The Secret Life Of Pets

MARCH 2017

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS (they take cannabis too!)

A Citywide Guide to Hybrids and their Win-Win Appeal Cannabis-infused dining trend makes its way to Nevada

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from the editor Publisher Guy Bertuzzi, guy@elevatenv.com

Editor-In-Chief Beth Schwartz, beth@elevatenv.com

Creative Director Brooke Bertuzzi, brooke@finetheagency.com

Contributing Writers: Justin Alexander, Richard S. Gubbe, chef Brandi Madison, Mark S.A. Smith, Julie Vigil

Media Consultant: Mark Damkroeger, mark@elevatenv.com Sean Sonner, sean@elevatenv.com

ELEVATION PUBLISHING LLC President Jonathan Fine Chief Financial Officer Cassandra Lupo

FINE THE AGENCY Partner Kelli Maruca, kelli@finetheagency.com Executive Director Paula Pettit, paula@finetheagency.com

Graphic Designer James Nigbur, james@finetheagency.com

Digital Services Austin Grantham, austin.grantham@finetheagency.com Peter Chen, peter.chen@finetheagency.com elevate nevada magazine makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors, false data or omissions. elevate nevada assumes no responsibility for any claims or representations contained in this publication or in any advertisement. elevate nevada magazine does not encourage the illegal use of any of the products or advertisements within. Reproduction in whole or in part strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.

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We have all heard a tale or two about someone’s experience with edibles that went horribly awry. I can personally report no such experience but, aside from eating a few cookies and gummies, I am hardly an expert.

However, I have heard the stories.

One that sticks with me is about a friend from Colorado Springs who was at someone’s house for a dinner party and was encouraged to have a cannabisinfused brownie. Her hosts swore by the chef who made the brownies as well as the store they came from telling her they had only had good experiences.

After considerable nudging, my friend decided to give it a try. The brownie was way too much for her and she became overmedicated. But she wasn’t the only one. It happened to all of the partygoers. As it turned out, the host had gotten a batch of brownies that had been incorrectly dosed, he alerted the store the next day, and they pulled the product immediately. This incident happened before Colorado implemented lab testing last July so it’s extremely unlikely it would happen now.

My friend recounted that while she was waiting for the cannabis to wear off, she hallucinated that her ankle was like a propeller spinning so wildly she thought it was going to fly off her body. Having heard this story, you can imagine I had no interest when I received an invitation to a cannabis-infused dinner party.

My first reaction was to send a food writer, a professional in food and cannabis, who knew how to handle the subject matter. But then as I considered it, I realized this probably was not going to be the last invite like this I would receive.

Dinners like these were going to be something that everybody would, at some point, encounter. I decided rather than avoid it, I should do some research and figure out a practical and smart way for, not just me but, all of us to approach it.

I quickly found that should you ingest too much THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis, you can offset its effects with a few drops of CBD or cannabidiol, another part of the cannabis plant. I also discovered that much like drinking alcohol on an empty stomach, it’s not a good idea to eat cannabisinfused food in that condition either. Also, much like drinking alcohol, pacing is critical. Armed with a plan, I decided to go to the dinner (featured on page 10).

I was super anxious about going but ate a late lunch and packed along my CBD oil. While at the party I had shrimp cocktail (7 milligrams), about 30 minutes later I split a stuffed mushroom (6 milligrams) and ate some pork belly topped with chimichurri sauce that had been infused (quantity consumed unknown). Throughout the evening I also grazed on non-dosed items that included vegetables, bread, and meat.

At the end of the evening I took a 50-milligram dessert and ate half. I never experienced any psychoactive effects and only felt really happy and was more prone to laughter than usual. It was a fun and safe experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Just like anything else -- it’s all about moderation and education.

With an open mind,

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U.S. CANNABIS CUP

A2 1P- 2R 3

N O S CENTER

l a C o S SAN BERNARDINO

T I C K E T S A V A I L A B L E A T C A N N A B I S C U P. C O M

CONTENTS

8

12

15

17

24

8

15

30

HEALING: The Power of Cannabis

Dispensary Spotlight

Following Formula

CBD oil gives hope to parents of infant born with brain damage

10 Glazed & Infused

Top Notch THC

17 Welcome to Cross Country

Cannabis-infused dinner party trend makes its way to Nevada

Hybrids are a win-win for patients who need to treat pain and stay focused

12

24

Cooking with Cannabis

The Secret Life of Pets

Chorizo & Cotija Stuffed Mushrooms, Green Chimichurri Sauce, and Miniature Manchego Enchiladas Rojos

Four-legged friends get through ruff patches with CBD oil and hemp products

36

Ultra Health introduces pharmaceutical-grade options to cannabis space

32 The Cannavator

Dr. Kent Crowley, creator of Trokie medicinal cannabis lozenge

36 Dispensary Map

A patients’ guide to finding medical cannabis in the Las Vegas Valley march | elevatenv.com

5

ELEVATE YOUR STATE

Medical cannabis updates from across the United States

KENTUCKY: Senator Perry Clark has introduced two bills that would overhaul marijuana policies. SB 57 would make medical marijuana legal for seriously ill Kentuckians, and SB 72 would legalize marijuana for adult use and create a regulated and taxed system. SB 57 would protect qualifying patients from arrest and allow them to cultivate marijuana plants. It would also allow them to obtain medical marijuana from dispensaries, which would be regulated by the state. SB 72 would take Kentucky in the direction of the eight states that have voted to legalize and regulate marijuana for adult use.

WYOMING: Rep. Mark Baker (R-Sweetwater) and a bipartisan group of legislators has introduced a new bill, HB 157, that would eliminate criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana. HB 157 would apply to up to three ounces of cannabis or marijuana products (such as edibles) containing 500 milligrams or less of THC. Under current Wyoming law, possession of even a tiny amount of marijuana carries a penalty of up to one year of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000. Rep. Baker’s bill would reduce the penalty to a civil fine of up to $200.

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VIRGINIA: The Virginia Senate voted in late January to okay oils derived from marijuana plants as treatment for 13 new diseases and conditions. Under current law, intractable epilepsy is the only condition permissible treatment with CBD oil. Senate Bill 1298 would change that, it cleared the Senate on a bipartisan 29-11 vote. The conditions added by the bill are: cancer, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, hepatitis C, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Crohn's disease, Alzheimer's disease, nail patella, cachexia or wasting syndrome, multiple sclerosis and complex regional pain syndrome. Also in January, the Senate voted to end the practice of suspending drivers’ licenses over possession of small amounts of marijuana by passing Senate Bill 1091. Both measures now head to the more conservative House.

MAINE: A voter-approved initiative to end marijuana prohibition in Maine became official on January 30th, making it legal for adults 21 and older to possess and grow limited amounts of marijuana. Under Question 1, which voters approved in November, adults 21 years of age and older can legally possess up to two-and-a-half ounces of marijuana, grow up to six flowering marijuana plants and 12 non-flowering plants, and possess the marijuana harvested from those plants inside their residence. It will remain illegal to use marijuana in public or to drive while impaired by marijuana. The law will not affect employers’ drugtesting policies or their rights to prohibit marijuana use by employees. The legislature is in the process of establishing a regulated system of marijuana cultivation and sales, which is currently scheduled to go into effect by February 1, 2018.

Medical Cannabis is Legal Medical Cannabis is Illegal

MARYLAND: In early February, two companion bills that would legalize and regulate personal use amounts of cannabis for adults 21 and up were introduced in the Maryland State Senate. SB 928 would allow adults to possess up to one ounce of cannabis and to grow up to six plants, and would set up regulated businesses that would cultivate, process, and sell cannabis, including a “craft cultivator” category for small businesses. SB 927 sets a $30 per ounce excise tax and 9% sales tax (the same as alcohol). Half of the proceeds would go to high-poverty schools.

GREEN & GOLD IS THE NEW BLACK Exclusively at THRIVE Cannabis Marketplace - North Las Vegas Details at GreenandGoldSupplyCo.com

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HEALING THE POWER OF MEDICINAL CANNABIS

CBD OIL GIVES

HOPE

TO PARENTS OF INFANT BORN WITH BRAIN DAMAGE

T

Three-and-a-half-year-old Marco Rivera was born blind and deaf, among other maladies, due to anoxic damage, which means lack of oxygen to the brain. His umbilical cord was stretched to the point where it didn’t provide oxygen to his brain for a period of time causing damage.

“Basically they told us Marco’s never going to walk.

Marco’s never going to talk. Marco’s blind. Marco’s deaf,” said Jose Rivera, Marco’s father, who noted at birth his son was given six months to live.

Facing such dire consequences, the Riveras were desperate and in search of options. Their search led them to Dr. Kathleen Smith, a Las Vegas doctor who has been treating patients with medical cannabis since 2010.

“His doctors had basically told the family there was nothing more that could be done for him and that he was just going to die. So there were no further options. They came to me to see if I thought CBD would do anything for him. I told the Riveras, ‘CBD won’t hurt him, and if there is a part of the brain still functioning, CBD will help that part of the brain take over other functions.’”

