May 2019 — Northwest Leaf

THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE

FORMER NFL PLAYER MATTHEW MCCOY WITH BROTHER AND FELLOW CO-OWNER, JEFF MCCOY, AT 1937 FARMS, THEIR TIER II CANNABIS PRODUCTION FACILITY IN DUVALL,WA.

/ 1937 FARMS GARDEN TOUR / HOUSE OF CULTIVAR SPOTLIGHT / DABSTARS INTERVIEW / PHYLOS BIOSCIENCE / STONER OWNER MAD MARK SEEGMULLER FREE / NWLEAF.COM

# 1 0 7 | M AY 2 0 1 9

BEHIND THE SCENES SPECIAL ISSUE / PG.40-59

INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010

THE harvest issue

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 twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children. Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 years of age or older.

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cannabis that gives back to washington This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgement. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. For us only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of reach of children. There may be health risks associated with this drug.

may 2019

behind the scenes issue

JONAH “TACOMA” SANFORD DABS AS NORTHWEST LEAF EDITOR WES ABNEY SMOKES CANNAGARS ALONGSIDE SANFORD’S FIANCÉE, JESS LARUE.

PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

11 Editor’s Note 12 Cannabis News 14 by the numbers 16 jerry whiting 20 bring it to bonnie 26 shop highlight 28 women in weed 30 patient profile 32 highly likely

36 strain of the month 40 1937 farms 46 house of cultivar 50 dabstars q&a 54 phylos bioscience 58 mad mark seegmueller 62 tasty recipes 66 breeder of the month 70 stoney baloney

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Warning: This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Cannabis can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of the drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of the product. For use only by adults twenty-one years or older. Keep out of reach of children.

behind the scenes issue

10

MAD MARK CANNABIS CONCENTRATE PRODUCER-PROCESSOR MARK SEEGMULLER

nwleAF.COM

STONER OWNER Q&A | PG. 58

MAY 2019

PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

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

WES

ABNEY

Editor’s Note Northwest Leaf is going Behind the Scenes in this Issue!

ON THE COVER Matthew and Jeff McCoy The brothers and cofounders behind 1937 Farms talk about their journey with Cannabis. pg. 40-43 photo by daniel berman @bermanphotos

CONTRIBUTORS

PUBLISHER

Steve Elliott National News

WES ABNEY | founder & editor-in-chief Wes@nwleaf.com 206-235-6721

Danielle Halle Features Jeff Porterfield Design Mike Ricker Features Meghan Ridley Editing

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Daniel bermaN | photography & design daniel@bermanphotos.com

Pacer Stacktrain Features Chet Strange Photos Laurie & Bruce Wolf Recipes

ADVERTISING Shane vancamp | ADVERTISING SALES shane@nwleaf.com 253-561-6837

We do not sell stories or coverage. We are happy to offer design services and guidance on promoting your company’s recreational, commercial or industrial Cannabis product or upcoming event. We are targeted and independent Cannabis journalism. Email or call to discuss advertising.

CONNECT WITH THE LEAF @NWLEAF

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N O RT H W E S T L E A F / O R EG O N L E A F / AL AS KA L E A F

My favorite part of the Cannabis industry is the connection between people and our beloved plant. It all starts with a seed rooted in soil, which is a wonderful metaphor for a relationship that has existed for thousands of years. I find so much of my life is rooted in Cannabis, and partake of the plant for medicinal and pleasurable reasons daily.

11 A behavior once deemed illegal, now widely accepted but still largely misunderstood. Which is exactly why we share our behind the scenes issue of the Leaf!

Today’s Cannabis marketplace is booming with I BELIEVE THAT patients and recreational users alike, benefiting EVERY TIME WE from a plant and industry the average American still misunderstands. Our theme this month takes a look TELL SOMEONE at a few of the many people and companies that ABOUT THE are changing how Cannabis is perceived, produced, BENEFITS OF processed and sold. There are endless stories to tell, which is how we’ve filled magazines for nearly nine CANNABIS, WE years - and I hope you enjoy this issue. I recommend ARE PLANTING hopping onto our website for a glimpse into the other A SEED FOR A issues of the Leaf for some unique local content.

All that said, I’d like to take a moment to offer a BETTER FUTURE. glimpse behind the scenes of Leaf Nation. When I began working on the first magazine (Northwest Leaf) in early 2010, Cannabis legalization was a distant hope at best, and a fanciful pipe dream we puffed at constantly.

I consider myself extremely lucky and blessed to have been surrounded by a team of people passionate about the plant, and a consumer base that is so hungry for information, leading us to print over three million free copies in the last decade.

As Cannabis has emerged from prohibition, the drive for knowledge and social reparations has only grown stronger! It warms my heart to see so many lives changed for the better, and for enlightenment to be spreading with each new mind changed about Cannabis.

While our magazines have a large footprint across four states, we are fueled by a relatively small team of people who really care about Cannabis. And so I want to thank every member of the Leaf team who has worked through deadlines and piles of Cannabis to bring the best magazines possible to our readers. Without their massive efforts made to build fresh magazines each month, you wouldn’t be reading my words today. I’d also like to thank all our advertisers, and especially you, our readers. I hope that you enjoy reading and learning about Cannabis as much as we do sharing the Leaf, and that it has a positive impact on your life.

-Wes Abney

MAY 2019

national news

12

justice system

weird

TRENDS

LAWMAKERS APPROVE BILL EXPUNGING 69,000 CANNABIS CONVICTIONS

POT SMOKERS WEIGH LESS THAN NONSMOKERS ACCORDING TO NEW STUDY

CBS NEWS POLL FINDS 65 PERCENT OF AMERICANS WANT LEGAL MARIJUANA

On April 16th, the Washington State House of Representatives approved a bill expunging nearly 69,000 misdemeanor Cannabis convictions. The bill, which originated in the Senate, passed the House on a 69-29 vote.

It returns to the Senate for reconciliation of an amendment added

by House representatives.

The amendment specifies that the bill applies to misdemeanor Cannabis convictions under municipal ordinances, in addition to charges brought under state law, reports The Tacoma News Tribune.

The bill will head to Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk after being re-approved by the Senate. According to the Washington State Patrol, 58,864 individuals with 68,543 misdemeanor Cannabis convictions would be eligible for expungements under the proposal.

Those with cleared convictions will be able to legally write on job and housing applications that they were never convicted of marijuana related “crimes.”

Recent research findings from Michigan State University suggest that adult pot smokers actually weigh less than non-smokers. The findings showed that, contrary to the popular belief that marijuana will lead to weight gain, those who don’t smoke it are actually out-weighing pot users.

“Even [pot users] who just started were more likely to be at a normal, healthier weight, and stay at that weight,” said lead study author Okayama Alshaaraway.

Researchers used data from the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions to compare the body mass indexes (BMIs) of 33,000 participants 18 and older. Even though the difference is small — about two pounds — it was consistent.

“Over a three-year period, all participants showed a weight increase, but interestingly, those who used marijuana had less of an increase compared to those that never used.”

JOB MARKET

Cannabis legalization in Washington state doesn’t appear to have influenced teens to use it, according to a new study from Washington State University. According to the study, marijuana use dropped significantly amongst 8th and 10th graders after legalization in 2012, and remained level for 12th graders, for those who work less than 11 hours a week at a job.

One striking feature of the study was the element of work and marijuana. No matter what grade — 8th, 10th, and 12th — teens who had worked more than 11 hours a week tended to use Cannabis more often than their jobless peers. Presumably, they can afford the stuff. This also further debunks the already discredited “amotivational syndrome.”

After legalization in “TEENS WHO HAD Washington, 4.8 percent WORKED MORE of non-working 8th graders THAN 11 HOURS A WEEK TENDED admitted to using pot in TO USE CANNABIS the past month, contrasted MORE OFTEN with 20.8 percent of their THAN THEIR employed peers. Among JOBLESS PEERS” 10th graders, the difference was 13.9 percent versus 33.2 percent.

Twelfth graders saw the highest levels of Cannabis use, with 20.5 percent of nonworking teens using Cannabis in the past 30 days, and 36.7 percent of those working.

The study was led by WSU College of Nursing Assistant Professor Janessa Graves.

The study used data from the state’s biennial Healthy Youth Survey from 2010 and 2016.

nwleAF.COM

NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL BARS COMPANIES FROM TESTING JOB APPLICANTS FOR CANNABIS In a groundbreaking measure, the New York City Council has passed a bill banning most companies from testing job applicants for Cannabis use.

The bill, approved by the council April 9th, is also supported by Mayor Bill de Blasio. The change will take effect one year after the mayor signs it into law.

The legislation was sponsored by New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. According to Williams, testing for Cannabis has meant the loss of job opportunities for far too many New Yorkers already.

“Testing isn’t a deterrent to using marijuana, it’s an impediment to opportunity that dates back to the Reagan era — a War On Drugs measure that’s now a war on workers,” Williams said. “Prospective employers don’t test for alcohol, so marijuana should be no different.”

MAY 2019

TRENDS

FEWER WASHINGTON TEENS USING CANNABIS AFTER LEGALIZATION

Sixty-five percent of Americans now think Cannabis should be legal, a record high in CBS News polling.

Most people view marijuana as safer than alcohol, and believe it is less dangerous than other drugs, according to the poll. Support for legalization has grown among some groups long opposed to the idea, with 56 percent of Republicans thinking marijuana use should be legal.

That’s the first time a majority of GOP respondents have supported legalization in a CBS News poll.

As they have for years, Americans (51 percent) say Cannabis is safer than alcohol, with just 6 percent saying weed is more harmful.

legalization

CORPORATE GIANTS BATTLE WITH MMJ CAREGIVERS FOR CONTROL IN MICHIGAN Big business interests, lured by new regulations and the promise of a profitable recreational market, are clashing with medical marijuana caregivers and patient needs in Michigan.

The tension played out in Lansing on April 18th as medical marijuana patients, caregivers and business owners filled a courtroom at the Hall of Justice, reports mLive. Court of Claims Judge Stephen Burrell heard eight cases, all regarding medical marijuana regulation.

Though most of the cases regarded a licensure compliance deadline, which state officials have been trying to impose since June 2018, a bigger conflict was evident. One case before Judge Burrell, The Curing Corner v. Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, specifically asks THE TENSION for medical caregiver products PLAYED OUT to supply the licensed industry IN LANSING through the end of the year.

