DOPE MAGAZINE SOCAL JANUARY 2016 #5 THE DOPEST ISSUE

DEFENDING OUR PLANT EVERYWHERE

SYRUP OG TRUTH SERUM NATIVE SEED

ALIVE IN MUSIC LEON HENDRIX INTERVIEW

CANNACOLOGY

ROA D T R I P THE GREENING OF VEGAS

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WASHINGTON | JANUARY 2016

CONTENTS

•THE DOPEST ISSUE•

ISSUE # 53 | FREE

DEFENDING OUR PLANT EVERYWHER E

STRAINS

BLACKBERRY DREAM & AFGOO

CONCENT RATE LEMON OG

EDIBLE

UHI? PEANUT BRITTLE

STORES

ISSUE 05 | JANUARY 2016 THE DOPEST ISSUE

ALIVE IN MUSIC

LEON HENDRIX INTERVIEW

THE HIDDEN BUSH & THE HERBERY

ROA D T R I P THE GREENING OF VEGAS

WO M E N OF WEED

A GRAND SOCIAL EXPERIMENT

COVER PHOTO

Purple Haze Properties, LLC

12

IN EVERY ISSUE

12 STRAIN Syrup OG

14 EDIBLE

Native Seeds Lift Bars

16 DISPENSARY

14

Cannacology

50 CONCENTRATE High Noon Truth Seru,m

36

NEWS

20

HEALTH

50 24

Dosage in Edibles

24 BRANDING BUD

Playing it Safe - Child Resistant Packaging

32 CANNA-NEWS Homelessness and Cannabis

36 CANNA-NEWS

#VANLIFEREVOLUTION. Sell Your Stuff. Buy a Van.

40 CANNA-NEWS #END420SHAME

40 52

42

FEATURES 52

ON THE COVER!

Jimi Hendrix - Alive in Music

42 PRODUCT

Cannabis Basics Lip Balm

70

PRODUCT

74

EVENT RECAP

8

Steve DeAngelo Book Review

2015 DOPE Industry Awards

| ISSUE 05 THE DOPEST ISSUE dopemagazine.com

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EDITOR’S LETTER What does it mean to be DOPE? Being dope is less about getting high and more about the choices we make to embrace the plant. When confronted with the decision to be out in the open or to keep your personal cannabis consumption on the down low, being DOPE is choosing the former. It’s DOPE to let your family know cannabis isn’t going to kill them and that sharing is caring.

To be DOPE, the opinions of others cannot matter to you. Framing responses to lines of inquiry based on what people want to hear isn’t DOPE. Being the person you want to be in this world rather than the one that is expected of you IS pretty DOPE. If you think for yourself and challenge that which does not make sense, you’re onto something: DOPEness.

EVAN CARTER

PRESIDENT

DAVID TRAN

CEO

CHARM DOMACENA

DESIGN DIRECTOR

JAMES ZACHODNI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

BRANDON PALMA

ART DIRECTOR

ABIGAIL ROSS NATIONAL CONTENT MANAGER ALISON BAIRD MANAGING EDITOR MEGHAN RIDLEY ONLINE EDITOR JONATHAN TEETERS DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS KATE KELLY OPERATIONS ASSOCIATE ANTHONY DAVIS VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES EMMETT FRASER REGIONAL SALES MANAGER ZAK HUGHES DIGITAL AD TRAFFIC COORDINATOR DALLAS KEEFE SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER NATHAN CHRYSLER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TREK HOLLNAGEL STRATEGIC ADVISOR JENIKA MAO ADMIN EVENT COORDINATOR KINSEY LITTON OFFICE MANAGER CHRISTINA HEINTZELMAN EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Being DOPE is opening yourself up to undertakings that make you nervous just thinking about them. Uncomfortable is normal. Awkwardness is character building. It improves self-awareness, and self-awareness is DOPE! Forget about all previous connotations associated with DOPE. DOPE has nothing to do with oppression. Being DOPE is liberating, joyful, and inspiring to communities. We’re not a discriminatory bunch; we’re cooperative, incorporating any and all who wish to shift the paradigm. Being DOPE is about ownership of all things you do.

EVAN KOPELSON STATE DIRECTOR MICHAEL MANNING STATE EDITOR ASHLEIGH CASTRO CONTENT COORDINATOR ALLIE BECKETT LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

It’s DOPE to use DMX or Jay-Z lyrics to make a point. Oh, you’re not feeling me? Fine. It cost you nothing; pay me no mind. It’s DOPE to respond calmly when the TSA asks you about the dab rig in your carry-on as you clarify that the dabber is an applicator for medicine and not an instrument of destruction.

RON MULLINS ASHLEIGH CASTRO

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

It’s DOPE to have goals and strive for excellence. Ambling down East Colfax stopping at each convenience store in search of the perfect taco roller fails to meet the nutritional and philosophical principals of being DOPE. Wild dreams and far-out fantasies are the reality in the land of DOPE. There is definitely an agenda behind this industry. Cannabis has its own culture and community. It’s not a drug culture invading a straight world. The culture of DOPE is rooted in the simple belief that cannabis is very good rather than very bad. The refusal to sit idly by while others besmirch what we love is DOPE. Defending Our Plant Everywhere is DOPE!

CAL GREENFIELD ADAM RITZ

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

SHARON LETTS DAVID BAILEY DAVE HODES RON MULLINS DAVID PALESCHUCK

R.Z. HUGHES C. IMANI WILLIAMS SCOTT PEARSE EVAN KOPELSON DEBBY GOLDSBERRY

JASON ROSENBURG ASSOCIATE SALES MANAGER

WWW.DOPEMAGAZINE.COM

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Unabashed and totally biased, but open to discussion, it’s our purpose to inspire and be inspired.

Would you rather die enormous or live dormant?

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DEFENDING OUR PLANT EVERYWHERE DOPE is a free publication dedicated to providing an informative and wellness-minded voice to the cannabis movement. While our foundation is the medical cannabis industry, it is our intent to provide ethical and research-based articles that address the many facets of the war on drugs, from politics to lifestyle and beyond. We believe that through education and honest discourse, accurate policy and understanding can emerge. DOPE Magazine is focused on defending both our patients and our plant, and to being an unceasing force for revolutionary change.

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DOPE Magazine and the entire contents of this magazine are copyright 2016 DOPE MAGAZINE LLC, all rights reserved and may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or part without the written permission from DOPE Magazine LLC.

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STRAIN

SYRUP OG THE REAL DEAL WRITER

• C. IMANI WILLIAMS

| PHOTOS • ADAM RITZ

GENETICS Syrup OG is a pungent cross of OG Kush x Cookies, and this cut’s mother is one of the original OG clones dating back to the 1970s, the Soul Assassin Cut from Dr. Green Thumb. Syrup OG is grown by an exclusive group of like-minded sophisticated growers.

EFFECTS Often elevating patients to a relaxing plateau without sleepiness I experienced a feeling of calm followed by euphoria. If experiencing blockage in creative flow, this strain can help stimulate artistic energy. For those living with acute or chronic pain, Syrup OG may be the treatment for which you’ve been searching.

AROMA Pungent, pungent, pungent! Did we say forget to say… pungent? Syrup OG’s aroma is strong yet elegant, smooth yet complex. This is not your normal OG. It’s known for an overpowering and attention-grabbing floral-heavy combination scent of earth, citrus, and pine.

Our closed jar of Syrup OG stunk up the car even though it was sealed inside a bag.

AVAILABLE AT: • E+R MELROSE, LOS ANGELES • GREEN ELEMENT CARSON ST, CARSON • GLD 228TH, TORRANCE

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LOOKS The term “syrup” actually describes the appearance of this strain during flowering. In the final days before harvesting, Syrup OG’s buds explode with trichomes, creating a thick resinous coating with a gooey – or syrupy – appearance. This visually stunning flower in its own right deserves appreciation and recognition and is well worth trying.

THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS The Syrup Collective has used the sugar leaf trim from this strain to develop a line of micro-dose edibles called CreEdibles. These tasty, bite-size treats have helped alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy, according to one of the collective’s members currently battling cancer. Syrup OG’s savory flavor and smooth effect enhance the therapeutic experience.

FLAVOR Smooth as butter, this is a strain with an award-winning terpene profile chosen as possessing the Highest Terpene content at Chalice Cup 2015. The most dominant terpenes here are limonene, myrcene, caryophyllene, pinene and linalool. This combination gives the strain a piney, skunky flavor that’s quite delicious. Its flavor often leaves people wanting more which contributes to its popularity.

PROVIDED BY: SYRUP COLLECTIVE TESTED BY: SC LABS

26% THC 2-3% CBD

Just because it’s grown in Humboldt doesn’t mean it’s good.

If the geographical name alone were a promise of quality, anyone could grow premium cannabis. But we think it takes a lot more than that.

Like fertile soil, rain water, fresh ocean air, and natural California sunlight. It also takes unwavering dedication to the growing methods established by the farmers who put Humboldt on the map over 50 years ago. We’re True Humboldt, a collection of local farmers living up to the legend. Try us and you’ll taste, smell, and experience the difference.

Visit truehumboldt.com to learn more.

WRITER •RADIOHASH

| PHOTOS • ASHLEIGH CASTRO

EDIBLES

NATIVE SEED HEALTHY EDIBLES TO NOURISH BODY & MIND

ATIENTS OFTEN HAVE trouble finding non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free edibles that are, well… actually edible.

Many offerings taste like someone stuffed a fruitcake full of schwag. Native Seeds addresses this need, offering healthy, labtested edibles as an alternative to smoked cannabis.

Founded in Oakland by a husband and wife team, Native Seeds main products are a line of cannabis-infused protein bars called Lift Bars. Their latest edible, Protein Bites, features a 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD. These magical treats are powered by avocado-oil based Rick Simpson’s Oil. They come in soft, chewy, bite-sized bars; the smell of oats, syrup, and cinnamon is a delicious scent when the seal is broken.

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This edible is so packed with goodies that it doesn’t seem free of anything.

Organic oats, toasted rice, dates, raisins, and cacao chips are a combination complimenting each other eloquently, while enlightening the senses. Native Seeds’ products barely taste of cannabis, a result of the high-quality cannabis oil use in each treat.

Hard to believe it’s healthy, just wait fifteen minutes or so after eating one and you probably won’t care. Reports of extreme, pain free relaxation are common, with stress and worries melting away. If indulging in more than a nibble, consider dedicating the day to wellness and rest, because we wouldn’t recommend making ® any plans. Why mess with peace?

ISSUE 05 THE DOPEST ISSUE dopemagazine.com

PREPARE FOR LIFT OFF: Take one 30 minutes before a spa or massage appointment.

Prepare to drift into bliss.

Lift bars are high in fiber, omega-3’s and have 10g of protein.

Cutting back on sugar? Lift bars are a delicious, guilt-free alternative.

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WRITER/PHOTOS

DISPENSARY

• ADAM RITZ

CANNACOLOGY CANNABIS AND COMMUNITY IN WEST HOLLYWOOD

ANNACOLOGY IS OPEN, and not just for business. The West Hollywood dispensary is a thriving hub of activity for the many patients who walk there and appreciate being greeted by name.

Located inside a bright, sunlit space on Santa Monica Blvd., Cannacology’s spacious room is the size of a modest art gallery. It’s a far cry from Saul Goodman’s cluttered office in the back of a nail salon, or some illicit porn shop straight out of “Blade Runner”. They focus on the customer experience, especially for new patients, and their reputation is strong enough that they’re one of the few dis-

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pensaries in L.A. to get referrals from doctors at Cedars Sinai Hospital.

As Mark Reitman, the affable, hostlike manager explains, “Real mainstream doctors aren’t likely to send grandma into a bunker-like hole in the wall for her first time looking for alternative help.”

The flow of patients from the hospital consists mostly of oncology patients.

Cannacology has an entire wall case dedicated to the specific needs of patients with cancer and other serious ailments, including tinctures, edibles and CBD-rich cannabis therapies. The dispensary also runs an HIV outreach program, supplying medicine for free to needy patients

ISSUE 05 THE DOPEST ISSUE dopemagazine.com

who have tested positive.

For the grizzled cannabis veteran and customers with more common needs, Cannacology offers up some great longstanding in-house strains, notably their Thai Haze OG and Triple X. Two very popular edible brands, Delectable Edibles and Chocolate Factory, were created by former employees of the club and are virtually exclusive to Cannacology. With a huge selection, affordable prices and a welcoming, healthy vibe, Cannacology is easily one of the nicest and most inclu® sive shops in Los Angeles.

“Their reputation is strong enough that they’re one of the few dispensaries in L.A. to get referrals from doctors at Cedars Sinai Hospital.”

