FEEDING AND IS TOLERANT OF HIGH TEMPERATURES.

AVAILABLE FROM HIGHWAY 9 WELLNESS 516510 WASHINGTON 9 SNOHOMISH, 98296 (360) 243-3399 • HWY9WELLNESS.COM

The sweetest smells of Bazooka Joe and cotton candy waft from this medicine. A solid yielder and fast finisher, seldom running longer than 58 days, Bubblegum is an indica dominant medicine with fast acting effects that last for a very long time. Assisting with pain relief and excellent as a sleeping aid, it can be slower in veg. but takes off in flower. The medium height plant quickly produces large, dense kolas with purple potential, absolutely coated in ultrasweet-smelling trichomes.

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growtech GENETICS: UNKNOWN HYBRID (INDICA DOMINANT) WHO SHOULD GROW: PRIVATE, PROFESSIONAL FLOWER TIME: 8-9 WEEKS YIELD: HEAVY POTENCY: VERY HIGH SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER Dutch Treat combines the ease and benefits of dominant indica genetics with an energetic, upbeat effect. Lemon, pine and menthol scents combined with deeply frosted flowers are the benchmark of Dutch Treat. The strain frequently features THC levels exceeding 18 percent, making Dutch a top pick at many collectives. Her short indica structure and hearty disposition make her a great choice for beginners looking for reliable results and experts looking to achieve maximum potency.

DUTCH TREAT 66/feb. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

AVAILABLE FROM FWEEDOM COLLECTIVE 12001 AURORA AVE. N. SEATTLE, WA (206) 734-9333 • FWEEDOM.COM

GRANDADDY PURPLE

growtech

One of the oldest strains in our list, Dutch Treat combines the been ease kept in Grandaddy Purple has andnorthern benefitsCA of and dominant indicaunder distributed genetics anincluding energetic,Grape upbeatApe, many with names effect.

Lemon, pine and menthol Purple Urkel and Grandaddy Ape. scents combined A classic indicawith plantdeeply she typically frosted are stocky the benchgrowsflowers short and although premark of Dutch Treat.

Thetemperatures strain ferring slightly cooler frequently features ex-of than many indicaTHC are levels capable ceeding 18 percent, making tolerating, performing bestDutch between a top pick at many collectives.

Her 70 and 78 degrees. short “GDP” indica structure and hearty made available by Ken disposition make her a great Estes reliably produces richly colored choice for dominated beginners looking for purple flowers absolutely reliable results and experts looking covered in disco balls of resin. The to achieve maximum potency. undeniable grape and sweet citrus

GENETICS: NORTHERN CA ORIGIN (INDICA DOMINANT) WHO SHOULD GROW: PRIVATE, PROFESSIONAL FLOWER TIME: 9-10 WEEKS YIELD: MEDIUM POTENCY: HIGH SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE HELPS: APPETITE STIMULATION, JOINT PAIN RELIEF, INSOMNIA, NAUSEA AND RELIEVING MIGRAINES

flavors are known to last and last and the uniquely functional indica effect allows light intake to provide functional pain relieving effects and heavier intake to provide an excellent sleeping aid.

GROW TIP: Keep things extra clean around this plant as

her smell and dense growth structure are alluring to mites.

AVAILABLE FROM FREMONT GARDENS 316 N. 36TH STREET. SEATTLE 98103 (206) 632-7126 • FREMONTGARDENS.ORG

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growtech GENETICS: ORIGINAL DIESEL X DNL WHO SHOULD GROW: PROFESSIONAL FLOWER TIME: 10-11 WEEKS YIELD: HEAVY POTENCY: VERY HIGH SKILL LEVEL: ADVANCED HELPS: MOOD & ENERGY GROW TIP: Branch

selection and super cropping will help control her otherwise unruly growth structure.

Don’t let the Sour D get too big either and tall either. She loves the light but hates the heat.

Over-fertilization and allowing her to grow too close to the lights will result in a mild, veggie, grassy-smelling sour disaster. Avoid that.

BUBBA KUSH (INDICA DOMINANT)

SOUR DIESEL (SATIVA DOMINANT) The sister of legendary OG Kush Sour diesel is believed to have originated from the chem dawg bag seeds as OG Kush only she went east to New York. Her guardian crossed her to a super stable producer a {mass super skunk x Sensi NL} and became known as Diesel because of her uncanny fuel smell.