As to whether CBD would work, Dr. Smith wasn’t sure. “I didn’t know then and still don’t know how much

Overall, I was just looking for a little bit of motor movement and I got a lot more than I was asking for,” enthused Marco’s father. improvement they will get. I have no way of knowing because none of us actually know how much of the brain is still functioning. But I do know this, none of us use all of our brain and what happens with damaged brains of children is other parts of the brain will take over the functions so you just have to wait and see if you can trigger

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Marco Rivera, who was born blind and deaf, now has cortical vision and hearing resulting from his year-long use of CBD oil.

the other part of the brain and take over the function.”

After a year of CBD oil being administered through his g-tube, something has definitely been triggered in Marco’s brain. “Marco is legally blind and deaf and he went from 100 percent blind and deaf to cortical hearing and cortical vision. Just how much he hears and how much he sees hasn’t been determined but he is responsive and as far as seeing, he does track people and responds to flashes of light.

As far as noises and hearing things, you talk to him and he turns his head toward you. Overall, I was just looking for a little bit of motor movement and I got a lot more than I was asking for,” enthused Marco’s father.

Dr. Smith is also pleased with Marco’s progress. “He is so much more alert, he very rapidly moves his head, and stares at you if you are talking to him, he moves his arms a lot more, all of his movements are a lot more purposeful.

You know he is hearing well because he even hears a slight sound now and responds to it.

You can see that there is part of the brain that is increasing its functionally. Now we are going to encourage the next phase which is to get him to swallow so we can take the g-tube out and he can actually start to eat.”

“He started off with pages of medication and once he got off all of that and he was released fully to the hemp oil, it changed my boy in every way,” Rivera says. “He actually goes to school already, too. He gets home pre-school. It’s remarkable how he has progressed.”

Your medication isn't all about THC

So which terpenes work for your needs?

Find out with a 4-gram sampler from Reef!

march | elevatenv.com Coupon expires April 15, 2017. One per patient. While supplies last. Cannot be combined with any other offer.

9

GLAZED&INFUSED CANNABIS-INFUSED DINNER PARTY TREND MAKES ITS WAY TO NEVADA

by Beth Schwartz

W

hen adult-use cannabis becomes a legal ingredient in one of the world’s finest culinary destinations you can expect an abundance of creativity.

Now that Nevada’s residents have voted in recreational marijuana, cannabis-infused dinners are sure to start popping up. Once regulations are put in place as is projected for sometime this summer, cannabis-infused dinners will be commonplace and you more than likely will be invited to one. Just like attending a wine, tequila or beer paired dining, cannabis, too, will be the highlight of the event.

The trend has already begun. There are TV shows focused on infused dinners such as Viceland’s “Bong Appetit” and VH1’s “Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party.” Adultuse cannabis states have already jumped on the infusion bandwagon, too. In California, MJU High Dining holds Sushi and Doobie Rolling Workshops and Colorado’s Cultivating Spirits offers gourmet three-course fine dining experiences featured during its food, cannabis and wine tours.

One such party was recently held in Las Vegas by newly formed Dope Dining, an event company that hopes to hold infused dining events on a quarterly basis. Dubbed ‘High on Love,’ the vision for the party was “to merge both my art world and my cannabis world together for a nice dinner party,” said

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Shannon Dorn, founder of Dope Dining.

Dorn was successful in bringing her vision to life. The dinner, which was more of a mixer, was a very casual affair with topless servers adorned in strategically placed black body paint passing tapas to guests while a belly dancer, tarot card reader, artist, and singers performed throughout the evening.

Like any gathering, the key to a good party is creating a positive vibe.

One of the other keys is serving delicious food, especially when that’s the evening’s focal point. Chef Brandi Madison undoubtedly knows how to cook and, even better, knows how to cook with cannabis. (A few of chef Madison’s tapas dishes from the dinner party are listed on pages 12-13.)

“I cook with intention and my intention is for everyone to embrace the flavors of the cannabis, and the flavors of the cuisine. I don’t want either one to get lost. I like for them to be blended,” explained Madison, who is a 2007 Art Institute of California-Los Angeles graduate. “I felt like with the sauces you got a good taste of the cannabis and what the actual sauce was like. With the chimichurri, you could really taste the cannabis but you could also taste the onions and the herbs as well.”

This brings up another essential element to hosting a cannabis-infused dinner party -- a dosing strategy. At ‘High on Love,’ chef Madison dosed the four tapas dishes being passed by servers and, very wisely, she infused the sauces that (continued on page 39)

TIPS FOR THE FIRST-TIMER There are a few things to know before you attend a cannabis-infused dinner. If you are new to consuming cannabis, start low and go slow. A typical edible dose ranges between 10 and 20 milligrams per serving. With edibles it typically takes 20 to 40 minutes to feel the effects. Knowing this information should help you educate and appropriately pace yourself. Below are some tips from the pros.

LAS VEGAS’ 1st DISPENSARY GO WITH THE ORIGINAL!

• The biggest mistake you can make is not to go, advises Dope Dining’s Shannon Dorn. She also says to ask questions of your servers so you are educated about what you are eating and enjoy yourself.

PROUDLY FEATURING PREMIUM STRAINS FROM

THE TOP-SHELF • Chef Brandi Madison counsels not to be nervous or overwhelmed and to pace yourself. “I have had some people eat stuff and don’t feel anything and have had some people eat one cookie and they are so high. It’s going to be relative to your body and your constitution so go in with the best of intentions and expectations.”

FINEST QUALITY CANNABIS BIGGEST SELECTION HIGHEST THC

• Eat before you go as an empty stomach can make the effects of cannabis happen quicker and be more intense.

• Should you overmedicate and need to counteract the psycho-activity of THC, CBD will help. “Take some CBD oil because that will bring you back down into your body and take you out of your head. Have some CBD handy and take a couple of drops so you have more of a body high and less of a head high,” advises chef Madison.

• Another tip if you have consumed too much is to drink lots of water. “That’s the best thing you can do. It’s usually anxiety that gets the best of people.

All you have to do is drink some water and go to sleep and you will be fi ne,” says chef Madison.

• Finally, take a cab or Uber/Lyft afterward so you can enjoy as much as you want without having to drive impaired, advises Don Decatur.

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Cooking Cannabis

BY CHEF BRANDI MADISON

MINIATURE MANCHEGO ENCHILADAS ROJOS INGREDIENTS: (YIELDS 20) 1 cup Hatch green chiles 1 lb. manchego cheese, grated 2 cloves garlic 1 Tablespoon shallots dried herbs (thyme, oregano) ½ cup mushrooms 1 12 oz. can of red enchilada sauce 1 cup infused coconut oil 1 cup canola oil 20 small corn tortillas

DIRECTIONS: Heat 1 Tablespoon infused oil and sauté green chiles, garlic, shallots, dried herbs and mushrooms. Heat enchilada sauce in a sauce pan. Add 1 cup infused oil. Bring to a boil.

Heat 1 cup canola oil. Fry or steam tortillas until pliable. Stuff each tortilla with roughly a ½ Tablespoon of filling and roll up. Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas, top with manchego cheese, and garnish with avocado or cilantro.

Please remember when cooking with medicinal cannabis you are cooking with a medicine and the medicine amount and portions of the food ingested should always be taken into consideration. Always start out with small portions or doses and wait 30 minutes to an hour before eating any additional portions of food that has been medicated.

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CHORIZO & COTIJA STUFFED MUSHROOMS INGREDIENTS: (YIELDS 20)

GREEN CHIMICHURRI SAUCE INGREDIENTS: (MAKES 2 CUPS) 2 small shallots, minced 1/4 cup Champagne vinegar 4 oz. green onions 1 cup chopped cilantro 1/2 cup chopped parsley 1 garlic clove, minced ½ cup chopped oregano 1 cup infused coconut oil freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS: Coarsely chop all ingredients and combine all, except for the oil. Slowly whisk in the coconut oil.

2 Tablespoons cannabis infused oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 20 large (2 to 2-1/2 inches in diameter) white mushrooms (1 lb.)

1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup) 1/4 cup Serrano peppers, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs 2 oz. cotija cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1 cup cream cheese 1 lb. chorizo

DIRECTIONS: Heat 1 Tablespoon infused coconut oil. Sauté mushroom stems, chorizo, onion, garlic, Serrano peppers and parsley. Add salt and pepper. Set aside.

Combine cream cheese and dried herbs. Combine both mixtures. Stuff mushrooms with filling. Garnish with cotija cheese. Bake mushrooms at 350° for about 20-25 minutes or to desired tenderness.

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DISPENSARY SPOTLIGHT Top Notch THC marijuanadispensarylv.com 5630 Stephanie Street, Las Vegas, NV 89122 702.418.0420

MISSION STATEMENT | To provide high quality medical marijuana to help improve the lives of patients and further the education of those seeking more knowledge.

