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THE TANNINS & TERPENES ISSUE

#77

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GLASS ART SPOTLIGHT

FIRE FOLLOWER

LA FLORISTA SHOP REVIEW

sept. 2026

12 PURE OVER

COMPANY PROFILE

20 BIG MIKE

FEAST BY 18 FIRELIGHT

PATIENT OF THE MONTH

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COURTESY

VETERANS & CANNABIS FEATURE | RICK GLASS

09 EDITOR’S NOTE 10 HIGHER EDUCATION 12 FIRE FOLLOWER 14 GRASS IS GREENER 16 BUDTENDER 18 SHOP REVIEW 20 PURE OVER COFFEE 22 GLASS ART SPOTLIGHT 24 STRAIN OF THE MONTH 26-33 TASTY PAIRINGS 34 COOKING WITH CANNABIS 36 PAGE BURNER REVIEWS 38 BIG MIKE PATIENT PROFILE 40 VETERAN’S HEALING JOURNEY 42 STUDIO SESSIONS 46 CANNTHROPOLOGY

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SEPT. 2026

issue

[

CAL I F O R N I A

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 ST LEA F / O R EG O N LEA F / M ARY LAN D LEA F / CAL I F O R N I A LEA F /

Sit back, relax and enjoy this beautiful special edition of California Leaf! On the cover is the wonderous combination of Wavvy Supply Co. Hash Plant Live Resin All-In-One and Jettywave California Botanical Gin and Tonic. Our team encourages you to research the many varieties of terpenes that can be found across Cannabis products — from limonene and caryophyllene, to pinene and myrcene, and so many more. Cannabis is chock-full of terpenes, the good kind is at least, and when paired with a tasty beverage, the flavor profiles and effects are nearly endless. Be sure to check out the full reviews pages 26-33! Happy pairing! PHOTO BY CHRIS ROMAINE @KANDIDKUSH @WAVVYSUPPLYCO | @JETTYWAVEHMB

Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up the Tannins & Terpenes issue of the Leaf! We began pairing wine and weed in 2011, when one plant was accepted socially as having many varieties, flavors and provenance all related to the terroir, aka the soil, climate, topography and sunlight where the grapes were grown.

The other was illegal. Before medical Cannabis began highlighting the differences in strains, weed was just weed. Sometimes it was better: sticky, smelly and full of trichomes. Other times it was dry, dusty and came straight from across the border. But good, bad or ugly, it was simply pot.

WES ABNEY C E O & F O U N D E R wes@leafmagazines.com MIKE RICKER O P E R AT I N G PA R T N E R ricker@leafmagazines.com | advertising opportunities TOM BOWERS C H I E F O P E R AT I N G O F F I C E R tom@leafmagazines.com DANIEL BERMAN C H I E F C R E AT I V E O F F I C E R daniel@leafmagazines.com BOBBY BLACK LEAF BOWL DIRECTOR & HISTORIAN bobbyblack@leafmagazines.com MATT JACKSON CA CONTENT DIRECTOR + SOCIAL mattjackson@leafmagazines.com

MICHELLE NARANJO & CARA WIETSTOCK COPYDESK michelle@leafmagazines.com | cara@leafmagazines.com

CONTRIBUTORS WES ABNEY, FEATURES BOBBY BLACK, FEATURES + DESIGN TOM BOWERS, FEATURES JACKIE BRYANT, FEATURES JIMI DEVINE, REVIEWS DAVID DOWNS, FEATURES + PHOTOS WYATT EARLY, FEATURES ELLEN HOLLAND, FEATURES MATT JACKSON, FEATURES ROGER KISBY, PHOTOS DARRELL LAVIN, PHOTOS GREG MALCOLM, PHOTOS TERPODACTYL MEDIA, PRODUCTION BAXSEN PAINE, FEATURES CHRIS RAMIREZ, PHOTOS MIKE RICKER, FEATURES + PHOTOS CHRIS ROMAINE, PHOTOS CARA WIETSTOCK, FEATURES BRUCE WOLF, PHOTOS KATHERINE WOLF, FEATURES LAURIE WOLF, RECIPES

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. Email ricker@leafmagazines.com to start advertising!

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Exclusive Cannabis Journalism @CALIFORNIALEAFMAG

In 2010, we started publishing the Leaf, and we quickly realized the power of the plant and the differences between strains we take for granted today. This was a prescientific understanding of Cannabis. There was no THC testing or percentages. We didn’t know that the same common terpene limonene is in both a lemon fruit and in Super Lemon Haze. It’s also the primary ingredient in lemon cleaners, breaking down oil and grease with the power of nature, no synthetic or petrochemicals included. In 2011, and today, you’d find people who knew that there is a huge world of wine, even if they weren’t connoisseurs or sommeliers. And many of those folks still believe all weed is the same.

"IN 2010, WE STARTED PUBLISHING THE LEAF, AND QUICKLY REALIZED THE POWER OF THE PLANT, AND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN STRAINS WE TAKE FOR GRANTED TODAY."

So the mission then is as relevant as it is today: to highlight the differences in smell, looks, flavors, experiences and effects that different strains share with us. With several years of sobriety from alcohol under my rapidly shrinking belt (I stopped counting after three years), I must say that the effects of Cannabis are unique, special and different every time. That can’t be said of a hangover. So we’ve expanded our pairings beyond wine to include sodas, energy drinks, teas and smoothies — because weed goes great with everything! For those choosing to crossfade with both, know that Cannabis is a neuroprotectant, meaning it helps protect the brain from damage. And those who smoke tend to drink less, so remember this: As with mushrooms, you can always take more, but not less. So sip your brew of choice, hit the bong and thank God that He gave us a plant that heals and delights without a headache the next day. CALIFORNIA LEAF MAGAZINE

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

SEPT. 2026

PHOTO BY ROGER KISBY @ROGERKISBY

A B O U T T H E C OV E R

N O RT HEAST LEA F

THE EDUCATION THE UNITED STATES NEEDS & DESERVES

ADOBE STOCK

perspective

Former San Diego Magazine Managing Editor Jackie Bryant joins Leaf Nation to imagine the future of the Cannabis industry.

Kids went back to school this month, which means somewhere a cop is standing in a gymnasium telling them about drugs. I got that talk. You probably did, too. Mine came with a fried egg on television and a promise that one joint led to something much worse, and it took me most of my 20s to unpack how much of it was simply made up.

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HAT NOBODY SAYS ALOUD is that we replaced that education with marketing and well-intentioned efforts by earnest activists often drowned out by the cash around them. The propaganda got debunked, prohibition rolled back state by state and into that vacuum walked an industry with a marketing budget. So, the D.A.R.E. officer got swapped out for a 34% THC package from a budtender who’s been on the job 11 days, working off whatever the sales rep told him last Tuesday. That isn’t education either: It’s a different sales pitch aimed at the same person, with better graphic design. I think about this constantly because I teach college now, I write about this plant for a living and the questions I get from readers are rarely the ones the industry seems prepared to answer. People don’t want to know which strain is trending. They want to know how much to take. They want to know why something that worked last year now makes them anxious. They want to know whether the number on the package means anything; and the honest answer is that it means considerably less than we’ve let them believe.

sept. 2026

while the industry holds panels about the We built a whole retail category on THC, a metric that importance of education. mostly doesn’t predict the experience. Customers walk There’s a version of this business that out assuming it does, then we act surprised when sometakes the obligation seriously. It looks like one eats a 100-milligram cookie, has the worst night training budgets that survive a of their life and believes that weed is terrible It’s a budtender bad quarter. It looks like labels now. That’s not a consumer failure; that’s who can explain 5 written for humans. It looks like ours to own! milligrams versus 50 a shop where somebody will Real education is smaller and duller than without reading off a talk you out of a purchase. anything a marketing team wants to fund. It’s card. It’s a label with I don’t think we get there a budtender who can explain 5 milligrams numbers a person through regulation, though versus 50 without reading off a card. It’s a can actually act on. I’d take it. I think we get there label with numbers a person can actually when enough operators decide act on. It’s admitting that tolerance is real, that the person walking through the door that set and setting matter more than genetics and that deserves better than what I got in that the beginner in front of you should probably start small. gymnasium — a confident adult speaking None of that sells a $70 eighth. All of it keeps a customwith total authority, who turned out to er for a decade. have no idea what he was talking about. The people best positioned to do this work are the We spent thirty years earning the right ones getting squeezed the hardest right now. Legacy to be the people explaining this plant. operators who’ve grown the same cultivars for 20 years It’s time everyone involved in the indusknow things that can’t be learned from a deck. try takes up the mantle of ensuring this Independent shops with staff that stay beyond one season information is passed along responsibly build the kind of trust that turns into actual knowledge and truthfully. transfer. Both are being consolidated out of existence

STORY by JACKIE BRYANT @JACQBRY | AUTHOR PORTRAIT by IYDEEN YOUNIS

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perspective

FIRE FOLLOWER

Award-winning journalist/author and former Leafly Senior Editor David Downs’ monthly genetics intelligence dispatch.

