Bringing together a group of non-cannabis smokers to watch the big game, I knew weed drinks were the move. As a society, we’re socialized to drink. But even as alcohol moves out of fashion, it’s still not quite high time in Canada for infused cannabis beverages. In Minnesota, cannabis drinks are not only sold at liquor stores, but in bars. The result has been US$200-million in revenue from the products. We need something similar in Canada—where Canadian-made products should be sold in age-gated Canadian stores where the majority of vice-seekers look to purchase their wares: namely, liquor stores.
At any rate, I had a roomful of guys and none of them had tried a cannabis beverage, let alone the Emerald Hour Cranberry & Citrus drink, a cannabis beverage infused with 10mg of live rosin THC from the makers of TeaPot.
Since the drinks are 10mg and the cans are only 222ml, I was careful to divvy the drinks up judiciously. By now, we all know the cannabis mantra: start slow and go low. For starters, the taste was deemed a hit, gone are the days when weed drinks came packed with a gnarly cannabis aftertaste. In a blind taste test I’d put Emerald Hour up against a Barbet. Also: the drinks added an aura of celebration. Traditionally, I’m a Jameson guy, and the crew has come to expect whisky shots while watching sports at my place. These days, however, in the build-up to marathon season, I’m more conscious of alcohol consumption. Besides, substituting Emerald Hour for whisky in my shot glasses had everyone in accordance that Friday would be much more palatable. Pot drinks: not just great tasting, but great to imbibe hangover-free.
Many of you will know that the Championship game against the Americans was no breezy a air—the game went into overtime. This gave the group plenty of time to absorb the fizzy cannabis fun, and divide ourselves up into who needed a bit more and who was satisfied, and all of us succumbed to our moments of bliss. Hockey, especially during heightened political moments, is generally no laughing matter. But the Emerald Hour Cranberry & Citrus live rosin-infused drinks had us all feeling like Canada Day on one of the coldest nights of the year. The drinks taste great, are easy to modulate in terms of cannabis consumption and provide weed in a format that’s most recognized all over the world.
Canada, despite having federally legal weed, is still ages behind the US in certain regulatory restrictions. On a cold February night with the whole country watching I had a room full of friends drinking weed drinks for the first time.
A message to the powers that be: we want to bolster Canadian companies, reduce American imports and purchase products created at home. My friends aren’t cannabis consumers, but all of them said they’d try these cannabis drinks again. Next time you’re hosting or thinking of drinking, instead try a cannabis beverage. The Emerald Hour Cranberry & Citrus drinks made everyone at my house feel like we’d won.
DRINK IT IN
LIKE CANADA AGAINST THE USA IN THE 4 NATIONS
FACE OFF, EMERALD HOUR CRANBERRY & CITRUS WINS OVER THE CROWD
CEDE THE LEAD TO WEED ME
At the core of Weed Me’s success story is quality, integrity and the tale of two close
BY BEN KAPLAN
Honesty, loyalty, trust: says something about our industry that words like that don’t always correspond with the character of the leaders of our business. Benny Presman and Terry Kulaga, the founders of Weed Me, have put attributes like these at the centre of their operation and the result is the largest private cannabis company in the country. Moving 4 tonnes-per-month and a million units, has created a cannabis behemoth united by values, ethics and taste that helps more than 400 growers earn their livings in legal weed. Benny and Terry sold their first grams on October 17, 2018—the first day of legalization—and today license
friends
number 103 is rewriting the playbook of how to operate a profitable cannabis company in this country. They’re having fun while they do it with vapes, flower, pre-rolls, soon-to-be monthly parties, edibles and many of their day one employees.
“WE ALWAYS BELIEVED GOOD WEED WOULD WIN.”
“It starts with the consumer—the bedrock of our foundation,” Presman said the other night over dinner with KIND. “We made a promise to never disappoint and we stand behind that, for consumers, partners across the country, and everyone who tries Weed Me products. Terry and I personally vouch for every Weed Me product we put on the shelf.”
That both Terry and Benny, and Gil Koren, their VP of marketing and sales, showed up for our dinner with joints in their mouth spoke volumes of their personal commitment to the lifestyle. In the old days, days that saw $131-billion in the public markets disappear, cannabis executives proudly touted the fact that they didn’t consume their product and frequently let slide that they looked down on their customers. Weed Me isn’t run that way. Terry and Benny first met over a joint in February, 2011, and it was their love of the flower, not money, that got them into cannabis. It’s that same love that kept them in the business after many of the early founders took the
money, dropped crap product, and ran.
“As cannabis consumers, Benny and I both saw what the opportunity behind legal weed could be,” says Kulaga, adding that both he and his partner took out second mortgages on their homes to finance their company, and that even after foregoing salaries they kept a tight reign over expenses. Today, every shareholder has gotten returns on their investment in the form of dividends, and the company has managed to repay nearly all its debt, paving the way for future growth. “I knew it could work because I didn’t see anyone like us in the industry,” Kulaga continues. “Benny and I both knew that if you could get great weed, price it fairly and respect our customers, there was no way our dream could fail.”
“And what was the dream?” I asked them, to which both partners replied: “To be the biggest cannabis company with the best products in the world.”
Cannabis companies, more than most businesses, have had to change and adapt to a volatile environment and Weed Me has made their pivots distinctly. Originally, the company was designed like many others—to grow weed, package it and fight for market share. However, after their original grow cycle, they realized a problem: growing was expensive,
“ THERE WAS NO WAY OUR DREAM COULD FAIL.”
unpredictable and slow. Since Presman and Kulaga had relationships all over the country, they began sourcing weed, packaging it, and giving it their imprimatur as a distinction of quality. Paying their partners on time, honouring deals and keeping a well-stocked supply chain in motion, quickly gave them dominance of the pre-roll market, which led to cannabis connoisseurs eagerly awaiting their next flower drops. Through word of mouth, consistent fire and every member of management responding immediately to any customer complaint, the partners outlasted their larger rivals, turned a profit, and have delivered for nearly a decade on their tag line: it has to be great.
“We’re firing on all cylinders; it feels good to be part of a winning team,” Presman said, mid-meal, stepping outside in the February freeze to o er KIND another joint. “We never felt like we had to be first in anything, never felt the need to dominate other companies with some
ridiculous size—our mindset was always, ‘learn from other’s mistakes and don’t be afraid to pivot.’ One thing Terry and I both share is this was never about our egos—we always believed good weed would win.”
Good weed wins in the Weed Me story, and also good people. Terry, Benny and Gil, along with their team of more than 200 enthusiasts, are fixtures at the cannabis conventions, KIND fairs, and legal pot shops across the country. No one leaves the company and they like each other (ping pong tournaments and soccer games break out at work), and it turns out honestly, integrity, loyalty and trust do have a place in legal weed. Benny and Terry fought hard for the culture to make Weed Me soar and today support a network of mom-and-pop Canadian businesses across the country. Pu ing on a joint, the partners told KIND the Canadian legal cannabis industry is still the best place to be.
“With well over 100 unique products, we have our sights set on the international markets, and connecting people with amazing products,” Kulaga says. “We empower people to be the best versions of themselves and they reciprocate. It’s because of our people that we’re growing bigger and faster than ever before.”
“It’s just getting started,” Presman said.