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HEALTH

THE DOSAGE DILEMMA

Rel ax...Th e An a lysts Are Here

E

DIBLE MAKERS are quickly

becoming the fastest growing part of the industry (there are nearly 200 edible makers across the country now), but the emphasis today is more about getting and maintaining the right dosage of THC or CBD than actually inventing a new product.

The process starts from the top down, according to Jaime Lewis, owner and executive chef of Mountain Medicine in Colorado. A graduate of the California Culinary Academy, Lewis began her career in the cannabis industry in 2006, making edibles for patients living with HIV and AIDS. “Cooking with

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cannabis starts with really well-defined recipes, and with training,” she said.

The baking process for most edibles is much like any other baking process, in which cannabis butter replaces dairybased butter. After chefs test for contaminants and determine the plant’s THC levels, they activate the THC by either decarbing or roasting the bud.

When cooking with cannabis, it’s important to keep all of the ingredients, especially the THC, evenly dispersed in order to establish homogeneity in the product. “Getting the right homogeneity is a simple process of making sure that the recipe and the batches are mixed

WRITER •DAVID HODES

properly,” she added. Lewis uses decarbed cannabis butter, which has a precise cooking time, water content, and temperature. “It’s a stirring process in there as well. I stir it every 30 minutes, and then during the straining process it’s stirred again.”

Lewis then tests it for homogeneity to confirm consistency before it goes into Mountain Medicine’s baked breads. “Each recipe has a defined mixing process. For our pie bars, it’s mixed seven and a half minutes to the left, and seven and half minutes to the right. It’s really that defined.”

Cooks are generally told to taste what they cook as they go, but that’s not the case in the cannabis business. In Colorado, edibles cannot be consumed on site. “I can’t taste my product after it has cannabis in it,” Lewis said. “My staff doesn’t taste anything in my kitchen. We don’t have that luxury.” Instead, Lewis’ team provides samples to dispensaries and asks them to fill out surveys on the products. “From that, we are able to gauge if it’s going to be a flavored product.”

“Cannabis, to some consumers, has a very pungent flavor that we don’t generally try to mask in the baked goods,” she said. “But in the chocolates, we just do added things, like add ginger which is actually good at helping cover the flavor of the cannabis.”

The biggest issue in this unregulated industry is consistency: a product must have the same level of THC in every bite. If a regulator identifies inconsistency in a product’s strength, the makers face serious consequences.

There’s another challenge to consistency, according to Guy Rocourt, a lead extraction artist and partner in Neos. “While the products may be consistent in dosages, especially

when it comes to edibles, the physiology of the consumer is different, so if you have two pieces of chocolates, two different people have a different experience. It’s likely that they just need a different dosage based on their physiology,” he clarified. “We have to understand this, and have to start getting data on how cannabis affects users based on a bunch of other metrics.” The industry is seeking regulation not only to increase understanding of the plant, but also to make edibles predictable for recreational consumption and, more importantly, safer for those with health conditions.

This effort is getting a boost from the American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS), a nonprofit based in Urbana, Illinois. The AOCS studies fats, oils, detergents, and related materials, and has been looking for an unmet need in the industry, according to Cynthia Ludwig, the AOCS director of technical services and former research scientist for Monsanto.

“Cannabis people started calling about a year and a half ago asking if some of our official testing methods would work on THC and CBD oils, and we were like, ‘We really don’t know,’” she said. “We don’t want people to have heavy metals and pesticide residue or any other contaminants in the product.

This is about patient safety.

So we say, let’s develop some investigative analytic lab procedures to make sure that these things are safe and that the dosage is correct. This is something that’s in our wheelhouse.”

In order to determine a validated method for testing cannabis, the AOCS is working with several cannabis labs to do a large-scale collaborative study of hops (the closest cousin to cannabis). Once

GRAPHICS • BRANDON PALMA

“While the products may be consistent in dosages, especially when it comes to edibles, the physiology of the consumer is different,” cannabis is federally legalized, the AOCS hopes to have its method adopted by the industry as a whole.

Lewis said that working with the AOCS is one of the most exciting pieces of news she has heard. “We have three to five years of data that we can bring to the table. Smarter people than ourselves can help guide us in terms of taking the cannabis and treating it, just like they do for oils in any other industry,” she said. “This company can bring that knowledge of the standardization process that they have done for every other industry before us.”

Ludwig said that she would really like to see industry regulators talk to analytical chemists more before they write their regulations. “They should work together to get things on the books that are enforceable, that are traceable, and that are reasonable,” she said. “Analytical chemists have been around forever.

We know how to do this. So let’s look to the people who do this and quit reinventing the wheel.”

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CA MER A S

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AC CE S S C ON T R OL

CannaGuardSecurity.com

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AL ARMS

1.844.CannaGuard

[ Cannapaq’s child-resistant standup pouch ]

BRANDING BUD

PLAYING IT SAFE Cann a bis Brand s Get Creati ve With Ch i ld-Resistant Packag i ng TRAGIC NUMBERS PALM N TURN

A

S THE Canadian director of poison control, Dr. Henri J. Breault was instrumental in creating the first child-resistant container. He established the Ontario Association for the Control of Accidental Poisoning in 1962, paving the way for the 1967 invention of the “Palm N Turn” cap design, which has since become the standard in child-resistant packaging.

Although child-resistant (CR) packaging is a part of everyday life, poisoning still remains a hazard to children, causing about 30 pediatric deaths each year. In 2014, the American Association of Poison Control Centers received about 3 million calls from consumers for poison exposure treatment or information.

CR packaging is required by regulation for prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, pesticides, and household chemicals. Some jurisdictions require unit packaging such as blister packs for child safety.

Cheeba Chews child-resistant blister pack

[ A “Palm N Turn” child-resistant cap]

Every 30 seconds, an accidental poisoning is reported in the United States and Europe. More than 800,000 children are rushed to a hospital with symptoms of poisoning. Of these, 100,000 are actually hospitalized.

In Europe alone, 3,000 young children die each year from medicine or household chemical poisoning, and children under six account for the majority of all poisoning accidents.

When selecting packaging materials and components for solid oral drugs, drug manufacturers (and now cannabis processors) must balance the needs of both children and adults. Under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970, manufacturers must design packages that help protect children from potentially toxic prescription drugs and make sure that adults who have limited dexterity can use the packages properly.

Devising such a package isn’t always a scientific endeavor: manufacturers must base their selections on unpredictable factors like marketplace opinions and child testers. They are also burdened by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which hopes to eliminate child poisonings through regulation but offers manufacturers little guidance in package selection.

THE NEED FOR EVOLUTION Despite the established designs of CR packaging, companies are looking for new designs because of changes in varying industries. There are more products that require CR packaging now because of cannabis legalization, widespread publicity about poisoning incidents related to detergent pods, and an ongoing shift from rigid containers

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to flexible packaging.

An example of a child-resistant option for flexible packaging is Presto’s Child-Guard zipper, which unzips the pouch when the slider tongue is simultaneously aligned with a groove, depressed, and pulled. PPi Technologies also uses a re-closable CR zipper for its Cannapaq standup pouch for cannabis.

ISSUE 5 THE DOPEST ISSUE dopemagazine.com

[ Child-Resistant Cannapaq Standup Pouch, by PPi Technologies ]

WRITER •DAVID PALESCHUCK, MBA, CLS

“Designers of child-resistant packaging must always work against the paradox that a package that is difficult for a child to open can often be difficult for the adult patient it is intended to treat.”

CREATIVE COMPLIANCE

To comply with state guidelines, cannabis companies must ensure that their packages are tamper-proof, childresistant, and within accordance of their local laws. Unfortunately, because the laws are constantly changing, businesses are forced to keep up with the perpetual tweaks made to remain in compliance and to protect the safety and security of the general public.

Designers of child-resistant packaging must always work against the paradox that a package that is difficult for a child to open can often be difficult for the adult patient it is intended to treat. In fact, up to 90 percent of adults struggle to open child-vresistant packaging, according to a report in the journal of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

While there’s no consistent set of guidelines for cannabis packaging, there are resources available that help maintain the brand’s look and feel while following state rules and requirements.

Assurpack, Locked4Kids, and CoolJarz are but just a few of the firms that have formed to assist cannabis brand owners with state rules and regulations of child-resistant packaging. For example, cities and counties can have more stringent cannabis packaging restrictions than the state of California in general. Recreational packaging laws in Washington and

Colorado also vary greatly, causing mass customization across state lines as brands now grow nationally.

Dixie is a solid example. Working closely with a pharmaceutical and consumer product packaging industry expert, Dixie leveraged years of experience to create child-resistant packaging for their “Toasted Rooster” and “Crispy Kraken” chocolate bars. Lindsey Topping, Dixie’s director of marketing, asserted that their multi-state, child-resistant solution remained true to the Dixie brand.

It’s in the industry’s best interest not to reinvent the wheel. Instead, it should take the best practices that already exist from relevant sectors (pharmaceuticals, cosmetics) and utilize them. The companies that stay true to their brand while adhering to state regulations will rise above the rest.

The onus is on cannabis brands to create safe, consistent products in the most effective child-resistant packages available. It’s on the CPSC to do a better job showing people how to use child-resistant packaging and explaining why it’s important to put all medications away after use. The only way to protect children is to teach adults how to properly use child-resistant packages, but the bottom line is that no package is 100 percent safe.

[ Child-resistant packaging on two of Dixie’s cannabis-infused chocolate bars] dopemagazine.com ISSUE 5 THE DOPEST ISSUE

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CANNANEWS

PUBLIC VULNERABILITY WHY CANNABIS USERS ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO PERPETUITY IN HOMELESSNESS

I

N THE United States, drug use

is often cited as a cause and perpetuating factor of homelessness.

Unfortunately, our society still has trouble separating cannabis from drugs like methamphetamines and crack, so when dispossessed people use cannabis in public encampments, they are seen in a negative light: seen as not responsible enough to work, to take care of their children, to have adequate housing, or to receive federal benefits.

Due to unfortunate (and false) connections between the supposed cause and effect of cannabis use and homelessness, advocacy groups for cannabis and homelessness have come to realize that they must work together in order

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to promote their respective causes and improve the lives of their beneficiaries.

Their intention is to shed light on the truth about cannabis and homelessness, and show evidence that the use of one does not lead to the other. While cannabis use can perpetuate homelessness, it does so not because of its effect on the user, but because of the public’s imagined effect on the user.

“Homeless people have to perform activities in public that would go unnoticed in a private residence,” said Eric Tars, senior attorney at the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP). “They are more vulnerable to being caught and punished than people who have housing.”

There are a plethora of negative consequences if someone is caught with cannabis or its paraphernalia, aside from the risk of going to jail. A drug charge affects a person’s finances, credit history, driving record, federal benefits like housing and student loans, employment opportunities, and child custody. “Every time a homeless person is cited or gets arrested, that’s one more barrier between that person and exiting homelessness. Homeless people have a much better chance of success if they are engaging in marijuana use from a sheltered situation versus an unsheltered situation,” said Tars.

For that reason, the NLCHP supports putting people into housing without a requirement to be drug free. “If we can get people into housing, their arrest rates go down and their health improves,” said Dr. Barbara DiPietro, senior director of policy at the National Health Care for the Homeless Council.

“There is a greater likelihood of them getting a job and being reunified with their family, if these are their goals.”

Both Tars and DiPietro said it is con-

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cerning that the general public views cannabis as a contributing factor to homelessness. “When people can see and smell marijuana smoke coming from a homeless encampment, it reinforces the stereotype that all homeless people are drug addicts,” said DiPietro.

Tars said he is concerned that law enforcement officers could cite cannabis use in a homeless encampment as a pretext to search it or shut it down. “It only disperses people further and takes them away from a community that they may have built. The appropriate approach is to get people into social services instead of the criminal justice system.”

Don Duncan, California director of Americans for Safe Access (ASA), had suggestions for how to help solve the problem. “Two things need to happen.

One is an educational campaign for homeless cannabis users, so they can know their rights and risks. This will help them minimize their risk. The other is training for law enforcement and security officers to show them how to interact with homeless people.”

Duncan said it is a major concern that many religious organizations require a person receiving shelter or social services to be drug free.

“Some communities of faith see cannabis as a drug of intoxication and not as a medicine,” he said. “I think education needs to come from within those communities. Medical service providers who are part of the communities must educate others.”

Some religious organizations already welcome those who use cannabis. Captain Dana Libby, social services secretary for the Western territory of The Salvation Army, said the organization’s low-barrier and long-term shelters welcome people who are active cannabis users. In states that have legalized medi-

WRITER

cal cannabis, residents of the shelter are permitted to store their medicine there.

