Jan. 2023 - Alaska Leaf

THE WEED & WELLNESS ISSUE

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THE WEED & WELLNESS ISSUE

#81

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JAN. 2023

issue

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GROWTOUR

SUILNUA

Kelsey Anderson works in the grow trimming.

JAN. 2023

STORY & PHOTOS by O'HARA SHIPE @SHIPESHOTS/ALASKA LEAF

EDITOR’S NOTE NATIONAL NEWS PLANT PROFILE GROW TOUR TOPICAL OF THE MONTH STRAIN OF THE MONTH FIND YOUR FLOW TERPENE GUIDE CREATIVITY AND WORK WOMEN’S HEALTH ALT CANNABINOIDS CANNABIS VS ALCOHOL CLEAR THE CHAOS CANNTHROPOLOGY STONEY BALONEY

E S TA B L I S H E D 2 0 1 0

T H E E N L I G H T E N E D VO I C E

N O RT H W E S T L E A F / O R EG O N L E A F / AL AS KA L E A F / M A RY L AN D L E A F / CAL I F O R N I A L E A F /

A B O U T T H E C OV E R This month’s cover shoot for our 2nd-annual Weed and Wellness Issue embodies the heart of our edition: practicing self-care through the artful use of Cannabis consumption.

On set in Seattle, a dream team of photographer Keti Chikhladze, longtime Leaf Nation stylist Malina Lopez, Creative Director Daniel Berman, and Cannabis and yoga enthusiast Kate Higby, collaborated to showcase how Cannabis can help us to become our very best. In this special issue, our contributors bring us heartfelt articles on women’s health, alternative Cannabinoids, the best terpenes, and how Cannabis can enhance your creativity. Spark up, enjoy, and be well!

Cover Photo by Keti Chikhladze @immigrantstoner Props, Wardrobe & Set by Malina Lopez @malinalopez Cannabis & Yoga Modeling by Kate Higby @mediiikate Art Direction by Daniel Berman @bermanphotos

WES ABNEY C E O & F O U N D E R wes@leafmagazines.com

CONTRIBUTORS

MIKE RICKER OPERATING PARTNER + AD SALES ricker@leafmagazines.com

TOM BOWERS C H I E F O P E R AT I N G O F F I C E R tom@leafmagazines.com DANIEL BERMAN C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R daniel@leafmagazines.com O'HARA SHIPE C O N T E N T D I R E C T O R + W E B ohara@leafmagazines.com MEGHAN RIDLEY C O PY E D I T O R meghan@leafmagazines.com

OSCAR AVELLANEDA-CRUZ, PHOTOS DANIEL BERMAN, PHOTOS APRIL BLACK, FEATURES BOBBY BLACK, DESIGN + FEATURES JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION TOM BOWERS, FEATURES KETI CHIKHLADZE, PHOTOS AMANDA DAY, FEATURES EARLY, PRODUCTION STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS KATE HIGBY, MODELING MALINA LOPEZ, STYLING MIKE RICKER, FEATURES MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING O’HARA SHIPE, PHOTOS + FEATURES KATHERINE WOLF, FEATURES

CONNECT WITH ALASKA LEAF Exclusive Cannabis Journalism @NWLEAF

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ABNEY

Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up the Weed & Wellness Issue of the Leaf!

The classic saying that health is wealth is more poignant than ever as we find ourselves in a new year of uncertainty following a global pandemic – which is why we chose to focus our first issue of 2023 on all the ways that Cannabis can help add to a healthy lifestyle.

As a child of the DARE era I was told that Cannabis was bad for you, could cause cancer, and tons of other drug war propagandized lies. But from my first toke, I’ve known that Cannabis made me and others around me feel better! This is now evident with stories told in the Leaf from people all over the world whose lives have been improved by access to our favorite plant. And now we are finding new and interesting ways to integrate Cannabis into our lives…

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From pre and post workout routines to our sexual lives, Cannabis can make fun activities even more enjoyable! And those struggling with addiction to substances like alcohol, pharmaceuticals or other drugs, can find relief in Cannabis and remove the negative input by replacing it with plant powered “JUST AS A medicine. It’s truly amazing what the right dose of terpenes and JOINT SHOULD BE SHARED TO BE cannabinoids can do, and I hope that this issue inspires you to think FULLY ENJOYED, about Cannabis beyond getting high – and to explore how it can help SO MUST BE THE your life or those of your loved ones.

INFORMATION

ABOUT HOW Just as a joint should be shared to be fully enjoyed, so must be the CANNABIS HELPS information about how Cannabis helps improve lives. By now most IMPROVE LIVES.” of America knows that smoking weed isn’t really dangerous, and a lot of people have experienced the joy of picking out a strain at a dispensary and trying it legally. But what America and our global community need to wake up to is how many pills Cannabis can replace, and how many diseases, health issues and addiction problems can be solved with the plant that was once considered the most dangerous drug of all.

But after all, the most dangerous part of Cannabis is the fact that it disrupts the pharmaceutical industry agenda, is safer than alcohol, and opens minds instead of clouding them. The scariest thing about the pay-for-play healthcare system in America is the idea that a plant grown in the backyard can replace half the medicine cabinet.

Growing your own medicine and having access to it from trusted sources in medicinally oriented products is the epitome of health autonomy, and we are all blessed to live in a time where Cannabis is once again leading the pharmacological movement towards natural, safer medicines.

So the next time you smoke weed for a headache, use a topical for back pain or have a friend complaining about sleep issues, suggest a specialized Cannabis product or a strain that has helped you. That’s how we plant seeds of change and help the people we love to embrace the plant we can all benefit from!

-Wes Abney

JAN. 2023

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We are creators of targeted, independent Cannabis journalism.

Please email us to discuss advertising in the next issue of Alaska Leaf Magazine. We do not sell stories or coverage. We can offer design services and guidance on promoting your company’s medicinal, recreational, commercial or industrial Cannabis business, product or event within our magazine and on our website, LeafMagazines.com. Email ricker@leafmagazines.com to start advertising with Alaska Leaf!

WES

N O RT H E AS T L E A F

national news

SPORTS

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WNBA STAR GRINER RELEASED BY RUSSIA IN PRISONER SWAP

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ussia has finally released Brittney Griner, the WNBA player held for months on marijuana charges. Russian authorities released Griner in December in a one-for-one prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout.

President Joe Biden approved the one-for-one exchange agreement with Moscow, according to sources familiar with the deal. The swap took place in the United Arab Emirates.

Griner was convicted by Russian courts of possession of a small amount of hash oil in a medical marijuana vape cartridge she carried with her during a trip for a basketball game in Russia.

To secure Griner’s release, the president ordered Bout freed and returned to Russia. Biden signed the commutation order cutting short Bout’s 25-year federal prison sentence.

Griner told fans she will play in the upcoming WBNA season with her team, the Phoenix Mercury.

“Your letters helped me to not lose hope during a time where I was full of regret and vulnerable in ways I could have never imagined,” said Griner, who wrote a heartfelt note on her Instagram Dec. 21, 2022.

“Because of you I never lost hope,” she said. ”My family is whole and now... we are fortunate to get to spend the holidays together.”

GLOBAL

COPS CLAIM RATS ATE HALF TON OF WEED

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olice in India claim rats ate more than a half ton of seized Cannabis stored as evidence, reports CNN. The local cops admitted to a judge they can’t come up with the confiscated weed.

Police claimed the rampaging rodents ate 581 kilograms of marijuana stored at the Shergarh and Highway stations, reports India Today. Cops were responding to a court order asking them to cough up the marijuana they recovered in a case.

The prosecution said more than 700 kilograms of Cannabis stored in stations across Mathura could have been devoured by the stoned rodents.

This was (allegedly) not the first time the marauding party-rats had struck. The judge hearing the case noted Mathura police had already blamed the libertine rodents for destroying a total of more than 500 kilos of marijuana.

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THE NEWS IN BRIEF

A D U LT - U S E S A L E S ENJOY BRISK FIRST WEEK IN RHODE ISLAND RHODE ISLAND’S Cannabis shops saw brisk business during their first week of operation under adult-use legalization allowing retail sales, according to a state agency.