NICOLE WOLFF ON THE WONDROUS SOULS WHO TURNED A 1,000-YEAR-OLD CASTLE IN TUSCANY INTO THE DESTINATION WEDDING SPOT OF HER DREAMS
PHOTOGRAPH BY: JOHN KOMAN, @THEKOMANS
When I hopped on a Zoom call with Stefanie Grassley and Rasmus Palmqvist, they were taking a break from the slopes during their six-week ski trip in Bulgaria with other families from around the world.
Their kids, Leon and Viya, were o participating in the endless activities o ered at the family-friendly retreat, while Stefanie, a self-proclaimed novice, was tackling skiing for the first time. “I paid for this, so I’m going to learn,” she laughed, embodying the same adventurous spirit that led her to say yes to an impromptu trip to the South of France with Rasmus after knowing him for only a few days.
“He kept collecting yesses from me,” Stefanie recalls, reflecting on the early days of their relationship. It’s a philosophy that has come to define not just their love story but their life together—a series of yesses, big and small, that ultimately led them to purchase and transform Castello di Ristonchi, a 1,000-year-old castle in Tuscany. It was 2013, and Grassley—a model, marketer and theatre artist—was wrapping up a month-long solo trip through Europe. At the time, she’d discovered that renting out her New York City apartment on
Castello Di Ristonchi
Airbnb allowed her to fund her travels, earning more money than if she stayed home. But as exciting as her adventures had been, an early morning in Berlin found her breaking down in tears. Traveling alone had lost its charm—she was ready to meet someone to share her journey.
A 5 a.m. Ryanair flight brought her to her final stop, Copenhagen, a city where she could indulge her love of biking on streets designed for it—so unlike New York, where riding a bike often felt like a survival sport. She’d booked a room that came with a bike in an apartment owned by Rasmus, an avid Airbnb host who rented out five rooms in his condo. In those early days, Airbnb was di erent—less transactional and more about fostering community, something Rasmus, an architect, was passionate about.
Stefanie sensed something di erent about Rasmus. He carried her bag to her room and spent hours talking with her—not about surface-level things but the kind of deep topics that reveal your core. “We were talking about the life we wanted to create, which is the life we have now,” she recalls.
After only three days, as Stefanie prepared to head back to New York, Rasmus asked her a bold question: Would she join him on a trip to the South of France? With a mix of spontaneity and trust, she said yes.
Not long after Stefanie returned to New York, they decided on a bold second date— renting a camper van to explore Iceland. What followed was a whirlwind of backand-forth trips between New York, L.A. and Europe before Stefanie took the leap and moved to Copenhagen,
just over a year after their first hello.
Rasmus, who grew up in a small town just outside Copenhagen, reflects on his homeland with mixed feelings. “Denmark has always been a little too comfortable for me,” he explains. “Too well-organized, everything taken care of—you just cruise around in your comfort zone.” With a master’s degree in architecture, Rasmus’s passion for creating was deeply rooted, but he always felt drawn to something beyond the physical structures he could build. “I wanted to create a space where people could be free and connect authentically,” he says, a vision that would eventually shape their life together at Castello di Ristonchi.
Castello di Ristonchi is how I came to know Stefanie and Rasmus. My fiancé, Justin, and I stumbled upon their home-turned-castle
while researching places for our own wedding. When I asked if owning a castle in Italy had always been part of their plan, they both laughed. “Italy had never even crossed our minds,” Stefanie said. Their relationship had always been marked by natural, e ortless connection—no drama, just a feeling of alignment that allowed them to synchronize and dream together.
They’d both long envisioned a space where people could connect—with each other, with nature, and with the place they were visiting. Their history as Airbnb hosts had given them a taste of fostering community, and Rasmus’s background as an architect added a creative edge. Initially, they imagined building treehouses somewhere—until a friend casually joked, “You could buy a castle for less than the price of land.”
PHOTOGRAPH BY: TOBIAS CRETA, @THECRETAS
PHOTOGRAPH BY: ALEX TENSER, @ACT_PHOTO
And where else does one find a castle but Google? “We didn’t even think of Italy at first, but Google suggested it, and within minutes, we were staring at Castello di Ristonchi,” Stefanie recalled. The rest, as they say, is history.
A castle in Italy might sound pretentious, but that was never Stefanie and Rasmus’s vision. They were drawn to Ristonchi’s authenticity—its unpolished charm—and the fact that it could host 80 people (rather than a handful). It felt like a place where they could truly build a community. While weddings weren’t part of their original vision, reality soon shifted. Before COVID, remote work and income were rare, and their concept of a creative retreat space was ahead of its time. Weddings became the natural way to sustain their dream while staying true to their ethos of connection and community.
Weddings are the ultimate point of connection. Stefanie realized that their role in these celebrations was far greater than just providing a stunning venue—they were helping couples foster deeper bonds. “We could help connect them with their families and friends, food, and with the culture of Italy—music, traditions.” It was a beautiful realization: their work was essentially about love, framed against one of the world’s most breathtaking backdrops.
“Give people the ideal experience of what’s possible, even if only for three days.”
A consistent theme in Castello di Ristonchi reviews is the food. Every dish is either sustainably sourced from their property or neighboring farms, a testament to their commitment to quality and sustainability. The castle is also on a path to zero waste, ensuring that leftover food is distributed thoughtfully: shared with sta , donated to local schools, or used to feed their animals— much to the delight of their daughter, Viya, who loves taking care of the chickens and ducks. Even the scraps eventually make their way to the compost. With 2,000 olive trees and 100 beehives, you can taste the homegrown care that goes into every bite.
“As an architect, I see systems and how things work. But a lot of systems really don’t work—food systems being one of them,” Rasmus says. For Rasmus, food is medicine, and creating a sustainable food system was
about more than just nourishment—it was about crafting a tiny, ideal world that could become a legacy. “This is my life’s art project,” he says, “and every part of it—from the soil to the plate—is intentional.”
After getting a fascinating lesson on soil, biochar, and how their tomatoes represent the truest expression of what a tomato can be, I asked Rasmus how he became so knowledgeable. He laughed and admitted, “I’m no farmer—I’m an architect by trade,” he said. “I’m educated to see problems, but also to find solutions. I can identify what’s missing, and I know when something can be better. This is true for food and for people—I see the highest potential in everyone.”
Stefanie, on the other hand, spent a lot of time in New York City, where gardening wasn’t exactly part of her everyday life. Now, surrounded by acres of gardens at Ristonchi, she has developed a deep connection to how and where things grow. For both Stefanie and Rasmus, their mission at Ristonchi is simple: give people the ideal experience of what’s possible, even if only for three days. Guests often leave their home to start their own gardens or make their own fresh pasta. “When we hear that, we know we’ve inspired someone,” Stefanie shares. And that, for them, is the heart of what they do.
Rasmus gestures to the Ristonchi logo on his hat and explains its meaning: earn (experiences), learn, and give. It’s a philosophy they embody in every aspect of their work, and their son Leon already seems to share the family’s love of creating. “He wants to be a chef someday,” Stefanie says with a smile. “He’s always experimenting, bringing the chef something to try—banana bread, wa les, anything. He even helps lead the pasta-making classes at our weddings.”
