HERBAGE MAGAZINE JANUARY 2022 ISSUE 39

H

erb age

magazine

Sarah Lee

Gossett Parrish Excellence. Efficiency. Integrity.

405/815-3434 slgparrish@slgparrishlaw.com www.sarahleegossettparrish.com

lawyer cannabis | litigation | oil & gas

PG 5 | ABOUT THE COVER

BY JAMES BRIDGES PG 7-9 | MY FEAR OF TERPINOLENE

BY ANNA ERVIN PG 10-11 | FREE ENTERPRISE REIGNS

BY SARAH LEE GOSSETT PARRISH PG 13-17 | THE DEVIL WENT TO ARDMORE

BY JESSI LANE PG 19-21| SOWING THE SEED

BY CHET TUCKER PG 25 | UNIVERSAAL CANNABIS 101

BY JASMINE HARVEY PG 26-29 | TAKE ME TO THE CANDY SHOP SAGE WELLNESS

BY JAMES BRIDGES PG 31 | LOTUS LETTERS

BY KATHLEEN LONG-BARKER

Herbage Magazine ISSUE NUMBER 39

Owner & Publisher James Bridges James@HerbageMag.Com If you have any questions or concerns about Herbage Magazine please feel free to contact me directly.

Advertising: Tarra Quinn Herbage Social: Katie Hazen Ops Manager: Jasmine Harvey

PG 35-37 | WAR PARTY BY CHARLES “UNCLE CHUCK” DUNCAN PG 38-41 | TAROSTROLOGY

BY ANNA ERVIN PG 43 | HAPPY BIRTHDAY

BY JAMES BRIDGES PG 49 | NEW YEAR NUMEROLOGY

BY ANNA ERVIN PG 51 | TRANSLATION STRAIN OF THE MONTH

BY JAMES BRIDGES PG 54-55 | THE CANNXIETY CHRONICLES BY CHARLES “UNCLE CHUCK” DUNCAN PG 58-60 | GOT YOUR SIX

BY MICHAEL KINNEY PG 64-65 | LETS GO!

BY JAMES BRIDGES

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Rose

by James Bridges

It was late and I needed to go to sleep.

I couldn’t allow my mind to settle, so I scrolled… Sticking out for me to push play was a look of passion as someone was recording themselves while driving.

“I don’t know if this is weird, but it’s really impromptu.” I watched the video as if I had stumbled upon an overlooked voice coming from somewhere within. “I’m 10 minutes into the drive back home and all I want to say right now is that if you’re fighting for something that you believe in, don’t quit fighting!” Summer was talking to the camera while wiping tears.

“Keep going,” Summer yelled. “Keep fighting for what you love.”

Summer paused…

“My mom is so stubborn… I have been in her face letting her know that I was on cannabis.” Summer insinuated that her mother had previously been against the use of cannabis. “I kept talking about how it was making your state a whole lot of money and it’s making her daughter happier than she’s ever been in her whole life.” I noticed tears coming from the corners.

“My mom took CBD for the first time tonight.” It seemed Summer had shown a light to someone by the look in her eye.

“I know it may not seem like a big deal, but like my mom has a lot of health issues. All plant medicine, especially cannabis, is a huge passion for me. For my mother to actually drive me to a dispensary to buy her CBD is so insane to me.”

I felt the need to contact Summer with some unanswered questions. After looking through her portfolio of artistry, which some seemed to come from divine inspiration, I wanted to know much more about the mind behind this self healer and amazing artist, Summer Rose.

My initial question was one that I felt would really give me a grasp of what inspires Summer. Summer told me that she dreamed of living, “in a forest with my cat. I would be growing the majority

of my own food, and making art full time for my community.”

Summer stresses the importance of one’s dreams, “Whether that be healing of the self, creating a space for openness and vulnerability, or art that helps to destigmatize cannabis and shine a light on its monumental therapeutic effects.”

I was curious as to what she felt was stopping those dreams to come true.

Summer thought as she responded, “I like to think nothing, but in all honesty I struggle with my energy levels due to depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD and chronic pain. I find that holding a job to make ends meet as well as having the energy to consistently be creative and make work is very difficult for me due to these issues. I often don’t have the physical/mental energy to create work.”

Summer admitted, “This is scary to be so open about, but it’s also my passion and mission to create awareness around mental health issues. It is so incredibly important to put the health of your mind first. It is your root system from which every action and thought stems from. Just like cannabis, if her root system isn’t strong, then she won’t produce what she’s capable of. I’ve been working on my roots and don’t intend to let my struggles stop me, but to motivate me to inspire others.”

I wanted to know more about Summers’ daily routines and how they fit well with her creativity. She responded, “The majority of my work inspiration comes to me in meditation. I’m not perfect, so I can’t say I do these things daily, but meditation is an integral part of my life and has been an absolute catalyst to my healing. When I began to sync my thought process and journey with the changing of the seasons and the cycles of the moon, I began to feel more connected to the earth, the cycles of life, and the ebb and flow of time. It made my life feel less chaotic and out of control. This universe shows us that it’s okay to not always be in a stage of visible growth, but that it’s just as important to turn inward into the dark, heal and re-emerge a better version of ourselves again. There is no light without darkness, of course. The trick is, you have to face the dark.”

Summer also goes by the title, “Weed Witch”. Summer explained, “I call myself a “Weed Witch” because cannabis is a guide for me. Just like other

entheogens such as psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca, and peyote, these plant medicines have been used for spiritual and physical healing for thousands of years. While I do believe it’s important to maintain a practice without using entheogen regularly, there is no debate on how groundbreaking these medicines can be for wellness when used in ceremony with intention and respect. Cannabis has been like a compassionate warm hand leading me into the parts of myself that I need to heal to be the best version of myself, and I will forever be grateful for her guidance.”

Summer continued, “When I’m seeking to create a certain feeling in a piece of artwork, but can’t quite decide how, I sit with cannabis in meditation. I can’t really describe how, but it really helps to open those neural pathways to find the visual language I’m pursuing. I will sit with the feeling I wish to portray in my artwork, and the images and words begin to flow. I always make sure a notepad is right within reach! Cannabis truly is a great guide when used with intention.”

I asked Summer how cannabis helps her daily life. She said that there are, “So many reasons cannabis helps me.

It has been such an important medicine for me on so many levels. It has helped with tension due to chronic anxiety. It has helped with insomnia, pain. It helps me to eat regularly, obliterating panic attacks, nausea and a multitude of other symptoms I experience.”

“Most importantly it has helped me to heal my spirit by exploring my own mind and expressing it creatively through my work, my presence, and my words.”

I asked Summer about the painting I wanted to use as the cover image for this magazine issue. Summer said, “It’s titled ‘Rise up’. This painting concept was about decay and rebirth. The neverending cycle that is death and regeneration on this earth. I used fungal spore patterning in the painting at the same size as the figure to insinuate that we are one in the same as this worldwide fungal network, built to rise up from decay.”

Find more of Summer Rose art and inquire about commissioning: Instagram: srose.art & rayofsmoke society6.com/srosedesigns

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Experience Euphoria

MAC 1 Robust Flavor Trilogy of Trichomes Balancing Effect

How I Overcame My Fear Of Terpinolene & My Fear In The Process

by Anna Ervin

It’s no secret that the terpene profile is an important factor to consider when shopping for cannabis. This data offers patients a deeper look at the aroma, flavor, and experience that each strain might offer, especially in conjunction with cannabinoid percentages. I recently took on my first bud-tending role, and through a quick training course on the science backing the medicinal benefits of cannabis, I was lucky enough to learn a little bit about the terpenes present in my medicine.

I use cannabis to help regulate my mental health, combat depression, and ease anxiety. However, as most patients are probably aware, at times those little green buds can induce or provoke anxiety. For years I had been experimenting with different consumption methods and paying attention to the different applications of cultivation in the industry, unable to crack the code and understand why feelings of paranoia and dis-ease sometimes accompanied my high. Finally, I was being presented with a whole new series of potential triggers to explore, and that’s exactly what I did.

Terpinolene is one of the most commonly found terpenes in the plant, and is responsible for the citrusy, piney flavor many active strains take on. Its benefits are reported to be cerebral focus, mental clarity, and mood enhancement; but it’s important to note that in some cases the pendulum can swing too far, inducing anxiety, paranoia, and, well, too much clarity. In my eyes, I had finally pinpointed the root of my anxieties. Terpinolene must be the problem.

Now, if you’re under the impression that I am here today to educate on the characteristics of terpenes, I’m sorry to disappoint. However, the majority of the research available can be found through a quick read-up on weedmaps or leafly. The reason I chose to write about this topic is more-or-less focused on consumer experience, and exploring a mindset that I feel I might share with others when shopping for cannabis. Before we dive any deeper, though, I should share a little bit about my background with plant-based medicine.

A week before my high school graduation, I lost my dad to liver failure. Years of taking prescribed pharmaceuticals destroyed his already weak liver, leaving me to enter adulthood questioning everything I had ever known about authority, medicine and trusting professionals. I hated the pharmaceutical industry for a long time, and I still remember spending much of my time scouring the internet for studies and stories which affirmed my distrust in big pharma.