The state’s six licensed Cannabis dispensaries collectively sold more than $1.63 million worth of marijuana from Dec. 1 to Dec. 7, according to the Department of Business Regulation. About half of those sales were for adult-use marijuana, for an estimated $786,000, reports the Washington Examiner. The remaining $845,400 consisted of sales to medical Cannabis patients, the agency said.

The busy sales bode well for the state.

Rhode Island will take in an estimated $133,600 in taxes – about $23,500 of which will go to towns and cities where the weed stores are located.

The Rhode Island Office of Management and Budget is projecting $5.9 million in marijuana tax revenue in the current fiscal year, ending June 30, 2023.

K A N S A S L AW M A K E R S WILL INTRODUCE MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL IT’S BEEN a long (and so far at least, fruitless) journey for medical marijuana advocates in Kansas.

Now, state lawmakers say they’re ready to take yet another shot at legalizing medicinal Cannabis, reports KCUR. Republican Sen. Rob Olson chairs the 2022 Special Committee on Medical Marijuana. Olson said he plans to introduce a bill at the beginning of the January legislative session. He said passing legislation out of committee would be too difficult – so he plans to introduce it in the Senate as an alternative approach.

He encouraged lawmakers in the House to introduce similar legislation.

“I think that’s probably the best way forward,” said Olson.

VIRAL TIKTOKER XDOGGFACEY ARRESTED IN IDAHO NATHAN APODACA, a TikToker who went viral for skateboarding videos that were set to iconic Fleetwood Mac tracks, was arrested

by Idaho State Police in December on charges of possessing marijuana. Apodaca was driving with an expired registration tag when the police pulled him over. Officers ended up finding THC gummies in the vehicle and took Apodaca into custody. He was released on a $600 bond.

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LEGALIZATION COMING TO NEW HAMPSHIRE?

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wo New Hampshire lawmakers, one Republican and the other Democrat, share a common interest: legalizing marijuana.

House Majority Leader Jason “The bipartisan Osborne (R) and Minority measure would Leader Matt Wilhelm (D) joined allow adults forces to file a bill to legalize 21 and up to possess or give adult-use Cannabis for the away up to 2023 session. four ounces of The bipartisan measure Cannabis...” would allow adults 21 and up to possess or give away up to four ounces of Cannabis, and also clear records of past weed possession offenses. In addition, it taxes marijuana sales at 8.5%. The bill would set up a new market with state-approved retailers to sell pot, reports Benzinga.

The new legislation allows cultivation of up to six plants, including three of which may be mature, and possession of marijuana produced at home.

east coast

NEW YORK GROWERS HAVE WEED BACKSTOCK

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date hasn’t been announced yet for retail marijuana sales in New York. And that slow rollout is creating a Cannabis conundrum, reports NBC New York.

Local growers were awarded the first licenses. And they bet the farm on legal weed. But now they have half a billion dollars worth of marijuana, ready to sell, without any buyers.

The first harvest for the state’s pot pioneers came with high expectations. But now, excitement has turned to fear for the 200-plus licensed Cannabis growers in the Empire State.

“It’s terrifying, because we just don’t know,” said Colin Brogan, who also works for Hudson River Farms in Dutchess County.

Stuck inside a secure storage room for weeks now is almost 2,000 pounds “Stuck inside a of fragrant weed. And that’s just this secure one farm alone. Nonetheless, there’s storage just no place to sell it. room for “Until we have that final piece of weeks the supply chain – the dispensaries now is that can actually sell to a consumer – almost everybody’s kind of in the same boat, 2,000 and we’re just sitting around, waiting to pounds of sell it to somebody,” said Hudson River fragrant weed.”

Farms’ Alex Keenan.

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STORIES by STEVE ELLIOTT, AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF MARIJUANA

All Things Cannabis For All People beardedlorax rickerdj stashleylynn maaryjwhite

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Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 or older. This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit-forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination and judgment.

Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of reach of children.

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PLANT PEOPLE

A R T I S T PRO FI L E

JennaFleur Roosdett Asasophomore at Highland Tech High Charter School, Jenna Fleur Roosdett discovered graphic design and immediately fell in love with the integration of technology and analog art. Her love of creating eyecatching logos and branding followed her to the University of Alaska Anchorage, where she earned a bachelor's degree in fine art in 2014. After sharpening her skills at Anchorage-based marketing firm Buzzbizz Creative, Fleur set out on her own and found a home in Cannabis marketing.

Jenna'sBeluga Jointhoodie tookhomethe People'sChoice Awardat AIGAAlaska's TheBigOne20 Competition.

So,weunderstandthatsomecongratulations areinorderA Yeah, I am really excited to have won the People's Choice award at the 2022 AIGA Alaska award for my Beluga Joint Hoodie design.

I also won Gold in the Product and Packaging Design category for [Great Northern Cannabis’] Smoked Salmon Pre-Roll Packs.

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AIGAAlaskaVsTheBigOnecompetitionpits thestateVsbestgraphicdesignersagainst eachother.Whatistheimportanceofthe Cannabisindustrybeingrepresentedinthat arena?The industry rarely enters anything, but I am hoping that is going to change. My goal is to mainstream Cannabis – I don't want it to be this subculture that people are afraid of. You see a lot of designs from the alcohol industry winning awards and I want Cannabis to be doing the same thing. I see a part of my role in designing as destigmatizing the plant and moving it more into mainstream culture.

leafmagazines.com

Howhasthatgoal- in

Jenna'sdesignworkfor euencedyourdesign GreatNorthernCannabis' style?

Well, standing SmokedSalmonPre-Roll out is a goal for every Packsalsowoninthe ProductandPackaging brand, no matter what Category.

you're in. Cannabis is especially tough because there is such a clear icon that everybody uses: a pot leaf. So, when I design, I try to really lean into the company’s core values.

As an industry, we’re representing Cannabis to the world right now, and we are responsible for trying to rewrite the narrative about something that has been demonized for a long time. I want to create branding and merch that elevates stoner culture.

JENNAFLEURDESIGNS.COM @JENNAFLEURDESIGNS

JAN. 2023

Yourdesignstyleisequalparts whimsicalanddark.Whathas- in spiredyourart?

I have always been a blend of gothic and Rainbow Brite. Dali is an inspiration, but so is old-school Disney animation. I would say there has always been a dichotomy in my work. Of course, that can be tricky when working with Cannabis because regulations prevent us from making anything that might appeal to children. So, while my work has a cartoony element, I combine that with my experience doing printmaking to kind of mature the design.

I" seeapart ofmyrolein designingas destigmatizing theplantand movingitmore intomainstream culture."

Youputalotofheartintoyourwork,and weVveheardthatyoualsoliketoput UEas tereggsVinyourpieces.

You know, I grew up in Alaska, so the animals and landscape obviously play a big role in my work. But I also like to create art that appeals to millennials who grew up here. For example, the Beluga Joint hoodie I designed for Great Northern Cannabis is actually a nod to Beluga Point – where pretty much every Anchorage high schooler would go to smoke back in the day. I was even able to work the mile marker into the design, which I was really happy about. I also like to hide exclamation points and work the color purple into my designs, as they are a part of my personal brand.

STORY & PHOTO by O'HARA SHIPE @SHIPESHOTS/ALASKA LEAF | ADDITIONAL ART COURTESY of JENNA ROOSDETT

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T UR N K E Y OP P O R T U NI T Y

UILNUA

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Adam Boyd’s transition from growing bud to farming bison creates a unique chance for aspiring canna-preneurs to enter the industry.

IN 1938, Adam Boyd’s grandfather immigrated from Ireland to California in search of the elusive American Dream. However, life in America wasn’t as Boyd’s grandfather expected. Chasing rumors of gold-filled streams, he migrated north to Alaska in hopes of striking it rich. But, instead of finding his fortune, Boyd’s grandfather found peace of mind in Palmer and settled on a 160-acre homestead.

A TERRITORIAL MARSHAL by day and potato farmer by night, Boyd’s grandfather slowly began converting his homestead into a fully-functioning farm. Three generations later, the Boyds still live and work on the homestead, which has grown to 420 acres and includes a new kind of crop – Cannabis.

JAN. 2023

Although somewhat unorthodox, given his roots in potato farming, Boyd’s transition into growing Cannabis wasn’t entirely unexpected. For 10 years, Boyd ran the Point MacKenzie Correctional Farm, which houses over 100 male offenders and is one of the most coveted facilities to be assigned to.

