#147 | SEPT. 2026
THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE
Tannins & Terpenes
The Judge’s Water vodka by Cheech and Chong , paired with “College Park” by Honey Badger’s Buds
T H E D E L E C TA B L E A R T A N D S C I E N C E O F PA I R I N G B E V E R A G E S A N D C A N N A B I S F RE E / L E A F M AGA Z I N E S . COM
INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010
nt
lu dougieb
REAL LIQUID DIAMONDS CURED RESIN TERPENES THIS IS OUR ACTUAL PROCESS GIMME THE LOOT
RAW MATERIAL VESSEL
FALLING FILM
DIAMOND MINER
HTE VESSEL
LIQUID DIAMONDS
LOOT BAR TERPENE DISTILLATION WIPED FILM
CURED RESIN TERPENES
EKA GLASS
Perfect Pairings
GLASS ART SPOTLIGHT
DRY DINO
FEATURE | PG.30
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PORTAL 503 SHOP REVIEW
SEPT. 2026
12
COMPANY PROFILE
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HIGH EATS
FEAST BY 22 FIRELIGHT PAGE BURNER
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VETERANS & CANNABIS FEATURE | RICK GLASS
09 10 12 14 16 18 22 24 28 30 34 38 42 46 48 50 52
EDITOR’S NOTE HIGHER EDUCATION FIRE FOLLOWER GRASS IS GREENER LIT AND LAUGHING STICKING THE LANDING PORTAL 503 REVIEW DONUT MISS THIS STRAIN OF THE MONTH CASCADE VALLEY GUMMIES FIREKEEPER FARMS ROSIN GLASS ART SPOTLIGHT PAGE BURNER BOOK REVIEWS STUDIO SESSIONS COOKING WITH CANNABIS VETERAN’S HEALING JOURNEY CANNTHROPOLOGY
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GREG MALCOLM @MARYLAND.CONNOISSEUR
JAMIE OWENS @PNW_CHRONIC710
FIRE FOLLOWER
STICKS CANNABIS
DEREK KELLY @DS.VISIONSPHOTOGRAPHY
ZIPLOCK SEEDS
DONUT MISS THIS
COURTESY
DEREK KELLY @DS.VISIONSPHOTOGRAPHY
COURTESY
TERPODACTYL MEDIA @TERPODACTYL_MEDIA
Cascade Valley Cannabis Gummies & Rounded Corners Infused Wine
COURTESY
THE TANNINS& TERPENES ISSUE
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#147
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SEPT. 2026
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EST. 2014 OREGON BORN. OREGON GROWN. OREGON OWNED.
E S TA B L I S H E D 2 0 1 0
T H E E N L I G H T E N E D VO I C E N O RT H W E ST LEA F / O R EG O N LEA F / M ARY LAN D LEA F / CAL I F O R N I A LEA F /
A B O U T T H E C OV E R Sit back, relax and enjoy this beautiful special edition of Oregon Leaf! On the cover is the wonderous combination of Honey Badger’s Buds College Park and Cheech & Chong’s The Judge’s Water Vodka (complete with bong kit!) Our team encourages you to research the many varieties of terpenes that can be found across Cannabis products — from limonene and caryophyllene, to pinene and myrcene, and so many more. Cannabis is chock-full of terpenes, and when paired with a tasty beverage, the flavor profiles and effects are nearly endless. Be sure to check out the full reviews pages 28-35! Happy pairing! PHOTOS & STYLING BY @TERPODACTYL_MEDIA THEJUDGESWATER.COM | @CHEECHANDCHONG @HONEYBADGERSBUDS
N O RT HEAST LEA F
Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up the Tannins & Terpenes issue of the Leaf! We began pairing wine and weed in 2011, when one plant was accepted socially as having many varieties, flavors and provenance all related to the terroir, aka the soil, climate, topography and sunlight where the grapes were grown.
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The other was illegal. Before medical Cannabis began highlighting the differences in strains, weed was just weed. Sometimes it was better: sticky, smelly and full of trichomes. Other times it was dry, dusty and came straight from across the border. But good, bad or ugly, it was simply pot.
CONTRIBUTORS
WES ABNEY C E O & F O U N D E R wes@leafmagazines.com
WES ABNEY, FEATURES DANIEL BERMAN, DESIGN
MIKE RICKER O P E R AT I N G PA R T N E R ricker@leafmagazines.com
BOBBY BLACK, DESIGN CRC PRODUCTIONS, PHOTOS
TOM BOWERS C H I E F O P E R AT I N G O F F I C E R tom@leafmagazines.com
JACKIE BRYANT, FEATURES TOM BOWERS, FEATURES
DANIEL BERMAN C H I E F C R E AT I V E O F F I C E R
DAVID DOWNS, FEATURES
daniel@leafmagazines.com
WYATT EARLY, FEATURES
AMANDA LOPEZ STAT E C O N T E N T D I R E C T O R amanda@leafmagazines.com
RYAN HERRON, REVIEWS REX HILSINGER, FEATURES + PHOTOS ELLEN HOLLAND, FEATURES MATT JACKSON, FEATURES
MAKANI NELSON STAT E S A L E S D I R E C T O R makani@leafmagazines.com (808) 754-4182
DEREK KELLY, PHOTOS
In 2010, we started publishing the Leaf, and we quickly realized the power of the plant and the differences between strains we take for granted today. This was a prescientific understanding of Cannabis. There was no THC testing or percentages. We didn’t know that the same common terpene limonene is in both a lemon fruit and in Super Lemon Haze. It’s also the primary ingredient in lemon cleaners, breaking down oil and grease with the power of nature, no synthetic or petrochemicals included. In 2011, and today, you’d find people who knew that there is a huge world of wine, even if they weren’t connoisseurs or sommeliers. And many of those folks still believe all weed is the same.
"IN 2010, WE STARTED PUBLISHING THE LEAF, AND QUICKLY REALIZED THE POWER OF THE PLANT, AND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN STRAINS WE TAKE FOR GRANTED TODAY."
ROGER KISBY, PHOTOS DARRELL LAVIN, PHOTOS JAMIE OWENS, FEATURES + PHOTOS TERPODACTYL MEDIA, FEATURES + PHOTOS
MATT JACKSON SOCIAL MEDIA LEAD
CARA WIETSTOCK, FEATURES
mattjackson@leafmagazines.com
BRUCE WOLF, PHOTOS
MICHELLE NARANJO & CARA WIETSTOCK COPYDESK michelle@leafmagazines.com | cara@leafmagazines.com
KATHERINE WOLF, FEATURES LAURIE WOLF, RECIPES
We are creators of targeted, independent Cannabis journalism. Please email us to discuss advertising in an upcoming issue of Oregon Leaf. We do not sell stories or coverage. Email makani@leafmagazines.com to learn more about our range of affordable print and digital advertising options to help support Oregon Leaf, the state’s longest-running Cannabis magazine!
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So the mission then is as relevant as it is today: to highlight the differences in smell, looks, flavors, experiences and effects that different strains share with us. With several years of sobriety from alcohol under my rapidly shrinking belt (I stopped counting after three years), I must say that the effects of Cannabis are unique, special and different every time. That can’t be said of a hangover. So we’ve expanded our pairings beyond wine to include sodas, energy drinks, teas and smoothies — because weed goes great with everything! For those choosing to crossfade with both, know that Cannabis is a neuroprotectant, meaning it helps protect the brain from damage. And those who smoke tend to drink less, so remember this: As with mushrooms, you can always take more, but not less. So sip your brew of choice, hit the bong and thank God that He gave us a plant that heals and delights without a headache the next day.
@NWLEAF
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-Wes Abney
Department of Corrections: Our Aug. 2026 Budtender of the Month feature listed the wrong photographer. The portraits were by CRC Productions @crcproductionss.
SEPT. 2026
PHOTO BY ROGER KISBY @ROGERKISBY
BOBBY BLACK LEAF BOWL DIRECTOR & HISTORIAN bobbyblack@leafmagazines.com
THE EDUCATION THE UNITED STATES NEEDS & DESERVES
ADOBE STOCK
perspective
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Former San Diego Magazine Managing Editor Jackie Bryant joins Leaf Nation to imagine the future of the Cannabis industry.
Kids went back to school this month, which means somewhere a cop is standing in a gymnasium telling them about drugs. I got that talk. You probably did, too. Mine came with a fried egg on television and a promise that one joint led to something much worse, and it took me most of my 20s to unpack how much of it was simply made up.
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HAT NOBODY SAYS ALOUD is that we replaced that education with marketing and well-intentioned efforts by earnest activists often drowned out by the cash around them. The propaganda got debunked, prohibition rolled back state by state and into that vacuum walked an industry with a marketing budget. So, the D.A.R.E. officer got swapped out for a 34% THC package from a budtender who’s been on the job 11 days, working off whatever the sales rep told him last Tuesday. That isn’t education either: It’s a different sales pitch aimed at the same person, with better graphic design. I think about this constantly because I teach college now, I write about this plant for a living and the questions I get from readers are rarely the ones the industry seems prepared to answer. People don’t want to know which strain is trending. They want to know how much to take. They want to know why something that worked last year now makes them anxious. They want to know whether the number on the package means anything; and the honest answer is that it means considerably less than we’ve let them believe.