“In the low-barrier shelters, people have a mat and a blanket. They tend to keep their stuff next to them. In the long-term shelters, they’ve got a locker. There’s also a medical refrigerator at the front desk made of steel with a padlock on it where people can store their medicine.”

Libby said The Salvation Army requires those who store cannabis in the refrigerator to treat it as medication.

“They can bring in edibles, tinctures, creams, and Marinol or cannabis in other pill forms. If they come in with loose plant material, they can still stay at the shelter, but we ask them to store that somewhere else. We don’t let people smoke or vape anything in the building. We don’t want to burn the building down or expose other people to second-hand smoke.”

While The Salvation Army has responded to state legalization by allowing patients to store their medicine in shelters, it does not allow people to stay at its rehab centers while using cannabis. The Portland Rescue Mission (PRM), a Christian organization, is a little more forgiving with its guests, though it doesn’t offer storage for medical cannabis. “Anyone who is non-violent and needs a meal or a place to use the bathrooms or rest is welcome to use the Mission’s non-smoking facilities,” said Ron Arp, the organization’s spokesperson.

Allan St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), said it would be helpful for cannabis advocacy organizations to engage in more con-

versations with homeless advocacy organizations. St. Pierre and Duncan separately acknowledged that NORML and ASA have not had many of these conversations, though both indicated their respective organization had an interest in having conversations in the future.

St. Pierre also advocated the creation of a safe place for homeless people to use cannabis for recreational or medical purposes. “These individuals need unfettered access to that space at reasonable hours. Not 24-7, but at minimum, at least as available as liquor. The space should not be treated as a place to ‘shake down’ or have heightened enforcement. It should be treated like a sanctuary. Why not come up with a way [for people to use cannabis] that’s creative, humane, and constitutional?”

He said legalization has led to an increase in communication between cannabis advocacy organizations and the state’s local government.

“It’s night and day between the states that have legalized it and those who treat it as illegal. In the states where it’s been legalized, they are so much more open and amenable to conversations. Individuals like myself are not treated as political lepers,” he said.

Duncan said that by changing the public’s perception of homeless cannabis users, we could find solutions to the problem.

“Cannabis is much less harmful, much less of an obstacle for homeless people wanting to move forward than other drugs, like alcohol,” said Duncan.

Libby agreed. “They smoke marijuana because it makes life less horrible. That tends not to be

• JESSICA ZIMMER

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DESIGN

• RANDON PALMA

the reason they’re homeless.”

“I think there’s a misperception by the public that if homeless people are using medical marijuana, that they’re somehow not helping themselves—that they have to be busy every hour of the day,” said Duncan. “That’s not a realistic expectation. The vast majority of people who are using medical marijuana are using it to treat medical concerns. That’s not wasting time.”

Duncan argued that educating Americans about homeless cannabis users would improve the perceptions the public has of both cannabis and homeless people. Likewise, DiPietro said now is an excellent time to start more conversations.

“I think there’s certainly less of a stigma around marijuana because our social and cultural views are changing,” she said. “I’m excited about the changes that we’re seeing in jurisdictions changing these laws. It’s an exciting time.”

“It is a major concern that many religious organizations require a person receiving shelter or social services to be drug free. Some communities of faith see cannabis as a drug of intoxication and not as a medicine. ” dopemagazine.com ISSUE 5 THE DOPEST ISSUE

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CANNANEWS

WRITER

• SCOTT PEARSE

| PHOTOS •NATASHA LAWYER

#VANLIFE SELL YOUR STUFF. BUY A VAN. SIMPLICITY BRINGS FREEDOM 36

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PHOTO • JOY EFFA

Ditch your job, load up the car, and disappear into the wilds of nature – never to be seen or heard from again. It’s something you usually contemplate after a particularly long day at the office, when you’re worn down from the constant drudgery of the nineto-five world. For some, this impulse becomes strong enough that they act on their wanderlust. All that’s required is a vehicle large enough to double as a bedroom, kitchen, and lounge, along with a few dollars in the bank or a plan to earn some cash while you travel.

For Natasha Lawyer and Brett Bashaw, this meant buying a vintage VW bus, which they quickly named Wes Vanderson. “Brett came home one day when he had watched a documentary on this rich doctor who was unhappy, even though he had a stereotypically perfect life. The doctor bought a condo in Venice and now spends his days rollerblading up and down Venice Beach,” Natasha explained, “He found the one thing that made his life amazing. Brett texted me and said, ‘We need to travel. What if we took a year off?’ I was like, ‘yeah sure, but what are we millionaires?’ Practically speaking, having a place to stay is the most expensive part of travel, so we thought to ourselves, ‘We should buy a van!’”

THE HIPPIE BUS, EVOLVED

The image of the burnt-out hippie – tanned, surfboards lining the side of his VW bus, joint in hand – isn’t really an unfair stereotype.

The bus and the bong go together like lawyers and suits. The origin of the VW Type II bus began just after World War II in Wolfsburg, Germany. In 1947, a Dutch importer noticed that the motorized trolleys used to transport parts around the factory were made from stripped down Beetles. He was inspired by these rather strange looking vehicles to sketch out a Beetle-based van design.

The modern traveler expects more from their van than a box on wheels. From $80,000 custom campers to $300,000 motorhomes, the diversity of homes on wheels has never been greater. For many buyers these hefty price tags go against the ethos of living simply and using only what you need, a bed, somewhere to shelter from the rain, a kitchen, and love for the open road. In this age of underemployment and financial instability, camper vans have also become a refuge. Stealth camping, with sleeper vans constructed to be completely inconspicuous so they can be parked overnight on suburban streets, has become a necessary reality for many people.

THE #VANLIFE MOVEMENT

Living in a van is fast being elevated to an art form. Enthusiasts of the van lifestyle are broadcasting their lives – and the interiors of their homes-on-wheels – via social media, in a movement becoming known as #VanLife. The movement brings together otherwise isolated and disparate travelers to share not only stories but the designs, methods, and minutia of living in a space smaller than many bathrooms.

For the Wes Vanderson crew, the energy behind #VanLife has turned them into minor celebrities. Wherever they choose to spend the evening, there’s a decent chance they’ll be discovered by sharp-eyed followers. “We were in a parking lot in Edmonton,” Brett recounts, “These girls came out yelling, ‘It’s Wes Vanderson! We’re huge fans!’”

DOING LESS - WITH LESS

We are seeing a downsizing movement taking place in society. As more people move to the cities, we find ourselves further pressed for space, which has become an expensive luxury. People are learning to live with less, rather than taking on the burden of having to pay for more.

Until recently, living out of a van would have been unthinkable for all but the most hardened hippies and drifters.

Commuting from the suburbs was the ideal. Why go small when you can go big by living farther away and driving longer to work? You want to go somewhere nice? Work hard all year, and maybe you’ll get to fly somewhere for a week or two of hurried relaxation on a beach somewhere.

Once you realize that life on the road can be a kind of permanent vacation though, there’s no need to fly to Hawaii.

By simply purchasing a van, and coming up with a plan to make some money, people can experience a level of freedom that renters and owners will never know. Many people who aspire to live the #VanLife have made the realization that a life collecting experiences is more valuable than a life spent collecting possessions.

For Natasha and Brett, the experience of traveling and living in a bus has changed their outlook forever. “We were really bummed about going back to our normal lives after this big adventure,” Natasha says. “So we started thinking, what about if we just get some land and live in a vintage airstream?” For these two the #VanLife adventure will continue ® – in one location, for now at least.

Follow the Airstream adventures of Natasha & Brett @tincanhomestead on Instagram. They’ve sold @wesvanderson, but you can still follow the van’s travels with its new owners. dopemagazine.com ISSUE 05 THE DOPEST ISSUE

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CANNANEWS

Navigati ng th e Tran sition to th e Bu si ness World

M

ANY CANNABIS

entrepreneurs do not yet hold degrees from major universities in their trade.

However, it’s likely that cannabis businesswomen and men will emerge via the time-honored academic track in the future. The

cannabis industry is at an interesting crossroad though, where the majority of successful emerging businesses didn’t begin in conventional ways.

Also, cannabis businesses are evolving quickly and require more infrastructure than basic growing and

WRITER •ABIGAIL ROSS

”In some ways everyone is figuring it out in real time.”

selling. As a result, entrepreneurs face the challenge of combining years of cultivated cannabis experience with traditional business models.

One common issue for developing cannabis businesses is finding quality staffing. Running a business is timeconsuming, and the last thing an employer wants to deal with is a high turnover rate or lack of quality staffing.

Additionally, if potential candidates have worked in the industry previously, chances are they will expect higher payment and responsibilities than what newly regulated companies can provide. Training and background can vary immensely depending on which methods of selling/growing they have experienced, and though there are some cannabis-specific staffing agencies out there, one must proceed with caution when using them. For example, a recreational grow facility (that chooses to remain anonymous based on the content of this topic) hired a “professional staffing agency” to staff employees for the production of a recreational facility. The agency attempted to staff work-release inmates to work in the facility. Upon their arrival, a manager realized the situation and the potential workers were promptly dismissed. The “staffing agency” was cutting corners by hiring inmates to work in the cannabis facility without telling anyone. The repercussions from such negligence could have been irreversible, but thankfully the mistake was caught early and the inmates were asked to leave.

There are some legitimate staffing agencies out there than can provide extensive services to developing cannabis businesses. Be that as it may, when choosing an outside company to work with, it is important to make sure their claims have the track record to back them up. Cannabis is a new industry, and that means no one has been working on this side of the business all that long. In some ways everyone is figuring it out in real time.

GRAPHICS • BRANDON PALMA

Other concerns for employers are the debilitating taxes and payroll issues. Frequently, employers will higher third-party payrolls to mitigate their employees’ state and federal tax contentions. However, according to the IRS’ 280E section of the tax code, cannabis businesses are not allowed to deduct federal taxes in the same way countless big businesses are.

This inability to subtract industryrelated expenses leaves cannabis business owners paying an exuberant amount of taxes to the government.

If the cannabis industry is going to be regulated so heavily, it only seems fair that business owners receive the same tax breaks as their conventional counterparts. Section 280E is clearly a dinosaur in the land of cannabis legislature and is in need of some serious revising.

Taxes and staffing are obvious concerns in cannabis’ legal transition.

However, arguably the most important component of establishing a legitimate business is hiring someone experienced in human resources. Generally, businesses require candidates to have a degree in human resources or business administration in order to be considered for the position, because whoever holds this position is responsible for a massive amount of liability.

The responsibilities of human resources are extensive, but essentially they ensure that a business is adhering to legal compliances at all times. This task is crucial in an industry that is so scrutinized by the Liquor and Cannabis Board. One misstep could risk a cannabis business its license.

Certainly, some of the aspects of starting a cannabis business can seem daunting. No doubt, there will be kinks to work out in the system, but legislation will figure it out, because Americans voted to make cannabis legal. Now is a rewarding time to be working with cannabis because today’s business practices will ultimately dictate the future.

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CANNANEWS

#END420SHAME

WRITER

•KELLY VO

TRACKING THE PATH TO LEGITIMACY LEGITIMATE CANNABIS INDUSTRY – that’s the end game. That’s why Steve DeAngelo wrote The Cannabis Manifesto.

That’s why states have put strict regulations in place for cannabis consumers, growers, and retail stores. It’s also why seed-to-sale tracking systems are so vital. Tracking systems help businesses and lawmakers keep track of every gram of cannabis to prevent diversion, improve transparency, and create accountability.

Whether it’s fair or not, cannabis faces an uphill battle on the road to legitimacy. Without seed-to-sale software, the cannabis industry is just another barely legal drug operation.

Software that helps the industry demonstrate to naysayers that cannabis can be produced and consumed completely above board can only be a good thing. Seed-to-sale cannabis tracking companies have helped to #end420shame by legitimizing the industry.

First, it’s important to recognize what the industry would look like without the ability to track each and every plant. “Lack of access to the data provided by seed-to-sale cannabis tracking would mean a lack of transparency and accountability,” says Patrick Vo, CEO and President of BioTrackTHC (Full disclosure: he’s also the author’s husband.) “A lack of transparency and accountability is unsettling and uncomfortable for law enforcement, the government, and concerned citizens.”

“Cannabis would not be nearly as accepted as it is now without tracking,” says Scott Denholm, Executive Director at Metrc. “v willing to step out and the entire industry would probably be on iffy footing if these systems weren’t out there.

Regulation and tracking benefit the industry’s ability to not only survive but to thrive.”

