MJ Lifestyle Issue One—Digital Version

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CHELSEA LEYLAND

THE INTERNATIONAL SWEETHEART OF CANNABIS

CHANGE is HER(E) THE FUTURE OF CANNABIS IS FEMININE

FOR WOMEN WITH HIGH TASTE

@MJLIFESTYLE

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LIVING

CULTURE

04 Empower Your Mornings with Kyrious.co

94 Tokeativity

101 Secular Marys

96 Made in Canada

107 The Ladies Of Paradise

97 Business In The Higher Arts

118 Wanderer’s Tarotscope

08 INDA Creations & The Other Herb 12 CBD For The Modern Woman

WELLNESS

16 Meet Byrdie McCoy, Founder of Midnight Mega Camps

68 How Do You Taboo? A Mother’s Fight Advocating For Her Child

20 Six Reasons Why You Should Be Using CBD Oil in Your Skincare Routine

70 On The Cover Cannabis’ Sweetheart, Activist, DJ Chelsea Leyland Shares Her New Reality Living with Epilepsy

22 Behind The Scenes with Sous Weed & Elise McRoberts 29 How To Microdose

78 The Constance Effect— Interview with Constance Finley, The Woman Behind Whole Plant Medicine

INDUSTRY

METHODOLOGY

30 Lady Of The Valley Editorial—Will Cannabis Be The Central Valley’s Next Cash Crop?

86 Dr. Monica Vialpando Invents Her Way Into The Cannabis Industry

40 The Beauty of Cryptocurrency—Interview with CEO of Paragon Coin, Jessica VerSteeg 49 The Ladies Of Quim Rock Making Vaginas Happy 56 Meet Kimmy Kamish, LA’s Newest Cannabis Landlord 64 The Grow Sister & The Wild West

91 The Sativa Science Club Offers Up Higher Education In Portland and Beyond

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ON THE COVER Cannabis’ Sweetheart, Activist & DJ Chelsea Leyland Shares Her New Reality Of Living With Epilepsy.

Photography by Amanda Bjorn Story by Brittney Mesica

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JENNIFER SKOG Editor in Chief

DANE DISETH Creative Director

JANET BL ASER Editor / Proofreader

BRITTNEY MESICA Writer

CONSTANCE FINLEY Contributing Editor

SUMI SOHN-RIGLER Copy Editor

FARZANA DAUD Research Writer / Editor

RACHEL ‘KUSHY’ BUSSEY Marketing Development / Brand Ambassador

KIMBERLY KAMISH Production & Special Events

MJ extends its deepest gratitude to our

CONTRIBUTORS

AdvoCanna Allison Ray Benevides Amanda Bjorn Camille Goldston Caroline Mauro Elise McRobers Emma Chasen Julia Corbett Kyra Mueller-Yamamoto

Leah Maurer Monica Lo Naomi Zinns Nichole Graf Siobhan Danger Darwish The Sativa Science Club Tia Reagan Tokativity Vanessa-Lyn Mercier

EDITOR’S LETTER Jennifer Skog /skōg/

If you had told me a year ago that I’d be sitting here writing this, I’d think you had lost your mind. At the time I had just moved home to the SF Bay Area from a two-year stint in Kansas City where I’d battled daily with myself for being a ‘stoner.’ In my mind, I was some sort of criminal, always afraid of getting caught. Professionally, I feared my reputation as a photographer would get tarnished or potential clients would stereotype me as a lazy pot head.

After working for two decades building my name in the industry, I did not want to mark myself with a scarlet letter (or emerald in this case).

In my earlier years Cannabis was for fun, my way of relaxing my mind and body—I never drank much because I’d end up on the bathroom floor. Soon it became my medicine of choice as I started realizing that when I smoked marijuana it eased my sensitive stomach, calmed my racing mind, and relieved body aches and pains. I had always assumed I’d quit before having children—and I did—for 9+ months while pregnant and breastfeeding both of them. What I didn’t know was what it would be like to be a mother. From the moment they were conceived, there is nothing I could cherish more. But along with the overwhelming love came equally overwhelming worries. The levels my anxieties reached have at times been unbearable, and Cannabis has always been my way to naturally ease my pain.

Smoking on camera was always out of the question; I was ashamed of my so-called “filthy habit” and was certainly never going to let my children (or parents!) know about it. I was completely blinded by shame to ever see that something positive could come from my experiences. Funny enough, it was while still living in Kansas that a close friend of mine encouraged me to start photographing Cannabis in California. I was extremely hesitant at first; I remember asking my husband if I could get arrested for photographing five pounds of weed. (Living in such a “red” state, it’s understandable why I was fearful.) But the shoot was undeniably amazing. I loved it. I really couldn’t have imagined anything I could have enjoyed more than photographing beautiful, confident women relaxing and smoking Cannabis.

As I dove deeper into the Cannabis industry, I quickly realized that the modern woman is not represented at all in the Cannabis space. And of course, this makes sense— this plant medicine is still widely criminalized and illegal in many places, keeping it an incredibly dangerous industry to be involved in, especially for women. Imagine not being able to use a bank and dealing with everything, including your taxes, in cash.

‘Coming out Green’ is much like coming out with anything - it’s scary! But that’s only because it’s something you have hidden, and hiding anything feels shameful. Shame over, ladies! We don’t have time for negativity, we’ve got far better things to do like loving ourselves, building a sisterhood and teaching our children well. The time has come for us to move past the stigma and fear and rise together for the many many benefits this powerful plant has given us. This is an incredible space we are building, connecting with women we feel like we’ve always known. MJ Lifestyle is a collaboration of many brilliant women, each sharing their own unique genius with us. We are thrilled to be sharing so many voices and hope you will join us in lifting the stigma. xx,

EMPOWER YOUR MORNINGS

Health & Wellness Coach Kyra of Kyrious.co Believes Cannabis is a Superfood and Can’t Get Enough!

J

umping into spring, it’s the perfect time to gather the wisdom within us and around us to make us stronger and healthier. We let go of old feelings and negative self-talk and open ourselves up to connecting more deeply to what nourishes us from the inside out.

We realize that how we start our mornings sets the tone for the rest of our day. By carrying out daily self-care rituals when we wake up, we are renewed, refreshed and receptive to the world around us. We see things in a different light than if we were anxious, stressed or fatigued.

One of the first things we can do upon waking after a blissful night of rest—before checking our phones or emails- is to come to a state of stillness within ourselves. We take in a few deep cleansing breaths and find a comfortable position to close our eyes and reflect on something we are grateful for. The corners of our lips gently lift to a smile and we know in that moment all is right in the world.

From a scientific standpoint, meditation and deep breathing actually help tone our vagus nerve, which is the longest and most complex of our cranial nerves. The vagus nerve runs from our brain stem down through our throat, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, pancreas and intestines. It is part of our parasympathetic nervous system, which helps us feel calm, safe, connected and loved. This nerve is associated with our emotions, digestion, slowing our heart rate and even reducing inflammation within our body. Meditation is key to helping your body from the inside out.

Each morning when we wake up, we have a choice as to how we want to start our day. We can use this first hour to meditate, write, draw, and dance or whatever comes to our minds in that moment. I call this the hour of higher creativity and connection where we draw upon our senses and make ourselves feel nurtured and loved. During this time we can become clear in our intentions, both for the day and for the future, and we become aware and conscious of exactly how we will accomplish what we want. Intention-setting is the fuel that feeds the fire of your life’s purpose. We become the driver of our own lives rather than sitting in the backseat waiting for someone to tell us where to go. By writing down our intentions we are able to visualize what we truly want for ourselves and are able to create an inner-GPS toward realizing them. We can refer to our list of intentions to make sure we are still aiming to achieve these goals. Some of my favorite intentions are to write in my gratitude journal

every single day, listen more intently and to eat more mindfully. Just like life itself, our intentions evolve over time and it’s always a great idea to allow new intentions to develop for the day or year.

Cannabis is a beautiful friend that we can use to help us go even deeper within ourselves during our morning meditation and intentionsetting. She opens us up to seeing parts of ourselves that we might not normally tap into when our brains are fogged with stress and everything we have to do in the day ahead. We need to reshape our ‘wake-and-bake’ sessions into mornings of empowerment with our favorite plant at hand.

Tolerance and needs vary from person to person, but thankfully there are many different strains and ways we can use cannabis to help start our day in the best possible head-space. Remember that a little can go a long way, especially for those that wake up already feeling anxious about the day ahead.

Here is a list of the best strains to help boost your productivity, energy and creativity: 1. Jack Herer (sativa dominant) 2. Blue Dream (sativa dominant hybrid) 3. Durban Poison (pure sativa) 4. ACDC (sativa dominant, high CBD) 5. Sour Diesel (sativa dominant) How we choose to nourish our bodies first thing in the morning also plays a huge role on our mood throughout the day. I always recommend starting your day with real food, nothing processed or laden with sugar, which throws your blood sugar out of whack and causes an afternoon energy crash. I suggest a meal that’s light on the digestive system and free of grains, dairy and sugar, so you feel energized after eating rather than full and tired. The recipes I’ve included are loaded with protein, fiber, vitamins and adaptogens, all with a light infusion of cannabis to help you feel at ease throughout the workday. Keep in mind that each person’s tolerance is completely different and you might not need as much as another person. Start small and work your way up until you feel your very best.

An ADAPTOGEN is a natural herb that helps your body adapt to stress and brings us back to equilibrium. Examples are Cannabis, Ginseng, Licorice Root, Ashwagandha and Maca. Many are used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine.

TOCOS is the ultimate skin superfood! Derived directly from rice bran, it’s one of nature’s greatest bio-available sources of Vitamin E, the ideal beauty food for healthy skin and connective tissue.

REISHI MUSHROOMS are one of the most potent adaptogens available, known in Chinese medicine as the ‘Mushroom of Immortality’ or ‘Herb of Spiritual Potency.’ They are used to fortify the immune system, promote calmness, wisdom and longevity and nourish ‘shen’ or spiritual energy within your body. This mushroom also protects against cancer, protects the liver and improves the body’s circulation.

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“We need to reshape our ‘wake and bake’ sessions into mornings of empowerment with our favorite plant at hand.”

PHOTO JENNIFER SKOG

-Kyra

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@MJLIFESTYLE

EVERYDAY MORNING MATCHA POTION RECIPE BY KYRA MUELLER-YAMAMOTO OF KYRIOUS.CO

Matcha is for the ultimate green goddess. Rather than steeping the entire leaf in water, Matcha is a powder form of the entire green tea leaf. This powder packs the amino acid L-Theanine to help produce a calming state alongside caffeine; hence why matcha provides sustained energy rather than that afternoon crash. The vivid color signals to us that it’s packed with good for you natural antioxidants to protect against free radicals that cause inflammation in the body. This morning potion is sure to set you on a calm high free from anxiety and fatigue for the rest of your day.

METHOD:

2 cups Hot Water, not boiling 2 T Coconut Butter 1 scoop Collagen Peptides or Marine Collagen 1 ½ tsp Matcha ½ tsp Spirulina 1 scoop Mondo or 1 dropper Tincture of choice ½ tsp Reishi Powder Shake of Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice Optional: 1 tsp Honey or additional Adaptogens

Bring water to a boil, let cool for about 2-3 minutes.

Place all ingredients into a blender.

Blend on high for 1 minute.

Pour into a mug and enjoy. (serves 1)

PHOTO COURTESY OF KYRIOUS.CO

INGREDIENTS:

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MORNING GLORY MUFFINS

RECIPE BY KYRA MUELLER-YAMAMOTO OF KYRIOUS.CO

Muffins have always been a favorite grab-and-go breakfast food of mine but it’s always been hard to find a healthy version. These Muffins sneak in Fruits, Veggies, Nuts and even Adaptogens to set you on your best morning yet!

INGREDIENTS FOR MUFFINS:

3 cups Almond Flour ¼ cup Protein Powder of choice 2 Ripe Bananas 3 T Almond Butter ½ cup Pumpkin Puree (canned or homemade) ½ cup Shredded Carrots ½ cup Shredded Zucchini 3 Fresh Eggs 1 tsp Vanilla 1 tsp Baking Soda 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar ¼ cup Real Maple Syrup ¼ cup Melted LEVO Infused Coconut Oil 1 T Cinnamon 1 tsp Nutmeg Optional: ¼ cup Golden Raisins ½ cup Crushed Walnuts 2 TB Tocotrienols 1 tsp Reishi Powder METHOD

INGREDIENTS FOR CRUMBLE TOPPING:

Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl mix together all dry ingredients, set aside. In a large bowl, first mash bananas then add pumpkin, almond butter, shredded zucchini and carrots. Whisk in eggs, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, vanilla and maple syrup. Gently fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until thick dough forms. Fold in both the golden raisins and walnut pieces. Using a small spoon, divide batter between paper-lined muffin tin cups. In additional small bowl, begin making the crumble topping by melting coconut oil. Add in coconut sugar, almond meal and spices. Crumble topping onto each muffin. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a darker golden brown starts to form on each muffin top.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

¼ cup Melted Coconut Oil ¼ cup Coconut Sugar ½ cup Almond Meal ½ tsp Cinnamon ½ tsp Nutmeg

Store muffins in airtight container up to a week in the fridge or enjoy fresh off the counter for up to 2 days. (Makes about 12 Muffins)

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the

OHetherrb

BY CAROLINE MAURO OF INDA CREATIONS

Smoking is a social ritual passed down for generations by our own ancestors as well as numerous other cultures around the world. It has played a central role in society and has been used for religious rituals and ceremonial purposes, and as medicine due to its healing properties.

Smoking also increases our connection to nature and of course, adds to our enjoyment and relaxation.

In addition to being nicotine-free and non-psychoactive, herbal blends can help reduce the craving for smoking cigarettes and other addictive substances, and have become a useful smoking cessation tool. They also provide a flavor kick, act as a relaxant and give an uplifting boost.

THINK OF YOUR SMOKING BLEND IN 3 PARTS

1. THE CARRIER OR BASE HERB This should be an herb that is smooth, burns easily and has body. We suggest Damiana, Mullein or Raspberry Leaf.

2. THE MODIFIER OR SUPPORT BASE To enhance the Base of your choosing. Chamomile is a great example as it can help to relax the mind. Other modifiers are Passionflower, Uva Ursi, Mugwort, Stevia, Skullcap, Wild Dagga, Wild Lettuce, Hops, Marigold and Marjoram Rose.

3. THE FL AVOR KICK The smallest amount added and thus, usually a stronger herb. It should have a distinguished taste and strong medicinal effect. Some great flavor kicks include Peppermint, Spearmint, Lavender, Sage, Clove, Licorice Root and Thyme.

FOR THE FINAL STEP, MIX THE HERBS TOGETHER:

3 parts Base 2 parts Modifier 1 part Flavor Kick After mixing them all together, enjoy your blend in a pipe, vaporizer or spliff. We use our multi-purpose herbal and floral blends in the INDA pipe necklace, steeped as a tea, used as a soak in a tub or as incense bags in drawers or suitcases on our travels.

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herbs

+ BENEFITS BY BLEND

RED RASPBERRY LEAF ( found in all INDA blends) • Boosts the Immune System • Relieves Gastrointestinal Issues • Eases Muscle Tension and Relaxes Muscles (helpful during menstruation treating pain, cramps + nausea).

• Tightens Skin (Vitamin A+C can help Skin Regenerate and become Firmer and Healthier) • Helps overcome Irritation and Skin Inflammation CHAMOMILE ( found in the INDA Relax blend) • Helps with Sleep • Relaxants can help with Anxiety • Reduces Tobacco Cravings / Smoking Cessation • Antidepressant HOPS ( found in the INDA Uplift blend) • Mild Sedative having a Calming Effect • Can Curb Anxiety • Naturally possesses very Strong Estrogenic action which makes it helpful for Menstrual Problems • Hops have been traditionally used for their Sedative Abilities and may help to ease feelings of Anxiety and Stress, and Nervousness L AVENDER ( found in the INDA Heal blend) • Antiseptic + Anti-inflammatory • Protects Heart Health • Prevents Digestive Issues • Helps to Treat Anxiety, Depression and Restlessness PEPPERMINT (Found in all INDA blends) • Increases alertness while helping maintain a sense of calm • Improves blood circulation • Strong Purifying Agent that can Restore and Rejuvenate both the

Mind and Body SPEARMINT ( found in all INDA blends) • Relieves Symptoms of Digestive Problems • Balances Hormone Levels • Improves Memory • Reduces Inflammation • Prevents Chronic Diseases • Powerful Anti-fungal

HEMP ( found in INDA Heal Blend) • Reduces Anxiety, Stress and depression • Supports and aids in Rreament of Painful Menstrual Periods • Helps with Insomnia • Curbs Nausea and Irritable Bowel Syndrome • Reduces Chronic Pain • Reduces Inflammation • Hemp is not Psychoactive

founder About Caroline -Creations,

of INDA a holistic healing brand that focuses on the healing powers of nature using crystals and cannabis/plant medicine. INDA aims to enhance and amplify the wellness journey with tools for healing and symbols of self-care, inspired by Mother Earth. Caroline also is also a Fashion Stylist and Art Director.

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MINDS

Blown

By Farzana Daud

MODEL RAGEN REYNA, CAST IMAGES PHOTOGRAPHER JENNIFER SKOG

DID YOU KNOW THAT YOUR BODY HAS ITS OWN ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM? NEITHER DID WE..

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hether you use Cannabis for the purpose of getting high or use the plant for medicinal reasons, the effects would not be felt if our mystical bodies didn’t have a system for the cannabinoids to bind to. This is called our Endocannabinoid System, which has three key components: Endocannabinoids, Cannabinoid Receptors, and Metabolic Enzymes Located in our brains, this region is extremely close to our amygdala, which is mainly responsible for our emotions. The Endocannabinoid System also regulates our mood, physiology, and how we experience emotions. In this region of the brain the endocannabinoids play an enormous role in maintaining internal homeostasis.

Homeostasis / ho·me·o·sta·sis / : The tendency towards a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes. (aka balance) So how does the body actually reach this blissful state of Homeostasis?

Follow me… lets take a trip deep into our brains, close our eyes and imagine the receptors that respond pharmacologically to cannabinoids like keys unlocking doors. These “doors” are what are the CB1 and CB2 receptors and the Endocannabinoids (anandamide and 2AG) are what we consider the “keys”.

CB1 receptors are mainly concentrated throughout our brains and central nervous system. This abundant metabotropic receptor regulates brain development, how we learn, learn, memory, motor behavior, regulation of appetite, body temperature, pain perception and inflammation. They are involved in various psychiatric, neurological, and neurodevelopmental disorders. In contrast, the CB2 receptors are located throughout our peripheral area of our body although its affinity is higher in our immune system.