Before saying goodnight to Stefanie and Rasmus in Bulgaria, I couldn’t resist asking about the cannabis plants I’d seen in a video online. Rasmus explained that when it was legal in Italy to grow cannabis with less than 0.2% THC, they tried their hand at cultivation. “The soil we have here made for an incredibly pure product,” he shared. “Cannabis even cleans the soil, pulling out toxins. For me, it wasn’t about consumption—I’d just walk around the field, connecting with the plants. Whenever I was stressed, I’d go for a walk and re-calibrate my vibrations.” While they’re no longer growing cannabis due to regulatory changes, Rasmus doesn’t rule out revisiting it in the future if Italy’s laws shift again.
Now, with the business side of Ristonchi running smoothly, Stefanie and Rasmus are excited to refocus on their original purpose. They want to continue building prototypes for what intentional, community-driven living can look like. “It’s about connecting people, creators, and entrepreneurs,” Stefanie says. “Elevating vibrations, helping people push past their limiting beliefs, and showing them what’s possible when you just say yes.”
PHOTOGRAPH BY:MAGGIE AND AMBER, @KINDREDLIGHTSTUDIOS
PHOTOGRAPH BY: ALEX TENSER, @ACT_PHOTO
VIEW TO A THRILL
Justin Vanslingerland explains the process behind the exquisite pictures he’s taken all over the world.
“Being there in the moment,” is what Justin Vanslingerland says he likes most about taking pictures. Vanslingerland, 37, an aquatic biologist, lives to travel and, when he explores new places, he does so through the viewfinder of his camera lens. A second generation photographer, Vanslingerland has a unique combination of skills that helps him get his shot: the patience to capture an instant, and the wide-eyed desire to crisscross the globe.
“I want to see the world and experience everything, then capture it and document a moment in time,” says Vanslingerland, whose cover photograph and pictures across these five pages were all taken on a Pentax K1. “In a photograph, you’re not just capturing the moment in your mind, but preserving it with your camera and letting it live on even after you’re gone.”
Working as an environmental biologist, Vanslingerland has seen up close the horrors of climate change and global warming and his photographs, especially from the arctic, highlight a natural environment in the throes of its last breath. For Vanslingerland—who specializes in vibrant landscape photography and detail-rich portraits of the nooks and crannies of intricate localles—nature is a place of restoration and wonder, and his pictures serve as tributes to the beauty, often ignored, in the world.
“Taking pictures makes you appreciate the universe, slow down, and not take the natural world for granted,” he says, with trips lined up next in Italy, to get married, then in Africa, for his honeymoon. As all of us dream of exploration this season and beyond, and Vanslingerland says that taking great pictures is a skill available to any traveler willing to take a moment, open their heart, and imagine life beyond their current instant.
“Photography has helped make me appreciate who I am and maybe that’s what I love most about travel—new places, new scenarios, new ideas,” Vanslingerland says. “You learn something new on every shot—every trip.”
Photographer for all: Justin Vanslingerland (@battography)
Over the past twelve years, adventure travel photographer Jesse Bruyn has taken pictures underwater in Mexico, Indonesia, Ecuador, the Maldives, Norway, Australia, Bahamas and the Galápagos Islands. A conversationalist, activist and documentarian, Bruyn, 36, uses his camera to teach other people what he sees firsthand: the peacefulness and cohesion of the world underground. “Ever since I was little, I had a fascination with sharks,” says Bruyn, who travels the world with his partner and his Sony A7III, a full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, that he uses with underwater housing that he picked up around the time that he got his scuba certification in Thailand. “Appropriate lighting is essential to a good underwater photo—we are constantly tweaking our shutter speed, aperture and ISO to find the perfect balance. From there, you need to be patient and calm so that the sharks will approach. The closer the shark, the better the shot!”
Bruyn is a fascinating individual. For instance, when explaining how to take a good photograph, this was his response: “If a shark is coming at you fast, you need fast shutter speed,” he said, unaware completely that this sounds like an insane comment to make.
For Bruyn, sharks are misunderstood, beautiful creatures, and he says it’s safer swimming with sharks than riding a bike in a city, flying, or even driving a car.
STORY BY BEN KAPLAN, PHOTOS BY JESSE BRUYN
GONE FISHING: Bruyn gets up close and personal in his commitment to getting the greatest photographs of sharks.
EASY DOES IT!
Start with a low dose and give it time — your future self will thank you.
VIBES MATTER
Good friends + good environment = good times. Keep it safe when deciding where and when to consume cannabis.
FIND YOUR PERFECT MATCH
Everyone’s di erent. Ask your budtender to help you find the product that feels right for you.
ONE AND DONE
Be mindful of mixing substances to decrease the chance of a negative experience.
GET HOME SAFE
Plan your way back before the fun begins. Designated driver, rideshare or transit — your choice!
“Because of Jaws, millions of people don’t swim in the ocean, but the reality is only six people are killed by sharks in a year,” Bruyn says, “They’re not out to kill you. Don’t make eye contact with a shark, don’t swim in murky water or at dusk and, if you don’t wear anything shimmery or look like a fish, sharks really want to leave people alone.”
Underwater photography has been Bruyn’s passion and, with each ensuing promotion at Salesforce where he works as a director, he invests more money in his travels around the world. To budding underwater photographers, he advises lighting strobes and flood lights for taking video, and experimenting with shutter speeds to work on the ratio of crispness and light. Currently, he’s planning an enormous dive for his honeymoon, where he and his newly christened wife will visit South Africa and capture a Bait ball, which is a swirl of thousands of sardines swimming in a pack that attracts dolphins, ducks, whales and, of course, sharks.
“You have to picture millions of sardines all swimming in enormous circles and birds flying in and out of the water, sharks zooming in and out—really, it’s just the most unbelievable thing,” he says, “and that’s the beauty of underwater photography. You don’t have to take my word for it. I can show everyone my pictures when I come back.”
To see all of Jesse Bruyn’s extraordinary photos, follow him on Instagram @JesseBruyn.Underwater
Unwind with Bleuh Original Indica, a rotating lineup of premium strains selected for their rich terpene profiles, high THC levels, and deep, frosted aesthetics. Curated by our sommeliers in Quebec, these limited drops are crafted for those who appreciate a refined and intentional wind-down. Bleuh Original Indica pairs best with movie nights in, stargazing, or a slow Sunday morning.
Available in 3.5 g Dried Flower and 10 x 0.4 g Straight Cut Pre Rolls.
Original Sativa
For those who seek a spark of inspiration, Bleuh Original Sativa offers a rotating selection of meticulously curated strains. Handpicked by our Quebec-based sommeliers, these limited-edition drops are chosen for their high THC content, and vibrant terpene profiles. Bleuh Original Sativa pairs perfectly with moments of creativity, live music or weekend adventures.
Available in 3.5 g Dried Flower and 10 x 0.4 g Straight Cut Pre Rolls.
MAGIC AND MAYHEM AND MUSICIANS, OH MY!
The best themed hotel rooms around the world . You know what they say: if you love something, fully immerse yourself in it. Hotels around the world o er various opportunities to fully engage with larger-than-life renderings of various themes, from the hilarious to the cultured to the downright creepy.
BY ERICA COMMISSO
THE FRENCH SUITE AT THE VICTORIAN MANSION IN LOS ALAMOS, CA, USA
Just as the name suggests, this former Victorian mansion has been converted into a boutique hotel with six unique–and themed–rooms. The French suite sits on the third floor, and is designed to model a Parisian artist’s loft with views of the Ei el Tower. There’s a circular iron staircase that leads to a loft bed, a fireplace and private balcony, and travel trunk-like details.