TOP SELLING STRAIN(S) | All things OG (Top Notch carries several OG phenotypes), Headcheese, Girl Scout Cookies, Tropicanna, Snoop Master, Strawberry Lemonade, Moon Rocks and King Louis TOP SELLING CONCENTRATE(S) Cannavative Honeycombs, Moxie products, Matrix shatter, Bhang sticks, O.penVape, activated CO2 drippers, Silver Sticks and MPX concentrates TOP SELLING EDIBLE(S) | Top Notch specializes in carrying high dosage edibles, including its popular 400-500 mg chocolate bars. Other best sellers are gummies (Cannapunch, Valhalla, Cannavative, Shango), Kiva chocolate bars, Evergreen Organix products, Verts, Cheeba Chews, Canna Punch, Dixie Elixirs, AMA 4 twenties, RSO and capsules TOPICAL(S) | Synergy Balm 50/50 with a 1/1 ratio of CBD to THC RANGE OF PRODUCTS | With over 50 strains to choose from daily, Top Notch carries a wide variety of CBD products, flower, pre-rolls, vape cartridges, edibles, topicals, tintures, creams, patches, oils, kief, and concentrates including honeycomb, shatter, badder, budder, crumble, sugar, hash, live resin and rosin.

BACKGROUND | Team Top Notch has been involved in the medical marijuana

industry since 1996 when California was the first to legalize medicinal cannabis. With the utmost compassion and decades of experience, they are able to apply their extensive knowledge to provide the best personal care for patients. Top Notch’s entire staff has passionately supported the movement from the beginning and fought for the right to access medicine for people in need.

UNIQUE ATTRIBUTE | Offering a friendly atmosphere and warm staff, Top Notch's patients are like family and are treated as such. The staff at Top Notch has been in the industry for countless years and management ensures that each team member is a wellspring of knowledge of all things cannabis.

They employ a hands-on approach of taking their time with every patient in order to address their needs and ensure they receive the proper education, care and medicine.

MEDICINE SOURCE | During the construction of its state-of-the-art cultivation facility, Top Notch is searching far and wide to find the highest quality products available in the Nevada market. Currently, they offer products from Cannavative Group, BAM, Cannabiotix, Polaris, Matrix, House of Herbs, Deep Roots, AMA, Tahoe Hydroponics Company, Shango, Silver State Trading, Silver State Wellness, Dixie, Bhang, Evergreen Organix, O.penVape, Vert, Moxie, and MPX. STAFF EDUCATION | Top Notch team members are well educated, proficiently trained and have been applying their knowledge in the industry for several

years. Top Notch will continue to educate its team members and strive to stay on the cutting-edge of cannabis innovations.

CHARITABLE ENDEAVORS | Top Notch supports the local community by giving back. On Christmas Eve, Top Notch THC assisted The Ogden Foundation with its 3rd Annual Adopta-Family event. Fifteen different families from organizations including St. Jude's Ranch, Boys Town, Safe Nest, Hope Link, Family Promise, Department of Family Services, Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, Street Teens, as well as foster organizations such as Apple Grove Foster Care Agency, and The Ogden Foundation's adopted Title 1 Schools, Robert Taylor Elementary and West Preparatory Academy were adopted for this event. Top Notch collected toys and items that were donated to these kids and families. Each family was given toys for the children, family outings, clothes, and grocery gift cards. Top Notch team members also participated in assembling and donating 100 survival kits to the homeless over Christmas. Top Notch is currently working with Community Outreach Medical Center to provide services to veterans along with educating them about cannabis.

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GET IN-YO & OUT-YO FAST AT INYO FINE CANNABIS DISPENSARY

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HEALING & HEAVENLY HYBRIDS INDICA-SATIVA CROSSES ARE WIN-WIN FOR PATIENTS WHO NEED TO TREAT PAIN WHILE REMAINING MENTALLY ALERT

By Justin Alexander

Indica-sativa crosses blend the benefits of pain relief with mental alertness combining to become the best of both worlds all rolled up into one. “Hybrids are so popular because they can offer relief for a wide variety of conditions and, because they have such a diverse terpene profile, the range of flavors is endless,� says Nick Powell, director of cultivation and production at Summa Cannabis.

A hybrid plant results from a cross of genetically different plants. This results in hybrids being sativaor indica-dominant, with the effects to match, or they can be an even split. Often called super strains, connoisseurs and beginners alike are attracted to hybrids because they possess all the best aspects of parent plants and have tremendous diversity in their terpene content and, thus, a wider spectrum of treatment possibilities.

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HIT THE

trail Peanut Butter Blazin’ Trail Bar also available: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip

Introducing the new BLAZIN’ TRAIL BAR from VERT, delicious granola goodness infused with high-quality cannabis.

It’s part of our collection of all-natural creations made by our own master chef – all with consistent dosing to elevate your experience in every possible way.

Look for VERT Blazin’ Trail Bars and VERT Bites at your favorite dispensary.

A HIGHER STANDARD VertEdibles.com

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EVERGREEN ORGANIX GIRL SCOUT COOKIES THC: 20.77%; CBD: .06% A beautiful flower in more ways than one, Girl Scout Cookies (GSC) first captivates with the glory of its buds— orange hairs, purple leaves and green calyxes—and then hits hard with the complex olfactory appeal of oak and cedar. The name, however, has caused some controversy. According to Evergreen Organix president Jerry Velarde, “in late 2016, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission banned the sale of Girl Scout Cookies and about 20 other strains like Candyland and Cinderella whose names could make them potentially attractive to children.” Despite this roadblock, its popularity has not waned in other West Coast markets.

Evergreen Organix’s GSC, an OG Kush and Durban Poison Hybrid cross, is definitely milder than other varieties so it’s great for during-the-day pain relief, or to curb nausea and stimulate the appetite. Its effects will transport you on a journey with cerebral intensity and comfortable body melt.

Another benefit is that it smokes smoothly and is all around relaxing and enjoyable.

TRYKE GOLD LABEL HONEY BEAR KUSH THC: 20.68%; CBD: .04% With the rich and sugary smell of honey, this strain is true to its name. “Honey Bear Kush came to us from a grower we have worked with in the past,” says Tryke’s Marketing Director Adam Laikin. “The genetics are unknown, but [its] taste and aroma [are] similar to a fresh jar of honey—smooth, sweet and piney.”

Recommended for pain, stress and sleep problems, Laikin says Honey Bear Kush falls on the indica side of the hybrid spectrum and has a rich terpene profile. “It will provide the classic heavy-hitting indica benefits but leave patients more alert and able to function,” he says. “High in Beta-Myrcene, Beta-Caryophyllene, and Alpha-Pinene, it’s no mystery where this staple cannabis strain gets its flavor, aroma and medicinal benefits.”

A relaxing body high, its effects can be felt in both small and large doses—without the negative of not being able to get off the couch. It’s deep, sweet, almost cognac flavor smokes smooth and creamy. Using Honey Bear Kush flower allows full enjoyment of the therapeutic benefits of the strain

as it naturally occurs and the ability to get lost in this pure golden gem.

THE+SOURCE’S BLUE GORILLA THC: 84%; CBD: .9%; CBN: .16% Using a careful distillation process, The+Source crafts its exotic cannabis flower of Blue Dream, Blueberry Diesel and Kong, extracted via CO2, into an untainted vape liquid. From there, The+Source team adds its extra creative spin by coming up with a cool name for the blended product. “More research goes into the task than you would first think, as we would rather not use a name that is already active in the canna-scape,” says Chris Vickers, general manager of The+Source. “[There is] a lot of R&D and respect for the science that drives the art.”

Packed and potent, The+Source produces a clear distillate cartridge that ranges between 80-90 percent total cannabinoids. “Vaporizing provides patients with a means of safely ingesting the active cannabinoids, terpenoids, and flavonoids found in their favorite strains, but it also removes the risk of inhaling potentially carcinogenic fumes from plant material that is lit on fire,” Vickers says.

Blue Gorilla summons an even and mellow high— relieving pain, reducing inflammation, and curbing anxiety.

This is a great body relaxer with an engaging cerebral edge, giving you the confidence to tackle most any task without nervousness. As a bonus, “it contains the cannabinoids CBC and CBG, which some stake claim to inhibiting cancer cell growth,” says Vickers.

EUPHORIA WELLNESS' GREASE MONKEY THC: 23.2 %; CBD: .04% An even split between indica and sativa, Grease Monkey was developed by Exotic Genetix using a Gorilla Glue #4 mother and a Cookies ‘n Cream father. Of Grease Monkey’s terpene profile, Nick Powell, director of cultivation and production at Summa Cannabis, says, “Limonene is a mood elevator and stress reliever and Beta-Caryophyllene [acts as both] an antidepressant and anxiety buster.”

Powell is a big proponent of terpenes, noting that: “To experience the full effect of cannabis, and the wide range of

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19

benefits that it can have, the cannabinoid and terpene profiles have to be preserved,” he says. “Beneficial phytochemicals are lost in all forms of extraction.”

Grease Monkey has an aroma and flavor that can be characterized as spicy, oily and strong. After even a small sample, get ready for it to immediately tackle your pain and provide total relaxation of tense muscles, relieving anxiety and building in intensity with every passing moment. Grease Monkey will make your eyelids heavy while taking your body to another plane.