The Cannabis plants have different cannabinoids as the ones that we naturally produce, their shapes fit perfectly into the receptor as it activates and releases neurotransmitters in our synapse.

As THC (the psychoactive cannabinoid) binds to our CB1 and CB2 receptors, mimicking the Endocannabinoids that are already produced, CBD (the non-psychoactive cannabinoid) does something slightly different.

CBD actually stops the enzyme FAAH from breaking down the anandamide concentration in our system, therefore making it more readily available for use by our cells. This is why CBD is a natural mood booster without any psychoactive effect, ultimately bringing us to a balanced state of mind (Homeostasis).

Everyone out there is facing a tidal wave of stress in their day-to-day life. Over time stress IS unhealthy and contributes to struggle of achieving homeostasis. On top of stress an unhealthy lifestyle and poor diet can lead to developing an endocannabinoid deficiency. This is why using cannabis can be very beneficial! Cannabis can act like an adaptogen supporting a homeostasis state and this is because of natural receptors we have for these cannabinoids.

So again, balance is always key. Each individual has a different body chemistry and it is important to understand what our bodies can benefit from, as well as what it doesn’t like. Some individuals do well consuming cannabis through edibles and others may find it more pleasing to smoke.

Whatever way you find works best for you remember to listen to your body, it is a miraculous system.

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CBD and the

MODERN WOMAN HIGHLY EFFECTIVE BUT NOT IN THE WAY YOU THINK

By Leah Maurer

As more states legalize Cannabis in America, there’s room for more Cannabis research, products and consumption methods. Products that contain mostly or explicitly Cannabidiol (or CBD) are definitely on the rise and expanding rapidly in terms of production and distribution. But what are the most helpful uses of this substance, specifically for women?

To give a little background, the two main compounds in the Cannabis Sativa plant are Tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC) and Cannabidiol. There are several other kinds of cannabinoids as well, but these are the two we currently know the most about. THC produces the more psychoactive effect or “high” feeling, while CBD produces the more therapeutic, pain relieving, and anti-inflammatory effects. While it’s most effective to have a combination of both compounds, some women choose not to use THC. The good news is that CBD can be isolated and infused in products and still be very effective in a variety of ways.

MENSTRUAL CRAMPS

MUSCLE PAIN RELIEF

PHOTO CREDIT JULIA CORBETT

CBD is incredibly effective for helping to relieve pain in just about any muscle in the body. For myself, as well as other women I’ve talked to, this might be neck and shoulder pain (from lifting small children or carrying a large purse or laptop bag every day), or perhaps your legs needing help recovering from that 10K you’re training for. CBD topicals work very well for all of these needs.

Menstrual cramps affect half the human population, yet there’s a surprising lack of products available to effectively alleviate this specific (and reoccurring) pain. CBD has been shown to have therapeutic anti-inflammatory effects, which is often the type of medication used to relieve menstrual pain. Many women have found CBD to alleviate, or at least take the edge off, menstrual pain. Even Whoopi Goldberg is now selling medical marijuana products intended to achieve just this.

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JOINT PAIN AND ARTHRITIS

Regardless of age, many women have pain in their joints in their hands and feet. As we age, this may even develop into arthritis.

According to Medical News Today, CBD oil shows promise as a treatment for arthritis pain. The way researchers believe it affects receptors in the brain and immune system means it may reduce inflammation and pain. Again, research has been stunted in this area because of federal cannabis prohibition laws, but the initial trials and data are very promising. Again, topicals are a great way to achieve this kind of relief.

PLEASE KNOW - CBD PRODUCT S WILL NOT MAKE YOU “HIGH”, REGARDLESS OF THE DELIVERY METHOD YOU CHOOSE FOR CONSUMPTION. WHILE CBD PRODUCT S C AN BE CONSUMED BY SMOKING OR VAPORIZING FLOWER OR CONCENTRATES, SOME GREAT METHODS TO TRY USING CBD FOR THE FIRS T TIME INCLUDE TINCTURES, LOW DOSE EDIBLES, AND ESPECIALLY TOPIC AL S.

HEADACHES

Whether you suffer from migraines, have chronic headaches, or even have some pain because you are having caffeine withdrawal (I sure do love my coffee!!), CBD products can help relieve pain caused by headaches of almost any kind. While there’s still lots of research to be done in this area, the results we are seeing from current research are very promising. Just recently, Forbes reported on a study that found that the active compounds in cannabis are more effective at reducing the frequency of acute migraine pain than prescription migraine meds, and with fewer side effects.

A FEW OF LEAH’S FAVORITE CBD BRANDS :

EMPOWER BODYC ARE / EMPOWERBODYC ARE.COM WHOOPI & MAYA / WHOOPIANDMAYA .COM TREAT WELL HEALTH / TREAT WELLHEALTH.COM C ANN ABIS BASICS / C ANN ABISBASICS.COM

OVERCONSUMPTION OF THC

Have you ever smoked too much Cannabis or eaten too many edibles? It’s never fun to feel like you can’t move your legs or speak because of overconsumption!

Luckily, CBD can combat this both quickly and effectively. The Endocannabinoid System (the system with which our bodies absorb cannabinoids) is split into two types of receptors, CB1 and CB2. CB1 receptors are highly concentrated in brain regions governing the network of psychosis and cognitive function. CBD is a negative allosteric modulator (or NAM) of THC at the CB1 receptor. What this means is that CBD can sort of turn down the volume on THC activation of the CB1 receptor, creating a calming effect for those who have over-consumed Cannabis.

Leah Maurer is a mother, canna-journalist, and advocate who lives in Portland, Oregon. She was very involved in Cannabis legalization there, helping found New Approach Oregon and starting the group “Moms for YES on Measure 91” during the 2014 legalization campaign. She is one of the owners of TheWeedBlog.com, where she serves as the Editorial Lead and manages outreach for the company. Leah also does freelance outreach and marketing consulting for Cannabis companies and organizations. At the core, Leah is a Cannabis legalization activist and hopes to see the end of Cannabis prohibition on a federal level, and the Cannabis conversation normalized across America.

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a contemporary smoke shop now open in los angeles

shop 24/7 online elevatejane.com IG: @elevatejane

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Hey Byrdie, CANNA MAMA, FITNESS TRENDSETTER & BUDDING BUSINESS WOMAN

GIVE MJ THE SCOOP..

HOW IS HOLISTIC FITNESS HELPING WOMEN EVERYWHERE FIND BALANCE? Holistic health is really about understanding that there is more to fitness than the physical aspect. Holistic health is finding physical, mental, emotional and spiritual fitness. There are so many women who work so hard on their physical body, but not the bodies of their minds or spirit, and those are crucial to achieving overall health. It has to go past running outside or a gym session. It’s about finding balance and peace among these areas and nurturing them so that you can become your highest self.

WHAT INSPIRED BYRDIE’S BABES AND DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA JUST HOW MANY WOMEN YOU WOULD EMPOWER? Byrdie’s Babes was really inspired by all the pain I was experiencing and not wanting to be alone through it all. I wanted to create a space for women dealing with any kind of trauma to come and just be free. So I started free weekly camps. That quickly turned into the health and lifestyle blog so that I could impact more women and inspire them to seek a holistic lifestyle. Now we have signature camps and special events all over the country!

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO COME TO AN EVENT? WHAT ITEMS DO WOMEN NEED TO BRING

TO CAMP? Tickets are $25 but I’m always offering special codes and early Byrd Tickets so they usually end up being $10! I always tell attendees in advance whether to bring a mat or towel so that varies. But just bring a water bottle and get those red lips poppin’! Other than that just come and have a great time!

“It says I’M HERE & UNAFRAID” MJ LOVES A RED LIP, WHAT INSPIRED THE RED LIP UNIFORM? Red is just such a powerful color and when we wear it it seems to transform us. We feel fierce and bold and confident; SEEN. So I made it our signature. To showcase our fearlessness. It’s our war paint. Getting healthy is a battle, meeting new people can be a struggle. All these things call for us to put ourselves out there, and our red lips help give us that armor to do so fearlessly. It’s says I’M HERE AND I’M UNAFRAID.

INTERVIEW & PHOTOGRAPHY by Jennifer Skog

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TELL US MORE ABOUT BYRDIE’S MIDNIGHT MEGACAMP! ARE THEY CURRENTLY ONLY IN

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE CBD PRODUCTS TO USE DURING PREGNANCY?

PORTLAND? DO YOU PLAN TO EXPAND? The camps are what has been coined

EMPOWER soaking salts (black label)

“Empowerment Camps” for women. It was really important to me to create something that incorporated physical fitness, mental health and community building. I pretty much took what I do on the blog— showcasing the many awesome ways for women to get fit - and brought it to them to experience in real life with real women. These pop ups are about bringing women together in the spirit of overcoming obstacles, embracing transformation, and entering a new day with your sisters!

Midnight MegaCamps start between 9pm and 12am (depending on location), expect to glow under the black lights and have the time of your life. For 2018 monthly pop ups will be touring Portland and in 2019 Midnight MegaCamps will be coming to various cities across the US!

CBD topical by Green Roads

WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE AS A MAMA AND FITSPO QUEEN? DO YOU HAVE ANY MORNING RITUALS? When I wake up I spend a few moments just being grateful.

Then I visualize the flow of my day as well as what I want my life to look like. (I’m very into manifestation) I get my daughter ready for school and from there I’m either checking out Fitness studios, talking with health coaches or preparing the next blog feature. Before I get my kiddo from school I make time to workout or see a movie (yep) Since I am usually experiencing pretty bad round ligament pain & sciatica, I will usually micro-dose with CBD a few times throughout the day.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC TO WORK OUT TO? DO YOU HAVE A PLAYLIST READERS CAN DOWNLOAD? I actually

listen to a bunch of reggae and island music (Lauryn Hill, Bob Marley, Common Kings, J Boog) as well as a lot of R&B and Sam Cooke! It’s such a weird mix but it’s so me.

CBD Balm by Wink CBD Salves by Made from Dirt Little Blessings CBD oil from Simple Jane WHAT WOULD YOU SAY YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE HAS BEEN IN STARTING BYRDIE’S BABES THUS FAR? GREATEST REWARD? My biggest challenge was not knowing

anything about Business or where to start. Having to find my own way was a challenge and a reward in the end. The greatest reward is meeting so many phenomenal women and watching them all connect at these events. It makes me so proud and emotional. For me, it’s always been about sending the message that “you’re not alone”; so being able to help women feel that makes every obstacle worth it.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR WOMEN INTERESTED IN BUILDING A COMMUNITY TO INSPIRE, CONNECT AND EMPOWER OTHER WOMEN? Yes, my advice would be just get out there and do it! Don’t be afraid to play BIG no matter how small you feel. You can create impact anywhere. There will always be unexpected challenges but that’s where the most growth happens. I have been fortunate enough to have hit so many walls and faced so much adversity. I don’t think I would be ready to take on the world the way I intend to this year had I not gone through the things I did.

“Don’t be afraid to play BIG no matter how small you feel.

You can create an impact anywhere.”

YOU ARE RAISING A TINY YOUNG WOMAN, WHO UNDOUBTEDLY SHINES AS BRIGHT AS YOU HAVE SHOWN HER. IF THERE IS ONE THING YOU COULD HAVE HER TRULY UNDERSTAND, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Little black girl, YOU HAVE A

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CANNABIS. WHEN DID YOUR JOURNEY BEGIN? I

never really had a consistent relationship with Cannabis. I dabbled a little in high school and a few times in my adult life, but very sporatic and on a social level. It was never really “my thing”. It wasn’t until I got pregnant this year that I really began to explore and deepen my relationship with Cannabis, spcifically CBD. It started when I sought out alternatives for the significant pain I was experiencing during my pregnancy. I refused to take perscription drugs and instead decided to self medicate using CBD. AS A YOUNG MAMA IN COLLEGE, YOU WERE IN A HORRIFIC ACCIDENT. HOW DOES FITNESS AND CANNABIS HELP WITH YOUR PTSD? Yes, I was in a bus that crashed on the highway. I fractured 13 bones in my face, broke my clavicle and dislocated my kneww. All of that was pretty horrible but not as bad as the PTSD that would haunt me shortly after. I was in a really bad place mentally and emotionally. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it through. One day I decided to dedicate some time going on a walk then working my way up to yoga and then full body workouts in my home. The positive changes that occured were incredible. This was when I realized the outstanding correlation between physical fitness and mental health. PTSD is a continuous struggle, Cannabis has also aided in my healing.

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Bear Balm by Honey Pot

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BIG VOICE. You can be part of the change this world needs. You are valued, you are loved, you are LIGHT. Mommy loves you.

YOU’VE CREATED SOMETHING SPECIAL INSPIRING WELLNESS AND EMPOWERMENT REACHING A RISING COMMUNITY OF WOMEN. YOU CAN ONLY GO UP FROM HERE. CAN YOU SHARE ANY FUTURE PLANS FOR BYRDIE’S BABES? The next step is really just expansion.

By next year our trademark Midnight MegaCamps will be in multiple cities with over 500 women attending! I am also hoping to partner with some pretty amazing brands this year to keep spreading this love and light. The future is female!

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@MJLIFESTYLE

reasons why you should be using CBD oil in your skincare routine

and getting high isn’t one of them!

There’s a reason (or six) why Forbes predicts this industry will be worth more than $2 billion in 2020.

And that’s because it works. Topical products with CBD give you the natural benefits of Cannabis without any of the psychoactive effects.

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Moisture

—

hydration,

hydration, hydration: the dermatologist’s

mantra.

Thanks to omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, cannabinoid oil is nature’s most effective moisturizer.

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What if you could trick your cells into thinking they were 10 years younger? According to a study published in the Journal of

Investigative

cannabinoid

Dermatology

receptors

in

the

brain, that form part of the endocannabinoid system (yup, our own bodies produce cannabinoids!), interact with CBD to increase our body’s natural ability to grow new skin cells. What does this all mean?

With CBD you can boost your body’s regenerative process and actually have younger skin.

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We all know it’s hard to consume foods rich in all the nutrients our bodies need to be healthy. By adding CBD

infused

products

to

4

your

skincare regime, you have one less

You can stop itching now — CBD has been linked to help with conditions

thing to worry about knowing that

as severe as eczema. Instead of using

your skin is getting all the Vitamin E

cortisone for your next rash, consider

and C it needs to protect it from any

the natural alternative of CBD which

sun damage and make sure it stays

can battle dermatitis while hydrating

firm and tight for longer. It also has

your skin and eliminating dryness…

Vitamin A and D, which thanks to

Anyone who has experienced a New

their regenerative qualities can undo

England winter knows how persistent

years of dry and flaky skin.

and itchy dry skin can be!

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No more breakouts — Regularly applying hemp CBD oil to your skin provides it with healthy fatty acids, which are often found to be lacking in people with acne. Plus, it has antibacterial properties which treat infection (a major contributor to acne). But that’s not all! Fatty acids also protect and strengthen your skin’s outer layer resulting in fresher younger looking skin.

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If you have other skin conditions — although this is still pretty groundbreaking research, CBD oil has been used to help treat or help relieve symptoms from psoriasis, eczema, allergies, and even skin cancer, with successful results.

ABOUT ADVOCANNA AdvoCanna was founded through a partnership between two Tampa women — Alex and Kim. With Alex’s biomedical background from the University of South Florida and Kim’s knowledge of the skincare industry they formed a dynamic team ready to meet the needs they saw themselves. Kim has spent almost a decade working for brands such as 7th Heaven Face Masks and Earthkiss, while Alex discovered the miracles of CBD oil on her own skin and improved mood and sleep, while researching natural remedies. Above all, they are two beauty fans that care about their skin and sharing their findings.

Visit AdvoCANNA.com

o s us we BEHIND THE SCENES

with

A COLL ABORATION WITH MONICA LO + ELISE M c ROBERTS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER SKOG ST YLING & FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY BY MONICA LO ACCESSORIES BY SMOKIE’S TOKE COUTURE

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@MJLIFESTYLE

Monica Lo is a photographer and creative director working to change public perception of Cannabis users. Monica is the creator of Sous Weed and a photo contributor for Stock Pot Images and Menu Stories.

In 2016, Monica shot and styled for the awardwinning Penguin Random House cookbook, “Sous Vide at Home,” and Nomiku. Her photographs have also been published in “Ganja Yoga” by Dee Dussault.

In the fall of 2018, Monica will have a chef feature and recipe published in the upcoming Chronicle Books cookbook, “Edibles: Small Bites for the Modern Cannabis Kitchen.

A SONG OF ICE & FIRE RECIPE BY MONICA LO OF SOUS WEED

INGREDIENTS:

2 oz Mexcal Nuestra Soledad 1 oz Ancho Reyes Verdes 1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice 1/2 oz Sous Weed Jalapeno Agave 1 Serrano Pepper 1 Cannabis Leaf Cup of Ice

METHOD:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until slushy. Garnish with a Serrano Pepper & Cannabis Leaf. Serve immediately.

MEDICATED LEMON VERBANA TINCTURE Makes 250ml (about 1 cup)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Everclear (or any high-proof liquor — at least 100 proof or 50% alcohol by volume) 3 grams Ground, Decarbed Cannabis Peel of 2 lemons, Pith Removed 1/4 cup dried lemon verbena

METHOD:

Set your Sous Vide Water Bath to 158ºF (70ºC.) Place all ingredients in a zip seal bag and seal using the water displacement method. Once the water reaches temp, submerge and Sous Vide for 1 hour. Remove from water bath and let cool to room temperature on the counter top. Strain out the solids and discard. Keep tincture in a bottle in a dark cabinet. *Always start small when using bitters and tinctures. 1/2-1 dropper full and wait 30-60 minutes for full effects. Increase dosage if needed.

MY BLOODY MEZCAL-ENTINE RECIPE BY MONICA LO OF SOUS WEED

INGREDIENTS:

2 oz Mezcal 4 oz Blood Orange Juice 1/2 oz Fresh Lemon Juice 4 drops Sous Weed Lemon Verbena Tincure 1 sliced Blood Orange for garnish

METHOD:

In a serving glass, combine Mezcal, Lemon Juice and Cannabis Tincture.

Top Glass with Large Ice Cube. Slowly pour in Blood Orange Juice.

Garnish with Blood Orange Slices. Serve immediately.

TIPS FOR CANNABIS ST YLING AND PHOTOGRAPHY: COMPOSITION

Play with your composition. I’m a fan of the controlled chaos look but sometimes things look better when they’re perfectly symmetrical. Find what works best for you visually, replicate it, and you’ll develop your own style.