THE TAMBOPATA SUITE AT INKATERRA RESERVA AMAZONICA, LIMA, PERU
Inspired by the culture of the the Ese’Eja, the Indigenous fishing, hunting, and gathering tribe of Peru, the Tambopata suite allows guests to really connect with nature. Eco-friendly wooden structures boast a private covered terrace with a plunge pool, hammocks to sleep in, fishtail palm rooftops, and more—it really redefines glamping. The best part? The only way to get to the lodge is via 45-minute boat ride.
THE GHOSTBUSTERS ROOM AT THE CURTIS HOTEL, DENVER, CO, USA
Tastefully modern themes are the name of the game at this boutique hotel, located just minutes from Ball Arena and all of the Denver sports teams. But the Ghostbusters room—and the “Dun Dun Dunnnnn” floor is what elevated the Curtis to fame. Viggo the Carpathian, the Ghostbusters logo and more bring the theme to life.
NINJA-THEMED ROOM AT MIMARU HOTEL, TOKYO, JAPAN
With real replicas of ninja tools, scrolls, and artwork describing the way of the ninja, this hotel suite is bound to impress movie bu s and karate fans of all ages. There are even costumes supplied in the fully-stocked room to help inhabitants search for the hidden ninjas in the room.
Get your groove on at these disco-themed rooms at an entirely funky motel in Music City. There are disco balls, a pool deck and sauna open to everyone, and a party switch in every room. There are six on the property and each is di erent but decidedly vintage, boasting cheetah rugs, floral couches, and jukeboxes.
THE KING POOL SUITES AT THE DIVE MOTEL IN NASHVILLE, TN, USA
THE OLD WORLD SUITE AT THE MADONNA INN, SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA
There are dozens of themed rooms at this California hotel, but none are quite like the Old World Suite. It’s intended to honour prehistoric times, so everything is encased in rock floors and walls, highlighted by a rock fireplace. Most impressively, though, a literal waterfall flows into the bathroom from above. Intentionally.
To get links to all these unique rooms, go to kindmagazine.ca
THE JAMES BOND NOVELTY SUITE AT THE CHESHIRE HOTEL, ST.
LOUIS, MO, USA
007 would definitely approve of these digs. The room pays homage to Ian Fleming’s masterpiece with chic 1960’s Modern Décor, a two-person jetted tub, and direct access to the Pool courtyard where guests can enjoy a Vesper martini—shaken, not stirred, of course.
THE CAROUSEL SUITE AT THE EFTELING HOTEL,
KAATSHEUVEL, NETHERLANDS
Complete with funhouse mirrors and rocking horses, the room is locating in one of the towers of the hotel—which is attached to an amusement park of the same name—and has a sitting room and an enchanting barrel organ. It’s one of several fairytale-themed rooms on the property.
Vee is forVictory
CANADA’S PREEMINENT FITNESS INSTRUCTOR KARINA VEE HAS SOME THOUGHTS ON HOW TO LEAN INTO SPRING
Lean + Live Well, which launched last month, is Karina Vee’s national online training program that’s built for actual human beings with real lives, real motivation, flaws and strengths, and incorporates the ups and downs of the universe into an actual training plan designed for real people to follow.
“Wellness isn’t one thing, it’s so many things at once—for instance, you can’t out-train a bad diet and the reason you may be craving sugary food is because you’re not sleeping well,” says Vee, who cut her teeth as an in-demand trainer at Barry’s before pivoting to help celebrities look their best for demanding film roles.
“ Looking your best means feeling your best ”
Today, Vee takes her knowledge in customizing 360-degree training programs designed for the Hollywood circuit into living rooms across Canada, creating a new fitness app that meets people where they are: Vee believes health and wellness is for everybody and there’s never a bad time to start.
“When I began in the fitness industry it was more about vanity, wanting to look my best, but after twelve years I understand better that it’s all about feeling your best,” says Vee, also opening a boutique gym this month with her partner Chris Lewarne, @the_Cuddly Canadian on Instagram, also an in-demand trainer and wellness coach. “Today, Chris and I both think that looking your best means feeling your best, and so we’re focusing on customized lifestyle programs that train you from the inside-out.”
Vee’s new training program o ers fun, all-encompassing monthly workouts that not only feature exercises, yoga and pilates, but takes into account things like salsa dance class, group fitness programs, pickleball, nutrition and sleep etiquette. Vee says that it takes a month to create a habit and her Lean + Live Well fitness app tracks diet and progress, and gives users an honest account of their activity—by measuring data, she can help people reach their goals. It’s an a ordable way for Canada’s best trainers to reach the entire country, and get everyone feeling their best all year-round.
“Anybody can use the app in any phase of your life, and you can set it to reach whatever specific goals matter most to you,” says Vee. “It’s all about finding something you enjoy doing, sticking with it, and watching baby steps lead up to big improvements while having fun with me keeping you accountable and holding your hand.”
To learn more about Lean + Live Well, follow @LeanandLiveWell on Instagram and arrange a private introductory call with Karina Vee.
LEGACY TO LEGAL: INSIDE PISTOL AND PARIS’ STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY
In the evolving landscape of Canada’s cannabis industry, few brands encapsulate the journey from legacy to legal as authentically as Pistol and Paris. Founded by Dylan King, this family-owned enterprise is rooted in a deep appreciation for British Columbia’s renowned cannabis culture and is dedicated to delivering premium cra products to consumers nationwide.
At the heart of Pistol and Paris is a commitment to curating top-tier, small-batch cannabis. By partnering with microcultivators across British Columbia, the brand ensures that each product reflects the unique characteristics of its origin. King’s personal involvement, often visiting partner farms via helicopter, underscores his dedication to maintaining close relationships with cultivators and overseeing the quality of the offerings. Dylan King’s leadership is characterized by a blend of respect for traditional cultivation and a forward-
thinking approach to business. His journey from a young enthusiast on Quadra Island to the CEO of a prominent cannabis brand exemplifies his dedication to the plant and its community. King’s vision is clear: to reclaim market share from the unregulated sector by showcasing that brands like Pistol and Paris have successfully transitioned to the legal market, offering consumers a superior and safer product. Visit pistolandparis.com to learn more.
The Bleuh Original Collection debuts with Nordic Tangie, a sativa-dominant cultivar that encapsulates the fresh energy of the North. This strain delivers vibrant mandarin and citrus aromas, accented with woody spice and florals. Its dense, resinous buds sparkle with trichomes, hinting at a potentially uplifting and creativity-enhancing experience.
1964
Sour Tangie
THC%: 26-30% | FORMAT: 7G Dried Flower
Welcoming the newest sativa to the 1964 lineup. A true classic - Sour Tangie is a tangy and uplifting sativa-dominant cultivar that checks every box. With vibrant aromas of citrus and diesel, the smoke combines zesty tangerine with sour notes, offering a bright and refreshing experience. Sour Tangies complex terpene profile makes it a standout choice for connoisseurs.
Introducing the first drop in the Bleuh Original Indica dried flower Collection, Wedding Cake Glacé —a frosty take on a beloved classic. Cultivated in Quebec from a carefully selected phenotype, this indica-dominant strain showcases trichome-rich buds with a crystalline finish. Its aroma blends sweet vanilla with subtle earthy undertones, offering a refined and potentially soothing experience.
