August 2016 - Issue #74

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AUG. 2016 issue #74

Cherry Pie by Noble Farms

Manufactured and distributed by Emerald Mountain, LLC - Tumwater, WA

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AUGUST 2016

license to frustrate

22 COVER STORY

Noble Farms is doing things right

44

CONCENTRATES

Snow Leopard by Errl’s & Mantis Extracts

DIANE DOWNEY She did everything right.

All her paperwork was in order and recognized.

But then her license didn’t get approved like the state made it seem.

S tory by We s A b n ey | P h o t o by D a n i e l B e r m a n

26

11 12 15 16 18 20 22 26 28 32 36 40 44 46 50 54 58 62 66 70 74 76

E D I TO R ’S N OT E N AT I O N A L N E WS EVENT CALENDAR STAT E T R AC K I N G P R I S O N E R U P DAT E S E AT T L E H E M P FE S T GARDEN PROFILE REBEL SPIRIT H I G H LY L I K E LY BUDS GARAGE TWO FIVE TREES STRAIN REVIEW C O N C E N T R AT E TASTY RECIPES BEGINNER BOOK ALIZA SHERMAN SIMONE FISCHER DR. SCOTT ROSE B O B M O N T O YA DR. SCANDERSON BUDSHOT PHOTOS B E H I N D T H E S T R AI N Cover photo by Daniel Berman

BACK ISSUES/OREGON//ALASKA

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contents

66

GROWING OLD Senior citizens are learning to reject reefer madness and cultivate their own medicine

Story & Photos by Bob Montoya for Northwest Leaf

NORTHWEST LEAF

the truth about the plant you thought you knew, IN every issue.

editor’s note

AUG 2016 ISSUE #74

Seattle Hempfest needs love and donations more than ever this year - let’s all do our part! our cover this month features a beautiful strain from Noble Farms, the sugary Cherry Pie in all its beautiful glory. This issue takes a look inside Noble Farms’ massive and impeccable facility in Tacoma, and explores what makes their program a success. I highly recommend trying out their strains; my personal favorite was their cactus-leaning Dutch Treat cut. See the story inside for my full review!

Over in the centerfold, don’t miss a fire Strain of the Month from Seattle’s Private Reserve, Legalized OG, that has a sour stanky smell that is almost offensive. Which is great, since it has to be lit on fire to be enjoyed! We also explore licensing woes in Oregon for a licensed producer, what fueled Tom Petty to write his classic hits and have a news wrap-up and legal opinion for the serious stuff.

You might pick this issue up at Seattle Hempfest, which has always been a source of hope and encouragement as the world’s largest Cannabis protestival. I want to remind all our readers how special and important Hempfest is, and that it will not be able to continue without donations and support from the community.

We all must do our part to save this epic event, and it starts by putting a couple bucks in the donation bins at the front gates (you can see more Hempfest tips p. 20).

For those looking to check out a new recreational store, we reviewed a Two Five Trees in Tacoma, and I personally reviewed Buds Garage in Everett, one of the best new shops to hit the market. We also share new summer grilling recipes, two outof-state profiles, a new Growtech section, and a unique Behind the Strain this issue.

Don’t miss the user-submitted Budshot and please send us photos of your grow!

As always, thanks for reading and enjoying this summer issue of Northwest Leaf!

Contact editor Wes Abney to place an advertisement or become a drop-off location to display our magazine. You can also feel free to just share feedback, send pitches, articles, story ideas and hot news tips. This is all our plant. nwleaf@gmail.com // (206) 235-6721

FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Wes Abney

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Daniel Berman

CONTRIBUTORS

Wes and Kori Marie

OSCAR AVELLANEDA-CRUZ STEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONAL SIMONE FISCHER, HEALTH PAUL GRZELAK, EDITING MALINA LOPEZ, STYLING KORI MARIE, PRODUCTION TYLER J. MARKWART, ACCESS BOB MONTOYA, PHOTOS SEAN O’NEILL, ILLUSTRATION DR. SCOTT D. ROSE, HEALTH DR. SCANDERSON, GROWTECH ALIZA SHERMAN, FEATURES ERIC SKELTON, DESIGNER PACER STACKTRAIN, FEATURES BRANDON VOSIKA, ILLUSTRATION LAURIE & BRUCE WOLF, RECIPES

ADVERTISING nwleaf@gmail.com // (206) 235-6721 Please email or call us to discuss print and online advertising opportunities in an upcoming issue.

We do not sell stories or coverage. We are happy to offer design services with Kush Creative Group and can provide guidance on the best approaches for promoting any medical, recreational, commercial or industrial product and pursuit. We are targeted.

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Department of Corrections

Nelson & Company Organics was not credited but for sure produced the well-reviewed and tasty Kosher Kush featured on pg. 51 in last month’s Tannins + Terpenes special ( p. 44-57).

Aug. 2016 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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national

STEVE ELLIOTT is the editor behind tokesignals.com, an independent blog of Cannabis news and opinion

Portland Dispensary Investigated for Fraud Cannacea closes its doors following investigation.

Washington’s Medical Marijuana ‘Transition’ Off to Rough Start Patients and dispensaries are experiencing frustrations as they attempt to adapt to Washington’s new laws.

Washington state’s version of “folding” the medical

medical system, but many dispensaries didn’t seem interested in participating.

As of July 15, just 69 stores out of 341 in the state with medical endorsements actually had a medicinal Cannabis consultant on staff and were issuing patient recognition cards. A total of 1,665 patient cards have been issued so far for adults, and two for minors, according to the Washington State Department of Health.

Washington labs still aren’t ready to test for heavy metals and mycotoxins because those rules weren’t even finalized until recently, said Aaron Nelson, senior vice president of operations for 2020 Solutions, which has two recreational pot stores in Whatcom County.

No labs have even been certified to test for all of the state requirements yet, Rossellison said. “And certainly not one lab that could do all of it, so now you’re sending multiple samples to multiple labs, which just increases the cost to the patient even more,” she said. “The whole thing is so frustrating.”

Less than 17 percent of growers said they would have Cannabis that meets the state’s medical rules ready by the July 1 deadline.

“IT’S NOT AS SMOOTH AS ONE WOULD HOPE.”

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OREGON NEVER ISSUED A MEDICAL DISPENSARY LICENSE TO THE BUSINESS.

Photos via Creative Commons

marijuana industry into the legal recreational side of the business is proving rough going.

“It’s not as smooth as one would hope,” admitted Danielle Rosellison, co-owner of Trail Blazin’ Productions, a marijuana grower in Bellingham, reports Kie Relyea at The Bellingham Herald.

Medical marijuana dispensaries, which have existed in the state for close to a decade after voters approved a 1998 medicinal Cannabis law, are being shut down, and patients are being encouraged to enter a state database. While patients can be exempt from a 9 percent sales tax if they enter that database, they still have to pay a whopping 37 percent excise tax on their medicine.

While Rosellison remains optimistic that patients’ needs will eventually be met by the recreational marijuana system, she said, “it’s just not going to be timely, and there will be this murky period for the next few years.”

Dispensaries that couldn’t get approval from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board were required to shut down by July 1 on the supposed public rollout of a new recreational/

A Portland marijuana dispensary has become the first Cannabis business to be investigated for fraud since Oregon legalized weed in 2014.

Cannacea has shut its doors after it was learned that Oregon never issued a medical dispensary license to the business.

Tisha Siler, Cannacea’s founder, came to Oregon in 2014 to open the business after she got what she thought was a letter welcoming her to open up shop, reports Shaunee Flowers at The Inquisitr. It turns out Siler wasn’t licensed at all after paying $25,000 to Green Rush Consu l ti ng, de s pi te receiving an officiallooking letter that said she was awarded seven dispensary licenses.

The Oregon Department of Health began investigating Siler last year; that’s when it learned the letter was fake and that Green Rush Consulting had some real explaining to do.

Siler’s previous contact at Green Rush has prior felony convictions for financial schemes, and she’s accused the company of creating marketing materials with false information in addition to the fake letter she received.

The exact role Green Rush Consulting played with Siler and Cannacea is being investigated. She also has some very unhappy investors now that her Portland dispensary has been shut down.

Quoted “REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ALIKE SEE THE NEED TO REDUCE HARSH SENTENCES FOR DRUG OFFENSES, SO IT IS ESPECIALLY CRUEL TO DEPORT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, SOME OF WHOSE MOST SERIOUS OFFENSE RELATED TO A SMALL AMOUNT OF MARIJUANA.” — MICHAEL COLLINS (deputy director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance) on the benefits of the “Veteran Visa and Protection Act,” which will establish a visa program allowing certain deported veterans to re-enter the U.S. as lawful permanent residents.

Alaska Entrepreneurs Want to Show Tourists The Cannabis Industry New business venture Juneau Cannabis Tours hopes to guide visitors through the state’s marijuana attractions.

Keith Crocker and business partner Mitchell

Knottingham have created Juneau Cannabis Tours with the idea of giving tourists a look at the state’s new marijuana industry in action.

The company’s website encourages visitors to “live the Alaska high life.” Crocker said once the state’s recreational marijuana industry is operational, his company hopes to take people to see things like cultivation facilities, edibles manufacturing warehouses and Cannabis retail shops, with “an overview of what’s going on with the whole industry,” possibly combined with food and drink tours.

Crocker said tours with his company

might cost around $125, which is about what he paid for a similar tour in Colorado.

The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development expects the state’s bars, restaurants and hotels to add 300 jobs this year after gaining 700 last year. About one million of the state’s 2 million annual visitors visit the state on tour ships.

THE COMPANY’S WEBSITE ENCOURAGES VISITORS TO “LIVE THE ALASKA HIGH LIFE.”

Quick Hits!

1 14.9 Billion dollars worth of recreational marijuana sales have been made in Washington pot shops since July 2014.

Million dollars have been generated in tax revenues from recreational Cannabis sales since January, translating into about $60 million in sales.

100

cities and counties in Eastern Oregon have banned licensed marijuana businesses under a law approved by the Legislature in 2015.

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national

STEVE ELLIOTT is the editor behind tokesignals.com, an independent blog of Cannabis news and opinion

Washington Marijuana Sales Top $1 Billion since rec legalization Washington state pot shops have sold more than a billion dollars worth of recreational marijuana since July 2014, generating more than $250 million for the state through excise taxes, reports the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

The amount of recreational weed sold since I-502 took effect passed the billion-dollar mark in June, which set a record of $86.7 million in pot sales, according to the report. June 2016’s yield of $20 million in taxes nearly doubled the amount generated in June 2015.

