September 2012 — Issue #27

NORTHWEST LEAF THE PATIENT’S VOICE

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fROM THE STREET CORNER TO CITY HALL, JARED ALLaWAY IS ALWAYS STANDING UP FOR CANNABIS.

Sept. 2012

Issue #27

thenorthwestleaf.com

NORTHWEST LEAF

contents

SEPT. 2012 WWW.THENORTHWESTLEAF.COM Nwleaf@gmail.com LIKE US AT Facebook.com/nwleaf

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62

rehashed PROFILE

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Hempfest is an amazing experience. Sitting on the rocks, baking in the hot sun as the water shimmers on Elliott

Bay, one thing becomes certain: there’s nothing else like this in the world. The performers and speakers travel from around the country to be in Seattle, and come that blistering weekend every August, we are lucky enough to be here with it too.

CANNABIS NEWS 10 NATIONAL The headlines from around the country

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green 40 truthfully An herbalist’s unique experience

story 27 cover Jared Allaway, the noted Cannabis advocate

recipes 43 Breakfast Two tasty items that’ll medicate

of the month 32 strain Another beautiful bud shot up-close

new product 47 cool, Keep your growing area odor-free

delivers 36 Vancouver The Medi-Bros are making it work

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rose’s column 60 Dr. Recreation versus necessity

no on i-502..................7 photo essay.................16 bud shot...........................32 TASTY RECIPES...........43 edible reviews..........45 the device................46 new product.............47 concentrates.......50 growtech...........54 doctor rose............60 behind the strain...62 COVER & CONTENTS PHOTOs

Daniel Berman/Northwest Leaf

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SEPTEMBER 2012 LIKE US AT Facebook.com/nwleaf

to advertise in or display us call Wes abney 206.235.6721 or email nwleaf@gmail.com

editor’s note To our readers, Thanks for picking up the 27th issue of Northwest Leaf!

By reading and spreading the good word of Cannabis you are helping in two ways. The first is quite simple- supporting medical Cannabis means sick patients have an alternative to mainstream/ Western medicine.

the truth about the plant you thought you knew, every issue. founder & editor-in-chief

Wes Abney photographer & designer

Daniel Berman issue contributors Nick Adams troy barber kirk ericso n Ray Flores Matt mCKnight Dr. Scanderson DR. SCOTT D. ROSE

The second reason is also fundamental, but cannot be overlooked as basic. By reading and sharing information like that contained in the Leaf you are standing up for your constitutional rights. It’s the right to choose what information you read, and what that information represents.

Freedom of information is essential to liberty. It is the information that allows you to choose your own medicine, food sources, recreational form of relaxation and more. It also is the last vestige of protection from a country whose politicians and leaders are ignoring the will and rights of their people!

This week, the DEA sent closure letters to 23 medical cannabis access points in Western Washington. This is a part of the continued war on “drugs,” and it is a war on freedom in America. Do not be fooled by the idea that this is anything else. It is ever apparent in states where the citizens have enacted laws protecting the medical use of cannabis that the Federal Government ignores!

In the coming months there will be opportunities to stand for our rights, and demand accountability and recognition from our elected leaders.

Please exercise your right to vote, and use the opportunity to educate others in this pivotal election year. Perhaps most importantly, don’t take your rights and freedoms for granted. Without the voices, tears, and blood of patriots before us we would not have this.

If you have questions, comments, or even critiques we look forward to hearing from you. Please reach out to us at facebook.com/ nwleaf or email us direcly at nwleaf@gmail.com.

-Wes Abney // Founder & Editor

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OPINION

why i’ll be voting no on i-502

By Troy barber/sensible washington steering committtee member for northwest leaf

T

he seriousness of the DUI provision on Cannabis under Initiative 502 should not be minimized or understated. “Per se” means guilty until proven not guilty. Setting a numerical standard for impairment is unsupported by research.

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, the Marijuana Policy Project and others are against the implementation of these laws, but they have abandoned their principles to support this socalled “legalization” initiative — all in the name of a symbolic victory at a national level.

When people understand how states cannot create laws that conflict with federal laws, they will realize that all Washington state will be left with if I-502 passes is the DUIC and the right to possess 1 ounce of Cannabis, 16 ounces of food products or 72 ounces of infused liquids.

The tax and regulate portions of I-502 conflict with federal law, and will not survive a federal challenge. Sensible Washington does not share New Approach Washington’s optimism that its case will make it to the U.S. Supreme Court. Instead, it will be defeated in a lower appellate court. The result will mean no legal production for retailing Cannabis products.

The decriminalization and DUIC portions of I-502 do not conflict with federal law and will likely remain if I-502 passes. This leaves voters with a choice: “Is the per se DUIC worth the price for a 1 ounce decrim?”

It is essential to understand the implications of this scenario. A legal right to possess will lead to increased black market production and sales.

The indefensible DUIC gives law enforcement the tools needed to leverage information to pursue further investigations. The war on pot in Washington state could increase, not decrease.

This is why we say the outcome could be worse than what we have now.

Those of us in the anti-502 camp have already provided sufficient evidence to prove that both patients and frequent Cannabis users are unlikely to pass a blood test with a 5 nanogram limit for active THC, which stays in the body longer than I-502 proponents would lead you to believe.

In discussions with the Yes on 502 camp, the question has been asked of me, isn’t 5 nanograms better than the 2 nanograms they have in Nevada? Well, of course, but the translation of this is “We know it is bad, but it could be worse.” Is this really how we want to write a law? Has the “enemy of the good” meme devolved to the point that we are willing to sacrifice the freedoms of others so we can accept inept law-making?

I say no. It is reckless and irresponsible to

The problems with I-502 aren’t just limited to what is written into the language. The problems also stem from what was left out. write any law that has potential for abuse and can wrongfully convict innocent people.

I-502 supporters minimize this concern by saying police will still need probable cause. What New Approach Washington doesn’t tell you is that it didn’t amend RCW 10.31.100 Arrest Without A Warrant, which leaves all applications of searches fully intact for suspicion of use or possession of Cannabis.

The problems with I-502 aren’t just limited to what is written into the language.

The problems also stem from what was left out. Failing to strike Cannabis from RCW 10.31.100 is just one instance. New Approach Washington also forgot to write

Substantial whole blood THC concentrations persist multiple days after drug discontinuation in heavy chronic cannabis users — Karschner

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19804462 a clause for gifting or sharing, which could result in a felony delivery charge for passing a joint to your friend. It also forgot to add a rebuttable presumption clause to the per se DUIC, which strips defendants of their right to rebut their presumed guilt. The 5 nanogram limit will be the determining factor of guilt for those 21 and older. For anyone younger than 21 years of age, anything over 0.00 will determine guilt.

The grand irony is that New Approach Washington’s campaign director has said publicly that Sensible Washington’s repeal efforts will create an “unregulated Wild West scenario.” The reality is, the result of her effort will create something worse.

With Sensible’s 2013 initiative, civil and criminal penalties will be removed from the state code, the definitions for Cannabis will be stricken from the state list of controlled substances. Penalties for minors will remain, but the juvenile code will be extended to the age of 21 so that infractions by minors can be expunged from their adult permanent record. And state DUI laws will remain as is, with an undefined limit, which grants leverage for defense of impairment in a court of law.