A few years later, my mom suffered her second major heart attack. By the grace of the universe she survived, but only after a near month in the hospital and a terrifying road to recovery. For weeks I watched doctors poke and prod at her seemingly lifeless body, and signed off on procedures that threatened her mobility, but would ultimately save her life. During this time my perspective on healthcare softened, and I found myself feeling a tinge of gratitude for the life-saving capabilities of western medicine.

Instead of blaming big pharma for all of the world’s illness, I decided to take a deeper look at preventative health, and explore how both of my parents ended up in hospital beds to begin with— furthermore, how not to end up there myself.

These experiences invited me to consider how I take care of my body; the way I move, the ingredients I feed it, how often I hydrate. I began eating organic and natural foods, cut animal products out of my diet, refusing to even touch pharmaceutical or over the counter medications. I consumed cannabis regularly at this time, but it wasn’t until I dove into Oklahoma’s cannabis industry in 2020 that I began to connect the dots and understand the role it played in my biochemistry as well.

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Fast forward to my surface-level research on terpenes: following my new discovery, I took about a 2 month hiatus from strains with high concentrations of Terpinolene. During this time I was settling into my new job at the dispensary. I had finally found a place that felt like home, was beginning to rebuild my finances, and taking time to heal and nurture my body. Anxiety was a foreign concept to me, and for that I found myself grateful. I thanked the cannabis gods for allowing me to finally find a way to consume my favorite medicine without any negative side effects whatsoever. I even decided to write a story about Terpinolene and its devilish effect on my mental health. *oh, ehrm… hi* In order to write this story, however, I needed to do a little more research. After all, what kind of journalist would I be if I didn’t make a habit of reporting first-hand experiences? So, on Monday of the most stressful week of the entire year (if you guessed Christmas we’re the same brand of Grinch), I brought home 2 of the dispensary’s most active strains, boasting up to 2% concentrations of terpinolene: Heartland Farms’ XJ-13, and Native Veteran’s Windwalker.

Other patients had warned me about the latter, “if you have anxiety, Windwalker is not for you,” but to my surprise, I found both strains to offer pleasant, uplifting, sometimes even dreamy experiences. Confused by this response, and a little disappointed that my story had seemingly slipped away from me, I at the very least found a little joy in discovering two new favorite strains to add to my roster. I began to accept the fact that there simply isn’t enough research on cannabis to help me confidently identify the perfect cocktail of terpenes to cannabinoids to ease the anxious mind… then it happened.

As I rushed out of my house Christmas morning, I decided to take a considerably large bong rip of another beloved favorite of mine by Resonant Cultivation, Monkey Berries. While I typically find myself relaxed and comfortable with this variety, on that particular morning I became overwhelmed with anxiety. My head was racing, I couldn’t focus, I wanted to crawl out of my own mind just to find some peace and quiet. I began thinking about how I had expected this very experience to come from XJ-13 and Windwalker.

In that moment, the following revelation brought me more peace than any substance, plant, or therapist has instilled in me in my entire life.

I have to stop blaming cannabis for my anxiety, and start asking myself what I’m meant to learn from these moments of distress.

It’s not the fault of any one terpene that I sometimes find my thoughts spiraling, nor is THC to blame for the slew of negative thoughts that swim through my mind, promoting paranoia. Cannabis merely brings these issues to the surface in an attempt to help me heal. Sure, Terpinolene might be more or less likely to bring up those feelings, especially when paired with high percentages of THC, but at the end of the day, cannabis is working with my endocannabinoid system to bring my body into a state of homeostasis. In other words, all of these yummy terpenes and cannabinoids are working together to give my body exactly what it needs.

So, next time my anxiety makes an appearance, I’ve decided to stop asking myself “what did I smoke to cause this,” and instead start taking a deeper look at the emotions those moments of discomfort are bringing up for me. For example, if my fear signals are sounding off like an alarm in my body, what are they trying to communicate to me?

Am I safe, taking care of myself, and honoring my boundaries? Or, on the other hand, if the stress is unnecessary and I find something in my life repeatedly causing it, what can I do to shift or diminish its influence?

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FREE ENTERPRISE

REIGNS IN OKLAHOMA’S MMJ SYSTEM!

In the final days of 2021, a liberal newspaper on the East Coast published an offensive piece about Oklahoma and its medical marijuana system. Of course, anything one reads today in The New York Times (“NYT”) should be taken with a grain of salt, but this particular article, How Oklahoma Became a Marijuana Boom State by Simon Romero with photos credited to Brett Deering, published December 29, 2021, is especially offensive, even for that periodical. As a third generation Oklahoma attorney, I take such insulting words about my home state personally.

The article epitomizes rubbish spewed by those who consider themselves the elite, the refined, the educated, and the holier-than-thou liberals who look down their proverbial noses at “poor”, uneducated, “trailer park” Oklahomans. Yes, the writer of the article has the audacity to use those words. The very reduction of such beliefs to words frankly flies all over this author.

Clearly, Romero and his cohorts at the NYT know nothing of Oklahoma, of its hard-working people, many of whom are in fact better educated than they—whether it be through state or Ivy League institutions or the difficult, enduring lessons learned through living life itself.

Indeed, many Oklahomans elected to return home after forays into other states upon the realization that Oklahoma is, in fact, an incredible place to live and work, enhanced by none other than its people.

A good lesson to learn from Oklahoma is that one’s value is not calculated by net worth, institutional degrees, or the landscape where one lives.

The above-referenced article in the NYT, not unlike most of that paper’s content these days, is riddled with pejorative words and phrases, including those quoted above and, additionally, “old chicken coops”, “trailer parks”, “Pentecostal church” (not that a Pentecostal church is negative, but the NYT writer clearly intends that it be construed as such), “mobile homes”, “culture shock”, and unsupported claims that Oklahoma is “a state that remains among the poorest in the country” with “pressures on the state’s prisons”. These statements are not only appalling, but also are indicative of prevalent, misguided views that divide this nation—and here, I speak of America, not the Sooner Nation.

by Sarah Lee Gossett Parrish, Cannabis Lawyer

In light of such rubbish clearly intended to depict Oklahoma and its hard-working people, including those in the medical marijuana industry (public and private), in a derogatory manner, it is important to take an unbiased assessment of Oklahoma’s outstanding medical marijuana (“MMJ”) system. What better time to do so than on the last day of calendar year 2021, the date of this writing.

Oklahoma continues to stand alone in this country as the only free market medical program, enacted by the people and for the patients. State Question 788 (“SQ 788”) was passed on June 26, 2018, making medical marijuana legal in the state. The medical program was implemented in record time by dedicated state employees working overtime and likely underpaid, when the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (“OMMA”) launched its online application process for patients and businesses on Saturday, August 25, 2018.

Today, three short years after SQ 788 was passed, Oklahoma’s medical program continues to thrive in the

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face I’m sure you’ve seen this quoted somewhere on the internet recently, but healing is not linear. It’s not a straight shot to a healthy, happy lifestyle, and there is no concrete destination. Healing is a constant journey full of highs and lows, giant leaps and major setbacks.

Cannabis is simply a compass to help us find our way. It may not always lead us in the easiest direction, but we can count on it to point us in the right direction. of inevitable obstacles—some anticipated and some not. And as human nature long ago established, when someone – or something – is successful and stands out, critics load and lock. In case you are wondering, yes, this is a nod to Oklahoma’s Second Amendment Sanctuary status.

tion is correct. However, there are limits on how much medical marijuana a patient can possess, and patient licenses are required to legally purchase and consume medical marijuana products here.

SQ 788 established a simple medical marijuana program with reasonable license application fees allowing everyday people with entrepreneurial dreams and a passion for the healing properties of cannabis to enter Oklahoma’s industry and thrive. What a blessed reality!

While the NYT piece opines that “growers in Oklahoma . . . are feeding illicit markets around the country” – an assertion made with no objective criteria or documentation whatsoever, as is customary for that paper now, it is no secret that efforts by OMMA, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics have intensified to ensure this does not occur. Additionally, the scale of any Oklahoma illicit grows would assuredly pale in comparison with other states that boast more mature markets where production of illicit product has been the norm for decades, and here, we have a statute that actually prohibits ownership of agricultural land by foreign nationals. Hmmm….

To reiterate, Oklahomans created something unique to the cannabis industry—namely, the country’s only free market medical marijuana program. There are no qualifying conditions for medical marijuana patients here, and, in addition to the original adult patient, minor patient, and caregiver licenses, today short-term licenses, reciprocal patient cards, and temporary patient licenses are available.

Mercifully, OMMA and Oklahoma’s Legislature have upheld the spirit of SQ 788 for the most part, refusing to smother the fledgling industry with over-regulation.