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while the industry holds panels about the We built a whole retail category on THC, a metric that importance of education. mostly doesn’t predict the experience. Customers walk There’s a version of this business that out assuming it does, then we act surprised when sometakes the obligation seriously. It looks like one eats a 100-milligram cookie, has the worst night training budgets that survive a of their life and believes that weed is terrible It’s a budtender bad quarter. It looks like labels now. That’s not a consumer failure; that’s who can explain 5 written for humans. It looks like ours to own! milligrams versus 50 a shop where somebody will Real education is smaller and duller than without reading off a talk you out of a purchase. anything a marketing team wants to fund. It’s card. It’s a label with I don’t think we get there a budtender who can explain 5 milligrams numbers a person through regulation, though versus 50 without reading off a card. It’s a can actually act on. I’d take it. I think we get there label with numbers a person can actually when enough operators decide act on. It’s admitting that tolerance is real, that the person walking through the door that set and setting matter more than genetics and that deserves better than what I got in that the beginner in front of you should probably start small. gymnasium — a confident adult speaking None of that sells a $70 eighth. All of it keeps a customwith total authority, who turned out to er for a decade. have no idea what he was talking about. The people best positioned to do this work are the We spent thirty years earning the right ones getting squeezed the hardest right now. Legacy to be the people explaining this plant. operators who’ve grown the same cultivars for 20 years It’s time everyone involved in the indusknow things that can’t be learned from a deck. try takes up the mantle of ensuring this Independent shops with staff that stay beyond one season information is passed along responsibly build the kind of trust that turns into actual knowledge and truthfully. transfer. Both are being consolidated out of existence
STORY by JACKIE BRYANT @JACQBRY | AUTHOR PORTRAIT by IYDEEN YOUNIS
BUDTENDERS GET
40% OFF ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, AT TJ’S DISPENSARIES
and so do:
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L O C A L LY O W N E D A G A I N !
ARCANNA at TJ’s PORTLAND
TJ’s on Willamette EUGENE
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FIRE FOLLOWER
Award-winning journalist/author and former Leafly Senior Editor David Downs’ monthly genetics intelligence dispatch.
ZIPLOCK SEEDS RELEASES A CLAW OF BLACK PANTHERS OREGON’S SHANOAH STANLEY AIMS FOR HIS MAINSTREAM MOMENT
ZIPLOCK SEEDS’ SHANOAH STANLEY has a compulsion: He can’t stop breeding. “You get carried away with breeding, and you say to yourself, ‘Don’t forget to test it and release it.’ I have a problem like that,” he said. So the 7-year-old southern Oregon-based brand is shifting gears this summer. Stanley is pausing research and development to focus on releasing his masterwork: the Black Panther line of feminized seed crosses. He’s dropping 37 of them, about a dozen at a time, at ziplockseeds.com. The goal: put Ziplock on the map like no other Oregon breeder besides Archive Seed Bank. It’s an attainable goal. Black Panther is a cross of Cookies’ Cheetah Piss mixed with a selection of LIT Farms’ Watermelon Mimosa crossed with Jealousy. LIT called it KY Jealousy. Stanley named his selection Sinful. Ziplock hunted his Black Panther and found his keeper in 2021. Since then, the tropical, Burgundy wine and citrus-fuel strain has become his most award-winning, he said. Growers have racked up wins with it in the 2024 Caribbean Cup, as well as in Bogotá, Colombia, and Argentina contests. In total, Stanley said Ziplock Seeds has powered more than 75 contest wins for growers worldwide.
BANK ROLL COLLEGE PARK
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CASTING A SHADOW
Out in his spot in Oregon, Stanley reversed the Black Panther to produce feminized pollen and pollinated his stable to make the current lineup. Stanley is so far ahead of most DISCO KITTY breeders, his strain names are unrecognizable: Cyber Wolf? ical candy, dessert wine and sherbert. Bombay Fuzz? Fog Lights? The mom is a mix of Zoap and Frosted It’s basically the best stuff Flakes. Frosted Flakes is Cereal Milk from Seed Junky Genetics and and White Truffle. Rawr! Compound Genetics selected The first likely cup and crossed to PUNK “I breed with the best winner? White Chocolate make new lines. ROCK shit that we find.” Chip crossed with Black “I breed with the -Shanoah Stanley Panther. The fruitiest? Tropic best shit that we find,” he said. “Most people Ziplock Seeds Thunder. The best for hash? can’t relate to anything I’m doing because it’s Black Panther so new and modern. Well, do you know what crosses to Papaya Mon, Gas Face is? The Menthol? Apples and Bananas? Zoap? Hash Burger, Divine Nectar Zangria? Z?” or Zerari. Tiger’s Kiss When talking about making selections in his greenhouse, bleeds red sap when you Stanley said, “It has to stop me in my tracks.” He does a cut it. It’s a whole menagspeed walk through the rows, first focusing on vigor. All erie. Ziplock plants are girthy and prison-swole. The smell on the Where does this passion branch doesn’t count. What’s crucial is jar smell, smoke, and zeal come from? Stanflavor translation and terp durability — the stuff consumers ley was born and raised in will notice. Maui, Hawaii, growing on roadsides and in mountain MEET THE CLAW pastures with his dad. FrusHe casts his genetic nets far and wide, and the haul has ZNOW tration from an early bust arrived. First up is Znow Leopard (Znow Flakes x Black LEOPARD led him to just give away Panther), described as having deep, rich notes of fuel, trop-
SEPT. 2026
TROPIC THUNDER
seeds in blank Ziploc baggies. Everyone started calling him “Ziplock,” and it stuck. Aside from a Breeding Grounds deal with Sensi Seeds, Stanley handles all his own photos, website and materials. Expect more from the Black Panther oeuvre to trickle out into 2027. Don’t try to keep him out of the garden, either. “I don’t need to make any more seeds, but I’m going to because I’m crazy,” he said. “The fire is hot. We keep stoking it, and we’re not stopping.” SEPT. 2026 POT FARMER’S ALMANAC Early finishers wrap up this month. Regular finishers flower hard. Supplement nutrients phosphorus and potassium as needed. Take your bud photos. Tidy up the dry room, order Grove Bags and other gear, clean and sharpen scissors and set a harvest schedule. The first day of fall is Sept. 22. Harvest Moon, also known as Corn Moon, is Sept. 26.
@ZIPLOCKSEEDS
STORY by DAVID DOWNS @DAVIDDOWNS for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by ZIPLOCK SEEDS
Thanks for flying with us!
Review Website
Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. Keep out of the reach of children. For use only by adults twenty-one years of age and older
Ellen Holland is a San Francisco Bay Area-based freelance writer, the former editor of High Times
perspective
and the author of multiple books, including "Weed: Smoke It, Eat It, Grow It, Love It" (2024).
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FROM JOKE TO REALITY
THE GRASS IS GREENER
LEAFMAGAZINES.COM
Oakland baseball embraces Cannabis culture
When the Oakland Ballers became the Oakland Blazers as a nod to Cannabis culture for one night this summer, they were cashing in on a gimmick. You couldn’t smoke weed at the ballpark, but all the winks and nods were there. The players mimed smoking joints, a Grateful Dead cover band jammed throughout the game, and fan gear had “Kush” written across the backs of the jerseys and included a small weed leaf. But the stunt, which could have stood as no more meaningful than fast food chains advertising 420 deals, came to fuller life through a partnership with Oaksterdam, America’s first Cannabis college.