The cut eventually made its way up to U-Mass Amherst where the grower accidentally pollinated the original Diesel to a very special Skunk plant the DNL ([RFK Skunk x Hawaiian] x [Northern Lights]). The seeds from this happy accident produces a super sour pheno that had all the potency and smell of the original diesel but with a super sour overtone and even larger yield.

This pheno became known as Sour Diesel aka East Coast Sour Diesel. Extremely vigorous and stretchy, unruly and finicky, Sour Diesel is a challenge for any gardener. She takes off from clone through veg and stretches 300-400 percent in flower regularly but requires advanced height mitigating techniques to maximize yields. Like her sister, OG Kush, she likes high nitrogen and calcium and low overall nutrients.

Distinctly unlike her sister, she can run upwards of 75 days but produces absolutely giant kolas of the potent smelling medication of the tallest order. Her soaring, euphoric effects are long lasting and her taste is perhaps best described by Ed Rosenthal as “Extreme Sport of Cannabis.”

AVAILABLE FROM WEST COAST WELLNESS • 14314 GREENWOOD AVE. N. SEATTLE 98133 (206) 420-3296 • WCWELLNESSCENTER.0RG

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The highly coveted Bubba Kush strain is an OG Kush offspring demanding a category of its own. Taking the original chemdawg cut and cross-selecting it back through several indica dominant strains and back to the original OG Kush, the Bubba Kush brings with it the power of original OG in a completely indica dominant growth structure.

It also has one of the most unique smell profiles in the Cannabis family. Robust, earthy scents and notes of coffee and chocolate wrapped over a putrid fuelly smell, paired with a potent indica effect, are the benchmarks of the original Bubba.

Very slow in veg, she grows short and squat in classic indica structure producing large trichomes often coating the dark green and purple leaves to their edges. She can take up to 70 days to finish and rarely yields on the higher end.

But, the potency and terpene profile are appreciated by many a connoisseur.

GENETICS: ORIGINAL OG KUSH X (WEST COAST DAWG X OLD WORLD KUSH) WHO SHOULD GROW: PRIVATE, PROFESSIONAL FLOWER TIME: 9-10 WEEKS YIELD: BELOW AVERAGE TO AVERAGE POTENCY: VERY HIGH SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE HELPS: PAIN RELIEF, SLEEP AID, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, FIBROMYALGIA GROW TIP: She can be a very slow starter, often needing upwards of

60 days in veg to maximize yield potential. Proper airflow helps prevent against fungus and mold which she can be particularly susceptible to especially when her foliage gets denser.

AVAILABLE FROM THE JOINT • 5265 UNIVERSITY WAY NE SEATTLE, 98105 (206) 283-3333 • THEJOINT.COOP

ROMULAN (INDICA DOMINANT)

BLUE CHEESE

The indica dominant Romulan has elevated itself to the top of breeder and patient picks alike with good reason. A short and squat plant, she produces dense flowers dusted in trichomes that emit a delicious pine and citrus smell, one that develops into an enchanting, acrid-bitter smell with a deliciously sour minty taste.

Not too overpowering yet in no way underwhelming, Romulan provides a typical medicinal body effect associated with most heavy indica but with a floaty head space to complement. Its fans are reported to have named it after observing that its effects could dent your head, leaving you with a ridged forehead like those of Star Trek’s Romulan.

(50/50 SATIVA-INDICA HYBRID) This selection skunk was cloned for its large production distinct cheese scent. It was held and passed out for many years in the mid 90s by the Exodus, an alternative living community located about 30 miles north of London. Known for its uplifting effect and distinct cheesy flavor, “the cheese” is easy to grow and can yield handsomely.

GROW TIP: The cheese can be a heavy

feeder so stay on top of her nutes to ensure you maximize growth. Staking is helpful late in flower to support her heavy flowers. She is tolerant of a wide range of temperatures and grows well when placed tightly together.

