May 2021 - CA Leaf

THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE

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THE ACTION ISSUE

MAY 2021

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Huckleberry Hill Farms Founder Johnny Casali went from serving out a sentence in federal prison to owning a legal Cannabis business and thriving in the hills of Humboldt.

BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH TALITHA BLIZZEARD

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STONER OWNER ELIZA MARONEY

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COMPANY PROFILE KINDPEOPLES SANTA CRUZ

KINDPEOPLES

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LUCKY BOX CLUB

Lucky Box Club Co-founder

DANIEL KIM

KOLAS Blumenfeld

28 Dear Biden-Harris Leaf Nation Editor-inChief Wes Abney minces no words in an open letter to the Biden-Harris Administration, calling for those in The White House to follow their halcyon campaign promises and end the war on drugs, the policies of which many in their own administration created or enforced.

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MAY 2021

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EDITOR’S NOTE N AT I O N A L N E W S LOCAL NEWS BUDTENDER Q&A STONER OWNER PLANT PROFILES C O M PA N Y P R O F I L E THE ACTION ISSUE CHANGEMAKER ELLEN KOMP DEAR BIDEN-HARRIS HUCKLEBERRY HILL FARMS EQUITY IN CANNABIS INSIDE THE EMERALD CUP S U S TA I N A B L E C A N N A B I S CANNABIS PHILANTHROPY GLASS ART HIGHLIGHT EDIBLE OF THE MONTH CANNTHROPOLOGY STONEY BALONEY

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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.

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 / A L AS KA L E A F / M A RY L A N D L E A F / CA L I F O R N I A L E A F / N O RT H E AS T L E A F

A B O U T T H E C OV E R The globetrotting artist Joshua Boulet is renowned for his unique sketches and portrait work, which he has brought to more than two-dozen Leaf Nation covers over the last decade. Chock full of icons, moments and whimsy, Boulet’s delightful illustration for the cover of The Action Issue faithfully captures this powerful moment for our country. As the Cannabis industry reckons with change, and the future of legalization looks ever more promising, there has never been a greater need for our community to come together, rise up, and speak out!

ILLUSTRATION

by JOSHUA BOULET @JOSHUABOULET JOSHUABOULET.COM

PUBLISHER

CONTRIBUTORS

WES ABNEY | FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

BOBBY BLACK, FEATURES JOSHUA BOULET, ILLUSTRATION TOM BOWERS, FEATURES JEFF DIMARCO, PHOTOS EARLY, PRODUCTION MAX EARLY, FEATURES STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL NEWS ALEXA JESSE, REVIEWS DANIEL KIM, PHOTOS BEN NEFF, PHOTOS BAXSEN PAINE, FEATURES JEFF PORTERFIELD, DESIGN MIKE RICKER, FEATURES MEGHAN RIDLEY, EDITING MIKE ROSATI, PHOTOS ZACK RUSKIN, FEATURES JAMIE VICTOR, ILLUSTRATION NATE WILLIAMS, FEATURES FLETCHER WOLD, PHOTOS

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ABNEY

Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up The Action Issue of the Leaf !

EVERY PUFF IS A PROTEST, and we’re so full of smoke that we had to blow this Action Issue towards our beautiful Cannabis community.

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Pot might be legal where we live, and it sure feels good to express that freedom, but we have not yet reached the promised land of Cannabis freedom around the world. Our cover highlights a fictional protest for this very reason – with amazing detail including hiding myself and a few Leaf team members by artist extraordinaire Joshua Boulet – but the message goes beyond a fun piece of art. We still have many items to take action on, starting with our community coming together and OUR PEOPLE returning to the roots that drove Cannabis from the underground HAVE SPOKEN, to the mainstream.

AND WE DON’T BELIEVE THAT ANYONE DESERVES TO BE LOCKED IN A CAGE FOR A PLANT.

When I began publishing Northwest Leaf in 2010, the Cannabis community was small, full of passion, and its members at risk of getting arrested on nearly a daily basis. It was activism that drove legalization from idea to reality, from the early pioneers in the ‘60s and ‘70s, to the MMJ pioneers I grew the Leaf with. It was the caucus of voices that led to Hempfest’s spirit of protestival, the enduring Boston Freedom Rally, and the cries of the masses who called for the end of prohibition for the plant we know and love.

We stand on both a rich and sad history, as the true cost of our freedom was others losing theirs as victims in a battle on our own soil. As I state in my open letter to the Biden-Harris Administration printed in this issue, the war on drugs is quickly becoming a war on the American way of life.

Our people have spoken, and we don’t believe that anyone deserves to be locked in a cage for a plant. Or any other drug. So we must keep raising our voices, acting as activists, and bringing the spirit of protest to every pulpit until this unjust war is ended – and we are all free to share our plant and voices as one.

I hope that the stories within this issue inspire you to take action and give you pause when you take your next legal toke of Cannabis. And as you exhale, thank those that fought for us to enjoy that right – letting your spirit be filled with a desire to take action until everyone shares that same freedom.

-Wes Abney

Have a strain, product, or news tip that the California Leaf staff needs to know about? Contact us at tom@LeafMagazines.com!

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We are creators of targeted, independent Cannabis journalism. Please email us to discuss advertising in the next issue of California 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 nate@leafmagazines.com for more info on supporting California Leaf!

WES

national news

politics

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TRENDS

LEGAL CANNABIS ARRIVES EARLY FOR VIRGINIANS

NEW BILL WOULD ALLOW VA TO PRESCRIBE MMJ TO VETS

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U.S.

Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) on April 17 reintroduced legislation to allow doctors at the Department of Veterans Affairs to prescribe medical Cannabis to veterans in the 36 states that have established medical marijuana programs, reports Maui Now. “In 36 states, doctors and their patients have the option to use medical marijuana to manage pain – unless those doctors work for the VA and their patients are veterans,” Sen. Schatz said. “This bill protects veteran patients in these states and gives their VA doctors the option to prescribe medical marijuana to veterans, and it also promises to shed light on how medical marijuana can “...IT PROMISES TO help with the nation’s opioid SHED LIGHT ON HOW MEDICAL MARIJUANA epidemic.”

CAN HELP WITH THE In addition to creating a temporary, five-year safe harbor NATION’S OPIOID EPIDEMIC.” protection for veterans who use medical Cannabis, the bill would also direct the VA to research how medical marijuana could help veterans better manage chronic pain and reduce opioid abuse.

west coast

UAE DETAINS LAS VEGAS MAN OVER CANNABIS

A leafmagazines.com

legalization

Las Vegas man who consumed Cannabis before he visited the United Arab Emirates has been detained for almost two months, his lawyer and officials confirmed to KLAS. Peter Clark, 51, flew to Dubai in late February for a business trip, according to his lawyer. After Clark became ill with pancreatitis and was hospitalized, a test found traces of marijuana in his system. Clark was detained and jailed.

While recreational marijuana use is legal in Nevada, it’s definitely not in the UAE. Clark now faces a prison sentence of several years according to his attorney, Radha Stirling.

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years have now passed since Pennsylvania legalized the medical use of Cannabis.

MAY 2021

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percent of the U.S. population now lives in states where recreational adult-use Cannabis is legal.

AMERICANS OVERWHELMINGLY SAY CANNABIS SHOULD BE LEGAL FOR RECREATIONAL OR MEDICAL USE

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ow, it’s down to the few. Fewer than one out of 10 U.S. adults (8 percent) are still saying that Cannabis should not be legal for any purpose, according to the latest survey from Pew Research.

An overwhelming share of American adults say either that marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use (60 percent) or legal for medicinal use only (31 percent).

53 PERCENT OF ADULTS A separate AGES 65 TO 74 SAY question, asking CANNABIS SHOULD whether Cannabis BE LEGAL FOR BOTH RECREATIONAL AND use should be made MEDICAL USE. legal, has shown a “steep, long-term rise in support for legalization,” according to Pew Research.

Older adults are far less likely than young people to favor Cannabis legalization for recreational use, according to the survey.

This is particularly true of adults ages 75 and older, with just 32 percent saying marijuana should be legal for recreational/ medical use.

By way of contrast, 53 percent of adults in the next-oldest age group, those ages 65 to 74, say Cannabis should be legal for both recreational and medical use.

Among younger adults, there is even wider support for legalization for medical and recreational uses, including 70 percent of adults under age 30.

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pounds of Cannabis were seized by Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers in April near the Rio Grande River.

irginia lawmakers voted in April to move up the legalization date of recreational Cannabis in the state to July 1, 2021, reports ABC 3 News.

Both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly had in February passed legislation legalizing marijuana for adult recreational use.

The legalization date had initially been set for January 1, 2024, but Gov. Ralph Northam added amendments to existing bills to fast-track the legalization. Northam, when proposing the accelerated timeline, THE LEGALIZATION said many Virginians DATE HAD INITIALLY BEEN SET FOR would be on board with JANUARY 1, 2024. speeding up the process.

“While not everybody is in favor of moving this forward, the great majority of Virginians are and that’s what this is about,” Northam said.

“When you’re in public service, you listen to Virginians and then move their thoughts and initiatives forward.”

GOP: WISCONSIN WON’T LEGALIZE MEDICAL CANNABIS

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he Wisconsin Legislature won’t be legalizing either medical or recreational marijuana during this legislative session, the Republican leader of the State Senate said.

Although Gov. Tony Evers and Democrats have for years urged legalization of both medical and recreational Cannabis, they’ve not had any luck in convincing the GOP-controlled Wisconsin Legislature.

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Ooostburg) ruled out even the possibility of recreational or medical marijuana becoming law any time during the next year.

“First of all, we don’t have support from the caucus, and that’s pretty clear,” LeMahieu said.

“We don’t have 17 votes in the caucus for medicinal purposes or recreational purposes.”

LeMaheiu claimed Republican senators have “societal concerns” about Cannabis legalization. He also claimed states shouldn’t legalize medical marijuana before the federal government does.

19.9k $342m black market Cannabis plants were seized by the Riverside County, California Sheriff’s Department in April.

dollars is the estimated size New Mexico’s recreational Cannabis market will be one year after legalization.

$1.2b

Canadian dollars (about $950 million American) were lost

by Canopy Growth during the first nine months of its current operating year.

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

Your all-in-one spot Find cannabis savings at local retailers

Visit weedmaps.com or download the app

local news

CALIFORNIA

Billboard Battle Heats Up WON’T SOMEBODY think of the children?