ZIPLOCK SEEDS RELEASES A CLAW OF BLACK PANTHERS OREGON’S SHANOAH STANLEY AIMS FOR HIS MAINSTREAM MOMENT

ZIPLOCK SEEDS’ SHANOAH STANLEY has a compulsion: He can’t stop breeding. “You get carried away with breeding, and you say to yourself, ‘Don’t forget to test it and release it.’ I have a problem like that,” he said. So the 7-year-old southern Oregon-based brand is shifting gears this summer. Stanley is pausing research and development to focus on releasing his masterwork: the Black Panther line of feminized seed crosses. He’s dropping 37 of them, about a dozen at a time, at ziplockseeds.com. The goal: put Ziplock on the map like no other Oregon breeder besides Archive Seed Bank. It’s an attainable goal. Black Panther is a cross of Cookies’ Cheetah Piss mixed with a selection of LIT Farms’ Watermelon Mimosa crossed with Jealousy. LIT called it KY Jealousy. Stanley named his selection Sinful. Ziplock hunted his Black Panther and found his keeper in 2021. Since then, the tropical, Burgundy wine and citrus-fuel strain has become his most award-winning, he said. Growers have racked up wins with it in the 2024 Caribbean Cup, as well as in Bogotá, Colombia, and Argentina contests. In total, Stanley said Ziplock Seeds has powered more than 75 contest wins for growers worldwide.

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CASTING A SHADOW

Out in his spot in Oregon, Stanley reversed the Black Panther to produce feminized pollen and pollinated his stable to make the current lineup. Stanley is so far ahead of most DISCO KITTY breeders, his strain names are unrecognizable: Cyber Wolf? ical candy, dessert wine and sherbert. Bombay Fuzz? Fog Lights? The mom is a mix of Zoap and Frosted It’s basically the best stuff Flakes. Frosted Flakes is Cereal Milk from Seed Junky Genetics and and White Truffle. Rawr! Compound Genetics selected The first likely cup and crossed to PUNK “I breed with the best winner? White Chocolate make new lines. ROCK shit that we find.” Chip crossed with Black “I breed with the -Shanoah Stanley Panther. The fruitiest? Tropic best shit that we find,” he said. “Most people Ziplock Seeds Thunder. The best for hash? can’t relate to anything I’m doing because it’s Black Panther so new and modern. Well, do you know what crosses to Papaya Mon, Gas Face is? The Menthol? Apples and Bananas? Zoap? Hash Burger, Divine Nectar Zangria? Z?” or Zerari. Tiger’s Kiss When talking about making selections in his greenhouse, bleeds red sap when you Stanley said, “It has to stop me in my tracks.” He does a cut it. It’s a whole menagspeed walk through the rows, first focusing on vigor. All erie. Ziplock plants are girthy and prison-swole. The smell on the Where does this passion branch doesn’t count. What’s crucial is jar smell, smoke, and zeal come from? Stanflavor translation and terp durability — the stuff consumers ley was born and raised in will notice. Maui, Hawaii, growing on roadsides and in mountain MEET THE CLAW pastures with his dad. FrusHe casts his genetic nets far and wide, and the haul has ZNOW tration from an early bust arrived. First up is Znow Leopard (Znow Flakes x Black LEOPARD led him to just give away Panther), described as having deep, rich notes of fuel, trop-

SEPT. 2026

TROPIC THUNDER

seeds in blank Ziploc baggies. Everyone started calling him “Ziplock,” and it stuck. Aside from a Breeding Grounds deal with Sensi Seeds, Stanley handles all his own photos, website and materials. Expect more from the Black Panther oeuvre to trickle out into 2027. Don’t try to keep him out of the garden, either. “I don’t need to make any more seeds, but I’m going to because I’m crazy,” he said. “The fire is hot. We keep stoking it, and we’re not stopping.” SEPT. 2026 POT FARMER’S ALMANAC Early finishers wrap up this month. Regular finishers flower hard. Supplement nutrients phosphorus and potassium as needed. Take your bud photos. Tidy up the dry room, order Grove Bags and other gear, clean and sharpen scissors and set a harvest schedule. The first day of fall is Sept. 22. Harvest Moon, also known as Corn Moon, is Sept. 26.

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STORY by DAVID DOWNS @DAVIDDOWNS for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by ZIPLOCK SEEDS

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perspective

and the author of multiple books, including "Weed: Smoke It, Eat It, Grow It, Love It" (2024).

FROM JOKE TO REALITY

THE GRASS IS GREENER

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Oakland baseball embraces Cannabis culture

When the Oakland Ballers became the Oakland Blazers as a nod to Cannabis culture for one night this summer, they were cashing in on a gimmick. You couldn’t smoke weed at the ballpark, but all the winks and nods were there. The players mimed smoking joints, a Grateful Dead cover band jammed throughout the game, and fan gear had “Kush” written across the backs of the jerseys and included a small weed leaf. But the stunt, which could have stood as no more meaningful than fast food chains advertising 420 deals, came to fuller life through a partnership with Oaksterdam, America’s first Cannabis college.

SEPT. 2026

Based in Oakland, California, the Oakland Ballers are an independent baseball team in the Pioneer League. The idea of becoming the Oakland Blazers originated from an April Fools’ Day joke where the team posted a picture of the Blazers jersey. “The response was so overwhelming when we soft launched the design and the joke that we felt like we had to do it to give the people what they wanted,” Casey Pratt, the Oakland Ballers vice president of communications and fan entertainment, said. Through a partnership with Oaksterdam, the game stood as a representation of the mainstream acceptance of Cannabis culture. “Things have come so far,” longtime Cannabis activist and Oaksterdam horticulture instructor Jeff Jones said. “(Cannabis) is such a nonissue.” Journalist Adam Tschorn extensively covered the team’s transition from a joke to reality through his Substack, High Adam. “My stock line for public-facing Cannabis-related culture things is anytime you have a Cannabis-related event where someone doesn’t play the piano really fast and then murder people — and that’s a reference to “Reefer Madness” — it’s a good day,” Tschorn said. “It’s more exposure of Cannabis and the faces of people who are involved in Cannabis in a way that just sort of gets it out there.” Through Tschorn’s coverage of the Blazers, he learned that the color for the jersey — light green, purple and orange — “The response was so was chosen as a reference to the colors in overwhelming when a legendary strain that we soft launched the originated in Oakland: design and the joke Granddaddy Purple. that we felt like “I just felt like, we had to do it to ‘OK, they weren’t just give the people co-opting Cannabis; they were really leanwhat they wanted.” ing into it,’” Tschorn -Casey Pratt, said. “Oakland has a Oakland Ballers long history of blazing vice president of a trail with Cannabis, communications and and it felt like it all fan entertainment really worked. It was a way that would expose the plant to people who weren’t necessarily familiar with it and think it’s this dangerous thing, and it was pretty high profile.” As a part of the pregame festivities, Oaksterdam partnered with Emerald Farms Tours to host a crawl of Cannabis lounges in Oakland’s downtown. In its heyday of the early to mid-2000s, Oaksterdam was not only a campus but also a cultural district that contained many places to purchase and consume weed. “We’re finally relegalizing what we have shown two decades ago was safe and responsible,” Dale Sky Jones said of the Cannabis consumption lounges that exist in Oakland today. “Now, finally, the new adult-use laws are catching up, and we’re just here to show other communities that this can be safe, successful and a benefit.”

OAKLANDBALLERS.COM @OAKLAND.BALLERS @PIONEERBASEBALLLEAGUE @OAKSTERDAMUNIVERSITY

All in all, the game felt like a success for the normalization of Cannabis in a climate where the stigmas of “Reefer Madness” remain. “It is a pretty high-profile activation or placement of something that’s still very illegal in a lot of states and at the federal level,” Tschorn said. “The Ballers fans are pretty enthusiastic. I’m curious to find out if there were any converts, people who were not down with weed before, but now are like, ‘OK, weed people are cool.’” Pratt said there wasn’t really any pushback to the alternate branding. “What’s wild is we’ve received such little pushback,” Pratt said. “We, like, almost expected some, but it hasn’t really come. I think that the Cannabis industry and weed and everything has become a lot more acceptable and a responsible way for adults to partake if they so choose to.”