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Based in Oakland, California, the Oakland Ballers are an independent baseball team in the Pioneer League. The idea of becoming the Oakland Blazers originated from an April Fools’ Day joke where the team posted a picture of the Blazers jersey. “The response was so overwhelming when we soft launched the design and the joke that we felt like we had to do it to give the people what they wanted,” Casey Pratt, the Oakland Ballers vice president of communications and fan entertainment, said. Through a partnership with Oaksterdam, the game stood as a representation of the mainstream acceptance of Cannabis culture. “Things have come so far,” longtime Cannabis activist and Oaksterdam horticulture instructor Jeff Jones said. “(Cannabis) is such a nonissue.” Journalist Adam Tschorn extensively covered the team’s transition from a joke to reality through his Substack, High Adam. “My stock line for public-facing Cannabis-related culture things is anytime you have a Cannabis-related event where someone doesn’t play the piano really fast and then murder people — and that’s a reference to “Reefer Madness” — it’s a good day,” Tschorn said. “It’s more exposure of Cannabis and the faces of people who are involved in Cannabis in a way that just sort of gets it out there.” Through Tschorn’s coverage of the Blazers, he learned that the color for the jersey — light green, purple and orange — “The response was so was chosen as a reference to the colors in overwhelming when a legendary strain that we soft launched the originated in Oakland: design and the joke Granddaddy Purple. that we felt like “I just felt like, we had to do it to ‘OK, they weren’t just give the people co-opting Cannabis; they were really leanwhat they wanted.” ing into it,’” Tschorn -Casey Pratt, said. “Oakland has a Oakland Ballers long history of blazing vice president of a trail with Cannabis, communications and and it felt like it all fan entertainment really worked. It was a way that would expose the plant to people who weren’t necessarily familiar with it and think it’s this dangerous thing, and it was pretty high profile.” As a part of the pregame festivities, Oaksterdam partnered with Emerald Farms Tours to host a crawl of Cannabis lounges in Oakland’s downtown. In its heyday of the early to mid-2000s, Oaksterdam was not only a campus but also a cultural district that contained many places to purchase and consume weed. “We’re finally relegalizing what we have shown two decades ago was safe and responsible,” Dale Sky Jones said of the Cannabis consumption lounges that exist in Oakland today. “Now, finally, the new adult-use laws are catching up, and we’re just here to show other communities that this can be safe, successful and a benefit.”
OAKLANDBALLERS.COM @OAKLAND.BALLERS @PIONEERBASEBALLLEAGUE @OAKSTERDAMUNIVERSITY
All in all, the game felt like a success for the normalization of Cannabis in a climate where the stigmas of “Reefer Madness” remain. “It is a pretty high-profile activation or placement of something that’s still very illegal in a lot of states and at the federal level,” Tschorn said. “The Ballers fans are pretty enthusiastic. I’m curious to find out if there were any converts, people who were not down with weed before, but now are like, ‘OK, weed people are cool.’” Pratt said there wasn’t really any pushback to the alternate branding. “What’s wild is we’ve received such little pushback,” Pratt said. “We, like, almost expected some, but it hasn’t really come. I think that the Cannabis industry and weed and everything has become a lot more acceptable and a responsible way for adults to partake if they so choose to.”
STORY by ELLEN HOLLAND @HOLLANDBUDS for LEAF NATION Photos by Darrell Lavin Photography | See more photos at LeafMagazines.com
stoner STONER owner OWNER
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JOCELYNE BOYER Growing up, Jocelyne Boyer was always told to stay away from Cannabis. The funny part? Her dad had a stash of plants growing in the family’s computer cabinet the whole time, which became not-so-secret after Boyer discovered the suspicious glow coming from inside. IT WASN’T UNTIL her late 20s that Boyer began exploring Cannabis for herself, turning to edibles to help get a good night’s rest. She eventually started noticing that different strains and consumption methods could create completely different feelings and experiences in her body. Today, the plant is an essential part of Boyer’s routine as a comedian, podcaster and brand ambassador in Portland’s Cannabis scene. She’s worked in the industry as a budtender and delivery driver, eventually finding a natural way to blend her love of Cannabis with another passion: making people laugh. For Boyer, that combination is especially useful before she takes the stage at a comedy show. When she’s looking to get into a creative and social headspace without feeling sleepy, she reaches for strains like Sour Strawberry or Blue Dream. CBD drinks have also become a favorite part of her preshow ritual, particularly an Ablis Cranberry Blood Orange sparkling drink crafted in Bend and packed with a solid dose of 50 milligrams of CBD per can. AND THEN THERE’S THE MOCKTAILS
Having worked as a part-time private bartender for the past few years, Boyer has developed a serious appreciation for mixology. She shares that skill at events around Portland, crafting handmade mocktails infused with CBD and THC for audiences at the intersection of Cannabis and comedy.
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That playful spirit of experimentation carries over to her podcast, “Pot of Portland,” where Boyer reviews products, swaps stories and shares her own Cannabis concoctions. She was especially excited about a recent mini-series that pairs mocktails with flower strains, like her Gary’s fruity fever dream. The drink combines Journeyman hash-rosin lemonade, Crown B Alchemy’s Moonlight Serenade syrup and Fever-Tree Sparkling Sicilian Lemonade as the mixer for a bright, fruity punch. She pairs it with Gary’s Pineapple flower from HQFarms, a cross of Gary Payton and Hawaiian Crasher with nutty cherry and sugar cookie notes. Together, the sip-andsmoke pairing delivers a sugary and spiced tropical twist, with citrus fizz playing off the flower’s sweet pineapple-gas character. Want to try your hand at pairings? Boyer’s advice is simple: “It’s just about your own preference and being creative with it. Don’t be afraid to mess up a drink. If something doesn’t work, that’s the only way you’re going to figure out what does go well together,” she told the Leaf. In other words: grab a glass, get your grinder out and don’t be afraid of a little trial and error. For a good laugh, a little Cannabis education and plenty of mocktail inspiration, tune in to “Pot of Portland” on YouTube or follow Boyer on Instagram. @P0T0FP0RTLAND (INSTAGRAM) @POTOFPORTLAND420 (YOUTUBE)
LIT & LAUGHING
She’s worked in the industry as a budtender and delivery driver, eventually finding a natural way to blend her love of Cannabis with another passion: making people laugh.
Moonlight mocktails
STORY by KATHERINE WOLF @KATADELLIC for OREGON LEAF @OREGONLEAF | PHOTOS courtesy
sticking the landing
company profile
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The brainchild of three friends who grew up together in Corvallis, STICKS has the distinction of holding the first wholesale recreational license ever granted in the state. Initially operating with a focus on brokering flower with a long-term goal of moving into production, the company now makes infused and noninfused prerolls, gummy edibles and, most recently, all-in-one vaporizers. Cementing itself as a tour de force over the last decade, the brand can be found in more than 400 dispensaries across the state.
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COLIN LANDFORCE, CEO and owner/operator, credits STICKS’ ubiquity to value and reliability.
STICKS CANNABIS
“Our biggest crutch, no pun intended, is consistency,” Landforce articulated. “We’ve leaned into these distillate-driven categories. I know a lot of folks in the industry are not fans of it, but there’s massive amounts of consumers who want them and have been largely disregarded. We still do classic prerolls, but when we do our infused stuff, we have so much more control over making sure that this joint is exactly like the one you bought six months ago.” STICKS develops proprietary flavors and strains in-house, which allows the company to offer brand–specific products catered to consumer tastes. Each selection is named in a way to pay homage to the organization’s home state. Cascade Crisp, for example, is an apple-dominant flavor named after the Oregon Cascades. Crater Cookies, a GSC-like option with sweet notes, is named after the Oregon national park and natural wonder, Crater Lake. “We’re having fun with it, but the flavor and the name are a big deal to us. Like what Mountain Dew does with flavors, it’s like our Baja Blast,” Colin noted. STICKS designs their product lines to be uniform with one another. In other words, flavors like their Seaside Slush are available not just as an infused preroll but also as an edible gummy and an all-in-one vaporizer. The idea is that the consistency from product to product and between batches gives customers a dependable experience. Freshness is another huge factor when it comes to sourcing material for STICKS products and maintaining standards. “A lot of brands in our category — that being the value category, and especially infused — are using 18-to-24-month-old weed. Because it’s getting infused, those numbers never come up,” Landforce pointed out. “We source fresh flower from as few good growers as humanly possible. One of our taglines has always just been, ‘good weed.’” At the end of the day, “good weed” is exactly what most consumers want more than anything else. Whether a preroll costs $1 or $15, value and consistency matter in 2026. Landforce and his partners understand the inherent value in this and seek to provide a baseline that truly “STICKS” the landing with customers across Oregon. STICKSSS.COM @LTRMNFOREVER
“We source fresh flower from as few good growers as humanly possible. One of our taglines has always just been, ‘good weed.’”
STORY by JAMIE OWENS @PNW_CHRONIC710 for OREGON LEAF @OREGONLEAF | PHOTOS by DEREK KELLY @DS.VISIONSPHOTOGRAPHY
shop review
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PORTAL 503
Portal 503 is a recreational dispensary located in Portland. Opened in July 2025, the retailer is still a new kid on the block. Owners Brian and Amber Staffa purchased the location from its previous tenants with the goal of opening a Cannabis
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outlet that embraces the weirdness of Portland. The Leaf chatted with Brian Staffa to find out what that means to them. “ O R E G O N D I D N ’ T N E E D J U S T A N O T H E R D I S P E N S A R Y.
We are trying not to be the average dispensary,” Staffa explained. So, what sets Portal 503 apart from other stores? “We are the only show-grow in Washington and Oregon,” Staffa pointed out. Built with a window that gives customers a “portal” to look into an in-house cultivation space, the dispensary brings vertical integration to another level. Paired with hand-crafted wood cabinetry, a curtained flower wall of over 70 strains and an employee-curated art space, Portal 503 feels simultaneously homelike and verdant. Education and empowerment are ingrained in the mission statement. The owners and staff at Portal 503 have put intentional effort into creating a curriculum of classes on topics like home growing, joint rolling and cooking with Cannabis.