To appreciate the advantages of operating in a well-regulated market, all you need to do is look at the one state where cannabis isn’t tracked: California. “While California’s cannabis market has certainly survived without tracking software, cannabis businesses in the state are much more

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While California’s cannabis market has certainly survived without tracking software, cannabis businesses in the state are much more at risk for federal and local prosecution, raids, and seizures. at risk for federal and local prosecution, raids, and seizures,” says Heather Smyth, Marketing Manager at MJ Freeway. “Seedto-sale tracking means that every touch to the plant will be recorded to ensure consumer safety and integrity. Tracking software makes regulation possible. And local regulation means protection from federal prosecution.”

“From a state tracking perspective, a seed-to-sale system enables government agencies to have full visibility of everything – every plant and every gram,” Vo says. “That gives peace of mind not just to the naysayers, but to patients. And from a business perspective, we don’t want people buying their cannabis from dark alleyways.

A tool that keeps employees accountable, tracks inventory, and helps maximize revenue is hugely important.”

One of the biggest problems that tracking helps solve is diversion. “When I talk about diversion, I’m talking about stopping illegal marijuana from finding its way into the legal market. If we eliminate that diversion, it protects the consumer from unregu-

lated product and results in better prices.”

All of that transparency is necessary if the cannabis industry wants to improve its public image. “There’s a halo effect that takes place when product is created in a legal structure,” Denholm says. “We don’t walk into the grocery store concerned about the fruits, vegetables, and canned goods we buy. If cannabis is regulated the same way, you’re going to see a boom. You’re going see people have a much friendlier attitude toward regulated cannabis products.”

“We need to hold ourselves to a high standard of accountability to become more widely accepted,” Vo says. “Showing that we are responsible, that businesses are responsible, is absolutely critical to continuing to positively influence perceptions and the political landscape of the cannabis industry.”

But it’s not just about other people’s perception of cannabis; it’s also about helping those individuals already in the business.

“With cannabis tracking, business owners can understand patient and customer data to better serve their market and improve

their business model,” Smyth says.

At the end of the day, tracking is about bringing the cannabis industry up to the standards of other legitimate industries.

“I really want people to look back and see what has happened in states like Colorado and Washington, and what’s starting to happen in Nevada and Oregon,” Denholm says.

“The world has not crashed and burned.

People aren’t getting sick. People aren’t dying. The population hasn’t fallen off the edge of the world. Cannabis has not been the big issue that a lot of people thought it was going to be.”

Even more, cannabis is about passion for the plant and it’s many uses. “I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact that cannabis has on the lives of individuals,” Vo says. “The legalization of cannabis, in and of itself, is nothing for anyone to fear. The prohibition of cannabis harms families and unjustly imprisons millions of people. Even if you have concerns, know there is technology out that we can use to show this industry is filled ® with good businesses and people.”

INDUSTRY LEADERS BioTrackTHC is the only cannabis industry software company providing tracking solutions to both government agencies as well as the private sector. Founded six years ago, fourteen hundred businesses use their paid commercial system and they have four government contracts.

Metrc deployed Colorado’s seed-to-sale tracking system for the state’s Marijuana Enforcement Division starting in 2013. Their system has eleven thousand users and has been used to track over three million plants and two million packages.

MJ Freeway has provided professional services since 2010 that include cannabis business license application support, operational consulting, and marketing services. They offer digital menu services, a white-label mobile application for cannabis businesses, in-store mobile ordering, cash kiosk integration, and retail supplies. dopemagazine.com ISSUE 05 THE DOPEST ISSUE

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WRITER

PRODUCT

• R.Z. HUGHES

| PHOTOS • ALLIE BECKETT

SIMPLY NATURAL THERAPY

NAKED LIP BUTTER FROM CANNABIS BASICS

S TEMPERATURES DROP outdoors and the winds start to howl, one thing Washingtonians need is lip protection they can trust. A product that is able to stay on for a long time, moisturize while it protects, and withstand the bitter cold. This is a must-have for anyone hoping to avoid cracked lips in the coming months. Cannabis Basics, a Seattle-based topicals company, has a lip butter that effectively soothes while it heals, leaving skin feeling refreshed.

Originally formulated to help patients manage herpes simplex, the potent concoction of herbs and oils shows positive anecdotal results in providing relief from eczema, psoriasis, burns, and an assortment of other dermatological issues. It contains ten different oils, two types of butter, and over five other medicinal herbs including Arnica montana. Tea tree, echinacea, and shea butter are boldly presented on the packaging, highlighting their ability to help trap in moisture and heal damaged or sensitive skin.

The base of organic hempseed oil is nutrient-rich and gives skin the vitamin E and amino acids needed for optimum health. It nourishes and deeply moisturizes for long-lasting relief from chapped skin or use as a part of a daily skin care routine.

Cannabis Basics’ Naked Lip Butter is fragrance-free and doesn’t leave any grease or sheen on the lips. It has an herbaceous flavor that is not unpleasant, but it does taste faintly like a combination of ® healthful natural remedies.

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HEALTHY HERBAL SKIN CARE ECHINACEA – This herb prevents damage to collagen from free radicals, thus decreasing wrinkles, increasing hydration, and keeping skin looking youthful and clear. It also helps heal and protect sunburned, damaged skin.

HEMPSEED OIL – The essential fatty acids in which hempseed oil is so rich help to prevent premature aging and promote healthy cell production. It also has shown promise in treating acne and eczema.

TEA TREE – This has been shown to be an effective antiviral and antifungal agent, making it a good choice for cracked, exposed skin. It also softens skin, helping with dandruff, acne, and psoriasis.

SHEA BUTTER – Rich in vitamin A, shea butter is known to help virtually all issues with the skin and is one of the best natural moisturizers on the planet.

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CANNANEWS

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WRITER

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GRAPHICS • BRANDON PALMA

A CANNABIS REVOLUTION Di verse Ca u ses Un ite Th roug h Herb USHER IN the New Year with

plans on becoming your best self yet! Do it in honor of the plant that improves the quality of life for so many. Take a minute and consider how cannabis has changed your life. Are you moving better physically or less lethargic?

Has your attitude improved? If you can answer yes to any of the posed questions, consider how to contribute to the movement. What revolutionary act can you perform in 2016 to push for legalization and decriminalization?

Cannabis connoisseurs that enjoy the

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•C. IMANI

legal benefits of cannabis and hold first hand knowledge of the health benefits of cannabis are urged to share their stories.

Friends and family members who rely on traditional medication but may benefit from cannabis need to hear how it improves the quality of life.

The movement needs diverse voices.

Part of your revolutionary plan for 2016 might include adding your voice in helping to remove the stigma associated with cannabis. We all have one friend who could benefit from a couple of hits of Master Kush, but s/he doesn’t know you

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believe in flower power. Encouraging others to find inner peace through cannabis is a form of community service.

Consider coming out and letting others know how this plant has helped you. Some people will counter everything you say, but even the argument against responsible recreational use of cannabis for adults lacks substance. When compared to addictive and completely legal alcohol, cannabis is the safer choice. Arming your self with solid facts and advocating for the people’s right to use the herb responsibly is noble work.

“AS FREE THINKERS WE KNOW CANNABIS PROVIDES A CREATIVE ZONE THAT OPENS UP A PATH FOR CREATIVITY. THIS FACT ALONE MAKES THE WORLD LOOK BETTER AND SHOULD ENCOURAGE CRIES TO, “LEGALIZE AND DECRIMINALIZE NOW!”

In preparation for revolutionary acts, mind and spirit need to be in alignment. In order to create positive change personal well-being should be a priority. Be radical about the personal commitment to self-work. Use these last few weeks of 2015 to write out an action plan.

You’re in charge, so make your own rules.

Being revolutionary can include nurturing a thought, taking action on a dream, or deciding to do something off the cuff, i.e. stepping outside of your comfort zone, to make the world a better place.

Revolutionary acts require taking care of the emotional self by releasing that which no longer serves the highest best and good. Start by cleaning out phone contact logs, email and social media accounts. People that have died, those you no longer associate with for whatever reason, and those that have become toxic to your spirit get deleted. When we clear space, we make room for the good energy and the names of new people coming into our lives.

Good emotional health ties in with taking care of the physical. It is important to move our bodies. Striving for maximum health by eating better and exercising also discredits the slacker image associated with cannabis.

Spiritual well-being helps to create balance that we all need. Balance and awareness work in union, helping to keep us at the top of our game. A new year presents the opportunity to tune in to self and find that “thing” we need to do to that raises our consciousness. The path and “thing” are different for everyone. As free thinkers we know cannabis provides a creative zone that opens up a path for creativity.

This fact alone makes the world look better and should encourage cries to, “Legalize and decriminalize NOW!” The dream of trying something unconventional needs to happen in 2016. Get your spirit right and allow the goodness to happen. You deserve it!

Your body deserves the gift of better nutrition. Why not enjoy your cannabis while eating! Cooking with cannabis allows for innovation with new dishes and old favorites. Doses are tested in wonderful infused teas, snacks, main dishes and tantalizing desserts. Consider juicing raw cannabis for pain relief with an easy-to-fix juice or smoothie.

There is a demand for a variety of good tasting and healthy edibles on the go. The demand is growing as more choices are released on the market. Make sure to follow dosing instructions listed on the packaging.

With the appropriate dose, pain is allevi-

ated and you won’t have to worry about adverse effects from ingesting too much.

We are fast approaching 2016 and a presidential election year. Human Rights and Social Justice issues remain at the forefront of needed change at federal, state, and local levels of government. Again, your voice is needed! There is still time to do some seriously revolutionary shit.

If you’re hiding your talents and not acknowledging your gifts, now is the time to make good. Stop playing around and take care of your health--mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically. Lift your voice, be an agent for social change, and bring at least three other people along.

The revolution is now! Get on board!

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BUSINESS

SEED TO SALE On l i ne Tracki ng Compan i es Step Up Th eir Ga me

F

OR NEARLY two decades, Cali-

fornia’s cannabis industry has operated in a legal grey area that discourages leaving a paper trail.

Inventory and bookkeeping records can also be used as self-incriminating evidence in a court of law, so tracking and transparency haven’t been the industry’s biggest priorities.

That’s all about to change. As cannabis emerges as the fastest growing industry in the country, three companies are stepping up to take California into the digital age. MJ Freeway, Amercanex, and Homegrown List all offer online platforms that transparently track and monitor every aspect of the cannabis industry from seed to sale. With new regulations for medical marijuana recently passed in Sacramento, this type of software will soon

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become mandatory, and California cannabis will never be the same.

MJ Freeway was founded in 2010, the leading seed-to-sale software in the U.S., providing cultivators, manufacturers, and dispensaries with easy inventory management and point-of-sale system. “When we started the company, we did a great deal of market research and realized there was not a point-ofsale program that met the specific needs of the cannabis industry,” co-founder Amy Poinsett says. “If a product dries and loses weight, or if a provider would like to weigh heavy, other programs do not allow adjustments for those changes.” The software also makes inventory and bookkeeping processes much more efficient, saving time and money.

One brilliant idea gave Poinsett’s company a head start on bringing a

WRITER

• KIMBERLY CARGILE

“If a product dries and loses weight, or if a provider would like to weigh heavy, other programs do not allow adjustments for those changes.” [ MJ Freeway Co-founder Amy Poinsett ]

closeted industry into the 21st century.

“Because MJ Freeway is cloud-based, it provides a level of protection and security for the dispensary’s data,” she says.

“In the event of an emergency such as a raid, robbery, or fire, the information is kept safe on remote servers.”

Amercanex – the American Cannabis Exchange – is also bringing its progressive vision of financial openness to the cannabis industry. The company provides cultivators, manufacturers, and dispensaries with an online marketplace that can easily be audited by regulators from the backend. Founded in 2014 by Steve Janjic, Amercanex is a sort of eBay for wholesale cannabis.

Here’s how it works: Licensed cultivators and manufacturers put their products on the exchange to be bid on by licensed dispensaries. A licensed transporter picks up the products and takes them to a licensed distribution center for lab testing, and then delivers the products to the dispensary. California’s new rules mandate that regulators be able to track and monitor all this activity, along with every other aspect of the cannabis business. “If you look at what eBay or Amazon has done for producers of goods and services, we want to do something very similar within the cannabis industry, giving everyone the ability to manage their business more efficiently,” Janjic explains. “We want to pioneer the industry; we want to

help the participants that have fought the battles over the years to get the industry where it is today. We want to help those participants to fight the battle from here forward as well.”

Homegrownlist was developed from within of the cannabis industry. Kevin Fann, a grower and dispensary manager, co-founded the cannabis-only Craigslist clone early in 2015. Fann understands both points of view when it comes to negotiations between cultivators and dispensaries. Having experienced the hardships that growers deal with bringing their products to market, he is determined to do his part to make things easier.

“Driving around from dispensary to dispensary is legally risky, and being turned down time after time is not fun. It is much more fun to sit at home and put your product on a free website and watch it sell itself,” Fann says.