STORY by ELLEN HOLLAND @HOLLANDBUDS for LEAF NATION Photos by Darrell Lavin Photography | See more photos at LeafMagazines.com

budtender of the month LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

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Prese

DOOBIE NIGHTS

MILES KIRBY

KIRBY TOLD THE LEAF that he actually started in the Cannabis world as a sales rep for Gorilla Grow Tent, working with customer issues and concerns. From there, he moved to pulling leaves off plants at UMMA Sonoma, where he worked his way up over five years in the propagation department until he found himself supervising an indoor facility with around 400 lights. After five years in cultivation, Kirby left to travel outside of the Santa Rosa area, where he’s spent most of his life. He eventually decided to get back into Cannabis, but wanted to find something closer to his earlier role working with the public. That’s when a friend told him there was an opening at Doobie Nights. He said the job now is a mix of the customer service skills he developed at Gorilla Tent and the Cannabis knowledge he gained through UMMA. He repeatedly shouted out the team there for providing skills, guidance and background that set the foundation for his path in the industry. “Every single one of the team, they are my roots,” Kirby said. Despite coming from a background working with plants, Kirby said he’s more of a resin head. “Generally speaking, I’m an oil smoker for the most part; there are so many post-processing applications for the plant, and I just got more and more into that and then into solventless production, and have even washed and pressed some homegrown flower.” KIRBY’S ADVICE FOR If he’s grabbing a bucket ANYONE LOOKING TO from the store, Kirby reaches ENTER THE INDUSTRY for some 710 Labs or Ahti. IS TO GO TO EVENTS He said he’s a personal AND IN-STORE VISITS fan of GMO or any solid GMO cross. “I also really TO GET TO KNOW like trying the same cultivar PEOPLE IN YOUR that’s been grown and LOCAL INDUSTRY. washed by different people and seeing the variability in phenotype and technique,” Kirby added. Just like hearing a band cover a famous song we all know, the differences in delivery can be part of the enjoyment. Kirby’s advice for anyone looking to enter the industry is to go to events and in-store visits to get to know people in your local industry. “Network as much as possible. Even though the industry is really big, in many ways, it’s also very small, and lots of people know each other. Introducing yourself will help you get a lot of connections,” said Kirby. His other piece of advice is: Start your education now. Too often, people think that their journey into learning about Cannabis begins once they get hired. Kirby believes that having experience in related industries and a love for the plant before applying for industry jobs sets you apart from other candidates. You can tell by talking with Kirby that he’s fused the retail and Cannabis parts of his background into one. He genuinely cares about Cannabis as a plant, as a medicine and as a recreational product, but also understands that the retail experience is Miles Kirby began his budtending job at Doobie Nights in Santa Rosa important. “If you’re able to combine those things and provide a great experience that’s educational a week or two before April 20. For many, this might sound frightening, and enjoyable, that’s really what I’m trying to do for but even though Kirby was green, he was uniquely qualified to handle the task. people who come into the store.”

3011 SANTA ROSA AVE. SUITE A, SANTA ROSA, CA DOOBIENIGHTS.COM @DOOBIENIGHTS_707 9 A.M. - 9 P.M. DAILY (707) 919-3222

SEPT. 2026

STORY & PHOTO by MATT JACKSON @ACTIONMATTJACKSON/CALIFORNIA LEAF @CALIFORNIALEAFMAG Who’s your favorite budtender? Tell us why! Email nominations to mattjackson@leafmagazines.com

shop review

LA FLORISTA

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LEAF READERS WILL REMEMBER WE FIRST MENTIONED THIS SPOT IN OUR GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA’S CONSUMPTION LOUNGES. SO WE HAD TO STOP IN AND SEE WHAT IT WAS LIKE IN PERSON, AND LA FLORISTA DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

SEPT. 2026

Who doesn’t want to say they bought and smoked weed … in Weed? For those driving up and down Interstate 5, it’s that place to stop, stretch your legs, get gas and enjoy the quiet, idyllic vibe. But did you know the city of Weed is also home to an incredible dispensary/consumption lounge, right on the main street?

ORIGINALLY OPENED IN 2018, La Florista is a massive space for a small-town shop. Located in a former furniture store, it houses a retail floor, a clone area, a consumption lounge, a gift shop and a lobby, all tastefully decorated with local art and a pleasing shade of green. The store actually holds the distinction of being the city’s first dispensary and the first place in Weed to sell a legal bag of Cannabis. Owner Elizabeth Tabor originally opened her first shop in Shasta in 2014. She has since shifted her focus to guiding La Florista toward its identity as a place that serves LA FLORISTA both the local community and tourists 242 MAIN ST., WEED, CA LAFLORISTACANNABIS.COM driving through. 9 A.M.-9 P.M. DAILY Leaf readers will remember we first (530) 408-0420 mentioned this spot in our white pages listing of California’s consumption lounges. So we had to stop in and see what it was like in person, and La Florista did not disappoint. The spacious lounge contains a karaoke machine, a pool table, a big-screen TV, and a Nintendo Switch for Mario Kart. Team member Jennifer Costello said that they have a lot of people in the area who come by to smoke since they live in apartments that prohibit Cannabis use.

On the other side of the building, the staff has set up a gift shop that contains not only La Florista merch but also Puffco devices, grinders, pipes, vape batteries and anything you might need to enjoy your purchase. You can always rent a device in the lounge, but Costello said they want to use the merch side to teach folks about some of the products on the market and make a one-stop shopping experience as well. One thing that stands out instantly is the prominent placement of their local brands. The area is home to three companies producing weed. Staff member Shelby B. told us they have trouble keeping those products in stock because, while popular with people just stopping in, locals have grown to love and support these brands as their own. Along with this, La Florista works with farmers in Humboldt to supply their own house brand with quality sun-grown flower at an everyday price point. Costello said the constant rotation of flavors is something that the community has really responded to. So the next time you find yourself in Weed, instead of just taking a picture next to the mural, make a new tradition and roll one up on Main Street at La Florista. They even open the lounge at 9 a.m. for the wakeand-bake crowd.

STORY & PHOTOS by MATT JACKSON @ACTIONMATTJACKSON/CALIFORNIA LEAF @CALIFORNIALEAFMAG See more photos at LeafMagazines.com

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PURE

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PURE OVER uses an all borosilicate glass top section that allows aromas and oils to pass through the filter holes into the coffee bed as the grounds create a compact layer that aids in the filtration. Rahmil told the Leaf that he sees Pure Over as the perfect combo of pour-over and French press brewing methods. Draw out the nuances like a pour-over, but get the body and mouthfeel of immersion. “That’s why I make one for myself every morning,” he said. “Nothing compares to it.” The whole project started around the end of 2019, when Rahmil ran out of paper coffee filters in the glass studio. Instead of stopping to buy more, he and his shop mate decided to break the paper chain and spend a month designing an all-glass filter system to brew pour-over coffee.

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Now in 2026, this system, which they call Pure Over, has become a product used by 100,000 people worldwide. By October 2020, they had launched a Kickstarter campaign that took off, and by April 2021, they had launched a website. Rahmil said that the third day of the Kickstarter was the first moment he knew this was more than just an idea. That first year, they sold over 10,000 units. With the growing discussion about microplastics and their longterm effects, Rahmil said there’s been renewed interest in finding products that won’t affect flavor or leave traces behind in our bodies.

“THAT’S WHY I MAKE ONE FOR MYSELF EVERY MORNING. NOTHING COMPARES TO IT.” PUREOVER.COM @PUREOVERCOFFEE

Pure Over has been featured by publications like Forbes, Oprah Daily and Bon Appétit and is carried in a large group of coffee shops. All of this has brought Rahmil further into his role as the head developer and designer for the company, while his childhood best friend, Nate Ebrahimoon, handles duties as CEO. Rahmil said Ebrahimoon played a huge role in pushing him to envision Pure Over not just as a project from the glass shop or a possible side hustle, but a brewing method recognized across the globe. “His vision made me push past what I thought it was or could be,” Rahmil said.

STORY by MATT JACKSON @ACTIONMATTJACKSON/CALIFORNIA LEAF @CALIFORNIALEAFMAG | PHOTOS by PURE OVER

glass art spotlight

ETHAN VERKHOVSKY

This month, the Leaf wanted to share some stunning artwork from the Great White North made by Ethan Verkhovsky. Also well known as the artist Eka Glass, he hails from the mighty land of Canada and now resides in Montreal. But this story starts with his parents, who moved to Calgary, Alberta, from Russia to seek a new life many years ago. Brought up in a multilingual household, Verkhovsky is fluent in English, Russian and French.

Eka

Glass @EKAGLASS (FUNCTIONAL)

@EKGLASSART

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(HOME DECOR)

CL E A R L A MP RAY

DO U BLE S WIS S S PA C E

SEPT. 2026

B U L G A RI A N LION

B LUE ANGLE R

LIFE HAS NO SET BOUNDARIES, and Verkhovsky’s dedication to finding his path led him to many job roles, from a professional poker player to a medical hypnotherapist, along his journey. He had just started his doctorate in osteopathy when art entered his periphery. His introduction to glassblowing happened back in 2016 at a studio called Island City Glass in Montreal. It was here that he made lifelong friends and found his passion for borosilicate artwork. He considers himself a traveling artist, a man of the road. Collaborating with artists far and near, he’s been able to develop a uniquely deep archive of work and a wide array of technical skills. When the Leaf asked him about his inspirations, Verkhovsky said, “Some of the first artists I saw are still, to this day, my largest inspirations, and I'm blessed and fortunate enough to call some of them teachers and even friends.” In the constant pursuit of knowledge and experiences, Verkhovsky has participated in many glassblowing intensives. This is when a legendary artist, or artists, hosts a small group of other artists for usually three to five days. They work closely with the students to develop their skills in specific aesthetic and functional techniques. At the time of this interview, Verkhovsky was attending a two-week class at the Corning Museum of Glass hosted by Daniel Coyle, aka Coyle, and Adam Whobrey, aka Hoobs. Coming from a self-confessed nonartist background, he said, “I try to create pieces that make you feel something. Might be uncomfortable, might be desirable.” The Leaf team finds his work very desirable, both visually and functionally. Always on the move, his next home port will be the beautiful seaside city of Kingston, Ontario, where his journey with this craft will continue to grow. On top of functional art, Verkhovsky also focuses his efforts on stunning home decor. You can find his contemporary work exclusively on Instagram or on display in your local glass gallery.