GENETICS: SELECTED SKUNK WHO SHOULD GROW: PRIVATE, COMMERCIAL FLOWER TIME: 7-8 WEEKS YIELD: HEAVY POTENCY: HIGH SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER HELPS: APPETITE ENHANCEMENT

AVAILABLE FROM T.H.C.O •511 N 85TH ST. SEATTLE, WA 98103 (206) 829-9435 • THCOMMA.COM

GROW TIP: Airflow and

cleanliness are a must to protect her from mold and fungus which she is particularly susceptible to. Hold back on the pruning and thinning as well as she performs best left full and bushy.

Keep drying times long and curing slow to bring about all the complexities of this one’s bouquet.

GENETICS: UNKNOWN WHO SHOULD GROW: COMMERCIAL, PRIVATE FLOWER TIME: 8 WEEKS YIELD: ABOVE AVERAGE POTENCY: MEDIUM SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER HELPS: PAIN RELIEF WITHOUT COUCHLOCK AVAILABLE FROM SEATTLE MEDICAL MARIJUANA ASSOC. 4465 FREMONT AVE N., SEATTLE, 98103 (206) 883-0573 • MEDICALMARIJUANASEATTLE.COM S T R A I N G U I D E C O N T I N U E S PA G E 72

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growtech

DOUBLE PURPLE DOJA (INDICA DOMINANT)

Originally bred by TGA “DPD” is a breederʼs choice strain for a reliable purple coloration and yield potential.

Matthew Riot helped make the plant infamous, successfully using it in several projects that helped to establish him as the purple king.

The smell is often reported as light and musky with mild blackberry undercurrents and never has been known as the most potent of medications. But, if you are seeing a purple plant, itʼs likely that the DPD had something to do with it.

GENETICS: SPUTNIK #1 “PINKY” CUT (APOLLO 13 X BLACK RUSSIAN [NEBUʼS]) X BLACK RUSSIAN (BLACKBERRY [PURPLE PAKISTANI CHITRAL] X CHERRY PHENO AK-47) WHO SHOULD GROW: COMMERCIAL FLOWER TIME: 8-9 WEEKS YIELD: HEAVY POTENCY: MILD SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

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PHOTOGRAPHED: BLACK CHERRY SODA

AVAILABLE FROM DELTA 9 8007 LAKE CITY WAY NE SEATTLE, 98115 (206) 525-4202 • DELTA9SEATTLE.COM

JACK HERER (SATIVA DOMINANT)

The most awarded strain in the history of the harvest festival and named after the late great Cannabis advocate Jack Herer is considered by many to be the best of the best.

Perhaps best known for its cerebral, euphoric sativa effect, its indica influence lends balance through an acoustically resonating body bath and a sandstorm of resin production.

Her haze influence makes her suitable for more experienced gardeners if her potential for yield and potency can be reached. When her delicate climate conditions and nutritional needs are met, Jack Herer reliably produces large spears of haze-like kolas, densely covered in resin that provide a hazy, peppery smell and flavor nicely offset by fruity skunk undertones.

GENETICS: HAZE (NEVILLEʼS A OR C) X [SHIVA SKUNK X NORTHERN LIGHTS #5]

WHO SHOULD GROW: PROFESSIONAL FLOWER TIME: 8-9 WEEKS YIELD: HEAVY POTENCY: HIGH SKILL LEVEL: ADVANCED HELPS: ENERGY, YET RELAXATION

GROW TIP: Three of the four

phenos of Jack are sativa dominant in structure, with the fourth being indica dominant in this category. The indica pheno grows short and compact with a faster finishing time and similarly beefy yield.

AVAILABLE FROM THE JOINT 5265 UNIVERSITY WAY NE SEATTLE, 98105 (206) 283-3333•THEJOINTCOOP.COM FEB. 2013

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growtech

O.G. KUSH (SATIVA DOMINANT)

GENETICS: CHEM DAWG X [LEMON THAI X HINDU KUSH, PAKISTAN] WHO SHOULD GROW: PROFESSIONAL FLOWER TIME: 9-10 WEEKS YIELD: MEDIUM POTENCY: MILD SKILL LEVEL: ADVANCED The legend of legends, the OG Kush. There are A LOT of plants out there that are called OG Kush, so we are being specific in identifying the Ocean Grown Kush descended from the original bag seed chem dawg cutting that went west.

This sativa leaning plant has a cult following that is well earned. Properly cultivated Kush is a rare treat. Explosive in flavor and scent and easily one of the most potent medication available, OG Kush has long since earned a reputation as the most popular strain in America. Part of the mystique is, as so often precious things are, itʼs rarity.