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“We can speak connoisseur, and we can also speak complete newbie. We cater the experience to whatever the customer needs.”
PORTAL VIEWS Customers can take a peek into the grow from the showroom.
Open to customers, budtenders or The shop’s 420 Pizza Train event, in anyone looking to quench their thirst for particular, gave customers a coupon for knowledge, the informational learning series a slice of pizza at three local restaurants: is a uniquely enriching offering. Notably, the Atlas Pizza, Meta Pizza and Pizza Mabusiness also practices profit-sharing with chine. Supporting Cannabis brands and its employees and supports staff in buildneighborhood eateries at the same time? ing careers in the industry through internal Now that’s a pairing we can get behind. promotion and cross-training in But it’s not all parties, cultivation. sunshine and rainbows for Portal 503 seeks to align with Oregon Cannabis dispensaPORTAL 503 a medical approach to helping ries in 2026. 729 SE POWELL BLVD., customers. In fact, many of the Whether it’s barriers in PORTLAND, OR PORTALCANNABISOR.COM retail staff members here use banking or landlords who @PORTAL503PDX Cannabis as a medicine and are have soured on the industry, (971) 271-1150 steeped in plant knowledge. Portal 503 has not been 8 A.M.-9:30 P.M. DAILY “Our team is good at reading immune to the impact of the room,” Staffa noted. “We can speak stigmatization and discrimination. connoisseur, and we can also speak com“We are lucky in the building we are plete newbie. We cater the experience to in with Portal that the landlord is very whatever the customer needs.” reasonable. But with other stores, that’s When it comes to selection, the dispensary not the case,” Staffa stated. is best described as flower-forward, with It’s not uncommon to hear complaints a range of different strains from both their from Cannabis business owners about in-house brand and heavy hitters, including inflated fees, foreclosed leases, predatoEvans Creek Farms, Deep Creek Gardens, ry landlords or difficulty getting contracFocus North and Tao Gardens. The store tors to provide services. even sells clones from the same strains they “The 420 tax is real. Where a normal grow. The offerings don’t stop at flower, business gets charged $100, we might however. Portal 503 carries a full selection get charged $140,” Staffa confirmed. of prerolls, concentrates, vaporizers and “There’s a severe misconception that edibles. They also stock medicinal items, running a Cannabis business means like tinctures, patches, roll-on balms, FECO we’re printing money in the back. It can and RSO. be very challenging.” “We try to cater to the medical customDespite obstacles like this, love for er who may feel forgotten about now that the plant and determination to support things have been adult use or recreational customers keep the staff at Portal 503 for so long,” Staffa explained. energized. Outside of client care, Portal 503 also “We have something to prove,” Staffa throws one heck of a shindig. From its block explained. “We’d love people to come party-style grand opening to its Spliffmas in and see the grow, come to one of our Holiday event, the dispensary is always lookclasses and see what Portal’s all about. ing for ways to bridge the gap between the Purchase some Portal flower, and give it Cannabis community and local entities, like a try. Give us some real feedback in real art vendors and restaurants. time. We truly give a damn.”
STORY by JAMIE OWENS @PNW_CHRONIC710 for @OREGONLEAF | PHOTOS by DEREK KELLY @DS.VISIONSPHOTOGRAPHY See more photos at LeafMagazines.com
high eats
DONUT MISS THIS Tomomochi is a Portland-based pop-up known for serving Hawaiian and Japanese-inspired goodies like vegan mochi, haupia pie, pickled mangos and mochi doughnuts. TASTES LIKE HOME
Operated by Camden Tomomatsu, the venture was started as a way to recreate some of his favorite childhood foods from growing up in Hawaii. “I’ve been doing it for about 3 1/2 years,” Tomomatsu explained. “I just kept getting this idea every time I went to an Asian summer market where people were vending their goods — like it would be so cool if someone was serving mochi like in Hawaii.”
HASHING OUT SKILLS
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Tomomatsu’s experience in the food industry — and in processing ice water hash with Cannabis companies like Nelson & Co. Organics — has lent itself surprisingly well to making treats like his signature daifuku fruit mochi. “Hash actually taught me how to make the bean paste really well because it's the same process,” he said. “Meshing beans that are cooked tenderly, then you get them out of their skins and filter the water so all the fine protein particles fall to the bottom. … It’s like washing and making hash, but out of beans.” Parallels between solventless processing and mochi making are present, from the discernment in sourcing of fresh inputs to the dialing in of moisture levels in mochi dough or freeze-dried hash. “When I’m making hash, washing and determining what needs to be going on, it’s a lot like line cooking for me,” Tomomatsu noted. “It’s really similar in the fact that things need to happen in a certain time, you need to be able to smell or feel the difference, you might need to pivot.”
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SWEET SUMMER DAIFUKU
Tomomochi BLACK WATER (POP-UP) 5115 NE SANDY BLVD., PORTLAND, OR @TOMOMOCHIPDX BAR.BLACKWATERPDX.COM
(FOLLOW FOR EVENTS Traditional daifuku is made from a rice AND LOCATIONS) cake (mochi), bean paste and a sweet item (fresh fruit, in this case). Tomomatsu utilizes coconut milk and coconut fat to POPPING UP IN PORTLAND make his mochi, meaning his treats are Tomomochi can be found popping up in vegan and gluten free. a variety of places, from Lan Su Chinese “Today, we have donut peaches; this Garden to Portland State University, but year’s been great for donut peaches,” he Camden Tomomatsu is most frequently at Black Water noted. “I like to have white bean paste Tomomatsu bar, a home base for his culinary creativity. for summertime fruits. It’s a little bit lightHe also partners with restaurants, like GrindWitTryz, and er and goes well with most summer fruits.” local organizations, like The White Lotus Foundation and Formed into small spheres of dough, the outside of the mochi is as Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon, so it’s not soft as a pillow with a squishy, malleable texture. The smell of fresh uncommon to find him vending at street markets, cultural peach mingles with the subtle starchiness of the rice flour, coalescing fairs and Cannabis events around Portland. Check his into a mouthwatering fragrance. An initial bite unleashes an explosion Instagram to see where he is and what he’s serving up. of flavor from the filling, with the ensconced juice of the donut peach Tomomatsu encourages readers to get out in the flooding the taste buds in succulent nectar. At its core, the daifuku is community and share some food light, tart and sweet, personifying the taste and “HASH ACTUALLY culture. feeling of summer in every luscious nibble. “Buy local fruit. Ask people The textural balancing act and depth of flavor TAUGHT ME HOW TO questions. Connect with the complexity highlight Tomomatsu’s craft in turnMAKE THE BEAN PASTE people that grow food,” he urged. ing deceptively simple ingredients into elevated works of edible art. REALLY WELL BECAUSE “You're going to learn more about where you live, about the things IT’S THE SAME that give you nutrients, and you're PROCESS.” just getting a better experience.”
SEPT. 2026
STORY & PHOTOS by JAMIE OWENS @PNW_CHRONIC710 for @OREGONLEAF
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THE TANNINS & TERPENES ISSUE strain of the month
Whether you’re passing the bottle or passing the bong, this pairing rewards a little patience and a lot of good company.
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sept. 2026
Honey Badger’s Buds College Park & Cheech & Chong’s The Judge’s Water Vodka
TANNINS THE JUDGE’S WATER VODKA It’s Cheech and Chong! It’s a bong! “It’s fucking vodka, man!” Like Judge Gladys Dykes from “Up in Smoke,” we’re sipping on something strong. The Judge’s Water is a special edition, themed vodka from the makers at Ublendit, Inc. and the Cheech and Chong brand. Available in several editions, we snagged the setup that converts to a bong when the bottle’s empty. Simply drill a hole with the provided diamond drill bit, insert the rubber grommet and slide in the downstem. But this isn’t just a gimmick. We’ve been continually impressed with the quality of Cheech and Chong collaborations — from Oregon’s DogHouse Farms flower line to this bottle of booze, it’s clear that quality matters here. The 80-proof bottle boasts a clean, crisp finish that blends as well as any topshelf vodka we’ve worked with. In a 2023 press release on Newswire, Ublendit, Inc. CEO John Spagnola noted, “Nothing in this box feels cheap. We sourced every piece of this from the best American manufacturers: the glass stems, the bottle, the label, which is made out of real metal, and of course, the vodka, which won the double gold at the San Francisco Spirits Festival, the highest award possible.”