SPAC E M O N KE Y

“I try to create pieces that make you feel something. Might be uncomfortable, might be desirable.”

STORY by REX HILSINGER @BOROPHOTO for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS courtesy

STRAIN OF THE MONTH

The Cookies & C.R.E.A.M. produced from UMMA’s Santa Rosa garden is an absolute homage to the dessert era, which kicked off in the early 2010s and changed the way we looked at elite Cannabis forever. Cookies & C.R.E.A.M. flower from UMMA is stunning; the bag appeal checks every box from looks to nose and everything in between. In honor of The Tannins and Terpenes issue, our recommended pairing for this strain is a locally made vanilla bean ice cream.

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Cultivated by UMMA Sonoma

COOKIES AND sept. 2026

CAL I F O R N I A TANNINS

When it comes to our pick for a vanilla bean ice cream, it’s a little complex at first. While there’s not a ton on the tannins in vanilla beans, GSC strains contain a broad range of polyphenolic compounds that may contribute the kind of subtle dryness, bitterness and astringency found in concentrated vanilla. These compounds interact with other aromatic molecules to shape the overall sensory experience in both. In other words, the tannins found in vanilla beans and Cookies & C.R.E.A.M are better understood as contributors to an overall mouthfeel rather than the source of that characteristic flavor. Along with this, the creaminess and subtle sweetness of the ice cream enhance the dough and fuel flavors coming from the flower. TERPENES

This phenotype being grown by UMMA is another hitter out of Fiya Farmer’s stable. To create C.R.E.A.M., which UMMA is putting on shelves as Cookies & C.R.E.A.M., Fiya Farmer brought together Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies and Grease Monkey. We talked with UMMA’s cultivation lead, Giancarlo Di Fede, about working with the strain over the last year. “It’s a little bit different than the candy craze that’s been there for quite some time,” Di Fede told Leaf Magazines. “The Cookies come through pretty well. I think the Grease Monkey just gives it that extra greasy coat that it has, but there is also a pretty nice caramel kind of complexity to it.” Di Fede went on to note that after the rave reviews “Cookies & they started getting from C.R.E.A.M. their bulk buyers, the UMMA flower from team knew they wanted to start packaging this UMMA is in their own jars, but the stunning; the decision to move forward bag appeal wasn’t a given. “I had checks every some hesitation, and I think box from looks we all did, but it seemed like just the serendipity of to nose and the candy craze kind of everything in coming to a little bit of a between.” slowdown allowed us to start to introduce some other genetics that are really cool as well.” The Cookies side of things is obviously the star of the show, but don’t sleep on how much the Grease Monkey brings to the flavor. This combination of GG #4 and the original Cookies & Cream bred by Exotic Genetix adds a lot to the profile, as does our pairing.

C.R.E.A.M.

UMMASONOMA.COM @UMMASONOMA LINEAGE: THIN MINT COOKIES X GREASE MONKEY

STORY by JIMI DEVINE @JIMIDEVINE2.0 for CALIFORNIA LEAF @CALIFORNIALEAFMAG | PHOTO by CHRIS ROMAINE @KANDIDKUSH HAVE A LEAD ON SOME SERIOUS FIRE? EMAIL MATTJACKSON@LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

THE TANNINS & TERPENES ISSUE

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Tannins and terpenes combine like rarely before in this mix of Orange Tree Live Resin Badder from Greenline and Blood Orange Dark Chocolate by Ghirardelli. Once a perk reserved only for the aristocracy, this decadent chocolate, combined with a fragrant live resin, fits right in your fanny pack. Embrace new levels of orange terps.

SEPT. 2026

Greenline Orange Tree Live Resin Badder & Ghirardelli Blood Orange Dark Chocolate TANNINS

We needed a pairing uniquely qualified to represent California’s glowing orange reputation. It couldn’t be just a navel orange from Orange County, and Orange Julius is barely a thing anymore. We found the answer at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, where Ghirardelli Chocolate has been the destination for locals and tourists since 1852. The gift shop contained Ghirardelli’s Intense Dark Blood Orange Dark Chocolate, which is not some brutally bitter dark chocolate at all. Its main ingredient is cane sugar, along with citric acid, bits of blood orange and orange peel, which complement and contrast, adding tangy acid and a crunchy texture to the experience. TERPENES

Monterey’s Greenline is making some of the tangiest butane hash oil we’ve seen in 2026. It smells of oranges, tangerines, mandarins, pomelo and Pine-Sol, with a back of OG dank and bitter pith. Greenline’s Orange Tree strain (24K Gold x Orange Valley OG) has a shelf of trophies to its name. Envirocann-certified, it’s grown indoors in a hydroponic medium. Harvesting and blasting everything in-house, they produce a lurid, bright orange badder that smells so good, I want to clean my house with it. The vapor smell and taste exactly match “This pairing the aroma from the jar. It’s stiff, tacky and is a revelation. grainy, and if your hot knife dies, you can The Orange hand-pinch dabs into a Puffco Proxy. Just one Tree puts a bass puff and you know you’ve just hit the orangboost on the est orange in the Golden State. tanginess of the PAIRING

Blood Orange Dark Chocolate.”

Sure, the heady boys insist on all things rosin, preferably with Z terps, but why follow the pack? This pairing is a revelation. The Orange Tree puts a bass boost on the tanginess of the Blood Orange Dark Chocolate. Plus, bringing in Ghirardelli adds an impossible facet to the hash vapor. In a world of elusive, evanescent strains promising chocolate terps, real deal cacao is the ultimate hack. The high amps up your vision of the vista. Faint fog shadows play across the bay. Ripples of texture trace the path of the breeze across the water. If you do happen to take the trip down to Ghirardelli Square, the hybrid high makes for a great exploration mindset. San Francisco’s local tourist spot bursts with quirky new details: the historical plaques, the people-watching, the waft of deep-fried crab cakes. This, my friends, is the fabled land of Califia, indeed. GOGREENLINE.COM @GOGREENLINE @GREENLINEEXTRACTS @GHIRARDELLI

REVIEW by DAVID DOWNS @DAVIDDOWNS for CALIFORNIA LEAF @CALIFORNIALEAFMAG | PHOTO by CHRIS ROMAINE @KANDIDKUSH

THE TANNINS & TERPENES ISSUE

Wavvy Supply Co. Hash Plant Live Resin All-In-One & Jettywave California Botanical Gin and Tonic

28 “In a world of AI-generated marketing slop, Wavvy commissions real-life artists to collaborate on merchandise and packaging.” WAVVYSUPPLY.COM @WAVVYSUPPLYCO JETTYWAVE.COM @JETTYWAVEHMB

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TANNINS

Ah, gin. Perhaps the most expressively spirited of all spirits. Each producer creates their own flavor fingerprint as they imbue the distilled dram with aromatic notes from a wide range of botanicals. It’s reminiscent of the rich spectrum of Cannabis cultivars — some lean into lemon, others jump into juniper or cucumber character. Distilled in picturesque Half Moon Bay, Jettywave’s California Botanical Gin nods to its origin, with notes of evergreen, citrus and light florals. It’s gorgeously deep like the Pacific Ocean, and it deserves a sip or two straight before mixing into a refreshing gin and tonic, martini, Negroni or Vesper. We also had the chance to try a few of JettyWave’s wide array of other offerings, each with its own textured label art to highlight the spirit inside. The Maritime Single Malt was reminiscent of seaside sipping off the coast of Scotland, and the bourbon-style whiskey made for a perfect old-fashioned. For something heavily heady, try their absinthe.

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TERPENES

Blasting out of San Diego’s kaleidoscopic Cannabis scene, Wavvy Supply Co. merges quality with artistic originality. It’s a project headed by Nathan Williams of indie power-punk icons Wavves, along with co-owner Christian Ardel, with an ethos that matches Williams’ DIY musical mythos. In a world of AI-generated marketing slop, Wavvy commissions real-life artists to collaborate on merchandise and packaging. With visuals designed by Wavvy collaborator Killer Acid, their Hash Plant Live Resin All-In-One brings heady vibes and smooth draws. With notes of earthy pine and funk, each sip soothes the soul, casting you adrift in the surf.

PAIRING

It’s only September; there’s still time to sit on a beach somewhere and take in the crashing waves, sipping on something satisfying, saying sayonara to summer. Can’t think of a better recommendation than this combo. We mixed Jettywave California Botanical Gin with some Fever Tree Tonic, chasing down each sip with a pull from Wavvy’s Hash Plant Live Resin All-In-One. The two complemented each other perfectly, with pine, floral and citrus notes washing like waves over the palate. It’s the perfect nightcap for an epic summer season.

REVIEW by TOM BOWERS @MEGABOMBTOM2.0 @CALIFORNIALEAFMAG | PHOTO by CHRIS ROMAINE @KANDIDKUSH

THE TANNINS & TERPENES ISSUE

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“The way the smokiness of the Pink Lady plays with the sweet and salty taste of the edible, I can see why they were designed as a matching set.”