KYND LYTE HYBRID VAPE PEN THC: 38.22%; CBD: .13%; CBN: .29% Known for products that are friendly to the beginners’ market, Kynd Lyte is ideal for those seeking a less intense high that’s balanced with relief from depression, insomnia, pain, and lack of appetite. “Kynd Lyte pen features premium cannabis oil extracted via supercritical CO2 for purity and organic MCT oil,” says Kynd Cannabis Company owner Mark Pitchford, noting that the name reflects the lighter THC content, as well as a play on the company name. Standout characteristics of the Kynd Lyte pen are its clean, light taste and lack of viscosity. Due to low THC,

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Kynd Lyte is the perfect enhancement for a busy day filled with engaged activity. Patients can make this a go-to for when they need to be at a high functioning level for many hours.

O.PENVAPE CHUNKY D PURE CO2 OIL APPLICATOR It all starts with the flower from which this oil is extracted, which is a 50/50 hybrid of Chocolate Chunk (indica) and Sour Diesel (sativa). “The bud bursts with beautiful amber pistols that embrace the thick chunky nuggets, thus the name,” says Jonathon Cline of O.penVape. “When preparing the flower for extraction, one is greeted with pungent cacao deep musk diesel aromas. After extraction, the oil has a transparent dark blonde coloration and a sappy consistency denoting the decarboxylation.”

Thanks to undeniably diverse cannabinoid and terpene profiles, this hybrid induces a loose and bright experience for the mind and body. But the complexities don’t end there and this is no average hybrid. “As a topical, the high Ocimene content can act as an antifungal, antibacterial, and antiseptic,” Cline says.

“The batches highest in Caryophyllene are a great recommendation for patients suffering from Crohn’s disease or any other gastrointestinal issues due to its antispasmodic properties,” says Margaux Hansberry of O.penVape. “The combination of such a diverse cannabinoid and terpene profile that works synergistically together make for a perfect cure-all no matter what the ailment. The uses are endless. You can use this syringe applicator topically, buccally, sublingually, as an edible, to dress a joint, bowl, blunt, as a low temp dab, in capsules, as an intimacy oil, on a tampon, or as a suppository.”

On the palate, notes of overripe fruit first engage the senses, then after a few minutes comes the droopy eyelids but without sleepiness. There’s no anxiety here though, this is a clear-headed, even high that comes on slow and steady. One major bonus for anyone trying to lose weight is that this hybrid curbs the appetite versus stimulating it. Get ready to smile all day and be as busy as a bee. “It makes for a great happy hour strain perfect for staying social, serene, and tranquil,” offers Hansberry.

GIDDY UP’S GOLDEN LEMONS THC: 806%; CBD: 1.9% A hybrid concentrate, Golden Lemons live resin shatter is everything the name claims as it is both bright in color and has a strong citrus taste and smell. High in THC, Golden Lemons is recommended for experienced cannabis users and it is also preferred for making concentrates such as live resin and shatter.

After one dab of this yellowhaired beauty, the effects immediately overtake you, relaxing every inch of flesh from head-to-toe alleviating aches and muscle tensions caused by stress. Coming on quick, not only does it work for the body, but it also enhances the mind with sparks of clarity—as such the cyclical high rotates between the physical and the cerebral for a sustained duration. This is best enjoyed at night—think of it as an appetizer—when you find yourself ready for a tasty dinner and then some zone out TV time as the cares of the day fall away.

STATE FLOWER CANNABIS’ MADMAN OG THC: 23.3 %; CBD: .06% Hybrids are well loved but not all fall in the class of exceptional. State Flower Cannabis’ Madman OG, a cross of LA Confidential and OG Kush, definitely ranks in that realm—highly lauded as an appetite stimulant, a whole-

body relaxer, and a lifesaver for insomniacs. This indiciadominate blend has been known to go against the strain and can sometimes induce a burst of energy to help you get things done for a high that can be likened to a few shots of espresso.

Adding to the Madman OG experience is a sublime taste of coffee and nutty earth aromas. But most often this hybrid should be used for its chill factor, wiping away a host of ailments such as depression, nausea, pain and cramps. Expect a deeply relaxed state—with some giggles for good measure—for an all-around next-level experience.

REMEDY' S BIO DIESEL THC: 20.1% A mix of several popular diesel strains, Bio Diesel is a catchall hybrid that is reliable for balancing both the body and mind. You will first be lifted up by the sativa effects, which accounts for alertness and engagement of the senses, then fall into relaxation and be swept away on an unforgettable trip that has been recognized by cannabis lovers with numerous awards and accolades. “After smoking this hybrid strain, you'll be wide awake, euphoric and motivated for several hours before fading into a relaxing body high,” describes Braly Joy of Silver Sage Wellness. What’s even better than the creative euphoria common with this hybrid is the sweet, juicy diesel flavor profile. Bio Diesel is a skunky and delightful fusion of Sour Diesel, Sensi Star, Original Diesel, and NYC Diesel ushering you into pure enjoyment. Joy cites this strain as good for those suffering from PTSD, chronic pain, chronic stress, ADD/ADHD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression and eye pressure.

CANNABIOTIX ORANGE CRUSH THC: 26.7%; 0.06% CBD Imagine peeling an orange, taking in its fresh scent and biting into the juicy pulp—tart yet sweet. The same can be said of Cannabiotix Orange Crush, a sativa dominant hybrid bred from a cross between California Orange and Blueberry, whose dense frosty buds are accented with hairs that appear in neon orange and with notes both familiar and fun.

This bud packs tremendous power—from the taste and smell of the flower to the long-lasting high. Falling closely in line

march | elevatenv.com 21

stay lifted @thrivenevada

with sativa characteristics, Orange Crush is both heady and relaxing taking your overall being on a happy journey filled with lots of laughter and good times. Expect effects that last for several hours due to the potency of this strain.

“Orange Crush aids with inflammation, muscle spasms, pain and stress,” says Neema Samari, Chief Operating Officer of Cannabiotix. “Crush is a perfect blend of cerebral head high and a relaxed full body high. People enjoy hybrids because they offer the best of both worlds.

Often times indica lovers prefer hybrids over sativas when it comes to a daytime smoking option because it gives them a body buzz with a dash of upbeat head high [allowing] them to keep going and not get bogged down and tired in mid- to late afternoon.”

MATRIX REDUX Due to a mix-up, we ran an incorrect sativa review for Matrix’s Super Sour Diesel in the January issue (page 17).

Please find the correct one to follow.

MATRIX’S SUPER SOUR DIESEL THC: 27%; CBD: LESS THAN 1%

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Matrix Super Sour Diesel, one of the most popular strains on the market, is pesticide-free making it good for the body as well as the mind. “What you are testing was grown in a soilless medium with a hybrid of mineral and organic nutrients followed by a ten-day flush in an indoor state-of-the-art cultivation facility,” says Evan Marder, chief operating officer of Matrix NV, LLC. “No pesticides were used in this process.”

Most often used to tackle pain and depression, you can immerse yourself in the robust pungent gasoline flavor while both creativity and euphoria quickly manifests. This is a strong cerebral journey so it’s best suited for those who are experienced with sativas.

Call your friends, make plans and enjoy the social spark of Super Sour Diesel which relieves chronic pain and depression. “Super Sour Diesel is my personal go-to strain for sitting around and watching sports on Sundays,” reveals Marder.

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THE

SECRET

LIFE OF PETS

(THEY TAKE CANNABIS TOO!) Four-legged friends get through ruff patches with CBD oil and hemp products

O

By Julie Vigil

ftentimes, pet owners with really sick animals find themselves in what one Las Vegas vet calls a “black box,” where traditional Western medicine kind of ends and doesn’t have any more answers or treatment options — typically just more synthetic pharmaceuticals that come with their own laundry list of side effects and warnings.

When a doctor tells you, “We’ve got nothing else for you,” veterinarian Nancy Brandt, DVM, said, “I just think, that does not make sense to me.”

Dr. Brandt of the Natural Care Institute (nancybrandtdvm. com), a holistic veterinary office, is not alone. So many pet parents are unsatisfied their four-legged companions must live with an ailment, disease, or ongoing condition that comes with a life sentence for prescription drugs. They want to provide the same level of quality care and comfort for their pets as they seek out for themselves, ideally using natural ingredients that complement their pet’s individual systems and needs.

THERE’S LIFE IN THIS OLD DOG YET Sandra Harvey, a nurse, teacher, and foster dog mom for Vegas Shepherd Rescue (vegasshepherdrescue.com), is caring for Karbon, a German Shepherd who was believed to be 11 years old from the looks of his advanced periodontal disease. Just before Thanksgiving 2016, when the initial fostering process began and Karbon was with his veterinarian, he experienced severe seizures that totally incapacitated him and lasted well

over an hour. The doctor prescribed Prozac, observed him then sent him home with foster mom Harvey, and everyone hoped for the best. Within the first few days at home, Karbon had more severe seizure episodes and more emergency trips to the veterinarian. The vet added phenobarbital and then Keppra, both well-known and very strong anti-seizure meds, to his regimen, hoping to quell the terrifying spasms and give him some quality of life.