Kush isnʼt easy to grow; if it was, there would be

HP-13 (INDICA DOMINANT)

GENETICS: AFGHANI X THAI WHO SHOULD GROW: PROFESSIONAL FLOWER TIME: 9-10 WEEKS YIELD: HEAVY POTENCY: VERY HIGH SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE HELPS: DEEP SLEEP

awesome kush readily available anywhere. Original cuts are known for their floppy stems requiring ample support, sensitivity to heat, dryness and high nutrients.

OG Kush demands nitrogen deep into flower along with very high levels of calcium and magnesium yet does not like high levels of total dissolved solids (TDS). This makes it particularly tricky for the grower to give her enough of what she needs to maximize her already medium yield without overdoing it and burning her.

Properly run and flushed, her dried flowers provide potent smells ranging from a lemon pine sol to a fuelly meaty funk with flavor to match. The medication is potent and long lasting.

GROW TIP: Use your vegetative formula

during the first 1-3 weeks of flower and supplement heavily with calcium starting at week 1 of flower. Keep nutrients low, humidity high and temperatures below 80.

She also tends to love lower pHʼs in hydro.

AVAILABLE FROM FREMONT GARDENS 316 N. 36TH STREET. SEATTLE 98103 (206) 632-7126 • FREMONTGARDENS.ORG

GROW TIP: HP-13 grows tall

and can command heavy yields when properly trained of bright green flowers with very potent smells and lingering tastes that makes her reputation a memorable one.

PHOTOGRAPHED: AFGHANI

AVAILABLE FROM THE GREEN DOOR 1207 S JACKSON ST #109 SEATTLE, 98144 (206) 618-7133•THEGREENDOORSEATTLE.COM

HP-13 is one of the rarest clone only strains around which is why it is such a popular choice to include in many elite breeding projects. The unmistakable burnt rubber, fresh tire skunk smell is distinct and rarely duplicated. A finicky eater, growers need to have a firm understanding what the plant needs when, in order to dial her in properly. Known for being a powerhouse in the potency department, she often lends potency to those crosses she is used in.

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GENETICS: BLUEBERRY X SUPER SILVER HAZE (SATIVA DOMINANT) WHO SHOULD GROW: PRIVATE, PROFESSIONAL, COMMERCIAL FLOWER TIME: 9-10 WEEKS YIELD: VERY HEAVY POTENCY: HIGH SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER Fruit tangy hazy flavors and a purely connoisseur’s uplifting, happy effect are just two of the characteristics that make Blue Dream an excellent choice for growers and patients alike. With tip top yield potential, super fast and reliable cloning and an excellent hybrid growing structure, Blue Dream scores high in every category and is a popular choice among patients.

GROW TIP: Give her

plenty of room to spread out. She is tolerant to fertilizer imbalances, mold and fungus. While she doesn’t like low temps, she can take heat quite well and responds well to most training techniques.

BLUE DREAM AVAILABLE FROM FWEEDOM COLLECTIVE 12001 AURORA AVE. N. SEATTLE, WA (206) 734-9333 • FWEEDOM.COM

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growtech

GOVERNMENT WEED?

MAUI WOWIE (SATIVA DOMINANT)

A true old school classic, Maui Waui represents the best of the sweet island sativas. Tall and lanky with lots of stretch, she grows dense woody stems to support the ample weight of her Kolas.

Sweet citrus smells and a slinky fruity flavor impart the euphoric effects which are gentle and never overpowering. As a true original, she has been used in several crosses with effort to make her outdoor sativa tendencies more manageable for the indoor gardener.

With proper training and patience, her yield can be top end and is an excellent choice for an all day medication for those that need to stay alert.

GENETICS: HAWAIIAN WHO SHOULD GROW: PROFESSIONAL, COMMERCIAL FLOWER TIME: 9-10 WEEKS YIELD: VERY HEAVY POTENCY: MEDIUM SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE HELPS: ALL-DAY ALERTNESS GROW TIP: Get ready to super crop to maximize

yield and control her unruly height. Lighter nutrients are appreciated, as with most Sativas. Be sure to keep her temperatures steady.

