Mar. 2024 - NE Leaf

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22 Leaf Magazine collaborated with Headset.io to present the top Cannabis strains by sales across the country. Is one of your favorites #1?

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32 crosscountry cannabis

BEN LOHRENTZ

ERIK CHRISTIANSEN @ERIK.NUGSHOTS

NORTHWEST LEAF / OREGON LEAF / ALASKA LEAF / MARYLAND

ABOUT THE COVER

The Flower Issue is our annual exploration into the evolution of big beautiful buds from seed to shelf. To showcase this, we called upon the terrific talents of photographer Chris Romaine, a.k.a Kandid Kush. His crisp and colorful Cannabis close-ups highlight the luscious and chart-topping New York Sour Diesel (see story pg. 22). For even more trichome-covered fun, be sure to check out our website and see all of the other unique covers decorated with Chris' photographs.

COVER PHOTOS BY

KANDID KUSH @KANDIDKUSH DESIGN

BY

DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

WES ABNEY CEO & FOUNDER wes@leafmagazines.com

MIKE RICKER OPERATING PARTNER ricker@leafmagazines.com

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DANIEL BERMAN CREATIVE DIRECTOR daniel@leafmagazines.com

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ADHDDEAD, REVIEWS

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TYLER CAMERON, PHOTOS

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AMANDA DAY, PRODUCTION

MAX EARLY, FEATURES

WYATT EARLY, NATIONAL NEWS

NICK EVANS, REVIEWS

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promoting your company’s medicinal, recreational, commercial or industrial Cannabis business, product or event within our magazine and on our website, LeafMagazines.com. Email paige@leafmagazines.com to start advertising with Northeast Leaf!

Exclusive Cannabis Journalism

WES ABNEY

Editor’s Note

Thanks for picking up The Flower Issue of Northeast Leaf!

Seeds are a wonderful metaphor for life, especially to Cannabis activists and those whose pot journeys began prior to legalization. The humble weed seed stood as a defiant symbol through the war on drugs – the one drug that couldn’t be eradicated because it grew in the ground.

I never understood the hypocrisy of demonizing such a beautiful plant, one that smells and tastes like the most fragrant of nectar, whose expressions release wonderful feelings without the harms of alcohol and pharmaceuticals. This plant survived 100 years of eradication and persecution and emerged stronger, more diverse, and more loved through the advent of indoor cultivation and medical awareness. These are historic times and already the newly-adult crowd can’t believe weed was ever illegal!

"AS CANNABIS LEGALIZATION HAS GROWN, SO HAS THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BEHIND THE PROCESSES."

As Cannabis legalization has grown, so has the science and technology behind the processes – leading to the wide world of processed products including vape pens, hash rosin, transdermal patches, nano-emulsified drinks and the classic pot brownie. All are made from the plant, but in the glamorous brightly-lit display cases are shiny finished products, not plants in red Solo cups like the early medical collectives. In my home state of Washington, you can buy every type of weed imaginable – including suppositories and flash frozen Space Weed – but you can’t buy a plant or a seed at a store to grow your own.

This disconnect from the plant to the consumer is real, and it’s felt especially by the farmers in today’s recreational markets. Most growers remember a time when Cannabis was illegal, but also a time when it had a lot of value. But legalization has brought over-regulation and over-taxation with tax code 280E that prevents ordinary business deductions – creating a hostile environment for growers themselves. Add to that the predatory buying tactics of many retailers and it suddenly isn’t shocking when farmers throw in the trowel, or return to the traditional market to eke out a living from the plant.

We all owe our thanks to the farmers and the flowers, the plant that survived its own war and emerged from basements and closets to state of the art greenhouses and corporate business parks. The industry has and is transforming, which is why we must all appreciate the beauty in the plant and understand that change is as unstoppable as the seeds we’ve planted.

In the words of Cynthia Occelli, "For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn’t understand growth, it would look like complete destruction."

To all the growers, from the home gardens to the medical and recreational facilities around the country, we applaud and appreciate you for your commitment to this plant. Thank you for reading and sharing the Leaf!

LEAF / CALIFORNIA LEAF / NORTHEAST LEAF / UTAH LEAF

GERMANY LEGALIZES RECREATIONAL CANNABIS

This marks a historic vote for Germany, making it the third country in Europe to legalize Cannabis use for adults. Beginning April 1st, adults will be able to cultivate up to three plants and possess up to 50 grams of Cannabis inside their homes, while allowed to carry up to 25 grams in public. Then in July, licensed non profit Cannabis clubs will open and allow a maximum of 500 members to join per club. Only members of any specific club would legally be allowed to consume the products it produces. “The aim is to crack down on the black market and drugs-related crime, reduce the amount of dealing and cut the number of users,” Germany’s Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said ahead of the vote.

JAMAICA SENDS CANNABIS TO THE UNITED STATES, LEGALLY THAT IS!

MEDICAL CANNABIS COULD BE COMING TO NEBRASKA

Anew poll conducted for Neilan Strategy Group shows that 70% of respondents are eager to legalize medical Cannabis in Nebraska.