“When I was trying to find workers, I would ask the inmates, ‘Who in here is the best grower?’ At the time, a lot of guys were serving time for black market Cannabis grows and things of that nature. I was trying to find those groups of people who knew a lot about plants,” explained Boyd.

His instincts proved correct as the Correctional Farm was producing as much as 3.3 million pounds of agricultural produce, and was delivering food to 18 correctional facilities and food banks around the state.

“It’s something I’m really proud of accomplishing, and I think, in some ways, it put a bug in my ear about Cannabis farming.”

Suilnua cultivator and Boyd Farm's owner, Adam Boyd.

Adam Boyd's son, Tristan, worked in the cultivation as a trimmer before switching to working with bison this year, alongside Trimmer and Produce Farmer Kelsey Anderson, below.

The program’s success didn’t go unnoticed, so when a team of doctors was looking at investing in Cannabis cultivation, Boyd’s name was already on the tips of their tongues.

“You know, I’m a farmer, and I love growing – it doesn’t matter what the crop is,” said Boyd. “But I am also a businessman, and it made financial sense to grow Cannabis. I went from growing potatoes on a large scale and making pennies on the pound, to Cannabis where I could make dollars on the pound.”

Not one to do things on a small scale, Boyd jumped into the deep end with a genetic seed bank of over 1,800 strains.

“I went into this with the idea that if I was going to do it, I wanted to have a lot of options,” explained Boyd. “That was one of the benefits of having doctors for investors. They got into the industry because they believed that there had to be something better out there to help their patients. They were all for experimentation, so it gave me the opportunity to see how far I could push the plants.

I got to 4.9% terps once, and I was really impressed by that.”

The cultivation, Suilnua, translated from Gaelic as “new hope,” took off like a rocket.

In its first year of operation, Suilnua was producing over 100 pounds of flower each month and still had room for expansion.

“Going into this, I didn’t know anything about growing Cannabis. But I did know hydroponics and the fundamentals of pushing crops to be their best. I just needed some time to learn how to speak the language,” said Boyd.

Unfortunately, Boyd learned how to speak Cannabis fluently faster than the market could keep up. So in May 2022, after just under two years of operation, Boyd bought out his investors and found himself sitting on 500 pounds of unsold product.

“I never was a sales guy,” said Boyd. “I always felt like a vulture walking into a store, trying to get people to spend their money on my products. So, I had to stop growing because I couldn’t keep up with selling at the rate I was growing.”

Despite producing strains like Super Lemon Haze and Scarlett Sunset that were bred specifically for their medicinal properties, Boyd saw the market going in a different direction than he was.

“We were really focused on terp profiles and [terp] percentages, but the market was looking for high [THC] numbers. So, there wasn’t the same kind of demand as we thought there might be,” said Boyd.

“I think the industry matured really quickly, and now we’re seeing the natural selection and attrition of businesses. Stores are realizing they need to own their cultivations to keep their products in-house and create a fully-realized brand. Cultivations are learning that they need to own dispensaries to justify paying the high tax rates.”

Boyd has found himself in a difficult position without a dispensary of his own or the desire to shift from farming to selling.

“I was working to work, which is fine.

But without the dispensary component, I wasn’t making the money I needed to start paying for equipment replacements. And I wasn’t going to take that money out of my workers’ paychecks. There are just lines I won’t cross,” Boyd said.

Now, Boyd is looking for the next cannapreneur to take over the impressive infrastructure he built.

“I have created a turnkey operation, and whoever buys the license and leases the property will be able to hit the ground running. It’s just a matter of finding the person who is going to do it,” said Boyd.

While Boyd works to sell the remaining 150 pounds of cured flower, he is also turning his eye toward a new venture: bison husbandry.

“I’ve been growing bison for a while, and that market has really taken off recently because of food insecurity. So, I am hoping to add another 100 acres to my land so I can plant some rotational crops and focus on sustainably farming my bison,” said Boyd.

Adjacent to his bison habitat, Suilnua waits for its new hope.

XYOU KNOW, IVM A FARMER, AND I LOVE GROWING S IT DOESNVT MATTER WHAT THE CROP IS. Y

BOYDBISON. COM

STORY & PHOTOS by O'HARA SHIPE @SHIPESHOTS/ALASKA LEAF

TOPICAL OF THE MONTH

SIREN'S SECRET SHIPWRECKED ROSE OIL Snowmageddon.

Snowpocalypse.

Red Bull Frozen Rush, the Alaska edition. Westeros.

Whatever you want to call it, December 2022 was rough on us Alaskans. So, if you’re still hunched over and frozen from shoveling six feet of snow in the blistering cold, then keep reading. If you survived another holiday with the in-laws, but your nerves are completely frayed … you guessed it, read on!

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TOPICAL BYGREATNORTHERNCANNABISXPUREPLANT

The20AlaskaLeafBowl winnerforBestTopicalS SirenVsSecretRoseOilSis therealdeal.

Created by Great Northern Cannabis and Pure Plant, this luxurious oil packs 500mg of full-spectrum THC and 500mg of CBD into two fluid ounces. Working with the body’s endocannabinoid system, the THC and CBD interact with the cannabinoid receptors on a surface level – preventing them from entering the bloodstream while allowing their benefits to be felt on a localized level.

Topicals like Siren’s Secret are great for sore muscles.

We found drawing a hot bath with two cups of Dr. Teals Calm & Serenity with Rose Essential Oil epsom salt really leveled up the effectiveness of Siren’s Secret. One to two eye-droppers squirted directly into the bath filled the entire bathroom with the calming scent of rose. The heat from the bath opened our pores and allowed the topical to go to work. Within 20 minutes, we had soaked away aches and pains and regained at least some of our post-holiday sanity.

The only downside to this amazing product is the relatively high price of $55. But like a designer perfume, Siren’s Secret is worth every penny.

" Within 2 0 minutes, we had soaked away aches and pains and regained at least some of our post- holiday sanity."

GREATNORTHERNCANNABIS.COM @GREATNORTHERNALASKA

JAN. 2023

REVIEW by ALASKA LEAF STAFF | PHOTO by O'HARA SHIPE @SHIPESHOTS

“Why fly? When you can enjoy the most beautiful ride on earth”

ANCHORAGE TO HOMER June 1st-Aug 31st Monday – Friday Departs Anchorage Arctic & International – 724 W. International - Garrett’s Tesoro Cooper Landing Wild- man’s 300pm Soldotna Chamber of Commerce 500pm All times are approx. Stage Line Summer Schedule HOMER TO ANCHORAGE June 1st-Aug 31st Monday – Friday Departs Homer 830am 1242 Ocean Dr Soldotna Chamber of Commerce 1015am Cooper Landing Wildman’s 1115am

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Locally owned and operated by a Departs Seward 100pm lifelong Alaskan, Stage Line offers call ahead for pick up point passenger transportation, freight, parcel, and courier service, between Cooper Landing Wild- man’s 200pm Anchorage and the Kenai Soldotna 300pm Peninsula. Our schedule includes, All times are approx Anchorage to Homer, Cooper Landing, Soldotna, Kasilof, Ninilchik, HOMER TO SEWARD Anchor Point. Homer to Seward, June 1st - August 31st Soldotna, Cooper Landing. And any The Stage Line PO Box 353 Anchor Point, Mon Wed Fri points in between! MP flag stops AK available! Private party charters Departs Homer 1242 Ocean Dr 900am The Stage Line 1242 Ocean Dr Homer, Ak available! Reasonable rates, saves 724 W International Anchorage, Ak of Commerce time and money for travelling or your Soldotna Chamber Staging points only 1030am 907-868-3914 907-235-2252 shipping needs.

Cooper Landing Wildman’s 1130 E-mail: stage.line@yahoo.com One of the top 10 most scenic www.stagelineinhomer.com highways.

STRAIN OF THE MONTH

Fairy Tale

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"A cross between Snow White x Alice in Wonderland x Cinderella 99, Fairy Tale derives some of the best qualities of its parentage." jan. 2023

C

inderella wanted to go to the ball. Sleeping Beauty ust wanted to spin some yarn without ending up catatonic. Goldilocks wanted to satiate her hunger pains with some porridge and have a nap.