SEPT. 2026

Rose Delights Zuni Margarita Edible & Pure Beauty Margarita Babies When we heard about a collaborative release between San Francisco’s Zuni Cafe, Los Angeles brand Pure Beauty and Rose Los Angeles — all meant to pay homage to the cafe’s signature margarita — we knew it was a perfect match for this issue. Zuni’s website documents how, for over a year, chef Gilbert Pilgrim had spoken with Rose about wanting their signature margarita to become an edible. When the team at Rose was working with Pure Beauty on a flower release, they saw the opportunity and, “What started as a conversation between friends quickly became a three-way project.” TANNINS

Rose Delights are Turkish delight-style edibles made using sungrown flower rosin and specialty recipes developed by some of the world’s most inventive chefs. To recreate the cocktail, Rose worked with Stepladder Creamery in Cambria to source orange-hybrid Rangpur limes, sweet Bearss limes, Eureka lemons and fresh calamansi (picture an orange and a kumquat had a baby). The Pink Lady flower from the preroll pack was used in the rosin in each 5-milligram piece. Finished off with Maldon sea salt and fresh zest, they really do taste like a classy margarita. The way the sweet and salty flavors bounce off each other while the acidity clings to the back of your teeth — take a minute to take in the range of flavors here. TERPENES

Pure Beauty’s collaboration featuring their Lady Pink Pre-Rolls helped launch this whole, beautifully packaged set. The delivery on the 10-pack of 0.35-gram prerolls, which Pure Beauty’s website says are “Grown in nutrient-rich moss and soil with beneficial insects and positive energy,” is amazing. For this batch, Pure Beauty looked for what is described as “a margarita rolled into a Baby” (the term the brand uses for these mini joints). Pink Lady is described on the website as dry with spice and a lime-peel sharpness; we also found a full-bodied smokiness that came on very heavy from the first exhale. PAIRING

The way the smokiness of the Pink Lady plays with the sweetand-salty taste of the edible, I can see why they were designed as a matching set. There was never a moment when they tried to cancel each other out, but instead mellowed into one complex, layered flavor. You’d catch a big, bold spice at the beginning that naturally gave way to sweet citrus and salt, which would pull back to give space to the flavor of the former. What I loved most about putting these two together, though, was the timing for each. In the time it took to take the dog around the block, I’d already finished two joints plus a handful of edibles, and the three of us were ready to head in to watch some trash TV. PUREBEAUTYPUREBEAUTY.CO | @PUREBEAUTYPUREBEAUTY ROSELOSANGELES.COM | @ROSE_LOSANGELES ZUNICAFE.COM | @ZUNICAFE

REVIEW by MATT JACKSON/CALIFORNIA LEAF @CALIFORNIALEAFMAG | PHOTO by TERPODACTYL MEDIA @TERPODACTYL_MEDIA

THE TANNINS & TERPENES ISSUE

Dompen//Sonoma Hills Farm Pink Jesus Vape & Blue Bottle Hayes Valley Espresso Tonic

Dompen’s slim, silver all-in-one hardware has a total “Blade Runner” vibe.

SONOMAHILLSFARM.COM @SONOMAHILLSFARM

This month, we wanted to pair two items that represent what California residents can’t live without: cold espresso and Pink Jesus.

TANNINS

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Blue Bottle Coffee has grown from a small cafe in San Francisco to a worldwide chain with locations all over the U.S. and in Tokyo. This year, they claim to have cracked the code on iced espresso drinks by using a Kyoto-style, cold-extracted espresso. This big advancement from dropping a hot espresso shot into a cup of ice means you don’t get that layer of melted ice water between you and the flavor. Kevin Thaxton, Blue Bottle’s director of global development, said using the tonic creates a clean balance that lets all the flavors cut through. The espresso tonic is a classy summertime way to enjoy your coffee in the sun. Blue Bottle’s Kyoto-style espresso is paired with a homemade tonic syrup and poured over sparkling tonic water.

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TERPENES

Pink Jesus is a combination of Pink 2.0, Starfighter and Heirloom OG. On the Sonoma Hills Farm website, this strain is described as “a fully enveloping body high paired with a lifted cerebral experience.” Bred in San Francisco by Sam Magruder, the name came about when everyone at Sonoma Hills Farm who saw this strain exclaimed the same thing: “Jesus, it’s pink.” Since then, it’s been used to create fan-favorite flower, hash, ice cream, honey and even a fragrance. Now, it’s served up as a bright, flavorful live resin pen. Dompen’s slim, silver all-in-one hardware has a total “Blade Runner” vibe. What I liked about it was that even when I pulled a handful of times, the unit never got hot, and the flavor stayed true with each puff. Bright, sweet, floral and a little citrus, it’s hard not to rip on this pen all day just for the flavor.

DOMPEN.CO @DOMPEN.CO BLUEBOTTLECOFFEE.COM @BLUEBOTTLE

PAIRING

This is actually the second collaborative line between Sonoma Hills Farm and Dompen. Stefan Rehr, the chief financial officer of Gardenhouse, which manages Dompen, said, “We couldn’t be more excited to bring these genetics to both Dompen and Sonoma Hills Farm fans in vape form.” Rehr said the shared commitment to exceptional quality made partnering on a second line an easy decision. With such a clean, undiluted coffee experience, you get a lot of espresso notes commanding the drink. Then, the Pink Jesus pen and tonic syrup link up, cut in with a bright, clean flavor and land on a smooth, balanced finish. Plus, watching the tendrils of espresso reach into the tonic water is super fun to watch while you’re high.

REVIEW by MATT JACKSON @ACTIONMATTJACKSON @CALIFORNIALEAFMAG | PHOTO by CHRIS ROMAINE @KANDIDKUSH

TANNINS

When it’s time to get crunk while impressing your friends, you bust out some bottles of Pliny the Elder. The famous double-strength India pale ale is 8% alcohol and heralded the arrival of craft beer in California in the year 2000. Pliny used to be as rare as a Sasquatch, but the people have spoken: production ramped up, and now plebeians statewide can source this majestic gold brew from finer taprooms and liquor stores. Pliny the Elder reeks of syrupy, sweet-and-sour hoppy pine, citrus and stone fruit. It’s thick and full-bodied, yet bright and clear. Swig it from the bottle, or in a frosty mug, but always drink it fresh and cold.

TERPENES

Equally impressive to hash aesthetes, Budularo’s rare pressed hash is made from a truly unique strain called The Pearls. This piney, vintage, magic carpet ride of a high comes from a source strain that’s a hybrid of three types of sativas — Thai, Colombian and Mexican. The hash is bright, loud, herbal and spicy. It’s a light brownish mix of static sift and bubble hash that’s dry and malleable like clay — neither hard nor sticky. It’s sort of that sweet spot between the consistencies enjoyed by modern and old-school fans of traditional hash. Made and washed in-house by Heritage Hash Co., the notes of incense, sage and cedar smell like a library full of vintage books. The Pearls takes forever to flower, and it takes a lot to yield enough to make this hash. In fact, Budularo’s David Perkins is the singular madman willing to grow it. According to his Instagram, the plants took 20 weeks to finish up, which is why only 165 grams have gone out to the recreational market. The opposite of a cash crop — The Pearls is done for the love of the game.

California’s newest hash rarity and one of the most acclaimed craft beers combine into the most maximal forest therapy you can buy this side of the moon of Endor.

PAIRING

Combining Pliny the Elder and The Pearls hash is one of those only-in-California experiences that makes the state so mythical. One is lighting up all your taste buds with Simcoe, Amarillo, Citra, Tangier, Nectaron and CTZ hops while sedating you with ethanol. The other is firing up your synapses with 57% THC, 4% alpha- and beta-Pinene plus other terps, showing you a whole new world. Like Aladdin said to Jasmine, this is “Shining, shimmering, splendid.”

Combining Pliny the Elder and The Pearls hash is one of those only-in-California experiences that makes the state so mythical. BUDULARO.ORG @HEADGROWER RUSSIANRIVERBREWING.COM @RUSSIANRIVERBREWINGOFFICIAL

Budularo The Pearls & Russian River Brewing Company Pliny the Elder

REVIEW by DAVID DOWNS @DAVIDDOWNS for @CALIFORNIALEAFMAG | PHOTO by CHRIS ROMAINE @KANDIDKUSH

cooking with Cannabis

Cooking with

jack herer

Baklava is a dream to infuse, with amazing flavors in its flaky phyllo and canna-butter layers. The cucumber spirals are impressive to behold and taste wonderfully smoky and citrusy. Lemon curd is easy to make and even easier to eat with just a spoon and a screen. Jack Herer from Pruf Cultivar’s Curated Collection rocked these recipes.

laurie@laurieandmaryjane.com

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LEMON HAZE ON A TOASTED BAGUETTE Makes 12 slices 2 large lemons, zested and juiced (about a half cup) 1 cup granulated sugar 5 egg yolks, lightly beaten 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces 2 tablespoons canna-butter, cut into pieces

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1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch of salt 12 slices baguette, toasted 1 cup fresh berries, sliced if large 1/3 cup flaked coconut

1. In a medium bowl, combine the zest and sugar. Mash together with a wooden spoon or potato masher. 2. In a medium saucepan, combine the zest and sugar mixture, lemon juice, yolks and butters. Stir well to mix. Cook the mixture over low to medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butters are melted and the mixture thickens, about 12 to 15 minutes. 3. Remove from heat and place in a bowl. Stir in the vanilla and salt. The mixture will continue to thicken as it cools. 4. Place plastic wrap against the curd and chill for at least 2 hours. 5. Spread the curd over the toasted bread. Top with berries and flaked coconut.