TERPENES HONEY BADGER’S BUDS COLLEGE PARK It’s always recommended to approach a cross-fade with caution, but we couldn’t resist reaching for this College Park from Honey Badger’s Buds in Corvallis. These deeply dense nugs drip with trichomes and a sweet, sultry flavor that smooths out the crisp, contrasting vodka. The flower is a cross of Georgia Pie and Jungle Cake x GMO bred by Ziplock Seeds, and it pulls a bit of each parent profile into the experience. Sugary-dough details nestle themselves in the nose first, but quickly morph into a raunchy rubber note with a meaty finish. Crack into this nug, however, and you’ll slide back into the sweet side. Buckets of blueberry syrup flavor slide through the smoke, accompanied by a heavy cream finish on the tongue — almost tangible beyond taste. The savory side is still present, and you might catch some allium essence, but it’s pushed to the back of the palate in a way that balances the berry-forward fumes beautifully. Without subscribing to the outdated sativa vs. indica classifications, we’d say this is a daytime bud, with its bright notes bringing a notably strong, but still clear-headed high.
THEJUDGESWATER.COM @CHEECHANDCHONG @HONEYBADGERSBUDS
PAIRING A CRISP CONTRAST
A bouncy buzz from the bud and vibrant vibes from vodka make for an energetic experience. This combo offers crisp contrasts between flavor and complementary effects that seem suited for something highly social. Whether you’re passing the bottle or passing the bong, this pairing rewards a little patience and a lot of good company. Just don’t attempt the drill-and-grommet conversion until the vodka’s gone and the buzz is behind you!
REVIEW & PHOTOS by @TERPODACTYL_MEDIA/OREGON LEAF @OREGONLEAF
edible of the month
Cascade Valley Cannabis Gummies & Rounded Corners Infused Wine
TERPENES CASCADE VALLEY CANNABIS GUMMIES The folks at Cascade Valley Cannabis are catering to every craving with their latest line of gummies, available in a handful of flavors, cannabinoid ratios and beneficial extras. We went with the Sweet Blueberry Hibiscus and Sour Passionfruit Yerba Mate, and the two flavors couldn’t be more different. Sweet Blueberry Hibiscus is the wind down of the lineup, with 4:1 THC to CBD, and built for a straightforward, relaxing body high. The blueberry hits first, A floral-hibiscus and it’s honest, not candy sweet, with a tartness holding it floral-hibiscus tartness holding it back from back from going going full gummy bear. There’s solventless full gummy bear. live rosin underneath it all, so the high feels rounder than a standard distillate gummy tends to. Sour Passionfruit Yerba Mate goes the other way entirely. Yerba mate, L-theanine and B12 are stacked in with the THC, so this rides more like a functional energy formula that happens to be a gummy. Tropical and sour up front, the focus it promises actually shows up instead of just running on caffeine. Between the two, you can pick your flavor based on what kind of afternoon you’re having: one puts you on the couch, the other gets you off it.
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TANNINS ROUNDED CORNERS INFUSED WINE A non-alcoholic wine that doesn’t taste like a consolation prize is rarer than it should be. Rounded Corners starts with actual sauvignon blanc grapes from “premier West Coast vineyards,” and turns them into “premium wine by Sonoma Valley winemakers,” according to the website description. The wine is then dealcoholized in stainless steel tanks (to retain taste) and nanoinfused with a 1:1 THC-to-CBD blend sourced from Pacific Northwest Cannabis farms. There’s no hangover, and none of the thin, watery compromise most NA wines make you swallow along with it. It pours with real body, not the seltzer-adjacent thinness that usually gives the category away. The buzz underneath is quiet and even. This effect is closer to settling into the couch than watching the clock, with the CBD and THC working in tandem to take the edge off. Each glass lands at a light 8 mg total (4 mg THC and 4 mg CBD) with zero sugar or carbs, and only 25 calories. Rounded Corners isn’t reinventing wine night; it’s just improving it.
PAIRING FRUITY FEELINGS AND UNMATCHED UNWIND Both of these fruity little fellas pair perfectly with a sauvignon blanc, balancing the wine’s acidity with gentle sweetness and an earthy herbal kick. You’re in for some unmatched unwind, whichever route you decide to go. Better yet, grab both packs, pour a glass, and let the wine do what it’s always done best: give the moment somewhere to slow down.
CASCADEVALLEYCANNABIS.CO @CASCADEVALLEYCANNABIS ROUNDYOURCORNERS.COM
REVIEW & PHOTOS by @TERPODACTYL_MEDIA/OREGON LEAF @OREGONLEAF
For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of reach of children. Do not drive a motor vehicle while under the influence of marijuana.
For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of reach of children. Do not drive a motor vehicle while under the influence of marijuana.
YAMBAJUNK.COM @YAMBA. JUNK
Even as the industry evolves, we remain consistent in our drive to create a world where everyone can SMOKE LIKE WIZ
Share the Joy
For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of reach of children. Do not drive a motor vehicle while under the influence of marijuana.
For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of reach of children. Do not drive a motor vehicle while under the influence of marijuana.
EST. 2014 OREGON BORN. OREGON GROWN. OREGON OWNED.
concentrate of the month leafmagazines.com
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TANNINS PAPA’S ALTERNATIVE BREW STICKY IPA There’s a real gap between the “hangover-free” and “actually tastes like a beer” beverage markets. Many hemp-derived brews land closer to seltzer with a headache warning, and take a pinched nose to push down. But Papa’s Alternative Brew splits the difference. It contains 10 milligrams of hemp-derived THC per can, is non-alcoholic, third-party lab tested, and comfortably under the 0.3% delta-9 THC threshold. The nose is doing the heavy lifting here. There are hearty, resinous hops up front, the kind that make you double-check you’re not holding a humulene-heavy joint. Citrus trails right behind it and is sharp enough to cut the aroma before it gets heavy-handed. On the tongue, it drinks clean and finishes crisp, with no syrupy sugar-crash aftertaste, which is where a lot of THC beverages fall apart in an attempt to cover plant flavor. Papa’s isn’t trying to replace a hazy IPA, and it doesn’t need to. It’s built for the cooler at the campsite, real hop character, a manageable buzz and a next day you don’t have to doubt.
sept. 2026
Firekeeper Farms Pica Limon Rosin & Papa’s Alternative Brew Sticky IPA
TERPENES FIREKEEPER FARMS PICA LIMON ROSIN Firekeeper Farms is a new name on the southern Oregon family-farming scene, and we got our hashy little hands on some of their Pica Limon rosin. This tart take on the classic Mexican candy delivers all the citrus sensation with a splash of spice and a comfortably creamy finish. Looking like a puddle when you pop the jar, the bright gold and gooey rosin is juicy from the jump. It oozes a sweet-and-sour profile that simultaneously teases something more. Diving into the dab with our Dr. Dabber Switch GO offers a delicious discernment: This flavor isn’t simply citrus-forward. Each puff delivers a robust, earthy Each puff delivers minerality beneath a robust, earthy the sweetness that minerality beneath reminds us of all the sweetness that our favorite chalky, reminds us of all powdery candies our favorite chalky, (think: Fun Dip or powdery candies Smarties). (think: Fun Dip The name Pica or Smarties). Limon might present as a post-dinner dessert. But we find its effects uplifting in a manner that also lends itself to earlier consumption. There’s a sharp focus found a couple dabs deep, and the bright flavors pique the senses in a way that you just can’t sleep through.
PAIRING A CRISP CATCH AND MAJOR MATCH This is a combo for a sunny September afternoon — or perhaps a rainy one, when you’re dreaming of the sweet summer days behind us, and in need of a little brightness via bud and brew. But buyer beware: This is not a duo for fans of diluted flavor. It’s big, bold and bitter in the best way.
PAPASALTBREW.COM @FIREKEEPERFARMS
REVIEW & PHOTOS by @TERPODACTYL_MEDIA/OREGON LEAF @OREGONLEAF
The All-In-One eRig. No atomizer. Completely customizable heat modes.
We accidentally created an eRig that has no atomizer to replace every few months. Our apologies to companies before us that rely on their customers continuing to spend money on their devices based off a failing part.
No Atomizer Ever Completely Customizable Heat Modes Quartz Insert Out of the Box Drop Heated Loading Tool Included Built to Last
glass art spotlight
ETHAN VERKHOVSKY
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This month, the Leaf wanted to share some stunning artwork from the Great White North made by Ethan Verkhovsky. Also well known as the artist Eka Glass, he hails from the mighty land of Canada and now resides in Montreal. But this story starts with his parents, who moved to Calgary, Alberta, from Russia to seek a new life many years ago. Brought up in a multilingual household, Verkhovsky is fluent in English, Russian and French.