OMMA officials demonstrated a remarkable ability to implement Oklahoma’s medical program in record time—a mere 30 days after passage of SQ 788 in late June 2018, to the first day of applications in late August 2018. Initially, OMMA had only 14 days to accept or reject any license application. It is difficult to comprehend what the working environment must have looked like during those early days. While the 14-day period for patient licenses remains unchanged, today the period within which OMMA can grant, deny, or reject a commercial business license application (“denials” differ from “rejections”, the latter of which can be rectified through resubmissions) is 90 days—a much more reasonable time period for such a process.

Looking back, it is difficult to imagine how OMMA onboarded the entire application process in a mere 30 days and managed to process the plethora of patient, caregiver, and commercial business license applications in 14 days. OMMA’s dedicated state employees somehow managed to make it work, to the great benefit of Oklahoma patients and entrepreneurs. OMMA is “the little engine that could,” in a state where the wind still comes sweeping down the plain and the waving wheat, with some weed now from outdoor grows, can sure smell sweet.

Today, it is interesting to reflect on how Oklahoma’s medical program has evolved and to contemplate what the future holds. It has been said that Oklahoma basically has an adult use system, given that there are no preexisting condition requirements and that doctors who will write potential patients a medical marijuana recommendation are plentiful. Perhaps this observa-

The NYT article correctly notes the plethora of medical marijuana businesses in Oklahoma, and that prices have decreased due to increased supply. However, here in Oklahoma we respect and encourage free enterprise and capitalism. The law of supply and demand is a fundamental tenet of both, and while some may choose to ignore those principles, we here in Oklahoma applaud and support them. After all, they have formed the backbone of America’s economy since its inception.

So, what’s the take-away?

Free enterprise still reigns in Oklahoma’s medical marijuana system, and when it draws fire from a liberal paper back East, that is a sure sign something is incredibly successful!

P.S. It’s going to be a very busy spring here in the Wild, Wild West!

Information contained herein provides general information related to the law and does not provide legal advice. It is recommended that readers consult their personal lawyer if they want legal advice. No attorney-client or confidential relationship exists or is formed between you and Ms. Parrish as a result of this article.

The Devil Went Down To

Ardmore a Patient’s Story of Resilience Despite the Odds

By Jessi Lane

Amelia is a compassionate woman who gives everything she’s got to the cause. She cares deeply about people and shares her cannabis as medicine knowledge with those in need. At her age she has lived more lives than 30 cats. She is a treasure, a relic. She is a beautiful piece of sea glass, smooth from years and years of waves crashing over it. The sea glass, once a discarded broken rigid fragment of something more is now acceptable, pleasing to the outside world in its color and texture. What’s that phrase? Handle everyone you meet with care because you don’t know what battles they’ve been through? No quote was more fitting than that when describing Miss Amelia, who treats her PTSD with licensed Oklahoma cannabis as medicine.

Eager to join the world of lawful cannabis distribution, something she thought she would never see in her lifetime, Amelia made her way into the Oklahoma cannabis industry via Tulsa Flowercraft’s application cattle call in 2018. Her muted self-reflection stood out among the hundreds of other (much younger) applicants. Even on paper, providing just a taste of the Encyclopedia of Cannabia that is her life experience, the hiring team knew she was a diamond in the rough. Her white hair delicately coiffed, with red framed glasses and a smile the size of Texas. Quick-witted and pleasant mannered, she also carried a bit of sorrow with her that she wears like a badge of honor- however protective of its placement. Today, Amelia has proven to have more character than most cannabis industry professionals have in their little finger. The Just Be Nice Project reminds us, “Character is developed through being tested, especially in the face of adversity and difficulty. Simply going through a tough time or being tested does not mean you develop character automatically, adherence to your principles when tested is what defines character. (1)” The year was 1953. It was the end of the Korean War. Dwight D Eisenhower was the President of the United States. Georgia approved the first U.S. literature censorship board. The average retail price of gasoline was 29 cents. Amelia Banks was born to an Ardmore, Oklahoma family. She was a “free range child,” spending her time outside all day “running wild without supervision,” Amelia recalls. She was the 5th child born of her siblings, who dreamed of being a gymnast one day - balancing and flipping on the family clothesline. She tells us, “In my home, at the age of 18 - regardless of what time it was - we were kicked out of the house.”

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With her older siblings scattered away, at the young age of just 13 years old Amelia was the victim of rape. It was determined by a medical professional that she had become pregnant as a result of the incident. Amelia’s sister took her in, and at 7 months gestation a healthy baby boy was born. Instead of returning to her sisters after the delivery, Amelia and her baby would be forced back into the family Ardmore home. Quickly, her parents shipped her off to Cookson Hills School. According to the school’s current website, “Cookson Hills was founded on love of God and love for humanity, especially children who were hurting, abandoned, or abused.” “Where youth help themselves to Happiness (2),” or so their motto claimed at that time. Amelia’s parents kept her baby and later adopted him, forcing Amelia’s son to be known as her brother.

Amelia was then shuffled into foster care. She was placed in Tulsa at the St. John Vianney Training School for Girls, alone and without a penny to her name. During institution breaks other students went back home, but Amelia was forced to wander the Tulsa streets without food or shelter.

She would dine and dash in Downtown Tulsa diners to feed herself. Then one day the fatigued and malnourished Amelia passed out cold in a Downtown parking lot. When three little girls happened upon her, their dear mother scooped Amelia up and took her back to their home, where she was recovered by St. John Vianney nuns. After receiving medical care, she was then passed along to the Carter County Sherrif’s department with whom Amelia was baselessly determined “a lesbian and needed mental help,” she relays. This was common at the time, as The Lavender Scare trickled down to affect and influence all levels of government. The Lavender Scare, known as “Eisenhower’s Executive Order 10450, [was] the investigation, interrogation and systematic removal of gay men and lesbians from the federal government,” according to Time.com. “The policy was based on the unfounded fear that gay men and lesbians ‘posed a threat to national security because they were vulnerable to blackmail and were considered to have weak moral characters.’ (3)” It was the Summer of her 16th year, and our Amelia was forced to endure 90 days of isolation and other unspeakable hells at Griffin Memorial Hospital. But her life until now could not prepare her for her experiences while residing at her next placement - Girls Town in Tecumseh, also known as the Oklahoma State Industrial School for Incorrigible Girls. “That’s actually a reformatory. They have underground cells there,” she says. Amelia gravely recalls, “I saw people hang themselves. I saw people slit their throats.” At that time Amelia attempted suicide and learned, “you can’t OD on Benadryl, you just take a trip.”

Physically, Amelia seemingly recovered from her trauma and by her 18th birthday she earned her beauty school license and GED, however this marked her release from state custody. Amelia says, “That family that found me in Tulsa? They let me stay with them.” A few months later would be Halloween weekend and Amelia would endure a sudden Hysterectomy at the young age of 18. “I’d never have another child,” she sorrowfully recounts.

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Amelia moved into the Downtown Tulsa YMCA where she found herself involved in the Job Corps. It was then in the early 1970s that she was introduced to cannabis. “We smoked joints and we didn’t have all this fancy stuff,” she tells us. “We didn’t have grinders.

We used our fingers.” Amelia quickly became a joint rolling aficionado and passed her time with friends in Brookside pool hauls where she found family in these friendships and was introduced to Mescaline and LSD through Vietnam Vets. “Marijuana has always been my thing,” she says. Despite it all Amelia earned her high school diploma and graduated from the Job Corps. She remembers, “people were betting on me that I wouldn’t graduate.” She then wed one of these friends. Amelia was driving a ‘71 Dodge Charger by now. Her girlfriends moved drugs, hustled, “a lot of people were drinking a lot back then,” she goes on to say. “The only reason we got married is so I wouldn’t have to testify against him.” Following witnessing a public police altercation and subsequent court appearance, Amelia and her spouse moved to Wagoner where she perfected her green thumb. She made friends with Vietnam Vets who moved Panama Red - queue Steven Stills’ “Treetop Flyer” - and learned the fine art of creating Hashish. Amelia never lost hope of reunification with her son and eventually relocated back to Ardmore to try for custody. However, upon her father’s death Amelia learned that her son - like his mother - had been shipped off to an Arkansas Christian School. She traveled to Arkansas to let him know personally that she always wanted him, a fact that had been withheld from him by her parents.

Life chugged along and Amelia, despite every odd against her, gained a divorce and climbed the ladder of Orchids Papermill, to whom she gave 26 years of her life and worked the Union ranks to become Union President. Drug Tests were not common practice yet.

She tells us, “If they did [UA], nobody’d be workin’ there!” It was here that she met Vince. “He was the best companion I ever had in my life,” she wistfully recalls. Vince was a person privately struggling to live with HIV. Amelia recalls that at that time HIV patients who didn’t see their doctors were arrested but Vince couldn’t afford his appointments, meds, and rent.

Amelia found she needed protection from her ex-husband, so cohabitation seemed the best option for the pair - and they were right. Vince was smoking cannabis daily - an ounce every 2 weeks - mostly to treat the side effects of the drug cocktails he’d been prescribed.