THE SOUTH

MISSISSIPPI PLACES HOLD ON CANNABIS PRODUCTS AFTER ANONYMOUS CALL

A“Jamaica has long been associated with ‘ganja’ but never before in this context as a producer and legal exporter of THC as a pharmaceuticalgrade medicine.”

the third week of February both the DEA and the Jamaican Ministry of Health and Wellness approved an export of Cannabis to be tested at a DEA approved laboratory. Pure Jamaican is the Cannabis company responsible for making this happen, with goals of shifting the age-old view of Jamaica and Cannabis to a more medical than recreational focus. This milestone “is a proud moment for Jamaica and for our group of companies.” “Jamaica has long been associated with ‘ganja’ but never before in this context as a producer and legal exporter of THC as a pharmaceutical-grade medicine,” Cathcart said in a statement from the company. “As the only company in Jamaica licensed for pharmaceutical manufacturing of cannabinoids, we are proud to be leading the way to elevating the role of Jamaica in the global Cannabis ecosystem.” - Pure Jamaica CEO Scott Cathcart

hold has been placed on a large number of medical Cannabis products in Mississippi after an anonymous call alleged that proper procedures were not being taken during pesticide testing at a lab called Rapid Analytics. This places a heavy strain on the market’s availability of products, with nearly 70% of the state’s licensed cannabis going through this facility. There are only two licensed Cannabis testing facilities operating in the state of Mississippi. “They have no basis for anything, except an anonymous call,” Lab Spokesperson Mamie Henry told the Mississippi Free Press.

“This places a heavy strain on the market’s availability of products, with nearly 70% of the state’s licensed Cannabis going through this facility.”

“Nebraskans are clearly ready to legalize medical marijuana,” said Perre Neilan of Neilan Strategy Group. This is not a surprise to poll conductors who have seen very similar results in previous years. This will be the third year in a row Nielan is trying to get medical Cannabis in front of voters, with high hopes of finally making it happen.

In order to qualify for the ballot, an initiative seeking a law change must gather the signatures of about 86,000 registered voters and get signers from at least 5 percent of voters from 38 of state’s 93 counties.

$3b $1.4b $158.7m $787.5m

Yes you read that right, billion with a capital B. An amount that was surpassed in Cannabis sales in Michigan during 2023 alone.

The amount of Cannabis Missouri’s adult use market sold in its first year of operation.

The new Massachusetts sales record for a single month of Cannabis sales in MA, which began in 2018. The shocking total comes from just 400 Cannabis shops in the Commonwealth.

Maryland takes a step closer to the big B club with nearly 800 million in sales in 2023 between medical and recreational markets. Keep in mind recreational only went live in Maryland in July 2023.

JOIN THE ORIGINAL GRASSROOTS CANNABIS ACTIVIST ORGANIZATION IN MASSACHUSETTS, 31YEARSONTHE GROUNDAND STILL GROWING TOGETHER!

ally train ally train

Ally Train crafts her art as an act of defiance against her body because it hurts for her to create. But with everything she makes, its purpose is to in some way shape or turn on one of your senses. “I like to be doing something where you have to be interacting with your body and the piece,” said Ally.

AS THE creator of Cough Creative – a social media account she populates with her custom art, jewelry, infused recipes and Cannabis-related memes – she began with decorating mirrors and selling some pieces as a side hustle. From there she moved to customizing bongs with drip art in 2022, finding a unique drip pattern that the 23-year-old considers to be her calling card. In addition to brands reaching out to collaborate with her, her art has garnered a demand from a variety of clients – including a custom piece made for Cannabis influencer Koala Puffs.

While some will view her social media presence and be quick to label her as an influencer, Ally prefers

to introduce herself as an artist and content creator. “My goal from the beginning was to focus on my art, then it became more about the memes and the recipes,” she said. “I would love for people to think of me as an artist first, but I know that they don’t.”

Battling various illnesses since the age of eight, Ally was diagnosed at 15 with Ankylosing Spondylitis – a type of arthritis that mainly affects the spine, but she feels it in her entire body. Ally was also diagnosed with ADHD at 17, after years of struggling and going undiagnosed.

“No one took me seriously until I was 15. My parents took me seriously, but my doctors didn’t,” she said. “They always thought I was trying to miss school, which wasn’t the case.”

After eating an edible at a house party and occasionally smoking throughout her later years of high school, Ally realized that Cannabis could help with her insomnia and Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Although she still takes medication for certain illnesses, Cannabis is what she frequents the most and takes it as needed – and as she puts it, “As I need it a lot…”

During her college years, Ally began to educate herself more formally on the effects Cannabis had on her. Soon after, she acquired her medical card and trained to become a budtender. On campus, she was the go-to friend within her group for Cannabis knowledge and would contribute to smoke sessions – something she said would become expected of her from her peers. “I like to say that smoke is cyclical. It will always come back to you if you’re willing to contribute to other people,” she said.

After graduating from Towson University in 2022, Ally worked for a Cannabis software Company before resigning due to the mental

Although she still takes medication for certain illnesses, Cannabis is what she frequents the most and takes it asneeded–and as she puts it, “AsIneeditalot.”

CANNABIS FOR A BETTER LIFE

strain of the job – ultimately inspiring her to pursue art and content creation full-time. “It’s always what I’ve wanted to do, but I’ve always been told that art and things like social media – you can’t make money off doing it,” she said. “If I don’t do it now, I’ll never get to do it.”

With this decision, Ally credits her family for being there after she left her job and supporting her while she grew her brand. “The anecdote about starving artists … I don’t want to say it applies to me because I’m really lucky to have the support of my family,” she said. “I wouldn’t be as successful as I am because they wouldn’t have been there to catch me when I fell after I quit my job.”

While the Cough Creative page is a culmination of her different passions, Ally also gives her audience a look into some lifestyle changes she’s made to work with her different illnesses, including her cooking content. With her stomach not being able to handle the sugar substitute in store-bought edibles, she asked herself what she could do to make something a little more accessible and still want to eat it.

Tapping into her childhood passion for cooking, she’s made infused dishes like olive oil apple cake, gnocchi, and ham and swiss pastries. Ally hopes to in the future start an interactive cooking club where its participants can “selfdose and learn about the cooking aspects” of Cannabis.