STORY TELLING

Go ahead and take a bite out of your dish or get messy with your seasoning.

These little perfect imperfections add a sense of reality to your image.

INGREDIENTS

Take a little extra time to pick out the best-looking ingredients and garnishes. Discard the sad, wilted looking guys. The tiniest damage on a leaf will show up on camera. It may seem super-obvious but it’s often easy to miss.

Elise McRoberts is a Cannabis Entrepreneur, Producer and Influencer. Through culture, community and education, she’s changing the way people view Cannabis. With a proven track marketing and media relations, Elise has established herself as a top advisor to emerging and leading Cannabis brands.

@TRYCHEMISTRY

@PRANAMEDICINALS

@BOSMWELLNESS

Here are a handful of her favorite products!

@B ESO MA TIK

record of success in business development, brand strategy,

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C ali AS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA NATIVES, THE L ADIES OF MJ CAN’T HELP BUT

SHARE A FEW OF OUR FAVES!

NORTHERN

2.

GROWN

3.

4.

5.

7.

6.

9.

8.

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1. garden society infused milk chocolates 2. quim rock infused intimate oil 3. FEZ portable vaporizer for dry leaf 4. canna centrix 24K gold dipped sour cookie leaf 5. LOLA LOLA premium cannabis joint 3 pack 6. POT D’HUILE cannabis infused fine olive oil 7. KUSH NUTS rosemary garlic cashews & almonds 8. Made from dirt organic sunflower cbd salve 9. EVES OF EDEN designer crowns for the hand roller

DOSING

By Farzana Daud

Micro

Microdose - noun. A dose of as little as one milligram of a drug that is intended to produce a beneficial result while avoiding undesirable side effects.

M

icrodosing has been around for a long time and in the past has predominantly been connected with psychedelic drugs like LSD & Magic Mushrooms.

More recently, this technique is becoming increasingly popular with Cannabis, especially for women trying for the first time and determining the right dosage. The goal of microdosing is to administer a dose so low (“sub-therapeutic”) that it unlikely to produce whole-body effects, but high enough to receive the benefits of the cellular response.

HOW TO MICRODOSE

Someone who is beginning their Cannabis journey should start with an oral method, like tinctures, concentrates or edibles. Compared to inhalation, ingesting Cannabis orally will have a more delayed effect, anywhere from 20 minutes and up to 2 hours. So take it slow. Most microdosing products contain 1 - 2.5 mg per serving. Start with 1 and make sure you give yourself enough time to feel the effects. If the dosage is higher like 5 mg or 10 mg, split your dose in half or by quarters until you have determined the best dosage for you.

A 1:1 ratio of THC (psychoactive compound) to CBD (nonpsychoactive compound) is known to have the best therapeutic effects. However, if you have experienced paranoia in the past using THC, then a high CBD to THC ratio could be the best option for you. Popular Tincture ratios to try are 1:1, 3:1, 20:1 CBD:THC, addtionally, pure CBD (absolutely NO psycho-active effects) is also an option. Liquid Extract Tinctures are drops placed under the tongue until absorbed; they enter the blood stream more directly than any other method and will provide relief typically within 15-20 minutes.

This is not to say that a high THC ratio is a bad option. In fact, there are Cannabis patients who find better results using a high THC dose.

The psycho-activity can give off a new perspective to life and increase creative thinking! A high THC to CBD ratio can also help with sleep for those who experience insomnia.

Starting your Cannabis journey with the right mindset is extremely important. Often someone may hear about a friend using Cannabis and how much it helped them, but without more knowledge it’s easy to remain unsure & skeptical. Your mindset and environment can determine your experience with Cannabis and can be related to side effects as well. Make sure you go to a well regarded dispensary (Leafly. com has great reviews) and don’t be shy about asking questions. The staff at dispensaries are there for you and most are a wealth of Cannabis information!

PRODUCTS TO TRY

Dr. Norm’s - Chocolate Chip Cookies 5 mg & up, start with 1/2 Kush Nuts - an Edible without all the Sugar! Start with 1-2 Nuts Mr. Moxey’s - Refreshing Mints in 5 mg THC, or 5:1 CBD:THC The Art of Edibles - Crafted Chocolates starting at 2.5 mg KB Essentials - CBD Pure Hemp Oil Extracts Treatwell Tinctures - THC & CBD Tinctures for Humans & Pets Dosist - Precise Dose Vape Pen

Being in California, we’re fortunate enough to have access to the freshes produce and food.

We also have access to the some of the f inest Cannabis on the planet due to our perfect climate balance of warm and cool. Will Cannabis be the Central Valley ’s next Cash Crop?

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Lady Valley OF THE

MODEL Rachel Bussey

ART DIRECTION Dane Diseth PHOTOGRAPHER Jennifer Skog

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@MJLIFESTYLE

This page: French Connection Ribbed Jersey Dress, 30’s Vintage Neck Tie, Converse All-Stars.

Oppostie Page: Free People Silk Jumpsuit, Handmade Spanish Leather Shoes.

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@MJLIFESTYLE

California’s agricultural abundance includes more than 400 commodities.

Over a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the country’s fruits and nuts are grown in California.

- California Agricultutal Production Statistics

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In the same state where Cannabis has been grown underground for years, a revolution is taking place as California’s legalization opens up a world of opportunity.

Will this crop and special group of farmers be respected and recognized as the newest agricultural powerhouse in the nation’s leading agricultural state?

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@MJLIFESTYLE

Cotton Eyelet Blouse SUE 01 FreeI S People

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@MJLIFESTYLE

This page: Knit Striped Dress Free People, Dress, Freda Salvador White Leather T-Strap Flat, Handwoven Market Bag. Opposite Page: Madewell Sunglasses, INDA Creations Bronze Pipe Necklace, Vintage 90’s Crop Knit Top, Handsourced Indian Silk Pants.

ISSUE 01

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ISSUE 01

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THIS CRYPTIC BEAUTY KNOWS CRYPTOCURRENCY & IS BRINGING IT TO CANNABIS JESSICA VerSTEEG, CEO OF PARRAGON COIN

PHOTOGRAPHY JENNIFER SKOG ST YLING DANE DISETH

M J gets intimate with (former) lingerie model and CEO of Paragon Coin, Jessica VerSteeg, the force behind a unique Blockchain/Cannabis connection that’s changing the legal status of Cannabis to ensure the benefits are available globally, and creating a framework for regulation and verification of the Cannabis industry.

HOW DOES PARAGON COIN COMPARE TO BITCOIN OR OTHER CANNABIS COINS LIKE POTCOIN AND CANNABISCOIN?

Paragon coin (PRG) is inherently different to both Bitcoin and other Cannabis coins. Bitcoin serves an entirely different purpose, as it’s currently not only the largest cryptocurrency by market cap—but also the primary trading pair against other cryptocurrencies on exchanges. One could say, that Bitcoin is the “gold” of the cryptocurrency world.

On the other hand, there are more than a handful of Cannabis coins such as PotCoin and CannabisCoin. These two coins are both focused towards the Cannabis industry, but are entirely different products, as the main purpose they serve is to be the next payment method for Cannabis ­­­­—which is still a very gray area in most countries and federally illegal in the US. Paragon does help solve some of the cash problem in the industry, allowing participants in the industry to make B2B purchases in PRG for all products except the Cannabis itself. Examples include lights, paying security guards, growing equipment, fertilizers, paying bud tinders, and packaging materials.

On top of that, Paragon is creating a seed-to-sale tracking solution for Cannabis companies - all based on blockchain through smart-contracts.

This allows final users to verify if their product is what they paid for, as well as allowing dispensaries to verify that the purchased harvest information matches the results of the lab test. In addition, governments will be able to access all information on the supply chain that they require - allowing for fast audits with the assurance of accurate data that has not been manipulated.

Besides the online part of what we do at Paragon, there is also the offline element: our Paragon Spaces. These high-tech hubs promote innovation within the industry, in addition to bringing like-minded people together in order to grow their businesses and help the industry.

Importantly, PRG is the only payment method accepted for any and all payments within these spaces.

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@MJLIFESTYLE

“A huge issue faced by the industr y, especially in the US, is the growing cash problem. Since Cannabis companies cannot open bank accounts (unless done so under false pretenses), the only legal alternative is to use cash. This is obviously a terrible idea, resulting in stockpiles of cash, a growing concern for one’s safet y and the issue of having to handle all payrolling directly with cash.”

ISSUE 01

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WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE A BLOCK CHAIN FOR THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY?

After running my first Cannabis company AuBox, I realized some of the suppliers I had been meeting with were bringing false lab results and telling me their product is 100% organic or that it was 90% CBD. I had some suspicions, so I re-tested many of the products and found out most of my suppliers were honest with accurate lab results, but the few that were dishonest were a few too many. I know how dangerous fake lab results can be for patients with weak immune systems who need organic products, or even children with epilepsy that need CBD not THC. So I decided to create a blockchain that would allow farmers and labs to upload their own data while giving access to suppliers, dispensaries, governments, and patients.

Trust and transparency can help get Cannabis on a faster path to becoming federally legal and it can change the old “reefer madness” image that so many have not been able to move away from.

AN ACCOMPLISHED MODEL, ENTERING INTO NOT ONE, BUT T WO MALE DOMINATED INDUSTRIES — TECH & CANNABIS — WE CAN’T IMAGINE IT HAS BEEN EASY. ANY ADVICE FOR WOMEN WORKING TO ACHIEVE A SIMIL AR FEAT? Don’t be afraid

to get into either space—although there are still more men than women in both industries, they are not as much of a boy’s club as is the case in most other industries and we have the chance to really be equals in this space because it’s still early. This is the ultimate disruptive medicine and technology and they have tremendous potential to change the current social paradigm as well.

WHAT CHALLENGES WERE YOU FACED WITH IN STARTING A CANNABIS-REL ATED BUSINESS? A major issue for the wider Cannabis industry is the lack

of transparency and farming information of the product. For myself, it was incredibly hard to get accurate growing information and plant history from suppliers. In order to verify the product quality, I would send batches to a lab to verify the lab results I was given by the supplier.

Consequently, I quickly realized that performing lab tests and comparing these to statements from the supplier was the only way to ensure proper quality control.

A huge issue faced by the industry, especially in the US, is the growing cash problem. Since Cannabis companies cannot open bank accounts (unless done so under false pretenses), the only legal alternative is to use cash. This is obviously a terrible idea, resulting in stockpiles of cash, a growing concern for one’s safety and the issue of having to handle all payrolling directly with cash.

As a start-up in the US Cannabis industry, finding a landlord willing to lease an office or property is a near insurmountable task. The reason for this is the fact that Cannabis is illegal on a federal level, and the federal government could, theoretically, knock down the door at any time if they have any suspicions. As a result, Cannabis (affiliated) companies have to pay far in excess of the market average for rent if they are lucky enough to find office space at all.

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IT SOUNDS LIKE SOME OF YOUR CHALLENGES HAVE INSPIRED NEW PROJECTS LIKE REAL ESTATE. CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT CANNABIS FRIENDLY WORKSPACE? HAVE YOU STARTED CONSTRUCTION? Finding working space can be especially difficult for start-ups and cannabis industry employees. Federal organizations can shut down office units or buildings that are in any way involved with Cannabis at any time. Consequently, most landlords will not lease office space to anybody working within this industry.

Paragon is here to help, and we have tailored our spaces to be accessible for all individuals and small businesses operating within the cannabis industry. The only requirement to work at our co-working space is PRG - as this is the only payment form we accept for all services in these buildings.

Within these spaces, we bring together like-minded individuals to innovate the industry as well as work towards legalization. In addition to co-working, a vast array of conferences can be held for industry-specific topics.

Currently, Paragon has opened escrow and in the process of acquiring a state-of-the-art building in the heart of Hollywood, LA—the location having been voted on by the community. We will soon be releasing news on the progress of refurbishing and designing these buildings - so stay tuned!

@MJLIFESTYLE

DESCRIBE A T YPICAL DAY IN THE LIFE OF JESS. No

day is exactly the same for me, but generally this is what my day looks like.

I wake up, kiss my husband, play with my puppy, and have a cup of green tea. Check blockchain and Cannabis news, check telegram, check slack, check emails and start working (conference calls, meetings, designing the app, looking at possible co-working spaces, interviews, working with our developers on the code). I also like to take a few minutes in between meetings and calls to walk around the office and see how my team is doing.

My lunch break is usually when I talk with my family and catch up with friends. Then back to work until Europe wakes up, I’m a night owl so I don’t have a problem staying up late.

ISSUE 01

WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW? WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF YOUR JOB?

Perhaps the most difficult elements of the job is working in a climate that is forever changing.

As a company that has some operations in the US, there are a lot of variables in legislation from city to state to federal.

As a result, operations vary significantly within the Cannabis industry in every country, as well as every state in the US. The same is also true for crypto legislation, with some countries leading the way for mainstream adoption, and others taking a much more defensive or indecisive stance.

I look forward to Paragon setting the precedent as a supply chain tracking solution for the Cannabis industry worldwide - all powered by blockchain. Demonstrating the potential of free and transparent information in an industry that is fragmented and lacking clear regulations will pave the way to uniting people, businesses and hopefully even governments.

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I’m excited to see more and more women in the space like Eva Kaili who is not only a rock star in crypto and blockchain, but also a leading figure for blockchain in politics and governance.

Seeing women like Dr. Jemma Green, Linda Xie, Galia Benartzi, and Elizabeth Stark blazing a bold path for others to follow is so inspiring.

I’m excited to see younger generations growing up in an environment that embraces equality and expects nothing less.

I’m also excited to see progress in cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and Cannabis within several government bodies. I’m glad to see that the world and its governments are trending towards legitimizing blockchain technology and even cryptocurrencies.

It’s amazing to see how rapidly blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies are progressing and gradually becoming implemented into daily life for more and more people. The great part of this new industry is how blockchain will remove barriers, unnecessary third parties and tiers of costs structures - breaking down the traditional payment industry and providing individuals with access to more for less.

WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING WITHIN THE CANNABIS SPACE? More people are wanting to know where their cannabis is coming from. As Cannabis becomes more mainstream and consumers are becoming more educated, they are starting to care more about what the Cannabis plants are fed and they are becoming more critical of how cannabis products are produced.

Replacing Alcohol with Marijuana.

The landscape of not only America’s leisure activities, but plenty of countries around the world are set to shift, as consumers start to turn to cannabis as their recreational substance of choice.

Using Cannabinoids in Healthcare. The human body naturally produces a substance called endocannabinoids attaching to receptors within the endocannabinoid system or ECS.

The human ECS impacts our physiological process daily making this system extremely important to our being. The Cannabis plant has more than 100 different cannabinoids, which when consumed influence our ECS. Cannabis and its diverse production of cannabinoids have correlation within the human body to treat certain ailments or severe illnesses. There is still limited research and studies done on this system, but with proper influence and investment the world can begin to learn how much Cannabis can positively affect us and provide alternate treatments to harmful pharmaceutical drugs.

Smaller Serving Sizes. With so many new people coming on board to trade their painkillers or alcohol in for CSannabis I’m seeing smaller serving sizes are really making a way. I personally enjoy eating a whole brownie with a scoop of ice cream so when it comes to medicated brownies (or any edibles) I think most people feel the same way, they would rather have a smaller dose in the brownie so they can enjoy the whole brownie while it’s fresh.

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WHAT ICONIC WOMEN HAVE MADE YOU PROUD TO BE A WOMAN? Honestly, my mom is the most

iconic woman in my life and she has made me most proud to be a women. I would say there is no second place next to my mom, but there is an endless list of women that I admire and am proud to say they represent women well.

Eva Kaili Eva is perhaps the most prominent leader for women in blockchain and crypto.

Not only is Eva an advisor to many successful ICOs and blockchain based projects, she is also a member of EU parliament - driving direction for blockchain adoption within the European Union.

@MJLIFESTYLE

“Don’t be afraid to speak up and take risks” - Jess VerSteeg

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WHAT ICONIC WOMEN HAVE MADE YOU PROUD TO BE A WOMAN? (cont.) Michelle

Obama The first african american first lady who showed the world that you can be a smart women and support your husband without having to fit into the “pretty housewife that does nothing”. She led several meaningful initiatives, most notably her Let’s Move! campaign to fight childhood obesity.

Ashley Graham A plus-size model from a small town who made every women with curves feel good in their own skin by promoting body positivity with her vivacious confidence and healthy curves.

Beyoncé Throughout her career, she has embodied fierce femininity.

Young women like Emma Gonzalez A survivor of the deadly February 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Who has now become a gun-control activist with a powerful voice.

Tarana Burke Civil rights activist and founder of the #MeToo movement in the ‘90s long before the hashtag went viral. She has since founded Just Be Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides support for victims of sexual harassment and assault.

Whoopi Responsible for creating Whoopi & Maya, cannabisinfused products that fight the symptoms of PMS. Her product line has everything a woman could ever need to help push through a painful period. From bath soaks to tinctures, these products are a true lifesaver for females. Finally it’s ok to talk about periods and help women feel better.

Amy Margolis Not only is she an advocate for cannabis policies in the state of Oregon, but she also is the Executive Director of the Oregon Cannabis Association where she represents people that have been faced with cannabis-related offenses and has been doing so for thirteen years.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR WOMEN WITH A BRILLIANT LIFE-CHANGING IDEA? WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FIRST STEPS WE SHOULD TAKE? There are three

small things that I think women should do in the workplace to ensure their brilliant life-changing idea are heard: #1 Know Your Worth. Remember that trying to be someone else is a waste of the person you are. There are over 3.5 billion women in the world, but there is nobody else in the world with your unique life experiences.

The obstacles and challenges you have overcome in life along with how you think or solve problems in business are entirely exclusive to you.

No matter what anyone tries to tell you, remember that you have something unique to offer. Do not underestimate that to be successful, it’s crucial that you learn to like and to love yourself. Having this selfawareness, understanding precisely what you bring to the table, and having the confidence to carry it through to the end will ultimately help you navigate the workplace more effectively.

You can be confident, savvy, and successful, but it starts with knowing who you are, what you’re worth, and the uniqueness you have to offer.

Believing in your ideas, no matter how crazy they might seem, is integral to achieving any of your goals. Confidence and knowing your self-worth is critical.

#2 Don’t be afraid to speak up or take risks. It should be no surprise to hear that men reportedly do 75% of the talking during a typical business meeting. Even women in more senior roles can find it challenging to make their voice heard above others in the room, so confidence plays the most significant role in overcoming any fears that your ideas are not good enough or that you will appear too loud and forceful.