AVAILABLE FROM THE JOINT 5265 UNIVERSITY WAY NE SEATTLE, 98105 (206) 283-3333•THEJOINTCOOP.COM

76/feb. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

CHEM DAWG (INDICA DOMINANT)

The legendary strain that started the kush and diesel craze.

Indica dominant in its growing structure, Chem Dawg produces frosty kolas from its short, squat structure carrying with them some of the most powerful smells in the Cannabis family.

With so many different versions and hybrid crosses available, patients and growers are able to finely tune their preferences to their needs with Chem Dawg. They will surely get some of the hardest hitting, strongest tasting and most desirable medications available with it.

GENETICS: KUSH, HASH PLANT OR NEPALI X THAI DECENT WHO SHOULD GROW: PRIVATE, PROFESSIONAL FLOWER TIME: 9 WEEKS YIELD: BELOW AVERAGE TO AVERAGE POTENCY: VERY HIGH SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE HELPS: FORGET YOUR BAD DAY GROW TIP: Pull out the carbon filters, smell control is

essential. She is very tolerant to nutrient levels but prefers lower pH, especially during veg. Her squat structure and large kolas lend well to SCROG & SOG set-ups.

AVAILABLE FROM T.H.C.O •511 N 85TH ST. SEATTLE, 98103 (206) 829-9435 • THCOMMA.COM

G-13

(INDICA DOMINANT) Legendary G-13 is an unknown indica believed to be the result of a covert federal marijuana breeding and growing research study conducted at the University of Mississippi.

Allegedly, the strain was obtained by the right Cannabis enthusiast and has been with Neville and Dr. Green Thumb almost exclusively since the mid 80s.

Potent, resin-covered and a fast finisher, G-13 produces large foxtail kolas reeking of pine mint and almonds. G-13 is used in many a cross as it reliably imparts potency and improves the finishing time.

GENETICS: UNKNOWN WHO SHOULD GROW: PROFESSIONAL, COMMERCIAL FLOWER TIME: 7-8 WEEKS YIELD: HEAVY POTENCY: VERY HIGH SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE HELPS: DEEP-TISSUE PAIN RELIEF AVAILABLE FROM THE JOINT 5265 UNIVERSITY WAY NE SEATTLE, 98105 (206) 283-3333•THEJOINTCOOP.COM

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (SATIVA DOMINANT)

GENETICS: TRAINWRECK X HAWAIIAN MAUI WOWIE WHO SHOULD GROW: PRIVATE, COMMERCIAL FLOWER TIME: 7-8 WEEKS YIELD: HEAVY POTENCY: HIGH HELPS: INDUCE EUPHORIA SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER GROW TIP: Donʼt let temperature

or nutrients get too low with the Pineapple. Her strong side branches and even tops make her a great choice for SCROG growers.

AVAILABLE FROM T.H.C.O 511 N 85TH ST. SEATTLE, 98103 (206) 829-9435 • THCOMMA.COM

One of the only strains of Cannabis to ever provide both namesake and protagonist to a Hollywood film, enter, Pineapple Express.

The “grail” of G-13 labs, the plant grows fast and furious, has a fast finish time, nice yield, balanced medicinal effect and unique sweet fruity scent and flavor. That is just about all you could ask for from a plant, no?

Her medium density buds can get quite heavy and are packed with resin. Some phenos are even reported to finish in as little as 55 days.

Connoisseur fruit smells and euphoric, clear effect makes her sought after by patients and gardeners alike.

SOUR TSUNAMI GENETICS: (DOUBLE DIESEL [SOUR DIESEL BX4 (SOUR DIESEL CLONE X NYC DIESEL)]) X FERRARI A.KA. TSUNAMI) X (SOUR DIESEL CONE) WHO SHOULD GROW: PROFESSIONAL FLOWER TIME: 9 WEEKS YIELD: HEAVY POTENCY: VERY HIGH HELPS: OFFERS HIGH CBD % SKILL LEVEL: ADVANCED

Lawrence Ringo of Southern Humboldt Seeds Collective has developed over the past four years a seedline that 25 percent of the time delivers a pheno that delivers off the charts CBD content.