Eka
Glass @EKAGLASS (FUNCTIONAL)
@EKGLASSART
leafmagazines.com
(HOME DECOR)
CL E A R L A MP RAY
DO U BLE S WIS S S PA C E
SEPT. 2026
B U L G A RI A N LION
B LUE ANGLE R
LIFE HAS NO SET BOUNDARIES, and Verkhovsky’s dedication to finding his path led him to many job roles, from a professional poker player to a medical hypnotherapist, along his journey. He had just started his doctorate in osteopathy when art entered his periphery. His introduction to glassblowing happened back in 2016 at a studio called Island City Glass in Montreal. It was here that he made lifelong friends and found his passion for borosilicate artwork. He considers himself a traveling artist, a man of the road. Collaborating with artists far and near, he’s been able to develop a uniquely deep archive of work and a wide array of technical skills. When the Leaf asked him about his inspirations, Verkhovsky said, “Some of the first artists I saw are still, to this day, my largest inspirations, and I'm blessed and fortunate enough to call some of them teachers and even friends.” In the constant pursuit of knowledge and experiences, Verkhovsky has participated in many glassblowing intensives. This is when a legendary artist, or artists, hosts a small group of other artists for usually three to five days. They work closely with the students to develop their skills in specific aesthetic and functional techniques. At the time of this interview, Verkhovsky was attending a two-week class at the Corning Museum of Glass hosted by Daniel Coyle, aka Coyle, and Adam Whobrey, aka Hoobs. Coming from a self-confessed nonartist background, he said, “I try to create pieces that make you feel something. Might be uncomfortable, might be desirable.” The Leaf team finds his work very desirable, both visually and functionally. Always on the move, his next home port will be the beautiful seaside city of Kingston, Ontario, where his journey with this craft will continue to grow. On top of functional art, Verkhovsky also focuses his efforts on stunning home decor. You can find his contemporary work exclusively on Instagram or on display in your local glass gallery.
SPAC E M O N KE Y
“I try to create pieces that make you feel something. Might be uncomfortable, might be desirable.”
STORY by REX HILSINGER @BOROPHOTO for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS courtesy
WITH ENTOURAGE CANNABIS
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book reviews
Page Burner Feast by Firelight
Simple Recipes for Camping, Cabins, and the Great Outdoors by Emma Frisch
One of my favorite ways to enjoy the full expression of tannins and terpenes is over a campfire, under the stars.
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your portable oasis
Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. For use only by adults twenty-one years of age and older. Keep out of the reach of children.
GOOD FOOD and good Cannabis just taste better in the great outdoors. The crackle of firewood as the joint makes its way around the circle. The scents of sharp pine and fresh dirt swirling with gooey s’mores and salty popcorn. It all sharpens the senses, turning simple meals into something a little more magical. It’s a reminder that cooking outside isn't just about the food, but rather about slowing down enough to feel a little more connected to the people around the fire and the ground underneath you. So when I'm packing for a weekend in the woods, “Feast by Firelight” by Emma Frisch always makes it into my duffel bag. The book includes more than 80 camp-friendly recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus happy hour and homemade trail snacks. From simple no-bake chocolate pretzel power bars to fuel up before a hike to molten lava brownies baked in hollowed-out orange peels right in the coals of your evening campfire — there’s a flavor for every adventurer. Beyond the recipes, Frisch packs in quick, practical tips for fireside cooking with confidence. There's a helpful checklist for building your outdoor kitchen and packing your cooler, plus guidance on fueling a camp stove properly, following Leave No Trace principles, and safely smothering a grease fire. During a recent alfresco dining experience, we whipped up the Tiramisu French Toast with Strawberries from page 72 for breakfast. Pro tip: Stopping at a farm stand to pick up local wildflower honey and fresh strawberries on the way to our spot was so worth it. This recipe paired perfectly with some morning rips of Kimbo Kush (Blackberry Kush x Starfighter F2) hash from 710 Labs. Sour green apple notes from its Starfighter lineage balanced the ripe, sweet strawberries and tart mascarpone beautifully. With my coffee and a full jar, I was content to hang out at the picnic table long after the plates were cleared.
sept. 2026
"Beyond the recipes, Frisch packs in quick, practical tips for fireside cooking with confidence." EMMAFRISCH.COM @EMMAFRISCH
STORY by KATHERINE WOLF @KATADELLIC
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studio sessions
A self-described “meme artist,” Wookerson’s illustrations are verbal vignettes taken from his experiences growing up in the glassblowing, Grateful Dead and Cannabis scenes.
WOOK
46
O
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FTEN FILTERED THROUGH
the language of classic cartoons and comic characters, his work has an instantly recognizable style that’s become part of the visual identity of Cannabis culture. Famous for his slogan, “You can’t smoke hash all day if you don’t start in the morning,” Wookerson’s pieces pair cultural statements and non sequiturs with images distilled through a ‘90s kid’s culture-sponge of a brain. No doubt, Wookerson found a lot of inspiration growing up with the works of artists like Bill Watterson, Charles Schulz, Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. However, it’s the statements and impact their pieces have had on people that fascinate him more than just the lines on the paper. Wookerson said that while he’s always loved making art, it wasn’t until the pandemic and some prodding from Banjo Glass that he felt launched into creating the ideas he had inside his head. “The pandemic forced me to try shit, to look at myself and ask, what did I really have control over besides my own art?”
SEPT. 2026
He posted some drawings at @lotcomedy. “It was just putting things out there to see what would happen,” he said. What started as just a meme page has ballooned into an art career and a position as sort of a cartoonist for the culture. Speaking from his home in San Francisco, he showed us the first few projects he worked on with brands like Feeling Frosty, Have Hash and Professor Sift. “These really opened things up and brought my art in front of a lot of people’s eyes.” With hash and weed being the focus of so much of his personal and client-driven art, we were curious how much it’s involved in his actual studio time. “I’m mostly in there after the kids go to bed, so the art and the smoking are all kind of part of the same ritual.” Just like choosing between a pencil and a paintbrush, Wookerson uses hash for allnight screen-printing sessions and reserves flower for things like oil painting. “For me, weed is more of a relaxing, mindwandering experience, and dabs are like a cup of coffee,” he explained.
Wookerson
WOOKERSONSTUDIOS.COM @LOTCOMEDY
OKERSON On the day we spoke, Dolly Parton had passed, and so Wookerson’s studio was filled with the sounds of Parton, Linda Ronstadt and other ‘80s ladies of country. “There is a level of what I do in my art that’s connected to my mother,” he told Leaf Magazines. “A lot of the time, the music I have on while I work is a mix of the rock and bluegrass I grew up hearing from her.” Still inspired by the sights and sounds of his youth, the work he’s making right now is more focused on references to contemporary figures. “A lot of the inspiration for my work has been getting more current, and as that happens, the characters popping up have been the heroes of my adulthood as well as my childhood.” Wookerson told us he sees a lot of this next capsule collection as being focused on typography paired with the larger-than-life figures in the Cannabis scene. Having been a kid raised on a steady diet of pop culture, he stopped a moment, smiled and added, “but you know, GTA 6 is also coming.”
“What started as just a meme page has ballooned into an art career and a position as sort of a cartoonist for the culture.” STORY by MATT JACKSON @ACTIONMATTJACKSON for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS & ILLUSTRATIONS by WOOKERSON & KEY CURATIONS See more of their work at LeafMagazines.com
cooking with Cannabis
Cooking with
jack herer ROSE & RESIN BAKLAVA Makes 30 servings 1 pound pistachios, lightly toasted 1 16-ounce package phyllo dough, defrosted 5 tablespoons canna-butter, melted 11 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup honey 1 tablespoon rose water 1. Heat oven to 340 F. 2. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. 3. In a food processor, chop the pistachios into a mediumfine texture. In a small bowl, combine both butters and mix well. 4. Unroll the phyllo dough and cover with a lightly dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place 2 sheets of dough in the pan, and brush with the butter. Place another sheet of dough on top and repeat with individual sheets of phyllo until you have layered 12 sheets. 5. Sprinkle the chopped nuts on top. From here, continue the pattern, adding the nuts with the butter in between each layer of dough. The top layers should be near 6 to 8 sheets high. 6. Using a sharp knife, cut to the bottom of the pan into diamond or square shapes. Bake for about 50 minutes, until baklava is golden and crisp. 7. While the baklava is baking, make the sauce! Boil sugar and water until the sugar is melted. Add vanilla, honey and rose water. Simmer slowly for about 45 minutes. 8. Remove baklava from the oven and immediately pour sauce over it. Let cool, and then enjoy.
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LEMON HAZE ON A TOASTED BAGUETTE
leafmagazines.com
Makes 12 slices 2 large lemons, zested and juiced (about a half cup) 1 cup granulated sugar 5 egg yolks, lightly beaten 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces 2 tablespoons canna-butter, cut into pieces 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch of salt 12 slices baguette, toasted 1 cup fresh berries, sliced if large 1/3 cup flaked coconut
HIGH TIDE ROLLS Serves 12, two pieces per serving 2 cucumbers, ends removed 4 teaspoons canna-butter, softened 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 5 ounces smoked salmon 5 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 scallions, cut into pieces 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons capers
1. In a medium bowl, combine the zest and sugar. Mash together with a wooden spoon or potato masher. 2. In a medium saucepan, combine the zest and sugar mixture, lemon juice, yolks and butters. Stir well to mix. Cook the mixture over low to medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butters are melted and the mixture thickens, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a bowl. 3. Stir in the vanilla and salt. 4. The mixture will continue to thicken as it cools. Place plastic wrap against the curd and chill for at least 2 hours. 5. Spread the curd over the toasted bread. Top with berries and flaked coconut.