However, opting to stay silent rather than risk looking foolish or stepping out of line should never be an option. Seth Godin famously said, “Playing it safe and not taking a risk is probably the most dangerous thing you could do in today’s rapidly changing and highly competitive business environment.” But, so many women are still afraid to voice their ideas and opinions out of fear that they will not be taken seriously.

I recommend practicing in meetings or brainstorming sessions because they are the perfect time to interject and share your thoughts that could benefit your company or customers. Successful women don’t make reckless decisions, but they do know when to stop playing it safe and how to take a calculated risk. #3 Express gratitude to those around you while lifting them up. Successful women acknowledge those who support them every day — both in their personal lives and in the office. It’s not all about you, helping and supporting your network to achieve their goals is equally as important to achieving personal success.

I have experienced first-hand how graciousness not only makes me a better person, but also fosters respect and loyalty from those around me.

I also believe in supporting the dreams of my tribe, because the best kind of success happens when everyone has a sense of ownership and feels a part of that success.

Although we have all heard the slightly cheesy line, “teamwork makes the dream work,” it is the secret sauce that makes great things happen.

Bringing a group of people together with unique life experiences and worldviews from different genders, races, and nationalities enables everyone to achieve more and succeed together.

What if we could also extend this philosophy beyond the office and into our home lives and treat everyone we meet the way we would want to be treated ourselves? Not only would our lives be better, but we would be paving the way for a better and kinder world.

ANY TIPS ON WHAT INFORMATION TO LOOK FOR WHEN PURCHASING CANNABIS?

First of all, you need to be sure on what you want to buy. There are thousands of strains of cannabis, all different and all possessing their own set of unique properties. On a broad scale, you can break these down into Sativa, Indica and Hybrids.

The best piece of advice is to buy from a reputable dispensary with a proven track record, great reviews and one that is transparent in their operations and product sourcing. In the future, Paragon will help with this transparency. What everybody should avoid is buying from dispensaries that are not forthcoming about their products when questions are asked, or cannot elaborate on their products or growing history whatsoever.

HOW CAN THE MJ COMMUNIT Y GET INVOLVED IN THE PARAGON COIN MOVEMENT?

There are many ways the MJ Community can get involved in Paragons project. First and foremost, users can sign up for our online platform at www.paragoncoin.com, this also enables email updates for staying tuned in to our latest news and developments.

Any part of the MJ community that works within the cannabis industry may be in need of working space in one of our operating areas.

We welcome these individuals to come and work in our Paragon Space to cross-pollinate with other individuals within the industry.

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@MJLIFESTYLE

The Labium of Quim Rock

“BECAUSE HAPPY VAGINAS MAKE FOR BETTER, MORE INTIMATE SEX - AND OUR PRODUCTS MAKE FOR HAPPY VAGINAS. YOU KNOW.”

INTERVIEW WITH CYO + RACHEL OF QUIM ROCK PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER SKOG WRITTEN BY BRITTNEY MESICA

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2

017 was a hard year for women.

We saw a rise in the Republican Party’s attacks against us- to defund Planned Parenthood and to take away our reproductive and legal rights. “Feminism” seemed to have acquired a negative connotation with an utterance that could shut down just about any dialogue. All the while, our hearts were still recovering from the recent election. Yet, this became the year that we fought back. Women all over the world became emboldened, fearless. We marched for equal rights across borders and state lines. We started the #metoo movement to expose and eradicate sexual violence. We rose to political power where we gained a platform and a voice, and people started to listen. Women everywhere began to take matters in to their own hands, and in this instance, their vaginas!

Meet Cyo and Rachel, the leading labium behind Quim Rock, a San Francisco based,Cannabis-infused intimate self-care line.

Quim is a 17th century archaic, derogatory British word for vulva, or cunt.

When asked why they chose to bring this term back into use in the 21st Century, Quim responded, “We feel that there is power in reclaiming words that had historically been used to put people down. We love the sound of the word- it’s really beautiful. We definitely wanted something “yonic” for the company name. People don’t really know what it means which is cool because it leads to more questions.

Of course our first week of launching the product we got an email from a woman in her 50s demanding that we must change the name of the company because it was so offensive and vulgar. But that’s the thing, if you’re not pissing someone off you’re not pushing the envelope far enough.”

“I’ve always had chronic yonic issues.”

The ladies of Quim Rock specialize in producing a THC lubricant. You heard it right girls, weed lube! It gets your pussy high while simultaneously increasing libido. Double the pleasure, double the fun! When creating their intimate oils, Rachel and Cyo choose a Sativa dominant Cannabis strain that propels the vagina into a sparkly awakened state leading to enhanced sensation and intensified climax.

The lubricant is also comprised of a liquid coconut oil base and contains a low dose of tea tree- “mother natures’ antifungal and antiseptic.

This in turn not only heightens orgasm and arousal by giving a cooling and warming effect, but it also balances our ever so sensitive PH levels making it a go-to for combatting yeast infections and UTI’s.

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“I’ve always had chronic yonic issues.” Cyo tells us. “The first time I had sex I ended up with a horribly long cycle of UTIs and yeast infections. Sex was painful. I spent the last year of college going to every health food store searching for products for vaginal health. I would end up going to the store and thinking to myself, “WTF is going on here?! There are four aisles on male balding yet there are only two brands of organic tampons and one tea tree suppository that has so many yin yangs and faeries all over it that I can’t even take it seriously.” So I thought, enough is enough, I’m going to have to make my own.”

As a little girl, Cyo grew up concocting and making “potions.” She would grind up plants and spices, turning them into facemasks and poultices to test out on her sister.

“I had heard about Cannabis-infused lubrication…I love smoking weed and love my vagina and want it to be happier so I went out and bought this teeny tiny bottle of THC lube.

The first time I tried it it didn’t work. Maybe it was because I was hesitant to use very much since the bottle was so small and expensive.

I decided to give it another shot. This time I used more and the results were mind-blowing!

Within 15-20 minutes it had totally increased my natural lubricant and arousal. But because of the price-to-size ratio of the bottle it just wasn’t sustainable. I thought, could I make this myself ?

After that I started experimenting with products of my own. I went on a trip to Georgia and ended up accidentally leaving a sample jar at a friend’s place. She later called me and told me that she had used it and that I was never getting it back. Her partner then jumped on the phone and told me how incredible he thought it was.

They both agreed that I needed to start making more to sell. Six months later, we launched our first line of intimate lube.”

Rachel and Cyo were not always involved in the Cannabis scene. Rachel was one of the founding members of an interior design firm and had managed a number of consumer facing companies. Cyo had a career entirely in tech sales, first breaking ground in the Cannabis industry after getting a job at Meadow, an ondemand directory connecting Cannabis patients with dispensaries.

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Growing up, the two lived within five blocks of each other in San Francisco, and played soccer as young girls. Yet, college took them their separate ways and they didn’t reconnect until after both had graduated and moved back to the Bay Area.

“I had low-key been looking for a partner to start this Cannabis company for the past four years. Then there was this moment at a friend’s party where Rachel was talking about what she wanted in the next phase of her life and career and I had this light bulb moment where I said “OMG! You’re perfect for this; to make this side project into a company.””

The two joined forces and launched Quim Rock in April of 2017.

“Rachel is the yin to my yang.” Cyo says about their working relationship. “We have such different energies that it makes for a good team. Rachel is a marathon. She is very detail-oriented and has incredible work ethic.

When she starts something she sits down and bangs it out. She’s always reminding me about things like bulk pricing. I am more of a sprint of energy. I’m out there fundraising and pitching ideas.”

Since their launch, Quim Rock has been well received in both the Cannabis and erotic communities. The company was recently featured in Viceland’s series, Slutever, hosted by Vogue columnist, Karley Sciortino in an episode titled, Stoned Sex. This gained the women huge exposure, and with the recent legalization of recreational marijuana in California, the ladies have seen a five-fold increase in volume and order rates since starting the company.

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@MJLIFESTYLE

Quim Rock plans to launch three to four new products this year, ranging from latex-safe lubricants to CBD-heavy THC-free products that will enable them to distribute across state lines.

“Fundamentally we want to create products that work. There is so much opportunity right now in history. Women’s health is really under fire, so it is extremely necessary that we have access to products out there that work for us instead of causing us more harm. We look at ingredients in tampons and they read, “Bleached cotton.” Monistat is supposed to help with a yeast infection but causes serious dryness. These products are reactive, not proactive. We’re all so into drinking cold-pressed juices and wearing sunscreen, so why are we not being proactive with this deeply important part of our bodies?”

By fostering sustainable self-care practices and creating a product that enables women to have happy, healthy vaginas and multiple orgasms, the ladies of Quim Rock have opened the door for conversation between women, and have become advocates for women’s sexual health in the Cannabis community and beyond.

While gaining inspiration from such female powerhouses as Oprah and her mother; Cyo shares with us who she really finds the most motivating.

“People who inspire me the most are not famous. They are the people who advocated for Cannabis to become more than a movement but an industry—those out there trying to redesign the speculum. People who didn’t get to go to the women’s march because they were busy taking care of their families or working. People who have been dealt really shitty hands and are still pushing through and show up in their lives everyday. “ And when asked if Quim Rock has any advice for women in 2018, Rachel and Cyo unequivocally answered, “Stop apologizing and start masturbating!”

Yes please!

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“Cannabis Businesses pay on time, are respectful and don’t want any trouble”

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MEET KIMBERLY KAMISH

The Former Miss Belize Holds The Keys To Cannabis’ Newest Collaborative Workspace, The Hideout

PHO T O G RAPHY JENNIFER SKOG S T Y LING DANE DISETH WARDRO BE ELLE DYNER

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wo years ago, Kimberly Kamish—affectionately known as Kimmy—was managing an apartment building in Hollywood while chasing her personal dreams of becoming the modernday Ethnic Herbal Martha Stewart. She longed for a creative space of her own where she could curate her dreams and inspire the dreams of others. What she didn’t see coming was meeting the love of her life and where it would take her.

At that same time in a gritty neighborhood in South Central LA, a Los Angeles architect was subletting a rundown warehouse to craftsmen in his field while looking for a way to finance the rest of his renovation. That was until Stephen King met his new partner in crime and future fiancé, Ms. Kimmy Kamish. They envisioned transforming the warehouse into a creative workplace for artists and entrepreneurs, and the two banded together to embark on this new and exciting project. Her fiance’s keen architectural eye brought this brilliantly designed idea to life, while Kimmy’s previous experience in property management put together workable systems to operate the new business. She quickly began to mold the platform on which they now stand.

The Hideout was made for artists, creatives, and trailblazing entrepreneurs to grow their businessesand facilitate a community of likeminded individuals to inspire and thrive. In the beginning, they had a bad tenant or two, but Kimmy decided to take a chance on a local Cannabis delivery service and found them to be her best tenant yet. “Cannabis businesses pay on time, are respectful and don’t want any trouble,” she says. With that revelation, they opened their arms to the Cannabis industry and now have rented four spaces to Cannabis business owners.

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@MJLIFESTYLE

This unique shared 15,000+ sq. ft. workspace boasts three renovated studios and has a chill vibe with an old soul feeling. Crafted with a slide, swings, Kimmy’s infamous pink ladder, and a half pipe in the middle of the main office, The Hideout gives artists and entrepreneurs the freedom to spark up responsibly whenever they’d like, allowing creativity to expand beyond singular thinking and encouraging collaborations.

For more information on the Hideout’s Community Workspace visit www.HideoutLA.com

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“

BEFORE THE HIDEOUT I QUESTIONED WHO I WAS. I DIDN’T RECOGNIZE MYSELF. THOSE WERE MY DARK YEARS. YOU COULD CALL IT CHANGES, BUT I PREFER TO CALL IT A SEASON OF MODIFICATION. I WAS STILL ME AT THE CORE BUT SOME FINE TUNING WAS IN ORDER. I BEGAN TO DECORATE MY SOUL AGAIN, PL ANTING SEEDS, WATERING THEM, AND NOW WE WATCH THEM GROW AND I CONTINUE TO BLOSSOM INTO A FIERCE BUSINESS WOMAN, BONUS MOTHER TO 2 AND WIFE TO MY DREAM LOVER. ALIGNMENT IS HAPPENING AND TO FEEL LIKE YOU ARE ACTUALLY STEPPING INTO THE PATH THAT WAS MADE FOR YOU IS A FEELING I FIND HARD TO ARTICUL ATE. BEING A FIRST GENERATION AMERICAN WHOSE PARENTS HAIL FROM BELIZE AND ISRAEL, STANDING TALL IN LOVE AND PARTNERSHIP AS AN EMPOWERED WOMAN IS A THANK YOU NOTE I CONTINUE TO WRITE TO MY FAMILY FOR THEIR SACRIFICES. OUR CHILDREN WILL KNOW THAT THE SACRIFICES MADE FOR US TO BUILD THE LIFE WE HAVE WERE NOT MADE IN VAIN.

„

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE HIDEOUT? SAYING “I DO” WITH ARTHUR KING IN FRONT OF OUR CLOSEST FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN A SPACE WE’VE BUILT ON OUR BACKS.

- KIMMY KAMISH

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@MJLIFESTYLE

when your crystal matches your ring

@PUREBEAUT YPUREBEAUT Y

@ELEVATEJANE

the inda pipe necklace

after the event

we drove to the

beach & endulged in

one of these pretties.

Felt like it was 1999!

@STONEROADFARMS

MJ Lifestyle and The Hideout hosted the first of many events this past January, celebrating with some of the most influential women in the Cannabis Community.

We look forward to building relationships and partnering with even more incredible women and brands in the future. Stay tuned!

@INDACREATIONS

&Blunts

Lunch

infuse oil with

your favorite herbs in your home! from soap to

salad dressing, the options are

limitless with this savvy machine!

@LEVO_OIL ISSUE 01

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holy chic!

we never wanted to

leave portland’s serra dis[ensary

Places

@SERRACANNABIS

‘high’ tea!

@THEEMERALDCUP

getting cheeky at the La store opening

@KYRIOUS.CO

@ELEVATEJANE

of legend dennis peron.

talk about

staying elevated at the High Times Women of Weed event

@CHELSEALEYL AND

celebrating the life & accomplishments

@FORLOVEANDLEMONS

@SIOBHAN.DANGER.DARWISH

@WHITERABBITHIGHTEA

Ev ents mj caught up with the ladies of paradise at portland’s

new hot

spot for cannabis and complimentary goodies - can you say munchies??

@JEFFREYSJOINT

@99HIGHTIDE

mj went under the

@MEGLEE11

sea in malibu to

check out the scene at 99 high tide

@L ADIESOFPARADISE

@JENNIFERSKOG

GROW SISTER GROW SIOBHAN DANGER DARWISH

SECOND GENERATION FARMER FOUNDER OF GROW SISTERS TELLS IT LIKE IT IS

T

he Grow Sisters’ mission is to amplify sustainable growing practices while revealing and celebrating the culture of the northern California Cannabis community. Founded by me, Siobhan Danger Darwish and with the help of my sister Sloan Reed, to promote our family farm, Blessed Coast Farms.

Though we were the first permitted Cannabis farm in California, we had no marketing budget, so we got brave and creative, filming videos and posting them on YouTube—radical moves for formerly outlaw farmers!

Since then we have grown into a sisterhood of wise women who all have the same vision of creating sustainable value through our farming and business practices. Collectively we do not support extractive farming and business practices that harm the planet and squeeze people while enriching a few. We know from research and experience that longterm solutions are regenerative, gentle on the planet and supportive of people….and bonus: result in the highest quality cannabis in the process.

We are from The Emerald Triangle - so called for the hills of green forests that make up much of Northern California; and for the Cannabis culture which has thrived there since the early ‘60s. The narrow roads, hours of travel from big cities and protection of the trees were ideal for the outlaws with hippie hearts who came to farm an illegal medicine.

They came, like my father, to create their own communities, risking imprisonment, loss of property and death—with the conviction that cannabis was more important than the unjust laws with which they were persecuted.

The communities we renegades created ran by different rules than the ‘straight’ world—here in the Wild West business was conducted with dirt road handshakes, slang and big trucks. We stayed behind the curtain, and kept out of sight—developing our culture by growing food and medicinal gardens, raising our families on the hill and creating unique art and music.

As a second generation grower, the War on Drugs was the war on us: on my parents, my friends and neighbors and myself. Our unique collective ethos required self-sufficiency and we survived through paranoia. Few understand that multiple generations of Cannabis cultivators live with PTSD as a consequence of continuing to grow a medicinal plant facing constant risk of persecution and attack. These farmers also have the greatest depth of knowledge on growing sustainable, outdoor, organic plants - this is the heritage that Grow Sisters celebrates.

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Medicinal and black-market Cannabis growing exploded again in The Emerald Triangle with the resounding passage of California Proposition 215 in 1996. Written and championed by Dennis Peron in response to the raging AIDS epidemic, this proposition legalized the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes in California. This made California the first place in the world to challenge Cannabis’ worldwide prohibition.

In 2015 Gov Jerry Brown signed into effect the first Cannabis regulations and created a path to permitting. In Nov. 2017, voters passed Prop 64, expanding the Cannabis market to non-medical consumers.

All us outlaws got a good case of whiplash with these intense directional changes! We were faced with two risky options: stay the course in the ‘underground’ market, or make the expensive, stressful, and public choice of legalizing our farm. In our community some talked of waiting for others to navigate the minefield of change before themselves coming out of the shadows. As a family we choose to go legal because we saw an opportunity that few ever have, to be the change and co-create the new legal market (differentiating ourselves from The Black Market.)

Trailblazers that we are, we proudly obtained the first commercial Cannabis cultivation permit in California in June of 2016, for our farm in Humboldt County.

Once we had our cultivation permit we were overwhelmed by the many expected and unexpected financial challenges of staying permitted: County and State application fees, County and State taxes, professional service costs, implementing the Track and Trace program, and on and on.

We quickly realized that we needed to build a brand to keep our business flowing, but as a self-funded team on a shoestring budget, Blessed Coast Farms had no line item for Marketing. Plus, Sloan was new to farming in 2017 having joined me in California from Utah, so we combined our need and our opportunity: Educational videos on cutting edge sustainable growing, with a cultural peek behind The Redwood Curtain —the birth of the Grow Sisters.

Our YouTube videos explore the grow season of 2017 on Blessed Coast Farms, from seed to harvest. Topics range from hands-on cultivation tips to product education. After hiding our entire lives, we love joining the world of social media where we can normalize Cannabis and our lifestyle.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATASHA RICKE

@MJLIFESTYLE

Our following sprouted and has grown organically; our fans have fallen in love with the simple nature of two sisters working to navigate the unexplored newly legal market of Cannabis, complete with laughs and gaffs.