That’s the argument being made in the California legislature in support of banning Cannabis billboards across the state. On the

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one hand, the companies buying these billboards argue that the industry is already being shut out of most traditional forms of marketing (television, social media). Conversely, there are folks like the San Luis Obispo resident who raised a legal challenge and last year successfully got a Superior Court judge to rule that the Cannabis THIS MORE LENIENT advertisement in question did not conform to the language of Prop OPTION WOULD 64. As the law currently stands, Cannabis billboards are not permitted PROHIBIT CANNABIS on any highways that cross the state border. Assemblymember Jacqui ADVERTISING WITHIN Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) feels that’s not sufficient, which is why she’s 15 MILES OF A HIGHWAY BORDER. authored AB-273, which would ban any Cannabis-related billboard that can be seen from a highway. Irwin’s bill will have competition in the form of AB-1302 – authored by Assemblymember Bill Quirk (D-Hayward), this more lenient option would prohibit Cannabis advertising within 15 miles of a highway border that exits the state, but would permit billboards in other areas. With so few other mainstream options for advertising currently available, the fate of this billboard battle could have outsized implications for the marketing plans of numerous California Cannabis companies.

Seth Rogen’s Houseplant Hits California

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THE LIST of celebrities more readily associated with Cannabis than Seth Rogen is a short one indeed. Check the likes of Cheech and Chong, Snoop

Dogg and Willie Nelson off the list, and Rogen is quite possibly the next name you’d arrive at. And since all of the aforementioned stoner celebrities have their own lines of Cannabis flower and products for sale, it was all but inevitable that Rogen would eventually join their ranks. That day has now arrived in the form of Houseplant. Formerly available only in Canada, the recent California debut of Houseplant garnered so much interest that it literally crashed their website.

Though Houseplant – a MUCH LIKE ROGEN’S company Rogen runs with his UBIQUITOUS LAUGH, longtime screenwriting partner, IT’S HARD TO IGNORE Evan Goldberg – also offers THE INCREDIBLE INTEREST AND DEMAND non-THC goods like ceramic THAT HOUSEPLANT HAS ashtrays and a block table GENERATED THUS FAR. lighter, only those in Los Angeles were able to purchase limited quantities of the brand’s inaugural trio of strains: Diablo Wind, Pancake Ice and Pink Moon. As of now, there are also plans to expand Houseplant’s availability into other California markets. Much like Rogen’s ubiquitous laugh, it’s hard to ignore the incredible interest and demand that Houseplant has generated thus far. Are on-demand strain sales – which Houseplant has thus far opted to use by releasing a handful of products every few weeks – the wave of the future, or simply the cost of admission when it comes to scoring Seth Rogen-approved weed?

We shall soon find out. Learn more at houseplant.com

MAY 2021

New State AG Bonta Hailed As Longtime Cannabis Ally RARELY HAS a politician’s appointment been met with the overwhelming glee that has arrived in the wake of Assemblyman Rob Bonta’s promotion to California Attorney General. Filling the vacancy left behind by Xavier Becerra (who was recently tapped by President Joe Biden to run the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), Bonta represents a massive victory for Cannabis reform advocates.

That’s because, unlike his predecessor, Bonta will bring a wealth of knowledge on the subject with him to the position. From serving as a principal author of California’s 2015 statewide medical marijuana regulatory system, to championing bills in favor of everything from lowered state Cannabis taxes to ending cash bail, Bonta’s progressive CA Attorney General Rob Bonta past when it comes to Cannabis policy is music to the ears of those who found Becerra’s approach, at best, ambivalent – and at worst, antagonistic. Also, of note: the potentially historic distinction of Bonta becoming the first Filipino American to hold the role.

STORIES by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN & TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/CALIFORNIA LEAF

Quick Hit: Berner gets Couch Locked HE HAS a certified gold record and a billion dollar Cannabis lifestyle brand. Now Berner’s expanding into the media space with Couch Locked Network, an “aspirational digital media network” featuring original content, comedy shows and news from a positive angle.

The network launched on 4/20 with the inaugural broadcast of “Couch Locked,” a comedy talk show with debut guests Bob Saget, Jeff Ross and Lil Duval.

We had the chance to hop on a Zoom with Berner to get details on the network ahead of the launch.

What’s exciting you about the media game? Why did you choose to launch Couch Locked Network right now? If you look at the media right now, especially

networks, when you look at the news aspect of it, it’s so negative right now.

No one’s focusing on just, like, good vibe, good energy-type content. So we figured we’d kick it off with some live comedy events, and we’d kick it off with a couple of short films, scripted comedy, kind of like pranks, et cetera. Then I’ve got this idea of a good news network that just highlights the good things that are happening in the world right now. There’s a lot of cool stuff that happens in the world that people just don’t cover anymore. You don’t turn on the news and hear about someone helping someone up that fell, or people saving people, or the good things happening. It’s all bad. So it’s like, if we can start launching little pieces of what I envision for Couch Locked Network, maybe we put it in the universe, and someone says, ‘Hey, we should compile all these things and put it on one platform,’ that’s kind of our goal. We did Marijuana Mania a while back, that’s our docuseries on the ending of prohibition. That’s getting some traction right now. We’re about to bring that back. There’s a lot of aspects to it and I just thought, man, I might as well try to drop all of it, and have someone who’s bigger and smarter than me compile all of it, and then we have Couch Locked Network. That’s the goal.

How does CLN fit into the overall Berner empire that you’re building? I think it

just complements it. If you look at my little world, everything was a challenge to me. The music business, independent, I was able to break through and stay relevant. Cookies, kind of like the underdog in the beginning, we’ve been able to spread our wings around the globe, and not just the nation. … Now I want to challenge myself with the media side of things, and that’s actually my passion-play. If you watch any of my old interviews, I’ve always wanted to get into the movie game, and work on scripted comedies, and just bring out that good shit. It’s something new to keep me fired up on what we do. The weed game can get really draining sometimes. There’s a lot of politics, and a lot of drama, and this is my way to say, ‘Cool, when I clock out of weed work, then I’ll work on this.’” @couchlockednetwork | @cookiesenterprises

Sunset Connect + Urban Playaz Heats Up BAY AREA Equity manufacturer and distributor Sunset Connect recently hooked up with San Francisco’s United Playaz in an effort to raise

funds and awareness for the fight against violence in the community. Partial proceeds from sales of all of the products in the collaboration – conceived with the tagline, “Healers need healing, too” – go toward violence prevention programs led by United Playaz.

“These guys have been doing all kinds of work in the streets, in terms of fighting violence,” said Bianca Starr, who handles marketing for Sunset Connect. ”They do a gun buyback, they do a lot of things … They’re just here to support community in Brown and Black spaces.” Keep an eye out for the UP/Sunset premium flower eighths and blunts at Bay Area retailers. unitedplayaz.org | @united_playaz | sunsetconnect.co | @sunsetconnect

interview

W H O ’ S Y O U R FAV O R I T E B U D T E N D E R ? T E L L U S W H Y ! E M A I L N O M I N A T I O N S T O T O M @ L E A F M A G A Z I N E S . C O M

AS THE OWNER OF A MOBILE BARTENDING COMPANY, TALITHA’S BUSINESS TOOK A HIT WHEN THE PANDEMIC STRUCK. Shortly thereafter she responded

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TALITHA BLIZZEARD CALIFORNIA LEAF

Budtender of the Month

Even behind the mask I could feel her smile glowing back at me.

Talitha Blizzeard, known as Mama T by her colleagues, never expected that she would be educating individuals on the benefits of Cannabis – but now she’s diving headfirst into the industry and loving every minute of it.

to a radio ad calling for what she thought was bartenders, but a few days later, discovered the term “budtender” for the first time. Being a mom who had never smoked Cannabis in her life, Talitha believed it to be a harmful substance and adhered to the typical stigmas that came with the plant. However, she showed up for her interview – feeling that divine intervention may have led her to the Kolas dispensary floor – and excitedly embarked on a new journey.

As a Sacramento native and woman of color, Mama T grew up targeted for this plant that is now playing such an incremental role in her life. With tears in her eyes, she confided that this job has changed who THE CANNABIS she is and has expanded her INDUSTRY IS perceptions. She is humbled NOT WHAT SHE by the opportunity to do this EXPECTED – IT IS work. The Cannabis industry is SO MUCH MORE. not what she expected – it is so much more.

“I love this new knowledge,” Blizzeard said. “I would have never learned about the benefits of this plant if it weren’t for the incredible classes and trainings at Kolas University. I had no idea, I only knew about the negativity. I now know everything it is not.”

As a mother, educator and hospitality professional, Talitha loves engaging with customers and is overwhelmed with compassion and empathy for the patients she interacts with on a daily basis. She truly feels like she is changing lives – not only physically – but also impacting perceptions, as she can relate to older customers that her younger teammates cannot.

As an incredible role model for her colleagues, she is not only altering Cannabis stigmas in patients, but raising awareness about specific patients’ needs.

She’s proud that her services and team are able to create a sense of normalcy for customers during these challenging pandemic times.

Early on, Mama T knew that she had to try Cannabis for herself to be better able to help her customers. She began experimenting with various products, infusing her passion for bartending by perfecting her own Cannabis cocktails. She was scared to tell her children at first about her new career, as she had chastised them for pot throughout their young adult lives. Now, they can’t believe she is an advocate – with future dreams of building her own line of Cannabis cocktails and entering the Cannabis event space. She even introduced Cannabis to her mother who is battling breast cancer and saw real, positive impacts.

At the end of the day, Mama T is on a mission to continue growing and expanding her belief systems.

She understands how her own stigmas were drastically changed through exposure and education, and is motivated to help others to evolve as well. “Some people really want and need to change in order to receive the medicine this plant has to offer,” she said.

“Some people get it, but some won’t – and I realize I need to let those people go.”

KO L A S B L U M E N F E L D 1220 BLUMENFELD DR., SACRAMENTO, CA | (916) 564-1100 | 7AM-9PM DAILY | KOLAS.COM

MAY 2021

INTERVIEW by ALEXA JESSE @ALEXAJESSE/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTO by DANIEL KIM @DKIMREPORTS

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stoner owner

TELL US ABOUT LUCKY BOX CLUB!

Transitioning from cultivation to curation meant we needed to learn what was out there. We wanted to become an authority, a voice for craft Cannabis companies that we believed in. We smoke what we love.

Is it clean? Is it effective? Where does it come from, what’s the brand story, what is the magic behind it, why do we want to support them? We set out to find unique products that are hard to come by. We focus on supporting women, minorities and other marginalized communities. They have such hurdles to overcome when it comes to getting shelf space.

The core values of LBC are teamwork, flexibility, integrity and magic. We are constantly reminding our team that we are here to serve. We realize we are changing our customers’ states of consciousness. We like to say we’re changing the state of the world with every gram! We serve magic.

There’s magic in the box.

“Our core values are teamwork, flexibility, integrity and magic.