Medium to Dark Purple Buds with complex blueberry fruity skunk aroma. The name comes from a unique trait that occasionally bears a purple drop of honey on the ripening buds. The honey tastes as sweet as honey with the same viscosity. Clear drops occur on the green bud phenos but purple drops on the purple showing ultimate ripeness and sweetness.
Prepare your tastebuds for BC Organic Strawberry Guava, offering a mellow and euphoric experience, This cultivar features stunning vibrant green buds derrived from Strawberry Banana and Papaya strains. Its aroma is a tantalizing mix of fresh strawberries and creamy yogurt, finished with a subtle earthy tone. Cultivated with meticulous care in organic living soil, each bud is hand-trimmed and carefully packed in premium glass jars to ensure freshness and optimal quality.
BLEUH
Old School Quebec Hash
THC%: 46-48% | TERPENE%: 3.3% | FORMAT: 2G Hash
Purple Cookies is a modern, sativa-dominant hash crafted from an old school recipe using extracts from Purple Churro and our renowned French Cookies. Its smooth and pliable texture reveals complex, earthy, fruity, and sweet aromas offering a potent and balanced hash with a perfect texture for handling. Purple Cookies is made from meticulously selected resin-rich flowers, refined without chemical solvents, and aged for 45 days.
Embrace grape season with BC Organic’ Grape Cream Cake. This luxurious Indica Hybrid treat features the essence of grape and vanilla, with a subtle gassy finish. Created through the fusion of Grape Pie and Wedding Crasher, her buds shimmer with trichomes and vibrant green hues.
A timeless cross of Wedding Cake and Kush Mints. This exquisite strain promises a delectable blend of sweet dough and gas. Perfect for any occasion, LA Kush offers a guilt-free escape with all the flavor and none of the calories.
A first of its kind in Canada, this 1.8g rechargeable disposable vape is formulated with Liquid Diamonds extract for unmatched purity. With a balanced 45-50% THC and 35-40% CBD profile, it delivers a smooth, precisely measured cannabis ratio. Each inhale offers refined notes of strawberry and lemonade with a light floral finish.
WILDFLOWER
CBD Extra Strength Relief Stick
CBD: 900-1000mg | FORMAT: 60G Topical Stick
Our CBD Extra Strength Relief Stick is a very potent topical offering easy and targeted application. Blended with coconut oil, shea butter, essential oils, arnica and wintergreen, ingredients that work together synergistically for optimal results. Features our highest concentration of CBD (900-1000mg in a 60g size,) The inclusion of peppermint and eucalyptus in our products leaves you with a lasting signature scent.
WEED ME MAX
Liquid Diamonds Huckleberry Haze
THC%: 95-98% | FORMAT: 1G Disposable Vape
This 1g All-In-One Vape is powered by Liquid Diamonds technology, delivering a potent 95-98% THC. Formulated with our MAX proprietary terpene blend, it layers rich, caramelized huckleberry sweetness with deep, earthy, skunky haze.
FAT CAT
Banana Cream Cake Pre-Roll Joints
THC%: 25-31% | FORMAT: 7x0.5G Pre-Rolls
These luxury hand crafted straight joints are filled with whole ground buds. Banana Cream Cake is a coss between Ice Cream Cake and Banana OG Kush, producing a thick, creamy smoke. Rolled with organic hemp paper for a slow, even burn.
Grown in Quebec, French Cookies boasts a rich, dessert-like aroma of vanilla caramel, complemented by subtle spice. Part of Bleuh’s Original rotating lineup, this strain is a taste of curated drops ahead.
Born from Lemonchello #10 and LPC #75, Bleuh launches with Pink Rosay straight cut pre rolls an indica-dominant strain that embodies elegance and complexity.its dense buds glisten with amber trichomes, revealing deep green and purple hues. Aromatically, it unfolds with floral, woody, and fruity notes, finishing with a fresh, balanced essence.
SHRED
A strain that has stood the test of time, Black Mountain Side is a heavy-hitting sativa with resinous, foxtail buds, cultivated with extended flowering times to enhance terpene and cannabinoid expression. A bold cross of Girl Scout Cookies, Durban Poison, and OG Kush, it delivers sweet, herbal flavours layered with citrus, diesel, and a subtle skunky finish. Now available in a 5x0.5g pre-roll pack for grab-and-go convenience.
Gigantic Grape Heavy Slims
THC%: 37-43% | FORMAT: 5 x 0.4G Infused Blunts
Introducing Gigantic Grape SHRED Heavy Slimsthese slick beauties are tube style blunts infused with diamonds, disty and terps, packing up to 43% THC. Coming in a stacked 5 x 0.4g blunt pack, Gigantic Grape Heavy Slims offer a massive sweet grapey slap mixed with a toasted blunt finish. While they may be slim these SHRED Heavy Slims are not for lightweights.
SWEET JUSTICE
Infused Lemonade Ginger Ale
THC:10mg | FORMAT: 355mL Beverage
Lemonade Ginger Ale is a zingy, citrusy sipper that delivers full flavour and ultimate refreshment. Natural ginger and a splash of juicy lemonade flavour.
WILDFLOWER
Passion Fruit Sweet Dreams Gummies
THC:10mg | CBD: 50 mg FORMAT: 5 Pack
Our Passionfruit Chamomile Wildflower Sweet Dreams gummies are naturally sweetened with fruit puree, vegan, gluten free with no added sugar, or colours. Each of the 5 gummies has 2 mg of full spectrum Live Rosin, as well as 10 mg of CBD, and 10mg of CBN. These ingredients combined will be the perfect start to your sweet dreams.
TEAPOT
Rosin-Infused Lemon Black Tea
THC:10mg | FORMAT: 355mL Beverage
Canada’s best-selling THC iced tea just got a lot more dope. TeaPot Rosin-Infused Lemon Black Tea stays true to the award-winning recipe but now features 10mg of pure, solventless THC extract. With no cannabis taste or aroma, it’s a refreshing way to elevate your day. Available in 355mL cans at dispensaries nationwide.
GLASS ANIMALS
Mastahlgass brings Old School know how to New School weed with Cannara and the tightest glass pipes in the game
Meet Mastahglass, aka Andrew Edwards. Mastahglass and Dave built a custom glass studio in Kingston, Ontario. They’re the glass blowers behind all the hash devices you may have noticed on the market in recent years. The Hash Kettle (Licensed to Hash Co.), Nugz Häpple (Licensed to Cannara Biotech), Hash Lantern (Hash Co), Dew Drop (Cannara), and the upcoming release of the Lava Lamp (Cannara) rig are all designs made in their studio and all work is produced by hand. Their mission is to provide functional and a ordable glass to the cannabis industry. With over 20,000 devices sold including over 11,000 Nugz Häpples, they are the undisputed leaders in the glass industry.
You may also recognize them from cannabis events. They have provided live demonstrations of glassblowing. Mastahglass has shown what it takes to make one of their devices and many fun live projects like the
FIRE STARTERS: Mahstaglass getting busy at KIND.
10-foot-long functioning bong. Most recently, Mastahglass and Dave provided some entertainment at this past KIND Winter Fair in Toronto. Working with Cannara Biotech, they provided live demonstrations of their dayto-day work making Nugz Happles for all the budtenders lined up and waiting patiently to speak with Cannara about their latest activation. What an event.