The cross of his Double Diesel to the sativa dominant Ferrari provides a complex, sativa dominant plant that demands familiarity working with sensitive sativaʼs, specifically those of the Sour Diesel profile. With her potential maximized, she delivers nourishing yields of classic sativa-like flowers with a dank musty smells over a sweet background.

The one in four pheno that the subject of this review was provided tested Cannabinoid profiles boasting more than 10 percent CBD and more than 5 percent THC.

GROW TIP: Ample nitrogen through week 3 of flower and low feeding schedules

help this plant thrive through rapid and sometimes unruly growth surges that continue through the first 30 days of flower. True to her sativa heritage, she needs lots of light and skilled height mitigation techniques to accommodate a vicious stretch and robust structure. She responds well to topping and light leaf pruning. Proper branch selection will prevent the dreaded “larf only” harvest neglected sativas offer.

AVAILABLE FROM FWEEDOM COLLECTIVE • (206) 734-9333 • FWEEDOM.COM

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GENETICS: ([HAZE X HAZE] X SKUNK #1) X ([HAZE X HAZE] X NL #5) WHO SHOULD GROW: PROFESSIONAL FLOWER TIME: 9-10 WEEKS YIELD: VERY HEAVY POTENCY: VERY HIGH SKILL LEVEL: ADVANCED Hat trick winner ‘97-’99 cannabis Cup, the stash of stashes, Super Silver Haze. Combining the most commercially grown plants on the planet in with precision balance and skill results in what is often the very best medicine in the room for the sativa lover.

Tall and stretchy and indicative of most true heirloom haze’s, she can be difficult to grow properly and requires a dedicated gardener to gain an understanding of how to provide what she needs to reach her potential. When she does however, she can provide very healthy yields of hazy, peppery flowers with soaring euphoric effects bordering on psychedelic.

GROW TIP: Another stretchy

sativa that needs lots of upward room to grow and responds well to pruning the mainstem and doesn’t need overwhelming amounts of food. She tends to be mold and fungus resistant too when kept healthy and vigorous.

SUPER SILVER HAZE 78/feb. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

AVAILABLE FROM A GREEN CURE 910 145TH ST. SHORELINE 98133 (206) 466-1264 • AGREENCURE.COM

HARLEQUIN GENETICS: COLUMBIAN X THAI X SWISS X NEPAL (SATIVA DOMINANT) WHO SHOULD GROW: PRIVATE, PROFESSIONAL FLOWER TIME: 9-10 WEEKS YIELD: MEDIUM POTENCY: MILD HELPS: CHRONIC PAIN RELIEF SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE Originally bred for hash making, Harlequin is a sativa dominant plant that has been discovered to have some wildly impressive characteristics of particular interest to the medical community. Primarily, Harlequin is known for itʼs unique cannabinoid profile producing some of the highest tested cannabidiol (CBD) of any strain on earth.

Whatʼs more is that the plantʼs leaves in its vegetative state have been tested to possess potent levels of CBD

GROW TIP: Give this one extra

and even mild levels of THC!!! Harlequin is genetically linked to Columbia Gold, an heirloom strain from the early 70ʼs, a Thai strain found in mountainous region of Laos and a Swiss landrace strain originally bred to feed cattle.

Combined with the congruent high altitude Nepalese indica, she produces dense flowers with a sandalwood sweetness and syrupy flavor. Rare as she can be to find, familiarity growing classic sativas that like to run the full 10 weeks is a must to maximize potential.

time to dry. Her extra dense flowers and heavy, grainy resin can add 3-5 days on to the drying period to cure properly.

AVAILABLE FROM FWEEDOM COLLECTIVE 12001 AURORA AVE. N. SEATTLE, WA (206) 734-9333 • FWEEDOM.COM

WHITE WIDOW GENETICS: BRAZILIAN X SOUTHERN INDIAN (INDICA DOMINANT) WHO SHOULD GROW: COMMERCIAL, PRIVATE FLOWER TIME: 8-9 WEEKS YIELD: HEAVY POTENCY: HIGH HELPS: RELAX SANS LETHARGY SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER White Widow came onto the Dutch coffee shop scene in the early 90s and became an overnight sensation. For what was at the time the standard of white frosty strains, white widow develops moderately dense flowers that make room for an extra helping of crystals that deeply encrust the calyxes and leaves.