ON APRIL 18TH The state’s two largest licensed AS MEDICAL growers, VB Chesaning and MARIJUANA Green Peak Industries, had tried to PATIENTS, become parties to that lawsuit, but CAREGIVERS Burrell denied their motion. Their AND BUSINESS representatives were still in the OWNERS FILLED courtroom, observing.

A COURTROOM For the past year, state AT THE HALL OF regulators have allowed untested JUSTICE medical Cannabis grown by caregivers to be sold to patients at provisioning centers.

As fully regulated growers have entered the picture, they’re not producing the specialty medicinal products that medical Cannabis patients need.

“A lot of the medicinal products that our patients are used to using, and have been used to using for years, I have not been shown from licensed growers or processors,” Amy McKinnon-Glue, manager of licensed provisioning center Curint Corner in River Rouge, testified in court.

With patients facing the prospect of losing needed medical products, licensed growers in Michigan worry they won’t be able to sell their products to dispensaries due to competition from medical caregivers.

“Our licenses are worthless in this market,” read a letter signed by High Life Farms’ CFO James LaPorte.

BY STEVE ELLIOTT, AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF MARIJUANA

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29393 STATE RT. 410E, Suite D (by Buckley Public Market) BUCKLEY, WA This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgement. 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 the reach of children. Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 years of age or older.

national news

Carl’s Jr. unveiled the Rocky Mountain High Cheese Burger Delight on Saturday, April 20, 2019 at the Carl’s Jr. in Denver, CO. The cheeseburger, a double cheeseburger with jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, waffle fries and sauce infused with CBD oil, was sold for $4.20.

14

HIGH DINING

CARL’S JR. COOKS UP A CBD BURGER STUNT

nwleAF.COM

IN CELEBRATION OF 4/20, Carl’s Jr. decided to join the craze by unveiling the Rocky Mountain Cheeseburger Delight - a double cheeseburger with jalapeños, waffle fries, pepper jack cheese and Carl’s Jr. Santa Fe sauce infused with CBD oil. The exclusive release was only available at one Carl’s Jr. location in Denver, for one day only. But for dedicated celebrators of 4/20, the burger AVAILABLE AT was a perfect cure for the ONE CARL’S JR. munchies. The waffle fries, LOCATION IN DENVER, FOR jalapeños, and two beef patties ONE DAY ONLY. made it satisfying for everyone partaking in the day, and the CBD made sure everyone who ate it felt good afterward.

The store began selling the burger at 6:00 AM, and a steady stream of people filtered through the store to spend the $4.20 for the burger and a free t-shirt. As the tee appropriately read…“I was there and I inhaled it.”

Restaurants, bars, ice cream and coffee shops around the state offer CBD products, so it was only a matter of time before a major chain decided to jump in with products of their own.

It remains to be seen if a larger rollout will follow, but for now, if you weren’t there on 4/20, a regular burger will have to do.

MAY 2019

STORY & PHOTOS BY CHET STRANGE @STRANGEVISUALS FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

OPINION

BY JERRY WHITING LeBlancCNE.com/podcast

HARVEST ‘19 READY, SET, GO. . .

nwLEAF.COM

16

The Farm Bill is old news. Everyone wants in on hempderived CBD and farmers can’t wait to plant acres upon acres. Marijuana’s non-intoxicating cousin has gone mainstream and there seems to be no end in sight. But not all is as it seems.

As I’m writing this mid-April, multiple states are quickly passing new or revised hemp legislation to allow farmers to grow industrial hemp this summer. If approximately 78,000 acres of hemp was grown in 2018 - in just 24 states by 3,000 farmers - this year will see these numbers escalate. My guess is there will be close to 15,000 licenses issued, and as much as 400,000 acres grown nationwide.

With a pound of seeds, planted five feet on center and covering ten acres, it will take 40,000 pounds of seeds if my prediction is true. That’s right, 20 tons of hemp seeds. I honestly don’t think there are enough hemp seeds available to meet the demand. Worst case scenario, new hemp farmers will have nothing to plant. Low quality seeds will be sold to newbies, some destined to go hot (>0.3% THC), resulting in bad (and illegal) pot, not legal hemp. Imagine unscrupulous vendors passing off bulk marijuana seeds as hemp. Don’t laugh. With CBD industrial hemp seeds selling for $5,000 to $10,000 a pound, some will be tempted to lie, cheat and steal to make a quick buck.

There are lots of conventional farmers who are looking at hemp to help get them out of debt, and weather uncertain market conditions due to politically motivated trade and tariff wars. Yes, hemp is more profitable than corn, wheat or soybeans. But unless you’ve grown hemp or Cannabis before, you’ll find challenges at every turn. Many can grow it successfully, but stumble when it comes to drying, curing and storing it. There’s a learning curve with any new crop, but this is one your county extension agent can’t help with.

Yes, growing hemp for CBD extraction can be profitable.

People do make $30,000/acre and up. There’s no telling what the market price will be when thousands of farms flood the market this fall. Colorado and Oregon hemp farmers have several years of experience by now. Meanwhile, new farmers will grow good hemp, bad hemp and everything in between.

MAY 2019

The quality will be all over the map, as will the prices. Speaking of which, now that it’s a legal agricultural crop, every hemp farmer will be competing with every other hemp farmer in the country. Price differences across state lines will even out as buyers shop nationally in search of the best deal.

But not everything that will be grown can be sold. While the individual state laws, rules and regulations don’t mandate organic and sustainable farming practices, the market expects it. Why? Because the hemp movement was founded by hippies.

Crunchy, eco, vegetarian, Earth-worshiping hippies. I’m a hemp broker and I won’t even look at bulk hemp, a.k.a. biomass that doesn’t come “WHILE THE INDIVIDUAL with pesticide and heavy STATE LAWS, RULES AND metal lab test results. I REGULATIONS DON’T don’t have to; there’s plenty of organic hemp in the MANDATE ORGANIC AND market. I feel bad for new SUSTAINABLE FARMING hemp farmers who’ve used PRACTICES, THE MARKET pesticides like RoundUp, EXPECTS IT.” and don’t know that their hemp crop will bring lower prices - if they can sell it at all. The good news is that those that stick with hemp will transition to organic farming practices for hemp, and hopefully their whole farm. It may take two or three years to transition from conventional to certified organic, but organic hemp will command a higher price in the end.

Contrarian by nature, my murky crystal ball tells me that CBD-rich industrial hemp is a two or three year window. After that, production will shift to larger farms planting fewer, stable (predictable) cultivars. My advice? CBD can be a profitable learning curve to hemp for food, fiber, plastic alternatives, and uses yet to be discovered. Diversification will help small family farms keep up with Big Ag, and believe you me, Big Ag is coming. They can’t afford not to.

Many will try to enter the hemp market. Some will make it, others won’t - all of us will learn something along the way.

PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

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 JUDGEMENT. 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 TWENTY-ONE AND OLDER. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.

OPINION

The information contained in this column is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice.

You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.

As legalization progresses across the country and the world, governments are adding legislation to specifically address vacating criminal convictions for Cannabis offenses in mass waves. For example,

BY BONNIE FONG FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

20

the Canadian government is sealing conviction records for marijuana consumers who were charged

BRING IT TO

BONNIE what are my options when it comes to removing a cannabis conviction from my criminal record in washington state?

nwLEAF.COM

IF

you have been convicted of a crime, Cannabis related or otherwise, did you know that with some legal maneuvering you could make that conviction disappear - as if it never happened?

When you expunge records, it means that it can be removed from Washington State Patrol records and offer some protection in background search services. Not to mention, it gives the individual the right to answer to prospective employers that they were not convicted of that particular offense.

The existence of the conviction will remain in the court indexes and records, but for all relevant purposes, it’s as if the individual had never been convicted of the vacated crime.

As we all know, criminal convictions on an individual’s record can drastically reduce their ability to find employment or housing. A criminal conviction not only serves as a serious barrier to the aforementioned, but it can also stigmatize an individual for the rest of their life. People of color are disproportionately harmed by the impact of their conviction records and related consequences, both nationally and in the state of Washington.

This is especially important for those with a Cannabis related conviction, because the nature of drug offenses could have different impacts with employment, family disagreements, housing, student loans, and more.

Once a conviction is vacated, the fact that you have been convicted of the offense shall not be included in your criminal history for purposes of determining a sentence in any subsequent conviction.

MAY 2019

for crimes that have since become legal, without fees and waiting periods.

Unfortunately, in Washington, individuals have to take affirmative steps to vacate their convictions one by one.

Thankfully, the process is pretty simple and you can easily vacate your conviction if you meet the qualifications described below.

There are no criminal charges pending against you in any court of this state or another state, or in any federal court.

You have not been convicted of a new crime in this state, another state, or federal court since the date you were sentenced on the crime you wish to have vacated.

You have never had the record of another conviction vacated.

You are not currently restrained, and have not been restrained within five years prior to the vacation application, by a domestic violence protection order, a no-contact order, an anti-harassment protection order, or a civil restraining order which restrains one party from contacting the other party.

It should be noted that there are offenses outside of the Cannabis realm excluded from the possibility of expungement, and those seeking expungement of what is deemed a prior offense must meet an additional criteria. If not ineligible for expungement due to the aforementioned, the following criteria must be met: A criminal At least three years have passed since you conviction not completed the terms and conditions of the only serves sentence, including restitution/legal financial as a serious barrier to the obligations. RCW 9.96.060(2)(f). aforementioned, You have not been convicted of any new but it can also crime in this state, another state, or federal stigmatize an individual for the court since the date you were sentenced on rest of their life. the crime you wish to have vacated.

Vacate your Cannabis criminal record as soon as you can if you meet the above criteria. You are not defined by your worst act and you can stop carrying around the stigma of your conviction. Vacate your conviction today!

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO BONNIE@C3.LEGAL

PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN

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The Basics of Buying Cannabis

SHOP LIKE A PRO

Are you new to the pot shop scene? Maybe a seasoned smoker that has become too set in your ways? Fret not, and consider these few helpful hints for maximizing your shopping experience in the ever-changing world of Cannabis.

TRY DIFFERENT THINGS // There is a lot to learn in a Cannabis dispensary, but it

will take longer to understand if you rush ahead to the more complex facets.