“There would have to be some fundamental things about the regulations as they are right now that would have to change in order to allow

Washington companies to succeed on a national scale,” said Seattle business attorney Andy Aley, reports the PostIntelligencer. “And I think one of the biggest disadvantages that we have, especially compared to Oregon, is the restriction on out-of-state actual ownership of the licenses. Probably the biggest problem that my clients have is access to capital.”

WASHINGTON STATE POT SHOPS HAVE GENERATED MORE THAN $250 MILLION FOR THE STATE THROUGH EXCISE TAXES

THE DEA HAS PUT UP BUREAUCRATIC ROADBLOCKS TO LEGITIMATE SCIENCE AND

SEVERELY LIMITED, IF NOT COMPLETELY OBSTRUCTED LEGITIMATE RESEARCHERS WHO WOULD STUDY CANNABIS’ BENEFITS.

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Whoopi Goldberg to Speak at CALIFORNIA Cannabis BIZ Event International star and Cannabis entrepreneur Whoopi Goldberg will appear at the San Diego Cannabis Conference & Expo as a keynote speaker at the San Diego Convention Center.

Rory Mendoza, the CEO and event producer of Let’s Educate a Future, made the announcement. “We reach for the stars and Whoopi is certainly the best representative we could ask for to represent the new face of Cannabis,” Mendoza said.

Goldberg recently entered the Cannabis industry with her company Whoopi & Maya‘s signature line of medical products designed specifically to help relieve menstrual discomfort.

Goldberg will take center stage from 6 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 7, in San Diego.

Whoopi is one of a very elite group of A-list artists who has won a Grammy, Academy Award, Golden Globe, Emmy, Daytime Emmy and a Tony.

“Whoopi exemplifies the high-quality individual who makes Let’s Educate a Future events stand out from other Cannabis conventions across the country,” Mendoza said.

Drawing Cannabis companies, experts, entrepreneurs and activists, conference attendance is expected to exceed 6,000 individuals and is open to the public. Attendees interested in entering the Cannabis industry will learn more about the laws affecting them and how the Cannabis industry is evolving in California.

Quoted — AARON SMITH (Executive Director of the National Cannabis Industry Association) during Senate Judiciary Subcommitte on July 13, where Senators heard from witnesses from the FDA, the National Institute for Drug Abuse and medical professionals about the pros and cons of medical marijuana.

CALENDAR

OREGON INDO EXPO PORTLAND AUG. 6-7 | THC FAIR COMES TO MEDFORD/ASHLAND AUG. 20-21 THC FAIR ASTORIA SEPT. 3-4 | CELEBRATE HEMPSTALK IN PORTLAND SEPT. 24-25 CANNABIS SCIENCE CONFERENCE PORTLAND OCT. 4 | THC FAIR SALEM OCT.15-16 THC FAIR BEND OCT. 22-23 | EXPERIENCE THE 420 GAMES IN PORTLAND OCT. 29

WASHINGTON SEATTLE HEMPFEST WORLD’S LARGEST POT PROTESTIVAL AUG. 19-21 | NORTHWEST LEAF’S HERBIN CAMPOUT SEPT. 3 EVERGREEN FEST AT WHITE RIVER AMPHITHEATER SEPT. 17 | PIPE MASTERS COLLAB OCT. 19-29 | CANNACON SEATTLE FEB. 2017

ALASKA

WEED WEEK ALASKA SEPT. 6-11 | CANNACON ANCHORAGE SEPT. 9-10 | ALASKA LEAF CANNACON AFTERPARTY SEPT. 10

ELSEWHERE AND INTERESTING

HIGH TIMES CANNABIS CUP RETURNS TO THE AUTO CITY SPEEDWAY IN CLIO, MICHIGAN FOR THREE DAYS AUG. 26-28 THE INTERNATIONAL CANNABIS BUSINESS CONFERENCE TAKES OVER DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER, BC OCT. 13-14 MARIJUANA BUSINESS CONFERENCE AND EXPO LAS VEGAS NOV. 16-18 | THE EMERALD CUP CALIFORNIA DEC. 10-11

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opInion

By OREGON LEAF STAFF | ILLUSTRATION by BRANDON VOSIKA

A

Hand over your ID and all your info Oregon doesn’t keep track of who’s buying alcohol or tobacco, yet tracking legal recreational Cannabis purchases is a reality.

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merica was built on the rights to privacy and equal access.This is a country where you can buy alcohol or cigarettes with only an ID, guns in many states without a record of sale and every form of vice or pornography online. Nobody’s tracking that. Our country’s gun show laws have made headlines for years. Whatever side of the fence your politics lay, we can all agree that if an adult can buy a gun with just an ID and cash without a record of sale, there is no reason for a state to collect personal information during pot sales.

Currently, medical dispensaries with a recreational permit are allowed to sell to adults up to 7 grams of Cannabis flower, plus small amounts of medibles and concentrates and four plants per year.

The OLCC has required dispensaries since sales began to track all recreational purchases, claiming a need to audit dispensaries.

Where is the need (or the manpower) to audit dispensaries? The average dispensary sees thousands of patients monthly, and busy locations easily see tens of thousands. The state is wasting resources checking to see if the average Joe has bought too much of a legal product.

Why does Oregon insist on keeping a record of every recreational Cannabis sale? Ostensibly, it’s to make sure that people aren’t abusing the 7 gram per day sale limit.

This is a worthless excuse.

There is every reason to be worried about tracking Cannabis sales — potential data

hoarded by the state could be extremely valuable. Which means it’s dangerous.

Would public sector employees still shop at the local pot store if they knew the risk to their retirement and employment? The database is a liability. Oregon has a registry for medical Cannabis patients, which has been accessed by federal DEA agents in documented accounts. And that’s just what made the nightly news. What about hackers?

Anyone paying attention to the WikiLeaks or Anonymous hacks of late knows that almost all data stored by government is improperly protected and easily accessed. If even the federal government cannot protect high security clearance material, what chance does our lowly info have for staying in the shadows? That data in the right hands could be downright hazardous, or, at the very least, a privacy oversight and massive breach of public trust. The important note here is commercial value.

My instinct is to follow the money, but what this list represents is worth more than cash. Oregon has undertaken a statewide experiment by allowing adults to purchase medical Cannabis and the devil’s in the details. The demographic information alone is priceless, let alone potential sales trends and product data.

The records are a treasure trove of information that is unparalleled in other states.

And we’re being sold out.

Marijuana is safer than alcohol, cigarettes, guns, Tylenol and even cows. It doesn’t deserve to be tracked to death.

THE STATE IS WASTING RESOURCES CHECKING TO SEE IF THE AVERAGE JOE HAS BOUGHT TOO MUCH OF A LEGAL PRODUCT.

AUGUST 19 - 20 - 21 2016 FIND MARI J’S at HEMPFEST

441 (Main Stage) 929 & 917 (Cavi Land)

Look for Mari J’@Hempfest, She’ll be with the people in the dance.

Mari J’s will be all over hempfest this year. You’ll find her in Booth #441 (Main Stage) 929 & 917 in Cavi Land. Stop by one of Mari J’s booths and pick up some swag, you might even get invited to the private after-party. Look to our website and Facebook for all the info.

PLUS: Mari J’s will be participating in the Dope Hunt...

Come out, have some summertime fun with us.

EVERY-DAY DEALS: $10 GRAMS • $25 DABS • $6 JOINTS • $5 EDIBLES OPEN SUNDAY 10AM-10PM, MONDAY - THURSDAY 9AM-10PM, FRIDAY - SATURDAY 9AM-11PM • 21 AND OVER WITH ID CONVENIENTLY LOCATED OFF I-5 EXIT #189 IN SOUTH EVERETT • 9506 19TH AVE SE. 425-379-8888 MJPOTSHOP.COM

PRISONER UPDATE

NEWS FROM THE FRONT LINES NORTHWEST NEWS

EUGENE A. FISCHER Remembering the life of a freedom fighter who truly walked the talk.

A couple of days ago, I was asked to write a memorial for a personal hero and man I would like to call a brother in arms, even though we never met each other in person. With a heavy heart, I write this for the greatest man ever arrested for pot, Eugene A. Fischer, Sr. Unfortunately, Eugene Fischer is a name not many know, yet should. Ordinarily, Eugene never made public qualms about what he was arrested for, which was against the law at the time; then again, so was marriage between interracial couples. Enlightened people see the world for what it truly is and in the case of marijuana law, it’s wrong. More than an outlaw, Eugene was a freedom fighter who truly walked the talk. After serving part of a life sentence for pot, which could have very well equaled a death sentence, he never forgot others entangled with the law regarding the non-crime of marijuana use.

Arrested at age 47, after five years of running what was the largest marijuana operation of its time, Eugene embarked upon his first fight, Eugene Fischer v. United States. His succeeding battle was even more histrionic, like that of a Hollywood movie.

In 2012, after serving 25 years in prison, Eugene won his freedom and immediately embarked on a mission to help all his brothers and sisters still locked up for pot. That’s how Eugene viewed everyone: a brother or sister.

I saw Eugene when he was volunteering for The Human Solution International, where every Sunday he would co-host, sharing his story and bonding with fellow prisoners of the Drug War such as Craig Cesal. I was moved by his voice and passion; I knew there was absolutely no shit this man would take. He held his head up by abundantly taking moral initiative and helping others that suffered like him. After his release, he assisted his old partner Randy Lanier in finding freedom via the same legal embarrassment for the government that freed Eugene.

Subsequent to his hard work at THSI, Eugene

OREGON

Photo by Tom Korby

founded VOW (Voices of the Cannabis War) with Kristin Flor and Mindi Griffiths, attempting to continue the efforts of ending the Drug War by bringing the greatest weapon: hope. Hope to prisoners already locked up, hope to those in the industry who may fall into trouble, hope that there are others out there who are like-minded, hope that you are not alone — instead, it’s we.

We are seeking justice, so we can have peace.

This man has been a hero and a guiding light to countless of whom there seemed to be terrible darkness. Eugene stood unwavered against the horrible machine known as prohibition. Displaying an invariant commitment to social justice not only on behalf of his and others’ personal freedoms, but for an overall social balance that would reduce carnage amongst minorities and police alike. The failed War on Drugs harbors real prisoners and victims, and they’re all Americans, just like you and I. Eugene Fischer needs to be remembered with the likes of Jack Herer and Dennis Peron, for these men have forged reform in the marijuana conversation by being living examples of why the war on marijuana is wrong. Notwithstanding, Eugene lived life to the fullest in his four years of post-prison freedom, as he recognized the value of time and how little of it we have to get this right. Rest in Peace Eugene, the Earth lost a brilliant mind and heaven gained another angel on July 7, 2016.