Sweet, fresh pine smells emanating from the dried flowers are enticing and give way to a delicate fruity taste. The effects are relaxing and truly indica dominant but with just enough sativa hybrid not leave too much lethargy in its path.

GROW TIP: Shorten the last week to ten days of flower to nine hour days of light

and end the round with 2-4 days of straight darkness to maximize resin production and essential oils.

AVAILABLE FROM SEATTLE MEDICAL MARIJUANA ASSOC. 4465 FREMONT AVE N., SEATTLE, 98103 (206) 883-0573 • MEDICALMARIJUANASEATTLE.COM

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glaucoma h o w ma ri j u a n a c o u l d s ave yo u r e y e s

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laucoma is a group of eye disorders that are the second leading cause of blindness in the US, second only to diabetic complications of the eye. There are four major types of glaucoma. These eye disorders are marked by elevating pressure in the eyeball and subsequent damage to the optic nerve and loss of eyesight.

Glaucoma can cause blindness if untreated.

Currently there is no cure for glaucoma, and any eyesight lost cannot be regained. But there is some indication that Cannabis can be an effective treatment option for glaucoma, by lowering pressure on the eye naturally.

This was underscored by the glaucoma pa-

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BY SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR DR. SCOTT D. ROSE tient Robert C. Randall’s landmark 1974 Federal court case, which allowed him to use Cannabis as it was “medically necessary,” making him the first legal Cannabis patient in America.

It is estimated that approximately 2.2 million people in the US have glaucoma and only half are diagnosed. Everyone is at risk for glaucoma from young to old, with 1 in 10,000 babies born with glaucoma! Elderly, diabetic, African-American and Hispanic populations are at greater risk, or those with family histories.

Symptoms can be vague and mild for a long period of time before an individual seeks care or is diagnosed on routine evaluation. Loss of peripheral vision, or headaches are usual presenting symptoms. An eye exam should ideally be per-

PHOTO BY ZAZENLIFE.COM

formed yearly including a “puff test” in which a puff of air is directed at the eye to measure pressure in the eyeball.

There are two chambers within the eye. At the front of the eye is the anterior chamber containing the aqueous humour, or watery substance.

This fluid is produced behind the colored part of the eye, or the iris. This fluid is continually being made and must drain out of the anterior angle.

Anything that blocks this drainage allows the pressure inside the eyeball, or the intraocullar pressure (IOP), to increase.

FOR MORE The two most common forms ON GLAUCOMA of glaucoma are Open-Angle and Angle-Closure; and Glaucoma.org they present very differently.

O

pen-Angle is a chronic insidious process that tends to come on with few symptoms. This chronic form tends to run in families and is managed over time once recognized. There is often a degree of eyesight lost by time of diagnosis as the slowly building pressure damages the nerve.

In stark contrast Angle-Closure is an acute emergency often with severe acute eye pain, nausea and vomiting. Symptoms may come and go at first, but will steadily worsen. Once an individual has had one Angle-Closure event, they are at risk of further risk of a subsequent attack.

These patients are often subjected to laser surgeries, oral and IV medications- with many side effects, along with steroid eye drops.

But some of the eye drops are Cannabis-like.

Nabilone is a THC analogue, or a kind of lookalike of an active ingredient from the Cannabis plant that is administered in an eye drop, and Marinol is a pill form of basically the same, and both are used in treating glaucoma patients. Neither has shown impressive results in studies or clinical outcomes with patients.

There continues to be however, an ever increasing focus on cannabinoid therapies isolating compounds from the Cannabis plant in research today. There has not been much research focused on the plant itself and it’s 400 plus plant compounds and how they work together.

Work done in the early 1970’s in Jamaica demonstrated a significant reduction in intraocullar pressure in male patients with diagnosed glaucoma who used Cannabis. Hinging off of this work was a study written up in the Journal of Ophthalmology, 3/1980. With 18 participants, the author’s concluded that “our study verifies that marijuana lowers both IOP and blood pressure in a heterogeneous glaucoma population.”

Until recently the IOP-lowering effects of Cannabis have been thought to be through the action of the central nervous system. More current research has shown that the anatomical distribution of certain cannabinoind receptors within the eye are suggestive that the endocannabinoid system may have dictation over the aqueous humour outflow and production.