Nobody can tell you exactly how any given Cannabis is going to make you feel, so you’ll need to experiment and pay attention to how you feel to build your knowledge base and internal quality compass.

Understand that even though there is a plethora of information out there about how Cannabis will make you feel, it truly is based on the individual.

Online resources can be handy for getting a general idea of a strain, but there are more factors at play such as cultivation, storage and methodologies.

The method of consumption preference is also a huge variable from person to person. While it’s good to take suggestions, it is imperative you pay attention to how those options affect your body and meet your individual needs!

nwLEAF.COM

REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS // This plant is amazing, but be conscious of your

expectations. It’s not a magic wand that will instantly fix all of your problems.

Cannabis is a holistic medicine, so try to avoid relying solely on it. Instead, use Cannabis more effectively in synergy with other holistic strategies.

BE AWARE // Be conscious of what else you’ve consumed that might influence

your experience with Cannabis, such as caffeine or alcohol. More caution must always be used when combining substances. Also, take Matthew Meyers is the time to check in with yourself and write down notes on how a longtime Cannabis different forms of Cannabis and products affect you. These notes community member can make future choices in the dispensary much easier, and help and Northwest Leaf you better understand what you’re looking for. Bonus points for contributor, hailing from Hood River, OR. taking the time to do a little research on the product you like!

MAY 2019

BE PERSISTENT // If you’re having trouble finding something

that works well for you, don’t be afraid to try some new options next time you are at your local dispensary. Use your time in the shop wisely, making sure to bring your notes and ask any questions that you have. Take time to listen, and even take notes on the answers to build your understanding. If you can’t find anything you like at one shop, it’s worth trying others. It’s also possible that Cannabis isn’t right for you, and this is totally ok.

BE CONSCIENTIOUS // No matter what type of Cannabis

you’re consuming, please be conscientious of others that are around you. Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean you can rub the plant in people’s faces. In fact, this might make some people never want to try Cannabis - or worse, resent the plant completely.

Unfortunately, there are still very few places to consume your Cannabis legally, so use your best judgment and be respectful to the people around you!

HAVE FUN // Don’t forget to go play in the sun and breathe some fresh air while you enjoy Cannabis.

A good setting and company are an important part of a good experience! Don’t discount what’s going on around you. And most importantly, be safe and responsible when consuming Cannabis!

UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A PLETHORA OF INFORMATION OUT THERE ABOUT HOW CANNABIS WILL MAKE YOU FEEL, IT TRULY IS BASED ON THE INDIVIDUAL.

GUIDE by MATTHEW MEYERS FOR LEAF NATION | PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

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T H E T R IO O F OWN E R S B E H I N D T H E CO M PAN Y R EAL LY CAR E AB OU T T HE I R CO M M UN I T Y , CUSTO M E R S AN D E M P LOY E E S , AN D I T ’ S T H E SE VAL U E S T HAT HAV E M ADE T H E B RAN D O N E O F T H E B E ST I N WAS H I NG TO N .

PRODUCTS 4/5

Quality over quantity is the name of the game here, with the floorplan broken down into cases by product segment. We loved the CBD case, top-middle-bottom shelf flower cases, and the easily found concentrate and edible sections. Tasty flower brands include Burnwell Farms and Seattle Private Reserve, with solid concentrate options from Oleum, Harmony Farms, Refine, Seattle Bubble Works and House of Cultivar. The pricing is super easy to understand, with grams of oil and eighths starting at $20 and going up. With a selection that is going to continue to expand, we found tons of value and brands we love - both quickly and easily here.

HISTORY & VALUES

5/5

Evergreen Market was founded in 2014, and the Kirkland store marks their fourth retail location. The trio of owners behind the company really care about their community, customers and employees, and it’s these values that have made the brand one of the best in Washington.

They worked with the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce and city to overturn a moratorium to open the new location, and have carried an attitude of benefiting the community through bringing quality business - not to mention quality Cannabis - to the Kirkland market.

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BUDTENDERS & SPECIALS 5/5

The format at the new Kirkland location uses floating budtenders to help make the shopping experience easier and faster. The knowledgeable team moves around with tablets linked to the ordering system, building a ticket and passing it through to the back before the customer hits the cashier. Of course, customers that know what they want can go right to the front and order! All of this comes together to make the open format shopping vibe easy, with friendly budtenders happy to help find the right Cannabis for each customer.

ENVIRONMENT & VIBE 5/5

Right off 405 on the 124th Street exit, the Kirkland location is easy to access. Walking inside reveals a brightly lit open floor plan, with the smell of fresh pine from the beautiful wood accents. The vibe here is the right balance of positive and classy. It’s friendly enough for first time users to feel comfortable, and has a great selection for the heady seasoned stoners looking for top-shelf options.

OVERALL

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Practice makes perfect, and this fourth Evergreen Market shows a really refined model. With a great location, happy team members and a new ordering system, this Cannabis retailer is setting the bar high for other retail shops. Stop in at the new shop today, or experience Evergreen Market’s other locations in Renton and Auburn.

THEEVERGREENMARKET.COM / 11438 NE 124TH ST KIRKLAND, WA / 8AM-11PM MON-SAT & 9AM-9PM SUN / 425-658-9440 / @EVERGREENMARKET

EVERGREEN MARKET MAY 2019

REVIEWS by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

TASTE 5/5 EFFECT 5/5 PKGNG 4/5 VALUE 5/5 TOTAL 19/20

SEATTLE’S PRIVATE RESERVE

INTOXICATINGLY CREAMY with notes of orange creamsicle and floral roses, this “BIGSMOOTH” is indeed the Big Smooth! With a smell reminiscent of a fruity ice cream, the second the jar was popped we wanted to dive in! Stoney in a fun way, this indica relaxes and uplifts with a comfortable balance perfect for anytime of day! $50/g 20.59% THC | 1.8% Terpenes

REFINE

“WHITETAHOECOOKIES”LOUDRESIN Aurum Farms collaboration WE LOVE Refine’s Loud Resin, and this White Tahoe Cookies is definitely loud! In a collab with Aurum Farms, this buddery oil reeks of thick earth and cookies TASTE 5/5 EFFECT 5/5 flavors, with a hint of lemon PKGNG 5/5 mint in the background.

Super smooth and extremely VALUE 5/5 TOTAL 20/20 stoney, grab this collab before it’s gone! $40/3.5g / 72% THC

MAY 2019

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KIERYNWANG

MAY 2019

WOMEN IN WEEd

In the hospitality industry, we have the terms “front of the house” and “back of the house” when segmenting employees into different categories. Front of the house members of the Cannabis industry would be your budtenders, brand representatives, managers, sales people, influencers, and even sometimes the customers themselves.

Those of us in the back of the house, such as the growers, extractors, packaging team, marketing team, inventory and delivery crews, and so on – we don’t get as much spotlight as the front of the house. However, our duty to keep the gears running in the industry machine are just as important, if not more.

more normalized market via the women making household purchases.

An issue that Kieryn has identified in the industry lies within the larger companies and their ability to see the picture beyond the dollar value. She warned against “catering to investors, not necessarily consumers” and noted that “it’s disappointing to see companies not listening to their consumers and employees” - instead pleasing shareholders. This is why she has urged Cannabis brands to slow down on their higher-level marketing efforts.

While it is true that award-winning design and packaging is necessary to stand out among the over-saturated recreational market, as Kieryn summarized, “All this nice, beautiful higher-level stuff doesn’t benefit anyone until they can learn the basics about your product from you.” There are countless products coming online daily in every state, including Washington.

Industry members like Kieryn Wang play an important role in keeping the Consumers and budtenders alike are bound to be overwhelmed by the vast Cannabis industry honest and educational. Her company, Almost Conamount of options and information regarding these products. It is importsulting, provides marketing expertise within the Cannabis industry to help ant for these brands to connect with their consumers on the ground level, companies reach their customers - specifically women. She got started providing education and addressing specific consumer needs. Kieryn adds in the industry after its transition from medical to recreational, but has a that companies “can’t know what consumers want, need, or know until you deep respect and appreciation for the pioneers who founded the industry talk to them to find out.” and allowed it to grow into what it is today.

Kieryn believes in our collective responsibility to not spread misinformaIn early 2016, Kieryn assisted in the launch of Van der Pop as their tion and pseudoscience, especially for the sake of SEO hits and growing marketing manager, helping to grow their women-centric business your site. The early history of Cannabis is stained in propaganda, so we through experiential and social media marketing techniques. As Kieryn owe it to ourselves and our industry to double check all information being explained, “Van der Pop is a lifestyle brand focused on creating opporused to educate consumers on Cannabis products. Marketers are just as tunities and accessories, as well as spaces for women, whether they are responsible as budtenders for knowing the basic science online or in-person at events. To learn about Cannabis behind the Cannabis plant and how it affects our bodies. and make women feel comfortable asking questions about “DON’T BE AFRAID I asked Kieryn to give me some examples of how she weed.” She noted that this was the magnet that drew her in reaches the consumer. Once a company has solidified their to working with the company, and working in the Cannabis TO USE YOUR VOICE, BECAUSE WE NEED talking points on how to inform consumers about Cannabis industry in general. and their specific products, she recommends hosting events Many of the women that Kieryn has encountered credit MORE CONNECTORS to engage the community. Events are important tools that Cannabis as a support and resource for their daily lives.

BETWEEN THE provide not only socialization and networking, but also a While she recognizes that some consume recreationally, CANNABIS INDUSTRY physical place to meet where people can collectively learn many need Cannabis to get through the day for serious together. Kieryn emphasizes marketing to the everyday AND THE EVERYDAY medical needs. Once the women began to confide in consumer, and continuing to talk about topics that more Kieryn that weed was helping them, she realized how necPERSON. I THINK IT’S educated consumers may consider to be basic. She underessary it was to begin to educate non-users that Cannabis IMPORTANT FOR LOTS stands that events cost money, but argues that it doesn’t was an option for them as well.