When smoking, it’s always best to use glass, as it maintains potency and flavour of the cannabis because the glass reacts to the heat from the smoke and vapors. It’s also very resilient to cleaning solutions, ensuring no degradation or contamination from continued cleaning and use. A well kept Happle will last a lifetime. Soaking your glass in Isopropyl alcohol often will keep it looking fresh and new, and it’s always best to use distilled water, because calcium and lime deposits can stain your glass.
MEET THE CREW
WHO: Drew, aka
MastahGlass: Started, 2012
WHAT:
Borosilicate glass-blower focusing on functional cannabis hashsmoking vessels
Formerly known for the Best Functioning Recyclers
WHERE: Instagram: @mastahglass
WHO: Dave, aka Errlectric Dave: Started, 2016
WHAT: Borosilicate glass-blower and designer of the original Happle.
WHERE: nstagram: @errlectric_dave
HEAT SCORE: Nicholas Sosiak enjoying another day at the office.
SEARCHING FOR IDENTITY IN CANNABIS LOST IN THE GREEN
BY DANIEL DAVIS
First time I bought and held cannabis in my hands, it felt like freedom. It wasn’t in a government regulated plastic container. There was no receipt, no laminated menu, no budtenders reading o terpene percentages, only connection, one person to another. There was something raw, something real. A culture wrapped in rolling papers, a type of rebellion passed hand to hand.
Now, years later, I stand at the crossroads of an industry that has legalized what once defined us as criminals. I should feel triumphant, but instead, I feel displaced.
Cannabis is legal now, but not for everyone.
Steven Conville, who touts the only Blackowned cannabis producer and processor in the country, Kronic Relief, knows the weight
of this reality all too well. When I asked him about the pressure of being the only one in the room, he didn’t hesitate.
“If I wasn’t a Black man, I probably would have quit already,” he says.
Those words carry history. It carries a lifetime of having to be twice as good, three times as patient, and ten times as resilient just to exist in spaces that weren’t built for us.
Cannabis culture was once a place where Black people found community. There was an unspoken language built on trust and survival. Now, the industry looks nothing like the culture that shaped it. The government that once criminalized us now regulates us. The same investors who never understood nor cared for the plant, now own it. As for those individuals who kept it alive, who
nurtured it, who su ered for it? We’re still fighting to find a way in, as most of us are still locked up or currently locked out.
“The majority of my investors are white,” Conville admitted. “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here. Period. Full stop.”
Prior to legalization, cannabis wasn’t just about the product, it was about the experience. The journey came with a process. You didn’t just buy it, you discovered it. A friend, a cousin, a whispered name in the right circle. There was proof of belonging, of knowing, of being trusted. That was the code. That was the culture. That’s all disappearing.
Now? Now it’s a government ID and a debit card.
“The legal industry wasn’t built for the cul-
FOR
BEEN HERE
YEARS: Steven Conville, representing the culture in the legal industry.
IF I WASN’T A BLACK MAN, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE QUIT ALREADY.”
ture. It was built for shareholders,” Conville told me. “They don’t care about the plant. They care about the profit.”
You see it everywhere, dispensaries that look like tech startups, selling product that’s been handled like an afterthought. Boardrooms filled with individuals who never had to look over their shoulders while rolling a joint. Not in the way legacy growers, the ones who perfected the craft long before legalization, were pushed aside for corporations that only learned what terpenes were a few years ago.
The real ones know.
The culture can’t be packaged and sold. It can’t be sanitized for mass consumption.
When I observe this industry, I see potential. I see the stories that could and should be told. The brands that could be built, the legacies that could be cemented. I also see an industry that wasn’t designed with us in mind.
I see events full of executives in tailored suits who were never arrested for possession. I see cannabis brands that borrow from Black culture when it’s convenient, but leave Black entrepreneurs struggling for funding. I see the same systemic barriers that exist everywhere else, dressed up in fancy and colourful packaging and sold to us as “progress.”
“There are wealthy Black people who could invest in cannabis,” Conville pointed out, “but
they won’t. They’re still traumatized by what this plant did to our communities.”
That’s the problem. We built this culture, but we’ve been conditioned to believe we don’t belong in the industry.
The Black experience in cannabis has always been a contradiction. We made it cool, we made it music, we made it a movement, but we also made up the majority of the arrests, the convictions, and the lives ruined for doing exactly what dispensaries now do legally every day. Now? We’re being told we’re guests in a space that wouldn’t exist without us.
So what’s next? The truth is, I don’t have an answer yet. I’m still figuring it out. Still trying to carve out my place in an industry that often feels unfamiliar, even though cannabis has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.
I know what I don’t want, to be another creative reduced to a marketing tool for a brand that doesn’t see me. I won’t let my
voice, my culture, my experience be used as a stamp of authenticity for corporations that wouldn’t hire someone who looks like me as CEO.
I want ownership. I want control. I want to build something that feels like it belongs to us.
“We don’t have a bad strain,” Conville told me. “All our genetics are grown in-house. We innovate. We set the standard. If you’re making a blunt for the market, you better know who actually smokes blunts.”
That’s the kind of energy I want to bring to this space. That’s the standard, the level of excellence I want to uphold. If I’m going to exist in this industry, I refuse to be a token.
I refuse to ask for permission. Cannabis belongs to us just as much as it belongs to anyone. If this industry won’t make room for us, then we’ll have to take it.
One way or another.
GROWING PAINS: Conville looks over his cannabis plants at his greenhouse in North York, Ontario.
On Canadiana, puppies, and tacos, Max Kerman, new author of Try Hard, says Arkells will always stay close to their Hamilton roots.
BY ERICA COMMISSO
ARKELLS TO THE RESCUE
“We’ve done some crazy shit for shows,” Max Kerman says, standing in the middle of a garage in Horseshoe Valley, Ontario, “but this is one of the craziest things we’ve ever done.”
His band, Arkells, has done some iconic things—including performing at the 2024 Olympics in the band’s first-ever trip to Paris, as well as flying to Korea on little to no notice for the Pyeongchang Olympics. But its trajectory to one of the most recognizable indie bands in Canada hasn’t changed its members’ down-to-earth, hometown vibe. Dressed in a pu er vest, toques, and Adidas sneakers, Kerman moves through a cheering, intimate crowd as if he’s just hanging out with his friends, interacting with the roughly seventy people who have packed into the residential garage to attend the secret show put on in partnership with Mazda. He’s cracking jokes and asking questions, clearly comfortable in the spotlight, but adjusting its glare to highlight his relaxed sensibility.
Formed in Hamilton, Ontario, the blue-collar, industrial town that sits between Toronto and Niagara Falls, each of the five members of the band got involved in music quite early, individually part of groups with names like Ruckus and Foam Mesh before coming together to become Arkells—named after a street in Hamilton—and busting onto the scene with the smash Leather Jacket in 2014. They’ve since attracted fans across the globe for their brand of feel-good, anthemic rock music, but also for their attitude: The band’s vibe seems to be a genuine extension of their personalities—approachable, free-spirited, and truly, honestly, Canadian. Kerman feels like a friend you’ve known forever who happens to have made it big and gets to travel the world, but doesn’t forget who you are, who he is or where he came from.