We are constantly reminding our team that we are here to serve.”

LUCKY BOX CLUB CATERS TO A MATURE AUDIENCE OF ADULTS AGED 35 AND OLDER. TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR CUSTOMERS! The

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ELIZA MARONEY leafmagazines.com

LUCKY BOX CLUB

@LUCKYBOXCLUB_ LUCKYBOXCLUB.COM

In the Prop 215 days, Eliza and Lucaso Maroney operated a farm that served the medical market – but when Prop 64 passed – they knew they needed to adapt to the new wave. Inspired by makeup subscription boxes and their own personal stash box, Lucky Box Club was born in 2015 with the desire to bring curated, craft Cannabis to communities in need of affordable medicine.

THE MAGIC IS IN THE BOX |

A Stoner Owner is a Cannabis business owner who has a relationship with the plant. We want to buy and smoke Cannabis from companies that care about their products, employees and the plant. You wouldn’t buy food from a restaurant where the cooks don’t eat in the kitchen, so why buy corporate weed grown by a company only concerned with profits? Stoner Owner approval means a company cares, and we love weed grown with care. Let’s retake our culture and reshape a stigma by honoring those who grow, process and sell the best Cannabis possible.

mAY 2021

number one question we ask our customers is: How do you want to feel? We understand everyone is different, yet also so similar! Most people want to feel good, relaxed and more present. We’ve treated cancer patients and mourned with the families of loved ones that didn’t make it. We’re able to hold space for them. We are honored to experience and aid in their healing journey.”

WHY IS COMMUNITY SO IMPORTANT?

Community is important to me because LBC would not exist if it weren’t for the support from our community. We are a self-funded startup – we had zero money for marketing/staff at the beginning. People believed in us enough to volunteer and spread the word. We’re still standing, which says a lot. My circle is an intentional fortress that I’ve built around me. We all show up for each other. Unfortunately the Cannabis industry is very dog eat dog, but this industry started as a movement. We need more collaboration instead of competition. I’ve been witnessing the industry crumble. People want to shut out or outshine each other, but one of our personal mantras is, ‘I can’t be less so you can be more.’ Together, if we’re both shining, we can be twice as bright.

WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE INDUSTRY?

We are going to see many new consumers begin to trust us to give them the support and healing that they need. Cannabis is on the precipice of acceptance. It’s our job to make sure we’re giving them all we’ve got.

INTERVIEW by ALEXA JESSE @ALEXAJESSE/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTO by LUCKY BOX CLUB

plant profiles

WAMM PHYTOTHERAPIES

VALERIE CORRAL

What’s the difference between WAMM and WAMM Phytotherapies? WAMM was started back in 1992, but recently we’ve reemerged as WAMM Phytotherapies. Our roots are in compassion, which has always been the case, but it’s a new business. We hope to embody the consciousness of a B Corp through transparency and by bringing awareness and focus to the health of the organization, as well as the people we serve and the planet we live on and share. While we’re not exactly a B Corp, we are a benefit corporation and we hope to become a B Corp. First, you have to be certified – but we’ll get there. Initially, WAMM was a nonprofit. We were recognized by the state the day after Proposition 215 passed in 1996, but then the Feds forbade that from happening, and they wouldn’t really let the state do it either. We were appreciated by many, but you have to change. You can’t stay static because the world is not static. What was revolutionary 30 years ago is now pretty mundane and mainstream.

Even still, the origins of WAMM is pretty revolutionary stuff. What really moved everything forward was people power. That was the grassroots movement that Dennis Peron was largely at the forefront of, and that was really WAMM’s story as well. A lot of gay men were at the core of our group and it was a revolutionary group, but WAMM has changed because you can’t really be revolutionary anymore because it’s not revolutionary to be positive about Cannabis now. Cannabis is mainstream. Unfortunately, as a result, the teachers – the guides of plant medicines – are being marginalized as science moves in to define these practices, compounds and profiles with a rigid specificity. I believe science should not be so dismissive of the deeper knowledge that plants can infer by their very nature. Not everybody will understand it, which is why I think we need guides – both scientific and shamanic teachers.

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In August, WAMM Phytotherapies lost a facility in the CZ Lightning Complex fire. Have you been able to recover from that? It did not go well for one of the crops that we had. We didn’t think it would be problematic but, indeed, it was with the ash and not being able to access plants to water them. That was problematic for some of the outdoor landrace strains, but there’s always next year. We’ll just have to hope that the rain brings some relief.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the story of medical marijuana could not be written without mention of Santa Cruz’s WAMM Phytotherapies. In its first incarnation, the Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM) was a pioneering nonprofit established in 1992 by Valerie Corral and her then-husband, Michael. From risking her freedom by taking on the DEA (in 2002, 150 WAMM plants were destroyed in a raid – an action the Corrals later successfully fought in court) to co-authoring California’s groundbreaking Prop 215, Corral knows the frontlines of the battle for Cannabis policy reform as well as anyone. Though she has already received the Emerald Cup’s Lifetime Achievement Award, her work nonetheless continues – most recently with the launch of the new WAMM Phytotherapies. Speaking by phone with California Leaf, Corral shared details on her new operation, reflected on the organization’s storied past, and shared where she hopes to take it next. @WAMM_PHYTOTHERAPIES WAMMPHYTOTHERAPIES.ORG

MAY 2021

What do you have going right now? We’re putting products out for people to buy at other dispensaries and we’re starting our own as well. We’re keeping it small because I don’t want to waste funds, especially during COVID, that could go toward direct services for patients. We’re going to do a delivery service that will begin in the next few months, but until then, look for our products from WAMM Phytotherapies. They’re beautiful and outdoor grown. We also have some other products like our Salvation [topical] and our Milagro oil. Another focus is opening a community center, which will be on the corner of Oceanview and Soquel Avenue.

“I believe science should not be so dismissive of the deeper knowledge that plants can infer by their very nature.”

Is Santa Cruz an important part of the WAMM story? Absolutely! The city and the county have just been amazing, at least for WAMM – and that’s because we’ve spent nearly 30 years building that trust. That trust has now transferred over into our new inception, though we’ve had to redefine ourselves because it’s a completely different entity.

INTERVIEW by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by MICHAEL ROSATI @ROSATIPHOTOS

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THE NEW AIROSPORT FEATURES: FOUR V I B R A N T C O LO R OPTIONS

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C O M PAT I B LE WITH AIROPOD C A R T R I D GE S

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company profile

SANTA CRUZ

20

At the dispensary level, KindPeoples aims to bring a professional, educational and enjoyable retail experience to customers.

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FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES

NOT ONLY ARE BOTH RETAIL LOCATIONS CERTIFIED GREEN BUSINESSES, BUT THE COMPANY PARTICIPATES IN, SPONSORS AND SPEARHEADS A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS GEARED TOWARD GIVING BACK. MAY 2021

Established in 2014 by CEO Khalil Moutawakkil, a lifelong Santa Cruz resident, KindPeoples immediately sought out to differentiate itself from other dispensaries in the market – through both its aesthetic as well as its willingness to be positive public actors within the community.

Up to that point, Moutawakkil had been operating in cultivation and distribution on the heels of earning a degree at UC Santa Cruz. A change was on the horizon in the industry, and in Moutawakkil’s life.

“Right around 26, when I had my first son, I decided, ‘You know what? It’s time to make this more legit, more transparent,’ and retail seemed the obvious choice,” he said.

He worked with the local government to try to navigate the new waters, trying to make inroads and inform policies where possible.

“How many people get to take an underground industry, work with local regulators, and make it a legit one? We went from a business of about four employees to a business of about 100 employees in a few years,” he said. “It was a pretty quick ramp up for my business partner, Graham Edwards, and myself.”

CEO Khalil Moutawakkil

STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by ADAM SANCHEZ & KENNETH WESTPHAL

KINDPEOPLES KINDPEOPLES SOQUEL AVENUE 3600 SOQUEL AVE SANTA CRUZ, CA (831) 471 - 8562 KINDPEOPLES OCEAN STREET 533 OCEAN ST. SANTA CRUZ, CA (831) 515 - 4114 KINDPEOPLES.COM @KINDPEOPLESSANTACRUZ OPEN DAILY 8 A.M. - 10 P.M.

Ocean Location

A MINDFUL APPROACH

CULTIVATING COMMUNITY

At the dispensary level, KindPeoples aims to bring a professional, educational and enjoyable retail experience to customers.

“We match products to people,” said Moutawakkil. “What’s good for you might not be good for me, and vice versa.”

It’s a mission that started taking root immediately after Moutawakkil founded the company, adding extra layers of inventory management and consumer education on the sales floor.

Now the company uses a six-person merchandising committee to help ensure they’re bringing in the best products possible, with a trend toward full-spectrum products and offerings that take advantage of advanced technology in order to deliver a more consistent, predictable experience to customers.

The shops themselves offer an exceptionally dialed, aesthetically pleasing experience – bolstered by friendly staff.

“We wanted to open up something that just felt like a normalized retail and community experience,” said Moutawakkil.

“And being from Santa Cruz myself, that was something that came very naturally. And being so passionate about the Cannabis plant, those two things came together beautifully and the community responded immediately – our business was booming.”

KindPeoples spends a significant amount of time, resources and people power to reduce the environmental impact of their business, as well as to give back to the Santa Cruz community. Not only are both retail locations certified green businesses, but the company participates in, sponsors and spearheads a number of programs geared toward giving back.

Staff happily participates in river cleanups, and the company’s One Less Car program encourages the use of alternative transportation by staff and customers by rewarding them walking, riding a bike or other non-motorized transport, carpooling or using public transportation to get to the shop.

They also champion causes within their community.

During the wildfires of 2020 the company initiated a fire relief program to help evacuees, and developed brand partnerships to allocate a portion of proceeds for sold goods to state and local organizations working to support first responders and individuals impacted by the fires. Add it all together, and it’s obvious that KindPeoples is more than just a clever name. It’s a mission.

Soquel Location

Team members helped clean up a local river

Giving back is their motto

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STRAIN OF THE MONTH LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

24

THE NEW HYBRID PACKS A WALLOP, GIVING OFF BRIGHT, TANGERINE-LADEN AROMATICS THAT MAKE YOUR NOSE FEEL LIKE IT’S TURNING ORANGE. may 2021

TIGER

Heading into the spring of 2020, extensive breeding efforts produced a cross that Chrystal Ortiz couldn’t wait to get in the ground.

CAL I F O R N I A

grown by

HIGH WATER FARM 28.02% THC / 2.57% CBGA / 0.15% THCV 34 . 69% T O TA L C A N N A B I N O I D S

QUEEN

REVIEW & PHOTO by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/CALIFORNIA LEAF

A second-generation Humboldt farmer, Ortiz owns and operates High Water Farm, a Sun + Earth Certified cultivator which practices the tradition of dry farming. (See more about Sun + Earth pg. 36.)