Sensible Washington would permit home cultivation, which would lower the street price, and make Cannabis cultivation no longer lucrative for black-market profiteers. Sensible Washington follows the same model approved by Washington voters with the “Repeal of the Bone Dry Act” — I-61 — in 1932, which was followed in 1933 by the ratification of the 21st Amendment to end alcohol prohibition at a national level. The Washington State Liquor Control Board was created in January 1934. Only 14 months passed from approving I-61 before a regulatory agency was put in place to monitor production, sales and distribution of alcohol. Our state survived that transition just fine.

I-502 supporters claim they are making “baby steps” and expect the rest of us to accept their ineptitude as “the only chance we have at legalization.” To that we say, “No, baby steps are repeal first, tax and regulate later.” We have history to back our claim.

We will have another chance, we will have a better bill. We need to be patient. We have an obligation to get this right the first time. We don’t want to be known as the state that set a bad precedent for other states to follow, which passing I-502 would surely do. The public is ready for real legalization, for real reform. I will be voting “no” on I-502 this November, and I will continue to work my ass off to ensure we have a better alternative.

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NATIONAL

“It invigorates you somehow,” a reporter wrote “when you find the prize you’ve been seeking.

slings of marijuana are hoisted away

Utah media invited along for grow-op bust >> Field trip-like experience showcases D.E.A. PR team in action Photos courtesy st. george news

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he sun began creeping into the sky as more than 60 agents from multiple law enforcement agencies began their journey on foot into the harsh, unforgiving Browse region of the Dixie National Forest last month.

With them were a phalanx of media representatives, juggling cameras and heavy tripods — but lacking water and supplies — wholly unprepared for a day spent searching for an illegal grow hidden on government land. Days earlier, a helicopter crew surveilling the area had spotted something amiss.

So they did what anyone would do investigating possibly dangerous, unknown territory: they invited the press. The intrepid reporters and

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camera men fought away hunger pangs; dehydration was harder to ignore. “Our expedition took us in serpentine zigzags through deep ravines, steep climbs up and over ridges, crunching through manzanita, juniper and stiff brush and bush, slogging through waters as tan as the khaki apparel worn by our SWAT escorts,” wrote Joyce Kuzmanic of the St. George News.

In breathless prose, she describes how fulfilling it was to finally locate the grow officials had targeted.

“It invigorates you somehow,” Kuzmanic wrote “when you find the prize you’ve been seeking.” A Utah Highway Patrol helicopter assisting with the mission began hauling away huge piles of irrigation tubing

and live marijuana plants in large canvas slings. The media sat and watched, munching on sack lunches provided for them. DEA officials on the scene said that “planting in and under other growth is one way the growers camouflage their sites.” All told, 3,600 plants were reportedly removed from the site, which was evidently abandoned.

Further examination revealed that people had been living there, possibly for years. One of whom may have required a leg cast, which was found amid the slew of garbage located alongside a rudimentary kitchen, sleeping bags, pop-up tents, camp stoves and propane tanks. Wires and screens for drying marijuana were hung all around

STORIES BY NORTHWEST LEAF STAFF

“between trees like clothes lines.”

The experience was worth it, because, she notes, the experience had brought the normally jaded media a little bit closer together.

Did an impromtu kumbaya break out? She doesn’t say.

The sun hung low in the sky now, some twelve hours later, and Kuzmanic closes out her safari expedition with a clear pat on the shoulder for herself and the other media that hung in there.

“The mettle of the media has to be commended,” she wrote. “The SWAT and sheriff ’s detective escorts said that this was the most arduous hike in-and-out that they had encountered in pursuing a grow.”

D.E.A. PR team: job well done.

Quick Hits!

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Thousands of people authorized to use medical cannabis in Arizona under the state’s new law, AZcentral.com reported.

Age of a CA man suspected of skateboarding away from a grow house with a garbage bag full of marijuana. Witnesses saw him climb in through a window and fall out through the same later.

And in a related note: D.E.A SAYS IT HAS REMOVED $1 BILLION IN MARIJUANA FROM PUBLIC LANDS

M

ore than 578,000 Cannabis plants, estimated at a value of $1 billion, have reportedly been removed in just two months by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to a press release last month. The mission to eradicate the buds from forests and national parks in the Western United States began in early July in seven states: California, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington state. The majority of the plants were discovered in California, according to the release, which stated that about 484,000 were seized from 96 large grow operations. “Huge amounts of trash, miles of irrigation line, and many pounds of fertilizer and pesticides were removed from grow sites on public lands,” the department said. At many of the sites, weapons were found, which the organization flouted as well. Just 14 people were arrested on charges related to the grows, which calls to question the value of increased efforts. The D.E.A spends about $6b annually on its war on drugs, and so the return on investment is quite small — even in these massive busts. Of course, growing cannabis on public land is against the law and, in fact, often quite damaging to the environment. Reckless growers litter and wreak havoc with fertilizer and irrigation contraptions. That’s not to mention the vast removal of natural vegetation and trees in order to gain more sunlight for their grows. Streams are often diverted from their regular path to provide water for the grow, the statement said.

Quoted

Number of storefront dispensaries the Los Angeles City Council voted to ban last month. Federal prosecutors have sent 60 letters warning them to close. California voters approved medical marijuana in 1996, which allows for cultivation.

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Percentage of polled voters who say they support Massachusetts becoming a medical marijuana state. Patients would be allowed a 60-day supply, and the state would be responsible for instituting a nonprofit medical marijuana cultivation system and distribution centers. The initiative is lead by the ACLU, along with the Committee for Compassionate Medicine and the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance.

13

Number of county attorneys out of 15 in Arizona that asked the state attorney general to issue a legal opinion on whether the state’s new medical marijuana law, the AMMA, is prohibited by the federal government’s pot prohibition. A similar request was made by Washington state governor Chris Gregoire.

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Number in thousands of valid signatures submitted, well over the required 62, 507, in order to put the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act on the ballot in the November general election. That historic vote will be the first time any Southern state has allowed voters to decide whether to legalize medical marijuana. Conditions qualifying for medical marijuana include glaucoma, PTSD, cancer, and any disease that produces symptoms pot is known to ease, such as nausea.

It is the Count y’s position that the AMMA is in direct violation of the federal Controlled Substances Act and therefore cannot be implemented without exposing Count y employees to the risk of federal prosecution.

-Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, who opposes Arizona’s recently formed medical marijuana law, which would allow dispensaries.

‘‘

If passed, this will send a strong message that Marijuana is medicine and it is time we recognize that on a national level.

-Ryan Denham, acc campaign director

Medical marijuana heads to ballot for the first time in Southern state >> Historic vote would give those with P.T.S.D. access to medical cannabis

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poll last month by Hendrix College and Talk Business found that 47 percent of Arkansas voters were in favor of legalizing medical marijuana, while 46 percent were against. That’s right: voters are apparently evenly deadlocked in their opinions, but whether Arkansas becomes the first Southern state to make medical marijuana legal will be a matter of the November general election.

The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act would create a system of statewide cultivation and distribution facilities.

Patients who live further than five miles away from a distribution point would be allowed to grow their own medicine, similar to the rules in Arizona, which recently passed a similar measure. However, in a region known for hyper-stiff drug enforcement laws, the ability of

PHOTO BY FLICKR/STUSEEGER

Arkansans for Compassionate Care to gather nearly 7,000 more signatures than required to put a bill on the ballot is nothing short of miraculous.