That’s especially apparent in his latest project, a book release. Slated to drop on April 22, Try Hard is Kerman’s first foray into a form of writing not set to music, one that reveals a di erent part of himself, and expressing himself in a di erent way.
“Some of the principles are the same for me when it comes to writing a book versus making a song. You’re relying on really smart people that you trust to tell you if it’s any good or not, and help you shape it along the way,” he says. “And, you know, with the music producer, you have an idea for a song, you have the core of an idea, but you’re trying to make sense of it. With a book, you have an idea of what you want to express and a feeling you want for the reader to to feel, but it’s the editor that helps shape that. That’s one of the themes of the book—just find people that have maybe a slightly di erent skill set than your own and that are really good at what they do and then you can make something great together.”
His debut e ort is unabashedly honest, self-deprecating, and reflective, o ering insights into his upbringing, the way his mind works, and his creative process. Kerman opens the book by telling readers that he’s completed this book for himself, that he’s a task-oriented person who functions best using introverted ideas, but spends the rest of Try Hard proving he is the exact opposite—an extroverted, fun-loving person who’s always up for an adventure and who thrives when in a community. In other words, the perfect candidate for a frontman.
“A song is slightly more theatrical, like a dream world presentation, whereas this particular book is more of a nuts and bolts story of the process,” he says. “With a song, you present a story, and some parts of the story are true, some of it aren’t, but it doesn’t really matter because listeners want to be swept away and you know, feel it. Whereas this kind of book, I think that the key was just being as honest and direct as I possibly could with my ideas.”
It’s not just his ideas he shares. There’s insights into his family—his dad innocently thought he was seeing a cowboy film when he’d actually gone to see Brokeback Mountain, just because his dad hates every kind of spoiler—insights into his perceived shortcomings (he mentions more than once that he doesn’t love dealing with financial things), and the things he thinks about when preparing for a show: he doesn’t want to wear the same outfit so that every night feels special to the audience. It’s a look at who he is and what makes him tick. And you can’t help but feel the overwhelming sense of Canadiana within it all, the sense that he really is just a kid who loves his job, which happens to be making music.
Kerman is also not shy about revealing his love for Bruce Springsteen, and one of the chapters details his experience attending one of The Boss’s Toronto shows. He takes readers along as he admires Springsteen from floor access, watching as the New Jersey icon captivates audiences. Kerman’s wonder is apparent, and it reminds the reader that he, too, is a fan: he’s describing Springsteen in the way that many fans across the globe describe him, rockstar lead singer of Arkells.
Kerman, however, says that writing his first book remains, in some way, self-serving. He learned about himself through writing Try Hard
TREASURE TROVE
HEAT SCORE: Comfort is served up restoratively at the downtown location of trove.
Tanya Kololian and Zoë Paliare are partners creating a new model of well-being at trove: a place where sauna, spa, naturopathy, massage, yoga, wellness retreat and more all come together under one elegant, carefully-curated roof. Bringing together the very best of the multiple disciplines—all designed to work together in harmony, and o er top notch service while also o ering options at a range of price points —trove has brought wellness to the people of Toronto: a sanctuary of comfort where good health is served up with compassion and love.
“We intentionally curated a space with a comprehensive range of o erings because we knew people needed more than just one solution—yet nowhere provided all the essential remedies we rely on to feel our best” says Kololian, adding that now more than ever we live in a noisy, chaotic world and the desire for respite and refueling has never been greater. “We don’t always have the ability to go to Costa Rica to escape, retreat and nourish ourselves back to centre, so we were intentional about creating a place to retreat at Toronto’s doorstep.”
The retreat, which was lovely enough to invite KIND in for a taste, is a beacon of peacefulness that immediately reset our vibe. Walking in, my nervous system was aflutter. I had bones to pick, a hangover, and
a thousand things on my to-do list, all of which felt agonizingly out of hand. The sauna and cold plunge are in a private room and I worked through the cycle, forcing myself to breathe. Having the time and space to settle, even forcing myself to put down my phone, soothed my sleepless anxiety; I received an IV drip, vitamin boost, and lymphatic compression. I began to see my circumstances changing—no longer under the gun, I was awash in gratitude and recovery.
A bit of peace even from my own monkey brain.
“People are inclined to spend their time and money going out, or will put their energy towards a hard workout, or more work, but the big piece I think missing for so many people is rest and recovery—the biggest building block for everything else,” says Paliare, a longtime friend of KIND who, as a life coach, helped author our essential wellness column during COVID-19. “trove was designed to
“A BIT OF PEACE EVEN FROM MY OWN MONKEY BRAIN.”
bring people back from intensity to something softer—a chance to get you back to your centre so you can be the most productive, vital version of you.”
Located on Adelaide Street West and also o ering Red Light Therapy and a Salt Cave Wave Mat experience, the wellness retreat has di erent price points and programs, from group classes to solo journeys to credit packages that make it a ordable to work trove into your regular health and wellness regime. After leaving trove on a cold and blustery snowed-in February Tuesday, I felt buoyant and light, ready to take on the world.
Gratitude had replaced my intensity.
“Our brains are wired to identify stressors in our environments and that triggers the fight-or-flight response, which has all of us operating on high alert,” says Kololian, explaining why Canadians might be feeling so worn out all the time. “At trove, everything we do is intentional around nervous system regulation. The magic piece is that we were able to bring everything together from a health and wellness perspective to really have people functioning at their physical, mental and spiritual best.”
Trove is located at 426 Adelaide Street West. For more information, see trovewellbeing.com
BELOVED CHEF AND TELEVISION HOST EDEN GRINSHPAN IS BACK IN BEAUTIFUL WITH TAHINI BABY, HER ANTICIPATED NEW VEGETARIAN COOKBOOK FOR SPRING
TASTE OF THINGS
Top Chef Canada host Eden Grinshpan, a graduate of London’s Le Cordon Blue, has spent much of the past ten years on Canadian television showing us how flavour, fresh vegetables and experimentation can make even the fussiest palates stand up and cheer for Middle Eastern cuisine. Tahini Baby, her first book since 2020’s Eating Out Loud, is vibrant, fun and easy to follow—a perfect assist for adding colour onto your menu this spring. The following recipes Grinshpan chose for KIND—vegetarian options to make your soul shine.
ROOT STEAKS WITH CHILICHURRI
INGREDIENTS FOR THE STEAKS
FOR THE STEAKS
3 celeriac roots, peeled
2 large watermelon radishes, peeled (see Note)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
FOR THE CHILICHURRI
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
¹⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 fresh cayenne chile or your favorite hot pepper (adjusting size based on its heat and removing the seeds if less heat is desired), finely sliced (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
FOR SERVING
1 cup Garlicky Tahini
Note: If you can’t find watermelon radishes, you could sub in rutabaga, turnips, or kohlrabi.
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Make the steaks: Place the whole celeriac and radishes in the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with the salt. Cover and roast for 2 hours, until you can easily slide a knife through. Set aside to cool slightly.
While the vegetables roast, make the chilichurri: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cilantro, olive oil, vinegar, and chile (if using).
Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Cut the celeriac and radishes into ½-inch-thick slices. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and is starting to foam, add enough vegetable slices to fit comfortably in one layer without crowding the pan. Sear until golden, about 3 minutes. Flip and sear the second side until golden, about another 3 minutes. Transfer the steaks to a plate and repeat with the remaining vegetable slices.