HIGH TIDE ROLLS Serves 12, two pieces per serving 2 cucumbers, ends removed 4 teaspoons canna-butter, softened 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 5 ounces smoked salmon 5 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 scallions, cut into pieces 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons capers

1. Place the cucumbers on your work surface. Using a vegetable peeler, slice the cucumbers horizontally, trying to cut a slice that is the whole length of the cucumber. Pat the slices dry with a clean dish towel. 2. In a food processor, combine the canna-butter, cream cheese, salmon, mayonnaise, scallion, dill, lemon juice, pepper and salt. Process until smooth. 3. Spread each cucumber slice with the salmon mixture, 1 to 2 tablespoons each. Sprinkle with the capers. Tightly roll each slice. The slices will stay together; no need for a toothpick. 4. Place on a serving tray and enjoy.

ROSE & RESIN BAKLAVA Makes 30 servings 1 pound pistachios, lightly toasted 1 16-ounce package phyllo dough, defrosted 5 tablespoons canna-butter, melted 11 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup honey 1 tablespoon rose water 1. Heat oven to 340 F. 2. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. 3. In a food processor, chop the pistachios into a mediumfine texture. In a small bowl, combine both butters and mix well. 4. Unroll the phyllo dough and cover with a lightly dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place 2 sheets of dough in the pan, and brush with the butter. Place another sheet of dough on top and repeat with individual sheets of phyllo until you have layered 12 sheets. 5. Sprinkle the chopped nuts on top. From here, continue the pattern, adding the nuts with the butter in between each layer of dough. The top layers should be near 6 to 8 sheets high. 6. Using a sharp knife, cut to the bottom of the pan into diamond or square shapes. Bake for about 50 minutes, until baklava is golden and crisp. 7. While the baklava is baking, make the sauce! Boil sugar and water until the sugar is melted. Add vanilla, honey and rose water. Simmer slowly for about 45 minutes. 8. Remove baklava from the oven and immediately pour sauce over it. Let cool, and then enjoy.

RECIPES by LAURIE WOLF @LAURIEANDMARYJANE | PHOTOS by BRUCE WOLF @BRUCE_WOLF #DontFearTheEdible #BeKind #EatYourCannabis | Laurie@Laurieandmaryjane.com

book reviews

Page Burner Feast by Firelight

Simple Recipes for Camping, Cabins, and the Great Outdoors by Emma Frisch

One of my favorite ways to enjoy the full expression of tannins and terpenes is over a campfire, under the stars.

Bright flavor. Indoor flower. Full-family lineup. LEARN MORE AT GOGREENLINE.COM *A spent cannabis cartridge shall be properly disposed of as hazardous waste at a household hazardous waste facility or other approved facility.

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GOOD FOOD and good Cannabis just taste better in the great outdoors. The crackle of firewood as the joint makes its way around the circle. The scents of sharp pine and fresh dirt swirling with gooey s’mores and salty popcorn. It all sharpens the senses, turning simple meals into something a little more magical. It’s a reminder that cooking outside isn't just about the food, but rather about slowing down enough to feel a little more connected to the people around the fire and the ground underneath you. So when I'm packing for a weekend in the woods, “Feast by Firelight” by Emma Frisch always makes it into my duffel bag. The book includes more than 80 camp-friendly recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus happy hour and homemade trail snacks. From simple no-bake chocolate pretzel power bars to fuel up before a hike to molten lava brownies baked in hollowed-out orange peels right in the coals of your evening campfire — there’s a flavor for every adventurer. Beyond the recipes, Frisch packs in quick, practical tips for fireside cooking with confidence. There's a helpful checklist for building your outdoor kitchen and packing your cooler, plus guidance on fueling a camp stove properly, following Leave No Trace principles, and safely smothering a grease fire. During a recent alfresco dining experience, we whipped up the Tiramisu French Toast with Strawberries from page 72 for breakfast. Pro tip: Stopping at a farm stand to pick up local wildflower honey and fresh strawberries on the way to our spot was so worth it. This recipe paired perfectly with some morning rips of Kimbo Kush (Blackberry Kush x Starfighter F2) hash from 710 Labs. Sour green apple notes from its Starfighter lineage balanced the ripe, sweet strawberries and tart mascarpone beautifully. With my coffee and a full jar, I was content to hang out at the picnic table long after the plates were cleared.

"Beyond the recipes, Frisch packs in quick, practical tips for fireside cooking with confidence." EMMAFRISCH.COM @EMMAFRISCH

ROKO INC • C11-0002069-LIC • 21+ ONLY

sept. 2026

STORY by KATHERINE WOLF @KATADELLIC

patient of the month

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BIGMIKE There’s one uncontestable and concrete fact that everyone who’s been a part of this hash and weed scene for the last decade knows to be true: Big Mike loves you.

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A fundraising dinner for Big Mike this summer helped raise money toward his kidney transplant.

MICHAEL “BIG MIKE” JACKSON has been a part “I don’t know if it’s the of the hash scene on the West Coast for 15-plus plant that gives me peace,” years. He’s watched the evolution, from dabbing Jackson told the Leaf, “but slabs of butane hash oil to single-source solventless. I know that this plant allows He’s chopped it up with icons of the community, like me the space and the breath Frenchy Cannoli and Mila Jansen, and was chosen that I need to find peace. by Mothership Glass to hide one of their It allows me the glass eggs last Easter. grace to pause In 2022 — after being diagnosed and the reason to with Stage 4 chronic kidney disease and push.” wanting to get himself and his family Part of that push out of the city — he moved to central has been docuCalifornia and started making hash. menting his daily Watching hash makers and studying cullife on Instagram. BIG MIKE JAX tivation since the Chalice Festival days, “When I started KIDNEY he knew this was something he’d be documenting my TRANSPLANT truly passionate about jumping into. journey online, FUNDRAISER Jackson said that the first year, I hated posting. GOFUND.ME/ watering the greenhouse while holding But now, my DMs D95E9F0DD his medication bag in the other hand, are flooded with people who have been helped him discover how much dopacomforted or inspired by these posts, and mine and serotonin came from doing what he always I realize it’s so much bigger than myself now,” he knew he’d have the skills for. Now, he sees the said. “I’ve been through some dark stuff and dealt benefits of Cannabis use in the way it deals with not with some serious demons, but I’ve never felt menphysical pain but the mental stress of staying positive tally or spiritually stronger, thanks to this plant.” and thankful. Like so many of us, “when I found Cannabis people, I knew I found my misfits, my people,” Jackson said. “Growing up a big fat dude named Michael “I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S THE Jackson, I was an easy target in Los Angeles, and it was rough.” PLANT THAT GIVES ME PEACE,” He said that through the plant, he was able to JACKSON TOLD THE LEAF, quickly build a place in the community. “BUT I KNOW THAT THIS PLANT “It unlocked my true character and what I have to ALLOWS ME THE SPACE AND offer in this world, and that’s love,” he said. Jackson wants to be the person at the sesh who THE BREATH THAT I NEED TO welcomes everyone, who gives anyone who might FIND PEACE. IT ALLOWS ME have felt like him a chance to come to the table, hit THE GRACE TO PAUSE AND THE the rig and see if this might also be your group of misfits. REASON TO PUSH.”

The dialysis treatments and medications tend to take a lot out of Jackson nowadays, but he said he’s been in the gym getting ready to sesh with everyone at Puffcon. It’s a time, Jackson told the Leaf, that feels like a family reunion. This year, he’ll be hosting the first blood drive at the Puffcon lot. Working with LifeSource, which has been involved in Bleed for Weed blood drives in other states, he’ll give every donor a special gift at his booth once the event kicks off. Jackson has one of those positive energies that inspires us all to be a little more thankful. “The world has got a lot of pain and turmoil,” he said at the start. “To be able to wake up and have the privilege to do what you love, to be consumed by passion and art and love and community and culture — it’s a privilege, and I’m so grateful for it.” @NOTBIGMIKEJAX | @BIGMIKEJAX

STORY by MATT JACKSON @ACTIONMATTJACKSON @CALIFORNIALEAFMAG | PHOTOS by CHRIS ROMAINE @KANDIDKUSH

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Back to life A veteran reckons with war, sobriety

and healing When Rick Glass thinks about Iraq, he doesn't begin with politics. He remembers the sound. A Maryland native who grew up an hour outside Washington, D.C., Glass was close enough to Saddam Hussein's statue to hear it being toppled. Days earlier, his unit had assaulted Al-Faw Palace and was trying to replenish ammunition when they came under heavy fire. His friend, John Keeney, was hit by a sniper's round in the elbow. “I was eating an MRE, and while I heard rounds going overhead, that one sounded very different,” the Marine recalled, noting it took 13 surgeries to save his gunner’s arm. Years later, Glass would come to understand that surviving combat was only the beginning of his battle.