Eschewing methods commonly used by modern outdoor cultivators – above-ground pots, custom soils, trellis, irrigation systems – the High Water team puts faith in the symbiotic relationship between plant and earth, relying on the earth and weather patterns on their farm, simply planting in the soil and tending the ladies as they absorb and express the natural terroir of the land.

That brings us to this mouthwateringly terplicious strain that excited the High Water team, the result of breeding an SFV OG mother with Citrine, a cross of Banana OG x Sapphire Scout Holy Crack bred by Jesse Dodd (AKA Biovortex).

“That’s a mouthful, and it’s probably even worse than that,” Ortiz said. “I am sure I am supposed to put a few (triple back crosses) or something in there. But, it was bred by us using those two selections.”

The new hybrid packs a wallop, giving off bright, tangerine-laden aromatics that make your nose feel like it’s turning orange.

The new strain needed a name, and given the orangecitrus character and the cultural distraction that overtook so many of us at the beginning of the pandemic, Ortiz and her team landed on a fiercely cheeky name: Tiger Queen.

The lush green nugs offer juicy sungrown terpene aromatics that carry through to the flavor after combustion, making for a tasty, silky smooth smoke with zero throat burn.

The overall effect provides a thrilling lift. During the day, it’ll put a bright sheen on sunny outdoor activities, and as a late-night smoke, it’ll make you want to stay up and binge a few more episodes of your favorite guilty pleasure.

The small-harvest strain will only be available at Ortiz’s shop, Humboldt Herb and Market in Arcata, as well as Vapor Room in San Francisco and Cornerstone Wellness in Los Angeles – along with possibly another two dispensaries in Sacramento and Berkeley. @high_water_farm

THE ACTION ISSUE

26

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THROUGHOUT HISTORY, advocates for social and political action have repeatedly returned to the same wellspring of change: The Protest.

The French Revolution. The Suffragette Movement.

The Civil Rights Movement. Tiananmen Square.

The 1999 WTO Protests in Seattle. Arab Spring. The Occupy Movement. Last year, hundreds of thousands of people broke free from couch-locked quarantine to protest the killing of George Floyd by a public servant who should have knelt at Floyd’s feet rather than on his neck. People who’d never held a protest sign in their lives took to the streets. People who’d never given to charity before held fundraisers for equity causes. More voters turned out for the 2020 election than any other election in the history of the United States.

That’s why we chose a protest scene as our cover on Leaf Magazines’ first-ever Action Issue. It’s the classic visual representation of change motivated by

mAY 2021

ADOBE/PATRONESTAFF

HOW THE CANNABIS COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO FIGHT TO FIX THE SYSTEM.

unrest. The Cannabis community is no stranger to the protest, and is no stranger to action. Since the dawn of the plant’s prohibition and criminalization, advocates have taken to the streets to fight for legalization, for expungement – and for understanding.

And while the face of change is often an angry mob that’s reached its breaking point, we want to look past the protest line and spend this issue showcasing those warriors within the Cannabis community who wake up every day fighting to change the system. They do so in offices, in the fields, and in the halls where legislation is crafted.

In the following pages, you’ll find stories filled with hope and positive momentum. We connected with an Oregonian woman of color who fights for legislative change with one hand, while using the other to help equity applicants find funding to realize their dreams.

We got to know a small Cannabis company in Alaska that makes a huge positive impact in its surrounding

community. We spoke with a California farmer who served nearly a decade in a federal prison camp for cultivating Cannabis, only to go on to become one of the most respected sungrown producers in Humboldt’s legal market.

We sat down with the founder of the Emerald Cup, one of the most respected drivers of Cannabis culture on the West Coast. Lastly, because no social action would be possible without a healthy ecosystem to support us all, we connected with an organization that hopes to steer the Cannabis industry toward sustainability and ethical responsibility.

We hope you find inspiration in these stories, as we did while putting them together. Next time you feel that call to action – whether it be to pick up a sign and hit the streets, or pick up the phone and call your local lawmakers – may you succeed in making the positive change you want to see in the world.

STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/LEAF NATION

CHANGEMAKER ELLEN KOMP | DEPUTY DIRECTOR, CA NORML

Ellen Komp’s desk is always in chaos. That’s a good thing. If you need to know something about a Cannabis bill in the California legislature, just ask Ellen.

Odds are, if she didn’t play a direct role in crafting the bill, she’s carefully tracking it or already preparing an action alert to send to the membership of California NORML. Established in 1972, California NORML is a separate membership and financial base from the national organization, but one that keeps plenty busy as the only organization in the state devoted specifically to marijuana reform for consumers. And at the center of it all is CA NORML Deputy Director Ellen Komp, elected to the board of directors back in 1992.

27 “We don’t discriminate against someone using alcohol off-the-job, right? That was also the number one thing we She’s essentially positioned wanted to fix immediately after Prop 64 passed.

California NORML as a I got calls the next day, all day, from people who watchdog to ensure those were being drug tested by their employer and expecting an automatic wanted to know if it was OK for them to use expungement aren’t left Cannabis now. No, sadly they were not OK, even short of the finish line. if they had a medical reason. What’s so ironic is that states which later passed their own medical marijuana laws – even less-progressive states like Arkansas – put it right into their law because of >> C A N O R M L . O R G what happened with California.”

A third area of focus for Komp and California NORML is the expungement of criminal records.

“I mean, even Joe Biden – who wants to continue arresting people for marijuana – wants to expunge past convictions for marijuana,” she noted. “That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, but that’s where we are.”

While California ostensibly led the way when former San Francisco DA George Gascon announced he’d be initiating automatic record expungements in 2019, Komp counters that well-intentioned promises do not always translate to a clean final product.

For that reason, she’s essentially positioned California NORML as a watchdog to ensure those expecting an automatic expungement aren’t left short of the finish line.

“I think people are still going to have to take some action,” Komp reasoned, “at least to check that their case has been fully wiped out. There have been all of these announcements about wiping out these records, so people might think they’re good to go when there are actually still several more steps that need to happen before their records are completely fixed. That’s roll-up-your-sleeves kind of work.”

Whatever type of work may be needed, California NORML’s track record shows that they’re always ready to meet any challenge head on. Komp’s myriad of focuses also confirms that despite recent progress, there is still much, much left to be done.

Thankfully, with the likes of California NORML around, we can always count on action to be taken when it comes to protecting Cannabis patients and consumers.

STORY by ZACK RUSKIN @ZACKRUSKIN for LEAF NATION | PHOTO by NORML

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IN THOSE DAYS, Komp was all in on hemp, even serving as an editor on the ninth edition of Jack Herer’s legendary book on the subject, “The Emperor Wears No Clothes.” In short order, however, the advent of Prop 215 would set Komp on a career course she’s still navigating today. In the wake of voters approving Prop 64, her work now also centers on advocating for improvements to a system few, if any, would mistake for an ideal outcome.

For the most part, that translates to tracking and garnering support for Cannabis-related bills now making their way through the state’s legislature. Speaking with Leaf, Komp highlighted a few of the bills she’s closely following at the moment.

One is SB-311, which is also known as Ryan’s Law. “That would require hospitals and hospices to allow terminally ill patients to use Cannabis,” Komp explained. “It’s called Ryan’s Law after a man whose son, Ryan, was unable to use Cannabis at the end of his life. His father is pushing this bill. It passed last year, almost unanimously through the legislature, but was vetoed by Governor Newsom over concerns the hospital industry had that they might lose federal funding.”

Such outcomes are a frequent part of the process, where bills are often required to be filed again and again, tweak after tweak, before ultimately having a chance to evolve into law.

Sometimes, the issue isn’t the language of the bill, but the lawmaker sponsoring it. That’s what happened in the case of AB-1256: an employment rights bill Komp and California NORML are supporting. For the past several years, the bill was sponsored by Assemblyman Rob Bonta, but following Bonta’s recent promotion to California Attorney General, Assemblyman Bill Quirk has stepped in to carry AB-1256 forward.

A big goal with that bill is to ban discrimination based on testing for what’s known as inactive THC metabolites, which essentially translates to the leftover THC that sticks around in your system long after the effects have concluded. In California, if an employee tests positive for inactive THC metabolites – which is all a urine or hair test can detect – that is currently still a legally acceptable cause for termination.

For Komp, such a situation seems tantamount to madness.

“We’re trying to get employers away from the idea of discriminating against someone using on their own, off-the-job,” she said.

the ACTION issue

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION It is with the deepest respect that I share these thoughts, with great regard for the difficulties faced in leading our beloved country. Upon being elected, the global community exhaled in relief when you were elected to lead the United States, but your Administration continues to perpetuate the war on drugs, which has become a war on the American way of life.

It is time to acknowledge that the foundation of the war on drugs is racist, predatory, and not fitting with the American ideals we project around the globe. It is also evident that the laws and law enforcement regulating drugs are more dangerous than the drugs themselves.

Americans deserve their constitutional right to the pursuit of happiness, and this includes the right to consume Cannabis.

28

In the last six months we have seen New York and New Mexico legalize Cannabis by legislative action, and the voters of New Jersey, Arizona, South Dakota and Montana joined a total of 33 states whose voters all approve of an American’s right to use Cannabis.

Your response to overwhelmingly positive polling for legalization has been to fire White House staff members who admitted to using Cannabis. This is direct proof that your policies and beliefs do not reflect the will of the people.

What is mind-boggling is how can you have the vision to pull troops out of Afghanistan to end our country’s longest war, while continuing to wage a domestic campaign of terror featuring no-knock raids and mandatory minimum sentences for simple drug possession? Like the people of AfghanWE ARE CALLING ON YOUR ADMINISTRATION istan who are left worse off than when we began our needless war of aggresTO TAKE ACTION AND sion 20 years ago, today Americans FOLLOW THROUGH are worse off on the battlefield called ON YOUR CAMPAIGN Main Street – where innocent victims PROMISES, AND are killed, arrested and robbed through TO CORRECT THE asset forfeiture by a militarized police SHAMEFUL LEGACY OF THE WAR ON DRUGS force with less oversight than that for our THAT BOTH THE armed forces overseas.

PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT HELPED SHAPE AND ENFORCE.