OF DIFFERENT TYPES have to be an elaborate event. “Just provide a space for She explained to me that not only is it imperative to inpeople to be able to learn with no judgement.” form the general public about the benefits of Cannabis, but OF PEOPLE TO BE A final option Kieryn suggests for marketers is to provide it is also crucial to make sure we are covering the basics REPRESENTED IN THE informational resources both in-person and online, and and giving consumers the facts and education necessary to CANNABIS INDUSTRY.” being candid when speaking publicly about Cannabis. make informed choices about how, when, why, and where Allow people to ask you questions and have a conversation to consume - if they choose to do so. together. Maybe it’s via a platform on your website, social media, or even Why focus marketing efforts on women, if men consume Cannabis your LinkedIn profile. Kieryn said once she “claimed Cannabis” on her too? Kieryn explained that although men do, indeed, make purchases, in LinkedIn profile, she felt free to begin to encourage others to come out of “the majority of households in America, women are the ones making the the so-called Cannabis closet as well. “Don’t be afraid to use your voice, purchasing decisions. What happens in the home, and what is purchased, because we need more connectors between the Cannabis industry and the is coming across womens’ eyes.” If women have the highest buying everyday person. I think it’s important for lots of different types of people power in the U.S., and potentially the world, Kieryn warned, “It would to be represented in the Cannabis industry. It helps shed that uncertainty, be a missed opportunity if the Cannabis industry didn’t pay attention to to realize how many different types of people consume. Not just the stoner women. They will buy your products if you can convince them to.” She stereotype we’ve seen in the media.” AlmostConsulting.com/about rationalized the potential for the industry to grow if it is able to reach a

founder & owner | almostconsulting cannabis marketing

STORY & PHOTOS by DANIELLE HALLE @SWEET.DEEZY

PROFILE nwlEAF.COM

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@Smokey Point Princess_420 Smokey Point Productions

apR.2019 2019 MAY

HOW CANDICE RUBIO USES CANNABIS AGAINST SOCIAL ANXIETY Despite her fierce passion for the “RUBIO EXPLAINS THAT company, it was when she joined SPP WHEN SHE IS TRIGGERED, (coincidentally on 7/10/17) that the anxiety IT IS USUALLY BY A MAJOR LIFE EVENT SUCH began to take hold of Candice. Her first AS TRAVEL, OR OTHER anxiety attack hit shortly after she started TIMES CAUSED BY LARGE the job, causing her to wake up in a panic.

SOCIAL GATHERINGS. Frequently Candice will wake up in this FOR THESE SPECIAL state, which is why she chooses to medicate EVENTS, CBD HAS BEEN with high CBD capsules before bed.

“A GODSEND” FOR “I’ve taken medication, I’ve gotten off CANDICE.” medications, I’ve gotten back on them.

It’s been something I’ve tried to manage without medication, but depression and anxiety isn’t always something that has a trigger.” Rubio explains to me that when she is triggered, it is usually by a major life event such as travel, or other times caused by large social gatherings. For these special events, CBD has been “a godsend” for Candice.

Social anxiety seems to be a common denominator for many in the Cannabis industry, which may explain why so many of us choose to consume the plant. Candice’s naturopath highly recommended strong ratios of CBD with a low dose of THC to manage her anxiety.

When she needs to be the life of the party, Rubio relies on cultivars such as Cinderella’s Dream to soothe her nerves and calm her down enough to function socially. The combination of Blue Dream and Cinex is “everything [she needs] to have a good day, and get [her] shit together.” In fact, most of the strains grown by Smokey Point are recommended for both anxiety and depression, such as Hindu Kush, Lodi Dodi and Plushberry.

In addition to recreationally and medicinally consuming tinctures, capsules, dabs, and flower, Candice credits therapy as an additional aid in her search for mental wellness. “Sometimes it is just a chemical imbalance, and it is hereditary in some people. Nothing happened to cause this.”

Rubio says she has no complaints in her life, and a great relationship with her family. It has been crucial to her progress to make these adjustments to her regimen, such as increasing her CBD consumption or finding the right cultivars to relax her mind. Mental health for Candice has proven to be a very long journey, but as long as she has Cannabis to help her find her way, she will always have the strength to tell her story.

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When it comes to Cannabis industry employees, I’ve learned that most of us are working with more than meets the eye. Underneath our bubbly exterior personalities, we have our own stories playing out behind the scenes in our own lives. Sometimes it’s the stress of familial or financial issues. Some of us even deal with invisible illnesses that make doing our jobs that much more difficult, which is why you must have passion for your work if you’re going to join this industry. Candice Rubio, AKA the Smokey Point Princess of Smokey Point Productions, completely exudes love and appreciation for the plant and all the ways it has changed her quality of life.

Before beginning her journey with Smokey Point, Candice was gaining knowledge of the plant and the effects of different varietals as a budtender.

Patients would come in and describe their pain to Rubio, and she learned which strains were optimal for putting a smile on those patient’s faces. Most of the knowledge she gained came from sharing experiences with different coworkers about the variety of products WHAT’S they sampled.

WORKED FOR HER “Everybody worked as a team,” remarked Candice. > HIGH CBD CAPSULES And if she didn’t have an answer for a patient, her BEFORE BED TO HELP HER SLEEP SOUNDLY coworkers gladly stepped in to assist. Eventually it was time for Rubio to leave the nest and branch out on > CINDERELLA’S DREAM AND OTHER STRAINS her own to look for a Cannabis producer/processor HELP WITH ANXIETY to work for, which was right around the time her acute > TINCTURES, DABS anxiety began to develop into something bigger.

AND FLOWER For someone so friendly and bubbly, one would never expect that Candice has depression and anxiety. Which is, to be fair, the case for many other patients with depression and anxiety. We work hard to maintain a confident façade so we don’t tvip anyone off as to what is lurking beneath. Although we love to help others, we tend to thrive in settings, such as a Cannabis processing factory, where we can work without being over-socialized all day long. Candice’s role at SPP is ever-changing, starting in trimming, packaging and compliance, and working her way through reception, marketing, and finally onto sales.

“I like being a jack of all trades,” she said, while listing her seemingly endless duties. “If I’m in something for too long and it’s too stagnant, I’ll be the floater and do whatever they need me to do. I need to have my brain function a little bit more, have it work a little bit harder.” Overall, Rubio feels blessed to work in a place where she knows 100% where everything is coming from.

STORY & PHOTOS by DANIELLE HALLE @SWEET.DEEZY

JEFFDOWDA.K.A“THEDUDE” ORIGINALLY, this month’s edition of Highly Likely was supposed to be an article about Jeff Bridges. However, while researching Bridges, the backstory of his most famous character - the Dude from The Big Lebowski - was too fascinating to pass up.

You see, the Dude abides. He still does. His real name is Jeff Dowd, which school friends made a play on to nickname him “dude” as early as sixth grade.

Dowd grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and was an original member of the Seattle Seven protest group that was jailed for protesting the Vietnam War in the late 60s - which is referenced in The Big Lebowski. He served six months in a federal prison for contempt of court. Dowd continues his activism to this day with work for racial equality, economic justice and environmental causes.

We all know that the Dude in The Big Lebowski is a true slacker in every sense of the word, but the real dude is a legitimate movie mogul, someone who has produced, marketed and worked on the inside of Hollywood for a lengthy career. He’s even a founding member of the Sundance Film Festival, where he apparently caused a scene that resulted in a food fight in 2009. The idea for The Big Lebowski actually came from Dowd’s friendship with the Cohen brothers - since the 1980s - who were so enamored with his character that they decided to write a movie around him.

And while Jeff Bridges doesn’t really smoke Cannabis anymore, Dowd certainly does. And apparently a lot. There are many tales of Dowd post-Lebowski rolling about Hollywood or elsewhere, casually smoking Cannabis with folks from all walks of life - but especially Lebowski fans

Michelle Andonian

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Highlighting Cannabis pioneers who paved the way to greater herbal acceptance.

DOWD WITH THE BIG LEBOWSKI ACTOR, JEFF BRIDGES.

Perhaps the best of these accounts was written rather recently by Josiah Hesse of Colorado’s The Cannabist, about a daylong, weed-fueled press junket with Dowd, where he smoked freely and openly with everyone he came in contact with.

A few years back, Dowd helped produce Mary Jane: A Musical Potumentary – a musical film that focused on a families’ trials and tribulations growing Cannabis on the black market in Northern California.

It may be true that all of us have known a

dude-like character in our lives, you maybe even see a little (or a lot) of that character in yourself. What is it that’s so special about someone like Jeff Dowd? In this author’s opinion, it’s authenticity.

Genuineness, if you will. And genuineness is something that is so very lacking in our digital age. We crave these connections with individuals who are able to be themselves with all the flaws and imperfections.

For that, we can all thank Jeff Dowd for continuing to be the Dude.

THERE ARE MANY TALES OF DOWD POST-LEBOWSKI ROLLING ABOUT HOLLYWOOD OR ELSEWHERE, CASUALLY SMOKING CANNABIS WITH FOLKS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE - ESPECIALLY LEBOWSKI FANS. MAY 2019

By PACER STACKTRAIN for LEAF NATION

MARIJUANA PRODUCTS MAY BE PURCHASED OR POSSESSED ONLY BY PERSONS 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. THIS PRODUCT HAS INTOXICATING EFFECTS AND MAY BE HABIT FORMING. MARIJUANA CAN IMPAIR CONCENTRATION, COORDINATION AND JUDGEMENT. DO NOT OPERATE A VEHICLE OR MACHINERY WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE. THERE MAY BE HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF THIS PRODUCT. FOR ADULT USE ONLY. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.

STRAIN OF THE MONTH nwLEAF.COM

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CHEM MINT Houseofcultivar

“AN INDICA LEANING CROSS OF CHEM 91 AND TRES DAWG, THE FLOWER HAS A DENSE, DARK GREEN BODY, WITH A LIGHT SPECKLING OF RED HAIRS AND TRICHOMES.”

May 2019

REVIEW by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

S

WIRLING NOTES OF MINT COOKIES AND SOUR CHEM TERPS fill the air as this flagship strain from House of Cultivar is cracked open, ready to usher in the sunshine with a euphoric indica daze.

As part of the newly released classifications used by House of Cultivar, the Chem Mint falls in the Gas Pack category - underneath the Chem Diesel subcategory. An easy way to tell the overall flavors and lineage in a 502 world, where you can’t smell your pot before buying, this is a helpful tool that you can learn more about in our profile on HOC. Lucky for us, we get to smell and smoke the flower, and really loved the complex flavors and beautiful looks of the Chem Mint.