CULTIVATED BY TANANAHERB COMPANY TANANAHERBCOMPANY.COM @TANANA_HERB_CO

Like these fairy tale heroines, Alaskans aren’t looking for much – just a chance to exchange sub-zero winter temps for sandy beaches and warm deserts for a week. Sadly, Tanana Herb Company’s Fairy Tale flower won’t buy you a plane ticket or pack your suitcase for you, but it will give you a kick of creative energy to make your own fairy tale come true.

These incredibly dense buds are more fragrant than frosty, so you won’t end up with sticky fingers – but the scent will still find a way to leave its mark on your hands.

A little “mirror mirror on the wall” action might not reveal this Cannabis as the “fairest one of all” with its dark green coloration and muted orange pistils, however, judging this book by its cover would be a mistake.

Once we cracked open the bud with an audible snap, we were treated to large, ice cave-like trichomes and the stickiness we love so much. More crumbly than we’d expected, the bud was a little difficult to pack into a spoon without using our Flower Mill Grinder, but it was worth the extra effort.

A cross between Snow White x Alice in Wonderland x Cinderella 99, Fairy Tale derives some of the best qualities of its parentage: the sleepy properties of Snow White, the happy high of Alice in Wonderland, and the intense focus of Cinderella 99. Like a true hybrid, Tanana Herb’s Fairy Tale flower offered a diverse high that shifted with each bowl. Our first tokes released a deep, woodsy scent with subtle notes of citrus and fruit.

As the high hit, we immediately felt a calm wash over us, and it wasn’t long before we drifted off for a quick nap. When we regained consciousness and smoked another bowl, the uplifting limonene terpenes went to work and had us buzzing with focused energy. By the third bowl – yep, we’re definitely stoners – we found our inner bliss and had way too much fun playing with the Lite Brite we snagged at a white elephant party over the holidays.

If you’re looking to spend an afternoon in your jammies day-dreaming about warmer climates, Fairy Tale is the strain for you.

24.98% THC | HYBRID

REVIEW by ALASKA LEAF STAFF | PHOTO by O'HARA SHIPE @SHIPESHOTS

Find Your Flow

THE weed & wellness ISSUE

CANNABIS & YOGA

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When it comes to Yoga and Cannabis, inhale the future and exhale the past.

IF

you’re someone who wants your practice progresses to stay fit and focused with– making your savasana out having to leave the com(the meditative relaxation fort of your home, then yoga time at the end of the may be the option for you. Practicing session) extra sweet. yoga regularly not only increases flexibility And if you’re feeling the and builds strength – it also helps manage burn after your practice, stress by quieting the chatter of the mind, an infused bath bomb allowing us to be more present, and deepis always a great way to ening our mind-body connection, which can soothe sore muscles. improve sleep and overall mental health.

Does some stoney Yoga can also help reduce chronic pain, yoga sound like an which is what initially got me onto the mat enjoyable experience and, eventually, into becoming a teacher: I to you? Consider the have slight scoliosis and two herniated discs following for getting in my spine, and yoga has definitely helped comfortable and further ease that pain and strengthen my body. enhancing your time on Over the years, I’ve seen an array of funky the mat: yoga trends: goat, nude, aerial, underwater, – If you want to see and even paddleboard yoga. One trend how you feel first, try that’s not so funky, though, is Cannabis-inan online ganja yoga fused yoga. Now, I’ve been a certified yoga class in the comfort of instructor since 2004, but I’ve been a certiyour own home before fied stoner my entire life, so you can believe attending one in person. me when I tell you that Cannabis and yoga – You may want to adare a very complimentary combination. In just the type and amount the past several years, tons of online and of Cannabis product you in-person classes, teacher trainings and welluse, depending on what ness retreats offering Cannabis-enhanced kind of yoga you choose yoga have popped up – including a few of to do. For beginners, I my own (I provide yoga at all of my Higher recommend sticking to Way Travel retreats and events, and often basic classes like Hatha offer my yoga clients a Canor Yin yoga – nabis option before classes). two styles where “There are Seattle, WA-based model and Cannabis yoga enthusiast Kate Higby @mediiikate There are several ways to you move slowly demonstrates the lotus pose. Props, Wardrobe and Set Design by Malina Lopez incorporate Cannabis into several ways and deliberately. @artbymalina. | Art direction by Daniel Berman @bermanphotos your yoga practice. A great Think lots of floor to incorporate place to start is to apply a asanas (poses), Cannabis into topical to areas on your body While not for everyone, a regular regimen hip openers, twists and stretches. A more your yoga that might need some extra of Cannabis and yoga can help us deal with vigorous vinyasa (flow) style class while love before starting your practice. A great life’s problems, make better choices in what high could result in dizziness, a racy session. You can try one with we consume (such as news, food, negativity, heart, or feeling lightheaded (so dabs place to start a 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD mids, etc.), and lead to a better relationship and Sun Salutations may not be the is to apply a or even a CBD-only topical with yourself, your loved ones, and the Earth. best combo!). topical to areas if you prefer. You can always Most importantly, though, combining yoga and – Remember: It all depends on the on your body take a few hits from a joint Cannabis should be fun – so don’t take yourperson and their individual tolerance before you hit the mat as self too seriously and just go with your flow. and fitness level – everyone is different. that might need well. Or you could enjoy an But regardless of what/how you choose some extra love edible or infused beverage H I G H E R WAY T R AV E L to imbibe, always follow the classic rule before starting beforehand … that way, the CA N N A B I S I N F U S E DYO G A .C O M of thumb to go low and slow. You can your session.” high will kick in gradually as always add more, but you can’t add less.

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STORY by APRIL BLACK @HIGHERWAYTRAVEL for LEAF NATION | PHOTO by KETI CHIKHLADZE @IMMIGRANT STONER

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Marijuana has intoxicating effects and may be habit-forming and addictive. Marijuana impairs concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under its influence. There are health risks associated with the consumption of marijuana. For use only by adults twenty-one and older.

Keep out of the reach of children. Marijuana should not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. #10008

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Unlocking the Wellness Benefits of Terpenes Through Aromatherapy

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CANNABIS & TERPENES

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of lavender before bed makes you sleepy. research advances and the In the Cannabis plant, terpenes are one of the Cannabis market matures, elements that impact not only a strain’s fragrance more brands are ditching and flavor, but also the way it makes you feel. broad decades-old classifi“Terpenes are essential oils. They’re aromatic, cation terms like “indica vs. sativa.” Instead, volatile molecules, and the way we receive many today’s packaging comes with two more of their benefits is through inhalation,” explains important words: dominant terpenes.

Jamila. “So I would just start there and let the nose While more seasoned smokers may understand lead you. The fact that you’re able to inhale, ignite these scientific terms and their meaning, talking those nasal passageways, and get the nervous terpenes isn’t always an easy language to become system engaged simply from smelling the flower is fluent in. This type of higher education takes expert really all you need. If you have five different types of help and can quickly overwhelm rookie rollers or strains in front of you, smell each one. The one that the newly canna-curious. resonates with you the most, that is your flower.”

To get advice on how consumers can conquer But what if you live in a state or shop at a disthese complexities, we linked up with Jamila Owpensary that doesn’t allow you to smell the product ens-Todd – a Naturopathic Doctor, Adjunct Profesbefore purchasing it? Jamila went on to explain sor of Cannabis Pharmacology, and Chief Science how you can take the power of scent a step further Officer of a medical Cannabis manufacturer. to elevate your smoking expeThe answer involves using aromatherapy to experience the wellness “In the Cannabis plant, rience once you’ve taken your home. By understanding benefits of terpenes, and you only terpenes are one of the haul the connection between scent need one tool: your nose. and terpenes, you can actually elements that impact Aromatherapy is the practice of guide your Cannabis consumpusing chemical compounds called not only a strain’s tion throughout the day based aromatics for therapeutic benefit. fragrance and flavor, on mood, environment and This link between scent and mood desired effects. explains why a fresh pot of coffee but also the way it Let’s say you wake up with a brewing can wake you up in the makes you feel.” long list of tasks looming over morning or how the soothing smell MYRCENE Aroma: musky and earthy Feels: soothing and sedative Found in: Granddaddy Purple, Grape Ape, OG Kush

jan. 2023

LIMONENE Aroma: citrusy and clean Feels: uplifting and euphoric Found in: Do-Si-Dos, MAC, Sundae Driver

LINALOOL Aroma: floral and fresh Feels: relaxing and restful Found in: Lavender Kush, Amnesia Haze, Tropicanna Punch

CARYOPHYLLENE Aroma: black pepper, cinnamon Feels: calming and tranquil Found in: GG#4, Sour Diesel, Slurricane

your head. You may want to start the day with a strain that immediately makes you feel uplifted and euphoric after taking a big whiff – this likely tingles the nostrils and is high in limonene. After powering through a few productive hours of work, you take another smoke break, this time with a cultivar high in pinene such as OG Kush.