The group,which is headed by Ryan Denham, collected 69,000 valid signatures, according to the Associated Press. “We are in the Bible Belt – this isn’t generally one of the states that is a hotbed for marijuana reform or policy,” Denham said. “If passed, this will send a strong message that marijuana is medicine and it is time we recognize that on a national level.”

Some of the conditions that would qualify a person for medical marijuana under the act include glaucoma, post traumatic stress disorder, cancer, and any disease that produces symptoms for which marijuana is known to ease, such as nausea, muscle spasms and seizures. Those who qualify would be

exempted from prosecution by state officials, though the act recognizes that medical marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

Not everyone is backing the bill though, including the Arkansas Family Council, a staunchly conservative organization. “Putting Arkansas in the middle of all of this just doesn’t make sense,” said Jerry Cox, the council’s president. “Why would we want to pass a law that blatantly violates federal law? Why would we invite that kind of turmoil to Arkansas?”

There does appear to be a trend towards decreasing law enforcement action on marijuana. Last year, sentencing reforms by the state legislature reduced many drug possession charges from felonies to misdemeanors — which reduced prison populations. Way to go, AR!

Arkansas would become the 18th state to legalize medical marijuana — making for more than a third of the United States to do so!

SEPT. 2012 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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rehashed

Seattle Hempfest In this aerial view from a helicopter hovering a few hundred feet up, tens of thousands of people attend the second day of what has been described as the world’s largest hemp and marijuana protestival Saturday August 18. Organizers said about 100,000 people participated in the three-day event, where there was lively debate about I-502, how to stay legal, what politicians to vote for and, yes, where the best food stand was.

Photo by daniel berman

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rehashed

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THE TIME IS 4:20PM. Seattle Hempfest

photos by daniel berman

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rehashed

Seattle HempfesT

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By RAYMOND FLORES FOR NORTHWEST LEAF ith temperatures soaring into the mid 90s, water was as much of a commodity as Cannabis at this year’s Hempfest.

The sun sent beads of sweat down the faces of attendee, speakers and volunteers at the hottest Hempfest in four years, where a vigorous and volatile debate surrounding Initiative 502 waited for those determined enough to break through the haze of bong smoke, dabbing stations and wafts of elephant ear.

While the I-502 debate loomed over the weekend, Cannabis enthusiasts mostly agreed to disagree. They shared their love for that certain plant, in all its different forms, along the rocky shore of Myrtle Edwards Park and under the watchful eye of Mount Rainier. I walked around the park all three days of the festival, listening and talking to public speakers and as many coherent attendees as I could find. I was struck by the range of enthusiasts I encountered, from long-time patients and hemp industry activists to younger recreational users and nugless gutter kids looking for a piece of free dank.

I met and listened to dozens of people for three days, and a handful stood out. Anyone who has ever tried to grow Cannabis knows the name Jorge Cervantes. I met the legendary grower and advocate after he spoke at the Hempfest main stage on Friday. I asked him where the best places in the world were to grow Cannabis and what he thought of I-502. He said I-502 put too much control and regulation in the hands of the government.

ARTICLE CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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Photo above by daniel berman

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: A new water pipe glows in the sunset light | Attendees dance near the mainstage | California performer Henry Hemp meets Jimi Hamdrix, a certified service pig, on day two. A crowd gathers at 4:20pm on the second day to enjoy an enormous communal joint. photos by nick adams for northwest leaf

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rehashed

CONTINUED FROM P. 20

Seattle HempfesT

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PHOTO BY MATT MILLS MCKNIGHT FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

“Any time you give authority control they use it the wrong way,” Cervantes said. “I would rather have control be in the hands of the growers and doctors. It is very hard to regulate.”

Cervantes said the best place to grow outdoors was his home city, Barcelona, Spain, but that Seattle is where indoor growing started and thrives. The indoor-growing community is strong here, he said. Cervantes is an authority on the international growing scene and has grower friends around the world.

Rodney McGinnis is a veteran of the Vietnam War. He has seen public acceptance of Cannabis use change dramatically during his decades using the plant. His 17 years as a behaviorist at state hospitals has shaped his perceptions about mental health and pharmaceuticals. I met McGinnis on Saturday on a grassy knoll in the middle of the festival grounds where he sat in the shade of a small evergreen people-watching.

He told me it had been three years since he at-

tended his last Hempfest, where he remembers a much less welcoming police presence.

“They were walking up and down on horses just looking at everyone really mean,” he said.

“They weren’t messing with anyone but you could tell they didn’t like what was going on.”

Police surrounded the festival grounds this year, mostly to direct traffic, but were hard to find on festival grounds, which isn’t surprising considering the City of Seattle’s official position on marijuana laws and enforcement.

I met McGinnis several times throughout the day, always at the same spot just a few yards from the Northwest Leaf tent. McGinnis is an authorized patient using Cannabis to manage pain in his hip.

For festival attendees seeking a break from the gauntlet of fast-food stands, bong vendors and Cannabis leaf pasties, the Hemposium tent consistently offered serious and professional discussions on legalization and uses of hemp. Ric Smith was Seattle Hempfest 2012’s

PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN/NORTHWEST LEAF

patient advocate of the year and part of a speaker panel in the Hemposium tent Sunday, along with other patient advocates and representatives from the hemp industry.

L

ike many other authorized patients, Smith is worried I-502 will lead to marijuana-related DUIs and intrusive blood testing for patients. As a dialysis patient, Smith needs to drive several times a week for treatment, and has undergone impairment tests to determine whether he is able to drive while using Cannabis. He said he has passed a series of impairment tests and has permission from the Department of Health to drive to his dialysis treatments, but if I-502 passes, it will be illegal for him to drive.

“This has been a tough issue, I-502,” Smith said. “The DUI clause is just not good science.”

Those sentiments echoed the fears of many

patients who are opposed to I-502 and who voiced those concerns at Hempfest.

Even with the I-502 controversy splitting the Cannabis community, the spirit of Hempfest was not lost this year. Most people really just wanted to smoke. I was accosted at 4:22 on Friday by a confused-looking gentleman who looked as though he could work in one of the tall office buildings a few blocks away. He asked me if I was “the one with the free joints.” I think my media badge and notepad caused him to think I was a Hempfest official. Disappointment replaced confusion when I told him I was, regretfully, not the person distributing free joints.

In a way, Hempfest has accomplished much of its goal. Despite the illegality of marijuana, an outdated stigma has been nearly destroyed and replaced with an acceptance exemplified at the protestival, where a businessman can approach a reporter and ask for a joint.

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Delta 9 opposes i-502 and so should you!

Initiative 502 mandates a provision that makes it illegal to drive with 5 ng/ ml of active THC in your bloodstream, regardless of impairment. This level is NOT supported by science. Not only would it subject innocent individuals to highly-invasive blood testing and unnecessary confinement, but given that many cannabis consumers will fail this test hours and in some instances days after last consumption, it also subjects them to the very real potential of an unwarranted criminal conviction that will haunt them for life.

This limit is even more ridiculous when you consider that the initiative refuses to include rebuttable presumption, meaning that if you’re above their designated limit: you’re void of your constitutional right to a fair trial, and are refused a defense in court against your impairment.