“Seizures were coming about every week (on the prescription meds),” Harvey said. “They weren’t quite as severe as the original ones and you could now identify clusters. He would have a seizure and then after about 15 minutes or so he would seem to be fine and then he’d fall over and have another one. I still didn’t feel that this was a good option for a dog that was adoptable for a family to have to try to deal with this.”

Karbon’s vet believed a brain tumor was the underlying cause of the seizures, but really couldn’t know for sure, and putting the dog under anesthesia to perform a CT or MRI to find out was definitely not ideal for his well-being, or Harvey’s wallet.

“I felt like I was in limbo land,” Harvey said. “I believe very strongly that holistic medicine complements traditional medicine, so I reached out to my holistic vet and asked if we could talk about cannabis oil. I had (suggested it) to the vets but they weren’t really open to it only because there’s not a lot of scientific literature out there. It’s a medication that is illegal.

But I thought, we don’t have a lot of options here. Karbon’s either a hospice dog or if he’s not, he’s an unadoptable dog.

But he’s a great dog, he has a great personality.”

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25

Dr. Brandt examined Karbon and recommended CBD (cannabidiol, which is the non-psychoactive compound of cannabis) oil which supports the body’s endocannabinoid system. Harvey noticed marked differences in days. “Within a week he really started Karbon becoming a different dog. I mean, his little personality started changing, he had more pep in his step, he seemed to be a lot more alert. The first bit that I had him, he was just sort of in la-la land. And now, we’re kind of thinking as he starts to come out of everything, that he’s more in the age group of around seven, not 11 (years old).”

About 10 days later, Karbon had another cluster of seizures but Harvey reports that they were only a quarter of the intensity of the first seizures she experienced with him, and the entire episode this time lasted for less than five minutes. Harvey and Brandt are adjusting Karbon’s CBD oil dosage to try to dial in to his sweet spot. And he has had no negative side effects at all.

“I am extremely pleased with where he’s come from, from the very scary one-hour seizures to now it being less than five minutes, and the timeframe is now ten days in between the seizure activity,” Harvey said. At their last appointment, Dr. Brandt told Harvey that over time she hoped to wean Karbon off of his traditional meds altogether. “Whether that happens or not, we’re kind of on our own road, our own path. But what I have seen so far, it is a good possibility. I don’t know if the CBD has to build up in their system, there’s no literature that tells us this kind of stuff. It’s really an unknown road that we go down, but what I have seen (with cannabis) is far more optimistic than what I have seen with traditional medicine,” said Harvey.

Not all pets are dealing with sensitive medical needs akin to Karbon’s, sometimes their needs are about general conditions like well-being, itching, anxiety, or joint mobility. When Robert Garcia’s dog Sasha was six months old she was diagnosed with hip and elbow dysplasia, a common condition in German Shepherds. Sasha had surgery to remove a bone chip from her elbow but as she’s gotten older, her little post-surgical limp and general health took a turn for the worse.

In Sasha’s case, DIY hemp-based pet chews and treats like Therabis (therabis.com) or True Leaf Pet (trueleafpet.com) are an option. They can be obtained without a recommendation or doctor’s diagnosis, and are legal across North America.

Hemp seed doesn’t contain any THC and just a trace amount

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of cannabidiol, or CBD, so it avoids the legal barriers set up against those parts of the cannabis plant which are still federally classified as a Schedule 1 drug. But it doesn’t mean it skirts the healthy benefits and results seen with medical-grade CBD oil.

“We do believe that hemp seed by itself does provide some very beneficial properties, mainly from the omega-3s. And there’s also some other ingredients that have proven to have beneficial effects for inflammation and other things,” explained True Leaf Pet CEO Darcy Bomford, such as green-lipped mussels and L-Theanine. “But we’re focused on a product line that is legal in every state.”

Sasha experienced the beneficial properties of hemp firsthand. “My friend owns a store in Las Vegas, Still Smoking Vapor and Smoke Shop (stillsmokinglv.com), and he carries Therabis there. He gave me a few boxes and said to try it and see if it works.

It was amazing. It was like a complete turn-around,” said Garcia. “She was literally up and moving like the product said.

Sasha She was playing with my other dog outside, she was happy, and she wasn’t limping as much. She’s still on it to this day. It definitely made a big impact on our lives.

I had her on anti-inflammatories every other day but now she only needs them once in a great while.”

A HORSE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR Sharon Huddleston gives cannabis to her animals and much like Harvey, is seeing big, positive results with no ill effects. Huddleston’s needs are larger than a house pet’s needs, however — she has two rescue horses, Abby and Blue, and a donkey named Mama. Huddleston found her cannabis path with the help of Lance Parvin, co-founder of Las Vegas-based patient co-op Compassion Awareness Project (compassionawarenessproject.org), a consulting and counseling service for alternative treatment options.

Abby is her three-year-old Tobiano Paint, who is a hefty 1,280 pounds and stands 17-½ hands high. She’s a nipper and high strung, so Huddleston gives her a CBD oil capsule to calm her disposition. The horse’s regimen began with a daily pill, then after two weeks she dropped down to every other day. Now Abby takes CBD oil once a week.

“I’ve had Abby on cannabis for eight months to a year now and she’s doing fantastic,” Huddleston said. “It has calmed her down to where her demeanor (on a scale) between one and 10,

where 10 is crazy and one is very demur, is between a one and a two now. She’s absolutely a doll. And the vet says she’s the healthiest horse she’s ever been around. It has just been a blessing for Abby.”

Huddleston’s other rescue, Blue, a beautiful black Quarter horse with a white star on his forehead, was abused by his former owners. Blue gets CBD oil for his skittish demeanor, pain relief, and overall general health. When they first got Blue, Huddleston and her son also treated him with a mixture of cannabis oil and vitamins for his rotting hooves.

“They were almost in a thrush level because he had been standing in his own poop and pee for, I don’t know — it was awful. He was pathetic.”

Huddleston is sure Blue was in a lot of pain, too. He was so undernourished his ribs were poking out and there was muscle damage to his neck from where they almost choked him to death with a rope. “They can’t tell you how much pain they’re in, you can only watch their muscles quiver when you touch them. You know they’ll quiver when it hurts so bad, and they’ll back away from you. But now he comes in and says pat me, love me, brush me. I have no problems with him Blue

whatsoever anymore. He’s just a real love.”

Huddleston started dosing Blue in the same way she did Abby, first to get it built up in his system, but now he gets his cannabis only once every two weeks because he’s over 10 years old, she says. “He’s just so trusting and loving now, I can do anything with him. The cannabis calms him, besides making them very healthy. Blue used to have health issues and now he’s just as healthy as he can be.”

The dynamic in Huddleston’s vet-patient relationship has shifted to where she’s teaching her vet about a medicinal treatment rather than the other way around. “Since I’ve been giving cannabis to Abby, (my vet) has been watching me and is very impressed (with the results). I tell her, ‘Hey, I’m not an expert but this is what I’ve done.’ She’s apprehensive but still open-minded. So, that’s good. She’s not taking it on face value. She’s seeing great results so she says two thumbs up for me.”

Huddleston is also witnessing a remarkable transformation in her miniature donkey, Mama, which

march | elevatenv.com 27

mirrors the success she’s had with her own vision using medical cannabis as a treatment for glaucoma. “I think Mama was almost blind. She was having a very hard time focusing and seeing. But now the vet and I are watching her real close and it looks like her vision is improving. I can pull a carrot up now and she sees it; I don’t put it to her nose, I test it to her eye and she sees it. She’s turning her head and she can see it and knows what I have.”

SHOULD VETS LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE? Harmonie Basso and her 100-pound Irish Wolfhound cross Franklyn are pretty inseparable.

After Basso was in a car accident that left her paralyzed, she adopted Harmonie, Franklyn, Franklyn and a cat named Albert and Aaron Albert. The doctors didn’t give Basso much hope of recovery, but that didn’t stop her from pushing through and eventually learning to walk again. By using cannabis, Basso found relief her pharmaceutical medications couldn’t touch to help with her pain. So later, when her BFF, best furry friend,

Franklyn badly injured his knee and surgery left him with a long-term limp, Basso looked to the same natural remedies that helped her.

“Throughout the healing process, Franklyn’s knee was Harmonie and Franklyn always bothering him,” Basso said.

“The doctor said more than likely he’ll need to be on pain medication for the rest of his life, and he was only three. I started researching more and more into what we could do to help him naturally. I didn’t like the idea of him always being on pain medication. That’s when we found True Leaf Pet. Slowly, as he was taking it, he started to be able to use his leg completely. In the end, I was able to wean him off of all pain medication and now you can barely tell he has a limp at all.

“I like knowing that they’re really careful about what they put in their treats,” Basso added, “That’s really important to us, like no GMOs, it’s grain-free, no artificial flavors, that was all key when I first noticed it in the store, because we try to eat that way for us so I like to feed them that way, too.” Basso adds that her (continued on page 42)

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FOLLOWING FORMULA ULTRA HEALTH INTRODUCES PHARMACEUTICAL-GRADE OPTIONS TO CANNABIS SPACE

By Richard S. Gubbe

The old axiom of “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,” best describes Duke Rodriguez’s vision for the future of medical cannabis. The president and CEO of Ultra Health, the largest cannabis operation in New Mexico, is utilizing long accepted delivery systems used by pharmaceutical companies and applying them to medical cannabis in his latest venture he says also will land in Nevada.