It smells fresh and crisp, and in turn helps you feel focused, cerebral and ready to crush the afternoon – much like a mental walk through the woods. After you finally look up from the laptop, the day has already turned to dusk and it’s time to unwind with a high-linalool strain like Lavender Diesel that is soothing, herbaceous and gentle on the exhale before hitting the hay.

Listening to our nose is a huge part of connecting your mind, body and spirit through Cannabis. This approach gives us a deeper relationship with the plant, allowing us to welcome all the wellness benefits it can provide.

As Jamila put it, “Before you even start to spark up your flower, just take a good whiff. … Let the nose lead you … is the plant selecting you, or are you selecting the plant? If you allow yourself to be vulnerable in that way and just take that smell in, you’ve already engaged in terpene medicine. And then, once you ignite the flower, you get even more benefits of that aroma and those terpenes.”

PINENE Aroma: sharp and woodsy Feels: energizing and focused Found in: Critical Mass, Dutch Treat, Larry OG

OCIMENE Aroma: minty and zesty Feels: refreshing and creative Found in: Green Crack, Golden Goat, Strawberry Cough

STORY by KATHERINE WOLF @KATADELLIC/LEAF NATION

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WARNING Marijuana has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming and addictive. Marijuana impairs concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under its influence. There are health risks associated with consumption of marijuana. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children. Marijuana should not be used by women who are pregnant or breast feeding.

THE weed & wellness ISSUE

CANNABIS & CREATIVITY

On Your Grind

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Using Cannabis to Infuse Your Workday With Creativity

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ARY JANE HAS BEEN A MUSE to a whole slew of creative geniuses – from Paul McCartney admitting “Got to Get You Into My Life” was written about weed rather than a woman, to Seth Rogen saying he smokes during script writing, to Steve Jobs claiming that hashish made him feel more “relaxed and creative” in the ’70s.

While Cannabis has had a reputation for being a creative juicer amongst musicians, artists and inventors since basically the beginning of time, modern professionals in a variety of roles and industries are now using weed to get through the everyday workday.

Move on over, software platforms and high-tech devices – ganja is the latest gadget to hit the workplace. This mainstream movement of working with weed can be attributed to changes in both how we work and how Cannabis is perceived. The physical office went digital and this shift to remote work

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also shifted our mindsets about work/life balance, giving us more flexibility and freedom throughout our workdays. Paired with the fact that nearly half of Americans now live in a state where Cannabis is legal in some capacity, more people than ever are exploring its relationship to their careers.

Whether you’re trying to bust through a case of writer’s block, come up with an attention-grabbing marketing campaign, or find an out-of-the-box solution to an old problem, getting a little stoned has been known to help get the ideas flowing.

So, can Cannabis actually boost your creativity? Well, research shows that employees who take frequent breaks are consistently more productive than those who don’t. This is because the human brain works in bursts of high activity before switching to low activity to rest and recoup for a while.

This is when it’s the best time to take a break and toke up … but it’s important to be strategic about which strain you’re choosing.

“Ganja is the latest gadget to hit the workplace.”

The unique terpenoids, terpenes and cannabinoids in Cannabis genetics impact how they will taste, smell and make us feel. Strains with bright, uplifting aromas such as lemon or mint have energizing effects that can help refresh the brain in between tasks on your to-do list. On the flip side, smoking a strain that is heavy and gassy on the nose will likely have you dozing off during your next meeting.

We sat down with the “Beerded Krakin,” co-founder of Krakin Seeds and partner at the legendary Washington brand PNW Roots, to get more insight into how particular Cannabis genetics can be used throughout the workday to give your brain a boost. “I smoke morning, noon and night,” he tells us. “On the farm, we work for about two or three hours, then will take a smoke break. That’s definitely part of my regimen.”

When asked if there are any particular genetic profiles or traits of certain Cannabis strains that lend themselves to creativity, he had this to say: “You don’t want anything too heavy, so something on the fruit side, say with a tangerine, lemon or blueberry flavor profile. That has always helped me with my creative juices, whether it’s work or play. Our Tangelo Sno (Tangerine Power x Sno Cap) is my go-to strain in the morning. It’s got this great haziness and strong citrus flavor, which really wakes me up and is perfect for getting the workday going.”

There’s another hazy hitter in the Beerded Krakin’s creative lineup that their team has been smoking a lot of lately: Ghost Train Haze.

“It really keeps everyone awake and not burned out at all,” he explains.“ So I would say that’s my number one pick right now for getting the creative juices flowing versus a more couchlock effect. I would definitely go for anything on the Haze route if I was looking for motivation or creativity.”

STORY by KATHERINE WOLF @KATADELLIC/LEAF NATION

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THE weed & wellness ISSUE

C A N N A B I S & W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H

Mary Jane, Medicine Woman Exploring the ancient relationship between weed and women’s health with Dr. Celeste Saenz.

What inspired you to specialize in holistic women’s health care? My great grandmother was a midwife and a healer from Mexico City. She got her gynecology medical degree, but in Mexican culture it’s all about what I would call ‘kitchen medicine,’ because there’s not very much money or access. She would babysit me until I was about 10 or 12, and I was exposed to her way. She did the kind of midwifery thing: birthing children and stuff in her home, which is really cool. I know it was just a blessing to be exposed there. She would see her patients and always had food going …

After seeing to their needs, she would sit her patients down and they would have a meal.

She would take a couple of notes, and so it would almost just look like a traditional visit.

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What gaps in women’s healthcare do you see in conventional or mainstream medicine? I think the most fundamental gap is the time that we spend with our patients. In women’s health especially, it is kind of detective work and very individualized care … every woman’s body is uniquely experiencing her hormonal shifts, or things like sleep and diet.

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W

OMEN’S HEALTH holds a host of wonder and woe. You can wash these words down with a glass of confidence, knowing they’ve been penned by a person of the uterus-possessing persuasion – one writer that (ripening into her 30s and the pressures of modern society) is increasingly surrounded by the mysteries of Mary Jane and the female body. So, we sat down with Dr. Celeste Saenz of Vitalis Naturopathic Centre in Seattle – a primary care physician and naturopath with a doctorate from Seattle’s renowned Bastyr University and 15 years of experience – for a little perspective.

For the last five years, Dr. Saenz has seen 20-40 patients per week at her clinic Vitalis. While she welcomes all clients, her specialty is in women’s health with a focus on “foundational medicine like food, sleep, nutrition and counseling.” Her day-to-day practice involves bloodwork, functional analysis, homeopathic and energetic medicine, but as we learned quickly, Dr. Saenz draws from a rich history of holistic and matriarchal medicine.

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What women’s wellness issue needs more attention? I think the sleep issue is getting pretty bad these days: sleep, detox and stress management. Rounding out stress needs to be addressed on a kind of spiritual and personal level. I think women have, in some ways, lost the artform of de-stressing. I think the rounding out of the stress, or the lack of valuing that, has really made a huge difference in women’s PMS, menstrual cycles, sleep and weight. It changes the rhythm of a woman’s body. Sleep is the first thing that a lot of my new patients are coming in to talk about. They come in like, ‘How do I get to sleep? I’m so stressed out!’ It’s sort of common right now.

Biochemically, their cortisol levels are too high.

Do you incorporate Cannabis into any of your practices or treatments? Most people, especially in Seattle, come in and Cannabis is a part of their repertoire, so I’ll sort of help to tweak that or communicate to optimize their experience. And the old school treatments of putting marijuana in some alcohol and using it as muscle rub is something I used to prescribe for many years.

But now we’ve got so many amazing local topical products, it’s incredible!

Have you had experience with pregnant patients using Cannabis? Most of my pregnant patients – I would say those that are Cannabis users – continue to use throughout their pregnancy in different ways and forms, especially CBD topicals. When I prescribe something to my pregnant patients, it’s mostly CBD topicals used on their hips, knees or back, or something to help them sleep. I have a lot of colleagues that are CBD advocates or marijuana advocates – and have been pregnant – and they use marijuana all the time throughout pregnancy.