Homegrownlist is free for dispensaries, cultivators and manufacturers to use, with revenue generated by advertising.

As the cannabis industry continues to rapidly evolve, we have to embrace new ways of doing things if we want to be part of the future. Big business is coming whether we like it or not. To keep our cottage industry from being swallowed whole, we’re going to need the time and money-saving technology from innovators like MJ Freeway, Amercanex, and Homegrownlist.

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PRODUCT

WRITER

• KELLY VO

| PHOTOS • MELODEE FISKE

BOOK REVIEW

THE CANNABIS MANIFESTO

BY STEVE DEANGELO

OMPELLING AND SPELLBINDING, The Cannabis Manifesto by Steve DeAngelo isn’t the usual book promoting the wholesale use and distribution of cannabis. While a cannabis plant does adorn the cover, assuming this is just another book about why everyone should partake would miss the bigger picture here.

This isn’t just a call-to-action encouraging the reader to reconsider their preconceived notions about cannabis, it’s a tantalizing glimpse into the world of cannabis from the Spanish Inquisition to modern times.

Steve DeAngelo, considered by many to be the father of the legal cannabis industry, is the only individual who could tell the tale of cannabis in such an irrefutable way.

A part of the industry in various ways since the early 1970s when he joined the Yippies, he runs Harborside Health Center today—the world’s largest medical-cannabis dispensary serving over 200,000 patients.

His experience adds a depth and breadth to The Cannabis Manifesto that wouldn’t be there if it came from an outsider’s perspective, or even from another industry leader.

DeAngelo has always been on the front lines of cannabis reform, and that dedication is revealed throughout all of these 175 pages.

DeAngelo opens his book without holding back any punches, quickly outlining nine key points beginning with “cannabis isn’t harmful but prohibition is,” and ending with the idea cannabis legalization cannot and will not be stopped. In between those two points, DeAngelo weaves a story that is part historical accounting, part auto-

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“At every turn, DeAngelo challenges his readers to look at the facts and history of cannabis and to come to their own conclusions about prohibition, legalization, and adult use.” biography, and part inspirational tale.

On every page, there’s a new key point to highlight. Whether it be an enthralling statistic such as the fact that a larger percentage of black Americans have been imprisoned here in the U.S. than blacks imprisoned in South Africa at the height of apartheid, or a bold statement like, “Apparently they [legislatures] believe public safety is better served by keeping cannabis in the hands of criminal organizations.” DeAngelo’s manifesto is also a wonderfully instructive journey into the world of cannabis written for anyone who wants to be well-informed. DeAngelo doesn’t hide behind the propaganda, and he won’t let his readers hide either.

Decisively, he points to the origin of the cannabis debate and the unfortunate but real truth that cannabis was never prohibited for health or safety reasons—it was demonized because it had an easy connection to non-white races. And for

those readers who assume that race and cannabis are no longer an issue, he brings it full circle with prison and cannabis statistics real in today’s world.

DeAngelo’s persuasive and personal stories are compelling. In exhaustive detail, he breaks down misperceptions and debunks them with countless references.

Benefits for specific conditions are discussed. The truth about communities that have embraced cannabis is revealed—a decrease in crime, DUI deaths, and drug overdoses, and he details the powerful effect legalizing cannabis could have on the financial needs of our government.

Unlike many books about cannabis, DeAngelo’s manifesto was not written solely for those individuals who already love the plant. The Cannabis Manifesto is written for the mother, father, grandparent, friend, doctor, or government worker who knows nothing about cannabis except the propaganda they’ve been fed

their entire lives. At every turn, DeAngelo challenges his readers to look at the facts and the history of cannabis to come to their own conclusions about prohibition, legalization, and adult use. Well researched, with over 275 references and resources to back up his claims, DeAngelo doesn’t just share a diatribe about why cannabis is great; he provides a compelling and believable narrative backed up by facts.

We challenge you to read The Cannabis Manifesto and not react with indignant screams for justice, a desire to protest, and the need to tell everyone you know the truth. “The tipping point for cannabis has arrived, and there is no question about where we are headed…

Our memories are not short, our energy is not low, and our minds are not dimmed by ignorance of superstition. We will not rest and we will not stop until the last ® cannabis prisoner is set free.”

STEVE DEANGELO is the earliest pioneer of socially responsible and patient- and community-centric cannabis distribution. If you are wondering if medical cannabis might help you or a friend or a family member, of if you have questions about medical cannabis, or if you’re just trying to figure out what this issue entails, let this book be your guide.” Willie L. Brown, Jr., 41st mayor of San Francisco

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AROMA Removing the lid releases a sweet, spicy, fruity pineapple and slightly earthy scent with the power to produce instants grins. Take a few more whiffs and all that hashy goodness can be tasted in the back of the mouth. Dabbing temporarily fills the room with sweet, pine-spice scented vapor.

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Packaged in a round tin canister featuring a silhouette of the Bay Bridge under a pinkish-lavender sky, this hash has a golden-brown fine sugar texture. Unusually consistent in color, pressing between parchment paper leaves a perfectly golden-brown, delicate slab.

THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS Truth Serum is pretty heady at first, but thoughts typically become clearer after the initial effects wear off. In company, this strain induces chattiness and often enhances social activities. If retrospection is what you seek, Truth Serum can make it easier to evaluate yourself honestly.

Physically, this hash can bring relief to a sensitive stomach.

IMI HENDRIX’S iconic and self-de-

scribed love song, Purple Haze, is often thought of as a nod to a psychedelic trip on acid, inspiring the genre of psychedelic rock during the late 1960s.

He had been fingering the unmistakable opening riff for a while, writing down lyrics before allegedly finishing the melody in the dressing room of a London club in 1966. He then went on to record the song in 1967 with his band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Later he would say he wrote the song from a dream in which he was walking under the sea. “[Purple Haze] had a thousand words. I had it all written out. It was about going through, through this land. This mythical ... because that’s what I like to do is write a lot of mythical scenes. You know, like the history of the wars on Neptune,” he trailed during an interview.

“Jimi was obsessively, compulsively, addicted to playing his guitar,” Leon laughed. “He would go to sleep with it on his chest, and when he woke up in the morning—before brushing his teeth—he’d play his guitar.”

WRITER

• SHARON LETTS

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PHOTOS

• PURPLE HAZE PROPERTIES LLC

FEATURE

SLEEPING UNDER THE STAGE

BRANDING A LEGEND

Today, Jimi’s brother Leon Hendrix is in partnership with Andrew Pitsicalis of Rockin Artwork, LLC, to form Purple Haze Properties, LLC, in an effort to license and market merchandise under the iconic name that is already a brand.

Hendrix and Pitsicalis are laying out multiple platforms globally.

Merchandise will be marketed under Jimi’s Cannabis Collection, with cannabis products, such as infused lavender macaroons, marketed under Jimi’s Edibles, further defining the Purple Haze strain (among others to come) in packs of pre-rolled joints under Jimi’s Genetics. The farmer involved in the California operation is Scott McPhail of California’s Finest, who has been doing well sourcing for packs of pre-rolls since 2012.

Purple Haze lounges are planned in Las Vegas with Pitsicalis in association with the owner and creator of Hard Rock Café and House of Blues. One building, in the shade of Capitol Records on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, was in acquisition at the time of press.

When discussing keeping his brother’s name alive through branding, Leon scoffed at the concept. “He’s already a legend,” he said during a phone conversation from his home in Los Angeles. “He’s the greatest guitarist that ever lived. There’s nothing I can do to improve on that. It’s done and he’s not going away. He’s here to stay like Mozart or Beethoven.”

[ Jimi’s brother Leon Hendrix ]

Leon, who is four years younger than his brother Jimi, idolized his older brother. When Jimi first began playing guitar with Ray Charles at 16, Leon was there. “We drove my dad’s old Plymouth 30 miles out to Spanish Castle and slept under the stage at night so he could play.”

Jimi would later write a song about the historic castle-like venue outside Seattle proper, but Leon remembers being a wide-eyed young man, proud to be in the shadow of his talented brother.

Leon was in prison while his older brother became a rock star.

He was ironically serving time due to going AWOL in order to be with his brother as he toured.

“When he played the Star Spangled Banner the prison warden was so angry at what they called the disrespecting of the song, they treated me very

badly,” he remembered. “I must have peeled 15 tons of potatoes after that.”

His brother’s notoriety made him famous in prison, much to the warden’s dismay. “The warden called me into his office and told me, ‘There’s only one general here, and that’s me.’” Leon remembered being put in his place, “but everyone loved my brother.”

When his brother passed, he said he felt alone, though many in prison shared his grief. “They called my name over the loud speaker, told me to go to the chaplain’s office,” he said, adding that it was the longest walk he ever made. “Everything stopped for me then.” Leon has fought with his own demons over the years. While Jimi worked his out with music, Leon turned to drugs, alcohol, and women, with his problems worsening after Jimi’s death.

OBSESSED WITH MUSIC Immediate rumors of Jimi’s demise were that he died of a heroin overdose like his tragic counterparts, Joplin and Morrison. But a little known fact is that the young woman he was dating at the time of his passing was actually the daughter of the owner of a prominent pharmaceutical company in Germany. Jimi overdosed by taking nine prescription sleeping pills, which his girlfriend provided, with alcohol.

The cause of death was asphyxiation: the pills stopped his heart.

Jimi was not a heroin addict, nor was he a drug addict. The only addiction his brother said he had was playing music on his guitar. “Jimi was obsessively, compulsively, addicted to playing his guitar,” Leon laughed. “He would go to sleep with it on his chest, and when he woke up in the morning—before brushing his teeth—he’d play his guitar.”

The path to addiction or obsession often lies in a family’s lineage, and the brothers’ father was a known alcoholic, making Jimi and Leon what are called “adult children of an alcoholic,” with a lifetime of dysfunctions to overcome.

Leon has been in recovery for 15 years and has come to terms with his pratfalls and weaknesses. He attends Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) meetings regularly, but he won’t give up the herb. “I have to smoke a joint just to get in the door—to go into those meetings,” he laughed.

“I know it is medicine and good. It relaxes me and takes the edge off.

There is no way I would ever compare it to alcohol or any of the other drugs I played around with over the years, and I’m sure my brother would agree,” he surmised. “Jimi loved the herb. Oh, yes he did.”

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Pu rpl e h a ze a l l i n my bra i n Lately th i ng s don’t s eem th e s a me Act i n’ fu nny but I d o n’t k now w hy Excu s e m e w h i l e I k is s th e sky — J i m i H end ri x (1 9 4 2 – 1 9 7 0)

TAKE TWO LEAVES AND CALL ME IN THE MORNING

Amanda Reiman, manager of Marijuana Law and Policy at the Drug Policy Alliance, lectures on the successes of studies on “harm reduction,” in which alcohol, prescription medications, and street drugs are replaced by ingesting or smoking cannabis.

During her lectures, Reiman sites many studies on the subject, explaining how withdrawal symptoms from drug and alcohol addictions are quelled with the beneficial effects of cannabis in an often smooth transition to sobriety. Studies cited include patients’ accounts of the efficacy of cannabis as superior to many drugs prescribed by a doctor for other ailments.

California physician Tod H. Mikuriya, MD, led many studies on the subject and came to the conclusion that 12-step programs under AA should incorporate cannabis as a beneficial substitute for alcohol and other addictive substances. In other words, Leon is on the right path. He should keep smoking that joint before and after meetings; it’s all good.

Leon continues to tour, playing his brother’s songs and more on the road. He is bent on doing good work for the greater good and making his big brother proud, continuing the tradition of helping others in their hometown of Seattle. This past Thanksgiving, as per usual, Leon teamed up with the food bank of Seattle, delivering turkey sandwiches to the needy in Pioneer Square.

“He’s still here with me,” Leon concluded.

“I can go anywhere and his music will be there with me. He tells me to ‘bend them strings’ when I’m in trouble on stage.”

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CANNANEWS

Cann a bis Use In th e Sex Indu stry

N

EVADA RANKS high

for health issues in the United States, and infectious diseases are at the top of the list of preventable ailments, alongside the heart disease, diabetes, and cancer statistics that plague the rest of the country, according to a study done at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Being the only state in the country that allows prostitution, it’s telling that infectious disease is at the top of the list. Ironically, Cook County is one of the counties in Nevada that doesn’t allow the world’s oldest profession, yet Las Vegas is one of the top workplaces for both male and female prostitutes in the Silver State. Traditional casino, hotel, and food service gigs rank second, and they don’t pay nearly as much.

And though gun violence and drug abuse play huge roles in Nevada’s deaths and illness, the emotional issues associated with prostitution are often overlooked.