Despite her ailments, Ally stays light-hearted when she talks about her struggles and describes herself as “chronically ill and chronically chill.” She knows some things are harder for her to do, but she does not let them make her angry at her body or the world around her. “There’s nothing I can do about it except continue to try and make my life easier,” she said. “Whether that’s making things more accessible in my home or stretching so I don’t get sore – whatever it is, I’m not going to be ashamed to do things like that.”

Follow her work on Instagram @coughcreative

"I've been immersed in art my entire life.”

Do you ever find yourself curious about where certain artists draw their inspiration from? Ever since I first laid eyes on Trevy Metal's artwork, I have been intrigued and beyond curious with the aforementioned – left pondering where he comes up with some of the mystical characters and cartoons that’ve been birthed from his brain.

BORN AND RAISED in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, Trevy spent lots of time around his father – a passionate tattoo artist – which fueled Trevy's imagination, along with a healthy dose of cartoons. "I've been immersed in art my entire life. I started working with glass in 2015 in Philadelphia at a studio called Krushmore, and learned carving and how to do it from Rye Glass (@ryeglass)."

Paving his lane in the art world, Trevy skillfully uses a dremel to engrave his immaculate works of art onto all sorts of incredible borosilicate glass pieces. Using everything from nostalgic imagery like Gameboy to ancient Egyptian designs, Trevy's artwork tells a story and elevates the smoking experience to a new level.

You can tell there's a ton of intentionality put into his collaboration pieces, as Trevy works with other world-renowned artists including Stormin Norman (@stormin___norman), Buck Glass (@buckglass), Darby (@darbyholmglass) and WJC (@wjcglas), creating customized artwork in synergy with their bodies of work. But he also channels his creativity in many different expressions and forms of art, including clothing, smoking accessories, canvases and beyond.

He's recently offered his imaginative services to multiple Cannabis brands like Archive Portland and Dabrite, while also doing design work for clothing labels such as Market and OHGEESY's brand OTX.

When asked what he's smoking on these days, the response was simple yet on the money. "A good OG will always have my heart, but I'm repping hard for the East Coast with Pleasant Effect's Zoap!"

LEMON SNAPS

From the packaging to the product, the amount of love and care that goes into making Punchkins – a baked goods edibles brand from Connecticut – is on full display. But don’t let these hash-infused, bite-sized treats fool you with their sweet and innocent appearance. They pack a potent punch and at a hearty 50mg per serving, left this reviewer absolutely smacked in the best way possible.

SPEAKING WITH Punchkins’ owner Mike, he shared that after cooking professionally for over a decade, he decided to go all-in on his side project when the hype and demand became too overwhelming. “It’s been a blessing that people really seem to enjoy what we’re putting out,” said Mike. “I truly love doing this and these last three years have been life-changing. Food, Cannabis and helping people are my passions. I feel blessed to get to wake up and do all three everyday.”

The versatility of the Punchkins line of treats is to be admired. From your morning coffee to your movie night, they make a perfect pair and are great for sharing with friends. The flavor options further bring the brand to life with oh-so tempting selections based on classics including S’mores, Almond Joys, Oreos and Dunk-a-Roos. While all options were enticing, the Lemon Snap had us coming back for more.

Opening the packaging unleashes a sweet donut smell that basically attacks your nose with a one-two punch of sugar and lemon. The tantalizing, powerful aroma translates to incredible taste, while the apparent density of the hand-rolled marshmallow truffles yields when you bite into them. Upon consumption, you are greeted with a surprisingly layered and soft texture –and after 30-45 minutes, you’ll likely notice a pleasant buzz start to kick in and kick your stress right out of the picture. I went back for seconds after a few hours and drifted into a happy, hazy, cloud-like high for the remainder of my evening.

So, are you looking to step into the ring with a sweet treat from Punchkins? Trust us when we say that these small-but-mighty edibles will give you a knockout of the finest kind.

“The versatility of the line of treats is to be admired. From your morning coffee to your movie night, they make a perfect pair and are great for sharing with friends.”

“No humans involved, no propane or oil or inefficient electric heat systems. Just planning and three big fans,” said Owner Nate Burdick.

HUCKLEBERRY SPACEQUEEN HASH ROSIN

By harnessing the power of the sun and attempting to do more with less, this fully solar-powered, organic farming operation has been growing some fire flowers for years but only recently got into the hash game. With just sun, wind and greenhouse protection, they have been able to cultivate some great flowers – leading to otherworldly hash expressions in both taste and effect.

One of their staple strains is Huckleberry Spacequeen. This pale, washed-out, light champagne colored hash rosin had me coming back for seconds with tantalizing sweet blackberry, apple and pear ice cream terps. With a genetic lineage boasting a Cinderella 99 parent, HSQ blasts off with a powerful rush of energy and immediate sense of focus. Tapping into creativity feels effortless and eventually the high settles warmly into the body without weighing you down.

But the question remains: How on Earth did Upward Organics get their hands on such an alien-like cut?

“We received the cut from our teacher, Jedi Ganja Warrior. Like all of his other work, the HSQ was a superstar,” Burdick tells me. “Resilient and insanely resinous. Almost too resinous to grow outdoors, so we decided to run it in our greenhouse.

This particular greenhouse is special because it has a climate battery – aka ground-to-air heat transfer system, or ‘GAHT’ installed underneath.

PROCESSED BY UPWARD ORGANICS

THE HUCKLEBERRY

Spacequeen hash rosin from Upward Organics in Maine takes intrepid hash explorers on an uplifting experience –leaving them positively energized with what this spaceman can only describe as a sense of cosmic clarity. What makes this hash rosin truly out-of-thisworld is not just the lip-smacking terps but the powerful effects, in part shaped by the innovative cultivation practices of Upward Organics.