Cannabis use and pregnancy still stir up some controversy, but the plant has been a tool in ‘kitchen medicine’ kits like your great grandmother’s for ages. Why do you think that is? It’s the most ancient medicine. This is an old herb. This is a female ovary plant and we’re using this medicine with lots of oils – it’s almost like a milk (laughs) and we’ve been using it as pain relief and emotional support for so long. It’s old and so is mothering! They’ve been evolving together for a while and go hand in hand. My great grandmother was using that [Cannabis] topically, and I’m pretty sure she would use some of it internally when necessary with nausea or even psychosis. Pregnancy can bring a lot of emotional components out. So a little bit of internal use is valid when necessary. Again, it’s so individualized but I’m not shy about that. It’s a taboo topic for some, so I don’t start there unless the patient is already there.

Then I help triage that further.

“When I prescribe something to my pregnant patients, it’s mostly CBD topicals used on their hips, knees or back, or something to help them sleep.”

STORY by AMANDA DAY @TERPODACTYL_MEDIA/LEAF NATION | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

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THE WEED & WELLNESS ISSUE

A LT E R N AT I V E C A N N A B I N O I D G U I D E

Beyond THC

Diving into the wonderful world of alternative compounds in Cannabis.

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HE NEW YEAR/NEW YOU FAD IS IN FULL GEAR, and while major lifestyle changes can be elusive, working alternative Cannabinoids into your wellness protocol can be easier than quitting your favorite vice. Although there are over 100 minor Cannabinoids that researchers have yet to study, we’ve put together a primer on the ones most commonly found in products today. Together with terpenes and THC, these lesser-known chemicals work in concert to achieve what’s known as the Entourage Effect – where the elements of the plant work in harmony to create wellness. While none of this should be read as medical advice, our modern world offers plenty of emerging research on these Cannabinoids and surrounding topics, and we encourage everyone interested in integrating Cannabis into their health and wellness routines to explore the world of alternative Cannabinoids!

this Cannabinoid might be CBD While the most famous in health circles,

there’s a reason for the positive press that this compound receives. Originally found in THC flower as a minor Cannabinoid, this wonder drug is now extracted from hemp – making it much more accessible to the world, as it’s time consuming to grow CBD-rich Cannabis. But if you have the chance to smoke true CBD-rich weed (not hemp flower), we recommend it for a relaxing feel-good buzz.

Today you can find CBD in almost everything from tinctures to creams to lubes, with varying effects depending on dosage and the product.

Generally speaking, CBD is fantastic for anxiety and depression, as well as for minimizing pain and inflammation, and for stopping seizure disorders. It also helps regulate mood and memory, and may be helpful in the fight against Alzheimer’s (which THC has also shown to reduce symptoms of in studies on rats). CBD should be a part of any Cannabis user’s regular diet, and we recommend at least 25mg per serving to get your endocannabinoid system flush with this helpful compound.

is an often overlooked CanCBC CBC nabinoid that has major potential

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benefits and no psychoactive effects, which is likely why the weed industry has largely ignored it. CBC is known to work synergistically with other Cannabinoids (the aforementioned Entourage Effect), helping the body as it battles ailments ranging from cancer to inflammation. CBC has shown in mouse studies to slow tumor growth by stopping new cancer cells from generating, and could hold the key to stopping certain types of the disease altogether. CBC is also good for the brain – helping to regulate homeostasis, and

JAN. 2023

THC-O & HHC | With weed still illegal in many places, those with a love for science and pot are working to find new ways to get high that don’t come from traditional Delta 9 THC, and CBG is really the wonder Cannabican be questionably sold at gas stations and noid that is helpful and doesn’t get smoke shops. THC-O is considered three times you “high” – although we always find getting a more potent than normal THC, and is made in good buzz to be beneficial! CBG binds to both a lab by adding Acetic Anhydride (an ingredient the CB1 and CB2 receptors in the brain, which in Aspirin) to produce this not-found-in-nature are the gateways to the endocannabinoid system Cannabinoid. Users report heady euphoria – delivering a wide range of benefits, including and a strong body high. fighting cancer cells, combating inflammation, HHC is a similar lab-created Cannabinoid treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease, helping that adds a hydrogen molecule to hemp-dewith nausea and even acting as a powerful rived THC (which makes it technically legal), anti-bacterial. While CBG is and has very similar effects to tradiknown to actually counter“The best advice tional THC. With questionable testing act the effects of heavy-THC and no regulation, there’s no replacing for finding quality doses (meaning it can calm a good ol’ THC from mother nature. alternative high down), we found a mild Cannabinoids is euphoria accompanied the A Word to the Weed Wise to start at your wonderful medicinal effects While we don’t recommend trying that we now refer to as the gas station synthetic weed, or any gas dispensary and CBG giggles. station energy or sexual potency pills, a ask the staff for a specific compound world of Cannabis products does exist Delta 8 THC | Over the last that you might not find at your regular like CBD or CBG.” few years, Delta 8 THC prodweed shop. The best advice for finding ucts have exploded across the quality alternative Cannabinoids is country, with edibles and vapes filling head shop to start at your dispensary and ask the staff shelves. Delta 8 THC can be found naturally in for a specific Cannabinoid like CBD or CBG, Cannabis, although the extracted version is a and inquire as to which brands that make THC hemp-derived isomer of CBD, which converts the products might have other options. Many have CBD into a more playful Cannabinoid. Generalfull online stores with CBD and other infused ly viewed as both safe and delivering a less psyproducts that you can mail to your house legally. choactive high, many users report happy effects So as we head into the unknown of 2023 when vaping or eating Delta 8 THC. As with all and beyond, look to Cannabis for new ways alternative Cannabinoid products, the brand to help you and your friends and family. We all matters when it comes to product safety and testhave health issues that could benefit from this ing – so look to a trusted brand that’s already in amazing plant … and in that sense, it really is a the THC game to find your Delta 8 buzz. wonderful new world we live in. could help to prevent neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s. It’s also great for acne, so look for CBC in a topical form for happy skin.

CBG

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STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX/LEAF NATION

CANNABIS & ALCOHOL

Replacing The Ritual How Cannabis can be a healthier alternative to regularly consuming alcohol.

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Sean Scott, left, and one of the detailed bud shots he’s known for, right.

“It’s not enough to create a psychedelic effect, but what it did do, was that it allowed me to deal with the issues of alcohol addiction in real time, rather than becoming a victim to this state of despair,” he said. “Alcohol really trains the brain to look at all the negatives. … Poor me, poor me, pour me another drink. [Psilocybin] especially allowed me to peel back the onion layers of what was going on with me internally that was driving me to go and drink. I’m talking about the ritual of going down to the bar to have just one.”

For Scott, it wasn’t only about consumption of Cannabis and psilocybin and the physical effects they provided. It was about transference of attention. It was about replacing the ritual.

“If you’re doing the ritual of going to the bar after work, and you’re drinking, over a period of time the neurons in your brain – that whole pathway – is getting stronger,” he said. “It’s like building a bicep. What will eventually happen is that you will find yourself saying, “For Scott, it ‘I don’t want to go to the wasn’t only about bar, and I don’t want to drink.’ But then five o’clock on the consumption Friday comes around, and now I have of Cannabis and the pull of that ritual, because it’s psilocybin, and the five o’clock on Friday, that’s where everybody is. … Having a ritual to physical effects come home to – cleaning out the bowl, washing the they provided. bong – that’s a way to interrupt that whole cycle of It was about going out to the bars.”

Because the Alcoholics Anonymous program would transference of not allow for Cannabis consumption – they only allow attention. It was for sugar, caffeine and nicotine – Scott turned to Instagram, posting his “Days Count” and started building a about replacing support network there. the ritual. ” Scott also took his interest in the bar life and poured it into a love for Cannabis photography and cultivation.

“Growing Cannabis was the thing that kept me sober,” he said. “Hand in soil.”

The act of caring for plants kept him steady. So did the fear of blacking out while caring for Cannabis plants then waking up in a holding cell.

Now, more than three years later, Scott is more than three years sober. He’s rediscovered a profound love for the plant that has only deepened after decades of being a Cannabis consumer. His love for life has been renewed. He’s able to go to bars with his friends without considering a drink. He’s found a Cannabis-assisted sobriety community online.