THIS MAN HAS BEEN A HERO AND A GUIDING LIGHT TO COUNTLESS OF WHOM THERE SEEMED TO BE TERRIBLE DARKNESS.

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According to reports, the first federal Cannabis case in Oregon since 2011 targets a local teenager. Nineteen-yearold Devontre Thomas can now be counted among those still facing lifelong consequences for consuming a miracle plant.

The case was filed in April, approximately one year after the supposed crime, for one count of marijuana possession. Reports state Thomas was not even in possession of Cannabis at the time, while his friend had only fragments and remnants; therefore, it is unclear why federal prosecutors are pursuing this case.

Apparently, even in “legal” states, the government still locks up otherwise law-abiding and productive citizens for possession of a plant. Federal statistics indicate prosecutors charged 2,349 people with marijuana possession in the United States last year.

WASHINGTON

Every August, the most amazing marijuana event in the nation takes place in Seattle at Hempfest. This year, two former prisoners of the Drug War will Mizanskey speak at the event: Jeff Mizanskey and George Martorano, who each served over 20 years of their life sentences for pot. People on the outside continually uplifted both of these men. George was gallantly sponsored and supported by Seattle Hempfest during the last leg of his sentence.

Hempfest will also feature clips from the documentary “Lifers” by Jeff Eichen.

NO VICTIM = NO CRIME =

NOT GUILTY. NO ONE SHOULD BE CAGED FOR CANNABIS!

Reporting by

KRISTEN FLOR / Mindi Griffiths / Miggy 420 Becca Nichols / Danielle Vitale-O’Brien for Alaska Leaf, Northwest Leaf & Oregon Leaf

New Home Raid Hotline

On June 30, patient possession limits were reduced and many access points were closed in Washington. If you are a recently raided MMJ patient, you are urged to check out 420Leaks — they may be able to assist! The newly formed service has been set up to help you: - Find attorneys, paralegals, healthcare professionals and other victimized patients to consult for support.

- Learn how to obtain your own records, scout media contacts and draw publicity to a case if desired.

Determine if the case qualifies for emergency financial assistance through small grants from local nonprofits, businesses and individuals in an extensive statewide network.

-Enlighten yourself on the topic of government corruption by gathering public records.

420Leaks has been there and can offer support.

Find out more by calling 206-915-3450. You can also learn more about using public records to confirm the corruption of our government at www.420leaks.com.

KETTLE FALLS FAMILY

The family is still fighting for appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, however, their briefs are not due until December.

Moreover, the cases of Harborside Health Center and Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana are helping to set precedents at the federal district court level, accordingly giving their Section 538 amendment argument a considerable deal of strength.

chris williams

Chris Williams, an ex-Montana MMJ caregiver who is now a federal plant prisoner serving his time at the SeaTac Bureau of Prisons in Seattle, was recently sent to the “SHU” (Solitary Housing Unit, otherwise known as solitary confinement) as a consequence for a fight with another inmate. Chris cannot have visitors, talk to other inmates, make phone calls or leave his prison cell.

Chris can still receive mail and needs you to send him a letter to lift his spirits. His address is: Christopher Wayne Williams #11839-046, FDC SeaTac, PO BOX 13900, Seattle, WA 98198.

Similar to Lance Gloor and other non-violent inmates, Chris would not be in prison today if the jurors who may have believed the law was unjust knew that they could have voted not guilty, a judicial right known as jury nullification. To find out more about Chris, visit his website freechriswilliams.com, and for more information on what our plant prisoners go through in solitary confinement, listen to the VOW radio show at goo.gl/95NkUV.

JUDGE BIXLER: “THE POTFATHER?” As marijuana is increasingly grown, produced and regulated for profit, the faces of cultivators are changing. Gone are the small-timers who were once harvesting for the mere love of the plant and its medicinal properties, not the profit to be derived. Up and coming are the high-profile power hitters such as: Las Vegas’ very own Judge James Bixler, president of Southern Nevada Growers, Inc., with licenses to cultivate and produce Cannabis in North Las Vegas; Clark County attorney Stephen Pingree, who is heading Symbiosis, LLC with a cultivation license; and Assemblyman William Horne, who is receiving a license for production under C.W. Nevada, LLC. Of particular interest is Judge Bixler, who was publicly quoted as saying that he plans to recuse himself from a case that involves medical marijuana if his applications for cultivation and production are accepted, yet he made several rulings on the case in the summer of 2014, a few months after applying for the licenses. Despite stating, “our old War on Drugs is a farce ... we need to start treating drug addicts like drug addicts instead of prisoners,” Judge Bixler’s ruling was to set bail at over $100,000 and deny the medical marijuana

defense strategy. As a result, the defendant spent over seven months in jail.

These rulings appear to go against Bixler’s stated views on the need to approach drug cases in a different way. More recently, during this same defendant’s sentencing, Judge Bixler presided yet again, despite recusing himself from the case due to an obvious conflict of interest almost two years prior. Appropriately, members of The Human Solution International attended the sentencing to stand in solidarity and show support. Mike from THSI stated that prior to once again recusing himself, the judge said that he used to think medical was just an excuse to get high, but that he thinks differently now.

Nevertheless, this raises the question of why he altered his views on medical marijuana. Could Bixler’s personal investment in the newly flourishing industry be the reason? A judge holding cultivation and production licenses for medical marijuana is a blatant conflict of interest. A decision on whether a judge can hold licenses for the production, cultivation or dispensing of medical marijuana was due to be released at the time of the writing of this article.

Let’s hope the correct decision is made.

A JUDGE HOLDING CULTIVATION AND PRODUCTION LICENSES FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS A BLATANT CONFLICT OF INTEREST

NORTHWEST

By WES ABNEY | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN

Aug. 19-21 at Myrtle Edwards Park (Free, suggested $10 donation, all ages)

Welcome to

seattle Hempfest Every august on the seattle waterfront, the world’s largest pot protestival has become as much of a tradition as Bumbershoot or Folklife. But the festival isn’t free to produce and actually requires hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless volunteer hours to make the event run smoothly. Last year, the festival received less than 20 cents per attendee in donations. That is ridiculous! Hempfest spans three days, features dozens of events, speakers and bands, all while giving access to some of the best vendors in the world of hemp and Cannabis-themed products. We want to make sure Seattle Hempfest sticks around, so please help donate at the entry gates or Hempfest.org.

Do’s & Don’ts stop by the nwleaf booth

20/aug. 2016 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

Donate to Hempfest Drink lots of water Bring a friend Bring a backpack/purse Share a message of hope Read something new Smoke something new Share the love with everyone Be respectful to the park take it easy and Have fun!

Sell illegal drugs Steal from anyone Be rude to police or anyone else Make graffiti or any vandalism Bring propane torches Bring alcohol or other drugs Discriminate against people’s choices/self expression Litter anywhere forget to donate to hempfest Forget cash for food and vendors Get so high that you act a fool

feature

N O B L E 22/aug. 2016 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

F A R M S Inside the well-tuned walls of this tacoma tier 3 recreational Cannabis producer

By WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN

feature Continued from pg. 23

NOBLE FARMS

By WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN

F

rom the first step inside Noble Farms’ Tier 3 production facility, the atmosphere is professional and controlled, much like walking into a government agency combined with a laboratory setting. Check-in at the front door happens just past the floral decorated 420 address signs, a tongue-in-cheek pun that was actually by fate, not design. Feet are sprayed at the door with ethanol to kill any outside pests or molds, and a tour or the workday can begin.

FOR NOBLE’S 45 employees, each day is a practice in regiment, with specific roles and programs occurring as the facility stays in constant motion.

The 25,000 square foot facility crops 350 to 400 pounds of flower a month out of 14,000 square feet of canopy space, and that doesn’t happen without precise control.

“I designed this building and built it and filled it with genetics from my medical grows; it’s been a fun process with never a dull moment,” said owner Mark Rowland. “We pride ourselves on cleanliness and maintaining a sterile facility, and we are second to none on our processes. Whatever industry you are in, that’s the only way to roll, but it’s even more important in our industry.”

The name of the garden comes from a feeling that carried over from the days as a black market grower, and then as a medical producer.

“We wanted to represent our style that we are proud of, and that’s about doing the right thing, which is Noble,” Rowland said, “We always did well in medical because we treated the medicine and the patients with respect, and a lot of people in the recreational industry don’t have that respect or work ethic. With our 20 years of growing experi-

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Owner Mark Rowland

ence, we aren’t willing to cut corners.”

Life for employees and plants alike run like clockwork inside the garden. Every two weeks the facility phases in new clones while cutting down a crop, with plants of all stages of life represented in the facility. Life begins in an immaculate mother room where the nine staple strains the facility grows are housed, along with special releases and private reserve strains. Each mother will churn out thousands of clones to fill the two nurseries and 16 flowering rooms, yielding thousands of pounds over a lifetime.

The clones spend two weeks in an aeroponic cloner, two weeks vegging in a 1-gallon pot, two weeks in a 7-gallon pot and then are split into rooms by strain and plant preferences and flowered to completion. The plants are grow in hand-mixed and hand-watered soil, with Advanced Nutrients and several in-house additives. The flowering rooms are sealed and spectacular, hiding beautiful and

especially uniform plants on rolling carts. Every part of the program is designed for efficiency and individual attention to the plants’ needs, all without pesticides or cutting corners.

“We call it the touch and feel program,” Rowland explained. “We have a loving connection with each plant, and we can pick up and treat each plant individually to get what they need.”

That loving attention is the difference between Noble Farms and the typical large-scale recreational grow.

The plants mean more than numbers to the gardeners, even the largest one of all.

“It takes over $250,000 a month to keep this facility funded and running smoothly,” Rowland said with a blend of pride and humility.

“We are in 80-plus stores consistently, which is the best part. I’ve always loved the relationships I’ve had based on consistency and that’s what we have to offer our dispensaries;

WE HAVE A LOVING CONNECTION WITH EACH PLANT, AND WE CAN PICK UP AND TREAT EACH PLANT INDIVIDUALLY TO GET WHAT THEY NEED.

ONCE PACKAGED, THE TASTY TOP SHELF HEADS TO STORES VIA A NETWORK SPANNING MORE THAN 80 STORES ALL OVER WASHINGTON STATE.

xj-13 reliability and consistency of product.”