This system pushes warm air underground during the day, warming or charging the soil (battery), and cooling the air. Then at night when temps drop, the fans turn on again, this time pushing cold air underground and the heat of the soil then warms the air in the greenhouse. HSQ has been flourishing with no added help.”

Incredibly, this hands-off approach leads to a wonderfully unique blend that can transform an ordinary day into an extraordinary adventure –unlocking your imagination to explore beyond the confines of Earth. Beyond the mouth-watering terps, Huckleberry Spacequeen is a perfect daytime dabbing experience for humans (definitely not aliens) looking for energy, creativity, focus, ADHD symptom relief and/or a mood boost. Don’t sleep on this shining star!

YOU

AS SOON AS

LAY EYES on Maine Tree’s Blue Lobster, it’s clear you’ve caught something unique. The buds are massive and blanketed in a frost of trichomes that shimmer like sunlight dancing off the crest of a wave. Incredible bag appeal is just your first hint at the quality of the voyage ahead … guiding you like a treasure map towards the enjoyable experience that lies beneath the surface. Before fully admiring the beautiful blue-tinged buds, you’re swept away by an onslaught of rich, fruit-forward scents as intoxicating as a summer breeze through a bustling tropical farmers market. Upon inhaling, the taste of Blue Lobster washes over you revealing blueberries and grapes soaked in cran-apple juice, topped off with a splash of fresh lime zest that lands with a smooth, creamy gas note on the tail end. The flavor profile is underpinned by its parents (Apples & Bananas x Eye Candy) and fully spans the entirety of a sugar-coated fruit stand. The complex rainbow of fruit flavors distinctly spreads across the smoke –with each hit seemingly unearthing a new layer of its complex, juicy essence. The true magic of Blue Lobster lies in its harmonious combination of taste and effects. The experience starts as a euphoric surge that lifts you up like a swell, but never crashes hard –a testament to its expertly balanced, indicaleaning lineage. Its compelling taste makes it irresistible, while the experience leaves you serene and tranquil, floating above the murky depths of overindulgence. Exploring this strain will give you a soothing ride that leaves your mind calm and your body at ease. This is the kind of wave that you don’t just ride; you savor it, finding the present moment and letting the peaceful, good vibes flow through your day or into a restful evening. Catching Blue Lobster is an experience reserved for those willing to navigate the vast seas of “rare exotic” strains in search of something truly special. I’m always left smiling and smacking my lips when I am able to find this one on a menu. So, if you find yourself with the chance to catch this special strain from Maine Trees, don’t hesitate to dive in.

BLUE LOBSTER

CULTIVATED BY MAINE TREES

NORTHEAST

“A euphoric surge that lifts you up like a swell, but never crashes hard –a testament to its expertly balanced, indica-leaning lineage.”

@FATMAINETREES

REVIEW

wedding cake

22

washington

#1 Wedding #2 GG4 #3 Blue #4 Runtz #5 Golden #6 Ice Cream #7 Gelato #8 OG #9 Purple #10 MAC

oregon

Runtz Super Boof Bananas

Ice Cream Cake

Blue Dream Junky

Garlic Gelato

Donny Burger Strawberry

nevada

Cookies

7 Pineapple #8 Purple Kush #9 Wedding Cake #10 Funk Master

california Dream Cake Milk

#5 Biscotti #6 Garlic #7 Kush Mints #8 Lemon Cherry Gelato #9 Gelato #10 Runtz

THE STAGGERING complexity of the Cannabis plant creates a kaleidoscope of shapes, colors, aromas, flavors and effects – enticing people from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds. Concurrently, these people have a diversity of tastes and preferences –translating into a Cannabis landscape where a strain can be a hit in one corner of the country, while not even on the radar in another. For our annual Flower Issue we teamed up with Headset, a company specializing in retail-level sales data for the Cannabis industry, and dug into some of the trends surrounding strains in different regions of North America. Here’s what people around the country are smoking on.

#1 LA Kush Cake #2 Runtz #3 Wedding Cake #4 Lemon Cherry Gelato #5 Jenny Kush #6 Afternoon Delight #7 Gelato #8 Head Cheese #9 Kush Cake #10 Bananas

colorado

#1 MAC #2 Blue Dream #3 Ice Cream Cake #4 Lilac Diesel #5 White 99 #6 Glueball #7 Bubba Fett #8 Strawberry Banana #9 Gelato Cake #10 Runtz

arizona

#1 Wedding Cake #2 Kush Mints #3 Jealousy #4 Guava #5 Mule Fuel #6 Gelato #7 Las Vegas Triangle Kush #8 Apple Fritter #9 Blue Dream #10 GG4

TOP OF

michigan

#1 Runtz #2 Kush Mints

#3 Super Boof

#4 Bananas

#5 Rainbow #6 Cream #7 Ice Cream Cake

#8 Wedding Cake

#9 Gastro Pop

#10 Oreoz

#1 Sour Diesel #2 Runtz

#3 Gas Face #4 Blueberry Muffin

#5 Lilac Diesel

#6 Gush Mints #7 Glitter Bomb #8 Biscotti #9 Alaskan Thunder Fuck #10 Wedding Cake

missouri

#1 Ice Cream Cake

#2 GMO Cookies

#3 Crescendo

#4 Sherbet Cake

#5 MAC

#6 Gorilla Pie

#7 Florida Kush

#8 Bubba Fett

#9 Truffle #10 Star Cookies

illinois

#1 Brownie Scout #2 Pineapple Express #3 Sherbert #4 Kush Mints #5 Bananas #6 Banana Daddy