Even before state regulations started being discussed, savvy leaders have been establishing best practices and certification programs for themselves. After all, we know what needs to be done from the inside better than anyone looking in.

To educate is to empower, and in the age of health crises on many fronts and questionable business practices on others, Grow Sisters is committed to amplifying individuals and organizations which raise the bar and set the new standards.

The nonprofit Cannabis Certification Council is just such an organization, offering a national third-party certification program and seal according to its mission to promote organic cultivation methods, empower fair labor practices, and provide consumer education and choice in the cannabis industry. I am honored to be on the board of this group which is so aligned with our mission.

Grow Sisters 2018 season is all about the best: best practices in regenerative farming, in sustainable business building, in product creation and distribution. That’s Grow Sister Approved. We dig into people, practices, products and businesses to celebrate the good they are doing. We’re here to normalize healthy medicine and healthy businesses, to be the change that we have yearned for as a community.

In Northern California, Highway 101 is limited to two lanes by ancient redwood groves, restricting huge trucks from getting through.

Prohibition similarly restricted our ability to provide medicine and information out from our community. Paradoxically, regulations open up a wider highway which allows us to share the collective wisdom and medicine cultivated on the hill—bringing cannabis farmers right into homes throughout California and spreading education across the country and world. In 2018, expect to see the Grow Sisters on your screens, and in dispensaries, continuing to trail-blaze with integrity in this tumultuous emerging era of legalized Cannabis.

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e

1.

. . l or l

yw

a w This is the

2.

3.

MJ’s Creative Director Dane Diseth

4.

What the Crutch?

5.

A Crutch is thick piece of paper folded, then rolled and placed in the mouthpiece to stabilize the end of a joint. When rolling, leave enough room at one end for the crutch and roll as usual. Crutches can be made from any scrap piece of junkmail postcard or purchased in designer prints.

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@MJLIFESTYLE

HOW DO YOU TABOO?

BY ALLISON RAY BENAVIDES

W

here are you right now? As

But our social order still does, despite

you sit reading this article

countless public opinion polls showing an

in MJ Lifestyle magazine,

increased acceptance of Cannabis. In 2012, 48%

where are you? On the

of Gallup respondents supported legalization. By

subway? In the break room at work? In the

2017, support had grown to 64%. Additionally,

bathtub after you put the kids to bed? Can you

Quinnipiac University National Poll found 94%

leave this article out on the coffee table when

of respondents support medical marijuana. Yet

your parents come over? If you are in public, are

even though over half of the United States has

you reading this on your phone to be discreet?

passed some sort of Cannabis legislation, strong stigmas and barriers remain.

Cannabis has been in hiding herself, but not by any choice of her own. The DEA locked her

While a growing consensus has caught her

up like a common criminal, alongside heroin

scent, it takes infrastructure time to catch

and bath salts. I imagine her as Rapunzel,

up. The longstanding laws and policies that

falsely imprisoned at the top of a high, stone

have defined her and us can continue to have

tower. Instead of lowering her long hair out

disastrous consequences when transgressed,

the window to catch her lover’s attention, she

particularly for parents. As much as I hate to

releases her sweet and sour scent into the breeze.

acknowledge it, even in progressive So Cal

Her distinctive fragrance could be overlooked

pediatric patients have been removed from

as a defensive skunk, interpreted as a warning

their homes by Child Protective Services within

sign to turn back. But to those of us who know

the past year when their parents declined

her, we lovingly follow her scent like Pepé

pharmaceuticals and pursued Cannabis. So

Le Pew. Devoted and determined, thousands

while it’s incredibly important for these same

have attempted to scale the tower to break her

reasons to be open about our lifestyles, it is also

free. But surprisingly, it is our children who

important not to get too far ahead of ourselves

ultimately reached her. She loves our children.

—Cannabis hasn’t been freed from the tower yet.

Nothing has set fire to Cannabis the way our babies did in 2012. Efforts to legalize Cannabis for medicinal or recreational reasons had been slow to make progress over decades. But then a brave father in Modesto, Jason David, gave a high CBD strain to his young, suffering son Jayden. In one dose, he stopped thousands of seizures and changed the world forever.

In perfect mythic fashion, it took the purity of a child to reveal her most sacred purpose.

Cannabis undeniably heals, and Jayden doesn’t

To learn more visit PediatricCannabisSupport.com

care about the taboos he innocently turned inside out.

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Allison Ray Benavides, LCSW is a medical social worker living in San Diego and working in the field of death and dying. She has a deep respect and gratitude for all wisdom traditions and is most inspired by her work when women, nature, Spirit and healing come together. When her threeyear-old son was diagnosed with intractable epilepsy in 2013, he was lucky to find seizure freedom with high CBD. She is the cofounder of a support group for San Diego families navigating the uncharted territory of pediatric Cannabis together.

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SO... IN THESE SHIFTING AND SHIFT Y TIMES, JUST HOW DO WE LET OUR HAIR DOWN? HOW DO WE IMPACTFULLY CONFRONT THE TABOOS THAT PREVENT SOCIAL CHANGE WHILE PROTECTING OURSELVES FROM POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES?

12 34 5 6 78 9

BE COOL - Respect what can make Cannabis

dangerous and make safe choices.

BE RESPONSIBLE - Understand that your recreational use

impacts patients whose life depends on Cannabis. Our

sick children especially can’t afford for us to go backwards.

BE EDUCATED - Learn the science behind

your experience to dispel harmful myths and reinforce an accurate narrative. There actually is science that supports your lifestyle.

BE L AWFUL - Black market will always be there but with new legislation comes new consequences.

Be sure you know what they are in your state.

BE EMPOWERED - Get inspired by our youngest and strongest political

change makers like cancer survivor, Rylie Meadler. At 11 years old,

she and her mother’s efforts led to both Delaware’s pediatric medical

BE OPEN - We largely learn about Cannabis through

marijuana law and an amendment legalizing use on school property.

our relationships. Sharing our experience can

make it safer for others to have their own.

BE DISCREET - Protecting your job and family are always top

priorities. If you are feeling uncertain about sharing this part of your life publicly, then don’t. There are ways to support without putting your life on the line.

BE A CONSCIOUS CONSUMER - Entrepreneurs in the hospitality,

tourism, beauty, and self care industries are making it easier

than ever to integrate Cannabis into your lifestyle. Make it a point to support the companies who support you.

BE WITH YOUR TRIBE - Cannabis loves community. She

brings people together and building consensus is what

ultimately pushes the envelope and leads to change

Emancipating Cannabis emancipates us all. Secrets are dangerous and creepy; Cannabis was never meant to be one. Her scent alone says, “Hey you! It’s me!” So if you find yourself following it, don’t be afraid. Just be cool. We’re here for you.

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CHELSEA LEYLAND THE DJ / ACTIVIST GOES AGAINST THE GRAIN TO DEFY THE STIGMA, RAISE AWARENESS, AND LIVE AN EXTRA-ORDINARY LIFE AS SHE CHRONICLES HER MISSION TO CHANGE THE L AWS AND ULTIMATELY SAVE HER SISTER IN HER UPCOMING DOCUMENTARY ‘Separating the Strains’.

Interview Brittney Mesica Creative Direction Dane Diseth Photography Amanda Bjorn Styling Naomi Zinns

Ruffled Cami and Short Set

by For Love and Lemons

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YC based, British DJ, Chelsea Leyland, is not going to let her condition define her. After being diagnosed with a form of epilepsy in her early teens and recently ending a tumultuous relationship with western medicine in exchange for CBD oil, Chelsea has become an activist in the Cannabis community and an advocate for epilepsy and medical marijuana use. Fueled by a lust for life and determination to bring her sister, who suffers from a more severe form of epilepsy, access to Cannabis treatment in the UK, Chelsea is using her platform in the fashion and art world to speak out and raise awareness of the benefits of treating neurological disorders with CBD, the non-psychoactive compound found in Cannabis.

“I was 15 years old when I was diagnosed with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy,” Chelsea told MJ. “I was away at a boarding school in England.

I had been extremely overtired and was experiencing light brain blackouts and hand jerks. It was a difficult moment because my doctor wasn’t able to identify the epilepsy at first. My older sister has a severe type of epilepsy that requires fulltime care, so the doctor assumed my symptoms were psychosomatic, stemming from my sister’s condition and the anxiety that I had surrounding that. I was then referred to a neurologist who within five minutes diagnosed me with JME. Being a teen is hard enough as it is with everything you’re learning about yourself and trying to fit in, and then being diagnosed—that was very difficult.”

JME or Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy is an idiopathic generalized epileptic syndrome characterized by myoclonic jerks, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and sometimes absence seizures (brief, sudden lapses of consciousness).

Chelsea was put on various anticonvulsant medications for 16 years before discovering CBD oil. The pharmaceuticals she had been prescribed, like Keppra, an AED (anti-epileptic drug ), would target one issue while resulting in a slew of other serious side effects.

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“For people diagnosed with epilepsy you are prescribed these medications and you don’t have a choice. You either risk hurting yourself or you take the medication, and that is how it is presented to you,” said Chelsea. “I struggled with many side effects from these medications ranging from severe anxiety, rage, and heart palpitations to depression and thoughts of suicide. I was emotionally unstable and had trouble focusing. My parents told me that my personality changed after taking the anticonvulsant drugs and I became very aggressive. It was hard to see at the time what was the medicine and what was me.”

Despite living with her condition, Chelsea was not about to give up her dreams and at 19 she moved to New York City to attend the Lee Strasburg Theatre and Film Institute for acting.

Shortly after her move she was invited to DJ at the famous Shark Attack Sounds 4th of July party in Montauk, hosted by photographer, Ben Watts and Milk Studio’s cofounder, Mazdack Rassi.

“In the first few months of my move to New York I was with Ben at his house and I was putting music on an iPod when he asked me to DJ the party.

I told him that I didn’t know how to DJ. He said to just bring two ipods and crossfade between them, so that’s what I did and it ended up going great. I owe a lot of credit to my boyfriend at the time. He told me that I should go for it and really learn to properly DJ. Not just the computers, but to learn with the turntables and records to mix and beat match. I began taking classes from a friend and apprenticed under him. I believe my first gig was in a hotel lobby.”

From hotel lobby to New York Fashion Week, Chelsea began booking gigs faster than she could prepare and was soon DJing parties for the likes of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Dior, and Coach.

With her biggest triggers being stress and lack of sleep, one might find it ironic being an epileptic, jet-setting DJ in New York City, but that never stopped her from pushing forward and embracing the high-speed lifestyle that she had created.

@MJLIFESTYLE

Eyelet Crop Top by For Love and Lemons, Vintage Cut off Shorts by Levi’s

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@MJLIFESTYLE

“Looking back on the past 10 years, I was so adamant that I would never let my condition define me. Having a weakness propels me, because it gives me fight. In a way one can have a head start in life because you are so determined to not let that condition consume you. It can give you so much determination and energy behind whatever trajectory you’re on.

I have lost huge gigs because they insisted on having strobe lighting. I’ve had meltdowns during gigs because I was so sleep deprived. A lot of red carpet events were very triggering. I was invited to the Burberry Runway Show during fashion week and I thought I was going to have a seizure right then and there because of the flashes from all of the cameras, which can be more in your face than strobe lights.”

John Lycett Green, founder of Medical Marijuana Genetics and Cannabis activist in the UK, first introduced Chelsea to CBD oil.

“I had mentioned trying medical marijuana to my doctors before and they brushed it off like I was just trying to get stoned. It was extremely degrading.”

A friend gave Chelsea her first few drops of CBD oil after a sleepless night attending a wedding in England, but it wasn’t until the second time she tried it that she really noticed the effects.

“I had mentioned trying medical marijuana to my doctors before and they brushed it off like I was just trying to get stoned. It was extremely degrading.”

“The second time I tried CBD oil I forgot to take my medication that night. I never ever forget to take my medicine! I didn’t have to set an alarm or anything because my brain would always remind me that it was pill time. Around 6pm-9pm I would start to feel funny or like I couldn’t focus and that’s when I knew I was in the “danger zone” that I could potentially have a seizure. After I began taking CBD oil I noticed the positive effects it had on me. It was very exciting! I no longer had that “medicated” feeling, and after two months of taking it I very gradually began to wean off of my medications.”

Chelsea has now been off pharmaceutical drugs for over a year and is managing her epilepsy by exclusively taking CBD oil, and although she does not recommend coming off of any medication on your own she claims to have done so in an act of desperation.

“I get so many questions from people about coming off meds and using CBD. People are so hungry for alternatives. I weaned myself off extremely gradually and listened to my body.

What works for one person may not work for another so it is very important that you should be able talk to your doctor and have that conversation before trying to wean off of any medication,” Leyland explains.

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This Page and On The Cover: Floral Print Mini Dress

by For Love and Lemons

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@MJLIFESTYLE

They are very misinformed here. I am hoping they will look to us and start to catch up and stop denying people Cannabis.

My journey with this film is to explore the climate of the medical Cannabis industry in the UK and US and compare the two. It is about my fight to get my sister access to Cannabis. We are exploring the medical Cannabis industry by looking at epilepsy as a case study and exposing the convoluted laws behind using CBD. We are also using different medians with sound and animation to really illustrate what epilepsy feels like. I would have never gotten to where I am without having that illness. It gave me a lot of fight and still drives me everyday.”

Follow Chelsea’s journey on Instagram @chelsealeyland and be on the lookout for more information regarding her upcoming documentary, @CBD4epilepsy “Separating The Strains.”

When asked if she uses marijuana recreationally Chelsea divulges that she is completely sober. “I smoked when I was younger,” she says. “I’ve taken so many pharmaceutical drugs that I was never afraid to try CBD. However, THC can sometimes cause seizures so it is important that I stay clear of recreational use. Not to say I’m against it. Working hard as a Cannabis activist, people are so quick to shut it down so it is crucial to come from a well-informed place and to use science, research, and well-informed facts to speak the terms of politicians and to change policy.”

CBD has had a huge impact on Chelsea’s life, and with more than 60 thousand Instagram followers she’s using her influence to advocate for the health benefits of using Cannabis to treat everything from epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases, to PTSD, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and more.

Embarking on her biggest project yet, she is now in the preproduction stages of co-producing and co-directing her documentary, “Separating The Strains.”

“This film is about my personal story and my sister’s story struggling with epilepsy. My sister has a very severe form of epilepsy and autism that requires full time care. She is living in the UK and has no access to Cannabis because it is not an approved drug. It’s very frustrating because it has been such a huge success with treating mine. The UK is very far behind the US in terms of having access to medical marijuana. You can buy CBD under .3 percent THC but it is not medicinally or recreationally legal.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Brittney Mesica is a Los Angeles native and Southern Oregon transplant with a passion for travel, music, fashion, and canna-culture. Currently working as a freelance writer and special events coordinator, Brittney has hosted many Cannabis commerce events such as Marijuana Mixers and Private Industry Parties. She has experience in publications with articles that have been featured in Oregon’s 1859 Magazine and Sunset Magazine

Off The Shoulder Top By Ellery, White Mini Skirt 90’S Vintage Michael Kors Collection, Shoes from Adidas

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@MJLIFESTYLE

Black Light Weight Hi-Tech Jacket by MC PLANET, Raspberry Crop Zip-Front Stretch Linen Vest by Sarah Pacini, White Button Front Long Sleeve Seamed Blouse

by MC PLANET, Pants by Sarah Pacini, Lace-up Shoes

by Sarah Pacini.

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THE CONSTANCE EFFECT INTERVIEW WITH CONSTANCE FINLEY BY SUMI SOHN-RIGLER FOREWARD + PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER SKOG STYLING BY MILI STARICCO HAIR + MAKEUP BY CAMILLE GOLDSTON

S

itting in the back of a Women’s Cannabis Networking event, trying to stay awake after a long day, I suddenly find myself at the edge of my seat, peeking over heads to see the face behind such a powerfully charged voice speaking her truth. I looked over at my girlfriend wide-eyed. “We NEED Constance!” we said in complete unison.

We drove in from the Bay, up the windy roads of the Richmond Hills to meet Constance at her home. She opened the door, timid and a bit uncertain.

She welcomed us inside a home filled with an unexpected and eccentric style to go with her quirky personality. “So, you ladies are here for the senior citizens portion of your magazine?” Being incredibly sarcastic myself, I immediately connect with her sense of humor. The truth of the matter is that Constance is a badass. Out of the need to save her own life, she is leading the charge full speed ahead in Cannabis research & medicines. Her experience, expertise and tenacity is what makes her a woman unmatched by anyone I’ve ever met. She’s proof that we all have it in us to do something truly remarkable.

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@MJLIFESTYLE

MJ Lifestyle was established because the modern woman was not represented positively in the Cannabis Space. Did you have a similar experience? Yes. When I first started, I was very uncomfortable with where I could get Cannabis. These places were not made for me or [the typical] suburban soccer mom. I was afraid to use Cannabis as medicine because I thought anybody who used it was addicted. I was fine with two glasses of pinot every night but Cannabis had a stigma. I didn’t know that you could not become addicted because the physical mechanism is absent.

What I wanted was exactly what my company grew to offer - a new product, miles away from the dark beginnings of Cannabis on the black market, the “wink wink nudge nudge” dispensary industry, something with standardization and no toxicity.

“What I wanted was exactly what my company grew to offer—a new product, miles away from the dark beginnings of Cannabis on the black market” When did you decide to start using Cannabis to heal? You had to use very high doses, correct? In the beginning, I found incremental relief when I smoked a joint every night. No other pharmaceutical drugs helped at all. I tried 68 different drugs and none helped.

I saw the benefits [of Cannabis] and accepted that it was helping, that there was a pathway. Next question was how can I do this safely and more effectively? I found that I needed very high potency to impact my inflammation and pain and my sleep. I had a very severe disease. And it turned out, serendipitously, that what worked for me also worked for cancer patients, according to their doctors.

Can you tell us more about high potency using the whole plant? We changed the world with our potency. The first test of my products at Steep Hill Labs blew the personnel away. Before my product, CBD was maxing out around 3%. And we had 68% CBD; THC extract was 82%. Constance Therapeutics was unusual in using high potency and for developing extraction to achieve high potency in the first place.

Later, a famous doctor, Dr. James W. Forsythe of Century Wellness Clinic, sent me the first 28 stage IV, second occurrence cancer patients and he said 96% got well in four months. They had very low probability of survival beforehand. That created a tremendous amount of excitement and attention to the higher potencies. It all started with me learning from my own situation and helping others referred by doctors with similar situations.