Initiative 502 is simply a faulty and dangerous piece of law (passing a joint to a friend would still be a felony for recreational consumers, for example), and will bring about complacency in the mainstream voter by fooling them into thinking they’ve already voted for “legalization”, pushing off the potential of meaningful reform for years or decades. Legalization can be done better, and without an arbitrary, unscientific and unnecessary per se limit.

PROFILE

During our photoshoot in the U-District neighborhood of Seattle, a passerbyer, unprovoked, began smoking marijuana, eventually passing the pipe to a stranger.

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From the street corner to city hall, jared allaway is always standing up for cannabis.

The Sensible Washington volunteer talks legalization, I-502, and what people yell at him from cars.

Interview & photo by daniel berman

jared standing up for cannabis: what was your first experience with marijuana?

What is the goal of sensible washington?

I first smoked cannabis when I was in the 7th grade, and I remember hanging out with friends and going to a party late at night, I had to sneak out. I didn’t think my mom heard me come back in, but she did. She woke me up by smashing my guitar. The thing is, she used to listen to old Cheech and Chong records.

Since 2010, our mission has been to allow people over the age of 18 to legally consume, possess and share Cannabis. We want the police to stop arresting adults for making an adult decision. I started out working with the folks for Initiative 1068 and 1149, working to get those on the ballot, and Sensible kind of grew out of the grassroots efforts to get people involved and active and volunteering.

How did that shape your views of cannabis?

Once you use Cannabis you know it’s safe. I think in the end my mom was just mad that I didn’t share.

How important is social media to your cause?

I really just wanted to tell people about marijuana, and a few years ago, I got involved in handing out flyers and literature to people outside of supermarkets.

That evolved into working with groups that wanted to legalize marijuana, like the 1068 initiative, and I just became more active that way. My efforts there lead to my work with Sensible Washington. There’s power in people volunteering — people may not recognize it, but even if they only have a little bit of time and not much money, they can manage to get amazing things done. You have to look at the bigger picture of Cannabis in this state.

We are an all-volunteer organization so obviously we don’t have the budget for lots of advertising or TV ads or things like that. The debate can be really strong on the internet. I’ll do comments on news stories online, that’s one way we get the word out, and even just on my personal Facebook page, I share links and posts that help spread the word. I have to be careful when posting for a specific cause or group, I have to be kind of ‘vanilla’. Sometimes people tell me they unfriended me because they didn’t agree with something I posted about on my own page. I share what I believe in. I don’t care if people get offended on my page.

How do you actually spread your message?

How do you feel about the current mmj laws?

One of my favorite ways is just sitting in the audience at a court house during a marijuana trial. Being there says something, it shows who is affected by the government’s actions, and by marijuana prohibition. I also go to city hall and a lot of city council meetings. It’s important.

How else will they know who is getting hurt? How families are being torn apart? It’s hard to see that.

I don’t blame people for wanting protection, but I think marijuana should be legal for people over the age of 18. I can understand wanting to have tight control, but we have gotten used to this idea that if something takes away your pain it causes impairment. But that’s not necessarily true.

When did you become a cannabis activist?

Out in public, what’s the response to your shirt and signs?

I get mostly happy responses. Oh, people will yell from their cars, shout at me, give me the finger, but prohibitionists are a dying breed, honestly. Most people just tell me they love the sign or shirt and agree with it.

They tell me they’re happy to see me out there.

WHERE DID THE SLOGAN ORIGINATE FROM? I had been reading a book called “Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?” and it makes a case for how the systems are set up against marijuana in many ways. I got the shirt idea from that, and it seemed like a good way to get the point across.

People really think alcohol is safer because it is legal but many get into accidents and hurt other people with it.

so is that why people are fighting against mmj?

I’ve never had anything against people who decide Cannabis isn’t for them. But Cannabis doesn’t hurt anyone. You learn its power and how it stimulates your body and interacts with it in different ways.

At first I thought it was a miracle. Now every day or so it seems I am reading another story about what marijuana can do for people. My jaw just drops — it’s a miracle drug.

hOW WAS HEMPFEST FOR YOU? It was great to see so many people out there, but I was somewhat worried by the way people were supporting I-502. The way it is written, I just don’t want to have anything to do with people who won’t stand up for Cannabis.

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Dutch Treat is known worldwide as a top-notch choice. The flowers are uniquely developed, with colas often splitting off into multiple peaks and nugs that have multiple tips.

The smell is renowned, with a loud piney overtone that is followed by an underlying sweetness. When smoked, an expansive smoke fills the lungs sharply. Effects wise, this strain is great for really anytime. It has proven particularly effective at relieving stress and anxiety related issues, which can hit at any time. It’s also great for driving away the blues, or for a little energy to get through a tough day.

Above all, what makes this particular Dutch Treat is the test results. Yes, 20%+ THC is always an attention getter, but its the presence of CBD that helps this flower stand out. With an expected range of .01-.25% CBD, this Treat is just that for any medical patient.

Available from Stoney’s stand @ northwest cannabis market 9640 16th Ave. S.W. Seattle, WA 98106 (360) 420-4203

20.79% THC • 1.11% CBD Tested By

ANALYTICAL 360 Cannabis Analysis Laboratory

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Dutch Treat

access

What they bring to the table Only minutes from the Oregon border, the MEDI-BROTHERS COLLECTIVE out of Vancouver, Wash. are serving patients the only way they can: by delivery. Every time they help a qualified patient, they unfurl everything you see onto the person’s dining room table. It’s not exactly an access point, but it’s what they got.

BY WES ABNEY | PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

IN

the 19th and early 20th century, family doctors would often travel to treat their homebound patients, bringing along their medicines and wares in a kit.

The practice of mobile doctoring largely died out as the 20th century progressed, until the resurgence of medical Cannabis during the past decade. Home deliveries of medicine have become common again.

In Vancouver, Wash., a pair of brothers has taken the delivery model for medical marijuana and driven with it, literally. Their delivery service provides for 75 to 150 patients on weekdays, and up to 300 on weekends. Because Vancouver and the surrounding region lacks a

36/sept. 2012 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

storefront collective, the work of the Medi–Brothers Collective is even more valuable. Without them, almost all the patients would be forced to risk the black market and the streets or go on sans medicine. It is a cause that hits home with the brothers, both of whom use Cannabis medicinally.

“We’ve put our heart and soul into this,” said Mike, one of the two brothers. “We provide a patientto-patient service in a safe and secure way.” To keep access alive in Vancouver takes a lot of work.

Medi Brother Collective requires five delivery cars just to split the mileage and maintain a low profile.

Two are always running, with the staff of five taking rotating shifts to manage the workload. But, as the

brothers will admit, there’s more to the business than delivering meds.

“Beyond the patients we serve are the phone calls we get,” Marcus said laughing. “We almost spend more time answering questions than making deliveries. But we like it like that. It’s a family business, and we’ll spend the time helping explain to a little old lady how to medicate.”

But don’t be fooled. Once the calls start, the work doesn’t stop. “As soon as we get a call the word goes out: ‘Grab your kit,’ ” Mike said. Each patient is asked for the necessary information to verify them, just as is done in a storefront collective, and cleared for delivery.

But the driver still must deal with the uncertainty of each interaction.

‘‘

We’ve sat with the mayor and offered complete transparency but Since they don’t want a storefront, we’ve hit the delivery system.

We will get patients their medicine.

for more information http://tinyurl.com/medibros Medibrothermedia@gmail.com (360) 258-0764

The service has never been harassed by police officers or robbed, though the possibility is always looming.