An indica leaning cross of Chem 91 and Tres Dawg, the flower has a dense, dark green body, with a light speckling of red hairs and trichomes.

Well manicured and with a solid jar presence, this bud really starts to shine the second the lid comes off. The rich scent of minty cookies is intoxicating and breathtaking - a complex blend dominated by earthy mint notes, with lemony chem and vanilla diesel undertones. Like most HOC strains, it smells good enough to eat. But we chose to burn it down instead.

For having such a large bud structure, the flower is almost luxuriously soft, well cured and with a light stickiness, opening up easily to reveal lighter green colors and a ton of internal trichomes. It burns gently and smoothly, with big exhales full of minty earthy flavors that linger in the palate. The relaxing effects take hold quickly, leaving no doubt about the indica nature of this unique cross. Time slows down while the body relaxes, leaving the mind to function at about 75% speed, with a heightened awareness of sounds and colors. A gentle euphoria sets in after a few minutes, with an overall feeling of wellness and relaxed stoniness that eases out after several hours.

Perfect for a chill weekend afternoon or a nightcap, the Chem Mint is a wonderful combination of quality genetics, delicious flavors and intoxicating effects. Check it out and the rest of the House of Cultivar strains at your favorite retailer, and look for their new labels and categories for picking the right strain to meet your taste.

23% THC | 2.5% TERPENES @HOUSE.OF.CULTIVAR

behind the scenes issue

SORBETTO

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1937 FARMS

Q&A | JEFF & MATTHEW MCCOY, BROTHERS/CO-OWNERS, TIER II CANNABIS PRODUCTION FACILITY IN DUVALL, WA Building from a love for horticulture and the positive benefits of Cannabis, the two brothers behind 1937 Farms have created a brand focused on celebrating the end of prohibition through high quality flowers.

Pulling down a long Duvall dirt road leads to a legal grow facility founded by Jeff and Matthew McCoy, and close friend Mosiula Tatupu. Nestled on eight acres of rolling grass, this family run farm lives up to the agricultural classification. Walking into their house - separate of the grow on site - the most noticeable thing is the 150 plus houseplants that Jeff has living in every nook and cranny of the space.

Bursting with living greenery and exotic plants, it is clear that the McCoys take horticulture seriously.

Jeff found his passion for plants working in gardens with his Grandfather as a child, tilling veggies and growing food - for both fun and sustenance. A self proclaimed surfer-stoner, he grew his first Cannabis plant at 16 and has been transfixed by cultivating since. His brother Matthew took a different path, following his love for football and a natural talent all the way to the National Football League, where he played eight years as a professional athlete. During his time in the NFL he met Mosiula “Lofa” Tatupu, a fellow linebacker, and the two became close friends during their time in Seattle.

Both Matt and Lofa suffered injuries during their time in the NFL, and each turned to the Cannabis plant as a way to heal and handle life after the game.

Shortly after legalization was passed in Washington, the three decided to tackle a whole new business growing legal Cannabis. With the right combination of passion for growing, and a willingness to work hard through adversity, 1937 Farms was born.

Today the brand is selling out of each crop, a rarity in the regulated market, and preparing for an expansion to bring their flowering capacity to new levels. Primarily run by the three founders - with a small team of additional helpers - the farm started small and remains focused on scalable craft Cannabis. Inside 1937 Farms the Cannabis is all from seed, pheno hunted for unique cuts and pesticide tested as part of the OK Program. They also process Cannabis using Co2 in a Auburn facility, providing cartridges under their brand name. The trio is also rolling out a national hemp based CBD line, spearheaded by Lofa and called The Zone, which aims to connect former professional athletes with CBD, and use their experiences to share the medicine with consumers around the country.

We visited the farm earlier this Spring to sit down with Jeff and Matt, get a glimpse behind the scenes of the farm, and smell the gorgeous flowers growing in the beautiful woods of Duvall. Because they each come from different and passionate backgrounds, we have a direct, behind the scenes interview with each brother to share their individual reasons for using Cannabis, and what their hopes are for the future of 1937 Farms.

MAY 2019

MATTHEW MCCOY

MATTHEW MCCOY:

HOW DID CANNABIS PLAY INTO YOUR CAREER? It was a better “From a coaches’ standpoint, it was okay because it keeps players grounded. Players smoking weed aren’t going out and getting into bar fights or womanizing, most are laying at home resting and playing video games. But from an owner and league policy standpoint, it’s criminal and looked down on.”

-MATTHEW MCCOY

substitute for pain alleviation. Instead of popping Tylenol or Percocet, I was using Cannabis as a substitution. It’s a better pain reliever, muscle relaxer, stress reliever, and is great for pain management. And it’s better on your liver than the pills.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR YOUR BODY TO PLAY IN THE NFL? It’s a grind. You really are

playing from one injury to the next. Basic everyday care of your body is a huge part of it, and the fans don’t see the off the field stuff, which is a big key to longevity in the NFL. So figuring out your body, stretching, icing, doing rehab - it’s everyday but the fans don’t see that.

JEFF MCCOY

WHAT ARE THE PRESSURES LIKE OF BEING A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE? It’s like

any high power corporate job, but where everything is reviewed and on video under high scrutiny. There’s always a new crop of guys trying to take your job as well. So you’re battling not only the physical and talent aspect, but the physical and mental stress as well. Once you make it to that level, you don’t want to let anyone down. The fans, the family and people who have invested time and money in you. I played 17 years over the course of my life, and you don’t want to let people down who supported you to get to that level. At the end of a competitive 13 hour day, you just want to take a couple hits and relax to get your mind off the game.

WITH CONCUSSIONS AND CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY (CTE) BEING SO SCRUTINIZED TODAY IN THE NFL, DO YOU THINK THAT CANNABIS CAN HELP? IS THE NFL DOING ENOUGH TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? People don’t see that side of the game. It’s the untold story. Players are not allowed to talk about injuries from an organizational standpoint. So nobody knows when the players are dealing with injuries, and they judge them from game to game with so much pressure to make plays. Cannabis definitely helps, I’ve seen it help rewire people’s brains. The NFL has to figure it out. The awareness is getting better, and they’ve established the NFL trust to allocate 20-30 million to former players, transitional programs and seminars. So the NFL is getting a little bit more active, but it’s still in the beginning stages and it could be a lot better.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO RETIRE AND LEAVE THE GAME? I was forced to retire in 2012 from a knee injury suffered playing against the Atlanta Falcons at Centurylink Field. It was a big transition to leave the game. Everything is very regimented, so you get used to the routine, down to having your day to day sleep planned out for the whole year. So you start with the regimen, and when you’re done playing there’s nobody to print you a daily itinerary and tell you what you’re doing. You’re on your own now, and that’s a big change for a lot of people.

WHAT DID YOU DO AFTER LEAVING? VANILLA BERRY PIE

WHAT DID YOU SEE OTHER PLAYERS DOING TO DEAL WITH THE PAIN AND STRESS OF THE NFL? Everybody has their own regimen. That’s part of being a professional athlete, figuring out your body and knowing yourself to find what works. But some guys use alcohol or opiates, novocaine and that type of stuff.

HOW WAS CANNABIS VIEWED DURING YOUR TIME IN THE NFL? Not good. From a coaches’ standpoint, it was ok because it keeps players grounded. Players smoking weed aren’t going out and getting into bar fights or womanizing, most are laying at home resting and playing video games. But from an owner and league policy standpoint, it’s criminal and looked down on.

WERE YOU SCARED AS A CANNABIS USER? Everybody who used Cannabis was. If you fail a drug test,

you go into a substance abuse program with counseling twice a week for two years - and have to check in for drug testing eight times a month. This includes traveling, so you have to check in wherever you go and be prepared for random testing. It’s worse than the criminal justice system as far as probation goes. Guys can get in trouble for a Cannabis violation, and get suspended indefinitely a second time not only for a failed test, but for something as simple as missing a check in for a counseling session. When that happens and it goes across the ticker, fans think what a pothead or knucklehead, ruining his career over smoking weed. But it might not be weed, it could be a missed check in. That’s never revealed to the public.

I left college as a junior in the draft, so I went back to San Diego and finished my degree while volunteering in their football program. I mentored and helped with strength training and conditioning.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE BUSINESS OF CANNABIS? Actually Lofa got us

involved. I was super excited, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Especially starting a business with my brother and best friend. It has been great but challenging. It’s not ordinary an business. I’ve met some great people, and it’s a different life than what I’m used to living.

AFTER COMING FROM THE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE WORLD OF THE NFL, HOW DOES THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY COMPARE? It’s just as competitive! But the

competition always makes things better, so I welcome it. You’re dealing with living plants, and we take a regimented approach, being in order and on schedule. We’ve built our business to replicate how we used to operate within a billion dollar corporation. My background is that you earn everything. And growing Cannabis is no easy task. It’s all about hard work first, because hard work pays off. So we try to stay humble. It’s the only attitude to have in this industry. You gotta respect the plant and stay humble.

Continues pg. 42

STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

behind the scenes issue

Continued from pg. 41

1937 FARMS JEFF MCCOY:

WHEN DID YOU GROW YOUR FIRST CANNABIS PLANT, AND HOW DID YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH HORTICULTURE IN GENERAL? I grew

up doing gardens with my grandpa and always loved growing plants, so I’ve always been a plant and vegetable grower. I grew my first plant in high school after finding a bag seed. Our Mom let us grow it and smoke it, so I had house plants and Cannabis plants in my room - and a big ass Iguana that roamed around. Today I have 150 houseplants that my girlfriend and I currently take care of, and we have 1,200 plants in the 502 facility. So you could say that I have a green thumb.

150 PLANTS! THAT’S A LABOR OF LOVE. HOW MUCH WORK DOES IT TAKE?

42

It’s constant work! Probably a few hours a week of specifically watering, making sure they are trimmed correctly, and getting the proper light. I move them around for what’s available in the house with natural lighting. I don’t use any artificial lights in the house. I like plants because they are very healing, and it helps me with anxiety. I love to watch them grow, they’re like my children.