Rodriguez is partnering with an Israeli pharmaceutical company to provide the manufacturing and the research to showcase a new line of products debuting first in New Mexico, his base of operations. Israel is recognized as a key contributor of cannabis-related research while the U.S. allows only government-funded studies so it makes sense for Rodriguez to ally with progressive leaders in the cannabis field.

Rodriguez believes the key to mainstream acceptance is coat-tailing Big Pharma while bringing along solid research from Panaxia Ltd, a pro-cannabis pharmaceutical company based in Israel. "Since we

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established Panaxia in 2010, we constantly strive to bring the strictest protocols and most advanced technology available in the pharma industry to the production of our cannabis-based products. We believe that medical cannabis products should be developed and manufactured under the highest standards and quality assurance levels like any other pharmaceutical product,” explained Dr. Dadi Segal of Panaxia.

Following a 14-month negotiation and due diligence process between the two companies, Panaxia will be providing smokeless proprietary cannabinoid dosage and treatment protocols not readily available in the United States. The partnership will allow Ultra Health to manufacture product delivery systems that include tablets, suppositories and inhalers.

“It’s not ‘smoke two joints and call me in the morning’,” Rodriguez told elevate of the pharmaceutical-like products. “They look and feel and perform like normal products with less toxicity and side effects. They have been created in low production volume (in New Mexico) and will be more widely distributed in the middle of March.”

Beneficial to chronic conditions requiring ongoing dosing such as PTSD, chronic pain, cancers, neuropathy pain, epilepsy, anorexia, and HIV/AIDS, the new smokeless-designed cannabis products will provide better delivery systems for patients and physicians with regard to both safety and dosage.

“For the popularity to take root, you are going to have to be dose-specific and pharmaceutical,” Rodriguez explained.

“Pharmacies will expect products more traditional. This will be the direction this is going.”

Ultra Health’s line of medical-grade cannabis products are exactly what pharmacies are used to and will include: • Sublingual tablets – sublingual tablets offer faster delivery as well as more efficient bioavailability compared to other smokeless ingestion. They are available in 5- and 10-milligram dosages in 30 count packets.

• Rectal suppositories – suppositories allow for rapid absorption and less degradation of the product.

This will be beneficial for patients vomiting or unable to swallow.

• Vaginal suppositories – for topical, intra vaginal delivery.

• Oral spray inhalers – Inhalers are both convenient and deliver fast-acting relief. They provide a method of delivery that is dosage specific.

In addition to offering familiar delivery methods, Rodriguez said they will follow precise dosing methods, “When we say 10 milligrams of THC, we mean 10 milligrams of THC.”

The new products will also address the movement in certain states, such as New York, to require physicians to make dosagespecific recommendations.

“The use of medical cannabinoids to treat a number of illnesses requires advanced pharmaceutical-grade products,” Rodriguez said. “The further expansion of approved medical conditions will make the demand for the newly developed Panaxia products especially helpful in the treatment of anticipated conditions, including diabetes, which disproportionately effects New Mexico’s Native American and Hispanic populations, cardiovascular disease, opioid addiction and autism.” Rodriguez told elevate there are also future plans to develop a pill for Alzheimer’s patients.

Previous THC tablets offered by the pharmaceutical industry such as Marinol contain single-molecule synthetic offerings that medical cannabis advocates call limited and dangerous. Costs of synthetics are high and medical cannabis research suggests a full spectrum of cannabinoids is crucial to the healing process.

Rodriguez was in Las Vegas in February to speak to the Las Vegas Medical Marijuana Association and told industry participants there that recreational marijuana sales will not be the end of the medical side of the business. He also said that Nevada, with its stringent testing rules, will be a leader in the nation for how to run a program while supplying critical research to back up the claims that medical dispensing is a viable healthcare market. Research, credibility and delivery are keys to industry success, he said.

As for Ultra Health’s future in Nevada, Rodiguez said a lab will be replicated in the Las Vegas area. Nevada is a target state for Rodriguez due to its medical cannabis potential and in order to comply with state law that restricts the origin and testing of products sold in the Silver State. “A long as we have the prohibition of interstate commerce, we need a single lab in each state,” Rodriguez told elevate. “Until we develop a uniform cannabis act, we will have to be state specific.”

Even though state-specific operations are tedious, to be in multiple states is the best bet financially for cannabis businesses.

It is estimated that the legal cannabis market will reach $21.8 billion in total annual sales by 2020, according to The State of Legal Marijuana Markets report compiled by Arcview Market Research last year. By comparison, at that point, the legal marijuana market could bring in more revenue than the National Football League, which produced $12 billion in 2015.

But it is not just cannabis’ potential for revenue, there’s also a growing need. “We have had numerous inquiries from dispensaries and major retail pharmacy outlets about having these products,” Rodriguez said. “It is important that we develop new products in anticipation of meeting the rapidly growing patient and provider demands.”

Considering how much Americans love taking pills, this is not just giving the people what they want but, more importantly, what they need.

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LOZENGE DELIVERS FAST, RELIABLE AND CONSISTENT DOSE OF MEDICAL CANNABIS

By Beth Schwartz

In the space of three days Dr. Kent Crowley developed the Trokie medicinal cannabis lozenge. Not familiar? Trokie, which is similar in appearance to a small square cough drop, is placed under the upper lip where it is left to dissolve through buccal absorption via the mucosal membranes lining the cheeks and absorbed into the blood. “A quarter of a Trokie should take 45 minutes to an hour to dissolve, if you do it right,” cautions Dr. Crowley, Pharm. D. Calling it “the most concentrated per unit of volume or weight of any product on the market,” Dr. Crowley says Trokie’s patented delivery system is considered the same as a tincture or a capsule.

“We discovered in this delivery system that it works on almost everybody and delivers a reliable and consistent dose of medical cannabis.”

Once he had created Trokie in March 2014, it took Dr. Crowley three months to develop it into a commercial product and get it on shelves by that May. The alacrity at which Dr. Crowley developed the Trokie was for good reason. It was at the request of a friend who was trying to develop a solution for a 12-year-old girl suffering from intractable nausea. “Looking at the data it was clear to me that the issue was how to get something into somebody who can’t tolerate anything and do it as reliably as possible and avoid all the problems associated with the medical conditions and complex pharmacokinetics. I had several different quick solutions for the situation. After I looked at the complicated pharmacokinetics I thought the Trokie delivery was best,” explains Dr. Crowley, director of research and development of Trokie products and future patents. “So that’s really how it started because I didn’t know a thing about cannabis at all, but I did know a whole lot about functional medicine.”

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Although a pain expert for over 20 years who co-owns two other patents, both in the neuropathic pain category, Dr. Crowley was not a cannabis proponent prior to developing Trokie. “I thought it was a gateway drug. I had nothing to do with cannabis before 2014.”

With 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and clinical medicine, Dr. Crowley quickly became a believer.

“Cannabis has blown me away -- its efficacy, safety and the outcomes we have seen where nothing else has worked,” says Dr. Crowley. “Coming from a functional medicine background, cannabis is probably the most important tool I have gotten to add to my toolbox to help people with their healthcare goals or managing their disease states in the last 10 years.”

Crowley also sees the value of cannabis for contending with the nation’s opiate crisis. “We have an opiate epidemic and we have a tool that works, it doesn’t complicate the symptoms, side effects or risk of opiate use, it improves the quality of life and pain scale. There is no downside, we have seen a 25 percent reduction in overdose death in any state that has cannabis in it, and we have the National Academy of Sciences saying the evidence is unequivocal that cannabis works for chronic pain in adults.”

Dr. Crowley and his team have been collecting data to see how Trokie helps opiate abusers. He notes that “we saw an 85 percent reduction across the board. In as short as 30 days, some of our study participants were weaning themselves off opiates on their own. Six out of 42 patients came off opiates entirely.”

Compounding pharmacy is the technique Dr. Crowley used to make all of the products in the Trokie portfolio which includes a suppository, capsule, topical, and this month a pain patch will be introduced.

Dr. Crowley has made cannabis the focus of his work because “what I am seeing using cannabis is that you are able to give the body something it needs and can work with in order to fix it. And that isn’t what happens a lot with traditional medication that we use.”