We are calling on your Administration to take action and follow through on your campaign promises, and to correct the hypocritical legacy of the war on drugs that both the President and Vice President helped shape and enforce. We know your history and we are looking for you both to evolve with Americans, for America.

leafmagazines.com

Madame Vice President, your legacy as a prosecutor includes thousands of lives fractured by the war on drugs. President Biden, as a senator you helped craft the language of the war on drugs that has led to the militarization of police, private and for-profit prisons, and decades of lives ruined by drug policies – vowing in 1989 to hold “every drug user accountable,” adding that there aren’t “enough police officers to catch the violent thugs, not enough prosecutors to convict them, not enough judges to sentence them, and not enough prison cells to put them away for a long time.”

mAY 2021

Mr. President, you recently stated that gun violence in the U.S. is shameful and that we need to limit legal gun ownership – but said nothing about the average of three lives taken daily by police shootings since the murder of George Floyd. I personally find your lack of action on police accountability, the continuation of the war on drugs, and giving police reasons to arrest and kill innocent people in minor possession of drugs, to be shameful – which predominantly affects people of color and impoverished communities.

Please, let’s end police violence, gang violence and cartel violence. This comes by removing criminal penalties for minor drug possession, and redirecting funds from law enforcement and the criminal justice system towards social support, mental and addiction health care – making direct investments into communities affected by the war on drugs.

When a person chooses to use Cannabis or other drugs, they choose their pathway to happiness – and criminalizing their decision is what creates criminals. It justifies the cartels, the violence, and even the corruption that drives both the criminal organizations and the criminal justice system. Let’s repeat an earlier mantra: Americans deserve their constitutional right to the pursuit of happiness, and this includes the right to consume Cannabis and other substances in the safety of their own homes.

Sincerely, Wesley Abney Founder | Leaf Magazines

STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX | ART by JOSHUA BOULET @JOSHUABOULET for LEAF NATION

HUCKLEBERRY HILL FARMS | FOUNDER JOHNNY CASALI

the ACTION issue

INCARCERATION TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP

30

Johnny Casali was 24 years old in 1992 when federal agents came calling at the door of his multi-generational farmhouse in California’s legendary Humboldt County. It was a fateful day that would lead to nearly a decade of federal incarceration for simply cultivating plants in the style and tradition handed down by his parents. Now, nearly 30 years later, Casali holds a position of respect among the legal cultivators in the Humboldt Cannabis community. His path has not been easy, and his story, while unique in its details, rings with a familiarity that reverberates through an industry still shaking off the shackles of a failed Drug War.

leafmagazines.com

F A M I LY L E G A C Y

“From the age of 10, I was following my mother around, watching her, learning from her how to cultivate Cannabis, and vegetables and fruit trees,” Casali said of his mom, Marlene Bandoni. “I really just fell in love with participating with my mother, and learning her techniques, learning what made her a master grower, per se, in the Emerald Triangle community’s mind.”

For Casali’s family, Cannabis was one of a number of crops and income streams that included fishing, crabbing and mainstream agriculture.

“We were really just living off the land, and supplementing our income with small bits of marijuana,” Casali said.

The budding cultivator’s interest grew along with him, and by the time he was a teenager, his mother struggled with whether it was OK to let her son begin to grow on his own. At age 15, she decided to allow him to grow 10 plants, as long as he agreed to hand over the Cannabis to her and put the money either into a college fund, or a wise investment.

“You couldn’t buy a motorcycle, you couldn’t go on vacation,” he said. His first solo grow yielded about 12 pounds.

mAY 2021

“I ended up being able to make enough money where I put a down payment on 11 acres of property on the Eel River,” he said. His parents co-signed.

“That was my first experience with making money from Cannabis, and really, from that point, it was just on.”

plant count in order to maintain harvest volumes.

Being twenty-something, carefree, wave-riding Cannabis growers, they didn’t realize that the increase in plant count also increased their chance of attracting the wrong kind of attention.

F AT E C O M E S K N O C K I N G

Early one morning in 1992, Casali heard a noise on the farm that didn’t sound quite right.

After a couple of years of college, Casali’s par“I heard somebody driving up the driveway really ents bought a commercial fishing boat, and handed fast, and I just thought it was maybe one of my the farm over to Johnny, who cultivated Cannabis friends who wanted to go surfing, or this or that, but with his best friend, Todd Wick. we had a rule that you just don’t drive fast on the This was in the late 1980s, and with the Reafarm,” he said. “So I came running out the door, gan-era War on Drugs in full force, enforcement but instead of meeting one of my grew far more intense in the friends, this time I met a guy in camTriangle.

“Since I learned ouflage with a 9mm to my head, “You would see convoys along everything from my and there were 30 federal agents.” the roadways, you would see helimom, I thought it was so They gave him the option to leave copters overhead,” he said. “You important to just honor the property, but he chose to stay could no longer grow out in the her, and to share her while they searched the farm, conopen if you wanted to make it.” story with people. So fiscating, among other things, seed They had to start cultivating every strain that I grow packs and 13 pairs of trimming underneath the tree canopy, with here today is bred with scissors. They gave him a yellow such low per-plant yields that they a strain that she used to ticket, and they left. His lawyer, Ron had to significantly increase their SEA CHANGE

grow 45 years ago,” -Johnny Casali

Listen to Leaf Life Podcast Show #52 “Cannabis Prisoners” Visit www.LeafMagazines.com

PA S S I N G O N T H E L E G A C Y

Sinoway, warned that the Feds had a five-year window to return, and were likely to arrest and convict him.

“He said, ‘If you’re planning on cooperating with them, I want you to walk straight back out of my office right now,’” Casali said. That’s the moment he knew he’d found the right lawyer.

THE TRIAL

After a year and a half, the Feds came back for Casali and Wick, kicking off a two-and-a-halfyear trial during which the pair faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to life.

At one point, they saw a glimmer of hope in the potential that they could get a reduced sentence as nonviolent first-time offenders. In the end, the linchpin wasn’t the Cannabis, but the trimming scissors.

“The prosecutor was able to tell this judge that 13 pairs of scissors could only mean that I had 13 workers,” he said, “and these seed packets that I had in my house could only mean that I had a prior grow, since I had those seeds.”

In the end, Casali and Wick were sentenced to the mandatory minimum of 10 years at Lompoc Prison Camp in Santa Barbara County.

SERVING TIME

When describing his sentencing and his internment at Lompoc, Casali fights back tears – his voice shaking under the weight of regret.

“I didn’t feel bad for myself. I felt bad because of the pain that I had brought to my mother and father. All they wanted to do was to give me the best life possible, and they felt very guilty for what had happened because they blamed themselves.”

Casali recalls his walk up to the gates, where he waited with a group of 10 inmates for intake.

“They asked me how much time I had gotten, and I told them ‘120 months,’ and they were just

flabbergasted that they were looking at someone who had more time than anyone else at the camp at that time,” he said.

Casali spent seven years building relationships with the other inmates, as well as the farm managers and guards, working the cattle and cultivating vegetables.

He formed a particularly strong bond with the man who ran the prison camp, Ray Escobedo.

“I used to bring him little plants, habaneros and things, and he would plant them in a little garden,” Escobedo said when contacted via phone for this story. Escobedo remembers Casali as being an exemplary farmhand, and by the end of the first year of his sentence, Casali had already earned a solid reputation at the camp.

“One afternoon, I heard my name come over the speaker from the chaplain’s office, and you never want to hear that, because it’s never anything good,” Casali said.

“My inmate friends, they all looked at me, because that’s what you do, like, ‘Oh, God, what happened?’

I went to the chaplain’s office, and that’s when they told me that my mom had passed away. She was actually scheduled to visit me the next day.”

Escobedo went to the Warden and vouched for Casali to leave the prison with a Marshall to attend his mother’s funeral.

After seven years, Casali and Wick were transferred to a drug program in Las Vegas, then to a halfway house in San Francisco for six months, before being given probation. They were then granted leave to start their own landscaping business, Eel River Landscape.

“We were mowing lawns, and trimming bushes and hedges for little old ladies in town,” he said. “I still look back at those times, and just remember that first day when I got back up to Humboldt, and everything just put a smile on my face. I could sit out in the yard for hours, and the air smelled amazing – that’s what life should be like for all of us, all the time.”

After nearly a decade of federal incarceration for operating his family’s legacy farm in Humboldt, Casali feels overwhelmingly lucky to be able to finally share his craft with the California Cannabis community.

“Since I learned everything from my mom, I thought it was so important to just honor her, and to share her story with people. So every strain that I grow here today is bred with a strain that she used to grow 45 years ago,” he said.

“I do that in her honor. There are some that are named after her, called Sweet Marlene. There’s one that’s called Whitethorn Rose, and they’re all bred with her strain that she bred with my best friend’s mother, called Paradise Punch. I like the idea that nobody else in the world grows these strains, and whether they’re the best or not the best, it’s part of the story of Huckleberry Hill Farms. It’s part of her story, and it’s part of my story.”

Like so many people who’ve seen the damage caused by failed drug policies, the retired prison camp manager Escobedo now sees Cannabis in a different light.

“It shouldn’t be illegal,” Escobedo said. “It’s no different than alcohol. It’s probably better than alcohol, you know. But it was illegal then.”

In recent years, Escobedo and another former prison camp manager came to visit Casali at his farm.

“He gave me a couple of seeds,” Escobedo said, “and I planted them here, and I made some creams out of them, for medicine, you know.”

Despite the freedom Casali now enjoys, he still regards helicopters overhead with a watchful eye, and can’t shake the fear of the potential blowback that could happen to him as retaliation for speaking out. Even though his livelihood Johnny and and his craft are his girlfriend, considered legal under Brittany Rose California law, it is still Moberly. federally illegal.

“All it would take is for them to come here, and find something that they can point to,” he said.

“More often than not, someone like me should be quiet and fall by the wayside, but that doesn’t really help anybody. I owe the community to speak out about where this multibillion-dollar industry was created.”

STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by BEN NEFF @BNEFF92 for LEAF NATION

the ACTION issue

EQUITY IN CANNABIS NuLeaf Project Co-founder Jeannette Ward Horton on collaborating with edible maker Wana

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The failed War on Drugs destroys countless lives, with racist and classist policies that tear communities of color apart at the seams. Jeannette Ward Horton, co-founder of Oregon’s NuLeaf Project,

will absolutely not rest until our broken, oppressive, unbalanced system serves all of the communities it touches. As a burgeoning new sector, the Cannabis industry is the perfect place to focus on the monumental work of halting the destructive, regressive and oppressive policies that still impact communities of color around the country, and repairing the damage done. It’s a multifaceted mission, comprising political action, mentorship, and a rebalancing of the fiscal playing field. mAY 2021

POLITICAL POWERHOUSE

Horton’s organization was a primary driver for the Oregon Cannabis Equity Act, HB3112, which seeks to establish a Cannabis Equity Board within the Governor’s office to provide equity oversight of the state’s Cannabis industry.