The day of our visit, the in-house goal was to roll 6,000 joints, although the employees in the rolling and packaging room sheepishly admitted to only getting roughly 4,500 rolled.

Once the flower is cut down, it’s cured in two large sealed rooms and then divided for a final purpose. Trim is processed by outside companies; large buds go into bags for resale and small buds end up in joints.

Once packaged, the tasty top shelf heads to stores via a network spanning more than 80 stores all over Washington state.

We enjoyed the Dutch Treat especially, which has a tropical and floral cactus scent,

and warm and euphoric uplifting effects, while the Cherry Pie is also appealing, with heady time-warping effects and a solid kushy flavor. Recreational users will especially enjoy the Blueberry, with dark purple buds and a sweet fruity flavor that is balanced with relaxed and mellow effects.

Overall there isn’t a bad strain in the garden, and that is all by design.

“We started from the beginning with good genetics and attention to detail, and we have maintained that since,” Rowland said. “That’s the only way we know how to do it.”

FACILITIES COORDINATOR thomas holley trimming white fire og

NOBLE FARMS’ 9 STAPLE STRAINS Blueberry, Headband, Cherry Pie, XJ-13, Chemdog, White Fire OG, Acapulco Gold, Agent Orange & Dutch Treat. NobleFarms.Co

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feature

By WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN

LICENSE TO FRUSTRATE

O

regon Cannabis regulators and legislators seem to have a penchant for using the term “good actor.” No, this isn’t a Shakespearean reference; the term refers to businesses that have gained the state’s favor.

This is accomplished through efficient applications, transparent intentions and good business practices.

All good things, right?

That’s what Diane Downey and her husband and partner Chris Bechler thought at Rebel Spirit Cannabis Company. When license applications were opened earlier in the year, the team at Rebel Spirit pushed hard to prepare as quickly as possible for state regulators. Zooming through due diligence, the family invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into their farm.

With multiple greenhouses and outdoor growing space, plus indoor canopy, the farm was a major project. So was being a middle school teacher on the side. Downey focused up and felt the farm was abuzz as they headed into the licensing phase.

“We jumped into this industry with both feet,” Downey said. “We didn’t get our license until May 25, but we started getting our greenhouses running and thought that we could get our first crop off by early summer and start serving the marketplace.”

But when she found out the legal license meant she couldn’t legally sell pot until October at the soonest, she felt like the state had played a cruel trick on her and other license holders.

Let’s grab a refresher course on Oregon’s current state of Cannabis sales. Statewide, there are hundreds of licensed medical dispensaries. These dispensaries have had the option since October to apply for a permit to sell recreational Cannabis.

This means that although the products in the store come from medical producers (patients), they can sell for profit to recreational customers.

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DIANE DOWNEY ON HER In January, the state enacted a 25 percent point of sale tax on Cannabis for recreational sales, but has largely left dispensaries and producers alone, allowing the already in place OMMP to provide recreational weed — fueling millions in sales.

Here is where things get tricky. Medical producers are allowed to transfer their medicine to dispensaries only until October, when all producers must be licensed recreationally to sell recreational pot, and dispensaries must be licensed to receive and sell products.

The catch is that licensed producers can only sell their products to licensed dispensers, and those licenses won’t begin being issued until

October. Current recreational dispensaries are only temporarily permitted to sell recreational weed.

“In one way, it makes me feel proud to have really done things legally and on the up and up, and that’s how we sell ourselves. On the other hand, it kinda makes me feel like a chump,” Downey said.

“We had to go back and borrow extra money to store products, keep our $25,000 in payroll afloat, and we’re really going out on a limb and really need to make it work, and are determined to do so, but it’s pretty nerve-wracking.”

For many other early license holders, it feels like the state left compliant businesses out to dry.

“If the OLCC’s goal is to defeat black market in

STATE’S MISTAKE Oregon, keeping legal growers from selling legally until October is not the way to do it. Not that I would turn to black market, but they need to be practical and keep the endgame in sight,” she said.

“It’s not difficult to find people bending the rules and in some ways getting ahead of us.”

By denying licensed producers a pathway to sell their legally grown products, the state has put their “best actors” in jeopardy of financial failure. These farms were expecting to have product sales now, and telling them to wait until October at the earliest is a major stretch. But that’s assuming October even happens.

At the time we went to print, the state has pro-

Oregon created a loophole in the licensing process that put the first companies to finish applications into serious legal limbo and real distress.

cessed roughly 10 percent of recreational production licenses. With potential for over 1,000 total license applications in the system, it could take a full year to get through the influx. But that’s just producers and processors. The state has also set its own deadline of Oct. 1 to have licensed dispensaries for recreational purposes, and not a single dispensary has finished that process to be approved for October sales.

For now, all Downey can do is hope that the state realizes the predicament she and others have been put in, and either create a window for sales or dedicate significant resources towards ensuring 100 percent of license holders are processed by the

fall deadline. Right now, she doesn’t have much hope for either.

“To their credit I do believe they want things to work, but they don’t have the manpower or resources.”

For Downey, the experience has managed to teach her a lot about dealing with a state agency and an emerging industry.

“Do your homework with regard to start-up costs, and then bring your checkbook. It’s still going to cost a lot more than you think, and an under-capitalized company will never make it off the ground,” she wrote in a follow-up email.

“Access the expertise of those [working] in ancillary businesses: the power company, the electrician, the security company, the building supply company, the farm equipment company, the soil amendments dealer, the dispensary owners.

They have an interest in your success. A great thing about the industry is that it is providing economic growth to entire communities, so we can all get excited about growing together.”

highly likely

By PACER STACKTRAIN for NORTHWEST LEAF

Column # 13

Highlighting different amazing Cannabis pioneers that helped pave the way to greater acceptance

RUNNIN’ DOWN A BLUE DREAM TOM PETTY IS A TRUE AMERICAN ORIGINAL. A world-class

Over the years, Petty has become more and more outspoken about his use of Cannabis, likely thanks to relatively relaxed tolerance in modern society.

TOM PETTY

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rock ‘n’ roll superstar that came from humble beginnings and brought the people he grew up with along on his amazing journey. He’s also a certified hit machine, creating a seemingly endless supply of catchy songs with the staying power to last decades in the public consciousness.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Petty has been a consumer of Cannabis throughout his career. He didn’t, however, really talk much about his love for the herb until recently — most likely due to a change in acceptance and attitude from the general public.

When Petty’s first producer/manager Denny Cordell was asked in 2007 about how difficult the band was to manage on the road in the late 1970s, he answered that they were easy, but that they “smoked way too much reefer.” By all accounts, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were a band that loved to get blazed.

There’s the tale of their first European tour in the early 1980s where they were so excited to be in Amsterdam, one of the few places in the world at the time where one could purchase Cannabis legally, that they bought blocks of hashish. The band planned on smuggling the goods to nearby Germany for the rest of the tour when they were pulled aside and searched at customs. Petty threw out his hashish in time, but knew bassist Ron Blair had not.

When the authorities went to search Blair’s bag, they only found a pipe. Astonished, Petty turned to Blair, who returned a toothy smile with black hashish all over his teeth.

That night, the band performed on German television and one can see a visibly glassy-eyed Blair playing his heart out on bass.

In a 2013 article with Rolling Stone, Petty noted that he’s not a medical user of Cannabis, at least not a licensed one. “I don’t have a prescription card, but I’m certain I’ve smoked medical marijuana, yeah. It’s everywhere. I don’t smoke as much pot as I did at one point in my life. But I think the cat’s out of the bag, it’s gonna be legalized.”

Over the years, Petty has become more and more outspoken about his use of Cannabis, likely thanks to relatively relaxed tolerance in modern society.

His most recent interview, a 2015 print article in Men’s Journal, tells the tale of a lifelong passion for American history and the herb.

According to the article, one of Petty’s favorite things to do is “wait until it’s really late, get stoned, go to the Jefferson Memorial and just sit there and read the walls. I’ve done that a few times.”

Which makes a lot of sense. Petty’s music personifies freedom and captures the wanderlust of the American soul.

“So let’s get to the point, let’s roll another joint. Let’s head on down the road.There’s somewhere I gotta go.”

Thepacerstacktrain@gmail.com Instagram: @ThePacerStackTrain

access

BUDS GARAGE Strains 5/5 BUDS GARAGE is focused on both quality

and price, with almost all the flower falling between $10-15 a gram. Only a couple strains are over that price — including Snoop’s Dream by Pioneer Nuggets, which is reviewed here — but for the value and flavor, the best selection is priced lower.

We saw brands including Lazy Bee and Noble Farms and really liked the selection of $10 grams by Fruit of the Root. The store also has a killer selection of pre-rolls, with dozens of flavors and brands available.

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Reviewed

By WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

Edibles 4/5 THE EDIBLES SELECTION has all the usual products at fair price points. We saw THC and CBD versions of Evergreen Herbal chocolates, Legal Sodas, options from Zoots and several options from Winterlife’s edible line. We especially liked the Spikers options from Winterlife, which are 100mg bottles of traditional alcohol mixers like mint julep or blood orange grenadine, which are perfect for making a virgin or adult beverage and fairly priced at $35.

We also recommend Happy Trails Granola nugs, an all-natural and healthy edible option that will leave your body energized and your mind happy.

Concentrates 4/5 WE REALLY ENJOYED the concentrate selection here, especially the choices of flower rosin from Lazy Bee. BHO from Chipper Gardens, Alta Nova cartridges and a full selection of Oleum Extracts were also available; and we noticed Cavi Rolls by Caviar Gold, although compared to the fire options for half grams at the same $30 price point, we suggest an oil option. Buds Garage also had a solid grouping of flavors from CO2 Organics, whose Maui Wowi was a real treat. The overall selection here is solid and fairly priced, with enough heady dabs to satisfy even the pickiest dabber.

By co2 organics

grown by pioneer nuggets

SNOOP’S DREAM Earthy blueberry muffins

THE SCORE

meet summer-dried grass ar o ma smells in a flower with a truly d en s it y voluminous bag presence. The aroma is warm and appeals to cu r e the frontal lobes, teasing at the l o o ks stony pleasure soon to come. f l avo r The bud is fluffy with medium ef f ect density and a light stickiness. t otal : 24/30 Tokes are warm, sweet and smooth in the beginning, with a potent exhale that leaves the lungs feeling tingly with a light cough.