PTSD WITH OR WITHOUT CONSENT Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is very real in the lives of strippers and prostitutes of both sexes. Melissa Farley, clinical psychologist and founder of the San Francisco-based non-profit, Prostitution Research & Education, has spent a career studying, writing about, and advocating for prostitutes abused by sex trafficking and violence—with a focus on PTSD within the profession.

Of the hundreds of sex workers interviewed on the streets, in brothels, and in strip clubs, Farley found 68 percent had been diagnosed with

PTSD from violence, rape, or slavery.

Her findings put an end to the myth of consent in the business, finding that many enter into the field due to a history of abuse within the family, financial dependency, or drug addiction.

Farely’s 2007 book, Prostitution and Trafficking in Nevada, found that 90 percent of prostitution took place in Las Vegas and Reno, where it’s illegal. A staggering 81 percent of sex workers interviewed in legal brothels said they wanted to leave for a better life but were physically prevented from doing so. Corroborating the violence, Farley writes that she was even threatened at gunpoint by a brothel owner.

WRITER & PHOTO •SHARON LETTS

MEDICATING THE PAIN Ashley, a Las Vegas dancer and occasional prostitute, said she sought to leave the world of prostitution for good and enter the healthier workplace of the cannabis industry. She’s looking forward to legalization and the opportunities it may bring.

“I’m 27 and have been dancing since I was 19 years old,” she explained. “I grew up fast in Vegas and soon moved on to prostitution. My mother used to smoke bud. It was like smoking ciga-

BONNIE AT BUNNY RANCH The Moonlight Bunny Ranch, located east of Carson City, is one of several legal brothels located in Nevada. First opened in 1955 as The Moonlight Ranch, it recently gained notoriety by being included in HBO’s America Undercover special, Cathouse.

Bonnie came for two months in the fall of 2014, then recently came back to stay longer. She originally hails from Washington. No stranger to cannabis, she has grown it herself in the past, keeping track via a high-tech remote system to keep her day job.

“I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease at the age of 24, and was told I could use cannabis for pain,” she shared. “Doctors are so quick to prescribe pain medication, and they kill your liver. I have seen

GRAPHICS • BRANDON PALMA

rettes in our family, and I started smoking at the age of 13. Cannabis has been my ultimate release from the things I had to do down the road from stripping—the kind of stuff the whole world knows about, but no one wants to talk about—or at least they never tell the truth.”

Ashley said she specifically chooses cannabis to medicate for emotional issues connected to her work, because it is effective.

“I was what they call a ‘renegade,’ a girl who answers to no one and never gives her money to any man for protection,” she continued. “To me, protection was carrying my little handgun in my purse, pepper spray, and a Taser. Can-

nabis always helped calm me down if I was uncomfortable or if I was just feeling bad about myself for choosing the crazy things I did for money—but a girl’s gotta eat.”

Ashley said she never apologized for the work she did, but that cannabis helped her remain in control and stay safe.

“Bud was the best thing to use when you deal with the men and women I’ve dealt with in this business,” she concluded. “The best part was how empowered I felt. I was in control and I decided what the rules were, and how far things would go. Cannabis helped me with that.”

people really regain their life due to using cannabis.”

In Washington, Bonnie said she uses Kush Creams topically for migraines, applying the lotion to the base of her neck and temples.

“I’ve also rubbed it on my abdomen for menstrual cramps, and it really, truly works!” she exclaimed. “I’ve also used it on my runner’s knee. The girls at the ranch and I talk about cannabis as medicine all the time. I’m also a big supporter of CBD products.”

Bonnie said that not all illnesses are visible, and though she’s a cannabis patient, she’s actually in line for dialysis or a kidney transplant very soon.

Not knowing about ingesting, I informed both of them of the many ways they could further use the plant as medicine. For Bonnie, I advised that ingesting the strong cannabis oil has been reported to cleanse and heal organs, possibly making her pending kidney transplant surgery unnecessary.

Hopefully, she’ll keep in touch on her path to recovery.

As for the many ailments that can be associated with prostitution, such as myriad infections and the stress of the job, there are cannabis products out there for purchase in legal and medically legal states—many able to ship across state lines because of their sole CBD base.

A SEX WORKER’S CANNABIS REFERENCE

1

2

3

4

Think “inflammation and infection” when using cannabis to medicate issues related to sex work.

Smoking or vaporizing can provide immediate relief from anxiety, panic attacks, depression, sleep disorders, nightmares, and symptoms related to PTSD.

Medicated salves or lotions can be used topically for inflammation caused by chafing, minor infections such as yeast infections, personal lubricants, and to enhance the senses.

Ingesting tincture or capsules (CBD- or THC-activated) can help you sleep, ease nightmares, and prevent infection.

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ROAD TRIP

NTERESTINGLY, LAS

Vegas translates to “the meadows,” despite the fact that it is now a barren valley. The last watering hole after the glaciers of the ice age melted, Vegas was once a lush, green valley that formed the pools of water that now flow through the Hoover Damn.

In the late 1930s, Thomas Hull, owner of the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, had his eye on the desert and built the first casino in downtown Las Vegas. The fancy Westernthemed El Cortez Hotel opened in 1941. At the time, Vegas was a weekend getaway from Los Angeles for rebel rousers—a place to drink, gamble, and get a quick divorce.

Once El Cortez was a hit, Hollywood reporter Billy Wilkerson built the Flamingo Hotel in an attempt to attract high rollers. It was the long, skinny legs of Bugsy Malone’s starlet (and sometimes mob courier) girlfriend, Virginia Hill, that inspired the name. Funded by mobsters, The Flamingo became the start of a string of hotels along what is still

referred to as the Strip.

As a child visiting Vegas with my parents in the 1960s, I remember Highway 15 cutting straight through town and into the lights. It was, and still is, a magical experience to arrive in Vegas, with its metropolis of fun rising up from the desert floor. The casinos were built as gaudy palaces, with winding driveways circling fountains overlooked

by Greek Gods. Star-struck visitors milled about, hoping to strike it rich on the card tables and slot machines.

My sister and I were only welcome poolside at the casinos or inside Circus, Circus. We played our own slots on rows of pinball machines upstairs and watched the adults in the casino below. There, my dad played Keno and my mom camped out in front of a nickel slot machine.

Our coffee table at home held ashtrays from The Flamingo, Caesar’s Palace, and The Golden Nugget: relics from the old strip, where casino lights still give the illusion of daytime at 3 a.m. and light shows entertain out front for free.

“Nevada has the potential to become the next major source of cannabis information & research.”

WINNING GREEN

Since medical cannabis was voted into effect through Nevada Senate Bill 374 with a 17:4 vote during its State Legislative session in 2013, Vegas has embraced the culture. A year prior to legalization, the historic Bonanza Gift Shop (the city’s block-sized tourist attraction) added ashtrays and shot glasses emblazoned with cannabis leaves, putting a whole new meaning to the term “high roller.” My anti-hippie dad would roll over in his grave at the sight.

Just four retail shops were open by the time the city’s second annual Marijuana Business Conference & Expo took place. I was able to visit two of them: ReLeaf and Inyo, both beautiful, stateof-the-art facilities staffed with knowledgeable and friendly reps.

As a patient from another medically legal state, I’m in luck in Nevada, as they recognize my rights to safe access of my good medicine; all I needed was a letter of recommendation and my I.D.

GETTING RELEAF

While in ReLeaf, I had the good fortune to chat with Mr. Johnston, a longtime Vegas resident who arrived

in the city in 1959 as a working musician. Not allowed to enter the casinos through the fancy circular driveways I traversed with my family years ago due to the color of his skin, Mr. Johnston had to enter through the back.

I mentioned that I was working on an article for the Jimi Hendrix issue of this magazine, and he shared with me that he once had the good fortune of playing with the late guitarist, recounting Jimi Hendrix’s last performance at The Monterey Pop Festival in California.

It was a surreal encounter, as the lineage of the stigma with black musicians and cannabis runs deep. One can imagine Sammy Davis, Jr. burning one outside the rear entrance with some of the great entertainers of the time, both black and white, for the herb knows no color.

An outspoken proponent of the plant, Louis Armstrong was no stranger to the herb or to Vegas, and once stated, “I just won’t carry on with such fear over nothing, and I don’t intend to ever stop smoking it, not as long as it grows. And there is no one on this earth that can ever stop it all from growing. No one but Jesus—and he wouldn’t dare, because he feels the same way I do about it.”

HEALING AT INYO

While filling out my patient intake form at Inyo Fine Cannabis Dispensary, I noticed a woman in a wheel chair attempting to fill out her paperwork with the help of her grown daughter. She had dropped the clipboard on her leg and was sobbing in extreme neuropathy pain.

My heart sank and I handed her my vape pen for quick relief. Cameras were watching and patients are not allowed to medicate inside, nor are they allowed to share, so she took my pen outside. I soon learned she was there just for flower to smoke. We laughed at the thought of her being able to pop an oxy inside a pharmacy, but taking a hit of a natural plant-based medicine in a dispensary is off-limits.

Despite having a morphine pump implanted in her body, smoking gave

WRITER •SHARON LETTS

her the most relief. As is common with opiates and other pain killers, cannabis enhances their effect. Patients can still have pain while on up to 300mg of morphine, but when they smoke, relief is immediate. Patients are just beginning to learn that they can do away with the morphine and solely ingest cannabis for complete pain relief.

I made a deal with her and said I would help pay for a topical cream or edible tincture if she’d like to try it. She ended up buying flower and a transdermal patch from Mary’s Medicinals, a Denver-based company that produces CBD-only products (from cannabis) that can be shipped across state lines, due to their low THC count of 0.03 percent. She told me to keep my money and was grateful for the help.

TESTING, TO BE SURE

One evening, Susan and Curtis Bunce were watching the news when they saw a laboratory in Nevada getting licensed to test medical cannabis. Susan said a light bulb went off in her head, as she surmised it probably would take more than one lab to test all of Nevada’s finest.

One thing led to another, and as is often the case in this seemingly magical industry, someone knew someone who “used to work at a lab.” That someone turned out to be none other than Savino Sguera, who holds a bachelor’s in biomedical engineering from Columbia University. He was the former laboratory director for Steep Hill Labs, the first cannabis-testing lab in California. Not a bad connection.

Encouraged by her new alliance, Susan started DB Labs. Sguera is the laboratory director and his business partner, Marco, is the laboratory manager. The team they put together has a combined lab experience of 80 years, and the majority of them are women.

The 20 samples DB Labs currently tests per week will soon jump to 60 samples per day in the immediate future, but it won’t stop there. “That number will soon expand to 100 samples per day as the production increases in the

GRAPHICS • BRANDON PALMA

New Year,” Bunce explained. Nevada currently has the most stringent testing in the world’s cannabis market. DB Labs uses the most state-of-the-art equipment available, with rigorous standards.

Sguera, who also consults for the cannabis industry on the topics of extraction and analysis, said the lab is currently “opti-mixing” its output efficiency and refining its methods in order to make room for the onslaught of samples to come. “We are also looking at the possibility of seeing more analytes: new cannabinoids, more required pesticides, lower tolerance levels, and so forth,” he explained. “With such an expansive market due to open in Las Vegas and elsewhere, Nevada has the potential to become the next major source of cannabis information and research.”

The advantage of coming in to the game behind Colorado and Washington, Sguera said, is being able to share information. “When different doctors, cultivators, producers, and especially laboratories begin to pool the information gathered on this enormous set of samples, we will have an invaluable new insight into the cannabis plant. For instance, how does the plant handle different chemical additives and contaminants? How can we identify strains based on chemical profile?

How do growing conditions control this profile, and how do these chemical profiles translate to the pharmacodynamics of cannabis medicine?”

One thing Sguera said we must remember about cannabis is that it is still a plant, and unlike pharmaceuticals, its effects cannot be narrowed down and attributed to one or two chemicals that can be isolated and purified—although some companies do take that approach. “A majority of cannabis’ medicinal qualities stem from the as-of-yet unknown interplay between hundreds of cannabinoids and terpenes that currently only living plants can produce in the correct amounts,” he said. “As such, the best cannabis will come from the healthiest plants, and healthy plants are in constant symbiotic balance with thousands of different bacteria, fungi, and even parasites—with most of these microbes easily kept at bay by a healthy human immune system.”

GOING GREEN

FARMING NEVADA

Former attorney Chris Van Hook is the founder, program director, and chief inspector for Clean Green, a certification program for farmers. Clean Green is a start-to-finish inspection program, covering all areas in which crops would be worked, stored, or cured.