Baklava is a dream to infuse, with amazing flavors in its flaky phyllo and canna-butter layers. The cucumber spirals are impressive to behold and taste wonderfully smoky and citrusy. Lemon curd is easy to make and even easier to eat with just a spoon and a screen. Jack Herer from Pruf Cultivar’s Curated Collection rocked these recipes.
laurie@laurieandmaryjane.com
sept. 2026
1. Place the cucumbers on your work surface. Using a vegetable peeler, slice the cucumbers horizontally, trying to cut a slice that is the whole length of the cucumber. Pat the slices dry with a clean dish towel. 2. In a food processor, combine the canna-butter, cream cheese, salmon, mayonnaise, scallion, dill, lemon juice, pepper and salt. Process until smooth. 3. Spread each cucumber slice with the salmon mixture, 1 to 2 tablespoons each. Sprinkle with the capers. Tightly roll each slice. The slices will stay together; no need for a toothpick. 4. Place on a serving tray and enjoy.
RECIPES by LAURIE WOLF @LAURIEANDMARYJANE | PHOTOS by BRUCE WOLF @BRUCE_WOLF #DontFearTheEdible #BeKind #EatYourCannabis | Laurie@Laurieandmaryjane.com
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50
Back to life A veteran reckons with war, sobriety
and healing When Rick Glass thinks about Iraq, he doesn't begin with politics. He remembers the sound. A Maryland native who grew up an hour outside Washington, D.C., Glass was close enough to Saddam Hussein's statue to hear it being toppled. Days earlier, his unit had assaulted Al-Faw Palace and was trying to replenish ammunition when they came under heavy fire. His friend, John Keeney, was hit by a sniper's round in the elbow. “I was eating an MRE, and while I heard rounds going overhead, that one sounded very different,” the Marine recalled, noting it took 13 surgeries to save his gunner’s arm. Years later, Glass would come to understand that surviving combat was only the beginning of his battle.
SEPT. 2026
“I WOKE UP ANGRY FOR YEARS,” he said. “And in all honesty, I still wake up angry.” As the United States approaches the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, Glass knows that day will carry a weight difficult for most Americans to understand. “The 25th anniversary of 9/11 is going to evoke a lot of emotion for me,” he said, “because I know it’s part of the reason why I served time in combat.” Glass doesn’t question the horror of Sept. 11. What he questions is what came afterward — and whether the sacrifices made by people like him were justified. “I’m patriotic, but I also think it’s good to question things, including your government,” he said. “I guess I’m still looking for those weapons of mass destruction,” he added, shaking his head. Sometimes, Glass said, veterans need a reason for losing someone. They convince themselves that their fallen friends died for a greater purpose. But genuine healing may require confronting something harder. “There are some people in that picture who aren’t here today, and don’t get me wrong, they’re heroes — every last one of them,” Glass said. “But their death is also a result of their government lying.” He knows how provocative that sounds to another veteran. “When you say to another veteran, ‘Your buddy died in vain,’ that’s enough for them to want to physically confront you,” he said. “But if we’re talking from a true place of healing, we might have to really come to a place of, like, ‘Dude, we don’t have to lie to each other anymore.’” Glass eventually found himself fighting another war — one that followed him home. On April 19, 2017, he was arrested for his third DUI. He now credits the Westminster Police Department with giving him his sobriety date: April 20. At the time, Glass didn’t even use Cannabis. “420 is a holiday that I used to make fun of my Cannabis-consuming friends for celebrating,” he said. “And now it’s one of the biggest days of the year for me.” Sobriety forced Glass to confront things he had spent years avoiding. While drinking, he convinced himself that he enjoyed shaving in the shower. He told himself it gave him a closer shave, but what he was really doing was dodging a necessary conversation with his reflection.
“The only thing I was doing was avoiding looking education, community resources and reducing stigma at myself in that mirror,” he said. around the plant. Recovery meant becoming willing to look. He wants people to understand cannabinoids, Nine years into sobriety, Glass is married, a terpenes, consumption methods and the differences homeowner for the first time in his life and credits between products rather than simply telling them his wife as one of the most stabilizing forces in his what to use. recovery. “I think a lot of people are gravitating towards About a year into sobriety, he was struggling with Cannabis, but I think there is a severe lack of negative effects from prescription medication. education,” he said. He began researching “Cannabis personally saved my Cannabis and its life.” use among veterans. A man who once mocked 420 He had only used now considers April 20 his sobriety Cannabis a handful anniversary. A Marine who went to of times before, war believing in the mission now always while drinking. questions the government that sent He decided to try it him. A man who once avoided his intentionally. own reflection now spends his life “Let’s see what confronting the things he would happens if you rather not see. actually start using “There’s just so many things that this plant intentionally if I knew then what I know now, I as medicine,” he feel like I would be so much further remembered telling in life,” he said. “Sometimes that himself. actually is a source of frustration for What Glass wanted me, but I just have to understand most was sleep. that all this is part of my story.” “I personally believe Glass doesn’t consider himself if you don’t have religious. But he has come good sleep, you don’t to believe that the seemingly have good anything,” disconnected pieces of his life may he said. “The first time not be so disconnected after all. Cannabis wasn’t the I used Cannabis, I got “If I never went to Iraq, would end of his recovery; a restful sleep. When I I have ever used Cannabis?” he it became another woke up, I literally got asked. “I don’t know. Possibly, tool in it. He also tears in my eyes and possibly not. I just think for a believes veterans said to myself, ‘Is this reason, everything is tied together.” deserve serious how normal people That belief has given him a sense scientific research into feel every single of purpose. Through Canna Cares, other forms of plant day?’” he wants to help people ask difficult medicine, including For Glass, questions about their health, their psilocybin. Cannabis wasn’t medications and what recovery can the end of his recovery; it became another tool look like. But he is careful not to present himself as in it. He also believes veterans deserve serious someone who has figured it all out. scientific research into other forms of plant medicine, “I got so much to work on,” he said. “I have so including psilocybin. many character defects. I’m just starting to unplug a “If you asked me about drugs 10 years ago, I lot of these things that are going on in my life.” probably wouldn’t have had the same answer,” he Cannabis, he said, “has allowed me to live my life said. “But now, I think every single drug out there more. It allows me to participate more.” has its benefit if it’s used in a scientific way with a And perhaps most tellingly, it has allowed him to scientific approach.” feel. Glass’ philosophy is simple: Veterans deserve “Cannabis gives me empathy; it gives me more tools, better research and the freedom to find compassion,” he said. “I cry more now than I ever what actually helps them heal. did, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.” That belief has led him beyond his own recovery. For the past three years, Glass has been building CANNACARESMD.COM Canna Cares, a 501(c)(3) focused on Cannabis @RICKGLASS420
STORY by BAXSEN PAINE @BAXSENPAINE for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by GREG MALCOLM @MARYLAND.CONNOISSEUR
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P RE S E N TS
The
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These days, there are a plethora of pot-infused beverages to choose from… but for thousands of years, there was really only one bud-laced brew: the original Cannabis cocktail, bhang. Sometimes referred to as the “Nectar of the Gods,” this marijuana milkshake from India has been bringing all the boys (and girls) to the yard since the dawn of recorded history. WHAT IS BHANG? Originating from the Sanskrit word “bhanga,” meaning “hemp,” the Urdu/Hindi term “bhang” has been used on the Indian subcontinent since the Vedic Period (late Bronze Age) to refer to Cannabis leaves, seeds and stems (flowers are called “ganjah,” and resin is known as “charas”). But bhang’s definition extends beyond just the leaves — it can also mean an edible paste made by grinding up the leaves or a beverage containing that paste: namely, bhang thandai or bhang lassi. The paste is blended with various combinations of ground nuts, herbs, seeds, spices and warm milk for a bhang thandai or yogurt for the thicker version, bhang lassi. The mixture is then cooled (thandai means “cooling off”) and garnished with rose petals and pistachios. The result is a rich, refreshing beverage similar to an iced chai or smoothie that’s said to calm the mind and body. But for Indians, bhang is more than just a deliciously dank drink — it’s integral to their cultural and spiritual traditions. LORD OF THE BHANG The first written accounts of bhang appear in Hinduism’s sacred texts, the Vedas (2000-1400 BCE), which classify it among the most sacred of plants — calling it a “source of happiness,” a “joy-giver” and a “liberator.” Bhang appears repeatedly in Indian mythology, usually in connection with the god Shiva.
sep. 2026
In the story of Samudra Manthan, a group of “Devas” (gods) and “Asuras” (demons) conducted a “churning of the cosmic oceans” (Samudra Manthan) to create an “elixir of immortality” called “amrita” (“ambrosia” to the Greeks). Legend has it that a few drops of this amrita fell to earth, and those spots were where the first Cannabis plants sprouted up. Unfortunately, this churning also created a poison potent enough to destroy all life called “halahala.” To save the universe, Shiva drank all of the poison himself, turning his throat blue and causing him agonizing pain. Rushing to his aid, his consort, the goddess Parvati, gave him a cup of bhang, alleviating his suffering. In another tale, after Shiva argues with Parvati, he retreats to the mountains and falls asleep under a “leafy plant.” Upon awakening, he’s hungry and anxious, but feels instantly rejuvenated after chewing the leaves, and decides to gift the plant to humanity. Shiva used bhang regularly to relax and focus during meditation, and was even rumored to bathe in it. Since artists have often depicted Shiva with stoney eyes, dreadlocks, and smoking charas or drinking bhang, he’s considered the first “hippie god” and has been bestowed the epithet “Lord of the Bhang.”