#7 Georgia Pie #8 Sour Diesel #9 Gelato #10 GG4

ohio

#1 GMO Cookies

#2 Orange 43

#3 Ice Cream Cake

#4 Animal Face

#5 Frosted Kush

#6 Biscotti

#7 92 Cookies

#8 Brownie Scout

#9 Layer Cake

#10 Garlic Breath

massachusetts

#1SourDiesel #2Runtz #3GasFace #4BlueberryMuffin

#5LilacDiesel

#6GushMints #7GlitterBomb

#8Biscotti #9AlaskanThunderFuck #10WeddingCake

maryland

#1Bananas #2Mimosa #3Runtz #4WeddingCake #5BlueDream #6BrownieScout #7Oreoz #8ChocolateOG # SourDiesel # MandarinZkittlez

THE POTS

breeding brilliance

WHEN YOU LEAVE THE DISPENSARY with the newest heat from your favorite cultivator in-hand, you may not realize it, but decades of genetic cross-breeding, thousands and thousands of scrapped batches, painstaking rounds of assessment and data gathering, all led to that weed strain ending up in that jar. Each year, The Flower Issue aims to shine a light on this beautiful bud we all enjoy and the people who spend their entire lives trying to make sure we don’t have to smoke the same old strains every day. We caught up with some of the world’s premier Cannabis geneticists to learn what really pops their seeds and to hear what they have in the works for 2024 and beyond.

humboldt seed company

Humboldt Seed Company brings a familial approach to the concept of a global Cannabis genetics business. Run by father-daughter team Nat and Halle Pennington, along with Nat’s partner Ben Lind, HSC currently produces new genetics in facilities on multiple continents.

Their efforts in 2023 included a massive, multi-farm collaborative pheno hunt that provided them with the data they needed to enable them to bring the world’s first Cannabis triploids to market – which possess three copies of chromosomes instead of the usual two – and are 99% seedless due to natural breeding techniques and selective pressures. That project also solidified some new winners they’re bringing to market: the juicy Orange Creampop and the tasty treat called Granny Candy.

Pennington shared some of his vision for the future with the Leaf for this issue. >>

nat pennington

On what he looks forward to in 2024: "We're excited to see folks’ reaction to new strains like Granny Candy and Orange Creampop, of course the triploids too. We'll be producing true breeding F1 Hybrid seed over the summer and that is the result of 20 years of breeding pure lines. This means that seeds will be uniform from plant to plant, like clones, and will display vigor like we've never seen in Cannabis."

On the implications of the new triploid genetics: “It is definitely a new frontier – triploids can increase yields, cannabinoids, terpenes and even make a strain much better for hash production, as we showed in our study with Resin Dial. Hopefully triploids can increase the chances for small farms and lower carbon production and the burden on the nation's power grid.”

On their current projects on the global Cannabis scene: “We just completed a massive phenotype hunt in the Caribbean and we are spending time in Morocco this spring – planning research and phenotype hunting projects there, as well as learning about the traditional hash production that the area is known for.”

On the trends they see across the global markets: “We've seen candy strains have a big run over the last couple months in LA and parts of the rest of the country. The European community is still coveting anything that's not a Haze or Cheese strain, while at the same time New York City seems to love a Haze strain called The Piff. We've learned that a ‘one terp fits all’ philosophy just doesn't work, which is why we breed such a diverse variety of strains. We've always said that the best Cannabis is having a bunch of different kinds of Cannabis!” Humboldtseedcompany.com

ABOVE: Granny Candy cultivated by Terp Mansion @terp.mansion

RIGHT: Orange Creampop cultivated by Casa Flor @casaflorfamily

“We just completed a massive phenotype hunt in the Caribbean and we are spending time in Morocco this spring.”

breeding brilliance

James Loud is a former awardwinning chef from the San Francisco culinary scene who took his 30+ year love affair with Cannabis and turned it into a career as an award-winning seed breeder, educator and hype man for the plant.

Operating out of his James Loud Genetics facility in Northern California, Loud produces seeds under his own label and also grows them for some of the largest seed sellers in the world. His podcast features an ever-expanding list of respected figures in the Cannabis scene, and he recently published a book to share his knowledge with the cultivation community.

james loud

On his origin story as a Cannabis breeder: “I started smoking Cannabis in 1991 in the Bay Area. In the early ‘90s, my brother had plants that were hidden in the neighbor's backyard at night before my parents got home. I started growing indoors in a closet with a phototron shortly after. Breeding was something that just came naturally. It was an evolution to growing. We wanted something different. Back then there wasn't as much genetic diversity. I envisioned breeding early on – most of my friends thought it was a joke that I wanted to do a seed company and they didn't quite get it in 2008, 2009. I was making crosses and really kind of eyeing the seed model – I was thinking, ‘Man, this could be really good.’ Because we can have pot and we can also make money selling seeds – we could have our own version of Sour Diesel, which was the big thing. We were all about Sour Diesel back then. And so that kind of evolved. There was Sour Diesel, OG Kush, Chem Dog. Those were all Cookies. Those were the exotics of their time, and we all of those things.”

On his new book, Cannabis Breeding: “I've been working on it for five years; it’s book and finally we got it down. I got a really good team the best layout person. Angela Bacca did the editing Jeanette, and we got contributions in the book from so many book and I'd say there's like 15 other people that contribgroup effort and I think the book came out really, really it's been quite the journey and it’s still not over. Now we

On the cultivar that impacted him the most in his life: “The most impactful Piss. It was so strong and pungent that you could walk smell the Cat Piss – whether it was the flower or the right away it was Cat Piss. It tasted good all the way down You could smoke a roach a week later, and go, ‘That's the roach.’ And that's what made me fall in love with weed, to be

On what makes a winning strain: “How does it smoke and how does it know the effect. I want to know all these things. I feel are really what makes it, and some of that stuff gets People get so excited about the way stuff looks, and for social media. Social media has taken us into a bad breeding a little bit, because it’s all about looks.”