Even with the mounting pressures, the call to help exceeds the risk.

“I’m more scared of being robbed than being bugged by the police because we’re legal with the state,” said Mike. “Still, I can’t not do it. I have to help the people in my community, the place we grew up.”

Each time drivers go out, they take a pre-issued kit with them. To coin the kit a mobile access point is to put it simply. But the deliveries represent far more in the effect they have on the patients’ lives. Each drivers kit contains up to the maximum legal limit of 24 dry flower ounces split among an average of 20 strains, one

to two coolers full of medibles and a healthy selection of concentrates.

“The kits weigh about 70 pounds total of equipment and medicine that we take to the door. That means at each house they deliver to, the kit has to be pulled from the car, toted up inside and opened for display, repacked and then loaded back into the trunk of the car,” Marcus said.

“After that, it’s on to the next stop.”

The delivery service experience for the average Vancouver patient is both surprising and appreciated. Many have never been inside a dispensary and have had limited access to the full line of products that patients in Seattle and Tacoma do. The personal service and doorstep courtesy doesn’t hurt either.

For the brothers, sharing the medicine has become a way of life.

Both use medical Cannabis therapy to overcome several health issues, which served as the motivation to start the deliveries.

In fact, you could say it all started with a sucker. Marcus’ search for a way to medicate that preserved the healing properties of the flower led him to a Rick Simpson Oil extraction. It ended up working perfectly in cooking. From there, the first product tested was the suckers. Mike was in the hospital at the time and stuck taking over 10 different pills, the side-effects of which were taking a toll.

“I fought type 2 diabetes, had high blood pressure, sleep apnea and more chronic illnesses. When you weigh 400 pounds, you hurt everywhere,” Mike explained. “I found that if I could eat three suckers a day I would feel good and needed fewer pain pills. Eventually, I got off all the pills and meds. Now I only use Cannabis.”

By replacing pain medicine with the suckers, Mike noticed immediate results. Months later, both brothers had lost more than 100 pounds and removed the toxic pills through Cannabis therapy.

For Marcus, the results have been nothing short of incredible.

“CBD and THC. It’s what saved me. As soon as I laid off the pills, I went from 350 pounds to 250.”

Now the two are on a mission

to share their message -- and suckers -- with everybody possible. The delivery service is rapidly expanding, along with the medicated product line offered by the brothers. In addition to the in-house grown strains are the incredible edibles. There are 78 flavors of suckers so far and dozens of chocolate confections sure to delight the taste buds and satisfy medicinally.

Even with the success of the delivery service, the brothers are looking to the future. Vancouver city officials have taken a political stance against allowing medical Cannabis access through storefront collectives, which led the brothers to take their different route of providing for their patients.

“The city is single-handedly stopping 15,000 to 20,000 potential patients from accessing medicine through a storefront,” Mike said. “We’ve sat with the mayor and offered complete transparency. Since they don’t want a storefront, we’ve hit the delivery system. We will get patients their medicine.”

Even with the tremendous risk and liability incurred by the brothers sending medicine out with drivers, they will not look back. For them, the risk is worth the reward of ensuring patients safe access to medicine. Like Mike said, he can’t not do it.

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Essential Ingredients >> Experience and compassion are the key for duo behind Olympia’s Truthfully Green line of topicals and edibles

BY WES ABNEY | PHOTOS BY DANIEL BERMAN

c

ombined with essential oils, Cannabis has healing properties that have been used for thousands of years. Dating back to when holy oils contained Cannabis, these combinations have stood the test of time for healing and spirituality. In today’s world where misconceptions about Cannabis abound, a husband and wife have come out to stand up for their beloved product.

“We believe that the Cannabis plant is the tree of life,” declared Toni and her husband John. “This is right out of the Bible.”

With Toni’s 25 years of experience

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as an herbalist and her knowledge of the historical use of topicals, the couple has built a patient-friendly line of products known as Truthfully Green. It includes topical creams and salves, a variety of medibles and a tasty selection of potent tinctures.

“Most of what has happened has fallen into place,” Toni explained. “When we became patients, it worked right into what I was already doing.”

Toni and John suffer from degenerative disc disease, which causes chronic pain in the lower back. They both struggled with pain and were prescribed large amounts

of opiates that were causing health problems, John said. When a friend introduced them to medical Cannabis, they said their lives changed.

“Our first glimpse was a small batch of medicated salve a friend gave us.

We stretched that tiny amount as long as possible. It was the only thing that worked,” Toni said. “After we ran out, we searched and searched for a good product, but couldn’t find one. That’s when we started on our own.”

Ask the duo and they’ll tell you the line of products has evolved significantly.

Starting with the salve, they branched

Our products are potent, but also high quality.

We only use essential oils for scenting topicals to avoid skin irritation and they have healing properties of their own. -Toni, co-founder, truthfully green out into topicals. Every product they develop is heavily medicated with foodgrade Rick Simpson oil, and the test results prove it. The medicated salve has tested at 5.98 mg of activated THC, courtesy of Analytical 360. Compared to other products, that’s a large amount of medicine, and makes it a solid value.

“Our products are potent, but they’re also high quality. We only use essential oils for scent in our topicals to avoid skin irritation, and they have healing properties of their own,” Toni added. “It’s how I was raised: holistically. I don’t like the Western medicine system.”

The couple uses only natural sugars in their medible line, which includes carrot cake and a healthful granola and fruit nut bar. They also offer sugar and glutenfree options for patients. They also offer medicated garden vegetable bread, cornbread, pumpkin bread and hummus.

The products are available from seven Thurston County collectives, including D3 in Olympia.

“Whatever patients need, that’s our focus. We are patients trying to help other patients,” John said passionately.

“It’s not so much about getting high. This is about healing.”

253-214-4340 (message line) truthfullygreen@gmail.com

Their products are available from: D3 medical Club, Capital City Collective Garden, Cascade Collective out of Oakville, Medical Care Givers of Oakville, Rainier Xpress, Olympia Alternative Medicine and NW Alternative Care.

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Recipes MEDICATED BREAKFAST EDITION Spinach Quiche PREP TIME: 20 MIN. | COOK TIME: 15 MIN. 1/2 cup medicated butter 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 1 (4.5 oz.) can mushrooms, drained 1 (6 oz.) pkg. herb & garlic feta, crumbled 1 (8 ounce) pkg. shredded Cheddar cheese 1 (9-inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust 1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained Salt and pepper to taste 4 eggs, beaten 1 cup milk

French Toast S E R V E S 4 | P R E P T I M E : 5 M I N U T E S | C O O K T I M E : 15 M I N U T E S 1) Beat eggs, milk, and cinnamon together. If using, add orange zest and/or Triple Sec. Whisk until well blended. Pour into a shallow bowl.

4 eggs

2) Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, allowing bread to soak up some of the mixture.

Melt some butter over a large skillet on medium high heat. Add as many slices of bread onto the skillet as will fit at a time. Fry until brown on both sides, flipping the bread when necessary.

Some butter

3) Serve hot with butter, maple syrup, and if available, fresh berries.

PHOTO BY FLICKR/CLAIREBIDWELLSMITH

2/3 cup milk 2 tsp. cinnamon Maple syrup Some fresh berries 2 tsp. freshly grated orange zest (optional) 8 thick slices of 2-day-old bread, better if slightly stale 4-10 droppers of tincture, flavor of choice. We like vanilla.