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DISPENSARY MAP

REN

A Patients’ Guide to Medical Cannabis in Southern Nevada 1. Apothecarium apothecariumlv.com 7885 W. Sahara Ave Las Vegas, NV 89117 702.778.7987

7. Inyo Fine Cannabis Dispensary inyolasvegas.com 2520 S. Maryland Pkwy Ste #2 Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.707.8888

16. Pisos Dispensary pisoslv.com 4110 S. Maryland Pkwy Ste #A Las Vegas, NV 89119 702.367.9333

24b. The Dispensary thedispensarynv.com 50 N. Gibson Rd Henderson, NV 89104 702.476.0420

2. Blackjack Collective blackjackcollective.com 1860 Western Ave Las Vegas, NV 89102 702.545.0026

8. Jardin jardincannabis.com 2900 E. Desert Inn Rd Ste #102 Las Vegas, NV 89121

17a. Reef Dispensaries reefdispensaries.com 3400 Western Ave Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.475.6520

25a. The Grove TheGroveNV.com 1541 E. Basin Ave Pahrump, NV 89048 775.556.0100

17b. Reef Dispensaries reefdispensaries.com 1366 W. Cheyenne Ave North Las Vegas, NV 89030 702.410.8032

25b. The Grove TheGroveNV.com 4647 Swenson St Las Vegas, NV 89119 702.463.5777

18. Sahara Wellness 420sahara.com 420 E. Sahara Ave Las Vegas , NV 89104 702.478.5533

26a. The Source thesourcenv.com 2550 S. Rainbow Blvd Ste #8 Las Vegas, NV 89146 702.708.2000

19. Shango Las Vegas goshango.com 4380 Boulder Highway Las Vegas, NV 89121 702.444.4824

26b. The Source thesourcenv.com 9480 S Eastern Ave Ste #185 Henderson, NV 89052 702.708.2222

20. ShowGrow showgrowlv.com 4850 S. Fort Apache Rd Ste #100 Las Vegas NV 89147 702.227.0511

27a. Thrive Cannabis Markeplace thrivenevada.com 2755 W. Cheyenne Ave Ste #103 North Las Vegas, NV 89032 702.776.4144

21. Silver Sage Wellness sswlv.com 4626 W. Charleston Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89102 702.802.3757

27b.Thrive Cannabis Marketplace Thrivenevada.com 1112 S. Commerce St. Las Vegas, NV 89102 702.776.4144

22. The Apothecary Shoppe theapothecaryshoppe.com 4240 W. Flamingo Rd Ste #100 Las Vegas, NV 89103 702.740.4372

28. Top Notch THC topnotchthc.com 5630 Stephanie St Las Vegas, NV 89122 702.418.0420

3b. Blüm LetsBlum.com 3650 S. Decatur Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89103 702.627.Blum 3c. Blüm LetsBlum.com 1130 E. Desert Inn Rd Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.536.Blum 4a. CANOPI

REGULAR HOURS COMING SOON

6540 Blue Diamond Rd Las Vegas, NV 89139 702.420.7301 4b. CANOPI NOW OPEN 1324 S. 3rd St Las Vegas, NV 89104 702.420.2902

4c. CANOPI NOW OPEN 2113 Las Vegas Blvd North North Las Vegas, NV 89030 702.420.2113 5. Deep Roots Harvest deeprootsharvest.com 195 Willis Carrier Canyon Mesquite, NV 89027 702.345.2854 6. Euphoria Wellness euphoriawellnessnv.com 7780 S. Jones Blvd Ste #105 Las Vegas, NV 89139 702.960.7200

9. Jenny’s Dispensary Jennysdispensary.com 5530 N. Decatur Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89030 702.718.0420 10. Las Vegas ReLeaf lasvegasreleaf.com 2244 Paradise Rd Las Vegas, NV 89104 702.209.2400 11. Medizin medizinlv.com 4850 W. Sunset Rd Ste #130 Las Vegas, NV 89118 702.206.1313 12a. Nevada Medical Marijuana nevadamedicalmarijuana.com 3195 St. Rose Pkwy Ste #212 Henderson, NV 89052 702.737.7777 12b. Nevada Medical Marijuana nevadamedicalmarijuana.com 1975 S. Casino Dr Laughlin, NV 89029 702.737.7777 13. Nevada Wellness Center nvwellnessctr.com 3200 S. Valley View Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89102 702.470.2077 14. NuLeaf www.nuleafnv.com 430 E. Twain Ave Las Vegas, NV 89169 702.297.5323 15. Oasis Medical Cannabis oasismedicalcannabis.com 1800 S. Industrial Rd Ste #180 Las Vegas, NV 89102 702.420.2405

23. The Clinic theclinicnevada.com 4310 W. Flamingo Rd Las Vegas, NV 89103 702.447.1250 24a. The Dispensary thedispensarynv.com 5347 S. Decatur Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89118 702.476.0420

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BOULDER CITY

7

OPEN FOR BUSINESS DESERT GROWN FARMS OPENS CULTIVATION AND PROCESSING FACILITY

Las Vegas marijuana company Desert Grown Farms has opened a 54,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, pharmaceutical grade cultivation and processing facility less than two blocks from the Las Vegas Strip. Desert Grown Farms estimates their newly opened cultivation center will produce more than 20 strains and 10,000 pounds of cannabis per year.

NEW DISPENSARY OPENS IN NORTHERN NEVADA

Mynt Cannabis Dispensary has opened in Reno at 132 East Second Street. Located adjacent to Downtown Reno Strip and across from Greater Nevada Field, the dispensary measures 3,300 square feet. myntcannabis.com

FIRST CANNABIS CUP TO BE HELD IN NEVADA MARCH 4-5

The High Times U.S. Cannabis Cup Las Vegas taking place on March 4 and 5 at the Moapa River Indian

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Reservation will not only be a first for Nevada, but it will be the first Cannabis Cup to be held on tribal grounds.

The High Times U.S. Cannabis Cup Las Vegas will crown the top three dispensary winners in 11 different Cannabis Cup competition categories. The competition is the original and highest honor of judged cannabis products, and winners will represent the best of the best in Nevada and the United States.

In addition to the competition presented in partnership by High Times and Ultra Health, the High Times U.S. Cannabis Cup Las Vegas will feature a live cannabis grow room, live trimming, a cannabis chef cooking competition, edibles seminars, product launches, musical acts and industry speakers.

Tickets are available at cannabiscup.com.

(continued from page 10)

included chimichurri, roasted tomatillo, chipotle cream, honey barbeque, and au jus used for the various meats at the carving session so diners could dose themselves.

“Every 30 minutes a tapas plate was going to come out, but in the meantime we still wanted people to have access while they were mingling so we came up with the idea for the carving station. Meats were not infused but sauces were infused. We tried to keep the sauces low, I think the strongest one might have been 12 milligrams. That was the plan to allow people to dose themselves,” explained chef Madison, whose cannabis cooking experience includes a recent edible processing class through training organization Trim Ready.

Madison’s strategy for the evening included more than dosing, she also wanted to manipulate the guest experience.

“What I did with the tapas was to alternate sativa, indicia, sativa, indica. It was kind of like playing with the high -- no one is ever too up or too down. By manipulating the high, we brought people up with sativa, and next we brought people down, and the next one we brought people back up, then back down. Finally with the dessert, we brought people back up so they would leave on a high note.”

Dorn estimates on average each partygoer probably ingested about 70-100 milligrams of cannabis throughout the night, between the tapas and the sauces. Lemon Bite desserts,

very similar in size and concept to a cakepop, topped with Lemon Jack Terpene chocolate were also available for diners who were encouraged to take them home as they were 50 milligrams each.

Terpene-infused water was also on the menu. “Terpenes won’t get you high but they will have the same effects,” explained Dorn. “If Lemon Haze makes you creative and happy then you will get the same effect from the terpene, without the euphoric or high feeling.” elevate spoke with a few guests, post-party who were first-timers to the cannabis-infused dinner scene. “I typically have a low tolerance. I will eat a quarter of something.

During the party I ate every tapas that came out, I also had some of the pork belly with barbeque sauce and the steak with chimichurri, and both sauces were dosed,” said Jolene Mannina, owner of Relish. “I definitely took in more than I normally do or at least based off what the dose was. I did not feel at any time weighted down or out of my element. I just felt really good and really happy.”

Don Decatur also tried every dish and estimates he ingested somewhere between 400-500 milligrams. “I was honestly expecting overly cannabis tasting items and for them to have a much stronger, not so pleasant effect. It was amazing!

I love good food and every dish was topnotch.”

The marijuana industry is risky enough.

Stay profitable by staying compliant.

Minimize your risk by calling us today for your FREE consultation at (702) 631-7555.

www.NVMJLaw.com (702) 631-7555 @ASHCRAFT_BARR

Ashcraft-Barr-LLP

march | elevatenv.com

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氀攀愀爀渀 洀漀爀攀⸀ 嘀椀猀椀琀 眀眀眀⸀猀瘀洀洀樀挀挀⸀挀漀洀

{

DISRUPT, INNOVATE & ELEVATE

}

DO DISCOUNTS DESTROY YOUR BUSINESS?

By Mark S.A. Smith

Must you offer discounts to get customers to buy? Many retailers believe that if they don’t offer a better price, the customer will choose their competitor. That’s not necessarily true. The problem with discounts is customers come to expect them and they usually want an even better deal the next time. It becomes a price race to the bottom.

Valid reasons for discounting include stealing a deal away from a competitor, increasing the value of that customer’s relationship with you, or increasing sales volume to generate needed cash flow or to take advantage of production efficiencies. Read on to learn how you can increase sales while decreasing discounts.

SMART PRICING

When everybody sells the same branded product, customers tend to comparison shop because in the absence of product differentiation, price becomes the differentiator.

When everybody knows the price of the product, the price must be right.