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“I WOKE UP ANGRY FOR YEARS,” he said. “And in all honesty, I still wake up angry.” As the United States approaches the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, Glass knows that day will carry a weight difficult for most Americans to understand. “The 25th anniversary of 9/11 is going to evoke a lot of emotion for me,” he said, “because I know it’s part of the reason why I served time in combat.” Glass doesn’t question the horror of Sept. 11. What he questions is what came afterward — and whether the sacrifices made by people like him were justified. “I’m patriotic, but I also think it’s good to question things, including your government,” he said. “I guess I’m still looking for those weapons of mass destruction,” he added, shaking his head. Sometimes, Glass said, veterans need a reason for losing someone. They convince themselves that their fallen friends died for a greater purpose. But genuine healing may require confronting something harder. “There are some people in that picture who aren’t here today, and don’t get me wrong, they’re heroes — every last one of them,” Glass said. “But their death is also a result of their government lying.” He knows how provocative that sounds to another veteran. “When you say to another veteran, ‘Your buddy died in vain,’ that’s enough for them to want to physically confront you,” he said. “But if we’re talking from a true place of healing, we might have to really come to a place of, like, ‘Dude, we don’t have to lie to each other anymore.’” Glass eventually found himself fighting another war — one that followed him home. On April 19, 2017, he was arrested for his third DUI. He now credits the Westminster Police Department with giving him his sobriety date: April 20. At the time, Glass didn’t even use Cannabis. “420 is a holiday that I used to make fun of my Cannabis-consuming friends for celebrating,” he said. “And now it’s one of the biggest days of the year for me.” Sobriety forced Glass to confront things he had spent years avoiding. While drinking, he convinced himself that he enjoyed shaving in the shower. He told himself it gave him a closer shave, but what he was really doing was dodging a necessary conversation with his reflection.

“The only thing I was doing was avoiding looking education, community resources and reducing stigma at myself in that mirror,” he said. around the plant. Recovery meant becoming willing to look. He wants people to understand cannabinoids, Nine years into sobriety, Glass is married, a terpenes, consumption methods and the differences homeowner for the first time in his life and credits between products rather than simply telling them his wife as one of the most stabilizing forces in his what to use. recovery. “I think a lot of people are gravitating towards About a year into sobriety, he was struggling with Cannabis, but I think there is a severe lack of negative effects from prescription medication. education,” he said. He began researching “Cannabis personally saved my Cannabis and its life.” use among veterans. A man who once mocked 420 He had only used now considers April 20 his sobriety Cannabis a handful anniversary. A Marine who went to of times before, war believing in the mission now always while drinking. questions the government that sent He decided to try it him. A man who once avoided his intentionally. own reflection now spends his life “Let’s see what confronting the things he would happens if you rather not see. actually start using “There’s just so many things that this plant intentionally if I knew then what I know now, I as medicine,” he feel like I would be so much further remembered telling in life,” he said. “Sometimes that himself. actually is a source of frustration for What Glass wanted me, but I just have to understand most was sleep. that all this is part of my story.” “I personally believe Glass doesn’t consider himself if you don’t have religious. But he has come good sleep, you don’t to believe that the seemingly have good anything,” disconnected pieces of his life may he said. “The first time not be so disconnected after all. Cannabis wasn’t the I used Cannabis, I got “If I never went to Iraq, would end of his recovery; a restful sleep. When I I have ever used Cannabis?” he it became another woke up, I literally got asked. “I don’t know. Possibly, tool in it. He also tears in my eyes and possibly not. I just think for a believes veterans said to myself, ‘Is this reason, everything is tied together.” deserve serious how normal people That belief has given him a sense scientific research into feel every single of purpose. Through Canna Cares, other forms of plant day?’” he wants to help people ask difficult medicine, including For Glass, questions about their health, their psilocybin. Cannabis wasn’t medications and what recovery can the end of his recovery; it became another tool look like. But he is careful not to present himself as in it. He also believes veterans deserve serious someone who has figured it all out. scientific research into other forms of plant medicine, “I got so much to work on,” he said. “I have so including psilocybin. many character defects. I’m just starting to unplug a “If you asked me about drugs 10 years ago, I lot of these things that are going on in my life.” probably wouldn’t have had the same answer,” he Cannabis, he said, “has allowed me to live my life said. “But now, I think every single drug out there more. It allows me to participate more.” has its benefit if it’s used in a scientific way with a And perhaps most tellingly, it has allowed him to scientific approach.” feel. Glass’ philosophy is simple: Veterans deserve “Cannabis gives me empathy; it gives me more tools, better research and the freedom to find compassion,” he said. “I cry more now than I ever what actually helps them heal. did, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.” That belief has led him beyond his own recovery. For the past three years, Glass has been building CANNACARESMD.COM Canna Cares, a 501(c)(3) focused on Cannabis @RICKGLASS420

STORY by BAXSEN PAINE @BAXSENPAINE for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by GREG MALCOLM @MARYLAND.CONNOISSEUR

studio sessions

A self-described “meme artist,” Wookerson’s illustrations are verbal vignettes taken from his experiences growing up in the glassblowing, Grateful Dead and Cannabis scenes.

WOOK

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FTEN FILTERED THROUGH

the language of classic cartoons and comic characters, his work has an instantly recognizable style that’s become part of the visual identity of Cannabis culture. Famous for his slogan, “You can’t smoke hash all day if you don’t start in the morning,” Wookerson’s pieces pair cultural statements and non sequiturs with images distilled through a ‘90s kid’s culture-sponge of a brain. No doubt, Wookerson found a lot of inspiration growing up with the works of artists like Bill Watterson, Charles Schulz, Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. However, it’s the statements and impact their pieces have had on people that fascinate him more than just the lines on the paper. Wookerson said that while he’s always loved making art, it wasn’t until the pandemic and some prodding from Banjo Glass that he felt launched into creating the ideas he had inside his head. “The pandemic forced me to try shit, to look at myself and ask, what did I really have control over besides my own art?”

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He posted some drawings at @lotcomedy. “It was just putting things out there to see what would happen,” he said. What started as just a meme page has ballooned into an art career and a position as sort of a cartoonist for the culture. Speaking from his home in San Francisco, he showed us the first few projects he worked on with brands like Feeling Frosty, Have Hash and Professor Sift. “These really opened things up and brought my art in front of a lot of people’s eyes.” With hash and weed being the focus of so much of his personal and client-driven art, we were curious how much it’s involved in his actual studio time. “I’m mostly in there after the kids go to bed, so the art and the smoking are all kind of part of the same ritual.” Just like choosing between a pencil and a paintbrush, Wookerson uses hash for allnight screen-printing sessions and reserves flower for things like oil painting. “For me, weed is more of a relaxing, mindwandering experience, and dabs are like a cup of coffee,” he explained.

Wookerson

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OKERSON On the day we spoke, Dolly Parton had passed, and so Wookerson’s studio was filled with the sounds of Parton, Linda Ronstadt and other ‘80s ladies of country. “There is a level of what I do in my art that’s connected to my mother,” he told Leaf Magazines. “A lot of the time, the music I have on while I work is a mix of the rock and bluegrass I grew up hearing from her.” Still inspired by the sights and sounds of his youth, the work he’s making right now is more focused on references to contemporary figures. “A lot of the inspiration for my work has been getting more current, and as that happens, the characters popping up have been the heroes of my adulthood as well as my childhood.” Wookerson told us he sees a lot of this next capsule collection as being focused on typography paired with the larger-than-life figures in the Cannabis scene. Having been a kid raised on a steady diet of pop culture, he stopped a moment, smiled and added, “but you know, GTA 6 is also coming.”

“What started as just a meme page has ballooned into an art career and a position as sort of a cartoonist for the culture.” STORY by MATT JACKSON @ACTIONMATTJACKSON for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS & ILLUSTRATIONS by WOOKERSON & KEY CURATIONS See more of their work at LeafMagazines.com

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These days, there are a plethora of pot-infused beverages to choose from… but for thousands of years, there was really only one bud-laced brew: the original Cannabis cocktail, bhang. Sometimes referred to as the “nectar of the gods,” this marijuana milkshake from India has been bringing all the boys (and girls) to the yard since the dawn of recorded history. WHAT IS BHANG? Originating from the Sanskrit word “bhanga,” meaning “hemp,” the Urdu/Hindi term “bhang” has been used on the Indian subcontinent since the Vedic Period (late Bronze Age) to refer to Cannabis leaves, seeds and stems (flowers are called “ganjah,” and resin is known as “charas”). But bhang’s definition extends beyond just the leaves — it can also mean an edible paste made by grinding up the leaves or a beverage containing that paste: namely, bhang thandai or bhang lassi. The paste is blended with various combinations of ground nuts, herbs, seeds, spices and warm milk for a bhang thandai or yogurt for the thicker version, bhang lassi. The mixture is then cooled (thandai means “cooling off”) and garnished with rose petals and pistachios. The result is a rich, refreshing beverage similar to an iced chai or smoothie that’s said to calm the mind and body. But for Indians, bhang is more than just a deliciously dank drink — it’s integral to their cultural and spiritual traditions. LORD OF THE BHANG The first written accounts of bhang appear in Hinduism’s sacred texts, the Vedas (2000-1400 BCE), which classify it among the most sacred of plants — calling it a “source of happiness,” a “joy-giver” and a “liberator.” Bhang appears repeatedly in Indian mythology, usually in connection with the god Shiva.