“There have been hundreds of Cannabis cultivators from around the country who have reached out to me and said, ‘You know what? I had a problem with alcohol, too. Cannabis helped me stay sober, and I’m celebrating 25 years this month,’” he said. “Hundreds. I don’t know what it is about growing the plant.

I don’t know. All I know, from my personal experience, is that maybe it’s plant therapy. Maybe it’s keeping something alive. Maybe it’s the routine. Maybe it’s a combination of all of that. All I can say is that it’s made me a better person.”

STORY by TOM BOWERS @CANNABOMBTOM/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS courtesy of SEAN SCOTT @SEANSCOTT

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ADDITIONAL ART BY ADOBE STOCK

or many people, Cannabis helps with everyday issues. It can ease social anxiety, spark creativity, fight pain, calm nausea. For others, Cannabis can be a literal life saver. Sean Scott is in the latter camp.

A few years back, the New York-based photographer found himself facing a tough truth about his lifestyle. While working at a tech company, what started with casual drinks after work developed into a self-destructive spiral.

“It was a great social lubricant,” Scott said. “It wasn’t a problem until it was. I always showed up to work, I didn’t drink on the job, I didn’t get into a fistfight. There were all these things that made me actually believe that it isn’t as bad as it actually is.”

He started experiencing blackouts.

Still, he continued to tell himself that he was fine, and that he was able to maintain. Then a roommate showed him a video of himself that changed his life.

“I’d gone down to the bar, had about five or six cocktails, cashed out, came home, fell asleep on the couch,” he said. “I remember being really proud of myself [for not drinking that much].”

Later, he found out he’d woken up, blacked out.

“My roommate caught video of me screaming my head off, about what I have no idea, because I had a great week. … Then I take a right turn and try to launch myself out of a 40-story window like an Avenger. No memory of it. … Luckily the windows are hurricane proof.”

Seeing that video woke Scott up to the stark realization that he needed to change his habits. He adopted a lifestyle that an increasingly large number of people are calling “California sober” – utilizing Cannabis and microdoses of psilocybin to help reprogram his mind, leaving alcohol behind.

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CANNABIS & MEDITATION

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Clear TheChaos

“It’s about achieving stillness.

We all want it, we all need it.”

In a University of Chicago study in May of 2022, scientists tested brain function while under the influence of Cannabis and it showed that there was increased activity of alpha and theta waves after consuming THC. So, when you’re meditating on Cannabis, you’re activating both of those brain waves simultaneously, heightening the experience.

“There was a point where I didn’t feel like I was achieving the deep meditative state I wanted to get to,” says Wasankari. “After practicing for a while, I found that it was improving my mental and physical health. At the same time, I had been learning about high level meditation, but still, that deeper experience seemed to be In a world of constant movement, Cannabis and meditation can help cut through the noise. eluding me. Then I tried combining the two and otion. Can you hear it? It’s evexperienced something remarkable.”

According to Nina Wasankari – a Certified erywhere. Everything we know She certainly wasn’t the first person to attempt Meditation Teacher, in addition to being Marketing is in constant movement … and this wonderful feat, but like with anything to do Director at Canna West Seattle retail shop – the movement creates noise. This is with Cannabis, the effects may vary depending on best way of getting to that place where you can part of modern living, and without it, you the person. clear the chaos starts with improving your ethos. become suspicious.

“It allowed me to achieve stillness,” she gleams, And that begins with finding a way to create If you ask just about anyone, their Shangri La is eager to further validate this discovery. “There’s balance in your hectic life: balance within yourself somewhere quiet, devoid of distraction – a place this yoga/meditation called Kaya Sthairyam, which and the over stimulation, tapping into a personal where they can escape the rigors of life’s constant means body stillness. It’s being able to remain still sense of calm. activity. At home, even if you turn off the television, for at least 30 minutes without moving the body.

“It’s about achieving stillness,” she says, “we all draw the curtains and attempt to remove anything Well, Cannabis helped me achieve want it, and we all need it.”

CALMING STRAINS in your immediate vicinity that makes a sound, the just that. After I ate an edible, I ended For many it is so difficult to shut out Blackberry Kush HVAC unit will unexpectedly break the moment. up in a very deep spiritual meditation the racing thoughts. So how can CanBlueberry Trainwreck As you stay on point with the daily patterns for over an hour. I totally lost track of nabis be a factor in finding your own Blue Dream | LA Kush that equate to your survival and growth, the basic time. Since then, I’ve incorporated it little sliver of nirvana?

Wedding Cake human need for serenity, on some level – a place to into my practice.”

“The word meditation is a Latin Afghani Hash center your existence – gets lost in the shuffle.

So, what about the beginner who word that means ‘to ponder,’” says There is a solution. As much as your activities loves the idea of disappearing into Wasankari. “And the practice of MINDFUL APPS equate to a lifestyle that is filled with distractions the ether for a quick reboot, but has meditation goes back 6,000 years.

Headspace: Mindful Meditation demanding your attention, it’s not as much about difficulty even getting started? Begin The purpose was and still is, to alleInsight Timer: Meditation App relocating to somewhere you can hide from it all. by sitting still for at least five minutes a viate suffering and to attain spiritual Balance: Meditation and Sleep It’s about a change in mindset. It’s about identifyday. As you get more comfortable with enlightenment. Cannabis has been Calm ing your sanctuary, a place where you can recalithe routine, you will gradually move around for 12,000 years for medicinal brate and begin again with a fresh outlook. forward to higher meditation levels. In fact, there and spiritual purposes. The two combined can be Because when it’s finally “me” time, you want are wonderful, guided meditations online that will a very effective combination.” to maximize the reward you’ve earned that direct you through the process, helping you to Coincidentally, when you’re meditating, alpha equates to healing and improving your overall become the peaceful, calm, enlightened person the and theta brain waves are increased. The alpha mental health. It’s not necessarily about entirely world wants to see. And if you need some help getwaves put you in a mentally and physically relaxed changing your vibration – it’s about tapping into a ting in the mood, you should begin “to ponder” the state. Theta waves bring about inner concentradifferent frequency. perfect strain to usher you into the right headspace. tion, awareness and focus, like daydreaming.

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jan. 2023

L I S T E N T O L E A F L I F E P O D C A ST # 156 M E D I TAT I O N A N D C A N N A B I S

STORY b y MIKE RICKER @RICKERDJ/LEAF NATION Photo by Nina Wasankari @guiltyartmusic @cannawestlifestyle

cannthropology

PRESENTS

Over the past century, science has made enormous strides in identifying and understanding the hundreds of chemical compounds in the Cannabis plant and how they affect our physiology. And no man has done more to advance that noble cause than the internationally recognized “Father of Cannabis Research,” Israeli chemist Dr. Raphael Mechoulam.

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C ANNABINOID S

EARLY CANNABIS RESEARCH During the birth of modern medicine in the 19th century, scientific study of the chemical composition of Cannabis began to take off.

In the 1840s, researchers like French pharmacist (and Club de Hashischin affiliate) Edmond DeCourtive began making Cannabis extracts using ethanol – a concentrate he dubbed cannabin. From these kinds of extracts, chemists began identifying the molecules that would later come to be known as cannabinoids. In 1895, researchers Thomas Wood, W.T. Spivey, and Thomas Easterfield discovered and isolated the first cannabinoid, cannabinol (CBN) – publishing a paper about it in the Journal of Chemical Society in 1899 The scientists who first discovered (though its chemical structure wasn’t fully and studied cannabinoids. identified until the 1930s, by British chemist Robert S. Cahn).

Unfortunately, the enactment of America’s Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 stymied Cannabis research for decades, with one notable exception: A Harvard-trained chemist named Roger Adams, who, in 1939, was actually tasked by the newly-formed Bureau of Narcotics with exploring the plant’s composition. In 1940, using the wild Minnesota hemp supplied by the Bureau, he became the first person to identify, isolate and synthesize cannabidiol, or CBD. Adams – who published 27 studies on Cannabis in the American Journal of Chemistry throughout the 1940s – also synthesized CBN and even identified tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), though he lacked the technology or technique to isolate it. It would be 20 years before another scientist would grab Adams’ academic baton and run with it: That scientist was Dr. Raphael Mechoulam.