Prior to its inception in 2004, the company was working closely with the USDA National Organic Program, certifying organic farms, so the transition to cannabis was natural. With nine inspectors working separate regions, Clean Green has been able to spread out. Currently certifying five states, they have applications pending in five more. “Eighty farmers were certified last year alone, but all told, we’ve helped more than 1,000 come into compliance since we began,” he said.

Green Life Productions, operated in Parhump, was the first farm to be certified in Nevada. Parhump is a small town about an hour out of Las Vegas proper, and to the east of Death Valley. The farm is indoors, a result of the harsh conditions of the Nevada desert, which has snow and frost in the winter and a short outdoor season before temperatures climb to 120 degrees in August.

“The facility is an excellent example of how top quality indoor cannabis can be grown in a manner with very low consumption—and in a remarkably sustainable manner,” Van Hook said.

Green Life Productions uses LED lighting, which does not need to be cooled, making the reduction of energy in Nevada’s harsh environment easy. Producing a high quality flower with the lowest electricity possible is quite a feat in a region that demands constant energy use. “Its continual reuse and rebuilding of the soils in place further reduces the overall footprint of the facility by not having to replace their soils with each crop, which would require trucking it in and out of the valley,” he explained.

The cannabis market is still developing in Nevada, with farms and product being procured as I write, leaving dispensary shelves a bit wanting at the moment. Green Life Productions has been able to acquire a license and a step up in the market. The difference between Green Life Productions and a traditional indoor cannabis farm is that they grow in large, square beds with cover crops to feed the soil. They regenerate soil through organic composting—otherwise known as sustainable farming.

But the real story lies in its cofounder’s past. Steve Cantwell was born and raised in the tiny desert town of Parhump. Bored and challenged, Cantwell speaks of his time as a “troubled youth” before he began training in martial arts as a diversion.

At 17, Floyd’s Ace Hardware sponsored his move to Las Vegas to live, train, and compete as a professional. It was a good move, and by the time he was 20 Cantwell was signed by the WEC, and soon after won his first title. At 21, he was the WEC Light Heavy Weight Champion. Then the injuries came.

“I started fighting with serious injuries,” he explained. “I knew the dangers of pain pills from what close friends and family had been through with them, and knew I had to find an alternative way to manage what was sure to be a lifetime of chronic pain.” Cantwell began researching, studying, and testing cannabis as medicine, realizing the benefits of the plant. With reservations, he enlisted his wife, Kouanin Villa, to help him.

“Steve and I met when we were 17, when he moved into the gym where I worked,” Villa explained. “Twelve years later we are still happily working together, growing cannabis in the former hardware building where it all began.”

Villa shared that Cantwell’s attention to farming wasn’t always focused on cannabis. His love of farming started with fruits and vegetable gardens at home before transitioning to coral reef fish tanks, then to hydroponics and working with nutrients. “I began growing in soil first with rock wool cubes, then coco coir and bottled nutrients,

to mixing and recycling super soil, to finally what I believe to be the safest, most sustainable style on the planet earth—no till, organic, living soil.”

Cover crops are used as companion planting, just as backdoor, organic farming dictates. The outcome is biodiversity and rich soil with fewer pests. “Our goal is to introduce and grow healthy, beneficial life that outcompetes negative pests and pathogens, creating symbiotic relationships above and below our soil,” he concluded. What this means is that Green Life Productions’ bud and the medicine it makes is clean and pure, loaded with beneficial compounds.

Truth and wellness go hand in hand in this industry, and both Cantwell and Villa say they are in this for the long haul. Putting off kids for three Rottweilers, they intend to focus on growing some of Nevada’s finest.

Cantwell shared, “We feel true healing can only take place when we first free ourselves from the legal and moral convictions both society and our legal system has put on cannabis.”

FROM SILVER TO GOLD, AND THEN TO GREEN

Nevada has had the advantage of watching what other states do for a very long time. We already know the money is there and the green tourist trade is a given, so the state is preparing in a very smart way. Starting with testing all products from seed to shelf and farming with the cleanest and most efficient methods, they make medicine for real ailments, not just prepping for recreation.

Now five states into my Road Trip series, I’ve noticed that when a state legalizes, more people get help and heal. Legalizing helps a medicine maker feel safe to come out of the green closet and to share for the greater good.

Whether you are a high roller or just heavily medicated in Sin City, you will experience healing with this plant— fiscally or otherwise. Inevitably, the plant, with its people, prevails.

CANNANEWS

[ Women of Weed members celebrate the association’s second birthday in May 2015 ]

C

A Grand Socia l Experi ment!

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OMMUNITY AROUND

cannabis is a gift that we have been historically robbed of. As weed smokers, cannabis activists, and entrepreneurs, we have been forced to live in the shadows and hide our relationship with the queen of plants. I encourage everyone to come out of the cannabis closet and speak openly. Only then can we wash away more than 70 years of prohibition and the stigma of the past, evolving into a new era of exploration and reverence for this plant.

I am honored and proud to be the founder of Women of Weed (WOW).

Among our ranks are activists, growers, patients, naturopaths, nurses, herbalists, extractors, hash makers, entrepreneurs, political analysts, agronomists, inventors, scientists, graphic designers, nationally published writers, photographers, and publishers. We are CEOs, COOs and CFOs, 502 producers, processors, and retailers, lawyers, lobbyists, international cannabis experts, and policy advisors. Currently, there are 128 participants. At full capacity there will be 200 members in

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Washington and 100 honorary members from around the country and the world, totaling 300 altogether.

In May of 2013, nine brave female souls gathered at my house in Magnolia for the first Women of Weed celebration.

We have continued to gather monthly for almost three years. We have had clothing exchanges, jewelry-making and slumber parties, bonfires, extraction demonstrations, and karaoke nights.

Throughout those events, lots of beautiful food, cocktails, and weed has been shared. About half of our events are members only, so members can bring a guest to several events every year. We have an annual holiday mixer and welcome husbands, boyfriends, and partners (all privacy boundaries still apply).

Women of Weed is the result of my own need for community within the cannabis space. From 1995 to 2007, I ran a hemp company, and my only cannabis support came from my best friend Kelley. Kelley has yet to come to a single Women of Weed event, despite being a true woman of weed. A felony conviction for growing cannabis,

WRITER & PHOTOS

along with the imposed social shame and financial burden, has kept this goddess closeted and timid about being “out” in any way, even today.

The vast majority of participants may not have a problem being photographed, but let us not forget that people are still going to prison and losing their children over cannabis use. For this, Women of Weed is now private, and will remain so. Media has never been allowed inside our celebrations.

While photography is permitted at our events, sharing photos publically is prohibited, unless every single person in the photo agrees to it. Call me old school, but I believe that the best parts of life still happen, even when they’re not posted on social media. Sometimes all that picture taking and posting takes away from the joy of the moment.

Women of Weed is a Washington state private social club that’s intended to provide a private, celebratory respite and source of empowerment for its dedicated cannabis industry and movement participants. I have fought to keep my vision intact, making Women of Weed a social club where we simply enjoy, support, and love each other. We have taken great effort to keep the focus on the individual women and their particular dreams, not on the group itself. In an act of empowerment, each of the original 100 members has one spot in the second 100 to give to the cannabis woman of her choice. These new members should be women who have sacrificed personally and given themselves freely for the greater good of the cannabis community. NORML Women of Washington, MJBA Women’s Alliance, and Hempfest are all great places where work is actually being done. Get involved in any cannabis organization and you will naturally find us. Women of Weed sisters are everywhere and there are still 83 spots available for Washington women.

My goal is to clear up misconceptions and illustrate that Women of Weed is actually all about being inclu-

•AH WARNER

“Among our ranks are activists, growers, patients, naturopaths, nurses, herbalists, extractors, hash makers, entrepreneurs, political analysts, agronomists, inventors, scientists, graphic designers, published writers, photographers, and publishers. We are CEOs, COOs and CFOs, 502 producers, processors, and retailers, lawyers, lobbyists, international cannabis experts, and policy advisors.” sive, but the most important message is to encourage others to form their own social groups. We are here for fun and support, and our intent is to get together away from the pressures that we carry in the worlds of business and activism. Spending real time in a community—not virtual time—will benefit everyone involved. The larger cannabis community will be stronger, healthier, and happier for it.

I am grateful to all of the women taking part in this grand social experiment. I am excited to see all of their accomplishments, and look forward to the ones we will share in the future. These women have been there for me, supporting me and bringing joy to my journey. I am forever grateful and in their debt. dopemagazine.com ISSUE 5 THE DOPEST ISSUE

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Women of Weed does not accept event sponsorships of any kind: there is no buy-in. Events are voluntarily hosted by signed participants. There are no dues or membership fees.

However, every member must sign an agreement that covers everything from liability waivers and use of the association’s logo to inviting event guests and sponsoring new members.

Women of Weed does not promote, endorse, condemn, or condone anything, except the removal of cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act.

Women of Weed is not a business association or an activist group. The only agenda at our gatherings is to have no agenda.

“Call me old school, but I believe that the best parts of life still happen, even when they’re not posted on social media.”

Women of Weed is not a secret society. There is no clandestine activity, no women smoking weed in lingerie, and no plots are being forged to push away our cannabis brothers. If you are a cannabis brother who supports, loves, and respects your cannabis sisters, we support, love, and respect you right back.

Women of Weed has no email list, even for use by members themselves. All personal requests, business pitches, and activist pleas are not allowed at celebrations.

Instead, we use our private Facebook group, where all signed members can network freely.

Ah Warner is the Founder and CEO of Cannabis Basics, Seattle’s own since 1995. She has a bachelor’s in Gender and Women’s Studies from the University of Washington. As a guiding member of NORML Women of Washington, she recently received a special MJBA Women’s Alliance award for focus and dedication to the women in Washington’s cannabis industries.

WOMEN OF WEED SEPTEMBER 20, 2015 6PM-10PM AVA QUEEN ANNE ROOFTOP 330 3RD AVE W, SEATTLE WA 98119

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P R O U D LY H O S T E D B Y T H E W O W T R I N I T Y O F

STEFANI QUAINE | ATTORNEY AT LAW MELISSA HYSOM | CANNABIS FREEDOM MARCH ORGANIZER

WRITER

CANNANEWS

• DR. EMILY EARLENBAUGH

AWAKENING AMERICA SPREADING THE TRUTH WITH RUDY ROMA

HOW CAN OTHERS HELP SUPPORT CANNABIS EDUCATION?

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START WORKING IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY?

Meet Rudy Roma, founder of 420 InSight and the Awaken America cannabis conferences. A strong advocate for cannabis education, Rudy has been working tirelessly to bring cannabis patients the information they need. His website, 420InSight.com, provides patients with valuable resources like free video lectures from experts in the field, articles outlining cannabis research for specific health conditions, and profiles of patients who are using cannabis successfully.

His latest venture, Awaken America, is a series of educational cannabis conferences where experts in the field gather to educate on the issues most relevant to cannabis patients. Each Awaken America is held in a different city and often in collaboration with local experts, so patients are able to get an idea of products and services available in their area. We sat down with Rudy to learn more about his background, his current projects, and his plans for the future.

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My inspiration came because I suffered the loss of my daughter, Ralina, who died from acute lymphoblastic leukemia at the tender age of 15 months. One day I was watching a video about a young girl who had the same cancer as my daughter and it showed that medical cannabis could be of tremendous, outstanding, and salient help to cancer patients. There is an abundance of evidence showing that cannabinoids target and kill cancer and tumor cells.

WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON? Currently, I’m scaling up the reach of Awaken America cannabis conferences to all fifty states, as well as keeping 420 InSight supplied with reliable and unique content. In addition to that, I am developing a platform for cannabis patients that will provide a user-friendly infrastructure to better manage their care.

It will be the resource for some amazing tools, peer-to-peer communication, and clinical data.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT CANNABIS? The importance of educating individuals is because without knowledge you lack power. What I mean by that statement is, educating yourself about cannabis and what it can do for the human body gives you the power to make a decision based on facts. A decision that many have already made, that gives dignity and quality of life.

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You can support 420 InSight by volunteering at any of our Awaken America educational workshops or become a sponsor of one of our Awaken America series of cannabis conferences. Becoming a member gains access to many beneficial resources others are using to offer insight and education in their communities.

WHERE CAN PATIENTS FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CANNABIS AND ITS THERAPEUTIC USES? Patients can find reliable information about medical applications of cannabis at 420InSight.com. To find out where they can hear professionals in the cannabis industry speak, please go to awakenamericato420.com to find Awaken America conferences near their area.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK ON NEXT? I’d like to create a non-profit organization to provide financial assistance for families who may not be able to find or afford the cannabis that they need. On a personal level, I want to become the best guide for patients and their caregivers through a complex approach to their individualized cannabis therapy.