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In the story of Samudra Manthan, a group of “Devas” (gods) and “Asuras” (demons) conducted a “churning of the cosmic oceans” (Samudra Manthan) to create an “elixir of immortality” called “amrita” (“ambrosia” to the Greeks). Legend has it that a few drops of this amrita fell to earth, and those spots were where the first Cannabis plants sprouted up. Unfortunately, this churning also created a poison potent enough to destroy all life called “halahala.” To save the universe, Shiva drank all of the poison himself, turning his throat blue and causing him agonizing pain. Rushing to his aid, his consort, the goddess Parvati, gave him a cup of bhang, alleviating his suffering. In another tale, after Shiva argues with Parvati, he retreats to the mountains and falls asleep under a “leafy plant.” Upon awakening, he’s hungry and anxious, but feels instantly rejuvenated after chewing the leaves, and decides to gift the plant to humanity. Shiva used bhang regularly to relax and focus during meditation, and was even rumored to bathe in it. Since artists have often depicted Shiva with stoney eyes, dreadlocks, and smoking charas or drinking bhang, he’s considered the first “hippie god” and has been bestowed the epithet “Lord of the Bhang.”

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Big Bhang Theory

HOLI SMOKE Given the close connection between Shiva and Cannabis, it’s no surprise that bhang is a sacred component of holidays honoring him. Maha Shivaratri (Great Night of Shiva), which is observed in the Hindu month of Phalgun (February-March), commemorates Shiva and Parvati’s nuptials. During this celebration, Shiva’s worshippers consume bhang leaves and beverages and present them to him as “prasad” (a religious offering). Another Shiva-related holiday widely associated with bhang is Holi, also known as the “Festival of Colors.” According to Hindu lore, when Shiva’s first wife Sati died, he flew into a distraught rage and performed a “Tandava” (dance of destruction), after which he fell into a trance-like state of mourning. Unbeknownst to him, part of Sita’s spirit survived and was reincarnated as Parvati. When Parvati asked Kamadeva (the Hindu god of love) for assistance, Kamadeva shot a bhang-dipped arrow into Shiva — breaking his trance and causing him to fall in love with Parvati anew. That day became Holi.

Parvati offering bhang to Shiva. Watercolor by Kailash Raj.

“Bhang appears repeatedly in Indian mythology, usually in connection with the god Shiva, who has

Observed on the full moon after Maha Shivaratri, Holi is a joyous two-day festival that celebrates the coming of spring by dancing, singing, feasting, laughing, dousing fellow celebrants with bright colored powders and liquids … and of course, drinking lots of bhang thandai and lassi. AYURVEDA India also values Cannabis for its medicinal properties, as part of its ancient holistic wellness system known as “Ayurveda” (Sanskrit for “knowledge of life”). In Ayurvedic texts dating back to the eighth century CE, bhang is prescribed to treat such varied ailments as nausea, anxiety, inflammation, indigestion, insomnia, migraines, malaria, rheumatism and even skin disorders. In fact, it was recommended for so many illnesses that it has been called the “penicillin of Ayurvedic medicine.” Of course, Ayurveda does not promote full-on intoxication, which it considers an abuse that can lead to mental disorders, such as Tamas (delusion and lethargy) and Rajas (hyperactivity). Rather, it advocates moderate, mindful consumption of bhang to maintain physiological and psychological balance — which, given what we know today about the endocannabinoid system, makes perfect sense.

each. Describing the effects, he observed that one man “wept bitterly all afternoon,” one was “terrified with fear,” a few were “complimenting each other in high terms” and one “fought with one of the wooden pillars of the porch” until his knuckles were raw. As for Bowrey himself, he confessed that he “sat sweating for the space of three hours in exceeding measure.”

BESOTTED BRITS The earliest English account of bhang comes from an East India Company merchant captain named Thomas Bowrey. During his first visit to India’s Bengal region in 1673, he noticed that the inhabitants didn’t drink alcohol, but instead found “means to besott (sic) themselves Enough with Bangha and Gangah.” Two years later, while on shore leave there, he and his men decided to try some for themselves — guzzling pints of the “bewitching” beverage, which they purchased for sixpence

THE INDIAN HEMP COMMISSION When the British took control of India in the 18th century, they were reportedly alarmed about the pervasive use of Cannabis there. And so, in 1798, the East India Company enacted a tax on bhang, ganja and charas, hoping to reduce its usage “for the sake of the natives’ good health and sanity.” In 1893, Parliament took a step further — appointing a commission of medical professionals

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EUROPEAN EXPOSURE It wasn’t until the 16th century that the West became aware of bhang. The earliest record of bhang in Europe comes from a Jewish Portuguese botanist/physician in Goa named Garcia da Orta. In his 1534 treatise “Colloquies on the Simples and Drugs and Medic- Portrait of Jan Huygen van Linschoten from inal Matters of India and of a Few his “Itinerario.” Fruits,” Orta wrote extensively about “bangue” — apparently rejecting the idea that it was the same as English hemp, and explaining how inhabitants enjoyed chewing it, smoking it or grinding it into powder and drinking it with spices because it “intoxicates like opium.” “The profit from its use is for the man … to be raised above all cares and anxieties, and it makes some break into a foolish laugh,” Orta observed. “Those of my servants who took it … said that it made them so as not to feel work, to be very happy, and to have a craving for food.” Around 60 years later, a Dutch merchant/cartographer also living in Goa, Jan Huygen van Linschoten, wrote about bhang in his 1596 book, “Itinerario” (aka “The Voyage of John Huyghen Van Linschoten to the East Indies”). In it, he notes that bhang “… maketh a good appetite, but useth most to provoke lust … to reele and looke as if they were drunke, and halfe foolish, doing nothing but laugh and bee merrie.”

KNOX & HOOKE Another East India sailor who was instrumental in introducing bhang to England was Robert Knox. While sailing to Persia in January 1658, Knox’s ship was damaged and forced to port in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), where the king took the entire crew prisoner. After two decades in captivity, Knox managed to escape and sail to a Dutch settlement on the north of the island. Along the way, he was forced to drink muddy pond water, which made him deathly ill. Luckily, the locals offered him bhang, which fixed him right up. “… we learned an Antidote and Counter-Poyson against the filthy venemous (sic) water … that after the use thereof we had no more Sickness,” Knox attested in his 1681 book “An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon.” “It is only a dry leaf: they call it in Portugueze Banga ... and this we eat Morning and Evening upon an empty Stomach. It intoxicates the Brain, and makes one giddy.” After returning to England, Knox was able to procure more “Banga,” some of which he gifted to his friend, scientist Robert Hooke. Hooke spent a month studying the plant, noting in his diary that he found it to be “wholesome, though for a time it takes away the memory and understanding.” On Dec. 18, he gave a lecture at the Royal Society about the herb, which he proposed could “prove as considerable a Medicine.” Sadly, Hooke’s attempt to introduce Cannabis into Western pharmacopeia was unsuccessful; it would be another century and a half until Britain recognized its medical potential, with credit instead going to Dr. W.B. O’Shaughnessy in 1844.

to launch an extensive study of the cultivation, trade, consumption and cultural/religious significance of Cannabis in Indian society. Published in 1894, the “Indian Hemp Drugs Commission Report” concluded that excessive use of bhang was rare, that moderate use was harmless and that to outlaw it would “cause widespread unrest among Hindu and Muslim communities alike.” And so, Cannabis remained legal in India for the next 60-odd years … that is, until the dawn of the drug war. BAN THE BHANG? In 1961, the United Nations enacted the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs — an Bhang shop in Jaisalmer India. international treaty banning all nonmedical drugs that was adopted by 73 nations, including India. However, since the treaty only specified “the flowering or fruiting tops of the Cannabis plant … from which the resin has not been extracted” as a narcotic, bhang was exempt from the ban. Then, in 1985, under pressure from the U.S., India passed an even stricter drug law — the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Nevertheless, the previous legal loophole held, as the NDPS clearly differentiated ganja and charas from bhang, once again excluding bhang from the prohibition (upheld by India’s high court in Karnataka in August 2022). Though permitted on a national level, many states still passed their own laws restricting or outright prohibiting bhang. In towns where it is permitted (mostly in Northern areas like Uttar Pradesh), it’s sold in government-licensed shops that regulate how it’s sold and to whom. GOING OUT WITH A BHANG Regardless of its legality, Cannabis remains India’s most popular intoxicant, with Mumbai and Delhi both listed among the top ten cities in the world for Cannabis use. According to a 2019 survey by India’s Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, about 2.8% of citizens (nearly 39 million people) still drink bhang regularly. After 3,000 years, it’s safe to say that bhang — and Cannabis in general —remain deeply ingrained in India’s spirituality and culture. Bobby Black is a former senior editor and 21-year veteran of High Times magazine, executive director of the World of Cannabis Museum Project, and host of the Cannthropology podcast. For more Cannabis history visit cannthropology.com.

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been bestowed the epiteth “Lord of the Bhang.”