On finding his place in the genetics world: “I believe in self-improvement, self-improvement over time equals success. Being passiondo, that's super important to me. I'm not trying to be best. I'm just trying to be the best that I can be. Training me that. As a business owner, you learn how to fail a lot accept failure. If you love it, keep doing it – and eventually good at it. And I feel like that translates to anything that do, whether it's growing or whether it's cooking or whether it's swim– whatever it is, you do it enough, you get good at it. If you're passionate it, you're going to get really good at it.” jamesloudgenetics.com

ABOVE: Zour Diesel bred by James Loud and grown by House of Cultivar.

RIGHT: Seed Cabinet and Podcast Recording.

breeding brilliance

breeding brilliance the

mario guzman sherbinskis

On how he knew he wanted to be a Cannabis breeder: “I’ve never been person when it comes to tech. I am more of a high EQ, hands-on person. When growing and working with plants, I found a huge admiration for the hard work faction of a hard day's work. Building my first grow myself and all the ones after, and building a team and a community drove me – and I fell in love. This early 2000s.”

On his sources of inspiration: “I’m inspired by the people that do the heavy lifting in life and don’t look for pats on the back or accolades. They just do the work selflessly. They are who they are behind closed doors when no one is looking. They still do the right thing. These are the people that I look up to.”

On the growers he admires: “The garage growers around the world who put their heart and soul into every gram they grow. And also the generational outdoor farmers that this industry is built on. The generations of farmers that came before the social media era, and have nothing left of their faces now but the legendary stories of the people that lived this life fore us, and paved the way for the life that we now know as the ‘industry.’”

On when he knew Gelato was going to be a hit: “I knew it would be a hit when I started smoking some of the first batches I grew. The look, smell, feel – they were all something new. The Sunset Sherbert as a parent is one of the keys to why Gelato is so good and makes you feel amazing. To this day it’s one of my favorites, the parent to the Gelato.”

SPOTLIGHT 3 OF 4

thanks to Mario Guzman. The Sacramento-born Bay Area legend developed the Sunset Sherbert strain, and followed that up with Gelato. Every head stash in the past decade has had something that came from that lineage at one time or another. His company Sherbinskis continues to develop new genetics and push the boundaries of the genetics scene.

On selecting genetics to release into the world: world’s needs are growing! There is such huge variety of needs for certain markets and climates/ environments. My work with genetics has broadened my learning and understanding of those needs and it goes way beyond just Gelato, which is really exciting to me. My library goes much further as I’ve been fortunate to be given genetics by the top breeders in the world and have opportunities globally to pursue.”

On his current focus: “I’m 1000% completely focused on delivering flower to the global market through EUGMP facilities. And also the development of my new platform/ brand called ‘Voice of the Plant.’ It’s my passion project and vision of creating a platform for all plant medicine thought leaders, and connecting people with plants through creative interactions with music, art and food.”

On Genesys, the mysterious space-age social media series he posted on the Sherbinskis Instagram: “I had some fun telling a story with AI. It was for the people that saw what it its core. The world is changing.”

breeding brilliance

Chris Lynch has been churning out hype strains from his facilities on the West Coast for years. As the mind and palate behind Grape Gas, Horchata, Gastro Pop, Pink Certz and a number of collabs with Berner from Cookies like Apples & Bananas, Lynch needs no introduction among heat-seeking flower fanatics.

His latest release, Blue Lobster, dropped in exclusive collabs on both coasts. (Find more on Blue Lobster in this month’s California Leaf and Northeast Leaf magazines.)

Leaf connected with Lynch to learn more about his new company, Cipher Genetics, and hear his thoughts on the state of the strain world.

On his origin story: “My love for Cannabis started around the age of 14. I saw pictures of Cannabis for the first time in magazines at the grocery store, and thought it looked so unique and special. Over the next 20 years, I became more and more fascinated with everything related to the plant. I grew up in Portland, Oregon, and always had access to high-quality flowers and this fueled my love and passion. In 2013 a friend named OneEye made the cultivar Dog Walker OG. The market was starting to become saturated with similar strains and prices were going down. OneEye was able to maintain a strong demand for his flower because he had exclusive genetics. Dog Walker was trending in the state and everyone wanted it. This opened my eyes to the power of Cannabis genetics and how unique flavors were very appreciated. This spurred my desire to focus heavily on genetics and pushed me over to the next level. I already loved all things Cannabis, but this experience propelled me to see things in a different light. From that point on, I became obsessed with collecting rare cuts and breeding with them. I was constantly testing the new strains and I enjoyed giving them unique names.”

On his influences: “The time I spent in Amsterdam was my first burst of influence. I had impactful experiences hanging

BREEDER

chris lynch cipher genetics

out with Soma that were a major source of inspiration. I was also inspired early on by Exotic Genetix, Archive Seeds, DNA Genetics, Cannarado, Jungle Boys, and a handful of others. Over time, I’ve learned to trust my personal taste for genetics and listen to my inner voice for guidance. This combined with daily feedback from the Cannabis community helps guide my direction and vision.”

On finding pride in his work: “I’m proudest of how my work with the plant has impacted the Cannabis community and people’s lives. It’s amazing to see how far-reaching it goes. Hearing from people all around the world about how my genetics improved their quality of life and health is so powerful. Some of my favorite creations are Apples & Bananas, Blue Lobster, Gastro Pop, Pavé and Grape Gas.”