How did you guide people through their own healing? Was it hard to handle such high potencies? Yes, I developed coaching along with the products. You have to attenuate very carefully at these high levels. We had to figure out how to take people up slowly so they wouldn’t become nauseous or dizzy. But in many cases the patients only had weeks or months to live so we were working against a clock. There were oncologists who called it “Cannabis chemo” but we found people wouldn’t comply if they were throwing up [and didn’t understand the process]. We developed coaching to help educate people and we were very successful in helping patients attenuate to high levels. Dr. Forsythe reported that 26 out of 28 patients went into remission.

Are you treating with CBD only? And THC. Do NOT forget about THC.

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What do you think the medicinal Cannabis industry is going to do when recreational changes happen? Well, I don’t know. I think people see a lot of opportunity and also a lot of disruption. Opportunity is always disruption and there’s nothing as disruptive as Cannabis. The disrupters are being disrupted!

I’ve been concerned. As in other pioneering industries, we’re seeing a real moment of flux- major consolidation and flush out for the industry, serious business people versus the imitaters. But I think it’s cool for us, as medicinal providers of high quality products, to get more market opportunity and a chance to serve people who aren’t just “out of options” but are simply trying to improve their lives.

What changes have you seen take place in the Cannabis industry? In 2008, when I started, people asked me why I was doing this if it wasn’t going to make money. I was doing it to get well, not to get rich, but it’s all perspective. Because people weren’t able to make huge profit from a pound of Cannabis, they didn’t see it as profitable. But this industry was just beginning. Really it has been growing for a long time. Because California went legal for medicinal Cannabis in 1996, we’ve been an incubator for medicinal Cannabis companies.

“CA regulations are capping doses at 2,000mg per package. That is ok for a “tourist” but right now the max for a cancer patient is around 39,000mg” One of my big concerns about the regulations (which by the way I am very excited about and a huge supporter of ) is they are capping doses at 2,000mg per package. That is ok for a “tourist” but right now the max for a cancer patient is around 39,000mg. So, this is a real issue. I’ve spoken with people at the Department of Health and they understand but it’s very tricky. True medicinal potencies could be driven out by the recreational shift. It’s an issue, a big issue, in California.

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@MJLIFESTYLE

Are there two separate distinctions in place (medicinal and recreational) with different dosage limits set in California? Yes, they have set the recreational limit at 1,000mg and the medicinal at 2,000mg but that is just not high enough. We need to allow patients to have the dosing limits that are right for them. I see the regulators paying attention and trying to make some changes. There are some amazing people in California fighting to get the right regulations passed but they are navigating difficult arenas. We should support them and help educate them.

We appreciate your positive voice in the face of such challenges. You’ve got to stay positive. We can’t stay frustrated, it’s important to always move forward and not stay stuck in a bad place.

Constance Therapeutics was the first to standardize. Everybody else says they [standardize] but unless you’re working with known genetics, that is impossible. We standardize by weight to pharmaceutical standards. We have formulas that are based on percentages of certain strains and THC/ CBD percentages, specific formulas for certain disease states, and we did them by weight [like pharmacies] instead of by liquid [like the Cannabis industry]. Constance Therapeutics currently has the biggest library of Cannabis tests on standardized extracts. We intend to be a serious player in the global cannabis market!

Do you find it challenging trying to get into other states? Well, we do have a licensee opening in Florida soon, but you know, it’s not like I just started this company. We have been here a long time and it’s always been like this. I’ve put a lot of energy into expanding globally and we’re starting to see it happen. Right now, instead of being frustrated, I’m really excited!

I’m happy we have partners emerging in Israel, Europe, Canada, Hawaii and Colombia.

It must be a relief for so many patients to start getting their medicine where they live. In the beginning 70% of our business was from out of state because they couldn’t get it anywhere else. People were coming from around the world to get our products.

Did Cannabis change other parts of your life? Totally, totally. I was afraid Cannabis would change me and it did, but in ways that I didn’t expect and in ways that are good. It totally revamped my affiliation with other people. I had been very intellectual and afraid of being free with other people because of my own past experiences. Cannabis made me more transparent and more open, and the responses I got really shifted who I am and changed my personality defense structure. In the past, I would have been hesitant to give you my opinion. I would have been more entertaining of your opinion, wanting to make you feel good about what you were saying.. Cannabis has become so important to me- it has made me so much more transparent and direct, as has founding this company, having success and leading a team. And it’s not just Cannabis that changed me, but being able to help people and genuinely being able to offer people a better solution, and doing something better than anybody else was doing.

It lit a fire inside.

MJ couldn’t be more excited about the work you are doing. Did you use Cannabis before trying to heal yourself ? I’d say I did it 4-8 times per year, socially. I wasn’t a Republican. But I thought if you bought it you probably had a problem and people could get addicted.

I learned that our own government [the National Institute of Health] states that Cannabis is not addictive. And there’s no such thing as “Demotivation Syndrome”

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This page: Black Blouse by NÖR, Stretch Denim Pants by Hudson, Shoes by Pataugas.

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@MJLIFESTYLE

Black Light Weight Hi-Tech Jacket by MC PLANET, Raspberry Crop Zip-Front Stretch Linen Vest by Sarah Pacini, White Button Front Long Sleeve Seamed Blouse

by MC PLANET, Pants by Sarah Pacini, Lace-up Shoes

by Sarah Pacini.

Do you ever consume Cannabis recreationally? I have to use such high doses in order not to be an invalid and house-bound that I can’t really get stoned. I can feel mild differences in effect… But I have this thing that I want to do as a charity for cancer patients. I want to smoke Snoop Dogg under the table.

YES! Oh hell yes! Let’s make this happen! I’m in if you can make it happen…

“I want to smoke Snoop Dogg under the table.”

What would you say to long-time consumers that no longer seem to feel the same affects as they once did? You just need to plump your receptors back up with a resistance break. What happens with the more THC you have, the more the receptors are like “Oh! we don’t have to do this”.. You just need to reset your body. It will probably be uncomfortable for a few days but you can do it. If cutting cold-turkey for two weeks is too difficult, try cutting your dose in half, and half again before cutting it out completely.

What are your goals for the future? We have seriously ambitious goals, maybe saving the world if it’s not too late. Cannabis and Hemp are the best bioremediators known. Big goal: Use science and technology to turn mammals back to a plant-based medicine that doesn’t harm the world.

We need to continue to look for opportunities that make sense. To shift the world to doing things that make more sense and right now we have a real chance. Cannabis has incredible magnetism. I opened the Canna Tech Conference in London a few weeks ago. They asked me to speak on the future of the plant. I said, listen, there’s about 450 people here that have traveled a long way to get here and spent a lot of money in a country where the plant can’t even enter the country. It can’t even be in the room with us but it pulled us here anyway. Think about that!

Constance Therapeutics produces whole plant cannabis extracts as part of an integrative approach to treatment; this is the Constance Therapeutics difference. They provide physicians and their patients with expanded treatment options in cases where only pharmaceuticals may have been prescribed in the past.

For more information

please visit www.constancetherapeutics.com

MJ gets cozy with Dr. Monica Vialpando Inventor Scientist Yogi Renegade

INTERVIEW & PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER SKOG

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D

r.

Monica

Vialpando

unexpectedly discovered

her want into Cannabis Industry, and now she

is by helping businesses engineer better products.

She holds a

patent on technology to improve

the solubility of drugs, but her development

portfolio

boasts

Cannabis products from sublingual

tablets to dry powders to vape pens.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL REL ATIONSHIP WITH CANNABIS. HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN OPEN WITH

YOUR

CONSUMPTION

AND

ADVOCACY?

I started to use Cannabis as a reward for getting homework done when I moved to the Bay Area for college. I also quickly realized that it helped me treat menstrual pain and nausea, so both medical and recreational products are very important to me and I want to have an impact on both.

After college, I moved to Belgium to pursue my Ph.D. I missed the easy access to high quality flower available in California (Cannabis is still prohibited in Belgium although simple possession is decriminalized). I found myself taking over-the-counter painkillers for the kinds of issues I would have used Cannabis for back at home. My knowledge of biosciences made me acutely aware of both the increased efficacy and the decreased risk (particularly in relation to the liver) Cannabis poses to pain patients, and I think even back then I made a subconscious decision that at some point in my career I wanted to explore the potential of cannabinoids.

WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND, HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR WAY TO THE CANNABIS SPACE?

I have a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a research focus on formulation of poorly water-soluble molecules. After graduation, I worked for major pharmaceutical companies in the US and Belgium, including Johnson and Johnson, where I helped develop new medicines and oversee clinical trials.

I then had the opportunity to move into vaping as Chief Scientific Officer for Liberty Flights, a major vaping company in the UK, where we designed and scaled up a huge range of successful products. Even though the products I worked with at the time contained nicotine rather than Cannabis, the knowledge I was able to build up there - particularly when you look at whether things are safe to inhale - is very relevant in today’s Cannabis market where vaping is fast replacing smoking as the delivery mechanism of choice.

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I moved back to the Bay Area after that and spent 18 months or so at a major pharmaceutical company, but always with one eye on the development of Cannabis products.

As luck would have it, an old friend ( Johanna Nuding, founder of Casually Baked) was also looking to get into the business. Together, we studied the endocannabinoid system and cannabinoids beyond THC. I quickly realized the scientific potential and need for more research so I phased out of my pharmaceutics job and started Vialpando LLC.

@MJLIFESTYLE

ARE YOU STILL DOING WORK IN THE E-CIG BUSINESS?

We have a strategic partnership with Beckett Associates, which is a leading UK firm that specializes in scientific and regulatory affairs for the vaping industry. They work with toptier vaping companies in both the US and the United Kingdom and we make sure their clients formulations are solid before any regulatory filings are made. I am also an advisory board member at the Blinc Group, which works with both e-cig and Cannabis clients that focus on vaping technology; and I have helped on the technical side at vaping.com.

There is a lot of crossover between the two industries - inhalation of anything is a complex scientific area and many of the rules that apply to the e-cig world, particularly in Europe, are useful for Cannabis companies looking to improve their vaping products. So it’s a very symbiotic relationship between the two industries and for a company like mine it’s important that the learning process is intensive and ongoing. Being involved with vaping helps a lot with that.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR INVENTION IMPROVING THE SOLUBILIT Y OF DRUGS. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO COME UP WITH THIS TECHNOLOGY?

There are an increasing number of poorly soluble compounds coming out of drug discovery - the process by which the medical industry develops new treatments. This leads to interesting challenges: if drugs are poorly soluble then they are not absorbed into the bloodstream very effectively and as a result they don’t work very well.

For the last 20 years or so, the pharmaceutical industry has focused on how to overcome these challenges. As a result, there are now myriad solutions to the formulation challenges poorly soluble compounds pose - I’ve seen and worked on many of them over the years. However, given how slow the product development process is in the pharmaceutical world, very few products that utilize these techniques have actually come to market yet.

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And that’s where it gets interesting.

Because cannabinoids are poorly soluble, these techniques that have been developed would work equally well in Cannabis applications.

But in Cannabis, there’s no requirement for big expensive clinical trials to bring a product to market, which is right where it’s clear that a particular formulation doesn’t poses low risk to human health. So Cannabis products can potentially utilize cutting edge pharmatechnology years or even decades before the pharmaceutical industry can, which is really exciting.

My invention helps solve these problems using silica - it was in fact the subject of my PhD thesis.

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HOW DID YOU L AND YOUR FIRST COMMISSIONED PROJECT IN CANNABIS? The first product I worked on wasn’t actually designed for commerce but was born out of necessity.

I’m a runner and a yoga instructor so I try to stay healthy, but an active lifestyle inevitably leads to some injuries. I was training for a half marathon about 18 months ago when I was hit by heel pain. I used a number of different overthe-counter creams to try and alleviate the pain and allow me to run, but found that Cannabis applied to the skin was the best solution.

Problem was, many of the products I bought were not as good as they could have been. Given how poorly soluble cannabinoids are, making a product that allows them to be absorbed through the skin is a complex technical challenge. I’ve been making my own skincare products for years and after a week or so, I knew I could do better.

I worked with Johanna (of Casually Baked) and together we performed flower extractions ourselves in my kitchen, selected essential oils and natural absorption enhancers and produced a topical formulation that worked much better than what was commercially available.

After that, a lot of companies asked whether they could commercialize the product. It was then that I realized that I had the opportunity to create a viable business that could genuinely accelerate the development of the Cannabis industry by making products better.

Tablets are available with delta-9-THC, delta-8-THC, CBD, CBG, THCA and THCV. The format - 3mg individual tablets allows users to customize their ideal dose and ratio across cannabinoids while offering a more convenient, discreet and stable alternative to liquid tinctures.

“It was then that I realized that I had the opportunity to create a viable business that could genuinely accelerate the development of the Cannabis industry by making products better.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE PROJECT IN THE CANNABIS SPACE TO DATE?

One of the first projects I worked on was with Level. They’re a great company and what I really love about them is their holistic approach to the Cannabis plant. They’re looking at all the different cannabinoids they can get and what they can do with them, which is refreshing in a market which is very heavy on THC and CBD but light on other cannabinoids.

Together, we created sub-lingual tablets which immediately dissolve in the mouth without a foul taste and deliver a fast acting micro dose of whichever cannabinoid the user chooses.

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This project posed interesting formulation challenges. It is difficult to turn a sticky active cannabinoid into a free-flowing powder that can be made into a tablet. That’s why most oral products on the market are gel capsules. To get to the kind of tablet design most people would recognize from traditional Western medicine and the kind of design the Level products use - meant months of research and development.

But the end result was worth it, because solid state tablets deliver cannabinoids much more effectively.

@MJLIFESTYLE

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE CANNABIS PRODUCTS? ANY THAT YOU USE ON A DAILY BASIS?

WHERE DO YOU SEE VIALPANDO, LLC HEADED IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS? ANY BIG MISSIONS YOU WOULD LIKE TO TACKLE? My goal in setting up the company was to improve how Cannabis users experience the plant and its many active ingredients. We’ve already started this process and developed some IP that will give users - both medical and recreational - a better product. The tablets we developed for Level are a great example of that.

Our vision is that in five years, we hope that when people go to their local dispensary, there will be a wide selection of well-designed and engineered products for many different use cases; and we hope to have played a large part in making that happen.

YOU ARE ALSO A YOGA INSTRUCTOR. HOW DOES CANNABIS ENHANCE YOUR YOGA & MEDIATION PRACTICES? My favorite studio in San Francisco,

Asta Yoga, has been doing ganja yoga for years. We joke that Cannabis is one of the core principles of yoga, along with breathing, bandhas (energy locks), and dishti (gaze).

Certain strains like Cherry Cheesecake and Lemon OG enhance my practice by reducing my chitta vritti (monkey mind) which allows me to simply flow and be in the now, which is the goal of yoga.

HOW IS EMPOWERING WOMEN SIGNIFICANT TO YOU? ANY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH MJ? While I am very lucky

to have a lifelong scientific mentor, I’ve always had trouble finding women to look up to in the scientific community. That’s why I appreciate the California Cannabis industry being so proactive about women empowerment and education. I think women need to realize the value that they add and should not worry about coming across as too assertive.

The idea of empowering women is the driving force behind the work of organizations like Kikoko. They’ve really been ahead of the curve in creating products that female Cannabis users find accessible and enjoyable.

ISSUE 01

HOW DO YOU RECOMMEND PEOPLE STORE THEIR FLOWER TO MAINTAIN FRESHNESS & POTENCY?

Clear plastic baggies are the absolute worst for your flower because they break the delicate trichomes that give it its flavor. I recommend UV-resistant glass jars with a Boveda humidity packet to maintain the optimum moisture.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BET WEEN VAPING OIL AND VAPING FLOWER? ARE THERE BENEFITS OF ONE OVER THE OTHER? WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VAPORIZER?

Actually, the most important distinction centers on where your vaping material flower or concentrate - is sourced from. Have they been tested for pesticides? What about microbial testing?

If you want to be more discreet, then oil is probably better; but you’re likely to feel the effects longer when you are vaping flower.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON STANDARDIZATION? HOW CAN OUR MJ COMMUNIT Y GET INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS? There’s a lot of misunderstanding

about product standards. A lot of people still believe, wrongly, that it is about making everything the same. But it’s actually about having a framework for innovation.

When a company in any industry puts a new batch of product on the market, they will have verified the quality of that product against a predefined batch release specification that is there to make sure standards are maintained as they relate to that product. Standardization essentially looks at what the key metrics are for those batch release specifications.

When you know what the key quality metrics are - i.e. what makes a product that you and your customers are happy with - you then have a framework within which you can innovate and improve your products. That’s critical at this stage of the development of the industry.

We’ve had some initial conversations with the American National Standards Institute, who have set up a technical committee to work on these issues. I’d encourage anyone wanting to get involved to reach out to them.

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I love tea, and was really happy when Kikoko started making Cannabis-infused tea bags. I particularly like the SympaTea product as it’s high CBD and infused with ginger, so I can drink it throughout the day (and frequently do).

I’ve since been lucky enough to hook up with the team there and there was great chemistry between us from when we first met.

They are a shining example of strong women driving the Cannabis business forward and I’m really looking forward to helping them drive their business forward.

GIRL!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE WITH US!! HOW CAN THE MJ COMMUNIT Y SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR MISSION? Demand more from what you buy.

So many products are successfully marketed just because they contain Cannabis, but there’s no real technology there that you couldn’t put together in your bathroom. Consumers need to demand better from their chosen brands and drive innovation from the bottom.

For more on Monica follow @Mon_Vial or visit www.vialpando-llc.com

MJ LOV ES THESE S TASH J A R S FROM VAN DER POP MADE O F MIRON GL ASS. AS DR. MO N I C A MENTIONS, V IOLET GL ASS BL O CK S HARMFUL UV RAY S, ALLOW S N O N HARMFUL V IOLET RAY S, S L O W S THE DEC AY PROC ESS, AN D I N TURN, PRO TEC T S CONTENT S FRO M MOLD AND B AC TERIA GROW T H .