“Meds at that time were extremely expensive,” Amelia recalls. They saw $900 copays for single scripts. Vince continued his employment at the papermill to keep his insurance, but he developed Wasting Disease and the pair understood his days were numbered. They enjoyed traveling across the U.S. together. “We took joints with us,” she relays with enthusiasm, “I rolled pre-rolls for a week!” Amelia says the weed they scored locally at the time was primo Acapulco Gold.

They traveled to Mexico to cop his prescriptions for next to nothing when they could but by November 2, 2002, Vince said his last goodbyes to dear Amelia and under the cover of the night’s light misting rain, he passed away in their home. As his Caregiver, Amelia compassionately cared for his every personal need for 8 and a half years. “He gave me a reason to live,” she sobs. “Nobody can tell you how to live like a person who’s dying.”

This relationship with Vince impacted Amelia’s life more than any other crossing of souls throughout her time. After this impenetrable loss, Amelia relocated to Virginia by way of a budding AOL chat relationship. These were the dial-up days. “Dead Heads know where all the good drugs are,” she jokes. Securing her VA plug through a Dead Head called Daniel, they enjoyed marijuana and acid together, taking in the sights of Richmond, VA. “The weed in Virginia was about $180 an ounce,” she recalls, “and you got what you got.” Amelia enrolled in Tidewater Tech where she received her Associates of Occupational Science degree in Medical Administration Management. In 2007 she moved back to reunite with her son, who had been incarcerated. Amelia took several back-to-back jobs including the now-closed Gatorade plant, “I have passed many UAs after smoking that morning,” Amelia boasts, “I was good at it.” She went on to work for the National Census Bureau, Bama, Kimberly-Clark, and Nordam, where she says that lots of employees privately consumed cannabis. Amelia retired from manufacturing as the time was finally approaching for these skilled workers to come out of their canna-closets. In 2018 The Oklahoma 788 vote to legalize cannabis as medicine passed with 57% of the votes. Amelia sought the care of Dr. Brandon Bailey, who issued Amelia’s medical recommendation to treat her PTSD with cannabis as medicine, thus qualifying our heroine to obtain her OMMA license. She chooses to layer her daily consumption methods using tinctures, gummies and combustible flower.

Amelia has since obtained her Cannacian I and II certifications, serving Tulsa area patients as a Patient Advocate, bridging the gap for Oklahoma patients embarking on their own cannabis as medicine journey by offering her compassionate care to everyone she meets. But don’t be mistaken by those warm hugs as she’ll be the first to tell you among her siblings, “I’m the mean one,” she goes on to say, “I’ve always been the mean one because I’ve always had to fight.”

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Sowing The Seed

By Chet Tucker The Lettuce Bar In our last edition, we covered the primary consumption method of cannabis which is rolling and smoking it. Though we didn’t cover “smoking” via vaping cannabis (using vape cartridges), we will roll back into the other inhalation method in next month’s article. This round we will cover the most discreet and arguably one of the most medicinally effective consumption methods... eating cannabis.

Whether using for relaxing, sleep, anxiety, or creativity, edibles are an incredible way to consume cannabis.

First, what we cover here will touch on several different methods of ingesting cannabis but the focus will be on the more medicinal edible options. Raw cannabis consumption is one of the best ways to intake all the nutrients of the true superfood that it is. Eating the parts of the plant is as organic as you can get and the benefits are quite amazing.

With the fats, lipids, cannabinoids, vitamins (K, C, Omegas, and more) and THC, you’ve got Mother Nature’s purest ways into the bloodstream. Grind it into a fine powder for shakes, sprinkle leaves or ground bud on your salad, but know that as soon as the raw form is heated (think baked brownies), the THCa (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) will convert into THC (Delta 9) which will then produce psychedelic properties. Note: The digestion process does heat the cannabis and can activate small amounts of THC. Though organic consumption is a wonderful way to benefit from the plant’s medicinal properties, many look for the full effect of the “decarbed” THCa which provides some of the additional benefits that THC delivers. So, with all the ingestible choices of edibles, drinks, and tinctures, etc out there in the marketplace, how do you sort through and find the best products for you? There are several different cannabis processing methods to derive cannabis extracts such as distillate, RSO, live resin, live rosin, flower rosin, etc. Quality edibles will typically last longer than smoking or vaping so make sure you start with lower doses and prepare for longer periods of psychedelic experiences.

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Rick Simpson Oil (RSO) is one the simplest but most effective ways to ingest cannabis.

Though it’s a modern version of cannabis plant extraction, it has been the pillar in the landslide movement to legalize cannabis. An amount as small as a grain of rice is recommended until you find the right amount but the powerful impact of such a small amount is an amazing testament to the plant’s medicinal benefits, most notably for cancer patients. A more diluted and often mixed (with herbs or flavors to help curb the bitter taste of raw cannabis) version are tinctures. This is a more liquified form and emulates the bottling process of bitters (mostly used for cocktails).

Last, there are countless edible options such as chocolate, baked goods, hard candies, and the most popular gummy. No matter which form you choose, look for edibles that are full spectrum, particularly solventless if you can find it. When you consume edibles that are full spectrum, you are ingesting more parts & pieces of the powerful plant. Typically, the less cannabis is heated or gassed (CO2), the more cannabinoids, fats, lipids, and terpenes remain for medicinal impact. Products that are derived from high THC content and low cannabinoids and terpenes may taste better but are much less balanced than the more pure versions.

We are an apothecary meets “saloon” style dispensary that specializes in premium cannabis, hemp, and CBD products at a fair price.ty. It’s like looking for a craft cocktail over straight high proof alcohol. You can get a balanced alcoholic drink but an Everclear drink will be cheaper and hit you harder. However, it won’t taste as good and it’ll likely have a morning-after regret. Regardless, ask good questions, do your research, and journal as you find what works best for you.

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Though I didn’t touch on drink options, there are many available but as noted, most lack the more intact purities of the cannabis plant.

Some will have water-soluble cannabis extracts which help bypass the liver because of their near immediate absorption into the mucus membranes. I’m a personal fan of strain specific options that retain as much of the whole plant together in the end product. However, there are some solid options and it’s important to prepare for balancing the immediate THC impact and that can be done mostly with a CBD blend (3:1/5:1 etc).

Finally, when shopping at your dispensary for options, always ask your budtender or Cannaician for the highest quality products.

Granted, there’s a great deal of cheaper options but they’re often cheaper because of the input and overall quality. It’s like looking for a craft cocktail over straight high proof alcohol.

You can get a balanced alcoholic drink but an Everclear drink will be cheaper and hit you harder. However, it won’t taste as good and it’ll likely have a morning-after regret. Regardless, ask good questions, do your research, and journal as you find what works best for you.

Our mission is to provide an alternative, natural way of healing without using industrialized pharmaceuticals.

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Universal Cannabis 101 CB1&2 Receptors

by Jasmine Harvey The Endocannabinoid System or ECS for short, is the backbone of keeping you regulated within yourself. Our CB1 and CB2 receptors play a major part in delivering your cannabinoids to the right locations.

CHILL OUT WITH ON ROKU TV Download the Free App to any device including your TV

Just like our ECS, our CB1 & CB2 receptors occur naturally in mammals. They are the important communicators to connect our brains and bodies.

CB1 Receptors are predominantly in the nervous cells of our brain and spinal cord. The CB1 receptors are known big helpers also in our reproductive, gastrointestinal and urinary tract. The CB1 receptor brings in the joy and “feel good” feeling by stimulating your body’s natural producer of anandamide. CB1 receptors are abundant in the cerebellum, hippocampus and spinal cord regions which gives a pretty big boost in how we feel.

CB1 is known mostly for the feeling and sensations of pain and pleasure, the psychoactive effect. It also plays a role in creating inflammation.

CB2 receptors aid in our immune system more so. They are found in our white blood cells, tonsil and spleen. They hon in on reducing inflammation and possible anticancer effects.

There is much more to be learned and researched about our CB1 & CB2 receptors. Next we will dive into the Entourage Effect.

The vast universe of Cannabis awaits!

-Universe With Jaz

25

Take Me To The

Candy Shop SAGE Wellness | GRATITUDE

“At Sage Wellness, we are here to help educate our community about the health benefits of cannabis.”

Tallon Hull Owner/SAGE Wellness

By James Bridges “It feels like a dream. It’s honestly something I would have never expected.”

If you have ever had the opportunity to visit one of my personal favorite shops in town, Sage Wellness in Oklahoma city, then you must have experienced the smile that comes from the one and only Talon Hull. Talon owns and operates Sage Wellness.

I love to visit this place. It’s located in the Western Avenue district of OKC. It’s a great place to grab a bite and then hop on over to the candy shop. That’s right. Sage Wellness is located in what was once a neighborhood candy shop. Very fitting if you ask me.

Talon walked me around the consistently comfortable setting. I love the exposed brick. The urban feel is much more inviting inside of Sage Wellness than one might expect.