Among her many contributions, Horton sought to change the language around equity in order to specifically speak to race in the state’s efforts.

The goal is to provide opportunity and representation for those most impacted by the War on Drugs – specifically to Black, Indigenous, and Latina/o/x communities.

Notably, as part of her efforts, Horton was able to include the divestment of Cannabis taxes from funding the police.

“I wouldn’t let that shit go,” Horton said. “And it worked.”

Horton and NuLeaf also provide mentorship, grants and avenues for funding for equity entrepreneurs looking to grow and thrive in the Cannabis industry.

In order to get funding for these efforts, NuLeaf partners with companies in the space who recognize the need for change.

SPREADING LIKE ROOTS

In addition to the work with Wana in Oregon, NuLeaf is branching out to take on other missions with collaborators around the nation, including a partnership with Ben’s Best Buds in Colorado, the upcoming Cannabis brand from Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s. Their collaboration will be laser-focused on the funding piece of the equity puzzle.

The overall goal, Horton says, is to build a future with a healthy economic ecosystem rich in diversity and opportunity for systematically oppressed and underrepresented communities.

“Our mission is to build generational wealth for our communities,” she said. “This is not about just building Cannabis businesses. This is about repairing harm, and building it into these wealth opportunities for the Black community.”

The goal is to provide opportunity and representation for those most impacted by the War on Drugs – specifically to Black, Indigenous, and Latina/o/x communities.

A SHARED MISSION

As with so many people in the Cannabis industry and beyond, the social revolution of 2020 – sparked by the killing of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and countless people of color by public employees being paid to serve and protect them – inspired Wana to spring into action.

“That lit a fire underneath us,” Wana CEO Joe Hodas said. “What do we do here? This is a crisis.”

A significant operator in the national edibles scene, the Wana team heard about Horton and NuLeaf’s work on HB3112.

That dedication to positive political action, and NuLeaf’s efforts to connect equity entrepreneurs with the funding they need to achieve their goals, was what brought Wana to the table with Horton and her organization.

“To give someone a license, that’s great, they have a license,” Hodas said. But without funding, the license is simply a document. That’s where Wana came in, providing a financial contribution to NuLeaf in order to assist in their efforts.

Wana also hired its first-ever Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, Karla Rodriguez, to work on the collaboration with Horton and other company projects in the CSR realm.

The goal is to create robust collaborations that connect their company with the greater cause of equity and inclusion at a deeper level.

“Companies tend to operate in a vacuum,” Karla said. “You can throw money at it, you can throw donations at a cause. But working with NuLeaf … we can learn what needs to be addressed in each market.”

>> N U L E A F P R O J E C T. O R G @NULEAFPROJECT >> W A N A B R A N D S . C O M @WANABRANDS

“To give someone a license, that’s great, they have a license,” Wana CEO Joe Hodas said.

But without funding, the license is simply a document. That’s where Wana came in, providing a financial contribution to NuLeaf in order to assist in their efforts.

STORY by TOM BOWERS @PROPAGATECONSULTANTS/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by FLETCHER WOLD @FWOLD_PHOTOGRAPHY & COURTESY WANA

the ACTION issue leafmagazines.com

34

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

INSIDE THE EMERALD CUP

Once referred to as the “Academy Awards of Cannabis” by Rolling Stone, the Emerald Cup has evolved from a small, underground competition for sungrown weed into the most respected Cannabis event in the country – beloved for both the humanity with which it runs its festival and the integrity it employs in running its competition.

Founder Tim Blake on-stage with Tommy Chong

mAY 2021

The story of the Emerald Cup begins 17 years ago, when an outlaw grower named Tim Blake decided to host a private community gathering of connoisseurs and cultivators in Northern California’s storied Emerald Triangle to celebrate their harvests and determine which of them had grown the best bud. Blake swears his inspiration for the Cup came not from other Cannabis competitions that had preceded it, but rather from an older, more wholesome source.

“As a kid, I loved going to the county fairs every fall,” he explains. “All the sights, the sounds, the smells, the friendly competition with the vegetables and fruits and animals … and I just thought, we should be doing that with Cannabis. Of course, it was still highly illegal, but we just decided to go for it.”

In December 2004, Blake leased a small event space just outside of Laytonville (christened Area 101 due to its proximity to the highway) and hosted an underground event for around 200 people disguised as a birthday party. Convincing a few fellow local outlaw growers to participate, he ended up with a couple dozen entries of some of the finest outdoor flower around. Prizes were awarded for first, second and third place, but two of the three winners didn’t even show up to claim their prizes for fear of getting identified and busted.

Over the next few years, Blake upped his game: incorporating a hash competition, creating event posters, and throwing all-night psychedelic parties complete with light shows and “survivors’ breakfasts” the next mornings. The Cup remained an annual tradition at Area 101 until 2010, when its continued growth forced Blake to seek out a larger venue. In 2011, it was held at Garberville’s Mateel Community Center … but the following year, they were unable to secure any dates or locations in Mendocino or Humboldt counties and had no choice but to move the event down to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.

“That first year in Santa Rosa, most of the outlaw farmers wouldn’t come down – they thought it was sacrilegious to leave the Emerald Triangle,” Blake recalls. “But it turned out to be such a financial success for the vendors, that the second year there we actually had a waiting list and couldn’t even get everybody in.”

EMERALD EXPLOSION

In its new home at the fairgrounds, the event exploded. Within a few years, they went from 30-40 vendors to a couple hundred, and their attendance quadrupled from 7,500 to nearly 30,000. Now a full-blown festival, Emerald Cup offers dozens of panels and seminars, multiple speaking and performance stages, and top-notch musical acts like Rebelution, Damian Marley and Big Gigantic.

But that exponential expansion brought with it huge logistical challenges that Tim and his team couldn’t tackle alone.

“It’s a big job to essentially build a small city for the weekend,” Blake observes. “I realized, I’ve gotta find some professional help!”

Luckily, he soon found an eager and experienced new partner.

“When Red Light Management came knocking on my door, it was hard to turn them down,” Blake confesses. “With all the experience they had managing Dave Matthews Band and Phish, and running shows like Outside Lands, Bonnaroo and SXSW … it was an amazing opportunity.

They brought in a world-class production team and took things to a level nobody had ever seen before – like a Cannabis Lollapalooza.”

FOR THE COMMUNITY

Though the event was scaling up significantly, Blake made a sincere effort to avoid what he perceived as the shortcomings of some of the other large Cannabis events: focusing more on hype and profit than on providing the best possible experience.

“What I’m proudest about is, when you come to the Emerald Cup, you feel a real sense of community vibe there; farmers and product makers and all of the industry people coming together to have a yearly gathering and celebration,” he says. “When you’re doing it because you want to do something great for your community and not just for the money, that really comes across.”

Blake and his partners went the extra mile to create as comfortable and welcoming an environment as possible: buying 100 couches from the Salvation Army and hundreds of umbrellas to hand out during heavy rain days, going out of their way to find organic food vendors, hiring a handicapped support specialist to ensure that every part of the show was accessible, and spending nearly a quarter-million dollars on cushioned flooring for booths.

“At first I was like, ‘We’re spending how much money on flooring?’” says Blake.

Traditionally, judging had always taken place in person at Area 101 from November to early December.

But as of last year, the competition dates were pushed back to March to allow entrants more time to harvest, cure, process and package their submissions.

And the judges, who are given around a month to choose their winners, now conferred via weekly Zoom meetings.

Thanks to the pandemic, this year’s event also went fully digital – airing on Social Club TV from April 5-11.

The virtual event featured Tim with seminars and panels on a daughter, variety of topics including Taylor, who regenerative farming, psycheruns the delic healing, social equity “When you come to the Cannabis and marijuana marketing – all Emerald Cup, you feel a hosted by industry experts, competition. real sense of community activists and celebrities. The vibe there; farmers and “But then all the vendors were festivities were capped with product makers and all saying how amazing it was to stand a live stream awards show at there all day and not have their 4:20 on April 11 and excluof the industry people backs killing them, and we had like sive appearances by Ziggy coming together to have 200 handicapped people come Marley and Michael Franti. a yearly gathering and through saying they’d never seen Undoubtedly though, celebration.” - Tim Blake that type of decency shown to them Blake’s most memorable at an event, and I realized it was all celebrity moment occurred in worth it.”

2018, when his hero Willie Nelson came out to And their magnanimity doesn’t end there. accept a lifetime achievement award.

According to Blake, they’ve gone out of their way “He agreed to do it under one condition: each year to raise money and awareness for local He wanted us to change its name to the Willie schools and parks, as well as Nelson Award. I was like, oh my God – what environmental groups like the a prestigious honor he’s bestowing upon us!”

Trees Foundation and Friends of Blake gushes. “That was one of my proudest the Eel River. They’ve also promoments, standing on stage with Willie, realizing vided free booth space to many that he was now part of the Cup forever.” non-profits and donated unused contest entries to groups like FUTURE CHANGES Weed for Warriors and Sweet Starting next year, Blake plans to permanently Leaf to distribute to veterans and move the main event to April in L.A. – avoiding terminally ill patients in need. the harsh weather often encountered at past events and allowing for a wider swath of the THE COMPETITION Cannabis community to attend. However, they Their Cannabis competition still plan to host a smaller “Harvest Ball” back in (which is run by Tim’s daughter Taylor) has also Santa Rosa in the fall – one more reminiscent of been lauded for maintaining its integrity despite their original gatherings. its exponential expansion. From its single original “The Emerald Cup was a really innocent, woncategory of sungrown flowers in 2004, it’s now derful idea that turned into this huge business up to nearly 40 categories this year – including all that I never really counted or planned on. It’s types of topicals, edibles and concentrates. amazing to think back on how far we’ve come At its height, the competition boasted an insince that day,” Blake recalls fondly. credible 1,200 total entries, but that number has “But people love the idea of a fall gathering of been cut in half in recent years due to restrictions the tribe, where the community comes together imposed by the legal market. There are between at the end of the year to reminisce, celebrate six and 16 judges per category, all of whom are the previous year’s winners, and see the latest Cali-based Cannabis experts and celebrities. genetics so they can plan their crops for spring.

“We had a really incredible pool of judges this We can’t give that up.” year,” Blake attests.

No, Tim … we definitely can’t.

“We’re really proud of the quality and diversity of people that have come in.” (Full disclosure: I >> T H E E M E R A L D C U P. C O M was one of those judges).

STORY by BOBBY BLACK @BOBBYBLACK420/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by MIKE ROSATI @ROSATIPHOTOS

the ACTION issue leafmagazines.com

36

REGENERATIVE ORGANIC AGRICULTURE Prior to 1996, nowhere in the United States had legalized Cannabis. And while progress has been slow over the past 25 years, the country has witnessed steady improvements allowing for the medical use of Cannabis in 36 states.