WE ARE OBSESSED WITH VD P’ S C REATIV ELY L ABELED SLEEK J A R S WITH THE MOOD T O MATC H T H E S TRAIN INSIDE - F OC US, R EL A X , L AUGH, SEX, PAR T Y & S L EEP. AVAIL ABLE IN BO TH 30 ML (FI T S APPROX. 3 GRAMS) AND 10 0 M L (FIT S 5- 6 GRAMS)

Written by Emma Chasen for the Sativa Science Club Photographed by Jennifer Skog at the Jupiter Hotel in Portland

HIGHER EDUCATION

TALKING TERPS & BREAKING MY THS

WRITTEN BY EMMA CHASEN

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@MJLIFESTYLE

EDUCATOR EMMA CHASEN / @ECHASEN

M

ost of us in and around Cannabis are all too familiar with the terms Indica and Sativa. If I had a dollar for everytime a stoner bro told me that ‘Indica puts you totally in da couch’ and ‘Sativa just makes you crazy hype’, I’d be a very rich woman. But these terms are not only used by stoner bros of prohibition past. There are many people that are incredibly loyal to this classification system, believing that cultivars labeled ‘Sativa’ will be energizing and cultivars labeled ‘Indica’ will be sedative. I talk to people in the industry and community all of the time who refer to themselves as ‘Strictly Sativa’ or ‘Only Indica’. But what do they actually mean when they say this?

If going by the scientific definition, Indica and Sativa refer to two species of Cannabis that have distinct morphological characteristics.

In 1753, a man by the name of Carl Linnaeus classified Cannabis sativa and ascribed particular characteristics to this classification, such as tall stature, narrow-leafed with a loose flower structure. In 1785, JeanBaptiste Lamarck traveled to India and came across a Cannabis plant that was quite short in stature with dense flowers and broad leaves. He felt that there were enough morphological distinctions between this plant and Linnaeus’ classification that he proposed another species of Cannabis. Because he was in India when he discovered this plant he named the species Indica.

Indica and Sativa describe how two different types of Cannabis plants grow. To be clear, there is no account of Linnaeus or Lamarck consuming the Indica or the Sativa plant. In their classifications there

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is no mention that, when consumed, the Indica plant will make a person fall asleep and the Sativa plant will energize a person. Indica and Sativa, as they were originally defined, only refer to the way a plant will grow.

So why do so many people believe that Indica and Sativa correlate to consistent experience? We’re not so sure how this came to be, but what we do know is that we can’t use Indica and Sativa to describe effect. Because even if Indica and Sativa did correlate to consistent experience at one point, everything on the market currently is genetically a hybrid.

This is confirmed by Rob Clarke, renowned ethnobotanist. “All modern drug Cannabis varieties are hybrids.”

The two species, Indica and Sativa, have been bred so many times that no Cannabis plant on the market exists with pure “Indica” or “Sativa” genetics. Unfortunately, we can’t rely on strain names to help us predict experience either. During prohibition, Cannabis breeding and cultivation were kept strictly in the closet. Growers and breeders had no actual naming conventions or accountability to adhere to when naming strains. Even in the legal market, growers and breeders change the name of strains all of the time for marketing purposes.

Therefore, a Lemon Skunk I purchase from one dispensary may be vastly different from a Lemon Skunk I find at another dispensary.

So if we can’t use strain names or the Indica/Sativa classification to help us determine effect, what do we use? The answer can be found inside of the plant matrix. The chemotype or chemical compounds

found in the Cannabis flower determine the effect it will have when consumed. And those compounds can and do vary widely among Cannabis genetics. For every batch of flower grown, we must look to the actual compounds found inside of the plant matrix (as these are the things interacting with our physiology) to explain why some strains make us feel giggly or sleepy or sexy or hyper or somewhere in between.

When we talk about these ‘compounds inside of the plant matrix’ we are referring to cannabinoids (THC,CBD, etc) and terpenes.

Terpenes are the essential oils found in plants; they give plants their smell. But they also correlate to certain physiological effects. For example, a strain that smells like citrus may make you feel more euphoric. This is because of a terpene called limonene, found in the rinds of citrus fruits, that gives a pronounced anti-anxiety effect when consumed.

The next time you’re in a dispensary ask your budtender to explain the compounds in each strain. Instead of relying on the terms Indica or Sativa to help you find your desired effect, make more informed choices by asking about the concentrations of THC, CBD and terpenes. And if those concentrations aren’t available, use your nose.

Pick up a jar of Cannabis and deeply inhale. Do you smell citrus or a deep earthy grass? If you’re looking for something more euphoric pick up a strain with citrus notes. If you want something a little more relaxing go with that earthy cultivar.

We can’t rely on Indica or Sativa to help us determine effect. If we buy flower solely based off of this classification we are doing ourselves a disservice. Something labeled ‘Indica’ may make us feel energized and something labeled ‘Sativa’ may make us feel relaxed. We need to rely on the compounds in the matrix to better predict our experience because the terms Indica and Sativa are just not good enough.

M

eet Mary J. Poppins, a name lovingly bestowed upon her for her creative and unothodox approach to schoolwork and lesson plans, founder of the Sativa Science Club. As a freelance Curriculum Specialist with a background in Community Health Education and socially conscious Business Management, Mary helped professionals take complex information and turn it into an easily accessible and engaging training program. What began as an intimate gathering of plant nerds in the back room of a local herb shop quickly grew into a network of thousands of engaged followers and students worldwide. She established the Sativa Science Club in early 2017 to take her passion one step farther adding third party peer review, curriculum publishing, and turnkey community education events.

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“I firmly believe that treating education as a product or commodity is a slippery slope. Rather than encourage privatized education or focus our efforts exclusively on certification programs, SSC is taking the first steps towards leading our community in a new direction,” Mary explains.

Businesses nationwide can take their marketing efforts to the next level with Sativa Science Club Publishing. In lieu of expending the time and energy to create an education program in-house (a process which is often costly and ill received), SSC invites businesses to sponsor a third party, peer-reviewed community lesson. This allows their team to create low cost high quality E-books, audiobooks, webinars, and in-person lesson plans distributed anywhere for a very low cost online. 100% of the resulting proceeds from these items goes towards scholarships, research, and education initiatives with partnering Universities worldwide. The Sativa Science Club publications will be available on Amazon, Audible, and Kindle online. @MJLIFESTYLE

Tokeativity is a Cannabis Community for Women. Our intention is to nurture a safe space for women to connect, learn and create. Whether you are a first timer or daily consumer, all women are welcome. Join our community for in-person or online Cannabis conversations, social gatherings, workshops, networking, Cannabis Q & A’s, speakers, films, guest artists, and more. We donate a portion of our monthly proceeds to causes we are passionate about supporting.

PERSONAL COMING OUT GREEN STORIES BROUGHT TO YOU BY TOKEATIVITY, THE CANNABIS COMMUNITY FOR WOMEN

Learn more about Tokeativity Connect, our new digital network designed to help women connect about Cannabis across the globe, at Tokeativity.com/connect. We are opening up chapters this year and encourage any woman interested in starting one to visit Tokeativity.com/start.

◀ Founders Samantha Montanaro & Lisa Snyder Photographed by Jennifer Skog

“I am an Army veteran and I have been struggling working with the VA for my pain management for years. Especially after a major car accident, I was in constant pain and I could barely get through the day without pain pills. I finally moved to Portland in my tiny home where I reconnected with my good friend Lauren who showed me how much Cannabis has helped her life and daily pain. I have been a regular user ever since and I’ve only been in Portland for a month.

I was always worried about the stigma of using Cannabis and how it looked as a veteran and someone trying to get into the entertainment industry. I have an upcoming episode of me and my custom tiny house on Tiny Luxury for HGTV in the spring and working to become a professional burlesque dancer. But I came to realize that my life has been made so much better by daily use of CBDs and other Cannabis “I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a young teenager, I suffered from severe scoliosis. I had to wear a back brace every single day for 20 hours a day for over 2 and a half years, and after that I had to undergo a full spinal fusion surgery. My spine now made from 2 rods, 12 screws, and bone from my hip. I was just 16 when this happened, and to deal with the pain I was given dozens of different heavy medications that were constantly putting me in a daze. When I turned 18, I moved to California and discovered the world of medicinal marijuana. CBD

products. I am a forever Cannabis babe.”

-J

“It was the mid-’90s and I was 15. Raised by a single parent as an only child, my mom and I were very close. I told her about my first pot purchase from a classmate and the first thing out of her mouth was “you got ripped off!”

products were providing me the most pain relief I have ever received,

She went to her bedroom and I could hear her fumbling around.

and with no side effects. Cannabis has helped me so much, and I just

She came out of her room with the coolest 1960s tie-dyed ceramic

want to be able to share with others what Cannabis has given me. I live

bong. It was turquoise and purple with a groove in the top for buds. I

in Portland, Oregon now with my lover. We have been recreationally

was shocked! My mom smokes pot and she is exposing that fact to me?!

growing Cannabis for over a year now, and my life has been so blessed by this plant.”

Some may think that I was to young to be partaking with my mom but I was already curious and purchasing. Lets just say she saved me a lot money and spared me from a lot of fear. We still share pot

-A

experiences to this day and I am nearly 40. In fact, we just went to our first Tokeativity event (a Cannabis social in Portland, OR) in 2017!

Thanks Mom!” -Y

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enhance sensation vaginal health supplement

intensify climax

increase libido

ART BY KYRA OF KYRIOUS.CO

MADE IN CANADA

EP INFUSIONS Infused Matcha Tea Chocolate (120 mg) If you love matcha and cannabis and chocolate, this is for you. Perfect for pain relief and micro-dosing. @ep_infusions

PHOTOGRAPHY BY VEE @FALLFORVEE

FLEURS 100% Organic CBD Tea This is the perfect introductory product if you have never tried CBD. With WOKE, CLEAN and DOZE, you can use CBD daily and on-the-go. @fleurs_tea

Cannabis is my medicine. Cannabis is my quality of life. I discovered this medicinal plant about two years ago when nothing else worked for me. I couldn’t walk most days and needed help with simple tasks such as undressing myself or even cooking and showering. Losing my mobility meant I lost a sense of who I was; that I couldn’t be active or do all the things that once were considered my emotional and physical outlets. My name is Vee and I have Ankylosing Spondylitis, a form of autoimmune and inflammatory arthritis that attacks the spine, and I also live with mental health illnesses such as depression and anxiety every day.

ALAIR Rechargeable CO2 Extracted Pen So discreet, small and odourless, I’m able to carry this pen everywhere I go. It fits right in the palm of my hand and I can just whip it out when I’m in pain or feel anxious. @alairvaporizers

PLEASURE PEAKS Tantric Personal Lubricants – water-based As a woman, I prefer water-based lubes because I’m very sensitive down there. Cannabis is deeply rooted in sexuality & sensuality. @pleasure_peaks

Cannabis has allowed me to reconnect with the creativity I thought I had lost. My being was so defined by athletics that my ideas were buried deeply, which really repressed who I truly was. Cannabis allows me to be patient with myself, to have the confidence to try new things and to ultimately forge my ideas. It allows me to medicate how I want and when I want, and I consider it as part of my daily self-care routine. I truly believe there is something absolutely inspiring about being in control of your own self, about being conscious of yourself, but also of the earth and the environment. Choosing this plant means being patient and understanding with yourself and the choices you make. It means feeling empowered by nature and by your own body; it means falling in love with yourself first.

MAÏTRI TM Veda Pipe, Hemp Wick & Kanura Jar Maïtri is a contemporary lifestyle cannabis brand from the province of Quebec, which is where I was born and raised and offers my favourite accessories @staymaitri

And with self-love comes the ability to cherish others and to cherish diversity. To love life, to appreciate the little things and to appreciate other women for what they truly are, so strong and so resilient. To be proud of our imperfections and of our flaws because it’s what makes us who we are today.

I’ve always said that cannabis is about community and the last two years have proven as such. I want other women to know it’s okay to choose cannabis as an alternative form of medicine because it changed everything for me. I was able to get off all pain medication, which included opioids, with the help of cannabis and this is something I am so so proud of. If this means I can help other women going through similar struggles, then I know my life will have been worth it.

The future is female and it excites me!

CALYX Calm CBD Spray If you have anxiety, this CBD spray infused with peppermint if perfect for you and is the perfect addition to my cannabinoid therapy. @calyxwellness

xo,

BRENNAN MICHAEL Pineapple Pine Candle To hide the smell of cannabis when your folks show up unannounced or just because it reminds you of Pineapple Express! @brennanmichael

Vee Cannabis Portrait Artist Prince Edward Island, Canada

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AN INTERVIEW WITH CERAMIST & OWNER OF STONEDWARE

ARIEL ZIMMAN SAVES HER PASSION

BY CREATING A BUSINESS FROM

Higher Art

PHOTOGRAPHER JENNIFER SKOG

WHAT WERE YOU LIKE AS A YOUNG GIRL? WHAT DID YOU DREAM OF BECOMING?

I’ve been an art nerd since I was old enough to hold a Crayola! I wanted to do every single arts and craft project that existed as a kid (and still!), from markers and paints to bead work and sculpie clay, if it was bright and colorful I wanted to create with it. I’ve always loved getting my hands dirty and using them to make something from nothing. When I was little I wanted to be a teacher and since then I’ve worked numerous jobs that have helped me realize ceramics is really my passion and utilizing my creative process is how I want to spend my time.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN CREATING FOR? WHOSE WORK HAS HAD THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR ART? I’ve been a maker / creative my entire life, I don’t think I

could stop if I tried! I find inspiration in so many different places and forms. Fine artists that have influenced my approach to creating and thinking about my work would have to be Tara Donovan, Anish Kapoor, Roy Lichtenstein and Wassily Kandinsky, to name a few.

DO YOU CREATE IN ANY OTHER MEDIUMS? I’ve dabbled in a lot of other mediums

from photography to woodworking and welding, but I have always made my way back to clay. I have an undeniable connection to the material and feel like there is still so much to learn, even after 20 years of working with it, that keeps the medium new, exciting and challenging. Every once in awhile I’ll whip out a big drawing pad and some markers for doodle time.

WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO INCORPORATE CANNABIS WITH YOUR ARTWORK? In 2015, after several years of running my first business in ceramic home decor, I had an “ah-ha” moment and decided that as a maker I had the ability to make a pipe that not only functioned well, but also looked great on your coffee table.

YOUR CREATIONS HAVE DRAWN IN A CULT-LIKE FOLLOWING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, ANY TIPS FOR WOMEN JUST STARTING OUT WITH THEIR BUSINESSES? Haha, I had a pretty clear

vision for the brand, so I try to stay true to that aesthetic and I think a lot of other people, particularly ladies, identify with it and are excited to see that Cannabis can be chic and fit in with your lifestyle. The best advise I can give to anyone is work really f*cking hard and in the words of my big brother that I use as a daily mantra “You only fail if you give up.”

HOW IS CANNABIS INVOLVED IN YOUR DAILY LIFE? HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN OPEN ABOUT YOUR CONSUMPTION & ADVOCACY? Since starting to smoke in college my

consumption levels have gone through waves, from a daily “wake and bake” all day user to currently a few times a week smoker. I’ve always felt more comfortable smoking Cannabis than drinking but I grew up in a pretty traditional family where I was taught “don’t do drugs, weed is a drug, don’t do drugs.” So, it absolutely took me awhile to be open about my consumption with some friends and my family for fear of judgment, but with time and the growing social awareness I am now much more emboldened to share my own story and enable others to do the same.

Normalization and education is a huge part of why I feel excited to be working in the field. @MJLIFEST YLE

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WHERE DO YOU SEE STONEDWARE COMPANY IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? WHAT’S YOUR NEXT BIG STEP? Oh boy! Stonedware has been an evolving journey and total learning

experience for me over the past three years, same as when I started I don’t have a distinct goal other than making work that excites me and other like-minded individuals. This year I’m hoping to add new items to my offerings as well as hire on both administrative and production assistance so that I can have more time for designing and growing the business.

In five years I’d love for Stonedware to be a global brand that still focuses on craftsmanship and elevating the aesthetics of cannabis consumption.

AS FELLOW ARTISTS, WE KNOW THE INTERNAL STRUGGLE WITH SELLING & VALUING OUR WORK. HOW HAVE YOU OVERCOME SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES? Pricing and selling my work

is still a struggle, especially in an era of Amazon and mass-produced ceramic wares, but through the years I have learned that in order to keep doing what I love with a level of craftsmanship that I require for each piece, I have to value my creations at a level that will make it possible to sustain myself and the business. Customers who respect and value the handmade process are typically more than understanding of this reality.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ARTISTS WANTING TO SELL THEIR WORK IN THE CANNABIS SPACE? Go for it! The market is growing daily and it’s exciting to be at the forefront of a culture shift that is taking place.

GIVE US YOUR ‘HIGH & LOW’ OF BEING A CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR. I think like most entrepreneurs in any field the highs and lows can both be derived from the same thing, for instance, I can take as long of a vacation as I want but at the same time there is no one to fill in for me, being self-employed doesn’t come with PTO.

Most of my highs come from when I get to personally connect with my customers, and hear direct feedback about how much they appreciate my work. Most lows stem from the overwhelming feeling that there aren’t enough hours in the day to ever make it all the way down the never ending, always accumulating “to-do” list. In these moments it’s important to remember, one day at a time.

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IN A DREAM WORLD, WHAT WOULD YOU BE WORKING ON AND WHERE? If I had my way

I’d be focusing more on my art, creating large-scale ceramic sculptures and installations or just messing around on my pottery wheel. I’d love an ocean view somewhere sunny and tropical. I think I’d be pretty content being able to take a beach walk daily with my furry bud, Bernadette.

HOW DO YOU STAY CONNECTED IN THE CANNABIS SPACE? IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE OUR MJ COMMUNITY TO KNOW? I try to take part in as many local cannabis

community events and activities as I can. Portland has so many likeminded individuals that it’s easy to network with some really amazing people in the industry (especially women!) as long as you’re willing to put yourself out there. In particular, I love taking part in Tokeativity events which focus on creating a cannabis community for women.

Buy local & support artists! We can’t keep creating without your support! Smoke in style. xoxo

WHAT INSPIRED YOUR ERGONOMICALLY CHIC GEOMETRIC PIPE DESIGNS? I wanted to design pieces that not only looked great on your table but also felt natural in your hand. Despite the GeoPipes angles they are all designed with a lot of intention to fit and feel good in the users hand. Plus I was tired of seeing, having and using phallic-shaped pipes!

@MJLIFEST YLE

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stoneroad.org / @stoneroadfarms PHOTO BY MORGAN LEIGH ENGLISH OF @THISCANNABISLIFE

SECUL AR MARYS Original Artwork by Nichole Graf

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My Secular Mary series began as a meditation on the disconnection I’ve felt throughout my life with depictions of women deemed to be “holy” or revered by organized religions—specifically in the many varied forms of Christianity. I spent an early nine years submerged and confused in the teachings of Catholicism and never once felt connection, aspiration, or even shared sense of humanity with the women portrayed in religious art— and this very much was true of the imagery and archetypes of adult womanhood that was provided for young girls in my small midwestern town as a whole throughout my childhood. I’ve grown up to be a woman that is constantly caught in wonder of the beauty, strength, and magnetism of other women.