“I grew up off of 79th and Western,” Talon spoke about his connection to his community. “I feel like It was fate. I was meeting with my mom and my sister, who is our creative director, and I was, at the time, going to OSU. I was enrolled for about six months or so and I wasn’t really going to class as much. It just wasn’t for me. While we were having lunch my mom was like, ‘You know we’ve got to figure this out.’ We all knew we needed something. I was like, ‘Well, what about a CBD shop?’ So after we had lunch we went over to a local CBD shop just to check it out. It was cool. The shop was put together nicely. The owner was having fun. She seemed to enjoy what she’s doing. She said she loves what she does.

She believes in her product.”

Talon said that at that moment he was completely inspired to do something that he felt would help so many people on a lot of different fronts. “I felt like we could do something. We could bring something to the community that hasn’t been seen before.”

At that time Talon and his family knew of a place inside of an old building that would be perfect. It was up for lease.

The location was inside of the neighborhood they wanted to impact most. To top it off, it was inside the same building as the Western Avenue staple, VZD’s.

VZD’s Restaurant & Bar is a locally owned and operated bar located in the heart of the Western Avenue district of Oklahoma City. For three decades, it has been a hub for live music and fountain for beer and fabulous mixed drinks.

VZD’s reopened in the fall of 2015 after being remodeled and revamped, but still offers locals all the tradition it has always entailed.

Talon told of how he and his family discovered the location.

“It turns out that one of the old candy stores on Western was going out of business after 30 years. I visited the candy store as a child. My dad was a chef at VZD’s Restaurant at one time. My mom even had my baby shower in VZD’s. That’s why I say it was fate.”

27

Talon brought us back to the “time for action” lunch with the family. “So after lunch we all knew we needed something. We all went our separate ways. I saw the sign in the window. I picked up the phone and I called. At first the realtor was a little bit reluctant. I asked her to please just go check out this CBD shop that we had just experienced. I promised her that I would do my best to have the best experience. Just give me a chance and go. So she arranged a visit. Fast forward… they gave us a chance!”

I could tell Talon was reliving the experience as I watched emotions come over his face. The twists and turns that must have been going through his head at the time…

One could only imagine. He let me know that he received enormous help from his cousin. “He’s been in business and helped me in the beginning. My mom was still doing dental billing full-time. I came here and started making the best of everything.”

The pivot turned one day for the family and the business.

It was a day that everyone will remember in Oklahoma.

Well, anyone who gives a damn. I know most of us will.

“I’ll never forget it. June 26th 2018.” Talon was speaking of course about the infamous day that Oklahoma shocked the nation by accepting cannabis as a true medical option for those in need. “788 passed that day.

I have written papers over State question 788 back in high school. There’s even a video of me, to this day, with shaggy hair and my teenage self talking about 788 and it being on the ballot before it was actually even on the ballot. My mom was into cannabis and CBD. I loved that she was into something that I loved and knew. My dad lived in Oregon, so I was able to kind of grow up and see a legal marijuana market. It was simple to me. This is here helping the community and so I got really, really inspired at that point.”

Talon barely took a breath as he spoke. “I was in Col-

orado picking up our first CBD order. It was exciting as we were ready to get stocked. That’s when I learned that State Question 788 had passed. I knew I had to spend another four hours out there picking up products for the CBD store. I freaked out, you know! It was on the news and I was seeing everything. I wanted to get back to OKC as soon as possible.”

I could sense the excitement and wanted more. Imagine the joy to know that you are fortunate enough to already have the lease. A CBD shop up and going. All of this while knowing that it is all about to change. The perfect timing, location, neighborhood and a purpose to start building up a dispensary.

“On December 25th of 2018 we were in here putting in all of the last shelving. We were hanging the TVs on the wall, etc… I was so excited to open. We had our product, you know, and so the next day was December 26th— the day after Christmas. So we decided to open the doors. We probably shouldn’t have opened. But, you know, five days before the end of the year. We end up having to file a tax return for five days of business. It was totally worth it.”

Talon described the time as “a dream come true. I remember being in here with some of my friends and family and just looking at a place I grew up in. This candy store is now an adult candy store as well as a place for the community. In my opinion, Western Avenue is the best area because of the camaraderie. I guess it was really the beginning of the roller coaster.”

The crew kicked off their 2019 with a bang. They cruised into their very first 420 calendar celebration. Talon described it as “such a party here. It was the first 420 since State question 788 had passed. Seeing everybody from all across the state come out in lines was amazing. We crushed our 2019 goals. Towards the end of 2019 we

launched a new product. Then 2020 rolls around. We had the pandemic obviously. As a team I’m really proud of the 14 of us. Down to when I started this place. I was 20 years old and I had never been into a dispensary. You have to be 21 to get into a recreational dispensary. My mom came here and helped me get the license. At that point I was like, what we’re going to do is to the best of our ability to make this work. I’m proud of us.”

it’s those special shops where you might find the perfect candy that accepts the fact that a better “quality” experience is a much more lasting and beneficial situation for all.

Sage celebrated its third year on December 26th of 2021. “It’s so cool,” Talon reflected again, “to be able to see what’s happened over the course of time and then you’re in the pandemic. I think back to when our team came together and you know we put in Social distancing procedures. We had curbside pickup and it was obviously a lot of adjustments for everybody. I hoped and realized that we would push through it all, especially through the storms.”

“I say the floodgates are open now.”

In 2021 there were over 10,000 licenses. More than 8,800 licenses had been issued for growers. Oklahoma had up to 2,200 dispensaries. This is four times the amount of growers than there are dispensaries. Talon acknowledged that a lot comes down to relationships.

Without question Talon explained his values, “There are three core values: our experience, our relationships and our community. I really believe it’s like a math equation.

You build a relationship that creates this experience. You genuinely support your community… That’s our main focus here every day. We want to create an unforgettable experience.”

In my opinion, there has to be more when it comes to creating an experience that is actually beneficial to the entire process. All of which go hand in hand. There are wonderful businesses in this world that can claim success in measurements, such as productivity. However

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Lotus Letters

By Kathleen Long-Barker Reach for your stars

“ITS TIME” You jolt a bit, opening your eyes after hearing the strange voice. You were certain it was real. Blinking once or twice you find the hour is early, still. But how could you retire again after such a proclamation? Maybe a bit of light reading to relax you would be best.

Dearest Daring Divine, It’s time you began making strides of your own for contact. Do not wait for a bright beam to appear outside your window, nor a saucer in the distance. Though time isn’t linear, it’s still a concept you yourself are operating in. You’re not running out just yet, but let’s begin sooner rather than later!

Who you ask? Your star family of course. It’s time to phone home.

Being a star seed typically comes with a pull to explore “what else is out there” deep within you don’t have to wonder, you know. Even if you can remember fully in this ‘now’ moment. TRUST yourself and all will fall into place.

The veil between dimensions is thinning. Kind of like the barrier that keeps Midgard and Asgard from running together. We have the same barrier for now. All one needs to do is reach out with your thoughts. Your heart. Some call it praying, others call it meditation. Ask for guidance and you will receive an answer if you know how to listen.

Signs your star family (guides, angels, passed loved ones) are communicating with you may come by way of ‘angel numbers’ they don’t always have to be triples of the same number, but that is very common for those who are just beginning to tap into otherworldly correspondence. When you become more familiar and trusting with your abilities, any sequence of numbers that are meant for you might spark a pulse, a nudge, or a gut feeling. If you feel called to google it, DOT IT! Another way they may choose to contact you is by audio waves. Maybe you walk into a room with a song on and you catch lyrics at the perfect time that speak to something you’ve been asking. The same with a movie or tv show. Maybe you turn on the TV and there is a character saying something you just feel was meant for you.

It could be your dreams, strangers at the grocery store that are random AF but speak to your recent ponderings.

I suggest you simply use your voice in private moments. Start with your thoughts if you’re shy. If you need something physical, tarot cards are an excellent choice. Pendulums are also very helpful. But for these tools, you must trust yourself, lest the consciousness of ‘doubt’ tell you ‘it’s just a coincidence.’ There’s no such thing.

If you’re not sure what to ask, start with this: “Dear family, I’m reaching out hoping you’ll reach back. Please only love based interactions for the highest good of myself and all earth” Fairfarren my love, until we read again.

The YOUniverse.

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War Party Battles from the Field

By Charles “Uncle Chuck” Duncan Most of my articles in Herbage Magazine are opinion pieces or basic cannabis education. But once in a while I get to do a company profile. Especially when the boss asks you to do one. In reality, I enjoy doing them as they almost always include a background story that gives Old Yeller a run for its money in the heart strings department. As an advocate and educator, I am typically the one talking at events and cannabis gatherings. But as I am also a regular fan of the plant itself and a generally curious person, I enjoy the listening part more.

My latest assignment for our most badass owner and publisher, Sir James, had me crossing the paths of one Eliot Greenwood. CEO and Founder of War Party Extracts. To say Eliot had a backstory would be like saying Band of Brothers was just a show about a war. Mr. Greenwood has experienced more challenges and roadblocks than anyone should have to endure. From losing his Grandmother at a young age and witnessing the death of his father, Eliot experienced life events that, as happens all too often, sowed the seeds of PTSD. PTSD rarely exposes itself in a warm fuzzy kind of way.