WHAT EXCITES YOU THE MOST ABOUT GROWING LEGAL CANNABIS? The thing I like most is trying to get the best medicine out to the people. Right now that means new genetics and keeping some of our traditional strains around, like our Northern Lights, Skunk #1 and Lavender. We are introducing a Panama Red CBD to market and I’m really excited about that, to have a 2:1 CBD ratio. It will really help people get back into smoking that have tried the wrong strains - a 22% flower that isn’t going to give them anxiety or paranoia.

WHAT DOES THE BRAND 1937 STAND FOR? We came up

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with that because of prohibition. Our hashtag is pride in our roots because we don’t want people to forget how far this has come back full circle, and what was taken away from the people. To remember the past so we don’t make the same mistakes. We want the industry to be respected and for the industry to change. Having come from the black market, having the luxury to go to recreational gives us the opportunity to do things right and move forward to keep things legal.

HOW DOES 1937 FARMS LIVE UP TO THE CONCEPT OF A FAMILY FARM? It’s really special, to be providing

jobs in our community and be working with family.

It feels good to be a part of the Cannabis culture here in Washington, and to get the opportunity to grow good weed and get the best products we can out to the public. This year we’re also doing an outdoor co-op garden to grow veggies to donate to shelters, friends and family. We want to promote a healthier lifestyle for food and Cannabis.

MAY 2019

YOU ARE IN THE GARDEN DAILY, AND YOU GUYS HAND WATER YOUR PLANTS. AND YOU EVEN JUICE YOUR CANNABIS! WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE YOUR HANDS IN THE DIRT? I’ve juiced

Cannabis for years as part of my veggie juicing, and I focus on growing strains to help people with certain ailments. Touching each plant is also a big thing with us.

I’ve fought against automation and keep everything hand poured to really cater to what the plants need. It’s a little extra work, but it comes through at the end when you get the final results. I really stay in the garden to make sure we keep the quality where it needs to be, and are constantly improving. There are always new things to learn, and finding what strains grow best in the environment. So I keep hand pouring, with a hands-on and small-batch feel to our flowers.

YOU CURRENTLY SELL OUT OF THE 50 POUNDS HARVESTED EACH CROP. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR EXPANSION? Our hopes for expansion

were to get past the first step, not jump in right away, and to prove to ourselves that we could dial in the facility here. To get the Cannabis to the level we wanted to for the public, before we built more out.

Now that we are selling out, we feel it is time to build out and provide more quality product to the state. We will be building five supplementally lit and environmentally controlled greenhouses out in the coming years, as we fully come to scale.

“Today I have 150 houseplants that my girlfriend and I currently take care of, and we have 1,200 plants in the 502 facility. So you could say that I have a green thumb.”

-JEFF MCCOY

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM GOAL WITH THE PROPERTY? Our real end goal is to someday be able to sell to the public in a winery situation, where people can come out and enjoy the property and nature and taste on site. We would love to get back to the medical days of farmers markets, to provide clones for new growers and have a place for tourism and tasting. The public should be able to taste just like a brewery and see where it’s made, we very much deserve that experience. It’s all about the experience, culture and meeting people through Cannabis.

That would be our dream!

STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

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behind the scenes issue nwlEAF.COM

46

KNOWN FOR A DAZZLING ARRAY OF CANNABIS GENETICS AND VARIETALS, HOUSE OF CULTIVAR IS REBRANDING HOW THEY CLASSIFY THEIR STRA INS TO HELP BUDTENDERS AND CONSUMERS CONNECT WITH THE RIGHT CANNABIS FOR THEIR MOOD OR TASTE. Buying Cannabis in Washington is rough as a consumer, and selling it can be even harder. Jars and bags have to be sealed until sold, taking away the most important connection humans have with the plant.

Smell. Cannabis is best experienced and categorized through flavors and effects, and the two are highly interconnected. Going far beyond the indica/sativa/hybrid classification, the real question is: What do you want to taste today?

The team at House of Cultivar realized that the people buying and selling their flower didn’t always know what the dominant flavors were, or the genetic lineage that led to the outcome. But internally, they referred to strains as gassy or gluey, which led to the creation of their periodic table of strains - and a whole new way to classify Cannabis categories and cultivars.

“By putting things into family profiles that have similarities in genetic lineage, and therefore in taste and effect, we can give people a more linear path to finding strains they like - as well as explore outside their current expectations,” explained Matthew Gaboury, a House of Cultivar cofounder who has headed up the rebrand.

“So if you like Girl Scout Cookies and are looking to find something similar that meets the flavor profile, you can grab from the Cookie Dough family and the strains will be similar in flavor, taste or effect.”

The goal behind the rebranding is to make it easier for a customer to say today I feel like “this” or “that”, instead of asking a budtender how something can or should smell. By making it easier to select a strain, the flower stands out more and the customer gets what they really want.

“Our hope is to make the buying experience easier and less uncertain. And ultimately expand people’s horizons to new strains,” Gaboury explained.

“We want to give as much visual info as possible with colors, strain names and crosses. All those visual elements that will help customers to choose, because we can’t use our noses to pick our strains.”

A big aspect of the new system is respecting the genetic lineage of these popular strains. Each one has a family heritage, of both strains and the breeders who created them, many long before Cannabis was ever legal. Knowing where strains come from is a cornerstone to the Cannabis community, and an enlightening tip of the hat for the industry. With white labeling by brokers, and the renaming of strains a common sales tactic in the cheaper pot market of 502, House of Cultivar stands behind their genetics and the breeders who created them.

“This comes from the pride of being growers for a long time and being in the community. Knowing the breeders and wanting to show homage to those individuals and strains that have really laid the foundation for everything that is out there right now. In a world where the Cannabis industry is being taken over by big money and grows focused on profits over quality, we are different,” he said passionately.

“We are definitely good growers and I can tout our expertise because we have been doing it for a long time. But we are only as good as the strains we have. It comes down to genetics, and that’s why the genetics are bigger than the brand name on our new labels.”

At any given time, the garden has 75 to 100 different strains in flower - with over 350 live genetics represented in the tissue culture lab and propagation part of the production facility. An interesting fact about the families of strains is that they are not only sold based on flavor and genetic profiles, but grown by them.

The flowering rooms at HOC have strains grouped just like in their periodic table, sharing environments as they grow together for the enjoyment of consumers around the state.

“We are smokers and ultimately do it for ourselves, which gives us different values that has led us down this path to grow so many different strains.”

MAY 2019

WHAT’S YOUR FLAVOR?

A BIG ASPECT OF THE NEW SYSTEM IS RESPECTING THE GENETIC LINEAGE OF THESE POPULAR STRAINS. EACH ONE HAS A FAMILY HERITAGE, OF BOTH STRAINS AND THE BREEDERS WHO CREATED THEM, MANY LONG BEFORE CANNABIS WAS EVER LEGAL.

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CITRUS & SAP

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GP - COOKIE DOUGH

GP - KUSH BERRIES

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FRUIT TREES

GP - OG’S Classic as the OG name implies, these are strains that come from Northern California and have given birth to crosses and varietals like Tahoe OG or 91 classic bag seed OG, or newer varieties like Wedding Cake.

Represents all the Gorilla Glue crosses, another major strain that made a splash in the gas varietal breeding space, like Grease Monkey (GG4 x Cookies and Cream).

IC RL IO ON

CHEM DIESEL

PURPS & PIE

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GAS PACK KUSH BERRIES

GAS PACK

Gas Pack is subdivided due to the nuances within that general family of strains.

GP - GLUE TRACK

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Check out the HOC flavor profile wheel and periodic table to see where your favorite strains land in their categories...

Repping of all the different Cookie crosses that have run like wildfire through the community in the last decade, from standard Girl Scout Cookies to newer varieties like Tiramisu or Do-Si-Do.

EF FE RV EC E

COOKIE DOUGH

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HOUSE OF CULTIVaR

HOUSE OF CULTIVAR CATEGORIES

On the sweeter side, with earthy gassy undertones.

Strains such as Bubba Kush or Confidential Kush.

GP - CHEM DIESEL

Chem lineage strains like Chem Mint cookies. Generally with Chem 91 linage or Tres Dawg.

FLORAL HAZE

Floral haze is going to be a little more on the spicy and nutty side of things. We use the term haze because it references the genetic lineage on the hazy side, but it has also become a way to talk about the smell, because it’s such a prominent profile. Examples include Blue Dream with the floraly hazy smell, or Durbert, Durban Poison with Sunset Sherbert.

CITRUS SAP

Get rid of spicy and nutty and get more into the sweet and the citrus! Representative of things that have a Tangie or Skunk background, things like Jack Herer and strains that are very bright and almost effervescent in terpene profile and taste. Strains include Lemon Tree or Zkittles.

FRUIT TREES

Here are the sweeter and more comprehensive sugary fruity terp and flavor profiles, very indicative of strains like Strawberry Cheesecake or blueberry strains like DJ Short’s Blueberry or the Afghan Peach (Papaya x M69).

PURPS AND PIES

These strains will retain some of those sweet notes of the Fruit Trees, but also get a little more comprehensive into black currant and rose, and fig type notes as well. Strain examples include Purple Urkle, Granddaddy Purple or the popular Purple Punch.

STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

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behind the scenes issue

What is a Dabstar, and how does highlighting the rock stars of Cannabis inspire you to share stories?

I think you nailed it, to me Dabstars were always the rock stars of Cannabis. These were the people I looked up to and respected in the community, and I wanted to shine a light on what was going on in the culture. I never considered myself a Dabstar, I was a small-time basement grower with an idea to be something more. It was the stories of the people around me that inspired me, and continue to inspire me today.

What does Dabstars do as a company, and how do you help companies in the Cannabis industry?

A lot of these brands are essentially operating in the dark, cut off from banks and traditional media, fighting an uphill battle from the start.

I think as Dabstars, we have been granted a giant flashlight that we try to wield responsibly, highlighting people, products, and brands that are standing out in their niche of Cannabis.

Why is social media important for the Cannabis industry and legalization movement?

50

Bringing an entire industry into the light has been a painful process. Most Cannabis business owners found themselves engaging with their base via social media, and I think that is even more prevalent today as we network our community together all over the world. For all its faults, the internet has essentially democratized media. If you have a strong message and it rings out with the people, you can find yourself with an audience, and I think that has in a sense radicalized a new generation of stoners. No one gave us legal weed - we took it back - and that message has resonated across the planet via social media.