To serve: Spread the tahini over a serving plate, layer the steaks on top, and drizzle with the chilichurri.
ROSEMARYHONEY HALLOUMI FRIES
INGREDIENTS
SOUP
8 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 (8-ounce) package Halloumi, rinsed and patted dry
1 cup refined avocado or grapeseed oil
¹⁄4 cup honey, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
CROSTINI
1 baguette, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 garlic clove, peeled
¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Strip the needles from 5 of the rosemary sprigs and finely chop them. On a large plate, combine the chopped rosemary with the panko and season with a few cracks of pepper. Add the flour to another large plate and season with pepper. And in a medium shallow bowl, beat the eggs and season with pepper.
Slice the Halloumi into ½-inch-thick fry shapes. Gently pat them dry again. In small batches, coat the Halloumi in the flour, followed by the eggs, and then the rosemary panko. Continue with the remaining pieces of Halloumi.
Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add enough fries to comfortably fit in the pan without overcrowding and fry until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fries to the lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining Halloumi.
Remove the needles from the remaining 3 rosemary sprigs and fry just until crisp, about 30 seconds.
Place the fries in a shallow bowl, top with the fried rosemary needles, and drizzle with the honey. Serve hot.
SERVES 4 (MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS FRIES)
FETA WEDGE SALAD WITH GARLICKY BREAD CRUMBS AND MINT
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE DRESSING
1 cup large-chunk crumbles of sheep’s milk feta
¹⁄3 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
¹⁄4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, peeled
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
FOR THE GARLICKY BREAD CRUMBS
¹⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, grated
¾ cup panko bread crumbs
¹
⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
FOR THE SALAD
1 head iceberg lettuce
3 Persian or mini cucumbers, cut into ¹⁄2-inch-thick half-moons
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
¹⁄3 cup chopped fresh chives
Large handful of fresh mint
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Make the dressing: In a high-speed blender, combine the feta, yogurt, mayo, olive oil, garlic, and a few cracks of pepper. Blend until smooth and set aside.
Make the bread crumbs: Heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the garlic. Cook just until the garlic begins to lightly brown, less than 1 minute, and add the panko. Season with the salt, toss to coat in the oil, and cook until golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
Make the salad: Cut the iceberg lettuce in half and remove the tough core. Halve each half and then cut each quarter in half to make eight wedges.
Place the lettuce in a large salad bowl and scatter with the cucumbers and tomatoes. Drizzle with the dressing and sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Finish with the chives and mint plus a drizzle of olive oil and a few cracks of pepper.
RUSSELL
ON LIGHTING UP THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF KIND
Our first cover subject looks back on why he supported an independent Canadian startup blazing a first-of-its KIND trail in Legal Weed
BY BEN KAPLAN
Joshua Nagel, head dreamer of KIND, and myself, humble editor, got out of our cars outside of Russell Peters’ home in Etobicoke, and jumped up and down in the street. Peters, amongst Canada’s top entertainers who’s sold out shows from Madison Square Garden, the Rogers Centre, LA and Dubai, had regaled our team with hilarious pictures and stories, and Josh and I couldn’t believe our dream was actually coming true. Were we making a free magazine for Canada’s pot shops and could we convince A-list celebrities to appear on our covers, and do the whole thing with kindness, inclusion and love? Could we make a pot magazine that didn’t look like High Times, but rather looked like Esquire and Vogue? Jumping up and down in the street enthralled by Russell’s warmth and talent—and our own obsessive dream of doing something righteous and new—we hugged each other and took the first step towards creating a new Canadian company: a magazine and event business that reshaped how the country (the world!) thought about weed. I caught up with Russell in Maui the day before he announced his new Canadian tour dates, and asked him why he took a chance on KIND.
KIND: I know you live out in Malibu. How close did the fires come to your home?
Russell Peters: Three fires now have avoided me, but that stu doesn’t scare me. I don’t get attached to things and people had it much, much worse but yeah—shit’s crazy. The 2018 fires came close to my house then stopped right across the street and this last one was about eight miles away, but they’re not going to get me yet.
KIND: Good, because we appreciate you out in LA representing Canada and KIND. What was the vibe like in LA around Trump and the big hockey game?
RP: We won, right? That’s all that matters. I’m glad we won one for our country as opposed to the Canadians winning on the American teams all the time.
KIND: Are you a hockey fan?
RP: I’ve never watched a hockey game in my life, but maybe I will now. Remember that house Josh and you came to for our photoshoot? Mitch Marner bought it at the beginning of COVID.
KIND: Damn. I knew you made money but I didn’t know you made Mitch Marner money.
RP: I’ve been doing this for 36 years. Since 1989. And let’s say I do 250 shows a year—at least that many and the goal was always never having to work for someone so, by that metric, I do alright.
KIND: So you’re closing in on your ten thousandth live performance. What does the 54-year-old you say to the 19-year-old kid
ready to take the stage for the first time?
RP: Life happens, life changes you—not necessarily ages you, but matures your way of looking at things. I think the 54-year-old Russ probably envies the 19-year-old, but it probably swings both ways. I never even thought like, ‘I’m going to be this or that,’ I just wanted to tell jokes and hope for the best. That’s all I was doing.
KIND: And now you hang around with the WuTang Clan and sell houses to the Maple Leafs. Tell us about the new Canadian tour this fall.
RP: I’m always happy to come back home, although I’m playing Saskatchewan in November so that’s bad planning but otherwise, I’m pumped.
KIND: All those tour dates in all those cities, what do you love about life on the road?
RP: I’m most rested on the road. It’s easier. At home, everyone’s pulling me in 65 directions, everyone wants a piece of you—on the road, you show up, do your jokes and go to bed, I’m good with that.
KIND: How do you stay motivated to write new shit?
RP: Every tour is a new act, a new idea. The name of this tour is “Relax,” the last one was,
ROBE RUNNERS: Peters, in his bathrobe, kicking it with Ben Kaplan and Joshua Nagel, 2019.
“WHEN YOU’RE RUNNING YOUR RACE, LOOK FORWARD. THERE’S NOTHING BEHIND YOU, NOTHING AT THE SIDE, LOOK FORWARD AND STAY FOCUSED.”
“Act Your Age.” I think my main motivation is that I don’t want to drift o into nowhere. I worked hard for my space and it keeps me excited staying here. At this point it’s all I know how to do.
KIND: It just meant so much to Josh and I that you were on our first cover, that you believed in us before we even knew what exactly KIND would be—plus you don’t even smoke weed!
RP: Actually, that’s changed since I first met you guys.
KIND: We convinced you!
RP: What did it was that I started taking gummies for sleep. I get these ones in Toronto that are really dope—I’m out like a light.
KIND: Which ones?
RP: All I know is they’re square and delicious and knock me on my ass. That’s all I care about.
KIND: So dude, why’d you work with KIND?
RP: I thought it was cool and I like being part of things when they’re starting out. I don’t like to jump on things when they’re
moving or successful. Failure with you guys wouldn’t have mattered to me—though of course it matters a whole lot to you—but I have to give props to anyone trying to do something new with their life.
KIND: Much love, man. So take us out of here. How do we get to put you back on the cover in another five years? What’s been your trick to hustle, get to the top, stay there and succeed?
RP: When you’re running your race, look forward. There’s nothing behind you, nothing at the side, look forward and stay focused. You guys keep doing that you will win.