And it didn’t for Eliot either. But Mr. Greenwood has turned his pain into a desire to help others. Agony into empathy.

In an industry that seems hell bent on showing how much money it can generate, it’s a wonderful feeling to be reminded that there are those out there in the cannabis industry that want to spread love more than benjamins.

In 2017 Eliot started War Party Extracts. He is the first to tell you that War Party Extracts is about serving the patient because, well, he is a patient as well. He is also Native American. Something he is very proud of sharing.

And I was proud to hear it. Being Cherokee myself, it is always a pleasure to hear about a quality Native American owned cannabis company. A lot of minorities are getting left out of the emerging cannabis industry.

Cannabis was used by Native American people in this part of the world a long time before colonists and settlers arrived. They used it for food, clothing, bedding and yes even medicine. And they didn’t charge 17% sales tax. But that’s another article for another day.

Eliot is making a statement as well as a call to arms regarding the need for, in his words, “true medicine” to come to Oklahoma. He wants to change hearts and minds in regards to how cannabis is perceived in Oklahoma. The best way to do that is with a quality product. In a highly competitive market, Eliot has found a way to stay in business yet not cut corners. He believes that comes from offering the public a quality product .

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From talking with Eliot, I got the distinct feeling that he created War Party Extracts as a political statement, a stance on the dysfunctional healthcare system and an alert to those in the cannabis industry focused on money instead of patients. He is saying not on my watch. He knows how to make a quality product and he invests his belief in everything War Party Extract puts out.

He clearly understands the importance of the need to use quality Terpenes when producing cannabis products. After all, Terpenes not only add to the Entourage Effect, they add one of the first and strongest elements patients seek when purchasing cannabis. The smell test.

Using the Supercritical Extraction method, War Party Ex-

tracts produces some of the cleanest and highest quality products on the market. You can tell from speaking with Eliot, quality is most important. Combined with the finest Terpenes available, War Party Extracts has recently one top awards at both Harvest Fest and The ever growing cannabis event, The Cowboy Cup. A quality product backed by a sincere owner is getting to be a rare combination in the very crowded Oklahoma cannabis market these days.

So the next time you’re shopping for your favorite cannabis, ask your budtender about their selection of War Party Extracts products. You will be supporting a patient owned and Native American owned company. I will tell you from my own personal experience, their E-Blunts are amazing.

War Party Extracts has an impressive list of awards.

Harvest Fest 2020 1st Place Best Distillate Cart Harvest Fest 2020 1st Place Best Infused Pre-Roll OG Cup 2020 1st Place Best Distillate Cart OG Cup 2020 3rd Place Best Infused Pre-Roll Harvest Fest 2021 1st Place Best THCA Diamond Infused PreRoll Cowboy Cup 2021 2nd Place Best Rosin Cart War Party Extracts is a Tulsa-Based company. They take great pride in being a locally owned cannabis business. Mr. Greenwood is the kind of owner that would love to hear about your experience using their products. I can tell it means a lot to him when he hears customer testimonials.

He can be reached at warpartyextracts@gmail.com or info@roleok.com.

You can also reach Eliot at 918-221-1718

Taro Strology Tarot for the Signs

by Anna Ervin

Welcome to 2022! Congratulations, you’ve survived another year around the sun. While the astrological new year doesn’t happen until March 21st, I thought we’d kick off 2022 with a fun new feature for our tarot and astrology lovers.

Because I’ve only just begun to dip my toes into astrology, I’m going to leave the interpretation of stars and planetary alignments to the real experts. Tarot, on the other hand, comes much more naturally to me, so I decided to pull a card for each of the zodiac signs as we venture into the first couple of months of 2022. If you know your whole chart, you can look for your sun, moon, rising, and venus signs to give yourself a reading that offers a little more depth.

Remember, each of these entities reigns over a different area of your life or personality, so pay close attention to where they fall in your chart. Here’s a quick refresher: Sun - ego, identity, the root of your personality Moon - your emotions Ascendent - surface value, how you’re perceived, your “mask” Venus - love, your intimate relationships For example, I’m an Aries sun with a Leo moon, so the Seven of Cups might indicate that curiosity and exploration are hyper-present in my personality right now, while the Four of Pentacles suggests that an emotional response could be causing me to hold on too tightly to the material rather than allowing energy to flow. When I take a closer look at how those two influences work in conjunction with one another, I can further identify how and where they apply to my life.

So without further adieu, here’s what we can expect from the first 6 weeks of 2022:

Capricorn - Page of Pentacles

As we approach the end of Capricorn season, Cap placements may find the coming weeks an opportune time for shifting the handling of finances, property, or career, into methods that are a bit more playful. Depending on the other placements in your chart, this could either feel like an incredibly exciting task, or your worst nightmare. However, at this time this energy could feel more natural than usual. The page of pentacles is all about taking a childlike approach to our relationship with the material world. Let yourself be curious, take a class on finance or something you’ve always wanted to learn, get creative with the way you interact with money or within your career– while still being mindful of your responsibilities.

Aquarius - Ace of Cups

It’s no surprise that the Ace of Cups appears as we prepare to head into the season of your sign, Aquarius! This happy, hopeful card indicates an abundance of new love, relationships, and blessings coming into your life. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised by lovely new emotions, bonding with new friends or love interests, or potentially gaining a deeper connection with a partner. The best way to embrace this period in your life is to allow yourself to feel deeply, practice gratitude for this happy time, and reciprocate that same loving energy back into the universe.

Pisces - Ace of Swords

Sweet, dreamy Pisces, the Ace of Swords invites a season of intellectual abundance and mental stimulation for you. This may be a time when you find yourself invested in higher education, adopting a new thought process or pattern, or simply gaining mental clarity over a situation in your life. It isn’t always easy for an emotional creature such as yourself to allow your thoughts to reign over your feelings, but you may find more ease in such matters over the next month.

Aries - Seven of Cups

Aries, the Seven of Cups indicates that you may feel empowered or influenced to take a deeper look at certain energies in your life at this time. You aren’t tapping into any kind of psychic wisdom or magic here, though at times this energy can feel mystical and alluring. This card simply means that using your curiosity and wisdom to uncover hidden truths surrounding the energies that approach you in the coming weeks will come naturally. If you aren’t already feeling this energy, this is your reminder to dig deeper when your intuition is asking for more intel.

Taurus - Knight of Pentacles

An earth card for an earth sign, the Knight of Pentacles invites Taurus to do what Taurus does best– move with careful deliberation and intention in the areas of their life that involve finance, career, or material possessions. This could be a time where you find yourself taking extra consideration before making any decisions that could affect your material well-being, or one which leads you to study your current financial or professional situations and potentially look at new ways of dealing with those aspects. Either way, you should feel right at home in this energy.

Gemini - The Tower

The Tower is a card that most Geminis with experience in Tarot likely find themselves familiar with (let’s be honest, anyone with experience in tarot has become well-acquainted with this card at some point). Gemini, however, seem to manifest The Tower and her crumbling of foundations just for the fun of it. This card indicates that if you’re currently feeling like the world is crashing and burning around you, it likely has a lot to do with the thought patterns you’ve allowed to grow so out of control, you’re now being faced with their destructive consequences. You may or may not have been aware that the ground you built your faith upon was shaky, but The Tower is here to remind you that this is of your own undoing. The best way to embrace this period is to allow yourself to let go of any patterns or behaviors that continuously hold you back or lead you astray (you already know what they are).

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Cancer - Six of Pentacles

Cancer, the Six of Pentacles invites you to take a closer look at how that deep-seeded empathy and compassion within you plays a role in the way you give back to your community or those around you. If you’re currently invested in taking care of others, are you ensuring that you have taken care of yourself first? Alternatively, if you’re feeling betrayed or hurt, this card could indicate that giving back may be just the medicine you need. This card typically rules over the financial, professional, and material aspects of our lives, but time and energy are equally as resourceful as money. Make sure you’re maintaining balance in any type of energy exchange at this time.

Leo - Four of Pentacles

Leo, your hard work is beginning to pay off and you’re seeing the beginning of a foundation form in your material/financial life.

It may feel tempting at this time, especially coming out of Capricorn season, to hold on tight to everything you’ve built thus far.

However, the Four of Pentacles would like to remind you that money and energy work best when they flow. Does this mean you should spend every penny at the nearest mall? No, no, no.

But finally making a reasonable investment in that stock, or property, or software that could help you advance your career/financial gains? Go for it.

Virgo - Six of Cups

Cups rule over watery emotions, so when it comes to earth-sign Virgo, things can get… muddy. The Six of Cups deals with some kind of emotional influence returning from your past. This could be an old friend returning to your life, childhood memories resurfacing, or even an old attachment planting itself in your line of vision once again. It’s likely that many of my Virgo friends will approach this energy with some reservation, but you need not worry as this card indicates that opening yourself up to these gifts from the past could bring blessings and opportunities into your life.