Preheat oven to 375 째F. In medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat.

Saute garlic, onion in butter until lightly browned, about 7 min. Stir in spinach, mushrooms, feta and a 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.

Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into pie crust. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into pastry shell, allowing egg mixture to thoroughly combine with spinach mixture.

Bake in oven for 15 min. Sprinkle top with remaining Cheddar cheese, and bake an additional 35 to 40 min., until set in center. Allow to stand 10 min. before serving.

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TASTY

Reviews

There is a light hint of Cannabis, but it is easily forgettable between rich and chocolately bites.

uber dog chocolate brownie

$20— six servings A heavy hitting treat

REVIEW BY NORTHWEST LEAF STAFF | PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

Available from:

T

Canna Rx in Seattleʼs Fremont neighborhood 3601 Fremont Ave. N. Suite 210 Look for the plaza between 36th & 38th St. Seattle, WA 98103 (206) 588-1637

he Uber Dogʼs bite is definitely as big as itʼs bark. With 501mg of overall Cannabinoids, this brownie will leave you feel you feeling great, even if you are stuck in the proverbial dog house. Mamma Cassieʼs medibles are produced in-house by the folks at Canna Rx, who have set out to have a clear dosage schedule for all their products. Each item on the menu is medicated with the same basic oil, which is then separated into the right amount of ingredients for baking medibles. The oil contains 73.33% THC and 13.3% CBD, along with varying amounts of other Cannabinoids. The Uber Dog brownie contains 501 mg total, with 365.73mg of that being THC & 65.13mg of pure CBD. In short, for a beginning patient, it represents 6-7 servings, which is why the medible line offers a variety of products from the $5-$20 donation rate based on potency. As for taste, the brownie is on par with any quality local bakery. There is a light hint of Cannabis, but it is easily forgettable between rich and chocolately bites. Even for experienced patients, the bites should be kept small. One quarter of the Uber Dog is a great starting dose. Wait an hour before medicated with more as needed!

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REVIEWS

by northwest leaf staff | Photos by daniel berman

scent relief combats that certain odor $49 Powerful, effective odor-relief Multiple scents: Gingerbread, caramel apple, bubblegum, rosemary focaccia, fresh brewed coffee, pomegranate, hot apple pie, chocolate chip cookies

Available from: Apothecary Seattle 210 E. Broadway St. Seattle, WA 98102 (206) 369-6708

In just a short while, many of you, our faithful readers, will be harvesting plants. everything will be going well, except for that persistent odor — the kind that can attract unwanted attention from neighbors or even law enforcement. That’s where the Scent Relief comes in. The product is smaller than a jar of mayo and rated to last for 120 days, based on usage of six, ten-minute intervals per day.

Just plugging the device in turns it on, so it couldn’t be simpler. It uses a quiet fan to blow the scent around. One of these bad boys seemed to be enough to turn a large access point into a nicely smelling locale — so it should be sufficient for most grow rooms. It’s rated for 2000 square feet! We like that the line comes in a ton of different scents, so you won’t be stuck with one if you want to change it up. No new car smell, but, then again, that scent is supposed to be pretty bad for your health! This one was pleasant without becoming overwhelming, and we can appreciate that for only $49, it’s almost disposable. And come harvest time, anything that makes our lives easier is sure to be used again and again.

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CONCENTRATES

Caviar Dreams A decadent infusion of Cannabis flower and concentrates

T

By wes abney | photo by daniel berman his month’s concentrate feature is a blend of flower and oil, brought together to produce a medicine unlike anything else available. It’s known simply as Caviar, but don’t let the name fool you. This caviar doesn’t come from a fish, and any smokey flavor is a positive thing!

For any old timer, this process will seem very similar to the Thai Stick of the 60’s and 70’s.

The Thai Stick strain was harvested and then tied to what are essentially kabob sticks while still wet before being packed away for months to cure. As legend (and some trippy stories relayed to this journalist indicate) the stick would also be dipped into opium, which allowed the heady Sativa to produce overwhelming pain-killing effects.

Today, the Opium has been replaced by high-quality cannabis extract (see the plastic dispensers) and the stringy Thai Sativa’s have been replaced by highquality Northwest nugs. We’ll give you a quick breakdown on the process, then get into the review.

Each batch starts with 180 grams split between six strains of cannabis: Blue Dream, DJ Short’s Blue Berry, Bubble Gum, Super Lemon Haze, Confidential Cheese and Sour Alien. The batch also contains 60 grams of oil (a blend of BHO and ISO) and 16 grams of kief.

The process begins by curing the flower together for one month. It has to be perfectly cured before the oil is added to prevent mold, mildew or other problems. After the month, all stems are removed from the bud before being rolled and coated in the Oil blend. The removal of the stems lets the buds dry more evenly and also shrinks them. Once covered in the sticky and potent oil, the bud is dusted in kief before being transferred to a terra cotta drying chamber. It will cure there for three more months before it’s ready to ingest.

At that time, the flowers take on a whole new smell and taste from their original form.

When smoked they burn much slower, with large plumes of smoke rising from the all the forms of medicine burning together at once.

Small bowls are essential. It only takes a little bit to deliver a big hit, which also helps cut down on waste. The effects are immediately noticeable, with a very well balanced high that delivers deep relaxation and satisfaction.

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growtech

Phylloxera. >> These root aphids take many forms and Northwest growers must remain vigilant

BY DR. SCANDERSON FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

N

ature is truly an awesome entity. As Cannabis growing techniques continue to evolve, the quality and diversity of cannabis has improved considerably. Today there are many new systems, nutrients and pest prevention methods — lending growers even more options to choose from.

But just when humans believe that they have found the answer for everything, nature throws us a curve ball.

This month’s Growtech focuses on Phylloxera, a miraculous and extremely dangerous infestation that has reached the Northwest in pandemic proportion.

Believed to have originated in France, Phylloxera were commonly referred to as “The Plague” thanks to their ability to take hold of wine grape crops.

The pests resist eradication until the entire crop and area can no longer produce fruit. In an effort to save some of the most coveted grape breeds, many of the vines were moved to California where the coastal soils and environment provided a less hospitable environment for the aphid-like creatures to thrive.

But, Mother Nature persists. Phylloxera are commonly referred to as root aphids, and can harm cannabis in a major way. It’s not often that I would choose to take an entire article to focus on just one pest: it is that serious. By spreading as much information about this pest, from how to properly identify it to options for treating it to methods for preventing infestation, it is my hope that we can irradiate this as a community of growers in the Northwest.

Why is the pest challenging?

1) Very difficult to find at all and are easily misidentified 2) Growers may have had them around for many cycles 3) Phylloxera take on at least five forms during their life-cycle.

4) Eradication requires specialized, labor-intensive treatment regimes. In later, more advanced stages, it can be almost impossible to completely remove.

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Root aphids, as the name would suggest, are a sucking insect that puncture a plant’s roots. They leave “open wounds” which the plant cannot repair due to an enzyme the aphids leave behind.

Salts and other additives frequently found in nutrients exacerbate the damaged tissue by, quite literally, pouring salt on the wound. The roots become unable to absorb adequate nutrients to support the flowering plant. Worse yet, while attempting to naturally resist the pest, plants become extremely susceptible to several other infestations.

These infestations include root rot, powdery mildew and fungus gnats.