On his new company, Cipher Genetics: “We’re focusing on breeding new cultivars with strong therapeutic benefits at Cipher Genetics. All the new strains we create awe us with impressive terpene profiles, cannabinoid levels and flower morphologies. I’m working with Kate, my partner, who has a strong molecular genetics background. She brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and insight to Cipher that makes

for a strong work dynamic together. Our next big project is the Blue Lobster seed collection in collaboration with Maine Trees, which is scheduled to drop later this year.”

On what he considers when selecting new genetics: “I look for genetics that check all of the boxes for desired traits and stand apart from the rest. I want to bring new profiles to market, not more of the same.”

On candy terps and the future of trends in the flower market: “Limonene, a main terpene in the ‘candy nose,’ is highly regarded in pharmacology research for its anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing effects. Limonene and another candy terpene, linalool, increase THC potency. Candy and dessert terpene profiles also activate the dopaminergic areas in the brain when smelled, so there’s another reason they’re so popular. I think skunk and gas strains will still keep a sizable foothold in the industry. Skunky B-myrcene, spicy B-caryophyllene, a-terpineol and gamma-terpinene are noted as pain-relieving compounds as well. I think the industry will stay focused on the highest terpene content strains because their effects are impressive. The gas and spicy profiles won’t be lost in favor of only candy strains, because every terpene has a high medicinal value.” cipher-genetics.com

ABOVE: Blue Lobster

RIGHT: Breeder Chris Lynch

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The Ups & Downs of Cross-Country Cannabis The Ups & Downs of Cross-Country

Do they love RS11 out in Colorado as much as they do in California? Is Grape Gas what they’re rolling up in Arizona, and does New York still love smoking Diesel? These are the kinds of questions you have to ask yourself when you’re a multi-state brand in the Cannabis sphere. Whether it’s expansion through a licensing deal or the creation of a new cultivation site, bringing a company up to this level gives someone a unique perspective about what consumers are smoking from coast to coast – something that’s becoming increasingly more valuable as a Gallup news poll reported in 2023 that now half of Americans have at least tried Cannabis. In honor of The Flower Issue, and hitting the halfway mark, we reached out to Anna Willey from CAM, Dave Polley from Preferred Gardens, and Ted Lidie from Alien Labs to get their take on creating weed for stoners across the country.

tHERE’S NO quick answer on how you build a menu for diners with different palates, but one thing each person we spoke to mentioned was having faith in the foundation they’ve built –particularly forging their path in California’s challenging Cannabis market. Polley admitted that, “Being in California for over a decade comes with a form of respect. I’d have to say it’s a faster track when you’ve done it the hard way for so long and been successful.” The ability to rely on track record is something Lidie also asserts has been one of the most valuable parts about swinging into a new market. “We’re an established brand, so people are excited to see us come to town,” he told us. Being a name that maintains their own operations in Arizona, and operates in Florida through Trulieve, he mentioned how the strains they’ve developed over their decade-long history have helped in troduce them to consumers in new states before they even get there – primarily by having so much user-generated content available to describe Alien Labs products. And as for Willey – who has already moved her brand once from Colorado to California before now being in multiple states – she says, “You have to trust in what you’ve built in one state, take your staple strains, and hope folks in a new one will like it.”

In the end, when it comes to what’s easy about serving stoners across state lines, Polley summed it up best: “There’s nothing easy about it.” You might assume a strain’s popularity moves like fish along a current from the Pacific towards the Atlantic, but it’s a much more unpredictable process. Something that flies off shelves in California or Arizona might attract flies in Michigan or Florida. Lidie mentioned again how they’ve mitigated much of this through brand recognition of the strains they offer, but there are a host of unforeseen rules and regulations that pop up – forcing brands to rename strains, redevelop packaging, or even change cultivation methods completely in order to comply. Polley shared how Preferred Gardens has turned down big opportunities because partners weren’t able to get cultivation setups to Polley’s strict standards for product quality. Founded in California back in 2015, Preferred Gardens has put in the work – expanding into Florida through a partnership with The Flowery and projects already underway in Arizona and New York. One interesting issue Lidie pointed out was how, coming from California, there’s a lot we take for granted (such as how much of an educated trimmer community there is on the West Coast). Still, no matter how it's grown or trimmed, the one constant seems to always be that it has to be good. As Willey, the largest female Cannabis producer in the country told us, “What hits in one state usually won't be as effective in the next, but quality rules over everything.”

ROADBLOCKS AHEAD

to be honest it gets overwhelming – even for the most decorated smokers.” Lidie, who also strives to check every batch that Alien Labs puts out, stated, “It’s a lot of work that on the surface, just looks like smoking weed – but I feel like quality control is a big part of how we hold ourselves accountable for what the work looks like and your personal standards are a big part of what drives your brand.”

These rigorous personal standards are not only something each of these individuals highlighted as part of their recipe for staying on course in new waters, it’s also what can take the longest in terms of delivering the same experience to new smokers. This point was further echoed by Marc Hammond, who along with his brother Scott, operate Kalya Extracts in California and Oregon. Being a hash-making company, they not only have to look at flower trends from state to state, but also at which producers are creating the best material. They said the hardest

part they’ve seen about a brand branching into new territory is the time it takes to rev up to the same level it was known for at home.

To echo Polley’s statement from earlier, there really doesn’t seem to be anything easy about serving a national stoner audience. But speaking to these individuals, a very important point was made: Take the time to understand the regional differences and develop the product, so it’s a top shelf example of Cannabis in that state – instead of holding it against your work in another state. Each has different rules to live by, but both need to be reflections of a brand standard. After all, regardless of what you light in your bowl, we might have differences from state to state but one thing is clear: We all want good weed … or at least half of us do.

camdispensary.com | alienlabs.org kalyaextracts.com | preferredgardens.com

“What hits in one state usually won't be as effective in the next, but quality rules over everything.”