WHAT CHANGES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MADE IN THE FUTURE OF THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY? I would like to see the classification of cannabis revoked as a schedule 1 drug, based on the fact that schedule 1 drugs are defined as drugs with no accepted medical use. I look forward to the day when we adopt and implement industry standards and regulations throughout the United States, and for a federal law to be passed allowing the use of medical cannabis for qualifying conditions in all fifty states. ®

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CANNANEWS

HIT IT & QUIT IT One Bad H ig h Can Lead to a Lifeti me of Cann a bis Confu sion

M

Y BEST friend ate an exces-

sively potent pot brownie in college. She was so traumatized that, a decade later, she is still skittish about taking a puff off a joint.

During my mother’s college years she tried smoking weed on a couple occasions, but decided she disliked it because it hurt her throat and made her cough. My mother-in-law’s one instance of college experimentation resulted in a total blackout and 24-hour hangover.

Without realizing that she must have smoked something other than marijuana, she has been terrified of the stuff ever since. My sister-in-law’s college cannabis horror story involves a gravity bong, an imagined heart attack, and a trip to the campus health center.

More people than I can count have informed me that pot makes them paranoid, anxious, dizzy, disoriented, nauseous, incapacitated, or unbearably socially awkward. It gives them headaches or heart palpitations. They binge uncontrollably on junk food, or perhaps they simply pass out. Whatever the reason, some do not care for cannabis and they are perplexed as to how and why enthusiasts like myself enjoy it so much. Further discussion typically reveals that their impressions have been formed from a few brief encounters, often in their teens or early twenties.

People do not become teetotalers after a single bad night, because drinking is socially normalized. We may make dramatic claims about never drinking again while suffering from a hangover, or develop an aversion to tequila shots or flavored vodka or cheap beer after a certain beverage becomes inextricably linked with a particularly miserable memory. It would be strange,

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WRITER

• CAITLIN PODIAK

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GRAPHICS

• BRANDON PALMA

“Those of us who understand and appreciate this miraculous plant have a responsibility to educate others.” though, to hear someone say that he never touches alcohol at all because it made him sick once or twice in his youth. Drinking can be dangerous and even deadly, but because alcohol is so culturally ingrained, most adults eventually learn to drink responsibly. Cannabis, however, lacks a similar social context, which allows erroneous or simplistic generalizations to predominate.

If your sole exposure to marijuana was getting stoned out of your mind at a high school party, you would probably find it difficult to comprehend how a patient who medicates multiple times throughout the day is able to function, much less drive, work, or care for young children. If you have only ever had access to subpar buds in unlabeled plastic bags, how could you determine whether a different strain might give you an entirely different effect? If you live in a state where cannabis remains criminalized, it will be nearly impossible to find out if a CBD-rich tincture is the ideal cure for what ails you.

Someone who has never stepped inside a dispensary is unlikely to be aware of the incredible variety of strains and products available. Even

habitual pot smokers have been known to express skepticism about the differences between the effects of indicas, sativas, and hybrids. If even the experts are confused, someone who happens to have a negative reaction to her first bong could easily decide that cannabis will always produce a negative reaction.

She very well may avoid marijuana for the rest of her life; she may never be disabused of her false conclusion.

Those of us who understand and appreciate this miraculous plant have a responsibility to educate others. When friends and family members are firmly convinced of inaccuracies, it can be tempting to keep quiet rather than invite their judgmental derision. It can be tricky to champion the remarkable complexity of cannabis and its myriad benefits without sounding like a raving lunatic. Explaining the endocannabinoid system and the entourage effect to an incredulous audience is a daunting challenge. Nevertheless, it is necessary that we try, not only to combat stigma and stereotypes, but also because sharing this knowledge has the potential to enhance so many lives.

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GROW

GROWING WITH W SUCCESS Love fo r Knowl edg e Co nq uers Al l

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HAT DEFINES a ‘good grower’ and what makes a great one? None of us start out on top, and although a cruel reality, most don’t make it there, especially when it comes to growing cannabis. Despite talking to personal friends in the industry and lead growers in both the recreational and medical markets, I was unable to get a definitive answer. What they offered instead were their life sto-

WRITER

“Ultimately, the largest common factor that rings true with successful growers is their determination to never miss an opportunity, and a will to always strive to be better.

ries, which revealed almost all of them shared some similar core experiences.

It would seem like a first time home grow is everyone’s first stepping stone, but in reality gardening and working with other plants is a great preparation. Planting flowers in Grandmother’s garden, or pruning the bushes, even mowing the grass, can teach unique lessons that apply to cannabis. My first pruning lessons were on a tomato plant, which allowed for mistakes without too much risk. How can we understand a specialized plant, or a plant we’re breeding to be specialized, if we don’t understand the broader scope of plant life? There is much to learn, not just water and nutrients, but airflow, growth structure, pest problems, and mold too.

Many of us are very comfortable in our perfectly controlled rooms, but what happens when the AC fails, or a fan falls and crushes a plant, or the importance of controlling humidity is discovered the hard way? When these disasters reared their ugly heads, these experienced growers had already tackled these problems, but with plants one-tenth as expensive. A broken AC, remedied with greenhouse-like airflow, the craziest shoestring-tied success plant I’ve ever seen a picture of, and the baking soda botrytis stopper – these may have been the inspiring successes that encouraged these growers to do it for one more day.

How one responds to difficulty is as much a part of success as how things were planned it in the first place.

Ultimately, the largest common factor that rings true with successful growers is their determination to never miss an opportunity, and a will to always strive to be better. A friend of mine, who happens to be the head grower of one of the larger medical grows in WA, had never even grown cannabis when he was offered the job. On the other hand, he has a master’s degree in horti-

• DAVID BAILEY

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GRAPHICS

• BRANDON PALMA

culture with a focus in closed-environment plant production.

He couldn’t have been more suited for the job, and for him it was an opportunity to grow beyond what he had learned and experienced in school.

On the flipside, my former boss in Colorado, also a head grower for a large medical/recreational company, never even had interest in cannabis as a drug or medicine until later in life. Ironically, he started growing at way too young of an age because he saw it as a way to make money off his much older brother. As he got older, he worked at nurseries and completed an associate’s degree before landing his grand opportunity in the cannabis industry. By the time he was offered a job, he had been growing for ten years and was only in his early twenties.

Because the cannabis community is developing so quickly, everyone is always on their toes. It amazes me to watch self-educated growers conversing with mechanical engineers about lighting before turning around to give tips to professional horticulturalists on pest management. That’s the dedication and passion it takes to succeed. That’s the energy I am proud to be a part of.

Most people in the cannabis industry took a giant leap to get here. The more I get to know the people and the stories that brought them this far, the more I am encouraged to push myself. After visiting with and interviewing some of the people I respect most in the cannabis world, it became clear it wasn’t just their growing tips or perseverance I walked away with.

From funding veteran rehabilitation to supporting autism awareness, every person was giving back in some form.

The love for life that these people share is what I believe brought them this far, and will ensure their continued success in the future.

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THE BIGGEST NIGHT IN THE

CANNABIS INDUSTRY

SATURDAY DECEMBER 19, 2015 8PM SHOWBOX SODO | SEATTLE , WA HOSTED BY

KITTY KITTY BANG BANG

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WRITER

• ALISON BAIRD

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PHOTOS

• MARK COFFIN

HIS YEAR’S DOPE Industry Awards of 2015 hosted by Kitty Kitty Bang Bang was a unique event many will reminisce over in their warmed wintertime hearts for quite some time. The only black tie, red carpet event of the cannabis industry, this is a favorite anticipated evening in Seattle. A night set aside to showcase the strength and size of our growing industry in Washington and celebrate how far we have come, special guests included Dr. Carl Hart, and Ed Rosenthal who was presented with the Marc Emery Award for his numerous efforts and sacrifice for the plant. Pride and warm vibes filled the venue making this feel more like a giant family reunion as we celebrated and reconnected on this memorable night presented by Dutch Master Nutrients with support from Evergreen Extracts, Buddy Boy Farms, and Suspended Brands.

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PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

BEST GLASS COMPANY

BESS BYERS

MOTHERSHIP

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

BEST HEAD SHOP

WES ABNEY - NW LEAF

PIECE OF MIND

BEST CONSULTANT

BEST TOPICAL BRAND

AMBER LEWIS

CANNABIS BASICS

BEST LIGHTING COMPANY

BEST CONCENTRATE BRAND

GAVITA

X-TRACTED

BEST NUTRIENT COMPANY

BEST EDIBLE BRAND

EMERALD HARVEST

LOADED SODA

BEST SECURITY COMPANY

BEST NEW PRODUCT

CANNAGUARD SECURITY

BUDDER BLOCKS - POCKET SQUARE

BEST TECH PRODUCT

BEST STAFF

LEAFLY

SEATTLE CANNABIS COMPANY

BEST BRAND MARKETING

THE EMERY AWARD

SUSPENDED BRANDS

ED ROSENTHAL

BEST OVERALL BRAND

BEST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

SOLSTICE

DOCKSIDE

ACTIVIST OF THE YEAR

BEST MEDICINE SELECTION

BRIAN CALDWELL

THE CPC

BEST CANNABIS ASSOCIATION

BEST EDIBLE SELECTION

NWPPR

THE NOVEL TREE

BEST TESTING FACILITY

BEST STORE MERCHANDISING

INTEGRITY LABS

SATORI

BEST LAW FIRM

BEST NEW RECREATIONAL STORE

ASHBY LAW GROUP

STASH POT SHOP

BEST PROCESSOR

BEST STORE ATMOSPHERE

X-TRACTED

THE NOVEL TREE

BEST PRODUCER

FEMALE BUDTENDER OF THE YEAR

FORBIDDEN GARDENS

ARIANA RAMIREZ - TRIPLE C CANNABIS

BEST OUTDOOR GROW

MALE BUDTENDER OF THE YEAR

WASHINGTON’S FINEST CANNABIS

EASTON MORGAN - TRIPLE C CANNABIS

BEST INDOOR GROW

RECREATIONAL STORE OF THE YEAR

SOLSTICE

GREENSIDE RECREATIONAL

BESTGLASS BLOWER

MEDICAL CO-OP OF THE YEAR

ERAN PARK

TRIPLE C CANNABIS

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PRODUCT

WRITER

• C. IMANI WILLIAMS

BOOK REVIEW

STEIN, STONED

BY HAL ACKERMAN

“Your Early Girl was harvested a week early. Quick lick, no stick.

You’re skimping on phosphorus and nitrogen in your hydroponics, going for height at the expense of depth.”

He took a sip of his drink, “and your hot chocolate is from a mix.”

AL ACKERMAN IS Co-Chair of UCLA’s screenwriting program and has published books, short stories, and award winning plays.

Around the country college screenwriting programs utilize Write Screenplays That Sell...The Ackerman Way. He was awarded the William Saroyan Centennial Prize for drama for writing, Testosterone: How Prostate Cancer Made A Man of Me. In Stein, Stoned humor and mystery drive the narrative in this cannabis tale, where the “perfect flower” has gone missing, pursued as heavily as the hottest girl on campus. Like that co-ed, the missing weed in question is a perfect ten, attracting a host of people with a desire to possess its uniqueness.

Ackerman’s descriptive storytelling brings life to a host of characters that inform a creatively green narrative. Cannabis drives the plot and industry vocabulary is artfully woven throughout the

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pages, giving readers a basic understanding of cannabis terminology. We meet Harry Stein, an independent contractor for a product liability firm responsible for tracking shampoo bottles. Although the job of counting thousands of bottles is laborious, boring and low key, Stein is okay with that. He is retired from cultivating and writing on the virtues of growing (11 books in total!) Deemed a legend of sorts in SoCal, he’s a pretty humble middle-aged guy still trying to get life right. Things get sticky for him as occupational hazards increase after being heavily courted for his flower power knowledge, especially in determining just who has cultivated the flower strain called Holy Grail. The search takes Stein to Amsterdam where the stakes are significantly raised. Whoever has the strain is willing to kill for it. Stein is granted a coveted spot as a judge in the Cannabis Cup where he moves closer to finding the missing flower.

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Readers might identify with this story if they have experienced conflict over being really good at something that may stray from the mainstream. That “something” for Stein is his deep relationship with cannabis and his knowledge base.

Conflicted over maintaining a healthy relationship with his fifteen-year-old daughter and keeping his ex-wife appeased about his chosen lifestyle, he makes the choice to step away from the lucrative business of cultivation. But taking on a side job in Amsterdam is a dangerous proposition on many levels and Stein knows it.

Ackerman does an excellent job of providing many twists and surprises in this page-turner that presents lessons in boundary setting, managing tumultuous family interactions, and new beginnings derived from doing the hard work neces® sary to increase self awareness.

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