In some cases the plant can mount a

reasonable level of resistance to the pest and continue to thrive, though with reduced vigor. The damaged roots often prevent the plants from taking up adequate levels of magnesium and iron. As a result, consummate growers who grow very healthy plants and maintain very clean environments may inexplicably experience a mysterious deficiency of some sort around day 21 to 30 of flower. The deficiency often appears as a magnesium or iron deficiency, or a pH issue — even though all the levels and nutrition are on-

ARTICLE CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

growtech

ARTICLE CONTINUED from pg. 54

If you’ve spotted flies around your plants which appear to be fungus gnats but don’t respond to treatment, experienced the phantom nutrient deficiency, or just observed creepy crawlers, you must consider a root aphid infestation. point. The result can be an ongoing harvest of high quality flowers at a reduced yield of 15 to 20 percent. This kind of phantom nutrient deficiency has left many growers scratching their heads, unable to correct the deficiency, all the while unknowingly and ineffectively battling root aphids.

Root aphids generally live and exist initially in the root ball, making them tough to spot. In this form, they are about the size of a spider mite and are the same color as the roots.

The asexually reproducing aphids will feast on the root ball until the area cannot support the quickly increasing population. Then the creature will respond to their environment in one of three ways: They can hatch a generation of root aphids that are capable of developing wings and taking flight to another plant; the winged root aphid is extremely difficult to distinguish from the common fungus gnat, leading to incorrect insect identification and treatments. Or the pests can also hatch as a larger crawler that can move from the deep root ball up the plant and onto the leaves and stems. There it can dine on other parts of the plants as well as lay eggs to hatch larvae with upper plant mass to support them. Lastly, it can lay a winter egg.

The winter egg can lay dormant for up to six months before hatching and generating a new infestation.

The root aphids seem to thrive most effectively in rock wool, followed by coco and hydroton. Soil and soiless mixes generally offer a slightly less hospitable environment for larvae.

If you have spotted flies around your plants which appear to be fungus gnats but don’t respond to treatment, experienced the phantom nutrient deficiency, or observed above-ground

56/SEPT. 2012 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

crawlers, you must consider a root aphid infestation. Getting down into your roots and scoping them is both an excellent first step as well as a wise task and part of regular upkeep.

Sand, diamiscus earth and other sharp soil amendments help limit the life cycle of these pests and control the population. But it may not eradicate them completely. Emerging from the soil is not a necessity for the aphids to survive. There are really only two treatments that are effective in completely removing the infestation, in my own personal experience and mounting scientific research.

O

rganic remedies seem to be limited to administering pyrithium through complete and total root dunks. Pyrithium interrupts the life cycle and therefore can take up to 30 days to work completely. It requires thorough and complete root ball saturation and must be applied according to a very specific and frequent schedule to be effective. Botanigaurd is another organic remedy. It is a bacterial parasite to the root aphid, and when the bacteria comes in contact with root aphid, it enters and kills its body. Botanigaurd is costly and only effective if the aphid comes in contact with the bacteria, so effective root dunking is a must. I know of a couple highly advanced organic growers who work with Soma and report high levels of success in preventing Phylloxera by building a healthy population of beneficial nematodes.

Organic remedies though may be completely ineffective if the infestation has reached higher levels of development or if the pest isn’t properly identified. With enough time to both correct the

issue and allow adequate time for recovery, the plants may once again regain vigor through maturity.

Growers who are comfortable administering synthetic pesticides are having success using two of the chemical options on the market.

Note that more organically minded gardeners may recommend taking down the entire crop, finding new mothers and restarting your garden before using synthetic pesticides on medical grade cannabis. That said, these types of pesticides are designed according to the manufacturer to be completely safe to use on consumable fruits and vegetables when administered according the recommendation.

The only synthetic, systemic treatment I have personally seen successful results with is a product called Merit which contains imidacloprid. “Imid” is the active ingredient used in popular dog and cat flea and tick remedies such as Advantage. Like any systemic treatment it enters the plant and alters the chemistry so that when the pest feeds on the plant, it also ingests the pesticide which kills the pest.

Imid stays in the plant for at least 60 days and I would not recommend administering in flower, ever.

The second chemical is a touch and kill pesticide that stays active for 21 days on the plant and is called gamma-cyhalothrin.

This product kills the insect any time it comes in contact with it or when the insect comes in contact with surfaces that have been treated in the past 14 days; although I would only recommend administration within 45 days or more of harvest. Both these products are extremely potent chemicals and must be handled,

administered and disposed of with greater caution than even the manufacturer recommends.

This infestation didn’t migrate to the Northwest without assistance. We brought it here. In the search for the best Cannabis, many growers acquired clone-only genetics from California, specifically areas surrounding wine country.

The grower may have all the best intentions yet unknowingly given out the infected cutting, or infect another strain in their garden and give that one out.

If you have ever seen a movie like Outbreak or Pathogen, finding a cure to a rapidly spreading disease and identifying the source host or first person that transmitted the virus is essential to finding a cure.

Fortunately as Cannabis growers, we have a much easier solution: never ever, ever, take cutting from anyone, plain and simple.

Phylloxera are not native to the Northwest and do not thrive without specialized environments and hosts such as Cannabis. There are literally thousands of seed breeders out there representing hundreds of thousands of hours of work with the best available genetics in seed form. I submit that almost any strain of Cannabis in existence can be so closely replicated in seed form that less than 10 percent of patients would ever experience a difference at any level. Methods for acquiring such plants can seem more involved and time consuming initially, but are vastly superior in comparison to the cost, time, stress and impact on the quality of life of any gardener fighting this pest.­

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The Fine F ine Line..

Recreation, Wellness and Medical Necessity

BY NORTHWEST LEAF SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR DR. SCOTT D. ROSE

A

large percentage of patients seeking medical marijuana recommendations are already using Cannabis. But when an individual divulges their use to a doctor, they may fear being judged.

Even if the doctor condones their patient’s Cannabis use, they may fall back on state policy issues, etc. for not being able to authorize them. The doctor might say, “go find one of those doctors.” Washington state has written many laws to benefit patients in need, and allow a wide range of healthcare providers to authorize their patients’ use for medical necessity. The problem however, is that there is a fine line between recreational use — and

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wellness and medical necessity.

Recreational drug use is the use of a drug with the intention of creating or enhancing recreational experience.

Cannabis use often starts early in life as experimentation, though, long-term use is defined as “habitual use.” With long term use, there may be the treatment and perhaps prevention of underlying disease, so the label “self prescribed” would be more appropriate. In this scenario, the individual had a positive experience with the medicine and continued to use it to derive the desired therapeutic effect.

The human organism is wise: we tend to shy from pain and run towards pleasure. Drugs commonly considered capable of recreational use include alcohol, nicotine,

caffeine, narcotic (cocaine and many prescription drugs) and psychotropic substances such as LSD and ecstasy. All of these drugs have worse mortality rates, and do far more damage than cannabis aside from, arguably, caffeine. Let’s not get into the multi-billion dollar industries supporting most of these legal recreational drugs, and the onslaught of synthetic compounds or designer drugs found in “legal” fake cannabis blends and bath salts.

People are dying from the use of these products, all in an attempt to enhance their recreational experience. There has never been a death directly relate to overdose of Cannabis. That this is not more widely respected is a function of the failed prohibition on Cannabis.

what qualifies you for medical cannabis in wa?