60/40 INDICA Effects slow the mind down instantly, with a creeping body high that settles in the first 30 minutes and lasts for several hours. ($19/g)

27.0% THC

Environment 5/5 WALKING INTO Buds Garage is like taking a weird trip in time, with old school auto shop memorabilia mixing with a top-quality selection of legal Cannabis products. One of the first things that most seasoned shoppers will notice is a lack of menus. It’s on purpose, because the store wants people to talk to the budtenders and interact, all with a goal of connecting a user to the right strain. Every product sits on a shelf with a price and info card, so the information is there, but the environment is designed to make for an interactive purchasing experience that is friendly and authentic.

MAUI WOWIE CANNABIS OIL When taste, flavor and medicinal effects meet, the results are truly exceptional. This

grown by moani naturals

PURPLE DIESEL Bright flavors of lemon and citrusberry punctuate this Purple Diesel along with a nasaly fuel sour finish.

This bud has solid density, beautiful looks and a gram is definitely worth picking up. The flower is sharp when smoked, with floral rose notes and a whisper-sweet exhale. Breathing picks up and sound sharpens with this heady sativa.($15/g)

70/30 SATIVA

18.6% THC

THE SCORE

a rom a de n s ity cure l ooks fl avor e ffect tota l : 27/30

Overall 18/20

high-CBD CO2 extract is a beautiful golden color, thick and sappy and full of flavor and beneficial cannabinoids. Dabbing this oil releases a warm and tropical floral flavor, with a light exhale and minimal SATIVA-DOMINANT HIGH-CBD 37.16% THC cough. The effects hit quickly, 15.24% CBD starting in the frontal lobes, then 0.35% CBG filling the body with energy and 1.95% Terps taking away pain THE SCORE and stiffness.

This strain is va lu e a great choice ef f ec t for recreational ta st e users looking for la b el a more balanced t o ta l: 18/20 daytime high, and is extremely desirable for anyone seeking medicinal effects from dabbing. ($30/0.5g)

BUDS GARAGE REC 21+ 3015 Everett Ave, Everett, WA 98201 (425) 321-9471 www.BudsGarage.net

AS MUCH A a friendly local stop as it is a quality

Cannabis store, Buds Garage is the epitome of the friendly neighborhood pot shop. You’ll find the managing owner Donnie budtending every day of the week alongside his small staff, always ready with a smile to talk strains and effects. The staff has weekly meetings to try new products before purchasing, and the inventory has an attention to quality and variety that only fellow smokers can cultivate. Whether you live in Everett or are looking for a new destination to try, Bud’s Garage is definitely worth the stop.

One of the first things that most seasoned shoppers will notice is a lack of menus.

It’s on purpose, because the store wants people to talk to the budtenders and interact, all with a goal of connecting a user to the right strain.

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AVITAS PURE, PREMIUM CANNABIS OIL CLEANER. SAFER. TASTIER. Extracted with natural, food-grade CO2.

No additives or flavorings.

Ever.

IT FEELS GOOD TO FEEL GOOD ASK FOR AVITAS. AVAIL ABLE AT FINE CANNABIS RETAILERS. AV I TASAG.CO M

This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination.

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

access

two five trees Strains 5/5 A VERY NICE selection of flower from some of the

state’s top producers line the walls of Two Five Trees.

Price range is on point so there is a little of something for everyone, which is nice. From a heavy indica to those sky-high soaring sativas, Two Five Trees has covered all the bases as far as strain selection goes.

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Reviewed

By TYLER J. MARKWART @ZESCIENTIST | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

Edibles 3/5 THE SELECTION of edibles wasn’t the largest but there were some unique products available like cooking oils and chocolate covered orange slices, as well as some heavy hitters like the Legal Sparkling Juices for those with higher tolerance.

Concentrates 4/5 A PLETHORA of different cartridges, dabs and

hash are available at Two Five Trees, including hard-to-find cartridge refills from Avitas and Top Shelf. Affordable pricing and a wide selection of classic and contemporary names will keep you sampling their wares for a while.

NUG FLOWER proDUCED by seattle’s private reserve A bright, citrus smell that

THE SCORE

pierces through the air and aro ma into the nose when the jar is d en s it y cracked open. These dense Nug nugs ground up and burned cu re really well into a nice white l o o ks ash in a joint, bowl f l avo r and bong. A very ef f ect pleasurable high BIG TIME that is functional and t otal : 24/30 COUGH happy, the Nug from Seattle’s Private Reserve INDUCER is a winner in our book. It is best enjoyed before or after a meal as the citrus lemon terpenes will add a wonderful flavor to whatever you are eating. ($15/g)

proDUCED

by Ethos

SLEEP HIGH CBN SPRAY TINCTURE

For those who struggle THE SCORE with getting to sleep or VA L UE staying asleep, the Ethos E FFE CT Sleep High CBN Spray may be a good option to TA S TE try. The packaging is well L A BE L laid out and the tota l : 18/20 SUBTLE product was easy to use, though there was some initial COCONUT overspray so be careful spraying it too FLAVOR close to your tongue. The subtle coconut flavor was followed by a slight numbing feeling in the tongue. Forty-five minutes later, the effects initiated, the heavy body and slowing mind settled in and I was off for a deep sleep.($35)

Environment 4/5 YOU MIGHT have to wait a few minutes in line if it’s busy, but your patience will be rewarded with the great selection that is available on the other side. A nice clean store at street level with easy in and out access for everyone keeps customers flowing through fairly quickly.

Pricing is well displayed and their cabinets are easy to peruse, which makes it a quick stop for those of us who know what we are looking for.

Overall 16/20 GOOD PRICES and a friendly staff experience from my budtender Brandon helped my decision-making flow quickly and the overall experience enjoyable. Two Five Trees is a nice place to go in and grab your old faves or something you’ve never tried out before.

ACE OF SPADES SHATTER

By Slab Mechanix |73.3% THC | 3.05% cbd A tasty terpene-rich

THE SCORE

shatter that really VA LU E exemplifies the Black EF F EC T Cherry Soda lineage of the Ace of Spades with TA ST E its subtle yet bubbly berry LA B EL flavor. This t ota l: 14.5/20 EXPECT AN shatter is best dabbed at a low temp to get a IMMEDIATE really nice, smooth, tasty hit. Expect SATIVA an immediate sativa head rush that HEAD RUSH mellows out into a chill, heavy-eyed slumber. The packaging made it easy to see the material and also easy to manipulate using the silicon pads inside the plastic container. ($30/g)

TWO FIVE TREES REC 21+ 3213 S 38th St, Tacoma, WA 98409 (253) 292-0197 Shop25trees.com

A nice clean store at street level with easy in and out access for everyone keeps customers flowing through fairly quickly

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DEFINITELY A DOUBLE BAGGER OUTSIDE THE INITIAL SEALED STORE PACKAGE

Legalized O

OG

NORTHWEST LEAF

STRAIN OF THE MONTH

By WES ABNEY | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

L

22.06% THC

egalized OG is so loud it got kicked out of the old school and straight into the new class of weed, headed by the master growers behind Seattle’s Private Reserve. If this bud were a person, it would have a bad attitude, be stinky and sour and get all up in your head too.

The flower is so spicy it crinkles the nose and causes the occasional sneezing fit, but in a good way. Sharp notes of fuel and raw OG fire hit you immediately when opening a jar of this premium flower, and that’s just the beginning.

Each bud is perfectly shaped, with a great balance between fluff and density, and with a cure that delivers a truly satisfying snap. Light red hairs dance between heavily frosted leaves, hinting at the THC-covered chronic hidden inside the bud. The bag appeal is out of this world and this is definitely a double bagger outside the initial sealed store package.

The first notes from the flower are coffee and fermented oak and pine, finishing with the true stank OG sour. Lingering in the nose, the terpenes dilate the bronchioles, sending a surge of energy from the smell alone. This strain will leave you stoned before the first hit.

The first taste of the flower is sour, with a mild creaminess and a balancing earthy kush finale that is pleasantly smooth. With very little cough between the first couple tokes, the flower burns evenly and smoothly, revealing a sweet taste once fully awakened, along with a truckload of effects.

Heavy, heady, sensational waves of alternating stoniness and euphoria hit the mind and body, settling into an hours-long relaxed buzz that fades easily into the next session.

AVAILABLE FROM

GROWN by SEATTLE'S PRIVATE RESERVE

( REC 21+)

EVERGREEN MARKET | RENTON & AUBURN // GREEN THEORY | BELLEVUE FWEEDOM | MOUNTLAKE TERRACE & NORTH SEATTLE

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concentrates

By TYLER J. MARKWART @ZESCIENTIST | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

Processed by errl’s & mantis extracts

73.2% THC

Snow Leopard

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THE SPACEY EFFECTS HIT QUICKLY, GOING RIGHT TO THE HEAD, WITH A SIMILAR BODY FEELING TO FOLLOW A FEW MINUTES LATER. THE SCORE

va l ue ta s te e ffect l a be l tota l : 17/20

Snow Leopard sugar crumble is some fantastic work from the crew over at Errl’s. The cannabinoid total hits 73.2 percent, which allows the crumble to melt slowly on the nail for a long-lasting low-temp dab. It also holds together well while being scraped up, which makes getting every last bit of golden sugary goodness out of the container even easier. The waxes in the crumble also help retain all of those delicious terpenes for the dynamic flavor that Bodhi Seeds are well known for.

On the inhale, the vapor was very smooth, with a slight lung expansion towards the end of the pull. The exhale had a wonderful, slightly spicy, woody flavor with a creeper cough at the end that reminds you of just how potent the Snow Leopard is.

The spacey effects hit quickly, going right to the head, with a similar body feeling to follow a few minutes later.

Not a mind-melting high, but more of a tranquil body and mind collaboration effect, for a great end-of-the-evening, winddown feeling. Recommended for watching a movie, relaxing at the beach or anything that involves being low key, like napping.

The Snow Leopard is very enjoyable, with little to no anxiety associated with it and works great for day and nighttime usage.

Errl’s has been extremely consistent on their concentrate processing and their pricing, so be on the lookout for some great affordable oil at your local rec shop. The Snow Leopard is also a great choice for medical patients looking to relieve pain, fight depression, slow down racing thoughts and reduce nausea.

By LAURIE WOLF for ALASKA LEAF | PHOTOS by BRUCE WOLF for ALASKA LEAF

Grilling requires patience.

Back when I was at the Culinary Institute of America we used to have a little grilling joke: “when it’s black, it’s done!” Don’t forget about what’s on the barbie and you can grill your food to perfection. Summer is a great time to relax, be outside, get a buzz and have a blast.