What is a day in the life like for you as a Dabstar, and what is your favorite part of leading your company?

nwlEAF.COM

We work our asses off like every other startup.

We installed a new CEO this year (Jeremy Jacola) and my partner (Jair Vellmen) is based out of Amsterdam, so between us we hit the clock pretty hard 24/7. I grew up in the tiny town of Ouray, CO - population 2,500. My mom passed away from a hunting accident when I was four years old, and my dad raised me the best he could working full time. I never even dreamed I would have a passport, let alone be traveling the world celebrating Cannabis.

For me, that’s the fuel that keeps it all going.

DABSTARS Q&A | JONAH TACOMA, FOUNDER, CANNABIS PROMO COMPANY

MAY 2019

How have your traveling experiences influenced your views on Cannabis?

Traveling opens your eyes in so many ways, but one thing that hit me right away was how accepting the Cannabis community is. Cannabis is a common denominator for so many people, and that holds true all over the world. I’ve had breakfast in buildings older than our country, smoked weed at world heritage sites. It is crazy what Cannabis has done for me and my family, witnessing firsthand the impact Cannabis has all over the world.

How is Dabstars growing & adapting for the future?

I think there is a lot of momentum towards national federal legalization, and we have always positioned Dabstars around that - building the brand and prioritizing market share over profits in the beginning.

These days we are opening up new states each month, expanding the brand.

You now have branded Dabstars products sold in seven different markets. How is your brand transcending social media into product licensing, and what are your goals in that area?

We were nominated for best Washington oil company in 2013, so I think this was always a natural evolution for us. Federal laws have forced companies like ours to work with different partners in each state, and we have adapted to that model with Dabstar products being sold around the country. We recently partnered up with Yeti Extracts in Colorado and I’m excited to see products launching in my home state this year. We have six new states in the works and are in talks with Canada about moving the brand out of the United States.

How do you view the current direction of the Cannabis industry in the US, and worldwide?

Cannabis will be central in the next election, and politicians are going to have to take a stance one way or the other. As Cannabis users we are no longer the minority, we are the vocal majority wielding real political clout. The clock is ticking and the big guys are lining up. Cannabis belongs to the people and we need all the head start we can get with federal legalization. Canada exported $48 million in Cannabis last year, other countries are watching what’s going on and reshaping their own policies across the globe.

What is your craziest Dabstars moment?

I came off the stage at the Seattle High Times after a big giveaway, when a red headed stranger approached me arms out with a giant bottle of what I assumed was tincture. I took the five inch dropper, squeezing it full and squirted it under my tongue, holding it for the sublingual effect. Red stood staring at me with a gaped expression. Finally he tells me like a line straight out of Cheech n Chong “You just took the most acid I’ve ever seen man!” I spit it out but it was too late. Long story short, it was a long crazy trip and I ended up drinking Patron with David Arquette and Senior Fumo in a shitty hotel room. So many wild nights in this industry. Facebook.com/dabstars

STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX | PORTRAITS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS & PHOTOS COURTESY DABSTARS

behind the scenes issue

PHYLOS BIOSCIENCE

WE CAUGHT UP WITH BRIAN CAMPBELL, A PLANT BREEDER AND GENETICIST WITH A PH.D. IN CANNABIS GENETICS FROM COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY, AND MOWGLI HOLMES, THE COMPANY’S COFOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, TO STEP INSIDE THEIR WORLD OF CANNABIS SCIENCE AND DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF PHYLOS.

54

GENETICIST BRIAN CAMPBELL ALONGSIDE CEO MOWGLI HOLMES AT PHYLOS’ OFFICE IN PORTLAND.

How does Phylos help support ongoing Cannabis breeding projects? And how has this support evolved since legalization in 2015? / Essentially pre-2018 Phylos was a testing company, testing for plant genotypes and plant sex tests. That’s how we mainly supported people in the industry - the sex test was to help figure out males versus females and save growers money by removing males from production as soon as possible.

Now through collaborative projects we have amassed the largest collection in the world of Cannabis DNA. We have all this genotype info, but to put that into action you need phenotypic (physical) information too. When you have both you can use statistics, so you can figure out what genes are controlling the traits. But it takes a long time and you need a lot of data in order to develop molecular markers.

BRIAN CAMPBELL

/ We are trying to drive and do serious plant breeding ourselves. Phylos currently has customers from 30 differents states and 8 different countries.

When we wanted to start getting more phenotype info, and we wanted to work with cultivators and breeders for more information. We wanted to crowdsource, so we can make the next generation of tools. We created the breeder innovation network, with individual projects with different goals.

It stays private to the public, but we use the data in aggregate so we can look for bigger trends. We never share anyone’s data with another party, but we can start to see a range and begin to make molecular markers.

nwlEAF.COM

MOWGLI HOLMES

MAY 2019

Phylos Bioscience was founded in 2014 by Mowgli Holmes, Ph.D. and Nishan Karassik, and has been steadily evolving with the Cannabis industry since legalization. Five years ago, Phylos primarily supported growers and breeders through accurate sex testing as the company began to map existing Cannabis strains within the emerging legal market.

Today, Phylos is working with breeders, and collecting data to further understand the process of Cannabis breeding.

LAB TECHNOLOGIST DAVID GRABER USES A MULTICHANNEL ELECTRONIC PIPETTE TO PERFORM A PLANT SEX TEST

How has the Phylos Galaxy helped navigate the huge spectrum of phenotypes within Cannabis, and can it map market predictions and potential Cannabis trends of the future?

The best part of the galaxy is that it’s not static - it’s constantly evolving and growing. As we start to add all this phenotypic information (THC content, aroma, taste) it’s gonna be an evolution, where the information from your reports becomes more detailed and accurate. There is the breeding side with molecular markers, but there is also the user side. As we inform the model it becomes more explanatory of products on the shelf. DNA fingerprinting will become valuable market trust.

Over time we can keep adding pieces of information.

BC

Are you primarily interested in working with Cannabis breeders or Cannabis growers?

It seems like a lot of growers are beginning to breed their own genetics to give them more exclusivity over popular strains and cuts.

Does it matter at this point?

We want to provide new strains for producers by developing high performance plants. Growers have been the life-blood of this company and we don’t want to push them away. Our breeding information is just as valuable to growers. But we can start with a foundation of breeders and open up that transparency from the foundation.

BC

WE HAVE AMASSED THE LARGEST COLLECTION IN THE WORLD OF CANNABIS DNA.

How do you track different varieties or support cannabinoid-specific research? Are Cannabis (THC-dominant) and hemp (CBD-dominant) varieties mapped in the same galaxy?

Are these genetically distinct backgrounds because they came from different places, or is it an artifact of artificial selection because they were bred for specific purposes?

It’s an interesting question and it’s still up for academic debate. Is hemp a phenotype or is there an evolutionary distinction? In my opinion, it doesn’t matter because these things can inter-mate, we have mixed them. What about the historical hemp now that the regulation of less than three percent of the market? You have arbitrary controls that will affect the outcomes of the future of hemp. To me, despite the bottlenecks, there is still an amazing amount of diversity.

BC

It’s all Cannabis. “Hemp” is a regulatory concept, not a scientific one. Everything exists within the same galaxy, but we will be able to pinpoint traits as we continue to move forward and collect more data. Hemp was originally used for fiber, but now it’s gonna look like fields of stickyass weed because it’s all AC-DC. As canopy sizes go up, it’s going to be harder for small farms to complete. The hemp world is an excuse to have a massive canopy, and the mechanization of hemp farming will look a lot like big agriculture. Unlike the smaller canopy sizes of THC-dominant Cannabis, where the craft and quality of the plant can play a bigger role. Phylos.bio MH

STORY by SIMONE FISCHER @SIMONEFISCHERR | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

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STONER OWNER nwlEAF.COM

58

MAY 2019

PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

“MYENTIRELIFEISMADMARKFARMS,THERE’S NOVACATION,BREAKORSEPARATION. BUT,I’M LIVINGTHEDREAM.IOWNACANNABISBUSINESS, ANDEVENTHOUGHI’MASLAVETOIT,IWOULDN’T DOANYTHINGELSE.” Mark Seegmueller is the “Mad” behind the illustrious counterculture Cannabis company Mad Mark Farms.

Hailing from the early days of black market Cannabis growing, Seegmueller carries the legacy and the attitude that comes with it into the 502 marketplace. An outspoken critic of the 502 system and the LCB, he has chosen to stand up for small farmers and freedom as a matter of principle, while still working within the system to bring craft Cannabis to consumers. Known for unique artwork and the iconic Mr. Yuck symbol often flipping off the person viewing - you can find Mad Mark products at retail stores around Washington.

INTERVIEW BY WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX

How did Cannabis come into your life? Cannabis came into my life at the beginning of my college career. I was a fan of smoking it and going broke buying it, so I started buying a bunch and selling to pay for my habit. I really started liking weed because it changed my outlook on life. It helped me totally reclassify the importance of things in my life. I learned to worry less about the rat race and a nine-to-five, and focused on having a good life and being happy.

What inspired you to start Mad Mark Farms? It was the awesome opportunity of a legal Cannabis system, where I could follow my passions and earn my living the way I wanted to - legally. It seemed like the best thing in the world at the time. Things are still great, and there are aspects of legalization that have been amazing for me. The biggest part is the camaraderie from my family after legalization. Before I was very much the black sheep. I was never brought up at holidays, and as soon as I got my license it was all everyone wanted to talk about. Even though I am doing the same thing I did before, in some ways supporting a more corrupted system.

What does it mean to you to be a Cannabis business owner that consumes the plant? It makes me much more in touch with my products, because I care about it a lot more. It’s less of a commodity and more like I make it for myself. I grow it all like it’s for me. I started growing in 2006 and I’ll never quit, legal or illegal, it doesn’t matter. I’d prefer to do it legally, but if they don’t allow the proper channels to be a profitable business, then I don’t need them.

What problems do you see with the current state of “legalization?” in washington state? The [Liquor Control Board] and state have mishandled this one million percent. The framework of 502 continues along the same kind of thinking that had Cannabis illegal in the first place. It’s the same people who made it illegal ruling it now, and they have racist, greedy, biased and unethical viewpoints of the industry and plant.

They look at Cannabis as a Schedule I drug to be controlled and taxed, not a public exercising their right to grow a plant. I’m in it at this point because I love the industry and the plant.