Other research findings have shown that the vaso-dilatory effects in the eye are helpful for aqueous humoural outflow. This is the typical bloodshot eye effect from use of Cannabis.

Cannabis has had a long history in the prevention and treatment of glaucoma. Research has been conducted to look at the effects of isolate

APPROXIMATELY 2.2 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE U.S. HAVE GLAUCOMA AND ONLY HALF ARE EVER DIAGNOSED. IT CAN STRIKE AT ANY AGE. 1 IN 10,000 BABIES ARE BORN WITH GLAUCOMA.

An eye exam including a “puff test” in which a puff of air is directed at the eye to measure pressure in the eyeball, should be performed yearly to check for glaucoma in the eye. PHOTO BY FLICKR/USHOSPITALES

pieces of the very complex puzzle that is Cannabis. Not much has been done to study whole plant Cannabis. This plant has much to offer the glaucoma patient or perhaps even the individual with a family history who would like to reduce their likelihood.

To review, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the US and is caused by increasing pressure in the eye, and damage to the optic nerve. Cannabis has been shown to reduce IOP and is neuroprotective, or reducing harm being done to the nerve thereby continuing to prove its “medical necessity.”

Close-up of eye with glaucoma. PHOTO BY CEHJOURNAL.ORG

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Scott D. Rose is a Naturopathic Physician Acupuncturist specializing in pain management with a private practice in Kirkland.

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Lineage The precise balance of the Red Eyed And Ready cut of Cherry

Pie is a unique cross of a true South African Durban Poison and the legendary Grandaddy Purps. This treasure offers purple, sweet, spicy and sublime medication. The Pie gained popularity by taking honors of parenting the sought after Girl Scout Cookie clone, imparting the purple characteristic. The excitement of the Girl Scout Cookie in many ways overshadowed the pure brilliance of its parent, leaving a very special cut that may have been overlooked.

HOW IT GROWS

This is the most all around vigorous plant I have had the privilege of growing. She took root in an

Cherry Pie >> As time begins to slow down, slowly nodding my head side to side becomes the right thing to do. I remain brightly alert.

smoke report: The bag appeal on Cherry Pie is simply put, off the charts. Plump, purple flowers sheen a sandy exposure, complimented nicely by the bright orange hairs that abound each calyx. This medication is a purple lover’s dream and that’s before cracking the jar. Wafting sweet cherry and currant/marion berry aromas pound the nose instantly which gently gives way to the relaxing scent of what I imagine freshly baked gingerbread cookies to smell like. The smoke offers a smooth, mildly expansive, citrus-sweet inhale that calmly tickles the very bottom of my lungs before rushing out on a bed of spiced vanilla sugar with a lingering dark berry, danky aftertaste.

The Genetics: from the Red Eyed and Ready Cut. Origins: Granddaddy Purple x Durban Poison

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aeroponic cloner in nine days and was ready for transplant on day 11, which is about 3-5 days fast on average for that garden. After transplant, she dropped roots through her 3-inch medium in VERY DENSE 48 hours and had a full toothbrush MEDIUM-SIZED pushing out in 5 days. She responds SPEAR-SHAPED KOLAS well to topping, producing even ALMOST IMPOSSIBLY branching and uniform structure. She ENCRUSTED WITH can be a heavy feeder and produces SALT GRAIN-SIZED very rigid, woody stems that are RESIN GLANDS. most successfully super cropped in veg. Cherry Pie only doubled in size when transitioned to flower making her very easy to manage. She turns purple completely without response to temperature, producing very dense medium-sized spear-shaped kolas almost impossibly encrusted with salt grain-sized resin glands. Give an extra 2-4 days for drying and at least an extra week for curing the flowers due to the density and resin content.

The Effect: My eyes swell

for just a moment before giving way to gentle massage of my temples. A euphoric calm passes over me as I can feel my body relaxing into my desk chair. Time begins to slow down a wee bit as slowly nodding my head side to side becomes the right thing to do. The Cherry Pie leaves it’s patients pain free and mildly sedated but brightly alert and alert to the fact that taking it easy is good way to take it. As second’s turn into fourth’s and fifth’s I can definitely feel a confusion setting in, leaving me wondering about what I was wondering about and sort of in a spaced out place where my thoughts almost....I’m sorry I wasn’t listening.

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