Anna Willey | CAM

Along with the issue of educating consumers with such a wide degree of knowledge about Cannabis from stateto-state, each shared how the one hurdle you might never consider is how quickly quality control becomes a much bigger situation than you bargained for. “I’m very hands-on,” Polley said, “so every batch needs to be smoke-tested by me and the crew. That might sound fun and easy to most people, but

The Pursuit of

Cultivators are typically going for buds with the best bag appeal. It’s all about growing out the fluffiest and fattest nugs that will sit looking pretty in their flower packaging. On the other hand, solventless extractors making hash and rosin are in pursuit of one very important (but often more inconspicuous) thing: resin.

IN FACT, growing specifically for solventless production has been dubbed “resin farming” and inspired an entire industry of breeding for “hash plants.” But if we’re going to get into resin farming and hash plants, we’ve got to talk trichomes first – the small, wispy structures on the surface of the Cannabis plant that look like little hairs.

The trichome head sits on top of the stalk and contains the highest concentrations of cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids and more. It’s basically where all the good stuff that determines the taste, aroma and medicinal effects of that particular plant is stored. Here the glands produce a sticky substance called resin to hold all those valuable compounds together and keep them safe from threats like pests and UV radiation. When a plant produces lots of trichome heads, its flowers will be visibly glistening with a thick, solid layer of sparkling resin – almost like they’re wearing a frosty fur coat!

Resin farmers are essentially growing to maximize the amount of these trichome heads (and therefore resin) on their plants, which are then extracted from the rest of the plant material to create solventless products. They for sure want to see that frosty fur coat.

Factors like the density, structure and consistency of trichome heads can all contribute to whether or not a strain is a “dumper” – meaning it dumps these large amounts of resin. While the way a plant is grown (e.g. the lights and nutrients used) can have a slight impact here, most of these trichome traits are controlled by the genetic makeup of the plant. Hence the need to create new Cannabis genetics tailored to trichome quality and resin production. Simply by nature, some strains tend to yield better or create higher quality solventless extracts than others. It’s why GMO and Papaya are known to be dumpers while old-school Kush and OG varietals rarely extract well.

ABOVE: A 200% close-up of Papaya hash. RIGHT: Harvest Moon Gardens' GMO.

Resin

Household Names in Breeding for Resin

Bloom Seed Co.

Exotic Genetix

Oni Seed Co.

Little Lake Valley Seed Co.

Ras Kaya Paul of Pacific Northwest Roots

Masonic Seed Company

Top Dawg Seeds

DNA Genetics

Archive Seed Bank

Garden of Grease Seeds

3rd Gen Family Farm

So, breeding new strains for solventless production becomes like a puzzle. These breeders are identifying existing genetics with traits ideal for extraction, then putting them together to create something new that is (hopefully) even better than its individual components. For example, taking a GMO plant that absolutely dumps resin and crossing it with an OG strain that doesn’t yield high enough for commercial solventless production, but has an incredibly sought-after terpene profile. The goal here would be to breed these strains together and find a phenotype that yields well enough (thanks to the GMO parent) without losing that unique flavor from the OG parent.

Owner and Operator of legacy brand Pacific Northwest Roots, Ras Kaya Paul is one of the OGs when it comes to putting together these puzzles. He started working with the plant in the mid-’90s and grew his passion and knowledge into a successful growing and breeding enterprise, developing hash genetics now known across the country such as Kaya’s Koffee and The Freeze.

Ras Kaya explains, “When breeding for ‘hash plants’ there are many things to consider. Chief among these are exceptional terpenes, trichome type and proper yields. Many seed makers are recombining known hash plants and having success creating poly-hybrids for the masses – and that’s good for the people.”

“It’s also important to make a distinction and recognize the folks like Archive, 3rd Gen, and others like myself that have been at the craft for decades,” he continues, “developing those cornerstone genetics and hash-making techniques for others to build on. As with breeding for flowers, this kind of innovation for our industry requires testing and processing the genetics, then making thoughtful selections based on those results.”

With that, the pursuit of resin continues…

"Growing specifically for solventless production has been dubbed 'resin farming' and inspired an entire industry of breeding for hash plants."

EVERY ONE OF US suffers from some form of dysfunction – one that charges our need to act out in dramatic ways. It’s OK … there’s no need to build a defense. Because whatever it is that causes us to project our suffering, we all need to express emotion.

You see, we are often unaware of the root of our anger since it has generally developed from personal trauma endured during the formative years. And when you add the unforgiving stresses that come with modernity, everyone’s pot eventually steams with a piercing whistle. And although every individual’s experience is unique unto themselves, the forum to where much of this frustration is projected is the most common place for public interaction: the grid of shared asphalt.

And what makes the highways and byways the easy arena to cast one’s flared opinions? It’s the fact that each person is secured by a housing of locked doors and fast wheels. This is the haven from where spitting vitriol and emphatic threats towards an utter stranger two times her size will insulate an otherwise pleasant grandmother. Where most ordinary individuals would normally buckle in fear at any face-to-face confrontation with an adversary, within this automobile they personify the confidence of a professional wrestler.

The dissatisfaction of our core sometimes manifests in uncharacteristic ways.

But no one should ever internalize accusations on the blacktop, as it is only someone else’s personal anxiety manifesting outwardly. Self-control has never been a strong suit amongst most people when pushed into small spaces, and therefore the discomfort is sometimes blamed on the obstruction preventing them from their desperately needed open space.

Which is exactly why driving stoned should be legal.

Whole bud flower is infused with a proprietary process that combined diamonds, natural botanical terpenes and pure kief all contained within the pre-roll to produce a potent flavor explosion and high THC content for that desired Lift o or couch lock without the mess and burn of a traditional pre-roll.