Libra - Seven of Pentacles

Sweet Libra, the Seven of Pentacles invites you to slow down and take stock of your material world, specifically your craft or trade. This card indicates a period of pause and reflection, which isn’t a foreign concept to the thoughtful Libra. With that in mind, if you have been stuck in this energy for some time, this card may be reminding you to get out of your head and back into your work. Either way, the way your thoughts interact with your material world during this time will likely bring clarity into your life if you allow it to.

Scorpio - Four of Swords

The Four of Swords brings my Scorpio friends (and my own ascendant/stellium) into a season that will require quiet reflection and meditation. Swords rule over our thoughts, and fours are all about creating stability, so you may find yourself doing a bit of foundational work in your own mind. This is a great time to tend to a regular meditation practice, record a dream journal, and focus on tuning out the noise projected by the external world in order to tune into your own inner peace. People with Scorpio placements are often drawn toward divination practices, so this energy may feel very natural to you.

Sagittarius - The Emperor

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I won’t lie, I laughed a little when I pulled The Emperor for Sagittarius. I don’t mean to tease, but to be fair, most Sag’s I know could use a little Emperor energy from time to time. The Emperor symbolizes the father of the tarot, he radiates authority and power in tradition. He is rigid, while Sagittarius are… flighty. The Emperor’s influence can bring stability and structure into adventurous, restless Sagittarius life. The thing is, as much as you guys love new experiences and constant motion, there’s something appealing about the potential to buckle down and find that same rush of excitement by settling into a comfortable life. It’s not impossible, so if you’re feeling the need to slow down and create a little more structure, now is the time to lean into this authoritative and disciplined energy.

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Happy Birthday

By James Bridges

Preparation. No one talks you into it, yet most attempt.

The lack of depth requires us to fill a void with something other than reality. This is what goes through my brain as I move forward on the path.

Reflecting on life I notice patterns that revolve around times of a boost in healing. These boosts are typically spiritual in form. However, I love when they reveal themselves in a more accepting natural form, such as the physical world.

During these boosts there tends to be tiny bursts of what I call “after-boosts” which cluster around and follow in the footsteps of its predecessor, “the boost.”

It’s logical to think that good news always follows good news, etc… But, you are never truly fully prepared for sudden changes or adjustments in your bubble. Shifts that affect you so greatly that it spills over into multiple people’s worlds.

I consider myself an involved parent. My youngest turned 7-years-old today. In my experience, to have the opportunity to step back and map out the truly positive “after-boosts” which have followed the major “boost”, the birth, is something extraordinary in an ordinary form.

We tend to look the other way and not take much notice while these exchanges of high-energy occur. In retrospect, I’ve ridden a wave down a river that is flowing so swiftly that many things require a revisit into the past in order to see what is on the shore.

Cue the boosts.

During these times of reflection we can turn these “boosts” into anchors. Find a good spot to toss one out for a while.

You will most likely be rewarded with things you never knew about your world.

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New Year

Numerology

by Anna Ervin BOOK TAROT FOR YOUR EVENT CONTACT Cannabanana ON INSTAGRAM

One year ago I wrote an article titled “building foundations,” which explored the overall theme for the years 2020 and 2021, according to a practice called numerology. Numerology is the belief that the numbers 1-9 each embody their own unique vibrational frequency, and these energetic properties manifest to have very real influences over our personalities and life experiences. You can find the energetic property of any number by reducing it to a single digit. For example, my birthdate is 04-19-1994. If I reduce that date down to a single digit by adding each of the numbers together, that digit is my Life Path Number.

4 + 1 + 9 + 1 + 9 + 9 + 4 = 37 3 + 7 = 10 1+0=1 Life Path Numbers can teach us a lot about who we are as individuals, but what I find even more interesting is the “Universal Year Number,” which affects the inhabitants of our planet as a collective. 2020 was a “four” year. During this time our collective focus as human beings (whether conscious or subconscious) was on building stability and strong foundations to prepare us for 2021, which was a “five.” Five years bring up unexpected shifts and, furthermore, plenty of opportunity to come to terms with unrealistic expectations.

In case you haven’t yet begun to connect the dots, 2022 is a “six,” which indicates a universal focus on family, compassion, and responsibility to those we love. It makes sense, really… When I think about the shifts I faced both in my own life last year, as well as some of those I shared with the vast majority of souls on the earthplane, I’m reminded of the bond that is forged between a crew of coworkers in a stressful work environment. You know, the kind that can only happen within a group of people who share a battlefield together (whether literally or metaphorically).

2021 was hell for a lot of people. It seemed as if nothing went according to plan, and many were forced to re-evaluate their values and ethics as individuals, businesses, markets, and even governments took on a season of turbulence and insecurity. Hopefully the foundations we built the year prior were sturdy enough to weather the chaos, but don’t beat yourself up if some of the structures in your life still managed to crumble (it might have been exactly what you needed in the bigger picture).

When things were at their worst for me last year, I was reminded who my family are, and reassured that I could always lean on them if life became too much to bear. This year, my focus is on showing up for those people. At the same time though, I’m asking myself why, if family are often the people we choose anyway, don’t we choose to treat more people as such? After all, could the world not use a little more compassion, empathy, and sense of responsibility toward others?

Happy New Year, sweet friends.

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Translation

by James Bridges

Clanging of mind monkeys play in the background. I wanted to focus on what was in front of me. Clang’, clang’ away monkeys…

In an instant my perspective on life had changed the night before. The level of balance achieved could not be verbally explained without some sort of translation. I was on the hunt for such a tool for the craft of communication. So I visited Namah Cannabis Co. in Shawnee, OK. An essence of content engulfed my body and mind. I was able to imagine.

STRAIN OF THE MONTH

I used to love driving along the San Fernando Valley in L.A. The calmness of the breeze would settle in as I watched the shadows of my favorite tree (brought to Los Angeles by the 1932 Olympics, btw…) dance along the streets.

I would park in residential areas for my breaks to escape the oncoming slew of rats in the race. Seems they were always on the move… Once I noticed an older gentleman. He stood out on his front patio staring up at the sky. He walked with a cane and held his lower back. This now occupied my entire attention.

I noticed a stumble come into play as he scooted from one post to another. Then a fall. I jumped out of the car. No one was around. I looked on for what seemed to be forever as he never lifted his body.

SYNERGY OF MIND & MEDICINE

As I reached for his hand I noticed a finger twitch. I wanted him to wake up. I could hear panting breaths coming from behind as I called a hospital. Once they showed and revived the gentlemen I realized the magnitude of the situation. So much so that it seemed to happen within an instant.

A change in perspective within an instant.

I broke free from my imagination for a spell. Reflecting on a moment in time that affected your universe can turn into a treasure of curiosities to unfold. Finding the proper communication method to pass along that information can be challenging. I found mine with: STRAIN - San Fernando Valley, OG CULTIVATOR - Red Bird Bio Science 1.51% Terps - Linalool, Alpha Humulene, and Beta Myrcene 23.41% THC

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Cannxiety Chronicles

When I mention that I teach weed, the common reply I hear is, “What’s there to teach? You get high”. As an advocate, this is frustrating. Treating cannabis like a weekend party drug ignores thousands of years of history and millions of personal testimonials. Instead of sparking conversations on the medicinal benefits of cannabis, today’s conversations tend to still focus on its so-called “recreational” use.

You know your favorite Uncle here enjoys a good recreational joint on a daily basis. And I have absolutely nothing against a Rick and Morty marathon smoking sesh.

for a number of reasons. Trauma, stress, environment, personality and certain health factors can all contribute to someone’s chances of developing anxiety and/or depression.

I also know that there is a large percent of the cannabis community that relies on cannabis to just get through their day. Some people use cannabis to address physical challenges like sleep or pain management. Others use it for symptoms related to the mind like anxiety or depression.

For example, cannabis can lessen the effects of panic tremors by calming the body. It does this via the GABA neurotransmitter. GABA levels are common targets for anti-depression drugs. Remember from cannabis class, a neurotransmitter is a signalling molecule that has been released by a neuron for the sole purpose of carrying the signal to a receiving neuron, muscle or gland.

I use it for both, myself. When I am feeling the effects of anxiety, before a speaking engagement for example, I will consume some cannabis. When I am having trouble falling to sleep, I will consume some cannabis. And when I am in the mood for hours of Pickle Rick and a large cheese pizza, I will consume cannabis.

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There are many symptoms of anxiety as well. Trembling, increased heart rate, muscle tension, nervousness and even agoraphobia can be things experienced by those with anxiety. These can also be lessened and controlled with cannabis use.

Next time we meet, we will discuss other symptoms of anxiety and how cannabis helps alleviate them in Part 2.

In keeping with my belief that sharing is caring, Part 3 will discuss my personal experiences with anxiety and cannabis. Parts 4 and 5 will cover depression, with Part 6 dedicated to a select group of stories I have selected from my readers and been given permission to share. The freedom and ability to be heard is a very important part of my advocacy work. I believe in it so much, I have dedicated over half my life to the advocacy and education of cannabis to the public.

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SIX GOT YOUR

Cartwright, Oklahoma photo by Brandon Bottoms

By Michael Kinney Adam Grover knows what it means to live in some dark places. After doing eight years in the United States Marine Corps and returning to the real world, he often found himself delving into some scary thoughts and feelings.