If you have some fresh or dried herbs, you can throw them on the fire just before cooking.

Don’t turn things too fast: it ruins everything.

I S S SE

GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN with PINEAPPLE + PEACHES IN A BALSAMIC ROSEMARY MARINADE INGREDIENTS

½ cup orange juice concentrate 3 tablespoons pineapple juice 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1-2 tablespoons canna-oil 1 minced garlic clove 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon ground allspice Salt and pepper to taste 8 thin boneless pork loin slices, about 1lb.

8 thick slices fresh pineapple 4 peaches, cut in quarters, pit removed 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

*

1. In a dish that will hold the meat and the fruit, combine the orange juice, pineapple juice, vinegar, canna-oil, garlic, rosemary and allspice, salt and the 8 slices of pork.

Mix and allow to marinate for several hours or overnight.

2. Let the meat come to room temperature for an hour.

Add the fruit to the marinade, turning once. Prepare your grill. When medium-hot, place everything on the grill at the same time. Cook the pork and the fruit for 4-5 minutes per side. Sprinkle with mint and serve.

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///

E K SMO N O recipes

GRILLED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS

CHICKEN SATAY INGREDIENTS

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in strips

2 tablespoons lime juice 1 tablespoon canna-canola oil 2 teaspoons soy sauce ½ teaspoon grated ginger 4 tablespoons roasted peanuts, no salt 1 tablespoon lite coconut milk 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon brown sugar Pinch cinnamon 1 tablespoon chopped scallion 1 tablespoons sesame seeds 6 cups lettuce 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons lime juice

*

1. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, lime juice, canna-canola oil, soy sauce and ginger. Marinate for 2 hours. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Thread the chicken on bamboo skewers that have been soaked in warm water for at least 30 minutes.

2. In a food processor or blender, combine the peanuts, coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Add the scallions.

3. Prepare the grill. When the grill is ready, cook the chicken on the skewers for about 3-4 minutes per side. Divide the greens on 4 plates and drizzle with the olive oil and lime juice. Place the skewers on the greens and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Serve with the peanut sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

*

Eight 4-5 inch Portobello mushrooms 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup good-quality mozzarella, cubed 2 med.-ripe tomatoes, seeded & chopped 8 tablespoons shredded basil 2 cups arugula, cleaned and dried 3 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons canna-olive oil 14 walnut halves 1 teaspoon oregano ½ teaspoon salt

1. Brush mushrooms with 2 tablespoons olive oil and grill for 4-5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.

///

All recipes serve four

INGREDIENTS

2. In a medium bowl, combine the cheese, tomato and basil and allow to sit while preparing the pesto.

3. In a food processor, combine the arugula, lemon juice, oils, walnuts, oregano and salt. Process until smooth. Spread the pesto on the inside of the grilled mushrooms. Top each mushroom with the cheese-tomato mixture and serve.

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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.

Reviews

By STEVE ELLIOTT Editor, Tokesignals.com

MARIJUANA HORTICULTURE FUNDAMENTALS B y K O F T R ICHO ME T E C H N O LO G I E S, 4 4 2 PAGES, $30

A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO CANNABIS CULTIVATION AND HASHISH PRODUCTION

W

hen discussing the most renowned marijuana cultivators in the world, names like Jorge Cervantes and Ed Rosenthal come easily to mind. Not so much “K from Trichome Technologies” (also known as Kenny Morrow), but this book could change that.

“Marijuana Horticulture Fundamentals” teaches beginners how to get it right from their very first grow, and how to speed up harvests while reducing production costs.

Covering hydroponic, soil and organic marijuana gardening, the book explains and explores many different systems, from your basic hand-watered soil garden to industrial-sized hydroponic cultivation facilities — and everything in between.

K presents Trichome Technologies’ symbiotic rotation cycle grow system, which he says will allow any grower to achieve industrial-grade yields efficiently. As the founder of Trichome, Morrow has combined his scientific knowledge with three decades of

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Kenneth “K” Morrow

Cannabis cultivation experience to produce an easy-to-follow guide.

This isn’t a slim, sketchy collection of knowledge we’re talking about here. “Marijuana Horticulture Fundamentals” has some heft to it, with 442 pages and hundreds of gorgeous color photos. There’s an entire chapter on cloning, another on pests and diseases and one chapter each for cloning, vegetative growth, flowering, harvesting and curing.

As an added bonus, the reader learns Trichome Technologies’ advanced hash-making techniques, providing easy methods of extracting THC and CBD from your plants and producing hash and hash oil for medical and recreational uses. That chapter alone contains 30 bucks worth of information, and is thus worth the price of the book.

THIS BOOK TEACHES BEGINNERS HOW TO GET IT RIGHT FROM THEIR VERY FIRST GROW, AND HOW TO SPEED UP HARVESTS WHILE REDUCING PRODUCTION COSTS.

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PROFILE

OATES IS PROGRAM COORDINATOR AND PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR AT THE ALASKA ALCOHOL & MARIJUANA CONTROL OFFICE

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THE REGULATOR

SARAH DALTON OATES

By ALIZA SHERMAN for ALASKA LEAF | PHOTO by OSCAR AVELLANEDA-CRUZ

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efore her role as program coordinator and principal assistant to the director at the Alaska Alcohol & Marijuana Control Office (AMCO), Sarah Dalton Oates worked for Alaska’s Division of Motor Vehicles in the Anchorage Driver Licensing unit. Today, her responsibilities include direct management of both Alaska’s alcohol and marijuana licensing programs and the development of all legislation related to AMCO licensing programs as well as drafting regulations. A far cry from marine biology, her initial major in college.

So, how did the daughter of wildlife biologists in Alaska go from dreams of a career in marine biology to dealing with the inner workings of alcohol and marijuana regulation?

“I was focusing a lot of my energy on other things like traveling all over the Pacific Northwest to ski, and I wasn’t 100 percent committed to my schooling at the time,” Oates admits. “There are so few marine biology jobs available, and I ultimately had to figure out if I really wanted to buckle down and devote myself to the marine biology field.”

Oates decided that she wanted to explore more and wasn’t ready to take on massive debt from student loans. She moved back to Alaska and shelved her marine biology dreams, although she still has two bookshelves in her house packed full of books about sharks — a personal passion along with a love of hunting and fishing.

When not battling 90-mile-per-hour winds and horizontal rain on a sheep hunt, she and her AMCO team tackle the enormous task of managing both alcohol and marijuana regulations in the state.

The AMCO consists of the director (and Oates’ boss), Cynthia Franklin, and 16 staff who serve the licensing, administrative and enforcement needs of the alcohol and marijuana licensing communities as well as two regulatory and quasi-judicial boards. Oates says that as a regulatory agency, AMCO hears from many members of the public, the Cannabis industry, local governments, public health and safety officials and other states who contact them regularly to voice discontent with new or proposed laws or with the amount of time it takes for

questions to be answered or documents to be processed.

“The addition of marijuana regulation to our staff ’s duties has more than tripled our workload the past two years,” Oates explains. “Many people don’t realize the enormous amount of work that comes along with implementation of a new, highly controversial, regulated industry. I certainly didn’t.”

As of July 2016, no businesses currently hold Alaska marijuana establishment licenses. However, 12 licensees have had applications approved by the Marijuana Control Board (MCB) and are in the “active” status, meaning they’re credentialed into METRC — Alaska’s marijuana inventory tracking system — and will be handed their licenses to begin operation once a preliminary inspection

by AMCO enforcement is complete. Oates says that so far, the board has approved all applications with delegation to the director, which means the licenses will be issued once all necessary approvals have been received and once a preliminary inspection has been performed.

Public misconception is a challenging part of Oates’ position. “I cannot believe how many times I’ve read and heard the AMCO staff being accused of intentionally delaying the licensing process so that it can be repealed by the Legislature, or of being ‘underworked, overpaid government employees,’” says Oates, who points out that the opposite is true and that her team takes pride in being efficient, effective and helpful.

“When Ballot Measure 2 passed, many of us in the office were excited for the task ahead of us. We were excited to help this industry get going and to make a difference in the lives of many Alaskans,” Oates recounts. “We thought it would be fun and that the people in this new industry would be laid-back and easy-going. We have met quite a few really great people who are applying for licenses. We believe that we’re going to have some amazing superstar licensees, and we’ll have some difficult ones, and that’s true in any industry.”

Oates’ advice to anyone interested in applying for a license to do business in Alaska’s Cannabis industry is to read up on the statutes starting on the AMCO website, attend some MCB meetings, contact your local government early for permitting, be a good neighbor in your community and, most of all, be patient.

“

MANY PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THE ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT COMES ALONG WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF A NEW, HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL, REGULATED INDUSTRY.

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feature

STORY & PHOTOS by SIMONE FISCHER @SIMONEFISCHERR

Matthews explained that with struggle comes opportunity and the chance to make your own way in a new industry.

Advice for the next generation What are the challenges of navigating the new Cannabis industry? How do you get your start?

Students at Oregon Episcopal High School got to wrestle with these complicated questions when they hosted a discussion last month with Stash Cannabis Company's Chris Matthews, an established and down-to-earth Cannabis professional.

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E D I TOR ’ S N OT E : The author works as a budtender at Stash Cannabis Company in Beaverton.

Oregon is poised to become a national leader in forging a safe, bountiful Cannabis market.

tance of Cannabis advertisements in Oregon, they asked if that was helping propel Matthews’ business.

Unfortunately, not all advertisement can be written off in taxes (like any other business) because of current law. Any paid advertising is costly and completely out of pocket, no write-offs allowed. Luckily, social media (Instagram, Facebook, Mass Roots) work as excellent drivers for connecting the Cannabis community. Not to mention entirely free!

Matthews explained how vital social media has been within Cannabis business. Running a responsive, well-curated media presence allows his business to interact with customers.

The major downfall to social media is risking getting your page deleted and having to build your following base back up from zero. There is sometimes no reasoning behind the actions. Legitimate, licensed Cannabis businesses get the short end of the stick from social media. It’s free, but you risk losing your page at any given time.

The hour-long conversation was coming to a close when one of the students asked why he got into this business if it’s so difficult? Matthews smiled and said, “because this is what I want to do. I’ve always dreamed of owning my own Cannabis shop.”

At the end of the day, Matthews’ passion continues to drive his legacy forward. If Oregon’s youth are looking to join the Cannabis sector, it’s important we show them how to do it legitimately.