I am awed by the diversity of expressions there are for being a woman in this world. I wanted to shift the gaze of what is to be revered as holy to a reverence and meditation of what it is to be a woman as seen by other women. A veneration of what it is within women that sparks notions of magic, of the divine. My hope is to document this holy spirit and produce these works as a new canon, to sanctify the notion of womanhood as one that broadens our notion of the feminine.

@MJLIFESTYLE

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I was trained in Apparel and Fashion Design and worked as a Footwear and Accessories Designer at Madewell in NYC before moving west for the beginning of cannabis legalization in WA. I am a founder at the Creative Director of Raven, an organic Cannabis company in Olympia, WA and one of the authors of “Grow Your Own: Understanding, Cultivating, and Enjoying Cannabis” (Tin House Books, Portland, OR). I currently work as a freelance illustrator, muralist, and spend most all of my free time finding more ways to stay covered in paint. —Nichole Graf

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CURATED CANNABIS ACCESSORIES WWW.SHOPGLASSY.COM @SHOP.GLASSY

AN INTERVIEW WITH

THE

Ladiesf Paradise o

STYLING + PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIA REAGAN

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“All I knew of Cannabis back then was that it helped me sleep at night.

Now I know the truth. This last year I have spent so much time studying and learning about the healing properties of Cannabis. I’m proud to say to I am an advocate and treating my ADHD with CBD. Not just the plant itself but the people who are drawn to it and working in this industry to make it better are incredible. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been thanks to Cannabis.” - Harlee

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“My mom was a super hippie and can roll a solid joint.

She was stoked that we were moving to Oregon and followed behind us from Texas a few months after. My younger sister and nephew also tagged along, and my sister Megan Manages our dispensaries in Southern Oregon.� - Jade

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MJ GETS CHATTY WITH THIS SAVVY TWOSOME WHO IS TAKING ON THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY BY STORM. WITH A LOVE FOR FASHION AND STYLE JADE DANIELS & HARLEE CASE CREATE THEIR DREAM JOB BY GETTING FANCY, CONNECTING WOMEN AND STAYING BOSSY. HOW DID THE TWO OF YOU MEET? JADE We met through the magical world of Instagram! I moved to Southern Oregon

from Houston (by way of Los Angeles) in 2015 and was styling my jewelry and handbags with multiple photographers and bloggers there weekly. I didn’t know anyone in Oregon, so naturally I looked to social media to find some creative girls to take some photos with. I started searching hashtags of the small towns near me and came across a bunch of styled photo shoots of cute girls in vintage clothing that was @harleescloset. Thinking she had a shop and lived in Eugene, Oregon, 2 hours away, I suggested I drive up and shoot with her at her store HARLEE Little did Jade know that I actually lived a few blocks away from her in tiny Jacksonville, Oregon, which was so crazy! We met up the next day, did a photo shoot the day after that, and have been friends and working creatively together ever since.

WHAT WERE THE TWO OF YOU DOING PRIOR TO STARTING LOP? HARLEE One year I was trying to save up some money to go to Sasquatch Music

Festival at The Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington. Being the clothes hoarder that I am, I had a closet full of vintage finds and started Instagram and Etsy accounts to sell some of my old clothes. After making $1000 fast, I decided to turn it into a full business which became ‘Harlee’s Closet’. When I wasn’t managing the vintage boutique I worked at, Three Penny Mercantile, in Ashland, Oregon, I was thrifting for days on end and shipping out hundreds of packages monthly. JADE Before Ladies of Paradise is what it is today, I was spending every other month in Guatemala, scouring the markets of Lake Atitlan and designing bags for my online shop. I would travel to villages and markets all over the world and find unique, one-of-a-kind jewelry, bags and home goods from places like the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul and small villages in Thailand. I started Ladies of Paradise in 2014 and after moving to Oregon the next year to work in the Cannabis industry, my focus started shifting and I became more and more enamored by working in my fiance’s dispensaries and farms.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WORK TOGETHER? HOW DO YOU DIVIDE TASKS AND ROLES? JADE When I first met Harlee I saw something in her that reminded me of myself: she was running her own business, was super driven and creative, and had a lot of the same mannerisms as me (if you can consider losing your keys 30 seconds after entering the house a ‘mannerism’). I really valued Harlee’s creative direction and vision as a stylist and photographer for her own company, and those are what she brings to the table for LOP today. HARLEE We know our strengths and weaknesses well so it helps to divvy up tasks. One constant is that I shoot everything and she writes everything.

HOW DO YOU LADIES BALANCE YOUR FRIENDSHIP AND WORK RELATIONSHIP? JADE We try to be really good about staying open with communication and letting each other know right away when something is bothering us. Building stuff up is never good for any relationship, any time. HARLEE That’s exactly it. We talk all day about everything. It can be really hard with two women with strong opinions to agree on everything, but honestly we are lucky that we A) have very similar crazy taste and B) respect the shit out of each other. We know at the end of the day our relationship is the most important thing to us.

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“ Hustle, know your worth, & work with women.”

- Harlee Case

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TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY WITH CANNABIS. HOW HAS CANNABIS INFLUENCED YOUR LIFE’S PATH? JADE Cannabis has inspired me, has educated me and has motivated me to make my mark in this industry. HARLEE It’s been a crazy one. It’s weird how life brings everything together. I never would have thought I would be working in the Cannabis industry but I should have seen life pushing me in this direction. Oddly, My first paid shoot was for a vape pen company. I grew up in one of the best places to grow weed in the country. My longtime ex-boyfriend was a grower and I would ride a quad into the forest to work at a grow 7 days a week for 2 seasons. That experience made me spent on weed. All I knew of Cannabis back then was that it helped me sleep at night. Now I know the truth. This last year I have spent so much time studying and learning about the healing properties on Cannabis. I’m so proud to say to I am an advocate and treating my ADHD with CBD. Not just the plant itself but, the people who are drawn to it and working in this industry to make it better are incredible. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been thanks to Cannabis.

WAS IT DIFFICULT SHARING WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS YOUR NEW CHOSEN CAREER PATH? HOW WAS THE RESPONSE? HARLEE Yes and No. My parents are super religious and that made me very rebellious at a young age. I’ve always liked to push the boundaries with them and try to challenge their thinking. They might not fully understand it yet but they are coming around. I’ve been giving them different CBD products to help them with joint and back pain and they are seeing that it really does help. JADE My mom was a super hippie and can roll a solid joint. She was stoked that we were moving to Oregon and followed behind us from Texas a few months after. My younger sister and nephew tagged along also, and my sister Megan is the manager of our dispensaries in Southern Oregon.

WHAT FASHION ICONS INSPIRE YOU? JADE I really love the @simihaze twins and Bella Hadid’s style HARLEE Alexa Chung

and Carrie Bradshaw ;) WHAT ERAS IN TIME DO YOU MOST RELATE TO? JADE The 90s! I loved growing up in the 90s so much, and am super into the return

of styles from that decade. I’m all about thin sunglasses, high waisted Levi’s and a fuzzy cropped sweater. HARLEE Oh man, I like it all. I’m a vintage clothing hoarder remember? I do really love the 60’s and 80’s right now though.

DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS A CHILD. WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU ‘GREW UP’?

JADE I was an Army brat and moved around a lot. I was born in Kentucky, moved to North Carolina a year later and to Puerto Rico in the sixth grade where soccer completely became my life. I was on a travel team, school team and rec team all at the same time and from then until I graduated high school I wanted to be a pro soccer player. My 2 best friends and I skateboarded and surfed and were tomboys, chasing around my older brother and his friends. In school, I was always a dedicated student and took my education seriously. HARLEE I haven’t really changed much. I’ve always been loud, rebellious, kind, and a disaster waiting to happen. Jade and I both have the “hot mess” thing down to an art. I have always and will always dream of being a musician. I mean, I am a musician, but I’d like to be a successful traveling musician.

HOW DO YOUR PERSONAL STYLES DIFFER FROM ONE ANOTHER? JADE I’m definitely more ‘streetwear’ and rock sneakers on the daily. I like to mix designer pieces with stuff I find thrifting with Harlee, and I love fun prints. And jackets, I have soooo many jackets. HARLEE I lean toward retro hard and love to layer.

I usually throw on all the funky patterns I can find and call it a day. Boots always.

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DESCRIBE YOUR FAVORITE ITEM IN YOUR CLOSET RIGHT NOW. JADE I just got a pair of funky Louboutin sequin boots in Vegas that are gold on one side of the sequins and black on the other. You can fully change them to different colors depending on your outfit. HARLEE My new plaid golf hat, my gold chain belts, and my 1980’s black and white checkered blazer.

WHAT DO YOU THINK WOMEN NEED IN THE CANNABIS SPACE? HARLEE I think women need support from each other. In Portland the ladies are doing it right, we really have each others back.

AS FELLOW ARTISTS & ENTREPRENEURS, WE UNDERSTAND THE MANY HATS YOU MUST WEAR IN THE BEGINNING. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE JOB? JADE I love making the connections and bringing people together. To see girls meet

at our parties and watch them collaborate on future shoots and events makes me so happy! HARLEE Photography and Styling hands down.

WHAT TASK ARE YOU MOST EAGER TO OFFLOAD? JADE Talking to anyone about money.

HARLEE Seriously! That’s always a tricky one. I’m ready for the day we have a sick studio. I spend way to much time loading clothing in and out of my car.

DO YOU HAVE ADVICE FOR WOMEN STARTING OUT WITH THEIR OWN CREATIVE CANNABIS BUSINESS? JADE Be authentic and unafraid to take risks and push the limits. The sky’s the ceiling in this industry and there’s so much room for creativity in Cannabis. HARLEE Hustle, know your worth, and work with women.

CAN YOU SHARE YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA HACK WITH MJ? JADE Create a thread on instagram of a group of women who need support from each other. Everytime one of you posts a new pictures on the feed send it to the convo. Everyone should agree to like and comment on the photo asap. The number of likes you get in the first few minutes impacts how much Instragram shows your photo. HARLEE When in doubt, make it retro. Download apps like 8mm and huji to add a quick flare with no editing needed.

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WOMEN. FASHION. WEED.

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BY CASEY ZABAL A CREATRIX OF WANDERER’S TAROT

Spring just may be Taurus’ favorite season, with the flowers in bloom and the bees hard at work. The Moon invites Taurus to indulge in the romance of the moment, and prioritize dreamy inner work. Start a dream journal, take in a psychedelic sound bath, and create sacred space where you can tend to your inner world.

The Moon pulls us inward in order to discover a rich relationship between our outer-selves and our psyche. Shadow: The Moon may also dreg up nightmares and ancient emotional baggage.

Be prepared to process what arises with a grain of salt and a tender heart.

TAROT CARD FOR SPRING: THE EMPRESS

GEMINI: THE LOVERS

The Empress heralds the beginning of a sweet and abundant Spring time. Tune into your intentions for this season, whether workrelated, or personal, or both! The Empress gifts us with the energetic fertility needed to make our goals manifest, as she teaches us how to coax growth, rather than force it. Make sure you are nurturing your goals, rather than rushing to cross the finish line. Enjoy the process of blossoming. Whatever seeds of intention you planted during the winter months could use a little more tender love and care in order to take shape. The same message can be applied to your self-care. Nourish yourself intentionally throughout the Spring and be prepared to reap the rewards come Summer.

The Lovers in the tarot has a natural affinity with the twins of the zodiac. Gemini, this Spring will be filled with questions of partnership, commitment, and intentional decision making.

Are you ready to take your relationship to the next level? Or is it time to part ways? Be thinking about what your ideal future has in store, and allow your heart to operate from that level. Shadow: The Lovers often asks us tough questions regarding what keeps us from being fully committed to our personal growth, and to relationship growth. Gemini, give yourself the space to be totally honest with yourself about your needs

ARIES: 5 OF CUPS

We welcome the beginning of the Wheel of the Year with our babe of the zodiac, Aries. This Spring offers Aries a cautionary note about emotional responsiveness. Don’t take things too personally, Aries. It’s time for you to take a step back before jumping to conclusions.

Rather than waste your energy on petty dramas, use your fire to make real change in the world. Shadow: The 5 of Cups suggests that Aries might end up hurting her own feelings and getting tangled deeper in drama. Our suggestion: channel your passionate responses into your creativity and drive to facilitate justice.

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TAURUS: THE MOON

CANCER: 7 OF PENTACLES

Someone has been hard at work! The 7 of Pentacles suggests a Spring filled with activity and expansion for our sweet Cancers out there.

Allow your ambitions to take center stage, and let your creativity be your main emotional outlet. You are about to become a very busy bee.

Stay focused on your long term goals to keep you motivated. Shadow: Don’t let the stress of the moment derail you. Maintain a healthy work-life balance to help you cope with the amped up routine

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SPRING 2018 TAROTSCOPES: EMBRACING FERTILIT Y AND CRAFTING ABUNDANCE

LEO: ACE OF CUPS

The Ace of Cups signals a time of intuitive awakening for our fiery Leos. This Spring you will be expanding your horizons, awakening your third eye, and moving through the world with an open heart. The Ace of Cups offers a gift of emotional energy, Leo, it’s up to you to decide what you fill your sacred cup with, and whether or not it will overflow, or remain halfempty. Shadow: Not so comfortable with the touchy-feely vibes? This Spring may challenge you to own your emotional responses, and become a more open vulnerable Leo. VIRGO: 2 OF SWORDS

It’s all about decisions, decisions, for our practical Virgos this Spring season. The 2 of Swords suggests a stalemate of sorts. Have you been stuck in the planning stages and unable to enact your vision? Channel the vibrancy of Spring and get to work implementing your plans. Listen to what your intuition has to say, and follow your gut instincts. Don’t get caught up in the right-way, wrong-way trap. Just do you. Shadow: The 2 of Swords suggests an over-reliance on our logical mind. It’s time to balance things out by giving your intuition a chance to make a few decisions.

CAPRICORN: 2 OF PENTACLES

LIBRA: ACE OF WANDS

Feeling those sexy Spring vibes, Libra? The Ace of Wands is about to give you a jolt of electric creative energy. Channel that stimulating force through you. It’s time to live a little, and throw yourself passionately into your work, your play, and your partnerships. Commit to a path that grants you the most creative expression.

Shadow: Without the appropriate channels, the energy of the Ace of Wands may make you feel scattered, overwhelmed, or burnt out.

Direct that energy into your guitar, through your paintbrush, or on the dance floor.

ART BY CASEY ZABAL A

SCORPIO: KNIGHT OF CUPS

With 15 years of tarot experience, Casey Zabala has a studied and intuitive approach to her readings, while incorporating aspects of natural magic and manifestation techniques to her offerings. Passionate about mystical and magical arts, Casey hopes to do her part to heal the collective through individual tarot readings and artistic explorations.

The Knight of Cups is galloping into your life this Spring, and it certainly seems like you are on a mission, Scorpio. Communicate your needs so that they may be met. If you don’t specify your boundaries, your co-workers are bound to cross them. Be prepared to draw the line, coming from a place of emotional vulnerability and kindness. Shadow: Not everyone will understand, dear Scorpio. Be patient and compassionate with others or else you will end up burning more bridges rather than building stronger alliances.

SAGITTARIUS: 5 OF PENTACLES

Take stock of how much of yourself you give to your work. This Spring is about re-evaluating your energetic commitments, to yourself, your work, and your relationships. It’s time to prioritize your Truth and the projects that fill you with a sense of purpose. Practice simple gratitude for what you’ve already accomplished and allow yourself to appreciate the magic of Spring. Shadow: Don’t let yourself get bogged down in the daily grind. Choose selfresponsibility over energetic traps.

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You sure are hard at work, Capricorn. With so many opportunities up in the air, it may be difficult to choose a singular path to focus on.

Ground into the opportunity that feeds you emotionally, spiritually, and financially. Believe in your ability to make it work. When you are able to see one project through to fruition, your strong Capricorn heart with grow three-fold.

Shadow: The energy of the 2 of Pentacles can sometime defuse a situation. Make sure that you stay dynamically connected with your work.

AQUARIUS: THE SUN

Aquarius! Embrace The Sun, the blossoming gardens, the vitality of your body, and the fruits of your labor this Spring. The Sun asks that we enjoy the simple pleasures in our daily lives. Indulge in whatever it is that keeps you feeling grounded and nourished. Spend more time outdoors, with the people you love, and connect with your inner child - who is definitely ready to come out to play. Shadow: Not really feeling the rainbow and sunshine vibes? It may be time to seek the support you need in order to feel exuberantly you.

PISCES: 8 OF SWORDS

It may be difficult to understand the Piscean ‘big picture’ throughout the Spring. Many opportunities are in motion, and so much is being transformed within you. Trust that you are solidly on the right path, and that only you know what needs to come next. Allow your intuition to take the reigns for a little while, and experience a subtle change in your energy.

Shadow: The energy of the 8 of Swords is a challenge for you to move forward without worry or anxiety. Try breathing into the fear, and exhaling out your worries.

@MJLIFESTYLE

BLOCKCHAIN

Glossary of Terms BONG

CBD CRYPTOCURRENCY

DAB

HOMEOSTASIS

THC VAPE

YONI / YONIC

BLOCKCHAIN

A system in which a record of transactions made in bitcoin or another cryptocurrency are maintained across several computers that are linked in a peer-to-peer network.1

BONG

A water pipe used for smoking cannabis. This word was (and may still be) prohibited in smoke shops because of it’s popular use with cannabis.

CBD

Short for Cannabidiol, A compound that is one of the main constituents of cannabis, having mild psychoactive effects.1

CRYPTOCURRENCY

A digital currency in which encryption techniques are used to regulate the generation of units of currency and verify the transfer of funds, operating independently of a central bank. 1

DAB

A small portion of cannabis oil or resin, or another drug in a highly concentrated form, that can be vaporized or burned and inhaled. 1

HOMEOSTASIS

The tendency towards a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes. 1

THC

Tetrahydrocannabinol, a crystalline compound that is the main active ingredient of cannabis. 1

VAPE

An act of inhaling and exhaling the vapour produced by an electronic device. 1 Vaping Cannabis also produces significantly less odor.

YONI / YONIC

A stylized representation of the female genitalia that in Hinhuism is a sign of genereative power and that symbolizes the goddess Shakti.2

1

Oxford Dictionaries

2

Merriam-Webster

FOR WOMEN WITH HIGH TASTE