Nothing Grover tried helped him until he discovered medicinal cannabis. Ever since then he has become a town crier for how cannabis can help veterans. “It’s a complete game-changer. Unfortunately, I’ve lost a friend to suicide. Some of my veteran friends became statistics, and I think this helps 100 percent,” Grover said. “I went to the VA (Veteran Affairs), they did the same thing for me. They just gave me pills and sent me home. And when I started using medical cannabis, it really changed my life.”

Grover became such a believer that he created Got Your Six, a cannabis farm in Cartwright, Oklahoma. Grover said the company’s mission is to make a contribution to the patients by growing the best cannabis at the lowest cost to heal the mind and body alike. “Our vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people affected by physical and psychological tragedy,” Grover said. “We make this possible by offering a wide range of high-quality, low-cost cannabis products that as many people as possible will be able to afford. We get to know our customer’s medicinal needs by listening and creating meaningful relationships with those around us. We exist to create experiences where passion and purpose come together, while healing and supporting those in need.”

In the seven months that Got Your Six has been in business, Grover said they have seen tremendous growth. “We’re doing good. I didn’t have anything there when we started,” Grover said. “There were a few tables with some plants and now we have about close to 1,500 in there, but I’m just enjoying the process. I’m enjoying the grind and getting things going.”

More important for Grover is the assistance he and his company can provide to veterans. As someone who has gone through the same adversity that many of them are enduring, he knows they are in dire need of help. “I did two tours in Iraq and I just started noticing the lack of help we were getting back home, especially with PTSD and then stuff like that coming back,” Grover said. “And the VA, they just give you pills and send you home. And I started doing a lot of research on how medicinal cannabis can help veterans with some of our issues.

And I just want to help as many vets as I can, I want to help as many people as we can. That’s our mission.”

For Grover, his turning point came when he was at his lowest point. “It’s almost the same story as a lot of these vets.

That’s why I relate to them so much.

They give you these pills for your PTSD and whatever type of pain you’re having,” Grover said. “And then, six months later, you’re hooked on pills. And that ended up being what happened. I was just so focused. I had to take my pill to go to bed. I had to do this. I had to take my pill at this time, and this time. And a lot of these guys get hooked on it and it’s sad. It really is. And I just changed to medicinal cannabis and I felt the weight get off my shoulders. I wasn’t walking around like a zombie.”

Grover said it was another veteran who first told him about the benefits of cannabis and that he needed to give it a try.

“He was like, ‘Man, you got to get off those pills. You don’t need them. This is just a better way to do it.’ And so I started weaning myself off the pills and using cannabis a little more, and a little more,” Grover recalled. “And I just saw my whole outlook change. That’s when I started doing more research and looking up veteran cannabis communities and researching. And I just finally said, “You know what? I’m all in. This has to be the way, because what’s happening now is not working and it hasn’t worked for years.”

Currently, the Got Your Six staff is composed of Grover and a fellow veteran.

But he hopes to see that change in the future. “Once we start getting some more money coming in and I’m able to hire some guys, I want to bring on some veterans and teach them the process, help them get jobs, help them medically as much as we can,” Grover said.

“That’s really my goal.”

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Grover’s other goal is to one day see the VA transform and start making cannabis available to their patients. “I hope one day they do. I think it’s going to be a long road to get there, but I believe one day it will happen,” Grover said. “I don’t know when that day will be, but I think the more we get the word out and the more veterans get involved in the cannabis community, I think it’ll help that move along faster.

I’m hoping in the next five years it’ll become federally legal. That way we could start having more research done and hopefully get into the VA.” While Got Your Six was created specifically to help military veterans, that hasn’t stopped Grover from assisting others. Recently, the story of Amber Mayes was brought to his attention by one of his growers, Brandon Bottom. Mayes is a single mother who works as a cocktail waitress at an Oklahoma casino.

She was diagnosed with stage three cancer in December of 2020 and had to endure chemotherapy.

However, Mayes chose to use medical marijuana instead of the pain medication her doctor prescribed.

She attributes that as a reason she was in 100 percent remission after just six months.

But Mayes soon found herself in severe debt due to medical bills and had nowhere to turn. Then a chance encounter with Bottom changed everything.

He told her story to Grover, who didn’t hesitate to help out with medicinal cannabis needs. “I thought it was really cool of Adam to step up and say ‘Hey, if she doesn’t have anyone else to support her, that’s what Got Your Six is about,’” Bottom said. “We’ve got her back and we’ll help her with those medical needs so she can focus on putting her money towards getting her life back together.”

Even though Mayes is not a veteran, Grover said he felt compelled to do something. “Her story, it’s sad that she had to go through all that,” Grover said. “And you hear a story like that, in my eyes, it’s inhumane not to try to reach out and do what you can. I think it’s just being a human.” This is a mindset that seems to flow throughout the cannabis industry. Whenever a person is in need, someone or some group in the community does not hesitate to provide some type of assistance.

According to Grover, there’s a simple explanation. “I think the people that help the most are the ones who needed help at one time or another,” Grover said.

“There were times in my life where I hit some really bad lows. I’ve been in those dark places. I’ve needed help, and I got it. And I think when you go through certain things in life, I think when you hear a story, it doesn’t really have to relate to the same thing you went through, you just have to know this person needs help and I’m all in. The situation might be different. But I think the people that help the most are the ones that needed help before and got it.”

Let’s Go

By James Bridges

It was right in front of us. The decision had to be made.

I sat with my acquaintance on a very dark and lonely road. We were on a backroad of sorts in the middle of southern Oklahoma. We had been driving for hours.

Now on the eleventh or so we needed to make a decision.

Smoke rose between us as we both looked onward to the task. We sat in the front seat of the old 1979 Cadillac. Riding in a sled such as this was not like a joyride with Santa. This was a ride that had been going on for a very long time along with many ebb and flows.

It seemed that all we did was drive for hours and bicker with one another. We couldn’t agree on which way to turn. Nearly the entire day we had not been in sync with one another’s intentions. We were certainly not on the same level of sanity throughout the day which was behind us.

At this point we were at a stand still and neither of us knew what the hell we were doing.

I attempted to make a suggestion. As my tongue conjured up the ammunition to speak, my side-kick, if you will, decided to take his turn.

He mentioned that at some point we would most likely be at this same decision again.

I was completely confused, then quickly and almost immediately understood what this shadowy figure next to me was trying to say.

I nodded in agreement. Somehow I knew he was right. We would pass this junction again and again while traveling through all of these backroads. We would never get it “right”. We would only be able to experience the different outcomes. As if there were no such thing as a “wrong” choice.

He told me to simply close my eyes and choose.

As I closed my eyes I noticed something shimmering inside. I could visualize a pattern in my head. One that represented a never ending string of events with zero solidity other than the actual walls of the string itself. I could see the patterns take shape as the string continuously pulsed. I needed to know what was happening. A presence of intellectual energy. So I held my focus onto the string.

I opened my eyes and I felt a sensation. One that involved the entire beast of that Cadillac which we were sitting, and everything inside of it. It was like a dream. I was sitting on the opposite side of the car.

It was as if I had switched places with my riding partner. I looked over at the shadow.

He told me it was all a matter of perspective. He asked me if I felt different. I answered with a negative. Because I didn’t. I didn’t feel “different”. I felt aware. I wasn’t a different person. I was in a different person’s field of presence.

Initially I was shocked at the ability for the mind to do such things. How are we to involve an emotional and spiritual state of mind with that of the physical realm?

At that moment I caught a whiff of something. A putrid smell that seemed to seep in through the doors of the Cadillac. I felt my emotions rise and become overwhelming to the point of not being able to concentrate on our lingering decision. Then a sensation came over me. One that switched my entire perspective. So much so that I was not able to force myself to “feel” the same way as I did before the smell.

Suddenly a thought came over me. I glanced over at my shadowy riding partner. I noticed his eyes upon mine. He had felt it too. I could tell. I knew it. It was a shift. One that was very apparent. One that seemed to be near schizophrenic.

The shadow smiled. It was a new beginning of sorts. A fresh outlook. One that wasn’t bogged down by the past of the shadow figure next to me.

I didn’t feel different. I felt whole.

I gradually found myself fearing to close my eyes again. It was as if I would lose the “fresh” sensation. Although, I knew deep down that I would, once again, reach this same interesting fork in the path. A decision would need to be made.

I closed my eyes. I imagined myself being pulled into a vortex of sorts. One that would reach the outer limits of my thoughts. I rested on those outer limits and pondered about what it might be like to never return. To never once set a physical foot back on this worldly planet. I wondered if it was all worth it. I certainly wanted to know what was beyond those outer limits. I also knew that I had not discovered everything in the world from which I had launched.

Instantly I was back into my body. I knew right then and there that there was such a thing as purpose.

I looked at the shadow. The shadow looked back with a grin. He simply asked which way to turn. I told him to stop asking idiotic questions.

I told him “let’s go”!