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Big Bhang Theory
HOLI SMOKE Given the close connection between Shiva and Cannabis, it’s no surprise that bhang is a sacred component of holidays honoring him. Maha Shivaratri (Great Night of Shiva), which is observed in the Hindu month of Phalgun (February-March), commemorates Shiva and Parvati’s nuptials. During this celebration, Shiva’s worshippers consume bhang leaves and beverages and present them to him as “prasad” (a religious offering). Another Shiva-related holiday widely associated with bhang is Holi, also known as the “Festival of Colors.” According to Hindu lore, when Shiva’s first wife Sati died, he flew into a distraught rage and performed a “Tandava” (dance of destruction), after which he fell into a trance-like state of mourning. Unbeknownst to him, part of Sita’s spirit survived and was reincarnated as Parvati. When Parvati asked Kamadeva (the Hindu god of love) for assistance, Kamadeva shot a bhang-dipped arrow into Shiva — breaking his trance and causing him to fall in love with Parvati anew. That day became Holi.
Parvati offering bhang to Shiva. Watercolor by Kailash Raj.
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AYURVEDA India also values Cannabis for its medicinal properties, as part of its ancient holistic wellness system known as “Ayurveda” (Sanskrit for “knowledge of life”). In Ayurvedic texts dating back to the eighth century CE, bhang is prescribed to treat such varied ailments as nausea, anxiety, inflammation, indigestion, insomnia, migraines, malaria, rheumatism and even skin disorders. In fact, it was recommended for so many illnesses that it has been called the “penicillin of Ayurvedic medicine.” Of course, Ayurveda does not promote full-on intoxication, which it considers an abuse that can lead to mental disorders, such as Tamas (delusion and lethargy) and Rajas (hyperactivity). Rather, it advocates moderate, mindful consumption of bhang to maintain physiological and psychological balance — which, given what we know today about the endocannabinoid system, makes perfect sense.
“Bhang appears repeatedly in Indian mythology, usually in connection with the god Shiva, who has
been bestowed the epiteth “Lord of the Bhang.” each. Describing the effects, he observed that one man “wept bitterly all afternoon,” one was “terrified with fear,” a few were “complimenting each other in high terms” and one “fought with one of the wooden pillars of the porch” until his knuckles were raw. As for Bowrey himself, he confessed that he “sat sweating for the space of three hours in exceeding measure.”
BESOTTED BRITS The earliest English account of bhang comes from an East India Company merchant captain named Thomas Bowrey. During his first visit to India’s Bengal region in 1673, he noticed that the inhabitants didn’t drink alcohol, but instead found “means to besott (sic) themselves Enough with Bangha and Gangah.” Two years later, while on shore leave there, he and his men decided to try some for themselves — guzzling pints of the “bewitching” beverage, which they purchased for sixpence
THE INDIAN HEMP COMMISSION When the British took control of India in the 18th century, they were reportedly alarmed about the pervasive use of Cannabis there. And so, in 1798, the East India Company enacted a tax on bhang, ganja and charas, hoping to reduce its usage “for the sake of the natives’ good health and sanity.” In 1893, Parliament took a step further — appointing a commission of medical professionals
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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
EUROPEAN EXPOSURE It wasn’t until the 16th century that the West became aware of bhang. The earliest record of bhang in Europe comes from a Jewish Portuguese botanist/physician in Goa named Garcia da Orta. In his 1534 treatise “Colloquies on the Simples and Drugs and Portrait of Jan Huygen van Linschoten from Medicinal Matters of India and of a his “Itinerario.” Few Fruits,” Orta wrote extensively about “bangue” — apparently rejecting the idea that it was the same as English hemp, and explaining how inhabitants enjoyed chewing it, smoking it or grinding it into powder and drinking it with spices because it “intoxicates like opium.” “The profit from its use is for the man … to be raised above all cares and anxieties, and it makes some break into a foolish laugh,” Orta observed. “Those of my servants who took it … said that it made them so as not to feel work, to be very happy, and to have a craving for food.” Around 60 years later, a Dutch merchant/cartographer also living in Goa, Jan Huygen van Linschoten, wrote about bhang in his 1596 book, “Itinerario” (aka “The Voyage of John Huyghen Van Linschoten to the East Indies”). In it, he notes that bhang “… maketh a good appetite, but useth most to provoke lust … to reele and looke as if they were drunke, and halfe foolish, doing nothing but laugh and bee merrie.”
KNOX & HOOKE Another East India sailor who was instrumental in introducing bhang to England was Robert Knox. While sailing to Persia in January 1658, Knox’s ship was damaged and forced to port in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), where the king took the entire crew prisoner. After two decades in captivity, Knox managed to escape and sail to a Dutch settlement on the north of the island. Along the way, he was forced to drink muddy pond water, which made him deathly ill. Luckily, the locals offered him bhang, which fixed him right up. “… we learned an Antidote and Counter-Poyson against the filthy venemous (sic) water … that after the use thereof we had no more Sickness,” Knox attested in his 1681 book “An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon.” “It is only a dry leaf: they call it in Portugueze Banga ... and this we eat Morning and Evening upon an empty Stomach. It intoxicates the Brain, and makes one giddy.” After returning to England, Knox was able to procure more “Banga,” some of which he gifted to his friend, scientist Robert Hooke. Hooke spent a month studying the plant, noting in his diary that he found it to be “wholesome, though for a time it takes away the memory and understanding.” On Dec. 18, he gave a lecture at the Royal Society about the herb, which he proposed could “prove as considerable a Medicine.” Sadly, Hooke’s attempt to introduce Cannabis into Western pharmacopeia was unsuccessful; it would be another century and a half until Britain recognized its medical potential, with credit instead going to Dr. W.B. O’Shaughnessy in 1844.
AUG. 2021
to launch an extensive study of the cultivation, trade, consumption and cultural/religious significance of Cannabis in Indian society. Published in 1894, the “Indian Hemp Drugs Commission Report” concluded that excessive use of bhang was rare, that moderate use was harmless and that to outlaw it would “cause widespread unrest among Hindu and Muslim communities alike.” And so, Cannabis remained legal in India for the next 60-odd years … that is, until the dawn of the drug war. BAN THE BHANG? In 1961, the United Nations enacted the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs — Bhang shop in Jaisalmer India. an international treaty banning all nonmedical drugs that was adopted by 73 nations, including India. However, since the treaty only specified “the flowering or fruiting tops of the Cannabis plant … from which the resin has not been extracted” as a narcotic, bhang was exempt from the ban. Then, in 1985, under pressure from the U.S., India passed an even stricter drug law — the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Nevertheless, the previous legal loophole held, as the NDPS clearly differentiated ganja and charas from bhang, once again excluding bhang from the prohibition (upheld by India’s high court in Karnataka in August 2022). Though permitted on a national level, many states still passed their own laws restricting or outright prohibiting bhang. In towns where it is permitted (mostly in Northern areas like Uttar Pradesh), it’s sold in government-licensed shops that regulate how it’s sold and to whom. GOING OUT WITH A BHANG Regardless of its legality, Cannabis remains India’s most popular intoxicant, with Mumbai and Delhi both listed among the top ten cities in the world for Cannabis use. According to a 2019 survey by India’s Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, about 2.8% of citizens (nearly 39 million people) still drink bhang regularly. After 3000 years, it’s safe to say that bhang — and Cannabis in general —remain deeply ingrained in India’s spirituality and culture. Bobby Black is a former senior editor and 21-year veteran of High Times magazine, executive director of the World of Cannabis Museum Project, and host of the Cannthropology podcast. For more Cannabis history visit cannthropology.com.
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Observed on the full moon after Maha Shivaratri, Holi is a joyous two-day festival that celebrates the coming of spring by dancing, singing, feasting, laughing, dousing fellow celebrants with bright colored powders and liquids … and of course, drinking lots of bhang thandai and lassi.