With New Mexico’s most recent legislative success, 17 are now considered legal Cannabis states. But with great power comes great responsibility.

A 2017 study by Ithaca College found large-scale commercial production of Cannabis destructive to the local environment. Northern states rely heavily on the use of artificial indoor operations, which are ideal for maneuvering the difficulties of cold climates. The indoor cultivation of Cannabis requires an enormous amount of electricity, relying on high-intensity bulbs, ventilation, dehumidifiers and air-conditioners to power production. Without land-use policies to limit its environmental footprint, the impacts of Cannabis farming could get worse, the study showed.

Until then, the onus of nurturing Mother Earth’s finite resources rests in the hands of the growers.

Many will chase the dollar, consequences be damned.

Others have their eyes on leaving the world a better place than they found it.

mAY 2021

Aaron Howard, Mason Walker and Nathan Howard.

East Fork Cultivars

Naomi Lamb Top Hat Concentrates

CREATING SUSTAINABLE CANNABIS BUSINESSES BLAZING THE TRAIL

“We are in a climate crisis,” said Oregon resident and activist Les Szabo. “We can’t talk about expansion without thinking about the environmental disruptions this industry could create.”

Szabo is a board member for Sun+Earth Certified, a nonprofit regenerative organic certification program for the Cannabis industry.

Regenerative organic certification is considered the new high-bar in growing standards, covering soil health, animal welfare and worker fairness in a single certification. The company’s goal is to have its Cannabis and hemp farmers making high-quality, organic products while leaving a positive impact on the local environment.

“It goes a little deeper into ethical land stewardship,” said Executive Director Andrew Black.

“Our approach focuses on no-till, mulching, composting and cover-cropping as essential parts of the farm.”

Sun+Earth Certified opened its doors on Earth Day 2019 with a pilot program that featured 14 partnering farms. In two years of operations, the company has expanded to 45 partners, covering California, Colorado, Michigan, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin.

“We’ve been really happy with the progress,” said Szabo. “This type of certification makes sense to both the producer and consumer.”

ONE STEP FURTHER

While they don’t share a partnership, Top Hat Concentrates (THC) Alaska embraces the same farming values as Sun+Earth Certified.

“It all starts with clean Cannabis,” said THC Alaska President and CEO John Nemeth. “We believe Cannabis is medicine that helps people in a myriad of ways, and adding chemicals seems counterproductive.”

Based in Juneau, the state capital of America’s northernmost state is run largely on renewable energy by way of hydropower. This has allowed for THC Alaska to minimize its ecological footprint.

“Essentially what we’re trying to do is give back more than we take from the environment,” said Head Cultivator Naomi Lamb.

Lamb, 33, has been in the industry for 15 years, sharpening her skills in her home state of California before joining the team in 2015. In Humboldt County, Lamb witnessed firsthand the

impact of a grow facility placing the value of the dollar above the environment and local community.

“My introduction to Cannabis was not pretty,” she said. “I came into the industry working for folks who valued quantity over quality. They were using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It was really ugly.”

In what she described as a “disheartening” experience, Lamb said, ”As a consumer, I had an expectation of the people who were growing having a more well-rounded concept that they were producing medicine.”

Armed with a team of forward-thinking activists, Nemeth hopes Top Hat Concentrates can lead Alaska into preserving what is considered The Last Frontier.

“The first step is creating business partnerships with people who want to do what we’re doing,” said Nemeth, voicing aspirations that regenerative agriculture could become the model for the country.

“There are a lot of problems on Earth and climate change is a big one. Where the tech industry has failed, I think the Cannabis industry has a chance to step up and really set a trend.”

THE CONSCIOUS CONSUMER

Monique Ramirez SunBright Gardens

Nick Mahmood Green Source Gardens

“We can’t talk about expansion without thinking about the environmental disruptions this industry could create.” - Les Szabo

“If we’re serious about addressing the combined threats to our health, environment and economy, we must take bold action quickly,” said Black. While Sun+Earth Certified farms take responsibility for creating clean Cannabis, the company hopes the cultural mindset circles the supply chain. MedMen Enterprises, or MedMen, has helped their cause, lending some of its 29 retail stores in a variety of states to support organic growers.

“There’s some real momentum behind this movement,” said Szabo. “But to have these major multi-state operators on-board is going to be really important for consumers going forward. They are a good vehicle for translating our values in concrete action.”

And then there’s the consumer.

“Buying mindfully,” is how Lamb describes it.

“It’s the same as when they talk about voting with your dollar,” said Lamb, a third-generation farmer. “You can educate yourself, source where your Cannabis is coming from and be mindful of the production methods behind it.”

Education, the industry experts all agreed, was the key to navigating a 21st-century landscape.

“People don’t understand the scope and the scale of Cannabis’ impact, both positive and negative,” said Szabo. “When we forecast the legal industry, we’re talking 50-60 billion dollars [per year]. This one crop is bigger than all of the organics in the U.S. When you talk about climate change, you can’t talk without thinking about the environmental disruptions this industry could create.

“We just want to let people know there is an alternative way that is safer and cleaner for the consumer.”

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STORY by BAXSEN PAINE @BAXSENPAINE for LEAF NATION

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CANNABIS PHILANTHROPY leafmagazines.com

H O W A L A S K A’ S T O P H AT C O N C E N T R AT E S IS GIVING BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY

Puff, puff...Pass out a $10,000 check?

After witnessing a crippling of the local economy at the hands of a worldwide pandemic, Juneau’s John Nemeth and his colleagues at Top Hat Concentrates (THC) Alaska decided to step in and lend a hand to their friends at the South East Alaska Food Bank (SEAFB).

Nemeth, the company’s President and CEO, was joined by Founder Ben Wilcox in personally delivering a five-digit donation to help families in need during these troublesome times.

“They reached out to us last May and said, ‘Hey, we want to help out the communities,’” SEAFB Manager Chris Schapp recalled. “It’s not very often you get a $10,000 donation.”

The financial aid came at the right time.The food bank was able to provide healthy and nutritious food to 42 non-profit agencies across Southeastern Alaska. SEAFB witnessed more than a doubling of applications for assistance – rising from an average of 65 per week to a high of 193 at the peak of the pandemic.

mAY 2021

THC Alaska has delivered Cannabis products, including CO2 extracted concentrates, to the most northern parts of the United States since 2015.

The Cannabis is grown through farming and growing practices that are geared towards helping reverse climate change.

“In a COVID year, it was a little different,” Schapp said. “We got hit really bad. For us in Juneau, so much of our economy is driven by the tourist industry.”

The state was hit hard following a shutdown of international travel through Canadian waters, nullifying an estimated 1.4 million tourists expected to travel to Alaska by way of cruise.

As the region’s hub and the state’s capital, 99% of the ships stop in Juneau. Alaska’s tourism economy accounts for one in 10 jobs in the state, and results in more than $4 billion in total revenue. >> T H C A L A S K A . C O M “I just think that in the early stages of 2020, not knowing what was going to happen, we felt as though it was a good opportunity to give back,” said Nemeth, whose previous philanthropic endeavors include service to Habitat for Humanity and the United Way. The THC Alaska team is composed of like-minded activists and their outreach in 2020 only empowered their natural inclination, leading the group to expand its efforts in 2021.

“There are a lot of problems on Earth – it’s about climate change, social equity and reform,” Nemeth said. “Our initial goal was to set a trend and get other Cannabis organizations involved. 2020 really opened our eyes to new opportunities.”

THC Alaska has set its course for its next philanthropic adventure, working in concert with The Last Prisoner Project – a non-profit organization dedicated to Cannabis criminal justice reform. Leading the fight is political liaison, Lacy Wilcox, who is also the President of the Alaska Marijuana Industry Association (AMIA).

“We’re all activists first,” said Wilcox. “Our hearts are for the plant, but also for building the industry and making a difference. It was really important that when we all came in, we understood this was an evolution and would need fine tuning, possibly for decades.”

STORY by BAXSEN PAINE @BAXSENPAINE for LEAF NATION | PHOTO by TOP HAT CONCENTRATES

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WAUGHSTREETGLASS Hailing from Georgia, Will Waugh, better known as Waugh Street Glass, discovered his passion for glass art at the age of 17 through the glassblowing documentary “Degenerate Art.” During his early experiences in headshops, buying his first pipes, he became enamored with the color-changing effect of fumed glass.

When he found out that it was the result of essentially “painting the glass” with fuming metal, he was inspired to learn more about the niche of fume work within the world of glass pipes.

This quickly led to a rabbit hole of exploration in the world of fume work, which his artwork is most known for today.

“The cleanliness of scientific glass paired with the niche of fume work, that’s my main focus.”

As he learned more about glass, Will became influenced by the clean, crisp work of artists such as Merge Scientific, who started as a scientific glassblower, and Siren Apparatus, who deftly juxtaposes the look of scientific glass with a heady aesthetic.

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The delicate precision of Will’s finely detailed, immersive fumed patterns wasn’t a skill that came overnight. Will has spent countless hours in deeply focused practice and experimentation honing his fuming skills, learning along the way from other glass artists.

It’s that level of discipline, determination and curiosity that has allowed him to create such balanced and immersive functional glass.

@waughstreetglass

MAY 2021

STORY by PETE THOMPSON/LEAF NATION | PHOTO by JEFF DIMARCO @IAMJEFFDIMARCO

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EDIBLE OF THE MONTH

The edges soften and colors brighten, and any pain or stress you may have felt throughout your day gets lost in the jet wash.

42

@S PACE_GEM_CA | S PACEGEMCANDY.COM

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SPACE GEM

She made her confections in multi-color arrays of fruit flavors, eventually landing on gummies after a stint making hard candies. She was so happy with the result, she sculpted it into a brand.

“I thought they looked like gems that took you to space,” Baker recalled. “They were really colorful, they were in a rainbow, and that’s how Space Gems were born.”

Many of the edibles on the market get their fuel from distillate – a pure, mostly flavorless THC extract. But Baker doesn’t feel like she gets the effect she wants out of distillate edibles, so she sought to do things differently.

One of the drivers for Baker’s inspiration was her love of hash. As any experienced connoisseur will tell you, there’s nothing quite like the effect of the world’s classic extract. So after some R&D and some batches with various extracts, she decided to go with solventless ice water hash – a significant rarity in the edibles category.

The overall effect of Baker’s approach is nothing short of magnificent. Upon opening a tin, you’re greeted with a meaningful quote (our packages featured Dr. Seuss and Rumi), cast against a black card adorned with stars. Underneath, the gummies offer a perfectly juicy squish in both the Sweet and Sour flavor varieties, and the fruit-forward flavors complement the Cannabis so completely that it’s practically indiscernible that they’re medicated.