Jan. 2023

FROM REFUGEE TO RESEARCHER Raphael Mechoulam was born in 1930 in Sofia, Bulgaria, where his physician father was the head of the Jewish hospital. At the start of World War II, his family was forced to flee and move from village to village to escape the Nazis (his father later spent time in a concentration camp but survived) until emigrating to Israel in 1949. A student of organic chemistry, Mechoulam got his first experience with scientific research while studying insecticides during his stint in the Israeli Defense Forces.

After his service, Mechoulam earned a Master of Science in biochemistry from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1952), followed by a Ph.D. from the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot (near Tel Aviv), and postdoctoral studies at the Rockefeller Institute in New York before returning to Israel to begin what would become his life’s work: the exploration of Cannabis chemistry.

CANNABIS CURIOSITY Why Cannabis? According to Mechoulam, it was simply the lack of existing information on the topic that drew him to it. As he explained in a 2016 interview with Vice: “I realized the scarce chemical knowledge about the compounds in Cannabis.

I found it very surprising: While morphine had been isolated from opium and cocaine from the coca leaf, no one had studied the chemistry of the marijuana plant. It was very odd.”

Due to prohibition, academics couldn’t get research grants involving Cannabis

Mechoulam hopped on a bus to a police station ... where he was given five kilos of Moroccan hashish. He thanked the officers, put the hash in his bag, and got back on the bus.

CBD, THC & THE NIH After procuring the hash, the next step was to secure some funding. Mechoulam applied for a research grant from the NationTHE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM & THE ENTOURAGE EFFECT al Institutes of Health Dr. Mechoulam & colleague Dr. Gaoni examining some data. in America but was In the following decades, Mechoulam and his rejected out of hand. team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem con“They told me, ‘It’s not relevant. Nobody smokes maritinued to make groundbreaking discoveries about juana in the U.S. – people do it in Mexico,’” he recalls.

Cannabis – identifying and synthesizing over 100 Nevertheless, Mechoulam and his colleagues (Dr. Yehiel compounds, including cannabinoids like cannabGaoni and Dr. Haviv Edery) began their in-depth study of igerol (CBG) and cannabichromene (CBC), as the hash’s various compounds and cannabinoids (a term well as Delta 8 and 10 THC. which Mechoulam coined). First, in 1963, they isolatIn the early 1980s, they conducted the first ed CBD and mapped its molecular structure. Then, the experiments with CBD oil for epilepsy. In the midfollowing year, using a nuclear ‘80s, their research magnetic resonance spectromled to the discovery eter, they were able for the first of two cannabinoid time to isolate and map the receptors in the hustructure of delta-9-tetrahyman body (dubbed drocannabinol, better known CB1 and CB2) by as THC – which, as their neuroscientist Dr. Alexperimentation on monkeys lyn Howlett … which, soon revealed, was the only in turn, led to their compound that produced a discovery of the first psychoactive effect. endocannabinoid Illustration of Mechoulam observing the various To be sure, though, they’d (a cannabinoid-like reactions of his guests after eating THC-laced cake. need to test it on humans. So chemical produced Mechoulam took a bunch of internally by the pure THC powder home and invited a group of friends over human body) in December 1992, which they for cake – dosing some of the slices with 10mg of THC. named anandamide (aka the “bliss molecule”).

While the effects on each individual differed, there was little These discoveries eventually led to the doubt that they’d identified the correct compound. game-changing realization that those receptors

comprised a complex, pervasive, and previously unknown network within human anatomy that Mechoulam’s team aplty named the endocannabinoid system, which is believed to be responsible for maintaining homeostasis (regulating the stability of all of the body’s other systems).

“The endocannabinoid system is very important,” Mechoulam told Vice. “Almost all illnesses we have are linked to it in some way or another.

And that is very strange. We don’t have many systems which get involved with every illness.”

Mechoulam was also the first to propose the concept of the “entourage effect” in 1998 – the hypothesis that the combination of various cannabinoids and terpenes act synergistically to provide benefits they wouldn’t necessarily offer alone.

FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE Thanks to Mechoulam’s work, Israel has become the global leader in medical Cannabis research.

In the early 1990s, their Ministry of Health began offering medical marijuana to patients suffering from certain debilitating ailments. And in 2004, they launched an experimental program to study the effectiveness of Cannabis on veterans suffering from PTSD. Dr. Mechoulam has now published nearly 400 scientific articles and has been awarded several honorary degrees. He’s a founding member of the International Cannabinoid Research Society and the International Association Speaking at a medical Cannabis conference in Israel in 2018. for Cannabinoid Medicines. He’s been nominated for over 25 academic awards, several of which he won – including two lifetime achievement awards and the esteemed Harvey Prize – widely considered a precursor to the Nobel Prize, for which he’s rumored to be in consideration.

Still, the legacy that the now 92-year-old “father of Cannabis research” seems most concerned with is ensuring that Cannabis is fully accepted and integrated into traditional Western medicine.

“I have spent the better part of my life decoding the mysteries that lie within this incredible plant,” Mechoulam has said. “I believe that cannabinoids represent a medicinal treasure trove which waits to be discovered.”

VOLCANI CENTER

On April 1, 1964, they revealed their findings in a paper entitled “Isolation, Structure, and Partial Synthesis of an Active Constituent of Hashish,” published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. After that, the NIH was suddenly very interested in their “irrelevant” research – sending representatives to Israel to meet with them, observe their work, and take 10 grams of pure THC back to the U.S. with them (which fueled most of the organization’s early research).

For our podcast & more Cannabis history content visit worldofcannabis.museum/cannthropology.

STO RY b y B O B BY B LAC K @ CAN N T H RO PO LO G Y for LEA F NAT IO N

IMAGES COURTESY OF “THE SCIENTIST” (2016)

and even feared prosecution for studying it. Luckily, that didn’t deter Mechoulam – despite the fact that Cannabis was illegal in Israel, he came up with an idea on how to get some. In 1962, he asked the director at the Weizmann Institute – where he was working as a junior faculty member – if he knew of any police who could supply hashish for research. As it turned out, the head of investigations at the national police happened to be one of the director’s old army buddies … and after vouching for the young scientist, the officer agreed.

Mechoulam hopped on a bus to a police station in Tel Aviv, where he was given five kilos of Moroccan hashish that had been intercepted while being smuggled in from Lebanon. He thanked the officers, put the hash in his bag, and got back on the bus. Of course, his parcel made for an interesting bus ride home, as he amusedly recalls in the award-winning 2015 documentary about him – “The Scientist” – saying, “People on the bus after 15, 20 minutes started asking, ‘What the hell is this very unusual smell?’”

Soon after, Mechoulam and the police learned that any requests for illegal substances required a permit from the Ministry of Health and that their transaction could actually land them all in prison. Nevertheless, after apologies were made, the matter was forgiven and Mechoulam continued to obtain hashish from the police (with a permit) for decades thereafter.

stoney baloney LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

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SINCE THE FIRST Caribbean pirate washed down his minnow stew with peppercorn spiced rum, the mouth mane has stood as a solid sign of masculinity. However, as hair trends wane and wax, the last 30 years or so have not been friendly to the man stache. Like, if you donned a thick one and a person caught a glimpse in their periphery, they might do a double-take, curiously considering if they’d just witnessed a caterpillar nesting under a stranger’s nose.

But the moustache is cool again.

Now, this is not to be confused with the molestache. A dude rocking a confident, purposefully maintained lip wig has nothing to hide. But when a dandruff filter protrudes over the orifice like a warning label to hide anything that’s pretty, you wonder if twisted thoughts may be at play.

This also does not include the Saddam Hussein. That’s the abundantly flourishing frown fur that seconds as a push broom.

A good example is the wiry-haired Baby Boomer whose peach fuzz began emerging in the 6th grade, eventually blossoming into a thick black pipe cleaner that is as much a part of his appearance as the brown teeth.

We’re talking about guys who draw attention with intention, celebrating the bro-grow as a statement. Be it in defiance to conformity or absolute ownership of his gender identification, he boldly brandishes his face flag as a male human recognizing gallantry as a virtue. It is proudly presented as part of his personal brand.

It’s different this time. Call it a comeback.

The stigma is ending, and we are entering a new era of acceptance.

Kinda like Cannabis.

JAN. 2023

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