Matthews also noted that we need Cannabis-friendly auxiliary businesses like accounting, lawyers, judges and councilwomen and men. We don’t live in a vacuum and you don’t necessarily need to work directly within the Cannabis industry to benefit from it.

Giving youth the opportunity to talk about these issues allows them to plan for their futures, or maybe discover a business idea they never considered before.

Oregon is one of the national leaders in Cannabis and Cannabis research. Educating our youth is vital to the longevity and success of a blooming industry.

Rather than leaving our youth in the dark and continuing to make Cannabis taboo, facilitated discussions on legal business practice in Oregon are needed to properly guide the next generation.

Matthews’ story is a tale of adversity and overcoming real obstacles. Competition within the cannabis industry is tougher than ever. Establishing your business or brand isn’t an easy feat for anyone, and not every Cannabis company will make it in the end. Keen business strategy is needed more than ever.

It takes passion and constant dedication to properly run any business, especially so in the Cannabis realm.

Although green jobs may appear glamorous at first, grueling paperwork, dizzying fees and less-than-clear political hoops are the reality of this new industry.

Opportunity abounds, but it doesn’t come easy.

State economists predicted that Oregon would take in today is another costly hurdle.

4 million dollars per year from the sale of recreational After hearing about steep fees, security measures, Cannabis. Turns out that demand for Cannabis is much paperwork and required diligence, the students bestronger than expected: Consumers made $3.8 million gan to realize Cannabis is a labor of love — no difin purchases within the first month of the program! ferent than any other craft industry.

Employment and business opportunities are rife in Running a pot shop means understanding and the Cannabis industry and it’s important to show how handling a specific set of challenges. Between dealit’s done legally and correctly. The “silicon forest” is ing with OHA inspections and registering with the alive with potential for generations to come.

OLCC, it takes a business-savvy professional with So where does the next generation fit into that? the ability to adapt and stay up to date on Cannabis One of the first questions students had for Matthews regulation implementation to succeed in this market. was something they could all likely relate to.

Students brought up the issue of “home grows” “What was your first job?” one asked. (the allotted four Cannabis plants per residence) “Target,” Matthews replied humbly. The idea of ownand wondered if they had any negative effect on dising a legal pot shop was a distant dream at best, he pensaries. If people are allowed to grow their weed, said. Before joining the Cannabis industry, Matthews could it hurt business? ran a successful IT business for 20 years.

Contrary to popular belief, recHe left his cushy tech job for Cannabis THE HOUR-LONG CONVERSATION reational grows do not harm recreand refuses to look back. ational sales. Matthews likened buyDespite how romantic that may seem, WAS COMING TO A CLOSE ing recreational Cannabis to the fun it certainly wasn’t a cakewalk. After Mat- WHEN ONE OF THE STUDENTS of dining out. thews’ home was raided in Kansas (by ASKED WHY HE GOT INTO THIS Just because you have a kitchen a SWAT team), he moved to Portland BUSINESS IF IT’S SO DIFFICULT? doesn’t mean you want to prepare in 1995. He began cultivating Cannaevery meal. Convenience is king and bis prior to the passage of the Oregon CHRIS SMILED .“BECAUSE THIS growing high-quality Cannabis isn’t Medical Marijuana Act in 1998.

IS WHAT I WANT TO DO. I’VE exactly straightforward.

Owning a storefront was always ALWAYS DREAMED OF OWNING Setting up a home Cannabis grow his original dream, and after waiting can quickly become expensive, not MY OWN CANNABIS SHOP.” eighteen years House Bill 3460 finally to mention hefty power bills and the passed, allowing dispensaries to set up shop in 2013. very real cost of quality materials and nutrients.

As the discussion began to bloom, many students Growing consumes your precious time as watering, had questions about the current challenges of opening maintenance, harvest, trimming and curing become a Cannabis dispensary. Matthews explained securing essential deadlines. approved locations while new regulations are simultaAll of these things require action, and when you neously churned out is a convoluted mess. work full-time, the thought of coming home to a Once students began to feel the weight of regulation three- to five-hour garden session isn’t appealing to and marijuana’s federal status (Schedule I drug), the most. Not everyone has the needed space, ability or glitz and glamour of owning a licensed dispensary lost health to grow. a bit its initial appeal.

Students had many questions on advertising and Matthews spoke about how he worked with the Beasocial media presence. Given the general accepverton City Council for a year to figure out the logistics of obtaining a license.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the Cannabis indusSimone Fischer is a Portland OMMP patient and Cannabis advocate. She is a contributing editor try follows suit. Nothing happened overnight. Dealing with moratoriums that many counties still have in place at Ladybud Magazine and a graduate of women’s and gender studies from Portland State University.

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NOT SO SWEET W

AMERICANS ARE CONSUMING MORE HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP THAN EVER. IS IT SAFE?

H

h e a l t h & s c i e n c e w i t h D R . R O S E // n o r t h w e s t l e a f s p e c i a l c o n t r i b u t o R

igh fructose corn syrup is a highly processed, corn-derived sweetener that’s a cheap alternative to old-fashioned sugar. It is the principal sweetener used in processed foods and beverages in the U.S., having replaced sucrose (table sugar) in the food industry.

Sucrose from natural sources has been a part of the human diet for thousands of years, but HFCS has only been used for about 50 in the human diet.

Due to some politics, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) emerged in the early to mid-1970s. From 1970 to 2000, a 25 percent increase in “added sugars” occurred in the average U.S. resident’s diet.

Consumption of HFCS raises health concerns, including obesity, diabetes and liver and heart disease. Some food and beverage industry experts say they’ve concluded that HFCS is no different from any other sugar in relationship to these diseases.

Large corporations and lobbying groups with vested interests in the global sugar industry support research projects and nutritionists who support their positions.

But most independent medical and nutritional experts do not support the use of HFCS in food.

A lot of the research has been “inconclusive,” conveniently backing the corporations and lobby-

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ing groups that contend HFCS is no more harmful than sweeteners such as sugar and honey.

HFCS was rapidly introduced into many processed foods and soft drinks in the U.S. from about 1975 to 1985. Soda makers such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi use sugar in other nations, but switched to HFCS in the U.S. in 1984.

HFCS is also used quite a bit in household breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soft drinks, soups and condiments.

Before the development of the global sugar industry, fructose in the diet was limited to a few items.

Milk, meats and most vegetables — the staples of many early diets — have no fructose, and fruits such as apples, grapes or strawberries are only 5 to 10 percent fructose by weight.

Between the years 1970 and 2000, a 25 percent increase in “added sugars” occurred in the U.S. The average dietary intake of calories in America in 1970 was 2,076. In 2010 it was 2,534 calories.

Much of that increase of 458 calories comes from HFCS. Today, the U.S. consumes more HFCS than any other nation, at 42 lbs/person per year.

hy the rise in HFCS use? A system of sugar tariffs and sugar quotas imposed in 1977 significantly increased the cost of U.S.-imported sugar, and U.S. producers sought cheaper sources.

HFCS derived from corn is more economical because the U.S. prices of sugar are twice the global price and the price of corn is kept low through government subsidies paid to farmers.

HFCS is produced by processing “dent” corn — a breed that is highly genetically modified and not consumable until the HCFS process is complete — into cornstarch, which is converted into corn syrup, which is almost entirely glucose.

Then, by adding some enzymes, some of the glucose is changed into fructose. The most common method of commercial production is microbial fermentation, using bacteria or fungi to create the enzymes.

HFCS has been classified and generally recognized as safe by the FDA since 1976, but health concerns have been raised. The growth of fructose consumption in many developed nations coincides with the large increase in the prevalence of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Fructose consumption does not hit the satiety centers in the brain that tell someone they are full. When large amounts of fructose are ingested, the fructose and glucose units are absorbed and the fructose goes to the liver to make fats such as triglycerides and cholesterol, while glucose raises insulin levels in the blood stream.

HFCS producers are waging a branding war, attempting to label HCFS as “natural,” and suggesting a name change to “corn sugar.” But that is just not true.

See through the deception of the American corn industry’s concerted attempt to dispel the “myth” that HCFS is harmful and uses the opinion of “medical and nutrition experts” that it is no different than cane sugar.

THE GROWTH OF FRUCTOSE CONSUMPTION IN MANY DEVELOPED NATIONS COINCIDES WITH THE LARGE INCREASE IN THE PREVALENCE OF OBESITY

Dr. Scott D. Rose has written on Cannabis and health for years in the pages of Northwest Leaf and Oregon Leaf.

He is an acupuncturist with a pain resolution clinic in Seattle.

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growtech

Growing

Old

66/aug. 2016 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD, WHERE TAKING PILL AFTER PILL IS THE NORMAL WAY TO DEAL WITH OUR AGING BODIES … EXCEPT FOR THE CHILDREN OF THE GREATEST GENERATION. FOR THEM, SHEDDING THE REEFER MADNESS THEY HAVE KNOWN ALL OF THEIR LIVES IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY COMMON. STORY & PHOTOS

by BOB MONTOYA for NORTHWEST LEAF

The chemical cocktails they used to

survive on have all but been replaced by some form of Phyto-cannabinoid from the Cannabis plant. The common sense of not treating side effects with yet another pill is taking hold with the 70 and over crowd.

RJ and Diane began switching to this nutraceutical plant in edible, topical and combusted forms. In their kitchen, from the garden, the medicine is made using common appliances. Diane makes a mild edible oil for daily use like a vitamin or other nutritional supplement. Steeping Cannabis in hemp oil (purchased at the grocery store) in a crock pot overnight produces nutritional oil that is rich with all the goodness of hemp and the miracle of Cannabis. She fills #1 gelcaps with an eyedropper to ensure consistent dosing and avoid undesired effects. The potency is approximately 10 mg total active cannabinoids. RJ grows indica and indica-dominant hybrids to help him sleep soundly; just a couple puffs is all it takes.

This year’s garden is just four plants, enough for both of them because they require so little to be well. Powerful strains such as 100 percent indica Fucking Incredible and indica-dominant Platinum OG are their strains of choice for pain relief and sedation. Diane is a lifelong professional executive and entrepreneur.

Her green thumb is evident in the lush gardens surrounding their beautiful home near Tenino, Wash. RJ is a veteran of the Army and Air Force.

An accomplished writer and photographer, RJ took to the idea of Cannabis as a replacement for harsher drugs seriously and has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in his health and vitality.

The current condition of Washington state’s abandoned medical program forces many to sustain themselves. Growing Cannabis to be healthy and well is a serious thing when there is no longer an option to have safe access to clean and organic medicines over the counter.