That brings up the next point. When people say, “Start slow when trying new edibles,” these are the treats they’re talking about. Space Gems cradle you in an all-encompassing cocoon of fuzz as they usher you into the atmosphere. The edges soften and colors brighten, and any pain or stress you may have felt throughout your day gets lost in the jet wash.

All in all, it’s hard to recommend an edible more highly than these chewy morsels – and it’s worth mentioning that the CBD version just won 2nd Place overall in the edibles category at the 2021 Emerald Cup. If you’re a fan of hash, or simply tasty gummy candy, seek them out and prepare for takeoff!

SPACEDROPS Cannabis can spark inspiration anywhere. Who hasn’t had a lightning bolt of brilliance randomly strike them while speaking with the green muse? In the case of Space Gems, that spark came in the most perfect of places: at a concert. In this case, at a Phish concert.

While en route to see Phish with a group of girlfriends many, many moons ago, Space Gems founder Wendy Baker popped into a dispensary to pick up something discreet for the occasion.

“I stopped at Harborside, and picked up these hard candies,” Baker said over a call. “They had kief in them, I think. … So, I saw the band, and I immediately came home and started making like seven batches of candy.”

MAY 2021

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WORLD OF Cannabis PRESENTS

Yippie High-Yay! COURTESY DANA BEAL

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Dana Beal (with arm on speaker) leads a Yippie rally at the White House (1977).

COURTESY DANA BEAL

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Occasionally referred to as “Groucho Marxists,” the Youth International Party (aka the Yippies) were a radical leftist group from the 1960s that used absurd, satirical stunts to make their political points. Among the many counterculture luminaries involved with the Yippies over the years is Dana Beal, a man who was personally recruited by founder Abbie Hoffman and ended up succeeding him as the group’s leader.

AN ACTIVIST IS BORN Growing up in Lansing, Michigan, Beal displayed a passion for social justice from an early age. In August 1963, at the age of 16, he hitchhiked to Washington D.C. to attend Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Two months later he organized his first demonstration against the Ku Klux Klan back in Lansing.

At age 17, Beal managed to avoid the Vietnam draft by getting himself committed to a psych ward, then went AWOL and took off for New York City.

Once there, he quickly established himself in the Lower East Side activist scene. During the Grateful Dead’s first-ever New York concert in Tompkins Square Park on June 1, 1967, Beal organized the first of many “smoke-in” protests – blazing out the 3,000+ crowd.

That August, Beal was busted for selling LSD to a narc, prompting a series of protest marches on his behalf. His support in the community was so impressive that it attracted the attention of another prominent activist by the name of Abbie Hoffman.

MAY 2021

FROM HIPPIE TO YIPPIE Both Jewish, anti-war activists, Hoffman and Rubin met in 1967 in New York while planning an upcoming demonstration in Washington and immediately hit it off. On August 24, 1967, they pulled off their first major media stunt: From the visitor’s gallery at the New York Stock Exchange, they threw out handfuls of one dollar bills onto the exchange floor – interrupting trading and eliciting both cheers Young Dana freed and curses from the brokers below. after LSD arrest.

On October 21, Hoffman and Rubin invited Beal and his crew down to D.C. to attend a massive anti-war demonstration at the Lincoln Memorial. Hoffman then led half the crowd across the Potomac, where they encircled the Pentagon and began singing and chanting in a supposed attempt to “levitate” the building.

Naturally, the building never moved, but the group had found their purpose.

It wasn’t until three months later – while tripping in Abbie’s apartment on New Year’s Eve – that they found a name for their merry band of miscreants when friend Paul Krassner spontaneously shouted out “Yippie!” and they instantly identified with the exuberant exclamation (later elaborated to Youth International Party).

On January 16, 1968, the Yippies published a manifesto – inviting activists across America to a massive protest outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that August. Dubbed the “Festival of Life,” it was a mock

For more on Dana Beal and the Yippies, listen to Episode #11 of our podcast at worldofcannabis.museum/podcast.

convention held in Grant Park.

Skirmishes between police and the nearly 10,000 protestors that week soon escalated to riots.

Weeks later, Mayor Daley issued a report blaming the violence on “outside agitators,” and on March 20, 1969, a grand jury indicted eight of those agitators. Among these “Chicago Eight” (later changed to the “Chicago Seven” after Black Panther Bobby Seale’s mistrial) were Rubin and Hoffman.

The trial was a national media circus – providing the Yippie leaders a perfect platform for their political theater. On February 18, 1970, both Rubin and Hoffman were convicted of inciting a riot and sentenced to five years in prison (their conviction was ultimately overturned in November 1972).

Beal, who was unable to attend the event, stepped in as the group’s de facto leader in their absence. And on July 4, 1970, when President Nixon threw an “Honor America Day” rally at the Lincoln Memorial, Beal organized a Yippie counter-rally at the Washington Monument to shout it down.

Story and photos originally published on worldofcannabis.museum and reprinted with permission.

STORY by BOBBY BLACK @CANNTHROPOLOGY for LEAF NATION

KEVIN SCHUMACHER

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

TOM FORCADE Another influential Yippie leader was Tom Forcade – a former Air Guardsman turned weed smuggler from Phoenix who connected with them after moving to New York in July 1969 to run the Underground Press Syndicate. Forcade’s moment in the spotlight came on May 13, 1970, when – after testifying at the US Senate’s Commission on Obscenity and Pornography dressed as a preacher – he shoved a cream pie into the face of a committee member. After that, “pieing” became a signature Yippie tactic (Yippie Aron “Pie Man” Kay continued pieing controversial figures for many years).

Unfortunately, Forcade and Hoffman never saw eye to eye.

Forcade allegedly felt that Hoffman and Rubin were “burned out” after their trial, and that they were selling out by Tom Forcade (left) and Abbie Hoffman Poster for 1973 “May Day” Smoke-In in NYC. abandoning their more radical tactics and endorsing (right) in “Movement Court.” a candidate (George McGovern).

Their rift came to a head over payments regarding accusations and essentially resigning from the Yippies. With Rubin Hoffman’s “Steal This Book,” which Forcade had and Hoffman gone, Forcade’s faction took control. But by that time, worked on. A counterculture “Movement Court” was Forcade had more pressing issues to deal with: namely, the new convened to settle their dispute, but ultimately neither magazine he’d launched called High Times. Tragically though, just party accepted the verdict: Forcade refused to shake four years later on November 19, 1978, Forcade committed suicide Hoffman’s hand, and Hoffman never paid Forcade – leaving Beal as the Yippies’ last leader standing. the agreed amount.

In the decades to come, Beal continued to hold the annual Yippie The schism grew so severe that in Janusmoke-ins in Washington and New York. And when New York ary 1972, Forcade formed his own group, City Mayor Rudy Giuliani attempted to kill the protest using the “Zippies” (Zeitgeist International Party). police intimidation in 1998, Beal reached out to international Caught between the two factions, Beal sided allies and rebranded the NYC Pot Parade into the worldwide In the decades with Forcade and became a Zippie. Feeling Million Marijuana March. Within just a few years, the event had to come, Beal betrayed, Hoffman and Rubin attacked Forexpanded to over 300 cities around the world. continued to cade – publicly accusing him of working with DENOUEMENT the police. Tensions quickly led to threats hold the annual and incidents of violence, including an asAbbie Hoffman finally resurfaced in 1980 – but sadly, like Forcade, he also Yippie smoke--ins committed sault on Rubin by one of Forcade’s goons. suicide in 1989. Jerry Rubin sold out and became a Yuppie before in Washington being killed by a car on the streets of L.A. in 1994. Krassner died of natural TRANSFORMATION, TRAGEDY causes in 2019 at the age of 87. Thankfully, Kay and Beal are all still alive and New York.

AND TRANSCENDENCE and kicking.

In October 1972, Beal launched his underground newsIn the past decade, Beal has been arrested for trafficking marijuana four times—though paper the Yipster Times. A few months later, Beal moved only one charge stuck. In September 2011, while in police custody in Wisconsin, he sufinto the three-story building at 9 Bleeker Street that would fered a heart attack and died for three and a half minutes before being revived. Tragically, become his home – and Yippie headquarters – for the next during his incarceration in 2013, the Yippie Museum was closed, and in 2014, 9 Bleeker four decades (eventually opening its doors to the public as was foreclosed on and sold. Nevertheless, Beal remains defiantly hopeful – looking forward the Yippie Café & Museum). to finally seeing the end of America’s pot prohibition, which he insists is imminent.

In spring 1974, Hoffman skipped bail on a cocaine charge “The War on Drugs is just no longer at the top of the list of things to deal with in this and went into hiding. Months later, Rubin issued an apolocountry,” he said. “It’s impossible to go to jail for pot anymore – they just take the weed gy to Forcade in the Village Voice, disavowing his previous and let you go. That’s how I know legalization is actually coming.”

WORLD OF CANNABIS MUSEUM

When NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani attempted to kill the protest using police intimidation in 1998, Beal reached out to international allies and rebranded the NYC Pot Parade into the worldwide Million Marijuana March. Within just a few years, the event had expanded to over 300 cities around the world.

WASTING TIME

It's

46

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

by Mike Ricker

an oxymoron actually, because it is impossible to waste time if you are here and experiencing life. The fact that you are actively conscious means that you are utilizing the energy that motors your body to gain experience. Therefore, the time is not wasted at all, but in fact, utilized.

And further, how can you waste something that is free? If you gave nothing to get it, then you are entertaining yourself with something you did not have before you began.

But time is a concept – a construct of our imagination – not a tangible asset in a physical sense. Therefore, it is impossible to waste.

In fact, the word “waste” is only a figure of speech. So, figuratively speaking, to waste time is to do something that does not uphold the value of the expectation that was set to optimize the moments of life you have. And there are many ways to frivolously attend to your life.

Like wondering what someone else is doing with their time...

Let’s take Thom Yorke, for instance. He’s the singer for the band Radiohead. I wonder what he is doing right now? Is he on the phone?

Is he on the toilet? Is he taking a bong hit? All three maybe?

But what does it matter if he is not in my presence, and why am I spending my precious time wondering with time I can never reclaim?

It’s arguably wasteful, but not a waste. Kind of like a box in bubble wrap inside of another box that’s inside of another box with Amazon packing tape striped around it … and what’s inside of the first box is a thumb drive. Like, was it necessary to quadruple pack that bastard? It’s wasteful, but not a waste – because you received the necessary item.

People are stupid.

Shit, that was a wasteful comment.

may 2021

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