What is your biggest challenge, and favorite part, of owning a legal Cannabis business? My favorite part is the fact that I can own a house and put it in my name, and not get raided tomorrow for it. That’s the guiding light of this whole thing. Legit paper trail, no car in my mom or friend’s names. That’s plagued me forever. It feels better to be legal. But my least favorite part is the crippling rules and regulations, and structure.

What is your favorite strain and way to consume?

Amnesia Haze. The Super Lemon Haze was my favorite for a long time, but it got replaced in 502 by the Amnesia. It carries all the super lemony terps, and the invigorating, yet mindnumbing, confusing high. It’s really about the terps and the taste, for me that is the most enjoyable factor. I prefer to smoke flower for flavor, whatever tastes good!

What are your goals for the future of Mad Mark? I’m taking a step back from trying to exist in the system, and I’ve diverted more of my energy into how to change the system for the betterment of us all. I’m doing fine, but businesses in the system aren’t, and the customers are having to pay so much for weed because of high tax markups. There is going to be a point where my passions are going to be trumped by bankruptcy like so many others. And I’m here because I want this to work. I signed the license because I wanted this to work, I’ve paid my crazy taxes for the last five years because I wanted it to work. But there’s a reason so many farms have failed.

How do you handle consumption during the work day for both yourself and your employees? My official answer is that it’s illegal to smoke weed at work.

And the real world answer is that as long as the barcodes are right, the manifests are correct, and audits on point, I have no problem with people being happy at work. As long as compliance is on, that’s all that matters. People can do whatever they want offsite.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? My entire life is Mad Mark Farms, there’s no vacation, break or separation. But, I’m living the dream. I own a Cannabis business, and even though I’m a slave to it, I wouldn’t do anything else. I also grew up in the PNW and am an adrenaline junkie, so I skateboard, snowboard, dirt bike and offroad - all while being a 100% stoner. Every little bit of my life is influenced by weed, head to toe. I even only wear weed socks!

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. Look for the Stoner Owner stamp when purchasing fine Cannabis, and let’s retake our culture and reshape a stigma by honoring those who grow, process and sell the best Cannabis possible.

M AD M AR K FAR M S . CO M

@ MADMARKFARMS

«¡§¤ ¤ ¡ « } } }~ }

LOCATE THE STORE NEAREST YOU ( } } * WARNING: This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Smoking is hazardous to your health. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. Should not be used by women who are pregnant or breast feeding. Keep out of reach of children. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgement. It is illegal to operate a vehicle or machinery while under the influence of marijuana. This product is unlawful outside Washington State.

RECIPES

Berry Good Idea

by laurie wolf Photos By Bruce wolf

THIS IS AN ODE TO THE STRAWBERRY, as this is their season to shine. During strawberry season you can smell them before you even see them. In the winter months, you’re lucky if you can get their fragrance from a scratch and sniff approach. Ripe strawberries are juicy and sweet and grown nearby, so it’s better for you and better for the planet. They don’t have to travel far to get to your mouth - and in these three recipes they are paired with Cannabis - so there’s a lot to love. Strawberry Fields forever! #DontFearTheEdible

62 POT PARFAIT 1 1/3 cups vanilla Greek yogurt, plus 2 tablespoons 1-2 tablespoons canna-butter or oil 1 cup sliced strawberries 1 cup Grape Nuts cereal, plus 2 tablespoons 1. Place 1/3 cup yogurt at the bottom of each glass.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of Grape Nuts on the yogurt. Top with ¼ cup sliced strawberries.

2. Add another 1/3 cup yogurt and follow up with the cereal and the berries. Top each glass with the remaining yogurt and the remaining Grape Nuts.

BERRY PAIR OF SMOOTHIES

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½ cup dark chocolate, chopped and melted* 12 strawberries, rinsed, stems removed, cut in chunks 1 medium banana, peeled, sliced and frozen 2 cups milk, dairy or nut 2 teaspoons canna-oil 1. Place your two glasses on your work surface. When the chocolate is melted, run the rim of each glass through the melted chocolate. You will probably need to tilt the bowl of chocolate to get the rims covered.

2. Combine the ingredients and blend until smooth.

Pour into the two glasses and enjoy.

*Place the chocolate in a small bowl or microwave safe cup. Microwave for 20 seconds on half power. Check the chocolate. It may not look melted, so stir it. If not melted, microwave in ten second intervals till almost fully melted.

MAY 2019

SWEET BERRY SALAD 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons canna-oil 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 teaspoon dijon mustard ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon coarse black pepper 4 cups romaine lettuce, thinly sliced 1 cup strawberries, sliced ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced ¼ cup toasted sliced almonds ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

1. In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, oils, mustard, salt and pepper.

2. Toss the remaining ingredients together gently so you don’t bruise the berries.

3. Add the dressing and toss again.

Serve immediately.

All recipes serve two

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 twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children. Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 years of age 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 twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children. Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 years of age or older.

SALES.DEEPFLOWER@GMAIL.COM 206.369.7165 @HOLYSMOKESJOINTS 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 JUDGEMENT. 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 TWENTY-ONE AND OLDER. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.

/ NWLEAF @NWLEAF

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BREEDER OF THE MONTH

ESTEBON DUARTE How, when and where did you discover Cannabis?

I THINK THERE WILL BE BOTH CRAFT BREEDERS AND COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS THAT CREATE SEED FOR LARGE SCALE OPERATIONS AS WELL. THE FUTURE OF CANNABIS PRODUCTION IS NOT CLONES. THERE’S NOT A LOT OF CROPS THAT DEPEND ON CLONES, SO WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIX THAT PROBLEM.

I lived in Long Beach and met a friend’s sister and her boyfriend who were from Santa Cruz, and they were bull breeders for bull riding. I remember the genetics aspect piquing my interest and I came to find out they were also pot breeders. I was responsible for my own Cannabis intake and as I familiarized myself with what Cannabis was and what it did for me, I started collecting seeds. I did some guerrilla growing in Long Beach to observe their characteristics and responses to environment.

How did you discover your passion for breeding?

I was 13, so 1992, the first time I physically sprouted a Cannabis seed. It was the collection of coastal California varietals the bull riders gave me. I was very into collecting things and organizing things, and from the first time I popped a seed, I knew this was something I’d have my hands on for years to come. This was a whole new set of experiences and it was a whole different world, the secret nature of the thing. It created an alter ego for me. You hide most of it, but want to share some of it.

What type or types of strains do you prefer to breed with?

66

The more diverse the better. The sheer variety of breeding with stuff from all over the world, it develops so much every day. I’m fascinated by the diversity within Cannabis and it’s the driving force for what I am after. Followed up by stability, as that’s an important factor for growers as well. Some are farming commercially, while others are just growing for themselves or their families.

What will the future of Cannabis breeding look like?

The future of Cannabis breeding will look like any plant breeding.

There will be a huge population of F1 hybrids available commercially, and you’ll have your small craft breeders as well. There are lots of people clamoring after hotspots throughout the world, trying to collect seed in preparation for limited genetic access - and they’re not wrong. A one male to one female breeding program is not a breeding program. I think there will be both craft breeders and commercial operations that create seed for large scale operations as well. The future of Cannabis production is not clones. There’s not a lot of crops that depend on clones, so we’re going to have to fix that problem.

What breeder’s work is particularly inspirational to you?

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I love what Professor P at Dynasty Genetics is doing. I have a lot of respect for the team at Humboldt Seed Organization. Neville was a stud. Some of that is just finding a path and sticking to that. I have a lot of respect for anyone that can curate a handful of strains, versus blasting out whatever hybrid is hot on the streets.

What are challenging aspects of being a breeder?

HERMETIC GENETICS MAY 2019

Regulation first and foremost. They don’t know how to handle pollen and seeds, and we need canopy space. We need more and more and more space. We need acres to truly research genetic potential and isolate the winners. I always envisioned the R&D license as a collaborative project between producers. It is not the proper mechanism for a breeder. Access to proper research tools holds us back from being able to work with even basic groups of scienceminded individuals. HermeticGenetics.com

STORY by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415 | PHOTOS by CHRIS RYAN @CANNABIS.PHOTO

“April showers bring May flowers� @ffilmskii

This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming.

Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgement.

Do not operate a motor vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug.

There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product.

STONEY BALONEy

70

Leaving Las Vegas

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Leaving Las Vegas is like coming down off cocaine. It sucks. Well, probably because you are coming down off cocaine. After all, there’s nothing fun about returning to your mild-mannered desk job after getting a taste of what it’s like to be a rock star. In fact, no one ever said, “Thank God that’s over, now I get to go back to my accounting firm.” Ok, maybe someone did say that. Like, an accountant who unexpectedly got fast tracked into a frenzied bacchanal - and it scared him. Because no one should paddle into Bonzai Pipeline if they haven’t first learned how to steer a boogie board.

Is there anything more punishing than the reality bite of seeing that skyline shrink in the distance through the small airplane window? It’s as if you’ve just had a chunk of your soul grizzled out by a werewolf, but the exciting myth that you’ll morph into one with the next full moon, to devour fleshy tourists gorged on gargantuan buffets and Yardaritas, is all a farce. In fact, you’re only going to die a slow, excruciating death from the bite. For the next two days, at least, until the liver filters out the poison. Of course, it might be different if you’re headed back to normalcy with bulging pockets after crushing it at the tables, but that’s never happened to me. Or anyone I know.

Well, that’s not exactly accurate. I have friends who have won money in Vegas, but they generally won’t include an Excel spreadsheet detailing the losses incurred leading up to those rare moments of dopamine filled glory. And it is those losses that keep the casino lights on, the air cool, and the carpet confusing. But if gambling is the driving force of Vegas’ success, I wonder what effect Cannabis will have on Sin City now that it’s been legalized.

Because embarking on a strip search for the Great Pyramid, the Eiffel Tower and the Big Apple can be a dangerous lure with a belly full of Redbull and vodka - but a head full of Super Lemon Haze can create a completely different course for a city built on bad decisions. Can Cannabis kill Vegas?

MAY 2019

More episodes at stoney-baloney.com

PHOTO BY @KMAESTUDIO STYLING BY @MALINALOPEZ

Chews Responsibly

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 judgement. 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 twenty-one and older. Keep out of reach of children.