Recreational stores are just that: fun and games. But living a long healthy life is serious business. Seniors are showing their wisdom and waking from the Big Pharma fog they have been thrust into — trusting while being lied to for a profit.

Cheers to this power couple, showing the guts and fortitude to take responsibility for their health and wellbeing.

GROWING CANNABIS TO BE HEALTHY AND WELL IS A SERIOUS THING WHEN THERE IS NO LONGER AN OPTION TO HAVE SAFE ACCESS TO CLEAN AND ORGANIC MEDICINES.

100% Indica FI

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growtech

Creative Commons images via Pexels

PLAN YOUR

ELECTRIC

I

ELECTROCUTE

YOUR PLAN

n setting up new growing spaces, I recommend doing as detailed plan as early as possible — especially before materials have much as you can by yourself, and I encourage adherbeen purchased — allows many aspects of your build to go smoothing to a “try it yourself first and see” sort of approach. ly and quickly. When you know what sort of electrical loads and

BY NORTHWEST LEAF Electrical is the exception. infrastructure you will need in advance, you can better inform SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR Here, the potential for dangerous circumstances your electrician of your needs, which will maximize the operating DR. SCANDERSON and errors that result in hazardous environments is simefficiencies of your grow space. This will save you time and money. ply too great to risk, in my opinion. Notwithstanding the Another advantage of planning your room’s schematics in detail potential for injury and equipment damage, working with a licensed is the ability to plan the maximum capacity of each circuit and ensure professional will give you access to a coveted knowledge base that can creplenty of residual capacity for small changes in room design during conate shortcuts and tools that will save you costs, increase ease of use and limit struction, as well as future upgrades that only become apparent after working potential failure points. A good electrician is an essential and valuable resource in the room for a round or two. By keeping the running load for most devices for anyone running rooms that extend beyond a tent. at 50-60 percent of the maximum capacity — as opposed to minimum safety Setting up new gardens further demonstrates tried and trusted rules folrequirements that allow up to 80 percent — you will have fewer capacity islowed in the garden. For instance, it’s always best to take the build as far as you sues and the flexibility to improve the load in the future. can, as fast as you can take it given your resources and materials. Laying out a When you know the intended end result and have the flexibility of cre-

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ating your own electrical infrastructure, you can centralize devices and limit or eliminate hazards like extension cords and hanging wires. Centralizing your devices that perform the same function will save you money and increase efficiency. For instance, devices that adhere to the same operating schedule — such as oscillating fans, reservoir pumps, passive air scrubbers and dehumidifiers — can be controlled on a single dedicated timer that can be placed outside the growing space. This reduces the need to enter the garden to test the devices or change their programing.

Climate and CO2 regulation equipment can also benefit from your detailed schematics. Where probes and measuring devices are needed to control the devices they are connected to, you can eliminate long extension cords by hardwiring the devices and their regulators into different spaces. This way you can, for instance, separate your CO2 monitor — which actually reads the concentration of CO2 in the garden — from the box that interprets the reading and tells the solenoid valve when to open and release CO2 into the grow space and when to shut it off and place the tank and valve itself all into separate and appropriate spaces.

You may want your CO2 tank and regulator outside the grow space altogether, and have the brain that reads and displays the level of CO2 in the garden in a control area and the monitor dead set in the middle of the canopy or where you believe concentration is likely to fall fastest. The CO2 valve can be placed outside the grow space and plugged into an electrical receptacle, which can be controlled by the brain set in the control area that plugs into an adjacent receptacle, telling the CO2 valve what to do. From there, a low-volt wire can control the monitor itself so that you can easily place it in the grow space as far from the brain as you like.

You can install override switches that will automatically shut the lights down should a certain temperature be exceeded, fan overrides that can evacuate an open room regardless of climate conditions and have an automatic generator for backup power that will kick on in case the grid line power goes down for any reason. This is all made possible when the gardener plans out the space in as detailed a manner as possible and a qualified electrician is dedicated to created an ideal growing area.

While all this may sound super advanced, it’s actually a lower-cost way to set up a garden. I felt so conditioned by the world of do-it-yourself “garden specific” grow equipment designed to

be easy to install. I never stopped to think that you wouldn’t need a box of outlets to plug all your lights into if you just plugged your hoods into an outlet that was powered by the ballast outside the garden. With some inexpensive parts and minimal additional labor, you can circumvent the need for any “specialized” grow-specific electrical equipment that is expensive, prone to failure and nowhere near as safe as a standardized installation.

Last and certainly not least, it’s imperative that you include time to have your electrician on-site or at least available and on call for your initial firing up with all your equipment running. Not only do boxes or circuits commonly need adjustments of some sort, electricians can see things that may not be apparent.

Even if all your devices appear to be running properly, your electrician can use tools like their voltage meter to ensure that the proper load is being delivered and carried by each receptacle and circuit. They can look for any surges or unanticipated loads that can come from small changes during construction or unanticipated draws.

ELECTRICAL IS A ONE-TIME INVESTMENT THAT WILL NOT NEED MAINTENANCE WHEN PROPERLY INSTALLED

Having an electrician on-site provides an additional layer of safety and protects your equipment from needing early replacement due to being run under less than ideal conditions. It’s also a good idea to have them back after a month of running the rooms just to ensure the longer-term electrical load is being carried safely and effectively. Any good electrician will insist on these sorts of integrated safety checks and rechecks in addition to providing efficiency and ease of use of your garden.

Having a trustworthy and knowledgeable electrician in your life is essential if you intend to pursue indoor gardening at any serious and long-term level. In general, good work isn’t cheap and cheap work isn’t good, but electrical is a one-time investment that will not need maintenance when properly installed and provides the essential lifeline to run your garden.

To my personal electrician (you know who you are), who has helped me well above and beyond the call of duty and assisted me to elevate my growing and knowledge base to a higher level, I offer my infinite gratitude.

As always, Happy Gardening!!!

Follow along

Instagram @DrScanderson_gT

Drop me a line

thegreengardengroup@gmail.com

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BUDSHOT

PHOTOS by @OREGONBREEDERSGROUP | RANDY P.

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SIRIUS BLACK Got sweet garden/bud photos?

Share them with us and they might appear here next month! Email your top 2-3 not-taken-witha-phone-unless-they-were-superduper-steady high-resolution images to nwleaf@gmail.com along with the usual details on what’s being grown and who to credit (please see corner for the information to include with your email).

BUDSHOT

PHOTOS by @OREGONBREEDERSGROUP | RANDY P.

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SIRIUS BLACK

BEHIND THE STRAIN

Drop me a line

thegreengardengroup@gmail.com

Watch a video

YouTube.com/DrScandersonGt

KOSHER KUSH

Flowers in 68-70 days

BAG APPEAL & SMOKE REPORT like many of my favorite Kushs, Kosher has a decent but not

overwhelming look to it. Average amounts of frost coat very tightly formed light green calyxes interrupted only by the ample amount of deep red hairs. When the jar cracks, the hype is immediately on you.

Unheard of potency in scent pours into the room the jar enters.

The sharp acrid scent of skunk and ammonia create an almost tearjerking response. Razor-sharp cleaner tones only lay the foreground for the more sophisticated Pine-Sol and earth scent with a touch of sulfury kush to it. The blooms’ smell lets you know you’re messing with something requiring a warning label; bring your protective outerwear.

HOW IT GROWS

A quick onset would seem to be the most accurate description but more than 40 minutes later, I found myself in the shower shampooing for the third time

BY NORTHWEST LEAF SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR DR. SCANDERSON

GENETICS: Kosher Kush (clone) x Kosher Kush (rev’d) BREEDER: DNA GENETICS SUMMARY: Although intrinsically difficult to grow, Kosher Kush is

something that will quickly move to the top choice for most who are able to enjoy properly run and flushed blooms of this flower. The overwhelming connoisseur kush flavors and smells combined with a shockingly potent cannabinoid profile makes learning to grow this plants an ongoing and often educational experience whose spoils far surpass its requirements.

LINEAGE

Initially, this famed cut of OG Kush was held tightly by a Jewish group of growers in the Los Angeles area who called the cut Jew Gold. The cut was reportedly procured by Don and Aaron of DNA Genetics who used it in future breeding projects that placed first at several Cannabis Cups under the more politically minded renamed variety Kosher Kush. The precise genetic lineage of this Kush is not confirmed but by my estimation, it seems to be a ghost cross of sorts.

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this variety has all the notoriously difficult characteristics of the most elite cuts of OG Kush when selecting for the Kosher Kush pheno. Slow to veg, this lady wants to throw tightly grouped multi-tops of stretchy, lanky nodes and that’s all before flower.

Experience in height mitigation techniques including topping and very frequent training is necessary to establish a shape and structure that will produce a moderate yield. Nutrient-sensitive and with a high thirst for calcium, the classic balance of low-nutrient concentration combined with nutrients that tend to increase conductivity found in many Kush grows is present in spades with Kosher Kush.

She will increase in stretch approximately 100-150 percent and I have found that LSTduring stretch maximizes yield and creates a moniker of stability to the otherwise shoestring stems.

Proper thinning and site selection will avoid the smaller popcornstyle flowers this OG can be notorious for producing when training and branch selection are not optimized. Once stretch has completed, be sure to have ample support and watch the flower sites bulk themselves right into a medium-light to medium yielding finish.

EFFECTS

the All Murphy Oil/Pine-Sol cleaner flavor absolutely

explodes off a spring board of sharp pepper and hashy spice as soon as I clear the tube’s chamber. No subtle flavors to distinguish here; terps relentlessly pound your taste buds with a heavy chemical, ammonia, pine, and lemon cleaner, leaving a spicy, earthy taste. The simultaneous sensation of my eyes inflating like a balloon while my lungs contract to the size of marbles lets me know I’ve just ingested something that tests wicked high in THC. I can feel beads of sweat forming on my brow as pillows of kushy, piney, eggy smoke bellows from my face. The pressure in my eyes deflates into my mind as my lids sink comfortably into a relaxed position. Confused at first, I swear I feel like I’ve been smoking concentrates, but all I can see at my station is the remnants of the mouth-pleasing, heart-racing Kosher Kush blooms. A quick onset would seem to be the most accurate description but more than 40 minutes later, I found myself in the shower shampooing for the third time ‘cause I simply forgot about the first two, realizing I could contribute all of my symptom relief to one (just one) extra-large water pipe ingestion session with Kosher Kush.

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