Cancer, HIV, MS, epilepsy or other seizure or spasticity disorders, some types of intractable pain, glaucoma, Chrohnʼs disease, Hepatitis C, or diseases, including anorexia, which result in nausea, vomiting, wasting, appetite loss, cramping, seizures, muscle spasms or spasticity.

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One challenge to determining medical necessity is that there are almost as many definitions of medical necessity as there are laws and courts to interpret it. Generally speaking, it’s about providing services which are “reasonable and necessary” or “appropriate” in light of clinical standards of practice. But, today, there are none.

Nearly every civilization in recorded history has possessed a way of altering their consciousness.

Long time users of Cannabis rely on their medicine as part of their wellness plan — helping them stay disease free and out of pain. As one individual describes, “Cannabis is my everything. I have discontinued caffeine, alcohol, pain-relieving medicine and a prescription sleep aid.” Again, self prescribers have continued their use due to a desired therapeutic benefit. For instance, they may have an underlying predisposition to anxiety or depression, and Cannabis is helping to supress the manifestation.

Then again, there is the notion of prevention, and Cannabis may help there as well.

For long-term use, proper delivery of Cannabis is imperative to mitigate any negative side effects. Cannabis and its many plant compounds offer the body myriad ways to prevent,

manage and heal from disease.

The most widely understood class of compounds within the plant are the Cannabinoid compounds - THC, CBD, CBVN, etc. Cannabinoids are the active compounds in the Cannabis plant and our bodies make them! Within the human body, we have an entire system of receptors for these compounds in multiple tissues - brain/nervous, muscle, immune, etc. The body is built for them, and naturally produces many of these same compounds! There are theories and increasing research to support that some individuals may not produce as much of the compounds; Cannabis in their situation should be considered replacement therapy, much as one would take a supplement.

A major contributor to chronic disease is stress, though many define stress in their own, external way: factors such as relationships, work, finances, etc. We must also internal

physiological stressors, like blood sugar control, temperature control and anti-inflammatory mechanisms, which are certainly the body’s natural responses. Essentially, stress equals adaptation to change minus coping ability. And coping ability can be altered, as PTSD research shows.

Scientists are learning that the body may not be able to extinguish aversive or bad memories, in other words – these people may lack the ability to forget. The cannabinoid compounds made by the body, and the plant compounds in Cannabis, help us to forget bad things. It is important to forget. If we remembered everything, that would be overwhelming — when the inbox becomes too full, it must be cleared.

Current research suggests Cannabinoids could serve as proper treatment of multiple stress-related disorders. [Ed. note, see the sidebar at left on qualifying conditions].

This is mostly rigid criteria based on medical necessity. One challenge to determining medical necessity is that there are almost as many definitions of medical necessity as there are laws and courts to interpret it. Generally speaking, it’s about providing services which are “reasonable and necessary” or “appropriate” in light of clinical standards of practice.

But currently, there are really no clinical standards of practice for managing Cannabis therapy. What is “reasonable and necessary”? What is “appropriate?” Today in Washington state, it is appropriate to obtain an

Authorization to Engage in the Medical Use of Cannabis.

There is no prescriptive aspect of the process, wherein you go get xyz from the pharmacy, and use it in this way to derive the desired therapeutic effect.

Rather, the use of Cannabis as medicine remains controversial in the medical community. It’s important to divulge your use to help educate the medical community on the benefits of Cannabis, and just how many of their patients are using! This empirical knowledge, along with continued research, will help further shift the paradigm of Cannabis as medicine away from the illicit.

If you have a legitimate medical complaint that qualifies you for medical Cannabis in your state, then get legal! If you are in possession of it, using and finding benefit from it, then speak with your doctor about the appropriateness of medical Cannabis for your case and start building a rapport. Begin collecting documentation to support your case.

Do your own research and present an educated appearance.

You are either a legal patient or you are not. If you are not, then you will be treated as a criminal. Again, these are state laws, written to benefit patients in need, and allow health care providers to authorize their patients’ use. Lets use them.

Dr. Scott D. Rose is a Naturopathic Physician Acupuncturist specializing in pain management in Kirkland. Askdrrose.com

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BEHIND THE STRAIN The Effect: Body take note: relief is here. In true indica style, the

Blue Bastard sets in like a warm bath — effortlessly banishing pains of the body. The sensations were apparent almost immediately and grew more noticeable and comforting. As a patient who generally chooses to treat the evening symptoms associated with my condition with indica-dominant Cannabis strains, I was particularly surprised and pleased to be left without the typical heavy sedative, and sometime narcotic effects, that many of the stronger indicas provide.

HOW IT GROWS:

Blue Bastard A 70-30ISH INDICA-HEAVY STRAIN

BY DR. SCANDERSON FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

smoke report: Pungent scents of country fresh blueberries raged out the jar I was given. A tight, solid nugget bearing a moderate blue hue boasts swollen calyxes with ample resin. The smoke explodes with an eye-popping rush of flavors so sweet they border on grape Kool Aid notes. They later return back to a clearly well-selected DJ Short Blueberry finish that, I must say, is unrivaled in pure, potent blueberry flavor. And that’s compared to any other medicines I have tried in the Northwest.

The Genetics: Blue Bastard is a cross between DJ Short’s Blueberry, God Bud and a few prominent members of the White Family.

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the bottom line:

We are grateful to be featuring another guest gardener in this month’s column. The Blue Bastard Ambassador had this to say....She’s been described as “2x4 strong.” A heavy hitter, with just enough sativa to keep you going all day long. I like to run an all-Coco system, with specially formulated Coco nutrients, specifically for Coco medium…the redundancy is deliberate!

So many people seem to believe that they can use a Coco medium with any old nutrient program, but there’s something about using a specific formula to compensate for the fact that you are growing in a PK-rich environment to begin with (decomposing coconut shells are essentially fruit). It’s not the same situation when we’re talking about peat and pearlite. BB likes lots of Cal/Mag, especially during transition, and tends to be a heavy feeder in general.

I use 15-gallon Smart Pots, under 600-watt HPS lights, at about 62 WPSF (watts per square foot), yields approximately .75 GPW (grams per watt). Regardless of setup, canopy size, plant size and plant numbers, GPW is my only question when evaluating how a particular strain yields. As far as other inputs, C02, at 1200 ppm, is just as important as good quality nutes, light bulbs, or any other environmental considerations.

Adding all of these things up, the best lighting available, the highest quality fertilizer, top notch atmospheric control — and you’re at 10 — but suppose you want to go to eleven (with an English accent) because, sometimes, 10 just isn’t enough. Where do you go? BioWave. Bio what?

My average yield went from about .50 GPW, to .75 GPW!

A Seattle exclusive, the Blue Bastard carries with it a unique profile of flavors and effects. From first hand experience I can tell you that the Blue Bastard is cultivated not only with high levels of precision, technical proficiency and resources but with a genuinely sincere and compassionate hand dedicated to providing relief to the patients who acquire it.

Fusion medical cannabis hours: 12-8 weekdays 12-4 saturday closed sunday happy hour daily 2-4 206.402.3957 1602 Dexter Ave N. Seattle, WA fusionmmj.com

visit us at hempfest booth 418 and receive a coupon for free dama oil redeemable at Fusion.

Knowledgeable.

Compassionate.

Reputable.

Have a

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