When selling a widely-available brand, choose to use “smart pricing” where you consistently sell that product at a competitive price. Customers assume that the rest of your prices are equally competitive. Upsell the customer to a better or higher-value product and sell other products they don’t know at higher margins.

SWEETEN THE DEAL

Hold your price firm and add value. What can you throw in that sweetens the deal, adds value, and helps you move overstock?

A good deal sweetener can be something your customer hasn’t bought before, such as a new strain, a new accessory, or a new edible. You get the double benefit of today’s sale plus setting up the next purchase. Cosmetic companies constantly do this, never discounting, instead offering samples of what the customer should buy next.

Throw in overstock. You get to move old inventory and keep the full margin on the leading product. Don’t toss in anything scarce, costs you lots to deliver, or is of high value

to your customer. There’s no reason to discount things people want or that are in high demand.

Make sure that your customer knows the full price of what you’re adding to sweeten the deal so that they understand the value they’re getting.

BUNDLE UP

Offer a better deal on a bundle then on individual items.

What do they need for a complete experience? Bundle it in.

Bundles take the focus off individual item prices, increase the sale size, and upgrade the customer’s received value, so everyone wins.

This works well when you can bundle in a highermargin product, such as custom smoking accessories, and increase the overall bundle profit.

CREDIT FOR NEXT PURCHASE

Offer customers a credit on their next purchase. This method holds the price today and offers a reward when they return.

You can also use this to sell more, with a sliding credit scale based on purchase volume. “When you buy today, you’ll earn a $5 credit you can use anytime other than today.

And if you buy $200 today, that increases to a $20 credit.”

The customer feels like they’re getting a deal without impacting the perceived price and associated value, and impacting your margin. Ultimately you only forgo the profit on the credit and keep all of your margin today. You can consider this your marketing investment for them to return, soon.

Put an expiration date on the credit so that your customer will purchase sooner than later, adding to your short-term sales volume.

Mark S. A. Smith helps business executives create disruptive and comprehensive business strategies and marketing plans. He publishes weekly business articles on LinkedIn (http://MarksOnLinkedIn.com) and just launched SellingDisruptionShow.com, a weekly podcast.

Contact him at Mark.Smith@BijaCo.com

march | elevatenv.com 41

(continued from page 28)

INTRODUCING BAKKED DISTILLATES. Our CO2 extracted high-potency cannabis products provide you with a clean and pure experience, every time.

Our artisan-crafted, small batch distillation method allows for the widest range of terpenes and cannabinoids possible.

For wholesale inquiries, contact 702-419-4455 All Bakked Products are Infused with Organa Labs Certified Oil.

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cat Albert enjoys a True Leaf Pet chew also (well, a tiny piece of one anyway) and sits and shakes a paw for his calming treat.

Basso’s vet isn’t an alternative vet, like Dr. Brandt, but much like Huddleston’s horse doctor, Franklyn’s doc was open to the possibilities of cannabis, which includes the hemp plant. “He always wants to learn more about why I chose to do that, which is great so we can work together. He still strongly recommends lots of medication, but he’s alright when I tell him the reason why we’re doing this. He’s very open to it and never tells me I’m doing anything wrong.”

For many veterinarians, breaking into the cannabis world is just too new, too fast, and too dangerous. Besides the general social stigmas associated with cannabis and the fact that their medical and pharmaceutical licenses could be on the line for recommending medical marijuana, they are seeing the worst-case scenarios of house pets who have overdosed from getting into a pot “stash” or marijuana edible and overeating.

“Yes, we see a lot of (marijuana) overdoses,” said Dr. Aaron Bivens of South Buffalo Springs Animal Hospital (southbuffalospringsanimalhospital.com). “When they eat too much they get intoxicated and we have to hospitalize them to get them through it. With the new law change (allowing recreational marijuana usage) it’s going to be more readily available, so you have to be more careful. It’s like if you leave gum out, your dog’s going to get toxic poisoning. If you leave a chocolate bar out, it’s going to get chocolate toxicity. You just have to be a responsible user so your dog is not exposed to it.”

Stephen Katz, DVM, and founder of Therabis, a hempbased CBD product for pets, is excited about the prospects of medicinal cannabis use but understands doctors’ hesitation. “Right now we are in the embryonic stages of seeing developments in medical science on the benefits of various compounds that are found in the cannabis plant,” explained Dr. Katz. “The entire veterinary community, just like in human medicine, the first thing you learn in school are the three words ‘do no harm.’ And they’re not going to prescribe or recommend anything until they are completely satisfied that it is both safe and effective. They’re just not there yet.”

We may not have all the “white papers” compiled from years of double-blind studies, peer-reviewed research and tried-and-true advice from lab-coat-wearing experts like we’re used to, but for the open-minded the dreaded “black box” space is not a dead-end or unknown place to be feared.

Rather, it is a new frontier to be explored for undiscovered treasures like a deeper knowledge and understanding of our bodies and how natural remedies work for both ourselves and our pets.

“Connor & Connor PLLC have been invaluable partners to The+Source dispensaries as we have navigated the ever-evolving landscape of the medical and recreational cannabis industries. As our company grows, they are and will continue to be our go-to legal resource.”

– Andrew Jolley, Founding Partner & CEO, The+Source Dispensaries

Connor & Connor PLLC is a boutique law firm focusing on business formation, transactions, litigation, licensing, and permitting. The attorneys at Connor & Connor PLLC understand cannabis law and its intricacies.

www.connorpllc.com | 702.750.9139 /ConnorConnorPllc

@Connor_pllc

Connor & Connor Pllc

march | elevatenv.com

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Elevating the Conversation with Dr. Bonni Goldstein, Medical Director, Canna-Centers

N

ine years ago Dr. Bonni Goldstein took a leave of absence from practicing as a pediatric emergency medicine doctor. During her break she researched medical cannabis for a friend who had cancer and “was surprised to learn that there were a number of studies on the subject and researchers had discovered the endocannabinoid system, a major system in our bodies that wasn’t part of my medical school or residency curriculum. Intrigued, I started working in a cannabis clinician’s office in Long Beach, California. It was really eye opening and I haven’t looked back since,” said Goldstein, who became an author last fall when her book “Cannabis Revealed” was published.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TREATING PATIENTS WITH CANNABIS? I started working at a medical cannabis practice in 2008 and then in 2011 I bought it. What struck me after spending a month working in this office is that these were all real patients. Again, I shouldn’t have been shocked, but I was. They were just everyday normal people, the same people that show up in an ER or any other doctor’s office. They had been diagnosed with some condition that either is not responding to treatment or they are trying a treatment and it’s intolerable.

AS MORE AND MORE STATES LEGALIZE CANNABIS, THE STIGMA HAS BEGUN TO FADE. I have been treating patients with cannabis for almost nine years and in the last two years I have had more referrals from physicians than I have ever had in all the years before combined. There’s no question in my mind doctors are starting to listen to their patients and their patients are saying I started using medical cannabis and it’s really helping me. They no longer need that prescription for opiates or Xanax anymore and they want to get off x, y and z medications because they are feeling so much better using cannabis.

WHY DO SOME PEOPLE RESPOND TO CANNABIS AND OTHERS DO NOT? The way people respond to cannabis medicine is unique.

Two people with the same condition have different endocannabinoid systems and, therefore, a different way of responding to cannabis. I have some children who have come into my practice with intractable epilepsy who can become seizure-free from the first dose of CBD-rich cannabis. Other children with the same exact diagnosis don’t respond at all. Part of that is the understanding that your endocannabinoid system is coded in your DNA and the way that cannabis interacts with that is as unique to you as your fingerprints.

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WHAT’S ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT CANNABIS? Often when the media does a story, the b-roll behind the news story is someone smoking a joint and they are talking about medical cannabis. There are some patients who might do that but the majority are not. I have so many adult patients who will see a pediatric patient in my waiting room and ask how they take it. They take it just like they take their other medicine, as a liquid in their mouth. We have all seen liquid Tylenol, antibiotics that come in a bottle, mom pours it into a teaspoon and puts it in a child’s mouth. So this media reinforcement that people are smoking pot trains people to think our kids are smoking pot, which could not be further from the truth.

WHY DID YOU WRITE “CANNABIS REVEALED”?

I wrote it because my patients were saying to me you are giving me an education but it’s a lot of information and I am going to forget most of it when I walk out of here. I took the education I give to my patients and just put it in the book so somebody could reference and digest it in a way that makes sense. There’s a chapter on the endocannabinoid system, a chapter on the makeup of the plant, there are patient stories, and a chapter on how products are labeled and what you might be looking for if you want CBD-rich medicine.

WHAT ARE THE DOWNSIDES OF CANNABIS? I don’t want to sell false hope, we don’t know who is going to respond. But this is a process, you have to be willing to really sort it out, it’s a matter of finding the right oil that works. Or patients might not become seizure-free but may they have a 90 percent reduction of seizures. That means one seizure a week for some kids or one seizure a month for some kids. What parents are seeing is their children’s brain progressing forward.

To read our entire interview with Dr. Bonni Goldstein, visit elevatenv.com/Elevating_the_Conversation.

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